Pappa Hardy’s Musings on Life.

Well, here I sit in Cheyenne Wyoming. We are up visiting the new addition to the family, and by the way, we are also visiting his parents and the rest of the family. While I have been here, I have been driving around the town. Now that we have been here for about 2 days I have pretty much driven the whole city. I wonder if I ever lived here. I look in the houses, drive by the old house, and ask myself, was this all a dream? How could I have lived here for so long. Yet, it seems like home. I don’t know. It really is hard to believe I ever lived here. But, my kids are here, the old house is still here, and I have lots of memories of this place. Cheyenne has been a big part of my life.

Ah, I am a grandpa. The blessed event happened last night at 7pm. I have a new grandson. His name is Braxton Bennett Hardy, 7 pounds, 1 ounce, 20 inches long. Mother and son are doing fine. Father is doing well too. Grandpa is in a state of shock, and awe.

There is more awe than shock. I am so proud of my family, each and every one.

My daughter Julie recently said this in her blog:

What a wonderful creation music is. You can listen to it practically anywhere with almost anything….

What truth.

I made a long drive over the weekend. We are about to have our first grandchild, and I drove my wife up to Wyoming to be with the young couple at the blessed event. The drive was long, and on my way home yesterday I was by myself. I spent the time listening to music. It was what allowed me to survive the drive, and I loved to listen to the music. Shania Twain kept me company, as did the Moody Blues, The Beatles, The Lovin Spoonful, and many more. I too love to listen to music. It touches all of our souls, in some way or another. On my way to Wyoming I listened to Josh Groban with my wife. At other times, I listen to all different types of music. It allows me to survive.

On March 31 I had a wonderful experience. Brother Ho Yu Chen, our good family friend, my former branch counselor, and now Area Authority 70, came to Salt Lake for conference. He had an extra ticket to conference since his wife and our dear friend Maggie could not come with him. As a result I wanted to take this opportunity to see him, have a reunion if you like, and attend conference.

I have attended conference 5 times before in the conference center. I got up early on Saturday and drove to Salt Lake, getting to the hotel where Philip was staying at a little after 9am. Downtown Salt Lake was a traffic mess. I moved along, we met up, and walked over to the conference center.

Once inside the center, it was a wonderful experience to talk with him, remember my mission and the wonderful family I have in Taiwan, and then listen to the opening conference session. It was a wonderful and powerful meeting. The music was inspirational and superb, the conference addresses were very spiritual and motivating (when else could I hear about a parable about a Cucumber), and then the meeting was over. At lunch, Philip offered an afternoon ticket to me as well.

This time I had the opportunity to talk to Elder George Nielsen, a friend of the Ho Family and the Elder who was involved in teaching and baptizing these wonderful people. We heard the dedication of the Tabernacle. The conference center, despite the fact that the action was taking place on Temple Square, was still totally full. It was another neat experience.

I will treasure this wonderful spiritual day for many years. For me, it was truly a Rocky Mountain Spiritual High. I will never forget my good friend. I hope to see him and his lovely wife again.

At our house we are anxiously waiting for an event that has been a long time in coming. Within the next week or two, we hopefully will be grandparents. I can’t wait. I have been waiting so long for this new stage in my life. I am going to be a granddaddy. Whoa. Well, we shall be anxiously waiting and engaged waiting for this new time in our life. More coming in the upcoming week.

Couldn’t it wait a few months. Three days ago it was in the 70’s and today we had several snow storms pass through the lovely town of Payson. This weather has just got to make up it’s mind. My poor body can’t take all of these changes. I had to turn the heat back on in the house today so we wouldn’t freeze. They say that variety is the spice of life, but I am not sure that this is the time to have variety.

No, it’s not Star Wars I am talking about, nor a new season of Battlestar Galactica, or even a new season of 24. No, rather, it is the beginning of yard work at the Hardy household. Yep, it’s that time of the year again, where my Saturday’s have got infinitely more complicated. Yep, it’s up at the crack of dawn so I can mow the lawn, use the weed eater to get those pesty yellow dandelions and other noxious weeds, then the edger to make sure the lawn looks all nice and pretty, and then firing up the sprinkler system to make sure it is working right. Yup, it’s the start up of a 6 month routine of yard work. The lawn mower and I are now going to be best friends.

Of course,this morning was a little bit different from normal. Since I am the Chamber of Commerce President, I did run down to the Old Hillman Field baseball complex and helped with the Annual City Easter Egg Hunt, which is sponsored by the Payson Chamber of Commerce. About an hour of laying out eggs was obliterated by 3 minutes of egg hunting by children, and their parents. What a deal. I am glad it is over.

Last night was a reflection of what my job has come to. We are experiencing that every 18-24 month procedure called a file review. In order to prepare for the file review, and I had to work late last night until midnight and then I came in early this morning.

This experience has taught me a couple of things. The boy is not as young as he used to be. I am exhausted today. 10 years ago I could have managed this, but now, I am just getting further along in the life experience and as a result, I know that I can’t perform quite like I used to. It is disappointing to realize that you aren’t the superman you used to be.