Seriously I can not keep up with our blog and all of the changes. That's what I get for marrying a highly experimental computer guy. Jared has an interview this Tuesday for his current job. Sounds silly I know but it is all about what it takes to gain a permanent position and all of those wonderful government benefits. Please keep him and us in your prayers.

Elijah's baptism was wonderful. I know I am repeating myself. I really enjoyed all of the support and family which trekked so far to share this special day with us. I had to give a "prepared" talk for the first time in my adult life. (Don't tell my bishop.) Everyone thinks that is weird or surprising but I am just fine. I prefer to not test my limits of standing in front of large groups of people and being coherent. I feel really blessed to have had the special opportunity to speak at Elijah's baptisms. With this whole stake baptism thing that is a pretty rare thing. Elijah and one other girl, Savannah, were baptized that day. Due to my newness to the area the other mom was asked first but she graciously declined. I witnessed the difference first hand between a well behaved girl and a well behaved boy. Elijah was wiggling and looking all over the place while Savannah sat still and looked at me intently the entire time. We had a lot of fun visiting with dear friends and family for the weekend. Elijah is such a social creature and he was in heaven. I am happy that my boy took my challenge seriously when I asked him to gain his own testimony before being baptized. The fasting and prayers he spent gaining the testimony he has now and the fasting and prayers I spent on his behalf are precious to me and my mommy heart. He wanted to know so badly for himself and I wanted him to have his own confirmation of the Spirit so completely even as a young seven year old preparing for baptism. I don't know if I wrote about the first time I heard his testimony change from "I believe" to "I know." The gratitude and joy I felt in that Sacrament Meeting was immense. Testimonies are miracles. They fill us with hope, motivation, and charity.

This last weekend before school started we were able to go on the Ward Camp Out in the mountains of Heber, AZ at plus 7000 feet. We had a lot of fun and I especially enjoyed the ward providing 2 of our meals. It was drizzling when we arrived Thursday afternoon and monsoon storms were predicted for each day. We spent 2 hours or so trapped in our tent Friday afternoon during a severe lightning, rain, and hail storm. Yes, I said hail. While we were waiting in our tent Elijah said it would be funny if it "helled" as he calls it. I informed him that this would be impossible as it was July, but he turned out to be right. He gave me a big, "I told you so!" When we stepped out of our tent to assess the situation. During the storm we enjoyed playing UNO, Go Fish, and reading Dinotopia. Jared and Maxwell huddled in the middle of the air mattress under the two sleeping bags and slept. Maxwell always sleeps when he is stressed out. When it was drizzling upon our arrival he requested to go home right then. I told him he could go sit in my seat in the car while he waited for the tent to be set up. He fell asleep sitting in there. The temperatures were a lot colder than we had planned for. The storm had brought the day temp down to 53. Thankfully Maxwell would wake up freezing and climb into my sleeping bag as my little heater. We enjoyed hiking in those mountains and seeing some of the odd destruction of Forest Fires. It is weird how so many trees burn up while other remain nearly unscathed. Fire is a weird force of nature. We tried to find frogs but were unlucky in the two hikes. I think we are just too late of risers in the morning and so we missed them. One of our fellow campers had caught a baby snake so we were all able to hold that. A rather large squirrel enjoyed sneaking pretty close to us due to Jared's sunflower seed addiction. We enjoyed finding interesting mushrooms and pretty wildflowers and we enjoyed the beauty and diversity of this great state. More on everything fun later. Maxwell is begging for Reading Lessons.

On a sad note, I had the opportunity to attend a funeral today for a friend's mom from my old ward. Oddly, I did not shed tears at my Grandma's funeral last year. I shed tears for my Grandma at this funeral though. I cried during the hymns. I cried during the talks. I cried when my friend said, "I miss my mom." a phrase which my dad spoke at his mom's funeral. I cried at the fond memories of this stubborn, good woman who was deeply committed to the gospel she had converted to as an adult. I was sitting next to a friend who had also lost her mom last year and she shed tears for her loss. We shared tears and grief with our friend who now misses her mom. I miss my Grandma. I will always know her beliefs and have the legacy of her testimony in my heart. I am deeply grateful for the years we had in Utah because of the many opportunities I had to see her and share my boys with her. Hold on to life while you have it. It is precious and fleeting. Be grateful for the Resurrection and the Atonement.