Tallest Peaks Still Lie Ahead

I saw Mary cry uncontrollably. I tried to calm her down by giving her a hug, but she snapped back, "Don't Touch Me or I'll Fall." She froze on the cornice of Mount Borah, the tallest mountain of Idaho. It just happened to be the worst part of our climb. She froze next to the mountains edge which fell a couple thousand feet in a steep decline. She could not move and cried harder with each gust of wind. It was a little spooky. There was a thunder storm just north of the peak, and the cold wind hit us like waves which helped cause vertigo. All along I had planned to make it to the top. However, we passed a dozen hikers on their way down and most of them had not made it. After this incident, Mary forbid me of climbing alone, so maybe next time.

Mary's father also made the ascent with us, but turned around just before the cornice and ridge, often called chicken out ridge. His ranches and cabins, Antelope Creek Cabin and Pioneer Home are about 45 minutes from this hike. He is old enough to be retiring, but instead has invested in some ranches when he was bought out from the Webb Basin Dairy Farm. Mary has eight brothers, that I am sure will enjoy being on the ranch at some point in their lives. As for Mary and I, it is an awesome getaway!

Clayton and Jenna also climbed another peak. My brother Clayton, a recent biology graduate and tree specialist, worked with an arborist in Logan for a few months. Suddenly, his hands started hurting and became numb. The doctors said he had a bad case of tendinitis, and needed to take 6-8 weeks off from using his hands. In the meantime, Jenna had already been accepted to graduate school in Chico, California for Marriage and Family Counseling. After serious prayer and meditation, they decided to move to Chico. Within a week, they were hundreds of miles further from our love cottage in Rexburg, Idaho. We admire their bold move, but will miss them deeply. He already has a few job options, his favorite lead is a large orchard that the Church owns in Chico. We love you, and wish you luck on this next mountain. Dad taught us how to work, mom taught us how to look good. So you are set.   

Some people say that I am the gatekeeper of my destiny. This may be the healthiest way to encourage personal accountability and action. However, there are powers greater than any individual. Some people also believe that people generally stay the same. In my life, close friends have helped me grow in many ways. Many wonderful things have happened as a result of their influence or serendipity. My heart overflows with sweet memories engraved from these experiences. Many of them have changed my destiny through.

Yesterday while volunteering in the Rexburg temple. I ran into family of two old friends, and then received a linkedin request from an old friend’s mother. This left me thinking about those who have helped me become a better person. It was fun to think about how similar family members behave and interact with others.

Mr. Seely, Kate’s grandpa was volunteering with us. He was married at 28 after serving in World War 2, and serving a mission for the Church. His wife wanted to serve a mission, but the church leaders postponed for a few months… until he decided to propose. Shortly thereafter he was selected and agreed to serve as a bishop for 12 years. He is 92 now still volunteering and serving those around him. His example fits Kate because she is a stalwart, serving individual Then I had a brief discussion with Brad Carmack’s little sister, who will be graduating soon. Brad is a BYU friend from Meridian that we shared fun memories. Earlier, I received a Linkedin invite from Nadine Kloepfer, Kelsey’s mom. I actually ran into Kelsey a few months ago while servicing my car in Idaho Falls. We dated for a summer years ago. She is happily married now with her own little family.

The last ten years have been filled with friendships with some of the best people I know.  Each of you has shaped my life for the better. You have helped me learn more about myself, and you have helped to become the person that I have needed to become for this beautiful relationship of marriage, which now flourishes. Each of you is amazing, and you have good families and influences that have helped you become who you are. Wish my wife luck now because she is the one who will help me to become the person that I should. I know that each of you will become excellent spouses, and parents when you would like this to happen.

While looking back at the experiences that I have had with all of my friends, I love your jovial spirits. You have made this world a welcoming home for me. You are throughout the states, the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa. Even in the Pacific Islands, we share fond memories. You have made this world a small place. The world is now my home.

