Donna's Journey

Yes, 31 years ago, at 9:00 am I was sealed in the Salt Lake Temple to my eternal companion, Roger. It was my sister-in-law’s 11th Wedding anniversary and the reception was held at their home in Sandy.

My two youngest sons met us with breakfast in bed this morning. They served us clementines, scrambled eggs with bacon, buttered toast, and ice water.

We have been so blessed with seven wonderful children, two wonderful daughter-in-laws, a great son-in-law, a great-son-in-law to be, five sweet grandsons, a grand daughter on the, and a grandson on the way. It has all gone so fast!

We have been greatly rewarded and am not ashamed of having seven children…
Psalms 127:
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

and we are happy…
11 Nephi 5: 27 And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.

So, happy anniversary to us!

I wrote this post back on 23 November and it has sat in drafts. The particular young man (mentioned hereafter) that we have all enjoyed, is the very young man that proposed on Christmas Day.

I will post it now…

I have been blessed with four sons and three daughters. Yes, I encourage my sons in preparation for their future home, as well as my daughters.

My boys were always boys and preferred building, wrestling, and such. They came in twos, not as twins but two years apart which gave them someone to grow up with. The boys have dad to help with their preparations. Raising daughters takes more time for me to prepare them for being a wife and a mother.

My girls grew up in the shadow of their brothers. Julia had no one but her brothers to play with for the first 6.5 years, then came Jennifer. So it is no surprise that Julia started out a bit tomboyish. Then while Julia was in full swing of her tomboyishness, she got to share a room with her little sister. About the time Julia left young women’s Jennifer entered in. Mary was born when Jennifer was 9 1/2, and of course was closer in age to the boys born between her and her older sister, Jennifer. So the tomboyishness continued. Add to that the fact that boys out number girls that age in our ward four to one, so guess who Mary’s closest friends were?

Children grow up. My sons grow into their manly handsomeness. My daughters grow to blossom of young womanhood, as my daughters begin to see their feminine gifts. I was delighted when my oldest two boys found their eternal companion five years ago. It was a joy in February for Jennifer to find her eternal companion. It does this mother’s heart good to watch her children find someone to love and be loved by, their match, a companion that they can look towards eternity with. To see God’s hand in their life.

I sadden with their heartbreaks and rejoice in their happiness. It has been difficult to watch a lovely and prepared daughter go through the heart break of young adulthood, with few dates. There have been a few that have sought her interest, but really they had nothing in common. Last winter seemed to hold promise but came with heartbreak.

It was all for the best. Recently, several wonderful young men have recognized her worth and she has had a wonderful autumn of dates with these more mature young men.

There has been one in particular that we have all enjoyed!

Julia has grown and is definitely no longer a tom boy. She is in full blossom of beautiful womanhood, and she wears happiness well.

Many have asked for pictures of my daughter and her fiance. I suggested that Julia start a blog for her and Rory, so they can post things throughout their engagement, add pictures, and links to bridal registries as they get registered. I told her they could keep the blog after they marry as their family blog.

Julia and I went out tonight so she could check the Christmas sales to see if there were any mini white Christmas lights on sale. She wanted white lights to use at the reception and later for her own Christmas Tree. We found what she needed.

She needs to make a list of what she has and what she needs before she can fully fill out any bridal registry, which she can then do with Rory later.

When we came home tonight Julia created the blog.
The title is “A Match Made in Heaven.”

I love the way the sun dances across my kitchen floor in winter. During summer maple and almond trees wear leafy capes that block the dance. In autumn the trees drop their modesty and reveal what lies beneath their greenery.

On winter mornings the sun playfully bounces through the branches and pours through the southern window of the kitchen in the morning it flows from the east through the window and illuminates the sink on the west wall and begins its dance across the kitchen, warming the ceramic tile floor and saying to us wake up, the new day is here.

By dinner time during winter the sun pours through the east window casting a brilliant light upon the stove on the west wall, calling me to my duties to create a meal to gladden the heart and warm the body.

This is one of the simpler joys of winter.

Yes Happy Birthday little James. He was born the day after Christmas 2006. It was wonderful to have James, Jonny, and their parents visit during the week of Christmas!

Always to be remembered, never to be forgotten.

We arose leisurely and had a large family breakfast. Then off to the living room, all 12 of us, to open presents and enjoy the wonder.

In mid afternoon, Rory and his family arrived.Julia gave Rory his a hand crocheted blue scarf which she had made for hom. He then asked her if she was ready for her blue. He handed her a box. She opened the outer box and said, ” I wonder if it is what I think it is?” It was a box of scriptures. She thanked him and he asked her if she was going to take them out. She un-taped it and just as she saw it said “Julia Ann Groves” he pulled out a small blue box and opened it and said, “Julia, will you marry me?” and then slipped a blue topaz ring on her finger. Right there in front of Rory’s parents and sister, Jonathan, Tiffany, James, Mary, Roger, and I.

Later Adam and Jon were talking and I heard Adam say, “they look so natural like they have already been married for 3 years.” When its right it does feel so natural.

