Well we made it. Isabel turned one. I survived the year and so did she. Isabel has decided to start loving life and we have really begun falling in love with her as her little personality takes shape. For the birthday we hosted a cake and ice cream open house. Lots of cake and lots of ice cream. Lots of kids and lots of dirt still in the backyard. Thanks for letting them all come anyway! Isabel loved the balloons and she just giggled when she would get hold of a string and it would bounce up and down in her hands. She is crawling full steam ahead now. She's taken some time getting to this point. I guess she wanted to be fully prepared. Now, three weeks later she is pulling herself up on things and venturing up the bottom steps. Look out!
Calla is growing up at a clipping pace. She enjoys recognizing and writing letters. She loves to hear stories and tries to read some on her own. She loves to play with friends. Dress ups is clearly a favorite past time and so is play dough. Oh and movies! She can't get enough so we have to do some limiting here. PBS kids plays a large part of our week. She starts preschool this fall at Hillcrest High. She'll go twice a week and I think she'll really enjoy it.
Dave has been blessed with some great business opportunities. He had two buyers show up out of the blue last week and put two contracts in, one of which was accepted readily. Hooray! He is also helping a few people look for homes. It takes a while to help people find the right fit, but he enjoys it. He is also really enjoying Primerica. He goes out on appointments in the evenings and has a weekly training meeting. I have to admit that I am starting to enjoy it too. Dave has felt so strongly that it is the right thing for him to do that after 6 months I have had to stop fighting him on it. I've seen some really neat people that he gets to work with and I've caught the vision of what this opportunity really could mean for us. Dave has been asking me for months to go with him to his weekly meeting and I have not been willing to go. Finally with trepidation I went two weeks ago. I was really pleased with what I saw. Very family friendly. I went and I took both our girls. I wasn't happy about getting a sitter so I could go to work with Dave. I have felt strongly about not working and taking time away from mothering. But I have also struggled with not being able to see much of Dave throughout the week. Trusting Dave's leadership and just going to the meeting really paid off. We will plan to go each week with from now on.
I am trying to engage with the Young Women and be a good mentor and model. I get a little impatient sometimes with the immaturity, the lack of leadership, the complaining attitudes and exclusive behavior. I know this is my calling and need to help the girls see the bigger picture outside of themselves, to help them take an active role in deciding their future, and help them reach out to others. I taught the lesson last Sunday on Temple Marriage and it was harder than I thought to share the doctrine of the New and Everlasting Covenant. It was hard to know for sure if the girls from part member families really understood how important it is to get married in the temple to receive all of the promised blessings rather than limit your blessings based on the choices of others in your family like parents and siblings. I hope they feel as strongly about it as I did and do.
Wednesday before that I was in charge of the activity. I presented the healthful diet concept of volumetrics and shaped the information into a Choice and Accountability value experience and project. Hope some of them go for it. I know I need to.
Last week seemed a bit hectic with two YW obligations, the birthday party, finishing the tramp retaining wall, ripping out old shrubs in the front yard, etc. I think I need a break. I'll add pics later as Dave has the camera in the car. E
