Thoughts and stories, by Pal

Delsy put this on her dad's grave today!  See "Jasper" below! Tonight, the year date of Wayne's passing, I want to write the last letter he wrote to our grandson, Jake, who was on an LDS Mission to Indonesia when he passed away.  On Friday, before he passed away early Sunday morning, he wrote this letter, in beautiful handwriting to Jake -- in his own way of fine printing --  Dear Elder Jake,                                    Feb. 19, 2016 Wow!  Time flies!  It's been a few weeks since I last wrote to you.  A lot has happened since then.  I spend three days in the hospital because of hemorraging  in my intestines.  It was probably caused by a certain blood-thinning pill I was taking.  I was stabilized and went home.  Home is always the best place after being in a hospital.  I am very weak and have to take it easy ri...

I began this entry on September 19th, a day after my husband got home from the hospital.  I wanted to post it that day, as I had decided to start a tradition this year, and first wrote about our oldest son, Wayne M., on his birthday July 8th.  But it became obvious I wouldn't be able to finish it, so I want to do that today.   ------------------Written on Sept. 19, 2014 Our third child, Anita, has a birthday today, and, if she doesn't mind, I'll tell that she is 55 years old. Anita was born on September 19th, 1959, in St. George, Utah, the fall that Wayne was teaching his first year, up north in Garden City next to Bear Lake.  We moved there in the summer after Wayne graduated from Utah State in Logan, and we didn't know anyone -- no doctor or someone to help me after she was born.  So we decided to take me and our son Wayne, 3 years old, and Delsy, almost 16 months old, down for us to be in St. George.  We had Dr. Reichman, who had delivered Wayne M....

I love wise sayings, and I love reading the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament.  To truly understand life, people, and above all the Gospel, includes an understanding of truth -- human nature, and God's dealings with us.  I'm sure it involves much more also.   Tonight, we have another dear grandchild, this time our grandson Jacob (Jake) Lieske, graduating from Snow Canyon High School.  Then he will continue to work on his preparation for his mission, and entering the Provo MTC on August 13, 2014, to learn Indonesian, and go to Indonesia on an LDS mission.  I remember both Wayne and I telling young people about age 18, that in the next 10 years they would be making decisions that would affect the rest of their lives, and also eternity. -- Mission or not?, marriage, choice of a profession, etc. etc.  These are truly crucial ages to make wise choices.  Some unwise choices will steer them away from happiness and peace, and often, unless ...

It has been 5 days since I have written in this blog, and a lot has happened!  I entered the last blog at 9:07 a.m., on March 27, 2014.  At that time our granddaughter Skye Nicholson was in the MTC, to prepare for her mission to Irvine, California.  Her family, (Parents and 5 sisters--all but her brother Caleb) were visiting at our home from Friday night until yesterday, Monday morning.  That is why I didn't write!     Skye had been on a "trial" mission of 12 weeks, from December 18, 2013, to March 11, 2014, and in the South Salt Lake Mission home we were there when she read her call to go to the California Irvine mission.  Because of her 12 weeks, when she entered the MTC just a week later on March 19th, she was a Senior companion, and a Sister Trainer leader there.  She is thrilled, and just this morning (April Fool's Day) she flew to Irvine.  Her first picture there is: We're not sure the names of these missionaries -- but O...