Change always change.

Today President Bush met with President Monsen. We were not to come to work until 10:30am. There has been security all over downtown since last night. The former-mayor Rocky (raccoon) organized a protest group that met across the street from the hotel where President Bush was staying. You could hear the helicopters flying all night around the area. President Bush arrived here at 8:20am the motorcade went under the COB (Church office building) and then emerged at 9:40am. Took North Temple to 3rd West to 4th south on the freeway (80) to the airport. Lift off was to be at 10:40 and they were right on time. I have a picture of the motorcade as it emerged from the underground parking. They just missed a spring rain coming in from the West. We watched the proceedings from our 21st floor. It was cool! There was not only Bush security, but church security every few feet all over the church campus. When I walked down the street to come to work, the police were directing traffic and no traffic was allowed on North Temple. I was stopped on the corner and had to show my security badge and missionary badge to come into the COB. This is as close as I will ever get to a President of the United States. I can't imagine what kind of life that would be. If I were him, I would be happy to get it over with, his time as president hasn't been an easy one and one with many tragedy's that he had to deal with beginning with 911.
Last week when I returned from New Mexico, I learned one of my dear acquaintances from the Houston mission had died suddenly. He went to the gym, which he did nearly daily, and was on the treadmill and collapsed. On the treadmill next to him was a EMT and he immediately started cpr, there was also close by an RN who assisted, the ambulance was there quickly and they took him to the hospital within 4 minutes, but he had had a massive heart attack and didn't make it. He was a dear man to all of us senior missionaries in Houston. He was essentially the leader of our group (Old Fudds), we tried to meet at least once a month, four couples and me and Sr. Lonni. He was an intense Mexican Train affectionado, and a stickler for the rules. The organizer of our monthly meetings here, and weekly get togethers in Houston. Everyone lived in Utah but me. He was well known for his agenda, everyday he had one and followed it closly, and was amazing at getting things done. He and his wife joined the church while he was serving in the Air Force, and he was in the first graduating class 59' of the Air Force Academy in Colorado. A devoted sports fan and had season tickets to the Air Force Games and the BYU Games since they moved to Provo after their mission. Air Force always had priority over BYU. When they joined the church they had 4 children, and then had 5 more. They have a super family with really neat kids, they were expecting their first grand child this Sept. His wife and I became fast friends. They have had much illness and health problems these past years but always positive and optomistic. He will be sorely missed. I for one will miss him, he always made us laugh and was the life of our get-togethers. Probably the most surprising part was the depth to which each of his children felt their loss of their father. How very much each one loved him and look up to him and each one telling their favorite stories of their best memories of him. Their youngest son and his wife, just graduated from college and got a position with a firm in New York, he was very encouraging to them and literally guided their trip to NY in their van. They had only been there for a week when Dave died, they said they wouldn't have gone there if it had not been for his encouragement. I have been thinking of what kind of influence am I to my kids, what kind of example am I to them, am I as close to them as I should be. It kind of made me take a closer look at myself and my relationship to my children. How well am I taking care of myself so I can be there for them. I hope so, I try.

The case of the missing brush.

Sometimes we get in such a hurry that we don't actually know what we are doing. This is the case with the missing brush. Perhaps your not as attached to your brush as I am , I have had it for over 10 years. It is a typical vent brush white with purple tips and small pieces of grey hair hanging around the bottom, stuck there by hair spray. Difficult to remove. It all started when I went to Silver City, on the way I stopped off in Grants and spent the night with my sister. I had gotten up early to go to the graveyard to put flowers on my parents graves, since I am not there very often. I didn't have have a blow dryer with me and rushed off without drying my hair. When I returned, everyone was ready to leave and I put my brush, I thought on the counter at my sisters as I was going to do my hair. ( OK, I know what your thinking but it really didn't look that bad, it just looks better when I blow dry it). Well, we jumped in the truck and headed off to Silver.
On the way, I realized I hadn't stopped to dry my hair. (It was of course dry already, it is just an expression for fluffing it up so it looks like there is more of it than there really is.) Then, I started wondering where was my brush.? My sister didn't call me to tell me I had left it there so where was it. I looked everywhere for it. All over the truck, which by this time was pretty full of junk we had picked up on the way, and in my luggage, purse, dirty clothes. NO Brush... This search continued through the weekend and on Monday. I was bumming brush and dryer all the way. Fortunately, I have family who are better prepared than I was. Usually, I keep a supply of travel supplies packed. Since, my life has been out of a suitcase for the past 7 months, perhaps, when I finally landed in a more permanent place I unpacked them. Who knows! This is all supposition, but I was fairly frustrated with myself..
Tuesday morning and I am back in SLC and still no brush, I haven't stopped long enough to purchase a new one and so I don't look all that great at work today. It was the limp look. Tuesday evening, I am sitting in a devotional waiting for it to start as I had put a notebook in my purse so I could take notes, (old school habit are hard to break) and what to my surprise do I find in the bottom of my purse. The Brush!!!. Now my red purse is not that deep and not that wide and not that long, how could I have missed it? I know I looked in it repeatedly but it wasn't there before. Oh well, I was really very happy to see it. Case Closed!

