An All Over the Place Kind of Saturday

Today started with the temple.  The temple.  I love the temple.  Going to the temple with a tiny baby is hard to figure out.  I've been once since Fiona's been born, but today was the first time I participated in work called an endowment, in a long time.  I had a beautiful, beautiful time.  I went to the 7:45 a.m. session.  So that meant I left the house at 6:45 a.m. 

When I got home we took a while getting organized but we eventually did and we went out to Orangeville to a Maple Syrup festival.  FUN!  Kate watched a magic show, and even got to help.

 Kate and Alice had their faces painted.

 We took a horse drawn sleigh ride.

Next up was a walk through the forest to go to the sugar shack.  We roasted marshmallows, watched a presentation or two and then saw the maple sap being boiled.  We learned that light syrup  comes from sap early in the season, and dark syrup comes late in the season.  We had a taste of fresh syrup - so good, some maple taffy in the snow - so good, and then Kate lost it! 

Poor thing was freezing. We thought it was warmer than it was.  Neither of the girls was wearing their snow pants and Kate wore her rain boots. Needless to say that all the outdoor fun was too much.  We raced back to the van and  I warmed Kate's feet and she eventually stopped crying.  While I was warming her feet, Ken picked up hotdogs and pancakes and we had a picnic in the van.  He also picked up 2L of light syrup.  Liquid gold!  We did a few errands in Orangeville and then we drove home.

Once we got home I changed quickly and then Fiona and I drove back to Orangeville.  It was the very first of a new women's conference.  From now on there will be a broadcast for all the women ages 8 and up every six months - the week before general conference.  To mark this historic event there was a potluck dinner and an activity and of course we watched the broadcast.

Now for the all over the place.  In the midst of this uplifting day of temple, of family, of spiritual edification, a tragedy unfolded across the street in our neighbour's home.  Four and a half years ago our neighbours lost their son.  He was 13, and it was labour day.  He should have started grade eight the next day.  I suppose that Mama - his Mama never recovered.  She put on a brave face.  She organized charity benefits in his name.  She carried on, but she was broken.  Part of the reason that we were late leaving our house was because of all the emergency vehicles outside our house.  One of which was blocking our driveway.   

I wondered what had happened.  Ken and the girls all wondered what happened.  I sent a message to another neighbour later in the evening.  I was worried and I was curious.  It was after the dinner, not long before the broadcast that I received a message back.  This broken Mama had come to a tragic end.  Tragedy on top of tragedy is just too much.  I am so, so sad for this family.  For the husband and her daughter, now left. 

We don't know any of our neighbours very well.  We are friendly, but mostly keep to ourselves.  I was glad of all the spiritual uplift that started today and ended today.  I'm so thankful that families are forever.  I am thankful for the atonement of Jesus Christ.  For resurrection, for the peace that knowledge brings.  I am thankful that I know that Alicia is now at peace and she's with her son Dodge.  I just hope and pray that the family that is left behind can find peace and comfort.