Hot Days of Summer

Two weeks ago I complained about the rain and the clouds and last week I was praying for it to come back. It has been an average of 96 degrees last week and we don't have air conditioning. I have never sweat ALL DAY and felt like I was going to pass out by the time evening came. It has been so humid and SO HOT! We have passed the time with a little popsicle eatin' and swimming.

This was the first popsicle that she controlled herself. She, obviously, thought it was fantastic.

Heyah Mista Ferriola...you wanna soma pop sicle???

(We had students who talked to Bella like they were Italian and she thought they were funny.)

Learning Lessons

#1...Shawn has been super busy with two-a-days (including weekends) and has been leaving at 7:30 in the morning and not coming home until between 7:30-10:00 at night. He has seen Bella an average of 30 minutes a day and I have been worried. How will all of this affect them? I feel like my relationship with Bella is strong and we are happy, but she has seen less of her Daddy than she has in her whole life. Heck! I've seen less of Shawn than I have our entire marriage. On Sunday, she woke up but she wasn't quite the happy kid she normally is. I fed her some milk and put her back in bed by her dad.

I think they'll be okay.

#2...Change is good and wonderful and happy but it is also SCARY! We received our last true pay check and it hit me that I have got to put into practice those skills of frugality and provident living that I have been learning in Relief Society my whole life. This week I made homeade wheat bread. I have had everything I've needed for it for a very long time, I just haven't had the time. It is delicious and it will save us at least $2.50 per loaf! I also made homemade tortillas and homemade laundry detergent this week. It feels good to use the skills and the knowledge that I have been taught. It feels good to be home.

#3...This isn't actually a lesson learned but it is a picture of the gate to Shawn's school...where he will learn lessons! Isn't it beautiful?

There is a river that runs through campus. (This picture is just the run off from a dammed up area of the river) We are on a bridge that goes to the track and field area of campus. This river is used for crew...the sport...the one I never heard of before we came here.

#4...The other day Bella found her umbrella stroller. She actually hates the umbrella stroller unless she can push it, and it that case, she will push it around forever. Well, I opened it up for her to push around in our house while I was doing the dishes but she kept running into things and getting caught. She would fuss until I straightened it out and I realized quickly that this was frustrating both of us, so I decided we would go outside. I had to peel her away from the stroller to go get our shoes and she cried and kicked in her one-year-old tantrum way. I laughed to myself and thought, I wonder if we act like this towards God sometimes. How many times do we "throw a fit" when God is actually leading us to something better...we just can't see it?

I needed to learn that important lesson this week.

#5...You aren't weak if you need help...sometimes you just need it. I have needed more help these last few weeks than I have in, seemingly, my entire life and I have felt stupid asking for it. I have felt humbled. I have always had a sense of independence and I have always had the means to take care of things myself. Things have changed. Let me repeat... I have been humbled. I am aching for the opportunity to serve someone else.