I hope that this year has been a wonderful time for everyone where ever you are.
Nathan is in Alaska right now visiting sister #1 with her husband and 5 kids and hanging out with Forrest who lives there and with his other brother Randy and his wife Ashley who are there looking for work as he just finished BYU-Idaho. So, that side of the family is hanging out during this Christmas 2008 season.
All I can say about Nathans trip up is, I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers! My brother Kenji works for Continental Airlines out of Newark, NJ and got Nathan an awesome buddy pass deal that we just couldn't pass up. The going up trip goes like this according to Karen and I'm probably pretty close to Nathans version too, so if you need to please ask him.
Nathan leaves Friday morning about 4:45 am for the airport and meets his other brother, Ben at the airport with the truck so that he can use it to move. I don't get out of bed at all. I didn't need to. I didn't have to be at work until 7!
OK...Nathan is sitting at the PHX airport and he doesn't get on the flight to HOU...I'm at work by the time he calls to tell me, which is fine...the next flight out was 8:15...OK...he gets on...yahoo! He is in HOU and he calls me at least 5 times to let me know that he doesn't see himself getting on a flight to SEATAC. So, in the mean time we are trying to contact a good friend of mine, Candice who lives in Katy however, she isn't answering the phone at home or her cell. We both have left messages and I have called Kenji in the meantime too because he knows people in HOU and I know that he could get a place for Nathan to stay, however, Kenji is working a double shift in NJ and asked if he could call me back (which by the way, he doesn't do, until Saturday afternoon).
OK...in the meantime, I am crying and Nathan is frustrated and it is about 7 PM MST so it is getting late. Oh, let me just tell you this...Nathan said that there were so many people flying standby because of the missed flights, late flights, delayed flights and cancelled flights that he was on the bottom of the totem pole. He has no clothes, no toothbrush, no cell phone cord to charge his phone that is slowly dying.
I told Nathan to give me a few minutes and let me get my head on screwed right and I'd call him back. I said a very quick prayer and jumped online to lds.org. I found that HOU has a ton of stakes and called a cell phone # to a bishop who told me what stake the airport was on. I clicked on that stake and chose the first ward on the screen. Low and behold, a phone for a Sister Stack. I called and cried and explained to her what was happening to Nathan and her husband advised me that he could go and pick him up and let him stay the night and they'd drop him off at the airport Saturday morning to start this flight stuff all over again! To learn more about them, you'll need to ask Nathan. He did tell me that they are awesome and that he was so grateful that I found them for him. I have to publicly express my gratitude for prayer and for Heavenly Father answering such a simple prayer to find a home where he could sleep so that my best friend could make it to Alaska to visit his family!
OK...Nathan is in HOU and calls to let me know that he got on the plane and that he'll call me when he lands in SEATAC. HOURS later, he calls to tell me that the weather is terrible in WA and that there are tons of people waiting to get on planes an that there are cancelled flights all over the place because WA is loaded with snow and terrible weather conditions! I call a friend there and talk to her about taking him for the night just in case he doesn't make it out and she was ready to do it. I told her that if I hear anything from Nathan within the hour that I'd call and let her know...well, I didn't hear anything so I just assumed that he got on the flight to AK, so about 8:20 PM Saturday night, he called and said that he had made it. He was so excited, he had his bags, he charged his phone and he had already called Forrest to have him come and pick him up. It was a complete surprise for everyone else too so I'd like to know how that went down!
I talked to Kenji in the meantime Saturday afternoon and he felt TERRIBLE that Nathan got stuck in HOU until I explained to him what had happened. He was excited to know that he was possibly on is way to AK. The truth was, so was I and I honestly didn't know yet.
I miss Nathan. I have watched 8 episodes of CSI, I have done a load of laundry, I have walked Ka'le at least 6 times around the block, down the block, freezing may I add. Yes, it is freezing. Nathan by the way says to me, "Karen, you'd love it here. The weather is great". I tell him, "really?", in complete doubt and then he laughs and says, "yep, it is 17 degrees and it is wonderful". I would have kicked him in the bottom if he was standing next to me. I told him, "I don't think so, the cold in PHX is enough for me".
Ka'le misses Nathan REALLY bad. If he hears a car or I say "Nathan" or "papa" he runs to the door and wants out to look for Nathan and the car never comes. I don't know how many times I have had to open the door and watch Ka'le stand in the drive way looking for him and him not show up. Ka'le has eaten dinner but not much. I wonder if this silly dog is like this when I am not here!
I went to church this morning and sang in the choir for Christmas and the spirit was just awesome and it really helped me to get ready for a conversation that I would later have with my brother David who was visiting and with a phone conversation that I would later have with my mom about Andrew who is here in AZ.
Which brings me to the next point of my Sabbath Day. I called home to see how everyone was doing and all is well and then my mom asks me if I had heard from Andrew and I told her that I had not. She told me that I needed to Love him and go to him and help him out. I then proceeded to tell her that the Savior knocks on our door and we have to open it and let him in. Which means, that the Savior is doing his job with Andrew at this point and working with him to humble him and that when Andrew is ready and it is supposed to happen, he will call me and ask me for help.
David told me today that he lives in Goodyear with 2 other guys in an apartment and doesn't have a car and lost his weekend job as security. Later my mom mentioned that he just needs to know that he is loved. I know that he does and all Andrew has to do is call me and ask me what I am doing just like he did when he asked me what I was doing for General Conference. He was supposed to come over, but didn't. That isn't his sisters fault, he just didn't come over. I don't know why, I didn't have a phone # to call and ask so I didn't think about it.
I do know that Andrew went to MI to visit with Kenji in November because he sent cute pictures of everyone!
I will say this, change your ways, change your heart and plead with your Heavenly Father and I'll be glad to have one stay in my home paying RENT, own car insurance, paying for the usage of the car and utilities. In fact, if this is sounding right, it is because it probably is. Of course, I'll need to talk to Nathan about it first and if the other party can pay the costs of living here I'm all for it. First and foremost, he'll have to go to the bishop and go to church begin the repentance process. If not, forget it, I won't allow anyone to stay here in that state.
I need to go to bed now, I am going to work 6-3 shift this next week as I have 2 days off because of Christmas.
I love the Lord, I love the truthfulness of the gospel. I know that the LORD takes all trials and tribulations away from all sons and daughters of God as long as we are willing to change and because humble and Christlike. I know that the Savior is real, he loves all of us and suffered for each individual person. I know that when I need the Savior the most, he is always there and I can feel his arms wrapped around me. I know that the Savior is knocking on all of our doors and all we need to do is open that door and when we do, wow, we will feel the sweetness of a loving Heavenly Father.
Love everyone!
Karen
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