This book is Sally Jane's new favorite. She can read it all by herself. It has three words in it. Hug, Mommy & Bobo. She loves it because it has a monkey in it and it is yellow. She sleeps with it under her pillow.

Today at church I was a little bit of a wreck. 4th Sunday's are long for me with ward council before church and Bishops Youth Council after. (must document Jeff is a lifesaver getting the girls ready and meeting us at church by 9:00 am every Sunday but one every month)
One these Sunday's I always tell Jeff that it is better if just stay home because I have such a horrible poker face when something is troubling me. (trust me when I say I have a lot on my mind)
So after Sacrament meeting and running around to get things set up for BYC I ran into a friend. We are in the same ward but rarely ever get to see each other. We have always been in different callings, when I was in Relief Society she was in Primary, When she was in Relief Society I was down town, when I came back I am in Young Women's. She is one of those women you is such good - good person. You know the kind you would never say a bad word around even if a anvil fell on your head like the coyote in the Roadrunner cartoon.
Anyway I always love when I can get just 5 minutes to see her. Her smile always makes me feel better but also shows my lack of poker face. So when I saw her I gave her the biggest hug, but the weirdest thing happened - I could not let go. then I hugged her tighter then I started crying. Crying hugging, crying hugging. I almost felt like I was trying to suck all of her goodness out and get as much as possible on me. (this is sounding really weird but she just is like a piece of sunshine)
Then I had only 2 minutes and could not even really tell her what was on my mind but in a way I didn't even need to explain (this is the beauty of her) There were a couple of other women standing by and the most amazing thing happened - no one asked what was wrong it was just a little bonding moment like "girl we get it". One of them had run to the bathroom and got a wet towel to wipe off all the mascara on my face (I honestly didn't think I had even put on makeup this morning) She said something cute like "this is what we do for each other" It gave me just the strength I needed to finish out the rest of the day.
I thought of Sally Jane's little yellow book it only has a few words in it, but man there is nothing like a good hug when you need one.

to explain the background of the photo. On Friday the girls and I went to the ribbon outlet with a friend as they were having their huge spring sale. (it was amazing) The girls each got to fill a basket with ribbons to add to their craft stash. It feels good for each of them to have their own so that I am not constantly saying "oh no that is too much don't cut that, that is a good one". But I realize I am not doing a good job as a crafter mom to teach them the value of a yard. This photo was what Caroline did with one of her 25 cent bag of 50 yards of pink ribbon - she made a large trap in her room stringing ribbon everywhere (the photo is it almost cleaned up so you can imagine the mess) the girls had a blast with their 25 cent bag but still I am not sure what kind of example I am setting for them to use it such a wasteful way.
And can you believe that Caroline has not got her head cut off in the 3 years we have lived here with her fan so close to her bed?

Do you know someone who hugging them feels like getting a piece of Sunshine?
Would you have run to the bathroom to help clean off the mascara on a friends face?
Do you have a good poker face when something troubling is on your mind?
Any thoughts on how to teach my kids to appreciate 50 yards of ribbon?

my Sunday note taking book

Noteworthy

today was noteworthy for a few reasons.

No one screamed when I brushed and placed in bows in their hair for church. MIRACLE

despite my inner fear to attempt the rolls again this Sunday I did.

Caroline rolled them up again, in her new Easter apron

and it was a miracle because they worked. I think i have been killing the yeast. I used a thermometer this time. I can't believe I didn't take a photo of them out of the oven, but they were big and yummy!
I made Allison's yummy cookies to bring for munch and mingle after church. I was so glad that I had some growing grass to put in the center of our flower cookies.
the reason this is noteworthy is because I have such a fear of bringing food to events. I always feel like what ever I bring never gets eaten. Is that so weird to admit, but true. So I feel like I add ribbon to the tray or real grass and a fake bird to entice people to my food and maybe the will at least try it. I can't tell you how many times I have left an event with my serving tray still full of food. That was the blessing about downtown, no plates were empty at the end of any event. Now that i type that out I laugh at what a funny insecurity that is for me. (and all the cookies were eaten)
and last was my notes from Relief Society. It was ward conference and it was pretty amazing. One of the missionaries from San Diego was playing the harp as we walked into Relief Society and then played the most incredible musical number with his violin in sacrament meeting.
We were given a 3x5 card by the Stake Relief Society President encouraging us to write down one thing from the lesson. I doodled the whole time. I was so touched by her lesson that i photo copied my card and sent it to her with a note from what really touched me.
here are a few things on my card.

