"Talk" and "Walk"

Jordan calls us every Sunday on the computer web cam and  fills us in on college life and often deep thoughts about what he's learning in class and in life.  He then asks us about our week to which we almost always look at each other with blank faces and shrug our shoulders.  What is it exactly that we are filling our lives with?  Jordan talks about thoughts and we try to think of happenings.  One of my favorite quotes is, "Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people."  I'm grateful for conference this weekend to help elevate my mind to enlightenment.  I love conference weekend!  It is so full of light and truth and re-motivation.    It was so enjoyable to spend two full days with my family gathered around, focusing on eternity and undistracted by outside influences.  During the breaks on Sunday, we spent a lot of time going through the geneology that we found in the barn and looking through old journals and photographs.  We truly do feel tied back into those previous generations and have such a yearning to know those people.  Now Monday is here and the "talk" ends and the "walk" begins again. 

(Tradition Conference Strawberry Cream Waffles)

I looked out at my garden last Monday morning and it was gone!  It had turned from a lush, producing bounty to shriveled nothingness.  My children harvested what had not frozen, which was surprisingly significant and then I breathed a sad sigh of relief.  I will miss running out there every day to pick produce for after school snacks and dinner, but no more guilt for yellow squash I can't use or share fast enough and tomatoes that keep piling up even after boundless batches of fresh salsa, juice, sandwiches etc. because I am too scared to pressure cook.  I am not emotionally ready for cold and rain and cloudy days, but they are here nonetheless. I am rather bee-like when the cold comes; my body starts shutting down and I seem to move in slow motion.  There is something about sun and sweat that keeps me energized and busy and a heater doesn't have the same effect, but I am very grateful for it just the same.  Whether I like it or not, change is always healthy and so I am determined to be grateful for yardwork time that will now be shifted to housework time.  I might actually get my curtains hemmed, my home organized, Ivanho finished and my laundry folded....well, that last thought is rather optimistic. :)  I am now trying to keep the climate in the house adjusted for a family whose comfort ranges between 64-77, a fish who can't survive below 70, a chinchilla who can't survive above 80 and a cyclamen plant that needs to be between 50-75.  So if I set the thermostat for 72 and we all dress appropriately, we might all make it ;)  Of course there is still Olive to worry about.  When weather starts chaning, she spends a lot of time looking in our sliding glass door the guilt level of each of us climbs as the weather drops.  Yesterday, Mikayla and I dragged the calf shed onto the back cement pad (which almost emcompassed it), and put her plastic kennel inside with a blanket and she seemed content all day.  Of course that can't be permanent because we can't get out very easily, but it is savving us and her for the present.

Mikayla has started talking about ACT's and checking out the college campus and LEAVING, though she is only a junior.  Doesn't she know I can't do this twice?  I love watching Jordan stretch and grow--it is so fulfilling and rewarding, but they need to take turns; if one goes the others must come back.  It's only fair. 

I'm afraid that Jordan may have been bitten by the love bug, and honestly I'm not very excited about it.  In high school I knew all of his friendgirls, sometimes before he did, and now all I have is pictures and words.  I'm so proud of him for making it this far, without attachments, but he still has 6 months to "play the feild" and I hope he doesn't make it hard to leave.  He's a smart boy, but you know those red heads (the third one!) can be formidable. ;)  Apparently she's quite an impressive dancer (ballroom and ballet), but I'm hoping his focus won't be on footwork but on school work and mission work and he will continue to date a variety of girls.  The prophets counsel not to single date (in either context of the word) until after a boys mission is so wise.  It has served him well so far and if he continues I know he'll never regret it!  Now, I just have to continue to convince Jordan, while he's on his own, making his own rules ;) How strong is a mother's influence, 335 miles away?  Probably not that strong, but it's not my counsel, so I'm hoping it will hold enough weight.  Love you Georgie!!!

A month and a half until we let out the line a bit and allow Eden to go to Saturday night dances and boy/girl parties.  We are "reeling in" often and she's giving us a quite a run on the growing up issues, so I'm grateful for the chance to chaperone often :)  Mikayla and Fred insist that she's a lot like me--heaven help us all!  If we can just keep her from breaking the line I see great things from her on the horizon.  She is tenacious and has proven strength to swim upstream with gusto.  This next year will be all about her finding out who she is and me continuing to discover who I am.  Mothering children with similiar character traits can be very introspective and humbling, and because I tend to resist humility--hard!  I'm so grateful for a righteous, PATIENT husband who constantly reels me in, and for forgiving children who "just keep swimming."

(Waiting for "Mom" to come home from shopping--
It's nice to be joyfully "anticipated")

"I am blessed with work" and work is waiting.