Ramblings from the week...

These last few weeks, Tate and Dawson didn’t have their regular sleep schedule. Some days they woke around 5 am. That’s a little different than the 8:30-9:00 when they typically waken. On Friday morning, as I was heading to work, I took these photos:

Stailey went to a party at the Wanstrom’s home on Friday. As I drove in their driveway, to pick her up, Hailey Harrison stepped outside. I called out to her, “Oh, so you got kicked out of the party.” She laughed and said that her parents were coming to get her and she’d come outside to cool off.

I asked her how school was going, and she said it wasn’t great. I laughed and said that I knew her well enough that it couldn’t be bad grades. She then began to share several things she’s struggling with in her life. Nothing major, just boy troubles, etc.

One of the things that I’ve struggled with most since we moved to Blackfoot is that the youth don’t know me. In Payson, I taught a lot of children and youth in primary, young men, or Sunday school. I could walk up to them and just visit. I could tell when they were struggling. Their parents knew me and were comfortable with me talking with them. Their parents often reached out to me if their children were struggling. 

Here, in Blackfoot, I’ve been called to serve in the stake Sunday School presidency. It sounds so glorious, and I enjoy some aspects of it, but we have so very few meetings and I don’t believe I’m making a great difference in the stake. While that sounds rough, I do feel like it’s a good place for me, because I’m better able to support Noell in her calling as ward relief society president. I’m not the best at supporting her, but if I was serving in the young men, Noell would have even less time for her calling. I understand why I’m in my calling, I just wish I could teach in primary or Sunday school with the youth or children. Teaching doesn’t change my time commitment (as I study the scriptures daily, anyway). Although, I guess I’d have to take one of the twins with me to class... I suspect most of the youth and children would love that. Next month, Tate and Dawson begin nursery. Perhaps I could begin teaching then. I’ll keep dreaming of that day.

Having the chance to talk with Hailey. For her to be comfortable talking with me, and knowing that her parents are comfortable with me talking to her, was such a blessing. I truly loved the 2-3 minute visit and look forward to the great day that more youth in the ward know me and we can bless each others’ lives. I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to facilitate the Emotional Resilience for Self-Reliance group. It helped me break through some of those barriers. I feel like I have youth friends with the Wanstrom, Harrison (which I had already), Bishop, and Case families because of it. Hopefully that will continue to grow.

This week we finished construction on one of the apartments. I’m excited about having it rented soon. Here are some photos:

We expect to rent it for several hundred dollars more than the other apartments we began managing last year. We’ve also made a lot of progress on other apartments.

Here’s a fun photo taken at the Wanstrom’s home. We were at a dinner party, on the 24th of January. Evidently, somebody got ahold of my phone. I doubt that it was Tate, but it could have been, as I can’t see him in the photo. This photo was taken as the party was ending and we were about to head home.

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