HOME part 1

Well we have returned from our 2.5 wk long visit to southern Utah...my home.
My girls have lived in Hurricane for only 4 months..and it was 6 years ago, but they claim this to be where they are from...it's funny!

We have been waiting for this trip since Thanksgiving and it was so worth the wait.
We had such a wonderful time visiting with family, swimming till we can hardly stand, eating till we want to puke, laughing till we wet thee ol' pants and just soaking all the scenery in.
What a good time.
I am sure my sisters and brother that lived there are glad we're gone...we kept them all occupied.

One thing that you can NOT pass up while visiting southern Utah is....

RED CLIFFS

Have you ever seen rocks this color before? It's almost blinding!
This little hike is an easy walking trail for all ages. And at the end of the trail you find a little pond that the kids LOVED to swim in.
With the older girls...I took them up the trail just a bit farther to a deeper pond that they were able to jump in.
This is a place I used to visit quite often in my younger years. We would take our bikes out there and ride, hike and swim.
It's just unreal!

After our little hike and swim. We, my two younger sister and their children, gathered around a picnic table and had ourselves a little picnic under the cottonwood trees. We watched birds that were colored bright yellow, red and baby blue...we fed the wildlife, (some very fat squirrels), and we let the kids search the stream near by for crawdads.

This was a good day.

Note to self!

Dear Self....

Don't mess with Helayna, she's super tough!
You have known all your life that she can whoop you...don't push your luck with this woman.
Espeically after watching her take on Dusky, Sisalee and Nicole in the pool!....well nicole can be whooped by Creed so that's not to scary. But, this lady is SERIOUSLY the kind to want to have on your side!

Keep that in mind.

Sincerely,
Me

 *the story behind the photos*

It all began on the 23rd of July...the final hours of our annual Goulding reunion. We all decided to finish it off with, of course, FIREWORKS.
All the kids, adults and animals sat back on the grass while a few of the nephews and my bro stood in the road, only 20ft away from all of us, and lit the little fountains and screamers. The ones you use every year, safely and with no harm.
However...they lit one with rockets in them that shot super super high in the air. The ones you see blocks and blocks away and wish you were closer to see who was cool enough to buy those.
Well as we watched we all ooohhh'd and aaahhh'd at the fantastic show. I even told my brother a story of when I was around 7 or 8 yrs old and was hit by a shell that was about the size of a half coconut from the cities firework show.
Not 2 minutes later we heard a scream...but assumed it was the reactions from the show. 30 seconds later I hear my SIL say "no more fireworks, Helayna has been hit in the face with something". I turn and see my lil sis on the front porch with her hands over her face and blood just dripping from her hands. I wasn't sure if I should go to her and see if she had lost a eye or her nose or a mouth full of teeth. BUt I went...I was late....every sibling was there by her side with towels, sitting her down on a chair, pulling all the kids around the back of the house so they didn't see the porch full of blood.. I got to her and noticed her nose had a good size cut on it and her nose was bleeding profusly. My big bro sat her down and started investigating the damage...why my lil brother went to investigate the problem.
Big Bro decided her nose wasn't broken...but she mentioned her vision was impaired in her right eye...a concern, of course. He and her husband administered a blessing to her with all of us feeling much better about the situation.
Lil Bro found a shell ,where she was standing, about 3 or 4 inches long and about 1.5 inch in diameter that had not exploded in the air and then came down from the sky like a bullet and nailed her right between the eyes. This thing was not light...it was packed full of whatever they use.
After all was accounted for and we were all in the house..her sweet husband decided to take her off to the hospital for a good look over. Especially with her eye having that dark spot
SO...with 6 stitches, 2 purple eyes, 1 swollen nose, eyes feeling better and teeth tough as nails...she survived a fight with a dang firework!

We all know she was so blessed and lucky it didn't hit her .5 inch in either direction.

MUST SAVE THE EYES!

what a cool experience!

Luke and I had a wonderful, amazing and such a spiritual experience at the Mesa Temple last week. I can not go another day without writing it down.

Let me just say....the process for us to get to them Temple on this day seemed like it took forever. It started at 5am with a run with my lover and then breakfast with the kids.
Once on the rode...only 2 miles away...we get a call from home, with kids crying in the background that there is a meltdown at home. We turn around and go back to put the kids in order, again, and off we go once more.

