We took a quick trip to Alabama to visit Paige and Mike and their new house. It is a beautiful house with a large yard. Their neighborhood is rural and quiet, surrounded by corn, cotton, and soybean fields. People wave to you and are very friendly, and there is a slower pace in the South which is pretty charming. Richard and Mike worked on a car dilemma and we helped select and install bathroom fixtures. Remember your first home? How exciting/daunting/fun it was to set up your own place? Well, this is where they are. What an exciting time of life. 💕
I came across this model that Mark created of his old bedroom. The stacks of books, the curtains, and furniture placement are accurate and made my heart flip.
The eclipse wasn’t the most exciting thing to me this week, but the light was so eerie and we noticed how it made the air feel cold.
Some kids in the neighborhood have a jeep like Tim used to own. This scene reminded me of him. ❤️I tracked the typhoon as it passed near Saipan thanks to live satellite images.Richard and I were able to see Itzhak Perlman perform. We had wonderful seats and it was a remarkable experience.
President Emily Freeman quoted Churchill last night in a devotional for youth, leaders, and parents about education.
I think the Lord taps us on the shoulder many times throughout our lives to help others based on our gifts and preparation. President Freeman’s words caused me to reflect on the times I needed to step up to do something special, unique to me, and fitted to my talents. Here are some of the things that came to my mind.
Mothering Paige, Daniel, Timothy, and Mark
Teaching homeschool
Speaking to congregations as a sister leader
Leading church and community groups
Writing family stories
Using my gift of listening
What positive things does this quote bring to your mind about your own unique contribution to the world?
This week as we talked to Timothy, he was in a long line of cars waiting to fill containers with drinking water. Saipan is in the path of a typhoon, and the islanders were busy preparing for the emergency. As we continued our conversation, we were interrupted by the rumbling of power tools as someone drilled plywood over his apartment windows.
It has been four months since Typhoon Mawar pummelled the island of Guam, where he was serving at the time.
I am not worried, but maybe a little weary from his great adventure. 😅
My goal to listen to a different piece of classical music each day this year has been fun, but it means that there is a lot of music that I am trying to remember. These were some of my favorite pieces from September, and I am posting them here for personal reference. If you listen to one and enjoy it, too, that’s wonderful.
Clarinet Quintet in A major K 581 2: Larghetto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Suite popular brasileira 4: Gavotte-chori (1949 version) by Heritor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Goldberg Variation no. 5 BWV 988 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
❤️Romance in E flat major, op. 11 by Gerald Finzi (1901-1956)
Mark’s most recent recital was really unique. Each student performed an arrangement of an LDS hymn or Primary song. Even living in Utah, it felt refreshing to have a recital dedicated to sacred music. Mark played Israel, Israel, God is Calling, which is a great choice for a young man preparing to serve a mission.
Mark is preparing for an audition and a competition this fall where he will play a Chopin Impromptu, which is a very different kind of piece. I just love listening to him practice each day.
This beautiful desk currently sits in our poorly lit basement, and that is no place to showcase something so special. Mark designed and made this for his dad! This corner cherry desk has carved details on both ends, with a monogram and a symbol from a favorite ski resort. Mark designed the desk to house Richard’s computer and monitors in a new home office. Today I am celebrating this quiet skill and Mark’s generosity.
Our car has been hit twice during the past two weeks, once at a stoplight where someone backed into us, and the other time, with a panel flying from a truck on the freeway. Richard was driving alone on the freeway, and was not injured. This is such a tender mercy. There is a lot of damage to the bumper and hood, and the car is being repaired. Things could have been so much worse if the debris had gone through the windshield.
The day of the accident, Richard’s burden grew with two more projects at work, and we were scheduled to host a youth activity at our house that evening. Mark and I set up the activity while Richard finished some work in his office before the boys began to arrive.
The boys chopped wood and made a fire in our solo stove, and cooked hot dogs, marshmallows, and biscuits. Happy sounds echoed through our neighborhood as the boys played kuub. Night fell too early, and soon, there were only adult voices coming from outdoors. I sat in my living room and thought about the good things that happened throughout the day.
A text from a friend.
Time with Mark.
A compliment from a young dad on our home.
A conversation with Paige as I worked in the yard.
