Changing the tractor oil and filters can be done with one hand and one leg.

Life has been interesting since Grant had his shoulder surgery, He is getting really good at doing things with his left hand And he's been really helpful around the house since he wakes up early in the morning (3 & 4 am early) and I am not up at that time. and since my knee is giving me fits he has tried to save me a lot of foot work by taking over caring for the chickens when it's our week, and hauling all the wood to the back porch one or two pieces at a time. So today was my pay back day I think, Our tractor needed all the hydraulic oil changed and the fuel filters changed. So I have now learned a little more mechanics. LOL. he's one handed and I am one legged, so we make quite a pair. We had 3 5 gallon buckets of fluid to put in the tractor. so we devised a plan for him to hold the funnel while I pored the fluid from the 5 gallon bucket to a couple of one gallon jugs then he climbed into the tractor and I handed up the gallon jugs up to him. It took most of the afternoon but we got it all done. That's pretty sad to say it took all afternoon to change the oil in a tractor but it did and actually even though my knee is pretty sore, it was a nice afternoon with my hubby because we were able to laugh at ourselves and when I got off balance he steadied me and when he couldn't turn bolts I turned them for him. But I am glad Matt got off work when he did. I can just imagine what kind of a mess we would have made climbing on top of the house to clean the chimney out.
Thanks Matt Egley for taking care of the rest of our chores that needed done and Thanks Jared Egley for calling me back to see if we needed something.

Priesthood Blessings

Blessing I want to remember.

November 12^th 2013

Two weeks ago on Saturday the 2^nd of November Our Grandson Justin got to be baptized and I am so happy for him and proud he made that choice I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Laterday saints is Christ’s church just like it was at the time he walked upon the earth with all of it’s doctrines and blessings restored to the earth. Justin, Grandma and Grandpa are very proud of you and love you very much.

 

  At the first of the week I had had words with one of my sons over the computer and some of his work.   I was upset all week over it. and did a great deal of praying but just couldn’t feel peace towards him, I just kept asking the lord what can I say or do that will get through to him. So Saturday when we were getting ready to go to Justin’s baptism and conformation where all the family would be I didn’t want to have bad feelings between myself and my son. I was really struggling with even seeing my son that day, which in its self was very upsetting to me. He has always been one of my best friends and this issue was coming between us and I hated that. So I asked Grant if I was wrong to have said what I said to our son, he assured me I was not. so then I asked Grant to first say a prayer for us and then to give me a blessing.

He was glad to do so and immediately knelt down to pray and then proceeded to give me a blessing. It was a short blessing but a firm blessing; and after wards I began to feel better about things.  The Lord blessed me 4 times in the blessing to be physically and mentally and spiritually strong. That I had a mission to fulfill and that I would be strong physically, mentally and spiritually and to go forward with determination... That if I would go forward standing for what was right and serve those who will need my care with determination The Lord would bless me to be physically and mentally and spiritually strong and that my children would see and learn from my example and see the error of their ways and become strong in the Gospel. They would learn and follow my example and serve the Lord honorably and faithfully.

I was kind of hoping the Lord would say it would be ok and I guess in a way he did but I guess I was hoping for a (Good Job you’ve done your job now I will fix it). But that’s not what I got. I kind of felt like he was saying, (Toughen up Butter Cup). If you continue being the mom you are and let me make you stronger and learn to continue teaching truth and stand up for what’s right in all things even if you get a lot of flak from them or anyone else and continue to be determined to teach and lead and stand for truth, then your kids will eventually come around. I guess that’s were (Enduring to the End) comes in.

