Spiritual Experiences

Yesterday we had a stake meeting with the presiding bishop of the Church, H. David Burton.  Before the stake meeting we had our Seminary and Institute inservice meeting and Bishop Burton attended it.  He made a comment that I have been pondering ever since.  He said most young people do not have spiritual experiences in their homes.  Most spiritual experiences take place in seminary, on their missions and in other settings but rarely at home.  It made me think - did I have spiritual experiences at home?  My first spiritual experience was in our home.  I was about 12 years old and my parents had the missionaries over to teach someone.  I remember feeling the spirit so strongly at the meeting that I could almost see it.  It is hard to describe, but I knew the Holy Spirit was there that day.  that triggered memories of so many others.  I would say the next most significant one was because of being thrown out of home evening.  One night I was presenting the Family Home evening.  At the end of it, I closed and said, Amen.  My Grandma Brugger told me to bear my testimony.  I told her I didn't have a testimony of that.  She told me to go to my room and not show my face until I could bear my testimony.  I think this is ironic now because she and Grandpa were living in our home at the time, but I went to my room and slammed the door.  It was fine with me if I never had to speak to her again.  A few minutes later my dad walked in with two paperback copies of the Book of Mormon.  He told me that just the two of us would read together until we finished the Book of Mormon.  By the time I read in 1 Nephi where Nephi says that he will do whatever the Lord tells him to do - he will do - I realized this was a book of scripture.  As I read those words with my father, he looked at me and hugged me saying, "Pretty exciting, isn't it."  I get that same wonderful feeling every time I read that section and finish the Book of Mormon - to this day.

I have had other spiritual experiences growing up and then with our daughters growing.  But I wonder, did we create an environment where others had spiritual experiences in our home.  I have had spiritual experiences in our daughters homes since they have married, but I am not teaching someone to have the experience now - I know how to experience it. 

The other thing that Bishop Burton said is that if a seminary class is taught well, the spiritual experiences there will be second only to a mission.  That is quite a responsibility. 

8 Years Ago...

8 years ago, I was anxiously awaiting the birth of my 2nd granddaughter and 4th grandchild.  Isabella Lou Nordell, arrived on the 13th of March 2003, in Italy.  My hands were tied and I was so far away while Heather and Brandon welcomed their first child into their home.  The top picture is Bella, Heather and me at Pam's graduation from the University of Utah.  The bottom picture is Bella in my pajamas.  When I was visiting, I walked into the room I was staying in, to change into those very pajamas.  I started laughing and snapped the picture.  It was not what I expected.  I miss Bella so much.  We were able to bond when I stayed with her for 2 months while Heather was expecting Evie.

When I was 4 1/2 years old...

When I was a little older than 4 years old, my parents told me that my mother was pregnant.  I was thrilled.  I prayed every night for a little brother with blonde hair and blue eyes.  On March 15, 1958, I got my wish.  Robert Maynard Brugger was born.  The above picture is Bob, with my paternal grandparents, George and Carrie Myrl Brugger.  I never remember my Grandma Brugger wearing pants.  I don't think she ever put a pair on in her life.  However, my Grandma Tuttle not only wore pants she even owned and wore blue jeans, especially when she worked in the garden, went up into the canyon and worked in her chicken coops when sold eggs and chickens.  Grandma Tuttle sold the chickens off when I was about 6 or 7 years old.  

The Ages of Me

Me at 6 months old

Me at 1 year

My father took this picture when I was about 10 to show how long my hair was.

My sophomore class picture.  This was one of my mother's favorite pictures ever taken of me.  People didn't believe my hair was naturally that blonde.

Clyde's and my engagement pictures.

This was taken 2 weeks after my engagement pictures.  I was talked out of my long hair and into short hair - told it was so much easier.  Balderdash!  I would spend 30 minutes to an hour doing my hair short and 10 minutes doing my hair long!  I've always told Clyde it was because he told me he loved my long hair but that is not quite true.  It was a decision made because of a room mate that was a beautician that beat me down - in truth.

This picture was taken in front of our home on the VA grounds in Kerrville, Texas about 1995.  Clyde and I were going to a fancy dinner.

