Where Were You On 9/11 ?

Roland is flying today. I'm not too worried, but I did make sure we had water and all the cars are fully gassed. 

On 9/11/01 Noah was home from school to take his new dog, Zip, to the vet with me. Roland was in Portland. My mom called and told me to turn on the TV and didn't say much else. Noah and I watched in horror as people started jumping out of the buildings. I snapped to it and realised that Noah shouldn't see it so I sent him outside to play with Zip until the vet appointment and I watched TV while I called the kid's schools (they were in lockdown mode and strongly discouraging parents from picking up their children) and tried to reach Roland. When we drove to the vet I saw that the grocery store parking lots were full and there were long lines at all the gas stations - fortunately we had 2/3 tank of gas. Each time I heard a siren I felt panicked and sick. We tried to act like it was a normal day at the vet's office but everyone was tense and distracted. 

Roland called to say that he was fine, he cancelled the training and was going to keep his rental car and drive home from Portland because the airports were closed. The kids came home from school and told me how they had a lock down and had to hide under the desks and then watched the tower coverage over and over. We turned off the TV and radio and spent the rest of the day in the back yard, played with Zip, and had a picnic. Roland got home that night and we decided to take the kids out of school and head up to the cabin. It seemed that we couldn't escape the horror of the event and focusing on it wouldn't help our family or make anything better. The next morning we loaded up the car with yummy food and fun games and spent a 4 day weekend playing on the river with our new dog, we ran into town and get a paper everyday and Roland and I would read all the latest news and quietly speculate on why, how, and what would happen next. 

It was such a blessing to have a new cabin and a new dog to distract us from the gloom and misery of that horrible time. I remember making a conscious decision to focus on the sparkling river and my sunshiny children playing fetch with Zip, who was so happy to be adopted into a family again. Zip and the cabin loved us all better.

Where were you on 9/11?

Veterans Day

When I was in Jr High our choir would gather with choirs all over the city and put on a Veterans Day Concert. It was a big deal with lots of rehearsing. I personally didn't know a single veteran. I wasn't related to anyone who ever went to war. I didn't know that one day I would love a veteran as much as my own dad.

Wade Smith 26 years old

This is my Father-In-Law. He is an amazing man. He raised the man that I dearly love, and he raised him well. We visit him at least once a week. When he is feeling good he will sing songs for the boys:

"Tiddly wink a dink a dink, Tiddly wink a doo, I - love - you."

When he senses that the grandkids are bored with the visit he will launch in to a chant he use to do with his division, The Wolfhounds (27th infantry division):

When you're lying wounded on the cold Korean plain
And the communists come to cut up what remains
Just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
and go to God like a good Wolfhound.

He says this with a serious tone and ends with a wolf howl and then, a twinkle in his eye and big smile and wink. It always makes the boys laugh. It chills me every time. This dear sweet old man, who tells complete strangers that he loves them, has seen serious war. Horrific things that I can't imagine.

He is a hero. But he won't tell you that. He has medals (silver stars, bronze stars, three purple hearts) , and other awards, but he won't tell you that. He has a brother that was a prisoner of war in WWII and another brother that was a fighter pilot killed in action in Vietnam. He and his family have defended our democracy and spilled blood for our country.

But when you talk to him, he will tell you that he loves you.

Happy Veterans Day Wade. We love you!

I Will Always Remember

On September 10th we adopted a beautiful white Lab and named her Zip. She was Noah's dog. I gave Noah permission to stay home with me on the 11th to take Zip to the groomer and play with her.

My mom called me early in the morning on the 11th and told me in a shocked voice to hurry and turn on the TV. In a horrified trance, Noah and I watched the towers burn and the debris fly through the air, over and over. When the people started jumping I came to my senses and sent Noah outside to play with Zip.

My first instinct was to run to the schools and get Gabe and Hannah. But the news announced to please not take the kids out of school. I didn't know that the middle school was under a real lock down. A man was testing the radio towers with a unit that looked like a gun. Someone called and reported it. Poor kids were watching live coverage and then suddenly the school was in lock down. The kids had to hide under their desks away from windows and doors. I was traumatized just hearing about it. How I wish I would have kept them all home that day.

