Children

Children are given to us--on loan--for a very short period of time. They come to us like packets of flower seeds, with no pictures on the cover and no guarantees. We do not know what they will look like, act like, or have the potential to become. Our job, like the gardener's, is to meet their needs as best we can: to give proper nourishment, love, attention, and caring, and to hope for the best.
--Katharine Kersey

I saw this posted on someone blogs and I know that it is so true. Today as I was reading in Jacob about the vineyard and grafting and the good and the bad. It made me be even more aware that we never know what choices our children will make and how it will effect their lives forever.(we even have to ground them) (Pray for them a lot) Sometimes a small choice, which you may not think it will effect anyone but yourself will effect many. I think about my choice to join the church many many years ago. I was young and I don't remember thinking about how this will effect my family for generations, but now I realize it has and does. Because of Rick's and my choice to join the church(each at a different time) and be married in the temple for time and eternity, we will have our family with us. Now I know Meridith will be there, the others it is still their choice. Sometimes the here and now seems more important then the eternity. I pray that our entire family will be together forever. I remember Rachel telling Kim after Meridith died that she needs this to be true. Rachel, Aaron and Brett, I know it is true. There is no doubt. There never has been, for that I am blessed. I don't want to give anyone the wrong ideal and think that because I know this is true and right, that everything is roses...Ha far from it. I know Satan works hard on me, and he will work hardest on me through my kids. One day as I was driving I thought about my patriarchal blessing,and how Satan will use everything he has to get me. So I thought about Meridith, did he think that by taking Meridith young, that I would fold? That I would just give up? I know that is why the Lord allowed me to know that she would not be here long, so that when times get tough and they do, I would rely on my testimony. That is why Helaman 5:12 is my favorite scripture. Children are a blessing, enjoy them, love them. Grandchildren are even more fun, we love Haylee and Calan.

More Rain

We had a good thunderstorm this morning. It woke us up before 5am, I had to get by 515am anyway so i just got up. It took me a little longer to get to work, just normal slow traffic on a rainy day. We need the rain so it was all good. The last hard rain that we had our great neighbors had a really bad time. They had..I repeat had this great playground for their twins, but with the very strong winds 60-70 mph the playground (we call it the park) was in their pool. It picked the whole thing up and planted it in their pool, broke a window in the living room and did some water damage upstairs. This morning I get a text from Amy asking for some fans, the window in one the bedrooms fell into the room, the latch broke and rained in all morning. One son was in there, sleeping th whole time....come on how on earth can you sleep through the storm this morning.. he did. One of the twins came down at 5am and talked abot the storm unti 7am and then went back to sleep... poor moms we never get to go back to sleep.

Returning Missionaries

We finally got some rain on Monday, but with the rain came lighting, its beautiful to watch but....not so fun when you work for an airline. Monday is usually my day off but they asked me work ramp transfer. What is that you might ask? I watch the international departures and see if there are any passengers that might have a very short connection and would miss their flight. On Monday with it being a weather day makes it hard to know which flights are delayed and which ones are going out on time. Doing ramp transfer is different, I usually have very nice and happy people because they will be making their flights. In the afternoon I went to get a salad and saw this missionary walk by me..I thought I wonder if he knows where he should be, people miss their flights all the time because they sit at the wrong gate. I went to taco bell and on my way back to office I saw him again. I stopped and asked if he was ok and he said yes and then he said he was waiting for his flight much later and I checked on it for him and he told me his brother who was also returning home from his mission they were suppose to be on the same flight. I checked and his brother would miss their flight. I had him come to the counter so I could help him, He had served his mission in Peru and his brother in Merida Mexico. His brother flew from Merida to Mexico City and the flight from Mexico City to DFW was delayed. As we talked and I was getting his brothers flights taken care of I gave him my cell phone to call his dad to let him know about his brothers flight information, then I found out that this was to be a surprise, his mother knew that his brother was coming home but he was not suppose to come home til Friday. Nasty weather ruined their plans. The flight to Ontario was oversold and it frustrated me to think they all had put this much effort to come home together and come off the plane together and surprise their mom. I desired the flight and called our yeild management department and told the lady who I was at DFW and I needed to have this segment overbooked. I told her I realize the flight is full but that I had his brother confirmed on the flight, and proceeded to tell her that they had been gone for 2 years and had not seen their parents and this was to be a surprise because the one I was trying to get confirmed on this flight was not suppose to be home til Friday. We were so blessed, the lady on the other end was either a member of the church or knew about missionaries. I know the Lord had a hand in this young missionaries life, he said he had been praying for help and didn't knw what to do. I am thankful that I could be a part of the reunion for he and his brother. I am thankful for the gospel and the joy that missionaries give to people as they accept the gospel.

