BYU and Nauvoo!

Well, first the BYU part.
WONDERFUL day again! Again we took a little (kinda big) golf cart all around BYU Provo today. A nice young man told us everything we needed to know. What I learned was that the two BYU's are really similar! There are a couple of differences, one is that BYUI is smaller but is pretty much patterned after BYU Provo.

Kendahl was thrilled to see this campus. She really hopes to get accepted here.



So none of that is earth shattering news, but the good news is that I grew as a mother today. I have been so worried about Kendahl getting motivated and being able to focus on doing everything it takes to get to college. I feel like I have to push her and get her to do something, anything. But today I realized that I don't have to do that. Sounds really simple, and it kinda is. I just got this vision about her actually being able to do it, and it calmed me down. If she does it all in time for a fall semester at college then GREAT! If she doesn't, I guess she'll work out what her next move will be. But mainly, I don't have to do it for her. I'll hope for her, I'll dream for her. But she has to do it, I can not do it for her.

This may seem silly to some people, this simple yet obvious lesson, but I needed to feel it! (My mind knew it, but now my heart has grasped it.)

The other wonderful thing that happened tonight was that we went to visit my mom's cousin. She has always been Aunt Barbara to me. I haven't seen her for many, many years. But I always remember her as a smiling, spunky, fun woman. And her husband as a sweet heart! We started the visit immediately with genealogy she has gathered. I love talking about family history. I love the stories and the connection with family from the past.

I learned from Barbara that we had family who lived in Nauvoo, and that they were "intimate" friends with the Prophet Joseph Smith! I saw records of this and even had Barbara copy me one death announcement that had what the connection looked like. I wish I could put on here the information, but frankly, I don't know it well enough and I wouldn't know what to write anyway. You can find a lot of it on my aunt's blog. It is:
Barbara's Blog

I was so energized after leaving my aunt's house. I was excited to know my ancestors were part of the wonderful sacrifices of the early saints! I have that kind of blood in me! I have some amazing and wonderful people in in my family who came before me! Both living and dead! I wish I could be just a tiny bit of what they are!!


In this picture: (nephew)Bradly Stock, Me, Aunt Barbara, Uncle Dick, Kendahl