Catching up...again!

I'm so behind in posting anything, I'm not all that sure what to say. Things have been good, very good. Nels is LOVING his new job, and they love him just as much. He loves being back in the computer industry, and they truly respect his vast experience and abilities. They even gave him a promotion recently. He's happy there, but very busy.

It's nice having decent money again. I'm relearning the prices at the grocery stores of things we've avoided for a while. It's nice to have new make-up again, register kids for sports or school trips, and go out to eat now and then. We're not out of the woods yet, but we'll be fine, God willing. Actually, we've been just fine all along, thanks to His help!


So on with other stuff...

I got my hair cut a few weeks ago, and love it...

My sister in law and her husband are in Tokyo, so we've been watching closely the events transpiring in Japan. They are fine, thank heaven, although he had to spend the night after the earthquake at work with no trains and traffic so snarled up - 20 million people in one city is a lot of people to transport to and fro. Thank heaven also for Skype, and being able to be sure they were okay! God bless everyone there, and those battling the consequences of the earthquake & tsunami.

Nels was released yesterday from his Cub Master job, and called as Ward Emergency Preparedness Rep. That will be much easier for him, and better fit his available time now. He's very happy with it. Kimberly was set apart recently as the new Mia Maid president in her class at church. It will be a big stretch for her, as she tends to be very shy at church, (go figure!) but we know she can do it and it will be so good for her. The Lord really knows us well, doesn't He! She and I are having a great time working on Personal Progress together.

We celebrated my father-in-law's 80th birthday, (but he can't be more than 65!) We had a fun party at my brother & sister-in-law's house, they hosted, I organized. My neices & nephews (the Tokyo family) came, and it was so good to see them. We ended up inviting his BMW Bike Club family, as well as everybody we could think of. He was so pleasantly surprised. I loved his comment, "How did you get such a diverse group of people together?!" It was a blast. Thanks to everybody who came! I'm just sorry that we had miscalculated, and Gregory and I had to leave early to get him to his choir concert.

Speaking of Gregory, he got his learner's permit on Friday, and Kimberly will get hers as soon as she can take the test again, and this time click on the button that says "check answers" instead of "submit answers". :)  Did you know that kids have to have their learner's permit and drive for 20 hours with their parents BEFORE they can take driver's ed? But I'm not letting them do their first experiences with my main driving, back and forth on the freeway to the two schools we go to! Drivers' Ed, we're on our way...

I registered with BYU to finish the few credits I have left for my Bachelor's degree. I need to finish that and a few other things so that I can keep my wonderful job as school librarian as the school gets its' accreditation. I'm quite excited. My AA degree in Library Science isn't quite enough.  BTW, go Fredette...!

We had a wonderful stake fireside last night, a "Duty to God" fireside, targeting priesthood boys as they prepare for missions, but whole families were invited, and we all went.  President Doxey (of the Utah Provo mission presidency) & his wife talked, and it was great. The neatest thing for me was that when he opened it up for a few questions, our nine year old son Jason wanted to ask a question, and it was a good one: "Is a mission hard?"  Pres. Doxey pronounced that as the best question he'd ever heard, and answered Jason with what Jason needed to hear, "A mission can be a bit hard, but it is so fulfilling, that it is far more wonderful." Later as we were about to leave, Pres. Doxey chased us down before we left the church and talked individually with each family member, asking how old each of the boys were, and encouraged them to prepare for their missions.  It was awesome. That is not the first time Jason has asked that question. He's posed it to us on several occasion too. This time, when talking to Jason personally by the chapel door, Pres. Doxey told Jason and Jonathan that although it seems now that they'd never want to leave their moms and their families, that by the time they are old enough to go on missions, they'll be ready. I believe that's what they needed to hear!

I have the best kids in the world, just so you know...