Weekend Roundup...Girls Camp, Chipmunks, Babies, Walking & Waiting

Tried to stay away from the blogging world, but found that certain family and friends look at this lil thing of mine for news on the familia.

So at Mr. W's suggestion, I am going to post once a week with a recap...so here ya go:
*Monday: Tried to rest from the weekend of camping. Just did laundry and helped my neighbor move out of her house...called the RS and some sisters came over and helped. Diana left for "Daughters Of Promise" at Camp Wondervu in Golden, Colorado. She was really looking forward to it alot. This is her last year for Girls Camp and stuff since she is a graduate now. She went as a YCL.
*Tuesday: I actually don't remember Tuesday. Oh wait, Daisie left for Daughters of Promise camp too. I didn't cook dinner...we had leftovers.
*Wednesday: Worked at the BirthMatters! clinic doing prenatals. One of the mommas began early labor--her son was finally born last night and all was well there, but alot of wakeful nights this week waiting for the call to go. Diana came home from Camp, sick as a dog. And sad to have to come home. She really didn't want to leave but was too sick to stay. Barfing and passing out is not something you want to do at camp.
*Thursday: Met with sisters from the ward at my neighbors' house where we worked for 4 hours to clean her house. Then took the kids to see "Night at the Museum 2" matinee.
Joseph wiped out on his bicycle on the trail by the pond by our house which was a a bad wreck--lots of bumps, scratches and bruises...and lost his glasses. When he came in all mangled, I put him in bed, clean his wounds and then took Ari and went to the trail to search for his glasses. Not having any idea where he crashed, we looked around until it started raining and lightening. Came home. When it cleared, I took Joseph back over to the trail so he could show me where to look. We said a prayer out on the trail, "Heavenly Father, we know that YOU know where Joseph's glasses are...please help us to see them too." The rain returned so we went home. Mr. W came home and we returned to the trail looking for the glasses. Finally, I went and got Joseph's friend that was with him when he crashed, Anthony, so he could maybe help us with where exactly Joseph tumbled over. This is where our story takes a turn. Anthony said Joseph was flying down the hill on his (Anthony's) bike (whereas before, Joseph had said he was walking his own bike down the trail!--because the hill is really steep and I'm sure he knew it was risky and didn't want us to know.) --and then Anthony said, "I think he was on the trial for um, 28 seconds." Twenty-eight seconds? Not 24 or 25 or 30, but 28 seconds. So Anthony runs up to the top of the trail hill and starts running as he counts to 28 then stops. It's just about 10 feet from where we've been searching. So we start looking over there on both sides, thru the brush and wildflowers that have grown with all the rain we've been getting here in Colorado Springs this summer. I'm determined not to give up. We can't afford new glasses for Joseph. The Lord knows this...and then! suddenly, there they were...just laying on some brush. perfect. no scratches.
Just a heart full of gratitude. My Father knows my limits. He helps when I have done all I can do. After the celebration of finding the glasses, I take Joseph's arm and say, "You know, you just had a prayer answered today." He smiles and nods. "Yes."
Friday: Lunch with Nannette. Diana is feeling better. Joseph's owies are not as bad as we first thought, tho his neck is sore from the tumble. Dani and Mr. Idaho came down for an overnight visit.
We grilled TILAPIA --which Joseph liked until Mr W told him they eat the feces of salmon at fisheries. Joseph immediately spit it out.--lol. We just served it on baby lettuces with cut up mango, fresh tomatoes, red onions, and salad dressing.
Saturday: Fed the missionaries my homemade buttermilk biscuits/sausage gravy, fresh fruit, and scrambled eggs. Did some yard work. Ran some errands with Dani & Mr. Idaho. Daisie came home from Daughters of Promise camp--dirty, sun-burned cheeks, tired and happy and lots of stories. And her testimony that her Heavenly Father loves her and knows her. THAT'S what camp is all about right there. She was beaming--full of joy and light. It's good to have her home.

Joseph and Mr W went to Home Depot to buy the supplies to build a rabbit/ chipmunk trap. Joseph wants to capture chipmunks, "make a saddle" for them so his Lego people can ride them. I'm not kidding. I couldn't make this stuff up. I told him you can't capture and tame chipmunks, that they have rabies, etc...he still wants to make the trap. So Mr W and he have started that little project. I'm hoping he can earn a Boy Scout badge for this contraption. Who knows? Why? Why do we have to capture chipmunks?
Dani & Mr. Idaho did their laundry, ate some pizza with us and went back to Golden. She is feeling better. They're tossing around different names for the baby. They want a name that means something special to them...they're talking about Jacob, Hyrum and Sterling. So we'll see.
They're happily married and it's fun to see them poke at each other, love on each other and grow in their relationship.
We had a HUGE hailstorm Saturday night...I should've taken pictures...loads and loads of hail...looked like it'd snowed here afterwards.
Sunday: Well, this was a nice Sabbath. Church was all about Daughters of Promise camp...all of the girls and their leaders were invited to share their testimonies. Diana wishes she had been able to stay for the whole week. She is at that age where she is charting her own course...where does the Gospel fit in her plan? How does she want to live it? She says logically she knows that to truly be happy, she has to do her part. But sometimes that's alot of work to her. And at this time in her life, she doesn't know if that's work she wants to engage in. I sit on her bedroom floor and listen. She knows how I feel. She has heard my testimony hundreds of times. So I just listen and offer my heart as she is searching hers. This morning she was really late in getting up and getting dressed for church. IN all fairness, she babysat for a family last night that didn't get home until 2:30AM...we leave for church at 8:30AM...so she slept in...now normally, I would've been peeved at being late. But today, knowing where she is emotionally, I woke her up and told her we'd wait for her. We were late by 20 minutes. As we walked into the Church, I hugged her and said, "You're worth the wait."
It could've gone so much differently. I know this. But I've been thinking about how much easier it is to hold onto my children when I show an increase in love than demanding obedience or performance. I will lose every time. We all do. So I slow down to their pace. Her pace is slower these days. She's not just going with the flow. She is determining her path. She is worth the wait. I will walk with her as she discovers her own strength and gains confidence in her choice.
Maybe you don't have these issues in your family. Maybe your daughters are faultless and impervious to temptations. My house is full of spiritual beings having human experiences and trying to learn or evolve into what they want to become by careful examination of their choices.

Sometimes we have to slow down while one of us is struggling.I've learned from experience that it's so much easier to slow down and carry them for awhile, than to leave them in the dust only to have to turn around and go back to find them. So we slow down. We make our efforts for Family Prayer more fervent, we make Family Home Evening more worthwhile, we circle our wagons around one another and take inventory.

Our family motto is "It takes a Family to take care of a Family." It does.

Joseph shared his experience with an answered prayer in Primary sharing time today. He was so grateful that we found his glasses...he knew they were expensive and we don't have the money to replace them. We needed to find them. Heavenly Father is aware of us. Aware of our needs. What parent withholds from their child that which they need in their hour of need?
It was abusy week and this coming week will be just as busy. The kids have Summer School, Joseph also has Scout camp this week...and there are babies waiting to come into the world.
Life keeps coming at us...so I take a deep breath, ask for Guidance and do my best to hold onto my family. May your week be full of joy and love.