Arkansas

 Throughout my life I have tried to keep a journal or written record of my life, my thoughts, adventures, etc. I realize writing is a time for me to reflect on the past week, month, or even year of my life and as I do so, it helps me remember times when I have been blessed, remember thoughts and impressions I have had, and hopefully will help me or my loved ones at a future time. Over the past few years, my life has been extremely busy, and I haven't taken the time to write. I've missed that. I have had a lot of changes in my life, and I've relied on the Lord, pondered scriptures, and studied the words of modern-day prophets. I've had some amazing answers to prayers and have felt encircled in the arms of God's love many times. I wish I had taken the time to write them down. I'm afraid of losing some of those memories. Moving forward, I plan to write more consistently. I don't expect this to be read by anyone but myself, but it is therapeutic for me, and I will treasure the memories this helps me retain. 

Steve and I moved to Arkansas. We purchased a small cabin a couple of years ago and kept it as a rental. It sits on 7 acres of land in the Ozarks. The cabin was previously a home built in the 1940's but it was updated in the 1980's, and more recently had log siding put on. It's a small 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom home, just perfect for a couple of empty-nesters, their two dogs, and five horses.

Arkansas has been different than Utah, where we have lived the majority of our lives. It's humid, buggy, green, rocky... did I say humid? We live on the outskirts of Harrison, closer to the town of Bergman, just 1/4 mile off Highway 7. Our church building is located on the other side of town and takes about 10 minutes to drive through Harrison to get there. Our ward boundaries are humongous! Apparently, the size of the state of Delaware! Some people in our ward drive an hour to get to church. Our closest neighbor from our ward lives 3 miles up the road. Needless to say, we have a lot of missionary work we can do while we are here. The people in this community are extremely friendly and very religious. 

I'm trying to get used to the weather here. I guess this is not a good year to gauge it by. The temperatures are 70 degrees one day and 20 degrees the next. Christmas day was almost 80 degrees, but this week has been in the single digits with a wind chill bringing it to -4. I'm used to cold winters in Utah, but the cold weather with the humidity and wind REALLY bites! I can't put on enough layers to keep warm. 

We had over a foot of snow last week. Something that would be just another snowstorm in Utah, but here they don't have the equipment to clear the roads quickly. The last time there was a storm like this was 21 years ago. They were asking the public to stay off the roads. Schools, businesses, and churches were closed for the storm. Steve spent several days before the storm preparing for it. He bought chemicals to put in our cars' gas tanks to help them start easier. He set up the horses' water and put blankets on them because it was going to get really cold and wet. We have a small guest house that we were worried might get frozen pipes, so we put heat tape and insulation on the exposed pipes. Steve and I planned to just stay inside and relax for a few days and ride out the storm. 

The night of the storm, I was so worried about the horses I couldn't sleep. I worried because they were outside, exposed to the snow/sleet, and they wouldn't use the shelter we had for them. I was worried because in Utah, they grow a winter coat, winter comes, they stay warm, and they shed the coat in the spring. In Arkansas the temperatures are all over the place. Does their winter coat come in? Are they too hot when it's 80 degrees? Do they have a full enough winter coat for the frigid temperatures that only rarely come? I said a prayer that the horses would be okay and that I could have peace of mind that night. It was about 10:30 pm, and one of our friends from church sent me a text message. We texted back and forth for a bit, then I told her my worries about the horses. She said that when the weather was bad and they didn't have shelter for the horses, she and her husband would put them in the horse trailer for the night. That way they wouldn't be exposed to the rain, snow, freezing rain, or whatever. I was so relieved!! I told her she was an answer to my prayers! I felt like she listened to the Spirit and sent me that text message. It was so late at night, I would have never called her or thought to ask her what to do. I felt so thankful!!  It really was a blessing. When we put the horses in the trailers, their mains and faces were just ice. By the next morning when we got them out, they were completely dry. The snow/sleet had stopped and they would be fine. 

