A Surprise Visit
One Sunday morning our old neighbor, Jenny called to say they were in town and that her girls would love to stop by. I told her Callie would be thrilled! Callie couldn't believe it when she opened the door to see them standing on the porch. She checks the mail daily for their promised letter. She asked McKyla and Baylie why they haven't written yet. They said, "We haven't been gone long enough." Oh. Callie was excited to show off her new room.
Music Lessons!
Ava's friend Bentley asked her to Homecoming. She seemed really excited about it. (Good thing she got asked, she already has the dress!)
Speaking of Homecoming, or home rather, I love poking around St. Lawrence Thrift Store for finds for my home. I found two new lampshades for the dining room console lamps. I also found a great chair and sofa table. I wasn't sure on the last two items and wanted Matt's opinion (and wallet;) to help me decide. I would love to know the story of my new blue chair, which is in mint condition. I am guessing it has been sitting in a little old lady's front room for many years and she has now passed away. The chair has found a good home with the Bocs.
I Love to See the Temple
I got to attend the temple with my ladies: Sally, Ashley, and Jaynee in SLC. The temple is calm in the evening, but during day the worker said sometimes they have up to 70 weddings! After the temple we enjoyed dinner at The Lion House. As we walked across the square I saw that pretty much everyone was taking a photo of the temple. I looked and saw the sun coming through the spires and it was only natural to grab my phone as well. The fall grounds were gorgeous.
Ooh Ooh, It's Magic
Callie bikes to school with her friend Lilly. One morning as Lilly waited in the kitchen I saw her unicorn backpack sending sparkles around the room. Ahh to be in fourth grade again.
Of course you are never too old to relax on the couch with the cat.
LABOR DAY
We were home by early afternoon from Mark's 50th birthday party when we got a text from one of Matt's counselors. We ended up going to the Rigby's for a pool party and BBQ with his presidency and their families. Sometimes last minute just works out best. Ava was scheduled to work that night but both families have kids her age and she was able to get out of work lickety-split. I think she may have even quit her job to be able to come, haha. I am grateful for good friends and family and so it was nice to spend Labor Day with both.
Callie with her lost tooth. I just love that face.
I went to Callie's 4th-grade class for her Utah pizza day. The last one of six! Everything with her this year will be the last. (I thought I would be sadder;)
Burn baby Burn:(
The flying ash in the air is from a huge fire in Spanish Fork Canyon. My uncle Ross's family was evacuated from their home in Covered Bridge. We went down the canyon on a Friday night and we could see how the wind was blowing all of the smoke up to Heber but Provo’s air was fine. When we came out of Sam's the sky was dark and I could see a full moon in front of us. You would never know that behind the sky was thick with smoke. I wrote to Mallerie about the fires and she wrote back, "Will there be anything left when I come home?" She loves her some mountains.
Wasatch High School Homecoming September 22, 2018
As I look at these pictures I wonder what commentary to add. I guess that is because I don't have a dress story this time since Ava found it long ago online, she had her make-up done by a friend and they didn't do a day date. We are still handing out silk boutonnieres from Katrina's wedding! I guess the only story is in regards to Ava's shoes. She went to Orem with a friend a week before and tried to find something that would work with her dress. She couldn't find a single pair that would work. So... I got on the World Wide Web and after much searching I found a pair that might work. I sent her a screen shot and she agreed they were our best option so I went ahead and ordered them (even though I think they cost more than the dress). We watched the tracking process online and it looked like they were set to arrive the day before the dance. Perfect. Well... the day before the dance I logged on the check the arrival time and I saw that the package had been incorrectly sorted and instead of heading to Orem, the shoes were headed to OREGON. Oh maaaan. SOOOO... I went down to Orem to see what I might be able to find. Ava was right; there wasn't a single pair in all of Utah County that would work with her dress. However, I kept finding things that I couldn't live without and so it ended up being an expensive trip for shoes that I didn't even come home with. The next day Ava had to resort to wearing her summer sandals. They worked fine and at least she was comfortable.Ava looked adorable (and her date looked adorable too!) I am always happy I am here to see them off. She had a great night. Her group was fun this time and they kept it low-key. What a great group of kids.
Mini Missions
Mallerie always tells us, "You can't trust the Elders!" She isn't kidding, and I learned that the hard way. For our youth mini missions in September, I invited our local full-time Elders to teach the youth how to prepare a lesson from Preach My Gospel. I first texted them a month in advance, then a week earlier, then the day before, then the day of....and a then a couple of times throughout the day. Yes I know, a bit of overkill but I was nervous they wouldn't remember. Every time they confirmed with me that they were still planning on coming. Then just HOURS before the activity they cancelled on me! They told some story about an Elder in their district who was sick so they needed to go help him. Whatever. Mallerie's voice came to my mind, "Never trust the Elders!" The first replacement person I thought of was Luke Searle, he graduated with Katrina and has since married and moved into our ward. He was a gem to come last minute. He also brought another recently returned missionary from the ward. They did a great job teaching the youth who were then divided into companionships and given a map of an area of the ward they will be serving in. The youth were responsible for making their own appointment for the following Wednesday.
Aside from a couple that got too much anxiety to show up (hey, sounds like an real mission), the youth followed through! I was so impressed that they showed up ready to go.
Sister McPhie is seriously like a real-life Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. You can't leave her house without a FatBoy in your hand. Grayson said, "She makes you feel like a million bucks." At Youth Conference this past summer the Bishop asked the youth to think of a Christ like person, most of them shouted out, "Sister McPhie!"
Grayson's had trouble getting an appointment set. After we met for opening exercises he and his companion set out on foot and just started knocking on doors till someone was willing to listen to their message. I was proud of the way they handled themselves and they looked so handsome. I made each youth a tag to wear for the night.
