Caroline running down the street in front of the church on Sunday

Incredible Sunday full of recovery pain

This morning Jeff and I woke up in more pain the we went to bed with. We live in a tall skinny house with lots of stairs and there is something we need on each level of the home so it is hard to avoid them. I don't know if you saw Anne's video the other day but if you want to see what we looked like take a second to watch it, it is so funny.


I slept in my marathon shirt and wore it up until I had to put my church clothes on and put it right back on as soon as I got in the house. I will probably wear it all week, I am so giddy. I told Jeff that if I had a skirt to match it I would have worn it to church - but I was kidding - ok maybe just a little bit.

Our home teacher came over at 8:30 this morning and is so dedicated and we love him and his wife! He always gives us the lesson, prays with us and gives us strong but gentle advice - we love him! He brought us a bag of recovery foods and told us how proud he was of us for running. He is a wise, giving man at just the age of 24.
the girls fell asleep on the way to church with just 10 minutes to go which always adds to their good mood when we get there, Yikes!
I was a little shocked that I was dressed, showered and in the car driving for and extended day of church with meetings before and the congregation dinner afterwards. Jeff and I looked like really old people getting in and out of the car.

Some exciting and memorable things happened during Sacrament Meeting. Jeff was called to be the Young Men's President (youth group leader) It is going to be very time demanding for him and the logistics of where we live is a hurdle, but not a road block. It could change things for our family about how long we will be downtown, we are not really asking about that but just giving it everything we have got while we are there. With the dynamics of the young men and their situations mixed with Jeff and his talents and gifts it is like Jeff was made for the opportunity.
A month ago our missionary couple had to return home to Utah after just 6 months because of the wife's recurrence of Cancer. They have been so missed. The missionary couple in our ward does so much! After sacrament meeting the visitors stand up and introduce themselves. A family of 5 stood up and introduced themselves as the children of this couple who had to return home. The was a audible hush of respect and "ahhs" across the congregation, it was the loudest quiet I have ever heard. They got emotional introducing themselves and got attacked with many hugs afterwards. But the amazing part of the story was the next three couples that introduced themselves were new missionary couples now serving in our ward. It is a Miracle!
One of the couples is here working in the National Archives extracting names for the church from the civil war! Oh my, my dream mission.
After the visitor introductions the man conducting said, "we are going to do something we have never done before but the bishop had a birthday this week and I would like everyone to stand and sing happy birthday to the Bishop" It was so sweet!

These are the two flights of stairs I had to go up and down in our building today. They are the only way to get to primary and I had seriously 6 people behind me waiting for me to inch myself down. The pain was incredible.

we had the dinner afterwards and the kids loves to run up and down the street out front the building on these days. Caroline and another friend made two friends playing outside and seemed to make up some game. Watching them run hurt my muscles.

I had thought for about 2 seconds about staying home today feeling there was no way I could get myself dressed and do my hair, let alone the girls as well. But the blessing of being at church was incredible. It seemed everyone knew Jeff and I had ran and they were so excited for us and loved to hear about our day. My muscles in my face almost hurt as bad in my legs when I got home, because I could not stop smiling telling everyone about it. We have truly been given a gift by being able to serve and be served in this ward!