Fireside

Last night I had the privilege of going to the Denton Stake and listen to Sister Elaine Dalton, the General Young Women's President of the church. We met at the church and I had 7 kids ride with me. I'm glad they rode with me. I had the chance to talk to Anthony Garret about his plans, its was good to hear him talk about turning in his mission papers in a couple of months. When we got to Denton it was already getting very full, I'm so glad we left early, probably should have left about 20 minutes earlier for better seats for the kids. Everyone in my car got into the auditorium. The Denton stake had it so that only the kids were in the auditorium(thinking that would be enough room it was not). I kept taking kids into the auditorium to get seats, as we were standing by the table for the Hurst Stake. There were a lot of kids from our stake, I'm so glad that they chose to come. Then in the overflow is where they were going to have the leaders be, WELL there was not enough places for kids, they eventually had the adults move out of the chairs so kids could sit down, even with that there were still kids that did not have a seat. She talked about the 3 things they as a presidency have asked the kids to do:
1. Pray everyday both morning and night
2. Read the Book of Mormon for at least 5 minutes everyday (if you
did this you would finish the Book of Mormon in 1 year)
3. Smile
We should do these things, they are not hard.
Sister Dalton's husband served his mission in Texas in 1968, when Texas use to be only 1 mission. That's hard to believe, but very exciting. He bore his testimony. I'm so glad I got to go. There was then a dance that followed, I did not stay I had to be up at 5am for work, bummer. I would have loved to hear the kids talk about the activities on the way home. Thanks to those who picked the kids up for me.
One bummer of the evening, since we were in the foyer/cafeteria time of place and could see the fireside on a TV screen, many did not take the opportunity to listen. Sister Johnson and Sister Furniss and I sat ton the floor against the wall, I had 2 ladies beside me, that did not shut up the entire time SO, the kids that were next to them did not either, but hey what kind of an example did those leaders set for them. I still got a lot out of their talks, I am so thankful to have joined the church, for all those who took me under their wing and taught me the gospel.President Martino spoke for a few minutes, he spoke of many people that I knew, and spent time with. I am so thankful that as a young girl I took advantage of the gospel, of the knowledge it gave me. I think about my sister who joined the church the same time I did, she has not gone to church in years, even before her leg was removed. My good friend Julie has not gone in years either, she has made some pretty wrong choices, and she knows it. Julie will tell me that she still prays everyday. I know that is important, but come on so is what you are doing in your life, you will be judged for your knowledge and choices. Sometimes that is so hard for us to understand, or maybe we understand it, but choose to do what we know is morally wrong anyway.

Weekend Activities

Tonight we get to keep Haylee, Rick and I are both so excited. Haylee is such a wonderful little girl. WE of course are a little bias, but that's ok because being her grandparents is the best. I have to work Saturday morning and then Saturday night we have a 15 stake fireside in Denton and Sister Elaine Dalton will be speaking and then we will have a dance, I know that kids are excited about that one. We have slot of really great youth in our stake and in our ward. I will certainly miss seeing some of them every Sunday. With Rick's new calling church will be late for us, but that's ok. The single ward is quite large they said they average about 150-160 every Sunday, so that will be nice to see that many active young single adults striving to do whats right.

The Value of VItrue

This year our General Young Women's Presidency added another value to young women's. Virtue.

We decided as a Stake Young Women's Presidency we would complete our Virtue goal by our Next auxiliary meeting in September. As I have worked on this and thought about it alot I know as a society we have gotten away from thinking about virtue. It saddens me to look around as see young women who make the choice to not be virtuous. A few years back as I was serving in our wards YW presidency I knew of a young girl who was considering having sex with her boyfriend as I spoke with her I tried to let her know that she would be giving something up she could never regain. I explained about repentance, but we never get that virtue back. For many young women they become that notch on a boys belt, someone they can brag about. For girls it is a very sad time for them. As I have read the family proclamation and the For the Strength of Youth it clearly states that sex is between a husband and wife who are married. NOT living together. When you obey God's commandments you are prepared to enter the temple to make covenants with the person who you love forever. I think about Rick and I, even though neither one of our parents could be there and Rick was the first one on his side of the family to get married, we both knew that getting married in the temple was not an option. I am grateful for our marriage, for both of us being worthy when we met to go to the temple. I am glad that virtue has been added to the young women's values. The value project that goes along with virtue to to read the Book of Mormon. My goal is to have it finished when we go to Nauvoo to take Meridith's name through the temple. So today I start reading the Book of Mormon, to be finished by September 3.

What's in a name

For camp this year my talk was "whats in a name". I told the girls how I got my name, I told them about Elder L Tom Perry's family history of how they joined the church and in 7-8 generations they had more than 10,000 descendants, sufficient numbers to organize 3 stakes. Hard to believe isn't it. I talked about how Aaron was named after my grandfather, and asked what has Aaron done with my grandfathers name...since he had no sons only daughters, is he living it in the way my grandfather would be proud? Rachel was given my middle name and Haylee was given Rachel's middle name are we each living a legacy that each can be proud of?
When my nephew and niece had their daughter Eden they named her Eden Meridith. Stephanie's mother sent me this wonderful card written with such care and I read a portion of it to the young women. Her mom talked about how Stephanie was named after her Aunt Melissa who died at just 2 1/2. This is what her mother said. "As Steph drew up she learned more and more about Melissa and wore her name proudly, somehow like a badge of honor. Steph told me one day that she was so honored to carry on the name of someone who was loved so very much. Now fast forward to the day Steph found out they were having a daughter. She told me she wanted he daughter's name to mean something, and like her name something she could be proud of, and thus Eden Meridith came to be. It is the perfect name for a very perfect little girl!" Stephanie's mom may not have realized how much that meant to us, but it did and still does. Stephanie's mother is an amazing woman, I see her love and kindness to all that she comes in contact with, I am honored to know her. So as I asked the Young Women "What are you doing with your name?" I went on the tell them that at baptism the took on someone else's name. The name of Jesus Christ "what are we doing with his name?" Are we living our lives so that we can return to him and he be honored by us, or are we not keeping up our end of the Saviour's name. Since camp it has caused me a lot of reflection of my own life. We should live our lives so that we will one day be able to stand before Christ our brother and he be thrilled at how we honored his name and that we did all we could to glorify him.

I love the flag

Today is the 4Th of July and the cub scouts just put the flag in our yard. I love to see that flag flying. One morning after Sept 11, 2001, as I was driving to work early by Hwy 26 there are several car dealerships and they each have these huge flags, the wind was slightly blowing and the flags were flowing and it was a beautiful sight. I'm so thankful to live in a country where we are free. So many freedoms, so many opportunities.