Keeping it Simple

This has to be short because it's already 10:15pm and I'm coming down with a wicked case of the Bird flu. Well, maybe it's just regular flu. Whatever kind it is, I don't appreciate it stopping by and reproducing in my body. Tonight we went to Caity and Joel's house for Emma's first birthday party. It was wonderful - tasty cake and ice cream, games, presents, and lots of baby-watching. Emma and Helena are so much fun to watch together! They give each other kisses and play peek-a-boo and stuff like that. It's neat. Joel also gave a really excellent talk today about perseverance. If I remember to I'll give more details about it tomorrow. It was a very busy Sunday but good. (Except the bird flu thing.)

I also got an email from one of my cousins I haven't talked to in a couple of years, I guess, and it was great! Family is truly the most important thing in our lives, and I should take it more seriously, particularly the extended family part.

We've had a horrifying windstorm going on since last night. I was absolutely convinced within myself that the dead oak tree limbs above our house were going to crash into our house and kill us in our beds, but, happily, we all survived with no incident.

We're really getting into the whole Christmas thing around here - all the radio stations are already playing Christmas music and I think that, health willing, I will get out some of the decorations tomorrow...not the tree, naturally...

Here's a thought spurred by another talk (not Joel's) in church today:

It's not what we DO, nor is it what we want to BE that will determine our eternal progression or our temporal/eternal happiness...it's who we ARE.

How do we change/improve who we are? Through building our testimonies of the Savior - then the actions will follow (Elder Glenn L. Pace).

Cheers!