A New Year!

Dear Family,
With the beginning of a new year, I decided it might be a good time to try to keep my resolve of contributing to the blog each month.  I'm even going to try to have Amy teach me how to post pictures!  Now that the details of the "cruise" are pretty much in place, we can turn our minds to everyday matters and to "saving and planning" for this wonderful, forthcoming adventure!  Dad and I are really looking forward to next February, as we know all of you are!
So much has happened since I last posted...The middle of November was our fun trip to San Francisco where Kevin and Julie, Dave and Cinda met us for dinner and a play and we made a quick trip to Fresno to visit the temple and have dinner with dear temple friends.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and so much fun with Todd and Jenny, Zach and Amy and their families.  We were able to host a dessert get-together for my extended family and it was fun to see many from out of town.  December brought Christmas with the Gruwells and Fenns and most of you coming afterward.  Thank you so much for all the effort and time you put forth to make the trip.  I know it wasn't easy with the weather, work schedules, etc.,not to mention the fact that so many took turns getting sick!  It was a "special memory" to be together on my birthday...thank you for everything!
January has been full of many activities....Sometimes people ask us "what does it feel like to be retired?" (!)
We really don't know what to say.  It doesn't really feel any different from any other time - we seem to be just as busy - only doing different things!  I try to help Grandma as much as I can - this month taking her to the doctor, to lunch with friends, to the temple and to an institute class every Wednesday morning.  Becky and I take her to the temple each month - usually the first Tuesday morning -  along with anyone else who can go.  This month we also gave a baby shower for Ashley Wise McCune while Aunt Debbie was here.
Dad keeps busy working two shifts at the temple on Wednesdays and Saturdays, doing any outside work he can do this time of year (which has actually been much warmer than usual) and going to as many BYU games as he can!  We also keep busy with the missionary prep class we teach.  I was "hit" with "some kind of cold" two weeks ago which settled in my sinuses.  I haven't been able to "taste or smell" for a week...I've decided it really isn't any fun to eat if you can't taste the food!  Finally, today I have been able to taste things...thanks to modern medicine!  It is good to start to feel better - I only hope Dad and Scott can stay well.
Last November we had a wonderful stake conference.  I was so inspired and wanted to email everyone about what a wonderful spirit we had at our meetings and what the focus was on.  In an effort to be brief, I'll mention just a few things:
1. Saturday the focus was on family history and we were all reminded of the value and importance of our patriarchal blessings. We were counseled to read them often to help us keep our focus on what our priorities should be.  I thought that was a good reminder.
2. Sunday's meeting was around Jarom 3. Our stake president, who is a very humble and sweet man, made the comment that it is rare for anyone to quote Jarom - only one chapter in the entire book! The verse mentions "hardness of their hearts", "deafness of their ears", "blindness of their minds" and "stiffness of their necks".  He gave a beautiful talk mentioning that he didn't want to be negative and he wasn't accusing anyone of such behavior, but he was continually concerned and reminded of the importance of "being truly converted", believing and following the prophets, continually repenting and moving forward in faith.  He said we needed to be "firm and steadfast" and be careful not to adopt the tendencies mentioned in the third verse in Jarom because that will hinder our progression.  Good food for thought!

We love you all!  We hope to hear from all of you so that when our blog is printed we will have regular contributions from everyone!  It can serve as part of our family history...Have a wonderful week and stay well!
                                                                                 Love, Mom