August needs two sections. I am writing to catch you up on
the more boring half so you’ll have to check back soon for the super exciting
half!
Using Insurance
I am beginning to feel more like an adult. I went to the eye
doctor and the dentist for the first time since I’ve moved to Colorado…I know,
it’s been a year. The eye doctor gave me new glasses, said my other ones were kooky.
I now only have to wear them when I am reading, which means I frequently forget
unless I am at work. They have a cool purple tint to block out the unnatural
lighting around me. You can’t see the tint unless a light shines directly
behind them…but I think this picture captures it.
I also have a dentist. He found three cavities, apparently
you can get cavities under fillings…not cool. I thought once I covered all my
teeth with fillings, I would be good but I guess not.
Niece Sitting
Katey and Jason determined to go to them temple on August 5,
so I happily volunteered to watch the girls. I made them dinner, then Smiles
joined us for the rest of the evening. We had a blast with the girls. We went
to the park across the street and played around. Kylee loved chasing Smiles
around the playground. We would capture him and put him in jail, then ask for a
password or some other trick before he could get out. My favorite was when we
asked him to clap 7 times, jump up and down, while singing a song. I was dying
laughing. He was a great sport and I think he had a good time. The girls really
warmed up to him, they were willing to hold his hand and let us swing them
while we walked. Katey and Jason took my keys and enjoyed a little dinner by
themselves. Smiles and I read them a couple stories, then Jason left, we had
prayers, and the girls went to bed. They did pretty good considering they were
in a new place. They kind of missed their beds, as you can see, but they seemed
to sleep well. Smiles stayed until late chatting with Katey and me. We had some
good laughs, by the end we were all very tired!
The next morning came early with the girls. We headed to the
park and played around until lunch time. I had only seen this park from a
distance, but it turned out pretty awesome. There was a little duck pond, lots
of sidewalk to ride bikes, two playgrounds, and a sand box. We enjoyed it all
we could, came home for lunch and naps. After we all woke up, we headed back to
Longmont. I stayed for dinner, then returned home to work on budgets and
prepare for the Sabbath.
Teaching and Speaking
One week I gave the RS lesson and the next week I gave a
talk. My lesson was about the divine nature we have as daughters (or children)
of Heavenly Father. As we come to know this truth, we are better able to see it
in others which causes us to treat them with a deeper respect and love.
I spoke about the temple and the opportunities we have to
attend. The high councilman who spoke played football for EAC. I talked about
how our small community attracted over 90k visitors during the temple open
house, and the power and light temples bring to communities. I love the temple
and I feel blessed to live so close. My Grandpa shared some wise wisdom with me
about temples. He said he continues to go because it’s an avenue of service. It
provides him with a great purpose to continue living. He is able to help those
who have passed on who he is doing work for, and he is able to help those who
have done their family history and need help doing their names. It’s true, the
temple brings great joy because it is a great act of selfless service.
The Date Box
So, we have a date box in our ward. Anyone can put two
people’s name on a slip of paper and they get an email from the date box
telling them they have been selected. The date is blind both ways. The first
one I went on was with the EQP. We had a good time and it was fun to get to
know him better. We went to dinner at an Italian place, I got a salad and yummy
gelato. The dates only last about an hour, so not a big time commitment but a
fun way to get to know people.
My second date was with Smiley. I kind of guessed it was
him, but we had a great time. We sort of rain checked the real date and went to
my roommates’ wedding reception. They were serving dinner, so we just ate
there. He did open my door and waited for me to eat, but I wouldn’t necessarily
count it as a date. We talked for a long time after the reception and clean up
was over. He’s easy to talk to, and we laugh a lot which makes it fun.
Sometime I’ll post about the other parts of August…they’re a
lot more exciting.