We had a few appointments to get to before the Temple, a few family members to hug, a little Memphis to drop off at the Sister-in-laws house and then off to the Temple.

As we drove there we were both trying to stay positive and upbeat, with our energy a little low due to our early morning...we were both fearful of napping during the session.

Once there we approached the check-in desk I noticed 8 different signs set out on the desk that read
"Patrons, Sisters or Brothers needed in the Sealing Room" It was obvious where we were going.
We got dressed and headed to the Sealing Check-in station and were surprised to see 7 or 8 people waiting...with the same idea in mind.
When I approached the desk I noticed we were going to be placed in the "next" group...which meant we had to wait for another 4 people or more to show.
We sat and waited and waited. THEN...a couple came in, the Lemmon's. They looked like they could be related to me. I had this feeling of family when I saw them. They resembled a few members of my mother's family thatt I knew I should know...but didn't!

I felt so tired, slouched over in my chair and my mind couldn't stay focused on just one conversation in that small room. I tired to listen so carefully to Luke as he explained life, love and world peace...but my ears took me to the "lemmon's" conversation. I heard something about a sealing of a family member and  then a few "should I do It today?"  questions were thrown around. Still trying to focus on my Love but being distracted by others....I noticed the woman get up and leave with a Sealer.
A few more people trickled in over the next 10 minutes and then Mama Lemmon returned. She sat quietly and talked with her husband about some sealing that they were going to do today.

Our group finally arrived...

Me, Luke,  the Lemmon's, A single woman (who brought names of her own), a young man and an elderly man. I thought to myself that it was a unique group...only 2 "couples" really were there. After my experience on this day...I wondered....who were we all to these people we sealed? Could we of been friends in heaven? Could we of made a promise to them long ago to do this work? For some reason it was like we were all lead there that day.

Once we were all accounted for, the Sealer marched us to the elevator and told us "this thing has a mind of it's own. Sometimes you up where you want and some times you go down to the basement". Luckily we made it to the right floor and we made our way out to a BEAUTIFUL Sealing room.
While preparing ourselves for the sealings the man in charge told us that this room we were in was the only sealing room that was origianl to the temple...as far as the walls and space. It was amazing and such a warm, strong Spirit there.
The Sealer also mentioned to us that there was going to be a live sealing today. I heard what he said...but it didn't register to me at that moment what it meant. He proceeded to ask the Lemmon couple if they would like to ask someone to help stand proxy for her mother and grandmother during the sealings.....she looked at me and asked if I would do it. I was HONORED & overcome with the amazing opportunity that I was going to get to experience.
Mama Lemmon was given counsel and was told that her parents were happy for this day and that she was doing a wonderful thing. She was also told that we can only give this blessing to the ones that have passed on...it's their responsibility to accept it or not...BUT...if they don't accept the sealing....it will in NO way take any of the blessing away from her as a child of theirs. What a cool promise!

So we began.

Bro & Sister Lemmon stood proxy for Sister Lemmons Parents & Grandparents for each of their Sealings. Then I was able to stand proxy for Sister Lemmon's mother and Grandmother while she was sealed to her parents and then she stood proxy for her mother as she was sealed to her grandparents.  confused?

Well...needless to say....it was such a wonderful lesson to me of our family unit. The strength and blessings that come to those children who have been sealed to their parents. What a wonderful and again OVERWHELMING spirit that filled this room!

I also need to mention that we were able to take part in sealing, if I remember right, of 4 sisters and 2 brothers to their mother and father. These were names of the single Sister that was there. She was grateful and so happy to have that family together.

Numerous others were sealed that day and I will not forget what a joy it was to picture them all in Heaven embracing one another. Some might accept it and some may not...but the work has been done and it's up to them.

Now....to follow up the story of the Lemmon's.

During our session....the lights went off and then dim and then off again and finally settled. We were later told that a transmitter blew in Mesa somewhere knocking out power all over that area. It started to get warm in the room and a man told us the air conditioning was out and so we needed to just finish up and be done.
Once we finished we were then told the Temple was being closed due to power and air conditioning problems.

Later in the foyer, Luke and I ran into the Lemmon couple and I mentioned that they looked like family and that I knew some Lemmon's from my hometown. Brother Lemmon then told me that he has family in Hurricane Utah....um....where I am from. We tried to put names to faces to no avail....but then Mama Lemmon said to me "you both look so familiar to me....I don't know where I know you both, but I do". She then informed us that they had tried to have this sealing done last month but things just didn't work out for them.
I was so glad, so glad, so glad that I was able to have that experience!

