There is Beauty All Around!

My mom and dad came to visit us the last week of July.  They had their van packed full of tools and wood and more, and their hearts filled with love.  They were anxious to begin the projects that needed to be done.  I knew they were coming and would be working on my windows - framing them in.

My dad measured the windows last time they were here.  He purchased the wood and cut it and painted it before he came.  Then put them up and touched them up.  Anthony caulked around almost every window. I helped paint the touch up on the walls, but that is the extent of my help.  (I'll be doing more of that soon.)

The window project wasn't the only thing he had on his agenda - he brought his weed eater and began to use it everywhere.  He trimmed the trees in the back and the one in the front.   The weather was hot and awful, but he was determined and was going to complete the work he set out to do.  He has always worked hard and accomplished good things and there is no stopping him now.  And my mother was beside him most every minute of the day - helping, taking him cold water, visiting, and just enjoying being together.  I love that about them.

My yard looks so clean!
It has been many years since one person has done so much on his own, in one week in my yard.  My dad is champion!

As I drove to my home after my seminary inservice meeting the day after they left, I felt so pleased and excited to see the clean yard and beautiful windows.

He was going to put up shutters, but my order arrived late and they were definitely not the quality I was hoping for.  I sent them back.  I'll decide later if I want to get another, better brand.  For now, it's lovely just the way it is.

The corner where he trimmed the trees looks so nice.  It really is delightful to see.  I didn't realize how discouraging it was to me until I now see it so clean.  I feel much "lighter" - seems like a strange way to describe it, but it's how I feel.  

  

It looks great everywhere!  Well, we do live on a farm, in a part of the country where weeds are plentiful, so we still have weeds around us, but the yard we live and play in looks great.


You'll see in the next two photos that there is some smoke rising to the south of our house.  That was last Saturday, 7:30 am.  No worries for our property, but I'm so sad for everything it destroyed where ever it was.   It just kept traveling eastward and up Saddle Mt along it's way. It seems that every summer for the past several summers, we've had fires around us to keep our air filled with smoke.  It is common now, but it wasn't always that way.  This is as close as it's ever been to us.  So much destruction taking place - wish we could control it.

No matter what else is going on around us, when I walk out on my deck, to the south, and then turn around, I see this corner that brightens my day.  The trimmed trees and shrubs, the weeded area around the border and fence.  This is the way I feel wherever I look in my yard.  There is beauty all around!

The phrase "a picture tells a thousand words" might fit here, but there is only one word that comes to mind - LOVE!  
Well maybe a few words.   MY DAD!  MY MOM!  TERRY!  HEAVENLY FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST!   GRATITUDE!  My heart is full!

I know my parents love me.  I am grateful for them and for their kindnesses to me and my children and grandchildren.  My children and grandchildren love them.  We enjoyed having them with us.


I am so grateful for Terry and for all that he did for us.  He was a good provider and father and husband.  I am grateful for this area that we homesteaded - he is here among the beauty.


I am grateful for my Heavenly Father and for my Savior.  I love Them, and I know They love me.  I could not endure without Them.  All that I have is because of Them.   "I feel my Savior's love, in all the world around me" - but especially in my little part of the world.

SURPRISE!

I have wanted to post about this, but I couldn't ever find the right words to say.  I'm afraid that I will not say it the right way, or leave something important unsaid.
However, now I am beginning to fear that there is too much left unsaid and that is worse, so here is my attempt to share what took place at our house on one splendid weekend in April. (15th-16th)



I received a call from my parents saying that they had heard about my brother telling me he would paint our exterior house walls.  He had visited several weeks earlier and offered to do it - I agreed, telling him I'd much rather pay him than someone else.

My problem was that I would need to get it prepared and I was not certain how I was going to accomplish that task, but I don't recall sharing those concerns with him.  Well, my parents asked if they could come and look at things and help me get an idea of what needed done.  That visit sounded wonderful, and of course I agreed.

They came Thursday evening (14th April) and seemed almost in a hurry to get things started.  I tried to get the doors I wanted to have replaced before painting, but there were some unforeseen problems with that and I didn't get it done.

After seminary Friday morning I was feeling a bit stressed that I hadn't gotten things done for them and yet I was still in my "I just don't care" frame of mind.  I'm embarrassed to admit that has been my frame of mind for a few months now.

Well, I was outside with my parents when Brian, my brother from Wenatchee, walks out of the house to the back, where we were.  A couple steps behind him is Thaoe, my brother from Moses Lake.  Something was up!

I learned that they were there to work on my house that weekend.

SURPRISE!

