How Does Your Garden Grow?

Peonies

Nuf said. 

But no really, they are my favorite flower alongside Stargazer Lilies. The house across the street from Mom and Dad has peonies growing by the driveway and I've been so tempted to just go over at night and cut one or two. And next to the bridge I drive over to get to my apartment are Stargazer Lilies, but those are next to a busy highway and would prove to be a greater challenge to sneak some away in a vase.

I really like the Campanula flowers I got at the farmers market when I was about 10 years old. They're still going strong in Mom and Dads backyard. And I absolutely love the pink peonies right in the middle of this picture.

Someday though, when I have my own yard, I will fill it with peonies and lilies, and Campanula bell flowers, and old English roses. Thanks Mom for your love of gardening that you've instilled in all of us! 

I've been trying to get back into the habit of exercising like I used to. Today I went on a bike ride when my friend Matt. We rode from our apartments in south town all the way to Philomath and back. Totaling about 14 miles. Not bad. I love the Jello feeling my legs have after riding my bike. If only I could run that distance, that would be awesome. 

Speaking of running, has anyone decided if they are going to do the Pear Blossom Run again? Registration should be coming up in August if I remember right from last year. I'm up for it if anyone else is. 

Missionary work continues to progress in my ward. We have so many baptism coming up. There were two on Wednesday night. That was a CRAZY experience. I'll share a little but about the guy who was baptized without going into too much detail. 

He had followed the ways on the world, seen a lot of darkness, and made the decision to end his life. The night he planned to do that, he went to a friends house. His friend caught on to him and asked, "Are you planning to sacrifice yourself?" He responded, "yes." She then tells him, "You're so silly, that's what Christ is for." That kinda of shocks him and he decides to try out different churches. See if he can get good feelings from any of them. He asked this girl if he can go to church with her. She says "I'm LDS, you know what that means, right?" and he says, "yeah, it means you don't have any fun." But he comes to a testimony meeting and feels the spirit. It's been a long road for him, but I've seen the wonderful changes that have taken place as I've helped teach him and his girlfriend, who I went to middle school with. Small world. They were baptized on Wednesday. I've never seen so many people at a baptism before. He and an elder sang How Great Thou Art. I have a rule that I don't cry in public, but I'll tell ya, it was hard to hold back. I'm going to love watching the two of them grow in the gospel. If they can stay active, they will both do great things. And they already have done great things. The road to baptism was hard, and the challenges are certainly not over, but I know they have strong testimonies in the gospel. 

Watching people develop testimonies from the beginning is such a wonderful experience for me. I taught this one girl with the elders. They finished up the second half of the plan of salvation and introduced the Priesthood. At the end of the lesson they asked if they could give her a blessing. She agreed, but it was more of an "I guess so" response. By the end of the blessing she had tears running down her face. She heard things I know she needed to hear.