Remembering Valerie

On Monday, November 30, Valerie passed away. I don't know too much about what happened. What I do know is my heart is broken. I am thankful she does not have to suffer any more but sad because she will not be here with us. I am so grateful for her and for her love in our family. The journey has been so long and so hard. Sylvia, Linda and I went to see her last Wednesday (November 25th) and found her to be very sick. She didn't look good and was so skinny. As we left, Greg was so upset with us. He told us to get out. I know he was just upset with the whole world but it felt like it was aimed right at us. Because of that last visit, we are all a little gunshy and wonder what the right approach should be at this time. I have prayed for the spirit to help us all say and do the right things at this time. I am grateful for that short visit because she smiled with us and we all had the opportunity to tell her we loved her. The picture which is posted is when Mindi came to see Grandma Woolf. Valerie held Reese and just loved her. Mindi and Valerie had a special relationship so the picture has great meaning. Valerie had her own quirks. She was funny and had a quick whit. She enjoyed being on the edge. While she wasn't active in the Church, she would ask me about my callings or what I was doing. She was very understanding of whatever it was I was doing in the Church. She loved family and had a great desire to be with family. She loved their cabin and felt a great peace there. She will be missed by everyone who knew her. The memory of being together as sisters will live on for a very long time.

Memories of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall always was a symbol of the superiority of freedom over oppression and of the free market over a controlled economy. The symbol is gone, but those lessons must remain forever.
November 9th marked the 20th anniversary of the day Germans, from East and West, began to tear down the wall and reunify. It was a day in which the entire world seemed to exhale after decades of a tense Cold War many felt would last forever. It was, for many, the beginning of the real end to World War II, defined for them by years of war, followed by more than 40 years of oppression and occupation. And it was the beginning of a more chaotic world, defined by ideologies and terrorist threats rather than a superpower standoff.
When the wall went up, it was because so many people were fleeing to the West that the obvious advantages to freedom and capitalism over communism were becoming embarrassing to the East. Over the ensuing years, those differences grew only starker, but they were mostly hidden from view.
It was fitting, then, that once the wall came down it became a part of the capitalist economy itself. It was broken into fragments and sold as souvenirs. Many pieces sit in American homes today. These lessons are important. Many young people in Germany today, particularly in the East, have begun to romanticize life under the old regime. A recent poll by the German government found that 57 percent of people in the East said communist rule was, on balance, mostly positive.
If the world would always remember the wall — the real wall with its Stasi secret police and its gunshots for people who tried to climb from East to West — the way forward would be much more clear.

Checkpoint Charlie is where we always entered. Checkpoint Charlie was one of the main gateways for crossing between the two halves of Berlin during the Cold War. The naming of the checkpoints was based on the phonetic alphabet, and as this was the third such checkpoint it was given the name of Charlie.It became a symbol of the Cold War - representing the division of East & West - and was seen as a gateway to freedom for the East Germans. Checkpoint Charlie was on Friedrichstrasse, near Kochstrasse. It was the only crossing between West Berlin and East Berlin that could be used by Americans and other foreigners, and by members of the Allied Forces. The other six checkpoints were for residents of West Berlin or West Germany

While living in Germany, we visited the Berlin wall several times. Jen and Mindi went with us a couple of times. We actually went the first time as a shopping trip into East Berlin. The cost of goods were so cheap. However, our trips were also times of teaching and learning. Both the girls noticed the vast difference in the buildings, people and atmosphere of the east side. Jen and Mindi both commented that that the people just didn't seem as happy and that there were no colors in anything. We returned to the United states in July of 1989 and the Berlin Wall came down in November of 1989. Friends still stationed in Germany sent us a piece of the Wall and it sits in our home today. I hope I have taught my children the importance of our freedoms. I hope that they never forget their experience of living on foreign soil. I only pray that the youth of today remain resolute in the fight for freedom and liberty.

Grandchildren are the Best!!

