Orchestra Performance

It has been a busy week!  Last night was extra busy, as Cadi was double-booked.  She began at her school for an orchestra performance, then we raced over to the church for her to attend Camp Psyche Night... and now she's psyhed!  lol  Actually, she already was. ;)

I will now share with you her orchestra performance.  It was great!  They did a fantastic job!  But first, let me clarify that this was not a concert.  This was a performance that took place during a showcase evening and people were invited to "hang around" to watch/listen.  At the same time, however, other things were going on in the room, such as desserts being sold.  So, the backround noise (and people getting up and walking right near the orchestra while they were performing) is not totally rude and uncalled for, it is just the way the evening was designed.

Also, I am happy to announce that this will be my final video made using our nice little Sony Handycam.  We have just upgraded to an HD camcorder and I'm excited to have better quality videos in the future!  If you're curious, here is a link to the camcorder we purchased.

And now, Acadia's Orchestra Performance:

New link in the sidebar...

If you'll kindly check out the newest link in my sidebar, it will take you to a page that has several Yosemite webcams.  (Although, at the time of my posting this, there isn't much to see since it is after dark at the moment. lol)  This may be of interest as that is where I will be next week! :)  I'm excited!  But in the meantime, I am busy!  Much to do before we can go! :)

Confidence

I've never had a lot of it. Occasionally, I realize a strength or talent in me and I try to embrace it. I allow myself to believe in it. And then I do feel confident. But with most things, at least regarding me and my abilities, I struggle to feel confident.

I am confident in my faith. I am confident in my God and His spirit when it promtps me to do something. I am confident in my husband, family, and friends. But I lack confidence in me in so many areas. So, I'm working on that.

Lately, I've been working on my health/body. I make sacrifices, work hard, focus on my goals, and I'm getting results. I'm not skinny yet. lol I may never be skinny. That's okay. But I am beginning to feel confident in the changes I've made. I am beginning to feel confident in how I am changing my body.

A couple of months ago, I did something kind of stupid. Except, I don't think it was stupid. I bought a pair of capris that were super cute but too small. I used them as an incentive. I wanted to fit into them. Today I am wearing those capris - they fit perfectly and I feel awesome! I need to go buy another pair of too small pants now. lol

Another area I'm tring to work on building my confidence in is photography. I love photography. I am not educated or experienced in it, I just like it a lot. I think I've got a little bit of a talent for it, so I'm trying to develop that, make it into something bigger and better.

This week, my cousin, Sami, asked me to take her Senior Portraits. I was excited, but nervous - I didn't know what I was doing. I was totally faking it! But I figured, she knew that, so I just kept faking it until we finished up and you know what? They turned out pretty good! Not as great as if I knew what I was doing. Not as great as they would if I really understood how to use aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, but they were good enough that she was very happy and today I got the announcement she sent out with the pics she chose... and they look pretty dang good!

And now, I'm preparing to head out to take her step-brother's senior portraits this evening. I still feel nervous, and I'll still fake it, but if I keep trying and keep practicing, I am confident that I'll get better and one day, I'll feel confidence everytime I aim my lens in someone's direction. ;)

I think it's good to be humble.  I also think it's good to work on improving ourselves.   And I think that it is good to feel confident in yourself and the things you work hard to accomplish. 

Seedlings!

I was out watering my garden this evening and spotted little carrot and little cucumber seedlings poking up out of the dirt. Some of my garden began as seedlings I bought from the nursery, but some began as seeds, and it is so rewarding to plant tiny seeds (which are so lifeless when you plant them) and watch them grow up out of the ground into a plant which will continue on to eventually grow food. So cool... I love it! :)

It's so comforting to know that BlogThings thinks so, too. ;)

You Are Soul Mates

You're in this relationship for the long haul, and it's almost certain that your sweetie is too. Everyone agrees that the two of you are perfect for one another. You were meant to be together. While you and your partner are a good match, you still work hard for what you've got. You are big on respect, communication, and unconditional love. You want this relationship to last forever.

