Williams Flyers

Mi Reina

2009-08-26T17:13:00.000-07:00

Several Sundays ago before we moved to Antigua, we were at church in Chimaltenango. The most adorable little Mayan lady who was about Joshua's height (just below my shoulder) came up to me and asked passionately, "Quien es esta reina?"(Who is this queen ?(and believe it or not she was referring to me)). I don't think I've ever felt more complimented, surprised, flattered in my life. She was a beautiful woman. I wish I had a picture of her. She was elderly, small, wrinkled, full of life, and color. She made me feel so large in size and I am just an average-sized citizen of the United States. She also reminded me of the importance of having of having spiritual eyes. Maybe I am a queen. She certainly is. Maybe we all are and we just don't see it. The people here are truly beautiful with all colors of skin, my favorites are all the shades of yummy chocolate (by the way the hot chocolate here is the BEST in the world). This picture isn't the exact woman, just a picture I found on the internet of a Cachikel Mayan woman. Her hair was long and in a braid like one of the above woman's hair. I think the people of the Guatemala are absolutely gorgeous so I added some more pictures. I added the picture of the young girl because of the light in her eyes and her beautiful face. So just imagine the lady from church super small, beautiful, long braided grayish black hair, and light in her eyes. We are all queens or kings or with the potential to become ones. I hope that I can act like one, a true one, who is kind and good and noble. I hope that I can always look for nobility and goodness in others.

(Sorry, but I hope to add a new family picture next time. I just don't have the technical ability to add them from this computer. I need to have a chat with my technician or take a class.)

Scary Lizy, Pretty Lizy (Beware, this photo may frighten small children)

2009-08-16T20:56:00.001-07:00

Tonight the kids and I were looking at family pictures on Facebook. We found this one of my sister, Lizy, and I just thought it was really funny how she distorted her face. I had no idea how terrified Noah would be. He started crying and screaming so hard. Poor thing! We had to take him out of the room and change the picture. It made us all laugh though except for him. The older kids think that it is the big teeth that scared him. I'm adding a better picture of her too so you can see what she really looks like.

The Ruins of Santa Rosa

2009-08-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

Here is an image of the ruins that we can see from our windows and pass every day when we go into town. Aren't they beautiful?

Antigua

2009-08-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

We have moved and are living in the beautiful colonial town of Antigua. We came here for a number of reasons...to be closer to the city where Ryan works and so that I can be in a place where I can be more self-reliant. Our home here is furnished and a great floor plan for a family. We have a hot water heater here and a washer and dryer. I am so grateful for modern comforts! We live in an apartment complex but it is more like a townhouse community. It is a secure little community located within site of a colonial ruin from a 1773 earthquake that destroyed the old capital of Guatemala. Antigua is a historically and culturally rich town nestled in the highlands of Guatemala. This town is surrounded by three beautiful volcanoes. The weather here is eternal spring. It is gorgeous here. I highly recommend this place to any tourist. The kids and I have ventured out several times. Our first night here we celebrated and walked several blocks under a full moon. It was magical. Then we ate sushi. We were all in heaven eating one of our family's favorite meals. We tried Mango Sushi for the first time. It was scrumptious. We found the local library so we are all very happy, especially Joshua. Heidi is learning to read and loves writing. We are enjoying homeschooling in the beautiful place. Our curriculum includes reading, writing, Spanish, math, art, history, science, and whatever else interests us. We have really enjoyed studying the scriptures. The kids love acting out the stories or drawing them while we read. We hope to explore the museums and architecture here. The kids are excited about getting some indoor pets like parakeets and frogs. We are enjoying this beautiful country but miss our home and friends. We look forward to a warm and cozy autumn season back with all of you. (Sidenote: One weird thing I don't get down here are the odd hours to set off firecrackers. Right now it is almost midnight on a Thursday night and the firecrackers just scared me to death...almost. In Chimaltenango we heard firecrackers at 4 and 5 am. Can you believe it? The strangest thing was a pre-dawn music party one Sunday morning around 4 am. Drums, guitars, marimba style, singing, partying. Our friends here say it is for birthday parties. Only in Guatemala, I say, but maybe it is just that way everywhere but Utah, California, Missouri, Minnesota, and Paraguay. You tell me. I've haven't traveled the whole world yet.)

Do 4 year olds know how to...?

2009-07-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't written in several weeks. I don't have time to say everything I want to say but I will add pictures since they say a thousand words. Since Elijah turned 4, he is always asking, "Mom, do four year olds know how to eat beans, or potatoes, or do certain things by themselves, etc?" It is hilarious! Last Friday was my last day at the school. The day was bittersweet. I have grown to love the kids but I am so grateful to be returning full time to my role as wife and mother. The experience has been wonderful but I believe I tried to bite off more than I could chew. Joshua will go this last week. He has loved it. The school campus is so beautiful. He is thriving in so many ways, even his waist is growing :). Heidi never returned to classes after the first week. She would cry and just want to be with me so we didn't push it and she became my assistant. She still made friends but wouldn't let me be far away. Joshua and Heidi are speaking a ton of Spanish and it amazes us and their accents are pretty good. Elijah and Noah are understanding more and more every day and even speaking some. My birthday was wonderful. I got beautiful pink roses. We ate the most delicious typical Guatemalan tortillas with beans and cheese, hot chocolate, and carne asada at Chichoy on the road to Atitlan. We hope to provide a more rich Spanish evirnonment for them when we return home. We went to the fair in Antigua and got caught in a rain storm. I caught Noah by the pila washing rags. I planted a square foot garden at the school with the kids. We had a movie party at the school my last day. We attended a wonderful concert by the school's orchestra and choir...and not all in that order. I hope these pictures say more than I can. We love and miss you all.

2009-07-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday!