This is me today with Clyde.  This picture was taken last summer by our surrogate daughter, Jodi Carpenter.  I cannot believe that tomorrow I will be 58 years old!  I have had a wonderful life and been truly blessed.  I have an amazing husband, with amazing daughters.  They have in turn married the perfect husband for who they are.  I have 10 incredible grandchildren with one more on the way.  The only down side to my life is that I am so far away. But then we keep in touch by telephone, emails and our blogs.  Thank heaven for modern media!  

The Gardners and the Bruggers

When we were in Germany the first time, one of my father's distant cousins, served as Mission President in Stuttgart, Germany.  He had three daughters.  For the life of me I cannot remember one of their names.  As I was pulling up the pictures, I could remember the names and now I can't!  The fat girl with glasses is me, Marianne is in the plaid dress and Bob is the only boy - I do know that much.  These pictures were taken at the Stuttgart Zoo about 1962.

My Grandpa Brugger

On the left is my dad, Archie Brugger, in the middle is my grandfather, George Brugger and on the right is Raphael Brugger, my father's older brother, at my Aunt Sheri's wedding (my father's youngest sister).  I tried to clean up the slide before I copied it but it was starting to deteriorate.  That is the funky decorations on the white coats and shirts.

The middle picture was taken of my grandfather not too many years before he passed away.  The bottom picture is where my grandfather carved his name and my grandmother's name in this tree.  Grandpa Brugger's birthday was February 20th. I loved sharing a birthday month him and having a birthday so close to his. There are several pictures that we are surrounding a birthday cake. I can't tell if it is Grandpa's birthday or mine we are celebrating.  Sometimes we shared.  I always had a hard time getting along with Grandma Brugger but Grandpa Brugger was my my hero.  He tried hard to help me with my math.  Others - even teachers would get frustrated and I would get knocked on the head because they would think I wasn't trying.  Then we didn't know that being dys-calculate was a problem.  They assumed that if you could read and spell there should be no other learning problem.  I was always in the highest reading and spelling groups and the lowest math group.  Grandpa loved math and tried so hard to instill that love into me.  I will always be grateful for his patience.  I just wish it could have paid off in more ways than teaching me to be patient.  But then what better lesson than that to learn from someone you  love?

A Tale of Three Heathers

Clyde and I spent yesterday in temple.  Our stake completely manned it and we had a very busy and successful day.  President Wood, the Temple President, said it was one of the busiest days the temple had seen in a long time.  He also said, that is why they do these holiday temple days, because it seems that people that cannot come any other time, can come on a Monday holiday.  I ended up running the baptistry and basically had a steady stream of young people and new converts going through.  I was very busy all morning and extremely worn out by the time we got home. However, yesterday morning, just before the alarm clock went off, I thought of three Heathers that I know and love and their vastly different temple experiences. 

The first Heather is our daughter.  She received her endowment, married the love of her life in the Manti Temple and is living her life faithful and happy.

The second Heather married her high school sweetheart but he promised her that if they married outside of the temple, in one year, he would get his life in order and take her to the temple.  Many years later, she is still waiting for him to become active and take her to the temple.

My third Heather, went to the temple the week before she was to marry.  Her fiance did not accompany her but she had a wonderful day with her family.  However, while she was in the Celestial Room, she had a strong impression she needed to confront her fiance.  He told her they were getting married the next week and there was nothing she could do about it.  Heather told him, "Oh yes there is!"  She broke off the engagement, cancelled the wedding plans, sent out the cards and made the calls.  About 18 months later she was married in the temple to someone else and they are now a military family, setting the example of a strong LDS family.

Three women, named Heather, with vastly different 'temple' experiences. 

Reading

When Heidi was in second grade, her teacher gave her the book, "Sarah, Plain and Tall" to read.  Heidi was the tallest in her class and kept telling me how ugly she was.  I couldn't understand how her teacher would send her home with this book.  So I quickly grabbed it from her backpack while she and her sisters were doing their after school things, went into my room and read it.  It turned out to be the perfect book for Heidi at that time and is a book I give to 8 year olds to this day who are feeling gawky and unsure of themselves.  Her teacher had read it and loved it and knew Heidi would too.  To this day, it is one of Heidi's favorite series of books.  


