find joy in the journey

2017 in review

I didn't do a whole lot of blogging in 2017 (I'm planning to change that in 2018!) so I thought I would do a quick monthly recap of our year.  One photo highlight and a short list of what kept us busy.

J A N U A R Y

Scott whisked me away to celebrate our 18th anniversary at the Wynn!  So fancy!

Also . . . . NYE at the cabin with my parents // our ward split which resulted in some big changes & adjustments at church // trip late in the month to see my parents

F E B R U A R Y

We had several couples over for a fiesta party complete with a giant pinata!  What a fun night!  It was bittersweet though, because right before the party we received some disappointing news that changed the course of the year for us. We kept our smiles on, enjoyed the party, and dealt with the pieces later that night.

Also . . . . Payton turned 14 // hiking at the Valley of Fire with Jenn & kids // quick trip to Zion National Park to scout things out for the family reunion (I was in charge of planning this year) // trip to see my parents

M A R C H

The kids participated in the Junior Piano Festival at UNLV and all three earned a Superior Rating!

Also . . . I attended the SALT LDS Retreat in SLC // trip to see my parents with Anna on track break

A P R I L 

A bright spot in our year!  We took the whole family on a Church History trip across New York, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri.  What an adventure and so many amazing things to see!  I spent a TON of time researching and planning our itinerary.  I really should blog about this.  Be patient with me -- I have 1500 photos to sort through!

Also . . . . Conner went to Hawaii with his choir // Conner received his drivers license!

M A Y

Doesn't she look beautiful?  I took another trip to my parents house early in the month and helped mom with a few projects she wanted done around the house.  During this visit, though, she had several episodes that were quite frightening.  The whole month was full of scary stuff -- it was a very unsettling, emotional time.

Also . . . Payton graduated from 8th grade

J U N E

The family reunion miracle.  Truly. 

Also . . . . Conner started his first job as a lifeguard // Payton attended EFY at BYU // Anna attended her first year of Girls Camp

J U L Y

In July the reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder kicks in hard for me.  After 35 consecutive days over 100 degrees, being stuck inside all day and just feeling trapped and grumpy . . . . one day I decided that we needed to go on an adventure.  So we made our way to Lake Havasu and then returned home via Route 66 through the tiny town of Oatman, Arizona where the wild burros take over main street. I should really post about that one too.  So random and it was a great family day!

Also . . . . a trip to my parents house 

A U G U S T

The beginning of another school year!  No more elementary school which is crazy!  6th, 9th, and 11th graders here.

Also . . . Conner spoke in Stake Conference // Anna joined a new soccer team, playing up 2 levels // I attended Alyna's wedding in St. George - playing the role of supportive friend to the mother of the bride! Jenn! // introduced our family theme // two trips to my parents house for a total of 10 days there.

S E P T E M B E R

I traveled to California on September 15th when we received concerning news about mom.  I stayed through the rest of the month.  She passed away on September 28th.  It was an incredibly difficult month.  We hung these banners on the back of the house in the days after her passing.  She loved pennant banners.

Also . . .  I took a solo 24-hour round trip jaunt to Utah for Nicholas' baptism (my nephew) // Scott and kids went to Idaho for the county fair // Anna turned 12 on September 29th

O C T O B E R

A month of heavy grieving that, looking back, feels like a foggy blur.  But I am thankful for supportive, caring friends who lifted me up.  One of them organized a team to run in a cancer 5K -- we were Team Teresa and all wore shirts with her favorite phrase, "happy day".  (I also need to write all about this!)

Also . . . Anna and I had a belated birthday girls day // Conner sang in the district Honors Choir // Anna was Student of the Month // we got to call AAA on our van twice // took a trip to the cabin.

N O V E M B E R

We spent Thanksgiving in Idaho. Celebrated Conner's 17th birthday there.  And took the whole family to the temple to do baptisms with their grandparents.  Crazy that they are all old enough to go!  And getting so tall -- on this day we established that we can no longer take pics with the kids standing in front of us. It’s a line up from here on out!

Also . . . BYU vs UNLV football game // Conner's choir opened for Legends in Concert at the Flamingo // I visited my dad for several days and sorted & boxed up all of my mom's personal things

D E C E M B E R

Yes, this was a BIG highlight of the month.  Everyone loved The Last Jedi.

Also . . . a thousand Christmas choir concerts (at least it felt like it) // Anna had her first band concert - she is playing the flute // I took a quick trip to Utah by myself

And . . . Christmas at the cabin with my dad

This is us on Christmas morning -- we look pretty good for just rolling out of bed!  

