Doing Good - A Blessing of Duty and Love

This week as part of the Young Women's program, for our ward, Mary and Libby participated in an evening called "Young Women in Excellence".  The theme for the program was "Covenant Path".  I wish I had taken a picture of the rest of the decorations.  We came in on a white path on the floor, and went in under an arbor made out of white balloons.  It was gorgeous and light-filled!  Mary conducted the meeting, as she is the Laurel Class President.

For the special musical number, Libby accompanied Mary singing Valiant Faith as part of her (Libby's) Faith Project.  They both did a beautiful job!  Libby learned this song in 3 weeks.  We had several friends over during that time period who commented to me that when they heard her playing, it took them awhile to figure out that it wasn't a recording.  Libby proved that she is ready to accompany!

I glanced out the window one day last week while talking on the phone and was greeted with this site.  These animals are on the wrong side of that white vinyl fence!  Ha ha.  Adding to the trouble was the fact that I was home by myself, and still recovering from falling off the horse, so it was a bit of a conundrum - how to get them all back in the pasture.  I managed to get a lead rope around Buck (the goat on his hind legs) and I led him back into the pasture and tied him up.  I did the same with Lilly (you can't see her in this picture - she's the other goat).  And then I got a bucket of hay and managed to entice the cows back in with the hay.  Thank goodness!

Mary has started going to "Youth Court".  It is a program after school where students that sign up for the program are involved in working with youth who have committed a crime - in the court process.  Mary cleaned well for this day in court!

We went to see the movie The Giver this week.  It's based on the book of the same title by Lois Lowry.  It was a good depiction of the book, I thought!  They picked a great actor for Jonas (although he was older than 12 years old) and the Giver.  It was thought provoking, as always, to contemplate the necessity for a mortal experience where we are passing through sorrow in order that we might learn to choose the good from the evil.  This is a true blessing made possible through the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ.

I took a screen shot of a video that Jesse posted on Facebook of BYU's Concert Choir singing in the HFAC.  Jesse couldn't sing with them because she has a cough, so she took this video.  I love the music!  I had it playing in the background just now, and it is gorgeous!  Jesse's boyfriend Stephen, if I'm not wrong, is on the left side in the middle row in the black shirt.

I was doing fine recovering from falling off of MacKee last week until Wendnesday night when I moved some boxes of chicken that I bought.  Friday morning I had this sharp pain and by afternoon, it got worse and I could feel a rib was out of place.  Thank goodness my friend LaWanna, whom I trade work with, already had me scheduled for Saturday morning!  I went in to her and through her good work, and prayer, the rib moved back into place.  Now I'm back to just recovering from sore muscles like I was before.  I consider it a miracle that this problem got resolved!

Libby did great in her basketball games this week!  In just two weeks she has already learned a ton and improved her skills tremendously.  She is a left-handed dribbler, which is so interesting to me, since she writes with her right hand.  She made a basket in each of the two games, so they moved her to wing where she can more easily shoot the ball and go up for rebounds.  Way to go, Libby!

Peter went and watched the local college football game at his friend Karson's house this week.  Their family used to live right in back of us, but they moved away and then came back and built a different house a few miles away.  We're glad to have them back in our community.  Anyway, when Peter got in the car when we picked him up, he said his throat hurt from laughing so hard with Karson.  I'm always glad to hear that my children are laughing!  I know there is such a thing as too much laughing, and at the wrong things, but my children are not in that place, so when I hear they have been laughing, I know it is good.  :)

I read Julie Rowe's book, The Time is Now this week.  She has great insights and I enjoyed the added detail and information she gave about her near-death experience where she saw events leading up to the Second Coming.  I also read another NDE by Sarah LaNelle Menet, called There Is No Death.  This book is interesting in that she is not a member of our Church but it is amazing how much knowledge and vocabulary that she has of pre-mortal and post-mortal life that is spot on to what we know.  I enjoyed that book too.

Josh is the captain of his Soccer Team.  He has actually never told me that he's the captain - I had to hear it from someone else.  ha ha  I could have guessed because he alluded to organizing practices and such, but he never came right out and said that.  I was thinking this morning about what a great leader Josh is.  It just comes naturally to him.  I am grateful for what a great son he is!

We got Joseph's "Ode to the Valley" last week!  He left his beloved mountain valley of Tupungato last week, where he has been for 8 months.  He said he would go around on Sunday and shake the hand of all 120 members that were there and call them by name.  :)  He is on to San Rafael now, and another small country town, training a new Elder.  How fun that will be for him!  I have been praying for his companion that not only can he stand to loose 7 kilos this week, but that he's ready for what Joseph wants to do!!  ha ha  There's no doubt Joseph will be a great trainer, I just hope this new greenie can keep up!

I'm grateful for the ability and desire to "do good"!  I hope it will ever be so.