A neat experience.

Last Sunday was a good day and strengthened my testimony of prayer. An inactive friend of mine and three of her four kids came to church for the first time. Here's the story:

A few months ago I was given an updated visiting teaching list. On this list was a girl that is about my age and has four kids. She is completely inactive and leads a much different lifestyle from me. I felt very nervous and quite frankly scared to be her visiting teacher. Even though our daughters play together from time to time, I had never really talked to her. I wasn't sure how to go about be her visiting teacher. I knew I needed to become friends with her and it needed to be genuine, and yet I was still scared. So from time to time I would invite her to go the park with us or come over and just hang out while the kids played. Every time I was rejected.
Then, one day she accepted an invite to go over to my awesome visiting teaching companions (love ya girl!) house and have lunch. We were so excited and felt that this was a huge break through.
Then just this past fast sunday my, again awesome visiting teaching companion, called and suggested we fast for the girls we visit teach. I loved that idea and of course joined her in that fast. However, I had this one girl on my mind heavily during my fast. I was praying hard to know how to "reach" her.
Then this last weekend Brooklyn was scheduled to give a talk in primary and I was doing sharing time. The theme for October was, "The Mission of the Church is to invite all to come unto Christ" I contemplated that topic for a couple of days. I finally realized that I would not be the one to reach her, Brooklyn would. When I sat down with Brooklyn to write her talk I was discussing what that topic meant and challenged her to go invite the daughters of the girl I visit teach to come to church. She said she would but didn't want to do it alone.
So we walk over there and caught her just as she was loading her kids in the car to go some where. Brooklyn asked and the two little girls cheered and said, "yeah!! and mommy will come too! Right mommy?" She was caught off gaurd and taken by suprise and gave an excuse of why she couldn't.
Well, on Sunday morning Brooklyn and Hannah went over and woke them up to come to church. They didn't answer the door right away. It took much persistance from my kids. :)
We took only one of the girls to church with us and she did great. But then something awesome happened. During the second hour BJ motions me to come into the hall (I am in the primary presidency) and there is my friend standing there with two more of her kids. They were dressed and at church. I went back into primary and showed the other kids where to go and off went my friend to sunday school and relief society.
I come to find out that she had been fighting with her husband and decided that she didn't want to fight anymore so she was going to go to church. It was such an awesome feeling to see her there and realize that the Lord does hear and answer our prayers.

This is about Pooping!

So yesterday, I was in Provo having lunch with BJ, and Hannah was with us. As always she needed to use the restroom. So I take her to the bathroom and she needs to go #2. We were in there for a while (and she was going the whole time) when I said, "are you almost done?" She said, "No, this one is a big one!" And then, through grunting, watery eyes and a red face she says, "buuuuut it won't come out!" I just busted up laughing. Oh, to feel so comfortable in a public restroom.

Family Pics are kinda stressful...

We recently had our family pictures taken. And let me just say that it is quite a stressful event. Well, not getting them taken, but all the prep work. Finding the right outfits, right day/time, right lighting, getting myself and kids picture perfect ready and then trying to keep them that way. And then, just hoping that they will cooperate and smile. Phew, I'm exhausted. But I am pleased with the outcome.