2009-07-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

This week was filled with birthdays. Ryan turned ** on Tuesday and we were invited to Angelica and Javier's beautiful home in the capital. The above picture is the front door going to their home.
Their hospitality was incredible. We truly felt spoiled! Angelica made the most amazing foods! Here is the menu...wish you were there.
Watermelon Juice
Sopa de calabaza (Pumpkin (squash) soup with veggies--it was pureed so even the kids tried it. This so thoughtful because we all call each other the "calabazas" because of Ryan's favorite Spanish sayings, "Que te pasa, calabaza?")
Mashed potatoes with fresh parsley
Barbeque Chicken with Spanish chili powder (Javier is Spanish)
Cake with cream cheese frosting

We had fun yesterday celebrating for Heidi (now 6) and Elijah (now 4). We had a little family party. We ate fajitas, homemade orange juice, cucumbers in lime juice, homemade guacamole, and homemade (not by me) corn tortillas. Then we had birthday cake with rainbow chip frosting. We forgot to get candles so the kids blew out matches after we sang happy birthday. Then we went out to find a pinata, the filling, and presents. Then we went to the movies to see "Ice Age 3" in Spanish. When we got home we hit the pinata and the kids opened their presents. Today we sang again to Elijah since today is his birthday and went to church. When we get back home tonight we will eat more birthday cake. I've included a picture of Elijah talking to his Grandma Williams on the phone. Elijah has had some rough days lately and he claims that now that he is four that he will behave. We'll see...at this very moment he his having another fit.

Here are some extra pictures of the kids playing in the back patio. Also I wanted everyone to see how we wash dishes and can wash our clothes by hand. Does anyone want to guess the system they use with these pilas to wash clothes and dishes? I had to learn from Irma. I like it and now I know how to be a better camper. Guess first and respond and then I'll tell you all how to clean here in Guatemala. I bet you all are smarter than me.

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!

2009-06-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a picture to show you why I chose this title for this blog. The kids all sleep on inflatable beds. Unfortunately, they have been disobedient to our requests to not jump on the beds so Joshua and Elijah have an inflatable that no longer inflates (Joshua says that he did not jump on the bed...only a little bit and he didn't pop it). This is so sad! So they get to sleep on their flat bed on the hard floor. Logical consequence, right?

We went on our beach vacation to Monterrico. Unfortunately, they don't set the baby turtles free until September. We went to the Turtle Reserve anyway and had some fun adventures. We played on the beach. Heidi was terrified when the waves tried to take her out. Fortunately, she was wearing a floating swimming suit. She screamed and kept saying that she wanted to leave. We had a good talk about being careful and being fearful. The waves here aren't mild. We have to be careful. The sand is black and no matter how much you wash yourself you will take home some sand. It is everywhere. The last complaint I have is that the mosquitos are out of control. One of our friends today said that Monterrico is the crib of the mosquitos. We are covered in bites. Josh has 17 bites on each leg and three on each arm.

We went with Zel's family. They are adorable people. On the way down Heidi got carsick and threw up. You can see her in one of the pictures after she fell asleep on Jimena's shoulder (Jimena is Zel's adorable little girl that Heidi loves). We played in the sand. We ate delicious food. We saw a dead bat. We saw caymans, strange fish, turtles, and iguanas. We passed a field of bulls, cows, and calves. Zel found a frog in the veggies. We swam a ton. We saw helicopters, jets, and a glider. We got lots of sun. We drank coconut water and ate coconut meat (yummy!). And we bought them for 50 cents each. It was fun but we are glad to be home away from the mosquito nest.

Elijah and Noah have started calling each other best buddies. They laugh and play and say "you are my best buddy" or "best buddies". It is so cute!

We start school again on Wednesday. I am excited to see the kids from school again and teach English in Natural Science but don't look forward to the speed of life that will bring. I am curious to see what will continue to happen with my children's language acquisition. Heidi continues to talk up a storm in Spanish. This morning in church I smiled as I looked at Heidi and Joshua's faces as I observed them actually listening and understanding the speakers. One young girl taught us about the faith in God program for children ages 8 to 12 years. Heidi turned to me after she spoke and said in English, "so there is a program for children who are 8 years old, right?" This morning Elijah asked me what the cream was that I was putting on my face. I told him that it was "BaBa de caracol" (snail slime). Then he said, "That was on the movie at Dad's office, right?" I was blown away. He was right. He and Joshua watched a program about snail slime in Spanish. So he did understand what it was. Chilren's capacity to learn other languages is so amazing. They are sponges. Until next time...

The End

Vacation (aka "vacas")

2009-06-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know Spanish, "vacas" means cows but that is how some people abbreviate vacation. I thought that was cute. We are now on vacation here until June 30th. It was supposed to begin on this Wednesday but the Health Department has asked all the schools to close down for 16 days to help prevent the spread of the swine flu. We have been off since the 13th of June. I have enjoyed teaching Science in English to the elementary students but this is a much needed break. Last week was so heavenly to slow down. Things have been crazy and way too fast for me. It has been good to help me to appreciate my slower, previous life and to stop stressing myself out and just enjoy my kids. I actually enjoy cooking and doing laundry since I am not in a rush to get anywhere. This week we hope to go to the beach for a few days. We still haven't gone on our beach trip yet because of the change in vacation schedule. The real rainy season has finally arrived and it actually gets chilly. Yesterday at church I wished I had some of my warm sweaters, tights, and boots.

The kids are doing great! Heidi is chatting up a storm in Spanish. It is just natural that being a female she would be the one to speak sooner and the most. Joshua's Spanish is progressing well too. Noah says "Mira" (look) now. Elijah just repeats everything we say in Spanish but I think he will surprise us after he is exposed more to the language.

The mosquitos are enjoying our family so I am thankful for the email I got from my mom today informing me that Listerine is a great way to kill and get rid of mosquitos. We will have to try it.

Last night at dinner Elijah informed us that one of his grandpas was killed by a hippo. We aren't sure which grandpa but we hope that all of his living grandpas steer clear of any hippos. We all died laughing. He is always coming up with the funniest things. I would like to understand his interesting perspective.

