Here's the story, the low-down, the 411...

I used to be a very active blogger, and my heart still yearns to be one, but for now my computer is being put to an acutely important cause. I thought I'd share why: About 6 months after my mother passed away (2 1/2 years ago), my father received a job offer down here in Salt Lake. It was heaven sent, so he packed his bags and moved in with us temporarily till he could sell his house in Idaho and move my youngest siblings down with him.


Well, things didn't work out as envisioned, and the Lord has his own plan. The house remains unsold, the family remains seperated, my father remains here in our home. It has worked out fairly well for us. We were blessed when we bought this home that it had a little guest cottage out in the backyard, used as a studio by the former owners, and that is where my Dad sleeps. It doesn't have a bathroom, the only drawback, but it is comfortable enough. It has been very difficult for my younger siblings to lose both parents, essentially, so we have begged them to move down here to Utah as well. After Graduation last summer ('09) my brother Matt moved in with us and took our spare room downstairs. It has been a delight to have him here! He is preparing to put his papers in and we are so excited for him. My other two siblings, Sherie (21) and Robbie (18) have chosen to stay up in Idaho where they are close to extended family and dear neighbors who look out for them. Our neighbors are God's angel's on earth. They check on them, invite them over for dinner, make sure they are eating well. I feel I owe them immensely.


Two months ago my discouraged Dad received even more bad news, he was being layed-off. So, now he is unemployed and even more desperate to sell his house. He spends his mornings here at my home searching for work on-line, attending web-inars, and going to the employment center. The economy has hit our family hard. Dad is a mechanical engineer, which is normally a very stable job, but with the money freeze, new building projects are at an all time low, and engineers are suffering along with construction workers, architects, etc...


There are good things, things to be very thankful for, that bring hope to the situation. The first one being that my Dad is very happily in love with a wonderful woman. Her name is Julie and we all really love her. She has been a huge blessing for Dad. She is his whole world and he adores her, which makes us very happy. It's a cute story because Julie was one of my mom's dear dear friends in high school, and a few weeks before my mom passed I found Julie's phone number and called her out of the blue to reunite her with my mom before she died. They hadn't seen each other for 20 years, and my mom always spoke so highly of her. Julie called my mom and they spoke for quite a while. I think my mom hand picked "Miss Julie" (that's what I nicknamed her) for my Dad, but that's a whole other blog story...

The other good thing is that this situation is teaching us a huge lesson in patience. Which is something you should never ever pray for, you know! ;) I listened to Elder Uchtdorf's priesthood session talk on patience last night, and I was extremely boosted. I know that the Lord is aware of our situation and that he has blessings prepared. If we do our part and bear our afflictions with patience, I know he will make them lighter. I have felt that. I hope that my family feels that. Ether 12:4 "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

We are going to hang in there, work as hard as we can to make things better, and then put the rest in the hands of the Lord. I have great hope, and always will, that things will get better, that we will look back on these times and say, "Ahhh...Now I know why we had to go through that. Look how much stronger we are because of it."