Are You With Your Soul Mate?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

But it is true. :)  I love my Blue. <3

Spring is springing!

It's been a cool spring so far, so everything is a little late blooming, but we're getting there!  And it's getting nicer and nicer each week. :)

Last week I took some pics of some of my flowers right after a little rain shower. 

Geraniums I just potted on my back deck:

Lilacs beginning to bloom in the backyard:

Lilacs beginning to bloom in the front yard:

I promised a friend I would take pics of my backyard and post them.  The backyard is still not perfect, a total work in progress, but I will take the pics this week since the weather should be nice.  Stay tuned... :)

Talents

Two weeks ago, I was released as the Relief Society President in my ward.  One of the sisters in the ward asked me my favorite color at the end of our meetings and yesterday I found out why...

Isn't it cute?!?  She made it for me as a thank you for my time serving the ward!  I LOVE it!  You can't tell from the pic, but the white portion is a series of nice sized pockets and the inside is lined the same!  I. Love. This. Purse! 

Yesterday's RS lesson was about talents.  About a year ago, I shared another friend's thoughtful and unexpected gift, too.  Some people just have a talent of friendship and combine it with thoughtfulness and creativity to make other's feel loved.  I have benefited from that kind of talent many times.  I am so grateful for these friends, for their examples their kindness and generosity. 

It makes me want to be that kind of friend.  Susan C., thank you, so, so much!  The handbag is awesome and I love it, but your friendship is even better. :)

Funnies

I need to post this stuff before I forget it...

• Earlier this week, Rori informed me that when she turns five... she will be old!  I asked, "Five year olds are old?"  "Yep!"  "Does that mean that Gracie is old?"  "Yep!  And Ellie."  "What about Cadi?  What are 11 year olds?"  "Old."  "What about Mom?"  "Old."  "And Dad?"  "He's old."  "All of your friends are old?"  "Yep, but I'm not going to tell them that."  "Why?"  "They might be sad or mad."  "But you just told me that I'm old, what if I feel sad or mad?"  "It's okay Mom, I like you old." 
• Tonight Ryan started teasing Cadi, I can't remember how it started, but it ended with him saying that she wasn't our child, we got her from aliens.  And then he said, "We got you at an alien garage sale."  LOL (Maybe you had to be there, but we thought it was hilarious - the way he said it, lol, it was awesome. lol) She didn't think it was as funny as we did.  So, then he tried to make it up to her, "I love my alien garage sale daughter.  She's my AGSD!"... Somehow, that didn't make her think it was any more funny than before. lol
• We told the girls that they needed to go to bed.  As they are leaving the room, Rori's hanging her head.  But she calls out, "I'm not pouting!"  lol  Can you tell she's been getting in trouble for that lately? ;)

Swimming Lesson FAIL

This morning, I got Rori all suited up and headed to the community center for swimming lessons just like we have every Monday since September.  She's doing awesome and is in the highest level she can be in for her age group.  She loves swimming lessons and has a great teacher.  As we waited on deck for her name to be called, it wasn't.  ???  I have her scheduled and paid for through July!  What's up?

Oh. wait.  I had to put her into the 9:30 class and we were standing there at 10:05 instead.  Oops.  I totally forgot about the time change.

Swimming lesson FAIL!

Rori was very disappointed.  So, as we were changing back to go home, I told her that I was sorry she was having to miss lessons today, that it was my fault, and that we could get a treat for her instead.  Immediately, she brightened up and asked for a puppy!!!

