I can do things! With my hands!

First of all, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! Since I am the one blogging, I will share a picture of me and my mom. Just know, reader, that Lauren loves her mom, too, even though there is not a photo here!

You might think this is mostly a picture of me, but you would be wrong! Try to imagine the joyful feelings my mom is experiencing, and you will know this is a picture or me AND her.

Sadly, I was not able to speak with my mom today since she is traveling in Japan with the rest of my family. This is probably the first year ever that I have not been able to chat with her on Mother's Day. I know she is thinking of me on this holiday, and I am thinking of her, too. I love you, Mom!

Elder Perry has stated, in his April 2013 talk "Obedience to Law is Liberty,"

In my judgment, four of the Ten Commandments are taken as seriously today as ever. As a culture, we disdain and condemn murder, stealing, and lying, and we still believe in the responsibility of children to their parents.

At least we have that. I am so glad that we take a day collectively to remember our mothers. Heavenly Father blesses us as we honor our parents, of that I am sure.

This past week, something special happened. Seventy years have now passed since Nazi Germany capitulated to the Allies. Since I served my mission in Russia, I will share video from this year's parade. It is a solemn event, and the pride of a nation is on full display.

On Saturday, May 9, Victory Day in most countries east of Germany, I took a quiet moment to say to myself, "We remember and we are proud" (Мы помним, мы гордимся).

Highlights of last week were

• Lauren and I have been going back and forth about how best to store/put away/hide items in the house. We finally clicked the "Place Order" button and are getting some shelving for the house.
• Friday, we picked up Lauren's family (parents and brothers) from the BWI airport. They had a long layover on their way home from a vacation in the Caribbean, so we went out to eat, chatted, laughed, and caught up.  
• Saturday, I played three hours of exhausting ultimate frisbee. I am glad to have found a semi-competitive group to play with here in Baltimore. Today my ankles and knees were sore, and that is something that makes me happy.
• Saturday, I replaced a headlight on my '98 Honda Civic. I had to partially remove the front bumper so that I could get at all the bolts holding the light housing. To my great surprise I was able to do it all. I liked the problem-solving aspect of the task, i.e. making a plan, executing the plan, and improvising as challenges arose. I hope to learn more mechanic skills as I grow older.

Nacho, my car, does not look like much. But there are many thousands more miles left to go.

Stella was my mechanic's assistant. In reality, she just made sure the backseat of the car stayed warm while I was working under the hood ^_^

AHHH, YEAH!! 

Sadly, one of Lauren's former visiting-teachees (who is in our ward with us) lost her husband to cancer this week. It was very fast, probably two months from his first problem until his death. I was involved giving priesthood blessings to him and to her. Lauren has been very mindful of this woman and has been the friend she needed. Lauren reminds me of James 1:27: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction." One thing I love about our religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is that we actually go out and visit people in their homes and in their hard times, people who would have been utter strangers to us otherwise. That means that we get visited and make visits, are on the receiving end and on the giving end, helping make manifest the love of God. It is remarkable to be a part of the process.