Women's Conference--Texas!

We did service during the first hour

They had so many projects that you could participate in. They were all set up so nicely on the tables all organized with the supplies needed and Instructions so you could go and do whatever you wanted.

This was one of the two projects we did

This was our second project and one we liked better.

We did add a prayer and put it inside the wall

Elena saw this young gal from her ward that came up all by herself and she joined us for dinner and the last devotional

Although our dinner was good, it was pretty small and so I was still hungry and wanted to dessert afterwards.  We found a place that was still open, but this was about all it had left!

Ok my life just flashed before my eyes and I couldn't get my words out to help!  We left the hotel at 6:30 this morning so we could get to the airport at 7.  It was still dark but Elena had her driving glasses on and GPS had us on track!  We got to the airport and then it had us veer off to the left for the terminals and all of a sudden these two toll booth looking things are in front of us with their arms down.  I can see them but Elena is not slowing down.  I'm trying to call out directions but she is not seeing the extended arm. All of a sudden right before it would be coming through the windshield, at our head level I might add, she does this crazy Indy car driver type maneuver up over the middle console but only seems to hit two wheels while somehow completely swerving around the extended arm!  She had no idea what had just happened!  She thankfully prayed that angels would protect us as she drove us today and we definitely felt protected!  Apparently it is not our day to die!  That is good news!  I just barely started going through cleaning out all my cupboards and drawers and closets etc and I've only made it thought one area!  🤪. Apparently you were supposed to get a ticket and then use that to exit the airport.  She said she pushed the talk button and told the guy she didn't have one and he let her pay $2. and then exit.  I told her if that was me, he would have given me a ticket for not having a ticket!  (I just got a ticket last Monday from a motorcycle cop for holding the cell phone in my hand.  I was holding it up for directions to get to my neurologist appointment but apparently it's a law that you can not have a cell phone in your hand!  Who knew?!  I have been pulled over 3Xs in AZ and always by a motorcycle cop....no warnings...always a ticket!!!)

We had such a good time together.  I think the last time we were able to be together, just the two of us, was when I went to Texas for Cadens mission farewell.  He just started dental school so it's been a minute!  Elena and I are only 16 months apart.  We were best friends growing up and college roomates but it's hard to get together once you start your families!  We will be seeing each other again the end of this month for our self-appointed temple tour, but this was a nice preview!  

I'll give my favorite takeaways from the conference when I get to the Vegas airport.  I have to hang out there today for 4-5 hours!

Elder Dunn & His Wife:

--Find something fun to do with your spouse

--"Doing something interesting together keeps you interested in each other."

--The gospel of Jesus Christ was never meant to be isolated discipleship it is covenant community

Navigating different, religious belief, and practice and relationships:  This lady had her husband who was a former bishop walk away from the church along with three of her four children!

--The relationship you are wanting to preserve is worth preserving.

--Starts with peace within yourself

--She put us a diagram up on the board of things that you can control. It had one circle touching it, and it was "me" all the other circles of things that go on in our life were outside of our control.

--Don't outsource your power to someone else by blaming them.

--We don't get over grief, we carry it with us. It's our teacher.

--Listen to Learn not to respond

--Good communication does not mean we agree

--A complaint is a poorly worded ask

--Find different rituals, and ways to connect when what you used to have is no longer a factor in your relationship

Positivity through hardship:  I must admit, I thought the young gal was too young to be authority on this topic, but she explained how her husband was an entrepreneur and He had started like 75 businesses with all the ups and downs, including a dissolve with a partner that he really liked after 18 months with no income or prospects and then their journey with their oldest daughter who developed health conditions and ultimately needed a kidney transplant.

1. trust 

2. Prayer 

3. promptings

Sister Neil Marriott:  

--Let your questions rise to the top when you're reading your scriptures.

--Recognizing the hand of God keeps us out of the world.

--Opening the scriptures is an act of faith and alerts heaven "look she's trying!" "she's looking!"

--pray with intend to act on what you're praying about

--If you pay out loud, you stay on task

-- Be real with Heavenly Father.  He knows everything already, but it will help you.

--The day will come when you will understand (blank), and in that day, you will have it no other way

--The Father has His eye on you.

Remembering and Documenting the Lord's Hand:  This was our favorite class!  She was approachable and real and a great teacher.  She was good at drawing people's comments and validating them.  She has her PhD but her journey was not typical.  Both her parents had a real struggle with mental health and they were homeless in her childhood at least on two different occasions.  She said they slept under friends trampolines and everywhere.  She didn't complete all the younger grades either.  But somehow she went to New Zealand and got her PhD studding the effect of German ancestry on New Zealand citizens.  Her current job is on doing family stories and she loves it!  Some of these nuggets came from class comments.