LOL  Way to try to take advantage of THAT situation, kid!  But no.  I was thinking more along the lines of an ice cream cone. lol

In the end, she didn't want anything.  I guess if you can't have a puppy, nothing else matters. ;)  So, she's home watching a movie now.  lol

Mother's Day

This year's Mother's Day was so awesome!  It started out with a special gift to me when I had a really low weigh-in!  Sweet!  And then I proceeded to eat whatever I wanted because - hello, it was Mother's Day, so I'm sure that number has backed up a little. ;)

My sweet family made me breakfast in bed, which was delicious!  Ryan had to run off to a Bishopric Meeting before church, so Acadia got Rori ready for church all by herself.  And she did great - Rori looked cute, complete with hair brushed and a pretty flower in her hair. :)

The girls sang, along with the other primary children, in Sacrament Meeting.  This will be Cadi's final year singing to me from Primary!  Bitter sweet.  And then, the brethren gave us chocolate. :)  They are wise. ;)  And for the first time in 7 1/2 years, I attended church without being in an auxilliary presidency.  I just showed up and enjoyed it!  And it felt awesome!  I even took a cute matching purse, instead of my usually 20+ pound bag with binders/manuals/etc. lol

After church, I admit, I didn't just relax while everyone else worked, I was working with them, but that was awesome.  We had invited my aunt and her family over for dinner.  She always hosts everyone for every occasion, I really wanted her to have the day completely off!  So, we hosted and asked them just to come and enjoy.  And they did! :)  I prepped all the food Saturday night so I wouldn't be slaving in the kitchn on Sunday, and we cleaned the house on Saturday, too.  But we did need to clean off the deck since the weather was cooperating (mostly).

Dinner was really good - we made Gourmet Dads' Juicy Lucy burgers, hotdogs, Manderin Couscous Salad, Baked Beans with Pineapple, Ryan's New York Style Cheesecake, and I made a new Strawberry Cake recipe.  It was all delicious!  The weather was nice for most of the time and we enjoyed dinner out on the deck.  Then we came inside for games and dessert, and topped it all off back outside at the firepit for s'mores, even though it was raining by then. lol 

We loved having the family over.  I loved it because it took my focus off of me.  If they hadn't come, I would have laid around and demanded that my family do everything for me.  But since my goal was to give my aunt a great Mother's Day, I was HAPPY to be cooking and cleaning.  I really think that is what made this Mother's Day so wonderful for me.  I just loved every minute! :)

I only wish I could have spent it with my mom, too.  She is awesome and does so much for others.  I know my siblings took care of her though, and that makes me grateful and happy.  I'm looking forward to seeing her in less than three weeks though, and that will be awesome! :)

Rori Funny

I was making dinner and Rori told me she didn't want what I was making, she wanted to eat something else - she asked for Spaghetti-Os.  I was tired and honestly didn't care since it was just she and I anyway due to Cadi attending a b-day party and Ryan working on a friend's car.  So, she hauls out the Spaghetti-Os while I continue to work away on dinner.  As she leaves the kitchen, she says, "I love you, Mom, you're such a good cook."

LOL

Am I the only one who thinks that's hilarious?  I'm not sure if she is saying that I'm a good cook because I said I'd make her Spaghetti-Os or if she feels bad for rejecting my real cooking for some crud out of a can and is trying to make me feel better.  Either way, it made me laugh out loud. lol

By Small and Simple Things Are Great Things Brought to Pass

Last week, my friends and I ran away for a few days for a road trip to Provo, UT to attend Women's Conference at BYU.  It was my second time going and I loved it as much as last year.  We have such a good time!  It is wonderful to go to this huge conference with thousands of other women, sing with hundreds of them in the "instant" choir, attend several classes that have been prayerfully prepared to spiritually uplift and inspire, participate in humanitarian projects, meet new friends, and strengthen bonds with the ones you came with.  We laugh A LOT!  We (I) cry A LOT!  It is a wonderful, WONDERFUL few days and I love it! 

I am so grateful that Ryan is so supportive of me going.  He takes time off, holds down the fort, and encourages me to go because he knows how much I love it.  I am so grateful for the friends that I go with.  We have great conversations, share thoughts and insights, and make each moment totally fun! 

