Armando Lopez's baptism

Dear Armando is nine years old. His dear sister Alejandra is the first person to befriend Brittany when we moved here. Ale had become inactive after trying hard to come on her own. She also worked Sundays and had several buses to catch.

Armando was baptized because the parents have regained commitment to the gospel. The two of them are not baptized because of the father still being married to a wife in Mexico. That would constitute a problem. He is working on fixing that problem. Brother and sister Lopez above with new baby named after Andrew the first missionary to teach them. And Lex a spanish speaking man in our ward who befriended them for years! Alejandra and Armando, James, Britt and the missionaries.

Both parents bore testimony and spoke at Armando's baptism. That little boy was beaming with goodness. This was a beautiful experience for me. Absolutely worth living here.

The missionaries above are the ones who baptized Armando. They also came to dinner the next day at our home. It was a great visit. Elder Archibald and Elder Minos.

Visiting Filoli

A absolutely beautiful day to visit the historical home and gardens of Filoli. A name I never can

remember! Luckily that's where my dear friend Susan Putnam comes in. She was my very skilled driver to and from. And my tour guide while visiting.

History from the filoli website

Filoli was built for Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers Bourn, prominent San Franciscans whose chief source of wealth was the Empire Mine, a hard-rock gold mine in Grass Valley, California. Mr. Bourn was also owner and president of the Spring Valley Water Company whose property comprised Crystal Springs Lake and the surrounding lands, areas that are now part of the San Francisco Water Department. He selected the southern end of Crystal Springs Lake as the site for his estate.

Mr. Bourn arrived at the unusual name Filoli by combining the first two letters from the key words of his credo: “Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.”

Mother's Day Without

This was my first Mother's Day without my mother. I always loved mother's day! Not because I was a mother, but because I had a mother. For a good 40+ years I have enjoyed the hunt for a perfect mother's day gift for my mom. This year I kept seeing advertisements on TV and thinking Oh my mother would like that! Then

my mind would come to reality and understand that there would be no buying mother's day gifts for my mother this year.

So My personal gift was to talk to her. I thanked her for everything she gave me. I thanked her at this time more then anything for giving me my sister's. Because without them her loss would be unbearable without their friendship.

It was also my first year away from my children on Mother's Day. I did have James and Britt thankfully. James always puts forth is full effort in making Mother's Day a wonderful event. Even when he is headed out the door again for travel. Which was the case on this Mother's Day. You're a good man James!

Two gift packages came to the door that weekend. And one on it's way. I really thought they would forget. But Thank you kids for being fabulous!

But the greatest gift they gave me was one I will never forget. It brought powerful emotions to my very soul. It took me an hour to compose myself. Each of my dear children went to Payson and took flowers and placed them on my mother's grave. My mother's grave looked more like Memorial Day then Mother's Day. We love our mother.

Then to deepen the gift they visited with Grandpa Wilson. He had prepared food thinking he would have a lot of company for Mother's Day. Most kids had come early that week. So having my kids stop by and visit him, and eat his food was a blessing. I couldn't bare thinking of him waiting for company and no one showing up! My kids saved him and me from feeling that sadness. Thank you kids. In one act you showed a mother everything she hopes her children will become, giving, thoughtful, caring, good people.

Yeah! My sisters came to check-out my life and home here in HMB. I have been so excited for this day to come. I kept looking at Google to check the weather. It changes on a dime here on the coast. I wanted to pray for good weather. And then I reconsidered and thought perhaps I should pray for something a little more important. Being with my sisters will bring me the sunshine I need.

Lisa and Diana flew in with James, Britt and I on Sunday evening the tenth

of April. We had just spent that Saturday together at my nephew Adam's

wedding. We arrived to clear skies. I was able to share the beauty of HMB with them. Including a sunset at the Ritz.

I consider myself a BRAVE women! I drove the Wilson sisters two times into San Francisco. And ended up with only one parking ticket! Actually I must plead Innocent and blame it on the dysfunctional parking

meter!! My first parking ticket ever!

Hanging with my sisters is better than chocolate Cinnamon bears, or chocolate and caramel Macadamia nuts. Hanging with them made my world just plain yummy!

We drove and drove, ate, walked and shopped, and

LAUGHED! The below picture is a winner. It gave Lisa a good 10 minute laugh. We just had to join in with her.

Girls night out? Or should I say girls night in?

Seriously, these are three amazing women! How they decided to pull me in to be there friend I have no idea. But it has saved me from utter, bleak loneliness.

Right is Karen Kirby the Young Women's President whom I work with. She is also a Lawyer for the city of San Francisco. A degree she received while being a single mother of 4 small children on welfare! Next is Caroline Larsen. She is also a single sister who has never been married. She served a spanish speaking mission and is forever helping fellowship the Hispanic community helping bring them into the gospel. She has taken one Mexican boy in at the age of 16 and helped him to serve a mission as well as attend college in Utah. Not to mention she is musically talented up to the wazoo!

The dear friend cooking up dinner is Susan Putnam. AKA my visiting teacher. This is the V.T. that never officially visits. But sweeps me off to lunch, theater performances, adventures etc.. She was from Utah where she married and had children. She is now remarried to a non-member who has blessed the lives of her and her children.

The good was amazingly flavorful and original. She is known for her cooking skills. And she lived up to her reputation. Susan took all this on after putting her dear doggie down earlier that day. Her husband loved that dog like a child. Since Bo has never had children of his own.

She still pulled the night off beautifully.

Young Women Driving hard for Food Drive!

Our Young Women helping with The Second Harvest food drive. Young Women helping included Britt Whitchurch, Aria Chee and Colleen Coberly. It was an early Saturday Morning at the Pacifica Safeway. Where courage and bravery were at the forefront. We had a little taste of missionary rejection syndrome. Asking people to donate was not an easy thing for the girls. And lucky me had to set the example of how do it. Not just once, but over and over again when the girls courage faltered. My eyes were open to the total disinterest in giving shown by the people that came to Safeway's this day was shocking! Was it because people are having hard times themselves? Or possibly they have been asked one to many times. Or simply was it that the Girl Scout girls selling Girl Scout cookies out yelled us at the front doors?

You thought loosing your homework came with excuses! I thing the reasons people couldn't donate won the wacko excuses, excuses of all time. But thankfully for humanity we filled several buckets of food for the needy. And girls including you Britt were fabulous! I was worn to shreds, and Audrie and the girls kept going and going. Great experience

Yes Virginia it does snow in California!