Well, we didn't make it to the hike. It was raining, friends were in town and we had a few friends who wanted to come out and ride. Husband, wife, and 7 year old son... they'd bought a few 90's for their kids. They ended up being too big for comfort for the boy, the girl was not interested at all. Mom tried it a bit, but enjoyed our 4 wheeler a lot more... so, they left with a twisted back..(his, from trying to rescue son from wreaking on the 90), his bike, one of the 90's with a few less pieces after the wreak, and Kas's 4 wheeler. We traded it for the other 90...for Elijah! Elijah has been dying for a bike...and Kas barely liked hers...so it was a great trade. Their boy was intimidated by the 90...and loved the 4 wheeler. perfect. The 4 wheeler is fairly new and the 90 is quite old...so it was probably a fairly good trade. But, the smiles on the boys' faces were priceless! Brian said he would have preferred messing his back up riding, but we told him a dad saving his son was a worthy cause! They also left very dirty and wet. You can't play out at our place and stay clean. Suzanne, the wife, loved flying through the puddles! it was funny.
Our friends from out of town (Krugers) came over so the kids could play. We had a great time....mostly just hanging out, catching up, and eating. It was a nice day all in all. oh, and we did some rearranging around the house....which will hopefully work out better for our family, and all we do. We are attempting to make an exercise room. Our kids are getting older and more interested in sports, so it seems like an appropriate time. We will see.
We missed spending time with extending family for the holiday weekend, but were grateful to have it filled with family time and friends.
Oh, also, today at church, during the Sacrament, our Branch President had to go out for something, and maybe because it has already been on my mind, it took my mind to that day almost a year ago, when another Sacrament was interupted by the shooting of Kristy. Directly after Kristy was shot, and Ann realized she couldn't do anything to help her, she walked into the chapel and up to the Bishop to get his assistance and let him know. Members noticed, and thought it was strange. a little later the Bishop came back in, interupted testimonies, and informed everyone what had happened. Today, while I was contemplating how peaceful and sacred the Sacrament is....and how disruptive all of this would have been at that moment. I wondered how long it took for some of those members to refind the peace of the Sacrament after that ordeal.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving.
Hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving. We stayed home this year...well, actually we had it at the church with the 'no one home alone for thanksgiving'...it was fun, but I had to get my kids (and dh) in from playing to go. At that moment I thought...maybe it would be easier to have a stay at home no pressure meal. but, we went to the church and it was fun. Good food. I made most of the things I wanted so we could have leftovers. So, Kas and I cooked all morning. This was Kas' first year in the kitchen with me...where she participated in most of the dishes. She made the famous chocolate pie...she learned a few pies ago, and it has become her responsibility, and then helped in a big way with the cranberry salad...my personal favorite, the apple pie, rolls, hmmm...and probably a few others. I also made a berry pie...love those. and...it is tradition in the Simpson family to smoke (on the grill) the turkey. I have never done it before...it is usually dad's or brothers job...but we made one this year. It turned out perfectly. I called dad a dozen times making sure I got it right...and we did. J helped, so it can become his job now. I tried to take photos but my battery was dead and we had to go. I didn't get any photos of today. I should have gotten some with Kas and me in the kitchen. I hope it will be a good memory for her. She worked hard, and I am very proud of her.
We have many things to be thankful for. We have been very blessed this year. We have had huge trials as well....but always see the hands of the Lord through our trials. That is a huge blessing. I am glad we have a few days to spend with the family. We are planning to hike Colonel Bob on Saturday....if the weather is decent. We have done it the last 2 years, and just hadn't had time this year. It is usually a 2 day event, but we are going to try the one day hike. It is only 4 1/2 miles up, but pretty steep. I will let you know how it goes...hopefully!