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

There is no way to sugarcoat it -- 2017 was the most trying year for our family thus far.  Bringing with it the most learning & growth.  We faced multiple trials at once.  At times the collusion of these things did not make sense, but we learned to trust in the Lord.  And we learned that His timing was perfect & necessary.

This year we have poured out our hearts in prayer seeking for miracles, healing, and blessings. We have been taught that miracles & healing can come in a variety of ways. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “Sometimes a ‘healing’ cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are ‘healed’ by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us.”

We can testify that this is true. We have felt ourselves strengthened in moments when we should have crumbled. We know that this strength, these unexpected healing gifts, come to us only through and because of our Savior, Jesus Christ. More than ever, this Christmas season reminded us that He is the only true source of hope & light in this life. We can rely on Him with confidence. As struggles come upon us (and they will) we can turn to the Lord and be strengthened to bear our burdens.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

2018 is going to bring with it some much needed blessings for which we are SO grateful.  There will be some big changes which I'm trying to prepare myself for.  As well as a continuation of grieving and healing. While difficult, I hope that crossing some of these big milestones will also aid in that healing -- my parents' 40th anniversary, the first Mother's Day without a mom (this one already hurts), her 60th birthday, and the one year mark.  

I keep thinking of this quote and holding onto this thought, that somehow, somewhere there will be compensation for our great loss. 

"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, "Come What May, and Love it", October 2008

I am hopeful for this next year.

I feel like I am armed with a new kind of strength and faith and resilience.  

My dad has commented several times that he sees a change in me.  Oh, I can feel it. The Lord has been working on me. 

Let's see what He has planned.

I know a lot of people have also struggled with this year, and if you're hurting I hope that 2018 brings with it some blessings and hope.  We're all in this together!

big trees

This past week we spent our Christmas at the cabin.  More on that later. Our visits to the cabin in the winter are usually comprised of a lot of relaxing, tv time, snuggling under blankets by the fire, and occasional jaunts outside to the snow.  But, this year there was no snow anywhere to be found!  And the weather was so warm -- highs of 55-60+ degrees everyday.  While the kids would have been more than happy and content to spent the entire week indoors, I coaxed them out of the house for a small hike at Big Trees State Park.

It was a beautiful day - I just couldn't imagine spending the whole of it indoors. And as you can see, they all had a great time.

A walk around the North Grove at Big Trees never gets old. 

It's a flat and easy trail, about 1.5 miles long.  Totally doable for families with little ones.  And teenagers.  There is so much to see -- the enormity of these trees is truly astounding.  Throughout the trail you will also come across giant fallen trees, many of them hollow, and the kids (young and old) just can't resist climbing over them.

We have never hiked this park in the winter.  It was such a delight to end our hike with a visit to the Warming Hut.  Inside, you'll find a blazing fire in the center of the room with tree stumps all around.  Take a seat and get warm!  But first grab a free cup of hot chocolate or hot apple cider.  There was a sweet old lady attending to all of the drinks.  So cozy!  If only it was a little bit cooler that day, then we really could have enjoyed it.

I'm thankful that the kids humored their mom who loves to hike, and take pictures.  No doubt there was griping and impatient sighs.  But I power through and keep initiating these kinds of activities because I love witnessing the spark of magic that inevitably reveals itself.  A playfulness.  Connections. Laughter.  The way they are drawn to each other.  Games are created.  Imaginations spark. Scuffling down the path and paushing to grab her brother's arm. Searching for the perfect stick.  Battles ensue. 

Yep, there is magic when we spend time looking at nature and looking at each other.

The kids were huge sports with all of my video documenting.  Oh mom and her silly camera!  I put together this cute video and after watching it I think they all agree that it was totally worth it!

 

Calaveras Big Trees State Park info

Here are more posts about our family hiking at Big Trees:

North Grove and South Grove - spring break trip

North Grove - with Anna, cousin Carlee, my mom and dad

Andersen Caramels

My mom has always been the kind of person who likes to try a lot of different things. And holidays were no exception -- she played and created and experimented with the decorations, menu, etc.  But two things I could always count on were Ginger Snap cookies and homemade caramels.

I remember when she would crank out cookie sheets full of the delicious caramels.  And then it was my job to cut them into rectangles, cut the wax paper into little rectangles, and wrap each one individually.  I have many memories of sitting on the couch, watching tv, with a pan of caramels in my lap, wrapping away.  It was tedious and honestly I did not love doing it because it took so long!

This year, with nostalgia being an ever present friend, I decided to make mom's caramels for the first time.

The recipe comes from a family cookbook, compiled by "The Andersen Women".  It features recipes of my grandma, great-grandma, great-aunts, and more. The caramel recipe isn't attributed to any person in particular, but it has been used and loved by many Andersen women. :)

Here is what the recipe looks like in the book (with my notes). Just the basics and not a whole lot of direction.