Last Saturday we went to a surprise birthday party for our good friend, Oly, Angelica and Oscar's mom. We call her our Guatemalan grandma. The kids asked us what the family connection was and how we are related to her. She fed Ryan as a missionary and we have always had a special connection with their family. She turned 60. The party was at Angelica and Javier's beautiful colonial style home in Guatemala City. They have a gorgeous front and backyard garden area. They shared some fresh oregano (I used some of it in a soup I made yesterday) from a bush in their front yard and let me pick some eucalyptus leaves off of a gorgeous tree in the back yard. Oscar was their with his beautiful girlfriend, Jeanette. He is hilarious and the kids love to joke and play with him.

I'll see if Ryan can upload pictures later. I don't have the ability here from home. I hope all is well with all of you.

Ode to a Washing Machine

2009-06-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

A marvel, a wonder, a blessing!
Oh, how I long to kiss your cold face!
Without you, I have been lost!
My heart swells with joy to think that you have returned to me!
I pray to God in humble gratitude for your renewed presence.

All poetry submissions that express my feelings about a washing machine are invited. I will send you a personal email to all those who make a submissions. The winner will get a real letter. Okay, I wish that I could write a great poem about my feelings this past week of the great respect I have for a washing machine but I invite all of you to share your passion for writing, poetry, and/or washing machines. Seriously, I have never felt quite so passionate about a washing machine until these past few weeks.

We are still adjusting to this crazy new schedule. I wake up at 5 am to have an hour to meditate, exercise, pray, read scriptures, and get ready. Then at 6 things get really loco. Joshua loves school. Heidi is still adjusting better everyday but has had the hardest time out of everyone. Noah and Elijah are in heaven in their class eating and playing ball all day. It is so fun to hear all of them speaking more Spanish. Noah said "pelota" (ball) today. Heidi and Joshua are forming sentences.

We all look forward to a 3 day weekend this Friday to Sunday. We are going to take the kids to the beach at Monterrico. We will surprise them by taking them to the turtle farm where they will have the chance to return baby turtles to the ocean.

Irma is a huge blessing. She was our washing machine but with a family our size it was more economical to buy a used washing machine. She is an amazing worker and I hope to always have her help. She continues to clean our house, iron, and cook. She makes the most amazing salsa. Yum! Today she made me a huge carrot, cucumber, lettuce salad with lots of lime juice and salt. I wasn't sure that I could eat much but when I tasted it I knew I would have no problem finishing it. Irma, Heidi, and I ate the whole thing! She is adorable. We love her sweet spirit in our home.

I am in heaven finding treasures in the library at the school and trying to share them with the kids. I am reading several books on education (Montesorri, books on teaching abroad and teaching another language, etc) and books on plants and nature since I teach the elementary kids Natural Science in English. It is a real challenge teaching them something in a language that they are still learning but I welcome the challenge.

Today I played the guitar and sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (Israel what's his name? style) and the kids loved it and are learning it too. I've always dreamed of doing that. Incorporating music into the curriculum is powerful. So many of the kids just have music in their blood and it speaks to them. It is one of the few things that captivates all of the kids at once. My favorite grades to teach are 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th (okay really 5th and 6th are my favorites...their English is more advanced and they behave better). 1st grade remains a challenge. Any ideas?

It's a small world! Last week our school had the pleasure of receiving training from a Linguistics/Education expert and BYU professor who flew in from Orem, Utah. His name is C. Ray Graham. Ryan and I knew him as Bishop Graham when we first met at church in BYU 15 and half years ago. He and his wife, Bobbi, came to our wedding 11 years ago this August. His training was fabulous!!!! I was in heaven since he taught us about education and best practices for immersion education, etc. I ate every word! He served his mission in Uruguay when it was still connected to the Paraguay mission (where I served my mission) and learned some Guarani (the Indian language of Paraguay). All these years in education he has been able to use Guarani to teach other people how to teach a foreign language. Since none of us (except for me, which I really understand only a handful of words) understood Guarani which was perfect for his presentation. He told us a story in Guarani and showed us how through pictures, action, story, and participation another language can be learned. It was fascinating to see what it is like to learn another language from the students point of view.

The weather here is unpredictable. Today was hot! It gets that way often but then the clouds build up and billow and then let down their load. Sometimes with thunder but always a good pour. It reminds me of the delicious storms we had in Missouri growing up. I loved to watch the storm approach and then sit inside and feel so safe and delight in the sound.

Ryan will need to update photos since I haven't figured out how to add them from here. Please let me know if there is anything specific that you want to know about. I hope all is well with everyone who reads this and everyone who doesn't. We love and miss you all! Until next time....

Heidi's Drawings

2009-06-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Rainbow around the Sun

2009-06-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

This picture doesn't do it justice but Saturday as I (ryan) was driving from Guatemala City back to our house in Chimaltenango I noticed everyone looking at the sky. To my amazement there was an unreal rainbow completely circling the sun and it lasted for several hours. It was truly an amazing site that you can't fully capture on film.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-05-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm really grateful! Grateful for my present situation and really grateful for my former one. Joshua and I chatted today about whether this life here is easier or more complicated. Every time we drive from the city to our home we see that we have so much to be grateful for here and especially in the US. So many people live in extreme poverty. We live in much different circumstances than at home. Much humbler and in some ways simpler. Less stuff to take care of, less mess to clean, more time to spend with my family. But I miss my kitchen even though I wasn't a great cook. I miss my veggies and clean water. I miss green smoothies! I miss my washer and dryer. I miss having an air conditioner and carpet. I miss my soft bed and lamp to read at night. Here I am grateful for good neighbors (and at home too). The kids love where we live and have made friends fast even with the language barrier. I love the adorable old man who cuts our grass with a machete. The kids were excited to watch him cut our grass with a "sword". I love Irma, our housekeeper and laundress. As I mentioned before, I don't have a washing machine and tried washing some of our clothes by hand. It is exhausting and my whole body is sore from that feat. So Irma is probably my greatest hero this week. It doesn't hurt that she is young, beautiful, smart, and trustworthy. When I came home on Wednesday from school the whole house smelled fabulous. A burden has been lifted. I don't know how women work and take care of a family. They are my heros too. Teaching has been filled with excitement and challenges. I have tried to be creative, inspiring, and fun as I teach them English. The challenge has been all the blank faces staring back at me so I have a lot to learn and need to make some adjustments. The first graders I teach are so out of control that the teacher I work with and I have had to slip into Spanish to have them set some rules and choose consequences. (Any ideas you have are welcomed.) I am trying to apply what I have learned from "Love and Logic". We asked the kids what they thought needed improving. They were hilarious today. They thought it would be a good idea to expell kids that talked in class or who tattled. We had to talk about the crime fitting the punishment but they made us laugh. Some thought of belts and all sorts of corporal punishment for misbehavior. It was great to see them thinking about their behavior and owning it. Joshua has been pleasantly surprised that he enjoys school. Elijah everyday tells me what his favorite part of school has been. It is either eating or playing ball. Heidi is speaking the language faster than the others so far.

