Apples from our very own tree!

Yesterday my husband and I, accompanied by my wonderful mother-in-law, sang Beautiful Savior at church. 

I remember the first time that we sang together in church a few months after we were married.  My mother-in-law made a beautiful arrangement of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief to the tune of I Know that My Redeemer Lives.  It was lovely.  My cousin Andrew Latimer accompanied us.  I had a solo part and my nerves got the best of me and I started to cry during the song.  My husband had to step in and help me.  After we finished the song I spent the rest of the meeting silently crying in my seat.  I was so humiliated.  

The Wednesday after we sang in church the Stake Presidency came to visit us.  Two of the presidency had attended our church meeting on Sunday.  They said they were at our house to get to know us.  Then one of them brought up our singing.  He told me that I didn't need to feel bad that I made a mistake.  He told me how beautiful our song was and the incredible Spirit that was brought into that meeting.  It's been about 3 years from that incident and I still remember that kind gesture of that man in the presidency who came to help me know that I was a daughter of God and that mistakes happen, but that doesn't mean that I'm worthless.  I sure felt worthless.  I learned that even mistakes can be beautiful!

Well, it happened again, this Sunday while I was singing my solo in Beautiful Savior, I choked and made a mistake because of my darn nerves, BUT, I was able to continue and end the song beautifully!  We went and sat in our seats and my husband turned to me and said, "Hey, you're not crying."  Well, I shed about 3 tears, but he was right, I wasn't overwhelmed with fear and anger at myself for making a mistake.  It was still a beautiful song.  

My husband has a beautiful voice!  It was one of the things that helped me fall in love with him!  He likes to sing in church and he is making me a better singer!

 

When I moved into my house 5 and 1/2 years ago the backyard was a disaster.  It hasn't much improved, but we are slowly, somewhat working on it.  When I moved in, my mother and I wondered what kind of big bush that was near the shed in the back corner.  Well, months later I realized that there was something growing on that big bush in the backyard.  Apples.  I told my mother that I had an apple bush in my backyard.  My wonderful husband has cut the "bush" back and made it look like a tree again.  This year was the first year that I actually picked the apples off the tree.  I think I'm going to make applesauce, or even better, apple jelly.  Last year my mother, my cousin Sarah and I made tons and tons of applesauce, jelly and apple butter.  It was a lot of work, but fun.