Florida Family

In February 2005 we moved to Lakeland Florida.  Our first Sunday, I want to say it was the 13th but I could be wrong.  Anyway our first Sunday in the Highlands Ward was fun.  We were blessed to meet some wonderful people who have been great friends to us over the last 7 years.  John and Kathy Schatz invited us to their home that Sunday evening and we have been treated as family ever since.  When you live on the other side of the country far from your own family life can get a little lonely.  You are excluded from most family things simply because of location and sometimes you miss having that association.  Well, we were blessed to be included in the Schatz/Lake/Marlowe family gatherings.  Every Easter was spent celebrating with them, we were at their home for Christmas meals and other get togethers.  These wonderful people took us in and loved us and we love them. 

Today John and Kathy dropped their son Nick off at the MTC.  After doing so they drove down to Southern Utah and are here in Cedar.  They came over and visited with us, the kids were excited to see them as was I and we enjoyed visiting with them.  We went and had a little dinner at the LBH where John had a Buffalo Chicken Philly.  When I told my crew the order I mentioned that this was for the guy that taught me how to make the sandwich, they were feeling the pressure.  That lesson in sandwich making came during a time when once again the Schatz helped us through a hard time.  Our Philly is also inspired from those lessons and is the recipe his crew used to make for me.  The secret was a little lovin they would put into each sandwich.  I am grateful for those experiences and those times when my brother was there to help lift me up. 

In another time of trial and heartache, in a time of suddenly being alone and overwhelmed Kathy was there to guide me through a lot of hard things and organized sisters in the ward to help me and to help the kids.  There were meals provided, baby sitting set up, rides from school arranged and so many other things.  Phone calls with an encouraging word helped to bring light and hope when all seemed lost.  I will never forget after moving to Cedar and needing to go back out to be in court I stayed at the Schatz home, we built a bunk bed for the girls that night.  Anyway, the next morning I was off to the courthouse and I was very sad, very low.  It was one of the more difficult days of my life.  Kathy was there, she gave me encouragement and helped me through it.   

There are people that we meet in our lives who have special meaning.  They are more than just acquaintances, more then merely friends.  These people are family.  John and Kathy and their family became our extended family in Florida and they will forever be regarded as such.  Simply wonderful people whom we love dearly.  So happy to have them here for a couple of days.