Amazing Weekend

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  I have been waiting 3 years to make this green lunch for Dave and my kids.  The last couple of years they have not had school on St. Patrick's Day.  Today they got 7 up, pear, green licorice and mint Aero balls, cucumber and celery and a green sandwich.  And chips, but they were not green just a holiday so they got some:)  This morning for breakfast we had green toast.  I was going to put a little food coloring in their milk but the kids did not think they could drink it if I did. Tonight for dinner we are having stew.  I looked up Irish stew and it is basically the same as mine except mutton instead of beef and beer.  So we will have regular stew and pistachio cake for dessert.

We have been playing this Roll-A-Leprechaun game this week.  Totally a little kids game but we had fun. 2 is put clothes on, 7 roll again, 10 put something on someone else etc.  The first one to have a completed leprechaun is the winner.

This was an amazing weekend for Cora. Crazy week for us.  Wednesday I had a high school meeting, Dave high council.  Thursday, Dave went to check out the house, I had a RS party. Friday Dave took off work and did some work on the house and then we went out with Amber and Jared for dinner.  We had got a joint BP certificate for Christmas for the farm and finally got together to use it.  Saturday Dave prepared his talk and then took the younger two to Calgary to Bowen's baptism.  They said it was an excellent day.  Nice baptism, good food, good company.  They got home so late that the kids went straight to bed.  Said they would talk to me in the morning.  I stayed home to be Cora's chauffeur.  In the afternoon Cora had a youth swimming party, then later that day they had the opportunity to listen to Elder Holland talk.  It was a special fireside for the youth, youth leaders, and bishops. 9 stakes were invited to attend.  Plus it was broadcast to two other stakes in BC and Medicine Hat.  The fireside started at 7.  Our youth decided to meet at 5:15 to get a seat.  When they arrived it was already full.  Very full.  Primary chairs had been pulled out to set up three rows in front of the first bench before the stage.  That should give you an idea of how the entire building looked.  Apparently some people had got there before 4.  Cora's group headed over to the overflow building.  Later we heard they even opened up a third church building.  Before they left Cora started talking to me about how excited she was.  I was telling Dave this and said, 'It is not every 14 year old that is super pumped about dressing up and sitting in a church building for hours waiting then listening to an old man preach to them on a Saturday.  It is moments like this that I think just maybe, once in a while we do something right as parents.'  Dave said it is no wonder we are called a peculiar people. Cora arrived around 5:30.  They were trying to get the broadcast equipment to work.  Worked on it for an hour and forty minutes.  Finally 10 minutes after it was started someone turned to the kids and they needed every one to pray for a miracle for this to work.  They said a prayer and a few minutes later it worked. She loved every minute of his talk.  Their building missed the first 20 minutes of the fireside, but Elder Holland was the last speaker.  He talked about dating, meeting his wife, answered a few questions that were written down beforehand, and talked about missionary work.  Said he would hold the boys down and sign their papers if they weren't doing it and he would sit outside their house and scratch their windows until they studied Preach My Gospel.  Cora said he was funny and entertaining and LOVED every minute of it.  At the end of his talk he said something like if there is only one thing I want you to remember tonight it is..... and the broadcast went down again.  Cora was thinking, no wait, what is it?  Broadcast came back up and he said, 'Ok I will say it one more time.  ... this church is true, the gospel of Jesus Christ is true...."  It was an amazing experience for the youth.  She came home on such a high.  It was great to see her like that.  Sunday we had another stake youth fireside with the mission president and his wife.  Also another wonderful talk.  Truly and amazing weekend for Cora.  Something she will always remember.