August 31, 2007 by Marlene.

Well Mallory and Mom have been good about posting so I guess I should join the party too.
It’s been rather strange for me lately. All my friends are leaving for college(I’ll be going to school in January) and so I’m just holding down the proverbial Connecticut fort. I’ve always had this Peter Pan complex of me just not wanting to grow up, and now I actually have to. I guess it’s just that whole responsibility thing that gets me. Maybe it’s just that I want to go back in time to before Dad was sick, or because all that moving on time was spent focusing on the ‘now’ and measuring the future in weeks and months instead of years. This could be why i seem to be making so many young friends (most are around 16 yrs. old). I feel like I really do help them and that makes me feel a bit more grown up. I’m still in this kind of limbo of transition between being young and enjoying my days and growing up and gearing up for the future. I’ll do it, it’s all just a matter of time.
Time heals everything right?

~Marlene

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August 29, 2007 by Mallory.

I never knew that a name spelled so phonetically could be pronounced so many different ways. I honestly think that I have heard every possible way of having my new name pronounced. These southerners just have a hard time with it! It’s pretty entertaining.

Teaching is still pretty rough. The management I’ve been using just isn’t working, so I need to sit down and think of a whole new system of management. The way the school does it is more negative, and it has no effect on a lot of them. I need to think of something where they get something positive. They will probably be a lot more willing to work for it. My classroom is coming along. I finally have something on all the walls. It looks like a classroom! However, my students don’t listen to me. Even if another teacher comes and tells them to listen, they don’t listen. It is so hard being completely different from them and having no idea. I just hope that I will sooner or later (preferrably sooner) be able to connect to them in some way so that they will be able to listen to me so I can teach them. It’ll get better. I know it will….We’ll get there eventually.

Wendell starts school on Tuesday. It’s been really nice having him at home. He’s been doing a lot of cleaning and organizing and he makes most and many times all the meals. I know that when he starts school, things will get a lot crazier and we probably won’t see much of each other, but that’s the way life is when you go to school. It’ll be ok. I just need to look on the positive side of things and know that everything will be great!

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August 26, 2007 by Melanee.

Our anniversary is coming up this Tuesday. With a little apprehension I will try to face this day with good memories. We always did something special on our anniversary. That is why I am so glad that the staff where I work helped Kev and I have such a special one last year. The trip we made to New York City along with the most wonderful meal at Tavern of the Green in Central Park, which we did on our honeymoon 27 years ago. Then we took a carriage ride around Central Park. The scenery was beautiful. I will never forget it. Then the limo driver took us around the city. He also stopped and got us a dozen of the best bagels ever. I know there were many people who contributed to our special day. Thank you so much for making our anniversary so wonderful and giving me a very special memory.

The day was so magical 27 years ago. That morning when Kev met us at the hotel in Washington DC the fog was resting on the field in the back of the hotel. There were horses there grazing and the sun was rising. You can imagine the scene I am describing-beautiful.
I was excited to go to the Washington DC Temple and so excited to get dressed in my wedding dress and see him. I think we held hands constantly as we were being led to the sealing room.
The room was filled with friends and family. As we knelt at the alter my heart swelled with emotion as I knew I would be sealed to Kev for eternity. I was so happy. I am still happy now knowing that we are still married and my heart swells with emotion knowing I will be with him again someday, working our magic together again, because of the covenants we made in the temple.

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August 22, 2007 by Melanee.

This thought hit me Sunday morning, as I was getting ready for church. What did my husband teach me? He was so influential in my life and helped me be the person I needed to be. His example showed me to be calm during the challenges in life. “If you can’t control it. Why worry about it”, he would say. I ended up being the worrier in the family since he never seemed to be worried about anything.

He also made me feel so good to be around him. He built me up and always enjoyed everything I did for him. Especially his meals. After every dinner he would get up from the dinner table and say “Good meal” “Truly Scrumptious” and then launch into the Truly Scrumptious song from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Then gave me a kiss. He didn’t sing at every meal, but he always complimented me on the meal.

He also enhanced my love for nature. We would take walks and hikes all the time. Our family vacations consisted of camping. He did all the cooking during the camping trips. He even baked me a birthday cake in his Dutch oven one year.

