Random bits

Just a few of the latest happenings . . .

• Today I helped all morning at Field Day for Joseph's first grade class.  Only in Washington/Oregon would it be so cold and rainy on Field Day at the end of June that everyone was buttoned up in coats while playing the water activity outside and the appropriate treat at the end of the activities was hot chocolate, not popsicles!

• Dan and I both have new church callings.  Dan has been called to teach early morning Seminary.  He will be teaching New Testament to groggy freshmen or sophomores at 6:00 in the morning (He will need to be at the church at 5:30 a.m.).  I think he will do a great job - he relates well to the youth and is an amazing teacher. It will also be a challenge, as since he is not a morning person.  He is a man who needs his sleep. The kids learned long ago to wake up me instead of Dan during the night when they need someone, because their Dad is groggy and ornery when awakened from his sleep.  So, a call to teach early morning Seminary is proof that the Lord has a sense of humor!
•  I was released from Young Women and called to the Relief Society Presidency. It has been an adjustment for me, as I was very happy in the Young Women/teenage world and now I need to learn how to get along in the grown-up-woman world of Relief Society (I have served almost exclusively in YW and Primary for the last 22 years).  There's a very different energy level in RS.  I've really enjoyed it, even though I miss the girls. I do still get to go to Girls Camp, though, as I was already planning on it and they are short on leaders, and I really wanted to go for Aubrey's first year at camp.  A few weeks ago I taught my first lesson in Relief Society, and it was really fun!  I'm used to trying to keep the attention of children or teenagers, so it was kind of a shock to have such an attentive, responsive class.

• The last few weeks have been full of awards assemblies and performances of all types for each of the kids as school is winding down. They finally get out of school tomorrow, and we are SO ready to begin summer.  Bailey is especially ready, as her cruel high school teachers have scheduled finals the last two days of school and assigned a large number of projects and papers to do the last week. Bring on the lazy days of summer!

• I picked up the phone last Sunday and heard this:  "Is this Sister Porter?  And you have a son named Brandon?" The call was from the mom of a fellow missionary (who had been released last October). Her son had been Brandon's first District Leader in Ukraine.  The missionary and parents had traveled back to Ukraine to visit, and their paths crossed Brandon's several times.  She said that she had the chance to talk to him for quite awhile and asked if she could call me when she got home to let me know how he is doing. She said "he looks very healthy and well, he has a grin from ear to ear and he appears to be happy and enjoying his mission."  What a treat to get this call!