Now how did that happen?

Today after I finished getting my seminary lessons ready, I was ready for a break. I'd put in my work, now I was ready to do something I enjoyed! Then I remembered: today was the day I volunteered to take dinner to a lady in our ward who has 4 little boys and is single. That meant I got to cook. I also remembered that I was going to make brownies for a seminary treat for Halloween. That meant I got to cook. Then I got a call from our RS pres asking if I could feed the missionaries tomorrow evening. That meant I got to cook. So much for doing something I enjoy. (Cooking isn't high on the list of things I do for enjoyment.) The rest of my day was spent shopping, chopping, stirring, beating, baking, and washing dishes. So if cooking isn't high on the list of things I do for enjoyment, why did I have such a great afternoon??? How did that happen?!

Trip of Joy, Trip of Sadness

Mel and I were able to take off last Thursday and visit family in Utah. We had a joyful trip being with Abbi and Chad, Adam and Jessi, the H* family and the P* family. We got to go to a BYU football game and stayed toasty warm through the sun, rain, and snow (plus BYU won!) We ate good food (Tanner will appreciate that!) It was heaven! (Click on Abbi's link to read her comments "Best Weekend" and Shana's link to read her comments and see her pictures on "Pyne Family Get Together") Everything went perfectly!

Mel headed back to work on Monday, but I got to stay a few more days and help my Mom and Dad. It was a joy to be able to spend time with them, but it filled me with great sadness to see the health problems they struggle with. Their lives are filled with difficulty, pain, and stress. I wanted so badly to fix things for them, but it is beyond my power and ability to do so. They truly are great examples of enduring to the end. I hope they know how much we all love and respect them and pray for the Savior's help and love to be with them. It is an honor to have such wonderful parents, and we hope to in turn honor them with our lives.

Don't bug me

We met a lady who has the most interesting job! She works for a company that makes artistic arrangements of beetles, butterflies, and dragon flies, frames them in shadow boxes, and then sells them all over the world. The business owner flies all over the world, purchasing and collecting exotic, colorful bugs. He then has them shipped to his business in Salem, Oregon. Who would have ever thought you could have a business collecting bugs and selling them??? Here's a few more examples of their work: (If you want to see more of their work, go to http://www.formandpheromone.com/)

To all us bug-lovers, this is neat stuff!