Life Marches On

Twenty Thirteen.

I think it was when we were driving to St. George from Amy's house in Roseville (CA) that the conversation turned to the events this year would hold for our family:

Twenty Thirteen promises to be full of change:

big changes for me.

Jennifer will graduate from High School - my baby.

My baby who has become an amazing, beautiful woman and a dear friend.

     -No more children in public schools.

Jennifer will spend three weeks in Germany on an school organized exchange.
    - I realize that she will be 18, but my baby will be in a foreign country.
    - Mark and I will have three straight weeks to ourselves.

Exciting, different, a little taste of things to come. Three weeks is long enough to do something fun, something productive - and not quite long enough to feel lost.

Christian will return home from his mission
     -Can I really be the mother of three returned missionaries?
Ruby will start Kindergarten
Jennifer will start College

I'm getting old. 

Christian and Jennifer will move out and attend BYU.
    - Which means I retire from full time mothering...

This is the big one. 

The first twenty years of my life I looked forward and prepared to be a mother. 

It was the desire of my heart. 

The next almost thirty years I have spent enveloped in the lives of my family,

most especially my children.

This is a great blessing I have been given from my Father in Heaven

as well as my amazing husband, as he has also made it possible,

not only to have them, but for mothering and nurturing to be my full time job.

I look forward to having having a freedom we have not had for many years.

But, he will go to work and while I will have Kindermusik,

for the first time in a long time, 

no one will come through the door in the middle of the day

ready for a snack and some chatter about their day.

I will miss that. 

The house will be very quiet most of the day,

which isn't that different than it is now,

 but it will feel more empty.

I guess that's why they call it an empty nest.

Mark will be released from the MTC.

   -Which means he will have an extra 16+ hours a week.

   -We may actually get to sit together in church.

   - We will miss the great blessing of associating with the incredible Elders and Sisters at the MTC.

And then, last but not least on 11-13 of 2013, I will turn 50.

   - Not a bit deal really. But I guess a lot of it depends on the things that happen earlier in the year.

Twenty thirteen promises to be full of change, probably summed up by a fortune cookie: 

"Your path may be difficult but it will be rewarding."

Ready or not, here it comes...

Visitors

In mid June our house was full. It was wonderful. All four grandkids and their parents were here. Amy and Jordan and family were at our house for a few days and in town for a week while Aaron and Celisa and family were here a little over three weeks.  As both families live out of state I just can't get enough of these moments. 

Mark, Jennifer and I met up with Aaron and family on Thursday, June 21 in Evanston, Wyoming. They were on their second day of travel from Illinois and we were on our way home from a quick vacation in Yellowstone (more on that trip soon). We met at the Wendy's by the freeway (which we found despite the faulty directions of the gps). 

Mark and I had not moved back upstairs from the basement since the finish of the remodel (more about that later) so we just stayed downstairs and gave Aaron and Celisa the master bedroom. It worked out so well and we may do that in the future too. 

Amy and Jordan arrived Saturday night with Ruby and Peter. 

Baby Kate was blessed on Sunday (more pictures to follow)

picture by Amy

and then the mighty rumpus began:

 

 more to come...

Hey Everyone!

Hey everyone!

Well a story from last week that I really wanted to tell, but i didnt have time. Last week, we went and visited Gloria with a member named Adrian.It was amazing. Gloria has been taking the lessons for almost a year, and she has made a lot of progress in that time. My companion  has been here for 7 months and has been working with her all that time. When he got here she couldn't understand the Book of Mormon and wasn't really receptive. She was going to kick the Elders out, but had a dream that the Elders were at her door, and someone, who she couldnt see, but could hear, said "Sister, listen to these guys, somthing amazing is going to happen". So she let them keep on coming back. Since then she has read all of the Book of Mormon, she had finished it the last week. Adrian went with us to visit her and she was really shut down to baptism. As we talked with her, she said she knows it is true, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but she felt that her baptism as a child in the catholic church was still valid, "one faith one lord one baptism" was what she said. She feels like all baptisms were the same. We talked to her about authority, Moroni 7: 7-10 where it talks about child baptism, and all sorts of things, but it just didnt seem to get through that her baptism wasn't valid. We had talked with her about it a million times before.. and so when Adrian heard her reaction about baptism, I think it got him going. We had a lesson where the spirit was amazingly strong, and we went thorough and got rid of all of her doubts, and by the end she accepted that her baptism was invalid, and that the church was true, and everything she needs! Ahhh but she is still scared, because she has been catholic all her life, and all her family is catholic, and she doesnt want to change religions, unless she is absoluetly sure. She just wants something that she understands as an answer that this is definitely where she needs to be. We shared Alma 32 the last time, and we are working with her, we are hoping that it will be this saturday, and praying, we will see.

