Bliss

On Saturday the Gourleys moved out of our home and into their own apartment. Good for them. They've needed their own space for a while. While they moved out, Sammi moved back home. She's either going to continue her education here or serve a mission. I guess this is a good place to be until she figures that out. No rent, no grocery shopping and a job.

I began my track season last week and so far, so good. I am a lot busier as I have to run to Bowler several times each week for practice. I guess I'll actually earn my pay this year. haha I do love the track season. I love the competition of the individual competitors as well as the team aspect. There may be many winners without the team actually winning.

This week started the maple sapping season in our area. Rosy has taken off for at least a month to do her maple syrup making. That leaves me at Tilleda full-time. Or does it? With Sammi working only part-time at Arby's (which she detests) she is available to work more hours in my place. Thank you Sammi!

Yesterday I had this wonderful day in which I was the only person in my house all day. Tom went with Sammi; Erin and Andrew off to school and I was left alone to accomplish my laundry and prepare my seminary lesson. It was Bliss!

My Angels

Once each month our ward choir sings a special number in our Sacrament service. Today was our ward conference and we sang "The Lord is My Shepherd." I found the arrangement on ldsmusicsource.com. We don't have a huge choir and very few exceptional voices. In fact we were missing a few voices today as the missionaries were in Shawano. Once again though, I felt angels singing with "my angels."

At times we sing whatever it is we've practiced and it comes off good, but other times it comes off in a whole different way, a very spiritual way. Those are the days that I feel unseen angels singing with those angel voices that come to practice each week. I am truely blessed to have the calling as choir director as I get to hear the finished product. I love those wonderful people who give their time and talents to make our meetings more spiritual. Kudos to Suzie for her talents which far outshines anything I can say or do.

Generations of Dresses

Pat loves to buy dresses. Shortly after we got married he started buying dresses for me for all the major ocassions such as birthdays, Mother's day and Christmas. (Now that I think of it, he also helped pay for my wedding dress.) When our daughters started coming along, he bought dresses for them as well. On Tuesday he came home with a jumper for Cami. He's quite pleased with the deal he got as it cost $2.86. He's also pleased that he's been buying dresses for three generations! Here she is modeling it.

Swapping Sports

I believe the weather is warming up ever so slightly. At least I hope so. The evidence was in the thermometer this morning as it was 31 degrees warmer this morning than yesterday. The seminary youth were so disappointed at not having to go out in that cold on Monday or Tuesday. I sure didn't want to go out in it, so why should they? Call me a softy.

Basketball season is officially over in our home as of Saturday when Tom plays his games in the district competition for Special Olympics. On Monday the track season begins. That's why I'm really hoping the weather is warming as we'll be outside.

Yesterday Mr. Davis and I met with potential track athletes from Bowler who will be part of the new Gresham-Bowler track team. I think my job just got a lot harder considering I'll be running the practice at one facility or the other. Mr. Davis and I will divide and conquer. It was much easier being all together and we will do that as often as possible. I do enjoy the track season a lot. It was my favorite to participate in when I was younger and more agile. I enjoy seeing the individual athletes do their best. So, for the next 3 months I'll be busier than ever with practices and meets.

That is my life. Just as one thing slows down another takes it's place to keep me busy. It all involves my kids though, so I'm okay with that. I have 5 more years of going to ball games and such so I'm just going to enjoy it.

Will Winter Ever End?

I love living in Wisconsin! Part of that is because of the changing seasons. I love the fresh smells, flowers and green of spring. The warmth of the summer with the smell of freshly mown grass with the chance to be outside doing fun things is a treat. The colors and crisp smells of fall make me feel happy. A fresh snowfall makes the whole neighborhood look clean and gives the feel of being isolated from anything bad.

This has been a very long winter with much of it being very cold. I am thankful for my warm house and a good stock of firewood.

Yes I do love the changing seasons and I'm ready for the change. Spring has got to be on the way. As I sit at work today and look out my window, I see rain. Rain that is freezing to the surface of the roadway. One truck stuck this morning as he couldn't make it up the ice covered hill, and the hill isn't really very big or steep. Then I go to the internet and look at the forecast for the next few days. I see tomorrow with snow all day long. How much chance of snow? 90 to 100% chance. Oh great. Our girl's basketball team won last night and will travel to Phelps on Thursday night. Or maybe not. I guess the basketball game will be delayed a day.

In case anyone asks....I'm ready for Spring!

A Return to Virtue!

For the last few weeks, we've been talking about the talk Return to Virtue from the last general conference. Both Pat and I had the same idea as that talk was being given. We need to have our own "banner." A few weeks ago, we purchased a banner for everyone and then we had a brainstorming FHE. Last night we finally put together our individual banners. The pictures aren't very good so I'll decipher them for you.This is Erin's. It has a quote from Brigham Young that says, "The men and women who desire the Celestial Kingdom must battle everyday." I think looking at that everyday would keep a person on task.

This one is Andrew's. It says, "Remember your be's." He stamped bees and beehives all over it. I was quite impressed that he came up with that on his own. Apparently somewhere along the way, President Hinckley's "Be's" made an impression on him.

This one is mine and will hang in our home where everyone will see it. It's a quote from President Monson that states, "You be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone." In the talk Sister Dalton stated that the word virtue comes from virtus which means strength.

Last but not least is Tom's. He summed it up with "Return to Virtue." He loves fireworks, so we had to have one on his banner. It was a fun home evening activity. Each of the individual banners will hang in the bedrooms of the creator. Clare made one as well with the Nauvoo temple on it and the words, "I'm going there someday." I'm guessing it will hang in the kid's bedroom.

A new bed for everyone!

My sweetheart has wanted a different bed for some time now and yesterday he was on Craig's list and found exactly what he was after. We really needed a new mattress and the new one is so comfy. This bed belonged to some little kid and they got it just over a year ago and kept a plastic cover on it, so it's like new. We got the whole bed for the price of a new mattress.

At any rate, the bed is huge and really high. Notice the little stool that came with it. I need it to get up into bed. Drawers on both sides are really roomy and then there are the drawers on the end as well.

I just can't imagine a little kid climbing up into this bed every night.

With the Gourley's out looking at apartments now, I need a bed for Sammi's room once they leave. So today, I played musical beds. I moved Andrew's bed into a closet, the bunks into the boy's room and my old bed into Sammi's room. And Erin got her mattress back instead of the one she had. What a chore. I'm exhausted but it sure looks good.