Divergent, fall colors, jury duty and short hair

I just finished reading the divergent series.  The books were okay...an easy read.  Two quotes that I liked from the last book.

"I used to think that when people fell in love, they just landed where they landed, and they had no choice in the matter afterward.  And maybe that's true of beginnings, but it's not true of this, now.  I fell in love with him.  But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me.  I stay with him every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other.  I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me."

I like that one because I truly believe that staying married is a choice.  It's not something that just comes easy but it's something that you have to choose even when the difficult times come.  So many times when I am teaching the young women in church they have this fairytale view of being married.  And that is good to a certain extent...but to stay with someone after you've fallen in love with them is something that isn't easy.  Your spouse will enrich you just as much as they will challenge you.  They will hurt you and you will hurt them and you have to choose to make it work by applying the atonement and extending forgiveness.  It's so easy to just let that relationship slip and "fall out of love" like so many do today.  That's easy and takes no effort.  Successful marriages take a lot of work.

The other quote I liked was the following:

"Since I was young, I have always known this:  Life damages us, every one.  We can't escape that damage.  But now, I am also learning this:  We can be mended.  We mend each other."

Kind of reminds me of my favorite scriptures in Mosiah that says, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."  I really feel that life does test us and that Heavenly Father expects us to help with the mending that needs to be done here.

During the 2nd session of the conference today we decided to go for a drive to see the beautiful fall colors.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  I love the crisp evenings and mornings.  I love the warm days.  But my favorite is the turning of the leaves

 The pictures don't quite do the colors justice.

Just so you know we really were there:

 

So Brad was called to jury duty this last week.  We thought it would be fairly quick.  He'd check in.  They'd ask him whatever questions they need to ask.  Brad would inform him he had an emergency patient coming in that morning (which he did) and the judge would release him.  Not as easy as we thought.  Brad said he felt like he was under citizens arrest as soon as he walked in.  After waiting two hours, Brad was finally able to let the judge know that he had a patient in the chair with a dental emergency and finally he was released.  He said that he didn't feel that the judge would have cared if we had to shut down the office for 1-4 days so it is good we did have a patient in the chair.  I don't really have any issues with jury duty.  I do think it is important to serve if at all possible.  That being said, when it will cause extreme financial or circumstantial difficulty I think there should be a way to notify before the day of the jury summons or before you're trapped in a room for four hours.  I don't know.  Maybe I'm just being whiny. 

Work was busy, the kids were busier.  Riley, Ben and Kenzie are loving the swim team and Jordan has started his pre-season wrestling.

I finally got my decorations up in my house.  Next up, painting.  Any suggestions for living room colors?  I have mustard yellow now and I hate it. 

Kenzie wants to cut her hair.  I keep telling her no that she doesn't really want to.  I tell her when you have long hair you can pretend it's short by wearing it up or in a pony tail or in a bun.  I tell her that when you have short hair you have to do your hair every day.  You can't just put it in a pony tail and go.  You can't even just comb it and go.  You have to blow dry, style, curl, spray...such a hassle.   I tell her all boys like longer hair better.  Her brothers tell her the same thing.  For now, I'm winning.  But there may come the day when I'll have to let her cut that hair of hers :(

My favorite talk of conference this weekend was Elder Eyring's talk.  I was touched by the tenderness he must feel for his mother and hoped that I could be as good of a mother to my own kids.  I hope my words are ones that they will feel come from God.  I hope I can have that kind of spirit.