{Musings}

A few tidbits...
Remember when I was expressing the "worse mischief" my little trouble makers were finding? Well, I think I have a winner...and it isn't the one I would have expected...

{Uh-oh...}

{Look at me, Mom! This is FUN!}

{Oh...okay, I'll just clean this up for you...}

Ahhh...it's a good thing he's so awfully cute...and not allergic to peanuts...

In other news, a quick bit of gratitude. 

I tell the Mister often that one of the best gifts he gave me when we married was his sweet family. Granted, his dad likes to take pictures of me drooling in my sleep (he really has quite an impressive collection! [which is also due to the fact that I drool IMPRESSIVELY in my sleep]), but ultimately I am so grateful to be counted among them. I especially find myself in awe of so many of the women in his family--I have learned so much from all of them, including my fellow sisters/daughters-in-law, and love to feel the Spirit they carry. I count my blessings every time I hear those "Mother-in-Law Horror Stories" that so many women seem to carry proudly like battle wounds, because I've never had one to tell. In fact, I often find myself defending Mothers-in-Law the world over, because if mine is so wonderful. 

In addition to the Mister's awesome immediate family though, one of the best surprises I received as part of this gift was of Aunt Ellen. I believe I first met her at our wedding, and the Mister himself had only met her a few times before then. Since that time she has been around much more often and her amazing presence is such a source of joy for us. I LOVE seeing Aunt Ellen. Her laughter is contagious and she is positively full to BURSTING with life. She is also incredibly thoughtful....which leads me to a (sort-of) tangent. 

I manage a housing complex for college girls. This means that I am the replacement mother for 120 18-22 year old girls. This means that I am on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for everything from something as small as not knowing where to get a stamp to as large as strange men breaking in. (Thankfully, the latter has not happened on my watch!) Last semester, I think I had a bit of a honeymoon period; while I had some major crises, they were few, and the day-to-day drama that so many managers experience was almost non-existent. I can tell that this semester will be different, as I have already been faced with many challenges--challenges that outsiders might think are "insignificant," but which to girls in their first "real-world" experience are huge obstacles. I have been VERY tired, spending late nights mediating, and stressed from more time than I like on the phone, consulting other managers and talking to worried parents. 

Imagine my surprise when I received a package this week, containing this: 

It arrived from Aunt Ellen. In the few short days it has been here, this book has already given peace to my soul, been used to share advice to my girls, and brought the Spirit back into heated discussions. It was such a simple gift, and yet I am certain that she was led by the Spirit to send it my way. I am so grateful for this timely gift, but more for the love she showed and the example she gives--the reminder to listen to and ACT on the Spirit. As Elder Uchtdorf writes, "In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of greater importance." 

So thank you, Ellen, for answering a prayer from across the miles. Not just mine, but I imagine also that some of the very thoughts in this book have been answer to the prayers of young girls in need of their precise comfort. You are wonderful, and I am grateful for the gift of YOU!