24th of July weekend... what's up?

I love July.  It has so much in it to love...sunshine, swimming, two holidays, my birthday and this year I'm also in rehearsal for a show.

I'm doing a grand day once a week all through the summer, where we go to a pool or a park.  This week it was Butters pool.  All of the kids showed me they could float!  Their swimming really is improving. 

I'm having a riot at rehearsal.  IT's great being their with Addison - as the choreographer and my neice Megan Call as a fellow nun.  I'm nun #11-- which means no lines,  a ton of fun singing and dancing, a dance solo as "the flying nun," plus I get to play an old lady homeless person.  It really is a blast for me.  It's sweaty and feels like an aerobic work out.  I love it.

My Si Foster is home from her 18-month mission with her hubby Grant to Mallorca, Spain and I'm loving it. Her faith-filled stories are amazing and now I have my morning walking therapy partner back.  My Sunseeker friends got together to celebrate my birthday at Plate and Palates-- our go-to place for a great salad!
 

For Pioneer day I pulled over 100 scones.  We had a good group join us for scones and fireworks, Monson's family, Addison's family, Wanee and Holly, Tami and Rob, Clark, Shelbi and Derreck, some YSA's and our friends the Wangsgaards, their son Tate and Caro and kids and our friends and Add and Bre's besties the Inkleys.  

Elsie's favorite person is Papa Wayne so when the first firework exploded she ran to his lap.  The world was turned upside down this year because of the Tokyo Olympics.  So the SLC days for 47 parade was on Friday the 23rd, because of KSL tv rights for the Olympic games and our Bountiful fireworks, which have NEVER been on the 24th were on the 24th this year.   

The kids LOVED the scones.   Pictured are the Wangsgaards grandkids- Rainy, Maxi, and Ami and my Tayla, Lady, and Alfie.  

Which way are your feet pointing?

 I’ve been thinking about my kids and family members who have left my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.   And It’s been good for me to wrestle through this and find peace on the other side.  

I always remember my mom saying it doesn’t matter if you are in or out of the church…what matters is which way your feet are pointing when you die.  Are you going toward God or away from him…that’s what matters.  

I have a few thoughts around this….

1. Each child of God is just as important to God as the other. His involvement and concern in each life is not based on faith or belief in Him. All are His work and glory regardless of where we are and what we are doing. Since most people of the world are not members of this church and many don't follow Christ, He has a plan to deal with that. The biggest part of that plan is the Atonement and that covers all in the way He sees fit.  I also believe that part of His plan includes experiences that may take us away from Him only to bring us back. 
2. I remember my mom getting out a yardstick and pointing to a line in the middle of it and saying, "This is your life.  Just this dot.  We had a life before this earth and we will have life after.  Isn't it exciting?"    We tend to measure things related to church and spirituality where things are in the exact moment we are looking at them, which is only a pixel in the picture of our existence.  Nothing stays the same and what we see now is not the end of the story. There is so much to eternity that has not been revealed.  This life is meant to provide growth experiences rather than being a pass/fail experience. We are eternal beings. 
3. Our worry is based in a bit of arrogance that somehow we will have more or be more because we are staying on the covenant path. Those are true blessings, and I choose to live this way,  but God doesn't tell us at what point the opportunity to get on that path ends and it is over for us. We are all at different levels.   I believe the opportunity extends beyond this lifetime so I can step out of that "worry-arrogance" because my Heavenly Parents and Jesus Christ have my loved ones. Leaving the idea that the path is only available in this life has been critical for me. 
4. Worry is a thief of joy in our families and friendships and lives. I have been able to lay this "worry-grief" at the feet of the Savior, where it belongs,  and as a result, I have more joy in my life. I love my family with a joyful love instead of a heavy worried love. I leave the worry of the eternal salvation of my family members and friends where it belongs… with God. Fear and faith cannot coexist.  
5. You can try to control…or you can love.  You can not do both.  I choose love.
6. I’m a big fan of agency.  We fought a war in heaven for it, so I believe GOD is all about agency as well.  Our kids are not  “wayward,"   they are just using their agency.  We need to honor that. 

