Happy Birthday Mom!

Oh it is Wonderful, Wonderful to Me!

Stake Primary Meeting tonight!!!

WOW!! Just what the Doctor ordered!!!
It's so nice to be able to go to a meeting and be uplifted and recharged and re-focused!
They said some stuff tonight that I needed to hear....like...you were called and set-apart for your calling and you are intitled to revelation for that calling! Amen Sister!!!

They had lots of Music stuff and even had new "tools" they made for us to use for Music time. The Music Leader in I think 6th Ward...was incredible. She showed how she teaches songs and how you can sing the same line 6 times and not even know you have! It was awesome. Feeling so much better.

I've never had a response from the Primary President...so I went in to Facebook and deleted the message I sent her. Water under the bridge. Now to make this Sunday....SHINE!!!!

Update to last post

As I have found time in the last few days for pause and reflection, I have found these words to be helpful.

"Even when we encounter mean-spirited criticism from persons who have little regard or love for us, it can be helpful to exercise enough meekness to weigh it and sift out anything that might benefit us." Elder D. Todd Christofferson April 2011 Conference

I have no idea if she has little regard or love for me...but I know I have little for her...which is probably why I was offended.

It's times like this when I remember the most effective tool in teaching investigators on my mission was BRT!!!! Build Relationships of Trust. I pretty much don't have any sort of "relationship" with this sister or "Trust." If there had been some BRT going on...I don't think it would have been as hurtful. In these busy lives we live these days, we don't take time to get to know each other and sometimes it's like strangers walking up to you and telling you something critical. You automatically take the offense and think: Who the heck are you? and then from little you know you go to: "Would you like me to critique your sharing times?" I DON'T THINK SO. We have Stake Meeting tomorrow night. From what I understand...someone in the stake Presidency took the Prophet Wheel I made and is going to use it at it. Should be interesting. Hopefully, it will be a constructive meeting!

Side note: There is no such thing as Constructive Criticism. You can't build up and tear down! Notice the tear down is always what comes last. Doesn't leave you feeling very good!

Elder Christofferson said, " Remember that reproof should be timely,with sharpness or clarity, 'when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing afterwards an increase of love toward him who thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be thine enemy. ' D & C 121:43"

And that's exactly the opposite of what happened to me on Sunday! Do I perceive her as an enemy. Yep, pretty much!!!! It wasn't friendly or done with love....at least I didn't feel any friendliness or love!!!! I'm still working on it! Stay tuned!!!

The Guilty Taketh the Truth to Be Hard

So I was rebuked after Primary today. Okay, maybe that's a little harsh, but that's how it felt. Yes, they spoke hard things to me. I came home hurt, offended, bitter and prideful! I was told after Primary today that I need to do fun songs in between the serious ones. She said other stuff too, but all I heard was bascially....Your singing times suck! Your song choices suck! You need to get a handle on the children's lack of reverence! You need to be teaching fun songs not all this Jesus stuff! Okay so that's a little overboard, but as you can see I'm still bitter! All of this and the sunbeam that refuses to stay in his seat wasn't even there!!!! Shall I continue to murmur or should I shut up now? I sent a message to the Primary President via Facebook...not on her wall...give me a little credit. Yes, she's out of town....it was the counselor that I'm oh so fond of who "suggested" I add more fun songs to singing time....which of course didn't help any! I told the Primary President they should split primary in two. Jr. & Senior Primary. I told the other counselor that 2 weeks ago. She said she didn't think our Primary was big enough!!!! I don't think it has anything to do with size. After I made that suggestion in a private message on facebook, I told the Pres. what I had been told today and that I was trying not to be bitter. (not doing very well at that...can you tell?) I told her if there were any other suggestions for me to let me know....how else do you grow? Yes...I did actually say that! I'm trying to get my pride under control. Don't we sing: "He lives to hear my souls complaint?" Just licking my wounds. I'll survive! Can hardly wait for next Sunday! It's Easter Sunday...I guess we'll be singing about Snowmen...popcorn...wisemen...foolishmen...hinges....rolling our hands....Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, etc. I guess we can make up new activity moves to all the Easter songs!!! This too shall pass. And yes....I've already printed Elder Christofferson's conference talk.

