Picking up where I previously left off, we finallymoved into our new home on the hill in the spring of 1979. I apologize for having put 1989 in my previous blog. Moving into a new home can be an exciting adventure but it can also bring along with it some new problems. Our biggest problem was the builder because he defaulted on our agreement and left many details undone. Our construction loan was set up to pay him draws upon completion of certain portions of the home. He got to the point where there was still 10% of the money to receive and decided that he wanted the money up front, before he finished the few things he had left to do. We refused, along with the bank, and so he simply quit working on the house. Most of the things we could do ourselves but the bank wouldn't release the money to us either without the builders approval. So we were stuck in a mess. Finally three lawyers later we got the money released but most of it went to pay the lawyers. We managed to finish the things that needed done over a period of time and luckily didn't have any major problems with the house itself. Was this one of the good times? It certainly was when we finally got it all resolved and could put it behind us to move on. But the really good times were many and provided us with some of our most memorable moments. Following are a few of the highlights of the next 9 years we spent living in our home.
-living out in the woods, where you could see the stars at night and the loudest noises were the birds in the trees.
-coming home from work to our very own camping spot complete with a furnished home to "camp out in"
-having a huge fan in the ceiling that vented the house and kept the hot humid air moving in the summer
-sitting by the fire place on a cold winter night
-chopping and splitting wood with my sons
-eating fresh raspberries out of our own garden, all summer long
-taking a cool dip in the pool out back before going to bed at night or after a long days work
-sitting at the table in the kitchen and watching the deer eat apples out of our trees
-cutting our own christmas tree that was so big we had to stand in the loft to decorate the top half
-welcoming sons number four, five and six ( Chris, Ben & Nathan) into the family and having my mom come to visit for a week so that she could help out with the newborns.
-being asked by the branch president to teach home study seminary
-after countless hours of pruning and spraying, harvesting enough apples to take to the cider mill and wind up with 100 gallons of cider
-riding the tractor around the property and cutting down everything that grew with the bush hog attached to the back.
-having the privilege of serving in the Bishopric for seven years including 4 as the Bishop.
-the temple trips with the Faleschini's, Mourdoks, Skidmore's, Aeschliman's, Murdocks, Raethers, Philburns and many others from the Howell Ward, usually over the Easter and Thanksgiving weekends
-the hours spent in the presence of Bishop Faleschini, Bishop Jones, brother Mourdock and brother Skidmore as we pondered the affairs of the ward and I learned how to be a better Priesthood holder.
- the annual ward parties held at the Raethers where we harvested the fresh corn from the field and ate all we could hold
- the annual parties at the Philburns where we all had great fun in the pond
- the opportunity that I had to go into business with Jim Philburn and to run Tram Tool ( a machine shop in Fenton MI)
- a home teacher who helped me complete a project when I needed help
- working at numerous different shops where I learned new skills and got involved in different aspects of my work such as field service, engineering and drafting
- countless Sunday afternoons spent at Susan's sisters house eating strawberry crepes and visiting with the family
- numerous fast and testimony meetings where I heard some of the best testimonies I have ever heard, many from the new converts to the church
- Having the two oldest sons ( Tony & Matt ) graduate from high school at Pinckney High
- Having Tony go on a mission to Arcadia California and Matt submit his papers to go
- Ordaining Tony, Matt and Brian to the Aaronic Priesthood and Tony to the Melchizedek Priesthood
- Participating in the decisions involving the construction of a brand new chapel for the Howell Ward
- Watching the branch we first belonged to grow into a ward in large part through convert baptisms in the area. People such as Sam Skidmore, Annie Blaine and later her husband, the Parker family, the Wolf family, who became stalwarts in the ward and now there are two wards in the old area.
- Associating with President Laws and General Authorities such as Jacob deJaeger, A. Theodore Tuttle and others in training meetings
-the opportunity to attend an area conference with President Spencer W. Kimball in Crisler Arena on the University of Michigan campus. At the end of the meeting there wasn't a dry eye in the place when we sang "Till we meet again" and "We thank thee O God for a Prophet" It wasn't long after that when he passed away. I still tear up when I am singing the song and think about the occassion.
- hours spent at Lake Chemung involved in boat races and water skiing
- the sense of relief along with a sense of loss that I got when I was released as Bishop
- the unbelievable support we got from friends and members of the ward when at last it was time for us to move on
These are just a few of the highlights of this time in my life. When I think back on it and weigh all of the factors; I think that perhaps this may have been the best 9 years of my life. I accomplished more good, met more friends, had more learning experiences and grew as a person more than at any other time in my life. I have a truly wonderful wife now and I am very happy in my current situation. It is just occurring at a different point in my life and I don't find myself experiencing all of the growth, change and significant events that I did then. In life we learn to deal with the hand that we are dealt and I have been truly blessed to find myself where I am now and married to the lady who is my wife. Without having found her I couldn't be where I am today. So from that perspective, now is indeed one of the better"good times" in my life.
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