A Celebration

Our family has a birthday today!  It is a day we have celebrated for 23 years.  We often have cake and ice cream for breakfast on this day, but I forgot to make a cake for today, so we didn't celebrate. Sometimes we even purchase a gift for the house but I didn't get that done this year either.  However, today I feel an extra special joy in my heart for the reason for this celebration because it was provided for me and my family by a loving husband/father.

Today we celebrate the birthday of our house.  We moved in 23 years ago today.   Here is our 23 year old house.  

I have always been grateful for it, but like most other things, there is a different feel to it now.  Terry provided for us in a very good way.  He worked hard and smart and he is still providing for us because of those good works in life.  

I must also say that I know that Terry was able to provide, not only because he was smart and willing and dedicated to us, but it was also with help from Heaven.  He believed in and trusted in Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father's plan.  Through that faith Terry was blessed, and so were we.  

Each night I thank the Lord for all that Terry provided for us and how he made sure we were taken care of, and I also thank the Lord for His hand in it all.

I found a few photos from our scrapbook to share - 

In this first picture Terry is working and preparing the ground, 9 October 1992, where our house now stands.  I'm not sure but I think that is probably Michael watching his dad in the foreground.  

This shows Terry (farthest left), and Kirby, Shadd, and Tim hard at work lifting the outside playroom wall on the South end of the house.  

We were "coming home" one day to see the improvements and Terry welcomed us with a wave as he saw us coming down the road.  This makes me smile - so grateful I took these pictures.

Now, skipping forward a few years to the Spring of 1998, here Terry is finishing up the building of the cupola above the garage. The making of this house was an ongoing project for him.  Truth be told, he did most of what he did for me.

Terry continued improvements with the house and yard as often as he could.  In this next photo he is building a strawberry box in our back yard, June 2003.

He tried hard to make it a comfortable and fun place for us to raise a family.  Here he is, in May 2007, helping to create a bike run for the children.  (Cement guy, Terry, Thomas, Elders Johnson and Fraum)

Anthony enjoying the ride around the cured cement.

More work on the house, putting up the can lighting, September 2008.  Terry was a talented man and could do many things.  He was always wanting to learn and do more.  He would rather do it himself than hire someone else to do it - it being anything really.

Terry continued helping with the improvements, but sometimes, the last few years of his life, the work he did was supervising, letting others do most of the manual labor.  He would do as much as he could, but many times it was not as much as he would have liked.  Here we have Thomas, Skyler, Terry, and Connor building the deck in 2010.

Terry not only worked on the house and yard, but he also helped make our house a home and we share precious memories with him here.

Chase and Terry making popcorn while others colored eggs, Easter 2010, just before we left for the first transplant in Seattle.

We all have fun memories with Terry.  We enjoyed his company like these two grandson prove in this photo, taken August 2013, just before we left to Seattle for the second transplant.  (Ethan and Auger with their Grandpa Hebdon.)

I am forever grateful for the house we've made our home and the man who made it possible.  I don't know if we'll do much celebrating on the outside today, but I am celebrating on the inside.  Heavenly Father blessed me with almost 35 years of love from Terry and though I wish it could have lasted more than 35 years longer, I am eternally grateful for the beautiful years we did have together, in this home (a few months short of 23 years) and our first home (12 years).

Happy Birthday to our house ..., our home!

Sunshine for the Soul

We stopped at the cemetery after church Sunday and saw several bunnies enjoying the day.  At first we thought there might have been 5 or 6, but as we kept looking and they started running we saw that there may have been ten or twelve.  (We know of 6 in this photo and others had already scattered.)

They bring a simple delight (though it might be different if they were eating away at a garden someone had been slaving over).

Message of Inspiration

I'm still cleaning and organizing, and finding things that inspire.

"Christ is the only beacon on which we can ultimately rely."

"Success is a journey, not a destination."

We Can Live with God Again

Our lives will not end when we die. Our future lives are determined by the way we live our lives now.

Happy Days!

We had a busy last few days, but they have been really good days.

BrittanyJo and I were talking Wednesday evening and wishing she could be home for General Conference/Easter weekend.  By the end of the day she had made arrangements with her classes to make it happen.  She only had Monday and Tuesday left in the semester and only one class she had to attend, others were online, so she talked to her teacher and got permission to skip that last class.  She is working on other online assignments at home.

She began to pack and get things arranged in Rexburg and Anthony and I left for Rexburg Thursday morning, got there that evening, moved her out, and headed for home Friday morning.  (It was almost that easy ... maybe.)

After a long drive and four stops along the way (for fuel, meals, and a bit of Easter shopping because I had not yet shopped for any candy or meal preps) we made it home by about 6:00pm.

Chase came home for the weekend too (and brought a friend from college), so all of my unmarried children were home with me again. It was a good feeling - we missed all the children that couldn't be here with us.

We enjoyed our time together. I only have photos of a couple activities, but we have memories that will be fun to remember.  The guys replaced the pads on the trampoline.





It was a beautiful day and Boston loved this activity as much as anyone else.

We had a nice Easter breakfast with Thomas and Michael's families and enjoyed every conference message.  As usual the picture taking got left undone, and I didn't get any pics of the tablescape because I just used paper plates this year.  It just seemed easiest and when I saw the cute pink flowers on the plates at Costco I decided to go with that and be happy - and I was.  It was cheerful and easy to clean up.

I did get a cute picture of Akleigh and Elsie after they found some fun jewelry to wear - they had so much fun being together.

Once again, General Conference seemed better than the last one, even though the last one seemed the best ever. And, once again, my position in life gives me new perspective on things.

Easter day had a different feel to it this year.  As always, it was a sweet reminder of our Heavenly Father and our Savior's love for us, but this year there was a focus on one special person and my desire to be with him again.

At each loss of a family member I have been reminded of the sweet eternal blessings that are ours, and have been intensely grateful for them, but never with such depth as now.  However, I've never felt so alone after those losses, as I do now. Those intense feelings have deepened and I have many moments daily that remind me of how grateful I am for the Atonement and Resurrection and their place in my life - and my family life.  It's never been so real.

It was always a reason for living righteously and repenting of past mistakes, but it was more in the background, resurfacing as needed. Now it is front and center in every waking moment and most every thought I think, and helps give direction to my day more than ever before.

I'm definitely living a different life - no longer living the dream I once had.  The final destination is the same, but the way I travel there is definitely needing remapped.  I felt the words Sister Burton said - life just isn't life without my husband.  Life is definitely something different than what life was with him here, but as every speaker testified - our Savior lives and loves us and He reaches out to save us and to lead us safely home.

Easter was a day that changed everything and I am extremely grateful for that day..., that event..., that love..., and what it means for me and my family..., and what it does for me and my family.  It is a great and marvelous gift to us.

BJo will be here with us for two weeks before returning to BYU-I.  It's better than the 9 days we thought we'd have before we made the quick trip to get her last week.  ;)

LIFE

"Glorious"... by One Voice Children's Choir

  "Glorious"

There are times when
You might feel aimless
And can't see the places
Where you belong
But you will find that
There is a purpose
It's been there within you
All along
And when you're near it
You can almost hear it

Its like a symphony
Just keep listening
And pretty soon you'll start
To figure out your part
Everyone plays a piece
And there are melodies
In each one of us
Oohhh its glorious

And you will know how
To let it ring out
As you discover
Who you are
Others around you
Will start to wake up
To the sounds that are
In their hearts
It's so amazing
What we're all creating

Its like a symphony
Just keep listening
And pretty soon you'll start
To figure out your part
Everyone plays a piece
And there are melodies
In each one of us
Oohhh its glorious

And as you feel
The notes build
Higher
You will see

It's like a symphony
Just keep listening
And pretty soon you'll start
To figure out your part
Everyone plays a piece
And there are melodies
In each one of us
Oohhh its glorious

Find Answers to Your Questions

He Lives - Celebrate Easter Because Jesus Christ Lives

Because of Him

Now this, from today's suggested RS reading - From a message by Pres. Monson, He is Risen.  A scripture that shares some differences between earth life and eternal life.

Revelation 21:4

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.


In a small way this scripture comforts me, even helping me know that my sorrow and crying in this life, even if it lasts for my whole earth life, is okay. It's even part of the plan, but then it will be gone and joy will fill it's place.



This time of year and the celebration of Christ's Atonement and Resurrection brings on many emotions. It is a wonderful reminder of the love our Heavenly Father has for us and the Plan of Happiness that we are living.  Because of Him, no goodbye will last forever.  And because of Him, the sorrow and crying will not last forever.

That fills my heart with joy.