We have many things to be thankful for. We have been very blessed this year. We have had huge trials as well....but always see the hands of the Lord through our trials. That is a huge blessing. I am glad we have a few days to spend with the family. We are planning to hike Colonel Bob on Saturday....if the weather is decent. We have done it the last 2 years, and just hadn't had time this year. It is usually a 2 day event, but we are going to try the one day hike. It is only 4 1/2 miles up, but pretty steep. I will let you know how it goes...hopefully!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
plea deal
Today Dave pled guilty for Kristy's murder. His bargain is 20-life instead of the death penalty. I understand that he will most likely not be eligible for parole for 40 years or so. We will find out in January I think. I am grateful Dave pled. He has been pretty adament about trying to get off...which has been hard to see. I have no idea how he is feeling and what his motivation is, but I am certain this is best for Kristy's family. It has been almost a year. Man, that is crazy. Her boys live close by...so we will be able to visit soon. I am so glad they are home, for good. Ann has had quite a year. I applaud her. I think she has endured it well. and I know her and Al will be blessed for all they have endured, and their willingness towards the boys. I know one day it will all be made well. I am so grateful for that knowledge.
I am also very proud of my little sisters. (and brothers) They have been there for Ann helping in every way. I could not have handled things as well as they have.
The Lord puts people in our paths to help us accomplish what needs to be done. Kristy lived in an awesome ward. I have been soo impressed with all they have done. The prosecuters, policemen, advocates for the kids, etc....were all necessary and working hard to bring things to a good conclusion. We've definitely had oposition.....but many blessings and tender mercies. I am so grateful we can see the Lord's hand in all. I cannot imagine going through this without that blessing.
on a lighter note...I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I am also very proud of my little sisters. (and brothers) They have been there for Ann helping in every way. I could not have handled things as well as they have.
The Lord puts people in our paths to help us accomplish what needs to be done. Kristy lived in an awesome ward. I have been soo impressed with all they have done. The prosecuters, policemen, advocates for the kids, etc....were all necessary and working hard to bring things to a good conclusion. We've definitely had oposition.....but many blessings and tender mercies. I am so grateful we can see the Lord's hand in all. I cannot imagine going through this without that blessing.
on a lighter note...I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
blue egg
we got our first blue egg today! exciting! we have one chicken that will lay blue eggs....and even though we have been getting eggs for a few months now, and have been anxiously watching for the blue egg..but I guess the blue chicken took a little longer to mature. the funny thing, is Elijah found it and brought it in....after we took the photo he dropped the egg! It just cracked a bit, but it was pretty funny. Kaleb found our first brown egg when he stepped on it...I don't usually like to eat the first egg so, I didn't mind that much. I got the photo....so, it's all good. He found these three eggs together. We like diversity here! Has anyone ever eaten a blue egg before. wonder if it is going to taste the same...or look the same on the inside. We have gotten some very interesting eggs. Chickens are so much fun. Everyday Elijah asks if we can get more.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
hymns
I forgot a little tender mercy that happened to me on my birthday. Remember I was in Bellingham for my birthday. It fell on a sunday, so we went to my old ward there. Well, the sacrament song happened to be my favorite sacrament hymn. Sometime during the hymn I realized the significance of the song being sung on my birthday. It is one that is not sung much....WITH HUMBLE HEART #171
With humble heart, I bow my head and think of thee, o Savior, Lord.
I take the water and the bread to show remembrance of thy word.
Help me remember, I implore, Thou gavest thy life on Calvary
That I might live forevermore, and grow dear Lord to be like Thee.
To be like Thee! I lift my eyes from earth below toward heav'n above,
That I may learn from vaulted skies how I my worthiness can prove.
As I walk daily here on earth, give me Thy Spirit as I seek
A change of heart, another birth, and grow, dear Lord to be like Thee.
text by Zara Sabin
I love the message. But, on my special day I realized it was a special gift for me. :)
Today during the sacrament I saw the hymn LEAN ON MY AMPLE ARM #120
I did not recognize it at all. but I appreciated the message.
Lean on my ample arm o thou depressed! And I will bid the storm cease in thy breast.
Whatever thy lot may be in life's complaining sea if thou wilt come to me, thou shalt have rest.
Lift up thy tearful eyes, sad heart, to me; I am the sacrifice offered for thee.