This past weekend, my sister Joeleen came to see us. We were in hopes that Valerie would visit with her for a bit but no such luck. Valerie was in the hospital for 5 days but is now home. They had to insert a drain in her gallbladder. She continues to go downhill. It has been very hard to watch. The hardest part of it all is watching her in pain and so weak. Greg has stood by her and has taken care of her every need. As a family, we are all very grateful to him for his love and support.

As you can see by my post, my grandchildren continue to grow up. They are beautiful children and I am so very proud of all of them.

Riley and Mycol are wonderful young women and are great examples. Jen has taken the pictures but I wonder how she will get Logan to pose for her next round.

Reese is such a delight. She laughs and smiles and wins over everyone's hearts. She keeps her mom and dad busy all the time but they are so very proud of her.

And then there is Kenndi and Crew. Kenndi is such a happy baby and I love her pictures. On Sunday evenings, we get on Skype and visit with Brady and Erika. It is our way of seeing how she is changing and how Crew is growing up. Sure wish they were closer. You can also see their love of Halloween. Erika always comes up with the cutest ideas for them to dress up.

Salt Lake Office Trip

I had an amazing (past) weekend, one that I will not easily forget. On Friday, September 25, we, Debbie and I, left for Utah. Sister Bednar invited the executive office down to SLC for lunch with her and then gave us tickets for the Women’s broadcast. Others who had served in the executive office were also invited. Debbie and I left about 1:00 pm to drive to the Downtown Marriott. Betty and Kathy were already there. Vickie and Wendy were coming down together. It was an uneventful drive, other than I had to keep the conversation going all the while.
We arrived at the Marriott and checked in. When we were coming down from our room to get more things from the car, we found out that the whole Louisville Cardinal Football team was staying at the Marriott. They were going to play University of Utah the next day. There were ‘big’ football players everywhere.
That evening we all went to dinner at Market Street Grill. We were also joined by JoAnn. President Wheelwright paid her way so she could come and be with us. We laughed and shared stories and had a great time. Debbie and I had to drive JoAnn back to her daughter’s place in Sandy.
Saturday morning we arose and went to the 8:00 session at the SLC temple. I had never gone through a session in the SLC temple. I had let Gene and Joeleen know that I was going to be there and if I could see that that would be great. It was a wonderful session and I so enjoyed being there with my sisters in Zion. While we were sitting in the celestial room, Gene came in to say hi. He was able to answer some questions about the temple for all of us. He also showed us Wilford Woodruff’s rooms where he had an apartment in the temple at one time. He showed us some sealing rooms and a staircase that is not in use any more. I marveled at the workmanship in the temple and how it has been preserved. I also marveled at the foresight of President Brigham Young in building the temple. It is large, laid out well and the craftsmanship is amazing. I never did get to see Joeleen but it was a wonderful day.
It was then to JB’s for breakfast together and on to the hotel to change clothes. Kathy had to go and pick up Sister Clark at the airport. We went to distribution and walked downtown. We also met Nikki Nelson, who used to be Elder Bednar’s secretary. We went to the hotel, changed clothes, checked out and went to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to kill some time. JoAnn and Wilma also joined us there.
At the appropriate time, we walked over to the Lion House to meet Sister Bednar for lunch/dinner. It was about 3:00 when we met. Sharon Hall, Julie Hobbs, Shauna Swainston (Elder Bednar’s current secretary), met us there and we proceeded to eat. We went through a cafeteria style line and then proceeded up to a room that Sister Bednar had reserved. When we got inside, Elder Bednar was there waiting for us. What a wonderful surprise. He did not eat with us but proceeded to visit and answer any questions we had. We took pictures and asked questions and were taught by an apostle of the Lord.
Elder Bednar reminded us to do good wherever we go. To do our callings but not over do our callings. Whenever he travels, he always looks for the ‘one.’ We should all be searching for the one person we can serve and make a difference in their lives. He and Susan both told how his calling has changed their lives. They work hard, however, to maintain their family ties. They make it a point to schedule a get-away each year with all of their family members.
After our meal, Shauna arranged for us to go to the Administration Building to use the restrooms, because the ones in the conference center would be so busy. We all kind of split up and used the restrooms on each floor. I went with Shauna to the third floor. When we finished she asked if we would like to see Elder Bednar’s office. WOW! Yes of course. We walked to the southwest corner but when she reached into her purse for the key, it was not there. So we got to see where it was but not inside. We then started to walk over to the conference center. When we were down in the basement, we boarded the carts to ride through the tunnel. The tunnel goes under the temple, Main Street, and under the conference center. We got there and entered in through the back doors, of which is the way general authorities enter to sit on the stand for conference. When we were ushered to our seats, I ended up on the left hand side (facing the podium) second row back. Those on the stand were President Monson, President Uchtdorf, President Eyring, Elder Anderson, Elder Nelson and Elder Hafen. Elder Nelson came down to where we were seating because he had what looked like several granddaughters there. His wife Wendy Watson Nelson was also there. Of course with Sister Bednar and Sister Clark there, he came over to say hello. Sister Bednar introduced him to all of us as her BYU-Idaho sisters and he shook all of our hands. Sister Sherrie Dew came in also and sat two rows behind us. She also greeting Sister Bednar and in turn met all of us. She expressed how much she loves BYU-I and how she has a niece currently here and she also is also loving her experience here. The Primary general president came and shook hands also.
I was sitting next to Nikki Nelson who was the president’s secretary for many years. When she saw Elder (president of Ricks College) Hafen sitting on the stand, she got up and caught his eye. He came down off the stand and shook hands with just our row. I was able to tell him I was Joe Woolf’s daughter. I was the one he sent the email to about dad. He told me how much he loved my dad and what a good person he was. He asked about my mom and how she was doing. When I told him my mom passed away last year, he offered his condolences and then said ‘what a wonderful blessing because they were together.’ It was truly a wonderful moment in my life to meet and shake hands with so many wonderful, righteous men and women.
Being at the broadcast was also great. Sister Beck reminded sisters about doing good where ever they go. She talked about visiting teaching and serving one another. I have a mental note to bring up her talk and read it again. Her two counselors spoke and President Eyring. It was a wonderful evening.
We said our goodbyes to everyone and Debbie and I went back to the Marriott, changed clothes and headed home. We had been given parking passes for under the Church Office Building but we chose to stay where we were because of the traffic and because we didn’t know our way out of downtown from the Conference Center. We chose to stay at the Marriott because we knew our way to the freeway from there. It ended up being a really good choice because we had no problem at all. We got home to Rexburg about midnight.

