Boaz at the lake

I am thankful for good aunts and uncles who treated my Boaz so well while he was with out parents for a week. 

Today I saw pictures of him play at the lake. 

Love this picture. 

In Uncle Mark's boat. 

Boaz and Bridger. 

On the knee board. 

I'm grateful for sweet family who made sure my boy enjoyed his stay. 

Old friends

You know you have good friends when you can pick up in the same place after time apart. 

So happy to see them together again 

Scripture

We visited Blackfoot for church today. We walked into the building where we had attended for just over four years and saw many loved faces. 

I think that is an inkling to what heaven will be like. Seeing a group of people that you haven't seen in a long time and being enveloped in emotions of belonging and family. Happy smiles and hugs and feeling loved. 

In the third hour combined meeting a dear friend shared a scripture that I have recently passed over. So this is out of order, but worth ponderizing. 

The world want to hear smooth and easy things. They want to be told they are alright and good while they deny God and justify their sinful behavior. 

President Monson recently said we must do the harder right. 

We will continue to distinguish ourselves by holding to truth and refuting error. We must learn to discern the easier wrong of the smooth things. 

Idaho

I Josh and I flew to Idaho today. We are going to visit family and friends while we are here. 

At the airport waiting to board. 

Grandma and Boaz at the airport to pick us up. So happy to see Boaz again. I've missed him. He's been here in Idaho for a week and a half. 

Holding a sweet little girl. How lucky am I?

Leading Music for Sacrament

I have lead music since high school. I know the basics - certainly not an expert. I have had to struggle with 2/2 but I am comfortable with 3/4 and 4/4.

Our ward doesn't really have a called chorister. I have stepped in several times.

Yesterday was one of those days. I was unfamiliar with the first song at first - in the middle of my hasty review, I recognized the refrain. The song was #34 - O Ye Mountains High. "O Zion! Dear Zion! Land of the free. That was the line that helped me remember the song.

So feeling rather confident - even with the random 2/4 measure in the middle of the song, I go up and stand in front of the congregation.

The first verse went okay. I experimented on how to lead the 2/4 measure. (The organist plays and I pretend I'm leading. He does his own thing. Several times that has been a really good thing. I've had to figure out my mistake and get back on track.)

The second verse went okay up to the point of the familiar refrain. I was distracted apparently and started to sing the first verse again. It took me a few measures to figure it out and almost started laughing. Not really cool. I had to get myself together and finish the song.

The meeting ended with the pioneer anthem, Come, Come, Ye Saints. I knew about the switch between 4/4, 3/4, 4/4 and back to 3/4. It was all cool. I know the words and didn't keep my eyes on the music. Half way through, I got lost. I was definitely on the wrong beat. I almost panicked. I frantically searched for the last key signature. It was 3/4 and I had been beating 3/4. On the second verse, I was glued to the music and then I saw the fermata. 

Aaaagh!

It must be my hubris! I need to not be overconfident. I am a skilled beginner. Certainly not somebody who can just sing along and not remember middle of the songs fermatas.

Pictures from Idaho

Sweet family sent pictures of a great day.

Not all of the Elsie's great-grandkids, Dawn's grandkids. But a great group of people. There were five generations present at the lake that day.

Elsie's grandkids and Dawn's kids. A blessed family.

Craig and Boaz taking a break in the pop-up.

Craig and Boaz. Boaz is getting close to passing me, and he is close to passing his father's height as well.

Family reunions rock.

Scripture

I came across a frequent scriptural promise. This promise, though frequent, is certainly uncommon.

Verse 13 recaps the promise, and the plea. 

I really liked the beginning of verse 14: "And I will be found of you, saith the Lord:" A forceful statement that somehow makes it more personal for me.

Of course this requires that I seek. Where are the places that I should seek. The obvious primary answer - in the scriptures. The 'green' answer - in nature. The contemplative answer - in my quiet ponderings. The social answer - in my dealings with family and friends. The all encompassing answer - in creation.

But what about my personal answer? Where have I found God?

I have found God in my darkest moments. I have found God in my children. I have found God in my marriage. I have found God in the temple. I have found God in my quilting. I have found God as I ponderize on my blog. I have found God when I slow down and look for him.

Family fun in Idaho

Well they made it. And first things first - Craig made it to the links. 

Looks like fun. Wish I was there. 

Naps

Naps are great! Especially after a long, hot day. 

Mystery

Where do the mates go? I've looked under the bed and cleaned out the sock bin. These poor lonesome soles will have to be discarded. 

Happy faces

I couldn't not post this picture.

Getting ready to head north

Craig and Boaz are headed north to Idaho. I'm sending the quilts for the twins. 

I also have two bags full of clothes for cousins in St George. That will probably have to wait until the boys and I drive back. 

Today I packed a bag for Boaz. Yesterday we went shopping for new church pants and a short sleeved, white, button-down shirt. Craig has the job of buying new shoes while in Idaho. I can no longer shop for my baby in the kids section. He has man sized socks and shoes. 

