Miracles Never Cease!!

"Holy Toledo!!" were the words that jumped out of my mouth this morning!!  And that was the understatement of the year!!  Here's why.

A couple of weeks ago some friends were visiting at our home for a few days.  In the course of one of our conversations about the jewelry sales shows they do, I mentioned to EJ about "the only fine piece of jewelry I've ever owned besides my wedding ring" getting lost a few years ago.  It had a safety clasp on it to keep it from accidentally coming undone and falling off, but I had noticed on occasion that the clasp went on the wrong side, bypassing it's safety feature.  And then one day the necklace was gone.  Rod and I looked everywhere.  It wasn't to be found.

A similar thing had happened about 12 years ago.  We looked and looked to no avail.  TWO YEARS later, Rod was digging in the dirt where we sunk our trampoline, and VOILE!!  He found my necklace in the dirt!

Now, you have to understand the background to the necklace.  About 27 years ago, Rod bought me some pearls.  We could not afford them, but he wanted to do something nice for me.  The only problem was, he had spent a lot of money for something I wouldn't wear.  (I wasn't really in to pearls...)  After awhile, I asked if I could return them.  (I also didn't understand the importance of graciously accepting a gift!!)  He said he didn't mind, so I returned the pearls...however, the store wouldn't refund the money, so I was stuck with a piece of jewelry that I didn't feel was helping us be financially responsible.  Over the next couple of days, I looked over the jewelry counter, chose one necklace, then would return it the next day.  And that happened a couple of times.  I was in tears at the jewelry counter, feeling so "temporal" and also a bit "unworthy."  Why would I wear something so fine as any of these necklaces?!?!

And then I spotted something that changed the whole scenario.  There, under the glass, was a beautiful gold necklace, with a script letter "H" on it.  My heart soared as the thought hit me, "Now THAT I could wear, because it will always honor my husband!"  (Since our last name is "Hunt!")  And so, I "bought" that very special necklace, and have worn it more days than I have not worn it...that is until it was lost.  I was so very disappointed when the necklace was lost a second time.  However, with Denzel's death, perspective changes a bit, and the necklace was truly a very temporal thing.

So, I had this not-so-detailed conversation with EJ, and had the thought, "Well, at least Heavenly Father knows where the necklace is."

This morning I was getting cleaned up for the day, and got a little side-tracked getting rid of some of the accumulated bottles of this and that under my cosmetics drawer.  There was old bubble bath, extra bottles of polish remover, old lotion, etc.  I even had TWO jars of jewelry cleaner...for a woman with one wedding ring and no other "cleanable" jewelry!  Sheesh!!  So, I went to throw the "emptier" one in the trash, when the thought came into my mind, "Stop..."  That was weird!!  Why shouldn't I throw the extra cleaner away???  I opened the lid to pour out the liquid, and HOLY TOLEDO!!!!!!  There was my long lost necklace!!!!  I still can't believe it as I write this story!!

Heavenly Father DID truly know where it was.  And I was given the very tender mercy of having this treasured and meaningful, temporal necklace back in my life to honor my husband AND my Heavenly Father.  I am extremely grateful!!

Kids Say The Darnedest Things!

On Saturday I took all of the books off the two big bookshelves in the piano room so Rod and I could relocate them to our master bedroom, freeing up some room in the piano studio.  It worked out well all the way around and I love both rooms!  While organizing the books in their new location, I came across the notebook "Quotes from the Kids."  I haven't looked at that in years, so I opened it up and read.  Without further adieu, here are some of the things my "sweet adorables" have said over the years:

Denzel, age 3, found a dead mouse near the teacher housing where we were living in Montezuma Creek, Utah.  I suggested he take it over to his dad (through the field to the high school where Rod taught biology), and show him.  I wrapped it in a paper towel, and off he went.  I found out later that Rod expected I had sent him some cookies with the little messenger.  As Rod carefully opened the paper towel, Denzel said, "Look Papa, it's Mickey Mouse!!"

Denzel, age 5.  I had been trying to dig out a very large chunk of cement that had been left after a cement truck washout at our newly built home.  It took quite a bit of work before I could leverage it with my shovel and roll it down the small embankment away from our lot.  With my final shove to get it rolling down the slope, I shouted, "THIS is for the BIRDS!!"  (I was just a little bugged they had washed out and left it there.)  As I started filling in the large hole with dirt, Denzel went down the slope, stood on the big piece of cement, and innocently asked, "Mama...what are the birds going to do with it?"

