A much-needed update

Let's start with the dogs, shall we?

Samson:  needs a haircut.  Won't stay out of the kitchen.  Still the best nap companion anyone could wish for.  Lives for walks and dances in circles when he's fed.

Oscar:  needs a haircut.  Won't stay out of the kitchen.  Gets very confused and doesn't know what to do when there isn't a space on the couch for him.  Lives for walks and FETCH!  (He kinda goes berserk for it).

Cushing pool:  will be opened soon.  We wanted to open it yesterday, but instead we got some rain and wind.  Right now Jason is draining off the big puddle from the top of the cover.  

Family garden:  is doing pretty well so far!  We have eaten spinach and cilantro from it, and one teeny tiny strawberry.  The kale, lettuce, radishes, peppers, roma tomatoes, and zucchini are giving it a go!  We'll see what happens when it starts to get very hot.  And I am ECSTATIC by all the apricots on the trees!

Jason went to:  an Orioles game this week during his work trip on the east coast.  He didn't eat great that week, nothing memorable (I like to ask), but he DID get to watch the Orioles in a luxury suite!  Fun!!!

Wade: finished his History project early (Hurray!).  He aged paper, painted some rolling pins bright red, and then taped the paper to the rolling pins to make a scroll of sorts.  Then he wrote fake journal entries on it from the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.  It turned out great, and his mom hardly laid a finger on it.  You can't say that for a lot of the history/science projects that kids hand in nowadays.

Wade: also went on a fun Boy Scout campout Friday night up to Kennedy Meadows.  There are 9 boys in his group and 7 were able to go, with 4 adults.  I had to laugh when I pulled up to the church parking lot--I've never seen so many bags of chips, Doritos, and treats, haha!  They are having a good time in Scouts and learning a lot.  

Rhiannon: can go on a date in 30 days.  She is pretty excited about that.  (So is Mom; Dad is not. Boys are evil.) She's still plugging along on her drivers ed course online, so, no, she won't be driving on her birthday, but she's working on it.  We were SUPER proud of her efforts in school this past quarter--so far she has all A's and a B. 

Rhiannon also: ROCKED at yesterday's piano recital.  So happy for her!  Months and months and months of practice time into that performance, and she did a fantastic job.  (Video coming soon).

(Coolest blogging pause ever:  Just picked up a FaceTime call from Logan and Amy and their family in HUNGARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Technology is the coolest thing ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Just for fun:  Rhiannon, Wade, and I went to the Cerro Coso Community College band concert on Thursday night to see some friends in it.  It was SO GOOD!!!  

A week in: and I'm very, very, very slowly learning the ins and outs and ups and downs of my new calling at church as stake Young Women president.  Pray for me with youth conference happening in less than 2 weeks.  Nothing like jumping right in, I guess!  My composure varies by the day--sometimes I'm cool and easy-breezy; other times I am completely, utterly overwhelmed.

Life is good.  We are happy and healthy and hanging in there! 

Spiritual gifts

I've finished preparing for my talk on Sunday--it's on recognizing, strengthening, and gaining more spiritual gifts.  One of the resources I used was an article by Elder Robert D. Hales, in the February 2002 Ensign, where he talks about spiritual gifts and why they're important.  One major reason, he said, is that spiritual gifts help us weather the storms of life.

This morning I saw a Facebook post by a college friend Leanna.  Leanna is a couple years older than me, with two small girls.  She just found out that her cancer has returned with a vengeance and is inoperable, giving her about 6 months to live.  In the middle of her second pregnancy, she found out about the cancer and had her baby early so that she could get the chemotherapy treatments.  I listened to an audiorecording of her feelings on this diagnosis and of the peace that she feels because of priesthood blessings and knowing about God's plan of salvation.  Leanna plans to try some holistic medicine and other therapies and feels the Lord's help in all that she does--she recognizes the many angels around her, helping her and her family.  I was very touched when she said that she knows her mission on earth is not finished, but she accepts that it will come, someday, in God's time.

It was super, super inspiring to hear her calm, clear voice, enthusiastic and happy about what lies ahead of her.  The only time she got emotional was when she talked about the prayers of so many people around the world helping her.

I thought about this talk on spiritual gifts, and how my friend Leanna definitely feels the power and strength of many of them right now as she weathers this big storm in her life!

I'm grateful for this, for the truth in Elder Scott's words:  "Heavenly Father did not put on the earth to fail, but to succeed gloriously."