How great shall be your joy!

Hi Elders!!!

How are you this week?  What is new?  Not much is new at home.  In fact I realized this morning (Sunday) that I haven't taken any pictures this week or any pictures from the last time I did a blog post.  So we took a few before church and luckily Dad (who got a new phone for Christmas-cause his had gotten really bad) took some of Gracie in the Jeep the other day when he took the jeep and Gracie for a ride.

Gracie likes the jeep.  Reminds her of her brothers! 

The jeep is running alright.  

It's still here and it has come in handy a few times when we have needed an extra car. 

Gracie wore a new dress that she also got for Christmas!  She loved it and said she looked so pretty.  She also calls it her Moana (from the movie) dress cause it looks like Hawaiian flowers!  

She was very proud to wear it.  

I didn't get a picture of Lydia this week, but you can see a blurry one of her in the one above as she is trying to photo bomb Gracie playing Connect 4.  Gracie is always wanting to play this game, but doesn't really play it.  After all of us having to play it with her we decided after she was busy to have a tournament and play for real.  It was a tough competition.  But in the end Dad was the winner (are you surprised???)

Dad finishing up the dishes with Jacob's help. (We miss our dishwashers;) 

 Does Jacob's tie look familiar?  It was one of your hand-me downs from way back.  First time he wore it.  It was pretty long so we had to tuck the extra length in the back inside his shirt.  

That's all the pictures I have this week.  Next week we will make up for it as we are going to California.  Using the rest of those flight vouchers (we booked this trip well before San Francisco).  We first thought we would go to Universal Studios and the beach but then decided since Grace is still free at Disneyland till she is 3 we should take advantage and go there.  Plus she will be able to go on more rides at Disneyland than Universal Studios.  It's the longer Martin Luther King Day weekend, so it's a good time to get away.  

Just for fun here are a few tidbits from home this week: 

-Gracie is now one of the oldest kids in nursery as the older kids move on.  Many people have asked me if she is going in to Sunbeams.  They are surprised cause they think she acts older.  She loves nursery so it's probably good that she is not moving up.  

-Both Lydia and Jacob started play practice this week.  

-Jacob made a basket at his basketball game.  He doesn't like us to make a big deal about it though. 

-Jacob found a mouse in the chicken food in the shed.  It scared him and he came running back in the house frightened.  Dad took Tigger out to the shed and Tigger caught the mouse right away but then dropped it to play with it and it got away:/

-Dad and I went to Paxton Pateys' wedding reception Friday night.  He married someone from your grade, but she only went to MMHS for 1.5 years.  Did you ever know an Abigail Cook? She lived in Triple Crown before she moved to Lehi.

-Lydia had a party here Saturday night.  4 boys 3 girls.  The boys out numbered the girls.  Should we be worried about that?   JK 

Finally, I am sure you have heard the news about the passing of President Monson.  What a wonderful prophet!  As I have thought about him this week I realized that he was the prophet of my Children's youth.  I don't know how much you remember President Hinkley (you two would remember more than Lydia or Jacob), but I can imagine you have a greater remembrance of Pres. Monson.  He was such an example of service and enjoying the journey of life.   I was touched when I read an article of an interview with his daughter after his passing.  Sounds like he had lost some of his memory and was on dialysis.  But even though he had these struggles he still continued to serve and I was so impressed that even as his health was declining he still continued to serve.  Here is a quote from the article......

 Dibb, one of his three children, described her father as a unique, "whirlwind of a man" during a poignant, exclusive interview on Friday she said that even as his memory and health worsened, she made sure he could continue to do what he had done throughout his life — visit the sick, the lonely and those who needed lifting.

"Tom Monson needed that because it made him happy," said Dibb

What an example he was of service.  I loved that he knew the purpose of life and the path to true happiness.  I can imagine that you have tasted of this true happiness as you have been able to serve others more often on your mission than ever before.  

What a blessing it is to serve!  

We LOVE YOU!!! 

Love, MOM