What a Weekend?!

Friday, I had the great opportunity to go to the zoo with Joey's 2nd grade class.  

 Rylee was the only other student in our group.  Thanks for playing with us.  We managed to see all of the animals and eat lunch and finish early.  I have to say it is a very different experience traversing the zoo without a toddler and stroller to worry about. 

We did a family hot dog and marshmallow and dough boy roast in the backyard Friday night.  I did not capture the moment but oh well.  I do want to make note that I started the fire without a single match.  Peter gave me some instruction and let me use some char cloth and flint and steel.  First try and bam a fire! Whoop, whoop for me! Peter was quite impressed!

 Saturday our ward had a barbecue and we started up a game of kickball so that the cub scouts could earn the belt loop for it.  They had a great time and with the breeze the 90 degree weather was wonderful!

 We also spent a great deal of our time on Saturday working on these new rings around our trees. If you go back you will see the odd rings that were in place when we moved in and agree that it was time for them to go.  This coming weekend we plan to fix the dirt up and plant new grass.  We are also working on the flower beds near the house. it is going to be wonderful .  I will have you know that I did most of the work on the smaller one (the first picture).

Finally, but most certainly not least, was Sunday when I was released as Relief Society President.

I have known for a few weeks this was coming and it made me sad.  I also experienced relief, guilt, peace, love, anticipation, and many other emotions. I was called the week after Christmas in 2009 and so it was just short of 2 1/2 years.  I learned so many things.  I truly came to understand what it means to be the Lord's servant and what it can mean to give of your time and talents and other blessings.  My testimony was strengthened immensely.  I know that the Lord can make you capable of doing anything He needs you to do if you make yourself available and willing to do His work.  

As for my feelings of guilt, I believe it was Satan trying to make me believe that I had somehow failed or was not longer adequate for doing the job.  Then I realized that I had not been called to complete a job but to perform/participate in the work.  The work in  Relief Society will continue to go on and I will continue to participate in it, I will just be taking direction from someone else instead of being the director.  

The song "Lord, I would follow thee" has been going through my mind a lot.  In nursing school, we focused on this song for the line "I would learn the healer's art".  I have thought of this line and how the Savior was not just a healer of physical but also emotional and spiritual.  He made every person feel important and worthy of God's love and power, grace and mercy.  He was also a healer in that he can heal the soul that is broken due to sin.  A broken soul can be far more challenging to overcome than a body with physical pains and sufferings. 

The lines that being Relief Society President help me more fully understand are "I would be my brother's keeper" and "Who am I to judge another? When I walk imperfectly. In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow's that the eye can't see."  Every person is suffering in some way and we may never know what it is, or how deep that suffering goes, or it may not seem big to us but for them it is their trial because that is what the Lord knew they could handle.  We have to learn to minister to others and be aware of them.  If we would take the time to truly listen and observe those around us and then open our hearts to the Holy Ghost, we will know what others are in need of and what we can do to love them and serve them.  I wish I could say that I am perfect at following Pres. Uchtdorf's advice from conference but I know I am trying. 

I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to serve in this calling.  As I have prepared to pass on all of my binders and papers and such, I have reflected on so many experiences and been awed by the workings of our Heavenly Father.  He is so loving and he truly wants nothing more for us, his children, to remember how much he loves and that we will have the desire to live so that we may return to live with him. 

The gospel is a beautiful thing and I am grateful each day for it! 

(I know the 2 of you out there that read this are dying to know what my new calling is.....wait for it..... Family History Consultant! I know I was surprised too but it will be really good and challenging for me!  Give me a few weeks before you start calling me with your family history questions.)

Second Grade Music Program

I flew in from Utah on Thursday afternoon and we headed straight from the airport to our house where we ate a really quick meal (good job Peter on the crock pot meal).  Then, we hurried to the school for Joey's music program.  They did a great job!

Joey helped pound the beat on this mini-marimbas for the first song. Can you find him?

Lily's close-up. Check out those blue eyes!

Some singing- like angels!

Jon and Arabella got a bit antsy during the program.  It was packed because they did the 1st and 2nd grade programs the same night.  There were a ton of parents, not enough seats and some serious humidity and  heat in the cafeteria.  

But we were so proud of Joey and the great job he did!

Bird Time

We had some great fun with my family.  Lily thought the high chair was pretty great.

The same day that Arabella helped Grandpa Rabner in the garden she got to help Grandpa Bird mow the lawn and then take the clippings down to feed the cows.  Happy Girl!

There was a great deal of this  and 

this and 

this. 

A highlight for me was going to the temple to do sealings with my family.  I had a family name and it made it even more special.  I love spending time with my family and having some of it be at the temple was even more amazing!

Grandma and Grandpa Rabner we had a fabulous time and wish we could come every month to your house! I personally loved the chance to go shopping with my mom and sisters- Peter your great but there is something about shopping with girls that is wonderful!

