MINI-WEEKEND IN ST. LOUIS
When Sam and I first moved to Missouri we set a goal to attend the temple once per month. Seeing as our closest temple is nearly 3 hours away (the Winter Quarters temple in Omaha), this has been quite the commitment - mostly because it requires us to give up one Saturday a month.
I am proud to report that we have not yet missed a month!
In March Sam and I had only one Saturday available to go to the temple, and one week before we were to go, we learned that the Winter Quarters temple was closed for cleaning. My first thought was, "Well, its the thought that counts, right? If the temple were open we would go, but it isn't, so I guess we'll stay home and play!" But my conscience wouldn't let me think that way. After a few battles back and forth between the little devil on my left shoulder and the little angel on my right shoulder, the little angel won. So Sam and I packed our bags for a little overnight trip to St. Louis.
Of course the main purpose of the trip was to go to the temple, but since neither of us had been to St. Louis, we spent the afternoon in downtown St. Louis. And who can go to St. Louis without a trip to the famous gateway arch?
We rode to the top of the arch in one of these tiny egg cells with a couple of strangers. Thankfully the ride to the top was only 4 minutes, and thankfully neither one of us has claustrophobia. Sam was wearing his CTR ring and one of the "strangers" in our cell recognized it. They were a couple of Mormons visiting from Washington. Those Mormons are everywhere!
Here is the view of the "Mighty Mississippi."
I'm so used to gorgeous white capped mountain rivers in Idaho that I found the Mississippi to be disappointingly ugly.
I think they should call it the "Murky Mississippi."
SOME UPDATES TO OUR HOUSE
We got a piano and I LOVE it. I feel like such a grown-up having a piano of my own.
The only thing I don't like about having the piano is that everytime I sit down to play I am reminded of how much better I used to be. I never thought I would lose my ability to play, but I have learned the hard way the lesson taught in "The Parable of the Talents." If you bury your talent, the Lord will take it away.
I've been doing a bit of painting around the house.
When we moved into our house the downstairs bathroom was a boring sage green, and the upstairs spare bathroom was an ugly lavender. I hated both of the colors, but I hated the process of painting too...
...But you know how sometimes you just get it in your mind that you want to do something? Well, one day I just got it in my mind that I was going to paint these bathrooms. They were random, spur of the moment projects, but I am very happy with the outcomes!
DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM BEFORE:
DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM BEFORE:
DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM AFTER:
UPSTAIRS BATHROOM BEFORE:
UPSTAIRS BATHROOM AFTER:
SOME OF MY RECENT KNITTING PROJECTS
Like always, I've kept myself busy with my crafts. As of right now, I think that knitting is my craft of choice. (Jewelry making still comes in as a close second, but currently knitting is my favorite.)
Most of what I make I give away as presents. (I apologize to those of you out there who are sick of getting homemade gifts from me.) Here are a couple of pictures of some knitted projects that I have given away as baby gifts.
