Hastag New Year New Me

Is it too early for Valentine's bed?  I thought not.

Kimmie found these dresses for us.  Darl.

My four "littles" spend every second together on weekends -- soaking up all the time separated during the week.  Watching them love each other fills my soul.

Seminary is a thing now. (Well every other week.)

This little girl spent the week healing from a severe cold.  She slept in until 10am every morning and whimpered every other second.

Ryan is now apart of the Young Men's program.  Eddie had wrestling, so Austin and Ryan went to Ryan's first activity together.  "It was fun," was his report.

We're working hard over here.

I received a new calling -- 3.5 years as the stake YW president has been swapped for early morning seminary teacher.  AHHHH!  Each of my seminary graduates glazed me up and walked me through the reality of why my new calling is really going to be great.  I needed to feel and hear their confidence in me.

My cute friends celebreated my birthday with lunch at Mai Thai.  These ladies are wonderful and true.  Love them.

(Good skin day.)

Birthday flowers.

Saturday Eddie had a wrestling match.  He took first.  His one loss went into triple over time.

Austin harvested these tomatoes -- it's still so strange that our best garden efforts are in the late spring and late fall.  Yum.

 The missionaries' update via a joint call:

Maisie: "I'm going on three exchanges!"

Nick: "That's sick!" Then he muttered something in Portugese.  He often follows up his English with Portuguese and his Portuguese with English.  He's often speaking both languages interchangeably,  simultaneously, and flawlessly.

Maisie: "Pray that I'll get my MTC teaching job."

Nick: "You'll be lit."

Maisie: "My hair is so healthy."

Nick: "I'm balding." And, "I ate NINE bananas yesterday."

Then the conversation switched and I expressed extreme trepidation and hesitation with my new calling: seminary teacher.  Those two servants of the Lord whipped right in and buoyed me up with praise and confidence.  Maisie had me read from PMG, and then Nick testified of what she taught.  Here is our exchange:

Maisie: "It's really hard to fell worthy when God asks you to do hard things.  It's hard to feel competent and worthy.  John 13 teaches us that the Lord washed one part of the apostles' bodies, not their whole body.  You are just one part of their conversion, not all of it.  Give solid reasons WHY by pointing each lesson back to Jesus Christ.  Teach them to turn to principles when life is really hard."

Nick:  "You teach with the spirit everyday in your home.  You know how to do this.  Jesus Christ's gospel is a gospel of HOPE.  When they feel the spirit, they'll want to change."

They concluded:

Maisie: "We believe in you!  Get a priesthood blessing when you need help.  Be you, do your own thing based on the promptings you receive."

Andy is running again.  He and Becca on working on a 15 mile "fun" run in March.  They run all over town.

His home MTC photo came up from four years ago.  Love this RM.

Meg reported that the twinnies say prayers in sync.  They each take a turn and copy each other.  There is always an echo at prayer time.  "They love to pray."