Playing in the Snow

It snowed on Thursday, making it difficult to fight the fire at the condos. Yesterday, Friday, it snowed again.  I was at the condos and the third floor hallway was filled with snow. Today, Brandt and Blythe went out to play in it, and ended up in the backyard with Lizzie and Rachel Jensen, frolicking and mock fighting.  They had a marvelous good time.

Then, just for more snowtime fun, Kent took our kids, the Jensens, two Stovalls, and Paul Moreland up to Rock Canyon Park to sled. They returned and reported they had even more fun. They saw DeMartini cousins up there, too, and Tysen took a picture which she forwarded to me. I do love photographic evidence of activity. Hooray for snow!

Rebecca Stoval, Lizzie Jensen, Rachel Jensen, Blythe, Elizabeth Stovall, Brandt, Paul Moreland

A Day of Thanks

I got a call from the bishop at 7:30am.  He said, "The condos are on fire.  It looks bad."

"I'll be right there," I replied.  I was still in my pajamas, but raced upstairs, threw on clothes, and began to mobilize my troops.  Everyone threw on clothes.  I sent Blythe downstairs to get wool blankets out of the emergency situation section of the storage.  I got a hat and gloves, put on my boots and coat, and raced out of the house, praying as I went for the safety of everyone who lives in the condos.  

Our ward boundaries are small.  We have a street of large, glorified twin homes (as a resident calls them), our street that zigzags a bit, has five cul-de-sacs coming off of it, and the condos, an apartment building with 48 units.  Not all of the residents come to our ward, but residents of 16 apartments are under our stewardship, and several of them are aged widows who don't move quickly.  I feared for their safety.  

The fire was on the third floor, and when I arrived, the bishop called and told me everyone got out of the building safely.  The fire department had to bash in many doors to access people.  One of our widows, Lila Merrill, was sound asleep in her bed.  One member was on the toilet when the fireman burst in.  He said, "You have to go right now!" We've joked that our member could have replied, "I am going right now."  They didn't even let him get a real pair of pants.  He and others went out in their pajamas.  One of our students escaped in her robe and pajamas; she didn't even have any shoes.  

The emergency response team set up their command center and evacuee site at a church across from the football stadium, and we rushed there to meet people and make sure everyone was okay.  Some members had gathered at our church, and we ferried them to the other church.  We mobilized people and made hot chocolate, got water bottles, had blankets, and tried to comfort and help people deal with the shock.  It was snowing outside making the whole process of fighting the fire and evacuating residents and then trying to retrieve things from apartments later a cold, wet mess.  Everyone was stunned by the whole thing, and trying to deal with being displaced and unsure about the future.  We waited anxiously for the fire chief to give us a status report and let us know the condition of the building.

When the fire was finally out, the fire chief gathered all the residents and the rest of us acting as support and told us about the damage.  Six apartments on the third floor were a total loss.  The apartments below them were heavily damaged by water.  Residents would be allowed in to retrieve medications and small things that were absolutely necessary, nothing more.  Those in apartments undamaged by the fire could retrieve what they needed for the day, but parts of the building were unsafe, and we needed to stay out.  We began ferrying people back to the building to gather a few belongings, and then we tried to disperse people to family and friends. 

I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and concern, the desire people had to serve and help whether or not they knew anyone in the building.  My phone exploded with texts and calls from people saying, "What can I do to help? Can we add someone to our Thanksgiving dinner? Who needs a place to stay tonight or over the next several nights? I have food! I have blankets! I have clothes!"  It was tremendous and touching and heartwarming and so emotionally uplifting.  There is good in the world, all around us. 

I was also touched to see the power of ministering.  Several women who live in the condos have been very reluctant to let many people into their lives.  I have met one of them only once, and the other, I had a very brief, cold interaction with at her door.  She yelled at me and slammed the door in my face, telling me she didn't want anything to do with me.  Both of these women, however, have had wonderful ministering sisters who love them and are their friends.  Wendy Bird and Jennifer McClurg came to the church and swept Robyn Baughman and Irena Abramian (both inactive) into the warm embrace of their love and support.  While I could not provide either of these sisters with the emotional comfort they needed because I was not their person, Wendy and Jennifer could and did.  Irena was convinced she was going to be without anyplace to stay tonight or in the future, and was all at sea.  Jennifer calmed her, took her home, installed her in the small apartment they have attached to their house, and made sure she was cared for.  Wendy calmed Robyn, helped her retrieve medication and belongings, and got her back on the road to her daughter's house.  In the time of crisis, these sweet ministering sisters were exactly the people who were needed, and fulfilled their callings in tender, loving ways.  It was beautiful to witness.

