A great part of our week is when the Elders came over for our Wednesday morning get-together and a short message.  This week we talked about what we can do to feel peace and shared thoughts on reading our scriptures and prayer.  The Elders suggested that music can help us feel the spirit during our Church meetings and at home.  That was the wrong thing to say to Dad!😁 Though we both absolutely agree, Dad gets frustrated when we sing on a consistent basis(which our Ward does a lot), songs that no one has ever heard before.  I feel this especially during the Sacrament Hymn.  

I mentioned to the Elders a fun memory I have of when I was little and we used the have Junior Sunday School.

Our Sunday mornings started with the men going to Priesthood meeting early - around 8ish.  They would go home to get the family and then come back for Sunday School.  The Primary age children would go to Jr. Sunday School, have talks, the Sacrament, and a short lesson.  

After Sunday School, everyone would go home, and then come back again for Sacrament Meeting which would start later in the evening.  Again, we would partake of the Sacrament and then listen to talks that I always remember were way over my head.  Sacrament meeting lasted for 2 hours - and that was a long time for a kid 😴.  

What I was telling the Elders, though, was that this was where I learned to know and love our Sacrament hymns because we would sing them twice every Sunday. I love that our meeting schedule has evolved into what we have today that truly meets the needs of our worldwide members.  But somedays I do miss singing some of our great older Sacrament hymns.  

Honestly, this is what I felt like yesterday when I was having a hard time figuring out how to submit a link for a school assignment.  We were asked to create a 5 minute video regarding what vision we might have for our marriage in the future.  First of all, Dad and I  have been married for 48 years, and our future is probably much shorter that most of the other students in the class, so the assignment, itself, was fairly simple.  I recorded on Zoom, but then spent at least two hours trying to figure out how to find a link to submit - I even watched a demonstration on Youtube but couldn't make it work.  

Then came Kate to the rescue! 

She walked me through in 15 minutes what I had been trying to do for hours.  Thank you Kate!  Thank you for being home and not busy!  and thanks to Sayre, because I could hear him in the back ground, and he was hungry, but being patient.

I am so grateful to have kids, and a husband who are much more tech savvy than I 😘.

Speaking of vision - my vision for Saturday was to get to Jake and Lily's soccer games, take my pants that need to shortened to Lululemon, school work, and finish painting the bathroom.  I am so sad I didn't get anything but my class assignments done.  

I have been feeling a little under the weather the last three or four days - just a little headache (not a migraine) and a sad tummy.  I'm feeling better today, still have just a touch of the headache, but I think I'm on the mend.  Hopefully Jake and Lily will still have soccer games we can go to before the end of the season, and this week I am going to use every spare minute to finish the bathroom painting.  

Oh, and this Tuesday, Liberty plays Air Academy in Soccer.  Remember when Adam played soccer for Air Academy? Remember when we went to a game he was playing on his birthday? Remember it was raining that night? Remember when Dad got kicked out of the game?  And he walked home?

I had some fun adventures this week with granddaughters!  Went shopping with Eilis and Hollie for homecoming dresses.  Hollie found a cute skirt, and Eilis found a Halloween costume, but no dress.  I think she ended up borrowing from Emma, or maybe a friend.  Anyway, we already have a plan for next year, and we are going to get out earlier in the month.

Ben had to be in the photo too!

And, Samantha and I needed a little "retail therapy" this week, so she came down Friday after school and, yes, we went to the mall.  We browsed through my favorite store, Aivier, (they are closing and I am so sad) they just have lots of fun things for the house, and then went down to H&M.  We didn't see too much at H&M but we did buy matching heart necklaces, and then we went back to Aivier, and just had to make one purchase so I could have something that came from there.  Then on the way out a little throw blanket caught my eye, and Samantha said I should get it - thanks Sammi for being an enabler!  I got the blanket and a pillow that matched.  Then I went back yesterday and bought the other pillow - I didn't want to get both at the same time because it sounded like a lot of money, but if you split it up into two days it sounds a lot better.  One of my girls from my days in Young Women's was helping us and she said that was "ladies math" 😀 (sorry Cory)

We went to Panera after shopping and if you think this might look like a lot of food - that's because it is!  Sammi tried to order from the kiosk, but it said the order couldn't go through.  So we ordered at the front desk.  Then when we walked down to get our 

drinks they had her order ready from the Kiosk.  So we 

tried to cancel the order from the desk because Sammi's phone had said the order had not gone through to her bank, but Panera said that it had.  Anyway she ended up with two big bowls of mac'n cheese and bread.  We got a cup to put one of the orders in so she could take it to work the next day for lunch.  While I was trying to dish it into the cup a big chunk fell into her lemonade 😊.  I can only hope that she will go shopping with me again!

Our Missionary Moment

So happy for Elder Ellsworth, for his example of unselfish service, and for the many changes he is making in the lives of others.  His mission has gone by so quickly (at least to me).  He will be retuning home sometime around the 1st of December.  

