Mel’s bday, Kenny’s Prom, Kas breaks finger, Seminary ends!

We’re so excited to have the kids back for the summer! Stephen having surgery on his shoulder finally after waiting 5 years since his high school wrestling injury: Torn labrum. Sterl stars as lion in Oz, Kas breaks a pinky but gets it set and it’s fine. Sterl builds for my bday a replica of the Switzerland log flower holder I’ve wanted for a decade!

Sterling in Oz: https://youtube.com/shorts/1AWYBtgEbkw?feature=share

Scout greets kids home from college: https://youtube.com/shorts/VL0Wu5fkAzo?feature=share

 

My testimony post I shared on Facebook-

When the wisemen visited Herod, he begged them to tell him where the Messiah was. In the end, as we know — they chose to bypass the king and go home another way. 
We can compare this to our own experience of going out into the world - whether it’s serving a mission or visiting someone in need or just attending church on Sunday: that we are meant to go have an experience with Jesus— And then come home changed. 
This has been at the forefront of my mind and heart recently as several of our Seminary students, as well as my nieces and nephews, have received mission calls to serve everywhere from Pocatello to Poland. I think about a loving Heavenly Father who sent us here and gave us the free agency to choose— to go out into the world and then come back different because we have encountered Jesus. To come back CHANGED.
I was blessed to have this opportunity this past year every morning going to seminary and coming home changed with different thoughts and new ideas. I also experienced that growing up in a loving home with parents who encouraged my siblings and me to seek after good things. I’ve been blessed to experience this transformation of change and testimony for the last 26 years as I chose to marry my best friend Daron, which has made me a better person. And what a blessing to be surrounded this summer by my 3 children (now all adults… Kenny just turned 18!!) who I’m constantly reminded by their inquisitive minds that living life to the fullest means changing and being open and to ideas. 
My sister recently asked me why I’m “ALL IN” to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My first thought was because it gives us the opportunity to change… to be open to the revelation that God would have for us so that we can become the kind of people we are meant to be. Secondly, it gives us the opportunity and motivation to look for the GOOD in people. And what better thing could we do with our time?❤️