HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRACIE!!

Happy Birthday, darling daughter. You were born on a Sunday night, much like this one. Gorgeous weather. Just exactly about this time. Start to finish four hours. You have always been "easy". Always obedient and always respectful. I love this picture of you and cherish the memory of that day. It was very special to be with you at conference and on Temple Square. Looking forward to being with you a week from tonight!! Have a great day tomorrow. LOVEYOUTONSANDTONSMOMANDPAPA

Inspiring

President Uchtdorf and the RS General Presidency were "spot on" in their remarks last night. What a blessing it was to attend this meeting with the wonderful sisters of our stake. Such an awesome prelude to General Conference!

Welcome to Brigham City

Famous Brigham City sign with temple in the background. Lots of Peach Day floats have traveled underneath this sign.
This is the Brigham City Tabernacle. I grew up five blocks east of this building. This is where we met for Stake Conference. I believe it was called the Box Elder Stake. I once gave a talk in this building for Stake Conference, and I graduated from Seminary in this building.
I believe this would be a view from the west. I can see Box Elder High School in the foreground.

The Brigham City Temple sits on the land where my elementary school was. Central School.

WOW!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ and JOSH!!

Happy Birthday Liz and Josh! It was on a beautiful fall day, just like today, that Liz came into this world. I think it was about noonish! So twenty three years ago today, I was listening to the doctors talk about going to Cutlers' for lunch. I think at that time it was kind of a new place to go! What a happy day it was for our family when you joined us. You had four moms it seemed. We love you and are so grateful that you have your wonderful Josh to share your journey with, and Joshie to share your birthday with!! You are, and always have been, a wonderful daughter!!LOVEYOUTONSMOMANDPAPA

Very Special Date

I am warning you before you read this, that this was a very special date. At the beginning of my journal entry I wrote,"Last night was so special I don't even want to write about it." Early in April, Bill had called me midweek to invite me to WARD TEMPLE NIGHT! Yes, Ward Temple Night! Our ward used to go together as a ward once a month. Not only was it WARD TEMPLE NIGHT, but it was Ward Conference. This meant that all of the people from the Stake would be there, a special meeting in the Priesthood Room at the Temple, AND and an ice cream social after. I wrote that I was "weak in the knees excited". He picked me up that Friday at ten til six. He looked fabulous. Remember this is our first "dress up" and public date! My smooth Guy told me that I "looked nice, but you always look nice--very attractive woman"--Such grown up words. I bravely told him how good he looked. I said, "I always think it, but never say it." On the way I was trying to fix my bracelet around my watch, and he helped me, then held my hand til we got off the freeway (darn gear shift). Keep in mind we are in his little red pickup with Texas license plates. Oh how I wish I had a picture of that truck!! We were in the Ogden Temple District at that time, so all this happened at the Ogden Temple. After the meeting we were going up the escalator for the session, and he asked me about the prayer circle. I said that I would love to, and he said that we would "see how it went". Always in charge! SUCH an amazing feeling! Still remember it. Still feel it! Still LOVE it! The session was very crowded, and we were way in the back, but we still went up. Almost passed out! I can only imagine what everyone was thinking. Lots of kind comments to us afterwards. Of course, you know that I am going to tell you we stayed in the Celestial Room after everyone had left. We just sat there talking for about ten minutes with his arm around me. WOW! I could have stayed forever. A dear friend in the dressing room told me that My Guy was grinning from ear to ear when we went up for the prayer circle. We held hands all the way home. When we walked into the church for the social, I "took his arm", and he exclaimed, "Oh, that feels so good!" Always love to "take his arm". Our dear friend and Stake President came up to us at the party and said, "You guys looked really good up there!" We sat in the truck holding hands and talking for a while when he took me home. We weren't making out yet, but I got some very tender kisses. Walked me in and stayed long enough to give me a "huge, warm, tight, and wonderful hug". I was floating. Finally went to sleep after two. When I went to school the next day, I no longer had to wonder what everyone was thinking. A lot of my students were in my ward. One darling girl whose parents had been at the temple with us told the class that Bill and I had been at the temple the night before, and we had done something "that only married people do at the temple"!! Honestly, I am not exaggerating one word. I felt like I knew I was in love by then, even though we had only been seeing each other about a month. It really doesn't take long when it's right. I just wasn't sure how I felt about being in love. VERY scary. I felt very blessed and thought how kind and good he was. As the song perfectly describes us, "two less lonely people in the world".

