Musings

 Miracles

I heard a beautiful poem this morning on a podcast and wanted to share it with my uncle Bob, an English professor and poet.  I searched the author's name and title of the poem for an hour, but couldn’t find it.  In an instant, a tiny thought entered my mind that “Petals,” the poem’s title, can be spelled with either a “t”or a “d.”   I modified my search and quickly found the poem.  It was a little miracle, but the miracle wasn’t in finding the poem.  The miracle was in the instant that I received  a tiny revelation to change my search.  It was the moment of inspiration,  communication, and willingness to be open and listen to an idea that didn’t originate with me.  

I’ve experienced other miracles.  In my early 20s I prayed every day for years to receive confirmation from God that I should serve a mission.  One night, an idea that wasn’t mine came into my head and heart.  Instead of my usual question, I asked God if I should marry Tony.  The lightning bolt answer and subsequent wedding were not the miracle.  The miracle occurred the moment I hear and recognized Divine communication.  

We have friends who had an impossible thought come to them.  Their idea was to pray for a job that would pay off all their medical school student loans, upwards of a million dollars.  In the following year, the job they found offered a loan repayment program that was almost to the dollar of what they owed.  The miracle was not the loan repayment.  It was the instant that they received Divine communication and reframed and renamed the impossible as possible.    

Father's Day

Mary Poppins at Tuacahn

 One of the ways Tony and I manage the stress of hard kids is to do fun things. Tuacahn is in the category of fun things and Mary Poppins was so much fun!  What a treat to share it with Mom and Dad

Schools out and Memorial Day

 For a Memorial Day highlight Jake and Callie and the boys joined us for the holiday.  It made the whole weekend fun.  We love them so much and they bring us so much joy.  Our Bucks Ace purchases of waterballons and scuba diver toys were a huge success :). It was fun for Sangsters to met Harlow and enjoy time with Grandma and Grandpa and homemade raspberry icecream. 

Lundberg Lagoon 2022

 This weekend was the Lundberg reunion at Lagoon.  It was a lot of work to get everyone there, a lot of expense and a lot of stress.  It was also a wonderful opportunity to prioritize family and show Grandma and Grandpa the love.  Tony and I are getting better at not having too high of expectations for our kids.  That means when Cooper decides the night before not to come, we can accept it without shaming him.  When Max only lasts half a day and spends all his time with friends, we don't take it personally.  When Sam is unable to connect with cousins and sits in the pavilion with his Mom all day, we allow it without shame.  The highlight was having Wilson come with Harlow.  It was a lot for him, but was such a joy to watch him be a great Dad.  Wendy was very generous and brave to be without her for the weekend.  Eliza, always the peacemaker, was so fun to have.  She and her Dad have a pretty special relationship.  

Best quote of the weekend:  Grandma Betty announcing that "I went on Cannibus!"  (she meant Cannibal rollercoaster!)

Best moment:  Grandma cleaning Harlow's pacifier with a dip in Coke.

Worst Moment:  Fighting Claudia at the DMV to get Eliza's UT drivers license when they messed up our appointment with the "cash only" status.  

Best Food:   Strawberry Funnel cakes and Navajo Tacos

Best Ride:  Cannibal Roller Coaster and  Rattlesnake Rapids

Happy 80th Birthday Grandma

 We celebrated Mom's 80th birthday at Magelbys., Not quite Katherines, but the company was delightful.  

Dads Stroke

 In honor of National Stroke month in May, Dad had one.  We got a call early on Thursday  morning that Dad was having vision and speech difficulties.  After a short argument, Tony got Mom and Dad to call an ambulance.  I met mom at the hospital where an MRI revealed a small stroke in the Pons area. Dad was so dizzy and sick.  Miraculously, by noon he was talking fine, studying spanish with me and ordering salmon from the cafeteria.  This might have been a blessing because Tony was aghast to ind out that Dad was not on a daily asprin and that he probably also needed another blood thinner.  I was grateful that I could spend the day in the hospital and take the day off of work.  The funniest part was that Dustin got left off the text thread and didn't know about it until several days after he got home from Hawaii.  It is a blessing to still have Dad here and also confirming why we are in St George.