Back In The Saddle

We survived.

Nothing like being thrown off your routine to make you truly appreciate normal, every day life! We even got out of church an hour early Sunday because the snow was coming down so heavy again and the roads were getting very slick. We made it home (the Double B was at work, so it was me digging deep for my snow guts behind the wheel and pretending I have snow confidence  -- BB says that is key) and wondered about school, but apparently even the school district has it's limits, and life trucked on again yesterday morning. Hurray! The kids really needed their routine back. And I really needed them to feel happy and productive again. So win/win.

This is Saturday when we went to have lunch with Daddy. Bubba was pushing the cart for a minute and got mauled by his adoring sisters. Kind of hard to push when you're being hugged so hard around the neck! Moments like that are awesome. This is what the baking aisle looks like at the Midtown Kansas City Costco, in case you were dying of curiosity, like my little brother Nick: 

I always have interesting experiences at that Costco -- every time, without fail. It is truly a melting pot, and you see lots of interesting things. Also, there are ALWAYS people yelling. Always. Yelling. Sometimes at each other, sometimes just yelling to yell, I guess. It's fun... in it's own special way.

Last night we had the Elders over for dinner -- we have a new Elder, and it was fun to get to know him. But before they left they issued us a new challenge, and I felt so overwhelmed. I literally felt like I CAN NOT DO THIS. It's impossible for me to contribute in this way. I'M FAILING. And all those things our minds will try to tell us when they are tired and we are not keeping a firm leash on them. Honestly, I don't know how I will accomplish what they are asking. But that doesn't matter so much. Because as we read our scriptures as a family last night, I was so inspired. We are in the Book of Helaman, and reading right now about one of my great Book of Mormon heroes, Nephi the son of Helaman. LOVE that guy. He was heading home after what must have been a totally wild confrontation with an angry mob, when the Lord spoke to him and gave him both incredibly beautiful promises and the command to go forth again and command the people to repent. And Nephi turned around and went! He didn't go home. Even though he was probably hungry and incredibly worn out. He turned around and went and DID. That is what I want. That is how I want to be. Now, I am like five hundred thousand miles away from my end goal. But that's okay. Because I'm trying. I so badly need those reminders to just turn and GO. To have faith and to trust my Savior. To be active in my testimony of the truth. I am thankful in a very profound way for The Book of Mormon. It continues to change my life.

I have hope it will help me achieve that permanent mighty change of heart I so desperately desire. 

While Daddy and KJ took the Elders home, Olivia taught me and Katelyn her new game that was both rousing and delightfully fun. It was a guessing game. At school she is learning about great American heroes, and she would give us clues while she jumped on the couch, and we would guess. If we were right, she'd jump off the couch in celebration. If we were wrong (Benjamin Franklin really stumped us -- I had no idea he invented the paddle) she would step off he couch, come up to our couch and gently say with her finger raised "I will give you one more hint!" We guessed about people like Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, and George Washington. It was both fun and informative. She's a smarty! Plus just the cutest human ever.