Oh Glo! Spring has finally sprung here in Michigan. It's a super late spring, but better late than never. And I'm sure, in true Michigan fashion, it will last about a week, and then it will be summer ;-). Of course, all of this happened the morning after Hannah went back to Utah, so while she and I were doing our daily walks in brutal wind, snow, rain and misery, it's now gorgeous in the mornings, afternoons and evenings. Needless to say, it's easier to do my exercise because I don't need to pull up my bootstraps, take a deep breath and head "into the unknown" ;-). I walk a little bit in the morning with the dogs, I go out after lunch, and then I just got back in from a sunset walk. I told Hannah that our neighborhood is seriously the scene out of Finding Nemo when everyone is out mowing the lawns, playing in the yard, and all that good stuff. We have the friendliest neighborhood ever, and I kind of love heading out and saying hello to everyone. But having nice weather makes it MUCH better. I mean, it was just a week ago that Hannah and I were out walking with wool mittens, hats and down coats!
Of course, with the warm weather, I'm really hoping that the spread of COVID will decrease. Don't get me wrong--I love having a perfect excuse to stay home, but I'm missing some things in my life. Traveling is a huge one, especially seeing all of the businesses in Grand Cayman that are closing for good. Today, Daddy's and my names were read in our Northville ward Zoom "sacrament meeting", and I kinda missed being in an actual church with people. I'm sure you feel this to the nth degree, being a missionary, but I didn't think I would really miss it. There are some things that I wish I could shop for as well. Things for the house like frames. Oh goodness, I need to frame so many things. And I'm sure as summer approaches, I'll feel this even more, although I can't tell you how excited I am to open the pool. I kind of feel like with our pool, we'll be okay through the summer if we can't go out. Walking the neighborhood and swimming in the pool--that sounds pretty dang good to me!
Ethan and Rebecca are coming either this weekend, or next Monday. Daddy took down a bunch of shelves in Baby's "room" that he then installed in our own master closet. I need to paint Baby's walls, because there were a bunch of holes that Daddy filled. I also need to hang the curtains in E/R's room (aka The Moran Suite). Each day, I get a little more done. Sometimes, when I move, I need things to live someplace for a while before I decide if I like them there. We had so many pictures sitting in piles around the house, and Rebecca and Hannah convinced me to try and hang them all in one day. Now I'm starting to move things around when I decide I don't like something somewhere, so I do a lot of that during the day. And I keep trying to make progress in the basement. It's looking pretty good, but it doesn't really look "lived" in. It looks more like a storage area for pieces of furniture we don't know what to do with. There's nothing on the walls though, so I'll work on that this week. And again, I wish I could go to Pier One and find some fun little things to put around the basement to make it all work. It will come with time which I certainly have at the moment. But in the meantime, I really love working on the house. Remember the padded bar chairs we had in La Maison? I had those at the bar in our kitchen in La Casa Fiesta, but they were always sticking out and obstructing the walkway from the family room to the dining room. So, I took the brown wooden barstools (that we had in our PA house and that were currently sitting under the bar in the basement) and brought them upstairs, and took the padded ones downstairs. Not only does it work better with the flow, they are actually different heights which now work with the heights of the bars. Those are the kinds of things I'm figuring out now. Or, I have a wrapping paper closet again (hallelujah!), but I want to hang the bags from carabiners...which I need to order.
On the other hand, Daddy now needs to start working on the yard. With no one living in the house for the past year and a half, the landscaping is a mess. Leaves everywhere. Old plants that need to be pulled up. Borders that are coming out of the ground. And grass. We don't have much, but it's getting long! We have some Home Association rules that our grass can't get too long, and with Daddy gone all this week, and no gas for the lawn mower (not that I should push it anyway with my back), I'm kinda praying for a week of rain so that the HOA can't get mad at us for not mowing! I asked Ethan to help Daddy when he comes, and he very openly told me he hates yard work. Funny how that works: the grass is always greener, because I would give anything to be able to go out and work in the yard. Yeah, and Daddy needs so much help with the garage.
So today, Daddy and I signed in to watch the Zoom Fast and Testimony meeting with our new ward. I don't know if I told you, but the RS president's mom died of COVID this past week. I had met her over the phone, and she loves me (did I tell you that she's having me teach the RS lesson in two weeks over Zoom? Yeah, when I asked how they had been having it already, I was told that it would be the FIRST TIME they are having RS when I teach.....). Anyway, the bishop asked Daddy and me to bear our testimonies today so that the ward can get to know us. Daddy told me this last night at 10:30, and I was so stressed. I mean, it's difficult for me to feel like I can communicate over Zoom (I know I'm preaching to the choir). Here I am, alone in my house, trying to share my testimony over a camera. I signed on a few minutes before the meeting was supposed to start, and they had the nicest little display, telling people what it was, what time it would begin, and it gave pointers as to how to work Zoom (muting ourselves, turning our camera off and on), and in the background was this beautiful prelude music. Oh my gosh, I started CRYING. I have missed hearing, singing and playing the hymns of the church. They are such a part of my experience, and hearing them again, and knowing that we were all coming together as saints was so touching. And the ward? There is just so much love in this ward. There is a sweetness that I haven't felt before. I can hardly wait to actually meet all of these people someday.
Anyway, two people bore their testimonies, and I assumed there was already a long queue, but when they said no one was in the queue, I figured it was my time. I felt so awkward, but I shared my thoughts about finding peace in Christ. It's strange to think that we just finished a five-year long trial (financial ruin, job loss, moving) that a lot of people are just beginning. I feel such sympathy for everyone who feels the stress of not knowing what the future holds. Something I learned along the way is that you won't find peace in the world's way. You can't depend on jobs, or money, or where you live. But you can depend on the peace that Christ gives you. It never fails. It never goes away. And what a balm to know that he has felt everything that we feel, 100% of the time.
Well, I probably wrote that just now better than I said it, but I got through it. Then Daddy, who was sitting outside at the Boalsburg Military Museum with President Price, bore his testimony. He was so cute in his Michigan State hoodie (he apologized for wearing that, but said it was either that or a scrub top which made people laugh). He was his good happy self, and I was so happy to see President Price's shoulder in the view screen, because I know having him as a friend means so much to Daddy.
It was a very sweet meeting. And not two minutes later, I FaceTimed Hannah, and did Come, Follow Me together for an hour. Goodness, I didn't think we would have much to discuss since Mosiah 7-10 is a lot of talking of war, but it was a beautiful discussion. One of the headings was "I can face my challenges in the strength of the Lord," and we talked about what that means. What is the strength of the Lord? I brought up the very sacred experience that I had when I blessed by the temple presidency member to feel the family members beyond the veil who would be helping and sustaining me through the trial. This led to us thinking of the story of Elisha and the chariots of fire. So we turned to 2 Kings 6 and read this scripture: Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. What a beautiful scripture. I think if we can remember that in trials, we will indeed have the strength of the Lord with us.
Anyway, it was a nice Sunday. And as you've probably already seen, I spent some time researching the Cokers and sent you some pointers ;-) There's nothing I like doing more than genealogy on a Sunday! And seeing as I had a Diet Coke to break my fast AND took a nap, I'll probably be doing it late into the night tonight!
I love you. I love that you are a missionary.
xoxo,
Mama
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