Pageant 2011

This is what we do with June.  It is a beautiful month of yard work, planting a garden, cleaning and fixing up the house.  All these projects have to fit around pageant.  This year we were pioneers, stage crew, and in the Christ in American scene.  I didn't get pictures this year so I have those others have shared with me.  Nina was Mary and Tall One was the Angel Moroni both in Joseph's room and on the hill.  We loved the whole experience. . . again.

One night while we were cleaning up the kitchen and my girls were home, I stepped on an angry bee.  He got my second toe.  Wow, did that hurt.  I was not going to wander around the hillside so my amazing daughter who seems to be willing to do anything cheerfully offered to take her 6 week old baby with my little ones and do our part.  Of course, she and little T did great.  He has got to be the youngest participant this year.  To bad we had to sneak him on.

This year Doodle got to go up on Jesus knee when he called the little ones to come unto him.  With the need to spread out on the hill my children were often near the outskirts of the circle of children.  We didn't know until someone else told us that nightly Jesus was truly teaching the children.  Well the night she sat on his lap, she got to be taught by him.  It was a very great experience.  Those last few nights they tried to get closer but never could quite hear the messages the savior brought.  I can't tell you the joy that comes in those short moments as we depict the Savior's coming to the people on this continent.  The spirit is so strong and sweet and bears testimony to our hearts that this event really did happen and we get to taste a little of the joy that those people who were really there experienced.  I can't help but think with Doodle's experience that we truly don't always know what we are missing (being able to hear Jesus).  Then we are given a gift, a surprise that allows us to experience a little more of the Savior's love, and the seed is planted. We want to see it grow.  We work harder to feel it all again.  We remember it fondly and treasure those whisperings.  We realize that we don't always get to be the one in the spotlight, we have to take turns, but it is what we do with our experiences that matter.  We let that seed grow and lead us to more opportunities, more effort, work, and time spent to strengthen and bless our own testimony and that of others.

Thankful:

• Tall One's surgery went well.  Only one more
• rain yesterday, sun today
• Independence, freedom, and celebrating
• family barbeques
• tender mercies
• quiet teachings
• community involvement
• youth conference
• fresh garden lettuce
• our new car/project arrived