Then I learned that they weren't alone.  Soon there would be more coming to help - My sister, LeeAnn, and her husband, Brian.  There were nieces and nephews with their families coming.  And my children who lived in the area would be there as well.

I was overwhelmed!

I wasn't prepared.   I had no idea!

But guess what?  No problem - they were!

Brian had talked with Thomas and they had been planning this thing for a couple weeks.  They were going to scrape and caulk and tape and prepare for painting.  We had several people Friday and more came on Saturday.

I was concerned about food and paper plates and .....   

No worries!  They had taken care of that too.

Thomas had asked me if I would want to grab some hot dogs and hamburger patties for when my parents would come.  I said that would be good and we could invite other family members over too.  But, as I have said before, I was in an "I don't care" mood and I never did do it.  Whatever!

Well, not to worry.  Thomas told Brian and Brian told LeeAnn, and LeeAnn took care of it for me.  I happened to find out about that when I saw a piece of paper she had with my name written beside those items.  So, promptly I paid for those items that I had neglected to purchase.  MY BAD!  But they had my back! They were watching out for me!

And my dad also mowed the lawn.

BrittanyJo had done some cleaning inside the house, and changed sheets on the spare bed.  She has always helped out with things so why would I wonder what she was up to?
I never suspected a thing.  This was indeed a surprise.

And - everyone else knew about it but me.  However, I began to hear about times when people thought they had said something that gave it away.  I guess it should have, and I could see that it should have as I thought about it after the fact, but I have been brain dead and this is proof that I still am - it never did make me suspicious at all.   OH BOTHER!    I didn't know my kids could keep secrets so well.  But, then again, they didn't think it was that well kept, so again - MY BAD!

But,

WHAT A WONDERFUL SURPRISE!

I don't recall a time when my parents and siblings have gotten together to do such a service for someone, but then, there has never been a situation like this up to this time either.  I am sorry that the circumstances are what they are, and I wish they weren't, but I am so grateful for loving family.  They saw a way to help and they came to my rescue.  It wasn't just a good idea -  they acted on that good idea and it became a good deed.  This was no easy task and there were aching bodies the next few days.  I thought I had hired Brian, but somewhere along the line, he decided payment for this task was not acceptable.

I am so grateful for each one who helped make this the wonderful weekend it was. Surely the Lord is pleased and can say to them - Well done, thou good and faithful servants..., in as much as you have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto Me!

I see love in the color of my house, even though it is called Dusty Lead.  :)  Maybe it should be Lovely Lead or Dusty Love or ???

I loved the color when we chose it, but I love it even more now.

THANK YOU MY DEAR FAMILY!

This fact remains -

YOU ARE ALL AWESOME!


PS - we had almost 50 people here, but half of those were little children.  Still impressive!
LOVE IT!

Here's what's been happening ...

Our house has gone through some changes of late.  Some out of necessity and one out of desire.

After 23 years of weather, especially these blasting winds, our shingles were ending up on the ground too often and a leak was found in the ceiling of my craft room.   Repairs were definitely in order.

But, before we could repair those things I followed through with a desire that Terry and I have had for several years.

A few years ago Terry and his boys built a deck out the dining room and family room doors. Terry put every effort he had into it, but in all honesty, Thomas did much of the work.

(FYI - Past posts about the deck can be found Here and Here.)

We really loved it, but found that we didn't use it as much as we thought we might because of the heat beating down from the sun and the little bit of rain on occasion that sent us all back inside.

In some of the heavy rain and blistering wind days our family room would have some wet carpet, so we knew we needed to do something to fix that problem too.  This roof should solve that problem.

hail storm 20 July 2012

If there is a problem now, it is that the deck will only be washed off when I wash it off. The rain will not do it for me. Oh Bother! That won't be a real problem except for the windy days without the rain, like our last Saturday when we ended up with a field in our yard, covering the deck. It will be a dusty mess to clean when I get around to that one.

Now, back to the real story -
Terry and I had decided that to make the deck worth it's money we should cover it, but Terry's health held us back with that project, so it never did happen.

With the roof needing new shingles it seemed that now would be the time to make that change, so I finally put that plan in motion.

It is so awesome!  I am sure we will love it.  I already love it!

The roofing got completed.  Old shingles removed and new put on.

Next up - paint the exterior.  Then maybe I can finally get the shutters back up at the windows (something else Terry and I have wanted to do for awhile and didn't get it done) and put the railing back around the deck.  I just keep keeping us busy with something, as if seminary wasn't enough.

BTW - I love my seminary students!!!!!   They are AWESOME!!!!!    Everyone would want to teach seminary if they had my students.   The students might want a new teacher, but I don't want to trade any of my students!   The Lord gave them to me, and I'm grateful that He did.

