Volunteers

I've spent the last month pretty much begging. Begging businesses, resturants, and even the organization I work for--begging for donations for volunteer appreciation. I've had a few successes, but mostly I've had a lot of frustration: no one feels that gratitude is worth money. Sure, saying thank you is always appropriate, but why spend money on "free labor".

It isn't even the lack of money that brings me the most frustration--it's the attitude behind the "we don't have the funds for that right now" that gets me sad. I see money and "stuff" thrown around for all sorts of advertising, staff development, partnership opportunities, but there's never enough for the lives of those who are lifting the real loads.

All of the dirty work--the labor and time intensive work--that is done at my social services center is done by volunteers. They spend the gas money to drive to the food bank for 3 truck loads of food (60 miles) each week. They stand in the rain to wait for the food distribution. They break the sweat that loads this food into trucks and onto our shelves. They sort through smelly, musty, smoky bags and bags of donated clothing, getting rashes from unknown contaminants.

Nothing is beneath them. They are without guile and without honor from their "superiors" bring sustained life to needy needy families. They are the least among us and yet are the greatest. I am humbled. I pay tribute. I appreciate volunteers.

Tyler on the beach, remembering family reunion on this same beach last summer
Feeling the power of the seashore on the Oregonian coast
Depoe Bay, Oregon.
Jenny and new baby Emma
Tyler on Christmas morning with new scriptures and Elder Holland's newest book.

Most Recent Pics

If you want to see where I live and what my life is like, please check out my little (taller) sister's blog: She has a log of all her adventures when she came for a visit last month.

http://laceysstateofmercies.blogspot.com/

Dreams can be reality...

My dreams became a reality one year ago yesterday. I got engaged to Tyler Joseph Anderson on the 2nd of April, 2008 (the location seen in this picture, two and a 1/2 months later). Last night, as I wrote in my journal, I flipped back a few hundred entries ago and read the following:

"Yes! I am engaged. I am in shock. I am in love. I am scared. I am happy. I am in engaged. What in the world? Me, Sundy Lynn Peterson--engaged. To Tyler Joseph Anderson....Oh, I love him! It's unreal. I can't believe this is me. I love him. Love, Sundy Lynn Anderson to be."

While the initial giddiness and shock has worn off, the love and excitement has not. I love being married to a wonderful man. We live for each other. We want to be one more than anything, and we work at that sometimes humbling process every day. How do you explain what it's like to bawl your eyes out in someone's arms who feels the same pain that you feel, or can whisper soothing words in the middle of an intimidating or horrifying situation that actually do sooth. Or the excitement I feel when waiting to see his train coming around the bend from downtown Portland.

So, "the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." I didn't dare dream it would be this good, real, deep, and happy. But it is....