Crunch Time

Monday already again. It was a very nice Mother's day. I heard from all of my children, what more could one ask for. I went to church with Mason and Marissa and then Mason had prepared spaghetti for dinner. It was very good, we had brownies too, and then Sr. Lonni and I watched our usual sunday nite TV. At sacrament one of the speakers was very impressionable. His story,
when he was about 9 years old, his mother was going to India and took his little sister, she asked him if he wanted to go he said no, she went off to India, and then abandonded the younger sister there when she was 11. First way not to be a good mom. His father remarried to a person who had a mean streak. When he was about 14 she tried to hit him and he caught her hand, she was very angry with him and they sent him to live with his step-grandparents (her parents). Second way not to be a good mom. His step parents took care of him until he graduated from highschool, he said it wasn't ideal either but he thinks of his step grandmom as his mom and calls her such. He recently gave her an 80th birthday. Then he met his wife's mom. She was and is so loving and kind to him. He said he is not so good to those young men coming around to date his daughter. He said he has the best wife and mother there is and she is so loving and kind not only to their children but many others too. He finally learned what it was to have a good mom,from his wife and mother-in-law. Some times life doesn't give us the best start, but hopefully someplace down the line, if we look for it, we can find the way to heal old wounds and move on to a better life. He did, and I was impressed.
I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that brings us together and we share all of the experiences with eachother to strenghten us and uplift us.
Oh, I am going to Silver City on Thursday. I will leave about noon, stay all night with my sister on the way, put some flowers on mom's grave go to on home. On Saturday, Dianne is going to be baptised, and she has asked me to talk on the Holy Ghost. She is so precious. She told the bishop, "Do I have to be baptised by Immersion, I don't know Immersion and I would like my Grandpa to baptize me. So cute, so innocent. Of course she received some new information about immersion. I look forward to seeing my family, I am hoping we can get together for dinner Friday nite. Then on Sat. nite I will drive to Phoenix, and on Sunday, we will have a potluck with my family there. On Monday, drive back to SLC. A long hard trip, but I am looking forward to seeing my family.
Sam gets out of the hospital on the 17th. Please say extra prayers for the two of them, they seem to be doing OK, I'm sure they have their moments, I just have never seen them. And Baby Benjamin is so cute. On saturday I was able to do a lot of loose ends to get things done. Things are coming together finally. I am much slower that I used to be, it is pretty frustrating. OH well, thank heaven someone ususally comes around to help me. Life is good.
Love you all.

Crunch time.

Its-a....

Good news, good news. Now it is official, I can tell you. Marissa went for her test this morning and they found two healthy sacks, so it is twins. She even has pictures; I am going after work to see them. Anyway, the doctors are pleased with her progress, and she is VERY happy. Since both eggs are good, she will have to take the progesterone shots for a month more, I think into June. I think the due date is in December, so maybe we will get babies for Christmas. It has been a long process but I think they are pleased with the results. Having the babies is the easy part, raising them is much more difficult, rewarding but difficult. You need to have lots of heavenly help. This Sunday is Mothers day and Marissa has invited Sr. Lonni and me over for dinner after church. I told her I will come to her ward and go to church with them. Sr. Lonni will spend the weekend with her son and his family and on Sunday, his wife will go to Nephi to she her mother so Sr. Lonni is going to come with us. All of you who are Mothers, I wish you a Happy Mothers Day. I am a mother are very happy with my children. I love them very much. They all are my light and life. The most difficult part of being a Mother is letting them go and make their own families. Once they are on their own, they are busy raising their own families and your kind of forgotten, that's OK though, that is what you raise them up to carry on with their own families. That is one of the blessings of serving a mission, your not in their way and you are doing meaningful work. It has been an wonderful experience serving these two missions. I have learned something new from each one. I think back and felt like my mind was going dull, and being on this mission keeps me working my brain.
Last Friday was Sunshine's last day here in our department, and, tomorrow she reports to the MTC. (Mission to Hungary) I remember how exciting it was to finally get there. It is a marvelous place to be and the spirit of the Lord is so strong there. It is wonderful to watch the young people and their enthusiasm in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
On the 15th, I will go to Silver City to pick up my vehicle, my dear brother found a used 4 wheel drive for me and we will exchange vehicles. Also, Dianne will be baptised so it will be a double treat. My new room mate will probably go with me and we will make it a four day trip. I am hoping to stop and see some of my family on the way. I have a great family and I miss them, I think of them most often.
Janet, the lady that sits next to me here just got the word from her daughter in Japan that they had a baby girl in the night. They emailed her pictures, my she is beautiful. She weighted 8#3oz, and was 20.5 inches long. She was born there with a midwife and both mother and baby look happy and healthy.
I don't remember if I told you, Sam will be getting out of the hospital around the 17th, Now, Ashley is in training on how to take care of him, he will still be in rehab and it is on 10600, about 15 minutes from their house. I am sure he will be happy to be home. We are so happy he is doing so well. He young man who is the son of one of the man who works in the creative production-international division, and had the similar injury as Sam is now in China for Stem cell therapy. He will be there for two months. He has an interpreter with him and his father too. The father will be traveling to places in that part of the world doing audiovisual work. Sam is very interested to see how it all works out for him. So are we...
Love to all,
Zgranee