Be Still, My Soul

Be still, my soul
the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently
the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God
to order and provide;
In every change,
He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul:
thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways
leads to a joyful end.

This post is just a reminder to myself. I am really struggling. Please keep me and my family in your prayers dear friends and family!

Joseph Helps Me Shop...For Clothes

So have you ever noticed those coupons that print up at the register that are good for $10 off at Fashion Bug? Well I love Fashion Bug, but have not been able to shop there in ages. My wardrobe is so very sad that I decided to try one of these coupons and see what kind of bargains I could get. Joseph just happened to be with me when this decision was made. So the lucky boy got to come along. He showed me shirts he liked and some of them I grabbed for the fitting room. When the time came to try stuff on, he came along of course. He sat on the bench with his eyes closed and said, " I can't see you naked Mom". OK, all I was trying on was shirts, so he wouldn't actually see anything, but whatever he is comfortable with, right? I put on a shirt, he looked and loved it. I put on another that I really liked and he said, " I don't like it, but I kind of like it". Apparently he did not want to completely offend me. Too funny! After all the trying on, I put on the shirt I came in the door with and bless his little heart, he says to me as he uncovers his eyes, "I love that one Mommy!" He truly did not realize that was the shirt I was wearing when we walked into the store! So I narrowed it down and made my purchase and he was sad I did not get the purple colored top. I told him, maybe next time! And he asked if he could come along! I absolutely positively one hundred percent LOVE that boy!! (I won't go into the story of what happened later in the day that had me wondering if he was the same kid or not, I just take what I can get!!)

Girls vs. Peanut Butter

So my dear teenage son was talking about a cute girl at his school. He was telling me the classes he has with her as well as second lunch. He said he couldn't eat with her because she is allergic to peanuts. So I offered to get him lunch meat so he could have lunch with her. He said, "well the granola bars I eat have peanut butter too." Hmmmm, apparently though girls have gotten his attention, he is far more devoted to his peanut butter! It will be fun to watch at what age the girls win out over the peanut butter!

By the way, I am blogging about this because I do not believe Jake reads my blog on a regular basis. So no teasing him about it or I will be in big trouble! Seriously!!

Easter Weekend..Better Late Than Never(the blogging part, Easter was right on time as usual)

Easter was an incredibly spiritually full weekend for us. Along with everyone else, we got to enjoy two days of General Conference. I was very sick on Saturday and feeling overwhelmed by the weekend full of activities. But as is usual, so much was directed at me and my life I was grateful we took the time to watch on Saturday as well as Sunday. For the afternoon session and lunch we had a sweet lady named Clara Sanchez with us and the missionaries too. Right after conference, we headed over to the Stake Center and Clara was baptized. One of the very first things Richard did when he was called to Ward Mission Leader in January was go with the missionaries to give Clara a tour of the church building. He took Annalina along and she and Clara immediately got along well! They are both the same size!! Anyway, the next day Richard stayed home with a migraine, but Annalina saw Clara come in and invited her to sit with us. Without any family support this sweet woman decided to join the church. She was a bit sad not to have her son there with her, but he did not approve. There was a lot of support from the ward though. I told her sometimes our own families are not able to fill certain gaps in our lives, and that is where the ward family steps in. I feel very blessed to have been there. I helped her prepare for the baptism and then I helped her when she came out of the font. I felt her sweet spirit and am looking forward to being part of her life!
Richard's sister Lesa came up on Saturday and spent the weekend with us. She came along to the baptism and then we took her home and colored Easter Eggs. Richard and Jake went to the priesthood session so it was just Lesa and I and the little kids. Easter morning the kids hunted for eggs and then we watched two more sessions of general conference. At this point, Richard was not feeling well either. I was still sick and Joseph's nose would not stop running! Lesa made breakfast deviled eggs and we enjoyed the day at home.

The following pics are from the Quatama Ward Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt the weekend before.So we found these adorable overalls for Joseph at DI and he doesn't care for them. We talked him into wearing them for the egg hunt but the next time I tried to get him to wear them, he said no, they are his egg hunting pants!

