Another Week Has Passed

Sorry that this is going to be a long post. A lot has happened this week that has allowed me to reflect on so many things. I want to share some of those thoughts with you. If you don't really want to read all of it, feel free to skip to the pictures at the bottom of the post.
This has been quite the week for us. Last Saturday we had the opportunity to attend the baptism of our nephew, Johnathan. I love going to baptisms. It helps me to remember my own covenants that I made so long ago. It also helps me remember my special day. I still remember being upset with all the other kids who were playing and being loud after the program was complete. I got upset because I just wanted to sit still and be quiet to enjoy the reverent atmosphere and they were ruining it. It wasn't until years later that I realized that I was feeling the spirit of the Holy Ghost and wanted to just enjoy that special feeling. Johnathan's baptism had the same spirit there. It was a sacred and wonderful event to be able to be a part of.
Saturday night was our adult session of stake conference. About half way through the session, I thought to myself, "I haven't enjoyed a meeting like this in so long. I wonder why the spirit is so strong tonight." I wondered if the baptism earlier in the day had effected it, but then I realized our wonderful little distraction wasn't with us. It has been such a long time since I didn't have Clara in a meeting. Thanks Genevieve for watching her that night. I really appreciate it because I actually listened to the whole meeting!
Jeremy started his new job this week. He started it yesterday, but doesn't finish his old job until tonight. That means he has been working 16 hours a day plus doing homework and travel time. He only got one hour of sleep Wednesday night, and last night he got 4. He works so hard to be able to support his family. I was watching Clara play on Wednesday. She was crawling from one end of the room to the other. When she saw something she wanted to play with, she got really excited. She let out a squeal of delight and then crawled as fast as she could to it. In that moment I realized how lucky I am. I have a husband who is willing to give up sleep and personal relaxation time just so I can have the privilege of watching our little girl laugh and play. I am so grateful to Jeremy and all that he does so that I can stay home with our little Clara.
Of course Clara isn't always playing and giggling. Yesterday was a rough day for me and her. She cried almost all day long. With all of that crying came mountains of gross snot. Of course she wanted to cuddle with mom, and as hard as I tried to keep her nose away from me, it didn't work very well. I sat there after I finally got her to sleep and looked at my shirt now crusted over with the clear runny stuff that came out of Clara's nose. I looked like a mess, but I realized how blessed I am. When Clara is upset, the first thing she does is want a hug from Mom. She can find such comfort in just laying her head on me. There are times when I don't know what is wrong and thus can't fix the problem so I have to just let her cry. In those moments I realized that snot can be washed off of clothing, but the comfort I can give Clara will never go away. I was so grateful that I have a little one to comfort and to relish the time we do have together, especially those times where she wants to give me "loves." Needless to say, when she woke up from her nap, I was a lot more willing to just hold her and snuggle with her.
Finally at about 5 pm I decided to take Clara for a walk. She loves being outside, and I hoped it would cure the tears. Luckily it did. I was able to drop Clara off at a babysitters so that I could go to mutual that night. Thanks Sherry for watching her! Normally I would take Clara with me to mutual, but we were doing something extra special and I didn't feel comfortable taking Clara. We set some goals for our Young Women to complete certain Personal Project requirements. If they completed all that we asked, we would take them horse back riding. Only 2 girls and 2 leaders completed the assignment. One of the girls couldn't go that night, so the 3 of us headed up to Alpine. We had a blast. We learned how to put a saddle and bridle on, and then we got to ride for about an hour. It was Stephanie's first time on a horse, and she did great! You can see the slight hesitation in her face to begin with, but by the end of the night, she was a real pro. Amber took pictures of me on the horse, so I'll add those in when I get them from her. But for now, here are a few pictures of the evening.