Wisdom Teeth

Friday Josh had his appointment. 

I was hopin he wouldn’t get as swollen as I got, but he did. 

This was a picture before the swelling happened. 

He was a bit up and down coming out. 

This was his first big step getting ready to turn his papers in. His plan is still to go when he turns 18 in August. We can start papers in April. I am still freaking out a bit. He is excited to get out of high school and get out and see what life has to offer him. 

Christmas season

Christmas is different than it has been. The boys are growing up. They no longer anticipate Santa per se. The price of their gifts has increased while the number of gifts has decreased. We no longer bundle up for cold, snowy days. 

We have however found a new way to celebrate Christmas. Our tree is up, although I find myself crocheting the angel topper yet again. I seem to always give away the one I make for me. 

The ornaments still remind me of my first Christmas tree in college when I crocheted snowflakes and hung brass bells. Now those same ornaments are joined by newer ones from our travels and children. 

This year we did have a first. 

Craig was asked to be the big man himself for our ward Christmas Party. I worked on untangling and curling the wig and beard the week before. The borrowed costume was darling, but unbearably hot. I don’t know how he managed to  be kind to other people’s children while he was melting inside, but he did. I got to hand out candy canes after the visit. So I got to watch him chat with the brave ones and coax the shy ones. Some of the boys friends came for a visit but of course our boys stayed far away. I think my favorite was a sweet four year old that will chat with me anytime I stop to say hi. But she did not trust the man with all that white nylon on his face. She tried to smile for the camera with her brother and sister, but she just couldn’t look away from that strange man. Who knew what he would do if she wasn’t watching. 

A sweet friend shamed me into a picture. (I hate taking pictures of me.)

And perhaps my favorite picture of myself in years. 

Merry Christmas. 

Scripture - Alma 5

Two weeks ago I gave a lesson on the armor of god. I attempted to draw a Roman soldier and label the armor according to Ephesians. Today I cheated and found this online. 

His feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. He is prepared to walk the path that leads to eternal life. 

He has on the breastplate of righteousness. His heart is protected and centered by personal righteousness. 

He has on the helmet of salvation. His thought are occupied by salvation or exaltation. He plans his life by keeping his eternal goals always in the forefront. 

He has his shield of faith. A Roman sheild was large and effective. A soldier could crouch and protect himself,and his neighbor, from the enemy behind his sheild. 

He was armed with the sword of the Spirit and word of revelation. God directed his battle. 

His lions are girt with truth. Anciently men wore long robes. When they were getting ready to work or preparing for battle, they would gather the long robes up and tie them around their waist, thus getting ready or manning up as it were. To put on the armor of god we need to prepare ourselves with the truth. How do we get that? I turned to Alma 5 and noted the great self-evaluation checklist Alma gives us. 

Sometimes I find myself hurrying to the "good parts" and I miss some wonderful verses. 

He points out two instances where a mighty change of heart happened and how that change lasted for life. Abinadi preached and Alma listened and was changed. And because of that change thousands were impacted. 

Alma the younger was one generation removed from that event. As he grew he had chosen a different path. He had equipped himself with riches and prideful arrogance. However he too went through a mighty change and his trajectory adjusted to the gospel path. He girt his loins and began the life long process of crying repentance. 

His words still cry to us, thousands of years later to accept truth and the change it brings. 

Senior pictures

I refused to pay $80 for an 8x10. I’ve been wondering what I was going to do. 

Today we went to the Snake River just below the Idaho Falls temple. I played photographer. 

He was not happy. I played with the photo editing on my phone. Not the best. 

Here are some rejects. 

As I said, he was not happy. 

I was working on the editing. 

He had lost all patience. 

This is the one I went with. I must say he is a cute boy. I do love this face. 

Band trip to Disneyland

It’s a good thing I have friends who look out for me. I never would have gotten these from Josh. He wasn’t really sure he wanted to go. 

He is pretty smart. Two guys and four girls. Those are really good odds for him. 

For not being excited about Disneyland, he looks happy. 

Craig was getting the names of everybody in the picture and I didn’t write them down. Josh isn’t happy I have these pictures. I think I blew my shot to document the names. 

St George

This past weekend, I headed up to St George. My brother, Joe, was being made a bishop. Craig had a meeting and couldn't come with me. Boaz had his last campout before he could get his merit badge, and this campout his older friends would be there. And this coming weekend we are headed north for Thanksgiving. I was grateful I could go. 

Brenda ended up coming in from Wisconsin. All the Salt Lake people came. It ended up that just Gena wasn't able to make it.

We had dinner in a local cultural hall and the kids ran and played. Carter turned 7 the next day, Sunday, and he was sure we had all come for his birthday.

Brenda and I went with Cooper and Carl and did initiatory before everybody else arrived. It was lovely to visit one of my favorite temples.

After dinner, I recognized that I had left my earrings in my rented temple dress. So I made a few phone calls and a lovely temple worker named Rebecca had found them for me. That meant I got to go back by myself and wander the grounds and remember the night that temple had been my light that shone in the darkness.

