1/7/24

Sorry to not have written much over the break, but it was great being able to visit with you so much more. Sure hope you're feeling better by now. Miraculously, we were ALL together and healthy for Christmas!!--(and have since all taken turns with colds). Dad had his ankle surgery Wed before Christmas, and school was only a halfday that day. Thursday, the drugs were working well enough for Dad (they sent him home with an awesome balloon of blocking medication cathetered into the back of his knee), that I took Lucy in the van down to Provo to move Emily out of her apartment and see Maddie & Brian's new one. Maddie's family came up the next day after a few car delays, then Saturday we all went to the jump zone together (I don't know who had more fun --the kids or adults!), and then did a quick shopping trip for a family that needed a little anonymous Christmas help. I loved having Christmas Eve on Sunday--chance to gather as a ward, then be together as a family. We had the Harris's join us for dinner since Diana was in Mexico, and I tried a new (selfishly, everything I wanted to eat!) menu for dinner of lobster bisque, salad, salmon, couscous, roasted sweet potatoes, and cranberry white chocolate cheesecake before acting out the nativity and then joining in with your mission zoom call. Maddie's family opened presents with us Christmas morning before heading down to the other grandparents, and we enjoyed a quiet/lazy day! The rest of the break was full of fun game playing, cheering Anne on at basketball, and so much good food. I replaced our microwave and took Dad to his follow up visit where everything looked great. He seems to be healing well, and it's been fast healing since he could put weight on it after all. Testimony meeting was so filling today. Almost every person that spoke rang echoes of things in my own heart---I really wish we did a lot more "Amen"ing and "Hallelujah"s spontaneously in our meetings, because that's what I'm feeling! My own testimony that I just shared pieces of in SS and with Diana catching up after church was that God works miracles in our brokenness. I was so excited to be back to Book of Mormon this year, and was impatient when I saw the first lesson just on the introductory pages! BUT-- it was good to remember that it took a process to get TO the Book of Mormon. That it was Joseph, who himself felt lost, and yearning, and seeking that led to the TOTALLY UNEXPECTED First Vision, which led to Moroni preparing him FOR FOUR YEARS to receive the plates---that the best miracles are such a process and take a lot of time and process and effort. I appreciated being reminded that perfect solutions are rarely plopped down in finished states right when we need them, but that problems and struggles that turn us to pleading and seeking God bring miracles. My patriarchal blessing has a line that says "Avoid discouragement, for discouragement is a tool of the devil." I've always thought that was a solid truth, but lately I've really seen how it applies to me personally and how I buckle under pressure pretty easily. I HATE disappointments and my weaknesses and setbacks, and I tend to want to give up easily, so it's been good for me to realize, not just that it's good form to avoid discouragement, but that I PERSONALLY, need to make sure I work at that. Seeing that struggles and setbacks and even tragedies are not the end of the story, but can actually be bridges to greatness has helped me push back against discouragement. We send Emily off to Santiago this Thursday, and Dad only has one more week of his ankle boot, so exciting things ahead! I got to help the sister missionaries with a lesson last night, and even though there were many funny/awkward moments, I came away FLOODED with how much love God has for all His children. Hope you're feeling that love too, even with awkward & uncomfortable days. Love you SO SO MUCH! Love, Mom PS--Layton and Sophie had their sweet baby girl Sutton right before Christmas! SO HAPPY!!