Ryan Elder (our bishop) helping residents

The aftermath from above.

Kent and I were meant to be hosting Thanksgiving dinner today at our house.  My mother, Mikayla and Guy and their children, Lee, Cammie, and Aaron, and Richard Ledford and Chris Cisneros were all coming to eat by 2:00.  I had made pies yesterday, but we were in charge of stuffing, a vegetable, and green salad.  I intended on setting the table beautifully, preparing cranberry sauce, and being with family for a lovely day.

Instead, I left everything to Kent, Mikayla, and Sue.  Sue stopped by the church to see what she could do and offered her basement to anyone who needed a place to stay.  She collected stuffing fixings from our fridge and took that responsibility.  I dashed home about 1:00 and gave direction for table setting and salad preparation, and told everyone we would be without an extra vegetable.  Then I dashed out again.  

At 2:30, Mikayla texted and asked if I was close to coming home.  I told them to go ahead without me.  By that time, nearly everyone had a place to go and was largely taken care of.  The Red Cross had come and processed some people to give them help.  But I was still at the church with Stacey Smith, an inactive member who is exceedingly private and not super emotionally stable, even on a good day.  She lived on the third floor and had been in a tree, in the snow, watching and filming the fire.  Barbara and Jeff Niven had tried to get her out of the tree, but she doesn't really know them and didn't want anything to do with them.  The bishop and I went to find her and I was able to get her out of the snow and to the church.  She needed someone, and I was her person.  I got her some water, a blanket, and then took her back to the building when things could be retrieved.  While I wanted to bring her home and feed her and her two daughters, but they made other plans.  I stayed with Stacey until she was leaving the church, essentially the last person to get squared away.  

I walked in the door at 3:00pm.  Everyone was eating and I sat down at the table, thankful for all the goodness that surrounded me.  I was thankful for food and a warm, comfortable home, thankful for living among such good people who are truly Christlike.  I was thankful for my family and for living in a place where I can worship God freely.  And so thankful to know that in our trials and challenges and struggles, God is with us, most often through the service and love of others.  Dinner was delicious and I tried not to be a downer guest.  We talked and ate and I was overwhelmed by the goodness of my life.  This will be a Thanksgiving I never forget.

Desserts

Ridiculous how much there is!

Mint chocolate ice cream pie, jumbleberry pie, a chocolate raspberry whipped pie that was weird,

apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie.

Delicious!

Neighbors

This evening, our new neighbors, the Stovalls, stole our kids. Blythe went to their house to do crafty things with Elizabeth and Rebecca, and Brandt went to game with Zach. They came home and reported they had a great time, and Kent and I had a quiet evening. I think the Stovalls are going to prove to be wonderful neighbors!

Hera, Queen of the Gods

The sixth grade has been doing a Greek unit.  Blythe has been learning all about Greek gods and goddesses.  The culminating activity for the Green unit is a short play each class puts on.  Blythe's class has been working on Echo and Narcissus, and Blythe has the part of Hera, Queen of the Gods.  She has been rehearsing her lines with us and working on her queenly attitude. 

Today was the big performance.  Kent, Cora, Grandma Sue, and I all attended.  Blythe did a fantastic job.  In the play, Hera is angry with Echo because she talks too much and hid her (Hera's) husband, Zeus, and curses her.  She is irritated, then angry, then revengeful, then stomps off, stage right.  Blythe performed it all beautifully, giving Echo a steely stare I have seen many a time before.  She was confident, spoke clearly, and made us proud.  It was so fun to see her on stage, and so fun that the play as a whole went so well.

That is a steely stare!

Zeus (Zion) and Hera

A Thankful Sunday

It was a good Sabbath.  We went to church in West Jordan to listen to nephew/cousin Jonathan deliver his farewell address.  He gave a great talk and then he sang beautifully.  He is going to be a high school choir teacher, and has sung in a choir at BYU-I, and has a terrific voice.  It was a good meeting.  We were sitting all the way in the back of the chapel, in the gym, and Michelle, Brandon, and Mina were sitting near us.  I enticed Mina and her baby to come over and sit with us, and then entertained her looking at pictures on my phone and poking through stuff in my purse.  She wasn't entirely comfortable, but we were nice.  After the meeting, we went over to David and Sharon's for a bit of lunch and lots of visiting.  It is always great to be with family and celebrate these moments of growth and progress.  Jonathan leaves on Tuesday for the MTC in Mexico and we wish him well.

We don't look like we're being very reverent,

and Mina looks worried that she's with us.

