Changes for Derek ...

This post is a few weeks slow in coming

(ok, maybe 6, 7, maybe 8 weeks slow if we're being honest),

but here it is nonetheless.

 

    In early February Derek got a phone call from the Stake Executive Secretary scheduling Derek an appointment with someone from the Stake Presidency.  No problem we thought, Derek had been serving as a counselor in our Elder's Quorum Presidency - for almost 3 years, and a releasing from that calling made sense. 
    We thought it was a bit odd that they wanted me to come, but didn't want to read too much into it.  So on a Thursday afternoon Derek and I met with a counselor from the Stake Presidency at his house.  As soon as he asked me to wait in his office while he talked to Derek privately I knew his goose was cooked.  He asked Derek to serve as the second counselor to a new Bishop being called.  Derek was a bit overwhelmed, but has since settled in and is doing great.  The best part of his calling is that he is over the Deacons, and Tyler will be 12 in June.
    Derek was especially happy that his Dad was able to ordain him as a High Priest.  His ordination by his Dad and his setting apart to be the counselor were both awesome.  We had Derek's parents, my parents, and Allyson and her whole family there to support him.
    The funniest part of the day was minutes after he was set apart - the 3 families in the Bishopric were still all in the room talking to each other, a lady in our ward walks into the room, and hands Derek her tithing.  Derek just stares at it, clueless as to why this lady is handing him her tithing.  She looks at him and says, "I must be the first one to give you tithing!".  So he slowly takes it, and she just says, "Well I've done my part, now it's up to you.".  Derek was a deer in the headlights through the whole converstation.  And Allyson and I had front row seats.  It was hilarious.
    The next week I was on my own for Sacarament meeting, with my 4 wild monkeys.  I had 2 couples (both empty-nesters) in the ward purposely sit right in front of me, and behind me to offer their help.  One couple sat in front of me and asked which kids they were in charge of.  Bailey was my only one brave enough to go and sit with them, but she did.  It was so helpful to just have one less kid to help.  The next week she brought Bailey a new coloring book (in Bailey's words, "Mom, not even one page had coloring!") and Bailey sat with them again.  The other couple sat behind me, and when I warned them that they probably didn't want to sit that close to our bench, they just said, "no, that's why we sat here - to help you."  It was the sweetest show of support for our family.  I felt very loved.
   This calling will be a great opportunity for Derek to serve those in our ward.  He's already learned so much from those he is serving with.  He'll be great . . .  and he now takes tithing like a pro.