faux calling

Callings in the LDS church are humbling things. Sometimes I've had an overwhelming calling with a lot of responsibility and requiring much time. Then I'm humbled and pray for help. Sometimes I've been released from a calling without any apparent reason, begging the question what did I do wrong or who did I offend? Then I'm humbled and pray for forgiveness. Most humbling of all, however, is receiving a made-up calling, a calling not in any handbook and so obscure it doesn't even have a name or job description. An example of this would be "Ward Advancement Coordinator." I don't even know where to start. Just slightly more humbling than receiving a faux calling is being asked to speak in the Saturday night session of Stake Conference on Halloween night. Now that I have had my pride stripped off, I guess I'll start writing my talk and inventing my calling. My topic is on family unity, but it's too bad because wouldn't it be fun to speak on the Holy Ghost on Halloween night?

Marcos has discovered multi-syllables this last week. He insists on calling his brother "Max-well" and uses "eye-ball" and "bed-room" as often as possible. His language acquisition continues to be slow, but steady. He pooped today in the toilet for the second time and my life of diapers (13 years) is almost at an end. I'm going to celebrate heavily.

Tony had the worst call weekend. Due to some new "cover-your-butt" rule, he is required to stay in the hospital at all times. He was on call 4 days straight, plus spent his day off rounding on the 20 patients in the hospital and delivering a baby. He is a trooper. With my usual tact, I told him it was a good thing because we needed to pay our remodel bills.

Mom and Dad left today for Arizona. It is surreal. My parents are on a mission. We have no excuse not to follow their example.

better at the beach

It is a miracle when a family vacation supersedes my lengthy anticipation. Three words: best year ever. The weather was perfect, warm and sunny, not even windy on the beach. The hikes and dunes and tide pools were spectacular. My favorite meal was Betsy's homemade tomato soup with cracked pepper cheese melting on the top. As a sure sign of our vacation yin and yang, Andrea, Betsy and I were able to actually accomplish a craft while the Dad's watched the BYU football game and fed the kids dinner. The company in the hot tub was ideal. A bonus surprise was running into the Workmans at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. All my favorite people in one place plus ice cream! It is good to have double scoops at least once a year!

In Pacific City we parked on the beach and to everyone's great dismay the Hughes' van got stuck in the sand. We were able to pull it out with the Excursion and some group pushing. Later that night the kids drew gospel parallels to the experience that were so insightful. One of the kids taught that we should have parked on a better foundation than sand--a rock for example. Someone else said that when the wheels were spinning in the sand we had to rely on the rope to pull us out. That is like the atonement pulling us out of sin. Another suggested that In order to get the van out, James had to steer straight ahead, not go in reverse, in order to get out. That was like following the commandments. I think the kids could have gone on for a long time. It was really powerful, especially when Andrea led us in "How Firm a Foundation!"

On a painful note, James was kind enough to be the injured one this year, sparing Tony his usual duty. Poor guy broke his wrist and is in a cast for four weeks. Brooklyn also got a terrible fever on Saturday and Sunday. This year: NO LICE!

Marcos loved the feeling of the sand on his feet. He just giggled with delight as he sifted warm sand between his fingers and toes. Max surprised us by running straight into the waves. He was most interested in the sick sea lion that had washed up on the shore in Lincoln City. He is still including the poor thing in his prayers. Cooper climbed everything from trees to bridges, to dunes. It is fun for him to be included in the big boy activities which consist of a lot of video games. Cooper was a champion "mafia" player. Wilson was not feeling well this weekend, but managed to still play in the water until his lips were blue. He was relaxed and enjoyable all weekend. On our hike at Multunomah Falls Wilson helped carry both Max and Marcos up and down the 11 switchbacks to the top of the falls. It pays to have a strong teenager in the family. Eliza spent a great amount of time secreted away in the "girls room" journaling our every move. On Saturday we took a very long (deceptively close) walk to the kite festival in Lincoln City where we were amazed by giant kites. I was awoken one morning before it was light by three giggling girls. I was sorry to have to be the mean Mom and break it up because that giggling was one of the happiest sounds I've ever heard. Tony was so motivated by his health plan discussion with Jason and James he wrote a letter to President Obama last night. He loved watching the game with Jason and James and as always, was such a fun Dad. I was in my happy place. It was a relief to be away from the construction mess of our house, the pressures of school, work and church and just enjoy being around people who inspire me.

Lessons from the Beach:

Have a double scoop ice cream at least once a year.
Campbells can't hold a candle to homemade tomato soup.
A good place to solve world problems is in a hot tub.
Fingernail polish is good for toenails and shells.
Potato rolls are the perfect sandwich bread.
The comment "are you a school group?" is really a compliment.
The gospel parallels of a van stuck in the sand are endless.
It is not a good idea to throw small chinese girls down a sand dune.
Kites on the beach are farther than you think they are.
A long piece of kelp makes a perfect jump rope.
Steel cut oats make excellent topping for apple cobbler.
There are exactly 22 pops in a tootsie pop package and 22 members of the Lughesworth Family. Coincidence? I don't think so.