Quick, Happy Update

Hidy Ho everybody! I just waned to pop in and say that despite my silence this past week, all has been extra happy and well over here at Mulverhill Manor.


My birthday week was really nice and as mellow as I could ever have wished. More and more I appreciate the quiet and unchaotic times rather than loud noisy affairs. (Although the music card I received from my sister in law Michelle --"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"--was a fun exception to that rule, let's be honest!) Michael brough me gorgeous flowers, the Anne of Green Gables dvd series I had wanted since I was 12 ( which he sat down, watched AND enjoyed all the way through with me--don't be jealous, ladies, my husband IS perfect after all), and a beautiful card. My dad gathered a million photos of days gone by and I was able to spend well over an hour going through all the fun, sweet, forgotten times I have had the privilege of living these past 31 years. My mother and father in law, Pete & Rosa, spoiled me rotten with a new set of scriptures (with my new last name on them!), some note cards for correspondence and a pretty little artistic plaque to display in my home. My visiting teacher spoiled me with LDS cd's to sing along with, and my co-workers gave me cards and a fun party(and a nice gift card from the VP of Sales, thanks Al!). I also received many, many emails, messages and phone calls from some of my very favorite people. Everyone was so generous, I'm sure I have forgotten a few things, and it was all so NICE! I definitely felt the love and will continue to carry it with me throughout the coming year. Thanks everybody for making me feel so cherished.


Mike and I met with our Bishop yesterday and he has cleared us to be sealed for Time & Eternity on September 3rd (our 1 year anniversary)!!! We are really excited and are hoping to be able to go up to Idaho to the Rexburg, Idaho temple so we can be surrounded by all our numerous family up there. There is a lot to figure out detail-wise, but we hope you will join with us in celebration of our great news in the mean time!

As Anne of Green Gables would say, "God's in His heaven; all's right with the world".

Love,

Autumn

Back In the Saddle Again...!

(Autumn, Helen and Spencer, MHS Homecoming Parade '94)

This post is dedicated to my longest, truest friend Helen. We've been friends since 6th grade when we met up in an orchestra class. I could fill a book with all the crazy adventures we've had over the years: taking rediculous snobby boys to the Ice Capades on a date; living in a gas filled trailor in West Yellowstone, Montana for the summer while working at a Burger King; spending a summer in Santa Barbara, CA working for Great Harvest Bread Co. and living in her Aunt Cathy's guest house; jumping into GIGANTIC leaf piles that didn't belong to us; winter snow hikes with her dad (Dan) into Yellowstone; double dating at Ricks College dances; painting her bedroom while rocking out to Ace of Base with our foreign exchange friends, Susanne and Alex; Madison High School "Lock In's" (heavily monitored sleepover's at our high school); performing in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost and designing the T-Shirts for the Cupids, painting the theatre-in-the-round set, and then the "set breakdown party"(remember when the stage caught fire during a performance and Josh Flores put it out with a blue raspberry slushie?? ha!); Christmas orchestra/choir trips to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, UT; sleepovers at Bernie & Carol Jensen's house; Helen's wedding reception in her backyard; "Left-over Ah" (even though she wasn't there); Senior year when she wrote me so faithfully of her exchange year in Germany; Sadie Hawkins dance where she and her date dressed up at Wendy and Peter Pan and I was THE nerdiest, most awkward Princess Jasmin ever with my date as Alladin (princesses DON'T wear blue glasses!); how she hosted my elaborately African themed Bridal Shower (jean quilt's on my bed even as I type this); going for my first plane ride (unbeknownst to naive little me until we were already airborne!) in a little Cesna; Brother Mac's awesome lesson's in the Santa Barbara Seminary building; trying to get our watermelon and loads of groceries home on our bicycles in Carpenteria, CA (um, der!); the roadtrip to California with her family for her cousin's wedding in Montecito; meeting her perfect baby daughter for the first time; watching her kids grow up via emailed pictures; cherished late night conversations; and the list goes on and on.

We both have our separate talents (mine are singing and devining names for unique car colors;hers are her viola playing and beautiful art), we have our different strengths(talking vs. listening or maybe starting vs. finishing), we have our different looks (short with cury dark hair vs. tall with blonde cornsilk hair). But you know what? Our hearts beat as one with the love we share for one another. I have had no better example of a person who always strives to do what is right than I have found in Helen. We help each other balance out; I bring a little crazy to her and she brings a lot of good common sense and structure to me. We don't see or always speak to each other as often nowadays with her living in Maryland and me in Southern California, but our bond although sometimes stretched, remains unbroken. Happily, we've been much more proactive lately about keeping in touch, and I am pleased to say we're both firmly back in the saddle of our friendship again. It's just not the same when I don't have my Helen in my life.

Today is Helen's birthday and I wanted to tell her how very much I love her. Thank you Helen for all you have been to me and also for giving me the truest friendship (and longest belly laughs!) I have ever known. I may not always be a perfect friend, but I know I'm a whole lot closer with you in my life to love and guide me.

Happy Birthday Helen, I love you!!