Steve and I planned to spend a couple of days inside while the storm raged outside, however, we woke up Saturday morning to frozen pipes... ugh. I just thought we could let them thaw out and we'd be fine, but Steve was worried, so we went to Home Depot and bought a heater to put under the house to thaw the pipes. We also bought heat tape and pipe insulation so we wouldn't have this problem in the future. The crawl space under the house is very tight. Steve wasn't able to fit under there, and when I tried, it was even tight for me to get through the opening. The plan was that I would turn on the heater and while it was warming the pipes, I would proceed to put the heat tape and insulation on the pipes. Steve turned off the water to the house and when I turned on the heater, I saw two places where a small amount of water had dripped and frozen to the pipe below. I watched it for a bit and as it warmed the one area started to really drip. I could feel a small crack and knew we would need to buy some CPVC pipe to repair it. As I was gathering up my things to get out of the crawl space, the water in the pipe completely melted and water came spraying out of the crack in the pipe. Even though the water had been turned off, there was pressure in the pipe, and it was spraying like crazy! I kind of panicked a bit. It's hard to move under a crawl space, there's water spraying, the ground is getting muddy, and you are trying to get out...The water finally slowed down, I cut out the section of pipe and I got out. Steve and I went for round two at Home Depot. The roads are still snow-packed and it's still frigid outside. We got the pipe and glue, and I went under the house again. 

I was able to repair that section of pipe, then I put heat tape and insulation on all the pipes. I got out of the crawl space and went under again below the master bathroom on the other side of the house. I decided to put insulation on that area before we turned the water back on and look for any leaks on that side. Everything went really well. I told Steve to turn on the water, and I would check to make sure the section I repaired was holding. I crawled under the house one more time and Steve turned on the water... remember the two spots where I saw frozen drips of water? I had only repaired one of them. As soon as Steve turned the water back on, there was a pin sized hole shooting water from another pipe... ugh... Steve quickly turned the water back off, I cut that section of pipe out, and we went for round THREE at Home Depot. 

I was getting pretty good at this and repaired the second area with minimal difficulty, but this had literally taken the entire day! Throughout this entire day Steve and I kept saying how blessed we felt with this storm. We felt like the Lord was guiding us the entire way. The horses had been warm. The pipes leaked a tiny amount while we were watching them. It could have started spraying while the pipes were under pressure and been a muddy mess that we didn't catch for a while. We had the knowledge of what to do to repair it, so we didn't have to find a plumber to come in the middle of a storm and pay an enormous amount. We have the pipes heat taped and insulated for the next storm. It was hard but ultimately was a blessing. 

I love daily thoughts from: comefollowmedaily on Instagram or Facebook (I believe the writer is Mary Stallings). She has an amazing way of sharing gospel thoughts that go along with what we are studying each week. I wanted to share one that really jumped out at me this week. It's really relevant to what I've been going through this week, and even this phase of my life. It's a thought dated January 24, 2026, if you'd like to look it up. 

Adam fell that men might be. Men are that they might have JOY. But what God promises Adam and Eve directly after the fall is sorrow. A cursed land.

How can both be true? How can God guarantee sorrow, and then, in that same action, say the outcome is joy? Our human brain wants to fight it.

I think many times, we think about Heaven wrong. More like the Garden of Eden, actually. Where there is no suffering. No pain.

Moses 7, we learn that when God looked upon his people, He wept. God still feels sorrow. He holds it, like he holds us. Or maybe BECAUSE He holds us. 

So perhaps this earth and its sorrow are not an isolated, Earthly experience meant to test us, but a consecrated experience meant to prepare us. 

Someone explained it to me this way months ago,

"We're being forged into beings who can tolerate brokenness and sorrow and loss and grief without being consumed by them, without becoming those things. Beings who can experience all those excruciating things and also be filled with joy- A joy that flourishes in the midst of suffering because it stems from an eternal relationship with Christ. He transforms, converts, and heals our mortal ashes into beings that can hold infinite suffering- our own or that of our loved ones- and be willing to endure it because of love. God does this every instant of eternity. Our Heavenly Parents choose to suffer with us every day."

"So the celestial kingdom is not void of crushed spirits and broken hearts; it is filled with Beings who can endure crushing and breaking and can create newness and life and breathtaking beauty from the ashes of crushed and broken hearts and spirits"

Isn't that beautiful?

As President Uchtdorf said, "We tend to think of joy as the absence of sorrow. But what if joy is not the absence of sorrow? What if joy and sorrow can coexist? What if they have to coexist?"

When it comes to the Earthly sojourn, Sorrow is not the point, but it is leading us somewhere. Let's let it lead us towards God. 

This hits home. I can't experience joy without sorrow. I'm not going to let the sorrow crush me but appreciate the joy more because I have experienced the sorrow.  Time to enjoy the journey here in our little cabin in the Ozarks of Arkansas!

Weird turn of events

Well, it’s really weird that someone wants to stop us from sharing the experiences we have been having in the mission. I have kept the things I say very positive. We have one month left in this great mission.