It seems weird to just have him home and I'm already sending him off again. This time I won't see him for about a week and a half. 

Another one done

Little Emerald was born today. I just finished her quilt. I had better get it in the mail. 

I'm liking the muslin scrappy look. 

The back shown in the triangle. 

Happy it's done. 

Presentation

I don't usually stress too much about making pretty food more pretty. I love having all the colors in the table. 

For a friend's birthday, I pulled out my pretty plate, sliced fruit thin and layered the colors. 

The berries were defiantly the stars. But I like mango too. The pineapple wasn't very sweet - not ripe enough but still yellow. And I don't like kiwi, but I needed the green. 

I was happy and it went well with Greek yogurt. A yummy birthday breakfast for presidency meeting. 

Boaz's first scout camp

I didn't get a picture the day he left. Silly mom fail moment. But the lovely scout master sent some pictures from camp itself. 

It was so weird not having him here for a week. It's the longest he has been away. I'm super glad he is home. 

Hanging in the back of the group. 

Again hanging in the back of the group. On the way to see the sequoias. 

Feeling small in huge nature. 

Dirty boy home in my garage. I'm loving the hair. He wore all his underwear, that makes me happy. But he only wore two pair of socks - I sent six pair. That makes me a bit squeamish. But it was scout camp, I'll have to be happy with the underwear.

He worked on three merit badges. It's slower in CA. We have been working on four at home, we still have a bit to go but are progressing nicely. 

He grew the week he was away playing in nature. We had to measure. 

This picture looks like he made it. 

This picture show he still has a ways to go. Soon I'll be the shortest, but I still am tall(ish) for the very short moment. Shhh - don't tell him, but I think she is shouching just a bit to balance the stick on his head. :)

Scripture

I am so sad for Jeremiah. He was called to witness the destruction of his people. A bit like Mormon and Moroni. 

Today a sad little verse caught my attention. 

He is pleading for the earth to choose redemption. 

I think the same plea applies to the earth now. Please listen. Please pay attention. Please be saved. 

Two down and now four more to go.

The family keeps growing and I love it.

Two sweet twin girls are a month old. One is getting ready to come home today and hopefully the second tomorrow.

The pictures have been so fun to see on Facebook and Instagram. We are so lucky to be able to see people we love grow and develop. 

I'm excited to meet them. But in the mean time, I'll send the quilts with Craig and Boaz next week.

I love that all the blocks are different. It's bright and happy.

The triangle showing the back fabric.

This nine-patch is fun and has some of my favorite fabrics.

The backs and the bindings are the same. They both have the same muslin for the contrast.

Happy quilts for sweet girls. Maizy and Zoey. Welcome to Earth and welcome home.

Saturday treats

We discovered yesterday that Craig has never seen The Princess Bride. Josh, Boaz and I were incredulous. It is such a classic movie, we couldn't imagine that he had never seen it.

Plans were made. Josh's friend, Cara, was invited over, and I asked Josh what dessert he wanted. This question was met with enthusiasm and a definite answer. I headed to the store to get what I needed for cheesecake. It has been over a year since I've made cheesecake.

I was a bit worried, I usually let cheesecake chill overnight. I wouldn't have time for that today. I don't think it even got the required four hours.

The movie was fun for everyone. Craig was a bit surprised that he had seen it. He had a cultural hole in life that he never knew about. 

After the movie, we dug in. 

I snapped a picture before we actually cut into the cake.

The brownie bottom was more like fudge. I baked it in a water bath at first and had to take it out for it to firm up a little. I was on a timer though because I was supposed to meet Craig at the mechanic to bring him home after he dropped off his car. The ganache looks excessive. I should have only used 3/4 cup of cream instead of the full cup. Oh well. I didn't get any complaints. All the chocolate didn't melt, hence the bumps in the top. Still it was good.

After the movie and cheesecake, we played a few rousing hands of cards. It started off with some of my cards being hidden. I probably counted my deck six or seven times to make sure I had all 52 cards. It's been a while since we played. It was fun to break the cards out.

After Cara went home, Craig and I went to dinner at Macaroni Grill. It is a new favorite. Craig took this picture to taunt the boys a bit. We brought Chick-fil-A after. So they got a dinner they liked too.

All in all, a happy Saturday, full of good food and fun family times.

Relief Society Lesson

As a member of the presidency, I get to teach a few times a year. I get to choose my topic. It took me a long time to decide what I wanted to talk about. I reviewed the scriptures that I have ponderized. I reviewed the General Conference talks. And I found a paragraph from President Uchtdorf that caught my attention.

I started with a scripture from 2 Peter.

Peter gives us a good list on how we can develop the Divine Nature within us. It certainly isn't a definitive list, but it a great list to start with. 

With the idea that I got from President Uchtdorf, I decided to create a list of the opposite attributes and define the natural man.

