I thought I Knew

A Little Lesson:
I thought I knew . . .

I thought everything fell into place at the last minute for a trip to Ottawa
so that I could be there for my son,
who incidentally got a 2nd degree sunburn three days before he was to leave.
Nope.
He was fine. He was so ready to immerse himself in this
once-and-a-lifetime national camp, mom was not needed.
Once I was there, I realized very quickly,
in order for me to compose the music I needed to compose and write the script I needed to write
I needed to see the history that makes up this great country. . .live and in 3 dimensions.
Ottawa provided that in a way that no other place on earth could.

A Gift

I phoned her about something completely different.

I mentioned, in passing, about how I was working on trying to find

a reasonable plane ticket to Ottawa.

She interjected without blinking and said I am going to give you some points.

I have lots and I want to give you some, she said casually.

I quickly refused her generous offer.

She didn't accept my refusal and told me to hang up so she could go and book them.

Tami Lynn, just like that, gave me a gift.

That's just how she is.

She doesn't think about being generous.

She just is.

This is not the first time she has given away thousands of

points and I can bet my life on the fact it will not be the last.

And so two days ago I got home from a trip to Ottawa,

where my son presented his Pine Beetle Social Studies project in our nation's capital.

A Little Lesson:

How does one repay someone who gives such a generous gift?

You can't.

You bring her a souvenir, some flowers

and try to live your life just a little bit more the way she lives hers.

Love ya Tam.

Recovered

I am happy to say my computer crashing ordeal is over and 98.9 % of my data was recovered. It took a chunk out of my emotional reserves as I really faced the reality that I might have lost so much of what I cared so much about. It was difficult as the computer hospital would phone and we would discuss what felt like my life in terms of just one word . . .data. They would say "well it looks like we were able to access most of your data, however there was some damage in some regions. . ." My mind would drift away thinking about the Mac commercial on TV that has the goofy PC guy with all the problems and the cool MAc guy who I swore used to say in the commercials "when you buy a mac you never experience problems again, ever, ever, ever, and you don't even need to worry about backing things up because Macs never get viruses or break down or have technical issues, really. Buy a Mac." I swear that is what cool Mac guy used to say so I believed him. These days cool Mac guy is not looking so cool. I don't think the computer doctor had ever had so many prayers said on his behalf to be skillfull in finding all of my lost data. My beautiful Mac is home safe and sound and life has returned to normal. I must say I still love my Mac and would never want to live without one.

A Little Lesson:
The obvious lesson: back up your computer.

The less obvious lesson: it is the things we value most in life - our children, our memories, our families, our companions, our testimonies, our health, our friendships, that have to sit side by side with the mindless daily tasks that take up our time day in day out. They sit together on the To Do list and wait to be picked. Neglect of these precious things in the name of b u s y n e s s can leave us with sorrow and pain that can be deep and life altering. Neglect of these precious things can leave us with a phone call that might end up saying. . .it just wasn't able to be recovered.

Back Up

The morning started with my indestructible Mac crashing.

The threat of losing

my pictures...my documents...my videos...25,000 Peace Project registrations

my valuable emails...our itunes...and every song I ever composed

took the air out of my lungs and left my brain in a thick fog.

The computer hospital asked if I had backed up my data,

I hung my head in shame and sorrow and replied...no.

The day continued as Jordan comes running announcing

that his Pine Beetle project which will be presented in Ottawa

in exactly one week, from this very moment

had been attacked by a short one-and-a-half-year-old

carrying a deadly Sharpe.

It was indeed a crime scene to behold.

I explained it was in the hallway

because I was going to take it

back up the stairs where it would be safer

then it's temporary home in the den. . .

I just hadn't taken it up yet.

Finally, evening came and I left for a meeting I had in Langley.

I decided to drive by our beloved temple.

As I drove up,

sun pouring down on this sacred building...

I stopped.

I no longer felt the grim circumstances of my present

nor the bleak what if's of my future

instead, I backed up and remembered.

Remembered all the good I enjoy in my life.

It was easy to do standing alone in the evening sun

marveling at the beautiful dark blue stain glass that adorned

the front of this Holy House.

A Little Lesson:

I think we must endure and embrace the present,

have faith and believe in the the future,

and frequently remember and learn from our past.

Don't Fall!

Where did it come from?
She likes to get up on top of things.
She hangs from things in precarious ways.
She maneuvers around high places as if she were made of rubber.
She climbs up on things that if she were to fall she would break her back.
Craig and I are both cautious, calculated and conservative.
Does God throw foreign DNA into our kids to keep us on our toes?

A Little Lesson:

The expression "He gets that from you","She gets that from me" can be heard regularly in our home. As we watch our children grow, it is so amazing to see the different characteristics that make up who they are. Some, they have learned from being around us and genetically makes sense and clearly some they have brought here all on their own. I think the exercise of recognizing these qualities and characteristics is valuable. It reminds us that we don't own our children. We don't just feed them and dress them and mold them into versions of ourselves. Instead, we are stewards over them while they are here on earth. I think understanding this stewardship, takes some of the pressure off. We still have to walk the tightrope of parenting but there is a platform behind us, a platform in front of us, a big long rod to keep our balance and a safety net 50 feet below us. We may look like we are alone and even feel alone, but we are not. We are covered. We will not fall.

Brothers

Jordan stops to tie his shoe.
Benjamin stops to watch.

A Little Lesson:
One is so big.
One is so small.
That doesn't matter when you adore one another.

Carefree Concerns

I took the kids to the park next the church

while Craig took care of an interview.
On the way there, Clara yells,
"Mom! What will my name be when I grow up and become a mommy???
It wont be Clara Murley!!!"

Emily explains,
"It's okay Clara, once you find your husband, you take his last name."

She responds more settled,
"okay"

A Little Lesson:
They are so little.
They play like maniacs.
They run and scream like
they don't have a care in the world.
Don't be fooled.

Daddy's Shoulders

A Little Lesson

He carries the. . .

weighty issues at work

heavy matters of our stake

complicated dynamics of four children

the rigamoroll of being married to me

life stresses of fatherhood, priesthood and manhood

on his shoulders.

Sometimes he takes a break,

when taking long walks on the beach,

and trades those in for 30-40 pounds of love.