This is the view from our balcony on house number 2 on this trip.
Category: Life according to Angela
Mist
I am not sure if the ocean will ever be as interesting to watch on its own. I’ve only ever known it as a backdrop to my children.
Beach house
I took this photo just before bed last night from our living room. I was too tired to step outside after a day of flights and weeks of too much of everything. My body is rebelling at the pace I’ve been running. But we are here. Oregon is a new state for all of us.
Observer
A lot happened in the two years since we gathered at the Weber cabin with the Sanchez family. The kids are all taller, smarter, and more confident. I am an observer in a group, so I saw many encouraging things about my family. I heard a recurring theme: things had been really rough for our teens during the past couple of years. From my vantage point, they are doing better than they know, and they have steady friends in their cousins. These friendships will continue to be a real source of strength in their lives. And those challenges they’ve faced? These have given them a new depth and maturity.
Our family moved from Arizona to Utah 9 years ago. We don’t see extended family as often as I thought we would, but living here makes it possible for us to be there for the little things. Life is made of little things like a shared meal, a group project, listening to music together, exchanging books, babysitting, and being available to come over and visit. I loved living outside of Utah, but I couldn’t do the little things when we lived away.
Today I am feeling a little longing for the family that we used to be, but I know it was good that we traded almost complete independence in Arizona for a more connected life in Utah.
Eagle Court of Honor for Tim and Mark
The boys earned their Eagles about 18 months ago, just before the pandemic. We wanted to do a court of honor with family at the Weber, so we waited a long time for this. We gathered on a Sunday evening at Pines Ranch during the reunion, and I just love a mountain backdrop for this event. It was a special evening.
Photos by Daniel Ross, Michael McLaughlin, and Richard Jaussi
A Sunday quote
His message was not “Stand back. I’ll handle this.” Rather it was “Come, follow me.” He inspired, invited, instructed, and then trusted His followers “to do the things which ye have seen me do.” In this way, Jesus Christ built up not only His Church but also His servants. -Dieter F. Uchtdorf
These are two of my favorite women at church. We served in a Relief Society presidency together for 3 years, and now we serve in Primary but rarely see one another. Our assignments don’t allow us to mix as much as we’d like. Today we found ourselves in the hallway together. Woot!
Giver
Have you ever considered the type of giver that God is?
Perfect, intimate, anonymous, modest, wonderful and humble are a few words that Elder Gene R Cook used to describe His giving.
Do any of these words surprise you? the word “modest” surprises me at first, but then makes sense. He doesn’t shout in our ears and compel us to see Him, but surrounds us so completely in beauty, people, and opportunities to grow that we don’t always notice His influence.
This idea inspires me to look a little deeper at my surroundings, including the challenges and the people in my life. What gifts are actually being offered by their presence? What do they teach me about the Giver and myself?
This quote was part of a BYU devotional given my Lisa Valentine Clark this week. Here is the full speech:
Harvest
Richard brought in a bowl of fresh raspberries from our yard, and within two minutes he was eating them on top of ice cream.
This week I got a call that my dad’s books were ready. Mark and I hauled out the heavy boxes to the car and took them to my dad. He hugged the one I handed to him and said it was pretty. The books ARE pretty! I also took a copy to Paige who illustrated the book so beautifully.
At church on Sunday, a bishop took time to acknowledge my work the past year with baptisms. With Covid, we needed to schedule baptisms individually, which meant a lot of coordination with bishops and families and many trips to the church. This was a huge piece my life for a year and someone noticed and took time to thank me publicly for some very behind-the-scenes work.
Richard and I have been working on an Eagle court of honor for Tim and Mark. Because of the pandemic we decided not to gather last year to honor them. Last night we finished the slideshows of their Scouting years. Richard’s steady presence in their journey was evident in the photos and videos we sorted. And they grow up right before our eyes in these slideshows.
Life has felt burdensome lately, and these harvest moments have given me a needed lift.
New Game
Daniel recommended this game to us, so we tried it with a few friends last night. It’s a series of questions to inspire conversation and connection. We laughed and had fun and talked about important things. I recommend it. It is mostly a talking game, but I will tell you that music was a big part of it, and we came away with a few choice drawings.
We’re Not Really Strangers is the name of this game and we played it with people we know well. Daniel first played it with people he hardly knew at all. Both groups had fun.
Two more at the table tonight
Today I am setting the table with two extra places for missionaries to have dinner inside our home. They haven’t been allowed inside for dinners until recently. I feel very happy that we can entertain them, and I was so excited, I prepared dinner early. I definitely have a soft spot for missionaries and their message.
I believe we’re here to figure out how to live a life filled with miracles (Alma 37:41) and joy (2 Nephi 2:25). I believe that our journeys of faith are perfectly designed, including the people we meet and the people who teach us. I believe that Jesus Christ helps us live, breathe, find peace, summon faith, find forgiveness, grow, become whole, and come home again. I am thankful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, but most of all, I am thankful for Jesus.