No more paychecks?

All my life, I have wondered what this day would be like. When I was young, it was just some far off crazy thought. As the days have come closer, the thought has been more like a dream - the kind where you laugh and say "Yeah! Right. That will be the day" Now suddenly it is here. It happened a couple of days ago. No more getting up every day and going to work, calling on customers and preparing bid proposals. No more company car allowance. No more paychecks!!!! Yep That is what it is like to be retired.

The folks at work threw a party where everyone in the company got a a half day off to have BBQ and listen to people talk about me. Andy Harris will be taking my place - Man does he look young or what?

The boss made fun of my golf skills, which is fine; they don't pay me the big bucks because I am a good golfer. The President of our 800 employee company flew into town for the event as well as the Chief Financial Officer and the Head of Human Resources. And the company even gave me a gift certificate towards a really expensive new camera. I was so scared that it was going to be a set of golf clubs, or worse yet, a gold watch.

One of the most touching parts was when Kirk Kirkland got up to say how much he appreciated the time we had worked together. I hired Kirk 34 years ago when I started my own company. We have had good times and some rough times over the years, but it was good to see Kirk only remembering the good times.

Pipe fittings, fire extinguishers and family all in one place. I am so grateful that the family was invited to attend and so glad they could share this day with me.

Now I have to figure out what we are going to do with my life. I will miss the guys at work and I will miss my interactions with my customers, but I think that this is what I worked my whole life for in the first place. To be able to get to a place where I have provided for my family and now have enough left over for Janene and me - that was the whole plan. I am nervous and a little bit anxious, but I do think that I am standing on the edge of a dream - a good dream.

TWENTY YEARS AFTER....

 Three days ago I woke up at 2:30 AM with a profound and suffocating sadness having had a dream about David. I was reliving the morning twenty years ago when I got up at 2:30 AM to cook breakfast omelettes for all the scouts in our troop and their leaders. I think of David every day of my life but I don't often dream about him. After I woke, I was unable to overcome the sadness and lay in bed until morning thinking about that day.

 After he and the other boys had left that morning, I went up to his bedroom and just sat on his bed. I received a small prompting that maybe this wasn't such a good idea and that I may never see David again, but I brushed it off thinking that this was the first  Scout campout in five years that I wouldn't be going with him. If I could change one thing in my life, it would be to act on that prompting and bring the boys back home.

 I didn't of course, and three days later a policeman would knock on our door and tell Janene that he had died and was never coming home again. Our Dave died alone, without us, twenty years ago today.

He is such a happy young man and the contrast of him being gone left me feeling sorrow and despair all morning after I awoke. I was still much affected at work. I have adapted a computer program at work to display key scriptures and quotes from church and other religious leaders every time I open the program. These messages are displayed literally dozens of times each day.

One of those messages explained how deeply our Father in Heaven loves us, and I was overwhelmed by the love that our Father in Heaven must have for me, and for all of us. He knew what was ahead for His Only Begotten, yet He sent him to this world to atone for our sins, to suffer and die at the hands of wicked and hateful men, and ultimately be crucified by them. He sent His Son anyway because of the love He has for us. He knew there was no other way for us to be able to be with Him again.

I am so grateful for a loving Father who allowed His Only Begotten Son to go through this for me. I am just as grateful for His Son, Jesus Christ. He loves me - and you, just as much as the Father. He trusted in His Father's plan and was courageous and valiant in working out this plan and our salvation. This great gift allows us to be reunited with those we love who have gone on from this life. I am so grateful to understand this plan of salvation and to know that I will be able to be with this wonderful boy again. Every time I think of him I feel a twinge of sadness. Sometimes it is worse than at other times, but I always remember with great joy that we will be reunited again because of the great sacrifice of our loving Savior.

I Thought It Was Spring

I ran across this picture the other day. I thought, "Wouldn't it be fun to go for a hike with the grandkids?" We worked in the yard yesterday in our shirtsleeves; it almost seemed like winter was over, spring had sprung, and you could hear the birds singing. When Brooke and her family came over this afternoon, we looked out to see a blizzard coming in with them. So much for that nice thought!

Mud to Pot in Five Minutes

Have you ever wanted to see how my lovely bride makes one of her signature items of pottery?

It all starts out with a measured amount of mud. She uses the same amount every time and centers it on the wheel. I have heard this is the hardest part to get right.

 Next, she has to flatten it out so the base is the right width. She doesn't use a measuring tool, she just eye-balls it.

 Then she has to open up the middle and leave a flat spot at the bottom that is not too thick, and not too thin, but is just right.

 She pulls up a cylinder that has uniform thickness and somehow knows just how high to go. Maybe she runs out of mud somewhere along the way.

 Now, she is starting to close in the top.

 There it is! All closed off and rounded over. There was some hocus-pocus going on because I looked at my viewfinder and Voila! It was closed off and I didn't see how she did it.

