THE WEATHER

I am a fair to warm weather kind of person – I hate being cold!  Growing up in Bakersfield where it gets incredibly hot, I find comfort in warm weather & summertime activities; laying out in the sun (preferably poolside), water skiing, camping, the beach, were all my favorites growing up.  I always thought I would love to live in the snow because the pictures always look so beautiful…until I went to school at BYU in Provo, UT.  The first time it snowed I was in awe…it was truly magical…and then I had to walk in it from Heritage Halls (upper campus) to the Smith Fieldhouse (lower campus) for gymnastics – and then BACK!!!   I never even owned a coat until I moved to Utah!  I couldn’t afford the proper winter clothing & I was miserable.  My roommate talked me into going skiing once – I wore my jeans & borrowed a friend’s jacket.  I had cotton socks on my hands & after a quick “snow plow” lesson, I went with everyone on the lift up to the first section.  I literally spent the next two hours on my butt.  I couldn’t feel my hands & my jeans were frozen to my legs.  It soon lost its magic for me. 

One of my least favorite times of the year is the "tornado season."  When we lived in Memphis, they had crazy scary storms.  I loved to watch them pounding rain, but when those sirens went off (indicating that a tornado had touched down nearby) I would load the kids into the bathtub and wait for the "all clear signal."  One time a tornado literally bounced over our neighborhood.  I remember the wind was so loud that it sounded like a train was going to crash through the house.  It was mid-day and the sky was pitch black.  Then all of a sudden, it was deafeningly quiet and light again...it was the "eye" of the storm, and I knew a tornado was near.  The silence was more frightening than the howling wind because I knew the wind would be back, just praying the whole time it would "miss" our little house. 

Southern storms also have some crazy lightening - it is also quite beautiful, lighting up those southern skies with great flashes of light!  I remember one such lightening storm that seemed to be right on top of us.  Again, the sky was so dark and the rain was pounding - the thunder rattled the house and the lightening lit up the sky with such a fierce audible "crack" that I thought I saw flames!  It felt as if it hit our house!  I looked out the back window and the neighbor's big beautiful tree in their back yard was smoking and a huge branch was broken, laying across our fence.  Lightening had struck that close!

As scary as these extreme weather conditions can be, I have felt protected when I would pray for comfort and calmness so that I could reassure my children that things would be okay.  I know that Heavenly Father created this earth and that these extreme forces of nature are all part of the laws of the universe, subject to His command.  I knew that I could do nothing to combat the elements, but He could, so I looked to Him for peace and I was able to weather any storm...literally ANY STORM!

The world is an awesome place and the weather has an effect on the world we live in.  After the terrible dark stormy nights, the Lord created beautiful mornings of sunlight and rainbows.  After a scorching hot day, He provided the colorful sunsets.  And on crystal clear nights, you can see the stars in the heavens.  I have been blessed to see some magnificent sunsets all over the world!  Some of my favorites have been on the oceans horizon in Hawaii, Mexico, or off a ship's deck on a cruise...sunsets can be spectacular!  I have watched the sunrise on the top of Haleakala in Hawaii, or point of the rock at Camp Ritchie, or the rim of the Grand Canyon.  I remember counting the shooting stars at night at Camp Ritchie, laying on the rock by the bathrooms or sleeping under the stars on the Grand Canyon...as if the Lord was giving us our very own "light show" - truly spectacular!

I LOVE the dramatic changes brought about by the different seasons.  Each season evokes a different kind of emotion - there is a certain "peace" about the cold winter when the earth seems to sleep; spring brings the hope of "new life" as the world begins to blossom; there is "excitement" in the warm days of summer, full of fun activities; but I love the "beauty" of the fall colors the best. 

Autumn time signals the beginning a happy time of year.  Fall colors make me happy.  I love fall colors so much that Dad planned a "fall colors" tour for me one year in conjunction with a business trip he had in Boston.  We flew in early, rented a car & drove all over New England enjoying the beautiful scenery and gorgeous foliage.  It has been one of my favorite trips.  When we got home, Dad planted some fall color trees so that I could enjoy the fall in my own yard every year...

It is truly my favorite time of year, perhaps because it is the official beginning of what we call the "holiday season.". I LOVE ANY & ALL HOLIDAYS!