In Me thy pain shall cease, in Me is thy release, in Me thou shalt have peace eternally.
Isn't that beautiful and so true. lean on my ample arm........
We are blessed with beautiful hymns. I know I take them for granted because they have always been in my life. But, they really are a form of worship. I am not a great musician, and please don't judge me for this, but I don't particularly enjoy listening to motab...but I do love music, and think there is great power behind it.
so, which is your favorite hymn and why? I would love to know. hope your sabbath is great. the sun is shining here....so that is a bonus for us.
With humble heart, I bow my head and think of thee, o Savior, Lord.
I take the water and the bread to show remembrance of thy word.
Help me remember, I implore, Thou gavest thy life on Calvary
That I might live forevermore, and grow dear Lord to be like Thee.
To be like Thee! I lift my eyes from earth below toward heav'n above,
That I may learn from vaulted skies how I my worthiness can prove.
As I walk daily here on earth, give me Thy Spirit as I seek
A change of heart, another birth, and grow, dear Lord to be like Thee.
text by Zara Sabin
I love the message. But, on my special day I realized it was a special gift for me. :)
Today during the sacrament I saw the hymn LEAN ON MY AMPLE ARM #120
I did not recognize it at all. but I appreciated the message.
Lean on my ample arm o thou depressed! And I will bid the storm cease in thy breast.
Whatever thy lot may be in life's complaining sea if thou wilt come to me, thou shalt have rest.
Lift up thy tearful eyes, sad heart, to me; I am the sacrifice offered for thee.
In Me thy pain shall cease, in Me is thy release, in Me thou shalt have peace eternally.
Isn't that beautiful and so true. lean on my ample arm........
We are blessed with beautiful hymns. I know I take them for granted because they have always been in my life. But, they really are a form of worship. I am not a great musician, and please don't judge me for this, but I don't particularly enjoy listening to motab...but I do love music, and think there is great power behind it.
so, which is your favorite hymn and why? I would love to know. hope your sabbath is great. the sun is shining here....so that is a bonus for us.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
another addition of this and that....
Tomorrow is bring a friend to church day. I am happy to report that each of my friends invited a friend or two or ten. Kaleb texted a bunch of his friends after church last week asking them if they wanted to come. He finally had one say he would meet us there. We'll see if he shows. Elijah's best friend is coming, and Kas' friends didn't work out....one said maybe, the other said yes, but I don't know what happened. As for me....I had great intentions, but forgot to call and ask. I guess I need to learn from Kaleb....call at the first opportunity. My problem was I needed to get the number from J and always forgot.
We have had such a busy week. stuff going on every night. It is fun, but crazy. I have been doing alot of computer work...trying to get the end of year stuff done. I have been doing so much that my arm and back are cramped from all the typing. silly. I have also started doing Indexing for the church/family history. I enjoy doing it. and can whip out one to two pages a day. I wish the people writing those records would have been thinking of those of us, hundreds of years later, trying to read their writing! just kidding. I know my writing can be hard to read at times.
Well, J's vacation bonus was much better than we expected, so he is going to Hawaii with me. I am very excited. He became more excited when he realized he could get his scuba certification done while we were there. He's been wanting to do it for awhile, but there isn't any scuba groups out here, so he would have had to travel aways to go. Once he has it done he will be interested in joining the local dive rescue team.....We will be there for a full week if you count travel time. He said he was just hoping the wedding wouldn't interfere with his diving class. dumb boy. (but, I'll take him). That was his reluctance in going to Hawaii....he would have to attend a wedding. He stays away from weddings and funerals, if he can help it!
oh...I got my ears repierced today. this will have been the third time. I have always let them close up. But, someone gave me some earrings for my birthday...and with Kas getting older, and wanting me to, I decided to go ahead and do it. I did feel silly getting them done at 42! Elijah noticed right away. J is on a guys night watching a fight out of town...he will come home in the morning and head straight to work...so we will see how long it takes for him to notice. Elijah said it makes me look younger...man, does he know the way to a woman's heart or what!!!