Mother of the Year....NOT

Last Wednesday there was a track meet at Glencoe. It started at 4pm, but since most of Jake's events are near the end of the meet I picked up my dad around 5pm and took the kidlets along. We got there and on our way to the track, Jake and a friend came jogging up. I said hi and he said he had just finished running the Varsity 1500. Bummer! I love to see him run! So I asked him how he did and he said, "I did good". So as is usually the case with Jake, when I want more info, I have to specifically request it. I asked him what he placed and he said, "Oh, I won". My son won the varsity 1500!!!! Way to go Jake! I can't believe we missed it. If I had parked in the back of the lot right away instead of looking for a closer spot, we might have seen him finish! So as we are walking in everyone I know is telling me what a great race it was and how great Jake did! It was exciting and I was thrilled so many people were able to watch him and pass along the blow by blow! Apparently he was running with someone most of the time and he pulled ahead to win it at the finish!

His next two events were not until the end of the meet. I was tempted to go home and come back, but there were people to visit with and I had brought dinner. So I fed dad and the kids Stromboli and capri suns and we waited and waited and waited! The 3000 finally came along and Jake stayed in second place almost the entire run. One runner made his move at the very end and passed Jake taking second by just a few seconds. So third is fabulous and I am so proud of my son who works so hard at EVERYTHING he does. Nothing comes easy for him and as a mother my heart aches sometimes to see the struggles he goes through. But I know he is becoming a stronger man and he has great things in his future that he is being prepared for now.

Saturday he was able to go to the Sandy Invitational with the top two Varsity runners from each event. He had a good time and did very well! After the coach took them out to Chang's Mongolian Grill. He liked it!! Yay!

Birthday Transformation

Happy Birthday Adrienne! Today Adrienne turned 18 years old. Look at her in the morning while she is still 17.... And look at her after the magical time of her birth...1:23 Quite the transformation huh? One of her gifts was a haircut and color, a manicure and pedicure. I dropped her off at the beauty school in Aloha and she spent over 4 hours being beautified! And for the first time in her life, she signed her own waivers!! I don't think I have shared the story of her birth, so that is soon to come. We will see just what I remember of that miraculous day 18 years after the fact!

I Have the Greatest Calling....

So for two months of bliss(oh yes, my life has been ever so blissful lately) I did not have to worry about making phone calls, preparing lessons, blocking out time during the week, or any other duties pertaining to a church calling. I am very grateful for that time off, but when the phone call came for an appointment with a member of the bishopric, I knew my time was up! I worried a bit and pondered what calling I would get. Life is so chaotic right now that I was really scared I wouldn't have the energy to give a calling. But I went to the appointment anyway and was asked about my past callings. Then I was asked if I have any experience with special needs children. No, not a lot unless you count having raised one!! I explained my personal experience with my autistic son and of course he was shocked to learn this about Jake. Most people are.

Well the Lord does work in mysterious ways. I have been asked to be an assistant to an 8 year old severely autistic boy in the ward. I will spend one to two primary hours with him each Sunday. We will stay in the primary room, or if need be, I will accompany him on walks up and down the hallways. I could not be happier. This is just what I need right now! What a coincidence! NOT! I know the Lord is very aware of my life and my feelings and I know that is the reason I have gotten this fabulous calling! I really am thrilled. So I met him yesterday. We sat in the back most of the second hour and he snuggled up to me some of the time, leaning up against me. Towards the end he started to cry, which I am told is not normal for him. So his father came and got him and they went home a little early. What a sweet spirit this dear boy is. I am grateful for the chance I will get to spend time with him and hopefully get to know his family!

After church the missionaries came over for dinner. I made Hawaiian Haystacks, with the help of my veggie cutter Richard. What would I do without him!? Not only does he not mind cutting and prepping food, but he seems to enjoy it! Awesome! So the kids were very excited for the Elders to come eat with us. Joseph sat in the window and watched for 20 minutes. When they arrived he yelled down to them, "missionaries, missionaries", just so we would all know they were here. Jake got to ask them questions about being a missionary and they will be taking him out with them very soon! This is great! Last Sunday Jake told me he had read the scriptures that morning and felt the spirit. He also told me he feels very strongly that he will serve a mission. Isn't that great? So, how do Mom's do it? How do you let go of your handsome dishwasher unloading sons knowing you will not see them for two years? I have heard many stories of the blessings that come while a family member is serving a mission, but will I be strong enough to say goodbye for two years? OK, I'll just try not to think about it!