Monday the 11^th of November 2013

Grant and I went to see a surgeon about Grant’s shoulder, it has been hurting him for around 2 years and now it has gotten so he can’t even raise his arm up if it’s strait in front of him. So the Dr did the exam and then told us that the surgery needed to be done right away. He has 4 things wrong with his shoulder that need fixing. It will be an outpatient surgery so he will be in and out the same day, that was the good news. Then he said Grant would be in a sling for 3 months and then have therapy and maybe return to work in 4 – 6 months. Grant and I just looked at each other with disbelief. We were prepared for him to be off work for about 3 months but 6? We felt we had been hit with a ton of bricks. How would we make it for 6 months and pay our bills? But it needs to be done so we decided to move ahead and schedule the surgery. So day after tomorrow on the 14^th he is going to have surgery. It’s a good thing; I truly feel that it is. It is what he needs to have done and this is the time to have it done, I know that. I have just been worried about how to pay the bills. We did some calling to see if we had any disability insurance on our loans but we don’t. But it sounds like they would be willing to work with us somehow. Grant does have long term disability through work so we will get some of his paycheck hopefully it will be enough for us to get by on. So the next thing I felt we needed was to call our home teacher who is also our bishop Lynn Stewart. He is an awesome home teacher and bishop and we love him very much. He and his 2^nd counselor John McCracken came up and gave both of us a blessing. I know Bishop was very in tune to the spirit and he was listening for what the Lord had to say. In Grant’s blessing he blessed him that his body would respond to the surgery and heal well and be strong. he blessed him that he would have patients and allow his body to heal. he told him that he had missions to fulfill and that he would be able to fulfill them. And this is the one that really touched my heart. He blessed him that he would be able to communicate with people and give advice and know how to guide and direct others and his children that he would communicate with them and give advice and that they would respect and fallow his advice. This was so touching to me because Grant has never felt that he had the ability to guide and say the right thing, talking, in his mind has never been a strong point. But now the Lord has verbally blessed him with that gift if he will have faith and use it. I know that this blessing has to do with more than just this surgery and healing time I think it is a permanent blessing for the future.

As for my blessing Bishop blessed me to be in tune to those around me and their needs and that I should fill those needs. He blessed me as a wife to be sensitive to Grant’s needs. I always thought I was but maybe I am not as good at that as I should be. He blessed me as a mother that I would be able to serve my family and be uplifting to them and that there would be others who would need my service and sensitivity. He also blessed me that my health would be adequate to do the things I needed to do. and that my body would be made strong to fulfill the things I was sent to do. The one thing that really surprised me was that he said (the Lord was concerned that I was worried. That I should have faith and not worry, and believe everything would work out) I have never thought of the Lord as being concerned that I was worried. I guess I just figured that the Lord knows everything so he wouldn’t be concerned about anything or at least that he would be concerned about me. I still feel startled by his wording of (the Lord was concerned that I was worried) I am going to have to do some thinking and praying about it. I guess I have been feeling a little overwhelmed with everything that has been going on in my life lately, Helping Marilyenn get off on her mission, babysitting for the kids. Worrying about Chet and Stacy and trying to help my kids understand what’s coming in the future. I do worry that they will not be ready for what’s coming. I feel we are closer to the second coming than they think. I see the sings and I feel the time is right upon us. I could be wrong but I don’t feel that I am. I am seeing dreams that I have had coming true weekly. I have been trying to get more food storage and medicinal storage built up and now with this surgery I won’t be able to continue to build up like I would like to. But then I guess that’s what he meant by the Lord was concerned that I was worried. I need to stop worrying and just have faith and go with whatever the Lord will have me do. Oh and he also blessed me that I would be able to look around and find solutions to problems that may arise. What an awesome blessing. Now if I can find it in myself to do all the Lord has directed. That seems to be the hard part for me. I am feeling so tired from all the things that have been asked of me and yet I have the feeling that a great deal more is going to be asked so I pray the Lord to right my thinking of self pity and help me find the strength to push on and endure until the end.

When night is at it deepest and things are dark and dim then the sun comes up and warms the soul within.

