Nous reposons!

I love Sunday's.  I'm grateful to parents who taught me to slow down and make the day different, because in situations like I find myself in right now, slow and different are good things. As I'm sure anyone who has done much traveling knows, there is a certain miracle that happens when you go to church in a strange place.  You don't have to know anyone, you don't even have to speak that language, but when you walk into a church building it's the closest thing to going home.  You might not even be homesick, but that feeling at church feels so good.  So it was today.  The sacrament, the talks, the lessons, all felt wonderful and now I feel better.  One of the advantages of not understanding too much of the language is that you can pick out what the lesson is about and then you are left to kind of fill in the blanks, sort of make up a lesson that's just right for you on the subject you've been given.  Today our Relief Society lesson was on prayer, and words like family, blessing, responsibility,and  answers, were the only concrete things I could pick out, but you can give yourself a pretty good lesson with that much information; I loved Relief Society.

After our meetings we went back to the Luxembourg Gardens.  Remember, they're the ones where they float remote control boats, and no one can sit on the grass and thousands of people gather.

But since there isn't much grass you're can to sit on there are hundreds of these chairs everywhere and you can use them as you please.  I love the parks in Paris because people go there just to enjoy the weather, to hang out with friends, or just to walk.  We don't use parks the same way in Utah.  We go to parks if we have a specific activity in mind, a picnic, rollerblading, flying kites, ward parties etc. Is it some over reaction to the mormon productivity mantra that we have??  But here in Paris, they are just true gathering places for the people, and they give even huge cities like this, a sense of community.

This is Olivia.  I was excited to find out that she's from the Seattle area since I love people that live in Seattle!  

 I really should stop taking these self portraits, I do them so badly, it's just that I get tired of handing my camera to people and asking them to take pictures of me!  But, I am enjoying my baguette and peanut butter (we forgot the cheese). Note: in Paris it's so humid that a baguette will stay reasonably fresh for a couple of days.  In Utah it seems like they start deteriorating the second you get past the cash register!  It's just another reason to love Paris. We also had fresh strawberries and Kinder Bueno bars for dessert.  Bueno Bars are delicious and I will bring some home!  Think chocolate, creamy Nutella, and a thin wafer.

After we ate we all just read, wrote, or people watched. It's hard to put into words how perfect it was.

John, Kelli and Olivia

Duck watching.  It's nice to have nothing better to do.

The rest of the day has been spent doing more writing, talking to my kids and talking to my own Mom on Mothers Day.  A special thanks to her today for giving me so many wonderful brothers and sisters, for showing me how to love your own kind of adventure, and for teaching me that for one day a week you should go slow.  I love you Mom, you're the best!