Quiet in Hyde Park

I really never planned for this stage of life. As a young person I looked forward to going to college, getting married and having a family. The end. I never really thought of life beyond that. So, when I am home alone during the day, especially on the weekends, it's a bit disconcerting. I'm learning some new things about how to feel needed or useful at this time in my life. It's not bad, just different. I'm sure I'll get a handle on it one of these days.

I went with Dad to the area conference we had this morning. It originated in the Spectrum, but only certain stakes were invited there. The rest of us had to watch the broadcast at various meeting locations. It was interesting to me that our area goes from Preston and Malad to Layton, east to Morgan and west along the Great Salt Lake and includes 119 stakes! Elder Stevenson spoke, as well as Elder Wilson who was at Dad's last stake conference, Sister Jones (Primary General President) and Elder Christensen of the presidency of the Seventy. It was a wonderful, spirit-filled meeting with many take home messages for me to implement in my life.

Emma survived taking the ACT again. She didn't enjoy it any more the second time, but hopes she did a little better on it. I drove with Sister Bennett to Provo to watch the marching band compete at BYU. I took a few minutes to go to Springville to hang out with my favorite family down there. It was delightful, as always! What a great, happy crew! Thomas had a CT scan and will be having surgery on his sinuses during Christmas break. Nick can empathize with him, but says he will feel like a new person when it's all healed. Emerson seems to be healing from his run in with the fireplace. Wesley seemed to enjoy going to the pumpkin walk yesterday. He's on the verge of being introduced to real food. Lauren hopes that feeding him a little more bulk before bed may help him sleep a bit longer at a time. Let's all pray that it works!

Just a thought from our conference today: Sister Jones spoke about raising sin-resistant children. She said that one of the most important ways to accomplish that is to teach them about making and keeping covenants or promises. She said that children are great imitators and that we need to give them something great to imitate! We need to keep our promises so that they can follow that example. She told about a young boy who was in a habit of teasing his younger sister. He promised to not tease her for one full day. That night he reported that he had succeeded in his keeping his promise. Then he did it for another day. When his dad asked how he was able to keep his promise, he said, "I kept my promise because I said I would." Sister Jones said that there is great power in keeping promises. She reminded us that the Savior kept His promise to provide the atonement, because He said He would. It was very profound for me.

Have a great week, one and all! Some of our family will head to California this week (Emma) and some to Idaho (Joe's family). Safe travels to all! And happy moving to the Hart family (if it really happens :)