 The magic continues as she rounds it over to the perfect shape

 This is where I would put two grooves in it and call it an ashtray.
 She puts a whole lot of grooves in it.

 And calls it a Beehive Honey Pot!. The top part will become the lid and will fit down inside the base. She does some other magic with glazes and a hole for the honey dipper. I will show you the completed project when it is out of the oven. Our honeybees will be so proud of her!

A Hard Rain's A'Gonna Fall

Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?

Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?

I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains

I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways

I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests

I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans

I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard

                                                               Bob Dylan

I wonder if Dylan was singin' about this blue-eyed son. Our little herd of deer has an albino buck in it. I have never seen it, but Milt has seen it several times and has a picture of it. We are pretty sure that this yearling is one of his offspring. Janene has seen this guy a bunch of times and finally got a picture of him. This picture was taken on a cloudy day. Janene says that on a clear day with the sunlight in his eyes, they are a brilliant blue. It is a little unnerving when he stares you down.

Will wonders never cease?

Babies, Babies and More Babies

This has been an amazing week for babies in our family. Doug brought his grandson, Camden over for a visit with "great grandpa Robin". He was only there to see " Grandma Janene". She is not as old as me.

He came over with his mom, Tiffany and Grandpa Doug. This little guy came much too early and had to spend some extra time in the hospital, but he is a chunky guy now.

 We got to pass him back and forth for a while. All the time, he was the perfect little boy. He laughed at us old people, smiled at our stupid jokes and didn't get into any trouble the whole time he was here. He really did prefer his own mother, however.

 On Sunday, it was off to the races with our little red-heads. They had a great time racing the electric car back and forth (and down the stairs). Little Rachel Robin is getting close to turning two and coming out of her shyness now. It is so much fun to watch her grow up. It wasn't that long ago that she was the little baby in the family.

I had to get another picture of our newest, baby Jessie in the mix. I must take after my father. We both love to hold the little babies. Happy times over here right now. Life is sure great!

It Happened on a Beautiful Moon-lit Night

I got home from work to find the house deserted, no dinner in the oven, and no sign of my bride. Then came the text - "Congratulations, Grandpa! You have a new little girl!" I jumped in the car and headed for the hospital.

What a remarkable clear night for Heather to have her sixth baby. As I made the turn around the Capitol, I thought about all the other times I had rushed to the hospital to see a new little one come into the world. The first time was when I rushed home from Bear Lake where I was working ( I made it in 46 minutes) to find out it was a false alarm. Shon wouldn't really join our family until two weeks later. We have spent the Fourth of July at the hospital, and prayed together in the Lakeview Hospital as we dealt with a very sick and very new little girl. Janene has even helped an exhausted Angie bring little ones into the world in unfamiliar German birthing centers. 

This time there was only the need to pray together to thank the Lord for this beautiful, perfect little girl. Heather looked so well and happy to have little Jesse in her arms. Heather played the part of the seasoned old pro (well, not so old) telling the nurses what to do, feeding this new baby, and letting each of us take a turn with her. 

 The little tyke was not so little, pegging the scales at 8 lbs. 3oz.. Getting to see her born was a joy that Janene was able to have one more time. For Grandpa, it was a thrill to be there before she was even an hour old. Heather's friend, Crystal was there to enjoy and photograph the big event.

 After nursing, Jesse was ready for her first little nap when Grandma took her. There is nothing like the experience of being able to hold a little girl in your arms when just a few minutes before, she was just a lump in your daughter's belly.

 The perfect Dad and perfect Mom with a perfect little baby girl. (I hope it doesn't sound like I am bragging) Every time I witness this miracle, I am humbled to think that God actually trusts us with His children. I cried as I left the hospital knowing that we have seen one more sign of His love for us.

A Capitol Experience

CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK

MARCH 2015

 Ever since our kids were young, we have come to this place. It probably started with my parents, or possibly even with Mom's parents. We have picked peaches in the orchards, We have hunted Easter eggs in the campground, we have weathered bitter cold, hot summer sun and suffered through intense sandstorms. After all of that, we keep coming back.

 Oftentimes we hike the same old trails, showing off things we have discovered before to a new and older batch of children. Half of the fun has been watching as the new ones discover the same places their older siblings found years ago.

 We hike with kids who just want to go back to camp and play in the grass, and others who want to see what lurks around the next boulder. We find polliwogs in desert cisterns, ants that can carry huge beetles over long distances, and watch as the bats come out at night.

 Through it all, we share tender times with our little ones. We laugh and sometimes we cry a little.

 This year some of the family explored the place where our daughters got stuck inside a dry "tank" the water had carved in a canyon above Hickman Bridge. As the older  and wiser parents saw where the girls were trapped, they found out just how negligent we their parents really were. Heather said it scared her. I wondered which was scarier; looking at where they had gotten stuck, or realizing that we let them get to that place on their own.