Family, we're not in Utah anymore!

2009-05-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

There is so much to write but I'll just give you all the highlights. We arrived safe here in Guatemala. It has been one adventure after another.

We raced to Las Vegas and barely made our flight. We had to race to the boarding gate after we had to adjust the weight in 5 of our suitcases because the weight was over its limit. Joshua vomited while Ryan was checking in the last of our luggage. The flight was a red eye. Everyone slept okay except for Ryan with his sleep apnea and fear of snoring and Noah whose ears must have been bothering him. I held him to keep him from fussing. We had a layover in Ft. Lauderdale for 3 hours then took our last flight to Guatemala City. We were exhausted but were grateful that the Williams weren't Flyers anymore. Thankfully, Ryan's Guatemalan business partner came down with us. I have no clue how we could have made that trip without his help. When we stopped at Ryan's office to meet his employees on the way out to our place I think I must have looked like a million bucks since the first thing Ryan said was something like, "We have been traveling for two days." I forgot to mention that the day before on the drive down to Vegas we stopped at a gas station and I got out to buy water. The gas station attendant said something that I couldn't understand. I asked him to repeat himself two times before I understood. He said, "It looks like you just woke up." I must have looked awful. I told him that that was the problem, I hadn't slept. Anyway, it was especially hard because I was sick and had lost my voice. That is enough complaining for now. We have had more adventures since we arrived. Joshua's luggage didn't arrive so he has been wearing the same 3 sets of clothes since last Tuesday. We have been washing our clothes by hand. We bought some used clothes for him for church. He looked handsome today in his new clothes. We should get his stuff tomorrow. My church shoes were in his bag too so I wore my black flip flops. I didn't feel funny when I got to church and saw others with flip flops too. We are trying to organize and furnish our new home. We are so excited to start school tomorrow. We went to see the school on Friday. The kids are all excited. Josh is excited to take art class. The school has its own eco system on its huge property. I will be teaching a natural science class in English and am so excited to take the kids on nature walks. Heidi illustrated her journal yesterday and it is hilarious. I will take pictures of it to share. My favorite drawings are of her blistered feet and of her taking a shower. Have you ever seen a stick figure with a belly button?

What a wonderful year!

2008-12-29T15:34:00.001-08:00

This year has been an amazing journey and it continues. I have wanted to homeschool my children for years now and just didn't have the guts to do something different and unpopular. This year at a leadership education training from George Wythe University I was asked this question: "When you look into the eyes of your children and grandchildren, when you see their potential and their greatness, do you feel that they are getting the education that is up to par with who they were born to become?"

This question has gone through my mind over and over again. My choice to teach at home has been difficult but also very liberating (like homebirth). I realize that not everyone can or desires to exclusively teach their children at home. I am grateful that I have the choice to give my children a great liberal arts education and that we can do it together. One of my greatest reasons to teach my children at home was to strengthen our family so that we could spend more time together, travel, and enjoy learning as a family. Our family culture is changing. I feel closer as a family and less stressed.

My vision of what I want is still coming into focus. However, I do know that I want a beautiful family culture. We are trying to turn off the noises of the world and turn up the sweet sounds of God's spirit. One of my leaders from church invited us to make that our goal for 2008. It has been a difficult but rewarding process that is still in the works. Changing from my weaknesses is a painful process. I am coming face to face with who I really am and it scares me how much I need to change. I believe that one of the most important things that we learn in this life is how to treat others kindly. Jesus Christ, our Savior, lived a life filled with perfect love. I am a totally different person when I feel that love completely. I feel that I am at one with God. I am my true self stripped of pride and selfishness. I long for the peace that comes with that feeling. I feel like a little child again.

One of my great questions that I keep asking myself is "How can I keep that feeling and not slip back to my old ways and be who I truly am meant to be without being humbled?" "What can I do to keep that desire to do good continually?" "How can I always remember Him (Jesus)?" "How can I always have God's love in my heart and Spirit in my life?" I am grateful to God for the gift of repentance and forgiveness because I need it so badly. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for all the wonderful people He has placed in my life this year, for helping me on this path. I am grateful to my husband and children for being patient with me. I hope that I can love them more and bless their lives as well as bless others.

THE GREATEST GIFT WIFE'S BIRTHDAY SURPRISE REUNITES HUSBAND WITH WWII LIFESAVER

2008-09-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post this awesome story about my grandfather. I figure that today, September 11th, would be a good day to commemorate some of those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom and our country. May we always keep those heroes in our remembrance, pray for those still with us, especially those who are overseas, and for their incredible families. May we all do our part in preserving our freedoms, faith, and families. Support our troops. Be an educated citizen. Vote. Preserve the family. Be a true leader. There are so many ways to make a difference. The power of one is incredible. Here is the story of one such an individual.

"It was one heck of a present that Louise Apperson got her husband, Lloyd, for his 83rd birthday this year.

Finding the buddy who had saved his life 58 years ago in World War II.

