This has been a busy week. Monday I had a seven page essay due and a presentation to make for my MPA degree capstone class. I am also taking an Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management class on Wednesdays. Both classes require me to read four textbooks each. So, for two classes this semester I am reading eight textbooks! It's been kind of stressful and monotonous, but I do a lot of reading on the bus to & from work and school so it allows me to be a little more focused when I'm at home. However, it gets a little crazy when papers and presentations are due. Well, I gave my second presentation for the capstone class on Monday. The presentation was on contract management and I was the last to present. I think it went really well.
Tuesday was much more enjoyable. We had family home evening since I wasn't home on Monday. We "boo'ed" two new families in our ward. This means that someone left a picture of a ghost on our steps with a rhyme and a package of candy and we had to do the same to two other families. We went to the store, made copies, cut out the ghosts, and delivered our "boo's." I thought it would be fun to have the girls help, so we sent Baily to the Ashton's front door loaded with candy and papers. When she rang the doorbell and tried to cross their dirt yard (just recently finished home) she lost a shoe and refused to run to the not-so-hidden van. We all were yelling for her to run, but I was sure we would be caught. It turned out that the Ashton's weren't home, which was a good thing or we would have been caught for sure. Next we had Bethy deliver a "boo" to a brand new family in our ward. She was so excited and she was faster than even I could have been. She jumped in the van and we sped off down the road, everyone laughing and the girls begging us, "let's do another one!" It was so much fun and I was glad to show the girls that you don't have to be recognized for doing something good to feel good about doing it. It was an important reminder for me as well. Next, we had a change of pace from our normal FHE routine and we took the kids to the movie "Ratatouille." The theater has a special on Tuesdays and we all got in for $4, which fit our limited "fun budget." Overall we had a great time and the kids were all exhausted by the time we got back home.
Wednesday I had class again and didn't get home until 10p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays I don't get to even see my family, so usually Thursdays we get to spend a little more time together. Tonight though, Amy is taking a friend to the temple. This friend has just recently seperated from her husband, a friend of mine, and its been really hard for her. Amy is her visiting teacher and suggested just the two of them go to the temple. That leaves me with the girls - we're going to paint the pumpkins from our pumpkin patch. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful relationship with my spouse. It isn't easy, but it certainly is worth it. What seems to work for our situation is just keep trying to improve ourselves individually and not try to force improvement on eachother. When I see Amy doing something to improve herself, it makes me want to be better and vice versa. It seems like we only have problems when one of us is selfish or prideful.
Today I found out that my mission mom, Sister Evalyn Brown passed away this week. Her funeral is on Saturday in Ogden, Utah. Although I didn't get to know the Brown's as well as I did my second president and his wife (the Heyes) I still felt the loss. She was a very loving woman and I worry about how Pres. Brown will be without her. I can't imagine the loss I would feel if Amy were to go. Despite our knowledge of eternal families, it's a good thing to mourn. I just read in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 38 or somewhere close to that) a commandment to mourn when we lose someone. I also think of Jesus weeping when Lazarus died even though he knew he would raise him to life again. Maybe we do this, partly to remember and appreciate the person who has passed, and part to direct our thoughts to our own personal readiness to face the Lord.
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Wow, you are a busy man! I can't believe all the books that you have to read for your classes and not to be able to spend time with your family on those two days, I bet that's so hard.
We just got "booed" the other day too. We were going to do it for family home evening also, but Bri couldn't be here, so we are going to do it this weekend. Love the story of Baily though, I can just see it. (:
I really like your thoughts about your spouse. I find the same thing with Brian and I. It is so true that you encourage or discourage each other. Love you guys so much!
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