Special Two Hour Meeting

I haven't blogged much lately.  I guess I have had a lot on my mind and a lot going on otherwise.  And until I get a new camera, I have a really hard time posting without pictures (don't worry, I am going to remedy that soon).  Actually I haven't been able to decide if I wanted to blog about what is the front runner of things in my thoughts.  But I think it important because it will change our lives quite a bit.  

A few weeks ago, our stake president announced during our Sacrament Meeting on Sunday that the meeting for the following Sunday would be a special meeting that would last 2 hours and would be shared with another ward in the stake.  Of course, everyone was wondering what the implications of this meeting were.  A boundary change was suspected, but the fact is that the current bishops of both wards had both been serving over the unwritten 5 year mark had speculation running rampant.  But I was not caught up in all of the gossip and predictions of what might happen because, well, I already knew.  

You see, we had a visit from our stake president . . . to our home.  Now seriously, how often does that happen?  Adam kept saying that he was just being thoughtful because we have young children and needed our temple recommends updated.  But I don't think that either of us really believed that.  So, as a result of that visit, during the "special meeting" Adam was called and sustained to be bishop of the Apopka, FL Ward.  

Now, earlier I mentioned that a boundary change was suspected, that assumption was correct.   I doubt that everyone knows this but my parents and I are in the same ward.  Which has been great since Adam was called to be 2nd counselor in the bishopric last June.  Having a new baby along with a 4 year old is hard by yourself, and they made up the difference.  Also, I am a primary teacher and my dad always took Ian for the last 2 hours of church so I could teach my class.  Well, as I am sure you are suspecting, the boundary change has taken my parents out of my ward.  So I have a bishop for a husband (which means he won't be around a whole lot, and not with me at all during church) and no family to help with the kids.

I don't want you to think that I am complaining.  I just wanted to share some of the thoughts swirling around in my head.   I have been especially concerned because Ian is almost 1.  And he is an extremely active little guy.  Church is a 3 hour wrestling match (and I only had the first shift, Dad took the last couple hours).  Clara is pretty good but seems to know when I can't do anything about misbehavior because my arms are full of Ian.  I know that things will work out, they always do.  In fact, after the meeting was over I had a couple wonderful women come to me from my ward and say that they knew I would need help now that my parents wouldn't be there and they are volunteering!  I am a little embarrassed to admit that my tears are welling up a little bit even now as I write that.  People can be so kind.  I am still a little anxious, but I believe that we will be blessed.  

Please, please, take this post as it was intended.  A sharing of some huge changes in my life.  I believe that everything is as it should be and that Heavenly Father will bless us, and while I know that it will not always be easy, I know that we will grow as a family and as individuals and that we will be happy if we earnestly seek to serve the Lord the best we can.

Pioneer Trek

We have been preparing for this weekend for months.  Here, Adam is dressed up and ready with his belongings (the bucket is filled with everything he will have) to leave for a church youth activity called a Pioneer Trek.  He will be gone for 3 days.  The point of the activity is for the youth to experience a small part of what is must have been like for the early pioneers traveling from Nauvoo, Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah.  They will be walking and pushing a handcart carrying all of their supplies for approximately 22 miles over the 3 days.  They will only be wearing clothes appropriate to the late 1800's (except for the shoes).  They will sleep on the ground and eat what is provided for them.  They will not have cell phones or iPods.  I never had the chance to go on one of these when I was in the youth program.  I know it will be really hard, but I would liked to experience it.  In fact, I was invited to go on this one but was unable because I am still nursing Ian.  And no matter how great it would've been, I am not taking a baby on the Trek!  Since Adam's calling at church is 2nd counselor in the bishopric, he is in charge of the youth and has been helping to plan and prepare for this activity for several months.  I know that the next 3 days will be long on my own with the kids.  We are looking forward to having him home on Saturday evening (and really more often in general), hopefully he'll have a lot of great stories to tell.  Since they will not have cell phones I won't be able to talk with him the whole time!  So hopefully everything goes well and Saturday will come soon! 

How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

My yard isn't really the kind of yard that you can dig up and plant a big garden.  So I decided to do a container garden.  Since this is my first attempt in the Central Flordia area I am sticking with several varieties of tomatoes and some kitchen herbs.  We are still having a few cold snaps here and there so I am using a seed tray to start things off.  These are my little seedlings.  They are doing so well so far!  I can't wait until I can put them in pretty pots.  Are any of you doing a garden this year?  There are so many ways of having a garden, post about it!