Gabby

Gabby sure loves dance.  I love to watch her dance.  And she did her hair in such a cute hair style for dance last night that I just had to snap a couple of photos.   

Love First

I have the best people in my life.  I'm feeling yucky and stayed home from work today.  I took a nap after I got home from work and still went to bed at 8:30 last night.  My dear friend Sara brought me soup for lunch.  A few seconds after she brought the soup, I got a text from my dear friend Aly saying that she was thinking of me and loves me and that I'm an example to her.  I am so thankful to have such great examples of Christlike disciples all around me.  It reminded me that 1.  I have dear friends who love me.  2.  My Heavenly Father is mindful of me.  I am sure that Aly was prompted by the spirit to send that text.  3.  If I ever truly needed something, I have people who would help and be there for me.  I'm fine.  I will be back at work tomorrow and my life is good.  But it means so much that on just a lousy sick day, people reached out to show love.  I know that if there were ever really a tragedy or great need, I would be enveloped by love.

 This morning I watched a beautiful video on Instagram from Multiply Goodness this morning.  Emily Freeman shared a bracelet that she wears that says HWLF on it.  She explained that a college student wore a WWJD bracelet (What Would Jesus Do?) One day as he was studying for an exam, he was staring at the bracelet and began to really ponder, what would Jesus do?   And he decided that He would love first.  That's what Jesus would do.  So this young man created bracelets to remind himself and others that Jesus would love first...and so should we.

Another dear friend, upon hearing that story, texted me to ask how many young women I have.  She texted later and told me she hoped it was okay but she'd ordered enough bracelets for each of my young women.  She hoped I'd share this story and give them each a bracelet...as a reminder that Jesus loves them so very much, first and foremost, and also that what He spent His life doing and what we should spend our lives doing is loving people first.  I'm going to give the bracelets to the young women at our New Beginnings.  It will go perfectly with our theme for this year, John 14:15:  "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

A couple of other things.  I've been drinking herbal tea to help fight off this illness. Mostly homemade with garlic, ginger, and honey.  Disgusting but it helps.  But this morning I made packaged tea. When I made my tea this morning, I noticed the tea bag had this little message.  "Live righteously and love everyone.   You will build up around you an aura of light and love."  Perfect, huh?!

On Sunday, I was studying for Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families for this week.  I read Luke 4 and was so touched by these verses.

  This is Christ declaring publicly that He is the long awaited Messiah.  Many were angry or disbelieving but I am sure that many hearts thrilled at His declaration.  My heart surely does.  I thrill at His declaration because it occurs to me that each of us will at times be brokenhearted, spiritually blind, poor (in money or in spirit), captive (to sin, pride, anger, jealousy, self doubt, discouragement, selfishness, or grief) and bruised.  But in verse 21 he says, "this day is this scripture fulfilled in me."  And it occurred to me that TODAY He can fulfill those words for each of us.  TODAY He can calm our sorrow, heal our broken hearts, free us from our doubts and our sins, and help us to see more clearly.  If we exercise faith in Him, He can do these things for us today and each day.  Sometimes it takes days, weeks, months or even years for us to see the fulfillment of these promises but they will come!!  I'm so grateful!

Latin Cooking Night

Our dear friends, Jeremy and Stacie, bought us tickets to a Latin Cooking night at Park City Culinary Institute as our Christmas gift this year.  The cooking class was on January 26 and it was SO fun!   We went with Jeremy and Stacie and one other couple was at our table, also.  We learned how to make tostones (twice fried plantains), mango salsa, chicken empanadas, and pasteles (a guava pastry).   Everything was delicious and it was a lot of fun doing the cooking and visiting and enjoying time with our friends and each other.

I was surprised because I've had fried plantains before and I don't like them at all.  At all!  But when they are smashed and then fried twice, they are thin and crispy and taste more like a chip. With mango salsa on top, they are quite delicious!

Alfredo's empanadas are even better than the ones we made there, but they were good.  And the pastelitos are delicious.  I made them again for dessert this past Saturday, though I couldn't find guava paste so I made half with lemon curd and half with raspberry jam.

2018 Year in Review and Resolutions for 2019

2018 was a great year.  We reviewed last year's resolutions and none of us did as well as we would have liked...except our family goal was to increase our family unity and harmony and while there is still room for improvement, I do feel that was something that we made great progress in this past year.  Still, despite not being as diligent at our resolutions as we would like, we all learned and grew and tried new things and become better and stronger.  It was a great year!

Here are some of the things we felt were highlights:

*We took a fabulous trip to Washington D.C. and New York City!!