Book of Mormon

When I was first called to the Relief Society I suggested that the ward read the Book of Mormon as President Hinckley had instructed us to do a few years ago. Our ward came up with a more personalized plan that worked very well. This year the goal was set by the Young Men and Young Women to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days, and so the rest of us jumped on board. I am SO GRATEFUL that we are doing it. It is such a blessing for me now. I don't know why I couldn't have just done it by myself, but I didn't, and now I am. This last week of reading has reminded me of two great scriptures that give me hope (small h) for me, that I might continue with Hope (big H). This is what I aspire to do. They are:

2 Nephi 31:20 "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Mosiah 5:15 "Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you His, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of Him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen."

Sunbonnet Sue Displaced

Remember when my life's biggest challenge was having my "Sunbonnet Sue Day" interrupted? Oh well, those were the days! Well Sunbonnet Sue has been replaced by sailboats. This would be because Baby Boy Mathie doesn't want dolls on his quilt. I probably should have done footballs, but darn, I didn't. It is sailboats! After two and one half throw aways, I have finally reached a point where I can say I have one done, and I can move on to number two. This is WAY harder than I ever thought it would be, but VERY therapeutic. I have to do twelve squares like this one! Wish me luck!

MK's TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY.

Friday, 8:30 AM Phone call--caller--"Hi, is Gelder there?" mk "Who is calling please?"--caller "Someone from Medicare Supplies." mk "He passed away"--caller "Does anyone else in the house have diabetes?" mk-click
9:00 Work til noon, bridal shower at 2:00. That means two hours of "stuck at school" time. Also clean up detail for the shower.
4:00 Leave school. Fridays I am through at noon usually.
4:15 Driving by cemetery to say "HI" to My Guy.
4:16 Turning up My Guy's street.
4:17 Car behinds me tries to pass my on the right??? Not a passing lane. Takes out my passenger door and runner panel. Now I have a smashed passenger door, broken windshield (from Maddie not wearing her seat belt), broken muffler from running around a parking lot filled with pot holes, and bad fuel filters from very bad gas.
4:35 Home-Phone call--caller--"Hi, is Bill there?" mk "Who is calling please?" --caller "the office where you renew your construction license, Bill always takes classes here. Is he going to this time?" mk "No, Bill passed away" This caller felt really bad because I was sobbing by now.
4:41 Email telling me I have to call the State office in charge of dissolving businesses. That would be Expanding Energy. Bill's oil company in Texas that meant a great deal to him.
4:45 Me calling State to take care of it. She was very sympathetic.

NOT TO WORRY. I am smiling today. AND my awesome ward came and started "My Guy's Plaza". Stage one is the beginning of the flagstone. Thank you wonderful neighbors and family!

Lucky Ducks

Decisions

The thing about decisions is that you first have to "decide" to decide. One can just "not decide". But then isn't that a decision? One of the problems with life is that it doesn't matter if you are an emotional train wreck, it just keeps happening. So I "decide" to get up everyday. I "decide" to keep breathing. I "decide" I want to keep my job so I have to perform at a certain level. My co workers just happen to be the most amazing people on the planet, so this is doable. But there are so many other decisions that are mentally, physically, and emotionally SO draining. What do I do with the basement? What do I do with My Guy's office? There is a part of me (no small part), that feels like not one thing can be changed, cleaned, organized, or touched. EVER, not EVER! Everything that even has his writing on has become sacred. Jeff has been monumentally helpful with this. I know whatever he tells me is exactly what Bill would say. This is a huge blessing in my life. So I continue to decide things, carry out the decision, revisit the decision, continue to carry it out, continue to revisit....you get the idea. But I recently made a huge decision. When I was visiting Lindsay in April, My Guy planted our pansies. We both LOVE pansies. He mostly loves all of the tropical plants, and can't tell the difference between petunias and marigolds, but we both LOVE pansies. I am sure it is because we have them through the winter. Anyway all summer long I have guarded those pansies with my life. But they are starting to look a little tenuous. SO WHAT DO I DO??? I recognize that I can't keep them alive forever, even though that seems simple enough. Just not realistic. SO, I went out and bought some new ones. In my feeble (not as sharp as I used to be) mind, I have made the decision that "his" pansies will ALWAYS be alive, as long as there are pansies in those pots (even if they are mine). I will never, ever know which ones are his or which ones are mine, because they are now blended and OURS. Perfect? I think so. NOT revisiting this one.

DON'T YOU WISH....

YOUR NAME WAS JOHNNY OR STEFAN??

Together Forever