My Dad

Lenau "Del" Dwain Hartley

December 21, 1925-January 16, 2009

Nobody ever told me how hard it is to say "Good-bye" to one of your parents. I doubt it is something that you can prepare for in advance. I'll be forever grateful that we took the opportunity to go visit him and my mom the week after Christmas, and experience some "last times" with him. The last game of Cribbage I played with him....of course, Dad won. The last game of pinochle I played with him....of course, Dad won. The last time the four of us (Mom, Linda, Dad and I) played pinochle together. The last time Dad argued with me about Mormons..."They all have a front yard full of old cars because they never will trade their old ones in!" The last time I heard Dad's wonderful laugh. The last time I saw Dad cry. The last time I hugged him and told him how much I loved him. Hearing him say as we left, "I'll try to hang on as long as I can!" I think he did, too. Oh, how I miss him.

These are the sad memories, but there are so many happy memories that I hold in my heart of him. Enough to last my lifetime and beyond. Too many to share here. Too tender to share on a blog. But, enough to soothe me when I am sad and miss him. I know without a doubt that he is surrounded by his family and friends who have gone before him. I wonder just what he is doing right now. As one person said at his Memorial service, "I know that he and Bob (her deceased husband and an old golfing buddy of Dad's) are setting up a "tee" time to play golf." I hope you get your hole-in-one up there, Dad.

I wish that all who read this had had a chance to know my Dad. People loved to be around him because he was a jokester and he had a great laugh. He knew how to make people be happy just being around him. Of course, he had his quirks, like eating chocolate cake with pork & beans, and a few others I won't mention here. But, all in all, he was a great guy, and I loved him only as a daughter can love her father. I'm wearing your ring, Dad, to help me to think of you every day. Know that I love you. You'd better be waiting for me when my time comes. Until then, be good and keep laughing.

Thirty-seven Years and Counting. . .

Thirty-seven years ago, today, January 29th, I made the best decision of my life...I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was a beautiful moment, and has only gotten better with time. That decision has shaped all aspects of my life, and I will be forever grateful to my Heavenly Father for leading me to take the "road less traveled." I have never doubted that this Church encompasses all the truths of heaven, and the confirmation of the Holy Ghost testifies of that to me on a daily basis.

This road has led me to my eternal companion; has given me four extraordinary children who are living full, righteous, and godly lives; has given me peace and comfort and faith that those who have gone on before us still live and that we will be with them again; has given me a faith that cannot be shaken. I thank God every day for my life, for the love He gives me and for the love I have for Him. I adore my Savior, Jesus Christ, for He has walked "through the valley of the shadow of death" with me; He takes my burdens on Himself, and He strengthens me to be able to withstand all that life brings to me. I am forever grateful to Him.

My heart is full of peace and joy for the knowledge I have of the Plan of Salvation that will return us all to live with Heavenly Father and His Son. Until then, I will live life to its fullest and enjoy the journey!

I share my favorite poem with you by Robert Frost:
The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Half a Dozen and Still Counting!

I am still amazed at the miracle that God wrought when he helped create Lindsey Daelyn and Dylan Lenau! What great blessings they are to our family! He must have known what great parents Jenny and Devin would make, and so he allowed them to come two at a time! They are precious, beautiful, and adored...all of the above. One of the greatest feelings in the world is to have grandchildren! Thank you Anna, Michele, and now Jenny (along with a bit of help from their husbands) for making Dad & I grandparents. We love them all so much...you'll never know how much until you have grandkids of your own. They are the "happy spot" in my heart! (If you want to see the latest pictures of them, go to Jenny & Devin's blog.) Lucky Grandpa gets to go up for their blessing in February! The 19th-25th.

New Year's Resolutions

I love the coming of the New Year because it gives me a chance to look back over the past year and decide if I was "good or bad!" I decided there was some good and some bad, but overall, there was improvement....that is all I can hope for. Neal A. Maxwell's quote on this page says it all....sometimes we need to excavate in order to improve. That is my goal for this year...to excavate what I don't want in myself and to remodel and add on to the best parts of me. My family is my mirror and my support system, so get ready for the ride this year! There'll be some demolition going on!

Christmas Memories

The season started with Scott's Christmas Program at BRASC. It is always a special experience seeing the innocence and joy that is present when a group of those precious spirits are gathered together. Here is Scott "singing" Jingle Bells (note bells in hand), and later sitting with Santa. This year they brought in a chair for Scott so he wouldn't break Santa's leg!!

The Pehrson Christmas Party was held the Saturday before Christmas. It really is special to be able to get together with so many family members! It was our year to make the pinata, so we made Harriet the Halibut! Dad spent many hours creating her, and we both helped with the candy bags and the decorating. Biggest one Dad ever caught! Even Olivia took a turn at whacking the Halibut. The meal was simple, soup and cornbread, and Alan's family had the program this year.

Our home Christmas Celebration started with our Christmas Eve in the "stable." Janice came out to join us which made it a very joyous evening for all.

We had a small, cozy Christmas season this year. Nice & simple. I missed my other daughters and their families, but so glad that Michele, Wayne, and Olivia could celebrate with us! I know it is true that all hearts come home for Christmas. My heart was certainly a lot of different places this year....in North Carolina & Alaska, as well as my own home in La Grande. Surely missed celebrating with my mom, dad , & sister. But were able to go for a visit the week after Christmas...more about that later.

She Did It!

After much blood, sweat, and tears...believe me I know these things.....Michele finally did it! We are very proud of her accomplishment and enjoyed the special day with her. Here are a few pictures of that historic event.

We know that through these last few months, she couldn't have made it without Wayne's help with babysitting, encouragement, reading her textbooks to help with assignments, quizzing her before tests, and bringing her flowers and chocolate to help her through it! Thanks, Wayne!

A Special Time

Christmas is such a special time of year. It would be wonderful to have that sweet spirit that surrounds it all year long! Maybe the trick is to keep Christ at the center of everything in our lives and work on making others happy and we will feel that spirit with us. That is going to be one of my New Year's resoluction for this year. Here are some of the sweet moments we shared around the Christmas season this year:

Cutting down our Christmas tree with Michele, Wayne & Olivia.

Decorating it isn't what it used to be without all of the kids here! But I still had a fun time.

Ta da! The final product!