Table for Eight

Soooooo glad it's Friday. It feels like it's been a super-long week. Actually, it feels like it's been a super-long winter; we have really been battling colds/sicknesses/injuries since October of last year. But in between sicknesses, we are good overall.  So no reason to complain-- just gotta get through it. PS: Something I've been thinking about lately, how do you manage colds/flus/temporary injuries?  Meaning, do you take time off work/school? Do you rest, etc.?  Dave and I were talking this week and both agreed that we see so many people work through their sicknesses. Now granted, sometimes situations require that you do, but when they don't, how do you rest and recover from illness? And do you teach/help your children to heal (by resting, what?)?  I'm just curious because we notice our own kids are feeling the need/pressure to work through illness--and I can't help but think that's not a good thing.  Just a thought. Have a great week...

Not a bday cake, but sweet! Today is my BFF Christine's birthday. And even though we don't live next door to each other anymore (it's been more than 20 years since we lived literally a hallway apart), I still feel like she's one of my closest friends. I love her to no end and am so thankful for the blessing she is in my life--and our family's lives (we even gave our first daughter her name as a middle name--she inspires us so much). So, Happy Birthday Christine. Hope it's a beautiful day! And now, one picture of Elder Meehan from this week's letter. We love that guy!

Lately I find myself overthinking everything. This is pretty much something I've done my whole life, but I notice that it became more instinctive/habitual after I played Survivor the first time.  And then OVERWHELMINGLY habitual after the second time I played Survivor. (The game just kind of sucks you into this non-stop analysis of every tiny detail of every action. At least, that's how it was for me--because I was trying my best to control every decision in an effort to win the million dollars.) But my point! It's typically a great thing to think through some of your life-decisions. But it's not always a great thing to spend your time non-stop thinking and rethinking every tiny thing you do. For example, yesterday I literally spent something like 45 minutes fretting over whether I should save some gallon-sized freezer bags and reuse them--because some of the veggies I'd had in them were only in there for like 12 hours. Literally 45 minutes thinking abo...

Our nephew, my beautiful mom, my neice, and my daddy-o at his Birthday Dinner (and Panda Inn in Pasadena). Yesterday was my daddy-o's bday, and I failed to post!  What kinda daughter am I? [Don't answer that.] I love my dad so much. He's an incredible dad and grandpa (and husband to my mom). So I thought in honor of his birthday I would post  some of the things I've learned from, and love, about him: --He likes to read (and, like me, spends time in the Self Help section more than other sections of the virtual bookstore). --He and my mom have been married a ton of years and yet they still write notes to each other most mornings. --He is a hard-worker. He worked for the same organization from the time he was 16 until he retired. A job that required him to be at work typically at 5am every day, six days a week. --He is a great father, despite not really having his own dad as a role model growing up (My Grandpa Woody passed away from a sudden heart attack w...

The family Kim and Bill built (from L to R): Daughter Lindsay and her sweet husband, daughter Jamie (bride) and her sweet husband (groom), Bill and Kim, son Daniel, and daughter Megan and her sweet husband and daughter. at the Salt Lake City Temple. Our sweet friend--and a giant of a man/soul--passed away this Saturday after about 3 weeks in the hospital battling the return of leukemia and complications from pneumonia and a raging bacterial infection. He was surrounded by the beautiful family he and Kim brought her to Planet E. And they are a beautiful family in every sense of the word. I'll admit, I'm a faithful person. I believe our lives have purpose. I believe we are all connected to this incredible magical world for a reason. I believe life is eternal and that our spirit never dies.  And yet, it hurts to see him leave earth so soon. Too soon, in my opinion. And it hurts to know his incredible family will have to be physically without him for the time-being...

True Love: Lu and Zu babysitting yesterday. (They made the homemade mobile--all different textures, colors, a bell). I really really do LOVE Valentine's Day!  Oddly, I don't remember liking it so much as a kid--primarily because I think there's a lot of pressure to have a "sweetheart" (even in gradeschool) AND because I always dreaded the school candy or carnation exchange/fundraiser. You know the one I'm talking about? You can send your friends a carnation during the school-day for a dollar (red, pink or white in color? I'm anti-carnation to THIS day as a result of those yearly carnation exchanges.). Anyway, I think it's an idea that has its heart in the right place, but inevitably I think it makes some people feel left out. AND I think it pressures kids into giving gifts to people they may not feel all that strongly about. Phew, now that I got that off my chest, back to my point! *jumps off soapbox* I really like all that Valentine'...