Busy Bees

I feel like I am finally sitting back and taking a deep breath after a few crazy weeks.

For conference weekend, we traveled to upstate New York to visit my sister, Kristi, and her sweet family. It was interesting trying to keep 5 children under the age of 5 preoccupied during the sessions, but we did our best! Lots of snacks were involved, but there was also a LOT of feeling the spirit. I am so grateful for a living Prophet and Apostles and their inspiring words. I am also grateful for technology that allows us to review them so easily. HERE is the link to all the talks given. Don't overlook the Priesthood and Relief Society sessions--they had some powerful messages!

This past weekend we hosted a Harvest Festival for our neighborhood. We have been toying with the idea for over a year and were finally able to pull it together. We live in an enclosed neighborhood with just over 40 houses. We went door-to-door and hand delivered invitations to every single home. Then we started praying--for good weather, a good response, and a good feeling to come from it all. We feel BLESSED and HUMBLED! Out of the 42 homes, I think we had about 25 in attendance. And not only did they come, but they came with soups, breads, beautiful treats, drinks, and smiling faces ready to get to know their neighbors better. The weather was perfect--cool enough to feel like the fall, but warm enough that we could be both in and out of the house comfortably. We all came together and ate, talked, played games, crafted with the kids, and learned more about each other. I think everyone left feeling a greater connection to the people around them and truly knowing we can count on our neighbors when we need to. We are hoping to turn this into an annual event, but we will definitely be delegating more of the aspects to other neighbors in the future. It was a lot BIGGER than we could have ever imagined!

The day after our party, I also had the opportunity to teach the Young Women of our ward. I love teaching, but I particularly LOVE working the with youth. I certainly miss working with that population at the high school, so these opportunities always make my day:) It is a little ironic that I was quite the goober of a teenager and was asked to teach these Young Women about the value of Virtue. But I am grateful for the experiences of my life that have helped me to so clearly see why it is important to lead a Virtuous life. I sought the words of others far more wise than myself and leaned heavily on This talk and This talk. We discussed (referencing the second talk given) how in today's society we too often begin to tolerate things, then accept them, and finally embrace them. We discussed the importance of making decisions BEFORE we are asked to tolerate anything that is not virtuous or in line with the Gospel and the importance of Purity. Preparing and teaching this lesson certainly made me even more grateful for the sweet little bubble that I get to live in. I feel like I am surrounded by so much good that I forget how many wicked and just plain yucky things are also in the world. I am also grateful to be looking BACK at my teenage and young adult years. Been there. Done that. Learned my Lessons!

So here is my long sigh.....as we slip back into a pattern of normalcy and much less chaos. Luckily, I am blessed to say it was all good things that brought craziness to our lives for a few weeks! Nothing wrong with roadtrips to see family, conference, awesome parties, and delving into the Gospel. Let's do it again sometime--except maybe not all in the same week and half span next time:)