3rd Week of September

Here are some highlights from the 3rd week of September.

I worked from home this week (every other week I'll be in the office, then at home).  On Tuesday, September 17th, we had our first activity days for the boys.  The girls' leaders aren't holding activities apparently, so we invited the girls to attend our activity if they wanted.  We had 1 girl come w/ her younger brother.  We made paper airplanes and did bottle flipping.  The boys thought it was fun.  After it was over I hurried home to do my "late night" where I cover the queue from 5-6pm, until our West Coast branches are closed.

That evening Nyles and Steve went back to the church for a combined YM/YW activity.  They did "Olympic Games."  While they were gone, Hudson, Carter and I walked to Sprucewood Elementary and played on the playground.

Beautiful sunset as we walked to the elementary.  

Nyles at YMs activity--Brother Lovell getting in on the fun.

On Wednesday, Rob was kind enough to come sit w/ the boys while we ran to the Jordan River Temple to do a session.  The Draper Temple is closed for cleaning for a couple weeks, but it was nice to go back to the temple we were married in 15 years ago.  I love Steve more and more every day.  I can't properly express in words how thankful I am for him in my life.  I am so blessed to be married to him :)

That night, as I was getting Hudson out of the bathtub my phone rang.  Steve answered it and gave me the phone.  It was Brother Lovell from the Bishopric.  He asked if I could give a talk in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday.  I couldn't say no, even though I'd prefer more time to prepare.  Steve is really good at just "winging a talk" even while hunting elk on the hillside, but not me.  Brother Lovell asked me to speak on this week's Come Follow Me Lesson.  So I now had 3 days to prepare a talk ;)   

At the Jordan River Temple.  

Our neighbor canned all our peaches from our tree we gave her.  Good work!

Friday afternoon, Nyles and Steve took off again to try to get an elk.  

Phill, Conor and Dave met them up there as well, just for fun.

Looking for elk.  A moose came instead. :)

After it got dark they went back to "camp" and had dinner and a fire to warm up.  

They all then left and Steve and Nyles went to bed shortly after.

Carter, Hudson and I went to Sprucewood Elementary to play again.  Pretty sunset.

The next morning, Steve and Nyles went back out on the hillside.

Beautiful nature.  Cute Nyles.

They saw deer, but no elk.  Cute boys :)

Watching from the car.  Pretty Quaking Aspen Trees.

Dave drove back up later in the afternoon to help.  They didn't get a shot off, but they had a good time.  Dave left at dark, and Steve and Nyles stayed up there in the camper, going to bed shortly after Dave left.  They came back Sunday morning in time for church.

Nyles, Steve and Dave looking for elk.

While they were gone, we did laundry and got groceries.  I also worked on my talk for Sunday.  We then went to a birthday party for a neighbor boy, Timbo Marcinowski, who turned 5.

Carter and Hudson at the birthday party, playing in the tire tubes.

That evening Carter was playing w/ some neighbor kids while I gave Hudson a bath.  After Hudson got done though, he wanted to go out and see what they were playing.  It was dark outside by this time (though we have a few lights in the backyard).  He went up in the playhouse to play.  As I was cleaning up the bath, I heard Hudson screaming.  I thought Carter was doing something to bother him, so I went outside to check it out.  I asked Carter what was going on and he said something was biting Hudson.  Hudson was screaming and crying can came running over to me.  I took him inside trying to figure out what was going on.  The kids said they thought it was a spider.  I then looked at his shirt on his belly and saw a wasp on it.  I flung it off his shirt, then it flew up to the ceiling.  We then got our fly zapper and our neighbor Kaitlyn ended up swatting it down, then I stepped on it.  The neighbor kids then went home.  I took Hudson upstairs and washed off his arm and put a cold cloth on his belly.  Apparently the dang wasp bit him on his arm, then stung him on his arm, then stung him on his belly.  Crazy thing!!!  I put aloe on it as well and gave him some Ibuprofen then we went to bed.  Talk about and unexpected turn of events.  Thankfully he was doing better in the morning.

Poor Hudson with his wasp bite and stings.

On Sunday, I gave my talk in Sacrament Meeting.  The title for Come Follow Me was "Lift up your head and be of good cheer."  As I said in my talk, "I loved this week’s lesson, learning about the struggles the believers in Christ had, and how they handled them.  There is a lot we can learn and apply in our day.  As I was reading the scripture passages for the week, we can relate it to our day. There are 2 points I want to focus on today, relating from the scriptures this week, that apply directly to our lives today.  The first is how to strengthen our testimony of Jesus Christ, and second is how to “be of good cheer” during these difficult times.

A couple quotes....Our prophet, President Nelson reminds us that “with frightening speed, a testimony that is not nourished daily ‘by the good word of God’ [Moroni 6:4] can crumble. Thus, … we need daily experiences worshiping the Lord and studying His gospel.” Then he added: “I plead with you to let God prevail in your life. Give Him a fair share of your time. As you do, notice what happens to your positive spiritual momentum.”

President Nelson also said, “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation, and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. 

–I testify that Our Father loves us, more than we can comprehend.  He gave his only Begotten Son so we could return to Him.  As we strengthen our testimony of our Savior  daily, He can help us get through life’s challenges.  Our Heavenly Father wants all His children to have joy, both now and later, then we can enjoy eternal life with Him in His celestial kingdom. 

I know that Christ is the divine Son of God, our Messiah and Redeemer. Jesus suffered, died, and was resurrected to make that possible. I know Christ was resurrected and lives today. I pray that we can all be blessed with a burning testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter the circumstances around us, and find true joy and happiness.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

After church we had lunch, then I made sugar cookies.  Carter and the boys helped w/ the cookie cutters to make Halloween shapes.  I also made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  That evening we went to visit Bret and Laura Minson and their kids in Bluffdale.  We all lived in the Midvale branch at the same time and moved out at about the same time.  It was fun to catch up w/ them.  All the pumpkin cookies were eaten, and only a few sugar cookies were left. :)

Carter helping to make cookies.  I brought the frosting, sprinkles and candy corn and let the kids decorate their own cookies after dinner.  Their kids James (2), David (7) and Edith (almost 5).  The kids had a lot of fun playing together and making the cookies.

Great quotes: