Still thinking about this talk from yesterday...

A new young couple to our ward spoke yesterday at church. He’s 
24 and she’s 23, and they have a little 9 month old baby boy. 

Her topic given to speak on was: "how to forgive especially when 
the person does not apologize."

She lifted up one arm and showed how she was born with no 
fingers on her right hand. She said from the minute she started 
school until the minute she finished, she was made fun of about it,  
and bullied. 

She would often come home from school and cry to her Mom, and 
tell her she was angry at God for making her this way. 

When she would cry and pray about it almost immediately she 
would get the strong impression that she was chosen by Heavenly 
Father to carry this burden. 

She said her trial has proven over the years to be a huge 
blessing to her. 

She learned that she needed to forgive those who made fun of her. 
She would just tell herself that what they did was between them 
and God, and her job was to forgive. She learned how to do this 
well through the years. 

Next her husband got up to give his talk and before he did, he said 
that his wife is the sweetest person with the biggest heart. He said 
when she is in a room she is forever looking around to make sure 
everyone there is comfortable and happy. She has a gift for making 
others feel good. 

Of course I could not help but think that this gift of loving others as 
she does, came from her own pain and struggles. 

I also believe her happiness now is her added bonus for learning to 
forgive others, even when some of those others did not care about 
her. 

And her parents, can you imagine what they went through too...we 
suffer right along with our kids.

PS  Sometimes life is crazy in sync, because just after I pressed 
publish, a friend sent me this... saying it's her motto for getting 
through the holidays...

I think it also goes perfect with the story above.

How to have a better conversation

This is one of my most favorite TED talks. 

I love the way she talks, and the message.

I can see I need to work on changing a few things in myself....

Update on Grant 2 weeks after surgery

Last week choosing their Christmas tree...



This week, Grant waiting at the doctor's office for his casts change.

I get the impression Grant does not like his wheel chair all that much.

 If having both legs in a cast up to his hips, does not 

keep him down, I guess pretty much nothing will. 

PS  I just now thought of something. Looking at the date of this 

post, it was 24 years ago today McKay, Grant's Dad, had his heart 

condition corrected in San Francisco! He was in a wheel chair that 

day too. I will see if I can find a picture. 

The husband who would not get out of bed

Okay, so I gotta relive this story.

Last month we needed to spend the night in Morgan Hill. The plan 
was next morning I had a Dr appt in Santa Clara, 30 minutes from 
there, about my odd heart beat.

Den and I both went to bed about 10pm. Around midnight I was 
still awake so I got up to get a snack. I had just turned around the 
corner from our hotel bedroom to the small living room area, when 
suddenly flashing lights continued to fill the room. At the same 
time a blaring alarm was beeping continuously!

SO very very LOUD. Over and over, with no break.

Thinking in hindsight, I should have felt the hotel room door for 
heat and if it was cool, then I should open it, and Den and I would 
both get outside.

But, I didn't.

I quickly walked over to Den who was still in bed, but of course 
awake by now. Well sort of.

“It’s the fire alarm. We need to get out of here!” I shouted above 
all the noise.

He said right back at me, “No it’s not. Just go back sleep.”

“Den it won’t stop. It’s so LOUD. Let’s get OUT of here. Come 
on, you have to get out of bed!”

"It's just a false alarm," He kept saying.

"But what if it's not and the hotel is on fire. Please GET UP!"

I kept wondering when the cop in him would kick in.

Then he says to me again from the bed, “Did you push any 
buttons?” (Did he really think I caused this?)

“NO! Of course I didn't push any buttons! Come on let’s go.”

I grab one of the blankets off the bed, wrap myself up in it and then 
went towards the door. I opened it to see what was going on and 
saw a man running down the hallway. I shouted out to him, “Is 
there a fire?” He shouts back while continuing to run, “I think it’s 
just a fire drill.”

I’m thinking….Really, like back in 5th grade? They have those 
here? In the middle of the night?!

Den calls out to me again, “Just come back to bed. You can’t go 
out there! You aren’t dressed!”

What if he’s right and there is no fire and I’m outside in my 
underwear wrapped in a blanket with all the other evacuated 
strangers. That would be appropriate behavior if there WERE a fire, 
but what if there’s not one?

So I decide to get my nightgown on. But the alarm is so blaring that 
I truly could not take my fingers out of my ears long enough to get 
it on. Way too painful, and it felt like my ear drum would burst 
from that high pitch noise.

I yell to Den who has his pillow over his head, “Come here and 
hold your fingers in my ears so I can get my nightgown on!”

He actually gets out of bed and does just what I ask him. I’m 
thinking, we are making progress.

He starts to get back in bed, but I keep having to yell at him above 
the alarm sound which is very hard to do, “Come on, we’re going 
right now!!”

I open the door again, and see another man running out. But other 
than that, there is no one in the hallway. We must be the last ones to 
leave!

Then Den says he can’t go because he’s not dressed. "Well hurry 
up and get dressed then!” Totally frustrated, I toss his pajamas at 
him.

He finally is out of bed and getting dressed.

Then I grabbed my purse, and my husband, and off we go.

Den keeps saying to me as I am practically dragging him down the 
hall to the exit, “You don’t have your shoes on. You can’t go 
outside like that!”

I say right back to him, “This is what people do when there’s a 
fire!”

oh my goodness

So sure enough, as soon as we step outside amongst all our fellow 
strangers, it appears we were the last ones out. Everyone is standing 
around in silence. So I asked a man closest to us, “So what is 
going on? Is there really a fire?”

He assures me there is…"one of the rooms on the 2nd floor."

"So is it still burning?"

"No they got it out, but we can’t go back in until the fire chief 
arrives to give clearance."

I don’t understand what could have set on fire. We were in a 
Marriott Courtyard. There are no ovens or stoves in the rooms.

Den is still worried about my bare feet getting cold in the night air. 
He insists on going back into the hotel to get my shoes. I have to 
say now, I thought that was ever so sweet. Especially going back 
into the "burning building" and all. 

Finally after about an hour outside, the alarm noise is shut off and 
we are allowed to go back inside. We still don’t know yet what 
happened.

We go back to bed, but since we are in a hearing impaired room (it 
was the only room left when we checked in, we were told) the 
flashers continued on for a good hour more.

We lost about 2-3 hours sleep. At least.

A few hours later it was 6am and time to get up. Den was back to 
his normal thinking self, and went down to the lobby to find out 
what exactly happened last night.

I stayed behind, getting ready for my appt.

About 15 minutes later Den comes back to our room. He says to 
me, "Okay, I found out what happened last night. Are you 
ready for this?"

Then he went on to explain. The ladies at the desk said a man in a 
room on the 2nd floor last night decided for some reason to hang 
his clothes from the sprinkler on the ceiling. This in turn set off his 
sprinklers which in turn set off the alarm for the entire 3 story hotel. 

And for another unknown reason, this man stayed up in his very 
wet and raining room for quite some time before reporting it! 

Den was told the entire 2nd floor was covered in water. So much so 
that it was dripping down the walls and onto the main floor. So 
much damage!

One of the ladies at the desk, whispered to Dennis that the man 
who caused all this was upset his electronics got damaged!

The hotel was already smelling like mildew the next morning so we 
opted to move out, rather than stay another night as planned.

Just as we were leaving, we saw a young couple happily booking a 
room. I left wondering what they thought when they turned the 
corner from the front desk, and saw all this.


I think just about all adventures are worth it, if they end well. 
And this one did for us, but not so much for the Marriott.

I still can't figure out why Dennis would not get out of bed for the 
fire alarm, but he jump right out of bed to protect my ears. 

Not sure what all this means, but it kind of makes me happy to 
think about now. However, if we had burned up in the fire, I would 
have been really mad at him. 

