Heaven Is Here: An incredible story of hope, triumph, and everyday joy by Stephanie Nielson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Although I have followed Nie Nie's blog since the crash, I felt even more inspired by her faith, hope and determination to overcome in her book. She does well to point out and help her readers reflect on the blessings received by each of us. A great read! I will encourage my daughters and granddaughters to take time to read about Stephanie Nielson's experiences. There is much we can learn from her about the importance of womanhood and motherhood.

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A Busy, Busy Summer

The summer has been crazy!  With many, many doctor appointments, a few camping and side trips, reunions and then just the run-o-the-mill summer things going on, the summer has been flying by!  I had such good intentions of doing so much more!!  My most long-awaited and loved plan was to have "Grandma Camp" for the grandkids.  The older group was set for a 4-day, 3-night block of time and we were all set.  It was planned that Kaden, Noah, Jarom and Caleb would come for the first camp.  It was the day of the night of their arrival when Grandma Fackrell fell and was taken to the hospital and I was called to Blackfoot.  Of course, that is where I needed and wanted to be, so camp was postponed.  Grandma had a hard recovery but thankfully, no broken hip as we had first been told.  When I returned home, I again began making plans for "camp".  With my upcoming knee surgery on the 9th, our time was running short and so we decided upon August 3rd through the 5th (only 2 nights and 3 days ... but that was better than not getting it in at all).  The problem with those dates was that Jarom also had Scout Camp.  I felt badly but we went on with the plans and the three boys came.  We had a great time together!  


The first night activity was "movie night".  The boys chose to watch "National Treasure"(?) with the approval of parents.  Noah loved the movie but the others were a little apprehensive about all of the suspense.  I think they all liked it, however.


We got up Thursday morning to a pancake and ham breakfast and a day full of activities.  We headed out to hit "shag balls" at the golf course, lunch at McDonald's, the "Smurf" movie, making HUGE bubbles and playing on the "slip and slide".  We did a craft and then had a hotdog roast and picnic when Grandpa came home from work.  The boys ended the day by spending time on the "Whoopie" with Grandpa.  (I conveniently stayed in the house for that "adventure" since Grandpa lets the "boys be boys" and it usually ends up making this Grandma a little nervous!)

 Setting up the "Slip and Slide"

 Working together

 Noah's turn

 Incoming Kaden

 Then Caleb ....

A good time for cooling off from the summer heat!

 Making ID Holders

(Kaden to Caleb:  "I know somebody is going to steal these".

Caleb:  "Who would want to steal them?"

Kaden:  "Everybody in my family are thieves!")

It is these conversations that make a Grandma smile!!

 Noah watches "National Treasure 2"

(Too much "action" for Kaden and Caleb)

 S'mores after having hotdog roast.

 Good to the last lick!

Since Mike, Grandad and I had to be in Salt Lake for a birthday celebration for Uncle DeVon, we left Logan early Friday morning to spend the day in Ogden while Mike worked his Friday shift.  So Caleb went home before we left and Kaden and Noah traveled with us so that their parents could pick them up.  We spent the day shopping, lunching and just "hanging out" together.  Luckily, Quilted Bear was having a "Webkins Tour" so we went there and the two boys had a great time.  It was sad to see our time together come to an end when the parents met us downtown Salt Lake that evening.  


Hopefully,  Jarom and Caleb will be able to get together with me soon to go to dinner and a movie to round out our Grandma Camp for the 10-year-old-and-over group for this year.  I am really looking forward to camp next year with these four boys!  So much fun .... at least for Grandma!!!


P.S.  Next camp will be the 7-9 year olds!  Hope to be able to do that in the very near future.

Technology

Blogging can be tiring!  Three blogs and trying to keep up with them is exhausting.  On the other hand, it is such a "cool" way to keep in touch with family.  So it can be rewarding, too!!  Maybe it isn't just the blogging ... it is technology itself.  The more I learn the more I want to learn and do.


I have added to my technology recently.  I not only have a Mac laptop, an iPod, and my iPhone; I now have an iPad.  If someone were to ask me which one I like best or prefer, I'd have to reply "I don't know".  They all seem to be important to me depending on where I'm at .... so I end up carrying nearly all of them with me where ere I go.  I look like a "geek"!!  I keep my iPhone and iPod in my hip pockets, which looks like I'm a quick-draw "tech-slinger".  I usually have the iPad in hand and if I go anywhere longer than a day, I pack my Mac along, too.  Something is really wrong with this picture!


