Firsts

This was a weekend of firsts. Stephanie went on her first date! She went with one of her best friend's older brother's. (Brother to the friend she saw at BYU, Katie). A very nice, Utah-mormon family--not from Utah. It was a good date, one I hope she will hold as a standard for dates to come. Especially because I am sure she will date non-members. She seems to enjoy the idea that dating is for fun, "friends getting together to do something fun" not dating to find a steady partner. This could change as she dates more; or less and wants to date more. But for now she can enjoy having fun with friends. I wish I had understood the concept when I was her age. Poor Darrell.
Nathan was ordained President of the Deacon's quorum today. The past week was interesting to be able to guide him in choosing his counselors; to watch the process. "I don't think Joe and Timmy will get along if I chose them for my counselors." (They already DO NOT get along.)
Stuart was ordained an Elder and gave his first blessings the day before school started. The blessings he gave us were simple, basic, and tender. He cried more with each successive blessing as he felt and understood the promptings of the Spirit. Truthfully, expected the blessings to be very similar because of his inexperience. They were unique to each of us. (Oh, me of little faith.).

AMBER ALERT!!!!!!

HAVE YOU SEEN ME?

NAME: The Crazy Lady
FROM: Escondido, California
DATE MISSING: Monday, July 28 2008
LAST SEEN: "Utah Vacation"
DATE OF BIRTH: September 6
AGE: not too old and younger than her age
HEIGHT: taller than Leighann but shorter than Lynette
HAIR: brown
SEX: probably...she has four kids!
WEIGHT: none of your business...skinny...that is all you need to know
EYES: hazely green
DESCRIPTIVE FEATURES: Double jointed knees, pencil lead in eye brown, no ear piercings or any other bodily piercings (that I know of)

If you have any information or know where she might be please contact us immediately. She has been know to frequent other blogs, leaving comments but her specific whereabouts are unknown.

REWARD: A generous reward has been offered by her parents of salt, garden fresh vegetable, family group sheet and insect identification. If found blogging fresh homemade bread is included with the aforementioned reward.

I was just thinking

This summer I had a chance to do some things I haven't been able to do in quite a long time. Seemed like forever!!! I planted a garden and did some sewing. These two activities made me think about when I had more time for these things...like when my kids were small...like when I wasn't in school. Then I thought about all my sisters and how they are living their lives right now. Although I felt, I know that what I am doing right now is the right thing for me. Aside from that, I could see how "back in the day I was raising my family" and they (my sisters) were going to school, I was finding all kinds of great recipes and doing all kinds of fun things with my kids, and my sisters were making meals from a box (remember the mac and cheese?) and going nowhere for any length of time. Now I cook meals from a box, or the kids do, we go nowhere for any length of time and my kids pretty much are on thier own. Meanwhile, my sisters are finding all kinds of great recipes and doing all kinds of fun things with their kids. Just something I have been thinking about. I can't wait to get back to having time to do some fun stuff.

All I can say in a minute

School has started. Stuart says he wants to go back to school! We were assigned 300 pages to read for one of my classes-due Monday morning!!! Stephanie loves her biology class and Nathan is feeling pretty secure about getting around the school now. He doesn't have the normal 7th grade schedule. He goes to the eighth grade house for math and science so he travels around the school throughout the day instead of staying in the 7th grade house all day. I knew he'd do fine. All four of my kids have given talks within the last month and I've been told they did a good job. I thought they did, but I'm the mom, I think they are the best.
Sunday, Patrick finally told me that he is preparing for a mission within the next year! He plans to be leaving the end of next summer. Then, Wednesday, Stuart had an appointment with the bishop. He has also started preparing to leave on a mission within the next year! I am soooo excited that this is their desire. I am not sure how I will be able to help them pay for it though since Paul got over half of the money that was set aside for their missions. times up I have homework to do.

I now have a gallery

I have just figured out how to make photo albums so I can share my pictures with everyone too. Ahh, I just realized I don't know how to connectd my albums to my blog page. Maybe cause it's 3:00 in the morning. I'll try again tomorrow after church. That is if I don't loose it out there in www land somewhere .

All those blogs

Wow, I am really impressed with the blogs I am seeing--and hearing. The music is neat, some day I'll figure how to make my blog more interesting.
The first blog I know about was from Lori, so I have to say--look what ya started. It's so neat to see the family chatting and I really have enjoyed all the pictures. Being so far away from everyone I know I miss out on A LOT so it is really great to see everyone in the pictures you have posted. I want to learn how to do that too.
Since I finished my summer classes, I have dug up all my unwanted iris' and gave them away on free cycle. (Again thanks to Lori for the connection with that group) I am in the process of getting rid of all my unwanted lillies. The ultimate goal is to find enough room around my yard to have a garden here instead of 2 miles away in the community plots. It takes too much time to run out there everyday to pick peas, beans and zuccini. I'll probably still use those plots to plan corn and carrots; the things that don't need much attention. So far I have found 198 square feet. I'm hoping my raspberries and asparagas will produce next year. My rhubarb did great and this is only the first full year it has been in the ground.
I found someone to rebuild the porch on the rental side of my house. It became an immediate must do when a friend's foot went through the floor! This handyman is also going to scrape and paint the house. I might even be able to get him to finish the repairs IN the apartment so I can get it rented out this year. The rent will sure be nice. I have been fore warned, the handyman is a drinker and doesn't always show up when he says he will and he seems to always need a little more of his pay--to buy gas. He does good work when he works. He rebuilt the porch in one day. Then he got "sick" for the next 2 days.
Next Tuesday, Stephanie, me, my assistant camp director and ten girls from our ward are going to girls camp. The theme for this year is Step forward and take your place: Spiritual bootcamp. I found some green camaflauge with silver sparkles for the camp shorts. So, the assistant camp directer and I made shorts for all the girls for "ward spirit day." I'll have to post a picture of us all in our shorts, sparkles, decals and all. Steph is a fourth year camper so she is doing the special overnight. The fourth year girls paddle out to the island and spend the night doing some reflecting and testimony building.

Feels so good

Yesterday was a great day for us. Stuart was ordained an Elder, and, of course, given the Melchezideck Priesthood. It feels so good to have the Priesthood in my home again.
Patrick was ordained an Elder the Sunday before he went to the hospital the first time back in May.
It is so good to see them progressing in the gospel after all the ups and downs they have gone through with the gospel in their lifes.
Patrick also got his Patriarchal Blessing last fast sunday. I know he felt the spirit witness things to him a couple of times during the blessing because of the things we talked about on the way home from his appointment with the Patriarch. All I can really say is -I am going to be a grandma. (NOT IN THE NEAR FUTURE) He has things to do first.
During our talk on the way home he said he felt for a long time that Paul was not the only one I would marry. That surprised me because I don't think he has ever read my blessing, and that is something I have felt for many many years. Right now I am pondering how I can head the admonition to "remember [my] first and primary responsibility rests in the home as a mother" and still go to school because now I need to provide for my kids. Somethings are so confusing.
As for the relax/don't work so hard...The kids and I went camping for the fourth of July. It was really nice, I could have spent another day or so. I didn't get any of the things done that I should have (homework). I just sat around the camp site and visited with a friend. Today I should have spent the day studying for tomorrow's test. Instead I spent 2 hours in my garden, did some home work at that same friend's (I needed to play some phonics games with her kids) then I tried to study but spent the last few hours weeding my flowerbeds. I don't know if it was relaxing or not. The gardening should have been but I kept thinking about the test I should have been studying for. Like I have heard it said, everything gets more important than finals. Oh well, I have all night. hehehe