Mike Booker is his name, and he was sitting down to have lunch on his farm in Davenport, Wash., on May 15 when the phone rang. It was a woman named Louise, calling from Reseda, Calif.

``Are you Mike Booker?'' she asked.

``Yes,'' he said.

``Did you serve in World War II?''

``Yes.''

``Were you in St-Lo, France?''

``I sure was!''

``Do you remember Lloyd Apperson?''

``Are you kidding?'' Booker shouted. ``I've been looking for him most of my life.''

Louise closed her eyes and smiled. After years of searching unsuccessfully through library phone books and records from all over the country, it took just a few minutes on an Internet Web site to find the right Mike Booker.

"Could you hang on a moment, Mike?'' she asked.

Then Louise walked the phone into the next room and handed it to her husband, sitting in his favorite chair watching TV.

``Happy birthday, honey,'' she said.

They met soon after the D-Day invasion and became friends - a couple of young GIs sitting in their foxholes at night talking about their families back home, and what they wanted to do with their lives if they ever got out of the war alive.

Lloyd was 25, Mike, 20, and they had were lead scouts for the Army's I Company, 357th Infantry, 90th Division - one of the most dangerous jobs in the service.

``We had become good buddies by the time we found ourselves closing in on a huge battle at St-Lo,'' Lloyd said. ``We were scouting ahead of the front line, and Mike was a few steps ahead of me.

``A German soldier raised up across the field and began firing at us. I took my last grenade and threw it at him.''

Lloyd scored a perfect hit, but what he and Mike didn't know was that in some brush near a chateau up ahead, German soldiers in a mortar and machine gun placement were watching their every move.

``They zeroed in on us,'' Lloyd said. ``One of the shells landed about five feet from us. I was left full of holes and helpless.''

Mike got hit in the back with some shrapnel, but he quickly saw his buddy was worse off.

``I crawled over to Lloyd and asked if he could move,'' Mike said. ``He said 'Some,' but then I heard a bolt go click, and knew there was a sniper nearby ready to finish us both off if we got up and tried to make it back to safety.

``We were behind a hedge grove and I told Lloyd that we were OK as long as we stayed low,'' Mike said.

He told Lloyd to crawl onto his back, wrap his arms around his neck, and hang on. Mike was going to belly crawl his buddy the 100 or so yards back to safety.

``Mike had been a football player in high school, and I thank God every day that he was,'' Lloyd said. ``He had shrapnel in his back and me on top of it. It had to hurt like hell.

``He could have left me to save himself, but he didn't. He crawled with me on his back. The bullets from the German snipers sounded like bees buzzing all around us.''

Mike got Lloyd back to safety, leaving him sheltered by a hedge grove before rejoining his company in a fierce battle for St-Lo.

``See you soon, buddy,'' Mike said.

They never saw one another again.

Louise Apperson couldn't remember the last time she had seen her husband cry. But Lloyd was crying now, on his 83rd birthday, as he talked on the phone. So was Mike.

Not a week has gone by in their lives for the past 58 years that they didn't think about each other, the men said. Didn't wonder whether the other had made it home alive.

Not every day, of course, because they had to move on with their lives like all the GIs coming home. They had careers to start and families to support.

But when a guy saves your life or when you save his, you don't ever forget him.

``I told Lloyd I was hit by shrapnel again in the Battle of the Bulge and busted up my ankle, so I was sent to England and then back home,'' Mike said.

Lloyd told his buddy he was picked up by an Army patrol after Mike left him behind. They took him to a farmhouse where a doctor gave him three pints of blood and a 50-50 chance of surviving.

``They moved me from a M-A-S-H unit back to England, then decided my leg would never be well enough to go back to the front,'' Lloyd said.

He still has 32 pieces of shrapnel in his body and two artificial knees that keep him laid up and homebound.

Mike, now 78, is homebound, too, he said. Neither man can travel, and it's driving them crazy because there's nothing these two old war buddies would rather do right now than have the chance to hug each other.

But they can't get closer than a telephone call, and that's what they've been doing two or three times a week since Lloyd's birthday.

``They never run out of things to talk about - from their families and old jobs to what's going on in the country today,'' Louise says.

She says she'd like to meet Mike, too, because in many ways he also saved her life and gave her a future.

While Lloyd was fighting in France, she was pregnant with their first child and working part time as a bookkeeper for a local department store.

One day a man walked into the store looking for her. He handed her a telegram and left before she could rip it open.

``We regret to inform you your husband Lloyd Apperson has been ...'' it began.

She felt her knees go weak and thought she would fall. But the man who owned the store held her up until she got to the next word in the telegram.

``I thought it was going to say 'killed,' but instead it said 'seriously wounded,''' Louise said. ``It's strange to say now but I felt good, relieved.

``Lloyd wasn't dead. He was alive and coming home. We would have a family, a life together.''

Because of a guy named Mike Booker.

Yeah, that was a heck of a present Louise Apperson got her husband, Lloyd, for his 83rd birthday."

By DENNIS McCarthy

10 year anniversary

2008-09-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

This year for our 10 year anniversary I had strep throat so was a bit under the weather. I took all the ibuprofen I could to make it through. We ate Thai food (our favorite) and went to the Parade of Homes in Daybreak (another favorite thing of ours). Sorry Ryan, that I was so sick. The following evening I still was sick but didn't know it was strep until the following day but we went on to a surprise birthday party for one of Ryan's coworkers. It was a "Rock Band" party and the gift was to dress up as a rock star. We had been looking forward to this for weeks. Ryan went as Willie Nelson and I as Sheryl Crow. It was hilarious to see Ry dressed up since he won't even do that for Halloween. I guess we know what he will be for Halloween for years to come if the kids don't ruin the wig. That thing is great! It looks like it is blonde in the pictures but it is really gray. I actually used the thing to teach the kids how to clean the guest bathroom. Let me explain in a moment. The party was really fun even though I had a headache and couldn't swallow. We tried out the Rock Band video game. I tried singing a bunch of rock songs I barely know, played the drums, and the bass guitar. I did so bad. Ryan even tried the bass guitar and really enjoyed it. We'll have to try that again with songs we know.