The thing I wanted to share from that experience, was at one point, gloria was talking about how she has had some really hard things in her life, and she has a really hard time forgiving people.  She doesn't want to have that in her heart when she gets baptized. When she was talking about that, I remembered an experience I had with dad and Rob, that illustrated the power of the atonement and forgiveness amazingly in my life and I knew I had to share it with her, and I want to share it with you guys now. I am sure you all remember that I hit a tree with Robs car while he was on his mission .. something i will always regret, and will be something I can't forget. So bueno, Robbie returned from his mission, and with the amazing heart that he has, forgave me, and did all that he could to forgive me completely, but every time he drove, and something squeaked or soemthing went wrong with the car, it was because I messed up his car. There was no way he could just forget, and so I was in a position where there was no way way I could pay the debt, and erase my sin. I was stuck  and it was ruining our relationship. We both were unhappy, and without a solution. So one day, dad, stepped in, after seeing the deepening hole in our friendship, and sat us both down, and asked Rob, what would make this go away so we never have to remember. After some thinking and talking, we came to the conclusion that if we helped Rob get a different car, then he would be able to move on. We could go on working on our friendship, and I could be eleviated from my guilt. There was no way I could pay the money necessary to help  Rob buy a new car, so dad offered to help. He asked me how much I could pay and offered to make up the difference. In this Rob and I were both freed from our burdens. Every time I tell this story I tear up, because I think of my tiny little mortal situation here with a car and a debt I owed, and the guilt and shame i felt from that. And then the joy and peace, and gratefulness I felt to dad, when i was freed from my burden. When I think of all of our situations with our sins, somehting we could never pay on our own, but the Savior stepped in and offered to pay the price, at great cost to himself. I am amazed at the amazing unimaginable gift of the atonement, and I am especially greatful for the wonderful father I have. While he is not perfect, he knows how to show his son, what the savior would do, if we were in his shoes. Words can not express my love and gratitude for my earthy family, and most definitely not for our brother Jesus Christ, who has done so much, and asks so little.

I am so greatful for each of you, and your examples to me. I know our family is not perfect, and there is no reason in particular I am saying this, but I really feel, that at times our family needs to look at one another, in the way Christ would see them, and not as the world, or Satan would have us see. I love each and every one of you with all my heart. I know with all my heart that Jesus is the Christ, and only through him, and his church can we be saved. I am so greatful to share that with the people here, at times my language is a barrier, but I know that if I try my hardest the Lord will make up the difference, that I can not. Love you all.

Gonzalo is still doing well, we also had a lesson with his father Filipe, and set a baptismal date. Christina had to cancel our appointment, and so we haven't had a lesson with her. We had a lesson with Martin, but he was really upset about his kids being loud and not being able to talk to us with his full attention. I am still not sure how that lesson went, I think it will be good, and we will be going back asap. This week we found a lady named Maria, who I really feel has some sincere desires, hopefully we can do all we can to be the instruments in the Lords hands to help her into the path.

Family I am doing great, my health is great, if you could please pray for me, and specifically pray that i will have the courage, and clear mind to do all I need to to be obedient and diligent, I would love it! Sorry this is soo long, hopefully it is helpful for someone. love you all! pray for all of you every night!

until next week,
Elder Zimbelman

A Little Slice of Heaven

Amy and Aaron and their families were able to come for Robbie's wedding and for Christian's farewell. It was wonderful having everyone together for a little bit. While I didn't take pictures (too busy playing) I'm thankful others did. 

The kids loved the trampoline and Ruby and Livi really had fun bouncing together. Livi really learned how to bounce and Ruby could even bounce on one foot. The girls really had fun together. Even Peter got some bouncing in. 



Ruby and Livi are getting so big as evidenced by some of their comments.


