Didja miss me?

Half empty or half full, half empty or half full?
Half full - half full - half full.

This past week (plus really) has been a wild ride. Tuesday (nine days ago) I went to take the middle school girls to school and couldn't get the garage door open. I finally got it open and had Jenn and Ruby Neff hold it open while I drove the two cars out, we picked up the other girls and they still made it on time - tender mercy. We were able to find a good discount on a new door and opener - tender mercy. Last Thursday I drove the high school carpool in the morning and when I got home I noticed it sounded like the radiator was boiling...strange, Timpview is only about a mile and a half away. When I was heading out to Weight Watchers I watched the thermometer slowly climb until it hit red about the time I got there - tender mercy. When I came out I called Mark and we decided to take it to Ray's campus auto right next to BYU. I just made it there when it hit the red again. I called Karen Bergmann to tell her I would not make our appointed time for a bike ride and she offered to pick me up - tender mercy. My 8:00am class was cancelled Friday morning (the only time during the whole semester) so not having my car was not an issue - tender mercy. We took the Beamer in to get some work done. When they finished they were pulling it out the water pump went out so they pulled it back in and fixed that too - glad it didn't happen while Christian or I were on our way somewhere - tender mercy. General Conference was a real oasis for me. I just soaked in the messages from our leaders. The spirit bore witness to me again that there is a prophet of God on the earth today and that God is aware of us. Great messages of hope during troubled times. Saturday morning at aerobics Kristen was subbing for Laura and was going wicked fast, I pulled a muscle in my calf trying to keep up and so this week I rode inside and outside instead of going to aerobics to give it a chance to heal. I have been struggling for a few weeks to find a movie that is similar to the one I am trying to write. Monday I grabbed one off the shelf that I haven't seen for a while and popped it in while I rode. As it began it dawned on me that this is the movie I've been searching for - tender mercy. Robbie's letter Monday and how he was feeling unloved (I still get teary thinking about my wonderful son so far away feeling unloved) and how Pres. Monson's words touched his heart - tender mercy. During the summer I asked a wonderful sister in my ward to teach me how to knit so I could make Christmas stockings for the married kids spouses and the grandkids, carrying on the tradition started by Mark's mom. We have talked a few times and she told me she was getting it figured out. She came by today with three stockings ready to put names on. I was taken back. She said the first was the hardest and then they were really fun. As she was finishing the first one she thought about my life with school and everything and felt like she should just make all three and teach me when I have a little more time. What a tender mercy. This Christmas instead of having a whole stocking made by me three wonderful family members will have stockings made by an angel (with their names added by me). Huge tender mercy.

Definetly a week full of ups and downs - but I also feel like we have been very blessed. The cup is definitely more than half full and my heart is completely filled with gratitude.