Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today, of course, we went to church. During Sacrament Lydia got a time out for misbehaving. Abe took this during her time out:

No wonder threatening time out isn't effective.
No wonder threatening time out isn’t effective.

Then we came home.

Lydia played on the couch before I headed straight back to church to wait for my temple recommend interview.
Lydia played on the couch before I headed straight back to church to wait for my temple recommend interview. 

Abe and I took turns going back to church to wait an hour each for our recommend interviews. There was a long line today, but Abe and I both came away independently impressed by the cheerful attitude of one young, newlywed couple who were waiting in line with us. Everybody else (including me) was inclined to grumble a little about how long certain interviews were taking (the one that got me going took 45 minutes, and there were six other people in line in front of me), but this one couple was nothing but smiles and cheerfulness. When Abe came home he said, “Honey, I met the coolest couple today!”

“Let me guess,” I said. “Was the wife Columbian? Do they ballroom dance? Did they meet at BYU?”

“How did you know?” he exclaimed.

I explained that they were waiting in line while I was there, too. I spent the whole drive back contemplating how I could be more cheerful like them. I’m grateful for the influence of inspiring, good people.

Then we came home and got home taught. It’s also my mom’s birthday today, so after our home teachers left we called my mom to wish her happy birthday. Happy birthday, Mother Dear!

Abe took the girls on a walk to visit his home teachees, and I stayed home and cooked dinner.

At the Copinga's house. The girls played on their swing set.
At the Copinga’s house. The girls played on their swing set. They both kept saying, “Higher! Higher!!!”
Lydia rested on their bench.
Lydia rested on their bench.

We had Jessica Felix and her daughter, Harley, over for dinner tonight. Speaking of the influence of good people, her example inspired us to no end. She was so cheerful as she told us her story. She’s been through unimaginable hardships, and right now Abe and I gathered that she is the current victim of terrible racial profiling–but she didn’t complain at all. Instead, she just cheerfully talked about her determination to press forward and make life better for her and her kids. She was baptized last Saturday and has this incredible enthusiasm for the gospel. By the time she left, Abe and I were in awe.

After she left, we cleaned, put the girls down, and called my mom again to check up on how her birthday concluded. It was a full, great Sunday.

Love you, Mom! Happy birthday!!!