Free Shoes

I remember hearing a story years ago about the Dalai Lama. If I remember correctly he was getting on a subway train in New York City. As he was getting on the train, one of his shoes fell off and landed on the tracks below. Before the doors of the train closed, he quickly removed the other shoe from his foot and tossed it down to the tracks as well. Shortly thereafter, someone near him on the train asked why he took his other shoe off and threw it down below the train. He replied, what good is one shoe to me and one shoe to someone else. Whoever retrieved the first shoe, might as well have a pair.

I have thought of that story quite often over the past few years, and wondered if I would be willing to toss the second shoe below. I can admit that I probably would have gotten upset and then walked the remainder of the day with only one shoe on.

Maybe I'll go barefoot tomorrow...................................then again, maybe not.

My favorite time of year

I am waiting for the kids to come crashing through the door. Today is their last day of school before the holiday break. I have been out doing some last minute shopping and now I am wrapping presents on my living room floor. I love this time of year. I love my new Christmas tree that is filled with ornaments Ben and I have collected together from our vacations. I love to see all the presents we are giving that are placed under the tree. I love the sound of holiday music that is in my home. I love the candles that burn in my kitchen. I love the chaos amongst the peace.

This year I am especially happy because my family is all together. I really don't need anything beyond my family. My amazing husband that works hard everyday and then comes home to spend time with us. Emma who is so beautiful and caring. Bridger who keeps us laughing. My family is together. We may be small but our love for one another is huge.

I can't explain what it feels like to have Ben with me everyday. Of course there are ups and downs, but we do it together. I just got off the phone with him. I love that I am the person he calls when he has something new going on at work. I love that he sends me text messages just to say hi. My favorite part is when I get to cuddle with him at night. There may be less room in the bed (he takes up about 2/3rds) but I wouldn't changed it for anything.

This holiday season I hope everyone finds joy in the small things. Say thank you to the employees in retail, smile at the other customers in the store, be a curteous driver - wave someone on and smile. It is amazing what a smile will do for you and the people who see it. Okay so I have been rambling - there are lots of things going on in my head. One last thing to say: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Do You Know?

Yesterday I had a converstaion with a friend that really got me thinking. Being a profonund thinker is not something that I would call one of my strong points. I am a typical man, mainly focused on myself, my family, my immediate circumstances, or what game I watched on the tv last night. But today, I am still focused on the conversation I had yesterday with a co-worker.

She told me of a friend of hers that found out about the realities of Christmas as an 8 year old girl. Her mom was single, an alcolholic, and still is to this day. This friend of hers remembers Christmas Eve, without a Christmas tree, and mom passed out in her bedroom. She sat there praying that there really was a Santa Claus and that he would bring her just one present. She woke up the next morning running out to see if Santa had come. To her disappointment, the living room was baren. No tree, no presents, and no mom. She was still passed out from the night before.

That made me stop and think. How often do these kind of circumstances happen to children that I might know? What is there that I can do to help? What can I do to keep this from happening?

I don't even know who might be in this kind of situation.

But I want to help.

Joseph B Wirthlin

My great uncle Joseph past away last night in his sleep. He has now passed through the veil and is with his wife and other family members that have gone on before him.

Uncle Joseph is my grandmother's brother. He was also my grandfather's best friend. Yes my grandfather married his best friends sister! Thomas (my grandfather) and Uncle Joseph played football together for many years at East High school and then Joseph went to the University of Utah and my grandfather went to Westminster College.

As the family grew bigger I didn't get to see as much of the Wirthlin family but he was always so kind. Last September there was a gathering up Millcreek Canyon at the cabin and a slide show was shown with pictures of Joseph L Wirthlin. Uncle Joseph wanted EVERYONE in the family to have one. My copy will be cherished!

Last year as I was struggling in my personal life I was at the store, I happened to glance over and see his book titled, "Press On". I bought it that night and have turned to this book many times. His words are comforting and help me remember what is truly important. Just reading the chapter headings gives one a sense of who he was as a person.

He will be missed here on earth! I was on the phone with Ben's mom and I said, "sometimes I think the spirit has gone past what the body can do and needs to move on." There is so much work to be done here and in heaven. I know he is busy!

I know that I will see him again and that the truths of the gospel are a comfort to me everyday of my life.

'Nough Said

I just saw Beths last post.

It's almost game day baby!!

So tomorrow Ben and I will sit on opposite sides of the fence. He will be wearing red and I will be wearing blue. Only time will tell. . .

Mom and Heather - this is for you. . .

Okay-

It's been awhile! I got some grief from my mom and sister yesterday while we were at lunch that there have not been any new posts. Well I don't have any new pictures and I feel like my life is just the same boring thing. But maybe you want to read to boring things. Among the events in our life the most exciting one has to be when the kids came upstairs to tell me that there was water all over the floor in the basement. I went running downstairs and "all over" meant a puddle by the water heater. When Ben got come we showed him, he called one of his contacts from work and we realized that our plans for the evening were quickly changing. We were off to Sears, Sam's, and finally Lowes. We arrived home with a new water heater by 8:30pm. Ben began trading out the new one for the old one but didn't have everything he needed.

I had three options the next morning. Forget about a shower and pretend like I wasn't adding a second layer of sweat (gross!!), freeze to death taking a COLD shower (me - never! I'm cold without decreasing my body temperature at 5:45am), or my last choice - visit the gym! Of course there is no surprise to anyone that I went to the gym in the morning. Now you would think that if I'm going to make the effort to drive to the gym I would make a little effort to work out. Not a chance! I carried my "gym" bag in and 15 minutes later walked out feeling refreshed.

Well I hope you enjoyed reading about my boring life :-) I'm sure one day I will look back and be glad that my mom and sister asked me to write about the "boring" things! Love you both! And might I add that the tomato soup at Big City Soups is delicious!!