Wordless Wednesday

First trip to the beach March 5, 2013

Wordless Wednesday

A hundredfold

 

"The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude."
- Joseph B Wirthlin
Our Heavenly Father loves us, we are his children. We were sent to Earth to make choices, receive a body, and have free agency. While he may not step in and stop the bad from happening I promise that he will never forsake you and that his Angels both in heaven and earth will help us bear our burdens. Trust in Him. Have faith in Him. That you might one day receive the blessing of exhalation and have that which has caused you to grieve be turned into blessing one hundred fold. His arms are open beckoning us to come and turn our burdens over to him.

Below is the story of a young mother who at the age of 28 was left a widow with 5 children to raise the youngest being just 6 weeks old. Her husband was murdered by the husband of the person he was having an affair with. An affair which she did not know about. It is her journey of healing and forgiveness. 

http://themomentswestand.blogspot.com/

My Twins, Best Friends for Life

These handsome dudes started Kindergarten this year!

Great Grandpa's Pumpkin Roller: 5 years later

 

 Since the day she was born Lydia and her Great Grandpa had a special relationship, she referred to him and my Grandma as "The Greats" and she was his pumpkin roller. Why pumpkin roller I don't really know.....other than can you think of anything cuter than a baby in a pumpkin patch?

The Greats were always so cute with her, she loved to play at their house and they loved having her there.

 

She would help them get ready for bed, tucking them in and getting cotton for Great Grandma's ears so she couldn't hear Great Grandpa snore. She loved to tap dance for them. Every Saturday evening we would turn on the Lawrence Welk Show and she would put her church shoes on and dance her little heart out and they would clap and clap. This also would happen when they would watch Singing in the Rain.

 

Right before Lydia's third birthday we found a bear in a trench coat that sang "Singing in the Rain" and my mom decided it would be the perfect gift for her. A few days before her birthday Grandpa got sick. We were told that he would have a few days left and I knew in my heart that he was going to pass away on Lydia's birthday. He wasn't responsive to hardly anyone and as the days past the less responsive he came. He gave Lydia the most wonderful gift he could give. The last words he spoke were to her, she had told him she loved him and he opened his eyes and said I love you to pumpkin roller.

Lydia and her Singing in the Rain bear

Lydia's 3rd Birthday

Shortly after her party Grandpa returned to his Heavenly Father and his mother and father who he missed so much. Every New Years Eve he would tell us "Today's my moms birthday, she would be__ today" (Happy 109th Birthday Great Grandma Greer!) It was a blessing that he was no longer suffering from Alzheimer and dementia but him passing on Lydia's birthday makes the day bitter sweet. She has a hard time with it, I try hard to remind her of their good times and the precious gift he gave her and continues to give. It has been 5 years and we miss him so much!

Lydia 8 years old

Shortly after her 8th birthday Lydia had her tonsils out (I will tell more of that story later) and she had complications like I did. She was kept over night and the next day in the hospital. I felt so alone up there, Alex was home with our other kids and my parents where working and Lydia slept a lot. I would watch her sleep. And wonder if there was anyone watching from the other side, and if so why couldn't I feel them with me?

Lydia and I resting at the Hospital

When we got home she came into my bedroom and said, mom do you remember Grandpa who passed away? I had a dream he came to me, he was wearing my favorite shirt and he told me to tell you not to worry that "Grandpa is here".

 

Knowing the special bond they had of course it would make sense that he would be watching over her and me from the other side especially during her tonsillectomy (I am sure there was others there too). And ever since then I have heard songs that he taught me,  Loch Lomond and Don't Fence Me In. And seen quite a few Tumbling Tumbleweeds.  It makes me miss him very much but I know that he is close and that "The Greats" will be there for Lydia's baptism this weekend as will all of her loved ones that have passed already. If they wouldn't miss it while they are alive, why would they miss it from the other side.

 

In his talk "The Ministry of Angels"  Elder Jeffrey R Holland states:

 

My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.” ¹³ On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal.

 

May we all believe more readily in, and have more gratitude for, the Lord’s promise as contained in one of President Monson’s favorite scriptures: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, … my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” ¹⁴ In the process of praying for those angels to attend us, may we all try to be a little more angelic ourselves—with a kind word, a strong arm, a declaration of faith and “the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted.” ¹⁵ Perhaps then we can be emissaries sent from God when someone, perhaps a Primary child, is crying, “Darkness … afraid … river … alone.” To this end I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."

