November in review

November was a month with no big picture moments for us like a vacation but there were some fun moments including a design session with Ruby from next door and plastic bags (serious style savey from these two) and new roller skates that will inevitibly loose their appeal in three days and end up in the back of the closet. :)

Maddy and I went to see 'Big Fish' at Hale Centre Theatre. Each season I pick a show that she would enjoy and add a ticket for her. Generally they do a Disney musical or some show that has lots of dancing and singing and colors and great costumes. This year the closest "kid" movie was Big Fish. The movie the play is based on was so bright and bold that I hoped the play would be as well. The best part was a stage full of daffodils. In the play the wife loves daffodils and so one scene is filled wtih the joyful, bright flowers. It was amazing and wonderful! Maddy did enjoy it and as usual, wanted pictures with the pretty girls at the end. She was not interested in a picture with the giant so I took one myself.

I really enjoy going to see shows with her. It's a fun tradition I share with my mom and sisters and I'm excited that someday she and I can share the whole season tickets tradition too.

Thanksgiving this year was in Payson with Scott's family. We went and stayed overnight and maddy was excited to show off her doll wearing matching pajamas. She and I were also given the assignment to make a turkey snack and had a fun time creating it with grandpa.

The day after Thanksgiving, as per tradition, we put away the Thanksgiving decorations and out came the Christmas finery. I was a little dismayed to find a nest inside the box that holds our fake Christmas tree - I'm assuming of the mouse variety. I was very, very nervous that inside the box we might also find a mouse, either dead or alive, and frankly I wasn't too keen on finding either. Lucky for me, no critters found, just the remains of their home.

Work on the bathroom continued and we go in all the sheetrock and mudding and taping going as well. Progress is wonderful on these marathon projects.

Scott doesn't like when I take pictures of him so I sneak them. I figure he'll never look at a photo book anyhow and someday when he does, it will mean that he's feeling nostalgic or sentimental and maybe also means he won't mind so terribly to see himself included. But seriously, I have to document the love that little Jake has for Scott. He LOVES Scott. Every day I find him cuddled up next to Scott's leg as they sit on the couch. He'd prefer to be laid out on Scott's chest or nose to nose if Scott would let him. It's rather sweet how these two both adore each other. It's for sure that Jake is definitely Scott's dog.

Tender Mercies of the Lord

This morning I was on my way to work and I thought that I’d better put in my Book of Mormon CD because I knew it was going to be a challenging day. Not long after I started it my mind was wondering to work things and not listening so I turned on the CD. I then thought “no, it’s better to at least have it on in the back ground if my mind does wander because I might hear something”. I then said a prayer asking that there would be something that would stand out to me to help me for the day.

Immediately – and I mean immediately – I heard “…the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.” (1 Nephi 1:20).

Wow, I was brought to tears to know that Heavenly Father heard my prayer and was telling me that he would give me strength today because I was keeping the commandments. It was a powerful testimony building moment of the power of prayer and of the Scriptures being the source by which we can find the answers to our prayers. Also a testimony that the Book of Mormon, if we will take time to read it, will provide for us the mechanism to build faith so that we can be strengthened throughout our day.

I quickly said a prayer of gratitude and now I am writing this down so that I will remember it in hard days to come – the power of the scriptures and the power of prayer are real and even more so is the Love of Heavenly Father for me. I know that is real.