In Texas, the students from 3rd grade through 6th grade - all over the state, get to vote on a list of books.  Some are Newberry Award books, some are even Caldecott so the non-readers can participate, but some are just there.  The years our daughters' brought the list home that they could vote from, I could tell by just by the title, which one would #1.  One year there was a bit of a controversy about one of the books, at our school.  I knew it was going to be the #1 book but the librarian and some of the mothers wanted it banned.  I was PTO president that year, so told them I would read all of the books on the list and tell them what I thought.  To this day, I am not sure why that appeased them, but it did.  The book was not banned, (it is basically a young peoples ghost story but I would have suggested it more for middle school than elementary) and yes it did make #1 that year.  After that for the rest of the time our daughters were at that school, as soon as the Bluebonnet book list came out, I was given the books and told to read them, by the principal and teachers.  One year I did pull a book that I don't even remember the title.  But interestingly enough, it was eventually pulled from the list.  It wasn't banned but I just felt it was too mature.  I had our librarian send it over the high school/middle school library.


I love to read and so do our daughters.  My parents and sister love to read.  My daughters are passing the love to read on to their children.  Some of my daughters' spouses like to read more than others but we all have a love and appreciation of books.  This blog all started yesterday when Clyde and I drove by Narragansett Bay.  It was green and very choppy.  In the book "Sarah, Plain and Tall", Sarah buys colored pencils, blue, green and gray, to show the children the color of the sea.  She describes the sea so perfectly in the book, that I often think of that book and those pencils.  Every time I think of that book, I think of reading everything our daughters read as long as they lived in our home.  We went through a Mary Higgins Clark together and read all of her books and read quite a few Danielle Steele books together (because my mother belonged to book clubs and would get those).  We found other authors we loved but then we found our favorites were Young Adult books and we have all pretty much stuck there.  Even now we share what titles we are reading and our favorite authors so that the others can enjoy them too.  


I am not sure the purpose of this long blog, except maybe, be aware of what your children are reading when they are young.  Sharing what your children are reading when they are older, broadens your horizons and just might lead you in a new direction.  My other piece of advice:  if you get into a book and don't like it, don't read it!  Why punish yourself?  Life is too short and there are some amazing books out there.  Don't waste your time on something you don't want to read (unless it is a school assignment - then I can't help you - unless it shouldn't be.  That is between you and your teacher then).

Migraines and other things

There is a clip of a LA newswoman with garbled speech after last weeks Grammy's that has gone viral.  The clip has been played on the morning shows and evening news.  Armchair doctors have diagnosed the woman with everything from a stroke to drug overdose but it turns out she had a severe migraine.  I saw the clip for the first of a dozen times yesterday morning and as soon as I saw it, I knew she was getting a migraine because she was doing what Pam always does.  Pam has gotten so you can now understand her words when she has migraine but she makes no sense but the very first migraine she ever had when she was really little, I actually called my father (an MD) because she was talking total gibberish and her face sagged a bit.  I was afraid my 9 year old was having a stroke!  Apparently this is what happens when the migraine affects your speech center of your brain - and it always does with Pam.  I feel sorry for this poor newswoman because this has now gone viral. The sad thing is, she had no idea what was happening.  This was her first migraine ever.  What she is trying to say is, "Lady Antebellum swept the Grammy's".  It made me think of funny things Pam would say.  I still think my favorite is: "I have a mascara.  I am going to get in my backpack for more lashes."  This was all slurred like she was drunk.  I found her on the middle landing of our stairs and had to help her to her bedroom in Ephraim.  Full fledged migraines, she and  Heather always had the worst of it, with Carianne and then Heidi.  What is interesting is that I don't think Heather gets as many now but Carianne and the others look like they will be getting them, like me for the rest of the their lives.


The Grammy's:  No, I did not watch them.  But some of my seminary students did.  We finished up a little early on Monday so they asked if we could have prayer so we could discuss them.  This struck me.  They didn't think the Grammy's went with the lesson so they wanted that part of seminary closed but they were comfortable enough to talk about it together, with me.  What they wanted to vent about was Lady GaGa.  One of the girls WAS a big fan but she felt like Lady GaGa had gone to far this time and had gone too extreme. This young woman's father is in Afghanistan.  She kept saying, all the money that Lady GaGa spent on that stupid concept could have helped so many students in 3rd world countries.  She also was upset that Lady GaGa can do nothing original - everything is a knock-off of Madonna's in some form or another.  I was intrigued by what the kids said and what their impressions are.  We have great young people.

