I should be reporting on a regional conference I was helping organize - Quality Matters this time around, in Seattle. I was looking forward to it...had volunteered for too many things...but excited to be able to meet up and talk with some great people. However, it was just not in the cards...
The weekend before was also something we both look forward to - General Conference. We get to spend the weekend listening to various talks from the general authorities of the church as we knit, work on chainmaille, and discuss the various talks. One of the predominant themes throughout the sessions was the importance of family. This is something we both feel is extremely important, even if we do not have children. We are still a little family of our own, and many of the principles still apply in our home.
We were looking forward to the quiet, restful weekend. Patrick had been sick and needed rest, and I was overly stressed with work and school and the conference. So my body did what any normal body should and it revolted by also getting sick, followed by Patrick joining back in.
We were packed and set to leave at 8am on Wednesday morning, but after another night of not so restful sleep and much getting up, and some contemplation on my responsibilities with the conference we decided we could not go. I was very sad. Luckily, all my responsibilities were shared, so I wrote notes, sent emails, and made calls to make sure everything went smoothly.
But some very interesting things followed, beginning with the decision to just take the rest of the week off. I knew I would need the time to recuperate and it took off the daily decision of whether or not to go to work.
It was the best decision.
So with days filled with rest, little stress, and lots of relaxing, we were both able to get feeling better and spend some much needed time together.
Family is important. And with all the connections we have with family, the one person you get to choose to be in your family is your spouse. And while each family has traditions and ways of doing things, it is the relationship with your spouse that requires a lot of nurturing and work. We did not do anything spectacular or have any really deep conversations, but we were able to nurture our relationship and remind ourselves that we chose to be a family.
By Saturday we were definitely feeling better and took time to do some things together outside of the house.
First, we headed over to a local gardening center and made miniature gardens (a definite Lisa thing - but Patrick made one too.) After gathering our plants and pieces we both had places that needed something, so we brought them home and added....rocks of course!
We then went to our local gem and mineral show and picked up some more pretty rocks.
Lisa's stash has some lace agate, petrified wood, moissonite, and other pretty green and purple agates.
Patrick found some great pieces of blood stone, which the camera just could not capture, and Lisa picked up the black/brown obsidian.
Patrick picked up another amazing piece of obsidian - if you hold it up to the light there are clear pockets! And a beautiful blue-green agate - which we are both fighting over.
It was a good week, even if it's beginnings were doubtful and stressful. When you listen to each other and the Spirit, good decisions happen.
We have definitely reinstated that we need to make sure we take the time to spend time together and nurture our little family.
And now to do more cool stuff with our pretty rocks...
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