Seven Small and Simple Things

Nothing big happened this week. I wrote a list of my favorite things that happened and none of them seemed very big. They were just regular things.  Here they are.

1. President Nelson's devotional. I watched this on byuTV on Tuesday and felt the Holy Spirit testify of truth to pretty much everything the prophet said. He challenged people to pray to know if he was a prophet and if the things he was saying were true, but I felt like to me that question was answered in real time. Eliza and Willa got to BE THERE!
2. FaceTime with Mariah. One of the best parts of my week was when Mariah called me from Connecticut where she is hanging out with Georgia while Brett and Marcie are in Italy. I was having such a great time with her that I completely lost track of time. She is so much fun!
3. Art Fair with Alan. We have had this date at least four or five times. St. Luke's sponsors the Plaza Art Fair and has a wine and cheese reception that we use for an almost satisfactory dinner and visit with various physicians and people connected with the hospital. This year we talked to a pediatrician and her husband who got really animated when we asked him about his job brokering freight. Then we wandered through the many smells and sights of the art fair. The only thing that tempted me was a picture that looked like the Lake of the Ozarks to possibly hang at our "lake house"--the one in Salt Lake. On the way to our second dinner afterwards, we passed another corporate sponsored party that was pumping LOUD music onto a hotel balcony a block away from the rest of the party but you could hear it from everywhere.
4. Sacrament service. I have mentioned before that our ward is very diverse and interesting, but not flashy with talent or anything like some wards we have been in. Today after a very nice sacrament blessed by Wyatt and Garrett, we had a very short 12 year old youth talk on service, and a long talk by a new-to-the-ward white-haired lady with a Texas panhandle drawl about growing faith. Then the baby who was supposed to be blessed showed up and that happened, the choir sang an improbably nice rendition of Faith in Every Footstep (we are just not that good usually), and the second counselor in the bishopric--Steve LeMon--who had a row and a half of family there to listen to his talk got shoved off of the program in the interest of the time. An awesome young guy in our ward with the hair of Jonathan Van Ness gave the closing prayer. The end.
5. Owen and Lily at the park. My friend Allie Ellis was due with her third child on Thursday, so I took her first two to Franklin Park to play on Tuesday. I had fun hanging out with that much cuteness. And poor Allie was at church today with no baby. But at least her mom is here to help.
6. I had no plan for dinner yesterday, so Alan graciously took us all out to eat at BRGR. Then Wyatt went to a stake dance that got poor reviews and the rest of us watched Bedtime Stories with popcorn and M&Ms.
7. I mixed up my exercise routine as my ankle continued to heal. I taught water aerobics on Monday (substitute) and only taught one of my classes on Wednesday because they are upgrading the sound system. Then I went again and just took the class from another teacher on Friday which confused everyone except me. On Thursday I taught a dancing sneakers class for another teacher.  I kind of love that, and some of the ladies did too. It's flattering to be asked what other classes you teach. This morning I was praying about what I needed to repent of and I realized I had forgotten for months to pay tithing on my little three-hour-a-week job. My piddling paychecks are something I usually don't even look at, but now I'm going to look at them as an opportunity to pay my own tithing.  At least once a month. Hooray!




The photo part:

Owen. Age 4 fingers close together.

Lily. 2.

Soccer Saturday. Eve demonstrating the splits to Steve LeMon

Griffin Goalie. His stance and attitude and new haircut reminded me so much of a 6 year old Wyatt.

Calm after the storm. It was pouring rain just before this.  And again right after.

Easy like a Sunday

Guardian cat. In my face.