Eden's Prayer

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank you ... day; thank you ... daddy, thank you ... mommy; thank you ... grandma; thank you ... door. Open door! Swing! (oh yeah, I'm prayin' here) Thank you ... grandma; thank you ... daddy, right here (pats Phil on the arm, Phil and Grandma bust up laughing, Heidi says, "in the name of ..." and Eden ends the cutest prayer ever!).

The End.

It's a Miracle!

Eden loves her nursery class. She loves her teacher, Sister Hollie. She learns things at church. It is awesome.

Tonight while brushing her teeth (and in between a marathon of temper tantrums that can only signal her second birthday is a week away) she erupted with the following:

"It's a miracle! I'm alive, Jesus. I'm alive, Jesus. He is risen!"

From NED to ED or is it PED? Either way, we miss NED!

Phil had his first post-chemo CT scan and CEA today. The news is mixed. The CEA was down a point (yay!) but the CT scan showed "several" millimeter-sized nodules in his left lung (well, what is left of his left lung). Is it cancer? Is it a bacterial infection? Is it some strange thing that we'll never know? The plan is to go back in five weeks and have more CT and CEA. The CEA has been a really accurate indicator in the past so the fact that it is down would seem to indicate it isn't likely to be cancer but you never know.

To celebrate this roller coaster ride we've been on we are headed to Six Flags over Atlanta tomorrow. It is what Phil wanted to do to celebrate the end of Chemo. So we're going by golly!

NED: no evidence of disease
ED: evidence of disease
PED: possible evidence of disease

Conference Crochet Give Away

I didn't fall asleep once during conference this weekend! I LOVE conference and so enjoy the uplifting and inspired messages but lets be honest, sometimes in the comfort of one's own home it can become way ... too easy ... to doze.

My trick? you ask.

Well, I have used this for a few years and it always works.

I crochet.

So in honor of conference and staying awake, leave me a message about your impressions of conference and you might win this ( leave your message by Sunday, October 12th, at noon)

It is about the size of a child's blanket or a lap quilt for an adult.
Here is an up close and personal look so you can behold my crochet madness.
There is a cute little "rosebud" at each intersection.
Each square is a different crochet pattern.
Admit it, it is 'dorable and you want it!

As for me, I really enjoyed Elder Perry's talk about simplifying. Let's do it folks! Life is just too crazy and there is just too much of it that is NOT necessary.

I also enjoyed the talk (also on Saturday) by one of the 70 (and I have forgotten his name) about faith being a choice. I totally agree! I really have been learning that one. A year ago I was feeling pretty jumbled by all that was going on in our lives and I finally had to just decide to have faith. It wasn't a passive choice it was a very concerted effort.

I remind myself often that I choose faith!

There were so many other wonderful talks but I know you want to get to the end so you can post your comment and enter to win the conference crochet give away so I'll refrain ...

for now.

Joy in Nurturing

In this month's Ensign there is a great article entitled "The Joy of Nurturing Children." In it, three different women share their experiences in nurturing children - their own and others. I really enjoyed this article. I was especially touched by the last woman's account of longing and hoping to give birth to a child even as she adopted eight others. She had a crisis of faith because her patriarchal blessing stated that she would have children. Finally she confessed to the Lord and to herself (sometimes I think that is the harder of the two) that her testimony did not hinge on this one point. She CHOSE to believe the gospel even though she didn't understand how her patriarchal blessing could be fulfilled. (I really believe that faith is a choice - and active, at times difficult, choice.)

I think so many of us have experienced similar trials of faith. It is so hard for me at times to remember that my perspective is so finite while the Lord's blessings are infinite. I think that if I can't see the whole picture right now, then it certainly can't work out. I am humbled and inspired when the Spirit teaches me to trust in the Lord's plan for me. It is motivating to remember that He has always come through for me - every time without fail. Sometimes I must have the faith to believe (as Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego did) that the Lord will provide a way but to also say (as they did) "but if not..." (Daniel 3:17-18). I am inspired by that. They had faith that they would be saved but they also recognized with humility that the Lord's work and truth are absolute and not dependent on any one situation turning out the way WE think it should.

I'm so grateful that the Lord affords me the opportunity to keep learning and progressing even in my weakness and pride.

If you haven't read the article yet, I highly recommend it!