More News From Teach in Texas

I'm not sure what has been going on with Teach's email account, but I didn't get a letter from her on the 8th, so I was very excited to get two of them on the 15th. She says she sent one, but it didn't show up here. She just loves being a missionary! The weather in Texas is totally different from what she is used to, but it looks like they are finally figuring it out.

From 2009 - Think she knew it would be Texas?

First of all. It is raining SOOOO much. (: Basically monsoon season out here. I get to drive in it. but earlier this week we got caught biking in the storm. We were soaked but so very happy because it cooled us off. If I ever live in Texas not as a missionary I'm TOTALLY buying a pool because it's basically the only way to cool off around here. We splashed in the puddles too and I've worn my boots two days in a row now. (: It's so so great.

It is so fun to watch her learn and grow and figure things out on her own. I love that about watching my kids grow up and take control of their own lives both in a spiritual sense and in a literal sense. Since most of us struggle with proper diet and weight here, I was glad to hear this story from her.

One more cool thing. So I have been studying the Word of Wisdom lately and I've been trying to be a better soul - you know just in general - and I realized that there were parts of the WOW that I'm not really living. Veggies, fruits, grains, meat sparingly etc. I was praying and trying to figure out a way to follow and live the WOW more fully while not blowing all of my money on fresh produce because our money is VERY limited. I have been praying and trying to avoid sugary stuff... it's hard. But I kept praying for... 3 days in a row. On Saturday night a member called us out of the blue and said she had a casserole for us. (: We went over to pick it up and not only a casserole but she had veggies, and apples and water mix stuff. (: (: It was SUCH an answer to prayer that I couldn't even contain it. I was so grateful because the Lord just blesses us in such simple ways when we try to live his commandments more fully. 

 I don't believe I have ever had an experience like this one, but I think it's awesome that sometimes the words she speaks are not her own words.

We had a few awesome opportunities when we were teaching this week to really let the spirit guide the lesson. One point during a lesson I opened my mouth and literally I was surprised by the words that came out of my mouth. But it opened the door for a discussion about the Word of Wisdom that this recent convert needed to have happen. It's just so cool to feel worthy and able to have that happen. 

Pre-Missionary Days

I still get to hear from her pretty much every Monday although now it is just one email and I have to be happy with that. Her Mission President has asked that they not spend their half-hour online doing an e-chat even with her mom. It was hard at first. I almost felt like I lost her all over again, but I'm good with it now. I want her to be obedient so she is the best missionary she can be. And as she said in her last letter...

I'm 2/9 done with my mission. Odd.

I can hardly wait to have her back home.

Guest Blog: Reaping Many Blessings by Sweetie

Bossy's Beautiful Garden (too dark to take a pic of mine)

I’ve spent most of my energy and a good portion of my time the past two days trying to get the garden under control. There are a lot or reasons I garden (I was raised doing it.  Nothing tastes as good as a fresh vine-ripened tomato and corn that was cooked within an hour of being picked. The prophet said to plant a garden...), but sometimes it’s just plain hot, dirty, and hard. 

About ten years ago I loved my time in the garden. It seemed to give me time to meditate, figure things out, calm down, etc. For years I would tell people that I thought everyone should garden because it was a substitute for therapy, counseling, and antidepressants. I truly believed it was one of the most important aspects of my life. When I was consulting a lot I would sometimes wonder if it made sense. I could buy what we would produce by working a few short hours. But it wouldn’t be as fresh. And the therapy bills, what about them?

But for the last few years it just hasn't seemed the same. Its been hard to get anyone to help weed. But the real depressing thing is for some reason my job always seems to require overtime in September, right at the peak of harvest. So this year when I was working so much overtime in the spring, I decided I would finally do it, the ultimate rebellion. Something I hadn’t done in 29 years of marriage. I wasn’t going to plant a garden. 

I shelled out $400 for a share of a local farmer's output being offered at work. Then just for good measure I arranged to have Bossy grow some stuff for me. I was set. No garden to consume my time... 

But I just couldn’t do it. I eventually planted a modified garden. Mostly corn and tomatoes and a few cucumbers, peppers, cantaloupe, zucchini,and of course some basil for the tomatoes...   And my reward? Just tons of back-breaking work. After a good 12 hours+ this weekend I realized that the therapy didn’t seem to be working. I didn’t feel better. I hadn’t had any inspiration. I didn't feel calmer. What was I thinking? And why did Eve have to partake of the apple and cause weeds to spurt forth? 

