Saturday was Jodi's 19th b-day & we were just going to have a dinner & cake thing at the house. Luckily, Mitch was listening to the radio & heard that Brooke White was giving a free concert & signing photos at Milano's. We kept Jodi in the dark about it until we were walking her up to the Mesa Amphitheater & told her who we were actually seeing. : ) We had so much fun watching; thanks to Steve Wright, we were able to get VIP passes to meet Brooke back stage. She was so tired, and yet she was still so nice to everyone & down to earth. She treated everyone like they were a friend. It was an out of the ordinary evening, and Jodi had the best birthday ever!
Dad & Jodi
The whole gang: Taylor, Mike, Erin, Chelsea, Jodi, Tyson, Joe, Debbie
Mitch, Tyson (shockingly holding still), Deej
Believe it or not, before the concert, Mom, Erin, Jodi, and I went to the Relief Society Broadcast. It was from 5-6:30. I was so uplifted by the entire program. I was amazed by all the talks & felt rejuvenated. I am so grateful for the Church & the way it has affected my life.
At the broadcast, one of the sisters talked about temple covenants, and how people from Panama & the surrounding countries had saved and saved just to come visit the Mesa temple & get sealed to their families for time and all eternity. She said that the people sold TV's, and bikes, and anything they could to get the funds needed. Some even ate crackers & margarine on the trip because it was so tight. She said they traveled 5 days each way, and crossed 6 borders. They got to spend 3 days at the temple, and she said it was such a sweet experience to make covenants with the Lord & they all knew that it was where they were supposed to be. It wasn't until 24 years later that they got a temple in their region. I am so fortunate to have a temple nearby, and to know that there will be a temple built in Gilbert is even more amazing to me. All I want is to be together forever with my family. I love them so much. Going to the temple helps remind me of how I should live so that I can keep my hands clean and my heart pure so that someday I can live again in God's presence and be together forever with my family.
Elder Dieter F. Uchdorf also spoke at the broadcast. He basically shared (I'm paraphrasing) that women analyze everything so much that they don't always see the good things they do. He said that if we want to have more happiness that we should focus on 2 things: 1) Creativity, and 2) Compassion. Basically, he said that we are the spirit daughters of the Creator of the Universe, and so no matter what our talents are, we have the ability to create and to beautify. Creation extends far beyond the keys of a piano, or the canvas of an artist. He said that as women and mothers, we have the ability to create laughter, and memories that had never been there before. We can create children--what an honor. He said that to create is to make something that did not exist before. If you designate a spot and make it beautiful or useful, we are creating & it can help us find satisfaction. The second thing he talked about that will help us get through hard times in our lives, is to look for ways to help others. When you serve others, your own burdens seem lighter. He told a story of a widowed woman who Pres. Hinckley told that "work will cure your grief." Sometimes when you're going through hard times, it's hard to think about others, but I know that reaching out actually makes you feel better. We need to bear one another's burdens, mourn with those who mourn, and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. I am so glad I attended the broadcast & I can't wait for General Conference this upcoming weekend. The words of the prophets lift my heart.
Twiners! We went to Devin's b-day party & decided that Tyson and Caleb are twins! It's easier to see when they have the same expressions on their faces, but I like this picture anyway. : )
Devin had an AWESOME b-day party on Saturday. I meant to take more pictures, but got distracted talking. I feel lame that I didn't even take a pic of the b-day boy. However, there was an amazingly talented balloon guy who made Tyson a Batman, and made tractors, and mermaids, and balls, and crowns. He was phenomenal. There was also a pinata that the kids took their precious time to pick up the candy. I think it took at least 5 minutes if not more for the kids to gently pick up the interesting pieces of candy & think about whether or not they should put it in their goody bags. : ) Priorities! Whatever happened to knocking each other out of the way?
This is Duane at the Gateway Ward Olympics that Melissa and Ryan invited us to on Friday night. Duane is Bret & Liz' kid; he is just a week or so older than Tyson, but he's so skinny that his12 month old pants fall off his waist. : ) Funny, funny! These videos are of Taylor's amazing diving skills (we love attending his Dive meets), and the other one is of Tyson & Mitch taking 2nd place in the 3 legged race at the Church on Fri. night. : )