“Death Comes Unexpectedly”

Something about this week has that preacher from “Pollyanna” pounding the pulpit and booming out that warning in my mind, except he is saying, “Change comes unexpectedly.”  Maybe it has to do with the fact that I helped Dallin get moved in here at home for the summer from college on Monday, totally loved it that he was going outside every day and weeding one section of the yard at a time, and enjoyed seeing the kids love having him around and making plans with him for the summer, and by Thursday evening  he was packed up and on his way back to WSU for the summer term.  It was so unexpected and so fast --Thursday morning he and Nathan are at work together at Jarstad’s, that same afternoon he is making phone calls and working on getting registered for classes that had started four days before and finding a place to live, all after his Master Sergeant Brinckley told him the military would cover his tuition if he came to summer school.  They are trying to help him graduate in two years, while sending him to this ROTC  “Leader Training Camp” this July at Fort Knox in Kentucky. 

After dinner his car was packed and he was on his way back to school.  His popularity with his siblings plummeted with his departure, though, and it may take awhile before his name can be spoken without rancor around here.  It is sort of like he died and everyone is trying to work their way through the grieving process but stuck in between shock that he is gone and anger at him for leaving while mourning his departure.  Death does indeed come unexpectedly.

Devin is back at work for the City of Federal Way Streets, and spent time this week in a variety of jobs including pouring sidewalks and going up high in one of those crane things with the buckets on them and putting up the City of Federal Way Banners that are around the down town area.  He is enjoying the variety in the work projects before the multitude of flower baskets come in at the end of May that he will be in charge of watering every day and he will indeed be wishing that change would come unexpectedly.

Devin also takes time to help whoever needs help in whatever subject they need it in, (except the language arts which is my department) including the mysteries of the Rubik’s cube, which seem to interest only him and Jamie.  He claims he can do the cube in a minute and a half.

Jim is trying to recover from a hectic but fulfilling and wonderful weekend of stake conference.  He had to speak at the stake leadership meeting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, then at the adult session of stake conference on Saturday evening, and then this morning at stake conference at 10 a.m.  This  was all in addition to all the other responsibilities that he was handling in his calling.  I was only able to hear two of his talks, but he did a wonderful job on them and I heard good things from others about all of them. 

Notice that I did say, “Trying  to recover.”

Earlier this week I took Marci in for an eye exam, since she is having trouble reading some of her flute music.  An hour or so later, she came out and sat down by me to show me the glass frames she had picked out.  Something about them brought back memories of my kids getting a good laugh at my old grade school pictures and the glasses I used to wear.  I wish I would’ve known how in style I was back then since it would’ve been the only time in my life when I HAVE been in style.  

 

We hear from Aubrey occasionally and even from Darren less occasionally, but Aubrey was asked to be the Assistant Coach for the competitive frisbee team that she is on at BYU-Idaho.   They had a game this Saturday and won 14 –6, with Aubrey scoring about half of the points, including one dive into the end zone where she caught a long bomb for a touch down.

I think we could safely say that she learned skills growing up as a little sister to three big brothers that have made her what she is today.