Lots of Changes - and not just the weather!

Life has been very busy lately.  As primary chorister I have been helping to prepare the kids for the Sacrament Meeting Presentation, and a week and a half ago it all came together.  A few bumps, but mostly just awesome participation and especially singing.  I do love those kids and I am going to miss them very much.  One of the teachers after hearing that I have a new calling said, "They're going to let you keep your primary calling, right?" When I said no, she said she is changing her vote, on sustaining me on my new calling.  I really have loved primary this past year.  A few days after the program we had a Relief Society Activity I was in charge of.  We focused on the temple with a great lesson and a few simple crafts about the temple and families.  We had a wonderful atttendance and a spiritual experience, what more can you ask for?  Then over the weekend we had Stake Conference, at the saturday adult session we were privileged to hear some amazing talks, including from President and Sister David Foote, a counselor in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission, - now misisonary work is close to my heart, but even better when delivered by old friends.  Sunday I received my first Stake Calling - Stake Relief Society President.  You're right my first reaction too, was what, no way, I don't think I can do that calling.  The Stake President assured me that the Lord knew I could do it, so I guess we go forward.  The presidency was set apart after conference, and I really felt a special spirit.  I know the church is true and the Lord knows us and will help us in every calling he extends.  I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know the sisters of the Stake,  (some live 1 1/2 hours away) that is the best part of a stake calling.
Then Monday night we let Spencer know that we felt it was time for him to change high schools.  We have been concerned about a relationship that has been developing with a young women at school.  We have asked him to commit to certain things, and it seemed that he was unable to do so.  We felt that it was only going to get harder as time passed, so we decided to follow through with our threats/promises and we told him that the next morning he would be transferring to Lund High School (30 minutes away).  I took him out the next morning and we signed him up for classes.  I am extremely impressed with how he is dealing with the situation.  He did not get angry, he was upset and sad of course, but he still talked to me and had a smile on his face.  (I am sure there are others of my children that would have at least given me the silent treatment for a while.)  It seemed like he had a good first day and now he is on to the second.  There is a bus that he catches so I have to pick him up from seminary a few minutes early, but at least he is still able to attend.  One of his teachers sent me a picture after the first day, no way they would have gotten me to do this, and look at the big smile on his face.  Wherever he goes he is known for his smile and good looks? or so the girls say.  I asked if he ate lunch with some of the boys from the Stake, he said no two girls invited me to sit with them - What?  the first day?  Seriously I am extremely proud of him and love him so much for listening to us and being so understanding.  In conference they told us we need to be courageous parents and sometimes that isn't easy, but I am grateful with all the concerns and misgivings I've had about making this change that we have done it and only time will tell if it makes a difference.  (It doesn't hurt that my Aunt Kaye is one of his teachers, and my cousin Jeannie Griffin is another, and my son-in-laws mother works in the office, and I could go on and on)  I'm sure my dad is smiling right now.

So as you can see our life is full of change, as well as receiving snow this week.  Change is not my forte', but I will keep my head up and move forward.

PS  Selina and Chelsea both received callings recently in their new wards, and guess what they are both the same - Relief Society Teacher and Ward Choir Director.  They are so talented, I was alot older before I received those types of callings - They'll be great!!

New Blogger

I have struggled with the New Blogger layout, especially when you want to add an outside feature.  Things don't always turn out like I would like.  Anybody else having this problem?

I did find one thing that I liked today.  You can now add Tabs or Pages to your blog and you can use the copy and paste feature in postings.

To add Tabs
Go to Design - Posting - Edit Pages - new Page

And that's all there is to it.  The only thing is the extra pages are individual, can't have multiple posts.  But a great way to have access to info that stays there without taking up space on your main page.

Happy Blogging!  It seems like Facebook has taken over blogging - not as many posts as there use to be - what do you think?

Trevor's Goal

Trevor had a pretty exciting game on Friday.  The team was playing Fernley, NV in soccer and after the first half it was tied 0-0.  About 8 minutes into the 2nd half our team had a corner kick after a deflected penalty kick and Alex Tracy was chosen to kick the ball in from the corner, Trevor caught it with his head and bounced it in for a goal.  He was very excited - his first header and only his 2nd varsity goal this year.  The other team made a goal later and we ended in a tie 1-1, but it was a great game.  team played very well.  You might have to watch it more than once to follow it, but enjoy!!

The Shoe Tree

If any of you have traveled the lonely roads of Nevada, you know there is not much to see along the way.  Every now and then someone tries to create something to look at.  This is the shoe tree located on Highway 50 (nicknamed The Loneliest Highway).  We stopped and took a few pictures.  Do you see all the ones that didn't make it in the tree or have fallen out?  It smells really bad, lots of rotting something.  But it is something to look for.  This one is located 30 miles before Fallon, Nevada. 

This is an article about this particular shoe tree along with a picture from the winter time:

A shoe tree starts with one dreamer, tossing his or her footwear-of-old high into the sky, to catch on an out-of-reach branch. It usually end there, unseen and neglected by others. But on rare occasions, that first pair of shoes triggers a shoe tossing cascade. Soon, teens are gathering up their old Adidas and Sauconys, families are driving out after church with Dad's Reeboks and grandma's Keds. Many inscribe messages on the sneakers in permanent marker -- greetings, love poems and life accomplishments.


