In July we are moving to...

..

MICHIGAN!

Are you thinking, wait...isn't that where you already live? You are correct! We have been so excited to share our big news but wanted to wait until we knew exactly where we would be going. Back in October, November and December Mike was interviewing for jobs (early, right?). We were so blessed to have 5 awesome offers in that short time of preliminary interviews. Mike has worked his tail off these past few years: school, grades, networking, connections, you name it and it was so exciting and such a relief to see that it all paid off. 

We ended up doing something we were not planning on...funny how life has a way of always ending up like that for us. We thought we would take a fellowship after school, and Mike was offered a great one (it's kind of crazy too, fellowship offers require a yes or no within 24 hours because they are so competitive). Literally 1 hour before we called to say yes,  he received a consulting offer that was too good to not consider, so we turned the fellowship down and he continued the interview process and ended up with 3 more offers over the next month.

After much prayer, fasting, thinking, late night conversations and evaluating, we chose to accept the offer with Accenture where he will be working in their Health Care Consulting Practice. After accepting the offer, we had to decide which big city we wanted our family to settle in. Our gut said, D.C. since we'd lived there before, so that is what we told them, then all of a sudden, I had a major change of heart and told Mike that I felt like Michigan should be our home and to see if they could change his first choice to the Detroit office. 

Luckily, it was not too late and we are now Michiganders for life (or as long as this part of our life lasts)! We have really grown to love so many things about the area we are in and feel it is a wonderful place to raise boys. The people, the landscape, the education, the opportunity, just the greatest. We honestly couldn't ask for better (okay, milder winters, less humidity and about 2 days closer to family would be nice). We found a house to rent in Saline, Michigan which is 10 minutes from where we are now. The boys will change schools and wards but it is a delightful community of great families, beautiful surroundings, top-notch schools, streams, wildlife, and a charming downtown. Plus, we are only 15 minutes from the University and everything it has to offer. It's the perfect suburb next to a thriving college town and we are so excited.

There is a downside...Mike's job will be heavy on travel and we will miss him being around all the time, but we are grateful to be only 20 minutes from the airport and settling in a place where hopefully he'll have the chance to be on some local clients too. I'm ready to be a tough single mom for 3-4 days a week (watch for break-down posts in the near future) and then have him all to ourselves over the weekend.  We are ready for the challenge and know we can make it work. It's not ideal but in this economy we are so grateful for a job that will provide for our family while I stay home with the kids, and we honestly feel nothing but gratitude for a great opportunity.

So, get out your address book and watch for our updated address before Christmas Card season. Hopefully we'll be back out west for a visit soon ;)

Good-bye for now, Grammy

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On Thursday, April 19th, Mike's sweet Grandma, Sue Romney,  passed away peacefully after a full 97 years of vibrant living. Her death, while expected and in many ways hoped for because of her declining health, left us all a bit emotional and intensely grateful for eternal families.

While I've only known Grammy for the past 13 years, I felt we were kindred spirits from the beginning. Mike wanted the approval of Grammy before we were married and right away we could sit and chat for hours about anything, and I always looked forward to our visits. She was interested and engaged in our conversations and had such insight into so many topics. My smile comes easily as I remember her appropriately feisty personality and independent will. She unabashedly spoke her mind and said things only a well-dressed, white haired woman could get away with. Since moving from Utah in 2001, we've visited her every time we've come to town. She always greeted us by telling us how "well" we looked and when I cut my hair and added bangs, she approvingly noted, "You are looking so modern."

 I always looked forward to sitting on her white couch surrounded by breakable trinkets and valued family photos and grabbing a chocolate on our way out as we spent a few hours together. We passed the time by listening to her recount growing up in Riverdale, UT (Odgen for non Utah natives) and being hired to give readings. She loved telling us how multiple men pursued her and how confident and assured she was. She was proud of her education and intelligence and I loved that. She enjoyed telling us about her courtship with her husband Derald and we could hear the story over and over and never tire of it, perhaps because when she spoke of the man she loved, her eyes twinkled and she smiled that familiar smile of a woman who has been loved by a good man. Although he's been gone a very long time, it was obvious he had never left her heart. She never forgot to remind me of how handsome he was or how she wished I had known him. She had such pride in being the companion of such a great man and you could feel it as she spoke lovingly of him.  We enjoyed hearing about their graduate school experience and the way they saved every penny and then about her married life hosting many apostles in their home and the way she used to entertain. I would have loved knowing her when she was young. She also kept us up on the happenings in her retirement home, her exercises and the people she ate meals with along with the BYU Men's volleyball team and the BYU devotionals. She loved talking about her children and how successful they all are and how they all married such lovely people. That has to do a mama good.

After we had children, our visits got a bit shorter, but she was so kind and excited to see our boys. She let them each take a chocolate or two and as we were taking out toys or crayons always apologized for not having anything for them to play with. Often I would take the boys out after a few minutes and let them get popcorn and run around outside while Mike finished the visit. I was amazed by the way she always made my boys feel loved. She didn't mind them touching her glass eggs or breakable table and smiled at them with love in her eyes when they gave her a hug or asked her questions. She always told them how "handsome" they are. My boys were all so sweet to her and always willing and happy to go visit. They spoke of her often with genuine love.

We were so grateful to be able to see her for a short moment on Easter Sunday. She had moved to a more medically equipped facility and was staying in the memory care unit. When she saw us, her eyes lit up and she recognized who we were and greeted us with hugs, but after only a few minutes it was evident that she no longer remembered. It was a bit sad, but on the way home we rejoiced in her great life. My boys loved being able to give her one last hug.  We love her so much and are so grateful she is back with her sweetheart.

When we told our boys she had passed away, Jace was a bit emotional, Parker just said, "So, she is up in heaven now?" and James ran to me and sobbed on my shoulder for almost 10 minutes. This is the first time anyone we really love has died and it was hard to know that we have to say good-bye for a time, but we are so glad that we know we will see her again.

So my boys don't forget, I asked them what they will remember about Grammy. They said,

James: Grammy Romney was so nice. I liked eating her chocolate when we visited.

Parker: I want to remember that she was nice to us. I liked looking at the pictures at her house.

Jace: When we came to visit she was always cheerful even if she was sick. She loved me and she always cared about us and she loves little children. I looked forward to going because I was excited to see her and give her hugs and eat the popcorn out in the hall. The last time we visited her I liked meeting some of the new people there. She always said we were such "nice looking boys." She would say, "Again, you are such nice looking boys, did I tell you that already?" I liked the chocolate in her little bowl and I liked how the people treated her where she lived. She was just a good grandma and very nice and I wish she didn't die and I'm so glad we visited her one more time before she died and I wish I could go to her funeral.

I wish I had always taken pictures during our visits, but I do have a few from the later years:

This is the first and possibly last time I will post on Brooke's blog.  Brooke is much more eloquent than I am, but I thought it appropriate that I share a few memories and thoughts about my grandmother.  More so for my boys than any other reason.  My grandfather, who passed in 1993, was the long time stake president, regional authority and patriarch in Spokane. I only mention that because anyone who is a member of our church knows what those positions of service mean for the wife of the church leader.  I grew up hearing stories about Grammy hosting general authorities and prophets in their home.  One of my favorite memories was sleeping in the guest room, on the beautiful hand carved four post bed, and having Grammy tell me bed time stories of prophets who had visited and slept in that same bed.  That was obviously back when the church was much smaller and the relationships among the leaders more intimate.  She had such a deep respect and abiding love for each of the brethren who had visited.  I could feel it in her recounting of the stories.  

I'm sure all of my cousins would also share the stories of trying to steal a piece of Grammy’s famous almond roca, while it was lying out on the billiards table downstairs.  It was the most amazing roca and I've been searching for years to find a comparable recipe; in vain.  Grammy loved making rice pudding.  I didn't particularly enjoy it when I was younger, but it grew on me as I got older.  Similar to my roca dilemma, I don't enjoy other people's rice pudding now, because it's not the same as Grammy’s.

Grammy was practical, frugal and stern, having grown up during the depression on a farm in northern Utah.  She was also very loving, kind and concerned with everyone's welfare.  Grammy was the first to welcome new neighbors to the community, hosted ladies' game night at her home regularly, and was respectful of other's beliefs and needs, without compromising her own.

I could write books about my Grammy’s accomplishments during her long sojourn here on earth.  She was an amazingly intelligent, well read, well spoken woman of courage and faith.  She would always correct our grammar, taught us that a polite boy says "I've had sufficient thank you" at the dinner table, and expected the very best effort from her grandchildren.  I never wanted to let her down growing up and will continue to try and live up to her expectations now that she's gone.  I love you Grammy and am grateful for the wonderful legacy you've left.  I'm so glad you're finally united with grandpa again and I'm sure you two are dancing together, just like you did at your 50th wedding anniversary and so many times before.  See you soon! (relatively speaking)

March Catch Up

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Creating your own family motto

A few family members and friends have asked for help creating their own family motto, so these are the steps I would suggest:

1. Decide what is most important to you. Every family is different, and that is good, so don't try to be someone you are not. For instance, if you have a boisterous house maybe "embrace stillness" shouldn't be part of your motto.

2. Make a list as a family or as a couple of what you've decided. Personally, I'm glad we waited until our kids were a little older to decide what was most important. It's nice to know your little ones as older ones before you decide the direction you need to take your family and the things you should emphasize, but don't wait to too long! Some new parents or even just couples already know. Narrow things down by noticing what items you say often, what your family seems to need help in or what really rings true when you say it. Star things that are musts.

3. Pray about it. I know the Lord inspires us as we lead our families.

4. Take some time to think about things and wait to see if something else becomes more important. The line "Live with Gratitude" hit me much later than the rest of the motto, but I found it just as important.

5. Use as few words as possible to convey the message. A few carefully chosen words are infinitely more powerful than an entire paragraph. Your family may only want one line or maybe 20...do what is best for your group.

6. Keep the motto as parallel as possible. This makes it easy to say and remember.

7. Talk about it, say it, display it, live it.

Here are some motto options to use or mull over:

do their best, never give up, try again, work hard, forgive easily, live with joy, laugh daily, give thanks, never quit, think globally, serve with a smile, forge friendships, put family first, seek knowledge, continually learn, learn from mistakes, explore the world, look to the Savior, use kind words, watch their tongue, reverence the sacred, listen attentively, speak honestly, focus on eternity, stay active, change lives, love the earth, celebrate difference, live virtuous lives, trust in inspiration, help their neighbors, live authentically, look for beauty, make music, love unconditionally, find the good, see the best, recognize all beauty, move to music, live for knowledge, say thank you, hope during hardship, believe in eternity mind their manners, pursue their passion, follow the prophet, pray earnestly, live with hope, believe in love, share our abundance, change the world, take risks, trust in God, remember the moments, sing loudly, support eachother, play hard, read for fun, share their light, use time wisely, value education, kiss hello, sacrifice for education, take risks, embrace stillness, create with confidence, help the weak, speak their mind, stand for right,use their imagination, eat healthily, stop and listen, try new things, dare to dream, practice hard, live our dreams, find our talents, lift others up

I loved using Heather from Simply Fresh Designs to design the motto, and this site prints custom size canvases, but it would be so easy and cheap to just print regularly and frame too.

Good luck! If you want help, I'd be happy to try, and if you come up with a good one, I'd love to hear it!!