--memory like getting a hug from Heavenly Father

--You don't learn from remembering past experiences, you learn from reflection on past experiences.

--why is it important to remember? God doesn't need a record of what He has done.  We do!

-- Your ancestors did not go through all they went through for you to fail

--The Lord did not bring me this far just to bring me this far!

--Elena shared that a previous visitor to their stake said people don't want to look at all 200 photos from your vacation but if you share your favorite 10 they will look at that....then he encouraged them to select 10 impactful moments where they have seen the hand of the Lord and make sure those are recorded and known by your posterity.

--the presenter gave us a tool to help us remember moments that we need to record.

Finding My Place in the Body of Christ:  this was the only one we did not enjoy.  The class we were trying to get into was full and the door was blocked so this was in the same hall and was open so we slipped in.  The teacher was a science professor and it showed!  Almost the entire class was spent on doing a deep dive into what makes up our bodies complete with slides and a bunch of terms and explanations that was not helpful to us.  The only nuggets for me came from the quotes she reminded us of...

--Even our smallest efforts are making a significant difference in God's kingdom. (Reyna Aburto)

--You are essential to God's plan (Elder Wakolo)

--and she encouraged us to accept the invitation to pray and ask Heavenly Father how he feels about us and to find out what we are needed for.

Sister Elaine Dalton:

--when a prophet repeats a prophet, you pay attention.  You take notes.

--the day Pres Kimball foresaw is today--we are those women

--where there is light there can be no darkness

--fill ourselves with light!

--having the Holy Ghost is one of the most effective beauty secrets!

--Neena (a young friend on her baptism after getting the Holy Ghost). Why didn't you tell me about the Holy Ghost?  This means I will never be alone!  This means I will be safe, protected....why doesn't everyone want this?

--the opposition is the greatest it has ever been but the opportunities are also the greatest they've ever been 

--visiting with young women in Ghana after they had walked 2 hours through streams and mud to get to visit with her and discussing their typical day, Sister Dalton asked them about their greatest challenges...silence...she repeated...after the third time a girl stood and explained...it's true we do have many challenges but we have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!

We do have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!  In one of the classes it was shared that 40 % of women are leaving the church, whereas men's statistics are staying steady.  Satan also knows President Kimball's prophecy and he is doubling his efforts on us elect women who are meant to guide our families and others back to our Heavenly Father!  Elena and I remarked though about all the faithful women who joined for a day of renewing and strengthening testimonies.  There were 6500 in attendance and many more on-line!  Several attendees came with their nursing babies in tow.  It was a long day for these babies and young mamas but they were there....truly they are "Faithful and Loved" (theme of the Conference)

Tanner & T's 5th Anniversary

They decided to go to Japan  and look like they are really enjoying it.  They went to a steak house for their anniversary dinner and Tanner said it was the best restaurant experience they've had. I love me a good steak so I could go for that! Melanie is at home with her other grandma.  It's kind of nice they like to take trips because it gives us some time with her!  It will be my turn in January for their Mexico work trip.

9/11 Service

Spring Gardens, the senior living center where my friend Eileen lives, did a 9/11 service project today where they put together birthday boxes for a food bank.  They asked for some community volunteers to assist the residents.  I signed Scott and I up (with his permission of course) but they were doing fine and probably could have managed on their own.  It was still fun to do some service together today.  

I went to visit Eileen today right after but she didn't respond.  Her son told me after I got home that she was now up and making her bed so I went back and visited for an hour or so.  She is so frustrated she's still here.  It's hard for her to do almost anything and she feels like she has no purpose and she's all on her own most of the time.  She's having a harder time holding onto her memories.  Her daughter got slipped into her discussion on her siblings today.  I'm hoping I will live as long as I can be useful. I would hate not being able to do anything or have a purpose.  You would feel stuck.  I dread hearing that Eileen has passed but I hope for her sake it can happen sooner than later.  

Food Drive

one of these boxes = six of the smaller white boxes

We made a sticker to give to the donors

In honor of 9/11 our stake decided to host a food drive to benefit St Vincent de Paul.  We took around the flyer to lots of community organizations and churches and the missionaries passed them out as well to individuals.  We were hoping the community would come together and help us support this worthy cause but only stake members drove by tonight.  A couple of neighbors and coworkers did support earlier by sending food though.  But thankfully the stake members did a great job. Several youth groups went shopping or went around to member's houses and picked up food.  St Vincent de Paul is sending a truck tomorrow to pick it all up.  

Since the church doors are not true double doors (there is a bar down the center) we had to hand walk all the food out or put in the white boxes to be taken out by a dolly.  We were assured they would send guys to load it all but Krista discovered they only sent one SO she called in the troops to help.  Julio estimated we collected 3,750 pounds of food!  Not too shabby!

Which One Will You Feed?

