Still Crazy, After All These Years

Hi! I'll bet you thought I was dead! Well, I wasn't - I was just fine. I was thinking a lot, writing down topics for blog posts, sitting outside in the sun reading Twilight books (again, and, for the fourth one, the first time!), and fun things like that! Also, Haley came over one day and helped me clean my house, we went to the ward talent show in I.F., and saw Linda sing and play guitar and Melinda dance en pointe (I think that's it - a ballet term meaning on her toes), and we got to see Melinda's downstairs since they painted and did their bathroom and did so many nice things downstairs. It's hardly recognizable, and they did it themselves. It looks great! It's so much lighter and roomier-feeling. They are enjoying it so much! Okay, and we went to Megan and Brooks's apartment for dinner. It was super-nummy! And Mark got us a mowlawmer at a good price (he and Seth just started it up, in fact), and we turned down a free piano (probably the bit?thing was broken), and Leto and the cats have been very happy with the pleasant, perfect weather we've been having, and Phillip's doing fine in Iraq, Seth is getting over his long-standing cold/allergy/whatever, and life is good. How about you? Are you doing fine? I'll have some pictures to post, but wanted to get this up! Hugs!

Pictures from Conference Weekend, or No Rest for the Wicked!

We had a really good experience this past weekend, when we had our kids that could come over help us all revive our 72-hr. kits and share our church conference with us. The weather was sunny and Mark made us his trademark Conference Breakfast of homemade deluxo blueberry muffins, crispy bacon, oj, and superduper hot cocoa. Yum!

In the afternoon, the grandkids colored Easter eggs, and Anya posed with Leto. We missed Ben and Linda - Ben was sick, and Justin and Phillip, of course. It was still a nice family gathering and a wonderful conference; the talks definitely had a theme of having faith, not being fearful, and not being ashamed to stand as a witness for Christ. I felt strengthened and grateful as I listened to them. They reminded me of who I am and how I hope to be. I love conference!

After the talks were over, everyone left and it was very quiet. I looked over and saw Mark. He was exhausted, but happy. Poor Mark...he just can't help himself. He loves to get up early and cook!

Two Kinds of Amazing

Isn't it Amazing?! This is the quilt that Tracy sent me in the Spring Swap, organized by Sheri Howard! I think I struck the Swap Jackpot, don't you? This was the first swap for each of us, and I was soooo surprised when I opened my package! You can tell Tracy put her heart into this quilt - it even has our names embroidered in the corner of the border!

The colors and materials are gorgeous, aren't they? (They happen to be my husband's favorite colors, too!)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tracy! What an amazing surprise!!

The second kind of Amazing is harder for me to describe. It's something I've come to gradually, after reading Alma 32 (in the Book of Mormon) and deciding to try some experimenting in my own life (see former post on experimenting). First of all, it has helped me to have an adventure in obedience, exploring further into untried territory without resistance or fear. And I've come to realize that trying out further obedience has produced the promised benefit. In a quiet, gradual way, the nature of my faith has changed. It's not something I have to pull apart and analyse or feel dramatically; it's just there, a steadying presence that has grown like the tree that springs from patient nurturing.

At times we are blessed in miraculous and humbling ways, and we see a confluence of events that cannot be explained by our own understanding; but, once in a while, things are just quietly amazing.