Today Is...

Today is the longest day of the year--summer solstice.  I love today.  Landon's 4th grade teacher (Hi, Miss Tammy!) once tried to explain to me why it's not coldest on the shortest day of the year and why it's not hottest on the longest day of the year.  I didn't really understand it, but believe me, there's a reason for it.

Today is Ragnar's Wasatch Back Relay.  I can honestly say that I am NOT sad to miss it this year.

Today is Friday.  I'm always glad for a weekend, but Friday afternoons are eternal.  No one is emailing.  No one is calling.  The large projects for the week have already been completed.

Today is a birthday party at work.  Cake, ice cream, M&M's.  Happy day!  It could only be better if Spencer was here.  Or if I wasn't here.  Whichever.

My Miracle

Our Miss Ashtyn got very dizzy about 3 weeks ago.  Dizzy enough that she thought she was going to pass out and she could not walk a straight line.  Bri took her to the Instacare, and they diagnosed an inner ear infection.  When she followed up with her doctor, the doc thought there was nothing wrong with Ash's ears and tested her for neural issues.  She ordered a full spinal and brain MRI and said she couldn't go back to work till she'd been cleared by a neurologist.

In addition to the dizziness, one day last week Ashtyn's hand went numb.  I knew immediately the MRI was to scan for MS, and it made me sick.  To think that our 18-year-old daughter already had such HUGE symptoms was overwhelming and made me sad every time I thought about it.

Last Sunday I was up before the rest of the family, so I picked up the scriptures.  I knew I wanted to read about the Savior, but I didn't know exactly where, so I just opened to the book of Matthew and started reading.  I read many chapters, but when I read the following in chapter 17, it struck my heart deeply:

15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

I read this before Ash went to her doctor and before the MRI was suggested, but I was struck.  A couple of days later, as I worried about our daughter, I had the clear thought that I knew the answer because I'd read it on Sunday.  So on Friday I fasted and prayed.  My prayer was something like, "I'm trying really hard to have the faith to accept thy will.  But I have to ask for what I want, because I the answer is automatically no if you don't ask.  Ash's patriarchal blessing promises her health, and that is what I want for her.  I want her to be well, and mostly I DON'T want her to have to face MS."

Ash spent over 2 hours in an MRI machine on Friday night, while I sat in the waiting room and, well, waited.  We (Spencer, Landon, and I) were heading to youth conference in Wyoming yesterday.  I made arrangements to not go so that I could be home when Ash got her results.

When I finally got hold of her yesterday, our Ash was an unhappy girl.  It gave me a fright.  I said, "OK, what's wrong?"

Ash responded, "Nothing is wrong.  The MRI came back perfectly clear."

Now, my friends, I KNOW that my prayer was answered (as far as the MRI is concerned) because of prayer and fasting.

I KNOW THAT MY PRAYER WAS ANSWERED BECAUSE OF PRAYER AND FASTING.

I am so very grateful!

When I Had to Leave Church

I should preface this with the stated fact that we do not leave our church meetings.  I won't say it NEVER happens, but it rarely happens.  Our children learned very early that it would be more fun to stay in the chapel and worship (with crayons and pencils and paper) than to leave. 

The other thing we did with our children was sit very near the front of the chapel.  That way there were fewer distractions.  When it was stake conference, I often got ready an hour early just to save us a row in the chapel, because we knew the children would hear NOTHING if we were in the cultural hall. 

Once we had a member of the Quorum of the Twelve coming to our stake conference.  I got to the chapel too late to get a row in the chapel; so we opted to sit in the Relief Society room, where we had sound only, just so we would actually be able to hear what he said.  (P.S.  We were so grateful!)

Sunday was our stake conference.  Taylor is on a mission.  Bri and Ash are in the YSA ward.  It's just Landon who goes to church with us these days.  I thought, "We are all grown ups.  We can just sit in the cultural hall."  They have two projection screens up so everyone can see.

What I did not count on (because I'm stupid, I think) were the two families in front of us.  One of them had seven children.  I'm going to be horribly judgmental here and just say it:  I don't think all the lights were on at their house.  In fact, the mother was the biggest distraction in that family.  The other family had six children.  Wherever Mom was, things were under control.  Dad, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the fact that the three children near him--who were old enough to know better, BTW--were talking with full conversational voices.  They were coloring, so their backs were turned to the speakers, which meant we heard every word they said.

I guess I'm either really juvenile or seriously OCD or something worse, because I could not tune these families out to save my life.  I tried.  I really did.  But finally I had to leave.  I went into the (amazingly quiet) foyer for the last 20 minutes or so of the meeting so I could hear what was being said.

I have several questions: 
1.  Is whispering a lost art?
2.  Why does stake conference have to last for two hours?
3.  Why do I care?

Canadian Mormons Are So Wonderful!

I just had a phone call from the sister of a woman in Canada who lives in the ward where our Elder Hill is serving.  The Canadian sister is going to be in town visiting the woman who called me, and they offered to let me bring something over so she can take it back to Elder Hill if we want.  This is the third time this has happened (different people each time).  We've also had two different people write or email us to tell us about their love for our son.

I will never look at a missionary the same again.  It is wonderful to know that people are watching out for our son and are willing to take care of him while he is far from home.

Thank you, Canada!  I love you.