My Favorite Things

It's almost midnight. Zack is on a campout. Yes, that's right. A campout. It's February. It's freezing AND windy outside. And he's on a campout. But it's the Klondike Derby, so it's worth it, right? ...right?

When Zack's gone I usually end up sitting on my bed with the TV on while I surf the internets watching shows or reading about things that make me cry late at night. Tonight it was the Scrubs episode where Dr. Cox's brother-in-law dies of Leukemia. I hate cancer. In the episode they play this song, which I think is kind of cool. Go ahead, listen to it, think of someone you love who has died, and then cry with me. Go on.

Okay, now that we have that over with....

My main reason for posting tonight is because, well, I'm awake and I don't feel like sleeping right now, and because I wanted to show you pictures of some of my most favorite people in the whole world. In no particular theme or order...

Here's Noah looking pensive.

Now here he is looking how he usually looks: worried and/or frightened.

And here is looking absolutely adorable. How can you not kiss that face? How?!

Lest you think Noah is the only cute one at our house, here's Caleb helping Dad with a project. Yes, it was early morning. And yes, his hair is awesome.

This is a face Caleb has been doing a lot lately.

Now back to Noah! This is a face that he does most of the time. Doesn't he look so cuddly?

Here are my boys sporting the two teams we like to cheer for in this house.

Does this one really need any caption besides "Ahhh! He's killing me with his cuteness!"

Caleb likes sledding!

A totem pole of fun! Yes, Caleb is just wearing socks, Yes, Noah is asleep and No, they didn't go down the hill as a totem pole.

Caleb and Dad making Stromboli.

Life is good.

One Step

"One step at a time, there's no need to rush.
It's like learning to fly or falling in love.
It's gonna happen and it's supposed to happen.
And we find the reasons why one step at a time."

Sometimes that one step feels more like a leap. But I guess that's the only way you learn to fly, and flying is what you want.
Who knew that leaping off the edge could feel so good?

Now Let Us Rejoice

This weekend I had the priviledge of seeing my newest little niece blessed by her daddy. Her daddy is my baby brother and it's fun to watch him enter this new phase of his life. It seems he was born to play the role of the doting father. He can't stop smiling at his baby girl. And I don't blame him. She is a DOLL.

The blessing took place in California, because that's where my brother and his wife live (much to our disappointment). My parents, my two brothers and Zack and I were able to make it out for the blessing.

While I was sitting in the chapel, surrounded by my brothers, my parents, and my sister-in-law's family, I starting thinking about all the family members who were there but participating on the other side of the veil. My brother, my son, my grandparents and countless others surely were there as well enjoying the wonderful occasion. My sister-in-law's grandparents had passed away a while ago and so I imagined them greeting and shaking hands with my grandparents and congratulating each other on such a fine, sweet little great-grandchild. I imagined a lot of patting each other on the back, hand-shaking, grins, and words of "She's adorable." "We've done well." and "She gets that from me...". (You know how grandparents -and great-grandparents- can be.) While I was sitting there thinking about all of this I was struck with how neat it was that two families, who didn't know each other before, could instantly become connected -all because of a little girl.

Then the closing hymn started. "Now let us rejoice in the day of salvation." A wave of understanding washed over me as I sang the next words, "No longer as strangers on earth need we roam."

We, two families who were once strangers, are strangers no more. We are one great family now. And that's pretty much what life is all about.