 Every time we go, the kids find places to hide in the rocks.  And every year we take their pictures in their hidden places

 Nathan was a little stressed out in the narrow canyons for some reason, but still enjoyed exploring.

 We found a great place for the kids to play under a double natural bridge that I don't remember being there on other trips. Maybe we weren't observant enough then.

 We got to watch some great sunsets and grand vistas, the best of all was the time we were able to spend together playing  and goofing off.

 But soon it was time to say good-bye and come back to the dreary world of work and school and all the other stuff we do.

But as we left, we had a new store of memories to cherish for years to come. Something we will remember for the rest of our lives.

Winter Wonderland

Janene and I were able to get away for a couple of days to see Bryce Canyon in "winter". We heard that it had snowed in the southern part of the state, so we made arrangements to stay at Ruby's Inn just outside the park and headed down.

Everywhere we looked was an incredible panorama. We took over 1500 pictures and could easily have taken 1500 more. We arrived just in time to watch the sun go down and the full moon come up over the amphitheater. Be still my heart!

The next day, we put on the winter weather gear, the crampons for walking on ice, grabbed our trekking poles and headed out for the day into the bowl full of hoodoos. At sunset, we watched the Sinking Ship slowly sink into the darkness.

We walked for three miles on a single track through the fairyland of colored columns. We had to stop every few minutes to take pictures or just be awed by the beauty of the place.

Then we headed over the highway that was featured in the Wall Street Journal this week as the "most stunning section of highway in the United States". We watched as windswept snow mimicked the petrified sand dunes that were hidden underneath the snow

 Janene didn't really appreciate my photo featuring the juxtaposition of two sets of curves, but I felt that both were pretty stunning. Maybe this is what the Wall Street Journal was referring to in their article.

 As we left Bryce Canyon we held powerful memories of the wonder of these beauteous scenes.

As we headed home, we drove the Burr Trail through Capitol Reef and the Waterpocket Fold. We were greeted by incredible vistas that few people ever get to see. We met people from all over the world on this trail. All of them had heard of the beauty of this place and had come from Australia, Israel, Germany and beyond. We are blessed to have this in our own backyard.

A Day of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving at our home woulds not be complete without family to share in the joy. We have now graduated from one large table to the large 16 seat table, and two 10 seat tables in the living room. This year we were able to have all of our family over at some point during the night. Every year, Janene works like a slave to get this all ready, but by the time the night is over, and we have had a chance to visit with every grandchild, son and daughter, we both go to bed tired, but filled with joy.

Sometimes big crowds are difficult for Nathan, but we all enjoy having him near us. Angie is such a good mother for him. We never foresaw the difficulties that Angie and David would face, but the two of them are the perfect parents, probably the only parents who could handle the diverse family they have been given. Nathan loves his mom and would rather be with her than anyone else.

 We got an extra blessing this year as my sister Vikki was able to join us. She has been helping my father while my other two sisters are out of town. The two of us are less than a year apart, but we have been separated by distance ever since we each married. Sometimes we have been more than a half a continent away from each other and she is still 250 miles away so it was especially nice to share Thanksgiving with her this year.

 Poor little Tessa took a tumble earlier this week and got to have stitches, but by Thanksgiving she was feeling fine and was a lot of fun. She says the cutest things and has such a sweet smile. I cannot imagine Shon and Melinda's family without this perfect little girl.

 Stephen is a great dad - and Jeffrey James is a darling little boy. Jeffrey is a new addition to our Thanksgiving celebration. He and grandpa got to spend a few quiet moments napping in the rocker. A perfect way to spend Thanksgiving evening.

 So here are the other three Phillips girls. It has been a long time since we got them all on the same couch together. Chelane was able to pass her boards and is now finished with everything she needs for her medical career. We are so proud of her determination to pursue this goal in her life. Heather and Brooke are each great mothers of five children and active with other major responsibilities. Each one has followed their mother in some way, each becoming capable and confident in their own right.

Shon has completed a move this year and now has a home on the same street as Angie. - And the best garage in town. All of our children live close. Some of our grandkids walk over to our house sometimes. The other day day Max rode his bike over to help us with the bees. We are truly blessed beyond our wildest dreams.

This year we noted with sadness that my mother was not with us, but she would be the first to say that we should enjoy this day of thanks whether she was with us or not. My dad was here and he misses her terribly, but we all look forward to that day when we will be reunited again. Our family has had its share of sorrow and troubles, but we all love each other and enjoy being together. What blessing could be better than that? Janene and I used to pray that our children would grow up to be independent and able to make their own choices. When they did just that, we went through a period where we wished we had prayed for something else. They were gone from home too soon for us, but now as we see each of them with their strengths and accomplishments, we really do have something to be thankful for on this special day.