Easter Week Reminder

 Jesus died for so much more than our sins.  In the Garden of Gethsemane He suffered for our sins, our disappointments, our heartaches, our sorrows.

 “Allow to sink in your heart and to ponder how we could take a little more seriously these events that happened two thousand years ago in our individual lives and in our families lives today so that it can become more real for us.  This wasn’t an event that occurred just so we have nice stories in scriptures.  Jesus did all of this so that we could have hope, so that we could have redemption, so that we could have salvation through Him.  That is what this is all about.” 

I listened to my Come Follow Me podcast this week about the Easter week and loved these thoughts shared by Tyler Griffin and Eric Huntsman

Jane's Pictures

Jane sent me these pictures today.  She wrote, "I was thinking about you today and thought I'd share a few pictures of the beautiful Utah skyline."  I loved the pictures--but even more-- I loved that she was thinking about me today!

Palm Sunday

I was asked to bake a loaf of bread for our Palm Sunday Sacrament meeting.  I hadn't baked bread for many years but was happy to contribute.  I felt honored to participate in remembering the Savior who endured so much for each of us.  The meeting was beautiful with wonderful messages and music.  It was a great way to begin this week culminating in the Savior's atonement for each of us and His ultimate sacrifice on the cross.  But even more the knowledge that "He is Risen!"  For dinner the Whitney's joined me for our Palm Sunday celebration.

Ruth's Field Trip

Ruth stayed in Utah for her field trip.  But she, along with other students who are doing the study abroad program in Spain this summer, went to Salt Lake City.   They visited the Cathedral of the Madeleine.  

Thought for Today

"Whatever your bondage, whatever your struggles may be, just know that God has prepared a way for our deliverance and that way has a name and we know Him—Jesus Christ.  He will bring people into our lives individually as well as collectively, and as a church through prophets, seers, and revelators and others who are called to positions of influence to help guide us forward in these latter days.  But at the end of the day, the struggles, the concerns, the stresses, the anxieties that we face, those external pressures, they can’t even compare in capacity to the goodness and glory and the capacity of our God to save us and deliver us and to redeem us and to one day exalt us if we will move forward in the process, as painful as that process may be at times.  We keep moving forward."  Tyler J. Griffin

AZ Spring Break

Graham, Eden, and Duncan have been enjoying two weeks of "no school."  At the Whitney house that means a Harry Potter party, a tealess Tea party, lots of time for friends, and visits to the library, picnics  and anything else that came along.  Yesterday they went to Canyon Lake and enjoyed so cool water to go along with the hot weather we are having here.

Lincoln's in California

Lincoln went with other students to a field trip at the Getty Museum.  He sent me the following pictures.

CA Duncans

Here are a few photos of things we have done recently. Several are from my trip to the Merced National Wildlife Refuge with a friend from church. We saw tens of thousands of Ross's Geese plus Greater White Fronted Geese and many other birds like the avocet in one of the photos I'm including. 

There is also a photo of Caleb's first performance in the concert season with the wind ensemble.

Thank you!

When I started this Blog so many years ago my hope was that in some ways it would keep our family together no matter where we were living.  I never wanted you to not be able to know your aunts and uncles, or your cousins.  I never had that experience for your parents because of many things that kept our family apart.  Fortunately for me I was able to reconnect with my brothers and that was a great blessing in my life.  But I was into my 60s before that happened.  Each time I hear from you that you were able to spend time together or when you send me pictures of each other together, my heart is so full.  Today Lexy achieved a well deserved recognition of your effort as she earned her Masters degree.  

This evening I received this message from Meg.

"Rachel and I went to see Lexy's thesis defense today.  She was amazing!  I was super impressed by how clearly she explained all the details of her research!! She made it easy to understand!  And it was fun to see Ellis and Ava too!!  Her professors clearly liked her research and thought it was well done."

Thank you Meg and Rachel for being there to support your cousin.  It means more to me than you can even know. 💙💗💜💛💚💘

She Did It!!

 Today Lexy passed her Thesis Defense!  

Get Ready Ellis

Duncan started taking Taekwondo class and Aunt Amy sent me this video of him.  She wrote "Haven't seen him smile this big in a long time!"  

Lexy's Cat

I told Lexy her cat should be named Precious and here is an example why!  Lexy's dad came for a visit and who is sitting on his lap--the sweet misnamed Goblin!😂

Happy Birthday Bruce!

 22 Years Old

More Cat Pics

It looks like Ellis has made friends with their new pet.