Amelia, age 4.  (I was 8 months pregnant with my 7th child)  "Mom, when you get a fat belly, you get a fat bottom, too!"  (Wow!  Thanks for that unedited piece of information!)

Amelia, age 4 (she was on a roll...)  "Mom, you're taking too long!"  (I thought she was complaining that I was working too long on the computer, and I had only been working for FIVE MINUTES!)   But she clarified, "Mom, you are taking TOO long!!  Julie is going to have her baby first and YOU are going to be last!!"  Ahhhh, perspective.  I wish I could have hurried things up.  Julie DID have Harrison 6 weeks before Dallin was born...and Amelia had to wait...probably because she said such "naughty" things to her mother!  *_*

Kristy, age 6 (I was still pregnant and didn't realize I was so predictable with my behaviors.)  "Mom, when I grow up I'm going to be just like you!!  I'm going to have salad with peas on it for lunch, and watch Perry Mason!"

Amelia, age 4, two months after Dallin was born.  "Mom, I'm sure glad you're not pregnant anymore.  Now I can lay on your lap (she had fallen asleep on my lap and drooled down my dress!), and people don't have to see your fluffy belly anymore."  Sheesh!!!

Amelia, age 4, three months after Dallin was born, saying the blessing at Sunday dinner, "...and thank thee that Uncle Dan could have blue eyes like mine...and bless the food...in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Natalee, age 3.  First record of her great love for animals.  "Look Mama!!  I have a 'woggie-pog'!!"  I'm not sure how or where she found a polliwog, but she has been finding living things ever since!

Amelia, age 5, singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas.  "...Good tithings we bring, to you and your kin..."  Her dad was bishop at the time and in the middle of tithing settlement interviews...

Natalee, age 4.  Eating dinner together, talking with the kids (7 kids plus Rod and I always made for an "experience" each dinner-time), and telling Natalee that she needed to finish eating her Mexicali Soup before she could have more chips and jello.  Then I got involved in conversation with the other kids and didn't hear her until she yelled, "MOM!  I'm done with my Cali-Cali Poop!!"  The older kids about rolled on the floor laughing!

Dallin, age 5, staring Kindergarten.  "It will be a LONG time before I graduate...I will have to eat a LOT of breakfastes before I'm that old!"

Dallin, nearly 9.  We were working in the garden, in nearly dark dusk, planting tomatoes and beets, when he said, "I'm sure glad I won't be a MOM when I grow up...then I won't have to plant a garden!!"

Natalee, age 10.  I was opening a birthday present on my 46th birthday and discovered a beautiful calendar by well-known artist, Gregg Olsen.  On the cover of the calendar was a picture of Christ.  I tapped the calendar with my hand as I tried to remember the artist's name and said, "Ohhh!  I love this!  Now....who is this...?"  Natalee quickly supplied, "It's JESUS!"

Denzel, age 20.  He was doing something (that I can't remember now...) and exclaimed, "I'm going to be soooo mad if this is retarded!!"  Without missing a beat, I replied, "That's what I said when I was pregnant with you!"  It took a second to register what had slipped out of my mouth, and then we both died laughing!!

Dallin, age 9.  Wrote a sweet note:  "I love you so much that your just a boguet of a mom.  Love Dallin"  I guess that's right up there with Nat's sweet Mother's Day gift of "My mom is as pretty as a horse."  Everyone laughed when I read the framed picture aloud, but quickly assured her I loved it when I saw her disappointed face.  Several years later, Nat was waiting for me to complete some computer work, and she read some of the things on the wall from past Mother's Day.  When she read the "horse" picture, she instantly said, "That's rude!!"  She was finally old enough to understand why we had laughed.

Another note from Dallin to his Dad:  "Thanks for helping me along the way of my life dad.  Love, Dallin"

Conversation overheard between Kristy, age 15, and Amelia, age 13:
Kristy:  I have an autobiography due in my English class this Friday...shoot!!!
Amelia:  Ooooh!  I know...you can write it about ME!!