Kas has learned more about her class switch. I guess the 5th graders eat lunch with the 6th...so she will not be eating lunch or doing recess with most of her friends. (She does have 3-4 of her best friends moving up with her, though) She will be switching her reading and math with the 5th graders. So, this is going to be a bigger change than I was expecting. She is a little excited and a little sad about it all. I think it will all happen in a week...so we will see then how it goes.
I am excited for thanksgiving. We will be doing it at the church this year, for those who don't have family to celebrate with. We have done it a few years and it is fun. We decided to say around home this year to save $$$ and get stuff done.
We have had such a busy week. stuff going on every night. It is fun, but crazy. I have been doing alot of computer work...trying to get the end of year stuff done. I have been doing so much that my arm and back are cramped from all the typing. silly. I have also started doing Indexing for the church/family history. I enjoy doing it. and can whip out one to two pages a day. I wish the people writing those records would have been thinking of those of us, hundreds of years later, trying to read their writing! just kidding. I know my writing can be hard to read at times.
Well, J's vacation bonus was much better than we expected, so he is going to Hawaii with me. I am very excited. He became more excited when he realized he could get his scuba certification done while we were there. He's been wanting to do it for awhile, but there isn't any scuba groups out here, so he would have had to travel aways to go. Once he has it done he will be interested in joining the local dive rescue team.....We will be there for a full week if you count travel time. He said he was just hoping the wedding wouldn't interfere with his diving class. dumb boy. (but, I'll take him). That was his reluctance in going to Hawaii....he would have to attend a wedding. He stays away from weddings and funerals, if he can help it!
oh...I got my ears repierced today. this will have been the third time. I have always let them close up. But, someone gave me some earrings for my birthday...and with Kas getting older, and wanting me to, I decided to go ahead and do it. I did feel silly getting them done at 42! Elijah noticed right away. J is on a guys night watching a fight out of town...he will come home in the morning and head straight to work...so we will see how long it takes for him to notice. Elijah said it makes me look younger...man, does he know the way to a woman's heart or what!!!
Kas has learned more about her class switch. I guess the 5th graders eat lunch with the 6th...so she will not be eating lunch or doing recess with most of her friends. (She does have 3-4 of her best friends moving up with her, though) She will be switching her reading and math with the 5th graders. So, this is going to be a bigger change than I was expecting. She is a little excited and a little sad about it all. I think it will all happen in a week...so we will see then how it goes.
I am excited for thanksgiving. We will be doing it at the church this year, for those who don't have family to celebrate with. We have done it a few years and it is fun. We decided to say around home this year to save $$$ and get stuff done.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
My camera has been out of commission for a few weeks. I lost my battery charger for it. I know it has to be around somewhere, but I can't find it. thankfully, J ordered me another one,. silly me, I would just live a lot longer without use of my camera. I have learned it is not nearly as fun to blog without photos. J still has his camera, and we take photos with that, but I never get a hold of it to post photos.
Kas got student of the month in her class yesterday. We also found out today that she will be moving classes. At the beginning of the year they combined the 3rd and 4th graders and had 3 classes. I didn't have a problem with it. I liked Kas's teacher and she loved her, so it was all good. And, the kids will go to different classes for reading, math, etc...so, they stay with their level. Well, there have been many new students, so now they have to change things around a bit. She is very disappointed to learn she is going to be moving up to the 4th, 5th grade class. Today she will learn who is moving up with her...probably some of her friends will be there too...and then it won't be so disappointing for her. We'll see. I wonder why so many families are moving into Ocean Shores.....and why more aren't LDS!
Elijah recieved an award for football. I did not get any photos of Elijah this year playing football, or with his team or coaches or anything. I always thought we would have an opportunity,....and I didn't. oh well. next year he will play at the jr high. and he will be in full gear. he'd been playing flag. I am excited to see how well he does.