Blessed by angles of service

I want to make sure I put this little post in my blog,

Friday morning the 25th of October could have been a very annoying day.  I had lot’s of things i needed to get done, one of which was going to town and getting my shopping done.   I am not the biggest fan of shopping unless it’s in one of my favorite stores ( TJ Max, Deseret Book, Real Deals) you know, fun stores. But for me grocery shopping is not and never has been fun. Maybe it’s because I don’t love to cook, I can cook and very well when I want to, I just don’t usually want to, I just make myself face the fact that I have to.   So that means that I have to go grocery shopping as well. Anyway I started out my day by picking up Little Paytin, I had told Christie and Jared that I would watch her for the day until one of them got off work. She was a joy to have with me. I was going to take her with me to get the shopping done but then decided that this grandma was to old and tired to take a 2 year old shopping, especially when it was shopping I hated to do.   I decided that I would do myself and her a favor by staying home and getting some things done around the house and just play with  Paytin.  It was a good choice, took lot’s of stress off of me. So Paytin and I did dishes cleaned counters organized things and I cleaned up a few of Paytin’s messes. 2 year olds are infamous for messes. We also visited Alice and Bryan and LeeAnn.  then around 2.30 Jared came and picked her up.  After they left, I called Grant to find out how the sell was going as he had taken the calves to the sell so we can pay farm bills with the money. Anyway he said he would not be home for quit a while so I decided I would go ahead and run to Pocatello and get it over with.  When I got to Pocatello I dropped some bags of stuff off to Deseret Industry’s and then tried to hurry and wash the car at the car wash, get gas and return some Journals that Brother Phil Craig had bought for the Garden Creek ward Activity Day girls who had come to the Family History Center to learn about Family History. That, by the way turned out to be a great activity. Brother Craig was generous enough to go and pick up nice small journals for the girls with his own money which was very generous of him to do. we had less girls than I had anticipated so the remaining journals needed to be returned so I said I would do that for him.  As I said Deseret Book is one of my all time favorite stores so it was nice to browse there and pick up a few sale items.  then I only had one errand left. so to Winco I went.  I got all the immediate groceries we needed for the next two weeks and picked up some great sales for my food storage, flour, canned corn, and cream of mushroom soup. I made it to the check out line and got all the groceries check out and remembered that I had a $10.00 off coupon with a perches of $50.00 or more.   I defiantly had more than $ 50.00s in groceries.  In fact I had $319.00 in groceries.  Groceries are getting very expensive.  At that point seeing my coupon, the couple behind me remembered they also had a coupon and commented on how glad she the lady was that she had seen my coupon since it reminded her to use hers. as we sacked our foods, her on one side of the counter and me on the other we struck up a conversation. And then they fallowed me out of the store.  Now I was already a little stressed about the cost of the food and since I went to town later I was getting home later which for some reason always stresses me out. I don’t like driving home by my self after dark, I’m not afraid to I just don’t like to. Any way I had a very large cart of food with case lot’s stacked under the main part of the cart on the bottom rack.  Well as I went over the rumble strip that Winco has just outside the doors  my  case of cream of mushroom soup decided to fall off the card and then the flimsy cardboard flat that the cans were in broke and my soup went in all directions all over the parking lot  in front of the store, and of course there was a down ward slope so they rolled really fast.  As I started to pick up my soup that didn’t roll so far my cart started to roll away down the slope. It was a mess. Car’s were stopping to keep from driving over my runaway soup cans. I WAS IN A MESS. But this couple, ( Vickie and Mario Santiago) were right there, Vickie immediately started running after my wayward soup cans and Mario grabbed my cart to keep it from running away into oncoming traffic. I was just stunned and thinking WHAT A MESS.  as I was picking up cans, Vickie was picking up cans and as I looked up people came from all over the parking lot bringing me my wayward soup cans. I was surprised to see so many good and kind people who in all reality could have pocketed my soup but didn’t .  Or they could have just ignored my dilemma and went on in the store to do their shopping.   After all the soup was accounted fore, Mario insisted on helping me to my car with my large amount of groceries and his wife carried my case of soup holding it at both ends so it couldn’t break open again.  Mario and Vickie both offered to help me load my food into the car but i declined and told them thank you so much for what they had done to help me. I started to load my groceries into my car when Mario noticed that I hadn’t put my purse in the car first. He then picked it up out of the cart and handed it  to me and suggested I put it in the car first. He said his mother had had her purse stolen because she had her back turned to the cart and someone came by and grabbed her purse and he didn’t want to see that happen to me. I didn’t know any of the people who helped me that night and yet they all did a simple act of kindness by making sure I had all my soup.  And as for Vickie and Mario, they truly were Angels of service to me. All of their actions took all the stress out of my situation and I just wanted to thank Heavenly Father for these kind people.   Instead of driving home thinking about how I was going to have to unload all the food in the dark and cold, and how much it cost.   I drove home excited to tell Grant about my runaway soup and the Angles who helped me.

Music brightens the soul and Father in Heaven loves and understands me.

