happy weekend

Mike and I have been putting in our winter lawn this week. It is so much work, but it is worth it! Our regular grass (bermuda) goes dormant in the winter and turns brown and scratchy. Winter grass (rye) is lush and dark green and so pretty.

We transplanted some jasmine vines to the side wall of our house last year, but just barely got around to putting up a wire trellis for them. I can't believe the difference it has made! The vines have flourished with the trellis and will soon fill it. There are some gospel parallels here, but I'll let you sort them out on your own.

I hardly ever buy clothes, and especially never shoes, but I bought two new pairs this week! These black sneakers from target are replacing the 15 year old black converse that I've worn into the ground.

Quilting update: I've almost completed 12 blocks. The more I've worked on it, the less wonky my pieces have gotten. I love that it's an ongoing project that I can work on when I have a spare moment. Next I need to decide how to put my blocks together. I like quilts with a lot of white space, so I'm experimenting with different border sizes. It has been so fun.

This weekend is big for us. Tomorrow is the elementary school carnival (I'm the PTO vice president, so I'll be there all day), homecoming for Mabel (She's not old enough to date, so she's going with some friends ... and I couldn't convince her to wear my cute vintage dress. Sigh.), and then Mike is singing in sacrament meeting on Sunday. I love when he sings.

It sort of feels like the world is falling apart, doesn't it? I found this quote from President Uchtdorf to be comforting: "When we embark upon or continue the incredible journey that leads to God, our lives will be better. This does not mean that our lives will be free from sorrow ... No, following the Savior will not remove all of your trials. However, it will remove the barriers between you and the help your Heavenly Father wants to give you. God will be with you. He will direct your steps. He will walk beside you and even carry you when your need is greatest ... The fires and tumults of moral life may threaten and frighten, but those who incline their hearts to God will be encircled by His peace. Their joy will not be diminished. They will not be abandoned or forgotten."

I hope your weekend is a happy one!

what's for dinner

When I am really on my game, I prepare dinner in the morning. Our afternoons are busy and I love having dinner ready to go before everyone gets home from school and the afternoon rush begins. We are trying to eat a plant based diet these days. Low dairy, very low meat, high whole grains and fruits and vegetables. Tonight we're having the Pioneer Woman's Quinoa with Buttery Roasted Vegetables. It might not feel like fall outside yet (still in the upper 90s here in Arizona-blah), but it's the season for roasted vegetables and I couldn't be happier.

I've made this recipe before and loved it, but I'll be honest and tell you that I make sure to serve it with lots of whole wheat toast so that Oliver doesn't go to bed hungry. :)

happy weekend

It's still too hot out, but my friend, Jill, and I went hiking this week anyway. Is it beautiful here? I don't know. Ask me again when it's not 97 degrees outside. We had a good hike, despite the heat. I like hiking with Jill because she is fun to talk to, but also because she keeps us moving at a fast pace. Sometimes I'm jogging to catch up to her and it feels really good.

We are heading in to our October break this weekend. I can't think of anything better than a week off of school right now! My kids have been working so hard, but they are beat and we all need to catch up on some sleep.

Do you quilt? When Mike and I were in Boston last week, I went quilt fabric shopping with my sister-in-law and her mom. They are highly experienced quilters and I was hoping some of their talent would rub off on me. I bought a little fabric and have been piecing some squares this week, but I must not be precise enough because they are turning out a little wonky. I'll keep at it, and read up on it a little bit, but I'll gladly take any advice you have to give!

One of my favorite quotes from the conference talks I listened to on my runs this week was from Elder Joni L. Koch's talk, Apart, but Still One. He said, "We have no right to portray anybody, including from our Church circle, as a badly finished product! Rather, our words about our fellow beings should reflect our belief in Jesus Christ and His Atonement and that, in Him and through Him, we can always change for the better!" Working on that ...

I hope you have a happy weekend.

to change the world

Life seems particularly tragic right now, doesn't it? As I was settling down to sleep last night, thinking about what happened in Las Vegas and elsewhere, the words of Sister Oscarson's talk from Saturday morning's conference session were ringing in my ear and bringing me comfort.

She said, "An aspect of service for all of us who have watched news of recent events and felt helpless to know what to do ... might actually be right before us. The Savior taught, 'For whosoever will save his life will lose it: and whosever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.' President Thomas S. Monson said of this scripture, 'I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives.'"

Sister Oscarson continued, "It is sometimes easy to miss some of the greatest opportunities to serve others because we are distracted or because we are looking for ambitious ways to change the world and we don't see that some of the most significant needs we can meet are within our own families, among our friends, in our wards, and in our communities. We are touched when we see the suffering and great needs of those halfway around the world but we may fail to see there is a person who needs our friendship sitting next to us in class."

And then she related the story of a woman in the 1990s who, with her daughter, rounded up quilts and drove a truck full of them from London to Kosovo. On her way home, the woman had a distinct impression that said, "What you have done is a very good thing. Now go home, walk across the street, and serve your neighbor."

Sister Oscarson said, "What good does it do to save the world if we neglect the needs of those closest to us?"

And then this, "Changing the world begins with strengthening your own family."

"As you strive to become more like the Savior Jesus Christ and live your covenants, you will continue to be blessed with desires to relieve suffering and help the who are less fortunate. Remember that some of the greatest needs may be those right in front of you. Begin your service in your own homes, with your own families. These are the relationships that can be eternal."

I guess it can all be summed up in that wonderful quote from Mother Teresa--"What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family."

I can't change what happened in Las Vegas, and I can't help rebuild Puerto Rico, but I can love my family more. I can be a better neighbor. I can be more generous in my fast offerings.

You can watch Sister Oscarson's entire talk here.