Love Lift Us Up Where We Belong

I don’t even have my list of favorite things this week, just my photos to remind me of the bests and a few memories to remind me of the hardest things. My best pictures are from above, with a bird’s eye view of what is going on. I think that may be the best way to look at life too—with a bit of a distance and an overview lens. It reminds me of Sister Runia’s talk from October 2023 General Conference.

Bests:

-A sunrise walk. 

-Sitting in the shade at a PV swim meet enjoying the evening.

-Getting my kids one fun thing at the thrift store. Eve chose a tiny appliance, an egg cup maker. Then she used it and edited this photo to look like a tiny chef. Griffin chose a 49er’s pennant and then had a really hard time deciding if he should hang it in his room or not. He finally chose yes. 

-Anticipating our NC trip. This was for our designer to see the room we are thinking of refurnishing. I have had it with furniture that comes apart. Also I am hopeful she knows if there are cat-proof rugs.

-Talking to all of my kids and grandkids. And my sisters! They bring me such joy!

This wasn’t a best moment, just a funny pic of a cat napping where she shouldn’t be.

Our fish and our lily pads in bloom

The fish pond at Sarah P. Duke Gardens, just days later. It’s amazing the changes that have happened there! The rose garden is now full of succulents, for one. The wisteria gazebo has been trimmed back dramatically. And the bamboo forest, which blooms only once every 120 years, recently bloomed.

-Taking our kids to our alma maters. This is Alan and Griffin and Eve wilting in front of the Davidson (med school) facade at Duke. After church we drove around UNC, but we didn’t get a pic in front of Peabody Hall. 

Me with Leslie Smith Gunderson, in the Durham NC stake center. When I met Leslie, she was in nursery in this ward and stake. Her husband is in the bishopric now and we heard him speak. That was fun!

Hardest things:

-That swim meet ended with Griffin getting in a fight and as a result, getting scratched from half his races.

-Trying to navigate helping Joel’s kids through the hard parts of the estate and personal injury settlement.

Funniest things:

-Remembering how I used to load my bike on top of our little Civic and drive to the church in Chapel Hill where I parked the car, then get the bike down, put it back together and ride to class in grad school. Alan said, “Those were stronger days!”  Funny because it’s true.

-Griff and Eve crack me up regularly, but I keep forgetting to write down the funny things they say because they are no longer toddlers, and sometimes get offended at what cracks me up.