You Know Not to Do That, Right?

Dad told me it was past my turn to write something on the blog. I told him I didn't set it up and that it was HIS thing and besides he likes to write and I don't. However, because I'm trying to improve in sportsmanship, I will be a good sport now and give you something new to read. Here it goes.

I got a belated Christmas card last week from a long time dear friend of mine who is going through a divorce after more than 20 years of what seemed to be a great, adventure filled, temple marriage. I called my friend the next day and listened to her for two hours. She said that things had not been good between her and her husband since he started making tons of money(millions)in land investments about 6 years ago. He became friends with some big wigs in Phoenix and was pulled into their way of living. First he had one drink of alcohol just to get along with them. Then he had the occasional drink with his friends. My friend didn't know this was going on. They bought a big beautiful house in Queen Creek and a condo in Hawaii. They went on several vacations a year. My friend always had great things to write about in her yearly Christmas letter. I'm ashamed to admit I felt a little envious of their lifestyle.

Anyway, about four years ago, my friend said her husband started coming home from business meetings drunk. She begged him to stop. He would apologize when he was sober and beg her forgiveness(he would never do that again). She is one of the sweetest, least judgemental persons I know and of course she believed and forgave him. Little did she know that he had already started using meth and having affairs with other women. Over the next few years he started abusing my friend. Of course he always cried and begged for her to forgive him when he was sober. She tried to help him but he gradually turned into a mean, abusive person. She stayed with him because they have a twelve year old son that adored his father.

My friend prayed for help constantly and attended the Temple to try to get answers to what she should do. Then one night last May,her husband put a loaded gun to her head and raped her. He told her if she went to the police he would kill her and their son. Now she knew she had to get out. After her husband fell asleep,she took her son to a friend's house and she went to her bishop. He took her to the police. They arrested her husband the next day. Apparently, he had been under suspicion for business fraud along with another guy he worked with. The police were quick to bring him in. He has been in jail since and is awaiting trial on fraud charges. The other charges cannot be proved (his word against hers) so they have been dropped. My friend has lost everything material but she said she feels more at peace now than she has for several years and her son is happier too. She will start teaching at Franklin Academy in Queen Creek next Fall.

The point to me telling you this story is just a warning to never, never compromise your standards. It will start you on a path to destruction. Also, appreciate the life you have, love each other and love the Lord. I am so grateful to have a husband who lives righteously and who loves and cares for his family.

Happy New Year!

Today was too lovely to be believed. At 11:00, it was 60 degrees outside! I was outside in a T-shirt with my iron bar and shovel, trying to break up the ice from our driveway so we won't slip and slide every time we go to the car. Around 1:30, Melissa and Brad and the kids, along with Jay and Lecia and their kids arrived to play in the snow. The kids wasted no time in running into the front yard to play. Tomorrow they are going up the the old Sunrise along Hwy 260 to sled and play all day. They planned to stay at Hiatt's house up here, and after hours of shoveling and packing, they succeeded in getting into the driveway. We'll see if they can get out tomorrow!

Happy New Year to any readers. This year will either be much better than last year, or the end of civilization as we know it. Either way, it should be quite an adventure.

I have been reading "The 5,000 Year Leap" by Cleon Skousen. I recommend it to everyone. It will really open your eyes to the meaning of the Constitution and it will show you just how far we have come from what the Founders intended. I am also reading "Liberal Fascism" by Jonah Goldberg. It is really worth reading, too.

Keeping the Town afloat financally is getting to be a lot like banging my thumbs over and over and over again with a hammer. People have gotten so used to buying whatever they want or "need" whenever they want or "need" it, they can't seem to understand what "we are out of money" means. I might just as well be rubbing a cheese grater against my forehead. But I am grateful to have a job, I truly am.

We will be breaking ground this month for the foundations of our home addition. That garage would really have come in handy already this winter, with all the snow we have had. Global warming, indeed! Our high last Saturday was 22 degrees. Balmy!

That's enough random posting for one night.