At this point, my email is always overloaded.  Everywhere I go, my "pockets" seem to be "dinging" with mail alerts.  Pretty funny to some!!  But what the heck, I'm on the go and in the know .... right?  And if I can't be reached by phone, email, or messenger, then "Ping" ... "Textie" .... or "Kik" always works.  Yep!  I've got them all!


I carry my journal, all of my photos, genealogy, finances, library (books), movies, music ...... all of it is "onboard" not matter where I am!  


What can I say .... my sons have made me into a "junkie"!!

Morning Thoughts

Every morning I make it a ritual to check everyone's blog to see if they have written since the day before. Most of the time I am so disappointed to find that no one has updated.  But then I realize that neither have I!  It is so hard to keep up, isn't it?

I love having children in our house again .... especially if they are my grandkids!  I am so happy that Mike, Christina, Caitlin, Carter and William have had to have a "stop-off" place to stay a few weeks while they are waiting to get into their new home.  It is so nice to hear those little voices every morning as they wake and get ready for the day and the good morning hugs that I get when the grandkids are around.  I miss that part of our younger life.  (It gets awfully quiet after the kids all leave home and all that is left is "old" people.  We can get awfully repetitive and boring!)

Once when our own children were little, I had them all lined up on the bench at church and they were being especially irreverent.  I knew they were disrupting the meeting for everyone around us.  As I was trying to get them under control, an older lady sitting behind me leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Be patient and love them.  They grow up all too soon."  I smiled and thought to myself, "It's easy for you to say.  You can sit there, listen to what is being said and not have to deal with it."  I couldn't imagine that the day would come when I would feel the same as that dear sister was feeling.  But how true it is!  Although I wouldn't want to begin again to raise children in today's world, I miss having the "patter of little feet" in the house.  I am so grateful for times when we have grandkid's come so I can remember the wonders ... yes and trials ... of motherhood.  And I find myself thinking and sometimes saying, "Be patient and love them.  They grow up all too soon"!

First Post of 2011 - Resolutions, Thoughts and a Lot of Rambling!

Why does time pass so quickly?? I can't believe it has been nearly 2 months since I've made a post on this blog. So much is going on in life and we let the little things pass us by. I want to take notice of the small things this year ... be aware of them and enjoy them.

Resolutions:

I am learning that there is so much to be thankful for ... the top on my list is my family. Each one has such unique qualities, personalities and attributes. I am proud of each of them and look to them to teach me, buoy me up during difficult times, and to remind me of my "younger years"and much more. I can look in their eyes and remember what life was like when they were young and dependent on me. Now I find a new dependence that I have for each of them. They are my friends! I am so blessed!

Resolution #1: Tell my family often that I love and appreciate them. Don't take it for granted that they already know.

I have spent so much time in my life looking forward. Looking forward to when Mike and I had a family ..... to when the kids were old enough to do things on their own .... to when I could leave them alone for a while without worrying every minute I was gone (I know, that was wishful thinking! I always worried!) .... to when they were grown .... to when I had time to do the things I put off like genealogy work, studying scriptures, reading a good book, spend more time with parents, ..... to when Mike and I had more time to spend together (guess that time is behind me, when we worked together professionally cause it seems like we see so much less of one another now) .... to retirement (the only retirement I can foresee is getting "tired" and then getting "tired" again). Yep! I've spent much of my time looking forward and not truly enjoying the moment! Need to work on that.

Resolution #2: Take time to read 2 books a month, try to schedule regular "date nights" with my good husband, and work at knowing my ancestors by doing at least 1 project a month in family genealogy.

This year I want to become a better person but I am going to begin by making only two resolutions. I don't want to make it so difficult that I can't accomplish them. So there you have them .... in writing. I have always been told that if you write them down, you have more of a chance to actually do them. We will see how that works for me!! In 2010, I resolved to try to become more patient. I still have a long way to go with that one so I have to continue on that as well. I've always been a slow learner!!

Here Come the Holidays!