About the wig, this week our first lesson on Monday morning was about how to clean bathrooms. I went upstairs to gather cleaning supplies when guess who appeared downstairs...the wicked witch. She taught those kids how to make that bathroom sparkle. Cackle, cackle. She had a captive audience. Ryan just informed me that tonight the kids were at his office cleaning the toilets (to earn money) and telling him that he needed to let the blue stuff sit in the toilet for 10 minutes. LOL So they did learn something from that wicked witch.

AFTER

Lemonade 50 cents

2008-09-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago our kids tried a business venture that failed. Josh needed some quick cash and so he decided that a lemonade stand would help him earn some. He and his dad set up a business plan and I helped him. He only owed me $.04 per cup sold (since I provided the paper cups). The lemons were donated by my aunt and I gladly donated the sugar. Josh squeezed the lemons, added the water, the sugar, and the ice. He did a great job. It was a hot day and the kids all came out to help sell. During the 45 minutes we spent outside in the heat we only had one potential client--a kid on a skateboard announcing to his older companions that he was thirsty. No sale. I was melting so decided it was time to wrap things up. I purchased 4 cups of lemonade for everyone which really wasn't necessary since they had already "taste-tested" but I felt like helping out. This was one of our first homeschool adventures. We learned about supply and demand, marketing techniques, the importance of location, the price is right (or not), making a business plan, and addition/subtraction. We had a good time too. I love these kids!

"The way to accelerate your success is to double your failure rate." Thomas Watson, Sr. (founder of IBM)

The Burial

2008-08-03T16:43:00.001-07:00

I have been meaning to write about Grandpa's funeral but have been waiting around for access to pictures and now I finally have some from Lizy's blog. Thanks, Liz. Here are some pictures from the burial. We had a bag piper to celebrate our Scottish heritage which was something Grandpa always wanted.

Now this part is the comedy of the burial that I didn't know about until I heard about it afterwards at Aunt Suzy's (aka Nancy's) house. I wish I could get every one of the pall bearers to share their interesting perspectives. Casey said that the funeral director asked the stronger guys to be at the back because it is the heaviest part of the coffin. Casey was one of them and said it kept getting heavier and heavier so he had to use 2 hands. He suspected the guys at the front weren't carrying much and that he was doing most of the lifting. The funeral guy was holding the back but he believes the guy was just pretending. Joey said it wasn't bad and Casey gave him a hard time because Joey's one hand was turned backwards like it was so easy. Steven was at the back too and said it was so heavy also. They thought it wouldn't be too bad because Grandpa had lost so much weight. Apparently not enough. And then there was a joke about Uncle Bill tossing in some dirt from good old "Missour-a". Maybe it was true. Well it made us laugh.

We had the military funeral honors and flag ceremony that began with "Taps" on the bagpipes. The flag ceremony was sacred. I felt so proud of my grandpa when the officer handed my grandma the flag and said, "On behalf of the United States Military, we thank you for the honorable service your husband gave in defense of his country." (Or something like that.) It was beautiful!

I will write more later. The funeral and get-together afterwards was so wonderful. I'll write when I get pictures.

Remembering Heidi

2008-07-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

Heidi's (my sister) favorite place in the whole world was the beach. Heather once dreamed vividly that Heidi was on the beach playing the piano. How perfect! So after the family got together after Grandpa's funeral, my mom, siblings, and I headed to the beach to watch the sunset and think of her. Too bad the Ventura Beach off of California Street faces south. We missed the sunset but we had a good time listening to the waves crash on the shore.

Ginger

2008-07-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday morning I received the sad news that one of my dearest friend's sister had passed away unexpectedly(she is the one on the bottom right). She was a happy wife and the beautiful mother of 4 children. She was always such a light to everyone and so close to her family. Her last post on her blog was left the day before she passed away. It had no text just a picture of her oldest daughter happily swinging from a branch of a tree entiled "Happiness". My friend, Ginger's sister, told me that she stayed up until 5 am one night the last week before she died, catching up on her blog. Little did she know how precious and what comfort that would bring to her family. My heart has ached for her family as I think of the great loss they will feel with her gone especially as wife and mother. The initial shock of losing a loved one is so hard to cope with. I remember losing Heidi and how heartbroken I felt. The pain in my heart was almost too much. We prayed and God comforted us with His Spirit. I literally felt Him carrying me. I feel that Heidi chose make a sacrifice that we may remember what truly matters in this life so that we can be together again someday. Just like our Savior, Jesus Christ, made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can overcome death and sin. It has been 12 years and I still feel pain but I think of it as my friend because it reminds me of how I need to live my life to be with her. And the pain we feel here is part of the joy we will feel then(from the movie Shadowlands about C.S. Lewis). My sister shared a song with me by Diamond Rio called "God Only Cries" that brings so much comfort at this time with the loss of Ginger and Grandpa.

"God Only Cries" by Diamond Rio

On an icy road one night
A young man loses his life
They marked the shoulder with a cross
An' his family gathers round
On a piece of Hallowed ground
Their hearts are heavy with their loss
As the tears fall from their eyes
There's one who'll always sympathise.

God only cries for the living
'Cause it's the living that are left to carry on
An' all the angels up in Heaven
They're not grieving because they're gone
There's a smile on their faces
'Cause they're in a better place than, mmm, baby, than, oh
God only cries for the living
'Cause it's the living that are so far from home.

It still makes me sad
When I think of my Grand-dad
I miss him each and every day
But I know the time will come
When my own gradnson
Wonders why I went away
Maybe we're not meant to understand
Till we meet up in the Promised Land.

