Where Does The Time Go?!

Ashley graduated from High School early in June, Jacob is now dating, Aimee had her much anticipated performance at Disneyland last month, Sarah is currently at Girl's Camp for the first time ever, and Sam comes and goes like life is his for the taking. How did I get to this point in my life? It seems like yesterday that Ashley was nine and Sam was a new baby. I thought at this point in my life, that I would be less scheduled and pretty much just come and go and do as I please... I guess to some extent, I do, but I certainly don't have less on my mind and less to worry about. Having four teenagers is different, but can just as demanding (and stressful) as it was to have little ones. Each phase of life has it's rewards and challenges. I guess the important thing is that we learn to enjoy the journey!

As you can see, Jon and I enjoyed a fabulous and very exciting 20th Anniversary vacation to Hungary and Switzerland at the end of April. We were gone for 10 or 11 days, which is twice as long as we have ever left the kids before! I hope the pictures are worth a thousand words, because I am not going to type a lot of details about the trip. Jon was scheduled to be at a Convention for work the day of our Anniversary, so I planned our vacation around his work commitments. I wouldn't do anything differently if I had to plan it all over again! We enjoyed each other and the beautiful countryside so much. I did keep a daily journal for my family to have, as part of my scrapbook album, but the rest of you can just enjoy some of the photos that I took. Budapest, Hungary was a very romantic city to visit and I was so grateful we had the opportunity to go there! I loved Switzerland when I visited as a BYU student and have always wanted to return, so that is why we spent the remainder of our time there. (These times are definitely when we get the payback for all of Jon's trips away from home, several weeks out of every year!)


The summer is speeding by, I have been registering the kids for school this week! Yikes! Not only is it expensive to have three kids in Jr. High and High School this year, but moving one off to College adds a whole new dimension.... Not to mention, our washing machine is about ready to need replacing and our car has been having troubles! I know things must be stressful and demanding for Jon at work, because for the first time in our twenty-year marriage, we are paying for someone else to work on the van! Ouch! The first oil change not done in our garage happened yesterday, along with getting the battery replaced (a story in itself) and another related sensor. Today I had to take it back to the Honda dealership to see why my back doors are not opening as they should, likely another sensor or computer glitch related to the battery problems we've been having. Jon didn't know when he would get around to looking at it, since we are schedule to leave on our family vacation in 6 days and he will go to Wyoming right after we get back, for at least two weeks.



We took all the kids, except Ashley who had a friend's birthday party, to the Open House of the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple. We meet Jon at his work in West Jordan, then went together from there. It was neat to see. It is smaller than any of the other Utah Temples and unique because it has less carpet, most of the flooring is limestone tile imported from Egypt and Morrocco. It was beautiful. The main lobby, behind the recommend desk, has open balconies up to the second floor, where the Celestial room and Ordinance rooms are located. The third floor is where the sealing rooms are located. The chandeliers are amazing, shaped like stars cascading down from large to small. The murals and framed artwork is beautiful. They only have a lunchroom, not a full-serve cafeteria, and the small laundry only serves the baptismal area. I would love to go again and serve there, once it is dedicated. The only bummer part of the evening was that our car battery had to be jumped in Centerville, at the Temple, and again at Village Inn where we stopped for dinner on the way home. That added alot of delay time to the evening and added stress for Jon, not to mention his car had two flat tires so he had to bring his bosses small Toyota truck home from work. The car didn't easily start even with jumper cables and another vehicle, Jon thinks that is why we are having a cascade of problems with some of the sensors and the car's computer system. What a pain! At least some of the work has been covered under warranty.



I am excited to get to take the family on a vacation to Palmyra, NY and Kirtland, OH. I have always wanted to go see those historical sites where the restoration of the gospel took place! Even though Ashley thought it would be a lot more fun to take a vacation to Disneyland before she starts College, we have talked about doing this trip for a long time and wanted to take everyone. It should be really neat. I can't believe it is getting so close! We still don't have car rental lined up and I still want to call the Palmyra Temple, to arrange for Jon and I to take our four oldest kids there to do Baptisms for the dead while we are there. My mom will be with us and has consented to be with Sam at the hotel, while we are gone.