 Everything that we do will affect someone. Those that have planted the seeds before us have planted the seeds of our successes. Everything that we do touches those who around us, or those who will follow. I am glad to be a part of this home with you, and hope that today you and I choose to become friends with one another and influence each other to become better.  

Love, Lucas  

Prepared by Lucas Handy

Marriage Paradise

Do you know what it is like to be married for 6-months? If you don't, or forgot, let me remind you... It is wonderful! I feel like it has been the best 6-months of my life. Before I got married, I loved being single. I had visited every continent in the world except Antartica, had a few near death experiences by my own risky single behavior, and my social life was full. Still, I knew that a part of me was missing. Mary is that part, and together life is way better!

Application

The people you may be missing in your lives now is Mary and I. Rexburg is our hideaway, with our little love cottage. In my new marriage status and my new job, I am as content as a caterpillar in a cocoon. Nonetheless, our doors our always open to you. The principles that have helped our relationship are explained in this love triangle.  

Love Triangle: To increase your love potential, increase your love for our Father in Heaven.

Love is exemplified by Deity. Nobody has loved as much as our Father in Heaven during this life except His Son. The ability to love is increased when we follow Christ's example. He gave everything... His will, His Time, His Body, and walked the line of Hell to save our souls. He gave us agency to do what we want. As far as our marriage relationship, His example is the perfect to follow. Certainly, we fall short of His example; nonetheless, I am grateful for the small moments where I have been able to give more, and stretch my love a little further. This has made for a marvelous beginning and six months following our marriage.  

Dating
We have often been advised to continue to date even after marriage, especially after kids. Even though we get a lot of one-on-one time together, we still try to fit in formal dates. Here are some fun pictures of us on a date of dancing and ice ream and this weekend's adventure in Roberts, Idaho at a Cajun restaurant. Mary also made me a fruit basket with a potted flower for our anniversary and delivered it to me at work.

Work
Madison Memorial Hospital gave me an official proposal to hire me on full time, and I will plan on signing it tomorrow. Then become an integral part of their team. This hospital has an awesome work environment. In our wellness program, the author of Aura Personalities, came and determined our personalities. Since then I have read her book that describes 19 personalities, and was surprised to find that she was correct. It was a fun read along with Visions of Glory, a book that describes one man's visions of the future. Both of these books helped my imagination grow to understand life.
Lucas Handy

We Got Caught...By The Cops
On Mother's Day weekend we wanted to go home badly, but could not make it until late at night. We had forgotten to tell anyone that we were coming and did not make it to Burley until about 1 A.M. in the morning. With my bladder waiting to burst, I ran to the door and found it locked. It turned out all the doors were locked. Just my luck. I think I go to the bathroom outdoors more often than most girls, which is why we keep a roll of toilet paper in our car.
While I was doing my business, Lucas called all the men in the household, but they didn't answer because they were gone to a father-son camp out. Then his phone died, and he climbed on top of the roof and tapped on the window to wake someone up to open the door.  
I was standing below Lucas, instructing him how to best climb when the cop showed up. Lucas recognized him as a childhood friend, quickly climbed down the tree, and went to give him a hug, but he was clearly not in the mood for hugs. He had scared his mother, Kristine and sister-in-law, Jenna the only two adults home, and they had called 911. 

A Bunny Birthday
Our next favorite event was Hyrum's Birthday. Lucas and I were working in our garden when cute, wild cottontail hopped through our yard. We managed to chase it into our house... Watch the video to see the events that followed:

Life is a Dance

The other day while biking through campus, I passed the Eliza Roxy Snow Performing Arts Center. Then called my sister and asked if they had planned that their newest daughter was named Liza Snow, and their other daughter is named Roxy. Like the Handys, the Ramsey's will be excellent performers. They are also beautiful kids. I'll have to say that I have the most beautiful nephews and nieces ever. Ten from the Webbs, and Ten from the Handys. 