I am feeling a little more chipper today. I’ve been listening to ( The Piano Guy’s) today, and I have read a lot of quotes from our Prophet and apostles these past few days. And I have read in my scriptures and am feeling less abused and discouraged.   As a matter of fact, I have been reminded that it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of me or what I believe, as long as Heavenly Father approves of what I do, and what I read and how I feel. and he has given me much  love these past few days.  I just had a long talk with one of my children and it was good. We have a better understanding of each others feelings now, and that is always good. I even got my violin out and started practicing that again.   The only problem with that is I need new strings as I have left off my practicing for about a year and the string didn’t stand up to being tuned and I snapped my A string.  But I called Ben and he said he would help me replace the string and help me get it tuned.  He’s smart that way. Life is calming down a little now that canning season is over and I know this may sound weird but I am at a lose to know what to do with myself now. There are lots of things to be done, I just can’t settle into any one thing and so I am not getting much accomplished.   So now it’s time to take myself in hand and focus on one thing to be done and do it then go on to another until I am back up to speed getting things done. I have also decided that I need to give myself time to improve me. work on a talent, read good books that will help me grow and learn. And yes give service to others.  I focus on service a great deal and think a lot about how I can help my kids or other members of my family and that is a great thing.  But I have discovered that my well is getting empty or very low, so I need to be sure and give myself some grow time as well.

Well that’s where I am ending for today.  On a good note.

I’m beyond catching up, so I am writing this for my own peace of mind.

Two much time has passed for me to truly catch up I may try or I may not it doesn’t matter.  For now let’s just say I am feeling very misunderstood by those who should truly know me best. when I try to give word’s of warning and share true knowledge, I am considered Fanatical, I feel that they want my help when they want it but they don’t want to hear what I really have to share. I am worrying to much in their eyes, but I am not worrying, I am simply sounding a voice of warning they can take it or leave it, I’d like to say I don’t care, but I do care. more than they will ever know. I want know comments from anyone on this post. Just feeling tired, disappointed and unappreciated. Many things have brought these feelings on, and I’ll get over them but I just need to voice my feelings and like I said, I want no comments. I know what I know and I feel what I feel. If those who I share my feelings with think I am over reacting so be it. they are on their own. I can’t bring life to a dead horse and I don’t have the strength to drag it to someone who can, so I will let it lye and go on about my own business. Life is full of disappointments and struggles. and it’s going to be full of a great deal more. And it’s going to be full of some very glorious things as well. I pray we make it through the rough times to partake of the glorious once.

Bradley Eugene Thomsen, 17 Sep 1965 - 6 March 2012

 

