How was your weekend?

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to be sequestered in the home of another Young Women's leader and, with most of our Young Women and the other leaders, and take on the challenge of reading the Book of Mormon all the way through in two days.  Having read it countless times in my life already, my pride thought that this time around wouldn't be much different.  Sure, it's always uplifting, I learn new things each time, and it helps me focus on the Spirit...but I certainly wasn't expecting it to be such a powerful experience.  Without going into too much personal detail, my testimony of the Book of Mormon was strengthened.  I made connections that I haven't made before and realized several overarching themes that hadn't occurred to me before.  I better understand what I'm here to do and how it needs to be done.  In short, it was one of the most powerful spiritual experiences of my life.

Along with my personal experience, I have absolutely loved seeing the effect is has had on the Young Women.  I remember experiences when I was their age that helped me feel and recognize how I feel the Spirit--times that I learned and grew all at once (or so it felt at the time).  This was one of those experiences.  In the days since then, I have found so much joy in listening to the testimonies the Young Women have shared.  One Young Woman, who is on the shy side, even stopped me after church when no one else was around to bear her testimony to me about her experience.  I know that no matter what else happens in their lives--whatever choices they make in their futures--they will ALWAYS remember how it felt to read the Book of Mormon in two days.  How the spirit spoke to them.  How it felt to find or strengthen their testimonies during the experience.  And how they felt for days (maybe even weeks, months, years) afterwards.  I think there was nothing more worthwhile that these girls could have done with their weekend!

While I was gone, Ryan stayed home with our children.  I often joke with him that he makes a much better housewife than I do--because when he stays home, he somehow manages to get a-million-and-one things done.  I really don't know how he does it all!  This time was no different.  (Not necessarily in this order...), He went grocery shopping at two different stores with all three kids, took down Halloween decor and put up Thankgiving, installed doorway molding in our dining room, cleaned the Master bath, did the dishes, vacuumed downstairs, swept and mopped our expansive wood floor, fixed the keyboard tray on my desk, organized the office, purchased and replaced strings on a guitar (then tuned said guitar), went to a new hardware store to scope out other molding options (again with all of the kids), completed about 5 loads of laundry, made the bed, began repairing floating shelves to install in our family room, worked out (as if everything else WASN'T a workout!), and managed to keep the children dressed, fed, napped, and generally happy.  Just reading that list makes me want to take a nap.  The kicker is that he didn't even act like my being gone was a big deal.  And he listened as I chattered away at him when I got home.  Sometimes I wonder if the guy is Superman incognito.  Seriously.

Between the two aspects of my weekend, (the read-a-thon and my miraculous husband), I feel like life couldn't have been better.  Sure I was tired.  (It is exhausting to stay in once place and read for two whole days!)  Sure I got restless.  Sure there was some sacrifice.  But the results of this experience are SO worth it!