I'm back...

I've been absent for a bit. I've had some random thoughts and some random happenings.

Last night, Cameron fell off the front porch and gashed his chin open on our flower pot. It required a trip to the ER and five stitches. Cam slept almost the whole time and didn't even flinch when they did the stitching. He was very brave!

I got the flu over the weekend and was sick from Friday until Monday. Usually I can make it through my normal routine even when I'm sick. This time I couldn't. It was awful. Luckily, it was the weekend mostly and Chris and the kids were home to take care of me. I watched "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility" over and over and over again. I am feeling better thankfully.

Our Bishop has suggested that each family in the ward plant a garden of some sort this year. We decided to follow his counsel and dig in. Last week, our family and Anna's family went out and purchased the plants. We decided on tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, eggplant, pumpkins and zucchini. On Tuesday, Anna and I attempted to unsod a plot of land about 6ftX6ft. We tried with shovels and hoes first but it was frustrating work. We then borrowed a rototiller and put that to good use. My Visiting Teacher's ran right over to help too. Aren't they the best?? They are. We had four women and 7 children between us (4 more were in school) and the work seemed light. Maybe sister-wives isn't such a bad concept? We got the land unsodded and tilled to a nice brown soil. Anna and I purchased some topsoil and we are going to get some horse manure from another member of the ward with a farm for fertilizer. The plants will be planted on Memorial Day. Hooray for us!

I am still being plagued by the problem I wrote about on 5/5. I apologized for the display of my temper, however my apology is not being accepted. Another apology is being demanded from me. I am frustrated with the situation and ready to say "sayonara" to this person from my life. I do pray for patience and long-suffering.

I lost my temple recommend last month. I searched high and low and east and west. I knew that I put it somewhere safe because I always put it somewhere safe but I couldn't remember where the safe place was. I had a trip scheduled and still went but didn't go in the temple and watched other sister's babies in their cars while they did initiatories. The service was still satisfying, but I needed to find my recommend! Last week, I gave up and got reinterviewed and a replacement. This morning when I was preparing to go to the temple, I went to my ordinance card box to get some cards out and there in the front was my old recommend. It was a very safe place! I'm glad I found it and wasn't losing my mind. Tonight Chris and Emily went on a youth trip and were taking some very dear family names. Carol's cousin who died in her 20s and some special aunts and uncles of both Carol and me were among the stack of cards going tonight. I love temple work and the blessings it brings.

I have recently been reminded that the hand of God has been in my life before I was even here on this earth. He has been watching over me in ways I still probably am not aware of. Lately, I have been thankful for his guidance of my parents to leave their families and the land of their birth (Michigan) and immigrate to Ohio. It really made a very big difference in my life.

I dearly love finding old friends on Facebook. I find great joy in discovering people that I haven't spoken with in 3, 12, even 20 years.

And once again, I must sing the praises of the women in the Plymouth Ward. They are fun and faithful and true and kind. I am thankful for my associations with them.

Also, thank you to whomever sent me a dearly treasured bottle of Some Dude's Fry Sauce. I will love it to the last drop.

And I love Anna more than life itself.