Thankful Thursday

Phew!  This week has been so busy I have felt like a soccer mom with out any kids in soccer.  I have driven children all over this planet (and back) three times a day.  I guess I can be thankful today that I have a good car that works so I can do all that driving.  Oh, and also a 22 month old who can occasionally skip having a nap at all during the day without turning into a miniature monster.

Last weekend, we visited family in Indiana.  It was a short weekend (where most of it was spent in the car driving too and from) but it was really fun.  When I get together with my family I am filled with such a sense of satisfaction and contentment with life.  My kids are well taken care of - playing happily with their cousins-  my siblings and I are enjoying each other's company and we are free (at least for a few days' duration) of our usual everyday obligations of work, school etc.  I am thankful for the wonderful micro vacation we enjoyed last weekend with loved ones.

Thankful Thursday

Sheesh!  It has been eleven days since I posted!  I know that sounds like such a short time really but I had hoped to at least keep up the Thankful Thursdays every week for the year.  Well I guess that ship has sailed.

I am thankful for the opportunity to see and visit with family this weekend.  One of my nephews is going on a mission soon to serve in the Farmington, NM mission and we are going to see him off this weekend with his farewell!  Love family!  YAY!

I am also thankful to sisters and friends who get all giddie and excited with me when they read my other book.  Yes, that is right - I started writing another.  I might be addicted to this.  Cool update on the first book though, my editor emailed and she promised to read a few lines of my book at the home they used as Pemberley in the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.  Whhaaa!  I think that right there fulfills every dream I have had about this whole process.  Wooppee!

10 Years

Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we are the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.


--President George W. Bush, 9/11/01

Today I proudly and solemnly explained to Lyman what happened today 10 years ago.  It was sad to have to reveal to him the depth of human against human wickedness in the world.  However, it was a wonderful moment to get to instill in him the beginnings of not just his patriotic pride but build a foundation for his understanding of his responsibility to mankind.  It was neat to teach of forgiveness in the face of hatred, resolve in the face of destruction and compassion in the face of tragedy.  My hope is that one day this day will not be remembered for the significant losses occurred but for the way we, as Americans, stood up after being knocked down and held proudly to our beliefs and freedoms despite the adversary's attempts at destroying us.
 
We are not the judges in the end.  Heavenly Father is our ultimate judge and Christ our emissary.  Wicked men may find success in their acts of destruction, but God the Father will ultimately prevail in His plan.  And if that plan means allowing tragic events like 9/11 to occur so that blood of those lost may testify to the wickedness of those men, then so be it.  Our beloved fallen will not have fell in vain then and their reward in God will be just and sweet.  May all humankind learn from these events and succor brotherhood instead of prejudice.

Thankful Thursday

Thankful for little girls who are growing to be good friends.

 I am thankful for little girls going to preschool for the first time - and smiles that look more like grimaces.

 I am thankful for buckteeth smiles.

Once upon a time...

Once upon a time there was a missionary and this missionary had a little sister who was only 2 years old.  Well this missionary loved her little sister so much that he wrote her a letter from his mission telling her how much he loved her.  Well that little girl grew up and when she was 25 she found the letter in her keepsake box.  She had never known about the letter before that time.  She felt so loved by her older brother. 

Once upon a time there was a missionary and this missionary was the son of the other missionary.  His aunt wrote to him every week on his mission and he wrote to her too.  They were the very best of friends and the aunt remembered her letter from his father often when she wrote to her nephew.  She loved her nephew very much and he loved his aunt.

Once upon a time the first missionary grew up and got a job at the Pentagon and moved to DC where he was only 7 hrs away from the little sister he wrote the letter to.  She was very happy to have him move so close to her.  She loved her big brother very much and was very happy to get a chance to see more of him.  Who would have known that a young missionary's love for his littler sister could translate into a lifetime of love in return to both himself and his missionary son?

YAY for my nephew Micah on a mission!  DOUBLE YAY for my brother Bob moving to live near me for the next two years.  TRIPLE YAY for him being a secret agency spy.