10/01/23 Conference Weekend

 How does conference weekend work this time around? When/where do you get to watch it? 

We have our TV on to record it so I've watched just one of the two Saturday sessions so far. I like to take notes while I watch and the project I was working on yesterday was noisy so I couldn't listen while I worked and I couldn't take notes when it got to the quieter part so I chose to just save it and I'm going to try to catch up this morning before 10 a.m. We'll see how that goes for me! haha

I got the trimmer out and finished trimming all the bushes in the back and side yard. Trimming is a little bit of work - stretching and bending and tippy toes to get the top...but picking up the debris it leaves is the really hard part in my opinion. Especially if you want to get it cleaned up nicely. The leaves just don't want to come off the rocks!!! I think it took me the better part of 4 hours yesterday by the time I finished. 

Silly -crazy- thing about it...my little exercise meter gave me like no credit for my efforts! I played 1.5 hours of pickelball and then worked in the yard and it said I went about 6650 steps and burned 280 calories. Geesh!  

Speaking of that...I got a knock off apple watch. Dad's been telling me to get one for a long time but I have resisted because I used to be obsessed with looking at my watch and I broke that and didn't want to go back to that. Ruth told me that she used to be that way but now that she is all grown up she doesn't do that anymore and I really should get one. I found one that is super cute for $30 and figured...what the heck. And I kind of love it! haha. I have it turned off so I have to actually push a button to see the display -- so there's nothing to see most of the time...helps me not be obsessed with looking...and it does time, weather, heart rate, steps, sleep, texts, calls...like so much cool stuff. 

The thing I've found the most surprising and interesting...is the sleep.  It tells me how much deep, light, awake, REM time I have each night and then my total # of hours slept. 

This week has felt really busy at work and at home. One of the "projects" I've been working on is getting artwork for the conference rooms at city hall. They remodeled the building and of course, I had the art all around the building -- all the old stuff...that portion is done and now I'm finding art to go with our room names - we named the conference rooms Blue Sky, Red Rock & Green Spring. I hired Eldon to take some pictures and I purchased some of his artwork he already had and I'm having them printed on metal and canvas. It was more complicated than you would think!  I finally got everything ordered from a couple of different companies and now I'm anxiously waiting for the final product.  I hope it's good because just printing costs $1000. I am not sure what Eldon's fee is going to be. 

In addition to that Jeremy has me working on an area guide and a slide presentation - both are kind of complex and I have to reach out to a lot of people to get the information updated from previous work.  Plus my regular weekly stuff. Needless to say, it was one of those weeks where every day flew by and I even ended up with over hours by week's end. 

Also been trying to finish the invitations for Holly - We finally decided on details and then when I went to print on the paper we had purchased it just wasn't working. Like, at all. It was awful. So I guess we wasted $40 buying that because I ended up doing an invite at Walmart.com. They get them printed in an hour which is kinda magical. I miscounted and had to go back for a second run of the printing...we had 260 originally and then added another 80...So 340 total. We had about 20 extra invites but Erik thought of about a dozen people he forgot from his old job and so we really are sending out quite a lot!

In addition, I made some cards to include in the wedding-only portion and cards to announce your homecoming talk that I will insert in the 3/8/9 ward invites. The bad part about the little cards...they are not 1-hour photos and say they will ship them. Estimated October 10. I wanted to get the invites out now but we need to wait. I'm hoping they will be much quicker. I've done stuff at Costco and they've beat deadlines before. So fingers crossed!

Dad had off Friday - and I totally forgot!  He came home and we went to dinner with GPA and I was like -- when do we need to get you home so you can leave?!  And he's like...I have off tonight, remember? And I was like...NO!!!  . So I had told the neighbor boys they could come swim.  Which made them very happy. And I put him in his therapy pants while I let the boys swim.  They were like...can we do this every Friday...and I was like no. .  Then they were like...so if we see you swimming can we come?!  No.  I told the kids I had their mom's # and I would let them know when they could come again. I don't mind them coming now and again but I don't want them to think they can come all the time!  

Also, we've been having a hard time with them the past week jumping the fence and chasing lizards through our yard. They dump everything in their path and don't pick it up. So I had to go out and ask them to please NOT do that. Do NOT come in our yard unless invited and if you are going to look under the supplies for the lizard PUT IT BACK! They assured me they would...but they won't!  Oh yeah,  and they are multiplying. There used to be 4 boys, the next-door kids and the Martin kids. Now there is 6. They picked up 2 more from down the way. They aren't trying to be naughty...they are just being boys...but when you have 6 exploring and running around...you have quite a pack!

As I listened to the Saturday morning session yesterday the word/words that I kept hearing were

the answer is always Jesus. Try to be like Jesus. Believe in Jesus. Repent and return...to Jesus. Are you prepared for Jesus return? 

I also felt like there was real concern for people that have gone astray or just gotten complacent in their worship. This lack of trying is reaching out to the next generation and causing them to care...less. Or just leave completely.  

I enjoyed Dallin Oaks's talk where he talked about making and keeping our covenants and then Ian Newman's talk he said we need to figure out how to help our kids understand the covenant and work to keep it. 

They talked about the sealing power and how we won't be forced to be with anyone we don't want to in heaven but also just because we make the covenant, if those involved in the covenant don't keep it then it isn't valid either. in other words...if you are unworthy or unwilling then there is no covenant. 

That is a sobering thought as we know of so many that make the covenant and then choose a different path. A spouse that doesn't attend church anymore...maybe even the couple...and then you have lost your eternal bond. I guess if your children choose a different path they also may be forfeiting the eternal bond as well.  I don't prefer to dwell on this because it makes me sad to think about it.  Also ... am I doing enough to keep the covenant?!  

Newman said we need to dig deep to make sure that doesn't happen....find Christ, make him our rock...do the Sunday school answers (funny cause he's the counselor in the Sunday school)

 -- read, study, pray. talk of christ, rejoice in christ...

Jesus shouldn't be a Sunday only topic. 

Well -- I'm off for my Sunday morning welk with my BFF (best fitness friend) Linda! 

I hope all is well there and look forward to talking to you tomorrow. 

Love you BYE! mom