I had the opportunity to sing in a Regional Choir on the morning of the 24th of July, in celebrating Pioneer Day. We had 4 rehearsals at a Stake Center in Bountiful leading up to that day, and one dress rehearsal at the Tabernacle on Temple Square where we were priveleged to perform. It was a really neat experience to be in the choir seats of that amazing building and be able to join voices and share talents with some very talented members of the church. It was an especially touching experience for me, because I was able to rub shoulders again with a friend of mine from 23 years ago (whom I haven't talked to since that time.) We had kind of an awkward and unplanned parting all those years ago, so it was a chapter in my life that I always felt was left without closure and peaceful understanding. What a relief it was, and a comfort, to know that all was well with him and that he is strong in the gospel, very successful in his musical career, and happily married with six children. . . .



I'm not sure how much detail of the past relationship to go into, but the dating relationship ended at BYU, after a year of dating, because my father felt that he was not the person I should marry. He knew that this young man (who was about 23 at the time and I was 18) was getting closer to me and wanting to spend more time with me (probably considering marriage), so he and mom (and Uncle Glen) arrived at my apartment at BYU one evening, as I was just getting ready to leave on a date with this young man to a Tabernacle Choir Concert. To attempt to make a long story shorter, dad confronted him on a few things that evening that he had heard through the grapevine of acquaintances that he didn't approve of and he brought Uncle Glen to be the mediator, in case things got ugly (which to me, having dad come to my apartment at College and stop me from going on a date with anyone was a bit ugly). . . . . When all was said and done, after crying my eyes out in my room for some time, trying to listen to my father's concerns and come to terms with my own feelings, I made the decision (at my dad's request) to tell him that I never wanted to see him or hear from him again! Wow! I can't even believe now that I had enough faith and trust in my parents' broader perspective, understanding, and love for me to tell such a thing to someone that I cared about! Kim and my other roommates were instruments in helping me to keep that commitment, by intercepting letters and phone calls, etc. It was a very difficult and confusing time in my life. I knew deep down inside that we were not meant to be together forever, yet I did care a great deal about him and it was very difficult to not continue any type of relationship. I knew when I married Jon in the Salt Lake Temple on April 27, 1989, without any doubt, that I was with the right person, in the right place, at the right time. The Spirit bore a very powerful witness to me in the Temple that morning! But, I have often wondered about this former friend and the path that his life took once we parted. He is an amazingly talented musician! When I found out that he was to be the choir director for this Pioneer Sunrise Service, I almost decided I couldn't possibly participate... I knew it would be awkward, ... but no one else in the Ward Choir would commit to do it and I am the choir director and was asked by the High Council to get four people from our choir to participate. It ended up being me and Kaede Paten, an alto who's husband was recently converted and baptized. We had such a great experience! The rest is history... maybe I'll share a few of lines from the e-mails that were exchanged between Michael Huff and I during the time we worked together preparing for the concert.



Michael,

Thanks so much for the fun times with the Sunrise Choir and for sharing your thoughts, after all of these years. I really did enjoy the experience on many levels. It brought back many fond memories of good times past and touched my heart to see you (and your lovely wife), and to know for certain that "all is well!" . . . .

I was happy to meet your wife tonight! It is so nice for me to see you happily married and successful in your career! I know that everything worked out the way it should have. This is good for me to have some closure to a chapter in my life that never felt properly closed, if that makes any sense... I think you understand. You have such amazing talents! It is a pleasure to work with you again. I would love to see your family photo sometime.

Best wishes in the years ahead. I hope we might have the opportunity to work together again someday. It was a wonderful experience!

Your Friend,

Kerri

Dear Kerri --

Thanks so much for this note! I hope that you sensed how genuinely pleased I was to see you at the end of that first rehearsal. The years have been good to you, and you're as lovely as ever. And there was no mistaking the eyes and smile!