You can follow this LINK to read more about it.

Good times!

Trip to Washington!

We had such a nice visit with Grandma and Grandpa Wright. Wow G&G Dickson are getting so old. 94 and 96, and I'm pretty sure Grandma didn't know who I was at all. They just mostly sleep all day.

 I was so happy to get my 5 generations photo.  Avery was so funny. She was afraid of Grandma Dickson at first, and you could tell she wanted to go up to her, but when Grandma would look her way, she'd get shy and run. Eventually she went up to her and started talking, and then she climbed on a stool and counted, "one...two...three" and was about to jump into Grandma Dickson's lap. I grabbed her quick before she jumped. I think it would have killed Grandma. Avery has such a huge personality. 

We went to the Ice Caves while we were there. We went on quite a long hike to get to them, then the boys hiked a little further to this  waterfall, there were several falling into the ice caves, but they were all so hot, they took off their shirts and took a shower in the waterfall. (Dad, Conner, Uncle Lee, and his boys)

Conner and dad went deep sea fishing. Conner caught a salmon, but the waves were terrible, and dad got really sea sick. I don't think they'll go again any time soon. 

The cabin was fun. We were right on the ocean, it was really windy, and we flew a kite right off the balcony. Avery gathered probably 50 sea shells. As we'd walk she would hand them to me. I'd accidentally drop them here and there because I couldn't carry them all. She really got along good with Emi, she calls her Mimi, and Parlee is Molly. But she really loves them!

Steve came into town to see Sarah and go with her family to Lake Powell, he ended up getting really sick. Diarrhea and throwing up for 4-5 days. He was absolutely miserable. He had to cancel his flight back to Pennsylvania and stay at Sarah's house, because we were out of town, and he couldn't fly in that condition. It turned out to be salmonella. There were about 16 of the 36 people on the house boat that got sick, but Steve was the worst! He's back now, and we are proceeding with the wedding plans. 

Engagement Photos

Steve Jr came in to town today. He flew in and surprised Sarah. Her family had planned to go to Lake Powell, and invited Steve to come along, so he secretly got a plane ticket, and came home. Marsha, Sarah's mom had arranged to have their engagement pictures taken tonight as well. Sarah was so surprised when Steve showed up at their house. Hopefully they have a fun week at lake Powell. 

Conner had football camp that started today. He was really excited to go. They will take a bus to Cedar city, and stay until Thursday. He is just going crazy with football this year. The coaches say he really has a lot of talent.

I got to SKYPE with Avery yesterday. She's getting so big! She's a princess now, and wears her princess dress and crown all the time. She LOVES Ariel, Flounder, and Donald Duck... that one surprised me.  She cracks me up. 

Freak of Nature!

Just today, I called Steve's mom, Marcia, she had asked me to find some family names that she could give to Aunt Judy who is coming into town. I was going to tell her that I found 23 names last night...yay... but when I asked how she was doing, she said, "Not well at all." She proceeded to tell me that her stomach was really hurting, and it made her come home from church. She was breaking out in a cold sweat and was in a lot of pain. When she described it to me, I told her to go to the emergency room, because I think it's her gallbladder. Guess what? I was right!! They said she has all sorts of gallstones and sludge in her gallbladder, and she needs to schedule to have it removed. I'm so sad for her, but so glad that I was able to tell her to go to the hospital. She says she doesn't believe it's a coincidence! I called at just the right time to tell her to go. I think it really helped her.

Conner went to the Nike SPARQ combine, which is a football program where they test your skills in 5 or 6 areas, and rate you against other football players nationwide. They rate in each area individually, and then give you a combined score. So Conner's best event was the vertical jump, he rated in the 99th percentile, which means there are only 1% of football players in the entire country who can jump as high as him. Then he did the 40 yard dash and got in the 97th percentile. Only 3% can run as fast or faster than him. All of his events went really well and his combined score was 80%, which means he is talented enough to get into any college just based on his football skills. Crazy huh!  Coach Cloward says Conner is a "freak of nature", he's so athletically talented.

I went in on Wednesday and had Sarah Hardy cut my hair.  It was getting too long, and was really bugging me. I had her cut about 3 or 4 inches off.  I was starting to feel like a frumpy old house wife. It is so hard for me to control. I really like how she cut my hair. It's layered around the edges, and feels so much better. She also waxed my eyebrows. I told her I my miss my daughters so much, Kaylea and Jessica are the people who take care of the eyebrows for me. Haha! 

