It's amazingly sunny here at the moment.

My goal in life is to read this often enough that I don't have to go to old posts to get caught up. I can think of all these comments while I am reading, but you will never see them cause they are all so far back. I should take a few notes as I read then post them all on my blog entry. Anyway here are just a few "comments."

Wish I could have made it to the shower Chels! You look beautiful! All of you!! What a gene pool. Aunt Sally and Aunt Mardene are beautiful women. I am so glad you posted a picture of them. Thank you. Yes, I like everyone's dark hair. Ellynn I do love yours blonde. It turned out great.

Eden and Sarah your quilts are on their way. Eden, what can I say? "I wanted you to be old enough you could really enjoy it?" Truth is, going up to Lacey every week and having to keep myself entertained and happy has worked out well. I am getting caught up! It is hard for me to sit down and do anything but there isn't a whole lot to do up there at the apartment while Ellery is at work so I sew and take 2 hour walks. I have explored 5 miles in every direction. That is a 10 mile walk, because there is always the return trip, mostly in the rain. I am bringing up my bike soon so I can explore further. I finished 5 quilts for Christmas and made a headboard for our bed up there. I finally finished Cash's quilt before he started Kindergarten. WAHOO!

I don't think we give cigarettes enough credit for their addictive power. Ellery's brother Scott years ago went into rehab for his addiction to crack, other drugs and alcohol. We saw him at one of the niece's wedding receptions. He told me, "You should be so proud of me--no more drugs or drinking. The only thing I can't kick is this!" He indicated the cigarette in his hand. The last time I visited Dad in the hospital 2 days before he died he didn't recognize me he was so out of it, but he was going through all the motions of knocking a cigarette out of the pack, lighting up, smoking it and flicking off the ash, etc. Amazing, almost completely unconscious the hold it still had on him! We are still praying a lot. Funny how many temples have AJ and Lydia's names on the prayer rolls. That's a good thing.

I have a friend Kathleen that I have hiked with for years. She gave me a statement once about something she had been thinking a lot about. "It's raining where I am!" I will try to briefly explain, but you will no doubt have to read between the lines. As I read the blog about Lydia and all the trials there and with AJ and then sweet little Julia and her post about our adorable little night time monster I was impressed once again with the support from everyone. Jack felt so badly about her comment, but Julia understood. Sometimes I will start my prayers with the line, "Heavenly Father, I realize this has nothing to do with world peace, but this is what I am having trouble dealing with now and it is driving me crazy!" Sometimes when I am in this mode I feel extremely guilty and ungrateful for all the blessings I have and that just makes me feel worse. I mean compared to the people of Haiti what do any of us have to complain about, but "it's raining where I am." I am getting soaked-sometimes feel like I am drowning.

"Jesus wept" is the shortest scripture in the bible, one of the few I have successfully memorized. Mary, Martha and their friends had met Jesus on the road to their home to tell him their brother Lazarus had died. Jesus knew. HE had a plan. He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the grave and their grief was short term, but he didn't minimize their pain. . . HE WEPT with them. I remind myself of that. So whether it is sleepless nights, impending labor and delivery, laid up with a bad knee and 3 very active kids, not enough work or money, drug addiction, the aches, pains, of an aging body Heavenly Father acknowledges the rain in our lives--blesses us with the strength and prospective to deal with it and grow from it.

Thank you so much for your testimony Jack! It is wonderful!

It was so fun to visit with Joani on her way back from Hawaii and to go up to see Shelli and little Madi. Shell is due a week after Meags and is doing well.

Love you all, Le Anne