Broken Faucet, Book Club, Being Humble and Blessings

About 10 minutes before we were supposed to leave for church Sunday morning, one of my children came up with the news that after finishing their shower, the tub faucet would not turn off and was continuing to spew water out full blast no matter which way we turned it.  I sent a quick text to Jared who was just finishing his pre-church meetings to see if he could run home.  I was hoping it would be a quick fix to spare me the embarrassment of showing off the messy parts of my life with others.  I never use the basement bathroom and have therefore usually delegate its cleanup to my children, which unfortunately isn't a consistent occurrence. But this wasn't a quick fix and cringed a bit inside as the kind member of our ward got an impromptu tour of the "darkest corners of my house" including my kid's bedrooms, storage closets, bathroom cabinets, etc. as they searched for a way to turn off the water to no avail.  They ended up having to shut off the main water and obtain a part.  Fortunately, it was "Piano Sunday" when one of my piano parents brings us a meal in exchange for piano lessons earlier in the week, so the dishes didn't pile up too much.

2019 Family Pics

And a few candids from my camera... 

Alyssa and Josh were eager to spend some time exploring after we were done.

Girls Night Out turned In

 
While the boys were away at the Father's and Sons campout, I planned a fun Girl's Night Out to go see Extravadance. But unfortunately when we went to get our tickets scanned the ticket person informed us that our tickets were from 2 nights ago. I must have failed to read the fine print when ordering.😟  The show was sold out and with no refund available for my mistake. So we headed for a treat and after a photoshoot, spent the night inside playing Clue instead.

The girls had been caring for their "water babies" all day including constructing houses and basketball standards for them using my kitchen bowls, duct tape and other random stuff around the house.... classic Alyssa style creativity!

Inspired by FamilySearch Memories

On the same day Rebecca began her first experiences as a sister missionary in San Jose this week, I was inspired by a post on the memories feed on my familysearch.org homepage that displayed the obituary for my ancestor, Jennie Brimhall Knight who served as one of the first single sister missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I had been uplifted in the past by her life and optimistic, faith-filled quotes that I included in a quote book for a Father's Day gift, but it was contemplating the trials she faced that really inspired me this week. 






As I read over her life accomplishments including temple matron, school teacher, member of the general Relief Society presidency, social work delegate, etc.,  I began to ponder some of the challenges she faced in life as well including witnessing her mother deteriorate due to mental illness, struggling with infertility, seeing a wayward child abandon his family and dealing with the loss of her father to suicide. Through her hardships and her reaction to them, she was molded into a strong woman with righteous influence.
Ironically I had also encountered a passage this week in "Silent Souls Weeping" by Jane Clayson Johnson  week that mentioned the death of Jennie's father George H. Brimhall, former president of BYU.  It made me think about how we often focus on the strengths, accomplishments, and highlights of the lives of others.  Sometimes this can inspire, but it can also be a bit discouraging to feel like we can never quite measure up to such role models.  The seemingly "picture perfect" lives that we glimpse of others at church and through social media are also filled with dark spots and struggles that we can not see.   
I love this passage from President Eyring's talk, "The Reward of Enduring Well." 

“When you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time.”

We all have trials to face—at times, very difficult trials. We know that the Lord allows us to go through trials in order for us to be polished and perfected so we can be with Him forever.

The Lord taught the Prophet Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail that the reward for enduring his trials well would help qualify him for eternal life:

“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

“And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes” (D&C 121:7–8).

Celebrating 20 Years

Today has been a reflective day as I celebrate and look back on the 20 years of married life with my best friend, Jared. Some of the pivotal moments in our life together come to the forefront of my mind as I think about the goals and dreams we have achieved together as we experience the ups and downs of life.  As we sat down and made new goals together as newlyweds and talked about our blissful dreams of raising 6 or 7 children, finishing school, having a piano, buying a home, etc.  I don't think we fully foresaw the ups and downs that come with life, like Jared cleaning up my throw up when I dealt with morning sickness, becoming "parents" to 15-20 boys after just 5 months of marriage, unoffered jobs, tense driving moments, parenting challenges, juggling the varied roles in life, sleepless nights, anxieties, moves, etc. I feel so grateful to have been with him for the meaningful moments like receiving his acceptance letter to BYU, the birth of each of our children, and witnessing the details in patriarchal blessing unfold before us. I feel so inspired when I get to hear him teach and share his personal thoughts and feelings related to the gospel with me,  our children and with our ward members.  I love to hear his stories...he makes me laugh and cry,  and he is one of the best listeners that I know! I'm so glad we get to share our lives together forever.

20 Years Together!