Conference Weekend!

Varsity soccer is a dangerous activity, as our family can attest.  We pulled out the crutches (Joshua's old ones from when he broke his leg two years ago) for the second time this fall season, but this time for Jesse.  At her game on Wednesday, she stuck out her foot to block a shot on goal, and the full force of the opponents kick came onto her right ankle.  She went down and had to be carried off the field by her coach.  The frustrating thing was that this was the one time in the last six months that I haven't had Deep Relief in my purse.  I ran home and got the oils that she needed and brought them back to her.  She was in a lot of pain and could not put any weight on it.  It turned out to only be a deep muscle bruise.  I was frankly relieved that it was only that - not a broken bone or torn ligaments!  She went to school the next day on crutches, hating every minute of it.  She hated the attention, but most of all she did NOT like that people had to help her.  It was a learning experience for her!  The next day she only needed one crutch, and Sat and Sunday she's been walking without even a limp.  I'm hoping she'll be back playing by Wednesday.  That was what her team was saying also.  Her teammate Sydney told me, smacking her hands together, "We just have to have Jesse.  We have to!"  Have I ever said how grateful I am to Heavenly Father for blessing us with essential oils?

Varsity soccer is also a very exciting activity, as Joseph can attest.  For the first time this season, Joseph scored a goal!  And he did it two games in a row - on Monday and Wednesday!  On Monday, I was so excited when he scored a goal, that I did a cartwheel on the sideline.  Yes - it's true.  I did a cartwheel.  I think it was seeing Libby doing it all the time that made it come to mind, and I did it!  And guess what - it didn't even hurt or anything!  Ha ha (That was adrenaline).  I looked up from the cartwheel, and a parent (I think it was Tammy), was holding up their hands, so then I went down the line of parents giving high fives.  Yes, that is true also.

The next game was in a town an hour and a half away, and I was in charge of the referees for our local club's tournament, so  I couldn't go to Joseph's game.  After the game should have been over, I checked my phone, and there was a text from an unkown number that said, "You owe us another cartwheel."  "What?", I thought to myself.  "Is this for Libby?", and then it donned on me.  It was for me, and that meant that our boys had scored a goal!  I called the number, and it was my friend Bob, and he let me know that not only was it our team, but Joseph specifically that had scored the goal!  Wahoo!  I was so excited, I couldn't believe it!!  Two games in a row?!  Just for the record, we had been putting on an oil called Highest Potential for about a week before that on his ankle and leg, where hurt it last month. 

I had to laugh a few weeks ago when Cedric, my brother, told me that as a parent, I needed to stay detached from the high school games.  I laughed and laughed.  What a joke - who ever came up with that paradigm?  He understood why I was laughing - I wasn't laughing at him, but my word, what parent that has watched their child play soccer since they were five is detached when they see them play Varsity games?  Ha ha  Not me, that's for sure.

Mary and her friend Trent made a display in the library for the upcoming Book Fair that the librarian raved about.  I haven't seen it yet, but apparently is very creative.  It is really cool that Mary has such a neat circle of friends right now, both boys and girls.  That doesn't happen very often in 8th grade.  This is one of Mary's gifts, however, and she is using her gifts well!

Guess who came home this weekend?!  Josh came up to the door Friday night and Libby went to answer the door.  Josh said her jaw dropped and she just stared for a minute or two before giving him a hug.  I knew he was coming, but nobody else did.  We got Joseph so good Friday night.  He came home from his date (with one of the cutest girls in the school - and yes, that's two weekends in a row with a date) and I was rubbing oils on Jesse's foot.  I said, Joseph, "Please go get me the Lavender in the bathroom."  When he turned the corner, Josh was there with a hockey stick in his hand raised up.  They both yelled, and it scared Joseph so badly!  Oh, we were laughing so hard!

This is a picture of us right before Josh left to go back to BYU-I.  Notice that Jesse, Mary and I are nearly the same height?  With raised eyebrows, I'm examining that fact in this picture.  It had to have been uneven ground, or else Josh is standing on his toes, which is entirely possible, because he is not taller than Bruce.  Yet.

I love General Conference!  We were able to go over David and Elysia's and spend the day.  David and Elysia moved here a little over a year ago from another state, and now our families have become dear friends.  David cooked us breakfast, their family tradition, and we made BLT's for lunch.  Add peaches and cream to that, also, and it tells you that we were stuffed at the beginning of the fourth session!

Obedience, repentance, following the prophet, addiction, and the Holy Ghost were some of the salient points of the Conference for me.  I can't wait to take each talk individually and study every word.  I am so thankful that we have this privilege.  One speaker said something to the effect that humans usually take things for granted.  So I express my gratitude for apostles and prophets!