A very special lady

We had so much fun at Seven Peaks the other night that we decided to take the kids again after school today.  Luckily, Graci isn't into swimming right now, so she was happy to stay home and keep Xander company.  Xander, by the way, is doing much better overall.  He still has his drainage tube in, but the surgeon told us yesterday that he could bear weight on his leg now and even go to school as soon as he's ready.  He can't currently do anything more than the most pathetic little hunched-over shuffle (and is in tears doing so) but we're hoping that by next week he can be walking.  (:

Anyway... while at Seven Peaks, the sweetest lady approached me as I was sitting on the steps of the kiddie pool.  She wondered just how many kids I had.  (:  We continued to have a lovely conversation for the next 15-20 minutes.  She introduced herself as "Rosemary," and of course my kids told her that they had a grandma named Rosemary.  She and her husband were at the water park watching their grandkids swim, and our unique kids had captured her attention.  She was just a wonderful lady, and so sweet to the kids.

At one point in the conversation, she asked if I was LDS, and of course I said yes.  I told her how grateful I was for my testimony of the gospel and the eternal perspective it gave me as a mother.  I also told her how amazing our ward has been to our family.  She asked me what stake I was in, and I told her.  She then said that sometimes she visits stakes, and would love to visit ours sometime.  A light went on in my head, and I realized she must be serving on the general board of the church.  I asked her, and she said yes.  Then her sweet daughter (or daughter-in-law) spoke up from a few feet away and kind of whispered to me, "She's the Primary president."

Um... oops!  I had just been visiting with the Primary General President of our church and hadn't even recognized her!   Her full name is Rosemary Wixom, and she and her husband are truly just the sweetest people (he does a fantastic Donald Duck impersonation, btw).  For those of you reading who are not of our faith, the Primary is the name given for the children's organization within the church.   It is an absolutely beautiful organization, not only teaching the kids classes each Sunday, but truly caring for them on an individual basis and meeting their needs.  For example, Xander's Primary teacher was just here the other day checking up on him and bringing him a treat.  Every ward (comprised of 200-500-ish members) has a Primary president who, along with 20-30 other adults called to work in that organization, serves the children in the ward.  There are something like 30,000 LDS wards worldwide.  About 5-10 wards make up a stake, and each stake has a stake Primary president (along with counselors and a secretary) who oversees the ward primary presidencies.  So Sister Wixom, and her counselors and board, would be the one overseeing all of that-- a worldwide organization serving well over a million children.  It's no wonder she has a special glow to her!

As soon as I realized who I was speaking to, I quickly gathered the children and formally introduced them.  She was just so attentive with them and I could really sense her love for them.  I am so grateful to her daughter for speaking up and sweetly pointing out who she was.  I would have felt really stupid if I were watching General Conference in a couple of months and saw her speak-- realizing that I had visited with her for such a long time without acknowledging her amazing service to the children in our church!  Parker hadn't been there as we were first visiting, but after I introduced them, he told me,  "Yeah.. I totally know her!  I've seen her speak.  I think she wore a purple dress."  (:

As we were loading in the car, I mentioned that it was unfortunate I had to meet the Primary General President in my bathing suit instead of dressed up nicely.  Taylor said, "You know, Mom... it would have been a lot more awkward if you were in a dress at the water park.  I mean, she would have thought that was really weird!"  Thanks, T.  (:

You can read one of Sister Wixom's talks HERE.