I am wishing you all the Merriest of Christmases!

I have had my family around me and am enjoying Christmas.

The weather has been exciting, and it sure looks like it will be a white Christmas. I have had the opportunity to do some adventures in snow driving. Family and friends have ventured and made it safely to our abode. The first snows last week were several inches of dry snow, Yes, the kind that you sweep away with a broom and the grown below is dry. The snow since Sunday has been heavy,wet, and at least a foot deep.

On Thursday Night I drove Julia to her temple shift because the weather was bad here and we assumed it would be worse as we went North. While I was taking Julia to the temple for a temple shift, Roger was driving Jeremy to Salt Lake in driving snow, so Jeremy could help Adam’s family. My daughter-in-law, Ki, needed help with her toddlers because she hurt her back and could not lift them. I took Mary along and we went to We went to Dear Lizzie’s Boutique and Bistro in Alpine for a mother daughter date, and a slice of chocolate-mint brownie.

I drove to Magna on Friday with Julia. We went to Dear Lizzie’s Boutique and Bistro on the way to Salt Lake.Yikes! I had to drive around the point of the mountain in a snow storm. Yes, can you say, “white out” at times? I chose the frontage road and that mad all the distance. The plows were out and I did not need to worry about as many crazy drivers. There are always trade-offs though. The trade-off was when I left my Northern direction and turned west it was a 5-10 mile an hour drive from I 15 to Magna. I got to meet Rory’s parents, sister (Alexi), and brother Cort. The drive south was not so bad. I was not driving in traffic, yeah! We stopped by my son Adam’s home so Julia could introduce Rory to her big brother.

Saturday was more snow driving. The weather was bad enough that I drove Julia to work in Lehi.

Sunday was very short driving…basically to church and home again, all of two blocks. My son Jon who was going to drive up on Tuesday from Tehachapi, California, decided that he wanted to slip in between storms. He and his family arrived just after midnight.

Monday, the snow came with a vengeance. Julia woke and told us her brother emailed last night that he wanted to be picked up from Salt lake on Monday. We looked out the window and the snow was coming fast. This time it was heavy and packable. My kids and grand children donned their snow clothes and out they went! Roger cleared about 4 inches and then we hopped into the van and headed north to get Jeremy. We took the frontage road again. This time, for a brief moment the visibility was zero and we had to storm in the wind whipped snow because we could not see the road.
The we were thankful to be on the frontage road going around the point, as we began to see the wild grasses growing along the sides of the road, sticking up high enough to see, where all lines had disappeared. Once in Salt Lake valley it was raining.

Last night we were invited out to Saratoga Springs for a Christmas party. Roger and I drove the truck and picked up Julia in Lehi at work on our way. The roads were nasty and icy.

It appears the air is clear and you can see forever. I get to go out in this today to finish last minute shopping and take Julia to work. It is the calm between storms.

Snow, Snow, snow, and more snow. Roger even got out the snow blower and cleared many of driveways, and James got to learn how to use a snow blower and then took it to clear the neighbor’s snow. Our snow level is about 1 foot or so. My kids and grandkids are happy .

This morning is a day of mourning and rejoicing. Mourning for loss and rejoicing that the suffering is over and a valiant man has progressed forward. This morning I woke to a phone ringing. It was Becky, the wife of my missionary, Elder Henry “Kim” West. She called to tell me that Elder West passed to the other side in his sleep this morning at 4:00 am., and died restful.

In January 1973 Kim was on of the two missionaries that came to my home to respond to my request to have representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, teach me what they believe. At the time I was investigating several churches, searching, searching…

I was so glad to have had the opportunity to visit with him in October 2006 when our family went down for the X-prize to Las Cruces, New Mexico. We stopped in Arizona on the way home and got to know Kim’s family. I am so glad that my younger children got to meet one of the men that sacrificed to teach me the gospel.

Just after Christmas this last year, Kim was ill and went in for tests. He had cancer and they took an aggressive approach. In January they discovered the cancer had spread to his brain and they said there was nothing they could do. He was sent home to die and were expecting weeks and were blessed with months with him.

He got very ill on his mission and I remember he was tall, very thin, and had to take medicine when he came to teach us. Just after teaching my sister and me, he was there to witness our baptism and help confirm us new members of the church. He was shortly, thereafter hospitalized and not expected to live so he was sent home to die. He had a miraculous recovery and lived to marry and raise a family. God has surely blessed him!

He had been a fabulous missionary.

Classic Books and Gift is a new Bookstore in Lehi. They have a generous and wonderful selection of classic books, educational games, classic movies, Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd) materials and homeschool materials; a good all around family bookstore.

Classic Books & Gifts, Inc.
187 West Main Street
Lehi, Utah

I drove up, its only 12 minutes from Orem! My daughter, Julia, just started working there today, so I drove her up, because of the nasty weather. The interstate, was fine. This gave me an opportunity to browse the shelves!

This is such a convenient location for the Wasatch front!