Snowboarding: A Painful Lesson in Persistence & The New Calling

Whenever John visits us, we can always count on trying something new or doing something a little crazy. That's one of the things I love about my big brother. He always wants to live life to the fullest and try new things. So this weekend when he came up for a visit, our new adventure was Snowboarding. As a rule, all the Flaherty kids are skiers by default, and I personally have spent many years (and many dollars) advancing my skills to the point of becoming fairly competent at it. Not being one to be outdone by my siblings however, I jumped on the bandwagon. It certainly helped having a nearly pro snowboarder husband for a coach, nevertheless, it was one of the most fun, yet painful and frustrating experiences I think we've ever had. It was a beautiful but crowded day at Snowbird, and I think from henceforth and forever, my butt will always smart a little at the mention of the word "Gadzooks" (inside joke). As any good snowboarder will tell you, one day's practice isn't nearly enough to really make any headway, but it is certainly a hazing initiation, and a chance to prove one's fearlessness and stamina. Our friend Karen from Brazil joined us on the slopes and hurt her knee about 30 yards from the top on the first run and had to be carried down by ski patrol. My sister Kim smacked her melon about half way through the day, most likely suffering a mild concussion, and I managed to re-aggravate an old knee injury during one of my many "yard sales" throughout the day. Yesterday morning we all awoke in more pain and soreness from head to toe than we'd ever been in. Thank goodness I have a husband to help dress me, otherwise I'm afraid I wouldn't have made it to church with a bra on. Even as I type this my wrists and forearms are screaming "ABORT, ABORT"! I have bruises in places on my body I can't even see, and the act of bending over causes my eyes to well up with tears. I think it's safe to say that my siblings and I have gained a healthy respect for the sport, and nothing brings a family together like trials and suffering. If nothing else, we now have some GREAT stories to tell, which for us is what life is all about!





On a different note, I got a new calling yesterday. Layne and I have been serving as ward missionaries since shortly after we moved into the ward. Brother Watkins of the Bishopric called us both in for a meeting after church. Following some small talk, he said he had a new calling for me, after which he began to cry. Admittedly, my first thought was "uh oh". He was very tender in expressing how strongly and unanimously the call had come to the members of the Bishopric the very week we moved in, but they decided to have me serve as a ward missionary with Layne on a temporary basis until the spot needed filling. He then called me to be 2nd counselor in the YW presidency. He said that the YW president (who I've only met twice) had the same impression upon meeting me that it's where I needed to be. I can honestly say that since leaving the YW's presidency in North Carolina, there has been a big void in my heart where those precious girls were, and I'm very humbled and excited to jump back in after being set apart next week. The Lord truly knows what is best for me!