Birthday and Auction

Tom is 50. 

He says he feels like he is on top of the world...and driving us crazy to prove it. I almost asked if he had reverted to teenage. I'm wondering how we got so old. I used to look at my parents and think 50 was so far away...and here we are. It's so weird. 


Last night was the scout auction. Our funds were a bit tight this year so we took cash and when the cash was gone, we were done. I let Tom control the money because I had some Relief Society stuff to do. The results...3 cakes, a plate of peanut clusters and a groovy picture. We gave one cake to one of the high priests and another to a young family in the ward. But I wasn't letting Katie's cake out of my sight. This cake is better than "Better Than Sex" cake. It's heavenly. 

Inside Out German Chocolate cake

Can't decide

I can't decide if this is good news or if it will just lead to more headache in the future. Remember my trip to the mid-west and the car trouble I wrote about in July and August? 


Avis called me Thursday. When their insurance people looked at the claim they decided that since my friend was the one who actually rented the car with my credit card and was driving at the time, she's responsible and not me. So they have been sending her collection letters, and she finally replied with a letter telling them it's my fault because I didn't get out of the car and direct her (she didn't even ask) and that she fixed the car before she brought it in. They don't believe her. I just hope she doesn't get it in her head to sue us later because that would be plain silly on her part. I think the fact that I showed them the dent and was willing to take care of it goes a long way with Avis. I was telling Tom today that we left on Thursday night at 8 pm and didn't arrive at the hotel until Friday night at 10 pm (driving almost all that time). Saturday morning I woke up wishing I hadn't gone on the trip. Since I've learned that I have weak boundaries I've had to remind myself that my only fault on that trip was that I didn't listen to the Spirit and went anyway. During the whole trip she was controlling, disrespectful and demeaning, but I was respectful to her. But I guess 15+ years of friendship doesn't mean much to some people.

Oh say! Can you see?

I am having so much fun! 


I was accepted into the "2011 Hymns of Thanksgiving" choir! The choir currently has 265 members (they hope for 274) and will be accompanied by a 65-70 member orchestra. We are learning 12 songs in 13 practices, but the directors are fabulous and really know what they are doing. It is a workout twice a week, but I am loving it! I love the challenge. 


Thanks to my uncle who traded voice training for moving sprinkler pipe on the farm. He was a very accomplished musician, and even sang with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for a time. I only got about 4 lessons out of the deal, but at times like this I pull what I learned out of the closet, dust it off and let it carry me away. I wish I hadn't been so shy and self-conscious back then so I could have learned more from him, but what he taught me has served me well. 


All the years of band, choir and piano lessons have served well, too. I'm glad Heavenly Father gave me the Bright love of music! It has greatly enriched my life. 


So, I'll be singing almost non-stop for the next 7 weeks. Lots of music to learn and the warm up number to memorize. If you hear me singing under my breath while walking down the street, just smile and wave. 


"Oh say! Can you see by the dawn's early light..."

Don't forget...

A friend of mine wrote on her blog about things she would tell her younger self, if she could, and she gave a challenge to think of advice we would give ourselves 5-10 years ago. Like my friend, I think experience is a great teacher. I, too, served a mission for the church, and wish I'd had more experience at that time. I felt bad when asked for marriage advice since I was a single, never-been-married 20 something at the time. So, I took her challenge and this is what I came up with. 


1. When faced with trials, don't ask "Why?" Ask, "What?" What am I supposed to learn from this? I can't tell you how many times I've asked that question, and immediately the Spirit has answered very simply, but with exactly what I need. I have made some amazing changes in my life because I stopped asking "Why" and started asking "What."


2. Stand up for yourself. Just because you are so nice, you can't expect everyone to be that way, too. The world is full of abusive people just looking for a door mat. You know you aren't happy being the door mat, so learn what you need to learn, and move on. 


3. Don't hide behind food. Just admit the cold, hard facts of the past, learn what you need to learn, and move on. 


4. Heavenly Father knows you better than you know yourself. Remember when you got your patriarchal blessing and how surprised you were to find out there would be more than one man wanting to marry you and you would have a choice? Remember the other things it said about you that you couldn't believe? Remember how you were made a co-senior companion when you had been in Honduras 4.5 months...and your companion was also from Utah and had been in Honduras for 3 months? HE definitely knows you better than you know yourself. 


5. Lastly, Heavenly Father loves you just the way you are. Knowing that is more motivating than anything else. My uncle and aunt had something they said to the kids whenever they left home. I'm probably not getting it quite right, but I like to think that Heavenly Father said the same thing when we came to earth. 

"Don't forget...I love you."

Faith

This is my faith project. 

I took the wooden pioneers that my aunt designed, printed a copy, and used the outline to create the pattern on graph paper. 

I heard the quote at the SS training meeting I went to last week. The speaker, Matthew O Richardson was telling about a time when he was learning from Henry B Eyring. That was what Elder Eyring said in the lesson. 

When Elder Richardson shared that experience it opened my mind to a deeper level of faith. He talked about how the pioneers committed to traveling to Utah not knowing what they were in for. He also talked about how we all desired to come to earth for a body. Heavenly Father told us it would be hard and that all wouldn't make it back, but we wanted it so bad. We didn't know then what we would face here on earth, but we wanted the reward enough to make the attempt. That's faith. 

I'm so glad they decided to let mom's do Personal Progress with their daughters. It's been fun, and touching, to work with Hannah on our goals. Last night we talked about Patriarchal Blessings, and I was able to share my testimony with her about how Patriarchal Blessings guide us and help us.