*Michelle loves seminary.  She really loves her teacher, Brother Garner.  She had two great teachers last year as well.

*Visiting the Utah Temples with the Smiths.  Especially taking the weekend trip to St. George/Cedar City.

*Michelle loved going to Lagoon with Morgan.

*Our YW group did really well playing volleyball in the regional games.
*We loved the ward campout and hope that becomes an annual tradition.

*Michelle loves her English teacher this year, Mr. Johnson.
*Michelle was SO thrilled to pass her AP Human Geography test last year.
*Visiting the trampoline park with cousins over Christmas break.

*Ella LOVED Oakcrest.  She had such a good time there.  And we were so glad when she came back home.

*Youth Conference at Temple Square.

*Ella and Gabby both really enjoy dance.  Gabby is so, so happy that she made it on to Jazz Attitude.

*Our trip to Yellowstone.

*Gabby loves being in Miss Gunkel's class for 5th grade!!

*Our cousins came to visit twice in 2018!!! That was definitely a highlight of the year.

*Our grandparents moved to Utah!  We were able to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas and other days with them.

*Girls camp is always a highlight.

*The girls all got their own rooms.

*Reading the Book of Mormon together in 3 months as President Nelson challenged the girls and women to do.

*We have such remarkable people in our lives.  I can't possibly include a photo or a memory from every one, but we have an amazing ward filled with such wonderful men and women.  We have lovely friends...some from work, some from church, some from school, some from the neighborhood and some from other places.  But each one of us is blessed to have dear friends that touch our lives for good...and we also have some friends that are more like family.  And we have family nearby and far away that we love so dearly.  It is our relationships with one another and with others that make this life worth living and that bring such joy, peace, and richness to us.  Our hearts are full!

And aside from these highlights, I had the following highlights personally:

*President Nelson Conference Talk challenge...over the summer I read or listened to every conference talk that President Nelson has ever given since being called as an apostle.  I created a Facebook group where we read and studied them together and where we've worked together to accomplish some of his other challenges as well.  What a great blessing that has been to come to know and love our dear prophet better!

*Being called as YW President in my ward.  I know this call came from Heavenly Father, and I dearly love the Young Women of my ward. It's such a blessing and a privilege to serve them and to spend time with them.

*Participating with my oldest two daughters and the Young Women in the activities in preparation for the Jordan River Temple rededication and the cultural celebration.  

*Really increasing my temple attendance this year.  It's been such a blessing in my life to take my daughters to the temple regularly and also to attend the temple regularly myself.  Especially since President Nelson challenged us to attend more frequently in general conference.  I have seen that as I strive to follow the prophet, the Lord not only blesses me but also provides ways to make that possible more than I had anticipated.

Favorite Books of the Year:

Michelle:

As I Lay Dying

First They Killed My Father

Gabby:

Restart

Harry Potter #6

Ella:

The Infinite Atonement (she got this for Christmas so she hasn't finished it yet, but she is diligently reading and studying it, taking notes, recording what she's learning in her journal).

She's also excited to read How to Ride a Bike in a Dress by our stake young women's president, Donna Young.

Jenny:

The Infinite Atonement by Tad Callister

Refugee by Alan Gratz

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Led by Divine Design by Ronald A Rasband

Seek this Jesus by Neill Marriott

That We May Be One by Tom Christofferson

Russell M. Nelson:  Father, Surgeon, Apostle by Spencer J. Condie

Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson

Resolutions for 2019:

Michelle:  Not procrastinate homework

Read the scriptures every day

Ella:  Not procrastinate homework

Read The Infinite Atonement and the scriptures

Gabby:  Continue to improve in dance

Pray morning and night and read the scriptures by herself

Me:  Gather More Light (through Come Follow Me for Families, scripture study, temple attendance, prayer, service).   I read these words from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf on New Year's Day and they really touched me:  

"As the new year approaches, we often think about changes we can make to improve our lives. Though setting goals and making resolutions can lead to positive changes, nothing will change your life this year as significantly as seeking to gather God’s light into your souls and allowing your spirits to be filled with the shining truth of heavenly things.

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Gathering light is a full-time privilege and process. It is not something you get from a class or a sermon. It cannot be checked off a list and considered completed. It is a process of every day and every hour. When you awake in the morning, you begin your quest for light. And when you finish the day, you evaluate your engagement in the task.
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Unfortunately, you will certainly experience times of sorrow and trial in your life. But as a light gatherer and disciple of Jesus Christ you will experience His abiding joy in the midst of your trials. You will feel His watchful hand guiding your steps. As you receive this light, let it shine so that others will see it and glorify God because of it."