Category: Extended family

Mother’s Day Table

Richard took these photos of our Mother’s Day table. 💕

I used flowers from our yard and photographs of our mothers and grandmothers to decorate the table. Richard did most of the cooking, and it was a delicious meal.

Smoked chicken

Mashed potatoes

Green salad

Homemade fan rolls

Eclairs

Apple pie with whipped cream

We had nine at the table tonight, including my parents, and we were joined by Tim in a video call after dinner. 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂 Ten happy faces.

We had a Mother’s Day show and tell, where we could tell a memory or show an object to represent our moms. I loved hearing what people shared, even though I realized late in the game that some anecdotes were going to be about me. It’s funny, but I don’t really think of Mother’s Day as being about “me.” It felt good to have my mom here to celebrate her.

Discipleship in the days following Easter

Holy Week teaching tools

Each year during Holy Week, we repeat our tradition of reading scriptures and setting out objects to remind us of Jesus Christ’s last week.

This year, my thoughts kept returning to Peter’s three denials of Christ. He really messed up here!

On Easter evening, we listened to the words of John 21:15-17 in a song,

15 ¶ So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

In perfect mercy, Jesus allows a great reversal, offering Peter the opportunity to affirm his love for him three times.

With each “Yea, Lord,” and, “Thou knowest that I love thee,” the denials are overcome, one by one.

In the days following Easter, I want to remember Peter’s story of denial, and his story of reverting to fishing when Jesus left. Most of all, I want to remember the reversal that Jesus made possible for him. Peter’s story could be anyone’s story. No one is perfectly loyal to Jesus. Everyone can accept Christ’s mercy, repent, and get (back) to work feeding the sheep. That is just what disciples do.

Dinner party before the women’s session of conference

So much of my heart went into this night that it feels strange to write about it here. I’ll fill some pages in my journal about it.

Please enjoy the pretty pictures of my family and homemade petit fours. (Mark helped me with the fondant glaze and Paige made the rosettes.)

Spring Cleanup

I want to remember this day of health, warmth, light, work, and family. It was a long winter for me, and a worrisome season. There are moments in life that you can’t predict or arrange, whose simple power is that they can soften stings and weariness. These few hours of work with my parents, Richard, and Mark are Spring Lake made me almost laugh at my burdens of the past few months. “Was THAT all you were carrying?” the sunlight and snowdrops* helped me to see. “Look around and feel better!” I stayed in the light and felt warm after months of battling the shivers.

*Snowdrop flowers rightfully symbolize empathy and consolation.

A visit from Austin friends

On Sunday, our good friends Paul and Beth from Austin, Texas visited us. We hadn’t seen them in about 12 years, and I told them that taking time to visit us while on their vacation felt like such a generous gift. I am so grateful for the memories, example, and faith of these friends, whose influence for good is felt wherever they go. The Wells Branch Ward may no longer exist on paper, but it still exists in our hearts.

Old photos

Slowly, I am thinking more about my grandmother. I think it hurt too much to look at photos or read her writing after she passed away. A few days ago, I read her last message and looked at a few pictures and it didn’t kill me. I listened to her voice, recorded on my phone, and I didn’t cry.

I packed up a bunch of pictures right after she passed away and they spilled in my car on the way home. Every few weeks I discover another picture I didn’t find when I cleaned things up. If I make a sudden stop, this tends to bring them out of their hiding places. It’s like I have been showered in pictures since she left us. She was a little mischievous and LOVED being surrounded by photos. I like to think she smiles as I find these happy old memories.