The shoe tree blooms with polymer beauty. A work of art like this may last for generations, tracing our history by our sneakers . . . as long as the tree doesn't die.

On Highway 50 near Middlegate, Nevada, a lone cottonwood stands, clotted with hundreds of shoes. The story behind the tree goes as such: A young couple camped there on their wedding night and got into a tiff. The woman said she was gonna walk away and the man said, "If you do, you'll have to walk barefoot," and threw her shoes in the tree. Then, the man got in the car and drove to Middle Gate to have a drink at the bar. The bartender talked him into going back to his wife, which he did. A year later, they brought their first child's shoes to the tree and tossed them into the branches. Since then, people have been adding and removing shoes from the tree so that when you drive over a hill on that very desolate road, all that you can see is this cottonwood tree with shoes hanging from every branch.

Maybe we should start a tradition somewhere on one of these roads, any ideas?

Lord, make me an instrument

Since I have moved back to Ely I have kind of felt that I haven't been taking time to serve others like I should.  I know I should just do it, but it seems I am so busy it is difficult to just get my visiting teaching done.  I often think I should call this person or that and invite them to attend an activity with me or such, but for one reason or another I do not follow through.  At times I feel I have lost the ability to hear or feel the promptings of the Holy Ghost.  Whenever I think this, the thought comes to mind that I am serving the primary children each week through the efforts I put into my Primary Chorister calling - but some how I still feel I need to serve the sisters more. 
Last saturday we had a stake RS activity and as usual I thought of several sisters I should call and invite, but didn't do much as I was busy preparing for a class I had to teach at the activity.  I arrived early set up my class which wasn't until the afternoon.  Looked for a few sisters I might know and sat at a table waiting for things to begin.  Soon I saw a sister from our ward come in, she is a good friend of mine, but is an older sister.  She looked around and saw most of the tables that had people at them were full and didn't see anywhere inviting to sit - She headed out to the other side of the cultural hall.  I tried to get her attention to sit with me as there was one seat open.  She kept walking and I thought perhaps she was heading to the bathroom, but for some reason I ran after her and told her to come and sit with me.  Which she did.  We had a little breakfast and a great opening speaker and then we headed off to classes.  When they announced the classes I thought none of these are for my friend as she is great at all these things, but she attended them anyway (always a great example to me).  After the first class I didn't really see her the rest of the day and I went on with the things I needed to do.
At church the next day she handed me the following note:
Thanks for being a friend yesterday and sensitive to the spirit.  I would have gone home.  I've lived here all of my life and have never felt so detached from everything as I have lately.  Your kindness was felt deeply and appreciated.
Now I don't include this to toot my own horn, only to realize that sometimes we are instruments of the Lord in small ways that we may not even recognize.  I remember thinking after I had chased after her, "Why did I do that so abruptly?" as I was in the middle of talking to someone else.  Yet if I hadn't she would have headed out the door.  Most of the time we don't receive little notes letting us know we were an answer to someones need and so we don't recognize that the spirit really is working through us.  So I guess we just keep trying and doing our best.  As I was an answer to her, her note was an answer to me that I am still worthy to feel the spirit and act on those promptings even small ones like this.

Beginning Sewing and a little for more experienced as well

I taught a class at a Stake Relief Society Preparedness day and thought I would post the info here for everyone.  I was asked to teach a beginning sewing class.  I figured most would not be true beginners, so I mixed a beginning with a skill most probably wouldn't know.

We started out making continuous bias tape.  (the not so beginner skill) Most I have seen on the internet were a little different.  This is the easiest and makes quite a bit, about 4 yards out of 1/3 yard of material.  It can be saved to use on other projects or quilts.

Then they had the choice to make a pillowcase or a pillowcase dress (so called because you can make it out of a pillowcase, but we just used material.

Pillowcase Dress With Handmade Bias Tape

Busy summer is coming to an end!

We have had a very busy summer.  Starting with the end of June and Melanie's baby being born and then she came to stay for about a week and a half.  Then the end of July Selina, Richie, and Kamry came as well as Melanie and kids and then the next week we added Chelsea and Gavin and April, James and Everett.  Eventually everyone available was here for a week including our landlord, who decided to fix the basement ceiling the same week.  We spent the week playing games, attending Trevor's Eagle Court of Honor and tending babies and more babies.  It was great to be together.  We missed those who were unable to attend.  Apil and James are now in China and waiting to hear where they will be placed for their internship.  Sounds like the baby did well on the plane and they arrived all in one piece.  They will be happy to get settled for a time as they have done nothing but travel since the baby was born - Ohio to Maine then Ohio to Nevada - then Nevada to China.  Lots of places in a months time.  Well since pictures speak a thousand words, here they are.  Our summer that flew by and now back to school next week.  (Sorry about the random order as I can't figure out this new blogger)