One Perfect Day...And More to Come

Saturday here was one of those perfectly perfect days--gorgeous weather (80's)--and nowhere to be all morning or afternoon, so I rushed through indoor work, doing just the bare basics, and then spent hours doing yard work, getting sunburned, and digging in the dirt with my bare hands to plant and transplant flowers. And then we got all cleaned up and went to the girls Young Artist concert which was fun and beautiful and rewarding. I laid my head on my pillow that night with a smile...only to pop it back up again minutes later as I suddenly heard rain pelting the roof and realized that the towels and sleeping bags from Fred and Abe's overnighter were "airing out" on the trampoline, but it was coming down so hard, they were already drenched so I left them out hoping to dry them out on Sunday, but winter has found us AGAIN and the weekly forecast is not bright. I'll probably have to drag them into the garage to drip dry all over the floor before they mold. I'm not looking forward to that chore today. Yesterday we had gusting winds and hail. My poor little flowers--I'm not sure they will make it through.They are surely stressed out of their fragile, little stems.  I AM DONE WITH WINTER!!! I guess it's not done with me.

Mikayla's last day of school is this Thursday and she has been ecstatically celebrating her "freedom" since she got back from San Francisco. Oh, the zeal of youth! The rest of my children are out next Thursday which is so exciting for us all to be finished before May is even out. 

This week is Fred's 44th birthday and our 21st anniversary. How grateful I am for the lifeline of the gospel that has seen us through these many, sometimes rocky, years. How I hold onto it with clenched, white knuckled fists! Mikayla says it's a good thing I was born into the gospel and not in an environment void of truth because, with my personality, had I caught onto some belief that was false I may have never let go. Scary thought.

Fred and I went to a YSA mtg. Sunday morning (the first since the new branch was organized) and it was a spiritual disappointment. There was more "leadership" in the mix than there has previously been and I think too many of them thought they were in charge of the mtg. and a couple of them became a little territorial and I think a few forgot whose errand we were on and we really accomplished nothing of importance. After five years of the most perfect, uplifting meetings, I sat in the corner dumbfounded. Once, I looked at Bishop Lewis and he raised his eyebrows at me. You know the look that Garth gives to Walter when Hub is sleepwalking in "Secondhand Lions"? I think that's how we both felt. Fred was un-phased until we got out and I started venting. His experience with "meetings" at church or work" have not been positive; he hates meetings and thinks they are all unproductive. My experience has been just the opposite and it made me sad. I'm sure it will work itself out and everyone will find their place and we will move forward together, but I'll be honest, when Pres. Walker left the room, so did the Spirit. We have another meeting next week and I pray it goes better. We may need some humbling time and we surely need some order, but it was a room full of good people, so I'm sure we will get there...eventually.

Mikayla will finish up her Personal Progress this week. Her goal is by graduation and I'm grateful she is not taking it to the wire of her 18th birthday. That's always too much "mother stress". It has taken some prodding to get her to finish (she is not motivated by awards and doesn't always see the need for reaching the finish line if you've run a good race) but she has "become" and learned so many things (that maybe she doesn't even realize) from the process. I have so much confidence in the journey, but "finishes" are so important. I am trying to talk her into working on her "bee" by helping Eden and I on our last laps before she leaves for college. It will be good for her ...and for us.

We are already making plans to start exercising and gardening together again. I love that camaraderie of summertime and how I love my almost grown up girl.