Opening song

Church was good today! I love it when that happens! Because honestly, it's not always all peachy-perfect. Ok, so 2/3 of the hours of church were good today: I spent the middle hour sitting in nursery with Amber, which I struggle with. When I got ready to leave her, she was not happy and I thought she was going to FREAK out and melt down like usual. Eventually I extracted myself, assuring her that I was going to look for Daddy. She stayed in nursery alone for the last hour of church! That's two weeks in a row! I am totally trying to leave a little earlier next week. 

Anyways, I felt so uplifted during both sacrament meeting AND Relief Society today. It was such a YES, slow-burning feeling of TRUTH. The opening hymn in sacrament meeting was #136, I Know that My Redeemer Lives. Wow. Usually that's sung as a sacrament hymn or a rest hymn or even a closing hymn, but today it was the opening hymn. It was so powerful to start the meeting off "with a bang," singing pure unified testimony about Jesus Christ LIVING RIGHT NOW. He is alive right now and he definitely knew we were singing that hymn. I could feel it. While we were singing, I was still wrestling with Amber and doing all of the normal things we do to settle our wiggly family into the hard-backed pews. But amidst all of that, while I was looking around the room singing the line "I know that my Redeemer lives!" I thought "That is why we are all here. Because he lives and we want to worship him and remember him and keep on trying to do better and be a little bit more like him." That is what the gospel is all about: trying our best to follow Jesus Christ's example.

Another thought that came to me while I was singing and looking around the chapel (I know enough of the words to hymn 136 to be able to look around more while singing it): I suddenly realized that this ward felt like family. Already? I asked myself. We've only been here for three months! Another look around the chapel confirmed the feeling. I saw the families we had worked with to clean the church building over the past month (odd how companionable vacuuming and sweeping on opposite sides of the building can be). I saw kind Relief Society sisters whose comments in class had inspired me. I saw families who had reached out to us repeatedly, from bringing cookies to inviting us to their homes and really working to help us feel welcome. I recognized a few tireless primary workers who patiently handle the circus of five dozen-plus energetic kids for two hours every Sunday. I saw our good bishop and his counselors, who have made the effort to get to know us and include us (hello, callings, assignments, and church talks--haha). I also saw plenty of people who I did not know yet. But even their unnamed faces felt familiar. Already.

While we sang, I wondered at that sudden surge of familial-feeling. When did it happen? I realized that I did not feel stressed or anxious to go to church today (almost every week I have been nervous to go to church and do all of that awkward-cringe-worthy preliminary socializing to get to know people). I have been doing my best to serve and participate and show up for our new ward family. Even though my social style is quiet and it usually takes me a very long time to really feel comfortable in new places, I felt comfortable in the group of people assembled at church today. Sure, there is still a long way to go before I know everyone's names and faces, along with their stories and which kids belong to who, (and before I stop feeling totally awkward!) but I still sat there savoring and wondering at that feeling of belonging while we sang about Jesus. That's what the love of Christ does: it speaks peace, saying that you belong, that you are needed, you are important, and most of all, you are loved. 

Sunday morning still feels roomy with church at 10am, so we have time to spare before church. And freshly washed, dressed up kids are irresistible. So, these are some pre-church pictures taken over the past couple of weeks.

 Amber insists on digging in the dirt, no matter how recent her last bath or how dressed up she is.

 We dug out Jeff's old missionary nametag one morning.

 Sniff. 

 Rose's teeth-bare-ing smile-on-demand.

Sister Sunday best: bobby socks and mary janes.