feeling loved...

This year it is my goal to be better at documenting our life. I usually only get around to blogging about things I have taken pictures of. But there is more to our life that is between the picture taking.

I have to say that in our ten plus years of marriage we/I haven't been all that great at letting others serve us. I am still not that great at it. But I really love when people are thoughtful towards me or my family. They just do something nice, just because! It reminds me that I am not alone and I am loved. And that always feels good.

Just since yesterday afternoon, three people/families have done something very thoughtful for our family. Not only that, but they have all been from our Ward family.

Late yesterday afternoon someone knocked on our door. An older lady from our Ward was standing there with a blanket in her hand. After letting her in and sitting to talk with her, she told us why she had the blanket and that it was for Mac. Since Hubs has been called as EQ President he has enjoyed going and taking treats and visiting the families in our Ward to get to know them better. He always takes Mac with him, because people are more willing to let him in and to teach Mac service. Also Mac LOVES to go to other peoples houses. Anyway, Hubs and Mac had gone to visit this lady and her family. While they were there Mac had found a blanket that belonged to her granddaughter and just attached himself right to it. Her son who does not live with them had made it and he happened to be on the phone with someone at the house at the time. He was told about how much Mac loved it. When he found this out, he made a blanket just for Mac and sent it to them to give to Mac. He even stitched his name in it and a heart and the year. I was astounded at the thoughtfulness and generosity of this lady, her son and their entire family.

A little bit later, I got a text from someone I had never gotten one from before. It was my visiting teacher. I have only talked to her once (and she is the nicest lady) and she has never come to visit, so I was a little shocked. She asked if she could stop by in a few hours to drop something off for me. She came later and had a cute little gift bag with some fun goodies in it. She stayed and talked and played with my kids and it was just a very sweet visit.

Then today when we arrived at church, I was just getting out of the car and a lady from our Ward (whom I am not sure I have ever actually talked to before) walks up to me and says sorry this is so late and hands me a card and told me I could just put it in the car for now. I honestly thought it was a Christmas card and told her thank you and put it on the seat of the car and hurried and got my kids out of the car and into Sacrament meeting before it started. After church when we got in the car I opened the card before I left the parking lot and it had a $100 check in it. I was a bit shocked and confused! The card said that she had failed to give me a shower gift for Oak and she wanted me to spend the money on Mac and Oak or put it in their college fund. No one has ever randomly given us money before and I could think of a ton of people who are in more need of the money than us.

These three things all happened in less than 24 hours. I am just in shock at the thoughtfulness of others, especially when I barely know them. It is such a great reminder of my Heavenly Fathers love for me and my family. And he knows us and knows what we need and want.

Cookie makin' and more...

We have been trying to do a service for someone every week and so we decided to make some Halloween cookies while Oak was taking a nap. Mac was a very good helper and did a great job at following directions this time. We made enough to take some to his friend J for his birthday, to someone I visit teach, and to a friend who to thank them for helping me out with something.

I love how you can see how covered in flour he was. So cute!

Love the flour hand prints on the cupboard.

Mac was very rewarded for his service. The last person we dropped the cookies off to is a new family in our ward and the husband taught my class in a pinch when Mac was sick. So when we knocked on the door the mom came out and said all the kids are in the back, lets go find them. So we walk with her around the back of their house and through the woods and a gate to the neighbors house behind them. It opened up to this huge field with a couple of very beautiful house and a ton of kids playing on zip lines, a trampoline, slides, swings, sand box, forts. Mac was in heaven. He even did the little zip line that has a kiddie swing attached to it. He just really loved every second of being there. Oak loved it too! In fact I had a harder time getting her to leave than Mac. So the property belonged to our friends neighbors and it was two sisters and their families and their mom. When I left I said, that if I lived on the property I would totally love living in the country. The neighbors were nice and didn't care that we came to play. It was alot of fun!!