Ruby and I were sitting on the front porch when we saw a bee.  I commented about how it was buzzing in and out of the flowers. I asked Ruby, "Do you know what that bee is doing?" I was about to tell her about how it was gathering nectar to make honey when she said, "Yes, that bee is pollinating!"


Celisa put a headband on Livi as we were going to church on Sunday. A few minutes after we got there she took it off, handed it to her mom and said, "I just want regular ponytails".

 We told Livi that she was a cute girl to which she responded, I'm just a regular girl!

Mark and Christian took Ruby to the Princess Festival. The first thing they went to was Cinderella. The stepsisters yelled at Cinderella scaring Ruby. She wanted to leave. They played in the sand for a bit until they spotted a frog - a talking frog no less. For years Ruby has been doing math problems for Grandpa. They went over to the frog and talked to it for a minute. Ruby was still a little nervous... till Grandpa gave the frog a math problem, one he often gives Ruby. The frog got it right and Ruby knew it! She was thrilled and the festival just got better from there on out. Ruby was thrilled when Rapunzel told her that she was her favorite princess. She even got the courage to go in the water and ask Ariel to sign her book.

Stepping forward

Sunday evening the air was cool and quiet as Mark and I began to walk to the park. Over the last few hours the house had quieted down. The food was put away and we had played a few hands of "Up and Down the River". As things settled down I could feel emotions building inside of me. The events of the past few days had been busy and glorious. A building of family and friends into an intensity of joy and love I have seldom felt. Now that the events were over, loved ones began to leave as regular life called us all back into our routines. But the reality began to sink deep inside me that the events of the weekend had redefined my "regular life". Rob and Cecily's wedding not only marked the start of their new life together but Christian's farewell on Sunday also marked only 10 days until Christian entered the MTC.

As dear family and friends gathered for the wedding breakfast I was touched by the love and support of so many people that  had enabled Robbie to get to this day, to be sealed in the temple to a beautiful, strong and worthy young lady. I was touched by the love and support her family offered too and felt confident that with this many people behind them they would be successful. I'm not sure when we had all the grandparents in one place before and don't know when we will have them all together again. It was a true delight. The sealing was such a sacred event and the council my dad gave them before he sealed them suited them perfectly. The reception again was filled with an outpouring of love and support from a wider circle of friends and family. 

On Sunday morning we all gathered at church to hear this young man speak in Sacrament Meeting...to share his testimony with family and friends before he goes to the MTC on July 6th. I sat in awe next to my sweetheart and marveled at the goodness and strength of this young man. I feel so very blessed to be his mother. Once again our house was filled with food, family and friends. 

As Mark and I walked that evening we talked about how much we will miss our missionary and shared tears of joy and sadness. We marveled at how our family had been blessed over the years and wondered how we have been given such amazing children. Each step seemed to ease the weight I felt. The cool breeze washed away the mournings of relationships that would be changed forever. I felt connected to one who knew best exactly what I was feeling and having a hand in mine comforted me. We returned to the house refreshed and exhausted. Tomorrow would bring a new day... one more step away from the life we had only a few days earlier and one step closer to a new and bright future for all of us.

*All pictures taken by The Wright Lens

Reflections

My life ebbs and flows like everyones but it seems lately it's been in large waves rather than a soft surf on a shallow beach. Wonderful exciting things as well as challenges and just as the the trees are leafing out and filling with pink and white blossoms my life will also change in big ways very soon. Someone recently related that the kanji symbol for challenge is the same or similar to that of change. Amy and Jordan came to Utah over conference with their two sweet children to bless Peter. Aaron, Celisa and Olivia were able to get a flight out and join us. Christian got special permission to go to the temple that week also. I began to move with more speed to get the basement bathroom in usable condition (ie. walls painted, towels and more than a plastic drop cloth for a shower curtain... among other things.) That same week Robbie called me on a Monday afternoon to tell me he'd been in an accident. 

Picture from his ipod

Another driver didn't see him and hit him 

We were blessed that he was protected but it bent the frame and his car was totaled.

Later that week he lost his job. 

By Wednesday family was arriving and our home became wonderfully full.

Thursday morning Kindermusik class with my granddaughters and their Uncles was heaven.

Each day was so wonderful.

Robbie's trials have turned out to be blessings in many ways although not everything is resolved yet.

But we do feel confident that all will work out. 

I will leave you with the family picture we took while everyone was here and post more pictures of specific events in the coming days.

