Take yesterday, for instance.
I got up, got my scriptures read, got some cleaning done, got my Zumba done, and went with Mike and Pete to play at the park in the midst of all of that.
That was all just before one o'clock.
THEN I finally sat down and watched "Doubt" because it's been staring at me from the top of my DVD player all week, ever since Netflix was kind enough to send it to me.
I have a firm testimony that every new movie that I see Meryl Streep in, just makes me love her even more. Can anyone even come close to acting the way that woman does?
THEN Mike declared it to be date night, so I went to go spiffy myself up. And when I came back out to the living room, Pete was all harnessed up, ready to go, so I knew it would be exciting. And it was. Because a picnic at Zilker Park, where you eat P. Terry's burgers and watch your newly cleaned dog wallow around in mud is always exciting.
THEN we got home and still had time to fit in a pirate movie and a batch of cupcake baking.
Seriously. How often does a Saturday that is so complete happen?
SO. COMPLETE.
In even more exciting news, the first watermelon of the year has been purchased and already halfway eaten.
I feel like the first watermelon of the year is always kind of a spiritual event.
It is, at least to me, a symbol of summer and the kind of food that has years and years of memories encased inside of it. That's why the rind is so thick. There are so many people that have happy, summer memories associated with watermelon, it wouldn't be able to hold all of them in otherwise.
Right?
Also, I can eat tons of it and not feel too terribly guilty about it.
In case anyone has forgotten, it's Mother's Day. If you HAVE forgotten, I would suggest you get to steppin' because the day is more than halfway over and you need to do something to show appreciation to the woman who carried you for nine long, cruel months and then proceeded in on the real trial of raising you.
In my family, Mother's Day was never a huge deal. My mom's not the biggest fan of it, and I don't think I will be either. It really is something of a Hallmark holiday, and moms deserve much more appreciation than just once a year, which I'm afraid is all some of them get.
Anyways, I'm not going into that.
I did what I usually do for my mom. I called her up and sang "Mother Dear I Love You So" in the most angelic, operatic voice I could muster and she proceeded to cry and tell me that it was the worst gift she's ever gotten. She was crying because she was laughing so hard, by the way, not because it was such a beautiful rendition.
I could go on and on about me mum, but I already have before, so please go here, here, here, and here to read more about that.
I will close by sharing my favorite moment from church today.
In relief society, we were talking about prayer. One of the women was sharing an experience that happened shortly after her and her husband got married.
Everyone was getting pregnant. Her friends, her family, everyone. She wanted to be pregnant too and it was very frustrating. Her husband suggested they go to the temple and pray about it so she did, grudgingly.
While she was there, she got the very distinct impression that the Lord wanted them to wait until her husband had graduated from college to have children.
This was, of course, not what she wanted to hear, but they followed the Lord's counsel and 9 months after he graduated, they had their first baby.
I just loved hearing that story. I can relate to that. I know how it feels to want that so badly and to pray for it and to try for it and to let your whole heart and mind wrap around it, but it just isn't the right time.
I know how it feels to think that this is the most righteous desire I've ever had in my life, so why am I not getting it?? And the Lord says "Not right now. Just trust me. I'm much smarter than you are."
(He doesn't really say that, but it's true. He's very smart)
As I look back on the past few months, I'm amazed and so grateful that the Lord knows what's ahead of me and knows what's best for me. If I had had a baby instead of a miscarriage, my little baby and I would be sending my husband off to a combat zone.
That makes my stomach turn.
I really would like Mike to be on the whole grand adventure of parenting with me.
Thank goodness for a loving Heavenly Father who has a plan for me. (and you too!)