It just wasn’t worth it. About 15 minutes after my little mental pity party/melt down, I turned and looked toward the house and had the strongest sort of deja vu and flashback.  I saw the yard as it had been the day I planted the cherry tree. I saw the peach tree, long gone to a bark bore. (I stink at fruit trees.) I saw the beautiful 3-foot high peas that Teach was mad about picking one day when she was about 10 and pulled them all up as she picked. I saw the corn patch flattened by a runaway go kart.  

And I was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude... For the privilege of living here, for my kids, for my life, and most importantly for my wife. I realized what a blessing our marriage has been. How we have been blessed to be together.  No packages from previous marriages. No years of bickering. No one spouse not pulling their weight.   

I could go on and on. It was the most amazing thing! it was like my brain just dumped all my blessings to my mind in just a few seconds. It was so strong I immediately started walking to the house to tell my dear sweet wife how much I loved her. 

When I got in the house she was helping with a sewing problem, and then had to help another child... and I needed to do something with dinner (sweet pork to make the returning campers happy) and I never got to it. So when she casually mentioned she was a bit busy and the post might not be up to snuff, I volunteered for a guest post. It may be the only way I get to tell her how much I love her.   

They're back to homework, and I can’t get a word in edgewise. Weird how the gardening isn’t doing its job.. and I’m mad at Mother Eve for all those weeds. I’m sure that 20-second blessing dump didn’t have anything to do with gardening...or did it?

Remember Cow Day?

You remember when I told you all about Cow Day last week at Chick Fil A? My sweetie and I and the kids dressed up like cows and humiliated ourselves just so we could get free food. OK, it wasn't humiliation, it was fun! We were being joiners.

It was so fun, in fact, that I shared my story on the Chick-Fil-A website. And you know what? Today I got an email telling me that it had been published on their site!

Here is a copy of the email I got from Dan T. Cathy himself.

Dear momof12,
We are pleased to inform you that your story has been posted on chick-fil-a.com. Thank you for taking the time to share it with us. To view your story please click here or go to chick-fil-a.com/stories. We are grateful for you and your patronage. It is our pleasure to serve you and we look forward to seeing you on your next visit.

Sincerely, Dan T. Cathy President and COO

I was pretty excited about that until I saw the thousands of stories on there...

But here is the link for you anyway. Just a tiny bit of fame. The Dog Walker would be proud.

Book Club

I love reading! When I was a kid we used to check out books by the boxful from the Bookmobile which was kind of a mobile library that showed up in our small town every couple of weeks. It was not uncommon for me to read 50 chapter books in those two weeks. I specifically remember when I was about 10 coming home from the Bookmobile with enough books to carpet my bedroom floor.

Those were the days when I had all the time in the world to read.

Now my reading is a few snatches here and there. If we are traveling I choose a book or two to read aloud to my sweetie. That is something we have really come to enjoy over the last few years. We have also had an on again, off again book club. We usually start it the first of summer and by the time school starts we are wrapping it up. We have tried to keep it going during the school year, but everybody has so many different things going on, it just doesn't happen.

Back around the first part of the year, Bossy dropped a stack of 50-cent books on my desk and announced, "These are for book club!" She had chosen "Holes" by Louis Sachar. My kids had seen the movie years ago and enjoyed it, but as far as I know, none of them have read the book.

Prima Donna is ALWAYS reading!

Normally we have limited the book club to adult/teenage readers. Like we read "The Help," "Ender's Game," you get the idea. This was definitely a change, but Bossy wanted her boys to be able to participate with her. So last night I read the first four chapters to my captive audience that included Sport, Scout, Curly, Baby Doll, and the Dog Walker.

I say captive because they really were. We have been trying to have a backyard camp out since Monday. The problem is that we can't seem to get the evening rains to stop here. Finally last night it seemed clear enough that we headed for the tent around 11:30. I know, it was late, but I had basketball until almost 11:00 and the kids didn't want to be out there by themselves.

When Curly was still curly...

But then they couldn't settle down to sleep, so Holes was the perfect answer. I love reading to the kids, and as they have gotten older, the books just get a little longer. We participate in all the summer reading programs we can find as well as the Beehive contest and the EBOB reading contest put on by the PTA at our school. I want my kids to love to read and though we have had a few that were harder to convince than others, now everyone from Scout and up loves to read.

I'm looking forward to Curly starting Kindergarten next week so he can continue the journey to become a reader. But I'll still take the time to read to him and to all the others too including my sweetie. It gives me a good excuse

.