28 September, 2014 - Day After

Today has been Fast Sunday, a day of fasting and prayer.  For us it was a day of gratitude for all we have been given, and in such abundance.  As we consider our family, we feel that Heavenly Father has been so generous, kind and merciful.  All of us have challenges, but also, we all have blessings.  As parents, we give thanks for the love that infuses our families and that we all care for each other.
We attended Church today with David and Shirlee and the kids. Shirlee had to leave earlier to take her parents and Nicole and Taya to the airport. They had to be home today.  So the rest of us got ready and made it to Church on time and found Shirlee waiting there for us.  They have a large ward,  the singing was good and there were no lapses in testimonies during the time allotted. 

Before the Braithwaites left, Maya favored us with an impromptu violin performance, doing once again the number she played at the baptism.

She is progressing so nicely.  Interesting enough, Shirlee also plays the violin and so does Jon Braithwaite.  We heard from 3 generations this morning. Nicole also plays and I think that almost the entire family is musically talented.  Leonora does not play the violin, but the piano is her forte'.





When we broke the fast after Church, Shirlee fixed a lovely meal for us and we enjoyed a relaxing time together.  David, Shirlee and I went for a  comfortable walk after dinner. We followed the trails around the subdivision, seeing duck, egrets and cranes and swatting an occasional mosquito. We walked to the lake, which is surrounded by lush lawns, large houses and beautiful trees.  Landscaping here is done so tastefully and there is almost always something blooming and green.

For her birthday, Maya got a Lego set of "Friends" and it was time to attack the project. Mom paid close attention as the kids began to undertake the project.  It did not get nearly finished, but good progress was made. I am sure it will take several days to complete.

 Look at all the stuff involved.  I-pads, blocks, instruction manuals and extra guidance from Mom, using her skill and perception.  You can see how involved she is.  We have decided to extend our stay here one more night to have a day tomorrow to wash, put things together again and have one more evening with this family that we love so much.  It has been a good and relaxing Sabbath.