I don't think she liked it, but not sure.

So while my hair girl was painting low lights through my hair, we were both talking about the fires in Paradise, Ca. We traded stories we'd heard from both the media, or people we knew who had been there.

I told her one story I read on the news that she knew nothing about, and that's where the conversation changed a bit.

It's about a bus driver who was at one of the elementary schools in Paradise, ready to leave when there were still 22 children whose parents could not get to them. The flames were near by and they had to go now, so he took all 22 children, plus a kindergarten teacher and a 2nd grade teacher and off they went in the school bus. 

There were flames and smoke surrounding them. The bus was so smokey it was hard to see, and the lungs of the kids were filling up with smoke. 

So the bus driver took off his shirt and tore it into pieces. He then took the only bottle of water on the bus, and wet down each piece of torn cloth. The 2 teachers on the bus helped each child put a piece of the wet shirt to their mouth and breathed through that. 

He said later that it seemed to help.

At one point they picked up a stranded preschool teacher from another school, along the way. 

It took 5 1/2 very scary hours to reach safety, and to very relieved parents, who most likely thought their children were gone forever.

As I'm telling this story to my hair girl we are chatting back and forth and we are both in awe over what happened and commenting what a hero the bus driver was.

Then I told her, "The news report said "at one point, they prayed." 

My hair girl went silent. Nothing. Long pause.

I thought, that's odd. 

So I said, "Those kids will always remember that they prayed to safety."

Still nothing. She had nothing else to say, and then changed the subject. 

I'm not sure if this means she does not believe in God, or if she was offended that I do. 

But I kept thinking of a little quote that I have on my fridge. The president of our church said it, just weeks ago:

She may not have any idea what Jesus Christ has done for HER. 

If you want to read the story just google, "bus driver from heaven." 

Susan's 80th birthday party, and what I learned

Such a special night when lots of Susan's family came together to wish her a Happy 80th!

Shown above with her sister Corinne and her brother in law. 

Several of Susan's grandchildren attended, 

including her very youngest granddaughter Sophie:

I got so involved talking to her, that I didn't take many pictures.

I told her, "You were just a new born baby when your Grandma Susan married my Dad in '07."

She disagreed, "No, I was a year old when they got married,"

I gently said, "No, you were just a few weeks old. What year were you born?"

Sophie: "I was born in '06."

Me: "Uh, no, you were born in '07."

She tilted her head and rolled her eyes when I said that. You know the look. (But it was adorable on her!)

Sophie: "I was not born in '07. I was born in '06. 

I'm going to go ask my Mom." 

Good, I thought. 

She came right back, and announced to me: 

"My mom said I was born in '07." 

She could have just walked away. But that sweet little girl was so honest and she came right over to tell me she was wrong. 

But you know what also she did for me? 

At my age, I can be the one who has the wrong memory. It just felt good that it can truly happen to anyone. Even a little girl who is 11 and thought she was born in '06. 

I wish Sophie lived closer. I think we would be good friends. 

But wait, before you go, I have a back story.

Here it goes.

Den and I knew there would be many people invited to this grand celebration. We also knew Oakmont's party room is not very large with very limited seating.

Turns out some sat outside in the cold, 
some sat in the library (next door) 
and many stood around the main room. 

It didn't seem to bother anyone that I could tell. 
We were just all so happy to be together. 

However, Den worries alot about this kind of thing. 

He worried about it all week actually.

He is such a gentleman, and continually, and I mean continually worries about others' feelings. 

But....he worried more about this particular party because he hurt his back about a month ago and it can get horribly painful to stand for any length of time. He worried that he should give up his seat to someone else. He always will gladly do this, but then the pain in his back would flare up from having to stand. 

I'm thankful I am not a man.

So finally I told him several days before the party:

"Hey, you know that hair appt I had to cancel last week? Well I really need to make another one and my hair girl is available Friday night at 7:30. So how about we get to the party early, and then when we are finished eating we can give our chairs to someone else, and  leave. I will just tell everyone I have a hair appt. We don't need to tell anyone about your back."

He seemed okay with that. 

It all seemed fine in planning, but it was after I told a few people there, "We have to leave soon because I have a hair appt." 
that I realized how bad it sounded. 

But this was also a good lesson to me:

When someone else says something 

to me that doesn't sound right, don't judge, 

because we really don't know their back story. (no pun intended)

We so enjoyed the time we got to be there Friday night.

We are SO thankful for Susan and her great family.

The food catered by Cafe Rio was perfect!

And I loved most of all how we got to go around that room 

and all say what Susan means to us. 

She deserved all those kind words.

My favorite was from her son Jon.

He said shortly before Susan met my Dad, and after being single for 20 years, she whispered to Jon that she was ready to remarry 

She said that she wanted to find someone she could take care of.

The angels in heaven must have been listening.

I hadn't known that before and it was so sweet to hear. 

And my Dad, after singing his famous birthday song, announced, 

"I can't believe I'm going to bed tonight 

with an 80 year old woman!"

And on that note, I will just say,

Happy Happy Birthday Susan!

You are so loved. 

Leo did it his own way.

It was Leo's turn at preschool to do show and tell about the letter U.
He chose to bring his ukulele. His teacher sent this picture to his parents.

But that's not all he did.

He sang a Primary song. A very beautiful one I happen to dearly love.

Karen suggested he might like to sing instead something like Twinkle Twinkle since the kids would all know that. But no, he said he already had a song he wanted to sing.

Of course I have no recording of Leo at preschool that day, 
but here's what he sang.




Karen later sent me this message:

Amy's Spartan Super

Some things I can't relate to, and this is one of those.

But my Dad would get it. So I hope he sees this.

Last Saturday,
our DIL Amy competed in the Sacramento Spartan Super. 

It's running 8 miles in rugged terrain and going through 29 obstacles. 


I would guess they don't see many Mom's of 7, and Grandmas to 3 in this race. 

A family drives through Paradise, Ca

Last night during bookclub one of the ladies says she is from Paradise. Another in our ward today says that's her hometown. My former neighbor welcomes her ex-sister in law from Paradise to come live with her. Another neighbor's friends lost everything. 

Paradise, Ca is gone. 

I can't even. 

I don't even know this family in the video below, but I like them. 
She turns to prayer. She acknowledges her husband's bravery.
I love stoic men who can press forward.