Memory Lane

Recently I was cleaning out some of my computer files. I came across a couple of pictures that took me down memory lane. They are some pictures of Brady. I don't want my kids to think I favor him. It's just that I was going to delete these off my computer and this is a way to save them because I hope to print this book like Mindi did. Who knows, I might go back and search for other memory pictures.

Reese's One year old celebration!!!

I can't believe that Reese is one year old. She is a beautiful child and I think, as she grows, she is going to give Mindi and Arnold a run for their money. She loves her Uncle Kit and will go to most everyone. The sad part is that Mindi planned a wonderful birthday party and Reese was sick. Just the same, she is our darling granddaughter and we love her to death. Many more happy birthday's, Reese. We love you!!

Trip to Colorado

On September 2, Craig and I left for Colorado to spend a week with Brady, Erika, Crew and Kenndi. Mindi, Arnold, Reese, and Kit joined us for the Labor Day weekend. We had a great time. Every time I go to Colorado, I fall more in love with it. There are so many things to do. We drove to Estes Park and did a little bit of hiking and had a picnic. Erika's folks and Taylor were there with us. It was a wonderful week. It was sad to leave because we love being with all the family. Our drive to Colorado, with food stops, takes about nine hours. It gets harder to do but is very worthwhile. Kenndi is such a beautiful little girl and a welcome addition to our family.

While we were in Colorado, Dennis called to let us know that Larry has lung cancer. They began chemotherapy today, Monday, September 14. Our prayers are with Bonnie, Larry and their family as they face this trial.

Valerie is doing the same. She is tired all the time and won't talk much or see us. Linda and I try hard not to take it personal. In the beginning, I though we would need to be with her all the time but as it turns out, she doesn't seem to want us around much.