Moving Forward

Yesterday I was released from being the Primary President in my ward. I have served for a little over three years.  Today, although I feel a big burden off my shoulders and honestly a little relief, I feel a little lost.  Being primary president has been part of my identity for a long time and it is an adjustment.  This morning, I usually have a presidency meeting and I'm not....I will so miss the ladies that I worked with in my presidency. I know I will still see them in church every week but it is not the same serving side by side with them. I will so miss being with the kids on Sunday and being in Relief Society will feel so strange.  My son Aaron, who is six years old was a little upset when he realized in sacrament meeting that I wasn't president anymore.  He glared at me and said, "I don't want you to leave Primary!" I was called as president just before he became a sunbeam so he doesn't ever remember me not being in primary with him.  I hugged him close and told him it would be okay and that even if I wasn't in primary with him, I would always be his mother and that is what is important.  He will get over it and get used to just as I will but it will take some adjusting.  Change is always hard.  I have grown so much in this calling and now I get to grow and stretch in other ways in my new Relief Society calling.  I am the new Visiting teaching coordinator.  I know this calling is important but I feel like Heavenly Father is giving me a break in giving me a calling I feel I can do.  When I was first called as Primary president, I thought, there is no way on Earth I can do this! I knew that I needed a lot of help.  But it is such a treat to be in this new calling.  I know the Lord will give me opportunities to still continue to grow and stretch and I still have lots to learn but I have felt His tender mercies this week so much.  I gave my all as president and did my best and I will do the same with this calling. And I am sure I will have to do things that are out of my comfort zone, but I know the Lord will be there beside me to help me. It has been such a special blessing to be able to be in Primary with my children.  When I was first called, Kalli was in the Valiant 11 class and then she graduated when she was 12 into YW.  I have been able to be there when Aaron and Ammon both were sunbeams and Aidan has gone from junior to senior primary.  What a blessing to be able to work with them and be with them.  Not every mother gets that opportunity.  I know that the new president, Cassity Condit, will do a great job and I am so excited for the opportunity she has to serve. She will get so many blessings. I have felt the mantle of calling leave and go to her and she will do a great job.

Happy New Year 2013

These are pictures of when we put our Christmas tree and other paraphanalia up the day after Thanksgiving. It is hard to believe that the Christmas season has come and gone. We had a really fun Christmas. I am so ready for school to start in two days but we have had some good family times together the last few weeks.

I got myself a Kindlefire for Christmas and I had so much fun with it. Kalli is happy I got it too, because I have been letting her read some of my book on my kindle. I didn't let her before, because I was always reading books on my kindle....anyway, she has my love of reading so I'm not complaining. I finished up my goal for the year on Goodreads of reading 176 books this year. I read 175 last year. Most of the books I read are novels but I would say the best book I read this year was Jesus the Christ by Talmage. I actually started it two years ago. It took me a very long time to read because it is a thinking book, not one that I could just sit and read in one sitting. A lot of people wonder how I could read so many books...it may seem like I'm wasting my life just reading all the time but I don't think I am. I read really fast. One of the last books I read this year was The Kolob Theorem by Lynn Hilton. I read it on Sunday and I read it after church and it took me about an hour.  Most of the books I read, I have to put a bookmark in and read a little at a time.  I usually am interrupted with "Mom, I need help with this...." but I have a talent of being able to stop on the word of a book in the middle of the page, close the book, take care of what needs to be taken care and then open the book and start reading where I left off and get right back into my book.  Anyway, reading is my escape and my love and it helps me stay sane. My goal this year is to read better, deeper books, maybe some more by Talmage or some literature.

So, getting back to the family....Scott got some days off from work as did Kael so we have had some fun family days. We got a lot of games for Christmas so we have had fun playing those. Aaron got Headbanz....that is wear you have a card on top of your head and you have to guess what object that is. The kids have had fun with that. We also got Don't wake up Daddy and Farkle and Racko. New years Eve was good.  Only Aaron was throwing up all day so he didn't get to come to the party at Grandma's. Scott stayed home with him and Kalli decided to go to the stake dance so it was just me and the three boys that went.  We had a small group but we watched Enchanted and Jack Benny and then counted down to 2013. I love having an excuse to party with my family. :-) Well, hopefully this year will bring as much joy as this one did. We've had a good year. Happy New Year!!!!