A Must Read for All the Woman I Know

I just feel so strongly that I should pass this on. Sheri Dew gave such an inspiring address this past May at the BYU Women's Conference called Awake, Arise, and Come Unto Christ. Please ladies, you need to read this!
Sheri Dew has always been a favorite of mine to read and listen to but, this talk is even more powerful.

Just click on the bolded words and the link will take you to the Mormon Woman site and the talk is the second listed, right below President Monson.

Primary

WOW! We had a very long presidency meeting tonight that didn't even start till 8:30pm - way too late for my tastes. We are in the midst of planning and finishing up the quarterly activity for Saturday "Children Around the World" and working on the dreaded primary program. I have never had to help write it because the sister in the presidency I was in just took care of everything but this was the very first presidency meeting were all the presidency was in attendance. Crazy since we were called at the beginning of June! So, we tried to hash some things out and it was getting really complicated and time consuming and so we simplified and began again. What a stressful activity with so much complexity and craziness! So, wish us luck we have till the end of August to get it to the Bishop and combined there is 1 Sunday we will all be here! This is nuts!

The Reunion

Well, most people that read this blog, minus a few special friends, were at the reunion we had last week in Nauvoo. So, for that reason I am not going to go into long explanations of what happened, just highlight the best parts for me. I also realized that I did not take one picture with my camera but with Shelly's, Mama's and Beth's so when I get those photos I will post them.

For me the reunion was wonderful - I love Nauvoo and so it was so wonderful to spend a week there with my family. So what did we do? Monday we saw the Joseph Smith movie and awed at my brother-in-laws performance and then went and checked into the Nauvoo house.
The phrase many hands make light work is a great description of how unpacking all the cars of clothing, bedding and a week worth of food went - it was great! That night we had lasagna, bread and salad and birthday cake, Katherine turned 8 on the 26th and Michael turned 1 on the 3rd. We also had my favorite part of the reunion and that was a wonderful family home evening. Each family performed a skit, song, etc and then we had games, singing and laughing. We gave out the t-shirts and the family cookbook. After all of that we all went outside and sat on the grass talking and watching the kids chase fireflies and play with each other. When the kids were getting ready for bed Asia, Beth, I and Aurora went on a walk down Parley Street or the Trail of Hope in the rain. We came back drenched but very much at peace.
Tuesday dawned with a devotional (all created by Becca) and breakfast. We took turns going on a wagon ride, seeing sites and then Beth, Asia and I attended a session in the Nauvoo Temple, what a beautiful and amazing place. It was wonderful. After a family favorite of stroganoff for dinner a bunch of us went to Sunset By the Mississippi and enjoyed the music of the full time and summer missionaries. That night while it was still light Asia, Beth, Aurora, Jessi and I walked the Trail of Hope again, this time being able to take turns reading the accounts of all that happened while walking down the road to the pavilion there. Jessi and I checked out the sunset which was beautiful and then we went back and played games, something that happened every night for the adults.
Wednesday was a special day for a our family. We were able to go the temple and seal Joy to our family. Shelly later reminded us that it wasn't just Joy but that we are all sealed together as a family and how important that is. I was blessed to be with the Turpin girls in the Youth Waiting Room and accompany them into the sealing room. I am always amazed at how strong the spirit is in the sealing room - amazing. The sealer was so sweet and shared his personal story of the four children that he and his wife adopted and sealed to them after being unable to conceive themselves, it was a beautiful story and a wonderful experience. After lunch, a service project and a little rest Nathan and I went with the Turpin family and Mandy to the Blacksmith's, the 70's Hall, and on an oxen ride and then down to the Mississippi again. Then I went with Mama and Daddy to get a t-shirt and walk around the beautiful temple again. It was very peaceful and beautiful. Then I caught up with the Turpin's and Beth and went to High Hopes and River Boats, performed by the summer missionaries. Dinner was wonderful and then Beth, Asia, Aurora and I went to another show later that night - it was a full and wonderful day!
Thursday we got to move to another house because of a mix up, so in the morning we cleaned up, packed up and moved out. That afternoon we went to all kinds of sites and enjoyed the wonderful spirit of Nauvoo, the saints that sacrificed so much and their great testimonies they bore in the way the lived and died. That night we had a great big picnic at the State park in Nauvoo, the kids played and then we went to the pre-show games for the pageant. We had a lot of fun playing all the games, dancing and singing. While we were there we found out that we are related to Brigham Young, Willford Woodruff, Eliza Snow, and many others. We had always thought my parents were the first in the church but on my mom's side there were many that are pioneers. Now we just have to figure out who went inactive! We of course went to the pageant and felt the wonderful spirit there. That night we got to share a home with the Leavitt's - we are so lucky! :)
Friday dawned and we made our way to the home my parents and Selim's were staying in and had our last devotion (we had them every morning), said a prayer and had a great big group hug. Bob and his family left for home, the Leavitt's for Carthage and the rest to see sites and then start heading home. Beth and I went back and took a shower, packed up and then went with Mama and Daddy to Carthage. Poor Nathan had a really hard time with Carthage. He was so very sad that someone would hurt Joseph. Through out the week different children in the family had similar emotions as they experienced Nauvoo and heard the stories. I just think that we are blessed with incredible children that are sensitive to the spirit and have great testimonies. Friday was a little sad to me, I had to say goodbye to almost all my siblings and my parents and to Nauvoo. Shelly did come and stay and so that was nice to have them here for a night, like Cyndi was on Sunday night.
It was a great experience and my testimony was strengthened as I heard the stories, testimonies and felt the Spirit in that wonderful place. I am so grateful for such a loving and wonderful family that is faithful and strong and has a desire to follow the Lord. I am so blessed.

