What Would You Do??

Merry Christmas, Friends! This is our 2006 family photo that we sent to family and friends this holiday season.

I have a tiny bit of down time. It's 10:15 p.m. on Christmas Eve and Santa's waiting until the children are all nestled in their beds before he'll come down the chimney. Actually the kids are in bed--they are all sleeping together in the family room. They aren't asleep yet. They are soooo excited for tomorrow morning. So--I decided to drop you a quick note.

What a wonderful day! It started out with an awesome church service, then visits from friends, followed by a much needed nap, then a spiritual Christmas Eve at my sister's house (Angela Ash).

Okay--so you're probably saying, "What's Lisa still doing in Utah??" The events of the last few weeks have been mind boggling. Our friends, the Palmers (Paula is my best childhood friend since I was three), have invited us to got to Mexico with them for Christmas for several years. Steve and I have really wanted to go--we wanted to have a different type of Christmas for our family--so we decided that 2006 was the year. Last February we began making preparations. We purchased a fifth wheel (a cross between a motor home and a trailer) and began making plans (scheduled an orphanage, mapped out our three-day route, etc.). We all were so excited. At the beginning of the month the Palmers came over to put the last final plans in place. We were going to caravan with their family and we were all so excited. A few weeks ago, my father-in-law called to tell us that he had a horrible feeling about us going to Mexico--that we shouldn't go. Now you have to understand one thing. Steve and I have wonderfully supportive parents but in the 17 years we've been married they've never given advice that wasn't asked for. We were surpised by this phone call but kinda let it go in one ear and out the other. We were going to Mexico--period. A few days later, my dad (who you know has been seriously ill) called my husband to say he had a terrible feeling about us going to Mexico--that we shouldn't be going. This kinda blew us away--our parents hadn't talked and both fathers were having the same feeling. A few days after this, my mom was in a serious car accident. When I walked into the hospital room, my dad was sitting by her side shaking. When he saw me, he grabbed my arm and said, "Did Steve tell you I called? You shouldn't be going to Mexico."

Wow--what a hard thing. We'd been planning to go for a year--and our little immediate family all felt great about going to Mexico. After much thought and prayer, Steve and I decided Mexico wasn't in the plans for this year. It was more important to honor the advice from our dads than to go on this trip. Maybe something terrible would have happened. Maybe nothing. But we knew we would never forgive ourselves if we went and something bad did happen and we'd been told not to go.

So--last Wed. we waved our friends, the Palmers, farewell on their trip to Mexico. We are praying that they'll be safe.

As for us, we're still having a small Christmas for our children (we kept it very simple). Our change in plans enables us to attend (and sing at) the funeral of my dear cousin's funeral. It allows us to attend the marriage of my nephew, Casey Broderick, on December 28th. So--it's now all bad. Good things have come from this decision.

If you donated money for our trip (for the orphanage), please know it went in our Christmas money jars that we gave to those in need.

Okay--sorry this is so long. But--that's the scoop.

Have a blessed holiday season. May you find peace and happiness at this wonderful time of year.

With love,

Lisa

I am blessed!

Sorry I haven't written for a while. Life has been chaotic, hectic, insanely busy. Last Saturday my hubby and I (along with our neighbors) pulled off the impossible. We had a surprise 16th birthday party for Kade and his best friend, Blake (who lives across the street from us). We rented out our local junior high commons area and had a DJ, tons of food, plus a funny movie where we interviewed Kade and Blake's friends. It was a great crowd and lots of fun. The best part? Kade and Blake were TOTALLY surprised! Kade kept telling us that we would never be able to pull off a surprise party--we weren't sneaky enough. Well-- we proved him wrong! I can't believe I have a 16 year old! I get teary eyed just thinking of him going off into the real world in just a few short years. I love you, Steven Kade Bearnson! Thanks for the great example you are to the rest of our children.

Tonight was also an amazing night. Steve and I hosted the annual Downs (my side of the family) Christmas party. I really wasn't sure if my dad would make it. He still isn't feeling well. My mom is also still recuperating but would never miss a party. What a pleasant surprise when both parents showed up with my sister. My mom always reads a special Christmas story to everyone, then randomly picks one grandchild to keep the book. We always have a talent show and read the nativity story. This year was really special. Both my parents talked to all of us about how fragile life is. They each professed their undying love for each other (almost 56 years of marriage) and their love for each of us. My dad got really choked up when he told us we are each his best friends and how wonderful it has been to be surrounded by family. Luckily my camcorder was close by. I got all this on film.

During our family program, my first cousin's husband called to say our dear cousin, Margie, passed away today peacefully at her home. She battled with brain cancer for the past year. The last time I saw Margie, she was asleep with the scriptures lying over her chest. When she awoke, she told me about her love of the these special books. I have a favorite person in a set of scriptures that my religion believes in. His name is Captain Moroni. I asked Margie when she passed away to send me a sign if Captain Moroni is as good looking in person as he appears to be in the stories from the scriptures. I went outside tonight in the 11 degree, snowy weather and I swear--one star was twinkling brighter than the rest!!

May God bless each of you. Thank you for your love and support.

With apprecation,

Lisa B.

Fun Book to Make

Hey Friends!

Just wanted to thank you so much for the love you poured out to me and my family this past week. It really meant the world to me. You can read about how everyone's doing on my previous blog.
Just wanted to share a project I'm currently teaching on ScrapbookEvents.com. It's a really fun book and shows how to create adorable mini albums using only cardstock paper. You can buy all the supplies for this book in kit form from an independent manufacturer. Go to www.amillionmemories.com for more information.

Hope you had a great Saturday. Mine was filled with trying to get holiday stuff done plus planning a surprise 16th birthday party for my son. Then tonight was date night with my honey.

Talk to you soon,
Lisa

Life it Fragile!!

These past two days have been rough. I'm writing this at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning because I had a rough night's sleep. I finally decided to get up and let all my friends know that life is so fragile.

My dad's been really sick for the past six weeks. He's had heart problems for years, can hardly walk so he had stints inserted in his legs three weeks ago, had a horrible allergic reaction from the stints (on every part of his body), etc., etc. He's aged by 10 years in the past month. Tough. Everytime we go over, he says: "You're probably not going to see me again on this earth. Please know how much I love you and please take good care of your mother." Really tough. He seems to be getting a little better in the past week--but still very feable and frail.

Thurs. night the madness all started. A first cousin called to tell me goodbye--she's dying of brain cancer and only has a few days left. Very hard. Another good friend called to tell me her father passed away--the funeral was yesterday in California. Another close friend who just got married two months ago called to tell me her marriage is being anulled. Wow--I was on overload. I slept horrible on Thurs. night.

Yesterday continued to get worse. A best friend from high school lost her mom unexpectedly last Saturday and I attended the funeral yesterday afternoon. Everyone who spoke said over and over, "Life is fragile. We never know when our time here on earth is over. Don't take it for granted."

As I was driving home from the funeral, these words kept ringing in my mind. The phone rang. My husband told me my mom had been in a bad car accident and was taken by ambulance to a hospital that I happen to be driving by at the time. My mom had been at the hospital all morning with a friend who was too sick to drive herself. On the way home, they stopped at a red light. Three cars were in back of my mom. An 85 year old woman (who we later discovered was my sister's fourth grade teacher) didn't realize it was a red light and crashed into the fourth "at a very high speed." It was a chain reaction and every car hit the car in front. I think every car was totaled. Everyone was taken by ambulance to the hospital. When I first got to the hospital, my mom was almost lifeless on the bed. Scarry. This couldn't be happening--not my vibrant, full of life mom. My dad was sitting on a chair by her side in shock. The doctor came in and said my mom was very lucky she was the fourth car--everyone else was in a lost worse shape. Thankful!! She was very nauseous--was on oxygen and an i.v. They stablilized her and after several hours of testing and oberservation, released her. She was very lucky there were no broken bones or internal bleeding. The other gal in her car is still in the hospital but is expected to go home soon. I still don't know how others in the accident are doing. My sister, Becky, slept at their home last night. I'll be calling soon to see how the night went.

My other sister, Angela, was in another emergency room at the same time all of this was happening. She's been sick to her stomach for two weeks now and can hardly keep anything down. They ran a bunch of tests and are trying to figure out what's going on with her.

When it rains, it REALLY rains!

What have a learned in the past 24 hours? Life REALLY is fragile. To live life TOTALLY without regret. That I'm a LUCKY girl to still have parents living today.

Thanks for listening. And, if you could say a prayer in behalf of my family, I'd really appreciate it. You all are the best.

LB