School Pictures

The top picture is me in 9th grade and bottom picture is me, my Senior year.  The bottom picture was the one my mom preferred to professional ones I had taken later.  Just before I had my Senior pictures taken, I broke up with my boyfriend at the time, because I found out he had been embezzling funds from where he worked and some other things about him.  Literally as I was walking out the door to go take my pictures, he called to tell me that he was going to kill himself if I didn't go back with him.  My stomach was churning and I  wondered if we should try again, just to save his life - and then I realized what a jerk he was and how he was using me!  If I had had a few more minutes to process what was going on, the pictures would have been much happier.  


My ninth grade pictures were taken in Denver, Colorado.  This was a really rough time of my life.  Fortunately literally 2 months after this picture was taken, Dad got his orders for Korea and we were on our way to Ephraim.  Even though Dad was gone, it was one of best times of my life and a time when my self esteem was the best it ever was (and would stay that way for several years, until my hormones beat me down).

Pick-Up Sticks

This has got to be one of the dorkiest pictures of me ever!  My buck teeth are showing well and I look like I am in spasm.  When I was younger, I loved playing Pick-up sticks.  Marianne and I were quite dramatic about it.  Bob would make the sticks fly far apart so there was no sport in it.  Marianne and I would try and get them to practically fall on top of each other.  That made it much more suspenseful!  We started playing on the floor because Bob would jiggle the table and mess up the game.  It is a little harder to jiggle the floor.  Growing up we played a lot of games together, as siblings and as a family.  Another thing my father did, when he had time, was read to us.  He read us Call of the Wild and my parents read us The Peterkin Papers together.  We read scriptures together too, but Bob was pretty big toad when it came to that (Family Home Evening too).  Family Scripture Study was sporadic because of Dad's schedule and Mom's health issues.

The Lost Hero

I said I would blog about books only when I was excited about them and here is my second in a week.  I have been a fan of Rick Riordan for several years because of his Percy Jackson series.  Just before Christmas, I bought Clyde The Red Pyramid and we really enjoyed that (it is Egyptian mythology instead of Greek).  The Lost Hero is Roman and Greek mythology combined to make the beginning of great series.  This book started off a little slower than his other books, but once it started moving, it moved fast!  I literally couldn't put it down for the last 1/3 of the book.  We have old friends back like Chiron and Annabeth but his book is full of new ones: Jason, Piper and Leo.  If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson series, you will want to read this new series.  If you haven't read the Percy Jackson, try it. You will probably get sucked into a very fun world, like the rest of my family has.  


{These books are written for Middle School aged youth by a former Teacher from San Antonio, Texas.  He now writes full time, but he used to have his stories read by his sons and students before publication.  In other words, they are the perfect level for me because there is no promiscuity and no language to worry about.}

When I was 18

When I was 18, I had a professional photographer take pictures of me walking along the River by the Heidelberg Castle in Germany.  This was one of those pictures.  For some reason my mother did not like those pictures.  She said they didn't look like the real me.  I have always thought they capture me pretty well.  I had them taken to go in a frame for my father, for Father's Day for my last summer home before I went to Snow College.  Mom never let them be shown but the Senior picture that looked like I was something from a Gothic novel was all over the house!  I know it was Mom's meds that did this.  The other thing that upset her is that I had these done in black and white.  She might have been happier if I had had them done it color, but I didn't have the money for color.

More Pictures of Me

The top picture is a very fuzzy picture of me with my cousin Kristine Brugger, on Old Smokey in front of Kris's house.  I am the one in the front.  The bottom picture is me on a swing at the park by the zoo in San Antonio in 1958 - I would have been 5.  I don't know how old I am in the top picture.

I totally spaced that yesterday was my sister's and brother-in-law's anniversary.  I chalk it up to being sick all weekend.  I am proud I remembered Brandon's birthday!  Happy Anniversary, Marianne and Frank.

Happy Birthday Brandon

Happy Birthday Brandon!  We are glad you are a part of our family.  We are glad that Heather found her true love and is living out her 'Happily Ever After' with you.  May this year bring you the desires of your heart.  We would be happy if you brought your family closer so we could get more current pictures and actually hug them!

