This week has been more fun, with some nature outings and family time. This *should* be a shorter post tonight because I'm pretty beat from staying out too late last night, ha ha. (update: it's not shorter.) Monday: I took my niece, Mari, over to Fort Bragg and Mendocino on the coast. She needed a day in nature (as did I) to just see and hear the waves crashing repeatedly. It is so relaxing to just stand there and be one with it all. For more pictures and videos, click here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/oyHzgqWxsKhgkUjAA You'll see the eclectic brunch restaurant we chose, called Eggheads. I chose the Glinda Omelette with fresh crab in it, and it was amazing!! Everything in the restaurant, even the potty out back, was themed with Wizard of Oz decor. Our waiter, Alphonso, was so cheery and heartwarming as he served us. He would always chuckle, smile and then wink every time he came to check on us! The last couple of pictures were taken in Mendocino where we sto...

Scott has been taking several classes down in El Paso, some of which are more interesting than others, and some he just dreads because he says they are just painfully boring. Currently, he is in the middle of a Combat Lifesaver Course, something standard to anyone in the military. Yesterday he reported learning the difference between a tourniquet and a pressure dressing. And yes, they got to practice the techniques on each other. He calls me nightly, and this past week he has been calling me as he sets out on his evening run. We talk about the events of the day and get caught up while I listen to his heavy breathing as he runs. If there is any weather-related wind at all, it just sounds like he's trying to talk from within a jet engine, ha ha. He will say, "Hang on about 30 seconds and then I'll be changing direction!" And then, like magic, it is quiet and calm and I can hear him again. Last night, I asked him to send me a picture of him in his running gear, so here...

First off, I would like to express my love and appreciation for my sweet husband, Scott . He is my lifeline, my uplift, and my best friend. We talk on the phone almost every day and it is the thing I look forward to the most each day. Sometimes we have connectivity issues with cell reception, but we recently found a way to overcome the issue. Take that, cell towers!! Scott is learning a lot about the Middle East and things going over there as part of his preparation to go over soon. He is the only married guy in his small group of 8 that he will be working most closely with, so I'm sure he will provide a light in the darkness to his comrades and demonstrate the joys of being married and its eternal purposes. He got permission from church leaders to bless the Sacrament for himself every week, which he faithfully administers. He is the only member in his smaller circle of Army guys. He reports that he is reading his scriptures and listening to conference talks regularly, which boos...

First off, I want to share some pictures that Scott has sent me while he's on Fort Bliss. His barracks are way out in the White Sands area of the base - over the border into New Mexico, but meals and classes are on the main part of the base - closer to El Paso. So he and his comrades spend a lot of time on the bus going to and fro. He says it's about a 25 minute ride each way and at times I think they are bored and just tired of all the driving. One morning he sent me a text with a picture of him on the bus and simply said, "Guess where I am." He also said his buddies on the bus decided to play a trick on the bus driver one day (apparently because the bus driver is somewhat of a grumpy guy). When the driver picked them up or dropped them off - not sure which - they discovered they could push a button that made the big arm in front of the bus swing out with the stop sign and all. The driver could not for the life of him figure out how to retract it! He even cal...

I couldn't think of a fitting title for this post, so my mom said, "Just call it The Grind!" Very appropriate. That's about all I've been doing for the past several days. Besides helping my mother around the house and yard, and shadowing my "elderly-with-balance-issues-but-wants-to-be-independent-grandmother", I just brought my mom home from the surgical center yesterday for a lengthy recovery following hand surgery. They reconstructed the bone at the base of her thumb, using some extra ligament from her wrist. It will be about a solid 12 weeks with minimal (at best) use of her right hand and wrist. She is doing quite well so far, and is proud of the fact that she has two strong legs as well as the use of her left hand. She has been cheerful about any challenge that appears daunting with just her lefty, and surprisingly has only needed me minimally so far. I did help her put on her deodorant this morning though! Before surgery:  Home after surgery...

I've been out here in Ukiah, CA for one week now. I have come to appreciate some things and have learned some things these past few days. I have been thinking a lot about Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Example of selfless service. I am learning how to serve, how to serve continuously, and how to serve more joyfully. As a mother of three children, you'd think I would have already learned these things. I would say that I have - but in a different way. There is service in that which you choose to invest in, such as parenting. And then there is service in that which you are needed for, but it's not necessarily something you would have chosen to do in the first place. The service I am learning about right now is the second example. I am learning to follow Jesus' example in giving service to those who are in need, even when it can be exhausting and when I feel like I might prefer to do something else on occasion. When I first realized that I had an opportunity to ...

Driving into California yesterday was a real treat. As soon as I got close enough to the ocean, I opened up the sunroof so I could hear and smell EVERYTHING!! I did about 6 hours of driving in all, making a few stops to break it up and enjoy along the way. Starting the day in Grants Pass, Oregon, my first stop heading south was in Crescent City. I stopped just to get out and actually BE at the ocean. It's not the most beautiful beach I've ever seen, but it was still beautiful. As I walked over to take some pictures, there was an older gentleman sitting on the rock wall so we started visiting. He was heading back up north to Alaska, and once I learned he had served in the Air Force, we visited much longer than I first anticipated, ha ha. It was a pleasure to get to know him and his lovely wife. He even complimented me on my beautiful new top! Second stop was in Trinidad, CA. I absolutely love this little beach harbor town!! The population is only about 500 but it's s...