I love our family. I love that you make us laugh and we find joy in you every day!  I couldn't finish today without a video - 

It's our turn!  Kim and I are officially back to school - we had our fist day this past Monday.  Kim is taking a Family History class this term as well as a Digital Media Art (or something like that - she has only told me the name about 50 times 😕).  I am taking a class called the Dynamics of Marriage.  I think I am really going to enjoy it - our text book is called The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, we use the Proclamation to the Family, and this past week we had to ready chapters from Elder Bednar's book, Increase in Learning.  We had to provide counsel to a couple on the principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities using a religious perspective, and a non-religious perspective (they call that being bilingual).  It is going to be a lot of writing, but I love what I am learning.  

Look who got to go fishing this week!  

And he caught a fish (or feesh as Jake would say)!!  Kevin spent all day Saturday on Lake George with Brother Welch and Bishop Ash.  He had a great time, but came home tired.  Bishop Ash has a fancy shmancy boat and a fish finder (I didn't know there was such a thing.  I think he goes fishing at least once a week, and usually tries to talk someone from the Ward into going with him.  If you haven't met Bishop Ash yet, next time you visit our Ward I will have to introduce you.  He is the best storyteller ever!

This reminds me of Jake telling his Mom how to catch a fish (feesh) 😁. I know I have posted this before, but it always makes me laugh ~

Tuesday this week was Soccer night for us.  We joined Cory, Lily, Sammi, and Jake to watch Lewis-Palmer (Paul), play against the Liberty team that Adam coaches.  Liberty won the game so Adam was happy.  Paul didn't get to play so he was sad, and rightly so.  He is a sophomore playing Varsity so of course the coach wanted the more experienced players in.  However, Paul is a super talented player, who plays with a lot of energy and control.  He was disappointed, but what a great life lesson - Don't give up on something you really love!  Keep working, and practicing, and your turn will come 💖

 

Back to Work

I have been substituting two days a week for the Registrar at Adam's school.  It's been fun and I'm glad I can help.  It is a good reminder though, of how blessed we are as a family.  Kids come in consistently needing to talk to their counselor, some with really sad family situations.  So glad I get to start my day with this 

Things that make me smile

Last night I got caught up in my photos which is one reason why this is a day late.  It was so fun though.  Thought I would share some ~

Such fun memories!  It makes me sad that these wonderful children have grown up so quickly.  But they all have grown into wonderful young men and women - and thankfully some are still growing.  I love you all so much!  You make me smile everyday!😁

September 10

 

 I loved my Primary class today.  When I got down to our room, the kids had moved their chairs over by the whiteboard and had left two chairs on the opposite side.  They told Kathy (the sister I teach with) and I that they were going to be the teachers today, and we were going to be the kids 😁.  Student take-over???

Maybe . . . But they were so excited so we told them to go ahead and be the teachers and they did such a great job.  You can tell how much they learned and remembered from their Come Follow Me at home this week.  They only needed help with a scripture reference and with spelling.  My favorite was the chart they made with Celestial as the Best, Terrestial as Good, and Telestial as OK.  

Family funnies from this week ~

Angella came over on Monday and shared hamburgers with us.  She showed us what happened when she tried to give Amos a haircut . . . Oops, it looks like one foot might be smaller than the other 😂.  Poor Amos!  It's good that our dogs and kids are so forgiving -

Blythe was taking a test in her history class and the teacher had told the kids that when they were done with their test they could use their phones.  So  - Blythe finished her test, put in her air pods, and proceeded to entertain(?) her class with Jingle Bell Rock(yes, she is already listening to Christmas music), because her air pods had not connected to her phone so the music was playing for everyone else to hear 😂.  This reminded me of our trip to London, and while we were waiting to get into the airbnb, she entertained us with song AND dance!

Grant brought this home from, I'm not sure where, but Kim says it's his new ride 😂. 

So this reminds me of the Summer he came to Colorado and spent time with me at School while I was finishing up the semester.  He loved the vacuum cleaner that attached to your back, driving my car in the Liberty parking lot, painting our old fence, and I actually have a video of him practicing with a wheel chair he found upstairs in the lobby -

There is never a dull moment -

 

This cute girl scored the first goal of the game on Saturday!  Way to go Lily!

 

Jake also scored during his game Saturday morning! 

Go PAUL!  Go LHS!

This Tuesday evening Paul will be playing against Adam's team - Lewis-Palmer vs. Liberty.  Who will I be cheering for?  BOTH!  😎

Ben learned how to ride his bike without training wheels this week with the help of big sister, Hollie.  Ben is so blessed to have such sweet and patient sisters!

Sayer and family made a trip to then nearby apple orchard a couple of weeks ago.  Remember when we lived in Spokane and every year we go to Green Bluff and pick the most delicious apples? and have apple cider?  Kate says they have the best apple cider doughnuts which I had never heard of before but sounds really good!

And by the way, both Kate and Jonathan were home with Covid this week! 😩

Last Thoughts

This past week in our Addiction Recovery class, we talked a little about how we sometimes live our lives in fear instead of relying on faith.  That thought has stayed with me throughout the week.  Because I am probably the best "worry-wart" ever (I got it from my Dad), I realize that I don't use my faith enough to get through those challenges that can take you by surprise.  This is my mission for the week - to walk in faith and trust in the Savior's Atonement and not worry so much about things that I can't control.