Bella and Brandon

This picture was taken just before Brandon left for Kuwait.  The Nordell's were still living in Las Vegas.  It was a beautiful day.  Little did I know that just a few weeks later I would be spending a couple of months with Bella and Heather, while Heather got over morning sickness with Evie!

Plain Wisdom

It has been a long time since I have read a book so quickly and been so delighted with a book.  I just remarked today to Clyde that I haven't been blogging book reviews because I just haven't read anything that I have really loved.  I vowed months ago I would review only books I loved except for my Blogging for Books review and this happens to be both!  This was written by an Amish woman, Miriam Flaud and a Christian woman, Cindy Woodsman (a best selling author) who have written practical advice about family life.  It is beautifully written and just so much fun to read.  It took me less than 2 hours to read.  I couldn't wait to get back to it and it has been a long time since I have had that experience.  I would give this book 4.5 stars.  I highly recommend this book.  Read it when it is released next month!

This book review is for waterbrookmultnomah.com

Brandon, Still

This simply says, Baseball signing.  I am not sure who is doing the signing but Brandon is sure happy.

Brandon and Bella

A picture of Brandon and Bella after they were living in Las Vegas. This was in one of the casinos there.

Brandon Nordell

Sunday is Brandon's birthday. I thought I would post pictures of Brandon as they popped up over the next few days.  This was the first one that I found.  I don't remember if it was taken before or after they left Italy.  Heather will have to fill in details.

Another Picture of Baby Me

This is another picture of me.  I guess I was about 5 or 6 months old.  The interesting thing is that our girls had a dress very similar to this that Aunt Jac sent them.  It was a pale pink.


I ran across a quote the other day that I want to share.  It was "Why is it so easy to believe in other people and so hard to believe in yourself?" Sandra Belle-Lundy.  I have pondered that quote a lot the last few days and found it to be very true.  We can be everyone else's cheerleader, but rarely our own - especially as a mother.  Somehow there is something wrong with this picture.  


I was thrilled yesterday to go back to working out.  Sedona was pretty much destroyed by a fire the day we got back from Las Vegas.  Yesterday they finally re-opened and it was a joy to go and be able to workout again!  I hadn't realized how much I missed it.  I won't be able to go today because of the weather but I will be there again tomorrow, to workout and sit in the toasty warm sauna!  What bliss!

Me as a baby

This is my birthday month, so here is a picture of me as a baby.

Playing Horsey

When Marianne, Bob and I were little, we saw very little of our dad.  He was doing his internship and residency in General Medicine at Brooke Army Medical center in San Antonio, Texas and worked a lot of Emergency Room shifts.  When we did see him, he would lay on the floor (out of sheer exhaustion, I realize now) and we would jump over him and roll around on him.  When he finally had enough, he would rise up and give us horsey rides.  Mom snapped this shot of the three of us on his back when Bob was about 1-year-old, so I would have been about 6-years-old and Marianne 3+.  This picture was taken in our living room in San Antonio, Texas on Infantry Post.

Old Smokey

This is a picture of my father, Archie Brugger and my sister, Marianne on top of Old Smokey - the horse.  Old Smokey was one of the only horses I remember from my growing up years.  My Grandpa Brugger and Uncle Raphael worked a farm together outside of Richfield Utah in a town called Venice.  Eventually the farm went to my uncle and his family but when this picture was taken my grandfather still owned a big share of it and managed it, though they lived in Richfield.  They sold the farm and all rights to it just before they came to Germany to visit us (about 1962) This picture is taken in Venice, just outside of the family home that my father grew up in.

The Brugger Family

When I was 9, my Grandma and Grandpa Brugger came to Germany to live with us for a year.  During that time Grandma got 
Guillian-Barre' Disease - that almost took her life.  For quite some time, it left Grandma paralyzed.  Grandpa would lift her in and out of her wheelchair and rub her legs.  In truth, I have never seen such loving care given to anyone as Grandpa gave to Grandma.  Grandpa pushed Grandma all over Europe, once she get up and about.  The above picture is one of those outings.  This picture is actually taken on our way to Stake conference.  The dress I am wearing had a red jacket with red tulips.  It was my absolutely favorite dress ever!  I felt so beautiful in that dress.  I will never forget how we could get through the New York World's Fair in one day because we would get bumped up to the head of the line, because of Grandma's wheelchair.  It was amazing.  

