Music City and Birthday Celebrating

For matt's birthday we scored free tickets to the Nashville Symphony! We went with our friend Jackie! We had a blast! Matt and I narrowed it down we have only been to four venues like this. One was La Traviata, Wicked, and the Nutcracker. We thought that was pretty good since this is the first year we weren't poor students. I forgot how powerful classical music can be. We were totally engulfed! And even more excited because we had FREE tickets!

On matt's birthday we had a cake, a birthday sign, and went out to eat. It was also Joshua's last day of school. So they had a party and Joshua loved every second of that hot miserable day! We also went on a hayride from that almost killed us. Men are crazy!

Friday, our good friend the Penrod's, watched our boys so we could go to the symphony. Boys did great! Thank you so much Brooke & Rodney!

Thank you Matt for being such an amazing person! He is the person I run to, either when I'm sad and somethings wrong, or when I am excited and happy. I am so blessed!!!

Book 17

I remember having a copy of this book on my window seal in Junior high. It was wrapped in a clear plastic cover my mother had sewn for it. I never picked it up because reading religious books seemed beyond boring. I already went to seminary, church, and YW. Honestly, how or why would I need more religion?

If my attitude had been better as a youth I think I really would have been changed and gained some much needed insight to help me cope with life.

Probably one of my most favorite books. A quick read, always a plus, written in a John Bytheway/Brad Wilcox way, super plus, and insightful. All in all a much needed book for anyone.

Here are some of my favorite parts.

"Yet the "good news" of the gospel is good news to me not because it promises that other people who are better than I am can be saved, but because it promises that I can be saved--wretched, inadequate, and imperfect me..."

"So until we accept the REAL possibility of our own exaltation in the kingdom of God, we do not yet have faith in Christ; we not yet believe."

"Weakness can be saved; rebellion cannot."

"No the gospel sometimes isn't fair, but that is actually part of the good news. IT isn't fair--it's merciful...The threat of hell is the threat of getting justice, of getting what we deserve and of paying what we owe without any interference from mercy."

"One purpose of the Church is to perfect the Saints. Since we make the most progress by working at the limits of our abilities, then no matter how much we do or how well we doit, the Lord--like the spotter in the gym--will always ask for more, will always seek improvement, will always push us towards salvation...We need to remember that our salvation is not hanging in the balance...we shouldn't get embarrassed when we reach our limits or take offense when we can't do all that is asked of us. Rather, we must learn to take satisfaction in performing at the limits of our ability."

"Human being are inevitably the arsonists of their own happiness."

I know I've been MIA on the book goal lately but we went on vacation, I finished my huge 30X40 painting and haven't decided if I like it, and now Joshua is out of school, so I think my book reading will continue to slow. But I'm doing all that I can, and that is good news!

Soccer Team Picture

The first time we played soccer there were probably 10 children. And now there are only four. I think one is actually older and shouldn't be in our pic but oh well! Soccer was more work for me than fun for Joshua, but isn't that the definition of a soccer mom? Pushing my children to relive my own dreams of glory? Lots more soccer seasons to come!