Salt Lake Parade of Homes, Todd and Kimiko's family dino visit, August 2022

 August is off to a roaring start!  I had been feeling a bit down lately and studying about Job in the Old Testament helped me this week immensely.  I always knew he loved God, had great patience and integrity through all of his trials but somehow I missed the part that he was sad and complained and was miserable through his trials, all human emotions and yet he never blamed God or turned from him.  I learned it's okay to feel the emotions and be discouraged and down when life is hard and that feeling that doesn't mean I'm having a faith crisis.  It means I'm human and I'm experiencing a life full of hard and wonderful things! I don't even know if that makes sense, but it made a lot of sense to me and helped cheer me up a lot knowing it's okay to not always be cheerful! 

I also had a lot of tender mercies in the way of friends and family being there for me.  I was able to have lunch with Cindi on Tuesday, Parade of Homes, Swig and lunch with Carol on Wednesday, lunch with Hannah and Violet on Thursday as well as swimming at Cheryl's on Thursday afternoon!  We also had our senior missionary friends from Brazil, Anderson's, Barrett's, and Ketcheson's over or dinner on Friday night and that's always a wonderful time.  I didn't take pictures of this amazing week except for some of the parade homes, but I will always hold this week close to my heart as a week of feeling loved and needed.  

The cherry on top was that Todd's family came down on Saturday and met us at Ashton Gardens to see the dino's and they stayed over Saturday night and Sunday for church and our family dinner.  We had such a great time with them.  

We rented a golf cart because Kimiko has an injury in her ankle, I have a knee injury and Mike has feet issues.  It made it so much easier and fun!  The kids loved taking turns steering.  This picture I call, "Must go faster!" (from Jurassic Park)

Afterwards, we had lunch at Zupas, then came home and the kids played with all our toys, hot tubbed, played on the swing set, we watched a movie (Buzz Lightyear, thumbs down), and grilled burgers.  Kimiko and I took a quick trip to Home Goods and Target too.

Sunday, we all went to church and then had dinner later in the afternoon with Eric, Ben, Spencer (Brady), Hannah's family and Meg.  We have a lovely family and are very blessed.  

Such darling little cousins born only a couple of weeks apart.

The prince and princess!

It was truly a wonderful week and one I hope I can remember when I get down.  I'm so blessed as my friend, Janice, would say!