Metamorphosis

I was released as YW President yesterday. It was a bittersweet day, tempered somewhat by the fact that I get to be the new YW Camp Director, so I still get to hang out with the girls. The up side was that I suddenly found sections of free time that I didn't previously have on my calendar. So, I had grand plans for today.

Today's schedule included the following:
8:00-9:00 walk the boys to school and take the long way home for exercise
9:00-11:00- read my scriptures and check/answer email, shower
11:00-2:00- make apple and pear sauce out of the remaining fruit in the garage so the van can be parked in there before it snows.
2:00-2:50- clean-up kitchen and run a vacuum through the living room.
3:00-4:30- start dinner (Dinner in a pumpkin which takes a bit more time than normal) and help kiddos with homework.
4:30-5:00- pick up Erica from orchestra rehearsal
5:00-6:00- finish dinner to eat when Greg gets home.

It's amazing how little things can change the entire direction of a day.

1) Was reminded by Erica at 7:00 that I needed to stop at the store and pick a book for her. She needed it last week. Decided to delay the applesauce a bit so I could run to the store after my shower.

2) Left home at 8:00 with my keys to walk the boys to school. Realized part way up the street that Ryan forgot his back pack which helped me to realize that the house key Erica had borrowed yesterday was no longer on my key ring and we couldn't get back in the house.

3) Walked home the short way so I could use the car keys to drive to Greg's work and get his house key so I could get back into the house, get Ryans back pack, take it to him, and then get back home to get back on track for my day. (FYI- my neighbors do have a copy of our house keys just for times like this, but they couldn't find it. I appreciated their efforts, though.)

4) Spent a touch longer on the scriptures and email than planned, but it was for a good cause (see previous post). Still pretty close to target to get the book and get it to Erica, but Applesauce may have to be moved to later in the week.

5) Showered and got out the door to the store. The 30 minute trip became a 2 hour trip when the first store didn't have the book and had to run to the next store. And store #2 I realized I'd left my planner at store #1. Store #2 did not have the book, either. Returned to store #1 and searched high and low for the book. Spoke to the cart guy outside as he was picking up my cart, the service desk, the cashier, the service desk again, then found the planner in the cart corral, still in the front of the cart. Applesauce is out, so is pretty much any house cleaning.

6) Got to home a message on the phone from Hollywood Video. They had a call from the library where we had accidentally turned in our Hollywood Video DVD last week. It needed to be returned to Hollywood today or we'd be charged an extra late fee. Switching dinner to something else (who knows what) so that I can help woth a little homework, then leave to get Erica early and have time to stop at the library than Hollywood on my way to school.

7) Thank heavens for cell phones so I could talk to children and my aunt and make more use of the drive time.

8) Home from school. Still no idea on dinner. More homework. I can do algebra, but not in my head. Algebra student has head-ache and is somewhat grouchy. 8-year-old suddenly obsessed with earning money and is constantly asking for extra jobs to do. 12-year-old (scored major points with his mom) helps with algebra and takes over making dinner (scrambled eggs and toast) so mom can have a few minutes by herself (which is a nice thought but not a reality).

So, now I've made unplanned trips to Greg's work, the elementary school, 1 store, the library, and the video store and not made applesauce, or dinner or done anything to clean the house except throw away a couple of papers. I'm ready for bed. First, though, I will go eat my eggs and toast, talk with my sweetheart, and have family home evening. I think those were in the plan for today at some point.

Thoughts on a Monday

A friend emailed this morning. She was concerned about the world, politics, and changes she sees occuring in America. She also asked me what I knew about the 7th seal spoken of in Revelations. I have read about it, but don't know a whole lot, so I opened to Revelations and read again. It does sound pretty scary, especially since there aren't too many specific dates listed so you know whether or not now is the time to begin worrying or to get yourself and family prepared. It was a thought provoking hour trying to come up with an answer for her. There are a couple of things I do know, though.

1) D&C 77 is a "question and answer" session with the Lord about some of the things in Revelations. That would be a good place to start if you have questions about it.

2) Matthew 24 and the Joseph Smith Translation are also about the signs of the last days. They, too would help.

3) We know that before the Lord comes again our nation and the constitution are going to hang by a thread. In my mind that means it's going to appear that the inevitable conclusion is that they are going to fall and that means that there's a very good chance that politically, socially, and economically things will be pretty bad. Like most things, there's a chance it will be a gradual decline over decades, with maybe a few spikes, that most people don't notice. Just look at the difference in TV over the last 50 years and that gives you a pretty good idea which way things have been heading for a long time already. Satan generally can't take a people from righteous living and drop a bombshell that will cause the constitution to hang by a thread over night. He can get us to a point over time where the bombshell will be effective, though, and we need to be careful about that. He's working just as hard to make his side win as we are.

4) In those days the ONLY safety and security is going to be found in the gospel. The scriptures say that the saints will be gathered together in Zion and that the wicked will fear and tremble at the sight of it.

5) The Lord promises all over the place in the scriptures that the righteous will be protected. Mosiah 2:41 talks about the happy state of those who keep the commandments. I think that means not only day to day, but also when times get tough, and even afer we die. Another great scripture with respect to both keeping the commandments to be happy every day and to receive protection in the trials of the last days is D&C 64.

See, we aren't just working to keep things at a status quo. We're working to prepare for the day when the Savior will come again and life on earth will be better than we could ever dream it could be. Yes, there are going to be some pretty dreadful things that happen between now and then. Yes, our government and the people in our country are going to have some very difficult times. Yes, it's hard to know it's going to come and wonder if "this is it". That's why it's so important for us to be aware of what's going on, do our part to see that good men and women are elected to serve in government, and that we make our voices heard on the issues. Satan and those following him are certainly going to do so.

The most important thing we can do, though, is take care of ourselves. I don't just mean food and money, though that is part of it and will be important. I mean that the time will come when we all will have to decide where we stand with respect to God and His commandments and the Church. The world is going to go to heck in a hand basket, but we don't have to. The Lord has promised protection and guidance here and exaltation in the world to come if we choose to be humble, obedient and follow Him. No, it's not easy, but it will so be worth it in the end. We also don't have to worry or face it alone. We're all here to help each other through and the Savior will be there to guide, direct, and comfort us as well.

Have you ever really thought about what it means when we say that the Savior stands at the head of the Church and guides and directs what goes on here on earth? It literally means that He is in charge- not some human trying to guess the next step. There isn't one thing that is going to happen that He isn't aware of and that He can't stop if He chooses to. Most of these trials will be to create a people worthy of the Savior and to separate the "wheat" and the "tares". The Lord is going to let us choose where we end up when all is said and done. It's not a popularity contest or random judgement. He's a loving God and will let us go where we will feel and be most comfortable- and that in large measure is chosen in earth life. Do we want to humble ourselves pay the price now to live righteously and have an eternity of happiness, or pay the price later and live with an eternity of regret and sorrow?

President Kimball once said that there is no sorrow in death, only in sin. I think the idea behind that applies to these last days, too. There is no need to worry or fear if we are right with our Father in Heaven. If we're in good standing, it won't matter if the government collapses, nations fight against nation, or disease ravages the earth. We will be ok. We will be safe- at least (and most imprtantly) in the spiritual sense. The physical is temporary by design, anyway. That being said, it's somewhat easy to write all this when we aren't actually living through most of it and I hope that someday my faith is strong enough to carry me through everything that will come. For now, though, I'm just trying to work on the basics and be a little stronger today than I was yesterday. I can say, without a doubt, that Christ is standing at the head, He is directing the affairs of the Chruch and the world in the last days. If we choose to plant ourselves squarely on His side, then let the rest rage around us. We will be where there is safety.

Best Thing About Today

I was up at 4:15 this morning. That was not the best thing about today. Being at the temple first thing with my children was pretty good, though. I'd say it ties for first. Coming home and getting everyone else out the door by 7:30 was also nice. Not as good as a nap at 7:40, though, made even better by the numbers "10:12" on the clock when the phone woke me up. And thus we have the other half of the tie! I should get so much sleep all the time.

Second place was the Fall Festival at church tonight. How could one not have a great time with guys like these?

Yes, Greg's dressed as a tourist.
No, he does not dress like that all the time.
Spencer is his bodyguard.
(As if the outfit wouldn't keep harm at a very safe distance!)

What a day! Must be time for bed. Again. A body can only take so much excitement.

Tomatoes

2 bags in the fridge this morning= 11 quarts in bottles this afternoon.

5 bags to go.

Good thing I love tomatoes.
I might feel like eating them again sometime after Christmas.

Right

I should be doing dishes, but I don't feel like it. I want to write something, but haven't figured how to put what I want to say into words. Rock and a hard place. Tough one.

For those that don't know, we've had a pretty amazing weekend. The kids had Fall Break beginning last Wednesday. It happened to coincide with the first available time at the Mesa Temple for my one-year-ago baptized brother-in-law to take my sister and their sweet family to the Mesa temple to be sealed for eternity. Greg, his dad (Tom), and I were able to spend part of an afternoon in the Mesa temple with three of our children doing baptisms and confirmations. Another brother was able to schedule his 8-year-old daughter's baptism for the same weekend. All of my siblings, most of their spouses, both of my parents, my father-in-law, and my grandmother were able to be together for a few days. I love my family, all of it, both sides, and I love every minute we get to spend together.

The kids picked up perfectly timed cases of gatroenteritis on the drive home. Even this turned out to have several silver linings. Since all 5 were all sick at the same time they kind of watched out for each other. Sunday morning found them all on the floor in the living room with blankets and bowls, keeping each other company. That sight continued while Greg, Tom, and I went to church that afternoon. We were met there by Greg's brother (Mike) and his wife (Terri) and later my Aunt Nancy. They were all in our ward to be present while Greg was sustained as our bishop that day. All 5 of our kids missed it. I tried calling home on the cell phone so they could at least listen on the speaker phone at home, but the mike on my cell phone wasn't strong enough. The sweetest part came when Tom and I got home after church, though. The kids had really wanted to be there and were bummed when they couldn't hear anything. Since they couldn't hear what was happening and when, they picked a random spot during their meeting and all raised their hands to sustain their dad on their own. I don't know why that meant so much to me. I guess I just felt like that was the end of any issues we'd have with dad being bishop and gone alot. I hope I'm right.

