Intressant Citat

Alla män vet att de måste dö. Och det är viktigt att vi förstår... vår avresa dit... Det är bara rimligt att tro att Gud skulle uppenbara något i förhållande till saken, och det är ett ämne vi borde studera mer än någon annan.  Vi borde studera det dag och natt, för världen är ovetande i förhållande till deras verkliga tillstånd och relation.  Om vi har anspråk på vår himmelske Fader för någonting, är det för kunskap om denna viktiga fråga.      -Joseph Smith (Kyrkans historia, volym VI, sida 50.)

January 2012 Update

Hi!  I have not blogged here for many months, because--

1. I got a paid job blogging for a health insurance company.
2. I have been taking care of so many people, including the addition of my greatly loved but too rarely seen step-children, over the holidays
3. I have been trying to get on top of laundry, exercise, sweeping, etc. more and more (two steps forward, three steps back)
4. And so much happened. 

• A tragedy struck my stepson.  A.R.'s mother passed away very suddenly, leaving him motherless at age 18-almost-19.  It was terrible.  He was in the middle of his very first semester of college, at BYU.  The Bishop asked him what he would do.  A.R. still wanted to go on his mission.  His mother had gotten him ready, had helped him get his wisdom teeth taken out, had helped him submit his paperwork for the mission, had encouraged him every step of the way, and then she died before he even received his mission call.  It was very sad.  But it's been three months. He is now in the missionary training center, and we are so very proud of him and love him so much.  We write him lots of letters.
• C.E. is still taking A.P. Geography, a college level class, as a ninth grader, plus all these other hard classes, and swim team, and young women's group at church, and is almost never home.  I actually miss her, and rarely get to spend any time except at the dinner table, with her.
• A.J. is on the basketball team now, and even though I forced him to do it, he now says he thinks it's fun (a week later!)
• The baby is hilarious and 16 months old now.  Some of his funniest moments of the week include putting margarine to his ear like a telephone while grocery shopping (and I got my own to talk back); crying and hiding in the towel closet when his feelings got hurt over not being allowed to play with the toilet plunger; learning that he can take our hands, or our thumbs, and lead us to food, water, the bathtub, a book, or whatever he wants.  He is so adorable and cute that there are no words for it.  He's the clump of marzipan that we all want to gobble up.
• S.E. was here for two weeks, over Christmas.  She is a wonderful stepdaughter and we love her soo much.  When I think of how it was when DH and I first got married four years ago, and how the love between stepsiblings and stepparents was not really there at first, and compare it to now, it's amazing.  There is a lot of love and it grows and grows.  Real love.

Now I'm going to post some pictures, because they speak a prettier language than words.

bathtime in the kitchen sink - the baby's like a raccoon, dipping his graham cracker in his bath water

The two brothers watch their sister at her swim meet

swim meet

Hejda

SE and Baby H

angel sleeping

C.E. was Santa Lucia this year. Here she is kissing the baby with A.R. holding him.  Love this picture!

At A.R.'s missionary farewell party - DH with his brother and his mom

Christmas Eve Dinner - AJ and CE

A.R. on the day he went in to the missionary training center

S.E. and Baby H. at the museum

A.R. and his dad on the day he went to the MTC

A.R. with S.E. and me on the day he went in to the MTC

A.R. gave A.J. a bee bee gun for Christmas

S.E. and Baby H on Christmas morning

A.R. between his father and his stepfather on the day he went in to the MTC