Eventful past week! I got a bit behind - but here is an update of August 13-19. Monday was a day of service. Two older girls, sisters, who attend Institute every week - but are over 31 so can't attend the YSA Branch, have recently purchased a foreclosed home. They and their parents will be moving in as soon as it is liveable (not anytime soon!). They asked if we could help with painting. I painted and Gary worked on carpentry projects with the dad. We helped for 9 hours and made it home in time to shower and have the building open for Family Home Evening. Tuesday morning was busy - preparing Hawaiian Haystacks for Munch & Mingle. Only 7 showed up but they ate well! We have one girl who must eat gluten-free (and another who is lactose intolerant) so I made the sauce from scratch and it turned out great. Gary taught about gratitude using the New Testament story of the 10 lepers. That afternoon we made an excursion to Anderson, Indiana and had a counselor in our Branch Presidency do our oil change and auto check-up (passed with flying colors!). We went to GFS and bought a bunch of bulk food items.

Wednesday was district meeting at the church - 26 missionaries. Nice group! Cute Elder Mott from Bountiful said his goodbyes as he had only a week left. We got home, ate a quick lunch and then headed to Columbus, Ohio on our Branch Temple Trip - 9 girls, 9 guys, our Branch President and us. It takes just over 2 1/2 hours to get there. They each did 12+ names (baptisms). Afterwards we all ate at Culver's and then headed home - arriving about 11 pm. Checking email we found that Kristin & Joe had started the move to their new home that evening - and then Kristin called to report about their move - and how both wards had been so great to help. While we were visiting with her she started to bleed. The next 9 hours were awful - a sleepless night worrying and praying hard. Kristin is now hospitalized for the duration of her pregnancy. They hope for several more weeks of baby growth before a C-section - and no more complications. About 8:00 am I had a peaceful feeling come over me and knew she was in the Lord's hands. As Elder Golden told the senior couples last week, the Lord will bless our families in ways we can't even see - for generations yet to come. We will continue to work and pray and be grateful for those who are taking care of Kristin & Joe and their children.

Thursday was a tough day emotionally but we made it through. A lunch lesson on the atonement helped. Gary taught our last summer Institue lesson on service and we served banana splits (big hit!). Skyping with Kristin helped us have a peaceful night's sleep. The student's rain jackets remind me it rained all day. Friday was day #2 at the remodel. Nothing like work to take your mind off your worries! We worked for 11 hours at the house - painting, mudding, sanding, removing old door frames, installing new bedroom doors, removing wall paper, hanging kitchen cabinets. Saturday we worked in our yard - weeding, pruning, and removing poison ivy from the honeysuckle bush (totally intertwined at the base and impossible to totally remove!). Our first new student dropped by the Institute! Hope more will come. We thoroughly enjoyed President Monson's Birthday Celebration that we streamed over BYUTV. Fabulous program. "Bring Him Home" brought us both to tears and we were humbled and fortified by the injuction to "Weary Not." We watched "The Spoken Word" on Sunday morning by streaming that too and caught a reprise of part of the birthday program. At church we heard a report from a young lady who had just returned from the Moscow, Russia mission. Too bad she is off to BYU-I now. We had meetings from 1:00 - 9:00 at the church! The final meeting was for the upcoming Nativity Festival on December 1st that I will be helping with. Gary was able to have a long phone visit with his Mom while I was in the meeting.