The Interpreted Rock

Guest Blogger By Pamela J. Schultz I silently groan as I stare at the laundry pile that has now escaped the boundaries of the baskets and is spilling over onto the laundry room floor. “It’s actually able to creep under the door all by itself,” I mutter. Yes, this is what my life has become. Now, I actually talk to laundry! I marvel at the abrupt changes my life has undergone since becoming a full-time “stay-at-home mom” six years ago. For one thing, I wouldn't have been caught dead in the sweatshirt and torn jeans I’m wearing today. Although I’ve only been dressed for about two hours, my sweatshirt already has juice stains, toast crumbs, and a nice blob of dried oatmeal on it from my 15-month-old’s breakfast. As for the jeans—well, they’re comfortable. As recently as baby number two, I would have changed the stained sweatshirt, but, hey, after three kids, I know it’s a wasted effort. The clean shirt will be dirty within the next hour, and besides, throwing the sweatshirt into the...

  By Stephen C. Schultz Angie came running into the cafeteria at Discovery Ranch South with a big smile on her face. “I just rode for the first time!” she exclaimed. The reddened, raw scars on her arms—the result of compulsive rubbing from a pencil eraser—were finally beginning to heal. “That’s great,” I said. “It must feel good to finally ride after so much work with the horse on the ground.” She tipped her head to the side and, with a twinkle in her eye, replied, “Yeah… it does.” A bit later, I changed the subject. “Are you planning on going hiking tomorrow? I heard Jared has planned a fun trip to Zion National Park . ” “Yeah, I plan to go. Most of the girls are going,” she said. “Are you going with us?” “I am,” I replied. “People come from around the world to visit Zion,” I added. “It should be a great time.” The next day arrived, and all the girls gathered by the vans to load up for the hike. I was genuinely impressed by the organization, safety planning, and sheer logistics i...