I really enjoyed conference weekend. All the talks were amazing. I can’t wait to read them as well because I get even more out of them by doing so. It seems like I learn something different when I read the talks verses when I am listening to them. ;) Later that night we had the Saylin’s (mission president prior to the Ashton’s) over for dinner. They were down here for a mission reunion and spring break. They loved being back in the mission home to see the house and their old rooms, to see what had changed and what hadn’t. We also went on a walk around the neighborhood to reminisce and share our experiences with each other. We had a really nice time.
The mission home is a bit of a mess as contractors have started to upgrade the bathrooms, add lighting, and paint. I spent most of Monday moving all our stuff to the upstairs bedroom in preparation of demolition of the bathroom. They say it will be done in three weeks. I hope the contractors can stay on schedule. ;) Although after the construction meeting we had on Friday I say at least four weeks especially since the construction meeting had to reconvene for next Tuesday. ;)
With all that is going on I was able to get to a district meeting. I have tried to go to some in the outlying areas if possible so this week I went to one about 45 minutes away in Pearland. I then met with sisters afterwards for a companionship study. Great sisters that know their purpose and doing all they can to teach repentance and baptize converts. I also met with another equally great companionship on Thursday for weekly planning. Again, sisters on fire to do what they are called to do. I know I learn a lot from them even though they claim to learn much from me. I am going to give credit to the Spirit. ;)
Family is good. Zac is still hobbling around, but boot should be coming off slowly next week. Bode made the cut after Monday night’s tryout, moved onto Tuesday and made the team on Wednesday. Happy kid! His first game was Thursday and they won 5-0. Yeah! Excited about watching future games. Jessie had her school choir program and she did a great job with her solo! She’s going to be our broadway girl, no fear and loves the stage. Later that night we had a surprise visit from Adam… He was downtown Houston for meetings and Aaron happened to be just two miles away when he reached out. We happily hosted him for a quick bite to eat. Fun surprise! Allie was involved with the Weber High Cheerleading tryouts this past week. It was a long night in selecting the new team. She was impressed with the talent of the girls. She is looking forward to this new experience coming her way with coaching.
Another date night and another fun mountain bike ride. We headed over to the Braes Bayou for a trail nearby that Aaron tried last Saturday. It was a fun ride. Although the short extremely steep inclines freaked me out. I had some crashes with a few of my attempts that added to my fears but slowly and surely I will overcome those. It is going to take some practice. Although my little frequent crashes weren't nearly as painful as Aaron's that took him over the top of his bike and left a nice gash up his right arm. He was on the more technical, fast part of the trail that I didn't even attempt. The trails are full of sharp turns and 8 to 10 foot extremely steep inclines/declines much different from riding in the mountains where the inclines tend to be gradual and its endurance that gets you up. Another reason to miss my mountains. ;)
Aaron came up with a great way to reconnect with our missionaries, a virtual reunion. He plans to do this once a year, the week after April General Conference. We posted a couple of videos to our group page for our return missionaries and have the missionaries updating the page today with what they’re up to. We have about 200 home at this point and it will be fun to see what they’re up to. We are hoping that many will participate. Social media does have some great benefits, especially for things like this. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for future reunions.
Like most weeks we feel blessed!