EAST OF EDEN

Now that we are teaching in the Eden Ward we are really busy.  We have an investigator who has set a baptism date.  It is so wonderful to experience someone growing in the testimony of the Restored Gospel.  When Elder Bayles taught her the word of wisdom lesson she was very quiet for awhile.  Elder Bayles waited and then asked how she felt.  She said, "Do I have to do it all at once?"  Elder Bayles asked what part she was having a hard time with and she answered,  'I just don't know if I can give up my Mountain Dew."  What a sweetie.  We hadn't even mentioned soda pop; just caffine.  Elder Bayles called her a few days later to see how she was doing and she told him she had been having a conversation with the Lord and suddenly asked Him, Coffee?  Really?"  Elder Bayles just told her to keep asking because the answer would be, "Yes"  She's great.  We love her.

view as we drive into our driveway  (pecan trees)

We drove to Danville to carry (Caswell term) Elder Bayles' suit pants to the cleaners.  We decided to gas up while we were there, get a Sam's Club Card and go to Walmart for groceries.  We got home and there on the seat of the car were the pants.  Too many senior moments lately.
Wednesday was Dist. Meeting.  We love taking the Danville elders.  We are so well trained at these meetings by our district leader.  Tuesday we have a meeting in Salisbury where Elder Carlson and Elder Bowen of the Seventy will train us.  We are very excited.  They have asked us to study D&C 84:33-41,the oath and covenant of the priesthood, the Abrahamic covenant, the house of Israel and the baptism covenant.  We are definitely doing that.  I hope they don't give a pop quiz.
We spent the entire day in the Lord's work; got home late and felt wonderful.
Thursday was another day with Lewis Farms.  We will do an entire blog when we get time to get it together.

satellite dish in back yard

Warren is coming along.  He hasn't had a cigarette for a month now.  We are so proud of him. I  asked him how he was doing and he said that he hadn't had but three.  I just groaned and was so sad and he just burst out laughing.  He loves to get the best of me.  We love him.
We had a wonderful dinner at the Cutting Board with the Miles and Aldridges.  We had so much fun with them.  The Miles are planning to go to the temple in December.  He was baptized Dec. 26,2011.
We had our first pecan pie this week.  It was at Freddie and Iris's.  It was the best pecan pie I have ever eaten.  We are going to roll home.
We had an incredible Sacrament Meeting today.  The speakers were so good.  Sister Lewis talked strictly from 3Nephi in such a personal manner.  You thought she was right there.  The Spirit was so tangible.  Brother Hawkins, talked about coming to ourselves.  He told a story about when he was 24 and at Dsneyland for Christmas and got lost.  He had us in stitches. But a little 8 year old boy was next to him and lost also so he decided the Lord put him there to help this little boy.  We love the Caswell Ward.  Funny thing a member of the ward gave us a picture of Kristin and family. (one of those strips you get in a machine at the mall)   The member was at a wedding reception in Columbia and Kristin and family were there.  The picture was part of the reception.  Small world.

Elder Bayles made these canes on PDay out of the wood from around Jesse and Margaret's pond.

We are doing a home evening tonight for a family in the ward to get them psyched up for this school year.  School starts tomorrow.
Have I ever told you I love Elder Bayles?
We celebrated Nixon's birthday this week.   They IPhoned us so we could see everyone,  Nixon was eating an entire cake by himself.  He was not interested i us at all.  We talked to everyone but the kids were more interested in playing outside which is as it should be.  We loved seeing them for a short time.  Erik, Shanell and boys were there. We love that they do so many things together.  The pirate cake and all the treasures looked so fun.  We love our family.

Nixon has brought so much joy to the family/  He is always full of smiles.  He loves his big sister, Ava, and keeps everyone happy.  I didn't have any pictures of him so I took pictures that are on my phone with my camera.  They didn't turn out so good but will have to do.

Thurs. Oct. 5, 1905, I bot a pair of half soles and half soled my shoes.
Sun. Nov.5,  We got up in good time, and as it was fast day we did not eating anything.  In the forenoon we went and visited the man who had sent for us to come and see him.  In the afternoon we held a sacrament meeting at Sister Smith's, and a night we held another meeting at Joseph Beasley's (the man that sent for us) after which he asked to be "baptized"; we also stayed with him over the night.  I also wrote a letter to Eva.