For those that might read this and wonder what in the world I am talking about....
Here is an article from our Church's website that explains this thing we called "Being Sealed".

what a cool deal!

shoes shmooze, what a bother

These are the winners!
After 3 pairs of shoes in just short of a month, numb toes, slushy heels, blisters on the ends of my toes, ankles that are sore....I finally settled on a pair that seems to be just for my crazy, knobby jointed, wide feet! So...we'll see how they do.

I ran in them this morning and they felt great...but it was only a 3 mile run.
Cross your finger and your toes that I can make these puppies do the trick.

licked by the fog!

Luke and I were just talking about running a race and just stopping and being done because you're just tired.... only to find out you're minutes from finishing.

Then today I came cross this video of Laurel Christensen, a presenter for this years Phoenix Time out For Woman weekend in November.



This is so true in so many lives...I know mine for sure. Things just look hard and I give up or change my mind before I begin...if I only knew how close I was or how I'd feel once I completed the task.

I must be honest...since I am on my blog.

I get so saddened by people I see on facebook that post things that are totally blinding themselves of the shoreline. It makes my heart hurt to see people I know and love and see that decisions that their making aren't guiding them back to safety. It's like the fog has got them distracted from the purpose. I am not saying I don't get distracted from important things in my life and allow unimportant things occupy my time. I am saying that the decisions that I am seeing/reading are ones that are blinding my friends of the whole "Return with Honor" statement. It breaks my heart.

OH...to find the shoreline among all this fog.!
What a fight we have on our hands!

It turns out my new shoes gave me nightmares! No fun! Purchased another pair and we ll give them a try!
Crossing my fingers and toes!

new shoe dream

Yesterday I went to purchase my new kickers and had to pass because I forgot my darn coupon. It is a good coupon. You get a $25 gift card if you spend over $100.

So..is it legit to purchase your shoes...get your gift card...return your shoes and then use your new gift card to repurchase your shoes once more? I am crazy, I hear,  for thinking like this...but I want a pair of shoes $25 less than the sign says.

Anyhow...I couldn't get them and have to wait till Luke goes back that way tomorrow.

But last night I dreamed of my beautiful, comfortable shoe.

In my dream it was just a really large shoe sitting in mid-air  with a blurred out background rotating ever so slowly to make me drool. I couldn't touch them or put them on...but they were there...oh so real and beckoning me to get them.

I can NOT wait till we meet tomorrow!

-i am dumb, i know...but i love you new shoe
(said in a soft whisper)

curious

Do you think it's bad to run and feel super good about what happening and then spoil it all by eating possibly 15+ no bake cookies in a few hours?

Just wondering.

Big Bro!

SO SO Proud of My Big Brother!

He achieved a goal he has been working towards!

Love this Guy!

Good JOB Dacer!

bruised on the inside and out...what a putz.

Have you ever had an adult temper tantrum that left you with:

1...A bruised foot and toe..from kicking the trash can
2...Soap worthy mouth

3...a cup of milk strung from the table across the kitchen and on your daughter
4...feeling like a big turd from being so nuts
5...begging for apologies from your daughter that got milk on her and had to witness the madness
6...just a humbling feeling of "unknown land of motherhood"

Well, I have...just the other day and I will tell you...it's no fun.
When I kicked the trash can because it was the only thing in my reach...it tipped over right before my foot got to it, therefore me kicking the bottom...where all the hard plastic pieces are. Yeah..that was smart. Three bruises from the top of my foot down to my big toe.
Then...because now I hurt myself..I left a little swear word escape my mouth. That was humiliating for all my children to be right there watching and listening to there mother. You know...thee Adult in the house. Okay..it gets better or maybe it's called worse....yeah, it's worse. I walk to the table because I had to prove a point....what Point...it's unclear at this time. So..with a side swipe of my arm...I hit the first big red plastic cup on the table (thinking it was totally empty) SURPRISE...it's full of milk. It flies off the table and splatters my daughter that is in my war path. What a dummy, I am!
She runs off, I am hopping around looking for something to clean up the mess and just ticked at my display of adulthood. What a winner!

After regaining my composure and cleaning up the mess..I run upstairs to a daughter in the corner f her room, crying because I scared the ding dongs out of her.
I beg for her forgiveness and hold her like a little baby as I explain my stupidity and that I was really not cool. She agreed and we moved on!

