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Life seems to tumble and gather steam at times when I think it should be calm. Tyler had a business trip to Portland and asked me to tag along. At the time the week looked relatively calm. But little by little things began to unexpectedly fill in.
Cross country races. Activity days. A surprise baby shower. Homecoming. Volleyball games.
Last Sunday I finally insisted that Erik take charge of his homecoming group of boys and make some plans because I was headed to Portland for three days and needed to know what role I was to play in the whole affair.
We hosted dinner and one other mom had them over after the dance for dessert. This meant that I was unable to go home for the weekend and help my mom with a surprise baby shower for my sweet sister in law. Choosing between two good things is so much harder than choosing between black and white.
But ah, what a great group. I'm so glad Erik has such good friends with good standards to rub shoulders with. What's ironic is three of these boys used to all be in the same ward in Stansbury: Erik, Mason, and Austin S. And one of the girls also used to live in our old Gordon Lane ward.
The dinner was a success with salad and soup
and Italian sodas and chicken cordon bleu and rolls. One mom also brought cute conversation stones to put on the table to stimulate some conversation when it started to lag and those kids used them. I heard it all from my perch in the kitchen.
And where's Kiersten, you say, in all this Homecoming hoopla?
She and Nate went to Boise for a cross country meet. The races were divided into two different groups for JV girls and the first 20 to cross the finish line got medals. At some point in the race her coach yelled to her that she was number 18 which she held to the end (18th out of about 200). Wow. She has come a long way since she joined this team three years ago.
Many times I ask myself how did I get so lucky to be her mom. She is amazing. This past week she also found out she scored a 34 on her ACT. The girl is headed for good things, including a cross country homecoming in a couple of weeks.
Josh Larsen, a boy on her team and Book Battle nemesis from grade school, asked her.
What's happening in my yard
My pumpkins are just about ready to be picked. This picture is a few weeks old so the color is a lot more green than what they are now.
My tomatoes are also doing well. No more rot blossom. I'm beginning to suspect its how I watered this summer which is probably not enough for raised beds. We are also digging up potatoes -- potatoes I didn't think we had because my plants sprouted up, got leggy, and then killed over. And the raspberries have done well this year. I keep thinking they are done producing only to go out and harvest more. What we don't eat I put in my freezer to make some jam later.
These are the days of . . .
*Little boys who love their stuffed animals so much they come alive with different voices. Sometimes we have to put George, Alex's monkey, in time out.
*Job changes. Tyler basically got fired from his current position and is having to reapply. He's interviewing for more of a sales job which would mean more travel. Thus we have been looking at buying more of a commuter car.
Erik finally succumbed to our pleadings and is headed to Homecoming, his first actual dance. The lucky girl got a pizza delivered to her door with Erik dressed in his pizza delivery uniform from Hometown Pizza. Oh, did we have fun concocting how he would ask her.
What's happening in my yard
Our peaches are sooooooo close to being fully ripe. My dad tried to pawn some of his off on me last week and I had to decline. We are overloaded this year. The fruity peach smell in our little orchard is simply divine. I've picked them as they've fallen and picked a few off the trees to make peach pie filling, dried peaches, peach cobbler, and fruit leather, but the majority are going to ripen this week I believe.
These are the days of . . .
*Cooler fall temperatures that allow me the luxury of leaving windows open at night. Ash simply doesn't appreciate it and complains most mornings about it being too cold. I don't know . . . 68 or 69 doesn't seem terribly cool when I know it's going to warm up during the day.
*Lake Point Days race. Alex begged me to sign him up for a race at the beginning of the summer. I hesitated, not knowing if we'd be around for Lake Point Days since it fell over our traditional Ferron Peach Days weekend. He ran well and loved it.
Erik smack-talked Nate all year, telling him how he was going to beat him. Erik ran well, but didn't come close to Nate who gave it his all at the end to come in 2nd.
I can't believe this is the same kid from 7 years ago. I think his form has improved a little.
Nate actually had time to walk back a 100 yards and run with Erik when he came around the corner.
Ash also took home a medal for being the only teenage girl to race, even though she's not even 12 yet.
*Early morning orchestra. Thankfully, we are only driving to the jr. high two times a week instead of three.
*Football games have taken over our life again. It's kind of like school. I love it when they start. They seem to signal the beginning sweater and soup weather. But, man do I celebrate the Superbowl because it means the death of football for another season, and I couldn't be happier.
Blessing #1:
Nate turned 14 the end of July, but with so many family things going on, there just didn't seem to be a good time to have him ordained to the office of a teacher. And I was not liking the idea of pulling grandparents away from their busy schedules. One Sunday Brother Willis, his deacon adviser, approached us about about it and planted in my mind the idea that Erik could ordain him. This was a thought I had not even entertained since I did not know a young man in the office of a priest could do such a thing.
I talked it over with Nate and Erik and both were open to the idea, although Erik was extremely nervous about performing such a priesthood function. I approached the bishop and the ordination took place during our monthly home teaching visit in his office. He counseled Erik on the wording and how he knew what things to say in a blessing that often accompany such ordinations. Bishop Steinagel then left it up to him whether or not he would like to also give Nate a blessing at the end, which Erik was brave enough to do.
I believe there is nothing more humbling or terrifying than being the mouthpiece for the Lord. What a tender morning as the palpable spirit of God filled that room. It was a beautiful experience for all of us present and I can say with all sincerity that God our Father was pleased.
Blessing #2:
Later that same day, I sat in that same office as my Laurel presidency was set apart to perform their functions. Kiersten had been called as the secretary, and the bishop gave her such a beautiful blessing, affirming things to her that he could not have possibly known. But God knew and knew what Kiersten needed to hear.
The Holy Ghost is real and powerful and performs his functions through an all-knowing God.
Blessing #3:
Back in May a talk was given on patriarchal blessings which reminded Nate that he wanted to get his. Erik was moved enough by this same talk to also piggyback Nate and get theirs together. Our summer was so incredibly busy that an appointment with Patriarch Oscarson was set for August 21, the day before the start of school.
What a joy it was to accompany these two brothers to receive guidance and wisdom and direction through another mouthpiece of the Lord set apart for such service. For me, it was a unique circumstance to have two blessings given together, but individually, much like Esau and Jacob. I'm sure they don't remember a tenth of what was given but I do know the Lord knows them individually by what was pronounced to each boy through our great patriarch.
Patriarchal blessings are like a beautiful letter from our heavenly home. It's not a crystal ball describing what will happen in our future lives, but more like a road map describing the blessings awaiting should we stick to the path and knowledge of our divine characteristics. I also received mine on a hot August Sabbath in 1992, 24 years ago. What a treasure it has been and I guess also a kind of treasure map as things that didn't mean anything to me 24 years ago are now making sense. I continue to read mine often.
I am forever grateful for men and young men who are worthy to hold God's power to bless my family. My God is a god of miracles and love and uses the priesthood channel to direct that love and those tender mercies through worthy men on this earth.