The temple stands so firm in the darkness and is a beacon and a promise of light. I wandered to the rose garden in the back and sat and had a bit of a conversation. I used to love to take pictures of flowers, so I tried for old times sake.

It was dark, and I was trying out a few things I had read about on Facebook. :) I can see that I focused on the leaves in the background, instead of the Rose.

This one has a better focus. But I must admit I love the peach flower more.

This is where people hang out waiting for rides, but I managed to get a picture of the fountain. I love that most temples have running water, and I think of the living water from John. We get closer that that Living Water by participating in the temple ordinances than we can anywhere else. 

This is Joe Saturday night.

This is Joe Sunday morning. (Actually after church, because we met them at the building for Sacrament Meeting at 9.)

During the comments when the bishopric who were being released spoke, one of them said this wasn't a funeral. The new bishopric would be awesome and they were all looking forward to new responcibilities. 

They called Holly up and she said she knew it wasn't a funeral, but a beautiful beard had died that morning. She also said she didn't know if she should call him bishop now at church. She was going to have to think about that. She was supportive and full of faith. I cried during her talk.

Joe got up and said that he had big shoes to fill, figuratively. Everybody laughed because the previous bishop is short. Joe is almost 6 foot and he has bigger feet. He acknowledged that he didn't feel prepared for this calling and that he would have to lean on his two excellent counselors. He talked about the process of calling the two me that would be sitting by him for the next few years and how hard that had been. He said there were so many men who were able. He talked about having to scrape for his testimony. He talked about not having a lot of support when he was younger. And then he directed his remarks to the youth. He said to come and talk to him if they had questions. Because he had had many questions when he was younger. He invited them to come and talk to him if they thought that they might be off the path. Because when he was younger he had been off the path. He invited anybody that needed help to get straight with God to come and talk to him. He promised that they could get things right with God.

I thought about how he grew up. He was 9 when mom left the church. We kids scattered and were all in self-preservation mode. We didn't have a lot to offer him as a nine year old. His world feel apart and he was strong enough to put it all back together. He found his way back to the Church after he was married, and I think a dad. But since he has been back, he has been strong and steady. I am in awe of what he has done and who he is.

The Stake President got up for final remarks and told Joe that what ever Holly decided on calling him, he better answer. :) And then he said that he wasn't called to fill the former bishops shoes. He had his own shoes to fill. The Lord called him and he was capable. Then he testified again that the Lord was in charge and he had called the new bishop.

It makes me a bit teary again just to write about it. What a fantastic thing to witness.

Craig sent me this picture.

I missed the primary program in my home ward. I always love those Sunday's. But I wouldn't have missed the Sunday that I did have for all the world.

I was Brenda's ride to and from the airport. I do miss her. We are too far away from each other. But it was good to have this little bit of time together.

Next week, I'll be hanging out with Deb and Willa again. I'm too far away from them too. I am extremely blessed by wonderful siblings.

Scripture - Mosiah 12

The meaning of wisdom

The application of knowledge toward understanding. This takes more work than just memorizing. 

Scripture - Mosiah 8

The first part of this verse jumped out at me today. 

Many times in my life I feel lost. I have a goal and I don’t seem to get there. And yet I try to be diligent. 

This small band sent by King Limhi had a worthy goal. They had an entire culture dependent on their success. I’m sure many prayers were offered that didn’t seem to be heard. They didn’t find their way back to Zarahemla. Their families and people remained in servitude. They brought back a record that no one could read. They could have thought they failed everyone. 

But that record was what became the sealed part of the Book of Mormon and the current Book of Ether. Because of their failure we have the vision of the Brother of Jared and the history down to Ether. The working of God recorded from the beginning to the end of a chosen and then fallen people. 

So my thought today is what are my failures contributing to the Kingdom. Surely god can make use of my incomplete efforts, even when I think I haven’t done what I wanted to do. 

If I remain diligent, even if I can’t see what good a particular effort is doing, I can still be useful to God and His purposes. 

In the words of Dory, "Just keep swimming."

Surprise

This is a bit miraculous. This baby is due in December, and on November 2, I have completed the quilt. That has never happened. I’m not sure when in December she is due, but I am least a month early. I should sing hallelujah and dance through my house rejoicing. 

Pink for a girl. 

The cool back fabric. 

Close up of the quilting. 

I thought this was the last baby for a while until I heard last week that another one is on his/her way. I love to see them come. And I love to see them grow. Babies are awesome. 

Congrats to Megan

She got married in Colorado. I wasn’t able to go, but Deb and I made a quilt. 

Fun fabrics from the past. 

In the dress her mother made her. Her mother is standing behind her holding Megan’s niece. Gena’s first grandbaby. 

Sweet picture. 

Happy 60th Orange Stake

Again, I took the pictures and didn’t post them. 