September wasn't all churchy, we took a Wednesday during Homecoming week to support some our Young Women at the High School Powder Puff game.
My latest Ghee Ghee drop at the Park City Hospital
11-Year-Old Scout Camp
Graham has some stellar gung-ho leaders that's for sure. He wanted to make sure the boys were good and fed at camp and he proceeded to tell me all the things he had planned for each meal. He also said he was going to insist the boys clean their plates because he didn't want them being hungry. It sounded like enough food for an army! I warned Graham, "Don't hesitate to stop eating when you are full. Just tell them you will be sick otherwise." Graham said, "Don't worry!" After that I didn't.
Got an email from Mal's Mission Office with a release date...Jan 31st Woot Woot!
Stuff still happens even if you don't take a picture... Snippets from letters to Mal:
Riko is visiting the
Taylor’s so they threw her a big pool party on Friday night. She really missed
seeing the older girl cousins. Dad and I went to the temple while the kids swam. It was fun to see
Reagan and Tyrell’s new apartment in Cash's basement.
Grandma Donna and
Grandpa Mike over for their usual fast Sunday dinner. Grandma had a whole bunch
of riddles she wanted to tell us. Grandpa couldn’t figure out the answer
even though she has already told them to him. She said, “I tell him the same
jokes every day!”
My Aunt Chris stayed
here this past weekend. Grayson asked, "What's her name??" I was
confused because I had just said it. He was wondering what he should call her. I
said, "Chris is fine." He was really the only one who ended up seeing
her. She was attending a women's conference at the Zermatt so she stayed busy herself. Sunday Morning as we said
good-bye she said, "Thank you for the lovely weekend honey." I said, "I didn't do anything for you!" Nonetheless, she left me with some yummy smelling soap from the Zermatt.
Dad has been listening to "Saints"
ever since they started releasing chapters this past winter. I have read some
of the chapters in the Ensign and am glad it is now in book format. I love to curl up with a
good book and can't wait! I will have to watch the Face2Face with Elder Cook. I was so exhausted
after all my meetings on Sunday I spent the evening with Face2Pillow.
We went to a barbecue
in Midway at the Murdock’s parents on Saturday night with dad’s presidency, the Stake Young Women Presidency, and Stake President and Brenda. This really nice guy from our stake came and put on a BBQ like nothing we have seen before: Chicken, beef, pork, steak, whoa! Dad was in heaven. It was truly a delicious meal.
Learning at an Apostle's Feet
September 24, 2018
Oh my goodness, what an amazing experience it
was to learn at an Apostles feet. Literally, I was in the third row as Elder
Gary L. Stevenson addressed us at a five-stake leadership meeting on Saturday September 22nd.
We were to be seated half an hour before the meeting began, then in filed Elder
Stevenson and other General Authorities. We were told that he wanted to shake
hands with each of us before beginning so we reverently filed row by row. As I
approached Elder Stevenson he looked at my name tag, "Hello Sister
Bocanegra." I was surprised how easy it was for him to say it. I said,
"Thank you." He said, "Good to meet you Abby." I'll always
remember it. The sweet spirit in the presence of an Apostle is something I will
never ever forget.
The conference was on
Ministering. President Pullan asked the question, "How much of a concern
is it that the efforts to reach out will be less now instead
of more?" Elder Stevenson was emotional as he answered that
this has been a topic of concern and discussed at length with President Nelson.
He then said, "That won't happen because of all of you."
He further said, "The Lord would not implement a program that was going to
fail" (the power when he said those words!)
I took six pages of
notes. Some were of things said at the pulpit, others were things said to my
heart. He said the work is going busters (busters is my word not his;) in West
Africa right now. A new unit is organized EVERY DAY (that is
the equivalent of a branch/ward) so that every 7-10 days a new Stake is
organized. It is because the saints understand ministering and do it so
naturally. They don't even want the members to know about the old way because
they would do so much less. He said that when you go into the Celestial Room in
Ghana it is SILENT with all heads bowed in prayer.
He shared some of the
locations the other Apostles were that very day doing the same training. The
locations were all over the world. Elder Stevenson did his last training in
Tokyo. He said it was so great to sleep in his own bed and then drive only an hour
for the Heber training. He is gone so often on a Saturday that his wife asked as she
said goodbye, "Are you a Seventh Day Adventist?"
He shared how on Labor
Day weekend President Nelson finally had a weekend at home. He was awakened in
the night, "Why are you home? You need to be in Puerto Rico." So he
flew to Puerto Rico! (I read in the Church News two weeks ago that during that
visit President Nelson dismissed the interpreter and testified to the arena in
SPANISH triggering smiles and tears).
Elder Stevenson then
compared the early days of the church when the heavens were opened and
revelation poured down with the restoration of the church and priesthood keys.
He told us that once again, the heavens have been opened and to strap ourselves
in for General Conference.
Our special Stake
Conference the next day was with the visiting General Authority, Elder Carpenter
and his wife. It was very powerful as well. I really loved his wife's talk. She
used Helaman 16 as her text. She compared the preparation for Christ's first coming
as a pattern for us as we prepare for His second coming. In
vs. 22 "And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts,
which were foolish and vain." She shared a personal experience of
overthinking a situation where she was sure she had offended a sister and for
days imagined up vain and foolish reasons in her mind. When she finally called
this sister she realized the sister's actions had absolutely nothing do do with
her. She said that too often we imagine we are being judged or other vain and
foolish things when in reality it is just not so and as the scripture goes on
to say, "...for Satan did stir them up continually, yea he did go about
spreading rumors and contentions...that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which
was good and against that which should come."
And sometimes you have a picture with no story...
And sometimes the picture IS the story