Ohhhhh, speaking of Jake, on Friday I took him to get spacers! They are driving him crazy! On the way home I stopped in the church parking lot and turned the van over to him for a while. It was his very first time behind the wheel. He did well. He was nervous but not terrified and it was nice when I gave him the option of pulling over or doing a few more laps, he chose to keep going. I did have to remind the two lil ones to be quiet and stop giving him advice(can you imagine, advice from an 8 and 4 year old?) because he needed to concentrate! He took the permit test a few weeks ago and passed on his first try. He may be the only teenager in the history of Oregon to actually read the drivers manual cover to cover! And for the last year, when we have been in the car together he has asked very practical questions. He will be a great driver!! I am so proud of my son!

Working up to working out

So I have finally taken advantage of my gym membership at the Tektronix employee gym(weren't they generous to include the spouses?). I signed up about a year ago, but it never fit into my schedule due to the 25 minute drive there and then back again. But now it is conveniently located just a few miles down the road, so I really have no excuse anymore!

I got there at about 8:45 this morning and the place was empty, completely empty! Oh joy, the ENTIRE place to myself!! So I jumped on the elliptical for a while and got my heart rate into the range of a 30 year old, yes I was feeling proud since if you are not aware, I am actually 36. Feeling good I pushed a little harder and got my heart rate to that of a 20 year old.....ummmm, yeah....after picking myself up off the ground and defibrillating my heart, I hopped back on and slowed into a nice easy(HA) rhythm. I had forgotten how much I love the low impact movements of the elliptical machine. It was then that I noticed the small print below the heart rate read out. It says, "Stop exercising if you feel pain, faint, dizzy or out of breath..." Well, there you have it! Life Fitness, the health equipment company has single handedly caused the health crisis we here in the US find ourselves in. I mean...really?? Here I am huffing and puffing and trying to see past the pain that IS exercise and I read this little notice that says STOP!!! BEFORE YOU DIE!!! Ok, I am being a tad bit dramatic, but I did have a good but brief laugh, which is not easy to do when you are pretending to be 6 years younger than you really are. Next time I see my doctor I am just going to say, Sorry about the weight thing, but the pain and shortness of breath due to working out might just kill me first!!

When my time was up I did something I rarely dare to do....I did the weight circuit trying out all the machines(except the one that turns you into a human pretzel) and working on my muscular physique, yep, I have a long way to go. I always avoid those machines since I can only imagine what I look like trying to figure out how to use them, but with no one else there I had time to look at the directions and try it out and actually contort my body into the shapes necessary to lift weights like a pro.

After my invigorating workout I headed for the shower room. There is a private family shower room, but since I was the sole person utilizing the facilities, I opted for the changing room showers and the complimentary blow dryer. I turned the water on and proceeded to wet my hair down in the trickle that emerged from the shower head. I put shampoo in and then dialed the nozzle from shower to jet... which in reality changed the dribble to a drip. Now, I have a lot of hair, it is not as long as it once was, but it is still fairly thick. I began to envision myself running to the car looking like an old lady with white hair piled on my head. Thoughts of cutbacks at Tek began filling my head and I could almost see the memo going out about water consumption and how rationing it carefully would save the company in these trying economic times. Could they not have posted signs stating, "wash hair at your own risk"? Wait, maybe they felt that would be an unnecessary expense. Well what is the use of having an entire army of showers at your sole command if you are afraid to use them? I streaked to the neighboring shower stall and wah-la, a pressurized gush of hot water!! The rest of the story is fairly boring, the locker room remained empty, the blow dryer worked great, I parted my hair on the usual side, sadly the scale was recently calibrated making it appear that I had gained weight since my last visit. Or maybe it is just all the fat being replaced by lean, heavy muscle??

This was actually my second time using the Tek gym, but it most certainly will not be the last. I love the way I feel the rest of the day, it always invigorates me and inspires me into activity where I would normally just sit around blogging....like I am now....hmmmm.....

Globetrotters!!

Richard has been working really hard at Tek for the last FOREVER or so. In recognition of all the extra hours and working during the holiday shutdown and being on call pretty much 24 hours a day seven days a week, they gave him some tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters. We decided to take the older kids and when Richard told Jake about it, he was not interested because they are not in the NBA. I told him it would be worth it, so he decided to go anyway.

