Dearest Children, HAPPY 2019!!!
Not many photos this week. But oddly enough, we discovered a handful of treasured friends nearby.
1) Just 3 miles away we found “Elder & Sister” Campbell, great friends we served with in the Philippines San Pablo mission and we’ve actually stayed in touch over the years. We love their grafted tangerine/grapefruit tree.
Our Mission President and the office couple are also from here so we are planning on the eight of us spending an evening together.
We are also just a few miles from my step-sister Cheryl England Moss. She’s been recovering from cancer treatments so we have yet to get together.
I crossed paths with Sister Blackhurst in ‘our’ local ward today. We served together in the NYNY North Mission in Harlem!
As we were leaving the temple Thursday Heather Jefferies (Crawford) stopped to share a hug. (Of the famous Orem Jefferies, and we worked together at Macey's) Isn’t that awesome!?
Small world.
2) I’m pretty pleased to have finished the Book of Mormon challenge from the prophet. And happy that some of you did the same. There’s still time to begin.
While underlining each reference to God/Christ I was stunned how short my red pencil was at the end. I kept reading over and over, have faith in Christ.
Continually pray unto God the Father
in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus,
that he, through his infinite goodness and grace,
will keep you through the endurance of faith
on his name to the end.
I started it again Tuesday…but at a slower pace this time. Everyone keep being good to each other, kind to strangers and adventurous.
3) We played pickleball 6 days last week!
4) Lane’s doctor appointment Wednesday resulted in 2 cortisone shots and delayed knee surgery. (He even played pickleball before the appointment so it would be nicely swollen.)
COMING THIS WEEK:
7th - We fly to Boise, then drive to McCall, to spend time with Reta and Gary, and giving some relief to their kids who have been aiding their parents nearly nonstop for 2 months. (Update: Gary is no longer taking food or water, just pain medication)
9th - Audrey celebrates her 11th birthday - yippy!
10th - Darren & Stephanie Hill have now been married 5 years - woo-hoo!
11th - Carlie turns 19…enjoy your last year as a teenager
FUTURE PLANS:
February 4-March 9 we are traveling again with G Adventures to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
Mid-March we’ll be driving CarLa up the West Coast.
Late May/early June two weeks in Ireland. This is a Lane guided tour.
(If you interested in traveling with us get in touch with us soon. If you don’t come see us, we’ll come see you!!!)
Scatter smiles & sunshine Ü
Momma C & Dad Lane (G&G Howell)
801 499 7994
Week 2 - January 14, 2019
McCall calls,
1) How did we get here???? We sent Reta a text on the 5th offering our support as Gary had moved home under hospice care on the 3rd. She took us up on it and we arrived in Boise on the 7th, spent one night in Meridian with cousin Darrin and drove up to be at Gary’s bedside 9 hours before he passed.
2) Gary was passionate about many things, first was his family and a close second was his train collection.
Gary was also exceptionally organized!!! (Here’s Darrin looking over the files…one for each train, in great detail.)
3) Our support has shifted to distracting Reta. We are very good at it. Lane can tell travel stories and share puns. She’s had her first ever artichoke. Lane taught her to eat tapioca the right way…hot, with chocolate chips rather than cooled with crushed pineapple.
4) We’ve built puzzles, played rummikub, and Five Crowns.
(I think this is the worst hand I’ve had since Brian stacked the deck against me in Washington.)
5) Love this!!!
We hope to see some of you this weekend as Gary’s services are Saturday in McCall. Thanks for your prayers of comfort at this sad time. Reta is amazing and we are so grateful to spend this time with her and get to know her family better.
Coming this week:
14th ~ Meredith blows out 35 candles!
14th ~ Cameron passes out blowing out 45!
19th ~ Allen funeral with a family reunion on the side.
20th ~ We fly ‘home’ to Mesa.
Week 3 - January 20, 2019
To our most favoritest human beans on the planet,
1) We were honored to be invited to spend time with Reta and Gary before his passing, January 8th. His sons had left that morning to return to their work and families. Our responsibility was to help Reta keep Gary as comfortable as possible; propping up his head, positioning pillows under his ankles or turning him on his side, giving him morphine and anti-anxiety meds every 2-2.5 hours, putting lotion on his hands, knees and feet. We had only been with him 8 hours. He rested in the living room as Reta, Lane and I sat at the nearby dining table. His breathing slowed and quieted. We stood around his bed as Gary took his last breath. Remarkable and sobering. I calculate that in Gary’s 83 years his lungs and heart had enabled him to take well over 650,000,000 breaths. We witnessed his final one. It truly was a privilege to be with this beloved brother as he crossed from this mortal life to the next.
2) Reta and Gary were married over 58 years. They took their 4 children on a cruise to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary.
3) McCall is some distance from our family but somehow each of Reta’s surviving siblings made the trip. Six!
Which, coincidentally is the same number of our kids who attended (Roy and Savannah too). We appreciate each one of you, knowing that you would have joined us if you could have.
Gary spent 2 years in the US Army and was presented with military honors. The tribute was especially poignant in this forested cemetery blanketed with fresh snow.
4) Lane was enticed by the snow and ice in McCall, spending many hours shoveling and breaking up ice to clear Reta’s driveway. Still, we both smiled as we viewed it from our rearview mirror and headed back south. We flew to Phoenix early this morning from the Boise airport and we were back in Mesa by 9:30 a.m. It’s been a restful day and I feel like a zombie, probably look like one too ;o}
5) My favorite sacred hymn was performed at the service yesterday.
VERSE 3:
Be still my soul the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord
When disappointment grief and fear are gone
Sorrow forgot love's purest joys restored
Be still my soul when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last
When we shall be forever with the Lord
When disappointment grief and fear are gone
Sorrow forgot love's purest joys restored
Be still my soul when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last
6) January 20th
- today is National Cheese Lovers Day
- a total lunar eclipse night
- the 1st radio broadcast of the Lone Ranger (1930)
- the Patriots qualified for Super Bowl 2019!!!!!
Coming this week:
21st THATCHER will be 3!!!
23rd KC is Thatcher X eleven.
26th Tom’s sweetheart was born on this date in 1981
26th Jamie & Sam celebrate 8 years of marriage
Please share with us how you are doing...
Scatter smiles & sunshine Ü
Momma C & Dad Lane (G&G Howell)
801 499 7994
Week 4 - January 27, 2019
Marvelous Mesa Memories…
1) These cacti are beautiful!!! I want one. But what’s the point?
2) The Mesa Temple, considered a ‘pioneer’ temple, is under renovation so here is a photo of the Phoenix temple taken Thursday.
3) This is Taco country!
4) I spend most afternoons wearing out trying to keep up with Lane on the Pickleball court.
5) We snapped some unremarkable passport pics required for our February trip.
Photoshop makes me smile because I’m appalled by my turkey neck.
We snapped our license plate because we can’t memorize it ;o}
6) After a few tacos or burritos Mesa provides a rest stop.
7) I went to a stake fireside and was so thrilled to hear “Angel Lullaby” played as a musical duet.
Today was ward conference. 84 youth! 30 are Laurels. WOW.
8) Don’t be a nag, like me.
I love it! Simply do what you can do.
Coming this week:
January 28th - Spencer will be 4
January 29th - Jami’s 32 birthday
January 31st - We drive away from Arizona and spend 4 days at the Cali/AZ border.
February 3rd - Genevieve turns 1
February 4th - Callie & Rayson’s birthdays!
February 4th - We drive to LA and store CarLa for a month.
Feb 5th to Mar 9th - We tour Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand
