September 27, 2023

 I just reread the blog I posted over a year ago. It was written mainly for me and my family so we could remember all that had transpired around Tom’s passing and the sacred yet difficult experience that had been. It was and still is the most difficult experience of my life but it was also filled with miracles and a great deal of love. I have learned that great loss and pain can live side by side with peace and comfort. Life is a challenging experience but the Lord never ceases to love and support us on this bumpy path back to him.

I attended a Muir luncheon and information session last Wednesday held at the Morgan Creek golf course in the White Rock area. That was the first one I have gone to alone. I work pretty well daily on my church callings and I am getting ready to teach another Temple Prep series of lessons to two sisters in the ward. I review the Temple schedule regularly to check for upcoming live ordinances and then make the necessary LOW assignments. I attended the TriStake Youth dance held at our building on Friday evening and hosted by the Vancouver Stake. Dear Sam attends his youth dances with his grandmother there but he seems to handle it well. Fall has certainly arrived and I am trying to get my yard and outside prepared. It has been cool and raining and I have even turned the heat on. Robert Kearl referred me to a lawyer to help me rewrite my will and power of attorney. I have forms to fill in now for that to be accomplished. Kona is adjusting to the rain and cool weather and has been having some more accidents inside. Little scamp! Tammie and Trevor were out to visit Justin and JayLynn last week and JayLynn seems to be making some improvement. Max and Jacqui called as I was leaving the dance to inform me that they are expecting a BOY! They are excited and I am excited for them. Ross and Sarah have not formally announced their pregnancy yet and do not know what they are having. Zach and Monica are preparing to move to upstate New York for Zach to play hockey this year. Jack is nearing the end of his mission as Bryson prepares to leave. It has been a bit of an adjustment for Jack with his new mission president. I made muffins for Mary and Lincoln and Jean and I had the Hardy family for dinner on Sunday. We will do Thanksgiving here with the Hardy and Burgess families. This is my week in a nutshell so to speak. I attend the Temple every Tuesday morning and serve every Saturday afternoon. My days a generally full and filling.

September 20, 2023

 I talk a little about my feelings and how I am doing but today I thought I would elaborate a bit more. Tom’s passing has been and is the greatest loss and sorrow I have ever experienced in life. No one can fully explain it to one who has not gone thru it but perhaps also one has to have a Tom Walker in their life to completely understand. He is special and unique and I have never met a man who could, in my eyes, compare. I am certain there are couples who love each other as much as we do but I do not believe anyone can love each other more. I have been so blessed in this regard and I have always been fully aware of it. I still and will always feel, during this earthly life, a tremendous loss but along side it I also feel a tremendous peace and comfort knowing that even this will pass and we will be together again. As Alma and his people who were under bondage in the Book of Mormon, my burden has not been removed but my shoulders have been strengthened to carry the load. In true Tom form I am fully aware of his concern and his love and even now he is never far from me and I in turn pray for him always in the work he has been called to do. We are still a companionship and developing our relationship on another level. I am so grateful to our children who supported and loved us in great ways and literally ran to us to carry us thru this sorrowful and sacred time even when their own hearts were heavy. Tom wanted them to know of his love for them and his love for the Savior before he left and they showed Christlike love in return. We have marvellous children and grandchildren and we want to claim them for eternity. Eternity, eternity and blessed future day when we will all be together again! 

This week has been full of my callings, my family with Bryson popping in after a trip to the Temple with his friends and celebrating Ross’s birthday with dinner at Cindy’s on Sunday and full of friends with Sandra returning dishes and bringing me muffins, Mary sharing her cancer challenges and Jean sharing dessert and personal worries with me. Sharing, caring and serving one another, that is what life is all about.

I got the car washed and serviced this week and helped the Hardy family distribute bags for the BC food drive, an event which Tom helped get going first in the Vancouver Stake, then the community and finally all of BC. His influence is still being felt by many and especially by me.

September 13, 2023

 Fall is here with a few cooler days but we are still in need of rain as we are really in drought conditions. This day started cool but has warmed up considerably.

I am always busy with my church callings. We had a Moroni’s Quest fireside reunion on Sunday evening and I went to Costco and bought over 200 individual chocolate milks for that event. I trained Brenda Molnar on Thursday evening as a LOW at the Temple and I taught Cohen his last Temple Prep lesson on Sunday and he is now waiting for his mission call and is ready to go to the Temple. I love all my callings and I don’t want releases from them. 

I have been trying to clean up the falling leaves that are starting now off my artificial turf which is a different experience. I have partly trimmed my dogwood tree but I need help doing the upper branches that are a little beyond my reach.

I was desperate for a hair cut as Trish has a frozen shoulder and it is not getting better, so after my Temple session on Tuesday, I stopped at Great Cuts and got a cut there.  I feel much better and she did a pretty good job. Kona on the other hand went to Gabriella on Monday for a grooming and looks beautiful. No trouble getting her done. 

I had trouble with my car on Saturday when I came out of the Temple. My phone would not open it and I could not find my key card. Rosemarie drove Mary and I home and, once there,  I went more thoroughly thru my wallet and found the card. Rosemarie drove me back for my car but it continued to need the card for being put in gear. I stopped by Tesla on my way to get the car washed and they fiddled with the phone and it is working now. I am getting the car serviced tomorrow.

Everyday seems to fill up and life goes on. Mary called me today to tell me that her cancer is back. I will pray more fervently for her. She is a dear friend. Life has its challenges all along the way. I am grateful for better days ahead.

September 3, 2023

 Liza and family left for home later this afternoon. I was happy to have them visit again. Brendon, Bryson, Keaton and Sayde arrived Friday evening as Liza was working that day and Breya at a friend’s home. The two of them came down Saturday morning with some other ward members for youth baptisms. Brendon took Bryson over to The Distribution Center in the morning to acquire Bryson’s Temple clothes and garments. I got Sayde showered and dressed ready for baptisms and insured Keaton as ready, then walked the dog before leaving for my Temple Shift. Liza met Brendon in the parking lot and they went back for the younger children. I had a break and was able to slip down to the baptistry in time to see Keaton help Sayde into the water after Sam had baptized him, then watch Sam perform the ordinance with Sayde and Breya assist her out of the water before Sam baptized Breya. What special grandchildren! Brendon and Bryson then left with Brother Streibel to prepare Bryson for his endowment. Ted had driven down and was staying with George and Bev. Just before the session for Bryson was to start, Ted began having heart problems and they got him down resting in the Bride’s room. I had asked to be the sister OW on the session so I could be with everyone. Cindy, Paul, Ross, Sarah, Bev, George, Liza and Brendon were there for Bryson. It went well and Ted met us in the Celestial Room at the end. We had everyone over to our house afterward for pizza except Bryson who flew immediately out to Edmonton to spend the week with friends and George, who had to work on his SS lesson for the next day. We went to church today and I taught Cohen his Temple Prep lesson with his Dad. After dinner and the family zoom the Burgess family left for home. I always feel lonely after the children leave.

August 26th was our 23rd wedding anniversary and the children were very kind - the girls all sending messages and Trevor and Tammie calling. Cindy brought some flowers over for me too. They are so good trying to fill in for their father and helping me thru difficult days. I was blessed with an amazing husband and he still is influencing my life everyday. I feel him near and I am grateful for that. He left me amazing children too. 

I was surprised when I returned from the Temple on Tuesday, after a session and then giving Sister Clarkson some specialized LOW training for our Spanish upcoming sealing, when I was upstairs changing and heard someone in the house. It turned out to be Cindy and Sam. Their complex’s water system was cut off suddenly and she and Sam were here to shower. Sam was already in the shower before I determined who was in my home. They had already been here earlier with their neighbor getting some water. All goes to show we need emergency preparedness.

Week went on with regular YW Zoom, other church callings, making cookies for kids coming and changing my summer flower pots to fall mums. Always busy and I know that is good for me.

August 25, 2023

 The summer has been busy, ever changing and flying by and as a result I have missed  recording another week.

I have been working on getting the boys through their Temple Prep classes and it has been a challenge. Bryson has completed all six lessons with our FaceTime meetings and Keidis completed his on Sunday, whereas Thomas has one more class (two lessons per class) and Cohen needs two more classes as he has only been with us once. Sorting it all out keeps my brain active. 

The Temple opened on Tuesday the 22nd and I was on the first session which was wonderful. With the opening we are now back at making LOW assignments and I have had some challenges and sorting to do with that. Judy Laurie will be receiving treatments for non Hodgkin Lymphoma for the next while and we have replaced the Laurie’s with Brenda and Rick Molnar. I will be praying for my friend. We had the OW devotional last Sunday evening and while there I learned that Wayne Lavender has been dealing with shingles. So many concerns. Mary told me that her blood tests indicate the return of cancer so she is getting more tests. I hope not.

I went to the Barbie movie with the Hardy family. It was not my favorite. I attended the Relief Society BBQ on the 16th.  Got the garage cleaned with the help of Cindy and Sam and hosted the Burgess family last weekend when they voluntarily evacuated Kelowna due to the terrible fires up there. The fires were in West Kelowna but jumped the lake to create some damage there as well. Many homes have been lost or affected. The airport closed and Brendon’s sisters were trying to get home so Courtney drove a rental car to Vancouver to catch her flight to Australia and Ted, Brendon, Liza and family brought Alyssa and her family down, pulling their bikes in a trailer behind one of the two cars and Alyssa’s group managed to catch their flight to Grand Caymans. I was happy to have them here and safe but Bryson refused to leave because of desire to attend a YSA activity. Oh, dear! Brendon painted sealer on my driveway and they took home our lawnmower and some other garage items. Bob and Pat were visiting Mandy and came up to visit me last Monday. We made an emotional trip to the cemetery to visit the grave. I so appreciated them coming so much and love our dear friends. Cheyenne left today to go back to school at Queens. Kona and I will miss her regulate visits. We had the TriStake beach activity last Saturday, August 19 at Cultus Lake and I took Breya and Keaton, as well as Kona, out with me. It was a busy day with a large turnout. I think the youth had a good time.

Jack had a sudden and unexpected transfer from his area while serving as Zone leader and he has had a difficult week but Sam health seems to be improving.  Ross and Sarah told us they are now expecting. So exciting! Justin and JayLynn are struggling as they find their way thru the minefield of life’s tragedies. The good, the bad and the ugly. Bryson works with his anxieties. I pray for them all. With family concerns and because of where Tom is now, I sometimes say to him, “This one is on you” and pray that Heavenly Father will allow him to be near our children in their struggles when I cannot.

❤️❤️Tom and I love them ALL!

August 13, 2023

 I am late writing the blog this time and I actually was forgetting as the week went on. 

Sam’s mysterious illness has continued. He was unable to eat without vomiting for a number of days and now he is able to get a little bit in, mainly fluids. He has been to emergency and received IV for hydration a couple of times. He has been to the doctor twice and also on the phone with her. He has lost a lot of weight and though we have improvement, we do not have recovery or a certain diagnosis. His bowels have been blocked up and probably causing the nausea. They have considered a virus, ulcer and today Cindy was suggesting a parasite. I am certain we will get it worked out but he is exhausted and so is Cindy. Ross came one day to try to lift his spirits. When he has been bad, he really hasn’t even wanted to talk, watch TV or do anything but he did play video games with Ross. We fasted for him last Sunday.

I have been teaching Bryson and working on teaching Keidis, Cohen and Thomas Temple Prep lessons. I teach Bryson on FaceTime and I taught Keidis one night at my place with the Sister missionaries sitting in and then Keidis and Thomas another evening. It is difficult to pin them down long enough during the summer to get them prepared for their Temple Endowment when the Temple reopens. They are all preparing for missions and three already have their calls so insuring they have some Temple time and experience before they leave on their missions is important. I am working at it. I taught Willoughby YW today for Cindy as she has been consumed with Sam and his needs. I took them dinner one night and I am taking the Hung Family dinner tonight as Junki’s wife is pregnant and very sick. I took Marie bran muffins this week as both her dogs have had medical procedures and they are taking things slow over there.

Jack and Jeannette returned from their Alaska cruise on Monday and took me out for dinner that evening. I made them bran muffins the next morning for breakfast before they left for home. Bran mufffins are Grandma Tanner’s recipe and Jack enjoyed them as his mother made them too and they reminded him of home. It has been nice having them spend time with me as they were coming and going and they enjoyed Kona too. Everyone loves her.

I drove out to Surrey to pay Stefan for the completion and placing of the headstone and to pick up the Temple granite on which they had carved REMEMBER - our family mission statement. I love it and have it sitting on the shelves by the fireplace.

The summer has been busy and flying by with still more to come but busy is a blessing for me and keeps me going.

August 2, 202

 The summer has been busy and last week was no exception. Moroni’s Quest was certainly a large part of the week. Jack and Jeannette came the first day and I returned home for their overnight stay and had a lovely visit and time with them. They got off on their cruise last Thursday and I remained home that day to get a few things done and have a break. Cindy helped with food at MQ that day and Paul play the part of Abinadi while Ross took several parts, including the character which scalped Elder Wolsey (they provided him with hair so he could be scalped). I left Kona on Friday and drove back up to the site. Cindy was home that day and came to take Kona out before her YW activity with the younger girls who were not involved in MQ. I arrived at the Price’s farm just after the arrival of the Savior. As I walked down to the area where the youth and leaders were gathered to greet the Savior I could tangibly feel the spirit. At this point the Savior was standing in the midst of them greeting them individually, hugging them and talking to them. The youth were visibly touched and President Engen, who was taking the part of the Savior, was very loving and kind. After the youth had greeted him, the leaders started going up and I went up too. He was so kind to me and called me by name. At the conclusion he called a number of youth to teach and minister to the others and they broke up into groups to allow that to happen. I went to Sam and Keaton’s group and made the comment that if they felt this way with someone representing the Savior, could they even imagine how they would feel when the real Savior comes. The whole event seemed to go well taking them thru the Book of Mormon with live actors, a beautiful Tree of Life night scene, 85 full time missionaries walking down the road toward them singing “Called to Serve”, battles in which they participated and then the coming of the Savior. They had an outdoor dance Friday night and participated in the conclusion of the Book of Mormon and the handing over of the plates to Joseph Smith Saturday morning before departing for home. The weather was perfect, the food good, injuries few, crafts and activities fun and hopefully we had youth leaving filled with the spirit. Success! A year of hard work and planning was blessed by the Lord.

Paul picked Keaton and Sam up at the Stake Center and brought them home. Keaton quickly packed up, ate some lunch and I drove him to the Abbotsford Airport to catch the bus home to Kelowna. He has done well selling some of my items online and making money and he also had the MQ experience.

Sunday, July 30th was Tom’s 75th Birthday and we as a family celebrated by doing a Random Acts of Kindness Day by putting on our Aloha clothes and doing acts of kindness which may or may not have included ice cream sandwiches (a favorite of Tom’s). Even Max and Jacqui, who have Australian winter weather wore their Aloha clothes. Everyone did things a little differently and that was great. It was fun as we thought of Tom and remembered the Savior. Tom would not have wanted the focus on him. We love him so much though and miss him. Angela Leemhuis wrote me yesterday to say that she visited Tom’s classmate Ara, who Tom referred them to years ago because of their special dental needs. Ara was talking about an upcoming class reunion and his hopes of seeing Tom. She informed him of Tom’s passing and they both cried and talked about what a special man Tom was. We all love and miss him.

My puppy had diarrhea again and we were up several times one night getting her outside. She is seeming to be much better now and is on a medication which perhaps is helping. I don’t know why this keeps happening. She seems happy and lively but never eats a great deal. I bathed her, her bed and blankets. I washed down the turf in the backyard too. Oh dear!

Busy times but busy with good things (even if they are puppy problems) and good people. Blessed!