Falling Down Pt. 2

 I have another falling down story to share. I sure hope this is not a pattern and will be the last time I trip over something and hit the ground!

This time I was away from home. Alan and I were watching Cheryl's kids (who were all sick) while she and Parker were in Hawaii. On January 14th, Lainey refused to go to bed. I attempted to put her down several times, but she would have none of it. I even kept her up a little longer, hoping she would get tired and want to go to bed. However, she would not go down. I even did a FaceTime call with Cheryl to see if she could help out from long distance. It didn't help. I ended up having to let Lainey cry herself to sleep, which is a very hard thing to do. I wanted to pick her up so bad. She did, eventually go to sleep. About midnight, Lainey woke up again and was crying in her crib because she couldn't breathe through her nose so I got up and went into the bathroom to grab a tissue to wipe her nose with. I then turned off the bathroom light. While walking through the dark bedroom from the bathroom to the exit, I tripped over Alan's open suitcase which was on the floor in a direct line to the exit. I forgot it was there! My right foot tripped over the suitcase and down I went right onto my bad knee and shin. 

(Picture below is not Alan's actual suitcase. By the way, he was sleeping downstairs and didn't know any of this was going on)

Even though I braced myself with my arms during the fall, I remember my nose hitting the carpet. I'm glad I didn't break my nose or have any serious injuries.

After getting over the shock of falling down, I gathered myself together, got up off the floor, and tended to Lainey by wiping her nose, laying her down, giving her a pacifier, and patting her tummy to let her know I was there with her until she fell back to sleep. 

By the time I left her room, my pain level was rising. My whole leg was aching. I think my foot was hyper extended, causing pain all the way up my shin to my knee. My shin is bruised and very sore. The back of my left arm is also very stiff & sore from the impact.

Leaving Lainey's room, I stumbled into bed and that's when the tears came. I felt like I was at the end of my rope. Bedtime had been so difficult and now I was in pain from the fall and couldn't get comfortable. I prayed a lot at that time. God answered my prayers. I believe that sometimes God allows us to get to our lowest low so he can step in and show us without a doubt that He loves and cares for us and will not leave us comfortless. I believe He instantly gave me a tender mercy (or gift) by clearing up Lainey's nasal passages so she could sleep for the rest of the night, giving me a chance to rest my hurting leg with no interruptions from her or any of the kids.

The next night, our last night there, went very well. After a trip to McDonalds for dinner and play time, the kids all easily went to bed and slept through the night, thank goodness. I really needed that and I'm thankful that Cheryl returned the next morning, just in time for Wesley's 3rd birthday. The kids were very happy to see her. 

I have to give Cheryl props. It's not easy to tend to three small children, especially when they are sick. However, she does it in stride and just carries on. I don't know how she does it alone so much of the time. It took both Alan and I to do that job. You are doing a great job raising your children, Cheryl, just like your brothers have done with their children!

"Grandma With Brown Hair"

 Cheryl sent me a video three days ago of Wesley in her car seat referring to me saying "Grandma with brown hair." Cheryl asked her if she knows my name and she replies "Grandma Joan." Cheryl also asked her what she said about me and she forgot, but Cheryl reminded her that she said "she's always with us."

Wesley is at the cutest age. She will be three years old next week.

I was thinking about what she said about me always being with her. Obviously, I can't always be with her, even though I'd like to be. There is someone, however, who can be and is always with us, and that is Jesus Christ.

No matter what we are going through, no matter our age, no matter our physical trials, no matter where we stand spiritually with him, no matter what state of mind we are in, He will always be with us. He will never leave us comfortless. I believe that wholeheartedly.

I'm grateful for a God who is loving, kind, forgiving, comforting, merciful, and understanding of everything we are going through in this life. He is our biggest cheerleader and advocate. 

If you don't feel the Lord near you, reach out to Him in prayer, seek Him in the scriptures, be of service to others, and be an example of His attributes. These things will help you feel Him near. I have tried these things and testify that it works!

Oh, and by the way, I only have brown hair because I get it colored every five weeks. If I didn't color it, I would be completely gray. 

Maybe something like this: 

Some day that will be the case, but I'm just not ready to show my age yet. Smile!

Mistaken Identity

 Yesterday Alan and I were able to go to the Jordan River Temple to do an Endowment Session. While in the restroom prior to the session, the sister at the sink next to me looked at me and said "you look familiar." Trying to figure out why I looked familiar, she asked me if I had served a mission in Germany. That's a definite "no". She kept wondering why I looked so familiar. I told her that I do have a twin sister, but that she lives in Bountiful. Her eyes lit up and she said "I live in Bountiful!" She asked me if my twin worked in the Bountiful Temple and I answered in the affirmative. She asked me for her name, which I willingly gave her. She works on the same shift with Jane & Ken but knows Ken a little better because of his work in the Bapistry.  Before we parted ways, she said "you two look so much alike"!

I guess we do. My hair is a little darker and a little shorter, though. This is a picture of Jane and I holding our granddaughters at Jared's wedding celebration on October 5, 2024.

(Me holding Lainey, Jane holding Scottie)

I love being a twin and find it fun when I meet someone who misidentifies me as my twin. It has happened many times to both of us even though we have never lived that close to each other.

Falling Down

 Four days ago, Alan and I watched Wesley and Lainey while Cheryl and Parker took Kessler skiing for the first time. After we got home, I decided to walk through the front yard to our mailbox. It was dark outside and I forgot that there were black guy wires stabilizing the lighted nativity scene we had set up for the holidays. Oops! My right foot tripped over one wire and while trying to stabilize myself, my left foot tripped over another one and down I went! 

(Generic picture - Not me!)

My immediate thought while lying on the grass was that I hope my left hip and right knee were uninjured. I currently have bursitis in my hip and my knee has never completely recovered from knee replacement surgery 14 months ago. Thankfully, I was not in much pain and I was able to get up, get the mail, and get back into the house without any problem. I guess the thing that was injured most was my pride. I haven't fallen down in years.

It's funny - when you are old like me and you go to a doctor's office for any reason they ask you if you have fallen in the past year. I have always been able to say "no". Do I need to answer "yes" now? This wasn't a normal fall from lack of balance or lack of muscle tone or anything, so I guess this wouldn't technically be considered a "fall". I was tripped by invisible wires!

In thinking about this fall, I am reminded that many times in our lives we fall short of our goals or short of what Heavenly Father expects of us. After falling and doing a self-assessment, it is important to just pick ourselves back up, do our best, and keep going. We have the gift of repentance that can help set us straight if we have sinned. Using that gift will help us get back on our feet and back on track. The Savior is very mindful of our human nature and is patient with us when we fall. I'm so grateful for that. 

2025 Has Arrived!

In many ways, 2024 was a great year, but I'm really looking forward to 2025 with the hope that America can get back on track to becoming, once again, the country I know and love. The leaders of the country for the past 4 years (the Biden Administration) has run the country into the ground. I consider myself a patriotic person and want the best for our country, but too many leaders think only of themselves and lining their own pockets, forgetting that they are working for the American people, not themselves.

I have faith that after Donald J. Trump gets inaugurated on January 20th, that the work can begin to right all the wrongs made in the last 4 years. I'm hoping for a big turn around. Trump did a tremendous job as President from 2016-2020 and I'm hoping that he will do a great job again. He is a Patriot who wants what's best for the American people. What a breath of fresh air that is! Time will tell how this year will pan out, but I have high hopes for progress in the right direction.