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!

How We Began

I woke this morning with thoughts of Terry on my mind.  This is not new, but I was definitely thinking about when we met and that I should write and share this series of events.  So here is the beginning of our story.

We met on a Saturday night, June 9^th 1979, in Othello at a Young Adult Dance (young adult is beyond HS graduation, before and after missions a few years, one might say college age and unmarried). 

Terry asked me to dance …, we did, and then we visited for a few minutes.  Having just had an experience that made me want to distance myself from any boy, I was not interested and didn’t notice anything that would tell me that I should get to know this person better. 

The next night was a Stake Young Adult fireside in Othello (Stake is several wards together – I don’t know if there were maybe 6-7 at the time).   The meeting had just gotten over and I was sitting in the back area of the chapel.  Several people had left the chapel, but a few were standing up toward the front of the room visiting with each other.

I stood up to walk out and noticed this group of young adults.  I could only see the backs of the two or three boys, and could tell there were a couple girls in front of them, but couldn’t see who those boys were.  What I did see was a tall, slender, dark haired young man in a beautiful blue suit.   I did not know who he was, nor that he was the young man that I had met the previous night, but I did have the words “That is the man I’m going to marry” go through my heart and mind.

   

Wow!  Really?  How was I going to tell him that?  How would he know?  

I walked out of the chapel and was visiting with a friend at the refreshment area when this handsome boy in that beautiful blue suit was standing beside me asking me to go with him to the next Young Adult activity.   Well, maybe the Lord told him about me too!  

This was when I saw his face for the first time.  Oh, we met the night before, but I wasn’t looking and didn’t really see him, but tonight was different.  He was so handsome and I loved his smile and I was so anxious for our next meeting.  We didn’t really visit long this night, but my heart was attached already.

June 15^th was the next activity he had invited me to, in Kennewick, and he came and picked me up.  I remember that another couple went with us.  I also remember that I took hold of Terry’s hand and didn’t want to let it go and we sat close together, never wanting to be separated.  Just a note: As a mother now I know that I would be so worried if my daughter had done what I did.  I would try to "knock some sense into her"  – “but you just met him”, “you’ve got to get to know him and go out with him several times before you get so close” and more of that type of concern.  But you see, I had been told that he would be my husband, so why not make the move to try to keep him around?   I already knew how important he was to me, so I held his hand and sat real close and didn’t let him out of my sight.  So much for distancing myself!  It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

I believe he must have known something too, because he held my hand with a tender touch, he made me feel special, and he kept asking me out.  Our notes/calendar show that we had 3 dates in June (and he was in the hospital for a few days with pneumonia which shortened our number of days to go on dates that month), 6 in July,  and it just kept getting better and better.  I loved seeing him and being with him, and I loved hearing his voice on the phone, always hating to say good-bye.  Even after we were married I loved hearing him on the phone though it didn’t happen very often until cell phones were introduced years later.

We enjoyed being together as often as we could, we met each other’s families and we made each other happy.  Terry never really asked me to marry him in the traditional way, but there seemed to be no doubt that we were going to get married.  Once he asked if we should get our names put on "one of those pretty little cards and envelopes" after he told me of an announcement he received from a missionary companion that was getting married.  He told me to "think about it".  

One night after a movie he asked, “What would you say if I asked you to marry me?”  My first thought was of course I’d say yes, but how was I going to come up with a clever way to respond, then he quickly finished up with, "well, just wait till I ask you!"  We laughed about that often.

Well, he never did really ask again, but one night at my house he asked me if I would like to go with him to Spokane to pick out a wedding ring.   Of course I agreed to that and we did - December 8th.

the rings

I continue to wear that ring with love, and now I also wear Terry's ring on my finger beside my ring, closest to my heart.  We set our wedding date for February 12^th 1980 and life was good.

Terry and Elaine - engagement photo

I had found the man of my dreams and I was happier than I knew one could be. We were married for time and eternity in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple.  

12 February 1980, after wedding (didn't know the picture was being taken).
This is the beautiful blue suit I loved, but I love the man in it most!

After the ceremony I remained in my wedding dress and Terry in his suit, and we walked across the temple grounds to the hospital where his maternal grandparents were.  His grandpa was not well and was there, with his wife beside him.  

at the hospital after our wedding, with Terry's grandparents

I met these wonderful people for the first time, not realizing that it was also the last time we would see his grandfather.  Many were amazed to see someone in a wedding dress in the hospital, but it was an exciting and wonderful experience to share with those I love.  I have treasured that experience and held it close to my heart ever since. 

