I’m incredibly backlogged on my “little things” posts, but here are a few things from my iPhone in the last week just to try to keep up on here!

Grace and her district read THE WHOLE BOOK OF MORMON in 24 hours.

Pretty incredible, right?

They worked their tails off.

She said she wouldn’t recommend it. Ha!

But really, she liked the part about the stories coming together so much better than they had before.

If you want to know more about the Book of Mormon, go ahead and click HERE.

Some Bo Jangles pampering:

Volleyball season is starting up in full force starting TODAY.

The varsity team did their little retreat this last weekend. Here are the seniors this year:

Love them all.

While Claire was gone, Dave and I scooped Lu up on a little dinner date with us:

Let’s take a better look at that sunset:

There we go.

Dave and I also got to do a “Escape the Room” with some friends:

Love.

I also love that my brother keeps us updated on the ducklings that were part of the reunion this summer (a couple posts ago) on the “Ducklings” marco polo channel:

Aw I love that brother of mine. (and all of them)

Dave and Lu took Bo on a walk one night and I just basked in the sunset.

Not that it’s nice weather out there, because believe me, it is NOT (hot as blazes), but doesn’t this look like a painting:

No filter on these puppies…although I think my iPhone does something funky with them…can’t figure out what.

Oh wait, who is that lady with a cello??

Ha! I had my first cello lesson for reals (I decided I can’t quite figure out how to hold the bow and get the position right on my own so I am going to let this expert teacher help me).

I realized this isn’t going to be all easy peasy as my arms are sore from just my first little practices!

BUT, I can play the “peanut butter jelly” version of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” like a {scratchy} pro and I’m determined to smooth it all out and learn some good stuff.

A rare time when both girls are home:

We are trying to switch up scripture study from morning until evening (after years and years of doing it in the morning) and let me tell you, we are failing miserably at that little idea as of right now.

Lucy is working so hard at school work.

That magnifying glass helps, but she is determined to have those tiny worksheets like everyone else. We are both working, along with her teachers to figure out the right amount of help and independence. This is tricky and emotional sometimes, I’m not going to lie.

I hosted book club here the other night.

(The recipe for that dip up there is from my friend Sarah over HERE…it’s SO GOOD!)

We “read” that book up there and I tell you, that is the longest book in the world. I put “read” in parentheses because you guessed it, I listened to it and any guesses how long it was? Ok I’ll just tell you: 49 hours long!

That was even longer than Lonesome Dove and boy howdy, there was a lot of stuff in that thing! I didn’t quite finish (still had 4 1/2 hours left when it came to book club time even listening at 2.5 speed. Ha! ), but we had such a good discussion about cultures and history and religion and all that was packed into that book based in India in the 1800s. So many good insights from those women I love.

We have met and talked about books in so many varieties for almost twenty years now.

And too bad I didn’t get a picture of them, but I did of Claire and her friends who “helped” with some of the food after everyone left.

Last night Claire and I brought back “Tuesday Night Swim Club” while Lu was at mutual (young women at church, Claire had met with her class earlier in the day). Dave joined us later but I didn’t get a pic. with him…boo! But we got a good swim in complete with Claire teaching us some cheer moves (not sure why she knows those suckers) before it started POURING with rain.

Monsoon season is the best.

There have been some heartbreaking things mixed in with the good.

So many women around me carrying extremely heavy burdens. I am so grateful for fellow members of our congregation helping to lift. It is a beautiful thing to see…that light in the darkness. Lifting and loving amidst the heavy weight of life.

How I hope that those people our family is pouring out our hearts in prayer for each day will feel the love, and also angels surrounding them.

painting by Brian Kershisnik

I do believe in angels.

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7 Comments

  1. I have followed your family intermittently for years. I have a son with a visual impairment and bumped into your blog looking for ideas of how to help him. He is in 5th grade and doing well but refusing to let anyone enlarge any of his papers or books. I felt better reading this and seeing lucy is the same way. I know they hate to be different but what they don’t realize is they are working so much harder than they need to be on those dang papers!!!

    1. I am a TVI and appreciate the parent perspective on how kiddos are doing with school work if they have a VI. I work with so many kiddos that don’t want to look or be different from their peers. I am certain that the strain they put on their eyes because they don’t want to use magnification or large print must give them awful headaches! I appreciate the parents of my students!

    2. Yes it is so tricky. Mandi I think it helped so much to go into Lucy’s classrooms when she was still in elementary school and explain vision loss to her classmates. It helped Lucy feel a little more validated in the things she had to do differently, but man alive, that refusing help has sure stayed with her through to high school in so many ways! We had our 593rd talk about how to try to let people in and let them help yesterday, maybe THIS one will be the ticket! But really, Dave and I always have to remind ourselves that Lucy’s feistiness and determination to be independent will help her in the long-run. I really do believe that. And want to support her in her goals. Good luck to your sweet son.

      And KT, (and any other TVIs out there), you rock! So so grateful for those who work so hard to help these students learn and grow. You are changing lives in beautiful ways looking out for these kids. Not only the kids, but their parents as well.
      xoxo

    1. Lots of interesting historically-based info in that thing. WHat a beautiful memory to have of your time reading it.
      xoxo

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