Our Prophet, President Hinckley...

I was so sad last night when I heard the news of President Hinckley's passing. I wanted him to live forever. So I guess this is a good time to share my testimony about prophets. President Hinckley taught me that I am loved by my Heavenly Father. How? That sweet, loving face of his radiated the light and love of our Savior Jesus Christ. When he spoke in Conference, the Spirit testified to me that his words were true, all of them. I have never known such an intense trust in another human being, but if President Hinckley said it, it must be true. What a man, what a servant of the Lord! He will be missed and I am so sad my children will not grow up to the sound of his voice in General Conference. We had stake conference yesterday and it is strange to think we were listening to the new prophet and we didn't know it. President Monson spoke in our regional broadcast. The Gospel of Christ is true and my life is better because of it. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father loves us enough to send prophets to show us His love and the way to return to Him.

Great to hear from everyone

This is so fun! I had no idea how quickly I could reconnect with people by starting a blog! When the kids are in bed I will try to get back to everyone who has left comments and update the blog. It feels good to narrow the distance between Florida and everyone we love!

New Year's Eve

It's 11pm here and everyone else is fast asleep. Dan has to be up early for work tomorrow and Maddy tried to stay up but finally gave in to the warmth of her bed. I feel such anticipation for the new year. 2007 was a long hard year for me, filled with many opportunities to grow and change. But it was also a year with a few particularly wonderful blessings- number one, by far, is the birth of Elsie. I have actually been living in a state of post-partum bliss since she was born. I call it bliss because I adore her and smile every time I look at her. It's like falling in love all over again. Truthfully, my pregnancy was hard and it turns out I was quite depressed, only I had no idea it was {mostly} pregnancy induced. Within days of giving birth, the depression lifted and life is beautiful again. (if anyone reading this wants to learn more about what I call prenatal depression, please contact me!) So yes, Elsie is the best blessing of 2007 but there are a couple others worth mentioning. We moved into a new house with a great backyard and neighborhood pool. The pool was my sanctuary while the kids were in summer school and my pregnant body was too heavy to carry and too hot in the heat! With our move came a new school for Maddy & Levi. Another great blessing! Their teachers are fantastic and they are thriving in ways I couldn't imagine. To complete the move, we joined the Orange Park II ward in the Jacksonville West Stake and the blessings keep coming. There are some incredible people in this ward. Even the not so incredible people are teaching me to be kinder, less judging and more loving. Our Bishop is a leader of amazing magnitude and is a Shepard in the truest sense. Last but not least, tomorrow marks half way through Dan's residency program! I couldn't be happier! He amazes me with the things he learns and does everyday. He is awesome and he is all mine!

So with all that said, I say goodbye to 2007 and hello 2008, I can't wait!

Here is a quick list of things I am looking forward to in 2008:

Elsie learning to walk and saying mama
Maddy learning to roller skate, maybe losing her first tooth (not at the same time)
Levi learning to ride a bike and being a Sunbeam!
Dan getting his medical license so he can moonlight and we can afford more date nights!
Me spending more time scrapbooking and becoming the person I want to be by doing whatever it takes to create my happiness!