Fantastic Day

Today was such a great day. It started out with not being quite so rushed to get out the door in the morning for church because we had Stake Conference at 10 instead of church at 9. Which means we had to leave the house at 9 instead of 8:10. Then we rode the train to Zollikofen to go to the stake center there, which just happens to be next to the temple. It is gorgeous. And it was SUCH a beautiful day today—after weeks of gray skies, the temple spire against the blue was breathtaking.

Here we are in front of the temple doors staring straight into the sun. :)

The conference was broadcasted from Berlin, and Pres. Uchtdorf was there with his wife and also Barbara Thompson, both of whom I love. And get this---Pres. Uchtdorf speaks GERMAN!! Ha ha, kidding. But he did speak in German, and so did Sister Thompson, who served a mission in Germany. And Sister Uchtdorf spoke too. Also in German. ;) But we went upstairs to the English translation room where it was translated for us. Which is awesome, and also funny because President Uchtdorf talked for a little while about respecting others as ourselves, and even so in our own family, and how we need to remember to always endure our family. HE mentioned this a couple more times—enduring our families. And I thought, hmmm, I’m guessing that’s not exactly what he means. Sure enough, when we brought it up to a native German speaker afterwards, they said “ertragen” can mean endure/tolerate/put up with, *OR* can mean sustain/support. However, it IS good advice both ways. Some days you just have to focus on the enduring part. :)

So after visiting for about an hour after the meeting ended (Brett saw many people he recognized from his mission days and had a good time catching up), we took the train back. When we got to the train station, we had about 1.5 minutes to get to the complete other end of the station to catch our train home. So we RAN all the way through—Brett first pushing the stroller with Ethne and Tell, then me running holding Hazel’s hand, then Jethro running last. It was awesome. Awesome because we caught our train in the nick of time. :) I think it’s funny how we had to go to a meeting from 10-12, and we left our house at 9 and got home at about 2. It’ll be good to have a minivan. Although it is fun to visit with all the other members on the trains going the same direction, too.

So we had some lunch and then Brett and I tried to sneak in a nap while the kids played. Jethro got my camera and took pictures. Isn’t it nice that Ethne gave us her blankie? Then when Talmage woke up from his (very much needed) nap, we went outside because it was suuuuuuuch gorgeous weather. Other people were out enjoying it to, so I begged Brett to ask a person passing by to take a picture of all of us by the Swiss cow. Brett said no, but then I whined and begged and reminded him it was my heart’s desire to have a family picture by the cow, so he gave in. I love him. :)

Then we went on a walk to somewhere we hadn’t explored before. Can you see how warm it was???? No hats, no gloves, Hazel just wearing a light jacket—this makes me SOOOOOO happy!!! Jethro and Hazel ran up and down the hill.

Every time I look at this picture I about laugh my head off. I’m not sure how it is that Hazel looks exactly like a little doll that Jethro’s flopping around, but it’s hilarious.

What glorious, bright sunshine! I think sunshine is one of my favorite things on earth.

Then Hazel convinced us to walk to the playground at her school. Talmage LOOOOOOVED this swing.

swinging from Kayli Bell on Vimeo.

Then we walked home again as the sun was going down. Then we had some dinner and stuff, and got ready for bed. Talmage was being HILARIOUS tonight and he was giving Ethne these huge, enormous hugs and being that he’s as big or bigger than her, he’d knock her down and it was the cutest thing in the entire universe.

Later, when the kids were in bed and I was looking at these here pictures, Brett went to go milk the cow. I was sitting here, minding my own business and suddenly I hear, “I am descending the stairs this very moment.” I looked around to see a walkie-talkie sitting on the window ledge beside me. I picked it up and said, “You’re so weird.” Then I was told, “Please maintain radio silence unless it is absolutely necessary to contact me.” I continued receiving updates throughout his venture.

“I am now approaching the Wegemann residence.”

“A light just came on!”

“A dog is approaching.”

“It does not appear to mind my presence.”

“I am now engaging the milk dispensing apparatus.”

“I am now completing the milking operation and will return to homebase shortly.”

Really, what could be a better ending to such a nice day?

(p.s. Yesterday was nice too, after Brett and I got over being mad at each other in the morning that is. Brett and our friend David went to the priesthood session and David’s wife and kids came over here to play while they were gone, and then we had dinner together. It was a good time, including some rounds of Indian leg wrestling and the like. It’s amazing how it doesn’t really matter to kids that they don’t speak the same language. They play with legos, they dress up in princess outfits, they wrestle, they dance. Words are extraneous.

Also, we found a desk that somebody had left on the side of the road to be taken to the dump (which you have to pay for here—not a free service) and it is nice and I like it so we took it inside and now I have a place to put my computer, which is really good because before it was just on the floor in the corner with the couch pushed in front of it to try to deter kids from getting into all the many wires. Free is maybe my second-favorite thing in the world.)