Life in the Fast Lane

Sometimes our words come back to haunt (or taunt!) us, don't they? Looking back over my last posting, I found some of my closing lines lined up and waiting to mock me in full force. "Just goes to show, you never know. Keep your eyes on the horizon and who knows where you'll find yourself next." Never know where you'll find yourself indeed!

Friday afternoon I worked a half day and left at noon to make the hour drive out to Lancaster to accompany my adorable mother-in-law, Rosa, to a doctor's appointment. It was a gorgeous day and the skies were super blue due to the extremely high Santa Ana wind gusts pushing the smog away as they sailed through our area. I was in good spirits and making good time. From work I took the 101 South, then exited and cut up through Topanga Canyon, hit the 118 West to the 405 North, made a brief appearance on the 5 North, and finally arrived on the 14 North headed to the desert. As I traveled through the canyons towards Lancaster, I began to really have to fight the aggressive winds as they were channeled through the mountains. I slowed down a bit, but stayed in the fast lane as the traffic was flowing best in that lane. A few cars passed me, but I refused to speed or switch to a slower lane and be forced to travel behind the big rigs in the high winds. 65 Mph was all good to me!

About 5 minutes before I was scheduled to exit the freeway to Rosa's house, the truck in front of me slammed on it's brakes and swerved left into the carpool lane. I suddenly saw a huge pillowtop mattress flipping end over end headed straight for me. As it flattened out and I started to go over it, I instintively hit the brakes--and became high centered in the fast lane. I hit my hazards and layed into my horn as I frantically watched car after car veer away from me again and again. I could neither pull forward or backwards off the mattress. There was a break in the cars for 30 seconds or so during which time I desperately attempted to turn my wheels, and succeeded only in peeling out. Cars appeared behind me in all lanes and I tried to relax my body knowing potential injuries would only be worsened if I allowed myself to tense. (Am I a fact nerd, or what?! Who thinks of these things while they're high centered in the fast lane?? Please pass the pocket protectors, will you?) Out of nowhere, a nice young man driving a fancy little slate grey Mazda pulled over to the side of the road and started trying to flag to other drivers to slow down and pay attention to what was in front of them. This helped A LOT.

Within another minute or so I heard police sirens and wrenched my eyes away from the rearview mirror to see the officers blaring up the south bound side of the freeway. Tears of relief sprang to my eyes and I tried to make myself breathe until they could stop all traffic and reach me. The young man tried to coach me on pulling forward and then quickly reversing to see if I could dislodge the car, but to no avail. Car after car kept screeching dangerously past me. I kept my hand on the horn, my foot on the brakes, and my eyes on the rearview mirrow. Suddenly I saw a police car swerving back and forth across all 4 lanes of traffice, lights flashing and sirens blaring. My hero! It was hard to breath past the lump I suddenly found in my already clenched throat.

A second police car approached me and yelled at the young man who had been trying so hard to help me. He tried to tell them I was lodged on a mattress, but they just yelled at him again to get back into his car and move along. He waved at me and told me, " Good Luck!" and I called a heartfelt , "Thank you!" to him as he left. Really, people are not supposed to do what that young man did, but I have never been more thankful for someone's random act of compassion. I believe 100% I would have been rear ended if he had not stopped to help me.

The officer then came to check on me before deciding he would have to push my car off the mattress. I put the car in neutral and within a few seconds I felt my car eased back down onto the turf. I pulled off the freeway and into a parking lot until I could calm down and control my shaking. The officer was really nice and thoroughly made sure everything was okay for me and my car before leaving me 20 or 30 minutes later. Incredibly, there was no damage to the car.(Mike's larger Mercedes E Class is such a tank! Thank you MBZ for making such fantastic cars! I am so glad Mike works there so we can drive such safe cars.)

I made some test loop drives in the motel parking lot before getting back onto the freeway--in the slow lane, of course. 5 minutes later I pulled up to Pete & Rosa's house where I was promptly hugged, kissed and fed a warm homecooked meal. We made the doctor's appointment, went shopping, and Mike even came out to spend the night at his parents' house so I wouldn't have to drive home that night. When we left in the morning, Mike drove his car (again so I wouldn't have to) and I followed behind in my own own little white car all the way home.

For a first accident, I really was blessed with a soft landing. For those of you who pray for me while I am so far away, please know how thankful I am and that I see the miracle for what it was: the blessing of answered prayers.

Love,
Autumn

A View from the Top

Ah yes, the smoggy LA Skyline.

I had an opportunity to visit the tallest building in Los Angeles again last night. Random, I know. My co-worker Julie has a client who was opening their ritzy gym on the 57th floor, and she didn't want to go to the opening by herself, so wa-la! I was invited. Needless to say, we got all gussied up and looking good before making the hour long drive through rush hour traffic into the heart of downtown LA-LA Land. Once we arrived, we checked in at the front desk to show our I.D.'s, and were led through security scanners to the first elevator. Yes, we actually had to take two elevators and my ears popped both on the way up and again upon our descent! Ha ha! It was so fun you guys, I can't lie.