Taking a Step Back to Move Forward

My good friend Amy (who is moving and it makes me sad for me and very happy and excited for her but I am going to miss her so much!) and I were talking on Sunday for FHE about Sister Dew's book God Wants a Powerful People, in it she talks about how sometimes we have to go backwards in order to move forward, she of course was referring to repentance and that got me thinking, that shouldn't be any kind of surprise.
The past few weeks I have felt really terrible, we have done one test after another and not really found anything to write home about so I just have tried to ignore the constant nausea, headaches, stomach pain and lack of energy and continue to work on my grant, work and church stuff. But it was really taking a lot out of me and I felt like I was slipping backwards. I was having a hard time feeling the Spirit, I was having a hard time having the desire to read the scriptures for anything but just because I knew I should, prayer was hard, etc. I knew that most of it had to do with feeling like crap, being tired and feeling like I couldn't control the situation at hand. I try hard never to get there - I see it coming and hit everything I know hard - I read more, go to the temple more, etc. Well, this time I was by myself and 2 hours from the temple and one of my best friends doesn't want to talk to me, I guess she isn't that any longer. So, I just kinda dealt until my doctor told me to go see a counselor because I seemed depressed, well that was a little bit of a wake-up call, I knew I wasn't doing well but no one was supposed to notice and my doctor did? I guess I have been spending quality time with her lately but come on!

So a few night later Shelly and I were IMing back and forth and that made me "come clean" with some of my struggles of late and she told me that Brother Wolfe said that when he hits the downward dip in the wave of spirituality that he attacks it with vigor. He gets up at 6am and act like a missionary, reads his scriptures, studies, prays until he feel back to where he should. I am very grateful for that advice, that is what big sisters are for! So, that is what I have done, except my body won't do 6am every morning this week but I tried as hard as I could, started reading for longer, praying out loud again and reading the Ensign, Sister Dew's book, and Jesus the Christ every day and it seems to be working. I feel much better now and no I didn't go and see a psychologist who can't fix this problem.
I am grateful for good friends that listen and a wonderful family that supports me and I hope that I am a support to as well.
I am so very grateful a Heavenly Father and Savior who love me, have a plan for me, gave me a strong and sometimes healthy body, bless my mind from time to time with thoughts that help me in my education and relationships and just bless my life with all that I need even when I don't know I need it.
I added the quotes (that are on the side) tonight - I hope that I can endure this life well as Elder Maxwell instructed, I hope that comes with time because right now I endure by screaming, yelling and whining, so we will see.

Pulling the Plug

Well, my second to last post was about old men looking at my profile, so I am following up on that one. Dallas said in her comment that she thinks most people on those sites don't just have issues but whole prescriptions! I totally agree - leave it to Dallas to say it in a creative way! (Love ya lots) A while back in the Ensign there was a article about debt and about how some of us have none or just a little and some of use have tons and tons. The picture that went a long with it was of two people, one was driving a modern day little bug car and the other a huge van with a Uhual and boat behind it - good visual of the different amount of debt. Well, that is what I think of when I am on those sites - we all have issues of some kind but it seems most of the men on there have the van, Uhual and boat to pull with them. So, I decided to pull the plug! I deleted all of my profiles - it was very liberating. No more stupid flirts from random 60 year old men that could be my father - what do we have in common exactly? I did that on Sunday and I have loved every minute of it. Don't get me wrong I am not giving up on marriage I just want to find my husband in a more traditional way - like in person, where 60 year old men would know it was completely inappropriate to send me mail and blow virtual kisses to me. Yucky!!! SO needless to say I am feeling better.

I got this off of a friends blog, she works in DC.
Protester of the Week:
(this in no way implies my feelings towards the issue)
Gun control has been a big issue lately. Outside the Supreme Court there was a guy with a sign that read, "If Guns Kill People, Do Pens Misspell Words?"

My meeting

Well, my meeting went well and I now have officially 3 months to finish my grant. I am hoping it takes less time and should if I can find some time to dedicate to it solely. I am working on it but they are so incredible vague about what they want and expect that it is really frustrating right now. I just want to be done! I realized today that I will probably not be done with what I wanted to be done with when I leave in December but I am still going to leave. I need some peace and it is very hard to find here. I would love to just skip the next few steps but you can't so on I push. My friend Alison is almost at the same place as I am - she should have her outline approved in the next few days or so, so it has been nice to have someone to study with, write with, etc. Just thought I would share my good news, I think! :)

Nothing Exciting

People keep asking me what is happening in my life, really nothing at all. I am feeling a little better now after feeling very nauseous for weeks. I have my second meeting with my committee about my grant again on Monday - hopefully it will be good and I can move on with this process. There always seems to be so much to do and not enough time to do it all in. I am working on applying for graduate school, even though Shelly told me I should just get a MD and then I can disgonis myself. Well, that sounds fun another 10 years doesn't at all!!
I have decided that the LDSMingle or Single or Planet places are all a little weird for me. I have plenty of men that check me out that just have happen to be the same age as my parents - yes they are 57, 58, 60. That is a little disturbing, at least to me. I of course have no problems with my wonderful father but that is not the same as marry someone that has kids near my age or older.
July 4th was uneventful and it was okay - I am finally starting to feel better so I got a lot done around here, things that have been neglected since I have been sick. I wrote out a long list and mostly have accomplished it - there is still a little time left in the day so maybe I will be done! That will be really great if it happens.
I am really looking forward to the up coming family reunion. I hope that we all have a great time!