Roland was in Portland, Oregon. I worried if he would ever make it home. It took several days for flights on the coast to operate.

All that day, whenever I heard an ambulance wail, I would tear up. In fact, that lasted several days.

Zip saved us all. Zip and the cabin. The kids came home, I kept the TV and radio off. We all went into the sunny backyard and played with Zip. Roland drove home from Portland. 9/11 was every place. I was frightened and the kids were stressed. So we loaded up the big blue suburban (I miss that gas guzzler) and went to the cabin for a week. Took the kids out of school and had a vacation. The river was perfect, we played with Zip non-stop. No news, no radio reports. The world could have ended and we would have been fine.

The media never shows video or pictures of that day. I never need to see the pictures, they are embedded in my brain. But I think it is a mistake to not show the younger generations what happened.

I will always remember, I'm sure you will too.

9/11

I got this in my email and was told to forward it to my entire list. I don't forward anymore, I tried it once with a get-rich-quick deal but my sisters all yelled at me - in capital letters.

I like this idea and encourage you to participate.

Please join us in this FLY THE FLAG campaign.We have less than 3 weeks and counting to get the word out all across this great land and into every community in the United States of America .

If you forward this email to least 11 people and each of those people do the same ... you get the idea.

THE PROGRAM:

On Thursday, September 11th, 2008, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this seventh anniversary of one our country's worst tragedies. We do this honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds

Action Plan:

So, here's what we need you to do ...

(1) Forward this email to everyone you know (at least 11 people). Please don't be the one to break this chain. Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.

(2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should fly the flag year -round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.

Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America !

Pioneer Day

I am a member of the LDS church (go to www.mormon.org for more information) and we celebrate Pioneer Day on July 24th.

We celebrate Pioneer Day and hold our ancestors in such great reverence because they suffered greatly for religious freedom. They were horribly persecuted and their stories are harrowing and faith building. Even if you have no ancestors who were Pioneers, as a member of the church you count the Pioneers as your own.

Last weekend we went to a Pioneer Day Celebration at the branch (a small congregation) in Garden Valley. It was mostly the retired crowd, lots of grandparents, and they are extremely nice to our family. They had a nice BBQ, and then we sang old pioneer songs, listened to Doug H. sing with his guitar, Noah performed a little impromptu concert, and of course, we told pioneer stories.

The stories reminded me of a story my grandma, 89 years old, told me about my great great great grandma, Eunice Billings Snow. Her history is amazing and fun to read. But I will just share one story- because I am at the cabin and don't have my family history here, I am going to tell you what I can remember. I would like to elaborate the details for your reading enjoyment, but I won't, I want to keep the story accurate.
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Eunice was good friends with the children of Joseph Smith and would often accompany her parents to sing to him. Eunice crossed the plains with a wagon train when she was a girl. As a woman she and her husband settled an area near Manti in south Utah. The Indians would ask them for food. She was frightened of the Indians but the Prophet had asked them to live in peace with the Indians, so she fed them and welcomed them in her home.

One day her husband, whom she loved passionately, left to go hunting and was brutally killed by Indians (I remember reading the description of this and it was gory - I believe he was scalped too). She was devastated and mourned desperately.

Weeks later, Indians came to her home asking for food. She allowed them to come in and eat at her table. As they were eating she noticed that one of the Indians was wearing her husbands necktie! He was the one who murdered her husband! She quietly grabbed the butcher knife and, prepared to kill the Indian, she made her way toward him. As she moved about the room, her father grabbed her hand and shook his head, "No" at her. She followed her father's advice, the Indians ate in peace and left.
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This story is really nothing compared to some of the things that the Pioneers went through, but it is a story of obedience, faith, and incredible strength. How grateful I am that she recorded it so I can share it with you.

I am thankful for those who were willing to struggle, suffer, and die to be able to worship how they believed. I am blessed to live in a country where we can all have religious freedom.

Happy Pioneer Day!