Appreciation for difficult things

I don't know if you can see the black square at the top of the tower. 

Hopefully, you can see the scaffolding, this is a rare sight. They are releafing the gold on the Angel Moroni on top of the temple. Evidently it has some worn down areas that need repair. 

Today I was doing some work on my family tree side, on the Bell's. We are related to Alexander Grahm Bell's wife apparently. In any event, I noticed that my great grandfather William Bell, showed a Mom and to the right of his name a wife. I didn't recall him being a polygamist so I asked one of our more experienced Librarians. In any event, She told me to check the marriage dates.
As I opened it up more and looked at more connections I vaguely remembered the story that my grandmother was raised by the town's doctor because her mother passed away before she was two and her father remarried. I saw how many children her mother had, but then I saw her stepmother's children. She bore 10 children half of them died in infancy or childhood. She lost her husband early and ended up marrying my great grandfather only to give birth to five more children and help him raise the several he already had from his first wife (my great grandmother).
Grandma Bell died two months after she lost one of her older children and then her three-month-old baby. Probably a broken heart if you ask me.

We take it for granted that our children will most likely grow up into adults and outlive us. As my mom said after my brother's sudden passing (at the young age of 56 ) that a parent should never have to bury their own child. What a heartache of a loss. Yet I know so many friends who have lost a child, or an infant. I myself lost three pregnancies but seeing my son and his wife lose their baby girl, my granddaughter was a heartbreaking tragedy. If it wasn't for my knowledge of eternal life, and that families are forever, this would be hard to bear.
I  am grateful for the restored Priesthood power that families can be sealed together forever in the Temple. 
  So this is what it is all about. We leave our families for a while to serve a mission so that others can have their families forever.

Today went a lot faster. However, because it took a few days to get me authorized on the computer, to handle the referrals, I had four new pages to follow up on. Fortunately several were grouped together in the same area.

I worked the front desk without a problem and was able to get my phone loaded easily with the Missionary data. The front office uploaded all the Missionaries phone number sand companionships and it will automatically update it every time there are transfers.
This made it so much quicker today to send out reminders. For lunch, I walked around outside eating because I needed to be out on the fresh air.
I also wanted to run over and talk to the apt manager, there is a possibility that I can maybe move to a one-bedroom apt. My studio is nice but it would be nice to leave my sewing machine up so I can more easily make alterations or repairs for clothes for the Sister Missionaries.

Tonight I went to get a haircut while I waited for some Chinese food that I ordered next door. It was $28?! for a haircut, nearly 2x what it costs in Utah for Fantastic Sam's. I had a lady from Afghanistan cut my hair and I asked her about her immigration story. It was quite interesting.
So for that price I went short, so it will last longer.

I went to the institute class tonight. It is taught by a brother Anderson and we are going through various scriptures and references looking for Christ, looking for foreshadowing, etc.
Quite fascinating as we compared the story of Joseph in Egypt to many of the Savior'sexperiencess and traits. He is a good teacher and we had soem interesting insights and comments from others.

Tomorow I have my offical P-day so that I can get my apt cleaned up, buy some groceries if needed and run errands. Oh yes and run some laundry!

Anyway, my pumpkin has popped. The Sister picked up their dresses that I took in around the neck.
they wanted to see my embroidery machine make a little design, they were fascinated.