House Progress and other stuff

This is a drastic improvement from how it was before!
So much wallpaper from the 70's and 80's was removed,
it was so dingy and dark.  It looks so much better!

I haven't written in a while.  We've been so busy trying to get the house ready.  The walls took forever.  There was wallpaper on every surface upstairs, except in the bedrooms.  It took so long to get if off, repair walls, mud, sand, mud, sand, and then do it some more.  A couple of times we had a small army over to help with painting.  We could not have done it by ourselves!  But they're done now and we are finally moving on to flooring and kitchen.  Never mind that we committed to be moved out of the condo by the 15th.  And no one has started packing yet.  I've had a long list of things written down that we/I need to get done.  Tonight I threw it away and wrote only the things that I need to do.  I feel a little better about the project now.  The other night I was talking to my friend, Kelly.  She assured me that we can move in with an undone kitchen, because we can eat at her house every night until we have one.  My friends are so cool!

This week we're hoping for flooring, kitchen install (by us and a few friends), new toilets, plumbing fixtures, etc. etc. There's still a lot to do . . .  we'll get there.

I found this picture on wendyvonsosen.com tonight.  This says it all.  We're dealing with some serious challenges with one of our kids.

These are challenges we didn't see coming, but it makes total sense now-hindsight is 20/20.  I don't feel comfortable sharing gritty details.  Maybe when things smooth out a little bit.  Suffice it to say that this situation is way harder than cancer.  If you can just remember this one thing every day, in every interaction: Everyone you come across in your life is fighting a hard battle.  Be gentle, don't judge, and LOVE WITHOUT RESERVATION.  Love, love, love.  That is the key.

My friend texted me about a seminar that was going on at Bountiful High this week.  Mat and I went, we came away with so much valuable information!  It was put on by the man than runs www.listenlearnandlove.org.  Tom Christofferson was there, as well as parents of a teen boy from Bountiful that committed suicide 6 years ago.  Friends, we've got to do better in Utah.  We've got to do the things I listed in the last paragraph.  Be gentle, don't judge, and love.  You have no idea what someone has gone through in their lives to get to where they are today, not unless you talk to them and love them without preconceptions and judgement.  I didn't have to think about this until about a year ago.  I never considered how hard life is for someone who is a square peg, trying to fit in a round hole.

I had two positive interactions last week with transgender women.  So random!  One was when I responded to an ad for a bathroom vanity.  The other was when I met Catherine at the seminar on Thursday.  I talked to her for a good, long time asking her questions about her life and how she got where she is today.  She is active in her Bountiful ward, they love her and accept her for who she is.  I was so happy to hear that!  I don't think that's the experience most LGBT have here.  We don't have to agree with the lifestyle, but we do have to LOVE!  More later, it's late!

p.s.  I didn't say any of this because I'm perfect at it.  I've got SO much work to do.  I'm no different than anyone else!  Just want to make that clear!