Being Missed

When we arrived home from Sacramento late Monday night I walked into the house

and found it immaculately clean. 

WOW.

Every surface had been cleaned or vacuumed.  No dishes... not even clean ones in the dishwasher. No laundry waiting to be washed except for what we brought in our suitcases. 

I have heard tales of other Moms leaving their families for a time and coming home to near disasters. They seem to take it all in stride as part of the cost of a trip. I didn't realized how blessed I am to have such an on the ball family. Actually I suspect that the house stays cleaner when I'm gone then when I'm home - I like to think it's because there's not a lot of cooking prep work to do or other creative messes being made. 

I also try to make my absence as painless as possible.

To some it may seem that they did just fine without me.

And they did

But it's not that I wasn't missed.

Hugs on my return were a little tighter.

Time spend talking a little more valued.

Snuggling with my hubby a little more sweeter.

Abscence does make the heart grow fonder

and coming home to a clean house makes me feel more appreciated.

I know they love me for more than my ability to cook and clean house.

thank goodness

Although I failed to post...

I'm not completely ungrateful:

Not shown in this picture is

"A beautiful wife who loves me"

and I would also add

incredible children

incredible spouses of my children 

totally amazing granddaughters

music

Kindermusik

a fabulous husband who loves and supports me in everything I do.

I am truly blessed!

Faces

Amy posted a few pictures on her blog that were taken on Photo Booth and it reminded me of a Thanksgiving years ago... before the advent of Photo Booth (you know, back in the olden days). We had more but I can't seem to find them.

Christian, Robbie, Amy and Jennifer (I think)

Instead of the computer we used the water pitcher.

The Bike room

 This room makeover is brought to you as the perfect example of the domino effect.

I needed to get the main room of the basement redone for Kindermusik

This required moving lots of stuff out and getting new carpet.

Getting new carpet meant we needed to move as much as possible
out of the entire carpeted area of the basement.

Once the new carpet was installed
the paint in the bike room looked really bad,

and because of all the rearranging of stuff the bike room needed some serious organization
to make it work for Mark this winter and beyond.

 The first step was texturing - soon there will be no more orange peel texture anywhere in the house. That will be a monumental day indeed!

The same yellow was chosen for the walls as we used upstairs - bright and cheery but no sunglasses required! (I had Lowes match the paint color to a sheet of So Saffron Stampin' UP paper)

But I didn't want all the walls yellow...

(how boring would that be!)

We needed something to contrast the yellow 

and make the room really inviting for those 

loooooong winter rides Mark does.

A stencil! Something reminiscent of the mountains, something in a gray/taupe color...

I've seen these awesome stencils lately on this and this blog

 So I ordered it here and can I tell you these are not like the stencils I used back in the day.

They are large and laser cut and the paint is applied with a small foam roller. They line up amazingly well. This wall took me a little over an hour and used a sample sized thing of paint.

It probably would have been a little faster if I had started in the upper left hand corner rather than in the middle. Doing half a stencil next to the ceiling was a pain.

 Cleaning them was amazingly easy too. They suggested you clean it in the bathtub with warm water. I filled the tub, put it in, went to answer the phone and when I came back half the paint was floating! The other half peeled off super easily. 

(They should pay me for advertising.)

Anyway The bike room is DONE!

On to the guest bedroom...

domino theory ya know

PS if anyone is interested in buying a slightly new but excellent condition stencil call me!

you can only have so many birch forest walls in one house.

Miles for Melanie

This is Jenn and me a week ago.

We took part in a 5k "Miles for Melanie"

Melanie Kau is the mother of a classmate of Jennifer's.

I don't really know her well but I've watched her daughter Kalani grow up as I've helped in Jenn's classrooms and attended school events. 

Melanie Kau has cancer.

She was one of the fittest people I know. Running, playing tennis... last spring/summer they discovered she had cancer in her lungs, and her brain and bones. I don't know all of the details but I do know that if it can happen to her it could happen to any of us. I'm not much of a runner but it seemed a small thing to do to show our love and support and help out a little bit with the expenses. 

