Emma and Palmer spoke today in church.  All the junior and senior seminary students were asked to speak about how seminary helps them put on the full armor of God.  They also sang a musical number together.  There were 5 girls and 3 boys  that spoke.  There are actually 5 more of them who were out of town because there isn't school tomorrow.  They both did very well.  Emma talked about how she received her first testimony that the church was true during seminary and expressed she liked how it started her day off.  Palmer started out saying that he liked to get up early, all of the previous speakers had said that was a hard thing.  He then said something that has become a classic statement.  He said that many of his friends at school can't believe how he can get up so early and not have any coffee.  He told them that Heavenly Father is his coffee and is much better at helping him be awake and alert that a cup full of liquid!  Everyone loved it.  The young women leaders talked about it during their class today and one of the mom's said it was the perfect answer as she gets the same question from people she works with.  She want's to frame it!  He gave a very solid talk about how seminary helps him answer people's questions about the church.  It was amazing to see his growth since he's come here.  I really saw what kind of missionary he will be.  It was inspiring.

I got to substitute in primary again today.  This time it was the class a year older than Lucy.  There were only 3 of them and it went really well.  We talked about Elijah and the prophets of Baal.  They listened well and participated.  It was fun!

I'm so proud of myself for cooking so many meals since I'm not working and have more time.  Many neighbors have given us their produce.  Today we had roasted red potatoes and carrots, a beef stew with fresh tomatoes, butternut squash, and carrots in it and freshly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.  It was awesome!

Brian, Palmer, Emma, and Andy have left to go to the stake standards night.  I get to spend time with Eric, Lucy, and Peter a lot now that Brian is at all the youth activities.  Fun for me!

Every time I walk passed Eric and Peter's room and see their toys all spread out on the floor from their hours of playing it makes me happy for them.

I don't ask them to come and clean up their mess because it's just so nice for them to have a regular room with a closet and nice carpet and room to set up their lincoln log houses and train sets and whatever their imagination leads them to do.  I enjoy my house more and more each day.  Brian mentions the same thing.  This Wednesday all the young men are meeting at our house for mutual.  How cool is that?!  These things just would never have happened at our home in Utah, there just wasn't enough room.  In the word's of Brian's niece Danielle, "we are fancy and popular!"  Actually, we are just my definition of normal.  Normal is nice.