Funny you should mention "closure", because that was always one of my regrets -- that we didn't have the chance to properly part. And so I'm really glad that our paths crossed again, that we were able to share music again, and that we're still friends after all these years. I always knew that your life would develop in beautiful ways. And so it has! Your children are gorgeous! You're doing the kind of work for which you were made -- helping others in need; your soul is as refined, and your countenance as lovely as ever. I'm so very happy for you for all of this!!

I'm so glad that you have found ways to express yourself in musical and artistic ways! Where there's a will there's a way. And I remember how important music was to you then, as it obviously continues to be. I admire your pluck and courage, and your determination to keep singing, and to do the things you love!

I've attached a family picture --- We've been fortunate that music has given us plenty of rich experiences to share (though it hasn't made us rich!). And we've been even more richly blessed for having the Gospel to knit us together, and to give us such a marvelous framework on which to build our lives. Like you, Susan and I have had some great opportunities to serve in the church -- she was just released as our ward's Primary President, and I'm in my sixth year on the High Council. It's all good work, and we love it!

So, Kerri Trump Erickson, thanks for sharing a bit of you with me, for sharing some musical and spiritual moments with us and our friends in the choir, and for renewing our association after so many years!
Also, it was great seeing your mother again -- she was one of my favorites way back when -- and to see a few of your beautiful children! You've done so well!!

Blessings to you and yours,
:-)
michael




It is interesting that we never really know where different paths and choices will lead us, we certainly never understand why we have to go through hard times and make very difficult decisions, but one thing is for certain.... If we are doing our best to live the principles of the gospel and make choices that feel right, all will work out as they should and at some point we will gain understanding!



We sure enjoyed having Zoe and Emily visit Utah from Maine this past week and a half. It definitely makes us want to plan our next visit to see the rest of the family in Maine. We have some wonderful memories of our family vacations there! I hope they made a lot of fun memories while they were in Utah and that they enjoyed a safe journey home!



We also enjoyed spending some time with Bryan, Erin, Hyrum, and Ivy who were here at that same time from Virginia! Family times are such rewarding times! They grow up so much in between each visit. Sarah and Hyrum have a special bond, because Sarah went to Virginia with mom and I a year ago, when Ivy was blessed, and he has felt close to her ever since. I look forward to visiting the East Coast again. Next time mom needs an escort, you know I will be there to volunteer!



We had a good time setting up tents in the field the evening of the 24th of July, watching fireworks, and a "big screen movie" from our tents (thanks to Jon and Brad.) The rain and lightning storm dampened the fun a little, but by that time (after midnight) we were all ready to call it a night. Kim and I shared a tent with Sarah and Katie, who were quite nervous about the lightning storm around our tent, but we managed to comfort them with reassuring words and we all fell to sleep. Susan and her kids shared a tent East of us and Sam, Grant, and Carson were in a tent West of us. At 2:30am, Kim and I and the girls woke up with the winding blowing our tenting fiercely back and forth. I was sure a pole was going to break or the tent would rip. At that point we were surprised to see another tent blowing past our door to the South, it was Susan's tent with a few sleeping bags and such still inside, caught on the volleyball pole... With the winds like they were, we knew we probably couldn't hold out for the night. So, after getting Susan's tent loaded in the back of Kim's vehicle, we proceeded to try and decide what to do with our tent... It was a little frightening, we knew if we unloaded our bags and mats that it would likely blow away, so I called Jon and asked him what we should do! He told us to use picnic benches to hold the tent there until morning. Heather Gutke was in a tent in her neighboring yard, with her two youngest boys, we suddenly heard her calling for help! I guess her tent rolled so that the door was above them and they were trying to figure out how to get out! They managed to roll the tent back and climb out before any of us could get over to her yard, ... I sent Sarah to help them while I held onto our tent. We woke up Sam, Grant, and Carson, who were still sleeping through the crisis, and we all headed into Grandma's house and then Kim and I took the girls home to sleep! What an adventure! I told Sarah when we got home at 3:30am that we could be glad that at least we had a safe place to go out of the storm, unlike the Pioneers who had to deal with whatever wheather conditions they face 24 hours a day, seven days a week!


Happy summer! Love to all of you!


Kerri

P.S. Be sure to check out the new photos I added at the bottom of the page!