Here it is! Year's end and facing the holidays! I love Thanksgiving and Christmas because to me it means family and togetherness . Of course, there is all of the food preparations, the shopping, the wrapping of gifts, the tree to put up, the outside decorating to do, the parties to plan and execute, and all the work that goes with all of it. But being with family is the best part of all!

The season makes me think of all the blessings that I have been given and I give thanks to a kind Heavenly Father for knowing me and recognizing my needs and the desires of my heart. This year has not been an easy one for me and I have had a lot of life-altering adjustments to make but I know that He knows that I CAN do it. He has blessed me with a wonderful husband, family and extended family that show me their love, understanding and support. I recognize their concern and am grateful for it and for them. I have come to appreciate each one of them even more this year than I did before. I am thankful for each of you. I am truly blessed!

I pray that as we approach this Thanksgiving week that we can express our love and thanksgiving to one another and especially to a wonderful Father in Heaven who has given so much to us all. We each have challenges to face but that is how we grow. May those difficult times draw us nearer to Him.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

West Caribbean Cruise

The Carnival Freedom

We left Salt Lake on the morning of Saturday, September 18th, for Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I never quite get used to flying!! One of my greatest fears. How I hate that I hate it! But how else do you get to Florida? So off we went for a week of true relaxation. I love to cruise more than I hate to fly.

Our cruise ship was the Carnival Freedom and we left port on Sunday afternoon. We visited Key West, Grand Cayman (Georgetown), and Jamaica (Ocho Rios). We traveled with Brad, Tyler and Ben and since I don't swim and don't snorkel, Mike and Tyler snorkeled in Grand Cayman. Mike said that the coral wasn't as vibrant in color as what he has seen on other cruises but they had a good time. He sunburns so easily so he had taken precaution by wearing a shirt with his swim suit. However, he forgot his sunscreen and forgot that the backs of his legs were not protected. When he returned to the ship, his legs were "vibrant in color". He spent a lot more time on this cruise in shorts ... something we rarely see! (By the way, I like him in shorts! He needs to wear them more often!)

Our highlight of the trip was in Jamaica. At the suggestion of Marc and Gretchen, we decided to try the Zipline excursion. What a blast! We loved it and took several pictures (thank you, Ben!) That is definitely an excursion we would go on again! The workers/instructors were so professional and fun. We were told that we could yell, scream, cry and even use profanity .... that there were "no swear words that the trees of the forest had not heard before". The first line was a bit "breathtaking" but the following 8 were much easier. By the time we had "zipped" down nearly 3000 feet, we were beginning to feel like "seasoned" zipliners! Well, almost! I nearly crashed into a tree on the next to last landing! Once again, the instructor was the saving factor! I think I may have scared him a little, too, but he was willing to put himself between me and the tree!

Mike and I are all suited up!

"Tough" looking group, don't you think?

Getting instructions

Mike "flying" through the trees!

"Here I come! Catch me!"

A long walk up but a shorter walk down!

Taken on our way back to the shuttle. The flowers were beautiful!

Guess who got back first? Youth has it!

We loved the formal nights, the good food, the warmth and even the humidity ..... well, at least I loved the humidity! We did a little shopping at each port but came home with very little in the way of souvenirs. No souvenirs but some really good memories.

All dressed up for one of the two formal nights onboard.

They clean up right nice, don't they?

(Ben, Tyler, and Brad)

It was a great trip! We are ready to book another cruise for 2011. Anyone want to go with us??

September, Family and Good Times!

September has started out to be a busy month. Jake celebrated his 3rd birthday on the 8th. I stayed down at Chris and Niccole's until the 9th. I picked up Ivan on the way back to Logan on Thursday. It was our "time together". It was so much fun to have Ivan with us for a few days. He went to stay with Caitlin to celebrate Cait's birthday on Friday and on Saturday Ivan, Caitlin and I went out to lunch at McDonald's. We then spent the afternoon together before going to dinner at Texas Roadhouse to also celebrate Cait's birthday. Ivan went to play out at Phil and Kristen's because the Roadhouse has too many peanuts which he is very allergic to. We didn't go to church on Sunday but continued to spend time together on Monday. We went out to have lunch, feed the ducks and do all the things that Grandma's and grandsons find fun doing together. I loved the time with Ivan! He is so much fun!

