For His Eye is on the Sparrow and I know He watches me

I am sitting at my desk at the institute checking emails, making plans, taking breaks to tie baby quilts and now catching up on our blog.  In our devotional this morning, we read from Alma 5:14-15.  I feel the beginnings of a mighty change in my heart that sometimes seems just out of reach, but in view.  I begin to see the value of patience and the need to trust in the Lord's time and not just what I think should be happening in my life and efforts.  In short, I'm like everyone else just trying to get it right, without doing too much damage while I am in the process.  So much for me!  This is dad now.  I am more like the agency motto that President Marshall said that they had at their advertising agency; "Seldom right -- never in doubt."

We have been busy with lots of Institute activities and plans.  On November 13th, we planned a service project for one of the family ward members.  The Paynes had a 100-year-old Post Oak tip over in a big rainstorm last month and we wanted to help move the chopped up tree.   We moved a ton of brush and dried leaves. When it got too dark to work and the fire had burned down some, we had a hot dog and marshmallow roast and visited around the fire.  Elder Neil called it "No [Bro.] Payne, no Gain!"

Brother Payne transporting wood

Moving and shaking

First load burning!

Lily Jean

It was while we were at the Payne's that we had exciting news.  Our daughter, Maggie, had a beautiful baby girl, Lily Jean, on Nov. 14th.  I left the next afternoon, after our Friday Forum and lunch, for Decatur to help out for a few days.  It was so wonderful to be with Maggie and Justin and family.  I cooked and played and generally wore myself out.  I am definitely not as spry as I once was, but I loved every minute of it.  Gracie and Gunner are

My first meeting !

in school each day, so Maisy and I hung out. She makes me laugh.  She is my little miracle child and is wiry and crazy.  It always throws me a little because she looks so much like her cousin, Isabel, only Isabel has beautiful dark brown hair - so it is quite a contrast to an almost white blonde.  I need to get a picture of the two of them together.  I always hoped for curly haired children and then I also got some curly haired grandchildren as a grand prize!  Every time I tried to get Maisy to look up at me for a photo, I would get her focused and then, as I would push the button, she would look down again at the ipad.   It was fun watching Maisy play 

Mr. Potato Head on the ipad.  She figured out new things to do with it that I didn't even know existed.  I guess we know who are the ones to rule the new world.  I love the picture below of me holding Lily in my apron.  It is a symbol to me of two of the things I love best--grandchildren and cooking for others.

This is getting longer than I intended it to be, but I just wanted to mention two more things.  It poured rain last Friday for our service project of making baby quilts, so instead of setting up on campus, we ended up setting up quilts at the Institute.  We served Grilled Teryaki Turkey which was something new for most of the group.  Kind, Brother Ballew from the Branch Presidency came to be our outdoor chef on our new donated BBQ grill.  We are also going to use it tonight for hot dogs at FHE.

The amazing Elder LeBaron

Elder LeBaron continues to amaze students with all of his domestic skills.  I think it is a great role model for them to see a man who is so supportive of his wife.  Yes, we are still crazy in love!

The final picture is of somethings I have fallen in love with in Texas!  They have some of the most expressive clouds I have ever seen.  I love to look up each day and see what new picture has been created for my enjoyment.  It can be blue, clear sky in the morning and then look like this an hour later.  So many layers--just like our lives, eh?

Sunset comes to Huntsville