Kaleb had his second meet last night. He was sick at the first meet, and didn't do very well. He was excited to see he was going to compete against the same guy for his first match. He pinned him right away. He byed the second match, which means the person he was supposed to compete against didn't show. We thought that meant he wouldn't be able to wrestle again. He wasn't satisfied with that. Coach realized there was another competitor who had a bye in his same bracket...so he said they should have put the two together. Kaleb was so determined to wrestle again, he went to ask the head guy if he could wrestle the other person. We had to wait until the end of the meet, but he was able to wrestle ....a girl! Of course he beat her right away as well. He went away feeling pretty good. We were proud of him, cause he did a great job. He has another meet tomorrow where he will compete against different kids. I was going to say boys, but with Kaleb you never know. I guess he is in the right weight bracket for some of the girls who decide to wrestle.
Seemed like I had other things to post...but can't remember. We are definitely proud parents!
Kas got student of the month in her class yesterday. We also found out today that she will be moving classes. At the beginning of the year they combined the 3rd and 4th graders and had 3 classes. I didn't have a problem with it. I liked Kas's teacher and she loved her, so it was all good. And, the kids will go to different classes for reading, math, etc...so, they stay with their level. Well, there have been many new students, so now they have to change things around a bit. She is very disappointed to learn she is going to be moving up to the 4th, 5th grade class. Today she will learn who is moving up with her...probably some of her friends will be there too...and then it won't be so disappointing for her. We'll see. I wonder why so many families are moving into Ocean Shores.....and why more aren't LDS!
Elijah recieved an award for football. I did not get any photos of Elijah this year playing football, or with his team or coaches or anything. I always thought we would have an opportunity,....and I didn't. oh well. next year he will play at the jr high. and he will be in full gear. he'd been playing flag. I am excited to see how well he does.
Kaleb had his second meet last night. He was sick at the first meet, and didn't do very well. He was excited to see he was going to compete against the same guy for his first match. He pinned him right away. He byed the second match, which means the person he was supposed to compete against didn't show. We thought that meant he wouldn't be able to wrestle again. He wasn't satisfied with that. Coach realized there was another competitor who had a bye in his same bracket...so he said they should have put the two together. Kaleb was so determined to wrestle again, he went to ask the head guy if he could wrestle the other person. We had to wait until the end of the meet, but he was able to wrestle ....a girl! Of course he beat her right away as well. He went away feeling pretty good. We were proud of him, cause he did a great job. He has another meet tomorrow where he will compete against different kids. I was going to say boys, but with Kaleb you never know. I guess he is in the right weight bracket for some of the girls who decide to wrestle.
Seemed like I had other things to post...but can't remember. We are definitely proud parents!
Friday, November 14, 2008
catch up
I seem to do a lot of 'catch-up' posts! It has been a busy time for us, and I know I am not going to remember everything I want to post! but, the first big news is I turned 42! I love the 40's. Every birthday in my 40's I have felt totally content and blessed! I guess this is only my third, but it has been totally different than I anticipated. I am not sure why I feel the way I do. I have always looked young for my age, but I have felt the last few years, that I was probably looking more my age, but on my birthday a lady overheard me talking to a friend about being in my 40's and she couldn't believe I was! a little inner shout hurrah! I have wrinkles. I have white hair, that I usually have covered with a beautiful blonde color...;). those few extra pounds seem even harder to get off....and sometimes I look REALLY ragged. but I feel soo content. and I am grateful for that. we went to Bellingham for the weekend. It was great spending time with my family. We went to Katelynn's gravesite --we share the same birthday. She would have been 9. I would love to see her as a 9 year old. I cried like a baby. Jessie told me I hadn't been out there enough, which is true. I did not know Katelynn very well. She passed on at 14 months. and we didn't live near her most of her life. but I was there when she had her heart attack, and I was at the hospital for the 4 days she was preparing to pass on. Those 4 days are days I will always cherish. She was such an example of LOVE, and COURAGE to me. She had a damaged body, she spent most of her life struggling to breathe and stay healthy. She hung on for a few days so her parents could come to a realization of what was to be. I think about that sweet little girl and the impact she made on my life in such a short amount of time. I love to see the twinkle in Shayne's eye when he talks about his little girl, and the reverence that overpowers Tanner when he speaks of her. Even Kaden was talking about her while we were there. Kaden knows her only through stories told, and photos shown. I am so grateful for the knowledge of eternal families, and the knowledge that Katelynn lives on.
While we were in Bellingham we were able to go to my old ward, which is one of my favorite ever. One of my friends spoke and she gave this quote:
"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'
"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.
"Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened....Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."
--- Elder Neal A. Maxwell
This quote comes from a talk Elder Maxwell gave 30 years ago at a BYU devotional!
http://tinyurl.com/5pekzb !
Doesn't it feel like what we are facing today? I am so grateful for a prophet of God who leads us. And, even though we aren't yet in the trenches, there are people who are not afraid to stand up to the truth, and 'stand the heat' for the cause of good. We are representing the Lord and truth, and how we handle what is going on will matter in the long run.
Our small town is feeling the need to downsize their spending. so, our newly elected mayor decided the best way to do that was through layoffs. He wanted to cut 2 positions at the fire department, 13 city jobs total. The last few weeks we have been worried about the stability of J's dream job, and the jobs of some of our friends and/or colleagues. It has been a very emotional few weeks, The idea, of fighting to save a job, knowing someone else we care about may lose his or hers has been horrible. Especially at this time, when the economy is slow. The funniest thing, is at the beginning of the year, J would either be laid off, or get a substantial raise. Isn't that crazy. Well, last night we got word that our Fire Chief found enough money to save the 2 jobs for the fire department. Hallelujiah! what a relief. I am very grateful to our Chief for saving the jobs. I am even more grateful for the knowledge that no matter what happened we would be fine. I was able to feel a peaceful calm, which is such a blessing. I didn't know what was in store, but I have had enough experiences in life to know that everything works together for our good. ..when we let it. This was so unexpected, something we didn't even consider. We never know when our lives are going to change drastically.
Kaleb started wrestling a few weeks ago. He had his first meet yesterday. J and I went on the bike. It was about 1.5 hours away, the sun was shining, and I haven't been on the bike for awhile, so it was a nice treat. I really like riding. and I love the fact that it costs much less to travel that way. The amazing thing is Kaleb weighed in at 125.2. I am pretty sure last year he wrestled at 107 and was quite a few inches shorter.
We have seen a bit of the good, the bad, the great and the ugly the last few weeks. We have been greatly blessed and I am so thankful. Looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas!
While we were in Bellingham we were able to go to my old ward, which is one of my favorite ever. One of my friends spoke and she gave this quote:
"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'
"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.
"Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened....Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."
--- Elder Neal A. Maxwell
This quote comes from a talk Elder Maxwell gave 30 years ago at a BYU devotional!
http://tinyurl.com/5pekzb !
Doesn't it feel like what we are facing today? I am so grateful for a prophet of God who leads us. And, even though we aren't yet in the trenches, there are people who are not afraid to stand up to the truth, and 'stand the heat' for the cause of good. We are representing the Lord and truth, and how we handle what is going on will matter in the long run.
Our small town is feeling the need to downsize their spending. so, our newly elected mayor decided the best way to do that was through layoffs. He wanted to cut 2 positions at the fire department, 13 city jobs total. The last few weeks we have been worried about the stability of J's dream job, and the jobs of some of our friends and/or colleagues. It has been a very emotional few weeks, The idea, of fighting to save a job, knowing someone else we care about may lose his or hers has been horrible. Especially at this time, when the economy is slow. The funniest thing, is at the beginning of the year, J would either be laid off, or get a substantial raise. Isn't that crazy. Well, last night we got word that our Fire Chief found enough money to save the 2 jobs for the fire department. Hallelujiah! what a relief. I am very grateful to our Chief for saving the jobs. I am even more grateful for the knowledge that no matter what happened we would be fine. I was able to feel a peaceful calm, which is such a blessing. I didn't know what was in store, but I have had enough experiences in life to know that everything works together for our good. ..when we let it. This was so unexpected, something we didn't even consider. We never know when our lives are going to change drastically.