It seams that lately I am always and forever catching up. I hate catching up with life. whether it is in here in my blog or in real life. The world is speeding on and I feel too slow to keep up. There are so many things that have happened in this past year. and here we are in a new year. And I am still behind. I try to use my time wisely  although I do sleep in most days because I am so tired. but let me tell you what has been going on for the past few months and maybe you and I can not judge me to harshly.  Let’s see the last post I made was about two great men. Now I need to add another great Man to my list of loved ones who have gone on to the other side of the vale.  On March 6th 2012 I said good by to my sweet nephew Bradley Eugene Thomsen. He was an awesome man who even though he was only 5 years younger than I was. He was someone who I truly looked up to. Brad fought so many battles for his health in his life, beginning with the day he was born, He and his mother almost died, had it not been for my moms close watch over Kathy, Brads mom she would have bleed to death and Bradley would never have been born into this world. Through out the years he had his typical years of scrapes and bruises and was almost killed several times. He served in the US Navy for many years. and then went to school to become an airplane mechanic. Then he met his sweet wife Debbie Hall, They married and started a family. with first Benjamin, then came Mason, then Colby. they are great boys. Brad can be very proud of them. Brads Kidneys started shutting down about the time they started their family , There was little the Drs could do and so Bradley went on dialyses until a donor kidney could be found, when one was found they put him on anti rejection medicine so his body would keep the kidney. It worked very well but it had a catch, one of the side effects was that it could cause throat  cancer. several years later it did. and for the past 3 years Brad has been taking chemo treatments, radiation treatments and what ever else he could do so he could stay here on this earth and raise his boys. But that was not Gods plan for our Brad, So we said good by to him and now we will do what we can to support and help Debbie and their boys. It’s funny when Brad and i were little we were more like siblings than Aunt and nephew, we played together, irritated each other, fought, got in trouble together, and got out of trouble together. He gave me the mumps and his younger brother David who has also passed on gave me the measles,  Then after I married  we lived not fare from where Brads dad lived and Brad and David lived with their dad. Bryon lived with his mom and her new husband and new baby brother Nicholas Bowman. Many times they would come over to my house looking for cookies or to play with Amy or just wanting someone to let them know that they were loved. you see their Dad was an alcoholic and so was their step mom. She had a son named Joey and Brad would just bring them all over when his dad was at work and She was drinking. several nights they stayed on our front room floor and went to school from our house the next morning. and many times they just came to have cookies and milk and then would be off to do their chores or what ever boys do. But Bradley was always looking after his younger brothers, even his step brother Joey. who eventually became Brad, David’s and Bryon’s adopted brother. Joey still calls me the cookie Aunt.  As Brad grew up and left home we grew apart. not seeing each other much, I should have made a greater effort to keep in touch with him but we were both busy with our own lives . And then last year they came up for a family trip. after all the cancer treatments it was difficult to talk with Brad. but we just enjoyed spending some time with each other.  And getting to know each others kids. Mine all grown up and his still so young. Then he and Debbie made the decision to move to Idaho from Nevada, to be close to the family. Bradley new he was loosing his battle with cancer and wanted Deb and the boys to be close to his family where he felt they would have more support. I pray we can all fulfill his wishes. I will do my best. I miss you my Brad. I miss the time we could have had getting reacquainted. Your mom misses you so much and is so afraid of her life without you and David. She has us, me and aunt Marilyenn and her friends but being with out one of your children is so hard to bear much less having to give up two of you. We’ll see you again some day I know. And then maybe you and I can get reacquainted as adults.     

       The oldest and youngest grandkids of Fred and Dorothy Easter, Bradley Eugene Thomsen and Benjamin Fredrick Egley. Picture two is Bradley, David, Bryon and Nick.  The next is of Bradley and I. he was 3 and I was 8.

                                            Brad, Benjamin, Debbie, Colby, Kathy, and in the front is Leslie Miles Daniels, and Mason Thomsen.

 

This is about 1/2 of mom and dads posterity . and Brad and Debbie and the boys.

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"I believe that none of us can conceive the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane, but I am grateful every day of my life for His atoning sacrifice in our behalf. ... The darkness of death can ever be dispelled by the light of revealed truth. ‘I am the resurrection, and the life,’ spoke the Master. ‘He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.’"
—President Thomas S. Monson

The lose of two great men in our family. Yes I’m still catching up.

As I have said this past fall has been crazy with many ups and some downs. I was looking through my blog posts last night and realized that I had not posted about losing Grants Cousin George DeeRay Egley. George passed away on September 8th 2011. he died of lung cancer, but he  fought a great fight and lived much longer than anyone would have ever guessed. He accomplished a great deal while he was sick. and He gave us an example of enduring to the end well that we can all fallow. Carolynn is do very well. she is keeping busy, spending time with her family staying active in church and marching on without him.   

         

 

 

David George Miles,

August 9, 1948- December 23, 2011

On the day we buried my brother Gary, Marilyenn and David Miles, my sister and brother in law found out that David had 4th stage colon cancer and liver cancer. That was a terrible blow to the family. They decided that they would try chemotherapy and what other medicines the Dr’s had to maybe help him but in the end it didn’t help. it only made him sick. I don’t believe it really did any good for him. It might have bought him a couple of month but I’m not sure the price he paid was worth it. He was sick all the time and lost a great deal of weight. but like I said maybe we would have lost him sooner had it not been for the med’s.  Dave endured his medical treatments well. He always had a cheerful countenance, no matter that he was sick and suffering.  He was able to spend time with his family and give them all the love and uplift he could.  He kept close to his sweetheart Marilyenn as much as possible.  The last time I saw Dave was the day before he passed when I left I said (I Love you big brother and he smiled at me from his bed and said Love you Deb.) I just want to say from the time that Dave came into our family, he truly was a big brother to me.  Dave was good at so many things but the thing he was best at was loving people and making them feel of worth.   Dave and Marilyenn    

Uncle David and Ben.