God only cries for the living
'Cause it's the living that are left to carry on
And all the angels up in Heaven
They're not grieving because they're gone
There's a smile on their faces
'Cause they're in a better place than, oh, baby, than oh
God only cries for the living
'Cause it's the living that are so far from home
Yeah, we're so far from home, Mmmm, Mmmm

Lloyd Raymond Apperson

2008-07-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

I just received word that my grandfather passed away last night. I am deeply saddened. I regret not going to visit with him one last time. I really wanted to visit him and soak up his sweet spirit and tell him that I love him. I hope he knows. I am grateful that I was able to see him last August before we went to Guatemala. He said goodbye like it would be our last. In January he took a turn for the worst and we thought he would not make it. He made us think that he had the nine lives of a cat. We have prayed for him ever since to be comforted and not suffer.

He was born May 13, 1919 in Missouri. He loved to play the fiddle, sing, and write music. He served in WWII and was injured. He lived with shrapnel imbedded in his body since that day. He was the construction foreman for the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, The Bod Newhart Show, and many others. Here is a link to his resume http://posters.imdb.com/name/nm0032289/ He survived a car accident. He survived cancer. He loved doing family history. He loved to build. He loved being surrounded by family.

My favorite memory of him is when he would play "The Reseda Blister" on the fiddle with Grandma playing the piano alongside him. He mowed our 2 acres in Missouri on his riding mower and I remember bringing him lemonade when he was done. I remember him making big birdhouses for the sparrows. I loved how tender and choked up he would get when he would share something special. I loved how he called me "Tuts" or "Toots" (however you spell that) and love to hear that name as my Heidi is called the same by her Grandpa Williams.

Grandpa, you are free at last from the pains of this world. No more restricted diets, bad knees, or allergies (just to name a few). Now we will pray for Grandma to be comforted with your loss as I am sure she will miss you the most.

Grandpa, thanks for leaving us a wonderful legacy. You have given us the gift of music. You have given us a love of God. You have given me your good looks(lol). I never knew what to say when people would tell me that I looked like my grandpa and my dad since I'm a girl. However, I'm grateful that I can look in the mirror and see a bit of you. I'm grateful for the living memory I hold in my arms. Our baby Noah (aka "Little Lloyd") looks just like you. I love how through the generations we can pass on bits of ourselves. We love you and miss you greatly. We all look forward to that sweet reunion on the other side when we are all whole, young, and wise. How happy it will be!

Counting Blessings

2008-07-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

A year ago on my birthday, July 18, 2007, I got the best birthday present. The kids and I went to get pictures at Kiddie Kandids. Elijah was not in a good mood and I noticed that he had a temperature after when I was putting all the kids in the car around 2pm. He seemed to be getting sick quickly. He was so weak and just cried and wanted me to hold him. That evening Ryan had to go to scouts. I decided I would take Elijah to Instacare to see what was wrong. So Ryan took the two older kids with him and I had Elijah and the baby. After they left, I put Elijah in the tub to cool him down. Then I dressed him and laid him in his crib to look for a thermometer. When I left the room I heard him make the strangest cry. I ran back into to room. His eyes were rolled back and he was convulsing. His head was twitching to one side and his whole body was shaking. His breathing stopped. I was terrified. I picked him up, cried, and started praying out loud while running to the phone. I called 911 and he started vomiting during the call. Then he stopped and just lay still but he was breathing and moaning. It was so strange to see my normally wild child laying there almost lifeless. The fire station came within 5 minutes. They decided to take him to the hospital. My adorable neighbor came immediately and offered help. She took the baby. Ryan came back from church with the bishop and the kids. They followed the ambulance. I had a million thoughts running through my head. I was so afraid of losing my precious Elijah. I prayed so hard. Then in the end they said it was just a febrile seizure which is quite common in early childhood. If it were to happen again I didn't need to do anything unless it were to last longer than 5 minutes. It hasn't happened again but it was so scary and I hope it never happens again. I was so happy that God protected my sweet boy giving me the the best 32nd birthday present ever--life.

What are your passions?

2008-07-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

Okay anyone who may be reading this, I want to know what your passions are. I am stealing this idea from my mother-in-law.

Today I want you to share your passions. It can’t be family or gospel/ God, because I take it for granted that the people I love (and people that find this blog) will love both. Tell me 5 things you are passionate about.

Here are mine.

1.Music speaks to my soul. It fills me. It softens my heart. Makes me want to dance. Smile. Cry. Fills me with the Spirit. Makes me feel whole. I love to think of Maria on the mountains in Austria singing "The Hills are Alive". I guess that is what music makes me feel the most...alive.
2. Reading a great book. Seeing the world through someone else's eyes. Learning from them. From their mistakes, successes, pain. They are my friends. The best books are the ones that change me and make me a better person.
3. Natural things. Natural childbirth. Home/waterbirth. Homeschooling. Whole foods nutrition. Organic gardening. Looking at the stars. Soaking up the sun. Camping. Enjoying God's creations. All things natural except that "The natural man is an enemy to God." I love being earthy, crunchy granola.
4. Dancing. Okay. I don't dance but in my mind I am a fabulous dancer. It makes me smile. It gets my heart beating. It is a great workout in theory. I am very graceful.
5. Theater. Okay. I don't act but in my mind I am a fabulous actress. I get to be someone else. Live another life. Wear different clothes. Live in another time period. (Okay #4 and #5 show me I a passionate dreamer.)

Summer Sun

2008-07-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

Does anyone love the status quo song from High School Musical? I love it! Challenge the status quo and think outside the box. Whole foods nutrition (think green smoothies). Yoga. Want to live in Latin America. Natural childbirth. Homebirth. Homeschooling. Just call me the "earthy, crunchy granola girl".

Today was a good day. My kids had the times of their lives at Park Day-a support group for homeschoolers here in Eagle Mountain. They made new friends, got some sun, explored, and were covered in mud. They loved it. Elijah was so tired and happy afterwards that he blissfully went to sleep after lunch and a bath. I enjoyed talking to other like-minded mothers. I was in heaven.

