September 29th was Jordan's mission hump day. We were all contemplating his year mark and I was happy to realize that the last 6 months have been a pure joy! The first 6 were a bit rough on me as a mother (acclimating to his being gone was emotional) but his experiences and ours--his growth and mine have made it such a pleasure to have a son on a mission. We feel his influence and presence so profoundly in our lives every day and especially during FHE, which is when we read his weekly letters. Saturday, after attending a niece's baptism, and visiting at my sister Lori's, we were all talking and realized that Jordan and my Mom and Dad left on their missions the same day--just different years. Cool, huh!
Sis. Beck, the general Relief Society president, is coming to speak at a regional conference in Ontario on Saturday, so my daughter Mikayla and I will get to attend that together this week. It includes the McCall stake so I'm hoping to see my Mom and sister in law as well. I'm excited to hear what she has to say. This is also the week that the prophet or one of the twelve apostles is coming to visit Jordan's mission so we'll be anxiously anticipating his next letter as well.
Our family went to a stake family Harvest dance Saturday night. It was held outside under our stake center pavilion. My twins linked up with a pack of cute little girls and were dominating on the dance floor. They even had some of their little boy chums dancing up a storm. Abe had his own unique moves going on that would put any deacon to shame=). It was fun, but late and we were all tired in church on Sunday. We have a wide range of musical interests in our home, but I am happy that all of my children seem to be drawn to develop musical talents. I am teaching Lily and Sophie piano lessons with a Jon Schmidt manual that a piano teacher suggested and they are enjoying it and catching on quickly.
I registered for a free, no credit course from BYU this past weekend, just to get mentally prepared for the studying process while we save up for the real deal. It is a course called "Raising Righteous Teens in a Wicked World" and is obviously religiously based, so feels more like studying for a talk or fireside presentation than "school" but there are quizzes and personal application assignments and it feels good to add another focus to my study. The idea came as I was trying to decide on a Personal Progress 10 hour project for "Integrity". I'm so grateful that the Personal Progress program has been opened up for mothers because it is helping me organize my goals and it is a good opportunity to work together with Eden. I worked on the majority of mine with Mikayla before she finished and Abe has been working with Fred on his Faith in God program. It won't be long before Lily and Sophie start working on their Faith in God goals. These are truly
inspired programs and help me through my refiners fire. I often forget, in some of my mothering moments, that what I know and feel strongly about some things, took me a LONG time to absorb internally and that teaching is a slow process that requires patience and freedom and kindness and when the scriptures refer to "cherubim and a flaming sword" it is not supposed to be a description of me! I suppose favoring flaming swords can be beneficial at times, but I better learn to wield them facing only the enemy so I don't spend so much precious time in self inflicted triage.
I can't believe the holiday season is upon us again. Where did that year go?! I'm looking forward to these next few months immensely as I anticipate pumpkin patches, Harvest parties, Thanksgiving and the entire month of Christmas Spirit. "Oh there's no place like home for the holidays."
Quote of the week: "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." (Frank Herbert)
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