In your own bed, a new friend, and some pots

Where, oh, where is my camera? I can't seem to find it.
I think I might have put it somewhere so Noah wouldn't play with it and I forgot where.
Noah says (when I'm leaving his room for him to go to sleep) "you hava stay" (you have to stay)
It's so cute and makes me want to stay.
He has been sleeping in his bed the entire night for the past week.
I know you're thinking "big deal!"
Well, Noah always (well, almost always) goes to sleep in his bed but for some reason always wakes up in mine.
It was hard in the beginning so Heath had to be the consistent parent on this one.
Asher is gaining more confidence in his arm.
Pulling up more and trying to stand
I found him today giving the stairs a try.
He had one knee on the first step with both hands on the second. He's not quite ready for that one.
I got to go to the Temple on Saturday. Palmyra Temple.
The stake Relief Society rented a charter bus. The drive is a little over 3 1/2 hours (I think)

We left at 5 am and returned at about 8 pm. This is the longest I've been away from Asher.
I knew he was in good hands and Heath said that he didn't know it was that hard to keep the living room clean. It was good for them both.
I made a new friend.
Her name is Sister Wawro (I haven't seen her first name on her blog so I will not use it on mine either). She is in the stake Relief Society presidency. She is a great lady.
Someone I admire for sure.
She is 34. Her husband died when she was 29 of cancer.
She has 3 kids. She is very friendly and lots of fun. I made her sit in an empty seat near me on the bus and tell me all about herself. She has a blog that I love reading now. I'm sure it will captivate you too.
www.diaryofawidow.com
She said I could give it to you.
The blog is great. She talks about her experiences with her husband dieing, her children and other memories.
Some post make you laugh, some make you cry, and others are just thought provoking.
I may be going to Texas soon. I hope I can. Just me and the baby boys, I think.
There is a weigh in tomorrow. Cross your fingers.
I am going to take Asher to a reflexologist while I am in Texas. She seems to fix all my sister and her families problems, my mom's problems and my aunts. Everything from constipation to sinus infections.
Heath calls my sister and the reflexologist witch doctors.
It's just natural healing, really.

It's true that messes are a lot easier to clean up when you do it right away. If you wait it's just harder and takes more time.


These are some of Heath's pots. I think this one might be in the teapot show (or one like it)

 

Who is that? Batman? oh...wait...that's my hot husband.

Leaving a Legacy: Julius B. Papa

Meet Julius Barrow Papa. He's Heath's grandfather. He was born March 23, 1919. He served a mission in what was then called the Northern States mission where he met his wife Leona. The story goes like this. Julius was near the end of his mission and was companions with Leona's brother who was the only member of his family at the time. He had helped teach Leona and her family the gospel. He felt something when he was with her so he talked to the mission president and it was agreed that he would be able to go on a date with Leona 1 week before his release. Back then things were different. Elder Papa didn't know if or when he would be able to return to date Leona. One month after his return he proposed over the phone. Leona's answer was, "You'll have to come back here (Michigan) to find out." He did and she said yes. They were married December 19, 1941. In his journals he lovingly refers to her has his sweetheart. Six weeks after they were married Julius was off to World War II which took him to Africa and Italy. He was gone about 2 1/2 years. After the war he did not speak much of his experience. Julius and Leona had 4 boys, the youngest of which is Rex, Heath's Father

He was a Bishop and then the president of the Gridley, CA stake. He was called to serve as a mission president in the Anchorage, Alaska mission in 1981. When he returned he was called to serve as the 2nd counselor in the Temple Presidency of the Oakland temple. He was set apart by President Gordon B. Hinckley.  Three years later he received a phone call from the second counselor in the first presidency, Thomas S. Monson. He was then called to be temple President. He kept a record of ordinance workers he set apart (33) and sealings that he performed (791) which included names and dates.

There are a lot of great stories in his journals. So many that I couldn't pick just one to share. He writes of serving his family and attending little league games of grandchildren. He writes of some terrible things that were happening in the world and says in 1990, "People are really beginning to say that the second coming is not far away." I wonder what he would think if he could see the world today.

One of my favorite lines in his journal is "By the way I am not the best speller as you can see."  It makes me feel like he was humble and that he knew I would be reading his journal (or someone would). Also, I'm with you Grandpa Papa, I am not the best speller either. :)

While reading his journals I've been grateful for the opportunity to get to know this great man.

Julius B. Papa

March 23, 1919 - October 28, 2000

(Uncle Weldon, if there is any information in this post that is incorrect please email corrections to emailerinp@gmail.com)thanks :)