Here are our Easter pics. I'm always in such a rush before church on Easter, but I'm always so glad I make the kids pose even if they don't want to. After all, you gotta have a few pictures when bow ties are involved!
Looking snappy!
On that very Easter Sunday our ward was split. The meeting itself was wonderful, but the split itself was bittersweet. Although it was hard to lose some of our good friends, our ward was getting so large that it was tough to know everyone. I was heading out to the parking lot feeling wistful when a member of the Stake Presidency stopped me in my tracks. At first I thought he was just going to ask me a few questions about the upcoming Mormon Prom, but then when he asked me to step into another room I knew something was up. As Oprah says, "Never let them take you to a second location!" I was floored when he released me from the Stake YW since we had such a full schedule coming up (Prom, camp, youth conference) and Brooke, the second counselor, is in Europe all summer, poor thing. I got to spend the rest of the afternoon wondering why I was released until the bishop called and said his family wanted to bring over an Easter treat. While his kids covered our lawn with Easter eggs, I was called to be the new Relief Society president and properly dumbstruck.
So that was Easter.
My calling as the new RS President put our plans for the following weekend into flux. I had been planning to go to Utah with Forrest because he was running a half Iron Man with his MN friend Dan and his Utah friend Cody, but I was also truly excited to go spend time with my Dad to celebrate his 65th birthday and official retirement. It was going to be a surprise. And then my brother Andrew and my sister Amy were coming. It was a whole THING. We were planning to leave the kids by themselves for four days, which had rattled my nerves a bit to be honest, and it was also the second to the last week of school and I had just received 70 research papers that needed to be graded by the Thursday I was to return. But I was willing to deal with all those issues so I could still go. And then . . . bombshell. The first Sunday as a ward and the day I was set to be sustained was the Sunday we were going to be gone. That next week, I had to work with the bishop to call a brand new Relief Society program (counselors, VT supervisors, Enrichment ladies, teachers) and set up the entire visiting teaching program. And it was still the last two weeks of school and a week wherein I was somehow supposed to grade and comment on 70 6-8 page research papers. I had to face it: I wouldn't be able to go. I was so disappointed, especially once the pictures of everyone else having fun without me started rolling in, but there really wasn't any other way to deal with that two week period of my life. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't go because there's no way I would have survived May 5-22. I barely survived as it was.
As far as the calling goes, I'm enjoying it so far. I would have been much more freaked out about being the Primary or the Young Women's president. Of course, I'm still plenty freaked out, but I'm also looking forward to getting to know the women in the ward on a more personal level--that's the best part. I could use your prayers though.
And Forrest had an excellent time in Utah without me. Here are some pics of him at the race and with our family:
 |
| Early morning, getting ready to race with hundreds of other crazy people. When you go to a true Iron Men event, all sorts of people show up! |
 |
| Forrest and Cody. We miss Cody! |
 |
| Dan, Forrest, and Cody. Dan kicked it in the swim portion (6th place in his age group) but Forrest *almost* caught him at the end. Always good to have someone to chase. Forrest and Cody were lucky enough to find each other on the run and spent the last hour of the race together. I was tracking them online and was so happy to see that during the last hour of that 5 1/2 hour ordeal Forrest had the company of one of his favorite friends. |
 |
| Forrest and Dan celebrating at the end of the race. |
Although I would have loved to have been there to cheer Forrest on, what I really missed was seeing family. Look at these beautiful faces!
 |
| These kids are growing up without us. Sniff. |
There are lots of great photos of the whole Sweat clan on my mom's blog (and Amy's and Andi's) but here's one from Forrest's very own phone. My happily retired Dad, my happily retired (kind of???) Mom, and my husband who has about 25 years left to go. But we don't talk about that. Enjoying a little Mexican food at the Red Iguana--my fave!
Tomorrow I'll finish the update. Prom! (I know you've been waiting for those pictures.) Solo singing! Stay tuned.