He taught me the importance of commitment. When he was called as Bishop he wanted to teach by example. So, he tried to attend as many ward activities as possible. We were always the ones staying to clean up afterward.
He also felt seminary was very important so he transported many youth to seminary class at 5 am every morning for about six years.
He also headed up the youth baptism trips during the years when he served in the presidency and then called as Bishop. There were many trips to Washington DC and Boston to experience the spirit of the temple there. Priesthood was asked to attend, hotel rooms booked, walkie- talkies placed in each car, and directions were passed out.
He loved Girls Camp and we served for so many years with many wonderful leaders and junior counselors. We enjoyed guiding the youth to improve on their leadership skills and have lots of fun in the process.
He also did youth trips to the Hill Cumorah Pageant and Sharon, Vermont to Joseph Smith’s Birthplace. These all were good experiences.
He also challenged the youth to attend all sessions of General Conference. So he felt we, as a family, should attend all sessions of General Conference. Which ended up being a nice tradition. The last conference in April he was unable to physically attend, but he had the stream all rigged up on the computer so we could both listen.
He also challenged the ward to read the Book of Mormon about a year before President Hinckley gave us the challenge. I completed his challenge. He also read it over and over again after his challenge to the ward.

He taught me to be happy. I miss his sense of humor. It was so corny, but made me smile in the process. I would be discussing with him about our child being so alert when they were young. He would say,”Good, the world need more lerts.” I would roll my eyes.
I am sure my daughters could add to the corny funny things that Dad would say.

He taught me that we had the best marriage anyone could have asked for. He loved me unconditionally. He knew every fault I had and never complained nor pointed out my weaknesses. He just loved me for who I was.

He also taught me to be brave and have courage to keep going even though things seem to mount against us. He never complained during his battle with cancer. He would be all cozy in the down sleeping bag in his lounge chair because he would be so cold from the treatments.
He was also challenged greatly when he served as Bishop. But, his judgement was so right to the matter that was at hand. I really do miss his counsel. He was so right about everything.
I hope to keep learning from his example. I hope his love, his humor, his friendship, and his testimony for the gospel will stay with me forever.

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August 20, 2007 by Mallory.

So I never thought that I would be so much of a minority. First of all, every single student in the school is black. That’s totally fine, but it is a totally different culture and I am having a little hard time relating to them. Second, there are other white teachers, but they are all from the south, so they at least have southern accents. Third, I am the only Mormon. Everyone else is very religious (we had a blessing on the food for a teacher’s lunch!) but I’m the only Mormon. It definitely makes life interesting. Last week was extremely hard. I have about 4 or 5 students that have either social, academic, or personal problems and it makes things very difficult. Another thing is that there are some students in my class that just do not get along. There was one boy in my class today that tried to stab another girl with scissors. That was exciting…but it is getting better day by day. Today was the best day so far, so it is looking better. Married life is great so far! Wendell wakes up with me every morning even when he doesn’t have to and helps to make my lunch and my breakfast. He’s pretty much the best ever! He’s also been helping me set up my room and everything. It definitely helps having him. Things are looking good for us! We are happy. Exhausted, but happy. It actually looks like we live in our apartment now. Wendell did a great job of hiding all of our boxes in our new apartment so it looks cleaner. Now the real task is to actually unpack the boxes, not just hide them. In general, things are great!

It’s kinda weird. I’ve had a dream with my dad in it in some way for the past 3 nights. It’s kinda crazy. It’s pretty neat that I can still remember what he looks and sounds like at least through my dreams. Well, anyway, there are things to do, lessons to plan, boxes to unpack..etc etc etc. Until next time!

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August 17, 2007 by Melanee.

We have had a visit from Leah, Ed, Anya, and little Kevin last weekend and this weekend. Anya is growing to be such a young lady. Marlene and I took her to the play ground last Saturday and we enjoyed her youthful energy as she ran, climbed, slid, and hung on everything. We went to Kev’s gravesite after that. I told her we were going to Grandpa’s grave. We went and she was looking around for him. It was really cute. I am glad she still remembers him.

When I held little Kevin Friday night, my mind was able to rest and I almost fell asleep holding him. It was the first good night sleep I had in months. Nights are the toughest for me, so I have yet to get any kind of sound sleep, but the night I held little Kevin was soothing.
I am looking forward to Anya and Kevin’s arrival tonight so maybe I can sleep well tonight too.

We also are borrowing Leah’s dog, Keona, to give Marlene a companion during the day. She is a black lab. Well I got a call Monday that Keona got out of the house and in her youthful way ran toward the street. She got clipped by a car. Marlene called me at work, so we took a drive to the Animal Hospital. The Vet said she was very lucky and only had abrasions and an unstable back leg. A splint was put on the leg. So Keona is hobbeling around the house now for the next 6-8 weeks.