We rode Max into Portland, and that was fairly entertaining itself. We saw many different people from many different walks of life(a cute young man reading his bible, who scurried for the door when the ticket police came along, and the not so lucky drugged up woman who laughed spontaneously at nothing, drank from the soda someone had left on the floor near her seat and then got a ticket for not having a Max pass, oh wait, she did have one, it was an expired senior citizen pass and she was in her mid twenties I'd guess). I kinda like the melting pot that Max is, but some of the smells I could have lived without!! We got to the Rose Garden and the lines to get in were HUGE. Oh, did I mention the tickets were for the Tektronix box?? We got to go in the executive entrance with no wait at all. We found the suite and got settled in. There are several tv's in there, a small well stocked fridge, and lots of snacks-popcorn, 7 layer dip with chips, huge cookies, cheese and crackers, fruit and veggie trays. We felt very spoiled! We watched the game and of course it was a blast! It was even funner to watch Jake react to some of the cool moves the players can do with the ball. Amazing!

We got home at close to eleven. I had spent a good portion of the afternoon with my dad, he was having a very hard time, so I did not have time to do the grocery shopping earlier. Richard had meetings to prepare for, so I headed out to do the shopping alone. It is very quite at Winco at 11:30 on a Saturday night!! I got home shortly after midnight and went to bed.

I woke up bright and early, not because the kids woke me up, but because it was very quiet, so quiet, perhaps TOO quiet!! My dear sister Megan had offered to keep the lil ones over night so we wouldn't have to worry about picking them up so late! It was so nice not to have to worry about them! And they had a wonderful time with their cousins! It was a little odd to wake up without Joseph squirming into bed with me. I read the scriptures for a while and then I went to get them! It may sound weird, but I missed my little sweethearts! I am glad they had such a fun time with Auntie Megan and her family!

Trying Something New!

So, to go along with Richard's calling and the fact that we need to get to know people in our new ward, and that is going slowly, I decided to redefine our family in some ways. I am rather shy by nature and tend to feel anxiety when it comes to doing something new, or meeting new people-ok the thought of inviting strangers into our home is a bit terrifying to me....or was. I have always wanted to be the kind of person who can be spur of the moment, someone who can reach out to others and no worry about what they will think. I dream of having an open door to the world(so I am going to trick people into thinking that is the kind of person I am, shhhhh, don't tell)! I talked it over with Richard. Our plan...

Each Sunday I will be making a large meal. Hopefully we will get the chance to share it, but if not, into the freezer the rest will go, no harm done. Today was our first attempt and it worked out great! Richard invited his assistant mission leader and his wife to dinner and guess what....THEY CAME!! I made a huge crock pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup and they came to eat with us and we had fun talking and getting to know them, they are a fabulous couple. The old me would have worried that the house wasn't clean enough, or the dishes didn't match, or that Joseph would be too loud and crazy, and what would they think? The new me says, who cares!?! Why let those feelings stand in the way of being the person I want to be! Richard has met some families that are not very active, they have stated they don't feel like they fit in or know people well enough. So they are on our list too! I refuse to feel lonely alone. And if I am not alone, then I won't be lonely! Makes sense, right? Anyway, I really like the idea of redefining who I am and how I want people to see me and this seems like the perfect time since no one really knows me very well yet.

We will also be having the missionaries over on a regular basis and what a blessing that will be. I love missionaries. I adore the fact that they are so committed to the gospel and that they truly love serving the Lord. I know that just having them over for dinner has such a great effect on our home. I am looking forward to getting to know them and using our home to help in any way we can.

Thoughts come clearly while one walks. ~Thomas Mann

Today my sister Megan and I participated in a 5K with Jake. One of his cross country teammates planned the invitational for his Sr project. The money he raised is going to two different charities. It was a nice day for a run/walk. It rained lightly for a brief time and was nice and cool. So the run/walk was only 3.1 miles, and I was thinking that was no big deal, I must walk about that far when I go out on my own. But instead of warming up as Megan suggested and walking the first bit, we got caught up with the runners and started out running. I did not pace myself and so catching up from that took a while. Megan was so patient, she probably could have run more, and I encouraged her to go ahead if she wanted to, but she walked with me and we had fun chatting! We walked and ran small bursts and walked and walked and it seemed like far longer than 3.1 miles. But we did it, we finished and are feeling inspired to keep up our training and perhaps participate in a 10K this summer. And maybe even try to run the majority of it! Though I am not sure about running in the heat, but we shall see!! So I have been using MapMyRun.com to help me find good walking routes here in my neighborhood. The good news is I managed to put together a fairly straightforward route that is exactly 3.1 miles. That will be nice for trying to improve my time!

So I was thinking about walking and how much I enjoy it when I have the time to get out there. There is something very true about the quote I used for my blog title. When I am walking and my heart rate is elevated and I am huffing and puffing along, I am able to work out in my mind whatever issues have been bothering me. I am able to come up with plans and goals and stick with them. Walking/running is so great for our bodies, but it is also fabulous for the mind.

Psych215

I am taking Psychology 215 this term. After the stress and fast pace of Anatomy and Physiology, I am thoroughly enjoying this class! Well, I don't love that is is a 4 hour class. But it is nice to only have to worry about one day a week. Richard comes home early on Wednesdays and does his best to continue his work from here, while keeping track of Joseph and then Annalina a couple of hours later.

We are learning such fascinating stuff about the development of children and how we can help our children as they grow and I really wish this kind of class was mandatory for all parents. Anyway, yesterday we were talking about middle childhood and so the teacher asked me to bring Annalina in so everyone could observe her. Only about 4 of us in the class have kids. So at 3:30 Richard brought her to me and she drew pictures and talked about the things she likes and her friends and activities she does. It was fun. Afterward I got her a treat from the vending machine and we drove to the top of the parking structure and checked out the view. My kids are growing up. Sometimes I feel sad. Joseph is my snuggly guy and even he seems to be outgrowing the need to snuggle with me on a regular basis.

New Beginings

Richard and I spoke in Sacrament meeting a couple of weeks ago. It was actually kind of fun. In the past I have talked myself into not being nervous by telling myself that these are the people I love-my ward family, why wouldn't I want to share with them the great information I have found! Well, we know very few people so far, but I just know we will grow to love these people!

My talk was based on Elder Bednar's General Conference Talk "Nothing Shall Offend Them". A great topic that I really learned a lot from. No one can offend us, but we can choose to take offense from things others say or we can choose to let it go. Richard spoke on the importance of the one and how we need to be concerned about those who fall away due to being offended, or just weary. I have to say over the last few months since we moved I was thinking how nice a break from everything would be! It has been nice not to have to worry about a calling. My husband was extended the calling of ward mission leader. Wow, no way I will be able to take a break(not that I really wanted to). He will have Sunday's full of meetings and will be working closely with the missionaries. I am excited to support him in any way I can including going to Gospel Principles with him each Sunday. He is feeling overwhelmed, but I know he will do great! I am so proud of his willingness to serve the Lord in whatever capacity he is needed. He is an inspiration to me and I love him so much!

Life's Challenges

I have learned that life is easier to deal with when I remain optimistic. This is not always possible and there are very hard times that bring such sorrow to me. But I do not let those times and those emotions rule my life. I always try to see the bright side. As the song goes, "I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain" and that is what helps me survive emotionally. It works, for me anyway!

Friday I went with my parents to a doctor appointment. My father was given a diagnosis of dementia due to Alzheimer's. Basically the doctor said all other reasons for memory loss have been ruled out and the only way to prove Alzheimer's 100% would be a brain biopsy. So we trust what the doctor says. It has been a long couple of years of knowing there was a problem and not knowing why or how to help. It is a very sad diagnosis, but at least we know for sure what is going on and the doctor can treat him accordingly. We will not get back the part of dad that has already left us, but maybe losing more of him can be delayed. The doctor called it the long goodbye. He is here with us, but he is not the same. It is so hard to grieve the loss of someone who is still here with us. I have received so much support from friends who can relate to what we are going through. Although I must say, most of the time I am hearing about someone's grandmother or grandfather who had it. This is my father, he is only 65. He still has young grandchildren. He is still so young himself to be going through such difficulties!

I miss my dad so much. I worked with him doing taxes for over 13 years and though I did not always like the work I was doing, I always loved seeing my dad. He has been my listening ear, my shoulder to cry on, he has freely given me advice when I needed it and has supported me through so much. He too, shared with me his concerns and thoughts, there was a special bond between us. There have been many times in the last few years when I so desperately wanted to confide in my father and have him understand and advise me. My father is a wonderful man and his life has been full of service to others. I know that he has passed his test here upon the earth and that what he is going through is more a test for us now. It is not always easy dealing with my father. He has been the head of a household full of girls and we have always looked to him. To be made to feel he can no longer be in charge has been very damaging to his self esteem. He is very defensive about his memory loss and that can make it hard to talk to him. He and my mother have a very difficult time communicating. It is hard to watch them each struggle with the other.

It is so hard to lose your parents this way. There is no way to grieve and move on, since they are still here with us, though the relationship has forever changed. And just when you think you are making progress towards a hint of the relationship you once had, something happens to destroy that progress and the pain is back, perhaps hurting more than ever.

