My finals week wasn’t as intense this year as it has been in past years. I was able to balance studying and writing papers with celebrating Tom’s birthday, attending concerts, and preparing for auditions. As a result of the lack of stress I hadn’t felt the same urgency for it all to be over. However, when I went to my last final the other students- all senior voice majors- were vocally proclaiming their excitement with their near completion. The energy in the room was contagious and I found my stomach bursting into butterflies as the reality of the end exploded within me. I finished up, turned into my research paper and rejoicingly walked to the library to look at housing magazines- my simple way of celebrating. (To further the festivities, Tom and I went out to Taco Bell for dinner, and spent the evening walking through Home Depot!)

    Today I was in charge of Primary sharing time. I was also in charge of delivering the inspirational message at our Teacher Appreciation/Training luncheon. I was a bit nervous about how they would both go, as I had felt a bit scattered preparing them. However, they both went remarkably well.  I am so grateful for the spirit. It always steps in and fills in where there is a void. I have mentioned this before, but I felt “that feeling” powerfully again today. I stood up to give my sharing time lesson about families and their importance to the Savior. I showed a picture of my family and told some stories from my childhood and gave examples of my family working and playing together. The kids had all been very wound up and rambunctious in opening exercises and I was worried that my less interactive lesson would not call their attention. To my surprise as soon as I began they all sat quietly and listened intently. When I moved into the more interactive part of the lesson, where the children came up, rolled a dice, and then picked one of the question strips out of the matching-numbered baggy, their attention continued and the children supportively listened as various children gave examples of how they could increase faith in their family, or show compassion etc. Through out the whole lesson I felt that feeling, the feeling that I was being backed up- that there was something greater than me that was truly teaching the lesson. It was a feeling similar to what I feel from time to time when I perform. It’s a feeling that the spirit is surging forth from me and moving into the audience- conveying a message. It is, essentially, why I perform. I am always so surprised to feel the same emotion while teaching a simple lesson to the primary. I am continually awed by the lessons I have learned from this calling. Who would have thought that I would feel the same emotions while teaching a room of children as I do singing in a grand concert hall?

    Yesterday Tom and I finally took his kite out to fly. I gave him the kite for his last birthday, but this was it’s first time out. The weather was perfect- warm with a pleasant breeze. The kite flew beautifully. It is a two string stunt kite and as a result you can do quite a lot of tricks with it. We both had  a blast making it dance across the sky in figure 8’s. We loved making it dive down ferociously only to pull it back up just in time. There is something so invigorating about feeling the winds in that way. It was an invigorating experience.