Some Days are Better Than Others

Today my heart is breaking. My brother, Joseph Ansley, died this morning in a work related accident in Arkansas. I've shed tears of sorrow and been touched by stories shared by people who knew him. The minister's wife who works at his bank, his coworkers, the neighbor and her daughter, even the coronor in Havannah, Arkansas all speak of his friendship and kindness. His best freind described him as the one who always lifted him. He said, "We became old and settled for life, but Joseph never gave up on the dream."

The planning and details kept me busy today. We have been coordinating things over the phone with my brother's and sisters, our mother and Cristi. Being busy is good. Now it is quiet and the tears are flowing. I just didn't see this day on the itinerary.

The funeral will be in Ramah on Monday, Jan 19 at 10 am (four days before his 49th birthday). Tomorrow I will start a memorial DVD, write the obituary and draft the funeral program. Joseph, give Mother and Grandpa a hug for me. I love you.

Ancient of Days and Holidays

Today Jecia and Eliza arrived in Jerusalem. As I write this they probably just finished dinner and are sitting in on an orientation in the BYU Jerusalem Center. (Jerusalem is 10 hours ahead of Pacific Time) It has been very exciting the last few days to help them prepare for departure and to remenisce on the experiences I had while studying there 27 years ago. Wow! That makes it sound like I am ancient of days. If you would like to follow their expereince you can check their blog http://www.hutchjerusalem.blogspot.com/

We had a great holiday with everyone at home. I treasure this time together as I know that there will be less of them as the girls move into new phases of life in the next few years. Christmas was wonderful. We had missed Jecia the last two years while she was on her mission. The kids had the most fun with the new Rock Band that Caleb and Ethan recieved. I had no idea that Jecia and Eliza were studying Rock Band at college, but they demonstrated their proficiency. The four of them were very entertaining as the Blu PJs. They may never see their names on a marquee, but they were at hit at home.







We left for Ramah on Dec 26 and enjoyed a five day visit. The recent storms left a foot of fresh snow that was our chief source of entertainment. It was great to visit with Mom, Yolonda, Tanya and Parley and families. We played in the snow, ate too much and watched movies. It was the first time we had gathered at Mother's house since we bought it. I was grateful for the hours Marshall & I spent crawling in the attic to install a new gas line as I adjusted the thermostat on the heaters that kept the house warm and toasty. I love modern conveniences.

New Year's Eve was another great family celebration. Caleb turned 14 and could have attended the multi stake dance, but he opted to stay home with the family for our annual celebration. He even invited his friend, Andrew Dakus to join us. It is funny how a simple activity turns into a tradition. When the girls were young I decided to make some inexpensive appetizers, put together puzzles and watch a movie on New Year's Eve. Of course party hats and noise makers are manditory.

This turned into an annual event and has now become a tradition the even the teens don't want to miss. We paused the epic drama "Lawrence of Arabia" just before midnight to countdown the new year and set off fireworks. Everyone had a blast!

The first few days of 2009 were spent doing last minute shopping and packing for Jecia and Eliza. One suitecase each weighing 50 pounds wtih everything they would need for four months. Difficult, but possible. We departed at 4:00 AM on Monday, Jan 5 to attend a manditory orientation in Provo at noon. It began snowing as we arrived in Provo and by the time we returned to the van t 4:00 there was a fresh blanket and it was still coming down. The drive to the Taylor's in Bountiful took 2 hours and we were worried about their 9 am flight on Tuesday. The weather in SLC cleared enough during the night to allow incoming and outgoing flights and they departed without delay. Marshall & I got into the van and headed south while they jetted to JFK. Now they are in Jerusalem and the Ancient of Days mom is back home enjoying the boys that are still here and grateful that motherhood does not end when the kids leave home. Seeing the amazing people my children are becoming and enjoying their life experiences as a parent is immencely rewarding.