The Thinkery

 

Released

A new executive secretary was called last Sunday, and a new Relief Society secretary was called this Sunday, so we are now officially released from the Walnut Creek Ward.

I have been serving in Relief Society presidencies pretty much non-stop since before Heidi was born, so for six years now. I have served under four different Relief Society presidents--as a 1st counselor, as a 2nd counselor, and twice as a secretary. Each president I served with had different strengths and they all did things a little differently, but they all did a great job and I enjoyed serving with all of them. (I have to say that I have loved serving in Relief Society presidencies in a supportive role, but I have no aspirations to be a Relief Society president. They do a lot of hard work!)

Here's a picture of the most recent presidency that I served in, in the Walnut Creek Ward here in Austin:

Fun story about Susan [black dress]... Scott and I met her on our first Sunday in the ward, and she knew Scott's great-grandparents back in Arizona. Both she and Tonia [blue shirt] have been very kind to me and our family. Tonia made my birthday special and also brought gifts when William was born. Susan also gave gifts to William and the kids and had our entire family over to her home at least three different times in the past year and a half. And she always went above and beyond to accommodate Lizzie's allergies. These are some amazing women--always using their talents and resources to serve others!

Brushy Creek Lake Park

William's Baby Blessing

Uncle Steven (Miller) and Grandma and Grandpa Ellsworth got to be there today for William's baby blessing:

Some notes that I took were:

• He is blessed with a supportive and loving family.
• He will be prepared and have opportunities to learn and grow and make covenants.
• He will serve others.
• He will gain wisdom.
• He will engage in the work of the Lord, share his testimony, and gain blessings as a result.
• He will seek out his ancestors and engage in the work of salvation.
• He will serve faithfully.
• He will keep his heart and mind open and know the difference between right and wrong.

360 Bridge Overlook

Working on the New House

Grandma and Grandpa and Dad and Uncle Steven have been working really hard to get our new house ready to move into.

Austin Symphony Children's Day Art Park

Austin Symphony Orchestra hosts a summer concert series for kids. Today we went and checked it out. The kids enjoyed the free balloons, the instrument petting zoo, the balloon artist, and the ice-cold lemonade. They weren't as interested in the live music. (Did you know that Austin is called the Live Music Capital of the World?)

The venue was really cool. It's downtown by the Capitol, and Waller Creek runs through the amphitheater, right in front of the stage.

The kids were fascinated by the clown. Here he is balancing a toilet plunger on his chin.

Lizzie wanted to try out the violin. She wants to play like her dad.

Heidi wanted to try the saxophone. Owen was interested in the drums, until he heard how loud they are. He got scared and Heidi took his turn.

This balloon artist made a snake for Heidi and a dog on a leash for Lizzie.

Secret Beach and Guerrero Park

This is an awesome park, by the way... Only 3 years old, with 2 big playscapes and lots of other stuff to do, and (my personal favorite) fully enclosed.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Mueller Lake

The Mueller area is one of my favorite places in Austin. It's close enough to where we currently live that we visit often--usually five times a week. (Too bad the homes in the neighborhood start at over half a million dollars!)

St Edward Trail and Bailey Splash Pad

Today we went on a short hike at St Edward Park. We stopped at this swimming hole and let the girls splash around a bit.

Owen didn't want to get in the water. He was content to find sticks and throw rocks.

On the way home we stopped at a splash pad:

Walnut Creek

This morning we went for a hike at Walnut Creek. We ended up taking a wrong turn, and our hike lasted about two and a half hours! (Not what I had in mind.) But all's well that ends well, right?

Not the most scenic spot on our hike, but I thought it was sweet that they were holding hands and getting along so well. (Right now they're going through a phase where they're either thick as thieves or quarreling constantly. They usually alternate back and forth several times a day.)

Lizzie and Heidi enjoyed playing in the creek for a few minutes.

Taking a rest. (Yep, Owen is in his pjs. Long story.)

This is the main creek crossing. You can see that the creek is pretty well dried up here.

Lou Neff Point

We went for a short hike on the Butler Hike and Bike Trail and stopped for a photo op here at Lou Neff Point: