Changes

Well, lots of things are changing around here.  Rob is getting closer and closer to finishing our basement family room, which will be a much needed relief for a little extra space around here!  Once that is done, we can move our computer station down there and clear out space for the baby's crib in our upstairs bedroom. We bought a new rug for our family room, which I LOVE, and it makes the room feel so much bigger and brighter.  The size of my belly continues to change, as does the execution of my Zumba moves--as my belly gets bigger, my moves seem to get smaller!

But the real changes around here are centered around our church callings.  Rob received a new calling the week after we returned from Disneyland.  He was called as the first counselor in the Stake Young Men's Presidency, which naturally necessitated a release from his calling as the Primary Music Leader in our ward.  I was sad that he wouldn't be with the rest of the family in Primary anymore, but Rob said that he had felt that this was coming.  His new calling has consisted of a lot of meetings and a lot of learning what is expected of him and how he needs to fulfill his responsibilities.  I think he will do a fantastic job and I am so proud of his dedication and how he has whole-heartedly thrown his efforts into this new challenge. 

Then one week later, a new Primary presidency was called in our ward, meaning I got released as first counselor in the Primary.  I was pretty sad at first to leave the Primary, as it has been one of my favorite callings and I feel like I have learned so much about how the Church works and grown a lot through this calling.  Not to mention I just love the Primary kids and I love going to Primary, as there is never a dull moment!  Later that week we had a meeting with the new Primary presidency to give them our materials and explain all the information they would need to fulfill their new callings.  It was therapeutic for me to go through all the items of running the Primary and explain them as a type of personal release.  After the meeting I felt like I could really let go and move on to whatever is next in store for me. 

This week I went to Gospel Doctrine and Relief Society for the first time in over 2 years!  I enjoyed attending those classes and pondering the questions and the discussions.  It was nice to have a lesson that was focused toward my own personal spiritual growth, as opposed to focusing my lessons on how to teach a certain doctrine to the children.  I felt a spiritual renewal and realized that getting released from my calling wasn't a bad thing, but was probably something that I didn't know that I needed.  I have surprisingly felt a strong impulse to recommit myself to the Gospel, my own personal scripture study, and teaching my family the principles of the truth.  In my mind, I always sort of associated spiritual growth with a new calling, or assumed that it would accompany a "big" calling.  But that just isn't true.  I am grateful for the change. Although it isn't easy or comfortable, it is exactly what I needed and probably exactly what many of the other ward members involved in the change needed as well. 

The transition was pretty smooth, except for Claire.  Her teacher brought her to us near the end of Sunday School and said that she had been sad and crying for Mom and Dad for the entire hour and she just didn't know what to do with her.  I had warned Hallie and Claire that we wouldn't be in Primary with them anymore, but apparently that reality hadn't sunk in for Claire.  I realized that she had never actually been in Primary without us before.  We comforted her and she went back to class just fine. I was stopped in the hall by a few different Primary children and had a little pang of sadness as I realized that I wouldn't get to see them in Primary anymore.  And they were also sad to see me go, so that was a good feeling--at least they weren't eager to kick me out!

So right now I am job-less!  Since I am due to have a baby here in the next month, I am wondering whether they will give me a little break until after the baby is born, or if I'll get a new calling right away.  I will be happy either way.  It would be nice to have a new assignment, but it would also be nice to have a little break with a newborn.  Time will tell!

Overall, I feel happy and grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me and my family with the things that we needed, even though we didn't know we needed them! I feel a deep and abiding sense of peace that extends deep into my soul.  I love my God and His Gospel and I am so thankful to have it as the center of my life!