ThrowBack Thursday ~ One year older and wiser too...

 Happy Birthday to you! 

With his best friend...

We love you Grandpa!

Too hot...

June temperature have been more like in August, hovering near 100 for several days now, and breaking records. What do you do when it a little too hot outside? You go inside, in Grandma's cool basement, and have some fun! 

Good job painting the bird houses boys, Grahm was too busy to paint his. Maybe next time!

Colby helped me make blueberry crescent pies, yummy!

On guard! 

Too hot... get a pool in your backyard! Cash, Colby, Grey, and Grahm are going to have hours of fun!

Greatness...

Lake Louise, Banff Canada 

Favorite family vacation, the picture does not do it justice.

YOUR GREATNESS IS NOT WHAT YOU HAVE 

IT'S WHAT YOU GIVE 

ThrowBack Thursday ~ Summer fun...

Summer fun with Grey, Cash and Colby at Provo Beach. 

June 2017

His angels...

“Now, this is the truth. We humble people, we who feel ourselves sometimes so worthless, so good-for-nothing, we are not so worthless as we think. There is not one of us but what God’s love has been expended upon. There is not one of us that He has not cared for and caressed. There is not one of us that He has not desired to save and that He has not devised means to save. There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning. We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes and in the eyes of others, but the truth remains that we are children of God and that He has actually given His angels … charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping.” President George Q. Cannon (Gospel Truths, comp. Jerreld L. Newquist, 2 vols., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974, 1:2.)

Psalms 91:11
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

D&C 84:42
... I have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you.

D&C 109:22
And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;

Walking bravely the higher road of life...

I happened on this article during my daily devotional the other day. President Monson spoke of miracles of faith and shared an experience he had with the Shumway family. Tim's family grew up with the Shumway's. Brother Shumway was his bishop. He was one of the first blind bishops and patriarchs for the Church. Their son Joseph befriended my brother Les after he was baptized. And it just so happens, Brother Shumway gave me my patriarchal blessing. I remember going to their home and a feeling of peace and love came over me. Brother Shumway was blind but it didn't stop him from serving and living a full life. He would make his way around the chapel as if he could see. He also knew his ward member voices and would greet them using their name without any problem. I was always amaze by that. Tim could tell you lots of stories about the Shumway's. I can't remember all the details but Brother Shumway was painting a room in their home when someone stopped by and said, why don't you turn on the light. Obviously whether the light was on or not made no difference to him! The Shumway's are a remarkable family.

Smith Shumway - 1942

"Several years ago, Brigham Young University honored with a presidential citation Sarah Bagley Shumway, a truly remarkable woman of our time. The citation contained the words, “It is often within our homes and among our own family members that the eternally significant—but usually unheralded—dramas of daily living occur. The people in these plain but important places bring stability to the present and promise to the future. Their lives are filled with struggle and deep feeling as they face circumstances that rarely fit neatly within the formulae of plays, films and newscasts. But their victories, however slight, strengthen the boundaries through which the history of future generations must pass.”

Sarah married H. Smith Shumway, then her “friend and sweetheart of nine years,” in 1948. The courtship was longer than most because Smith, an infantry officer in World War II, was blinded and severely wounded by a land-mine explosion in the advance on Paris, France. During his long rehabilitation, Sarah learned braille so that she could correspond with him in privacy. She couldn’t tolerate the idea of others reading her letters aloud to the man she loved.

Something of the spirit of this young couple comes to us in the simple candor of Smith Shumway’s proposal of marriage. Finally home in Wyoming after the war, he told Sarah, “If you will drive the car and sort the socks and read the mail, I will do the rest.” She accepted the offer.

Years of study led to a successful career, eight accomplished children, a host of grandchildren, and lives of service. The Shumway's, along life’s pathway, have faced problems of a child with severe deafness, a missionary son developing cancer, and a twin granddaughter injured at birth.

My family and I had the privilege to meet the entire Shumway clan at Aspen Grove a year ago. It was our joy to be with them. Each wore an identifying T-shirt on which was a map depicting the location of each child and family, along with the names of all. Brother Shumway, with justifiable pride, pointed to the location on his shirt of his precious ones and beamed the smile of gladness. Only then did I ponder that he had never seen any of his children or grandchildren. Or had he? While his eyes had never beheld them, in his heart he knew them and he loved them.