Odds and Ends

I know this is my second blog of the day, but my other one was an obligation.  These thoughts have been haunting me all day, so I decided to go ahead and get them down.

I have had the strangest 'dreams' lately.  Last week I was really congested when I went to bed.  This has been an ongoing thing all winter, between being cooped up in an apartment with mold everywhere and just allergies that will not quit.  I do better when I can work out but Sedona has had major damage because of a fire next door.  Hopefully they will be opening any day.  But even then two or three days a week, we have been stuck indoors because of the weather.  I coudn't walk over there today - even if they were opened simply because the sidewalks and streets are sheer ice.

Anyway, I dreamt that my mother came to me and literally shook me.  She told me to wake up and start breathing again.  When I woke up, I was literally gasping for breath.  I know my mother came from the other side and saved my life.  Then last night I dreamt I was holding my newest grandbaby Mallory.  I woke myself because of the loud kissing sounds I was making - as I kissed Mallory on her neck (my daughters will know what I mean).  I had my arms wrapped around me with just enough room to fit a baby. That was my other 'odd' dream.  Needless to say I have been missing my grandchildren.  Not just my blood grandchildren but my adopted ones too.  Yesterday was Jacob Kilts birthday.  I don't think I will ever think of the groundhog before I think of Jacob again.  He was and is a very special part of my life.

Today is a bitter cold day.  Interestingly enough we are about same temperature as Kerrville, Texas - where our oldest daughters family lives.  They are not supposed to get out of the 20's today and neither will we.  This has been one COLD winter for all of us East of the Great Divide.

My Book Review, Finally!

When I was at Heidi's, she received her first book from Waterbrook Multnoma {Blogging for Books}.  I wanted in, so I signed up.  You receive one free book after each of your book reviews.  The book I chose was Divine Appointments by Charlene Ann Baumbich.  My biggest gripe with the book was a single woman with hot flashes.  You only go through hot flashes if you have gone through a traumatic surgery.  It is not just a peri-menopausal symptom.  People that have had a dozen children naturally often never have a hot flash.  BUT if they have had breast cancer or a hysterectomy or some other major surgery, then they get the hot flashes.  In fact the more surgeries, the worse your hot flashes are.  My other irritation with the book is that in essence, if you get a friend your health woes will all go away.  Though it is not quite that simple, it seemed like once the protagonist opened herself up to friendship, suddenly her health issues were never mentioned again.  It was fast quick read and pleasant.  I would give it about 3 stars if I were rating it.


This is a book review for Blogging for Books on behalf of WaterbrookMultnomah.com

Yesterday , Now My Troubles Seem Here to Stay!

Happy Ground Hog's Day!  If he even finds his way out of his hole, it will be a surprise to me!  Above are pictures from our apartment complex.  The first picture is the gazebo in the circle across the street from our apartment.  The second picture is our apartment's front door and the second to the last one is the club house/office for our complex.  The others are just what we look like with all of the snow.  Last night we had a bit more snow but today it is freezing rain.  The snow acts like a sponge making roof collapses here a big concern now.  Our roads are treacherous this morning, so Clyde does not have to report to work until after 10:00. 


The other day on the way to the temple, we say a Church's marquee.  It said: "If you are praying for snow - Please Stop It!"  I agree.  Have a wonderful day and stay warm where you.  I hope my sister and her daughter are safe and warm in Chicago!

The Weather Outside is Frightful!

We have been getting a crazy amount of snow this year.  Last Friday, we were up at the Boston Temple and the sun was somewhat shining.  I thought I would take some pictures of the snow and the temple - just to give people an idea.  There have been days the temple has been closed because of the snow.  Church has been cancelled in some areas on a few Sundays because of the snow this year but fortunately we have not had to do that this year.  I have had to cancel seminary every Wednesday and Thursday for the last month!  That seems to be when our snow storms hit and they hit the hardest during the night hours.  The roads are not cleared enough by the time seminary starts to have my young people driving on them.  Fortunately we are keeping up and doing well with the class time we do have.  I have an amazing seminary class - I am very lucky that way.  I will eventually take some pictures of where we live but it needs to be cleared and not snowing!  Welcome to February!  Hope your winter is easier than ours!