I'm old enough now to have had personal experiences or to have witnessed my children having experiences that have led me to feel a bit off....I've tried to figure out how to describe it---cynical, cankered soul, disillusionment...maybe disillusionment is best?  Disillusionment is described as a feeling of disappointment or loss of belief when you realize something or someone is not as good as you thought.  Growing up I always believed that promised blessings would result from obedience.  If I did what I knew to be right then I would receive.....and life would be good.  

But, I am learning that although God always keeps his promises, promised blessings are not delivered on our timetable.  People don't always live up to your expectations.  And "love your enemies" is a lot harder than I thought!  When you consider "enemies" as those who intentionally (or unintentionally) hurt you or your child--enemies develop a face and not just unknown people we are at war with (my childhood understanding of "enemies").  I can feel a pessimistic attitude settling in and I don't like it!  I naturally have never been an Eeyore (from Winnie the Pooh).  I do not want to be an Eeyore!  Lacy (our dog) has been getting louder and more vocal for longer when people come and she's been acting like a grumpy old lady.  I do not want to become a grumpy old lady with a gloomy outlook on life.

(Scott asked me the other day how I was doing so that prompted this self-evaluation!) As I was thinking about this yesterday this image from a previous Family Home Evening I did with the kids came to mind.  I I had started by sharing the Indian folklore about a grandfather explaining to his grandson that there are two wolves at war inside our soul...one is dark and full of anger, hate, greed etc.  The other wolf was light and full of love, hope and faith etc.  The grandson asked which wolf would win.  The wise old man replied, "whichever one you feed".

I think this wisdom can be applied to everything!  If I feed the negative feelings and harbor doubt and disillusionment and dwell on what's wrong in the world then those feelings will swell and truly canker my soul!   

But if I feed positivity and foster faith and hope and love then light and truth will fill my soul and will crowd out the darkness.  I think it will come as I feel Heavenly Father's love for me and then share that love with others.  Looking for His hand in my life every day is a good start!  

I also love Psalm 118:24 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; [I] will rejoice and be glad in it."  I am going to look for a beautiful capture of that verse and post it on my fridge (yes I still do that even though I know a clean fridge is the desired look)!  I want to start each morning and be reminded throughout my day to rejoice and let God be in control of each and every day because it is His!

I think for FHE tonight we will repeat this lesson but I've printed out a sheet with space for us to think of ways we can feed the light along with how we feed the dark so we can have a visual reminder of what we can do to make sure the light wolf wins! 

Horseback!

Looking pretty natural in the saddle

what a gorgeous setting

Beautiful mom and daughter picture  

Autumn is looking a little unsure!

 Rachel surprised her daughter, Autumn, with horseback riding today for her birthday.  It looked like it was a gorgeous day and a lot of fun for these two.  I'm glad they were able to slip away.  

ANGELS

Brittany wanted to receive an "Intentional Christmas" family gift again this year instead of individual Christmas gifts.  Tanner and T didn't seem to have an opinion.  I only sent a couple of items from last year's gift due to Melanie's young age so it was probably hard for them to tell.  So I made an executive decision and updated my plans.  

Once kids start entering the picture I will do an "Intentional Christmas" gift for the family. I send or deliver them by December 1st and then they can open the gifts and do the activities together whenever it works for their schedule during December.  If they are visiting us for Christmas they'll still get a stocking from Grandma and Grandpa but their actual Christmas gifts will be up to their mom and dad.

This year my "Intentional Christmas" word is ANGELS....so they will receive one activity gift for each of those letters.  I don't think Brittany or T read this but just in case I won't reveal all.  I just have to share about "A" though.   I wanted to do an "act" out the nativity activity.  I looked on-line for costumes and I couldn't find a packet of costumes that would work for them now and to grow and use in future years.  There were a few individual costumes but it would have cost a fortune to try and get enough for the family.  So I had the thought to just go look at Goodwill.  

I must admit, whenever I have a DIY project and have looked at Goodwill I am blessed to find what I need!  It took me awhile but I found amazing things!  I was able to get 9 costumes for the price of what I would have spent on two costumes on-line-and the quality was so much nicer!  I was able to get Joseph, Mary, swaddling clothes for the baby Jesus, three wisemen, two shepherds and an angel!  I washed all the clothes today and assembled the gift.  I even wrote a Nativity script for them to use along with directions for the characters!  I realize I could have asked chatGPT to do it for me but I wanted to embrace the creative challenge.  I was quite happy with the outcome.  I think the kids will enjoy dressing up!  Hopefully we'll get a video of picture of them in action!

Tanner and T will receive a Little People's nativity instead for them to use to help Melanie act out Luke 2. It's the perfect set for littles. 

Last year our word was "BLESSINGS"!  ANGELS was much more manageable!