Let me fill in the gaps and share my little process.

Get started by preparing your pan.  I used large cookie sheets, but a cake/casserole pan works too.  Butter your pan, or better yet, line it with parchment paper.  Make creases in the parchment paper so that it fits to the shape of your pan. 

Step 1:  add to a large pot 2 cups sugar, 1 cup dark Karo syrup, 1 stick of butter, and 1 cup heavy cream

Step 2:  Add a candy thermometer, and heat to boiling. Watch that temperature closely and stir often.  

Step 3:  When your candy thermometer reaches 232 degrees, add 1 cup heavy cream.  

Step 4:  Continue cooking until the temperature reaches 238 degrees.*  At that point turn off the heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla.

Step 5:  Working quickly, pour the caramel mixture into your prepared pan or cookie sheet.  Let it set until room temperature.

*The recipe indicates that in Utah the caramel mixture should be cooked until 232 degrees.  I have found, though, that I like to cook the caramel until 238 degrees.  This could be a combination of factors -- a lower elevation in Nevada and a difference in candy thermometer readings.  This is something you might have to play with to find just the right temperature

**I am skipping the pecan option but you are welcome to give it a try!  Let me know how it goes!

Love my spoon holder!  You can find it here.

After the caramels were cooled and set it was super easy to lift that parchment paper out of the pan and set it on my table for cutting.  The measurement guides on the parchment paper also made it really easy to slice the caramels into mostly uniform sizes.  I went for 1 inch x 2 inches because the caramels weren't very thick.

Then it's time to wrap in wax paper!  This is the tedious part so put on some good music or a tv show to watch and get in the zone.  Or, better yet, recruit your kids!

 One batch of caramels produced approximately 100 caramels as well as a good assortment of scraps that were great for nibbling.  

For friend & neighbor gifts this Christmas I prepared cute bags of Ginger Snaps and Caramels. Quite a sight to see them lined up on the table ready for packaging - I think we prepared 25 gift bags!  But this kind of thing makes my heart so happy!  

I hope that your caramel making experience is a success!

Here is a Download if you would like to save or print the recipe for your own binder or files!

Download Andersen Caramels

 

 

for where your treasure is

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." - Matthew 6:21

 

I've always loved this scripture because it teaches me that when I focus on things that really matter, and put them at the forefront of my life, I can find happiness.  Not just happiness, but also fulfillment and contentment and a full heart.

 

 

happened across a blog post by my mom today. She was wonderful at noticing and finding happiness in the little things of life. She writes, "I have tried to take the time to appreciate what is beautiful in my life . . . And I believe that by counting all the beautiful things in my life- children, grandchildren, friends, family, home, health etc. I've learned to count on the Lord more."  Read the whole post HERE.

 

Her friendships were also a treasure to her. She frequently found any and all excuses (or no excuse at all) to spend time nurturing those relationships: "Getting together really takes some organizing- but we do ... we are friends, and friends matter."  Read the whole post HERE

 

She, like all of us, had her moments of feeling sad, trodden down, and just melancholy ("thoughtful sadness"). Me too. She writes: "I get to missing the grandchildren, my kids, and my Mom {this past week marked 3 years since her death}. It seems there is always something to be missing. Such is life, right?. So when I get to feeling this way, I give myself a little time to "enjoy" the sadness...then I move on. It helps to talk with friends or plan dates to see the kids-"  Read the whole post HERE

 

I love that she allows herself to feel it, and then finds productive ways to move on. She does this by focusing on her TREASURES - family, friends - and planning special time with them.

honor thy father and thy mother

Today's prompt to Light the World is to follow the Savior's teaching of "Honour thy father and mother" - Matthew 15:4

I can't tell you how much this video tugs at my heart.

The wheelchair.  The hospital-type bed.  Pulling back the covers and tucking in his mother.

It hits very close to home.

It makes me cry.  But it also makes me feel confident in knowing that I honored my mother.  Caring for her every physical need during those last two weeks.  Those moments, the touch, the closeness, and the opportunity to serve her in that way will always be sacred to me. 

As I think about how I am going to honor her today I will . . . 

    -put up all the Christmas decorations while the kids are at school so they can come home to a magical home.  She loved Christmas and always made it so magical for us.

    -study her recipe for caramels.  I'm determined to make them this year!

    -submit final details for her headstone (done).  It is going to be lovely.

    -share one of her blog posts.  This one is so fun - I just love how cute & innocent she is!  Someone is Always Listening  

    -give my kids big hugs and tell them "I love you more" in true Grammer Teresa fashion.  They will know that it is from her.

*** playing games at the cabin before Christmas 2015 ***