Rabner Time

We spent 2 days and an evening with Grandma and Grandpa Rabner.  The girls loved it!

Grandma Rabner helped me do a bunch of family history-oh I learned so much. Lily fell asleep one day while we were working on it and I laid her on the blue chair you see on the left.  She woke up and rolled into the bin of dolls.  Arabella found her and cried out with laughter, "Oh, Lily you are so silly!"

To Arabella's delight, Grandpa Rabner let her help him all day on Monday in the yard.  She dug dirt, planted plants, watered them, learned to turn the hose on carefully so as not to soak herself when refilling her watering can and just had fun!

Lily only needs a chip clip to chew on to be happy!

Riding the four wheeler was a highlight of our whole trip.

G and G Rabner, we had so much fun and wish we could come back and bring the boys but alas it is a bit far for a weekend trip.

60 Years of Nursing

Eleven Years ago I was graduating from BYU College of Nursing.

I had worked hard and graduated Sigma Theta Tau.

I had been hired already into an emergency room nursing position and I was preparing for my boards.

While I was in Utah I attended a 60th Anniversary Celebration of the College of Nursing and it was fabulous! I love seeing some of my old classmates and the many great things they have done.  There were some great speakers and great food.  My favorite speaker of the day was Sandra Rogers- a former dean and now a vice president for BYU over international studies. 

She pointed out that it was the board of directors of BYU that asked that a college of nursing be established in 1952.  She then reminded us that the board of directors for BYU is the prophet and apostles so if we did not think that our work was instrumented by the Lord we were mistaken because that is who directs the workings of those men.  She also said that "We can not afford to be less than what the gospel teaches us to be."  She was talking about nursing but really it applies to all of life.  If we are less than what the gospel teaches us we will experience heartache or cause heartache for others- not worth it!

I am so thankful I was able to go to this and thankful that my family was willing to watch the girls so that I could go.  Peter was awesome and played a single dad to the boys for a week and did an amazing job of course.  I am thankful for my education and the chance I had to go to BYU.  I know I could have learned to be a nurse at any other school but at BYU I was really able to see how intricately the body and spirit are connected.  Treating patients is such a joy and easier when you are able to look at them and remember they are His children too even if you can not fully see them as he sees them.  I am proud to be one of over 5,000 BYU nurses out in the world using our knowledge and testimonies for good.

This was the amazing dessert at the banquet.

Tiffany, me, Nikki, Marquelle.

The girls in the middle who did not know I was taking their picture- Amanda and Tamar.

Jana in the back and Heidi making the silly face in the middle.  

There were a few more that I did not catch to get a picture of but it was great to see them too.

Easter (in 3 Parts)

Part One:

Since the girls and I were going to be gone for Easter Sunday, the Easter Bunny was really nice and came a week early.  He left a note that said that Easter was a time for family and remembering the Savior so we needed to celebrate together.

Jon striking a pose before the hunting begins. 

The Easter Bunny put different colored strings (one for each child) all over the house so they could find their basket somewhere along the way.

 

They had found the baskets and now it was time to find the eggs.

The infamous last egg to be found.

Joey found it.

Arabella was really sad that she did not find it.

Peter had been gone the whole week before- except for 6 hours Thursday night when he came home to sleep between flights. So the kids were thrilled to have some much needed Daddy time.

Lily was in on the action too!

Part Two:

The Saturday before Easter we had an Easter celebration at my parent's house. Everyone was there except my nephew Josh and my 3 boys.

Will chose to use a witch's cauldron instead of a basket.  It worked perfectly.  

I loved spending the day with my family. We took a picture of me and my siblings and parents since we were all there.  It was great to be with family and enjoy some great weather (especially since it snowed the day before)!

Part Three:

Actual Easter

We went to church with Peter's family.  

The girls were decked out in their new Easter dresses.

Trying to get a picture of all of us in front of Grandma's beautiful flowers was a bit of a trick especially since we were looking into the sun but we tried.  

Arabella was very nervous about going to a different primary but Grandma took her and sat with her for a bit and then all was well.  She even lucked out because she got a bag full of Easter treats. I was thankful for prepared Primary teachers that loved her and made her feel welcome. 

I hope everyone had an Easter that was filled with love, candy, flowers, sunshine and thoughts of our Savior.

Wolf Award

I am going to play catch up on a few things that have happened around her over the last month.

Joey earned his Wolf Award!

We, his parents and scout leaders, were able to decorate his "warrior" face. He was a good sport.

Peter put a purple heart on his forehead.

Then he gave me my pin on a neat pin ribbon that one of the leaders made. 

Joey really was excited.  He is wearing one of the great wolf headbands that Peter makes for the cub scouts.   We are proud of Joey and all of his hard work and his desire to be good!