>sigh< Oh well!

Today was Sunday.

Yes it was, and I went to 3 different church buildings for church.

And I had a very good and enlightening Sunday experience.

BUT I missed the most important part of Sunday...twice.

I went to McCoy's mission farewell, and arrived in the middle of the Sacrament—which means I didn't get the chance to take it then.

But I thought, "Never fear!  I'll just take it at Hyrum's homecoming!"

When Elder Busche talked about avoiding haste in this video, he really was right.  It's much easier to feel the spirit of Sunday when you don't allow your hurriedness to interfere.

So, as fate would have it, and even with all my haste and frazzled feelings, I also arrived at Hyrum's homecoming right in the middle of Sacrament.  So I missed it.  Twice.

And I feel like I've missed out this week.  A lot.  But I shall take it next week.

And so, as an attempt at appeasing my uneasy feeling at not having the opportunity to complete the most important Sunday activity for me, I shall show you this wonderful video.  Because it's beautiful, and I love it.  AND (of course) Christ loves you! :)

It's true.  I know it.  Because He is the best older brother you could ever ask for! :)

This video depicts Christ's visit to the Americas as told in 3rd Nephi chapters 11-26 in the Book of Mormon.  What a happy event!  I hope you enjoy it :)

I make me laugh. :)

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Abi who attended the Burley Institute every Wednesday night.

This Wednesday seemed to be just like any other (besides the fact that Jason Alma was teaching a very awesome lesson) until something happened.

Abi decided to fix her hang-nail.

And it didn't work.

You know those ones you're trying to fix, and when you bite them to pull them off, it rips all the way along the side of your nail.  >Abi and everyone reading this cringes<

*shudder*

Yeah, one of those.

Needless to say, it hurt.  Bad.  But it quickly stopped bleeding profusely, and Abi and Kaleb were once again able to pay attention to the wonderful lesson Jason prepared.

The next morning...


This girl named Abi was getting ready to go to a long, hard day of making granite countertops, and in her preparations, she decided it would prolly be a good idea to bandage that nail.

Good idea, right?

So she did.

And she worked and worked and worked some more

And sometime (about 7 hours into her work), Abi decided that that bandage was a hindrance and that she didn't really need it at all.

So she took it off.

And lo and behold!  She had bandaged the wrong finger that morning.

The end. :)

Becoming Anxiously Engaged

Before you ask, no, I'm not engaged.  Not that way, anyways. :)
I'm talking about this phrase of glory:

"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness." 
—Doctrine and Covenants 58:27

I've had a lot to think about lately because of this proverb, but there are three things it says in particular that seem to hit me between the eyes every time.


A good cause.


There are so many all around me.  When I'm working and have time to think about all I could be doing, there are gajillions of wonderful, helpful, fantastic tasks I could be doing.  However, when I have time to do them, I can think of none.  I find this very irritating.


Own free will.


This has also been a thorn in my side for the summer.  I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have been meaning to wake up at 6:00 so I can go running/biking/doing something active, eat a good, healthy breakfast, and have a long, quiet scripture study before work.  Have I done it once this whole summer???  The answer is this, my friends.  Sadly, no.  Well...maybe once...halfway.  Do I feel bad every morning when I wake up just a little too late to follow through?  You betcha!


The bottom line is this:  I have no self-discipline.  To do this or a myriad of other things I've been meaning to do.  I was champion at this during school, why can't I do it now?  I don't know.  And I don't know how to remedy it.  Which is much more frustrating than not knowing why.


Bring to pass much righteousness.


This is the part that has given me more qualms than either of the first two.  Much righteousness.  Much.  That's a lot one person can do.  And it's completely within my ability to do it.  Why don't I?  


I could learn to play the guitar and drums like I've always wanted.  I could practice piano.  I could sew a new wardrobe.  I could motivate my siblings to exercise, cook, clean, and be even more awesome (if possible).  I could re-finish Granny's swing, and weed the garden.  I could finally record the last 2 years of my life in my journal, and write letters to the 5 cousins, 4 (FHE) brothers, and some 7 thousand friends on missions.  I could call Lis at last, and actually figure out how to do my calling properly.  I could finally muster up the gumption to just do what's good, proper, and right for goodness sake.


And that's not even half of what I could do!  And that list is somewhat selfish.  I could do so much more.  Much...


Anxiously engaged...


Still, the good news is, and this has been the light at the end of the tunnel,  I have such wonderful people around me.  Mom and I had an hour to chat today, just us, and I needed it a lot.  She didn't know, but she helped me see today that I'm not a complete failure.  I am anxiously engaged in some things.  And in those little areas, I have done much good.  For myself and others.


Every week, I play Chicago-ball with all my cousins who live close by.  I am by far the oldest that goes, and I love it.  No one is too slow or too bad or too little to play, and every week I leave out of breath, with a smile plastered on my face, and with a month's worth of hugs.  :)


Today, I played soccer with Madi and Max.  We giggled and ran and enjoyed the sunshine and were so silly together.  We came home and cleaned the house from top to bottom together, and I rather enjoyed it.


And I do help Mom and Dad a little.  It's not near as much as I want to and wish I could, but I'm trying to do what I think to do, and it is helping some.


And I do notice the blessings God gives me everyday.  I live in a beautiful place with a splendid family.  For some reason, I have a lot of friends who love me, and I am blessed to know that God lives, that Christ is His son, and that I am supposed to struggle sometimes.  It's oddly comforting to know that.  I am human.  And I can't do everything.  And most of what I do, I don't do as well as I wish, but that's what this life is for.  To figure out how to grow and learn.  And we're supposed to be happy as we do it and find joy in the journey.  