Mary and I also went to my Sao Paulo, Brazil East mission reunion in North Ogden, Ut. It was very exciting to see the Caldwell family again, including their little boy who shares my name, Lucas. He is a fun boy, in a good family, and so I am sure he will become a great man. 

Following the reunion, we drove up to Burley. Like normal, it was loud & crazy in the Handy home with Grandma watching almost all of the grandkids. Mary & I needed to escape. Clayton & Jenna joined us for a peaceful hike in the canyon around Lake Vineyard. The same place where a dozen of my friends and I had gotten lost during High School. Since then, I have been back a hundred of times to enjoy this beautiful, remote, desert oasis. 

Unfortunately, the Handy party was short lived because Mary caught the stomach flu the next day. I am so glad she is better. 

Finals Week has come and gone, including the week break between semesters. Phelipe & Lauren came up for a short visit because Lauren graduated with her associates online. The men, Phelipe, Lauren's Dad, and I, ditched the girls to get some gifts to surprise her with. When Lauren called us and asked why we didn't go with them to visit the gardens, I told her that gardens were for girls. Lauren's graduation was fun & a special memory for us. We know she will accomplish many other fantastic things with her life.

Thursday of this week, Clint and Keila (Mary's brother and sister-in-law) officially picked up their roots in Raft River and came to join us in Rexburg. Mary was so excited to have them here that she made a casserole for them and went to go help with the move. 

Later that day, we stopped by the genealogy center. I am so excited because familysearch.org built warehouses of data storage, genealogy storage, the cloud, for anyone to upload unlimited amount of pictures and stories of ancestors. Now anyone, anywhere in the world can login to this network and work on family history and accomplish what others have done in their family for their ancestors. One of the workers said that 1.7 million names are added to this database daily. I hope anyone who reads this takes the time to try out these tools, and at least share a story or two that they have of their heritage in these online annals. 

Following that, we partied at the Madison County Centennial Dance and must have done well, because the local newspaper put this picture of Mary and I in yesterday's edition. I love being here with Mary. It has taken me a while to adjust, but overall, it has been a very positive experience. The hospital that I currently work at is a nonprofit, county run hospital called Madison Memorial Hospital. I work with the director of Public Relations, Doug McBride, who captured the video below, and have found this fellow BYU MPA graduate colleague to be one of the most verbally supportive and positive individuals that I have ever worked with.  

   

Keila has offered Mary and I dinners for a few evenings a week and I am super excited to have real Brazilian food again. Keila is an angel for cooking for us.  Clint & Keila just started their semester in Rexburg. Between them, Hyrum, Kat & Eric, the Reis kids, and the Hepworths, we feel like we have family nearby, and feel like this place is home. In fact, Mary & I are starting our first garden. Wish us luck as we embark on yet another semester filled with new experiences at work and at play. If by chance you'd like to pay us a visit, our love cottage is open to whomever would like to stay.  

Love, 

The Handy Family

Our Song

This song was composed by our sister-in-law Jenna Handy who is very talented at singing and writing. (music by Jenna) We are very grateful to her for this beautiful song. It brings tears to our eyes nearly every time we listen to it.

Congratulations Lucas and Mary Handy!! I was asked to sing at Lucas and Mary's wedding luncheon and decided to write a song based off of Lucas's love letter to Mary to make it more special. They truly have a special relationship. I am so happy they finally found each other!!! Here are the lyrics:

WITH YOU

Verse
I've traveled all the world; searching for you
The puzzle never fit; my loneliness grew
I wanted you so bad; I didn't know where to find you
God had a different plan; he put me on hold for you

Chorus
With you I've found my home where I belong
Let's dream together now and love out loud
now I'm with you

Verse
I'll never let you go, I"ll take it from here
I need you in my life, cause baby you make it clear
I'd give you all the world, you know if I could
I'm still in disbelief that this love feels how it should

Bridge
Some say it's timing and some say it's chance be we know
We know better than this
I've never been this content there is peace in my heart