Make it 6!

Brian and Katie have announced that they are expecting a BOY! In April we will have grandson number 6! I am very excited.

Deklan James Garyson

Grandson #5!

Deklan James Garyson grandson number 5 arrived at 7:59 am on Wednesday October 27, 2010, weighing 7lbs 5oz 20 inches long. Mom and baby are doing geat. Big brothers Avery and Kaeden are very excited that baby "duckling" is finally out of mommies belly.

Sunday Joy

We have been attending church in Amanda's ward which is a young single adult ward. Yesterday was my last chance to be there. Two young men gave talks. One of them is an avid snowboarder and related his talk to snowboarding. He talked about the need to master the fundamentals of snowboarding prior to trying anything advanced. The four basic fundamentals for snowboarding are:

1. Maintaining balance and control
2. Pivoting and changing direction
3. Maintaining pressure
4. Following through

He then related each of these fundamentals to life and to the gospel. He talked about the importance of finding balance in our lives. He talked about knowing when we need to change direction to get to where we want to be, about peer pressure and being careful that we don't allow others to pressure us to lower our standards or give up our goals, and about following through on our plans and goals. As we master the fundamentals everything else will come. It was a really great talk. The next young man talked about being raised in the church but never really taking it seriously and eventually quitting all together. He spoke about his journey back and the difficulty of the return path. He said that he realized one day that attending church was a privilege not a burden, and how that realization changed everything in his life. What a powerful message! I loved this meeting and these talks. I am grateful to have been here long enough to hear them.

Lessons from Colorado

You know how you have some experiences over and over until you learn what you are supposed to learn from them? As we prepare to travel at the end of the month I wonder if I have learned all I needed to learn here in Colorado. I am starting into week seven and I find myself looking over the last six weeks and on to the next two wondering if I have taken advantage of all that was available during this time. The solitude of the first week while she was in the hospital and sleeping most of the day. The escape from the alarm clock that rules my daily life. The lack of a schedule or any structure to the day. Losing track of what day it was. These are not the normal descriptions of my life. The first month was a quiet one as Amanda worked on regaining strength and balance. We read scriptures together, watched way too much TV together, ate together, walked together, went to appointments together, worked on crafts together, and did lots of talking and sharing together. I am grateful for the closeness of our relationship. We have been together almost 24 hours a day since August 29th and have gotten along amazingly well. What will it feel like to let other people into our space? Life here has been very insulated with few visitors and few intrusions from the outside world. A sanctuary from the stresses of my usual routine. What will it feel like to leave this sanctuary and be back around lots of people? What will it feel like to send her back here without me a few weeks later? Perhaps Kevin being here is a prepatory step back into the real world that awaits me in California. Can I hang onto the internal peace that has been with me in the quiet of Colorado?

Garden of the Gods

We had a visit from Teresa and Mike this week which was wonderful. Teresa & I don't get to see each other near enough so to have them here for three days was great. On Thursday Amanda was doing well so we decided to take a trip down to Garden of the Gods which is a State Historic Site in Colorado Springs. It consists of natural rock formations that are absolutely stunning as well as plants and animals. It was donated to the City of Colorado Springs with the stipulation that it remain free and open to the public forever. We called ahead to make sure they had a wheelchair for Amanda and off we went. Even though they only have one handicap accessible trail it was enough. What a beautiful place!

Lfie in Denver

I have been in Denver with Amanda for just over a week now. She is one week post surgery and doing well. She is making good progress and keeping a positive attitude. Greg asked me what we do here all day since she is unable to move around much or travel even a short distance. I have become a handywoman hanging pictures and changing shower heads. A physical therapist helping her get up, down and walk the hall several times a day. An arts and crafts helper as she finds projects to work on that will keep her busy but don't wear her out. A personal assistant running errands, fixing meals, doing laundry and all the other things that it takes to run her home while she is down. Yesterday she was able to dress herself including putting on her own socks and shoes. This may seem like a small thing to the rest of us but one week post back surgery it was huge! I am enjoying spending this time with her. She has a great outlook about all of this and finds something to laugh about everyday. I am thankful for all of those back at home who are taking care of home, family, and seminary while I am gone. My life is truly blessed!