One very helpful question!

I hope to remember this when I need it!

Gretchen Rubin is one of my favorite authors, and she has a 
podcast that she does each week with her sister, that I never miss. 

This little 4 minute excerpt from just this past week, could be SO 
helpful in some situations when you are stuck and it appears 
there is no solution.

Don't miss the example Gretchen uses in her own life at 2:43.



On a similar note, here's another one from a close friend of mine. She will say this to her Dr if he
doesn't have the solution to a medical dilemma:

"Can you direct me to someone who would 
have the answers to my questions?"

Grant

It's hard being so far away when our kids are going through tough things. 

Very early yesterday morning in Massachusetts, McKay and 
McKenna took Grant to Shriners' hospital for his long awaited 
surgery to help correct his club feet. 

I hung by my phone all day waiting for pictures and they have sent 
me many. 
Thank you Kelly! (McKenna's mom who is there with them thank goodness)

Some before surgery pictures...

And after...

The pictures look good and reassuring to me. But then I learned this 

morning that last night was very tough. He cried all night. 

But they say he's better today. 

So hard being so far away and all I can do is pray.

But I do know prayer is powerful, and I will rely on that for now.

We still don't know why Grant's first club foot video went viral, 

but it did.

Take a look

This wedding video is so well done! 

My niece McKenzie made this from her sister Lauren's wedding in 
Ohio last summer. 

McKenzie is only 18, but seriously, this looks like a professional 
job. Some just have that kind of talent. 

I love watching my sister Robin and Dave dance....

If he hadn't have made it, I wouldn't be here.

My Great Great Grandparents, 

Mary and Luman Walker LeMaster, Jr 

My Great Great Grandpa Luman was shot right 
through the left breast while fighting the Civil War in 
Tennessee in 1863 as a volunteer 
when he was 21 years old.

The bullet went through his first and second ribs on 
his left side and lodged within the thorax. 

He spent months in 2 hospitals before being 
discharged with 1/2 disability.

He then met and married Mary Keziah Chew who was 
the daughter of Dr. Ezekiel Cooper Chew. 

Some of us have wondered through the years if Dr. 
Chew was helping treat Luman's wounds, and that is 
how he met Dr. Chew's daughter Mary. 

We can only guess.

What I do know, is if Luman had not survived that 
gunshot wound so close to his heart, 

my grandmother and my mother 

would never have been born.

I would not be here. 

My children would not be here. 

Neither would my grandchildren. 

And all of my loved daughters in law 

would not be in our family. 

My nieces and nephews and their children 
would not be here.

The list goes on and on.

I just don't believe we are all here by chance of one 
bullet, and which way it landed.

I know our Father in Heaven is in charge.

The older I get the less I believe in 
chance and coincidences.

Someday I will get to thank my Great Great Grandpa 
Luman LeMaster for his service. I will also thank him 
for fighting to stay alive.

We owe our lives and happiness 
in many ways to our Veterans. 

We couldn't figure out where they disappeared to

Yesterday I got this text from my sister Peggy....

So then I thought....uh, 

Do I remember seeing this article about our Dad in the Ensign? 

It was in 1991. We were in the throes of parenting, barely coming 
up from air to know what anyone else was doing. 

I think my parents casually mentioned it to me back then. 

Anyway, I thought I'd look it up, and actually read it today. 

January 1991 issue

"For some people, running a 26-mile marathon just isn’t enough of a challenge. 
Sixty-year-old Dick Rozier, a high priest in the Fresno Eighth Ward, Fresno 
California Stake, is such a man. Brother Rozier knows something about enduring 
to the end. “Enduring to the end,” in this case, means running for more than 
one hundred miles within a 24-hour period.

Brother Rozier, a veteran marathon runner with twelve Boston Marathons behind 
him, is a proven ultra-distance runner. Most races have a set distance over 
which runners try to make the best time. In this particular type of ultra-run, 
however, the contestants run as far as they can in twenty-four hours. On 
November 18 and 19, 1989, Dick set a U.S. record for endurance running in his 
age group when he won the Sri Chinmoy 24-Hour Race, covering 139 miles and 
400 yards.