I’m  “all in” the gospel of Jesus Christ and enjoy being a member of this church even with all of its flaws and my questions.  I know my membership brings some sadness to some of my family members outside of this church.    I can’t control that.  They can believe what they want to believe and I get to believe what I want....and I love them.  

I want to believe God loves me and mine and he knows our hopes and hearts and wants the best for all of us. This brings me peace.  Amen.

Bear Lake 2021

 We just got home from a week on at Bear Lake.  It was fantastic….awesome Sunshine and just a few hours of wind… some crazy wind one night...but mostly all good.    We had about 2 hours of overlap with all my kids there at the same time so we got our family tree pic then.  We all took up our tye-dye t shirts from our rainbow party for the pic.  I loved how it looked.  Tru and Laila were with wayne ad I at the beginning of the week-- then Laila went down on Wednesday night, so she could fly out to San Diego to see Markus for his July 18th birthday. 

Buzellis had a rough start...as they were coming up on Wednesday their truck broke down in Logan ..and it’s a 2010 dodge truck..that they don’t make this part to fix the truck any more, so the mechanic has to call around to junk yards to find this part...it could take weeks.  We let the Buzelli’s use our Pilot for the week to get to and from their condo at Bear Lake west to our Ideal Beach Condo.   Tru was with us at the beginning of the week then went back down to SLC for work.....and then on Friday night at midnight-- well really at 2 am on Sat-- he drove a Buzelli car up from Riverton so the Buzelli’s could get back home.   

Wayne was determined to have Air conditioning in our condo this year.  He bought 2 units..one for the main room and one for the back bedroom...after 42 years of Bear lake for him..he is tired of a hot condo.   It was huge labor of love but it worked out.   Wayne got in a good 51 miles around the lake bike ride...and a smaller 20 miler with me.  He loved driving the kids around on the boat and helping them drive the boat as well.

What are our TOP faves about this week?

Monson:  Being able to work on vacation, chocolate shakes, Happy family

Lexi:  Boatin, Games at night, raspberry Shakes,  Kids playing outside all day long.

Tayla:  Playing at the park, Playing with cousins and Rooney, Tubing behind Papa’s boat

Lady:  Playing with cousins, Going on the boat, Swimming with dad in the deep

Elsie:  boating, Playing in the sand, Playing at the park

Addison: Sitting on the beach all day every day, being around family, spoiling mom on her birthday, raspberry shakes, wave runners, swimming off the boat and tubing with Alf.  I loved how shallow the water was for 100 yards so it was way warmer than usual so Bre would come out to the water with me more. 

Poppy:  Loved playing in the water for hours and hours on end with Rooney and her cousins.

Alfie:  Mini golf, Liz and Al’s Mexian food night--he wanted that salad and pork every night. The Colympics with mini golf ticket as award.

Bre:   Loved how loved I felt with Wayne taking all the time to install AC in the condo.  Loved watching Pop and Alf so entertained by the sand and the waves all day.  Loved the huge water fight.  Loved sitting out on the island reading a magazine.  Loved Christmas in July Dinner by the Calls!  What a fun theme and ginger bread pancakes are so delicious.

Landon: Nibling time, all the sitting and chatting on the beach, game night, COLE days.

Alex:  Having a father-in-law that is willing to help us.  Being together as a family.  The new grocery story and coffee shop.

Andrew:  Dole whip, hole in 1 while golfing, water fight with Meema, Liz and Al

Sophia: All the fun activities, Poppa’s boat rides, cool rocks and seashells collected, Time with the family, COLE days.

Laila: wave runners, hanging out on the boat, Zips food

Tru: wave runners, game playing at night 

Just like everything in life Bear Lake time is 50/50.   Sun burns, lots of family opinions,  too much wind and long shake lines, and cars breaking down, and crying Elsie-baby when we are all trying to sleep, etc… but the positives always stick with us which make us want to do it again each year.  

Next year will be our 50th COLE year at the lake.