 

I know this to be true and I too say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.



For Time and All Eternity: LDS Temples



Zoe Elizabeth Tolman

 I will never forget the day this little girl walked into my life. With her beautiful blond hair and stunning eyes and her spunky personality. She was splashing away in the swimming pool with my brother and her mom. She was laughing and talking a mile a minute. It was love at first site. I had to stop myself several times from saying "Come see Aunt Tracie!" Because I wasn't  her Aunt, although it may have slipped out once or twice.

 

My brother had always told us that he would never marry and if he did it wouldn't be for a very, very, long time. So when he brought a date to our family reunion it was a BIG DEAL. And not just that he had brought a date but one with this beautiful little girl, I had to hide my shock. Because he told me that he was waiting to have kids till Lydia was old enough to baby sit for him. I don't know if he knew it then or not, but I did. This little girl was going to be my niece.  

 

And it wasn't long before this:

 

Once they were engaged Derek's name was placed on her Birth Certificate. He was on his Mission when she was born, but her biological father chose not to be involved. And that is okay, she is his. They have the same personality and if you didn't know it you couldn't tell because she looks just like him. He is her Dad, and she is my niece!

 

And on January 8, 2010 They were sealed for Time and All Eternity:

Jaydie, Derek, and Zoe

Lydia, Zoe, and Trinity

Jaydie, Derek, and Zoe

 Other than my own Temple Sealing, watching families and couples be joined together for Time and All Eternity is some of the most sacred and beautiful experiences I have ever had. People who through adoption, or are already married to finally receive those wonderful blessings that they have waited for, to have the people they love sealed to them forever there is nothing quite like it. It is a very special experience. And once you are Sealed any children born to you are yours forever too!

 

A few weeks ago I was teaching Zoe's class in church and during singing time we sang the song: Families can be Together Forever she turned to me with tears in her eyes and said: Aunt Tracie do you remember when I was sealed to my family forever? I do it was the most wonderful day! It was hard for me to hold my tears back and I wrapped my arms around her and told her I did, and it was a wonderful day!

 

A few days later her little brother Rockwell was born, he had trouble breathing and was in the NICU for a few days. Our family prayed and fasted for his health and for his parents. He is home now and doing well.

Zoe, Jaydie, Rockwell, Derek, Pyper

In our religion we believe that when we are married in the Temple that it is not just for this life, but that the family unit continues after death. For Time and All Eternity. Isn't that wonderful! I know it is true, and that we are not just sealed to our spouse and children but to our parents and grandparents as well if they were sealed in the Temple.

Adam and Jeryka

 What a wonderful day it was watching Adam and his wife Jeryka being Sealed, the joy on their faces will not be something I will ever forget.

Brad, Kristin, and Shaylee

 Brad, Kristin, and Shaylee on the day they were Sealed. I remember the spirit was so strong when they brought Shaylee in there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Such a wonderful day.

Alex and I, Alex being Sealed, Meleah's Sealing and Kolya's Endowment

The top picture is of Alex and I on our Wedding day when we were Sealed as Husband and Wife, for Time and All Eternity. The middle picture is of Alex and his family on the day he and his brother where Sealed to their new parents. Alex and Kolya are adopted and so even though his parents where married in the Temple they still needed to be Sealed to them.

 

The bottom picture is of my niece Meleah, she is so special! She made me an Aunt! She was 18 months old when Alex and I got married. She was adopted by Alex's mom and Dad last summer. She was so excited she could hardly hold still! It was a blessing that she had waited a long time for, all of us had and the excitement in the air was very contagious and lasted all day. Alex's brother Kolya also went through the Temple for the first time that day. It was a day full of spiritual blessings.

 

I am so blessed to have the gospel in my life, especially the blessings of the Temple. That my husband, children, parents, brothers, nieces, nephews, brother and sister in laws, Alex's parents, and all our grandparents will be a family forever. I couldn't ask for anything better.

My family
Austin, Alex, Tracie, AJ
Lydia, Taylie

Salt Lake Temple
For Time and All Eternity
Alex and Tracie
March 5, 2005

To learn more about LDS Temples please visit: www.lds.org





All grown up!