We left that Tuesday, from Idaho Falls and traveled to Anaheim for our honeymoon at Disney Land.  

one man cut these as he looked at us, no sketch first

We didn’t spend a lot of money, but we spent a lot of time and enjoyed being together. We were off to a great start.

souvenirs - Lady and Tramp

We had a reception to be home to on the 22^nd of February but we took our time and enjoyed our new life together, getting home the following Wednesday evening, the 20^th, where we learned that both sets of parents were very worried that we were not home a few days earlier.   I guess they thought we might take a four or five day honeymoon, but we had taken 9 days – and it was a most enjoyable time with no worries whatsoever.   I highly recommend it!  J

Ronald & Gelene Rodeback, Elaine & Terry Hebdon, Idris & Keith Hebdon

We had a unique relationship from the very beginning and we hated being apart.  Words just cannot describe how much I love this man.

Terry and Elaine 1981 - don't try to separate us!  

We have always remained close and he has always been my best friend.  We set up home beside his parents' home in a double-wide trailer he purchased from a neighbor.  It became our favorite place to be ..., HOME ..., because we were together.

Our first house

 I know this is a long post already, but I want to add one more thing.  This is something Terry wrote years ago - (Something he penned as he thought it and never went back to correct grammar or punctuation.  In its original state there are lines crossed out as he traded them for new words.)

"On a blessed Sunday evening not so very long ago, I first saw a girl I just had to get to know.

She was tall and looked so fair, nice, a pleasant site to see.  But then I had a problem! Could I get her to notice me?

Well time went on - not many days, when again my eyes met her gaze.  It was at a dance at which I met her.  The music played, my heart did purr.  

I was most content with myself that I hid behind a shelf and gave the drinks as kids came by.  Wetting a thirst as it was dry.

She came my way, what should I do.  Somehow I said may I dance with you.

She somehow was special to my mind.  Full of tenderness and very kind.

So after that it was my ambition that I might start a new tradition. Of her and me or us together that we twain would become better.

Now names with me aren't the best so I put my mind to test.  How can I remember her name divine? Well, I'll just ask a friend of mine.

He had it there on paper yellow.  May God bless this good fellow.

I read it then and it was fixed in my heart and on my lips.  

But now the task to see if she would consent to go with me.  

There was an event in Kennewick and"

That is where it stopped.  But we know that the story continues - and it's a good one.  I'll share parts of it as I feel prompted to as we continue on this journey through life.   

This writing is proof that Terry did feel something special for me and just like I wondered how I would let him know how I felt about him, he too wondered how he would let me know how he felt about me.  

A good friend of my dad's loved to tease me and asked me a few times if I would consider choosing his son instead of Terry.  I would always tell him that I was sure I had made the right choice and had no intention of changing my mind.

Terry and I were meant to be together! I am so grateful for every little event that took place in our lives, from the very beginning, that made it possible.  I am grateful for everyone that helped us each to become who we were (and are) and for our Savior and Father in Heaven and Their role in our lives.  

Our Main Bath Remodeled

We have been working on this project for many months now, and are happy to say it is finally completed (well except for two little things that we'll talk about in a minute).

 

Here is the old look - what it was ...

 

 

Then we started pulling off the wallpaper ...

 



 

then it sat for awhile waiting for us to decide exactly how we were going to handle it ...

 

 

 

We worked on this project as much as we could once we made our decision, and it still seemed to take us awhile, but we are finally able to rest from those labors, and this is how it looks now ...

 

 

 

 

 

Our favorite parts of this redo might be this ...

 

 

 

or this ...

 

 but we really love it all!

 

 

This was the only piece of furniture that was purchased for this room redo ...

 

 

and it received it's own redo.  I think it makes a lovely toilet paper stand, don't you?

 

All other pieces of furniture were being used in different parts of the house and were refinished and repurposed for this room. 

 

We are loving the color and the look ..., Well, "We" means "the girls"!

 

 

It's been kinda hard on the guys to see these colors in our house.  We can understand why, but we are fine with the change and have decided that the guys can use the mudroom bathroom -

because it's more guy-like, and this is more girlie! 

 

That works doesn't it?

 

 

However, Terry asks if this bathroom reminds us of Easter! 

Oh Bother! 

 

 

Oh!  I said we'd talk about the two little things that aren't complete yet.  Did you notice what that might be?  It's visible in two of the photos.  There are knobs on the drawers in the blue cupboard, but not on the doors.  Hobby Lobby didn't have six at the time, so I got the four they did have.  We love them, so we are not going to find something different, we will try to find the other two on our next trip to town. ;)

 

 

It's been fun to create this new look, but it's been a lot of work, and I'm happy to have it done.