Taared.

When school began in August,

I made it a goal to wake up at 5:30 in the morning

 with the boys to study the scriptures while

 they leave for early morning seminary.

It's been really enriching and wonderful having quiet time alone without

distractions.  I like prioritizing scriptures and studying as 

the first thing I do each day.

But around 3:00 in the carpool lane, I pay for it.

And today, I did it.  I actually fell asleep.  

Never trust yourself when you say you're just resting your eyes.

That never happens.

You, plain and simple, just fall asleep.

I woke up to a light tapping on my window.

"Hello, hello"

(but imagine this in a thick southern accent, more like

Halllaoouu..emphasis on the OU).

"You look lac you're so taared taday!  Sorry for waking ya up, hon

you can move forward in the line."

I was so embarrassed.

Later this evening, we ventured outside to check our front pasture

grass supply for our future cattle herd, arriving in a few weeks.

The sky this evening was magical, and Gigs showed me Mr. Bones

that he hung in our front tree.

There is talk of a hurricane coming our way this weekend,

and we're feeling prepared...Stillestead has a generator!

His Name.

 Tonight at dinner, I told the Nies that I felt impressed

to invite them to think of and pick a favorite name

 or title for the Savior other than Jesus Christ. 

Christian chose DELIVERER, I chose PRINCE OF PEACE, 

Claire chose LIGHT OF THE WORLD, Ollie picked THE ROCK, 

 Gigs liked SHEPARD, and Lottie decided on CREATOR.

Then I asked them to remember the names that they chose and to listen 

closely at the upcoming General Conference to hear if that specific name

is spoken, discussed, and/or talked about.

I am excited to hear what the Lord wants me to hear.

I'm eager to listen for the soft familiar other names He has been

given to reach us and help us connect to Him.

I found a list of names from a devotional given by

Elder Rasband, and I read them out loud to the Nies.

They are so powerful, and it was cool to hear the names we

had each individually chosen among his list:

What is your favorite?

The portal is OPEN.

 

Tonight after dinner, I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies,

then we all crowded around Oliver and watched as he 

 opened his mission portal on his phone (online missionary application)

for his two-year mission.

He is eligible to serve on his 18th birthday, which is on January 2nd,

 but can get the process started now.

In the coming weeks, after several ecclesiastical interviews

 and a doctor and dentist visit,

we can officially submit the application and get a mission call

from our prophet Russell M. Nelson.

Wow.

Could this be????

Jane in Portugal: September 2022

 Jane (Sister Nielson) is doing SO GOOD!  
She loves serving the people of Portugal and has an excellent companion, 

(Sister Austin), who, among many other things, 

is helping her with the language and how to use public transportation.

Jane sends home the BEST photos!  

Including the amazing azulejo tiles that are so prevalent on 

homes, buildings, sidewalks, roads, and churches.  

Every day I miss her and remember funny things

we did together or said or laughed at.

Like that one time, we were going to Barre3 together and saw a very

an old gentleman with barely any clothes on in a wheelchair

zooming away from a nurse and a nearby nursing home.

We were rooting for him to make it to Burger King for lunch.

He was so close!

(I guess you had to be there.  It was so funny!)

Knowing she is happy and progressing is all I need

to see each day.

She has wonderful experiences that are enriching

her life and her testimony, but she'd be the first to tell you that she

isn't there for her; she's there to teach others about Jesus, 

and God's plan of happiness.

She's there to tell others the good news of the Gospel! 

She is serving the Lord, and we do hard things

FOR HIM!

September at Stillestead.

 

The golden-rod is yellow;

The corn is turning brown;

The trees in apple orchards

With fruit are bending down.

-Helen Hunt Jackson, ‘September’.

We are excited to dismiss September in a few days

and welcome October with wide open arms!

See, here is the pumpkin vision:

All buckled in

All that needs to be reported about this day is that 

I BOUGHT MY FIRST PUMPKINS of the season.

Christian and I ran a few errands, and I spotted them at the store;

 bright orange, plump with tall tops and perfect shapes.

I needed not only one but two so I could set them 

atop my driveway gate posts

welcoming us in and out every day.

Chrisitan buckled the two giant pumpkins in seatbelts

 in the back of the truck

and we drove home to show the Nies.

I don't care how old my kids are; this is still one 

of the most exciting moments that officially welcomes 

the Halloween season!

First day of Autumn!

 

We've had a pile in the corner of the front yard filled with yard clippings,

wood, and stuff from the ongoing construction.

Early when the pile was born, I told Christian that I wanted to burn it

to welcome the first day of Autumn.

So, it's been sitting there from early summer waiting for this very

special day.

For our Autumn feast, I made focaccia bread for sandwiches,

and a delicious apple cider spice cake for dessert.

While I was making the bread, Christian told me he was going to get the 

pile prepped for the bonfire.

I had imagined the fire slowly burning, smores, Neil Young's,

"Harvest Moon" playing on our outdoor speakers, 

with our very own Harvest FULL moon smiling down on us.

Instead, Christian decided to light the fire early, and instead of a slow burn,

it lit and blazed for maybe three minutes, then slowed to a smolder.

Lottie ran inside the house and said,

"Mom, Dad wanted me to tell you to hurry and come out."

I made it for the last 30 seconds.

It was really disappointing.

But funny, too.

No matter what, seeing fire like that really gets me,

and I'm hesitant to get close.

The sound of the roar just gets me, so I guess it was OK that it was

done before it even began.

We enjoyed the first evening in fall (even though it was literally 90 degrees),

ate the cake with cream and began planning Halloween costumes.

Welcome, Autumn, you wonderful season, you!

We still do it.

You might be asking if Friday night is still pizza night

at our home like it has been for years and years,

and the answer is YES!

Well, except sometimes it's on Saturday, and sometimes it's on Sunday,

but it's definitely a weekend occurrence.

Now that Jane is gone, we can't seem to get our sourdough crust 

as delicious...yet another reason why we miss our Jane bug!

Tonight on the back porch, we enjoyed

comfortable temperatures, a nice DP (or Coke)

to wash down our delicious pizza dinner and we talked about

what things might look like a month from now

when our world is colorful in fall beauty.  I can't wait!

North Carolina, you sure are lovely!

After a long day

 

I took a deep breath after I climbed into my bed.

It had been another LONG day full of the usual things.

The weather is fantastic, and the cooler temperatures

give me energy and motivation.

I took this photo after I made bread, cleaned up the kitchen, 

and wandered off to bed.

But then I came back an hour later to put the bread away,

turn off the lights, and make a cup of tea.

Perfect Frame

 

This photo popped up on my photo feed today.

This was taken about 16 years ago.

Sometimes, I really miss my freckles and normal lips & skin.

I still wonder what I would look like

if I hadn't been burned.  I know I'd be older, but I'll never know,

and occasionally that really gets to me.

It could consume me, but I don't let it.

Claire is my carbon copy; I just look at her and I see me.

Grateful for this promise in Alma in The Book of Mormon:

"The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; 

yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; 

yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things 

shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame."

-Alma 40:23

That one time we wallpapered the fridge.

 When we moved into Stillestead, it was apparent that we'd

need two fridges since this house is a little bit

 smaller than our previous homes.

So we decided to keep the fridge the home was sold with and

move it outside as our "beverage fridge."

Currently, it holds Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper (of course, Dr. Pepper!!),

about five different Bubly drinks, Poppi drinks, and Brazil's 

favorite Guaraná in honor of Claire.

Along with butter, apples, tortillas, cheese, and the like,

plus, it holds about 400 Otter Pops in the freezer-

the residue of Summer.

Next year we're planning on building a garage since it Stillestead

 doesn't even have one at all.

We will keep this special beverage fridge there, 

but until then, it has to sit on the back porch.

I told Gigs I'd pay him to help me wallpaper it.

 After school, while listening to 90's music,

 we finished it together.