Once we arrived, I have to admit I was kind of nervous to mix and mingle. It had been so long since I had attempted to be social or half way chic that I thought I would stick out like a sore thumb. My most recent idea of a night out on the town was either our Ward Christmas party or a daring 9:45 P.M. "book run" with Michael to Barnes & Noble. Turns out I blended right in though, and as I relaxed I was able to see a bunch of other people dressed like they, too, had just come from working in an office. The only pretense of "importance" was the static clingyness with which people stuck to their own groups. Whatever, we walked around introducing ourselves anyway, and had a pretty nice time. Julie always makes it easy to be wherever you are with her, and I should have known I'd have a good time.

The view was improved immensely as we walked to the wall to wall windows. It was gorgeous and we could see the city lights for miles and miles around. I laughed to myself as I realized I was looking down on the helicopter landing pads of other skyscrapers! I guess I had always assumed that wasn't real in all the movies I had seen over the years, but guys, they are really there. (Sometimes it is more obvious to me that I grew up in a small Idaho town than others. I'm still glad I did though!)

All in all it was a pretty cool thing to be able to do. True, I've been to the U.S. Bank Tower twice before as our main vendor at work (Herman Miller) has their showroom in this building, but it was really neat to be able to go up so much higher this time.

It takes me back to 1999 or so when I was on an amazingly cool date with my best friend Matthew Reyes. He had taken me to see the Cinderella Ballet one summer evening, and after it was concluded we wandered around a little bit downtown, ending up at the base of the US Bank Tower. We both leaned up against the building and looked up toward the top--it was crazy tall! I got dizzy just trying to see the top and we ended up laughing about it as we walked back to his car. Never in a million years did I think I would ever step foot inside that impressive building.

Just goes to show, you never know. Keep your eyes on the horizon and who knows where you'll find yourself next? The sky is truly the limit, my friends.

Perhaps It Was Actually a Good Day

Thinking back over events and times passed today, I once again realize how much my perspective has changed since this date 17 years ago. January 2, 1992. When I think of the date itself, I will often feel a slight chill as I brace to see if it will hurt me when I remember it this time. Will the memories stab or numb me as I allow myself to go back? Will they do even that? Will anything new come back to me this time, or will my mind block me in an act of self preservation? So much of why it hurts has nothing to do with the actual date or the finality of it all, so much as what has since been missing in my life. Loss is a strange thing with which to become acquainted.

The thing is this. I begin to see the blessings of what this day really was; what it meant. When I think of how long and deep the suffering was that lead up to this moment, this day, I begin to see God's hands at work and I find it appropriate to pause.

Blessings #1 & #2: I was a child and could not fully comprehend all the things that were happening. I was shielded from more than I realized for quite some time.  When I think of my father at this time, I think of the scripture in Doctrine & Covenants 50: "Fear not, little children, for you are mine...[And] I have overcome the world for you...ye need not bear all things now...". Even though I was a moody teenager trying to convince myself I resented being kept in the dark, some part of me knew it was better that my dad was there to bear the brunt of it for us kids. I will never fully know all he suffered, but it was a valiant and deeply loving thing he did for us to try to keep our childhood innocence intact. "Greater love hath no man than that he layeth down his life for another". Perhaps my dad didn't actually put his life on the line for us, but I know for a fact that beautiful, wonderful parts of him perished as he attempted to save my brothers and me from all escapable sorrows. I honor him now and hope it is not too late to say, "Thank you, Dad". You define Nobility to me in so many ways and I love you.

Blessings#3,#4 & #5: Time, Family & Answered Prayers. Time was short and calls were made to family and friends. We prayed for time to assemble and we received it. I remember all my mama's brothers (Uncle Christy, Uncle Steven, Uncle Alan) rushing from California with their children and wives to be with us, and pray with us. I remember being surrounded by my cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents on my dad's side of the family, too. One of the things I remember the most is all of us crowding into Mama's hospital room to have a family prayer for her. Haeberle's, Hartsell's, Humphries'. I remember the feeling in the room and how special it was to be with ALL my family; a truly heavenly experience despite the circumstances. 

We prayed that there would either be a miraculous turn-around or that Mama's suffering would finally cease after so many years of battling with the ruthless cancer. We prayed that she would know we loved her and did not want her to suffer; that we knew we would be reunited with her again; that her children would be looked after in her absence. I began to cry. My Uncle John quietly, lovingly gathered me up and held me like a small child. He sat and held me in the hallway until my sobbing had abated and I once again felt the peace of being surrounded by our loved ones. 

Mama was gone less than 24 hours later. It was a blessing and a miracle to us all. And so it is that I am able to say, despite the intermingling sorrows, perhaps is was actually a good day. The biggest blessing I have ever received was knowing that God truly heard our prayers and answered them. That means that He knows you and me individually. He loves us. He is always there and always cares. For me it means that Christ's atonement is real. That He knows how we feel when we go through our earthly trials. In the knowledge of so many unshakable truths, I feel blessed, and I think it's gonna be a pretty good day.

Love, 

Autumn