I am grateful for my husband. He has spent many a late night with me, comforting me, drying my tears, listening to me without judging me. He helps me see things from a new perspective. He loves me and accepts me with all the family baggage that came with me! He is truly my hero and I absolutely adore him!

I am thankful for my sister Megan who is not just a sister, but a best friend. She too listens to me and she loves me. She calls me to check in. She is mindful of my needs and is always offering to help which is such a blessing. Especially since we moved and I have left the support structure of my ward, I have been even more grateful to have Megan so close and so willing to lend a hand when needed!

I am grateful for the gospel. I am so thankful for the atonement, which means so much more than forgiveness of my sins. To me it means I can pray for a change of heart. When the pain and anger gets to be too much, I can ask for help and receive a calm feeling. The atonement is the only thing that has kept me from breaking into a thousand little pieces from the pain that often times has to accompany this life.

As hard as they are, I am grateful for the trials we are given in this life. They truly do mold us into the person we need to be. I know I have changed a lot over my adult years. I hope I am becoming a better person, I feel as though some of the weaker areas of my personality are improving. And for this, I am grateful.

Reluctant Haircut

Joseph is not too fond of getting his hair cut. Most of the time Richard does it here at home. We tell him its time to get his hair cut and he says, "I'll be ready next Monday" then Monday comes along and he says, "next Saturday" etc, etc. So we cornered him, talked him into it. Before......

Fun B-Day Party for Grandpa Great!

Grandpa Great turned 95 this month. Megan and I had the pleasure of going to his Birthday party in Forest Grove! He was so happy to see all his friends and family. Joseph and Nathan had fun running around together and Joseph was even brave enough to get his picture taken with Grandpa Great! Megan pointed out to me that Grandpa Great is now 95, my father is 65 and Joseph and Nathan are 5(or will be very soon). I also realized that Jake is 15. Interesting, very interesting!!

Home Sweet Home!

We have been living here for a little over a month now and really enjoy the new house. The big window next to the front door is Adrienne's bedroom. The garage is on the back side of the house and although I do not have a photo to prove it, I actually park in the garage!! Woohoo! The second floor big window is the family room. The whole second floor is the great room with a spacious kitchen, a dining area and a large family room. It is a very comfortable space for the family. Upstairs is the master bedroom and bath, three other bedrooms, a "kids" bathroom and a laundry closet.

A Very Special Day

Today was a very special day, Annalina was baptized! She was so excited for this day and she was so very ready to join the church. She looked beautiful in her new dress. Her sister Adrienne spoke about baptism and Katrina Doxey spoke about the Holy Ghost. Aunt Megan gave the opening prayer and Jake said the closing prayer. All of the family was there and Uncle Rich drove up from Monmouth to be with us. What a guy!! I always find it amazing the depth of understanding a child of eight can truly have. She was so calm and peaceful and seemed so much older than just eight. At one point during a talk, she turned to look at me and the intensity in her eyes touched me deeply. I love my little girl so much and am so proud of her! Leila Conser, Jaeli Jaussi, Annalina, Mallory Stott, and Jasmine White

Spritual Happenings

I have the honor of attending two very special events in one week. First, on Sunday Richard and I took Adrienne to get her Patriarchal Blessing. All I can say is, WOW! OK, so I can say more. I am aware that I do not know everything about my dear teenage daughter, but I think its safe to say that I know her better than anyone else here on earth. But the Lord knows her even better than I and that was very obvious to me while listening to her blessing. The Patriarch only had a couple of minutes to talk to her beforehand, and yet the things he said about her made it very apparent that the Lord was speaking through him. It was a very lengthy blessing, just when I thought he was about to end it, he would continue on. I feel so blessed to have been there and am so excited to see what the future holds for my beautiful daughter. The promises made in that blessing were amazing!!

This coming Saturday Annalina will be "bath-tized" a member of the church. She was still saying it that way on the way to her interview with the Bishop, so we finally corrected her. She still slips up occasionally! Anyway, we are looking forward to this fun and exciting experience with our darling eight year old daughter. I will be writing more about that later! If you live in the area and can come, please do, it is Saturday the second of January at 3pm at the Hillsboro Stake Center.

Playing in a Melting Winter Wonderland

Any tension from the snow ordeal last night melted away as I watched Annalina and Joseph in the snow this morning. We walked the short distance to the church and played and played and played! I am not a play in the snow kind of person, but its hard not to when the kids are having such fun!