I took a lot of pics (surprise, surprise) and I'm going to share a bunch of them here... brace yourselves. ;)

The drive there:

We left in the wee hours of the morning.  Ugh.  But it's nice to get on the road and start so early because then we get in at a decent hour and can take some time preparing for the conference to begin the next morning.  The drive was very pretty, it was especially nice watching the sunrise.

We like to sing in the choir, which is totally fun because you have to get up extra early to go to the one and only practice.  It's totally worth it - it's awesome to participate.  We like to wear matching shirts so we can spot ourselves easily if we managed to get on camera. lol  This year we used the same shirts we bought for last year, but we're planning on getting new shirts for next year.  The orange was fun though, and it matched the colors that went a long with this year's theme. ;)  The opening session's speaker was Virginia H. Pearce.  I love her!  She introduced the theme: By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

All of the classes are fantastic and it's hard to get a bad class.  We were especially lucky though and got into one of the hardest classes to get into!  We're talking none other than John Bytheway!  Who doesn't love John Bytheway???  (And after the class he was lingering, talking to people so we went up and had our picture taken with him. :D )  He and his wife were great!   They spoke about cleaving unto the covenants we have made.  We also attended a class taught by Ruth W. Hill and Michael Wilcox about scripture heroines that I really enjoyed (even though Sariah wasn't among the ones highlighted, lol).  And then we attended a class about helping our youth as they transition to dating.  We went because Susan's daughter just turned 16, but all of us really enjoyed it and found it helpful.  The final session of the day was about the Legacy of the Relief Society, taught by Brother and Sister Tanner.  I really liked something that Sister Tanner said, that it is our turn to live up to our priviledge; it is our turn to add our story to Relief Society's history. :)

After the afternoon session, we hurried over to spend some time helping with the humanitarian efforts.  There are so many projects that go on during these couple of days!  We chose to help assemble hygiene kits.  Our table alone would finish 1600 kits during the two hours between the afternoon session and the evening's concert.  That, combined with the other tables, would make the total 16,000 hygiene kits!  Plus, there were other stations assembling newborn baby kits, and others assembling back-to-school kits.  Other areas on campus were making fleece blankets, others tying quilts, others making stockings, and there were many who took make-and-take projects to crochet scarves, shawls, baby caps, etc to work on during the talks and return at the end of the day.  A LOT of good gets done during this short amount of time.  When so many people are willing to pitch in just a little bit, great things do come to pass.

After about an hour, we left the humanitarian efforts to get some grub and get in line for the concert.  Along the way, we stopped for a couple of pictures.  We like walking along this little waterway because there are always baby ducks to watch.  So cute!!!

The concert this year was FANTASTIC!!!  I loved EVERY moment!  Everyone was great, every song was awesome!  I LOVED IT!!!

Kirby Heyborne was the host this year, and he was great!  He told just the right amount of jokes and sang a funny song he wrote about Sherry Dew.  David Osmond was so fun!  He was singing to an old lady in the front row - and she grabbed his face AND KISSED HIM!!!  ROFL!!!  He was like, "Um, my wife is sitting over there (pointing to the other side of the front section), and I'm thinking that right now it will be safer for me to stay on this side."  That lady was so funny!  lol... still makes me laugh! 

Another performer was Hilary Weeks - who I absolutely LOVE!  She said something that night that really struck me, and I think it's the one thing that stood out to me the most during the entire conference.  She told about an experience she had with her daughter where she realized that she will have eternity to know her as an adult, but she only has these precious few years to know her as a child.  It was something I think I needed to hear, I had never thought of it that way.  It made me want to value and treasure these moments with my girls more than ever before.  :)

