THE WEEKLY READOUT

June 8, 2011

Mom Henshaw is in town which means some amazing meals (ask Clint about the roast and potatoes he ate at midnight on Wednesday), great company, and an added reason to go see people we love (Gus, Jenny, and Lilly)!

Dentist nothing: On Thursday KA ventured to the dentist for a checkup. What is usually an uncomfortable experience is made worse when you haven’t been for a while (long time since last visit = increased likelihood of cavities).

The result? Not a cavity in sight! Too bad they don’t hand out stickers as a prize anymore. .

Community party and dancing: Friday night we picked up MJ and headed out to Gus and Jenn’s, where we attended their apartment’s “customer appreciation night”—ie it’s amazing how far a picnic table, a couple of speakers, and free refreshments can go!

In all honesty we had a blast. They had dancing, and KA and MJ couldn’t help but join Lilly on the dance grass. Turns out the music catered a less to the young crowd and more to us: “I’m a Barbie girl” and “YMCA” don’t quite target the Miley Cyrus demographic, but it made it fun for us!

Bridal shower: Saturday morning was our friend Kate’s bridal shower. KA was able to reunite with old roommates (check out the picture!) and celebrate Kate as she prepares to marry Clint’s old roommate, Kaleb.

Bike ride: It was such great weather that we decided we couldn’t pass it up—after the shower, we strapped on our helmets and took off for a bike ride around town. It was so much fun. We were impressed by how many other people were out running and exercising—guess it’s that time of the year!

When it rains, it… probably means we just washed our cars. Sure enough, we gave the twins (we both own silver Honda Accords) much-needed baths, only to sigh when rain started to fall over Arlington later that night. At least the inside is vaccumed!

Mexican date night: KA humored Clint and went along with his “great new idea” for a date. Living near a soccer field, we often see taco stands/burrito trucks parked across the street from us, servicing the Latinos that come to watch soccer there. Clint decided it was time to try out the “Burrito Express” (the green truck that had a longer line than the unmarked one), and catch an amateur soccer game after that.

As it was, the burritos were excellent (no food-borne illness) and the sweet lady from El Salvador working the truck was so friendly we felt as though we had stepped into her kitchen. KA also had the chance to try her first pupusa (think stuffed tortilla, but really good).

Baby blessing and advice: We stayed after our ward on Sunday to witness the baby blessing of our good friends. It was a sweet experience, and we were so happy to then listen to the testimony of (among others) Lindsay, the wife, as she recounted how impressed she was at the depth of love she felt for her newborn son.

It just so happens that her father is an area authority Seventy, and was the source of some great (if not jarring) advice. Relating an experience he had with Elder Bednar shortly after being ordained to the Seventy, he told how he did a “poor job” of bearing his testimony at a meeting of Stake Presidents that Elder Bednar also attended. Later, when sharing the story with his wife, she assured him that “no one was listening- they were there to hear Elder Bednar!,” but his disappointment remained.

The morning after the meeting, he found himself with the assignment to pick up Elder Bednar and take him to a speaking engagement across town. Before they left, the Apostle pulled him aside, and said he wanted to talk about his testimony.

The new Seventy was quick to apologize, acknowledging he hadn’t “done as well as he’d liked.” Then came Elder Bednar’s gentle but firm rebuke: “we didn’t ordain you a Seventy to bear testimony like that.”

This great Seventy described how he committed then and there to work on his testimony, and then bore powerful witness of the mission of Jesus Christ, and of his resurrection.

What a reminder that perhaps we are living beneath our privileges—whether it be with respect to our testimonies, or the way we live our lives. The Lord will reprove us and help us become what we are to be!

REST OF THE WORLD:

Economic uncertainty heightens: A poor employment report, coupled with the announcement of a new low in home prices raised fears that the economic recovery is much weaker than everyone had hoped. Stock prices fell sharply in response to the news.

Wildfires burn across Arizona: In what is now the second-largest wildfire in the state’s history, Arizona continues to battle a blaze fueled by dry conditions that has already consumed more than 300 square miles, an area 21 times the size of Manhattan, spreading smoke as far east as Iowa.

Uncertainty in Yemen: What began as civil protests has unraveled into a deadly situation in the Middle Eastern country of Yemen. With their president having been evacuated to Saudi Arabia for injuries sustained in an attack on his palace, Yemenis are demanding a new government.

This is a significant development for the United States, as Yemen has proved a hotbed of Islamic radicalism, and the home to a dangerous branch of al-Qaeda’s, known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

On a happier note. . .

JUST FOR FUN:

Clint asked for some tips: Friday night at the community party we met Hayden, a two-year old neighbor to KA’s niece Lilly, and an apparently not-so-secret admirer of her. He followed Lilly around most of the night, and flashed a heart melting smile anytime he got the chance.

He proved so debonair that KA and MJ got in on the act, gushing as this sweet boy played with Lilly and tried to sit next to her. Check out the picture—you’ll see what we mean:

Sister night: One of the great things about having Clint’s sister Cami Jo out here is we can have “sister nights” over at our place.

Sunday night MJ and Cami Jo stopped by for some of KA’s delicious enchiladas and also made the most of our washing machine (having both lived at Crystal Plaza, we sympathized with Cami Jo’s desire to do her laundry somewhere else!). We love our sisters, and are enjoying this time we have together with them.