At an evening of entertainment, the Shumway family was on the stage at Aspen Grove. The children were asked, “What was it like growing up in a household with a sightless father?” One daughter smiled and said, “When we were little, occasionally we felt Daddy should not have too much dessert at dinner, so without telling him, we would trade our smaller helping with his larger one. Maybe he knew, but he never complained.”

One child touched our hearts when she recounted, “When I was about five years old, I remember my father holding my hand and walking me around the neighborhood, and I never realized he was blind because he talked about the birds and other things. I always thought he held my hand because he loved me more than other fathers loved their children.”

Today Brother Shumway is a patriarch. Who would you guess learned typing skills so as to be able to type the many blessings he gives? You’re correct: his beloved wife, Sarah.

Smith and Sarah Shumway and their family are examples of rising above adversity and sorrow, overcoming the tragedy of war-inflicted impairment, and walking bravely the higher roadway of life."

Miracles of Faith | President Thomas S. Monson

First Presidency Message | Liahona, July 2004

Shumway family - 1961

This is an expert from a blog post his daughter-in-law wrote, it's worth reading. 

Hyrum Smith Shumway, was one of the best friends of my life. If you were lucky to have met him, he would have probably told you a joke or a funny story immediately because he loved to laugh. He could out pun anybody on the planet. If he had his harmonica, violin, or a piano nearby, he would have readily played for you. If he had his bag of magic tricks with him, he would have given a professional-like magic show to entertain you. He was one of the most prolific readers I have ever known. He read a few books a week. But not on the printed page. He used braille and "talking books" because he was blinded in World War II. His sight was taken away from him six weeks after he landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 when he was 22.

His memorable wit and encyclopedic knowledge of 1930 and 1940 songs were legendary. His 67 years of darkness only turned him into a man of remarkable inspiration and hope. He did not consider himself amazing or unusual. He only wanted to be independent and live his life with purpose and value. Even in his later years, he scaled climbing walls and repelling courses in his 70's, went cross-country skiing, hiked mountains, won jitter-bug contests and swam several miles a week. Living in darkness did not derail him. I heard him often say, ""I might not have sight. But I have insight."

What can we learn from Smith Shumway?... Live life with immense cheer, hope, and laughter. Live with joy and faith--no matter what happens.

A dream come true...

I’m thankful that for the last ten years I’ve had a Grandma Day almost every week. Adding another grandson every few years is a dream come true. Grandma got a new bench picture this time, Grandpa helped the boys finish the skateboards they painted, we played games, colored pictures, made ice cream in a bag, and Colby made cookies. He's made cookies often enough now that he can make them without my help. 

I just love Cash, Colby, Grey, and Grahm so much.

It was really windy the other day, hold on Colby!

Yes, I am so blessed!

A little project...

President Brigham Young directed the construction of the Salt Lake Temple which began in 1853. The temple was dedicated 40 years later by President Wilford Woodruff on April 6, 1893. The temple has been renovated many times since its original dedication. The most extensive renovation took place from 1962 to 1966. New plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning systems were installed. An addition for sealing rooms was added to the north side of the temple, and the original temple annex was demolished and larger annex was built.

A few years ago President Nelson announced that the temple would close December 29, 2019, and would remain closed for approximately four years. The temple is expected to reopen in 2024 with a public open house.

The temple is undergoing a major structural and seismic renovation. President Nelson said, “This project will enhance, refresh, and beautify the temple and its surrounding grounds. Obsolete systems within the building will be replaced. Safety and seismic concerns will be addressed. Accessibility will be enhanced so that members with limited mobility can be better accommodated.”

I’ve been wanting to see the progress at the Salt Lake Temple. I enjoyed walking around Temple Square Tuesday after I went to Dad's grave, you have got to see it to believe it! What a massive project, I can’t wait to see it all finished. 

I saw so many sister missionaries walking around Temple Square. I talked to a few of them. They are still having wonderful experiences during the renovation. They seemed so happy to be serving on what they called "sacred ground."

Artist renditions of the Salt Lake Temple after the construction and renovations are completed.

My favorite temple quote:

At the temple the dust of distraction seems to settle out, the fog and the haze seem to lift, and we can 'see' things that we were not able to see before and find a way through our troubles that we had not previously known.”

~ Boyd K. Packer