Birth of Benjamin Clark Sherwood 2-6-12

We are back in Utah! Have been for 3.5 months. But it's been a crazy 3.5 months. And I just finished our photo books for last year (there are so many pictures it won't fit in just one!) whew!! I almost wish I could just post that book here so you could get a review of our trip from that. But that's not possible so I'll do my best to give an adequate update here. 

But first, we are back at the ranch which IS different than what we had planned but it is BETTER than what we had planned. Well mostly. Snow and cold just can't be better than sunshine and warmth but would you believe me if I told you that today I was outside in a t shirt and no shoes getting a suntan? Yep. So I'll take that when I can. 

My little brother and his precious family were in a very bad head on collision just before Christmas. Fortunately, and miraculously, his family was ok...banged up but ok... but he was not. He was in the hospital for quite some time with a broken femur, broken jaw, broken wrist, split intenstine, broken back and 5 broken ribs...oh and needed some stitches in his head...I think I'm missing something but don't remember. Can you believe it? He was MESSED up. He should have died but because of the way he happened to be sitting in his little prius and because he was limp (asleep) he stood a chance and survived. Miraculous. He is healing miraculously too. So fast. He's walking and even going into work every once and while, driving and eating 'normal'. 

I am so grateful that they are all ok. I can't help but be so grateful and that gratitude flows heavenward naturally but you know what I've been wondering lately?

You know when you hear about someone getting in a terrible car accident and it was no one's fault in particular and you know you aren't supposed to blame God because we know that He doesn't just sit up there on His throne puppeteering all of us, but that sometimes bad things happen just because they do? Agency and choice? Things, good and bad happen because of it? So, if we can't blame God for those things that happen then are we supposed to 'blame' God or give God the credit when bad things are avoided? Was it Him who made the car go just so as to avoid lethal impact? Did he orchestrate the whole thing so that my brother and His family were saved? And if that is true then why couldn't we blame Him for those unfortunate accidents where people do die? See my conundrum? If you have any thoughts to share with me, please feel free. I tend to be an all or nothing thinker and I do realize that our ways are not God's ways and we aren't to understand all the ways of God...it's just not possible. 

But anyway, this is just a long-winded way to say that I am truly full of gratitude and joy that Brian his family are still with us...no matter why. 

We just got back from St. George where my entire family was able to rent an airbnb and enjoy being together for 6 days. It was a celebration of sorts that Brian and Mericar and their kids are alive and OK. It was originally booked for Christmas which obviously wasn't possible but now it was! And it was great! And Brian was hiking and thriving! So yay for that. 

It was a bit depressing coming back up the mountains into the cooler weather the forecast showing yet more snowflakes, but we will try to be upbeat and positive. Right? 

So, the trip. It was fantastic. It was dreamy. It was magical. But it was also rough, dirty, unorganized and chaotic at times. But here we are dreaming about going on the road again. 

What was our favorite part? We get asked this a lot. Well guess what, that's not really a question we can answer. It was all our favorite part. Each place with it's own unique spin and experience that was our favorite because of the new things we saw and did. 

We loved seeing family on the road where possible, the Kizzar's in Colorado. Of course, Clark and Tori in Michigan where we stayed for a month. Then the Griggs in Tennessee and the Sharps in Mississippi. David's sis in law in Arizona to wrap it up! 

Here is a screen shot to get an idea of our overall route (plus a bunch of other stuff-but you get the point).

Obviously, Dallas, and all that red in SLC and Nevada is just extra stuff we've done, and do you want to talk about how creepy it is that Google keeps track of our every move? I mean, it's really handy and kinda neat to go back and look at but really...it's creepy. Right?

There were a lot of things about our trip that didn't turn out like we had planned or how I wanted but that's how I'm learning life just is. Doesn't mean you should stop planning but you also just need to be able to go with the flow and be ok with it. 

Unexpected? East Kansas. Didn't expect to love it so much. We still talk about living there. It was beautiful. Right about where you see it turns from the light tan to green on the map? Yep! That's where it got beautiful!

If you put a gun to my head and made me pick a favorite? Mackinac Island. Which is bitter sweet because we went up there with Clark and Tori just a day or so after we arrived and David wasn't feeling well and missed it. So its not my favorite because of that but that's just how amazing it was... that even with David missing it could be my favorite. It's just a beautiful island that you get to by ferry and there are no cars, just bikes and horses and carriages. Touristy, yes but absolutely beautiful and charming. 

It's well known for it's flowers and it's Grand Hotel with the longest front porch in the world. 

We had so much fun biking around the island which only took about an hour I think? Maybe longer because we stopped. The water of I guess it would be Lake Huron was so amazingly clear and beckoning! We just had to stop and put our feet in!

If we went out on the road again we would definitely do things differently, the biggest one being there would be no reservations or deadlines. Free birds we would be! Nearly perfect it would have been! Yoda I sound like!

We will see what happens. 

Many changes have occurred since being home so we are just trying to get our bearings and see what Heavenly Father guides us to do. Travel more? Settle down and buy a home? Where? When? It's kind of exciting!

Life is a beautiful, fascinating thing isn't it? 

I have changed quite a lot when I really think about it. 

I didn't used to be the kind of person who thought it was exciting to not have a plan for the future.

I have almost no qualms about the fact that I don't have a beautifully immaculate large home, with a closet full of designer clothes and fancy shoes. That I don't have the swagged out SUV full of kids that I'm soccer 'mom'ing around the neighborhood that we've put roots down in.

10 years ago if you'd told me that I was living full time in an RV, traveled a bit in it but then had to move into an little apartment and that I actually appreciated it and was content as a clam in I would have laughed at you. 

But here I am! Living in a little 2 bed apartment on my parent's ranch until it warms up and we can move back into our even smaller RV for the summer! At which point we will just enjoy the summer and come cooler weather we will just see what we decide to do? Move back into the small apartment? Find a rental? Hmmmmm...who knows? I actually don't care that I don't know! Who am I?

Why not just buy a home you're wondering? Well, we aren't sure that we want to put roots down here exactly and until we do know where the Lord wants us we are going to be mobile. We have talked about, dreamed even, about living down near St. George because I adore the brightness and the sunshine. But again, who knows? We are keeping an open mind and living in the present. 

What am I looking forward to now? Listening to a prophet's voice tomorrow at General Conference!