Brandt took Sunday selfies.

This Thanksgiving, we are on an off year with the DeMartinis, but we like to be together and eat good food, so we decided to have an early Thanksgiving together today.  I had Brandt help me with dinner, and he took Sunday selfies (more Sunday selfies!) as he peeled potatoes.  We had a great time together, eating, talking, playing.  The kids like being with cousins, we siblings like to be together, so it was a delightfully tasty and enjoyable evening.

Getting the camera set

Looking happy to be peeling potatoes

See the smile?

Action shot

Realizing his head has been cut off in all the previous pictures (there were nearly a dozen).

Frozen 2

Our neighbor, Ashley Jensen, is a real estate agent.  Today, her agency rented the Scera Theater for a private showing of Frozen 2.  I invited Brick, Cora, and Kal to join me, Brandt, and Blythe, and they were excited to be coming with us.  They were offering treats in addition to the free movie, and we there all thrilled to be there.  Everyone was great through the movie, even Kal.  Brick liked it so much he wanted an immediate repeat showing.  I particularly like the song "The Next Right Thing" that Anna (Kristen Bell) sings.  It's a song about make a right choice, even when you can't see in the dark.  The lyrics spoke to me.

Just do the next right thing
Take a step, step again
It is all that I can to do
The next right thing
I won't look too far ahead
It's too much for me to take
But break it down to this next breath, this next step
This next choice is one that I can make
So I'll walk through this night
Stumbling blindly toward the light
And do the next right thing
And, with it done, what comes then?
When it's clear that everything will never be the same again
Then I'll make the choice to hear that voice
And do the next right thing

 

Following God and the Spirit is just like this.  Of late, I've felt very much like I can't look too far ahead, but even in the darkness, I can do the next right thing, listen to God's voice, and move forward.  Good message, and set to music, too.

Eagle Project Approval

We are so close to getting Brandt finished with his eagle scout ranking; we only need to do his project.  After some back and forth, he has finally settled on doing carnival games for the Rock Canyon Extravaganza.  I was hopeful that we might be able to finish before the end of the year, but I don't think it's going to happen.  It's November, the holidays are coming, trying to squash it in with everything else is unlikely to really happen.  But, we do need to have the project approved, and tonight was the night to meet with the powers that be.  I had a stake training meeting this evening, and Kent had something, too, so I asked Mikayla to take Brandt.  I also asked her to take a picture or two on the sly, which she did.  Brandt's project was approved, but the man he spoke to was not encouraging about him being able to finish before the end of the year.  So we'll likely just put it off until January so as to reduce the amount of stress.  BUT!  We are going to get it done.

Sneaky picture Mikayla took of Brandt

Reality Town

Every year, the 8th graders at Centennial have an activity called "Reality Town."  Based on their GPA and potential work interests, they are given a job, a family size, and a monthly income, and then have to work their way around the lunchroom making decisions about real life choices--what sort of car to buy, how much to spend on clothing and food, health care costs, and how they use disposable income.  It's an activity that is meant to give them a realistic view of how much life costs. 

Brandt was given the job as chemist and did pretty well making good choices.  He had a very high food budget (a true indication of how much our family values food and how much Brandt likes steak), he chose to live in a mobile home, and he selected a reasonable clothing budget.  I sat at the housing table.  I was amazed at how many kids opted to live in their parent's basement with their children in order to save money or because their assigned job didn't make enough money.  I fear somewhat for the rising generation, and their parents.  It was fun to see Brandt's classmates that I know, and to see Brandt interacting with his peers.  I was glad I could be there to help.

Playing in the Leaves

Cora was over today, but I needed to rake leaves.  We went outside and as I began, I quickly realized I needed little people to come jump in the them.  I called Mikayla and told her to come over and bring the rest of the little people and the camera.  She did, and while I raked up piles of leaves, Cora and Kal jumped in them.  Freya and Thea were less enthusiastic about the leaves, but Mikayla got cute pictures of them anyway.  Cora and Kal both love to have scooters rides, and as it wasn't too cold, I drove them up and down the street many times.  At one point, I had Cora on the scooter without Kal and began to drive away.  Standing on the sidewalk, Kal yelled, "Hey! What big idea?!"  Good question!  I stopped and put him on, too.  It was great to be outside, and it was great to get some leaf clean up done.

Sometime during their time with me, Cora and Kal raided the freezer and found some frozen berries.  They were hauling around the bag and eating them, and made a tremendous mess over at the Nelson's house.  Kal nearly fell asleep on their porch, too.  They were purple by the time they finished them off.