I also wanted to upate you on Ashley and Pat. They have moved into their new home in Colorado. Ashley is getting involved with the church or ward and seems to be enjoying herself. Pat is enjoying his new job. I know I have to plan a visit with her soon because she has plenty of room for me and the whole family. I’ll try to get Ashley to post too so she can give her own version.

Then my next step is to really find the time and learn the steps to start posting more pictures. I downloaded a picture of little Kevin, but have to reduce and post it. Kevin was so handy at that. I miss him in every way.

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August 13, 2007 by Mallory.

So today was the first day of school…and I wasn’t there. I decided to accept the 3rd grade position that they offered me, so they recommended me to human resources so that I could start teaching today. So I had to prepare my entire classroom (that had NOTHING in it) in 2 days. But unfortunately, human resources took longer than we wanted them to, but luckily the clearance finally went through and I can start teaching tomorrow! yay! I’m pretty nervous, but I’m excited too. I’m mainly nervous just because I literally know nothing. I feel like I’ve been thrown into this position and I don’t know too much. I don’t know when my kids have lunch, I don’t know when recess is, I don’t know anything! So I’m going to go to school early tomorrow and ask a whole lot of questions so that I can give my students the impression that I know what I’m doing. And we’re moving into our new apartment on Wednesday, so it’s been crazy and hectic, but things are good otherwise! Hopefully we’ll finally get settled and things will get better. Until next time!

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August 7, 2007 by Mallory.

It’s been a little while since I wrote. Wendell and I are finally back here in Tennessee. We spent one week in Indiana washing windows and making some money (Wendell has a window-washing business, and I have recently learned the trade as well…). Then we wandered over to Idaho to spend some time with his family and to wash some more windows. We were planning on leaving earlier than we did, but Wendell developed an infection on his hip. Fortunately, his brother is a doctor, so we got the care that he needed without having to pay anything! It was great! I love having connections. So we stayed a little longer so that he could check on it, then there was a family reunion, so we had to stay for that. It was great to be there, but it’s good to be back in Tennessee. When we got back, I went to work on finding a job. Luckily, I didn’t have to make a single phone call! All the schools called me! I’ve had 4 interviews, and I have 2 more today, and one school has offered me a position as a 3rd grade teacher! I’m still waiting to see if any of the other schools offer me positions, but we’ll see how it goes. We can move into our next apartment on August 15, so we are waiting until then to get really settled. I’m still living out of suitcases and boxes, but it works for now. It will definitely be nice to be able to unpack all my things and actually use everything though. In general, things are really good! We are very happy and life is great! I’m still trying to get used to this whole southern accent thing, but it’s going alright. Sometimes I have a REALLY hard time understanding then when they speak, but hopefully the longer I’m here, the better I’ll be able to understand. Things are going great though! Until next time!

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August 2, 2007 by Melanee.

Now that Leah’s family has returned to their home, life has settled down a bit and now reality has hit. Marlene is keeping busy with all kinds of activities and my girls are busy with their lives, which I am happy with. This tells me they are doing well. Now it’s day-by-day trying to adjust to my new life. Some people tell me it will take time. Marlene and I cleared off the front porch and bought lots of flowers to put there so I can have a happy place to sit and think or ponder if I need to. Marlene loves to care for the new plants.

I work full time now and when I get home I have about two to three projects to do each night. My list is long with all that I need to catch up with so it will take me a while before I can go home and not have anything to do. Family, friends and church members have called me the past four days on their own to see how I am doing. This has been really nice and thoughtful.

Each day memories flood my mind and I have comfort from them all. Especially the times Kev and I have taken trips on our anniversary, hiking, or being together. All these good memories remind me of what a wonderful life I had and will have. When I am having an especially hard time -a calm memory comes and I thank God and Kev for the comfort.

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August 2, 2007 by Melanee.

….or Baby Kevin as Anya calls him. He has been part of this life for two weeks now. For the first few days all he did was sleep. Leah had to wake him up every time to eat. His eyes would be in a dream state kind of rolled up in his head. There was numerous times when he would laugh almost a belly laugh while he was sleeping. I wonder if his Grampa was playing with him. And he smiles quite often. I have yet to hear him cry, It’s more like a small protest or whine and then he would be okay. My daughter’s family returned with me on Wednesday and they stayed with me till Monday. It was so nice to have everyone here to fill my home. It was a big plus to play with Anya and hold and care for Little Kevin.

On July 30th (around his due date) Kevin started to wake up. He opened his eyes and started to focus on whoever was holding him. When he focused on me I introduced myself and welcomed him to the family. (I learned that from reading parts of “The Baby Whisperer” book.) What an awesome experience to know that your family is developing the next generation.

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