Our stake had a huge production and Craig found himself in the middle of it. Some one wrote a musical highlighting moments from the past 60 years. (Of which we ha e been here less than three, but that doesn’t matter. Right?)

Photo bomber. 

Wearing tails. 

Wearing the hat. 

All the narrators. Fun group. 

Last week

I don’t know why I didn’t post this. I took the pictures. 

Chillin before his race. Rockin the beard and shades. 

Josh and his people. 

The home stretch. 

He wasn’t happy with his time. And now I’ve forgotten what it was. 

Tomorrow his his last cross country meet. Kinda crazy thinking we are doing things for the last time this year. 

But still I am grateful that he has found good people for his friends. 

Ba humbug

We are the worst at Halloween. Josh decided years ago tha he was no longer into Halloween, and Boaz followed right along. So no costumes for us. 

We were happy to see the Dodgers force a game seven in the World Series. 

I am handing out fun sized chocolate bars. I say pick one. We live in an area where they hand out full sized bars. But I get a bit irritated when kids who are getting free candy think they should grab a hand full. 

On little girl picked two and said, " I can’t decide." I told her several times to "pick one" and she just held them both until her brother, the last of the group took one out of her hand and left her with one. She wanted me to tell she could have them both. Some kids just took two. She wanted permission. I didn’t give it to her. 

Silly me. 

But. The reason for this post. I saw this picture on Facebook. 

Darling pineapple. I miss her. Glad she is having fun. 

Scripture - 2 Nephi 33

As Nephi finishes his record, he reaffirms what is most important to him. 

Plainness - he is the one who quoted so much Isaiah. As I have read the Book of Mormon multiple times, those Isaiah chapters have become familiar and sweet. Nephi unlocked Isaiah for me. Not that I understand all of him, or even half or some other fraction of him. But I can hear music when I read him. I can love the poetry that he speaks. I can see his testimony of Christ. 

Truth - he left his home, more than once, and lost part of his family because he chose truth over compromise and error. 

His Jesus - he has full faith, even knowledge, of the role of Jesus and His love for us. Nephi’s full purpose in writing was to bring us, his readers, to Jesus who will redeem us from death and Hell, as He already has done for Nephi. 

A true scriptural hero. 

Scripture 2 Nephi 24

This verse has given me comfort for a while now. He is cunning, resourceful, and malicious. But when it comes down to it, this is what we will be able to say. 

While he gleefully rages now, there will come a time when true power will conquer. Those who remain true will see what he is. 

Those who remain true will also see the true majesty and power of God. 

The difference will be stark and compelling. 

Santa Ana winds

I’ve been watching the local coverage of a local wild fire. It’s crazy. This is the second time this year this area has burned. 

From my house. 

From Craig’s office. 

This fire is in Anaheim Hills, close to Orange. It’s south of the 91. For those that have a bit of knowledge of Southern California. 

So sad. I’m watching home burn to the ground. The fire is actually pretty close to our church building. 

Saying good bye

Today is Elder Hales funeral. We ha e all known that he has been ill, for a long time. I have been thinking lately that I can remember all the 12 being called. I can remember the counselors in the First Presidency being called. 

I can remember President Monson being an apostle from my earliest memories. This past General Conference is the first time in my memory that he did not speak from the pulpit. 

A new era is about to open in my life. An era when I will no longer hear the stories of little Tommy Monson, I will no longer hear the stories of his widows, I will no longer hear his memorized poems. 

But I know he misses his dear Francis. 

These funerals remind me of how old I am. 

President Eyring told a lovely story about Elder Hales. He had been golfing and felt that something was wrong. He made a long putt before he was rushed to the hospital. President Eyring saw the medical personnel working long to save him. After some time, a doctor came and brought Pres Eyring to Elder Hales. Elder Hales opened his eyes wide and said "They made me come back."

I guess I love that story because Craig would probably love to go out that way. The last act on earth - sinking a long putt on the golf course in the company of dear friends. But he came back and continued his mission. I remember someone reporting a conversation they had with Elder Hales in General Conference recently. "What do you do when you can’t do what you used to?" This younger apostle asked him. He replied, "you do the essential things."  His last act on earth was writing his final testimony of the goodness of Jesus and His power to save. 

He is a true example to us all to be true friends and obedient to the Lord. 

Cross country

Today was a bit hectic. I picked up Boaz in the crush of school just getting out and we raced to the park where Josh was running. I thought his race started at 3. We got to the park about 3:10. But his race really started at 3:30. 

Awesome. 

It’s better when I think it starts earlier rather than later. But still it was a bit stressful. 

I got a few pictures. 

Keeping loose before the race. Note the bright shoes. 

Team huddle. 

While on our way to the 2 mile point, I stopped to take pictures of the pelicans. 

And the turtles. 

I have learned about taking a screen shot from a video. Super cool. 

And again. Stretching for the finish. 

He came in at 18:02. 

After the race shenanigans. Also I learned more about air dropping.