We have had a few good chuckles of my rendition of  "psycho".

Have you ever had an Adult Temper Tantrum?

another running story.

I have been running lately and have tried to picture myself as one of those people you see on the road,
the ones that seem to be enjoying the pain and yet freedom as they run down the road.
I have my days that I feel the pain and then also realize the freedom that comes with being on a road relying only on myself. I also have hard days and then I will turn around and have a day where I forget what I am doing and just lose myself in the moment. ...I love those days.

But there was this day last week that I ran. It wasn't an intense run..just a 3 miler. A run I do 2 or 3 times a week. But on this run I was struggling towards the end. I was out by myself on this day and had really felt like a sack of taters getting out of bed that morning...but had to go.
It was 5:30am and the sun was just coming up over the mountain. I could feel it on my neck and I could see it painting the road, trees and houses ahead of me with light. I knew I had about a half mile to go...but was thinking of every excuse to stop and walk.
I have been known to have fights in my head with conversations about stopping to running to walking to laying down and sleeping.
This day...on this day, I wasn't going to let myself stop. I needed a little motivation to get my body home. I had been thinking about ME on this run and why my body is strong in some ways and then lacks in others. I had been thinking about endurance and strength. I am always so interested in how some people have the guts and power to accomplish things and then others can't. People that haven't been trained in an event...but their mind tells them they can...therefore they DO. What is that? Where does that come from ?

On this morning I knew that I could use a little extra pick me up and was listening to the same playlist on the ipod that I always listen to. It was really getting to me.

So, I quickly pushed the "shuffle" button...thinking it would only shuffle the playlist I was on...but it didn't.

I heard this song on my ipod and had to roll my eyes...super annoyed. Hitting the forward button I came across this song next and just about changed it....but couldn't!
It was on and it was calling to me to listen.




As I listened to this song...tears welled up in my eyes, a lump in my throat and I could hardly breathe.
It was a wonderful reminder to me that my Heavenly Father is so aware of me and my silly mind games, my trials, my world...ME. My favorite part of that song is towards the end when it says:
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart:
I thank him reverently
For all his creations, of which I'm a part.
Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.

All of this world was created for me...but I was created by the same CREATOR!
I am beautiful and strong and capable.

-that is all I have to say about this.

updates from Samoa

A letter I got from my Mommy.
Oh, I miss my parents!
I miss their Spirit and their humor.
But, am grateful for their sacrifice and service they are giving. their amazing!


Dear family,


We are in Apia until Tuesday the 24th. We have enjoyed the break away for a few days. We have done our share of exploring and I have a few tales to tell you.

First of all we went out to where Dace and Laur and Alexa lived. We tried our best to find their house. I had seen a picture of it once and I remembered it was high on a ledge above the ocean. We asked people about the school, and a few remember it, but most said, “It was washed away by the tsunami. In fact the whole village of Lepa was swept away. They have since rebuilt a few things however the village has relocated to higher ground. They got enough money from the relief fund of other countries to build roads up on the side of the mountain where they now live.
It was a depressing sight to see and think about all the some 230 people that lost their lives there. As Dace, Laur and Dusky probably remember there is no where to run because the cliffs and jungle are very close to the beach. They said the earthquake lasted for 3 full minutes giving only seven minutes before the 47 foot wave hit the beach. They figured the wave was travelling 500 miles per hour and because of the friction the water was scalding hot killing everything in its path. All the vegetation and of course people were killed instantly. 29th September 2009
On a happier note, life goes on and the surviving people have started to rebuild their shattered lives. One of our teachers, Jeany Obley’s mother was swept out to sea that day. Jeany said, “People saw my mother running, but she was very old and couldn’t run fast enough.” Some people lost their whole family.
Well, I took a bunch of pictures and hope Dace and Laur will recognize some of the area are houses. It was amazing to me that every house looked like the one I saw in their pictures. I knew it had a little store in it, but again most every other house here in Samoa has a little store attached.