I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though I feel so inadequate and foolish and so..... careless sometimes, I just have to keep doing what President Gordon B. Hinckley said to do everyday:

"Try a little harder to be a little better."

It's a great idea.  Read it.

:)

Ode to Center-Pivots and Wheel-lines

Today, Jack and I had a date. (Jack is my bright red, Giant brand, mountain bike.  He's great.)

You see, Daddy-dear just got me some brand-spankin'-new, Specialized bike shoes complete with Shimano-brand clips and pedals.  I just HAD to try 'em out. ;)  (Sidenote: They're pretty spiffy, and I love them!)

You know those times when you're running or biking along and you're just so hot?  You're burning up.  You're tired and thirsty, and running over hot, black, sticky asphalt does absolutely nothing to help.  You think briefly about calling your mother to tell her you're dying of heat-stroke...

And then you hear it.  The slow, steady chop of the ginormous rain-bird that sits on the end of a center-pivot.  Suddenly, you can see it and the huge, black, watery, and delicious spot it's making on the road in front of you.

You buck up, make that your goal, and sprint with strength you didn't know you possessed to reach that beloved spot in record time.  And you stand there.  And stand there.  Aaaand stand there in the glory of the river-water that is being hurled at you from above.  And you love it.  Don't try to tell me that you don't.

Yes, my friends.  That is why you bike in Idaho.  And if the sprinklers are on the wrong side of the road, ride on over!  Odds are, you won't see a vehicle in the time you're riding.  Refreshed, and with new-found courage, you continue on your way only to find that the path you chose to run/bike along is quite literally littered with other such places of joy and happiness created by those dear, thoughtful farmers who saw fit to position their wheel-lines and pivots to your best advantage.  ;)

You spend at least a mile of your trip running through puddles and artificial rain.  So much for heat-stroke! :]

Now if I could only find a solution for those dad-blasted dogs...

Made. My. Day. :)

Sometimes doing granite work makes life a little interesting.

Like, I have scars, blood-blisters, and callouses on my hands.
Or I always come home covered in epoxy and mud.
OR sometimes I have very interesting conversations with customers.  :]

Hehe!  This is a good one. ;)

Background:  Dad and I are installing kitchen countertops for a small, sweet, white-haired, couple.  The wife is very sharp, neat, and detail-oriented.  Her 86-year-old husband has a hard time hearing and a harder time understanding.  He is also somewhat suspicious of the newcomers (us), and he falls asleep from time to time.  They sit and watch us the whole time we are installing.

We started working, and all the time, the husband was interrogating us--trying to figure out who we were.  Sometimes the conversation would go like this:

Grandpa:  So how old are you?
Dad:  Forty-eight.
Grandpa:  Oh.......(long pause)......
                Where are you from?
Dad (with a smile):  Out at Springdale.
Grandpa:  Where??
Dad (louder): Springdale.
Grandpa:  Oh.  My family used to live out there.  ...  Did you know my great-grandfather?
Grandma (cutting in quickly):  No, he didn't know your great-grandfather.
...........[pause]........
Grandpa:  ...They built the Church out there on our family's land. (Dad nods) ....They used to call it [insert family name]'s Church.
Grandma (cutting in even quicker):  No they didn't either...

He he he  :)  BUT my favorite conversation happened while Dad and Grandma were outside:

Grandpa:  So how old are you?
Me (loud, with a smile):  Nineteen.
Grandpa:  ....Do you have a boyfriend?
Me (smiling bigger):  No.
Grandpa (jumps, raises his eyebrows incredulously, and drops his jaw while saying...):  What?  (taken aback) Nooo...  Why not?
Me (trying not to laugh at his reaction): ...
Grandpa (grinning):  I took Mom (his wife) on our first date to a sweet shop, and I came home and told my parents, "I found the girl I'm going to marry."  And they...(shakes his head and face-palms (demonstrating)).  Back then, we earned 50 cents an hour... and I took her on a date for 50 cents.  You could do that back then, too.  A movie cost 10 cents a person, and then I'd take her to the sweet shop.  We'd get hot-dogs for 10 cents each, and some candy with the last dime... (He trailed off, reminiscing, and shortly fell asleep.)

Hahaha!  It was so cute and funny!  I loved it!  I'll be honest, I'm kinda jealous of those 50 cent dates.  Sounds pretty grand to me! :D

:)

And I thought a 'think'...

Today, I realized I must have a 'think.'

Now, I knew it had to be a serious think--one I thought a barefoot walk to the barn would appease.

Well, I was wrong.

No sooner had I reached it, then I realized that this think needed to be thunk over real good.

So, I climbed astride the swather (with not a body around except the horses, sheep and rock-chucks), got comfortable, put on my best thinking face, and thought long and hard.  Don't bother about what...

And after I had thunk it over, I felt better.  And I was glad to have a place to think.

I climbed down from my thinking perch and while I kept walking, I thought some more.  About things like:

Where do people in cities go to be alone?

Why do I have such wonderful people around me all the time?

Do I deserve it?  (Answer: Prolly not...but I'm workin' on it.)

What do those poor children who don't live near a farm or have a river in their back yard do?

How lucky am I that I live in such a beautiful place!

I'm glad I can walk and be alone, or my thinking would never get thunk over.

And all other such little things in life.  And it was wonderful. :]