Hiking on New Year's Day

On New Year's Day I woke up and decided I needed to get out of the house and go for a hike--commune with friends and with nature.  Fortunately my friends, Kirk and Karen Mosley, were thinking the same thing.  Kirk said he would guide us on a medium to hard hike to the top of Sombrero Peak.  Sombrero or Safford Peak is that cute little square peak as a person looks to the Tucson Mountains just west from Continental Ranch.  It is next to the pug-nosed dog looking formation.  There is a 1200 ft. elevation gain from Sanctuary Cove, which would make it over 3,000 ft. high.

We made it to the top of Sombrero Peak

The 360 degree view was phenomenal.  We could see Picacho Peak to the north, but even farther north than that, we could see part of the Superstition Mts. which are east of Mesa.  Then of course a full view of the Santa Catalinas and Rincon Mts. to the east and the Santa Rita's to the South.  And we were right in middle of the northern Tucson Mts.  How blessed are we to live amongst all these mountain ranges!

I read something the other day by Robert Millet that struck a cord in my being:  "By means of the Light of Christ, God uses the beauty and wonder and magnificence of the created order to teach us, to testify of God's reality and to focus our minds and hearts upon those creations in our world that are easily missed or overlooked when we are driven by the tyranny of the urgent.  This is why such activities as camping, long walks in nature and taking time to smell the roses (literally and figuratively ) are so emotionally and spiritually therapeutic: regular contact with and reflection of the Creation links us wonderfully to the Creator." 

A scary and treacherous descent!

 

Looks like I'm going to heave!

Best Friends Forever!

Being a part of the military, and especially living overseas, opens many doors for finding, cultivating, and keeping friends, and that would be "bff" or best friends forever. We were in the Navy, and yes, I say we, because the job of Navy wife is the hardest, or so it said on the commissary (grocery store) bags, for 6 years. As soon as Nick graduated from the University of Arizona Law School we began his law career at the San Diego Naval Base, then Newport, Rhode Island War College and Officer Training School, next the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Naval Base (a whole other blog), and lastly Rota, Spain Naval Base which was shared with the Spanish Navy. I still keep in touch with a few from Cuba and many from Spain. And it's not only because of being military, but military and members of an organized faith such as my faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that keeps us close.

Terry Christensen, Jeanie Peck, Linda, Sue VerHoef, Sidney Smith, Monica White

We were all young families, it has been 24 years ago, when we lived in southern Spain. Some, whose families were complete, and others who continued having children after we moved on. The group has grown exponentially! Or in other words there's a whole lot more of us now! What you are seeing here are just a few of the many families that moved in, moved out, and were a part of the Rota Branch. One had moved to the Azores before we left, and the others were there for another couple of years. Six of us got together in Utah for our 2nd reunion since we moved stateside in 1986.

Here's a few of the ever growing group. Parents, kids, grandkids! The oldest child in the group, a young teenager then is now in her 40's. Gulp, am I getting old, too?

Life has truly taken us on different roads since those days. Each has traveled the road of pain and disappointment, the road of sorrow, as well as the road of happiness and joy. I find it quite wonderful that all these roads led us back together for a respite or rest stop, even an oasis, just long enough for us to reconnect, share, hug, increase our feelings of love for each other, and to gird up our loins for the next adventurous road.

Nick and Linda, Sue VerHoef, Sidney Smith
Gary and Monica White, Jeanie Peck, Terry and Nyle Christensen, Michael Smith

"No Empty Chairs"

I gave a Relief Society lesson on Sunday, entitled "No Empty Chairs." The purpose of the lesson was to remind the sisters how important it is to reach out and to include all of our sisters in our circle of friendship. I encouraged the sisters to share how another woman or women in their lives have mourned with them, have born their burdens for them, or who have comforted them. All covenants we made at baptism. We also read the scripture in D&C where the Lord is admonishing us to succor the weak, lift the hands that hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees (this is such a visual scripture). Many of the sisters did share experiences from their lives where another woman lifted their hands that hung down, or strengthened their feeble knees. It was pointed out that friendships with women should have no age boundaries. I cherish the friendships I have with women who not so long ago were Young Women.

I have had many female friends in my lifetime beginning in the neighborhoods where I've lived, school chums I've known that I would never forget and would always keep in contact with (didn't happen), my party animal friends from a lonnnnng time ago, lots of roommates and workmates, friends from our Navy travels, and friends from the various Ward Relief Societies and those I have served with. And I certainly do not want to forget the good women I call dear friends who I'm related to through marriage, my in-laws. And of course my relatives.

The women pictured here are four very special friends to me and have been for over fifteen years. They are my cheerleaders, my teachers, my therapists, my confidants, my ego boosters, my everything!

Missing here, are pictures of each of you reading this post. I certainly count you as a good friend! Continue being the loving, charitable woman our Creator intended each of us to be, instruments for strengthening the feeble knees of His children.