Camel came to visit!

I forgot to take a picture!!! That makes me sad! I'm very happy though, cuz Camel and family came to visit me today. They're on spring break and are staying up by Eden, UT. They came down today to tour BYU with their 2 High Schoolers. Yes, it's true...Lala and Son (Daniella and John Simon) are in High School. They're going home tomorrow and then Thursday, Camel and Lala and Son head off on a 4 day choir tour to San Diego. It was good to visit with them. Johnny's doing as well as can be expected. He's healed pretty much from his open-heart surgery. He has dialysis tomorrow and then they'll head for home. It's so nice that you can find dialysis centers when you go on vacation! Thanks for visiting! Bob missed seeing you Millie!!!

Sunday after General Conference!

Elder Sheets came to visit and he brought his own Posse with him.

They're all students at BYU from all over. Mexico, Bolivia, Chili, Peru, etc. This is Eddie's traditional greet for Elder Sheets. He just met Carlos and felt he needed the same treatment!!!

Elder Sheets was with us the first Christmas we had Elders over in CA. The next year we started the tradition of Hillbilly teeth. I had just picked some up the day before and so we gave them to our company. Don't they look great!!! Elder Sheets looks great!!!! This is Elder Sheets and his fiance Gloria. She's from Guatamala. They're getting married in the Salt Lake Temple on August 12th.

We had a fun time getting to know them all!

We miss having missionaries in our home. It was so good to see so many of our Elders this past weekend!!! Now to get the Sisters to come over!!!

We love our Missionaries!

Elder Pennington came to visit us yesterday!!! Today the Majors, Elder Catt, The Bowmans, and Elder Richardson came for lunch!

We love seeing our Missionaries!

It's like one of those Alma running into the Sons of Mosiah moments!!!

Conference was awesome too!!!

A Wonderful Start to Conference Weekend

Last night Elder Beck, Elder Stone, Elder Choi & Elder Herrera came to visit!

It was so good to see them!

We had a great visit!

Can't wait to see what the rest of this weekend brings!

The new Ogden Temple 2013

It will be beautiful, but I'll miss it's unique design!

They better not change Provo!!! I love the Birthday Cake!

Sad Day!

We were blessed to be able to go to the Ogden Temple this past Tuesday, March 29, 2011.

Tonight, April 1, 2011 it shuts it's doors for 2 years while it undergoes major reconstruction. We had a great time after our session walking around the temple grounds.

This is a statue that's to the North of the temple. Eddie didn't appreciate the "saggy" woman.

The last time we visited this temple was in 2006. We didn't even walk around the outside back then.

We did today and found it to be quite lovely. They have the coolest walkway out to the fountain. You must have been able to have some pretty incredible wedding pictures here.

All the sessions were pretty full!

30!

On Sept. 30, 2010 we took a quick trip to Idaho to visit the two new temples that weren't finished the last time we went to Idaho. (2007) Our first stop was Twin Falls. Temple # 28 for us. The interior is beautiful! An amazing mural of the Shoshone Falls! Spectacular!

Eddie wanted to take a picture of the rainbow in the sprinkler water!The Twin Falls Temple at night! Very pretty! Next we drove to Rexburg! Temple # 29. This is how it looked when we got there. The murals have lots of animals in them. Eddie didn't understand because Rexburg doesn't look like how the murals do. I decided maybe it has to do with the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone! This is how it looked when we left!

We went to Idaho Falls to spend the night. We stayed at the Best Western right across the river from the Idaho Falls Temple. I got up at 5:00 a.m. to take these pictures! We took more pictures after the sun came up!

The one above was taken from the balcony of our room! It would have been prettier without the truck! The one below was taken down by the river! So cool! Last Friday, March 25, 2011 we finally made it to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. We had been to the open house, but had never gone back. It was about time. It was a rainy/snowy day. I love this picture! It highlights Moroni quite well!

So Oquirrh Mountain is the 30th Temple we have been to!!!

It also has a beautiful interior.

The original goal was to attend 50 different temples by my 50th birthday. Less than a year to get 20 in ..... I don't think that's going to happen. We'll try and get as many as possible. With Eddie working so hard...it's going to be tough.

A new goal is to attend all the Utah temples this year. That is do-able!