Change is good

So we all have change in our lives.  Some people like it some don't.  I don't mind it most of the time.  There as been so many mixed emotions over the last while with the changes going on.  John has served in a bishopric for the last year and 9 months as the first counselor.  He has really enjoyed it.  Don't get me wrong it's a lot of work.  But honestly, he and I have really enjoyed this calling for him.  So when we got the call to come in and meet with the stake and were told he was released so many emotions went through me.  The overwhelming one however was, just wait, it's not over yet.  So I tried to be patient and just wait.  We all know I'm not a very patient person.  We would sit and talk about all those things he wouldn't have to do that he did while in that calling.  Things that would be nice to have back in so many ways, yet I honestly don't mind him doing.  Things like all sunday gone with meetings, sitting by ourselves at church, saturdays spent with youth activities, wednesday nights spent with youth activities, vacation days spent on girls camp or scout camp, the list goes on and on.  They are a sacrifice for our family, yet they have just felt like life not a huge sacrifice.  I mean, we have no money to take some grand vacation so he might as well use the days he gets from work to go to the camps.  And we can't all fit in our car anyway so what's the big deal we go and come seperately.  The list goes on.  There is another side to all this that I wasn't sure I was ready to give up...and not just the church key which it's super nice to have at our house.  That's the deeper spiritual John we have now.  It seems he just has such a different focus than he has had other years in our lives.  To stay in tune for things for his calling he has to stay more focused on those things of the Lord which makes such a huge difference in our home.  I worried that with the release we would all fall back into our lazier habits.  I like who we are becoming now.  I wasn't ready to give that all up.  But we would do or not do what was asked.  That wasn't really a question in my mind.

So a few days later when we got a call to come back in and meet with the stake again and he was asked to be the 1st counselor in our ward to the new bishopric it all just felt so right.  To say I'm happy is really an understatement.  I'm also relieved.  I'm so relieved more wasn't being asked of him or our family.  I love the new bishopric and am excited for these great guys to work together.  Bishop Mike Allen will be great.  Of course I think my sweet husband is amazing.  Then you add Brian Shirley as the second counselor and it all just feels so right.  We have known these two men for years.  We actually knew the Shirley's before we moved into this house 10 years ago.  Crazy!  I don't remember when Mike and Melanie moved in but it was over 6 years ago for sure.  They are a group of families we love and so working together will be great.

But for John there was so much relief.  He was not ready to stop working with the Young Women.  That is his favorite part of the calling.  No other calling would he get to work with them and he was heartbroken when he thought he wasn't going to work with them anymore.  The kids had mixed emotions on it all. Rachel didn't realize the bishopric was changing even though they announced it in sacrament the week before until the day before it all happened.  (I guess I should worry more about her listening in church not just being quiet).  Harrison was so excited dad would be around more.  We didn't tell them he got recalled, we let them hear with the rest of the ward.  Harrison was disappointed.  Matthew said it just seemed right.  Rachel was relieved.  She worried about what it would be like if dad sat down on pews with us.  To be honest that worried me too. 

So all in all.  I'll keep my crazy busy life I love.  I'll run kids to soccer, dance, piano, lets play music and viola lessons, early morning classes, after school sports etc.  We don't get hung up on him not being there when we are all busy.  Hopefully it keeps the kids busy enough they can't get into too much trouble.  And hopefully we find that balance that we aren't so busy that we don't do those really important things together as a family and the spiritual things.  Just busy enough there is no time for TV and video games and things like that.  And being in 6 carpools we can make it all work...I hope.