Family Home Evening Sunday at Our House

Today is my turn to have Family Home Evening at our home.  Our family and extended family on my side do this once a month.  Once in a while we miss it, but we try to get together to continue to be close to one another.  As I've been thinking on what subject I should teach, because we have a short lesson at these gatherings, I keep coming back to the subject of Service to Others. 

I've had some great opportunities this past week that will continue this week for service in our area.  It has been a blessing in my life.  I have become closer to people that I never had the chance of getting to know before this. 

A week or so ago, I was giving the announcements in our Relief Society meeting at church and I felt like I needed to encourage each sister to seek out and find service opportunities to do over the next few months.  Strangly enough that weeks lesson in Relief Society was on Service and how our Heavenly Father wants us to serve one another and that by doing this we can have His Spirit dwell closer with us.  I can say that I've had this blessing this week and I really want it to continue because it has been such a wonderful feeling.

I think at this time of year when we focus on Gratitude and all that we are given, we also need to focus more diligently on how we can bless the lives of those we come in to contact with.  I feel so blessed, that it seems I would truly be selfish and ungrateful not to help those that don't have as much or relieve the suffering of those that are in need.  I think it's wonderful to count our blessings, but I also feel there is so much more to Gratitude that just stating what we are grateful for.  I hope and pray that I can become an instrument in Heavenly Father's hands to do his work and serve my fellowman while I have the chance and the abillity. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Season this year and that we will all take the opportunity to bless the life of someone we know, or don't know so that we can feel more fully of our Heavenly Father's blessings in our lives.

Family Additions

Today was such a wonderful day!  We ended up going to the hospital (which usually isn't a fun thing) at 1:15 this afternoon.  But it was for a blessed event.  We welcomed this sweet little man into our famiy.

He is such a good baby.  Even with all of the passing around he didn't make a fuss.  He just opened his little eyes and looked all around. 

 

What a precious gift!  He is the son of our oldest son and reminds me of his father.  He weighed almost the exact same as his dad when he was born.  I'm so excited to have this little guy here.  His mom had some struggles and so it is good that he is here and they are both healthy!  I love my family and the fact that it is growing!  Huge THANK YOU to these guys for making it such a wonderful day!

South Carolina ~

Sam had the opportunity of taking classes for his PE in South Carolina - Charleston to be specific, so I decided to tag along.  I've never been to the Carolina's so it was a real treat for me.  The weather in Utah has been on the cool side and so I was looking forward to this trip to extend my Summer a bit.  Holy cow, I didn't realize that it was so warm there.  However, I totally absorbed every bit of it that I could because I know all too soon it will be in the 20's here and I will be missing the warmth of the Summer sun.

We arrived in Charleston on Sunday, Sept. 23.  We stayed in an older hotel called the Francis Marion Hotel.  It was on the edge of the main drag called "King Street" there in Charleston.  I loved it.  It added to the atmosphere.  The elevators were slow, but it had an old-time elegance about it.  Here is a picture of our room.

We had a whole kitchen in our room.  It was nice since I took protien for my breakfasts there.  Having Celiac I usually do this just in case there aren't places to get breakfast.  It helps on saving money too.  Sam ate at the conference he was at so I just took my time in the mornings and had my protien.

I went on a walking tour of the City a couple days on my own while Sam was in his classes.  I loved all of the old buildings and architecture there.  I took tons of pictures of doors, windows and gates there.  It was a real treat!

Here are a couple of the one's that I liked the most.

We took a tour of a couple of the plantations there.  I loved those.  I couldn't imagine what it would have been like living on one in the early days, let alone now.  They were beautiful.  I'm glad the south wasn't able to succeed from the Union.  Imagine not having the South as part of our history.  We would really be missing out.





 These picture are from the Boone Hall plantation and the Middleton Plantation.  We ran out of time and were not able to get to the Magnolia Plantation.  I hope to go back someday and see this one.

This was Boone Hall.  The owners sometimes still come and stay in the upstairs of this plantation home.

 

 These were part of the gardens at the Middleton Plantation.  We even saw aligators sunning themselves next to the ponds there.  It was stunning to see such beautiful gardens in this day and age.

We were able to go to Patriot's point and tour the Carrier, Destroyer and Submarine.  This was the guy day (when we did whatever Sam wanted).  It was fun, but oh so hot that day!  It was in the high 80's and the humidity was killer.  However, we both totally enjoyed our time together.  Here are some pics I took while there.

These were the marshes that were at Patriot's point.  I loved the bridge in the background.

 This was the Aircraft carrier that we toured.  It made me so grateful to the men and women that are fighting for our freedom.  They sacrafice so much so that I can enjoy my time here in this beautiful country!

This was Sam in front of a cannon there at Patriot's point.  He was such a good sport letting me take pictures of him. 

It was a wonderful trip and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the South.  The people there were gracious and very hospitiable.  I really loved their accents too!