Kaleb started wrestling a few weeks ago. He had his first meet yesterday. J and I went on the bike. It was about 1.5 hours away, the sun was shining, and I haven't been on the bike for awhile, so it was a nice treat. I really like riding. and I love the fact that it costs much less to travel that way. The amazing thing is Kaleb weighed in at 125.2. I am pretty sure last year he wrestled at 107 and was quite a few inches shorter.
We have seen a bit of the good, the bad, the great and the ugly the last few weeks. We have been greatly blessed and I am so thankful. Looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Monday, November 3, 2008
I voted
I finally finished my ballot last night, after calling a few people to get clarifications on things. I am not a political junkie. in fact I get pretty frustrated and confused with most of it. But, I am so grateful for our ability to vote. I know many women have fought so that I can vote, and I am grateful we aren't the ones making that fight.
There is so much pressure though, to make the right choice, even when I live in a very liberal state...where my vote probably won't matter much. I do appreciate that I can still cast my vote.
I had planned on turning my ballot in early but couldn't get the time to do the research I wanted to feel informed. oh well. I voted!
I am anxious to see how things turn out and how the candidates do. I hope with any kind of win, that I will be pleasantly surprised by the actions of the elected officials. I know I really don't need to worry. I am grateful for that. I am so tired of all the crap that goes on with the elections. I hate people talking trash about others, no matter how evil they might be. I hate how we get so many 'part truths' and words taken out of context. Maybe I am so sensitive to this because of the Mormon bashing I have heard throughout my life...and because of my ancestors who suffered because of misconceptions and false truths. I just want to know the truth, and understand what is real. Fat chance in this world. So, since that isn't a possibility, I am grateful for guidance from One who knows! ;)
I think I have Halloween photos, but they are in J's camera, so I will post them later.
do you want to hear another redneck moment? yesterday we had stake conference. It is an hour drive away, so we decided to take the motorhome and make a day of it. J was working until that morning, so we were running later than we wanted, but he was able to change comfortably on the way. We packed a lunch, some snacks, and extra clothes, clean bed...etc... I just forgot pillows...After our meeting, we went to a state park, we hadn't visited before, and was pleasantly surprised. There was a river there, with salmon fighting to get up stream and spawn. Discovery chanel live. It was awesome. Not raining for the moment. Just nice. Then we came in and took a little nap while the kids played games. It was awesome. We are blessed.
There is so much pressure though, to make the right choice, even when I live in a very liberal state...where my vote probably won't matter much. I do appreciate that I can still cast my vote.
I had planned on turning my ballot in early but couldn't get the time to do the research I wanted to feel informed. oh well. I voted!
I am anxious to see how things turn out and how the candidates do. I hope with any kind of win, that I will be pleasantly surprised by the actions of the elected officials. I know I really don't need to worry. I am grateful for that. I am so tired of all the crap that goes on with the elections. I hate people talking trash about others, no matter how evil they might be. I hate how we get so many 'part truths' and words taken out of context. Maybe I am so sensitive to this because of the Mormon bashing I have heard throughout my life...and because of my ancestors who suffered because of misconceptions and false truths. I just want to know the truth, and understand what is real. Fat chance in this world. So, since that isn't a possibility, I am grateful for guidance from One who knows! ;)
I think I have Halloween photos, but they are in J's camera, so I will post them later.
do you want to hear another redneck moment? yesterday we had stake conference. It is an hour drive away, so we decided to take the motorhome and make a day of it. J was working until that morning, so we were running later than we wanted, but he was able to change comfortably on the way. We packed a lunch, some snacks, and extra clothes, clean bed...etc... I just forgot pillows...After our meeting, we went to a state park, we hadn't visited before, and was pleasantly surprised. There was a river there, with salmon fighting to get up stream and spawn. Discovery chanel live. It was awesome. Not raining for the moment. Just nice. Then we came in and took a little nap while the kids played games. It was awesome. We are blessed.
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