Finally--Grandchildren time (Sept. 15)

only with the Utah half, but it was fun to finally feel well enough after my surgery to have them over for a few hours while Jessica and Elessia took care of some meetings in Salt Lake. They loved becoming reacquainted with our toys which have been packed for years.  The train was the big hit on this Monday afternoon.

Ezri wanted to pose with the flowers.....

Train building-- Grandpa Giberson would be proud of our builders--hoping to pass the love of trains to the next generation.

Ezri was thrilled to find some dolls and have a little spot where she could play.

Reflection

I walked into my bathroom on afternoon to discover this rainbow prism on my floor.  I have lived here 27 years and never have seen this.  Of course, my bathroom floor used to be green which might have not allowed for this type of reflection.  But this floor has been down for about 9 months.  I couldn't see anything that would cause it although the light definitely was coming through our small bathroom window.  It lasted just a couple of minutes as the sun moved along its way.

I loved stuff like this.  Nature delighting us in tiny little ways in the middle of the ordinary.
 

Ramping Up On the "Normal Life" Stuff

When I first learned that I needed a more extensive surgery on the artery in my left leg, I knew that either I did it early in August or not until mid-October. September was even back then a busy month for me.  I am glad that I am approaching the 4 week mark post surgery now, because life is busy as I expected and we haven't even started the birthday celebrations yet.  That starts this week with Ben's birthday on Wednesday.

Last Monday, I started attending Sister Theresa Collin's class down in Draper entitled "Living Inside Your Temple Covenants." Yes, it is the same Sister Collins who was our mission leader in Arkansas--that is why it is worth driving an hour each Monday to have this learning experience together.  It was amazing.  They had to move it to the Chapel since over 80 people have signed up to attend.  Fortunately, she used a mic and had mics for people to use when they responded to questions which is so nice for those of us who struggle with hearing especially in a large room like that.  

It is going to be a great 8 weeks even though I will miss two of the classes as we travel in October.

We attended a funeral Tuesday morning (see next post), but then Tuesday moved forward with my typical Zoom meeting with the Utah Shattering Silence Coalition, Jena's dance class and Gary's Bishopric meeting.  Gary has also been busy installing leave guards on our rain gutters which has taken some time each day this past week when the weather hasn't been too hot.  Gary is just so good at figuring things out and then doing them.  I appreciate that so much.

We attended the temple twice this week--Wednesday night with our Ward and then again on Thursday which is our typical day.  This was the first week I have been to the temple since my surgery and it went well.  I took my little stool and Gary arranged for me to sit where I could use it.

I can't remember if I have shared these amazing stools Gary got for me.  I have one under my desk and then one I carry in the car.  It was a bit noisy to open, especially in the temple.

Jena and I had to leave her Institute class at little bit early on Wednesday to make it in time for the Ward Temple Night.  Jena said she was too dressed up for Institute, but it was okay.

A bit overcast when we arrived at the temple....

But beautiful at night when we left!  It was the first time I had walked through the grounds at night since it was dedicated and I loved the lights and how they enhanced the flower beds and walkways.

Of course, Thursday was Sept. 11, so we posted both of our flags in honor of those who died in that tragic event.  

It was been another tragic week with the killing of Charles Kirk at UVU campus in Orem, UT.  I didn't even know who he was (because I avoid most news these days) and I probably don't agree with much that he talked about or the way that he talked about it, but this type of thing should never be okay.  Killing is not a solution for not agreeing with someone else.  Tragic all the way around.

Thursday evening after attending the temple, I with Gary's help led our support group for parents at DBH.  This time we had a speaker, Dave McKay, who is the director of programs for adults at DBH.  He stayed the whole time, talking and answering questions.  He provided his direct line to the parents to reach out to him if they needed some specific help finding services.  It was so great.