I am 99% sure I will homeschool this fall. We have been "practicing" this summer and have had fun learning about classical musicians and ears and eyes. A few weeks ago we dissected a cow's eye that I ordered from a great website called www.homesciencetools.com. It was so gross and cool and we learned so much. I have been investigating the homeschool option for 3 years and want to do it so bad. It just makes sense to me. I think of eternity and how my chance to be a mother and teach my children is just a dot on that timeline. I don't want to lose that dot to public school. Children spend 15,000 hours in school which is a little under 2 years of their lives. I really love being with my kids. With Heidi starting kindergarten this fall I don't want to see her go. I don't want to isolate my kids from the world but instead I want to give them the world. I want them to have more than I had. I want them to be able study what interests them because that is when they really learn.

The book, "A Thomas Jefferson Education", is what really first intrigued me. It compares public education to a conveyor belt where an individualized education plan is impossible. Just think of the student to teacher ratio that homeschooling solves. Thirty to one verses four to one, in my case. Children are taught what to think, not how to think. Creativity is stifled. My public school education taught me the tools (reading, writing, arithmetic) to learn but other than that not anything that I remember. I was an A student. I knew how to memorize for the test but I don't remember more than that. What good is all that time in school if I can't remember what it was I went there for? I want so much more for my children. I want them to learn about the things that interest them so that it sticks in their minds and so they really learn and LOVE doing it. I want them to learn to be great thinkers and self-educators. A huge part of our homeschool will be service. I have dreamed of going to brighten the days of the elderly and sick. I want my kids to love serving other people and be comfortable with people of all different ages and to be a light to the world.

The BIG homeschool question is "what about socialization?" Is that the real reason we send our kids to school? I actually have gone to homeschool conventions, etc. with the curiosity of what kind of people homeschool their kids. I have been surprised that the majority of people are "normal" looking people (if anyone can define normal). There are always some strange ones. Who can blame someone who is weird for homeschooling? If the parents are weird, the kids will most likely be weird. Wouldn't it be a safer place to learn at home than with a bunch of bullies? I read a book, "The Well Adjusted Child". It is great and addresses every homeschool socialization question imaginable like how will they be prepared for the real world, where homeschooled kids learn to be sociable, the need to face adversity, aren't they isolated, etc. I want them to be ready for the real world. I don't want to isolate them. I want them to know how to shine, be strong, and overcome adverse situations.

Another good question would be, do we want to socialize our children or civilize them? I think they are completely different things. If socialization is what I learned from a public school education, it was definitely not civilization. If the most important thing we learn in life is how to treat other people the way God wants us to and the way Christ taught us to then public education is failing miserably. What did I learn from my public education experience in light of socialization? I always think back to a day in my 6th grade class room when my teacher left the room. A homely, quiet girl wearing uncool red pants was humiliated in front of the entire class by a popular boy. I felt so awful for her. I can imagine she wished the earth would just open up and swallow her whole. I wanted to stand up for her and tell him to stop it. But I was too afraid. I wasn't pretty or rich or popular. I was afraid of being demoted from practically invisible to a total loser. I lacked serious moral character. Thinking back I wish that I would have been strong enough to stop the cruelty to have shown that boy that bullying isn't cool. Instead it just got worse.

So again, what did I learn from school? I learned that I need to do whatever the teacher wanted me to do. I learned to follow the crowd. I learned to worry about what others think. I learned to be afraid to say what I think. I learned that the world can be very cruel and wicked. I learned what perverts think. I learned that the bus can be an evil place. I learned very little about being a light to the world. However, I held fast to goodness and did not chose to go down those ugly paths, so was it worth it? Maybe. Did I shine my light as we are asked to do and do I want the same experience for my own children? Yes, I did the best I could considering the light had been greatly dimmed by the entire experience. No, I want my children to shine brighter than I did.

So what is the 1% that holds me back from homeschooling? Worrying about what other people think (which is none of my business anyway) and a by-product of my conveyor belt education. I don't want my children to think the way I do. So I think I solved my own problem.

Dan in Real Life

2007-12-04T20:14:00.001-08:00

In the words of my dear MIL, go see this movie, "go, go, go". It is seriously the best movie I have seen in a long time. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Ryan loved it too.

Guilt

2007-12-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

I am dealing with some major guilt issues. I just read my mother-in-law's blog about her trip to France (not all of it but lots). I was thinking of how important it is to write about one's life. I am so overwhelmed with everything that I have to do that I am often paralyzed and do nothing. I am driving myself up the wall. Well I need to at least try a little bit. Reading my MIL's (mother in law)blog is so awesome. She is an awesome writer and seriously has my favorite kind of sense of humor. I love getting to know her through her writing!!!!! I hope that there will be a way to know me better. I can't promise anything with this blog that has taken me over 2 months to make two teeny tiny entries but maybe some other way. This blog is entitled "Guilt" because that is what I feel for all the things that I should do that I don't do like writing or journaling often, keeping an orderly house, exercising, eating too much sugar, allowing papers to pile up so high that the kitchen counter disappears, or having my kids watch tv so that I can get something done...just to name a few. Boy do I need to get my act together or what? I just hope that one day I can look back at this entry and say that I have changed!! One of my favorite lines from Anne of Green Gables is "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it" or something like that. I also like the song by Garth Brooks "If tomorrow never comes". I want to make this day better and live it as if it were my last so that tomorrow I will have no regrets and no guilt.

Here are some highlights from our trip to Guatemala

2007-09-24T23:08:00.001-07:00

So good to see Grandpa again

2007-09-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent picture of some of the people I love the most. We went to California on our way to Guatemala and stopped by to see my Grandpa in the VA Hospital. It was so special to hug him and soak up his spirit for a time. We cried. He sang "The Tennessee Waltz" and then the kids and I sang too. It was so awesome to see him after 6 years. It was so special to see the sweetness of his spirit and feel the tenderness and love in his heart for all of us. We love you, Grandpa. And thanks, Grandma, for taking good care of us. Sorry we were such a handful!

Love,