Serenity Now

Getting a new calling brings with it all kinds of emotions. Trepidation, excitement, nervousness, fear, or in my case HORROR. JK or am I???

In church on Sunday the executive secretary approached me and asked if I would be free to meet with a member of the bishopric at 3:00pm. I smiled and said that my recommend would not be expiring until next February. He smiled and asked again if I would be available at 3:00. I smiled again and said that Brett already HAD a calling. He smiled again and asked if 3:00 would be convenient. There was just no getting out of it. I would just have to show up and find out what it was about. His parting comment was that he was sure I would like it (whatever "it" was.)

We met with Brother Snow and chatted for a few moments and then he asked if I would be willing to be the ward co-choir director. Brett and I burst out laughing. Are you supposed to laugh when you are given a calling???? Brother Snow looked confused as he glanced back and forth between the two of us laughing whereupon Brett says .... "have you heard Robin sing?" Now you would think I would be offended by such a question but really... have you heard me sing???

Let's rewind a few years to when Sheriff was a baby. I loved singing Primary songs to him and even then (frankly all my life) I have had an unremarkable voice. Less than unremarkable voice - if someone or something goes off-key I'm right along with it. So picture me singing songs to Sheriff (my captive audience) as we drive in the car on our errands. One of the first full sentences he said was "mom no sing". Seriously. He asked me to stop singing. I couldn't make this up if I tried!!!

Fast forward to the future and I'm being put in charge of the ward choir??? I truly believe God has a sense of humor (and gives us opportunities for humility... believe me... this will be pretty humiliating for me hahaha!!!) So I say to Brother Snow "just be prepared for ward members to come up to you and ask why I have been put in charge... you'll have to tell them it's for my own growth, not theirs."

Whatever happened to my easy gospel doctrine calling???? :)

A couple of weekends ago I actually had some time to myself (cue halleluia chorus) and so I went on a photo walk with Carin Davis and others. I have always loved Carin's photography and frequently visit her blog to see what she has done lately. Seeing her pictures is what inspired me to get a better camera and learn more about photography. I have a long way to go (obviously) but when I look at my pictures from a few years ago and what they look like now I can see some improvements. Of course it helps to be able to edit photos today versus the old style rolls of film where you were stuck with what you had. Thank goodness for today's technology to correct lighting difficulties!

here is a sample of what I saw on our walk.




Thanks to Carin for the inspiration and also for a fun night!

Some people love surprises... others hate them. Me - well ... it depends on the surprise.

If the surprise is Brett rolling a black ball of yarn at my feet and saying "is that a mouse?" then the answer is no. Initially funny for him as I scream and hop around but he pays the price for days with my skunk-eye looks.

If the surprise is a free cruise to Europe, a trip to NYC all expenses paid or winning a long-arm quilting machine. All-right I'll even go smaller than that... how about a simple date with my hubby or a clean house with laundry done and dishes put away? I like those kinds of surprises!

We knew when we moved into the neighborhood that there were plenty of kids. What we didn't realize was that the majority of the kids are girls. So on Friday when a cute little surprise appeared at our doorstep and we didn't see who dropped it off, I think it was safe to assume that it was left by some girls.

Here is what we found...


and this is what was inside...
Girls are too cute!

It's that time of year again when kids pack up their backpacks and lunches and head back to school. Because we moved in the spring we are at a new school so we are having to figure out a new school with new teachers and another new experience...

the bus...


The boys of course love it although if you are at all familiar with Giggles you will understand my angst about sending him on the bus.


He has a difficult time following rules and to be riding a bus with no seatbelts in it is just asking for trouble. He has his older brothers with him on the way to school to help keep him in line though. Or will they????





So when the boys started coming home with all of their homework in the 2nd week of school ... and believe me it was a lot... and I started commenting (aka complaining) to Brett about how much they had and did the teachers understand that kids need time to play?? I also said that soon Giggles would be starting and he would be bringing homework home as well. Brett said "kindergartners don't get homework". What the what??? Where was he when Sheriff and Wannabe went to kindergarten??? Apparently I did my job altogether too well and he was totally unaware of the cutting and pasting, the spelling tests and rhyming homework as well as reading homework the boys had in kindergarten. So on Tuesday when we met with Giggles' teacher she gave him an assignment (homework) and some questions for the parents to fill out. There was a question on it I needed to ask Brett's help with.

"what's that for?" Brett asks.

"Giggles' homework" I reply.

"But he hasn't even started school yet" says Brett.

"I know, but we met his teacher yesterday and she gave him some... you were saying something about kindergartners not having homework?"

I know, I know... I'm a smarty pants.