Friday, I attended a monthly meeting in Salt Lake with another mental illness advocacy group which is mostly professionals.  We are all getting ready for our symposium on September 24.  The room was meant for 75 people and they have had over 100 sign up for in person and about 30 for online.  It is great and we are excited to involve more people in our advocacy to support those with severe mental illnesses in our community.  Jena went to her Friend to Friend theatre class--one of the highlights of her week.

Saturday, Gary and I helped clean our Church building at 8:00 a.m. I usually am waking up at 8:00 am this days.  I ended up on the bathroom and mopping duty.  

And, of course, today was Church and then we met for our tithing declaration in the afternoon with our Bishop.

Yes, life is back to "normal".  I am tired and I try to prop my foot up whenever I can.  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I overdid a bit and ended up with swelling in my leg.  They say that can happen for several months after this surgery, but I have done pretty well at managing it usually.  I did better later in the week even while doing actually housework on Saturday. I am actually quite impressed with how well my incisions are healing and how "tidy" they are. I walked a mile on Friday and Saturday--a slow mile but I did it.  I think I will move back to Jensen Park this week.

And that is a wrap for getting back to life.....

A Funeral

Not really a "normal" event, but getting a bit more common as we age--On Tuesday, Gary and I attended a funeral for Mel Thatcher, a friend from Hong Kong days.  He was a remarkable man who for over 30 years negotiated and obtained family records from all over the world for Family Search.  He was brilliant and was highly regarded in this field, publishing many articles especially in Chinese.  I served in a YW presidency with his wife, Tuan, who is equally as amazing as him.  At the time we knew them, they only had three of their six children living with them in Hong Kong but they basically raised their family in Asia living in Hong Kong a couple of times, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.  

It was good to see his children that we knew and to meet the other ones.  And it was also great to see some of our old Hong Kong friends--Allan Anderson, Pat Jones and his wife--whose name I can't remember, and Eileen Bradford.  We learned later that Joyce Abernathy was also there, but we missed seeing her.

His impact on gathering records is beyond measuring. One of the speakers who worked with him at Family Search said that even Family Search doesn't have a way to track how many collections he gathered --or arranged to have microfiched or digitized depending on the time period. Millions and millions of people are now available to be found and researched because of his work and tireless research to track down and to acquire these important records.  And did I say he was brilliant??

You know sometimes when you are at a funeral for someone like Mel who was amazing professionally but also as a human being--a husband, father and grandfather, you might feel like your life is unimportant in comparison. That might be a natural human feeling.  However, during that funeral, what I found was a feeling of gratitude for the way my life unfolded, how my talents and gifts have been used, and how I have been able to touch others--not millions, probably not even hundreds--but one by one--and an overwhelming feeling that just like Mel used his gifts, I have been able to use mine--not perfectly, but in ways that God has intended. We all have a place on this earth and there is a plan in place for us to grow individually but also to help others---and it is highly individualized for each person. There is a meme which says something like "Be the best YOU you can be.  There isn't anyone else who can."

Another sweet part of the funeral was my interactions with the Thatchers' children.  Joseph, Suzette, and Leah lived in Hong Kong when we did and the two girls were in YWs when we served with their mom.  Joseph was the first one I saw and I loved his response to me and the sense that it was meaningful to him to share this day with us and other HK friends. Next I saw Beckie--who I really never met, maybe in passing at their 50th wedding anniversary a number of years ago. I said, "Hi, we are the Halls.  We knew your parents in Hong Kong.:  She immediately said, "You are Judy. You have children who are adopted. We do too. My mom loves you and has talked to me about your experiences."  Leah and Suzette both said something similar--our parents loved you and your family.  Suzette said, "I will never forget what a good friend you were to my mom back in Hong Kong."  She was 15 years old then and a bit of a rebellious daughter---yet she noticed and appreciated my friendship with her mom.  We never know when others are watching and remembering.

What a blessing to know Mel and Tuan Thatcher----living in Hong Kong--the gift which keeps on giving.

Til we meet again, sweet Mel!