Conversation between Kristy, age 16, and me:
Mom:  Hey Kristy, I bought some new pills...they're enzymes, and they're supposed to help with flatulence.  If you want to try them, I don't mind.
Kristy: (Excited reply as she pats her chest)  Oh good!!!  This is just what I need...but I AM starting to grow!
Mom: (After I controlled my laughter enough to get words out)  Kristy, enzymes help with GAS, not breast development!

Conversation with Natalee on Fast Sunday just as Testimony Meeting was getting ready to start:
Mom:  Nat, what do you have in your mouth?
Nat:  Gum! (And she opened her mouth to show me)
Mom:  What's that red thing next to the gum?
Nat:  A Jolly Rancher
I got a mock shocked look on my face, to which she quickly replied, "It doesn't count if you suck on it, does it???"
(Hmmm, maybe I'll get a piece of steak, next time I fast, and suck on it!  *_* )

Conversation overheard after having family scriptures at 5:30 a.m. and then kids getting ready to practice violin and piano before getting ready for school.  "I don't understand WHY we can't be like a 'normal' family...that SLEEPS!!"

A conversation with one of my sweet adorables after she came home with a couple of hickies on her neck.  I expressed some concerns about her choices, and after talking a bit, this sweet daughter declared:  "Well, at least I don't kiss anyone I don't know!"  Oh, all of my fears suddenly vanished...not!!

Conversation with Denzel at the kitchen counter when he was about 22 years old and visiting home for lunch.
Mom:  Denz, Sister Feltwell said that I'm really a perfectionist.  I don't think I am at all!!!  What do you think!!

After a thoughtful pause, he replied, "No, Mom, I don't think you're a perfectionist...you like to do a lot of things but you don't do anything really well."

And he wondered why I refused to feel him anymore!!!  *_*


Too bad I didn't keep a more regular record of all the things these sweet children have said over the years.  Jaimi, and Brandon, just wait!!  I'm sure I'll come across stuff in my journals at some point, and then you will be quoted for sure!!!

Going to the Temple with Kristy!

I was thrilled when Kristy called to invite me to go to the temple with her.  It worked out well that I didn't have piano lessons all this week.

What an amazing experience as we walked from the car to the temple doors.  I was suddenly brought back in time to the last time I stood on these sacred temple grounds.  It was 2007 and the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House.  Rod and I and Amelia, Natalee, and Dallin had gone to it.  But the best part was that Denzel met us there, dressed in his camp gear from Camp Williams.  he wasn't able to stay long, but we took pictures and it was so great to have him come be there for a minute with us.

Being there this morning with Kristy brought back some very tender feelings.  So grateful to be there with her today!!  ❤️

Mighty Miracles...Amazing Avenues!!

Rod and I sure had an amazing weekend in Heber City with Rod’s siblings and their spouses!  That’s the succinct version.  More details about that later, but I have to detail what happened as we drove back to St. George this afternoon.  

To preface:  our horse truck (a Ford F150) has been limping along for the past couple of months, needing a $600 repair replacing the steering column that will no longer shift into park.  It has to be in neutral to start it;  I have to guess where reverse and drive are because nothing lines up anymore. 

Thursday, Nat and I took her horse to the vet because he had bashed his leg pretty badly.  Well, the truck wouldn’t turn off at the vet’s…no matter what I tried…so it idled the whole time the vet was working on the horse.  Then we took the horse to the automotive shop we go to, and one of the guys taught me how to remove the distributor cap (carefully, so as not to get shocked!), and to take off the battery cable so it wouldn’t be drained.  We then took Rowdy back to the corrals, dropped the trailer there, and I took the truck back, deciding we just better bite the bullet and replace the steering column.  And the next morning Rod and I left for Heber.

(While up there I looked at KSL Classifieds and Craigs List, thinking I might come across a replacement truck.  I found a possibility in Toquerville and the guy would come down to $3000…we’d stop by on our return trip to look at it.)

When we started our homeward trek, I decided that we didn’t even need to stop and look at the potential replacement because I felt strongly impressed that we should go into debt for it. We should just make minimal repairs and start saving for another truck. While we were driving, I called the shop and they hadn’t been able to locate a replacement steering column, so I told them to go ahead with the key mechanism replacement for $150.  At least it would keep the truck useable for horseback riding.

