Five people I am lucky to have in my life

You know how there are some people who just make your life better, more fun, more uplifting, easier, etc?  The other day I was thinking about how many people I have like that in my life.  I know many of them but some of them really stand out!

My neighbor Erin is one of those people.  She has got to be one of the funniest people I know.  She has such a funny way of talking about real life problems that will make anyone laugh!  But at the same time, she is also very realistic and sees things as they are.  She recently went through a very difficult time and as I sat in her living room and listened to her pour her heart out as she sobbed, I saw a very tender side of her.  She saw things for what they were and was willing to do anything it took to get through it.  To me, the most admirable thing about Erin is the way she mothers.  She didn't grow up with a mom who cared much for her so she makes up for it tenfold with her girls.  She shows amazing patience and always speaks in sweet tones to them.  When I am feeling impatient with my kids I will often put myself in check by asking, "what would Erin do?"  That's all it takes and I realize I need to back up and try again because Erin would handle it with patience and kindness.  Overall, Erin is one of those people you want to be around, don't want to leave, and feel like a better person after being in her presence.

Another one of those people is our former Temple President and family friend, Merlin Hancock.  I don't think I have ever known another person like him.  When you're with him, you feel like you are the only person there and that you are the only thing that matters to him.  He makes you feel like you are the most beautiful, wonderful, and important person in the world.  Anytime I would see him at the temple, he would give me a big hug, and while holding my arm take a few moments to talk to me.  I always hoped I would run into him while I was there just so I could have a minute with him.  One day I was in his office with him and Jared and he asked me how I felt about being sealed for eternity yo my husband and family.  Few things in life make me tear up, but that question had tears running down my face and my heart swelling with love.  What does it take to be a person who can make the rest of the world disappear?  I want to know his secret and do that for other people!

If there was an award for having everything on hand at all times, that award would go to my friend Lacey.  That girl has bailed me out countless times!  Before we had Walmart closeby my sister needed a few pieces of cardstock, I knew just who to call!  When I needed a scrap of white fabric, I knew just who to call!  When I wanted to make quilts with my girls but needed a little direction, I knew just who to call!  That lady has everything!  And she doesn't just offer you a little bit of what she has, she gives it all!  She gave my sister the entire ream of cardstock and refused to let her replace or repay her.  When I needed a scrap of fabric she sent me away with a gigantic bag so I would have options to choose from.  When I called quilting advice, she showed up at my house with the frames and needles, helped me put it all together and got us started.  She is amazing and a very handy person to know.

My friend Raygon is one of the greatest friends I have ever had.  She randomly mails me fun packages that have included things from white chocolate M&M's, clothes, a baby wrap, homemade vanilla, and more!  Sometimes I am expecting them and other times it's a surprise.  We text almost daily and I always enjoy hearing from her.  Sometimes we text about serious things we have going on in life and other times we report funny things that have happened.  She is a true friend- she does not judge me, she gives me awesome ideas, sets me straight when I need it and is always there.  We don't talk on the phone and we only see each other once a year (maybe) but she is one of the greatest friends I have.

Another friend I am lucky to have is Mindy.   Mindy is one of those girls who I know I can always count on for a laugh.  We have so many inside jokes, many that go back several years.  I don't think we have ever had a visit with each other that has not included a laugh.  We are also confidants for each other.  She's had a few surprise pregnancies and I feel honored that she shared those with me before anyone else.  I was also the first to find out (other than her husband) that after five boys she is finally having a girl.  Finally!  I threw her a surprise and impromptu gender reveal party and I have to say it was one of the greatest moments of our friendship.  It was only my family, her family, and one other friend at the party but we enjoyed every second out of the news.  She is also dependable and I love that about her.  I know I can always count on her to follow through with anything she promises.  She is one heck of a friend and I am glad we live close to each other.

I am so lucky to have these people in my life.  I hope that in some way I can be like Erin, President Hancock, Lacey, Rayon, and Mindy and enrich the lives of people around me.

Grandpa Stanford

I have very few memories of my Grandpa Stanford.  He died when I was in fifth grade and I feel like I barely knew him.  Through the amazing process of Family History I feel like I've come to know him  through the years more than I ever knew him in this life.

Here are the things I knew about Grandpa before his death.  (true or not true.  Remember, I was a just a kid.):

He was gruff.

His father died when he was a young boy.  His mom later remarried a man who was not good to him.

At the age of 14, he ran away from home and became a hobo, bumming from one freight train to another.

He had many talents and interests: woodworking, airplanes, bowling, and more.

He was not a man of many words.

He worked for many years at General Motors.

His things were not to be touched.

According to Grandma Stanford, he was not affectionate.  (And she wished he was.)

Here are some of the memories of him that I have:

He would sit on the front porch with Binki the dog by his side and watch the cars on 8th Avenue pass.

He slept with the police scanner on.

He went to bed very early and got up very early.

He would walk through the kitchen and down the hall to Grandma's TV room and ask her to "dig" him some ice cream.  Then go back down the hall and through the kitchen to his TV room where he waited for his ice cream.

I was always afraid to talk in front of or to him.

He would listen to bowling the TV with the volume very high.

He had a few heart attacks during my lifetime.  After one heart attack, my family went to visit him in the hospital but I could not go because I was in bed with a badly sprained ankle.

Honestly, I was terrified of Grandpa.  He was so scary to me!  He wasn't a warm and fuzzy person and I wasn't sure how he felt about me being around.  As I've grown and wondered more about his life, I've set out to learn more about him. 

He was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma on August 14, 1918.  He had one biological sister named Martha.

Grandpa and his sister, Martha.

His father died of pneumonia when he was about 4 years old, leaving his mom with two small children.  She eventually remarried a man by the name of Walter Hall.  Walter didn't take to his new son very well, so eventually, Carson left home.  

Grandpa got married in 1940 and started a family but that marriage ended.  In 1947, when he was 29, he married Grandma who was 18.  They met while Grandma was working as a soda jerk.  Things were never smooth sailing for them.  The Gospel was not a part of their lives until much later and they lived lifestyles that did not bring happiness the way the teachings of Jesus Christ does.  Eventually they pulled their lives together and were sealed in the temple.

I've had some very special experiences that have helped me see that Grandpa is a wonderful man who loves his family very much.  Considering his difficult childhood I feel like he did the very best he could but had to develop a hard shell to make it.  I am certain he wasn't all gruff and hard edges during this life, just from a kid's point of view, it seemed that way!



Without the ability to study his life and learn more about his childhood I would have never had the chance to see a different side of him.  

18 in 2018

While I was painting today I listened to a podcast where they suggested writing a list of 18 things you would like to do in 2018.  I'm not much of a New Year's resolution setter, I usually just challenge myself throughout the year and go with it.  I felt like this was an easy solution to that- simply document things I hope to do, some big some small.

1.  Visit one new state
2.  Do not do any crafts
3.  Finish the entire house project we have going on
4.  Teach my kids to work harder
5.  Continue working on my goal to not procrastinate
6.  Go to lunch with two different friends
7.  Never miss a Temple Thursday
8.  Be a good Trek Ma
9.  Keep a clean car
10. Visit Jordan and Nichole in CA
11. Visit Disneyland
12. Grow my hair back out
13. Try three new restaurants in the area
14. Continue a regular exercise regimen
15. Make two new friends
16. Save a certain amount of money (a number I have in my head)
17. Take two new photography classes
18. Overall, make 2018 a much better year than 2017 was!