Diligence.               Vs.        Sloth

Faith.                      Vs.        Fear

Virtue.                     Vs.        Vice

Knowledge.            Vs.         Ignorance

Temperance.           Vs.        Self-indulgence

(Self-control)

Patience.                  Vs.       Frustration

Godliness.                Vs.       Worldliness

Brotherly Kindness.  Vs.      Cruelty

Charity.                     Vs.      ?

I wanted to talk about the list before we discussed the opposite of charity.

I know that I fluctuate between the two lists. I struggle to live with faith and banish the fear that comes knocking at my soul. I have written about that topic a lot in my Ponderizing scriptures.

I came up with this idea on Thursday. The very next morning, I took Josh to get some blood work done. I thought I would give time for the morning rush to get over. But I underestimated the demand in this huge city. We waited over an hour to just get called to turn in our paperwork. My phone was home charging so I didn't have a distraction. After we turned in our paperwork, we still had to wait before we could enter the magic door. Finally we were called, along with an older lady. Josh no sooner gave up his chair to her, than she turned to me and asked if she could go first because she had an appointment. After the crazy long wait, my patience level was way down low, and my inclination to show brotherly kindness was failing fast. I must have rolled my eyes. I was very ungracious as I said okay. And honestly, the timing didn't really matter. She went in to see the vampire first, but he puttered around and we were finished at practically the same time.

Later I saw the inconsistency in my behavior.

Charity is the crowing attribute. To remind us what it really is we read in Moroni.

And then I pulled out the Uchtdorf quote.

That last sentence is powerful. Pride is the defining characteristic of Satan.

Life is lived inbetween the extremes. How do we climb back up when we sink into the natural man? The answer is the Atonement. Because of Christ we have the time and the space to learn and change. We don't have to be defined by our weakest moment. Because of Him, we can overcome the natural tendencies and strive to attain the divine nature.

Also a huge part of this process is forgiveness. Christ offers us forgiveness and provides help for us to overcome our weaknesses. It is imparitive that we forgive as we want to be forgiven. It is so much easier to say than for me to do. I understand the logic, but is it hard to summon the required emotion. This is a main purpose of our life laboratory. 

I also shared a quote from President Eyring.

I said it was from October 2015, but in review I didn't find it there. It has stayed on my radar because of my Pinterest account. Even though I don't know when and where he said it, I am fairly certain this quote is President Eyring.

Instead of looking at the list as a ladder or stairs, it is more like the top of the pool. All the attributes work together and we don't have to attain them in order. So the Eyring quote speaks to the same idea. The higher ground is a higher plane or an elevated life style. 

I finished it off with a quote from President Monson from this past conference.

May we accept the invitation to live a higher or more elevated life. May we choose God in our lives and learn the Divine Nature. May we prepare ourselves to accept the gift of the Atonement and embrace charity. May we live contrary to the world and be a godly people I so pray.

 

Hummingbird nest

This spring I saw a hummingbird nest. It nestled in the long branches of the tree across the fence. The hummingbird patrolled my back yard zipping around my patio after I went out. I didn't see the babies, they are so small. I didn't watch for the fledglings. It was too far away and I didn't pull out the binoculars to monitor them.

Today I am hoping they are safe.

Yesterday Boaz and I were annoyed as the gardeners started trimming trees at 7 am. The buzz of the chainsaws droned on for over an hour -- there are a lot of trees on our street.

I didn't think about the nests. I didn't worry about the hummingbirds.

Today there were loud birds in my back yard. They were new. I didn't recognize them. They were not the cooing doves. They squawked and trilled their agitation. I finally put it together. They must have lost their home.

The tree looks like this now. There is a lot of daylight between the branches. Yesterday I was thinking maybe Craig should trim out tree.

This is our tree. The other tree used to be this full. I wonder how many nests were destroyed and how many birds have been displaced. 

I hope the hummingbirds that buzzed my patio are okay and will come back next year. I hope the upset birds in my backyard find new homes and find peace.

Meanwhile, we will deal with the falling leaves and yellow seeds that sprinkle our patio. I've decided not to trim the tree.

Scripture

I have finished Isaiah and am now reading Jeremiah. I always feel bad for Jeremiah. He prophesied to an unrepentant and defiant nation. He saw destruction coming and he was called to stay and witness his country self-destruct. 

It is so gloomy. I struggled, but just had to write about this verse. 

However, we are promised a different ending than Jeremiah. The Lord told Elisha there were still 7,000 men who had not bent the knee to false gods. The nation would be punished, but not destroyed. 

There are more than 7,000 who are still faithful. We will not be destroyed utterly, although I believe we will be chastened. We must come to the point where we acknowledge that He is God. 

So we are still laboring in the harvest. We still have work to do and souls to save. I am glad my fate will be different than that of Jeremiah. We will live and overcome the evils of the world and welcome Him home.