Other performers that night:  Josh Wright.  I had never heard him before but let me tell you, he literally took my breath away.  He is a pianist and played a piece (I don't remember the name!) that had me holding my breath.  It shouldn't be physically possible to be able to move your fingers as quickly and accurately as he was!  At the end, I couldn't help but shoot to my feet - I think it was the one and only standing ovation of the night! - and it was like gasping for breath, all of a sudden I realized I wasn't breathing.  He was that good!  Another amazing performer was Jenny Oaks Baker, a violinist.  She was fantastic, too.  I wish Cadi could have heard her.  She made that violin SING!  And at one point, she and Josh Wright played together a duet, "Baby Mine".  It was really beautiful.  Two other performers were brought out for just one song each, to debut a new cd, "Women of Hope" which is made up of various female artists.  April Meservy was first, our family loves her music!  And then Cherie Call.  They were really great songs but the performances were pretty quick and then the concert moved on to the final performers, an acapella group, Vocal Pointe.  They were so fun!  I would love to get their cd, but even more, I'd love a dvd of their performances because they dance and choreograph so well that it's just as great as the music!  They were a blast!

Didn't we totally get great seats?  Made it super easy to get such great pics! :)

After the concert, we headed up to leave and as we exited the Marriot Center, Josh Wright was passing right by us, so I grabbed him and Christi took a picture of us.  Moments later, it was David Osmond!  And then, the one I really wanted to meet, Hilary Weeks!  It was so great!  So, they might not be the best pics of me (it was the end of a very long day), but I have to share! ...

The second day didn't start quite so early since there was no Instant Choir, that was really nice. lol  The opening speaker was Julie Beck, she talked about who we are and what our purpose is.  (Individually and collectively as members of Relief Society.)  We have a place in this work.  I liked this quote (might not be exactly word for word), "Until the history of who you are is in your hearts, you won't be as strong as you could be."

The first class we chose after that was about preventing our strengths from becoming our downfall.  After that, we went to hear a session about visiting teaching, one of the presenters was Mary Ellen Edmunds - we LOVE her!  She said, "So many miracles are waiting beyond the statistics."  She is always hilarious, we laughed a lot during her talk.  The other class we chose to attend was called "I did frankly forgive them." and it was really good.  It was taught by Brother and Sister Osguthorpe and they talked about how we can develop a forgiving heart.

The closing session was one we were very excited for, Elder Bednar and his wife spoke!  He talked about spiritual patterns of small and simple things, reminding us that measured steadiness is better and more effective than spurts of excess which then requires periods of rest to recover.  Become intelligent drip irrigators and avoid spurting. lol

And just like that, it was over!  The time just flies by!  After the closing session, we finished up some shopping business on campus, then headed out to meet up with a blog friend of mine, Klin.  I was SO EXCITED to meet her!!!  And in my excitement, I left my camera in the car.  Lame.  But she had one, so her daughter took this picture of us:

Klin is just as great in person as she is on her blog and on FaceBook.  I really wish we had more time to really visit. :S  But it was so great to meet her!!!  And I'm extra excited for her because yesterday she became a grandma for the first time!  Yay!!!  Congratulations Klin! :)

Early the next morning (but not quite so early as the morning we left Vancouver), we were up and getting ready to head out.  We thought it looked kind of bright for the hour, so we looked outside and found that Utah was giving us a real send-off! 

But it turns out this was the worst of it, at least for us.  Once we passed SLC, everything was smooth sailing, and even bright and beautiful! :)

No matter how great the trip, no matter how much fun you have and how much you love it, it is always good to be back home!  We love driving through the gorge, seeing familiar landscapes, our backyard that we love so much.  We love coming back to our husbands and children!  We even love getting back to normal life, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. 

I can't speak for my friends, but for me, it isn't about running away from my family or my life.  It's just about taking a break to refill my bucket.  I never really want to leave my husband, and I don't even really want to leave my kids.  But this annual trip is so precious to me.  By going, even though I really miss them while I'm gone, I am able to come back a better wife and mom.  I feel so blessed to have been able to go and I am already looking forward to next year! :)

Exhausted

That would be me.  I'm so tired!  I crashed on the couch for a power nap and it felt awesome! 

