Elder S talked about tracting, hating the cold, missing paint-balling, hating the cold, practical jokes the missionaries played on each other, hating the cold.........
These sweet guys are welcome at our house anytime. God bless the missionaries and their families who willingly support them while they serve.My parents opened their 2nd mission call last night:
Uganda Kampala Mission.
It isn't clear what they will be doing there. They will leave in March and head back to Africa. I can't wait to read their blog posts.
Please keep them in your prayers.
1. My family.
2. My parents going on another mission (to Uganda!)
3. Going back to school.
4. Good grades.
5. Fran's Dark Chocolate Covered Salted Caramels (and Zuzu the Pirate who sends them to me).
6. Grandma S.'s cookbook (especially her recipe for Date Pinwheels which I am going to try for the first time this year.)
7. St. Lucia traditions (and Miss Morgan who introduced them).
8. Decorating Christmas Cookies the day after Thanksgiving (and my mom who started that one).
9. Kindred Spirits.
10. Every single one of my Cookies.
11. Every single one of my T-21 buddies.
13. Black Licorice and the memories of Grandpa S.
14. I'm healthy.
15. A ward choir that rocks!
16. A youth ward choir that rocks!
17. A sweetheart who loves me even after 18 years.
18. Teachers and aides who influence me kids for the better.
19. Great Scout leaders.
20. Asparagus in the spring, strawberries and raspberries in early summer, fresh corn and watermelon midsummer, peaches and pears late summer, pumpkin flavors in the fall, and all other good-for-me foods.
21. Reliable electricity, clean running water, and decent roads.
22. Mr. Wonderful's job and his willingness to work.
23. Mr. Wonderful's parents who raised boys (6 of them!) right.
24. Temples.
25. The Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and the Bible.
26. Creativity. My own and others who bless me with theirs.
27. The Love Magnet who teaches me to slow down and really enjoy the little things.
28. Singing I Am A Child Of God. I love that song.
29. Jane Austen's books.
30. Caring people.
31. Finding a jar of my Grandma's S's raspberry freezer jam just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. (Way to go, auntie M!)
32. Listening to the sounds of my children getting along with each other.
33. Spending a week alone with my sweetheart.
34. Date night.
35. Date night with one of my kids.
36. All those years of piano lessons.
37. An entire year where none of my children had to go to the emergency room. (YES!!!!)
38. The United States flag and everything it stands for.
39. Memories of Grandpa B, especially his gentle voice when he gave me my patriarchal blessing.
40. Food storage.
41. Stocked grocery stores with decent prices.
42. My sons' opportunities to play basketball, soccer, and swim leagues.
43. Living close enough to see my family for a weekend whenever I want.
44. Email
45. Really good neighbors.
46. Mr. Wonderful, especially when ignores my annoying quirks and praises my attempts at being a good wife and mother.
47. Mr. Wonderful for never failing to thank me for a meal I prepared in all of our 18 years of marriage.
48. Good, intelligent, clean movies. They are so very rare.
49. My son's willingness to help out.
50. That we aren't wanting for a single thing. We have everything we need.
Tonight I am so very grateful for a big Stake Choir working on Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. I absolutely adore directing big choirs, especially when singing one of my all-time favorite songs. Especially ones who put up with me. Those poor altos are overwhelmed right now. I dearly wish I had my sister singing with them. As it is, I have a section practice planned that will set things to rights. The choir sounds marvelous for the most part. And I get to see some dear faces from my old ward.
Yet another gratitude for my Young Men/Young Women's Choir. I had 18 teens who showed up at my house today. We worked on three songs, talked a bit about the difference between criticizing and critiquing, and inhaled a double batch of brown sugar cookies. I am so grateful for these kids and their willingness to learn something outside of their comfort zone.
I am grateful that The Love Magnet is finally feeling better. As soon as I got home from my 4th (!) choir practice of the day, she ran up to me and told me to feel her forehead. No fever! And look, Mom, no stuffy nose! No chappy lips! She is so excited to go to school tomorrow. Now if I could just get Thirdborn and Mr. Wonderful feeling better. I hope Firstborn and Secondborn do not get sick just in time for Thanksgiving.
A sweet gratitude for Zuzu The Pirate for sending me a box of Fran's Salted Dark Chocolate Caramels to get me through my crazy week. You, my dear pirate, are an absolute darling. I shall repay you in kind.
A pen-pal from my elementary years, who became one of my best friends and kindred spirit, suggested that her firstborn and my Thirdborn become pen-pals. I'm so grateful for this opportunity. My son will find the joys of getting snail mail, have the benefit writing about his life, and hopefully it will stick around and long and strong and my friendship with Gingersnap. Much love to you my dear, sweet friend.
This morning while I chauffeured the kids to school.I was making a comment to Dandelion Mama about how I relied on HT's when I realized that I never told those stories here.
Home Teachers are assigned to each family in the ward. You can find out more about the role of home teachers here.
I've had to rely on my home teachers many times throughout the years, especially when Mr. Wonderful was out of town, usually in the form of giving blessings to my sick children. One night is was for something much more.....well, more Hollywood stuntman worthy.
It was midnight when I heard calls for help. Secondborn (who was 10 at the time) was in the bathroom. Some how the doorknob on the bathroom broke and he couldn't open the door. I was unclear if he had locked the door before it broke.
I called Mr. Wonderful, who was out of town. He tried to walk us through taking the doorknob off the door. It wasn't rocket science, I know, but that doorknob would not come off. We tried sliding tools under the door for Secondborn. Nope. Firstborn joked that Secondborn would have to live in the bathroom. At least there was running water and we could slide sandwiches and crackers under the door. He could sleep in the bathtub. Secondborn began to panic with thoughts of eternal porcelain detention.
I broke down and called my Home Teacher around 1 a.m. I didn't want to call so late. But this is what Home Teachers are for - they help whenever it's needed. One of my home teachers arrived with his wife. I know she was there there to preserve the propriety of his coming over so early in the morning without my husband there. But Home Teacher also claimed that his wife had mad skills of opening doors with credit cards. She tried to demonstrate on our bathroom door. Mad skills obviously weren't going to help. Home Teacher's wife then locked the bedroom door to prove her mad skills and repair her reputation of being able to break in anywhere.
Home teacher took up the tools and worked on door knob. He tried to talk Secondborn through removing the door hinges. After an hour of futility, he asked permission to do the only thing he had left in his talent arsenal. He told Secondborn to climb in the tub and cover his head.
Mr. Blackbelt kicked down the door.
Applause and cheering all around. My boys were swooning with hero worship. Thirdborn yelled "This is better than ninjas!" I was floored. Somehow the door was still intact (although on the floor) and only minor damage to the door frame. Secondborn was so relieved to be released from the bathroom.
We thanked our home teacher and his wife profusely as they left. I finally tucked the kids in bed. The next day we made fresh orange rolls to take to our home teacher. Their house was quiet, we assumed they were still sleeping and left the basket on the porch with a thank you note.
Ever since, home teachers have retained a hero status in our home. God bless the home teachers.
PS: Go to Dandelion Mama's site. She sells the cutest quilting patterns on Etsy. And she draws and paints. She is one of those creative artsy people I wish I could be. One of these days I would love to meet her in person and give her a hug.
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