2014 in Review

Our hearts are full when we look back at the wonderful things we were able to do this year.  We set and accomplished personal goals, saw family, connected with friends, and said goodbye to Grandma Darlene, who passed away Dec. 17th, 2014.  We're grateful for the many wonderful memories we made this year and are look forward to an exciting 2015!

Dorothea's first 5K in the rain-a big goal for me since even running more than a few minutes at first was hard. 

Ninjago Birthday party in April with Dragon cake

Epic Easter Egg Hunt at Fred and Carol Williams' home in the beautiful garden with cousins.

Uncle Jon's Graduation from BYU and a picture with Granddad Fred in his Doctoral Robes.

Our family ran in a 5K with other friends to honor the life of Mary Pineda.

A beautiful visit with dear friends and vacation in Oceanside/San Diego.

Fun days at Legoland.

Halloween 2014

Our little Ballerina

2nd Santa Barbara Marathon for Warren. Go daddy!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to see the Endeavour Space Shuttle.

Audrey's Baby Blessing and our last visit to see Grandma Darlene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 2014

Funeral and Burial for Grandma Darlene James Evans in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Visiting us for Christmas (in between a service in AZ and a burial in UT for Grandma Darlene) were Hanno and Julie, Philipp, Tara and Baby Audrey and Fred (behind the camera). 

You are Loved

"God," she softly requested as she smiled, closed her eyes and snuggled in closer to me.  It doesn't matter which lullaby I try to add to our nightly routine, my baby always interrupts me and wants me to sing "I am a Child of God."  Even as a one year old she can sense the truth of this song and she loves it.  The message, which inherently implies her infinite worth, is being imprinted on her heart and soul. 

Children all over the world are taught this beloved LDS children's song from the time they are babies.  I, myself, sang it in California, in Germany and in England.  For one of my babies, I made sure this was the very first song I sang to him, right after he was born.  I wanted this message to guide his life. 

As our teacher  pointed out last week in Relief Society (our women's meeting at church), after our children are taught about their divine heritage, we continue with our teenage girls who recite every Sunday: "We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us, and we love him." 

Then as grown women, we also have a declaration which begins: "We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction."

This knowledge of who we truly are should influence every aspect of our lives.  It should first and foremost let us know that we are loved-unconditionally loved-simply by being His child. It should remind us that we matter, that even when we feel unloved or unlovable, there is someone who loves us, deeply and perfectly and cares about our joys and our sorrows.   He walks beside us and when we trip and fall He is there to pick us up again if we are willing to grab hold of His hand. 

How I wish everyone could feel God's love for them in a deep and personal way.  How I hope my children will learn to feel His love and that it will guide their actions and their lives.

As my aunt wrote recently to her son on a mission:  "for many people, holidays can be a reminder of what they DON’T have," while reminding him that this can be an opportunity to share God's true love for each of us with his children.  Turn off the commercials on the radio, on the TV and avoid social media if you have to this Valentines Day.  Let's ignore the voices that tell us what our husband or boyfriend is supposed to be buying for us, let's silence the commercialism of presents they tell us to buy for our children and instead of letting the world tell you what you're missing out on this holiday, take a moment to be still and ask God to fill you with His true love, that you are His child and you matter.  And then take that love and help someone else feel it, too.  Someone that might need a reminder even more than you.  And while you're at it, don't forget to love yourself, too.  Always be kind to yourself.  You are precious.

You are precious!

You are loved.  Perfectly, intimately and eternally. 

YOU are a child of God. 

Mary Pineda, my friend

Mary and Rebecca on the Pioneer Trek, June 2013

Every soul is precious, but no one understood that better than my dear friend, Mary Pineda.  Mary passed away on December 15, 2013, after a two and a half year battle with melanoma cancer.  Today is her birthday.

I first interacted with Mary five years ago at my Grandpa Ralph’s funeral, where she gave me a hug and expressed her feelings for what a great man he was.  I remember thinking, wow, I don’t know you, but just from looking at you I want to be your friend and you just made me feel welcomed into your life by giving me a simple hug. 