I slept more and better than I had in weeks that night. Probably had nothing at all to do with getting no sleep the night before with kids sick all night. I know it had lots to do with a feeling of peace and that everything was right. Travel was done, we'd had some great family time, and the stress of keeping hushed about the bishop news was over. Everyone keeps asking me how life is going now. All I can say is great so far. Regular life hasn't been affected at all (knock on wood at the end of day three!). The kids are all back on their feet and back to school. I'm coming to grips with the fact that my remaining time in YW is rapidly growing very short. Even the dishes and backlog on the rest of the housework haven't been able to disrupt this feeling that everything is just "right" with the world. I don't know how long this will last, but I'm loving it.

Oh, What Can You Do In 15 Minutes?

I've just been going over the errands I ran this morning in the 15 minutes I have until I need to head out to another and was amazed at what actually got done this morning- yes I guess I do occasionally have days like that. I had kind of imagined that these things would take all day, but really they all took about 15 minutes, maybe 30, each, not counting drive time. Wanna see what you can do in 15 minutes?

1) Normally, take a child to the orthodontist. Today they were dealing with a fussy bracket that didn't want to stay on, so it took a bit longer. No complaints from said child who was missing school, BTW and I found out the orthodontist went to Westwood High School in Mesa. Small world.

2) Pick up YW Medallions at the Distribution Center. (Definitely less than 15 minutes.)

3) Stop at the library for some books on CD. This one was probably closer to 30 minutes because I didn't know exactly what I wanted.

4) Stop at the music store for bass rosin and valve oil (for a trumpet). Again, definitely less than 15 minutes.

5) Have a screw removed from your tire, repair the hole, then rotate and inflate all tires to proper pressure. (I suppose I should say read the newspaper and Ensign while someone else does all those things to your tires!)

6) Drive past Taco Bell twice, while hungry, and not stop to by your favorite soft tacos and mexican pizza. (Less than 15 minutes, for sure, but had those moments where it definitely seemed longer!)

7) Heat up a quick, non-Taco Bell lunch. (It was good anyway.)

8) Catch up on blog reading.

9) Write my own blog post.

10) Make a bed. Definitely less than 15 minutes, and boy would I like to use the spare minutes to climb in said bed and nap. Oh well. I can avoid Taco Bell, I can avoid a nap.

How about you? What can you do in 15 minutes today? Bet it's a lot more than you think. Good Luck!

Final Harvest

A week ago our thermometer read 100 degrees in the afternoon. It's somewhat high because the outdoor sensor gets some reflected heat in the afternoon. The actual temp was probably in the low 90's. The next day we had rain and highs in the 50's. I don't think it's been out of the 60's since then. Steven said today that winter is kind of slowly sneaking up on us. I told him I thought it jumped out of nowhere and grabbed us by the throat!

The cooler day time highs make for lower lows. Most of what was left in the garden doesn't do well below freezing so last week we picked just about everything. The zucchini had pretty much produced its last already. The tomatoes had come up so late that the plants were loaded with tons of green tomatoes. I was promised that the green ones would ripen, so we picked the bigger ones and have had them sitting on the floor in the dining room where they are slowly turning red.

Tonight were are supposed to be down in the high 20's, so we decided to gather what remained. As I'd picked the last round of tomatoes in the dark I missed a few, so Steven and I picked another 1/2 bag or so tonight . We figured we ended up with 135 pounds, give or take, from 35 or so plants. Not bad for not giving the plants a whole growing season. The picture above shows most of them. There's a bag in the fridge that has already turned red and a bag of green that wouldn't fit on the table. Can't wait to try my hand at canning them if I can convince Erica to leave us a few. The two zucchini are the two we decided to leave and let grow as long as we could. The boys thought it would be cool to see if they would explode, but it was not to be. They've been growing a month or so. Next time we'll have to leave them out all season and see what happens. I have no idea how many zucchini we ended up with, but the freezer is full, the kids are tired of eating it , and the neighbors don't like to see me coming anymore! The 2-liter bottle is there just for size reference. We've not figured how to grow soda, though I'm sure the kids would love it. 5 pumpkins grew, but I accidentally sliced into the skin of one when I tried taking off the vine a couple of weeks ago, so it's already been cooked and eaten or frozen.

That's about it. There are onions still outside, but they're pretty small still. I've been told that they winter-over pretty well so I thought we'd leave them and see what happens. The strawberries are still producing on occasion, too, but I think that's about done as well. All in all, it's been a good experiment and the backard was put to much better use this summer than the weed factory we had last year!