Fog, Abundance, Geese, Eclipse

I've been thinking often lately how grateful I am to God for giving us so many opportunities to learn things we could never learn just drifting through a life of pure ease. Oh sure, sometimes I'm too busy crying and lamenting how hard, complicated, messy and unknown (as in unknown how to manage, figure out or accomplish) these situations are to feel even an ounce of gratitude. But, even then, some part of me recognizes that all these challenges--in relationships, in raising children, in callings, in confronting complicated situations, etc.--are really giving me so much increase in my understanding and ability. And all of the things I learn here really are precious to me. 

I think often of Christ descending below all things and ascending above them in order to comprehend all things (D&C 88:6). I'm grateful for, in my own small sphere, those descending moments--the things that simply come to me through living mortal life, and the opportunities I am given through covenanting to serve in His kingdom--that allow me to comprehend and know and become things I never was before.

I was thinking of one of those things just today actually. I was recently asked to serve as the Young Women's Camp Director in this new ward of ours. It's never occurred to me, with others who have helped plan camp for my girls, that this calling was anything stressful. But I cried and lost sleep after receiving the call. I know older me will look back at this version of myself and laugh that it felt so overwhelming and hard to me when it's really not something that would cause many people any stress at all. But planning and organizing big things is something really uncomfortable for me. It's not something I would ever choose to do on my own. But even today, as I prayed about this, I knew I would be glad for the things I will learn: the people I will connect with, the delegating and planning and organizing I will learn, the new skills I will develop that will likely serve me well in future calls and family events, the extra chance I will have to learn that God does "provide means" and "prepare the way", etc. As much as I balk and want to, like Lot's wife, turn back from challenges, I am grateful that the Lord does give me opportunities to develop and grow like this.

In other news, my sister Amy told me this photo I took the other morning looked like “the cover of a Western who-done-it".

 

This is just out our back windows again. I asked someone the other day if the fog here was typical. When they said yes, I was surprised that the tone of their yes sounded a bit like they'd said "ugh, yes, isn't it awful?". I suppose it can be quite dangerous for morning driving. But it is just so magical for someone unaccustomed to fog! I can hardly believe we get to have it so regularly!

Also this is interesting. My elementary kids just told me that their principal knows all their names. ALL THE NAMES OF ALL THE KIDS! What? There are nearly 500 kids in their school. How is this possible? I still only have the smallest handful of names down from my ward and neighborhood here. Anyway, I'm impressed. And grateful he would go to such effort to make sure all the kids in his school feel they are personally known.

And apples and pears. Our neighbor back in Pleasant View insisted we come back and pick apples from his backyard again this year. We could've easily gotten six times as many and hardly made a dent in his supply. I wish there were some way to keep them fresh long enough that we could have collected fresh apples for the whole year! (Last year, as you may recall, we made cider with his apples, but this year I didn't think I had it in me.) But! We have been very blessed by others generosity when it comes to produce this year! Apples from the Preeces, we had corn brought to us all through the end of summer from Aunt Sarah, and our neighbors the Whittiers have supplied us with more fresh apples, tons of green beans, and a load of tomatoes. And, while this isn't produce, we probably have about five dozen eggs in our fridge from various people. How nice to benefit from so much sharing! 

I have 2 Cor. 8:14 up on our fridge as a theme of sorts for our family for this year. "... that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want ...". 

My kids have so much. Kindness, and intelligence, and light, and truth, and humor, and friendship. I have probably driven them to near madness talking to them about how there is so much of sadness and insecurity and loneliness and so on just even in the lives of those they see at school and that, if I'm going to send them off into this world away from the security of our home every day, I want it to be so they can push back the darkness and bring goodness and light in a million small ways to everyone around them. "Reach outside of yourselves, include people, say hi, smile at people, be a good example, say kind things." 

I want them to give of their abundance! And I feel they have a mission to do just that!

But ... I must admit, perhaps this year we have actually more fully experienced the other half of that verse (and not only in produce): "that their abundance also may be a supply for your want". 

And that's a pretty great thing as well.

Moving on. ... Abe competed in his first offical jiu-jitsu competition. Maybe that isn't fair. His others were probably official? But they were just with students from BYU and another college down that way. But this one was at an official jiu-jitsu gym with serious students of jiu-jitsu. He got third place in his weight class! He had to do a lot of matches (and said he felt like throwing up after nearly every one), but it was cool for him to do so well! And since the ACME (applied math) program is so intense at BYU that Abe seems to me like a first year med student this year--weighed down by impossible hours of study--I'm glad for any bit of just good old fashioned fun he can manage (even if it usually means paying for it later)!

Also, we finally brought the geese up to the farm (they've been staying in Mike's parents' backyard these last months). We made them a little enclosure around the old metal chicken coop (the one Mike made clear back when we were first married with just a few little kids and were living at our Fruitland Drive house). They really are kind of fun. (These geese of ours.) Not perhaps the smartest creatures I've ever seen. But not mean like I always assume geese will be. And they do love to follow us around. Even following us right back into their enclosure every single time we let them out (and then likely cursing when they realize they've fallen for it again).

Hey James and Helen! (We still never know for sure which one is which.)

The farm. Looking like it wishes we would come live there already. 

The goose enclosure.

I like these goofy little faces I sometimes find on my phone:

(I heard Starling, off by herself in the girls' room today. She was playing Calico Critters. "Marry me so we can have babies." I heard one critter say. Then, "Babies? I don't like babies!" came the angry retort from the other.)

And this is cool! Goldie got to go as part of the very first missionary session in the Bentonville, AR temple! That will be cool to remember being a part of!

We had a partial solar eclipse here on Saturday. Sadly there were thick clouds here through the peak portions of the eclipse. But they parted for a little bit and we all got to take a look through Anders' recently-acquired eclipse glasses. We are excited for Goldie that AR will be in the path of a big eclipse next year! 

Here Abe and pal Noah view the eclipse after attending their friend Zach's temple wedding:

And that's all. But more soon I am sure! I seem to have been blogging a lot more often the last while.