What a weekend!

Last weekend was totally shot thanks to the paralyzing flu I was suffering from. My house still has not recovered from that lapse in my duties, so naturally I spent this weekend catching up.

HA!

If you know me at all you know that's just not true. Joe actually took most of Saturday off, and took me and the kids to Burley to see one of his cousins get baptized. Usually Joe's extended family can be a lot to take--there's so many of them (6 uncles, 3 aunts, plus spouses and kids and grandparents!) and as a group, we all tend to be pretty loud and they argue a lot. Have you seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding?" Make those people Idaho hicks, and you will have a fairly accurate representation of what its like: "Everyone's always eating, eating, eating, and into each others lives and business and you never have a second alone just to think! The only people we know are Greeks, because Greeks marry Greeks, to breed more loud, breeding, Greek, eaters!" Ish. However, at this event there was a fairly limited amount of Ward to be found, so it wound up being pretty low key. My kids had a great time, and I was glad to spend so much time with my husband.

(For the record, I do love Wards. They are very nice and very generous and love to have a good time. Its just if you get a group together that is that large, with that much personal history, stuff is bound to get a little crazy!)

Church was nice, though a little crazy, as the only place we could find to sit was with another family--it's hard to keep your kids behaving well when they have new and exciting books and toys to pillage. I did say something sort of stuped while teaching my Sunday School class, and I'm not sure I recovered from it, but hopefully my ward family knows me well enough to just call me a nerd and move on, and not be offended by me. I may need to issue a public retraction (if its good enough for John Stewart, its good enough for me).

During Relief Society I had one of those rare experiences where the Spirit constrained me to speak. I've actually made a goal to keep my mouth shut in Relief Society for the month of May; I'm trying to develop listening qualities, and learn to draw on others instead of always talk so much. So when the Spirit directed me to bear my testimony during that portion of our class time yesterday, I was not willing at first to do that. It took a few promptings and my baby falling miraculously to sleep to get me to obey, but I did. I'm glad I did, because I love that feeling that comes when the Spirit gives you words and you get swept away in it. I actually felt myself say at the end, "The Spirit compells me to share that, and I do it in the name..." Such a thing has never been that strong before. I suspect the experience was for me alone. It was about obedience, about feeling the power, and I am remarkably insecure and I really need the validation that comes with feeling the Spirit like that. Maybe I don't totally suck after all.

I am so blessed to have the calling I have, and the oppurtunities I've been given to share the Gospel with my friends and family. Can I take just one second and testify to how vital the scriptures are in our lives? Because of my many oppurtunities, I'm simultaneously studying the Doctrine and Covenants, the Book of Mormon, and the Old Testament. I'm amazed at the ways they all work together, and how it really is one big circle, each book part of the great whole of all God has to share with me. I have learned SO MUCH since last year when I was called to teach. I am so grateful for all I have gained, and all that is yet to be gained from really feasting on the words of Christ. It's worth having a messy house for. :)