SMITH FAMILY HAPPENINGS 2017
The month of January 2017 brought with it the snowiest winter on record in Kennewick, at least that we are aware of. School was cancelled TEN times, (yes, I know, every child’s dream- but trust me, it gets old after the 4th day) and put on a two- hour delay numerous times as well. On Sunday January 7th church was cancelled and the snowfall that day was incredible. Clay decided to take the 4runner out and go check on some of the elderly and widowed members of our ward. Clay, Cameron, Andrew and I jumped in the 4runner, threw in a few shovels, locked it in four-wheel drive and set out through the deep snow. We soon found that there were many cars and people on the road that weren’t prepared to drive in the snowy conditions. Cameron and Andrew pushed out three cars that were stuck just minutes from home. As we visited elderly members of our ward it was a blessing to watch my boys serve them in word and in deed, shoveling their walks and driveways and spending time talking to them. Lindsey nannied for a family of five kids for about a week during the crazy snow and managed to keep them all entertained. Andrew built a giant snow fort in the front yard and we all shoveled and shoveled until we were weary of it and wondered if it would ever stop snowing. We went skiing a few times as a family and Sadie surprised us all by her daring jumps through the trees, taking to it like a pro.
Preparations for Cameron’s mission were also ongoing and we were able to attend the temple a few times with him before he left. Doing family sealings was especially awesome. Having Lindsey and Cameron both in the sealing room with us was a moment that I will store away in my memory forever. In early January, I had Cameron post a list of things he still needed to get before leaving for Argentina. We whittled away at the list one by one, even managing to squeeze in family photos a few days before his departure. As church members, we have grown up in this culture of sending off our sons and daughters on missions and you just don’t really think much about it, until you are a parent sending out a missionary, (and likely the missionary going out). It’s difficult to describe the many emotions we felt watching Cameron prepare to go; it was a mix of excitement, sadness, fear, and joy. The excitement and anticipation that Cameron felt was contagious though. The last few days before he left was a whirlwind of last minute shopping, Cameron rushing to fix the clutch on his truck, special family dinners and finally, Cameron getting set apart the night before leaving. The change in Cameron after getting set apart was noticeably different; it was like “ok, I am ready, let’s do this”. Clay helped him with some last-minute packing and we all attempted to get a few hours of sleep. 4:00 AM came too early and we basically rolled out of bed, some of us staying in our PJ’s and drove Cameron to the airport. He was antsy and ready, we were tired and emotional……ok, well just some of us were. After a few pictures and quick goodbyes, he was on his way.
Since then we have gone back to our what is now our new normal. Lindsey spent hours transforming Cameron’s old room into a new beautiful one for Jasmine. Andrew started tennis and Sadie started track and continued with steel drum. Lindsey added a few nanny jobs to her daily routine along with resuming her education. She assists a local music teacher every morning teaching marimba and steel drum to 4th and 5th graders and continues to pursue her goal of becoming a teacher. Every night we enjoy the hilarious antics and laughter that Jasmine brings into our home. There is really nothing like having a toddler in the house; if we could freeze time and keep her this age, we would. She reminds us of what is truly important in life; taking time to play, read and to explore. The snow finally melted in March, the flowers are beginning to bloom and the yard and garden are beckoning to me. After I end my ENG301 purgatory this week I look forward to watching more tennis matches, track meets and playing hours and hours of “pretend” with Jasmine and her stuffed animals. After Cameron left, a friend sent me this quote by Gordon B. Hinckley which is my new favorite “You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make”. My kids (and granddaughter) are my greatest investment. And I am loving the rewards.
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