• Remember your miracle (talking about when you gained a testimony)
• have your words be thoughtful and constructive
• Charity covers a multitude of sins
• Stand Strong and Immovable
• Take a Self Inventory every week (Jill you were so on to something!)
• I am my Heavenly Father's daughter and I am about my Father's business
• Build your house on a rock (we sang the song with actions)
• She reminded us that life was noisy and to simplify
• God will overcome evil
• Stand up and be Women
• A Marvelous Work is about to come forth - and how that can apply to being a mom not just a missionary.

She used the talk from Julie B. Beck "Stand Strong and Immovable" and said to use this list for our Self Inventory, and these are what we need to do first before anything else.

• 1. Make and keep covenants with Him.

• 2. Are worthy and worship in His temples.

• 3. Study His doctrine in the scriptures and the words of prophets.

• 4. Qualify for, recognize, and follow the Holy Ghost.

• 5. Share and defend His gospel. (could blogging fit into this category for me?)
  

• 6. Participate in sincere personal and family prayer.

• 7. Have family home evening.

• 8. Live principles of self-reliance and provident living.

the other noteworthy thing of the day is that I was called to be the personal progress leader. My now cute plate with ribbon, real grass and a fake bird is very full. (girls camp coming up in a few months) yi, yi, yi!!

Rainy Sunday, burnt cornbread and white gloves

Today we got some much needed rain. I always think of the farmers of my favorite local farm and how thrilled they must be on days like this.

I have not written about Sunday's for some time. They seem to be getting more and more tender and I see our family becoming more and more emotionally involved. I can't even begin to think of how or when we might leave and go back to our other ward.

His mother fixing his tie and him looking up at the Bishop.

A few weeks ago this sweet 8 year old boy in primary got baptized. He comes every Sunday often without his parents. He is so smart. He was so nervous. During Primary I took him into the font with the water running and the two of us just sat down and ran our fingers through the water and talked about being excited and being nervous and how sometimes they feel the same. After the baptism the Bishop had him come to the front to see how many people had come to support him. He said, "In a ward mostly made of up converts you are one of the few that has been a member his whole life." It was true. This has been the first congregation I think I have ever been in where the converts to the church totally outnumber those who where raised in our church. I thought it was awesome! This ward is truly a representative of a typical ward in our church around the world.

It is so hard to ever calculate when we think we are going to get home and this week I learned my lesson not to put the timer on in the oven. I made some green chile cornbread and it would bake and still have 20 minutes left when we walked in the door. So we could eat it warm with our meal.
Well our day got extended a little and we ended up not walking in the door until 6:30pm. The bread had probably cooked 3 times over and was charred on the top and a yellow rock on the inside. We were so hungry we tried to find some good parts, but there were none. Peanut Butter and Jelly and Lucky Charms are sounding like our new Sunday Meal. By the time we get home most of us are too tired to eat much of anything.

A few weeks ago our Church magazine (The Ensign) had sent a photographer and writer to spend a week with our ward and write a story about a tutoring program that our Bishop created less than a year ago. It is an amazing program. He invited some of the young D.C. interns to come to our Church building one night a week to help the youth with their homework. The youth started bringing their friends that brought their friends. Their friends started inviting any one from the neighborhood who needed help with a job application, adults who wanted to learn how to read etc, to come for hot dogs and learn or do anything they need. It in a matter of months it turned our building into a community center for the city to come to. It is a miracle on so many levels.
Today we had an awesome sharing time. Our chorister is out of the country for awhile and we are all taking turns doing music time. this is the scariest thing I could ever do for service. My voice is small, weak and out of tune. But my love for the kids and energy is high. I got everything ready but ended up not needing to do it because of our great sharing time. I was so relieved. This is good though to "stretch" myself and learn how to do new things.
A woman in our ward has a good friend who designed a sharing time around teaching children what a testimony is, through the symbol of a white glove. She had taught it to many children in the Philippines for years. As Barb, got ready to teach our children she looked for a song in the primary hymn book on the subject and could not find what she was looking for so she wrote one. It is amazing. The sharing time idea along with the song will be published in an upcoming issue of the Friend Magazine (our church magazine for children) to share with all the primary children around the world. Barb's friend ask that we take photos of the children learning the activity and the song for the article. It must have just been thrilling for Barb to see her song in action and hear those sweet kids singing it.
As you sing each part of the song each teaches you one by one the different parts of what make a testimony. I thought it was so cute how this girl counted them off as each part of the song was sung. (just as Barb I am sure intended it to be done)

Caroline learning the different meaning of each photo on her white glove.

Our primary with their "testimony gloves" It was really an amazing Sunday again we just feel so blessed for this opportunity to serve. It makes up for the charred corn bread for sure.