The record Dick Rozier broke was 134 miles and 194 yards, held by a 
Frenchman. The former American record was 131 miles, 440 yards.

“It was a weird experience,” says Brother Rozier of the record run. “I didn’t 
think I could do it, but I just kept going and going.” The run began at 8:00 A.M., 
and by midnight, sixteen hours into the event, he had covered one hundred 
miles. His only trouble came after nineteen hours into the event, when leg 
cramping forced him to take a ten-minute break for a massage. At twenty-three 
hours into the run, Dick broke the record and ran four more miles to complete 
the twenty-fourth hour.

A father of eight and a grandfather of fifteen, Brother Rozier is “in better shape 
than most of us,” declares his son Richard. “Mom and Dad are both great 
examples of endurance and determination.” Dick serves as the activities 
committee chairman for the Fresno Twenty-fourth (Laotian) Branch, where his 
wife, Gaynor, serves as Relief Society president."

And now it's 2017 and 26 years later...

Last Thursday we took Dad and Susan out for their 

10 year anniversary dinner. 

The plan was to pick them up at 4pm, 

but when we rang their doorbell no one answered, 

and their house was all dark. 

Where were they??

I told Den, "But the garage door is open. 

And the car is open too."

A bit alarmed, Den walked over to the garage, up to the open 
van, and saw them both in, with seat belts on, and ready to 
go. Just waiting for our arrival. 

She is efficient, and he, does not like to miss a meal. 
Dad and Susan make quite the team. 

They chose to order together, and then split it, 

like they always do.

I told the waitress it was their anniversary,

and just as I had hoped, 

she brought them out a dessert to share, too. 

My siblings and I talk amongst ourselves about Dad and 

Susan, and the tough life they have these days. 

Yet, when we come over to visit they act happy,

 and are always so interested in what we are doing. 

Every time I walk out their door to go home again, 

I am in awe by them.

Before the door bell started ringing

So while waiting for the Trick or Treaters to begin knocking at our 
door, I sat on the couch by Den and told him about this song I had 
heard for the first time earlier in the day.

Usually, he does not like my music, and I don't much care for his. 

But I said, "Maybe this one will be different for you."

It sounds so sweet. And sort of 1950s style. 

I told him that if I had any single sons left, I would give this song to 
him so he could play it for his true love after he finds her. 

But my daughters in law have all been found and loved, and they 
have their own songs. Besides, moms don't choose these songs.

So instead I played it for Dennis through iTunes. 

Then he wanted the lyrics, and sang it to me. 

I never knew Halloween to be so romantic. 
It's all about the moments, right?

The grands on Halloween

Our little Grands, and their costumes from last night! 

I'm starting with what appears to be the only parents who dressed up this year....

1. Tyler and Karen in Vancouver, Washington

This is like going back to my high school days. 

Normal clothing back in my day. 

Leo, Juliet, and Richie

2. Then we go to Massachusetts for

Grant, Annie, and Scarlett

Who thankfully left Manhattan earlier yesterday 

just 2 hours before all the violence there.

3. The twins just leaving our house after trick or treating.

I laughed watching Amy take pictures of them.

Anyone could have been under that black shadow costume!

4. Love how Erin is in the picture with her girls!

First, Cami.

And then, with Violet!

And back to one of the hippies...

Tyler you need to get your peace sign up a little higher. 
Just ask your Uncle Richard.

From my journal in 1970 when I was 16.
This excerpt written the night after Richard 
graduated from high school:

"I went to Dick's graduation last night. He held up the peace sign 
all the time he was walking up to get his diploma. He's very 
immature, if you ask me." 

After I read all of my 1970 journal, it went in the shredder.
(I thought it would get better with age, it didn't)

Next up, I will tell you what Den and I did on Halloween night. 
Nothing earth shaking, but we liked it. 

Our granddaughter's news!

When Emily called us a few weeks ago and said she had some 
news, we thought she was engaged! 

Nope, not that. 

She told us she decided to serve a mission! 

When we asked her where she wanted to go she said ANYWHERE.

Then Friday night, thanks to FaceTime, we got to watch her open 
the big white envelope! 

Her Mom, Kim, and her Aunt Kris, were in Texas at a quitting convention which I know was SO hard on them not to be there....but they didn't want her to wait the 4 days for their return.

10 pictures I've been liking or living lately...

Just a few quick pictures that have been on my mind lately...
(in no particular order)

1. My friend in Utah served Hawaiian Haystacks 

at their women's conference.... 

I'd always wondered how they would do this for a large group. 

So here it is!

LOVE food pictures. 

2. I guess Den and I stayed a bit long recently while we were at 
Dad and Susan's. We got to see their nightly ritual of massaging 
each other's feet. 

(Some of Susan's family in the background.)

3. We got to watch Elora turn 15. Yep, FIFTEEN.

4. Annie (21 months) passed out, so spent the night in the hospital 
and then had to wear a monitor for 30 days....plus have an EEG.

Annie's tests all came back good!

(HOW did they keep a 21 month old from pulling off her monitor? 

McKenna kept telling her how pretty she looked! Don't think this would work with a toddler boy.)

5. Dennis went by to get our mail at our old house and then new 

owner showed him what they had done to our their back yard.

They extended the patio, and put in a playhouse.

I'm impressed. But I'm especially happy they love it. 

6. A text from Amy and Logan about 3 weeks ago. 

I'm just over the top happy they stuck to the Calif concert!

7. Long ago, and about a mile away, Tyler was good friends with 
Cindy and Katie who lived in the same cul-de-sac with us. 

Fast forward about 25 years...last month I got to be with Katie (left) 

and her Mom Debbie (right)

and Dee (Heidi's mother who the baby shower was for!)

The disappointment was 

not getting a good picture of pregnant Heidi!!!

My neighbors feel like family to me.

8. This next picture is a classic to me. 

Our entire stove quit working SIX HOURS 

before the warranty expired. 

I call this very good luck. 

6 hours later and it would have been our bill.

(Den always stands guard whenever we have a service call. He has caught many mistakes this way,
including one we would have never known about.)

9. We all missed President Monson at our recent General Conference,

But, we're happy he could be with his great grandchildren.

They sure look like him.

Thanks to his family for posting this great picture on FB.

10. This is probably one of my all time favorite Ensign covers. 

Family prayer on the go. But never the less, family prayer!

I'm glad I was there to see this

There was this moment in time yesterday, that I’m still thinking 
about. 

I was at Kaiser pharmacy ready to pick up my prescription. The 
entire pharmacy was busy and I could hear quiet chattering all 
around the room. Each line had several people waiting. Things 
were moving quickly though. Perhaps this was just a typical busy 
Monday morning. 

Soon I notice what looked like a young mom come in with her little 
daughter who I’m guessing was about 6 or 7 years old. I noticed 
them because the daughter was in front of her and the mom had her 
arms wrapped tightly around her…both facing forward, and 
walking in this way. 

This cute little girl with blonde pigtails was making continual 
screams and screeching and crying sounds. Horrible, sad, and loud 
sounds. 

All the while the mom was smiling as they both made their way to 
the very front of the line where a pharmacist was waiting to give 
her their prescription. No waiting in line like the rest of us. 

The mom never took her tight body hold off her daughter. And the 
daughter made no effort at all to escape that embrace. Clearly this 
was not the reason for her crying. 

I sensed this mom had special permission because of their 
circumstances to be served as soon as they entered the pharmacy 
door. 

I also sensed the mom was smiling as if to say to all of us in that 
room, “Please forgive us for making so much noise and for cutting 
in the line. This is our life and we’re doing the best we can.” 