Over the past 4 years Mary became a part of my life as she realized I was struggling through pregnancies and constantly asked how she could help.  Many people casually throw the phrase: “If there is anything I can do to help you let me know!” but with Mary it was always spoken so sincerely that I actually let her into my heart and into my life and into my home to do such mundane tasks as pick up my disaster of a house or even clean my fridge. 

Because Mary was someone that was willing to serve me with such a Christlike love when I went through some emotional struggles with post-partum depression she was one of very few people whom I trusted with the details of everything I was going through and whom I could ask for a ride to see a counselor because I didn’t feel quite safe enough to drive myself.  While I spent an hour talking to the specialist, she watched my baby and gave me peace of mine that I was not alone.  In that instance she was like a mother to me because I was able to say things in front of her that I would usually only say in front of someone as close as my mother. 

Mary had a calming presence and a penetrating look of love when she asked you how you were doing.  Her “how are YOU doing?” questions were never casually tossed around, never used as a substitution for the word “hello” but were sincere questions, wanting to know how your life was going and how she could best serve you.  Everyone felt Mary’s love.  She gave it freely. 

I remember going to the Whittier Stake’s 50th anniversary ball.  Mary and Luis were at the dance and of course, Mary looked stunning.  I remember going up to her and Luis and complimenting how beautiful she looked.  Mary was physically beautiful, but it was the spirit she had within her, the characteristics that she had cultivated, that made her so beautiful that she drew people to her like a magnet.  People wanted to be with Mary because of her radiance. 

When you were with Mary you felt unconditionally loved and not judged.  If anything, you felt like Mary gave you more praise than you deserved, but it was always heartfelt and completely sincere.  She lifted you up and made you feel better about yourself.  She exemplified the way I believe the Savior feels about us.  She was a true disciple of Jesus Christ.  


One time I remember thinking to myself, “when I grow up, I want to be like Mary!” I have since seen another friend post the exact same sentiment on facebook.  Mary radiated such an elegant grace-she carried herself like a queen in the very best sense of the word.  But a queen who loved everyone and made everyone feel more important than her. 

The following is what I wrote about her on facebook the day she left this life: 

“Earth lost an angel today when my dear friend, Mary Pineda, passed away this afternoon. She taught us how to love unconditionally, she taught us how to serve with Christlike compassion, she gave smiles and hugs freely to everyone. She loved everyone with such purity- something the rest of us spend a lifetime trying to learn.
She was there for me during my difficult pregnancies and post-partum depression even though she was going through her own struggles. She never complained. She lifted, blessed, encouraged and loved everyone, especially her Savior. She was a true disciple of Christ.
During the last lengthy conversation I had with her recently she told me she was planning on running a half-marathon and a marathon someday. Mary, you "ran with patience the race that was set before you" (Heb 12:1) and you won. You have set the example for us all to follow. We will be with you again some day. You loved us deeply and because of that we will miss you deeply. You are for ever in our hearts.”

Dear Mary,

thank you for the example you were to me.  Thank you for loving me.  I miss you. It still doesn’t feel real that you are actually gone and that I won’t see your smiling face next Sunday at church.  But I know you are still smiling down on us and just waiting patiently for the day we will all be together again.

Happy Birthday, Mary. Thank you for everything.

Love,

Dorothea

Christmas Greetings from the Williams Family 2013

Williams Family 2013 

We are grateful:

-Warren turned 40 and spent the day building the kids a trampoline and survived his first full marathon
-Dorothea kept the family fed and clothed
-Celeste learned how to walk, jump, climb and talk
-Theo makes us smile with his zest for life
-Joseph learned how to swim and ride a bike
-Rebecca is a hardworking student, caring big sister and great help to her parents
-for a Pioneer handcart trek (despite 100 degree heat!)
-Fred and Carol Williams (Warren’s parents) hosted their posterity at Aspen Grove in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary
-for the many family weddings this year which brought Dorothea’s parents, Hanno and Julie over from Rome multiple times to visit (including the wedding of Dorothea’s brother Philipp to Tara Bee)
-for the chance to see extended family at these gatherings
-for a beautiful beach outing on Thanksgiving Day
-for employment, for education, for opportunities to serve at church, for doctors and dentists who care for us, for libraries and Date Nights, a home to shelter us, food to sustain us, for sunshine and rain, for you our friends and family
-and above all, for our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave us the gift of His life and His love and makes eternal life and joy possible for all of us. 

We hope you had a peaceful Christmas and may 2014 be filled with gratitude for our many blessings. 

With Love,
The Williams Family

Whitter Stake Pioneer Trek

Our family joined the Whittier Stake for a pioneer trek.  This is a reenactment of the journey the early Mormon pioneers had to go through when persecution forced them to leave their homes in the 1840s.  150 youth (ages 11-18) from our Stake participated in this memorable event.  Our family was privileged to join because of Warren's calling in the Stake Presidency.  The three days our Stake trekked through Yucaipa, California turned out to be an intense heat wave.  That coupled with a night of no sleep for our baby (and us) caused us to leave the trek at the end of day two, missing the final day of the trek.  It was emotionally hard not finishing the trek (when we told Joseph we were leaving early he said: "But we won't get to Zion!!!") but we are very grateful that we were able to participate in it to the extent that we did.  

As a family we did a lot to prepare for the trek, both physically and spiritually.  We took practice hikes, we talked a lot about what it meant for the early Saints and what it would mean for us and we gathered together all the clothes and gear necessary to have a successful experience.  I read stories of early pioneer women who had babies on the trail, who watched babies, children and husbands suffer and die and sacrificed much to get food for their children.  They suffered unimaginable physical, mental and emotional hardships.  During this reenactment we were blessed to get a small glimpse into what that might have felt like.  We mourned with those who mourned (deaths, funerals-the pretend baby one family carried with them during the trek), we rejoiced with those who rejoiced: a betrothal and Joseph's lost tooth (that earned a big cheer from the crowd!)

The best summary is Joseph who said last night: "I learned that sometimes things are hard, but you just have to keep going." 

But to add to those words of wisdom, I will share a brief summary of our adventure in 100 degree heat:

Day 1: hiking 7 miles (my children and I did half of it on foot and half in a horse drawn wagon)

Stops along the way to learn about the early pioneers.

Heat, lots of water, lots of spray bottles

 Joseph sitting down on the hilly trail all by himself because he was too tired to go on. 

Theo chatting up a storm with the owner and driver of the horses.

Dirt and dust galore.

Trumpets, ukuleles, singing and laughter.

The night: donkeys, coyotes, owls, a bright moon, lots of stars, little to no sleep for Warren, Dorothea and Celeste.

Day 2: a head count of the "deaths" that occurred during the night.  

Youth representing those deaths, stories told.

A betrothal announced!
A 3 mile hike. 

Skills learned: tomahawk throwing, muskets, cotillion, bow and arrows, the life of a mountain man, log splitting, sawing etc.

Reenacting the Sweetwater crossing during the winter. True stories shared. 

A forest fire, ash in the air, concern about possible evacuation. 

"Porter Rockwell" shares his life's story. 

A hoe-down to celebrate the "betrothal."
The Williams leave. 

Day 3: Reenactment of the Mormon battalion.  A strenuous 2 mile hike. 

Arrival in Zion!

Our hardest moments and our happiest moments: 

Warren: hard: staying up all night carrying Celeste, trying to keep her quiet and get her to sleep. 

happy: watching Joseph pull a handcart with the teenage youth

Dorothea: hard: my big toes getting smashed, not getting enough sleep, watching my hot and sweaty baby with dirt on her face, her eyes running, her nose running, wondering what was the right thing to do for our family

happy: watching everyone cheer for Joseph after they announced that he had just lost a tooth.

Rebecca: hard: trying to sleep

happy: playing in the muddy river

Joseph: hard: pulling the handcart

happy: the hoe-down (where he dance the ENTIRE time!)

Theo: hard: wanting to go home, play ipad and watch a movie

happy: playing in the dirt without anyone telling him to stop

Celeste: hard: trying to sleep in a tent with new sights and sounds all around

happy: seeing the animals, especially the horses and dogs

Captain Williams and his family ready to trek to Zion

The handcarts

Theo with his new friends on the wagon.

