Girl's Trip

I did something different this past weekend.  

I went out of my comfort zone and normal routine.

I went on a Girl's Trip, just for fun.

Many times I have gone away with friends to scrapbook, to a conference, to do something.  

There has always been a purpose, a goal and it is usually with one friend.

This time I went with five other women, three of whom I had never met. 

There were ladies from Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.

We went to Palm Springs to enjoy the weather, shop, swim, or whatever?

I was told we would have plenty of time to read, which is why I probably consented to go.

Not much reading occurred because when that many women get together there is lots of talking and not lots of reading.

It was fun.  I'm glad I went. I would go again, so it must of been a success.

The friends I met and relationships that were strengthened were priceless.

I love meeting new people, enjoying their ideas and thoughts about life.

It was uplifting, no husband or children bashing, which was refreshing.

Life is good, especially when you can learn from others.

Robyn, Jerilee, Cindy, Rachelle, Chris, and me after church

My Cowboy Man

This is my man, my cowboy man.

Don't you love those pants tucked in his boots?

It's a good look, for a cowboy.

I often tease him when he is sporting this attire, He says it is to keep his pants from getting muddy.

I understand, I'm just not willing to do it myself.

That is why he is a cowboy and I'm not.

I do love him, cowboy look and all.

At times, like now, I'm so grateful for him and all that he does for everyone.

His plate is so full right now yet he never complains.

He just keeps steadily going forward doing what he needs to do.

With the passing of his mom there are incredible responsibilities he must take care of.

Our own family has some issues that need to be addressed.

His business, our farm, our yard, our taxes, church callings -- it adds up so quickly.

I love him and appreciate all that he does. 

He is a saint, a cowboy saint at that.  

I love every inch of him.

Marrying him is a decision I have never regretted or looked back on.  

Best decision, actually, that I have ever made.

Where I Will Stand

General Conference was as incredible as I was hoping it would be.

Whenever they say the last remarks I am so sad it is ending, I want it to go on for several days.

I always feel like I have been infused with enthusiasm to work harder,

commitment to try more, 

and courage to stand stronger.

I feel like we are being prepared to withstand many whirlwinds of unrighteousness.

Keep the commandments, read your scriptures, pray with real intent 

was the counsel repeated over and over.

I can see that we are moving into turbulent times with the church.

They are not going to relent, nor should they, to the pressures of change.

If they did it wouldn't be Christ's church, it would be man's church.

Each of us are going to need to decide where we stand.

The battles are coming.  They have been prophesied.

I want to be ready and willing, prepared physically as well as spiritually.

I will always stand on the Lord's side. 

 Some of my favorite quotes from this conference.

"Even if 'Everyone is doing it'...Wrong is NEVER right."

Elder Russell M Nelson

"Pure Christ like love can change the world"

Elder Jeffery R Holland

"Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load.  But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness.  Because our individual load needs to generate spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that matter most."

Elder David A Bednar

"How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the Rainbow before thanking God that there is rain."

Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"These are your days--To stand strong as Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ"
Elder Neil L Anderson

Come Listen To A Prophet's Voice

This is one of my favorite weekends of the year.
CONFERENCE WEEKEND.  

We actually do get to hear a Prophet's Voice.  

Actually many prophet's voices as we also listen to the Quorum of the Twelve.

I love to sit for two days, with no distractions, 

and feast on the words of every speaker at every session.

How blessed we are to get to watch them on TV.

Two of my children and their families will watch them via the computer

I am ready for the weekend.

Temple Attended.

House Cleaned.

Treats Bought.

Notebook and Pen in Place. 

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice. 

Horticulture Lessons

I Love New Experiences

If someone asks me to do something different, exciting or educational I'm in all in.

My dear friend called to see if I wanted to go to a nursery in Willard and make planters.  

We would go and choose the plants, plant them and then the nursery would lovingly care for them

until it is warm enough for them to go outside..