Jessica and her family went to Disneyland. I haven't talked to her since they got back, but she of course, posted a lot of pictures. Avery LOVES Minnie, and Alice (in Wonderland), she looks like she had a blast. Huge grins in every picture.

Here's a little bit of Kaylea's letter:
We had some referrals to contact this week and something HORRIFYING happened!! Well we opened up this gate and knocked on this door... and well the family wasn't interested BUT they forgot their back door was open so their dang pitbull came RUNNING AT US!!!! And while we were trying to invite them to come unto Christ, here we were about to die... and I had two thoughts cross my mind.... number one... RUN. Number two... Hold out the Book of Mormon!!! because I have heard so many stories of the Book of Mormon deflecting crazy animals! Well... I don't want you all to think that I don't have faith... because I decided to just run and hop over the fence... BUT! THIS was the first time I have EVER been actually chased by a death seeking monster.... hahaha! You can't be a missionary without a dog story right?? So... I'm definitely a missionary!

Summer in full swing

So Steve threw out his back this past week. He's been trying to get it to heal, taking pain medications all week, but nothing is working. He's been hobbling around like a little old man. It's really cute, but he's miserable. He was lifting his horses foot when it went out. Weird... 

Jessica and her little family are on their way to California tomorrow. They are taking Avery to Disneyland. She absolutely loves Ariel, and Alice in Wonderland. They think she'll have a blast. I do too! 

I haven't heard from Steve this week, but Sarah ran a marathon Saturday. She ran with Coach Allen and one of the Palmer girls. Big accomplishment. She's awesome.

Conner has been pulling weeds every day for Turf-it. And going to football to work out. He has really stayed busy this summer. I can't believe he'll be a senior this year!! Crazy!

A couple who have been taking the missionary discussions in our ward asked if Steve will marry them so they can get baptized. Of course he said yes. He's rocking this missionary work!! It's so fun to see lives changing. I'm so happy you get to experience this every day. What a huge blessing.  I'm at about 1,000 names I've submitted for temple work from our family. I may not be a very good missionary, but I'm getting people baptized!! I'm hooked!!! Love family history!!

My job is great! I love working days. I've met several of the families we help, and the kids we send nurses out to. We have to go in every 60 days and do a physical assessment on these kids and then send in paperwork to keep them on as our patients. There are so many kids with such terrible diseases. I'm happy we get to help make their lives easier. It's such a blessing. The parents are pretty incredible too. They just work hard to keep their lives as normal as possible. Most of them have such great attitudes, and love their kids so much. I'm blessed to get to see them.

June

I was offered a job as a Case Manager at Ivy Lane where I'm working now. It will be nice to be able to work days instead of nights now. We'll see how it goes. I start my new job tomorrow. I will be working 2 days a week while they train me, and then two nights a week. So every Monday and Tuesday I work 9-5 and then I'll work two night shifts sometime between Wed and Saturday. After 60 days of training, they'll decide if I can stay on board as a case manager, or go back to night nursing. Apparently the last case manager they hired (instead of me) really struggled, and they wish they had given her a 60 day trial period... boo.

Steve Jr is in Pennsylvania, he is doing amazing. It's only been 3 weeks, and he has done half the sales of what he did all summer last year. So he's pretty happy. He's on target to make $40-60,000. It's crazy!

Sarah came by today and picked up all of my scrapbooks, she is going to put pictures of Steve on a video. It was fun showing her pictures of him as a little boy. Even in high school, he was so much smaller than Jessica... he was so cute!! She bought me a pretty blue dress for the wedding. I can't believe Steve's getting married. But I love Sarah to death. 

School is out for the summer. Conner will be working for Turf it and doing football. So he should stay pretty busy this summer. 

Here's a snippet from Kaylea's last letter: The COOOLEST Part about Ventura is that every night the ocean Fog rolls in! IT LOOKS SO COOL!! its like a black wall that just ONLY rolls over Ventura! And the clouds come SO FAST! It just comes ROLLING in!! I LOVE it!! :) I guess it always happens in June and everyone calls it the June gloom... But I really just think it's awesome. :) AND I CAN SEE THE OCEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kinda... I can see it when I email on Mondays! At the stake center! OH!! AND the Stake Center has like an old chandelier in the sacrament room! It's gorgeous! 

Chris has been interviewing for jobs all over the West. I know he and Jessica are anxious to move to a new location, and just get on with his career, but I sure enjoy having them close by.  There are a few jobs available in Utah. I hope he is able to pick up one of them.