As Rod and I were getting close to home, driving up the steep hill by Leeds, we noticed a truck pulled onto the shoulder…and a little ways ahead a man was walking…in the rain!  So we pulled over, backed up, and gave him a ride to the Conoco station at Coral Canyon where he got some gas and we drove him back to his truck.  As we were driving, I asked about his truck.  When he mentioned it was an F250 I felt prompted to tell him “my truck story.”  When I finished he said, “I have a steering column for an F150, 1994 that will work in a 1993.”  Dad and I were both dumbfounded.  I called the shop and asked if they had done the work on the ignition yet.  They hadn’t, so I told them, “Don’t do anything!  I might have a steering column.  I’ll call you back!”

I asked Alan how much he would charge for the part, and he replied after a thoughtful few seconds, “Oh, how about…a ride to get some gas?”  I’m not quite sure how many times I asked him, “Are you kidding???” but it finally got through to us that he was making us a very generous offer for our helping him out.  After dropping him off at his truck and getting directions to his place in Logandale, I called our auto shop and told them the situation, asking how much it would cost to install the steering column.  Lonnie looked up the rates and told me, "It will cost $150."  Exactly what I was going to pay just to repair the key mechanism!!

Driving to Logandale gave me time to contemplate how VERY AWARE our Heavenly Father is of our needs, and He has amazing ways of blessing us when we’re doing everything in our power to do what He wants us to do!!  Rod and I are grateful to Him!!

Silverado's Legacy

Silverado has quite the legacy!!  Grandpa Don Whittaker bought her at the horse auction in Cedar City, as a 3 year old, for $300, brought her home and told Nat, "If you train her, you can use her for whatever you want..."  And so Nat did.  

Every day after school Nat would work Silver, and come home irritated at her.  But after awhile, Nat fell in love with this horse and trained her to be THE most amazing horse any of us have ever ridden!!  Calm, smooth-beyond-belief, and easy enough for a 5 year old to ride alone!

One man even offered Don $5000 for his $300 investment...and turned him down for Natalee's sake,..but I'm getting ahead of myself!

When Silver was trained, Nat entered a horse princess pageant, which she won.  Don was so proud of Natalee...as were we...and Nat was SO proud of Silverado!!

When Nat turned 16, Grandpa Don gave Silverado as a birthday gift to Natalee!!  It was unbelievable!!  Don mentioned he had sold a horse out from under his son, Bret Whittacker, and he had some severe regrets about that decision.  He would not do the same thing to Natalee even though Don was offered $5000 for Silverado.  Natalee got the best birthday gift she's ever received!!

Silverado started out as a  dark grey and brown paint...but as the years went by, the dominant grey gene had its way and she gradually went from paint to grey to nearly white.  People that only knew her as white couldn't believe it was her in earlier pictures!!  (Just like us, as we age!!)

We loved riding in rodeos together. . .

Our family, and so many others, have been blessed by Silverado as well.  The following pictures are just a small sampling of the many different rides and adventures from 2005 to 2015!  Look closely and you may find a picture or two of YOU riding Silverado!!

Two weeks before Grandpa Don died, he got a visit from Silverado's foal, Kodiak.  He loved seeing her again!

Nikki has ALWAYS loved Silverado...shouting, "Go Faster, Grandma!" whenever we would ride her together!

She was the PERFECT horse for Rod to ride...tall, like him, calm, like him!!

 Saying a last "Cowboy Farewell" to Grandpa Don, who blessed our lives beyond measure  with his love, and his love of horses.  Silverado has carried on that legacy!!

May 20th. 2015  The day before Silverado foaled. . . 

May 21, 2015 

May 22, 2015  Saying a very sad farewell to Silverado. . .

May 23, 2015 Saying another sad farewell to Silverado's foal, Renegade.

Our family lost a very special member of our family...one who was a best friend to Natalee, and a blessing to so many peoples' lives.  It's hard to put into words how her loss has affected us.

But we can say that even the hardest losses are made easier because of the close family ties we share.  Even the members of our family who weren't here in person, were felt in spirit.  We are so grateful for our entire family!!

We hope to always be grateful for the many blessings we have been given from the Lord, even when difficult things happen, and our hearts are broken.  We know the source from Whom ALL blessings flow...and we are so thankful to Him!