I was talking to a friend and she said that it's like that after a mission too; you get home and just want to sleep for a week.  It could also be from traveling last week.  Whatever the reason, it's wiping me out!

My calling was not often physically demanding (besides running from one meeting to another some days, and of course carrying around a 20+ pound bag every Sunday, lol), yet I feel completely spent now that it has come to an end.  I feel like my body is recouping.  I wasn't expecting this.  I guess even though the burden wasn't physical, it was still there - and heavy!  Now it's time for a rest, I guess.

I am grateful for the time I had to serve this way.  I have learned a lot.  I really hope, though, that I get another chance someday.  A chance to do a better job.  Maybe when my kids are grown and I have more time and flexibility.  I always struggled with that. 

One of the things I learned was that I don't need to be afraid of anything the Lord asks me to do - whether it is in regards to a calling or just in life.  As I look back on the last 3 years, my very favorite moments were the moments that I was most terrified of.  And I don't say "favorite" because I was so happy that they happened, but that they were the moments where the spirit was the strongest, I was sure in my calling and what the Lord wanted me to do, I was blessed incredibly by the experiences of what took place.  When I think of other things that scare me, I think of these moments and how rewarding they were and how I still learn from them. 

I also learned other things:

• It is okay to be who you are, even if you think who you are doesn't fit the role of the call, because the Lord calls you for who you are, and who you are - your personality, strengths, and weaknesses - are what He needs. 
• One cannot pray enough.  And kneeling to pray makes a huge difference.  You may not understand how it can, but it really, truly makes a difference.
• The temple is somewhere I need to be regularly.  It was a place of peace and refuge for me.  I felt the Lord's love there and I was reminded of covenants I have made to serve Him.  I didn't always receive answers while in the temple, but I believe many of the answers I received were because I had petitioned the Lord in the temple.
• If I am willing to serve the Lord, He is going to give me opportunities to do that.  If I want to prove myself to the Lord, He will give me the chance(s) to do it.  If I want to be strong spiritually, it requires sacrifice and going through challenging experiences.  Basically, if I want a certain result, I need to be willing to pay the price.  (So be careful of what you pray for! lol)  I do want to be strong spiritually.  I want to understand the scriptures better.  I want to have the spirit with me more.  So... I need to submit to the Lord's plan for me to achieve that.  And it isn't going to be easy or the path I would probably choose.  But it will be worth it, if I am humble and obedient.

Anyhow, these are things I've been thinking about.  I'm excited that I will have the chance to learn and grow in other areas now.  I am excited to have new experiences.  I am excited to take what I've learned so far and try to add to it. 

I'm also excited for this little break.  I cannot wait to go to church on Sunday!  I cannot wait to sit in the congregation and classes without having a care!  I cannot wait to take just my scriptures and a cute handbag; that huge, heavy Sunday bag is staying home!   I cannot wait to attend meetings and activities without worrying about who is doing what. 

I don't want the break to last forever, but it sure will be nice for a little while. :)

Cadi's Podcast

Cadi's class had an assignment to create a podcast in order to review a book they had read.  The students had the option to have theirs posted on-line or not, and to use whatever form of their name they wanted, even just initials.  Acadia paired up with a friend, Angelina, to review The Book Thief.  Follow this link and scroll down to their podcast if you'd like to hear it. :)

Surprise

Tonight Rori said, "We want to get you a flower for Mother's Day.  It's a surprise."

I answered, "Okay, but if it's a surprise you're not supposed to tell me."

She said, "I'm not.  I'll tell Daddy."

lol

So much to blog about!!!

I have about a week of blog posts to write up and I can't all do it now, so I'll give you the quick list and in the next few days will work on providing more details (and lots of photos).