Taking a break from hiking.

After a sleepless night, a baby finally sleeps. 

Joseph watching the young men help get the wagon down a steep hill.

Rebecca LOVED the muddy river.

Even Celeste enjoyed getting in the dirty water.

Everyone cheers for Joseph's missing tooth.

Celeste, happy to be home.

And now for some thoughts.  We knew it would be hard, but it was still harder than expected.  People were kind to us along way, helping us with the kids, offering snacks, talking to Rebecca and Joseph, and laughing at Theo playing in the dirt.  Everyone kept telling us how good the kids were being, how brave we were and that we were their hero.  I felt welcomed by the group.  Being there with the Stake was a real blessing for me because it gave me the chance to bond with the Stake, which I’m grateful for, given Warren’s calling as counselor in the Stake Presidency.  

I was so happy to see how everyone on the trek seemed to be happy and getting along.  The youth (who weren’t allowed to have cell phones with them) were actually talking to each other, laughing and singing.  

I learned so many little things about what it must have been like to be a mother with young children on the trek.  I learned that it wasn’t always easy to keep track of your little children.  I fully understood how Mary and Joseph could have thought that Jesus was somewhere else in the caravan, when he was in fact still in Jerusalem.  A long caravan of wagons is hard to maneuver around and at one point Rebecca was with some friends and I just fully understood how easily a child could get lost or hurt.  

I couldn’t stop thinking about how hard it would have been to be pregnant on the trek, or to give birth or to have a nursing baby.  A nursing baby eats every two hours and I felt like we were getting behind just stopping for sips of water or to put on sunscreen.  I learned that when you have a handicap-in this case our children, it is easy to fall behind the group.  The trek was hard enough for everyone that the group just has to keep going and everyone is pretty much left to fend for themselves.  Yes, people helped when you called out for help, but when you have something that puts you at a disadvantage it is definitely hard to keep up with the big group.  

Warren has an ancestor who had a baby the same as Celeste on the real trek.  She brought a rocking chair with her.  Growing up he never understood why someone would bring a rocking chair across the plains.  After a sleepless night holding a baby with no where to sit, he fully understood the need for a rocking chair.  I wouldn't be surprised if they shared the rocking chair at camp when other people needed a break with their babies.  

Above all, my heart has been left with many feelings that are hard to put into words. Feelings of gratitude, feelings of belonging to something bigger than myself, feelings of standing on the shoulders of those who came before.  Feelings of knowing those who came before sacrificed so that I can enjoy the life I have now and the opportunity of living my faith in peace.  

My toes are in great pain.  I’m physically exhausted and emotionally worn out.  But that doesn’t even come close to the suffering that the pioneers went through.  One woman crawled on her hands and knees because her feet were no longer usable.  When her hands gave out she crawled in the snow and ice on her elbows and knees.  When she got to Utah it took months before she was able to walk again.  It made me cry to think of her as I was sitting at my table after only two days of trekking with my two sore toes.  

The pioneers took this journey because they had to leave if they wanted to follow the prophet and live their religion in peace.  We don’t have to take a physical journey, but we too, have to have courage to follow our prophet, to defend our beliefs in an unbelieving world and to go forward each day.  We may not have to fight the elements, hunger, death and other hardships  in quite the same way as our pioneer ancestors, but we too face physical and psychological trials and difficulties that take courage and perseverance.  

The pioneers went forward day by day, step by step toward their goal, with faith in every footstep.  They laid the foundation for what it means to be a Latter-day Saint.  No matter what came their way, they kept going forward.  And so will I.  

IMG_3714-001

IMG_3714-001, a photo by whittierstaketrek on Flickr.

A big question for any readers that might be left

Is there anyone that reads this blog that I'm NOT connected to on facebook? It's a lot of work to publish the photos in both places and it's so much easier on facebook.  Please let me know so we can connect on facebook.  That would help a lot.  I can save my blogposts for times when I actually want to write more in stead of just putting up pictures that are on fb anyway.  THANKS!