Gretchen had given Ivan $5 to bring to Logan with him. She told him that if he didn't spend it all that he should bring back the rest to give it to her. He also had about a dollar and a little change that was his own. It was a hoot to see how hard he tried to spend the money that his mother gave him. On Tuesday morning he still had the full amount. He begged me to take him to "All a Dollar" to find something to take home. Ivan was to ride back as far as Ogden with Mike and then Gretchen would pick him up there. We went shopping! It was funny! He wanted to spend at least $5 . When we got home he had his treasures from the "dollar" store. Then he drew out a dollar bill. I said, "Oh good! You have a dollar to take back to your Mom." He replied, "Oh, no. I spent my mom's money. This is the dollar that I brought that was mine!" Grandad and I had a good laugh!!

"Ivan's dollar" to take home!

Packed up and ready to go home.

Caitlin is in the saddle to have "Happy Birthday" sang to her while eating at Texas Roadhouse.

Birthdays and Holidays

Dad and Mike having a good camp trip! Rest and relaxation is what it is all about.

We spent the weekend of Mike's 63rd birthday in Salt Lake. We all met at Marc and Gretchen's before beginning the "Party".

When Mike was asked where he wanted to go to eat for his birthday, his reply was:

"In N Out Burger, of course!"

Everyone seemed to be ok with that since it was a "cheap" meal where we could take all of the kids. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal.

The kids in their "birthday hats"!

Carter (in front), Hiram (behind Cart), Brigham (front), Kaden and Noah

Before eating we had spent time at the park playing kickball, Kube, resting and visiting.

Some of the group played games, others napped (Mike S. and Matt), read or visited.

Playing Kube

Jenicca rests. She always smiles and is so fun to have around. She is my beautiful "Sweet Baby Girl". (Not so much a "baby" any more! But she will always be "Sweet Baby Girl" to me!)

Mike and Christina with family and Matt & Amanda stayed the weekend with Marc and Gretchen. Mike, Grandad and I went to stay at Nicci's, while Kristen & kids stayed at the Pugsley's. Phil flew back from Costa Rica late Saturday night and they had to be back in Logan for church on Sunday. Mike also went back to teach his Sunday School and came back afterwards to join in the Labor Day celebrating on Monday. This family knows how to keep a party going!!!

Monday we joined together to go to Hogle Zoo. The weather was great! It was fun to be there with the kids since we hadn't visited the zoo for quite a few years.

We spent quite a bit of time watching the elephants.

The baby was so cute!

Stopping for a short rest

Getting all of the kids in one place to take a group photo was somewhat of a challenge. What a great looking bunch of grandkids!! Poor Caitlin is just a bit out-numbered at our family outings.

Coop and Dad (Marc) stop long enough for Grandma to exercise her camera. Cooper didn't seem too thrilled about posing.

The little ones had to drag Grandma along.

(Jake, Cooper, & Kaden)

Faces like these make life worthwhile!!

(Jacob & Kaden)

Thanks everyone for the great weekend together, for making Grandpa's birthday a happy one (and for his stiffness from kickball ~~ that part helped him feel his age)!

We had a fun time! Family is great!

Summer Stays are Coming to a Close

I feel badly that summer is nearly over. It has been fun to have several of the grandkids come to stay or at least come to visit during their summer school break. We have had a chance to get many of the "southern" kids together with the "Logan" kids for a few fun hours and days. We have managed to do things that this Grandma doesn't often do ... like going to:

The Park

"Baby J" (Juliana) and "Baboo" (Jake) had fun on the slides.

Juliana

Josh and Jenicca were good to come along to help the little ones up and down the slides.

Jake takes a ride in the car in the mall! (Thanks to Aunt Starla!)

Jake and Brad fed the ducks at First Dam

At the County Fair

What a busy week! We tried to pack in all of the activities that we could. Jake had a lot of fun playing with his Logan cousins. We were glad that Chris and Niccole decided to go on an Oregon vacation and Jake decided he would rather stay with Grandma.

Wouldn't some of the rest of the group like to take a trip and leave one behind? A great time for Grandma and Grandpa to get some good one-on-one time!! There were still quite a few that we didn't get to get that time with this summer. There are some we are still looking forward to; however, before the year is through. Ivan .... we are looking forward to some time in September while you are out of school. Time for you and Cait!! And hopefully we will get some "day dates" with some of the younger ones!

Thanks to all for giving us fun times this summer!