Melanie, you don't know me but I'm praying/pulling for you!

more about Melanie 

and more pictures from the run

here

Deciding to do Kindermusik part 2

While all of these feelings were swirling around, my neighbor and friend approached me and told me she was thinking about not teaching Kindermusik any more. She has taught for 13ish years and has been heavily involved in the training program for new teachers for the last few years - which has become a full time job. I talked with her last year as I considered teaching Kindermusik, but decided that there was no way I could get my own program going with her amazing one literally across the street. She said that one thing that kept her from retiring from the classroom is that she had no one to send her students to... 

(que heavenly music).

The rest has been like a dream... 

 

you know, one of those dreams where everything around you is moving quickly and you are stuck in slow motion - well sort of. The training can take up to 4 months, but I will finish mine this Thursday after 6 weeks - and this with a trip to Lake Tahoe, a short jaunt to Sacramento/San Francisco, a week in Park City, the boys moving out, Jenn and Mark starting school and texturing, painting and recarpeting the basement... 

(whew, deep breath, in and out, in and out). 

and you wonder why I haven't been blogging

While it has been a little (OK maybe more than a little) crazy around here, things are coming together, classes are filling up and teaching is

SO MUCH FUN!!!!

the moms and kids are so cute and it's just perfect for me. I am so excited about this new venture in my life. Now I just need to figure out how to cook for three.

and what to do with all this extra milk.

A prosperous time of life

Tuesday Rob moved out.

Tuesday I held my first Kindermusik practicum class. 

Wednesday Christian moved out.

Wednesday Jennifer started her sophomore year of high school.

Wednesday Mark attended the first day of "back to school" meetings.

Mark got back from a trip to New Jersey at about 10:45pm on Tuesday night. It was late and we enjoyed some time to get caught up. It was quite late when I got to sleep. Wednesday morning my alarm went off at 6:15..."Really,.... 6:15... I don't think I got up this early last year and it worked fine". I hit my snooze... just 5 more minutes. (I NEVER do that) Next thing I knew there was a knock at the door and Jenn whispered..." are we still having scripture study at 6:45?" I bolted out of bed, yes.... yes... of course..... be right down. I buzzed around in my nightgown packing her lunch. She sat down and ate while Mark began reading. Her ride came early but she was ready.

(wish I had some pictures, sorry)

I sat down and hoped this is not a sign of things to come.

Mark had a day full of meetings (so much fun!). I came home from aerobics to Christian all packed up and ready to move into Heritage Halls. He did let me shower, which I greatly appreciate. When we unloaded the last of his stuff it was lunch time. Robbie texted me to let me know his first day of classes went well. We decided to meet at Panda Express and have lunch. (Love the mushroom chicken)

"This is a prosperous time of life for you"

I'm not one to take fortunes that you get in cookies very seriously but when I read this in mine, I felt a great sense of peace and comfort. Silly I know, it could have easily applied to either of the boys and been just as fitting. But somehow it felt like it was just for me. I know "prosperous" is often viewed in terms of making money, but with so many changes in my life right now it felt more like being able to grow and embrace the changes and find success. A vote of confidence.

(fortunes found in cookies are subject to the consumer's own interpretation)

So I will end with a fortune for you:

"Live long and prosper"

I'll be doing some catching up too.

22, 2-fortysomethings, 28 and 51

Wow, I've been AWOL for a while and while I have a few other posts in the works this one is most timely (and most are late, sorry)

July 16th
Greg! I don't even know if you read this ever but Happy Birthday!
You've always been one step ahead of me and I sure love you.
Hope your day was great.

July 21 - Happy Birthday Celisa
We are so glad you are part of our family.
You are an awesome mom and an amazing person.
Hope your Birthday was wonderful.July 29th
Lisa, Happy (late)Birthday!
When we were little we weren't that close,
(cause you were Mom's favorite and I was a bit jealous:)
But I really admire you and glad we are sisters.
Love you!
July 31st
Happy Anniversary to my best friend!
So glad I'm yours and you are mine.
So happy we get to be together forever.
I love you.

Today - August 7 - Mark's birthday
51 years old. Wow, can you believe you are 51?
Where has the time gone?(not to imply in anyway that there isn't still lots and lots of time left cause with the shape you're in I expect maybe next year you'll be half way to the top of the hill). Each birthday you have I secretly hope that in four years I will be as healthy and wonderful as you are and so far I've never made it, but maybe by the time I'm 51....?
Hope your day is wonderful and that you feel the love so many have for you!
I love you!
(did I mention that already?)