Family MATTERS

Jim and I went to the church broadcast on Saturday morning about the family -"Raising a Righteous Posterity" I think it was called. They talked about family and why it is the most important thing, and I want to "Amen" that thought, and give some of my own. (OK, I'm a lawyer, it is an occupational hazard to be opinionated!)

Vince Lombardi once said "Winning isn't the main thing - it's the ONLY thing." or something to that effect.

He got one word wrong. The quote should have said:
"FAMILY isn't the main thing, it's the ONLY thing."

I have been pondering this since Saturday morning. Really, love is the only thing that motivates us for good. I don't want to go to heaven to be comfortable, or rich, or sit on clouds and play harps. I want to go to be with my loved ones forever. That is what motivates me the most. I never want to do anything that would keep me from being with my family, and they are ALL celestial material, so I need to be a celestial person, too, to be with them.

Also, I am a better, more celestial person because I am acutely aware of the example I set for those whom I love. I want to be a good person for them to see what joy being a good person brings to you. Prssident Kimball once said "The more service you perform, the more substance there is to your soul." Wow. There are a lot of folks walking around today with ghost-like almost non-existent souls, because they are so focussed on themselves and their own needs, often to the detriment of others. They will pay a dear price for their selfishness. There are even religions which preach selfishness: just go meditate upon the mountaintops to get yourself to heaven. I disagree. You would be better off serving lunch at a soup kitchen than sitting alone on a mountain top focussing on yourself.

I give the example of one very celestial day Jim and I had a few years ago: It was a Saturday morning and all FOUR of our kids had baseball/softball/tball games that day. Jim and I split up and literally ran and drove frantically back and forth so we could at least get a few cheering words in for each kid. Matt hit a Grand Slam home run that day, which we both miraculously saw. All the kids did great - even Jake who was so excited at his first T-ball game that he hit the ball to the outfield and then ran to THIRD BASE! We all went out for pizza afterwards and laughed and talked and High-5'ed each other. A truly celestial day.

I would lay down my life for any one of my kids or husband if called upon to do so. If any one of them needed a heart transplant, I would gladly let the doctors cut mine out. But, thankfully, God does not call upon us to do that but rather calls upon us to give up our lives one day at a time by living for each other. Much more joyful! God must be a pretty smart guy.

Farewell Sweet "Grandpa"

We are going to miss President Hinckley so much!

The Salt Lake Tribune called him the most significant LDS church president since Brigham Young. They may be right. He has been such a kind, loving and open leader - not afraid of comments and questions from the media and other religions. I will never forget his appearance on Larry King Live a few years ago - he was incredible. And also he has put such an emphasis on temples and making them so accessible to church members.

I'm sure others have written much about him already, but I just wanted to post my own mini-tribute to him, a personal one.

There are two things about President Hinckley's example that have made me a better person.

First, he is an unconditionally loving and positive man- always looking for the good in everyone. Sort of like a very kindly sweet "grandpa" for all of us. I have one of his quotes on my fridge:
"Things will work out! Keep trying! Keep believing! Be Happy! Don't get discouraged. Things will work out!" And, he not only said it, he lived it!

The second thing that has most influenced me is what a perfect family man and father he is. I will never forget his talk a few months after Marjorie died. He had met her before he left on his mission as a young man and called her "the girl of my dreams," because he missed her and dreamed about her while he was in England. Then after she died, he said "She has once again become the girl of my dreams."

I never saw them together when he wasn't holding her hand. I heard her talk once and she said that he had treated her like a queen every day of their 60-plus year marriage.

I love the thought of them together once again hand-in-hand!!

Sunny, funny San Francisco

Amy, Chris, Neil & I took a little jaunt out to the Bay Area this weekend. It was exceedingly fun. We stayed with a college roomate of Neil's right downtown in the Nob Hill area. We toured around and in 3 days managed to visit old friends & catch all of the major sites- SFMOMA, Fishermans's warf, Union Square, Golden Gate park/bridge, Chinatown.... it was great.

The only problem with San Francisco is that you have to come home!

Eat Your Heart Out JAPE!!!

OK, seriously, I just had to do something in reponse to JP's sunny southern California Dreamin' post yesterday.

C'mon, really, who has the "true" winter weather?

This is a picture of Jim and I celebrating MLK Day - Utah style. We got snowshoes for Christmas, can you tell? This is a photo taken right outside our house. We had about 3 feet piled up as of 5:00 yesterday. Driving home each day is a death defying feat!!!!

It was a near perfect "Utah-ish" winter day: sleep in until 9:00 am (holiday- woooo hooo!!!!); read the Book of Mormon in flannel pjs while eating whole wheat cereal (I am NOT making that up!); cutting out my first baby quilt; making ratatiouille to experiment for my cookbook manuscript due in a few weeks; watching a little Food Network (Alton Brown is my hero!); snowshoeing with Jim on the trail next to our house - excellent 360 degree view of Utah County at the peak- crystal clear and breahtaking literally and physically; talking to many loved ones via the modern wonder called "cell phones"; Relief Society phone calling; dinner at home made by my eternal sweetheart; movie out on a date with my sweetie ("The Bucket List" - outstanding) home to hang out with some of my wonderful kiddos - AAaaahhhhhhhhhhh!! This is the Celestial Kingdom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And, Jape - - - Jim tells me the slopes at Sundance ROCK. Are you jealous???

;)

Ain't life GRAND??!!

Love to you all!!!

The Tao of Pooh

Anne sent me some of her favorite Pooh-isms, and I wanted to share.

Someone should write one of those books about Pooh - - - you know: "All I Ever Needed to Know, I Learned from Pooh"

Hey! Maybe I'll call my publisher!!!

:)

Happy New Year Y'all!!!!


"When having a smackerel of something with a friend, don't eat so much that you get stuck in the doorway trying to get out."
"If there ever comes a day when we can't be together keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever."
"It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?""
"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."
"If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear."
"Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known."
"A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference."
"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."
""I wonder what Piglet is doing," thought Pooh."I wish I were there to be doing it, too."
"Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?"
"Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would I'd never leave."
"Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon."
"Just because an animal is large, it doesn't mean he doesn't want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo."
"If you want to make a song more hummy, add a few tiddely poms."
"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.""
"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day."

Skiing at Sundance

Amy, Chris, Jim and Jake tear up the slopes at Sundance last Friday.

Ringing in the New Year!!

The Kelly/Welsh/Ransom/Jack families ring in the New Year in fine fashion with plenty of fireworks and sparklers galore.