Some of my favorite President Hinckley quotes

"Life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

“Our lives are the only meaningful expression of what we believe and in whom we believe. And the only real wealth, for any of us, lies in our faith.”

"It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all our relationships. In other words, to become more Christlike."

"My plea is that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we 'accentuate the positive.' I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment and endorse virtue and effort."

"The only way to get anything done is to get on your knees and plead for help and then get on your feet and go to work."

"How grateful I am, how grateful we all must be for the women in our lives."

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us...if we put our trust in Him, if we pray to Him, if we live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers."

"Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great purpose in heart."

A Poem for Jan - Take 2

Jan read the poem I wrote, then removed from the blog, and she said it was OK to post it after all. She only dislikes it when I "exaggerate her qualities" (like I could). Anyway, for those of you who care, here is the poem I wrote for her:

Dear Jan,
Soon we celebrate our 36th year together.
In that time I have come to know,
Far better than I knew,
Just what love really is.
Sometimes I wish I could meet you,
Fall in love with you,
And marry you all over again.

And yet, in a very real sense,
I meet you anew
Every day,
I fall in love with you again
Every day,
And I renew my marriage vows with you
Every day.

Our lives have become a kind of dance –
My movements are meaningless,
Even comical,
Unless I know that you are moving with me;
And I try my best to complement the moves you make.

Thank you for making my life beautiful,
Meaningful,
Joyous, and
Whole.
You are my life, my heart, my love forever.

Worth Reflecting On...

"[T]his scripture has a key in it. 'And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and longsuffering; being temperate in all things, being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works. And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless.' (Alma 7:23-25)

"Being submissive, gentle, easy to be entreated, and patient are all attributes. But the actions Alma commends to us are to ask for what we need and to return thanks. Please don't think of that as a routine command to say your prayers. Oh, it is much more than that. If you pray, if you talk to God, if you plead for the help you need, and if you thank him not only for help but for the patience and gentleness that come from not receiving all you desire right away - or perhaps ever - I promise that you will draw closer to him. And then you will become diligent and longsuffering." (Henry B. Eyring, "To Draw Closer to God" Deseret Book, 1997, p.97)

I don't know why this needed to be posted tonight. Perhaps someone out there will know. I love you all.

A Poem for Jan

I have removed this poem from my posting because I remembered (in time) that Jan hates it when I write sweet things about her on the blog. It embarasses her. So even though I wrote a sweet love poem, out of respect for her feelings I have removed it. Sorry everyone. What she thinks of me is more important to me than your disappointment.

Grandkids

Joshua loved wearing Grandpa's mountain man hat. It looked like a big hat with legs most of the time. Adam loved wearing it, too.

Susie Q hunting for Easter eggs in the snow, AGAIN! Seems like every time she is here for Easter, it snows.

The Crider kids after feeding the ducks on Easter Sunday. Lydia discovered that ducks are nice.

Adam reading books to us last weekend. Adam and Joshua loved sword fighting with our nerf swords (which is also Owen's favorite game). How many Robin Hoods can you have in one family?

Lydia enjoyed running in the snow and throwing snowballs at Grandpa! She even found a few eggs.

Owen found a lot of Easter eggs. Good thing they were colored. White ones would have been hard to find.

This is what Joshua looks like when you can get him to hold still.

We just LOVE having grandkids here. Bring 'em on! Even though it feels like we are living through a tornado, we really miss the tornado when it stops. We are so blessed to have the wonderful grandkids the Lord has given us. (Oh, yes, we love our children and their spouses, too. :)

Tea Party

Next Wednesday is the day to let your lawmakers know that you are Taxed Enough Already! There will be hundreds of thousands of Americans peacefully protesting in the streets all over this country. Thousands more have mailed teabags to their "leaders" in Washington telling them that they have had enough of their lying and hypocritical actions. Let your voice be heard. Don't let them take away our freedom - our country - without letting them now what you think and where you stand.