Fear Not

Do you say a lot or a little about a week like this?  It was both crazy and mundane.  Beautiful and terrible.

We started out the week in Utah with a gorgeous ski day at Snowbird, where I had never been before. There is a tunnel through the mountain there!  Who knew?! And the tram was worth the wait--once. The skiing was both thrilling and terrifying, and we dragged Evie and Griff all over the mountain with us. We had to stop for Eve to cry many times, and slide down steep slopes on our bums twice. And Griffin nearly fell off a lift once or twice too.  But we ate lunch outside on a perfect sunny day and had several glorious runs too. 

We made it home to our real house with our real cats who had been eating like queens and shedding all over and tracking muddy paws in places they shouldn't, but mostly it was just great to be here and we got back to the business of doing school again and grocery shopping and all the things.

Then we got sidetracked and distracted by mobs entering the Capitol Building in Washington DC trying to object to and possibly overturn the election because President Trump invited them to. I was mostly very sad for our country and not surprised.

I started reading a book for my Michigan book club that was also full of good and bad: The Book of Mormon For The Least of These. I did love their thoughts about Sariah. The authors made her feel real to me. They made me feel I was Sariah. I have been in difficult situations I didn't ask for, and I have been worried about the safety of my children--most recently Mariah going through an emergency C-section while I was on the road to be there for her. I may also have complained against my husband. And I have definitely felt the Lord's love and compassion and confirmation for what we are doing through his protection of my children. Mariah and Buddy made it through unscathed. They are perfect and healthy and beautiful, and it confirms that the Lord has answered my prayers. I am so thankful!

The week ended with some good and some bad parenting, some good and some bad cooking, and wonderful reunions with masked friends at a children's museum and at church when we went to the wrong half of the alphabet's time.

Right now we are watching little Elijah for his tearful parents who are in the ER with his baby brother who has been having seizures. He is a mostly serious kid who got tired of our movie but loves eating our Pringles and climbing on the climbing wall with Griff, who isn't sure he wants him here.

We are learning to try to be thankful for both. Thankful for the great and thankful for the terrible, and trying to not be fearful but face them both with faith.

“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.”