We have gone golfing twice since we came to town. The first course was rough, and sort of like golfing at Mount Carmel when they are reseeding the course, however the vegetation was magnificent. Every hole was a par five and dad had a blast driving away. We took another senior missionary with us and they had a great time. Even I had a good game and so it was fun. Yesterday we tried to go to that same course, but it was packed and so we went to a course up on the mountain by the University of Samoa. I knew it was going to be an experience of a life time when they had to psst-psst the drunk that had taken up residence in our Barstow golf cart. He had a six pack of Vailma, Samoa’s best beer finished off and he had crashed in the cart. Another man that took our money did his Samoan psst-psst and the old man revived and pulled himself up to give us the cart.
Only a few seconds passed until Harry, Bob Marley Junior hopped unexpectedly onto the back of our cart. He introduced himself, asked me my name and, “what is your man’s name?” he said. Well my man’s name is Robert, but he was not the nice Robert we all know and live. Dad immediately said, “I don’t want a caddy!” “Okay”, said Harry as he hung to the back of the cart. As we drove to the ladies tee dad kept saying the most unthinkable things, such as I’m not going to pay for a caddy, I wanted to get way from the every watching eye.
Finally I hit my first ball and I realized what I needed to do and so as I returned to the cart I told Harry, “Thanks for helping us find the first hole, but we really want to be alone. We can find our way from here.” Harry said, “Okay” as he hung tightly to the back of the bouncing cart. His Bob Marley hair sticking out wildly from under his knit cap and he continued to jump up and down on the cart. I tried again by saying, “Harry I want to snuggle with my husband so you can stay here, thanks.” Then Bobby Jr. curled up on the back rack smiling like the Cheshire Cat all the time pointing to the next tee box and saying, “I show you, I show you.” Okay so I had to bring out the big, bad stuff and so with my best jesting, stuff I learned from Sisalee, I drew him a picture of how to get off the cart and go back to the clubhouse. Finally it translated and his smile faded as he stepped of the cart leaving us to fend for ourselves. I felt like a real bad missionary, but I’d rather be mean than have dad taken to prison for murder.
We did okay for a few holes even thou none was marked. Dad kept saying, “Whoever laid out this course was drunk and I kept telling him, “Everybody that runs this course is drunk,” and as we weaved back and forth trying to find our way from hole to hole some may have thought we were tippy too. Hole number seven was high on the mountain side and only jungle below it. I asked dad where do we go from here? I thought we would be sorry we had shooed Harry away, but Dad told me to look down into the thick canopy some 131 meters directly below us. There barely visible was the green. Since dad had just bought ten used balls from a little boy I felt okay about losing one? Just as I prepared to hit my ball another self appointed caddy walked out of the thick jungle to give us aid. Dad said, “Oh great another Harry!” He followed us from hole to hole. Every time we hit the ball he ran to locate it.” He retrieved one of mine from the river and was willing to go into the nastified undergrowth to look for balls. We ditched him on hole number eight and finished our game. All in all it was a good experience.

We went church in the Paalagi, white man, English ward. It was great to hear English and be able to understand the speakers. We are heading home, not really home, but Vaiola on Tuesday. It’s amazing how sleeping in your own bed even here is good. The little guesthouse we are staying in is alive, need I say more.

Robbie will love this little story. When we were here in Apia last time Dad picked up a panhandler on the street. It was really my fault because we were trying to find a doctor’s office and so we stopped to ask directions he said he knew where the office was and so he hopped in to the van. Then he directed us to an out of the way alley. Dad said to him, “I’m not going down there and it’s time for you to get out.” Dad was trying to drive and kick him out at the same time. I told dad to give him 10 tala for helping us and it worked. We paid him for not killing us and he got out of the van. We swore we would never pick up strangers again, but Dad forgets and so we had another close call where we stopped to give some men a ride. Just before they grabbed hold of the door I asked, “Are you prisoner?” One responded, “yes?” Dad immediately started driving away and I yelled back, “It’s against rules to give rides.” Since they live only a quarter of a mile from us I worried all night that they may seek revenge. Okay so with that background we were walking down the street here in Apia the other day. A man comes up to us and starts on his lingo about his poor wife and children. In a flash dad grabs my hand and yells, “I have an appointment, love ya bye!” It reminded me of Robbie when she said, “Here whistle boy” I could hear her tone as dad voiced, “love ya , bye”

I hope this e.mail finds you all well and happy. My words can’t express how much I miss all of you and how much I love you. I don’t understand how I could be so blessed. Heavenly Father has been so good to me. I don’t understand why my life has been so blessed, but I am forever grateful for each of you. We pray for you always and hope you are taking care of each other. I’m reminded everyday of good times we have had as a family. May God continue to bless each of you.

Love, Mom