Anticipation

It has been said that anticipation is a big part of the enjoyment of an upcoming event.  This coming week will be our cousin camp/family reunion.  My days and nights have been filled with preparations and...anticipation.  With things like this my mind goes crazy with ideas.  I see the whole event play out in my mind.  Past experience has validated over and over again to me that things NEVER turn out as planned.  My fantasies are just that, I'm afraid.  But sometimes the real experience turns out to offer happy surprises.  I'm sure this upcoming week will be filled with work, little sleep and...happy surprises.

Ben and Jes' old play structure carefully reconstructed
here by Layne for the kids and painted by myself.

President Hinckley once said that life is filled with work, struggles and great effort, interspersed with moments of ecstasy.  My restatement here is not word for word, but his meaning is here expressed.  Isn't it interesting that the moments of ecstasy seem to justify the vast majority of time devoted to harder things?  We've put hours of thought and work into this upcoming small amount of time with family.  I'm eager to see what "moments of ecstasy"might come of it.

Waist high wading pool and tether ball in the background;
some of the activities for the kids.  Hope they like them!

Our upcoming family event is planned around lots of choices for kid activities so that the kids can choose how to spend their time with us.  Choice.  It's an important principle.  It seems to me that the wider the selection of opportunities the wider the chances for enjoyment, progress and every other good thing.  I worry, therefore, over the shrinking choices offered in our "free" society.  I feel the encroachment of government at almost every turn.  We cannot celebrate the 4th of July with even simple fireworks anymore.  "Big Brother" feels it is not safe and so takes care of it for us.  As Obamacare approaches, I fear that the shrinking of choice and the increase of expense in the form of tax will further erode the freedom and opportunity that this country has offered to us, and exemplified to the world.

I apologize for bringing this issue up here, but it explodes within my thoughts.  I must express it.  Having done so, I'm hoping for the best...for our family and for our nation.  I pray for both, every day. 

Our flag.  I wish we could surround it with sparklers
on July 4th.  Oops, too dangerous!

Our fenced in freshly planted vegetable garden.
The war is on to keep out the deer (the fence),
the gophers, rabbits and ground squirrels
(the planter boxes and plant coverings).
The battle rages!