• On Wednesday, I left town in the wee hours of the morning to take a little road trip with two of my best girl friends.  We went to BYU Women's Conference!  This was my second year and it was just as amazing as the first.  I loved it!  I had a blast!  I felt spiritually uplifted!  I got to meet an on-line friend that I've been wanting to meet for awhile!  I laughed a lot!  I cried a lot!  It was wonderful! :)
• While I was at Women's Conference, my little brother returned home to California after serving a two  year mission for our church.  He had been serving up in Canada and had a great time!  It was hard work, but hard work brings lots of joy. :)  I was able to hear about the family gatherings and celebrations, then later I got to talk to him for awhile.  We look forward to seeing him when we drive down for a little vacation later this month. :)
• My friends and I arrived home Saturday evening, to much loves and hugs from family and I found lots of blooming flowers in my yard. :) 
• Sunday morning was emotional, as I was released from my calling as the Relief Society President.  Words cannot express my feelings.  I feel happy and sad, gratitude and relief.  It has been a journey for me.  As I've known this release was coming, I struggled to accept, at first, that I had done a good enough job.  I know I've made mistakes.  I wish I had made more visits.  I feel like I struggled during my entire presidency to find the balance between being a mom with young children and being the RS president who had demanding responsibilities.  It was hard to know when to cut back on which.  I always felt that I was letting one (or both) down.  But in the recent months, as I've prepared for this release, I have felt the witness that the Lord has accepted my offering, as imperfect as it is.  He knew my situation when He called me.  He knew I wouldn't be wonder woman and get everything done the way another maybe would have.  But He called me anyway.  In humility, I believe I was the right person for this call these last three years.  I was who the Lord wanted.  I was willing to serve and strive to become a better person through that service.  I was not perfect, I am not perfect, but I know that I fulfilled my calling and the Lord is pleased with it.  That is a HUGE comfort to me.
• And with my release, a new presidency was called!  I have had sacred thoughts and experiences as I have known my release was coming, some of those were in regard to the new president.  I love her, so much!  She has been an example to me for a long time, but most especially in recent months.  I was dealing with my own struggles when it was made known to me that she would be the one to take my place and just knowing that, was enough for me to put into perspective what I was dealing with and caused me to feel more patient and humble with what I had been struggling with.  The Lord does not always reveal things to others that don't really need it revealed to them, but I feel that the Lord revealing to me this piece of information, at the time that he did, was a tender mercy towards me, in helping me to fully complete my call.
• Then last night, just before heading to bed I checked my Facebook and saw the million posts claiming that the man behind the terrorist attacks on 9-11 had finally been killed!  We turned on the news just in time to hear the president announce that it had been confirmed.  What a mix of emotions!  But most of it gladness and gratitude.  Some thoughts wondering if it was Christ-like to feel that way about a person's death, but still feeling grateful and relieved.  We had a good discussion with Acadia about this.  We should not judge, we should leave that to God, so perhaps we shouldn't say that HE was evil.  However, we know that the things he did were evil.  We know he was a coward and was the cause for many, many deaths, encouraging individuals to go on suicide missions, sending others to sacrifice themselves from the safety of his hideouts.  He will answer to God for what he has done, I'm just glad he's not here to do anymore of it.  Surely, his followers will continue and turn him into a martyr for their cause, but they'll just be the next ones to be at the top of our "wanted" list, and it won't be long before they follow his fate.  America isn't letting her guard down, so for the many who fear retalliation, I wouldn't worry much more than we already were.  They will continue in their efforts, just as they have.  And we will continue to hunt them down and stop them, just as we have.  These ARE the last days.  There will be wars and rumors of wars.  We do need to be prepared for hardships, even here in our country.  But we do not need to panic.

So, that is the list of what has gone down these last few days.  I will need to upload the hundreds of pics I took this past week and then write up some more detailed posts about Women's Conference.  In the meantime, I'm still busy.  Rori keeps me busy nearly every morning with her various classes/activities.  But it is a huge weight off my mind/shoulders to have the burden of my calling taken from me.  The Lord did bless me during that time, to be able to do what I needed to do, but it was still challenging and I feel the difference now that the burden has been lifted.  I am grateful.