When we pick them up they are supposed to be beautiful baskets of flowers.

Of course, I wanted to do this.

I had never done it before and how fun would that be.

I'll have to admit it was a little overwhelming at first as I had to decide how many planters to do,

what size did I want them and then what flowers did I wish to plant in them.

So many questions and I was a total novice at this.

I always plant the same impatients, petunias, and lobelia every year.

There were hundreds of plants to choose from.

I'm sure they noticed the panicked look on my face and took pity on me.

I was taught how I wanted to combine tall plants, mounding plants, and trailing plants in my pots.

There are multiple colors of blooms to be chosen with each plant.

A purple flower should always go in a pot to make it "Pop".

I did realize there are shade plants and sun plants, but there are also
plants that can be in shade or sun if they have enough water.

Or plants that only need a few hours of sun and it can even be early morning sun.

 

So then I had to decide where I was going to put each pot that I did.

The decisions were overwhelming!!

Luckily they weren't life changing decisions for me, only for the plants.  

Here's some of my baskets when I finished planting.

There are tall plants, mounding plants and trailing plants all included.

My friend Rachelle hard at work. She had done this before, she was like an expert.

Spiritual Empowerment

After Blogging yesterday about my feelings of Empowerment I began to reflect on an

Empowerment much more essential.

SPIRITUAL EMPOWERMENT

I'm so proud to belong to a church that provides numerous opportunities to be 

infused with this empowerment.

I love attending conferences, firesides, and meetings where sisters in the gospel

can meet together and feel of His Spirit.

I want my daughters to have every opportunity to experience that also,

so I bring them with me to Time Our For Women, BYU Women's Conference,

General Women's Meetings, Stake Relief Society Meetings and any place I can find.

They are always gracious to enough to go with me.

This past Saturday, Amy, Jessi and I attended the General Women's Meeting

in my stake house.

I will have to admit I was hesitant when they decided to include the younger girls in these
General Women's Meetings.

I thought the speakers would need to speak on an eight year old level

and it might be a little juvenile.

As the meeting began and I watched these multi-generation families participating together

I knew that this was exactly what needed to happen.

I'm now excited that in three years my granddaughters can begin going with us. 

The messages were incredibly inspiring and timely.

I loved it and I especially loved being there with Amy and Jessi.

(We missed having Carrie and Carly with us.)

I do feel a new surge of empowerment, a renewed desire to go forth with Faith and Commitment.

I love the Gospel.
I love knowing that I am Daughter of My Heavenly Father Who Loves me and I Love
Him.

 

Empowerment

Jeff and I recently returned from spending four days at Front Sight in Neveda

doing handgun training.

Awesome is the only word that describes it.

It is intense and invigorating.

The facilities are impressive, the quality of instruction is top notch.

Safety is their main consideration along with respecting your weapon.

The days are long and exhausting.

One day we were hot and sweaty 

and the next day we were dressed in coats and braving serious wind gusts as we shot.

They never stop, never apologize for the weather, never cut it short.

It is by far the most empowering thing I have ever done.

I am a woman, an older woman I must admit,

but now I can handle a handgun.  

I can shoot a handgun accurately,

and I understand the ramifications of using it.  

I am Empowered!!

 We would shoot, check our shots, tape them and shoot again.

 The 1911 Boys

 Our partners in "Crime"?

 Not a bad shot for an old lady!! (It is a one inch square)

Jeff shot incredible the entire four days!!!

 The last two days you conceal your weapon with a jacket or vest before you draw to shoot.
They just want to add one more thing to think about to make it more complicated.

 Jeff rescuing me from the hostage takers.  I had no doubt he would save me.

Unfortunately when I was rescuing him I clipped his clavicle.  It was not life threatening.  

Our instructor, Rena.  The range master and line coaches were all male

so it was nice to have a female instruct us.  

We made good friends with her so we could get a little extra help.

I will be back!!