Thank you, President Hinckley

Thank you President Hinckley, for your unfailing optimism, for your faith in the Savior, for your vision in providing temple blessings for everyone!

Thank you for traveling around the world to share your love and the Savior's love with us

when you "really don't like to travel."

Thank you for gently leading us to higher ground.

Thank you for taking the Church to the world, out of obscurity.

Thank you for teaching us how to respect and to reach out and love those not of our faith.

Thank you for teaching us not to take ourselves too seriously.

Thank you for showing us how to endure to the end.

We love you and we will miss you greatly.

Thank you for being our prophet.

It was nice while it lasted

The past few days have been VERY cold here (at least for Eugene). It was cold because for some reason our usual cloud cover was nowhere to be seen. So we have enjoyed three whole days of sunshine, and it has been WONDERFUL!! Three glorious days of blue sky without a cloud in the sky to block the sun - what a treat!

I just looked out the window, and even though there is still some blue sky out there, the clouds are coming back. So even though the temperatures will jump back up to the high 30's and 40's, I will miss that beautiful sunshine that lifts my spirits and puts joy in my heart. It was nice while it lasted!

I don't get it

Today when I went to seminary it was 18 degrees. One student came in with a light sweater and flipflops, one had a little fleece jack and birkenstocks, one came in basketball shorts. My reaction was, "What in the world???!!!"

Now I realize fashion is important when you're in high school, but this is ridiculous!

What were they thinking???

I Survived!

Thank you Jessi, Kjirsten, Emma, Abbi and Shana for your kind words of sympathy!! They did the trick - my root canal experience was a total success! I took 3 ibuprofen before the procedure and have been taking them every 6 hours since. The dentist used lots of anaesthetic (I appreciate anesthetic!!!), and I didn't feel any pain whatsoever. I don't know if I had a highly skilled dentist or what you said is true - root canals aren't that difficult these days. But I am so glad that experience is in the past. If you have to go through a stressful medical or dental procedure, I will try to be the first one there with words of support and consolation!

A Little Sympathy Please

Tomorrow I have to go have a root canal. It would help me immensely if I got lots of sympathetic comments. I'm sure I could face my dire fate better if I knew people felt so sorry for me! Even better would be comments that you had a root canal and it didn't even hurt one bit! Actually, I would take the latter over the former.

Don't worry, I will let you know if I survive.

Je vais parler francais!

I have a wonderful friend who is from Switzerland. She speaks French and also gives private French lessons. It all of a sudden dawned on me to take lessons from her and brush up on my French! How many times do you have an opportunity to have private lessons from a native speaker???? I took French classes in junior high, high school, and college. In fact, I minored in French. I could read it pretty well, but it was all I could do to open my mouth and say anything for fear of becoming the laughing stock of the world. I haven't tried to improve my speaking or increase my knowledge for years and years. So here goes - life-long learning and all that!

My first lesson was so fun! I struggled at first with that strong feeling of panic when she would ask me a question in French. But she didn't laugh or mock or point her finger at me at all when I made a weak attempt at answering her questions. Then she gave me the cutest little book of short stories to read. I think I'm going to like this!

So. Anyone want to plan a trip to Paris?

Especially for Cody

Yesterday I happened to look at our hill, and there were two bucks, two does, and two or three little ones strolling through. I haven't seen deer in awhile, so of course I grabbed my camera and headed out to take a picture. For some reason they didn't congregate for a group picture, but I tried to get as many snap shots as I could. By the time I got my camera, the little ones were way up the hill, so no pictures of them this time.

This fall when we were visiting Utah, I got to talk with Cody and Kortney, and Cody mentioned how he enjoyed seeing the pictures of the deer. So this is especially dedicated to a fellow deer-lover!

I am overjoyed to report that they didn't eat any of my plants either! The does ventured down into our yard, but I gently urged them to return to the wild part of our hill and eat things there. I will still continue with my anti-deer spray that they don't like so they will continue to leave my landscape alone!

We Missed Adam!

Our Christmas in Georgia was wonderful, but we missed Adam! I'm so glad he got to visit Jessie in Colorado! Thanks to the Evanson's for opening your home and including Adam in your Christmas celebration! Next time we get together, Adam will be there, no matter what! I don't care what Old Navy says! Adam, we love you!