All the other customers in that room seemed now to be quiet. I 
think just about all eyes were on this mom and her daughter. I 
wasn’t sure at first what that meant. Were they annoyed by them?

The little girl continued to wail and screech and cry. The Mom 
continued to smile. I probably was not the only one with tears in 
my eyes….thinking of this courageous mom and the suffering they 
undoubtedly go through every day. 

The little girl, I’m guessing, has autism.

I thought of all the many many families who go through similar 
situations every single day. 

I was hoping the quiet in the room was respect towards this Mom, 
although I wasn’t sure. I was a little afraid someone might say 
something mean to her. 

I continued to be in awe by the Mom. I could not get over that 
smile on the her face through all of this. 

After the mom got the meds, I watched as she turned around and 
headed towards the door. I felt this huge need to go up to her and 
tell her what a great mom she was. 

But several others did this for me. 

I watched someone give her a thumbs up. I heard someone else in 
the small crowd say to them, “God bless you.” and I heard another 
customer say, “You are such a good mom! Bless you!” 

I’m certain this is NOT the reaction this struggling Mom always 
gets. I’m sure she has received many less than loving reactions. 

Several hours later it was time for my bookclub with the 
neighborhood ladies. Our discussion ventured into Christianity and 
how “many people are turning away from God these days.” 

I thought back to earlier in the day and the goodness I got to see. I 
couldn’t help but think….whether they believe in Christ or not, 
does not change the fact that we are all made in His image. 

All the goodness in this world, comes from Him. 

This is a new favorite

Oh this new Primary song the children of our church will be learning soon! 

I LOVE it and I can feel it. 


 

A girl and her purse

With 8 year old Téa in the backseat of our car (minus her twin 
brother this time) we were on our way home from Cafe Rio. 

As we were driving along, Den and I were busy talking, 
while she was reading her bird watching book 
she'd had in her purse. 

I was talking to Den about a friend of mine who is 41 and 
expecting her first baby. How she and her husband, and her entire 
extended family and friends (including me!) are just in awe over 
excitement for this baby boy to arrive soon. 

I told Den, 
"Can you imagine the love that will surround this 
baby!? He will have SO much attention. Oh my goodness. 
They will probably never lay him down!!"

That's when I heard Téa come to life from the back seat. With a bit 
of accusing tone, she asked me, "Well what about you Grandma? 
What if you were to have a baby?"

"I'm too old for that."

"I know. But what if you did have a baby?"

"Uh...well...okay" (not knowing where we were going with this) 

"Would YOU lay your baby down??"she slammed right at me.

"Uh, no, I guess I wouldn't."

"Well then!!" 

Like we thought it was a bad thing to hold a baby so much. She was 
trying to stand up for them.....which I thought was SO endearing, 
and SO sweet. 

Especially since she doesn't even know the people 
we were talking about.

We have noticed that Téa has become 

more Téa since she got her first real purse.

Not only does she try to protect people she doesn't even know, 

but she's become very protective of me as well....

Like later on that evening while I was on the phone,

she was across the room, but when she heard me say to my friend, 
"Okay, I will try to remember that..." she quickly pulled out some 
sticky notes from her purse 

and waved them in front of my eyes and gently whispered to me, 
"Grandma use this to write it down!" 

Or right before eating at Cafe Rio she gave me the choice of 3 hand 
sanitizers she also had in her purse,

"Here Grandma, which one do you want to use?"


On the other hand, 
give a girl a purse and look what happens....

 If I worried that night about her suddenly growing up...

the thought disappeared when she wouldn't even consider being alone for a few minutes while I took a shower. 

Nope, she decided to take her bird book down the hall 
and hang out with Grandpa. 

And later on when her sister Laurynn came by to pick her up...

the contents of Téa's purse were all over the floor.

I found that rather comforting. 
There's still lots of little girl left in our Téa.