A day I will always remember

Our beautiful Haitian friends and ward members are doing okay. They have received many good reports--literally miracles. Many family members are in the streets, with no food and water, but they are alive and there is a lot of gratitude going around. There has also been some heartbreaking news. Death has taken several family members and remembering each phone call that I received with this difficult news is making me cry again. But for most of our sweet friends, they are still waiting. And it has been, and remains, incredibly hard on them.

With all of the emotion of this week, today has been a day I will never forget. Our bishopric sent a letter a few days ago, inviting all of us to fast while praying for the people of Haiti, as well as our own ward members that are Haitian. We were also invited to donate to the Humanitarian Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are doing an incredible amount of good in Haiti right now. It is overwhelming to me to read these articles and to see what the Church has done and will do. I feel humbled and grateful to be a part of something that puts so much time, effort and money into the incredible service of others.

In addition to a day of fasting and donations, the ward decided to end our fast with a meal together. After church, we gathered in the chapel again to sing a hymn and say a prayer, before sitting together and eating a small lunch. I do not even have the words to tell you the feelings I had as I sat in the chapel with our ward family. I sat toward the back, looking at each person in the room and the tears fell down my face. I was overwhelmed with how our ward had come together and the feelings that were there. But mostly, I looked at all of my Haitian friends and remembered the hours that were spent by so many the previous week--praying and calling and crying and worrying and rejoicing. And I realized all of us would do it again in a second if that is what it took for them to feel our love for them and mostly, to feel God's love for them.

As we sang one of my favorite hymns together, I was overcome by how much I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. And by how God always keeps His promises. And that even with the incredible tragedy that has happened in Haiti, His love is enough. If we will just draw near to Him.

Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me.
Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!

Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I’d be

Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!

There let the way appear,
Steps unto heav’n;
All that thou sendest me,
In mercy giv’n;
Angels to beckon me

Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!

Then with my waking thoughts
Bright with thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be

Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!

Or if, on joyful wing
Cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot,
Upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!  

My heart is broken

I'm only posting on the blog right now because of how strongly I believe in prayer and how much I know it is needed right now. I am sure most of you know about the earthquake in Haiti yesterday. The news alone is beyond devastating.

But it has become worse to our little family, because in our ward here in Massachusetts, many of the families and members are from Haiti. They are beautiful and incredible people and their hearts are so very good. Due to my responsibility in our ward right now, I have spent the morning speaking to as many of the Haitian sisters as I could get a hold of. All of them have very close family in Haiti and most all of them are in the capital city, where the earthquake was the worst.

They are completely devastated and feeling so helpless because the communication into and out of Haiti is all but gone. They do not know if their families are okay and they do not know when they will get this information. Every one of these calls has made me cry and I am still having a hard time stopping.

So, I just wanted to write quickly and ask for your prayers. It would mean so much.

If there is one thing that I do not question, it is that Lord is aware of each of them. I am so grateful for that knowledge.

I seriously love reading...

...even if I read far less than I would have liked in 2009. Do any of you remember how frustrated I was last year because of my less-than-stellar reading performance? I sure do. And I was determined to leave last year's number in the dust. If you can call reading two more books this year leaving it in the dust, then that I did. And that fact has caused me great frustration for the last little while. But then I realized a few things.

Twenty-four books is not a pathetic amount of books to read in a year. After all that is two books a month and most of the books on my list were several hundred pages long.

In addition, I have a thing or two to do with my time. I am a wife. I am the mom to four children. I occasionally clean the house and cook a meal. I teach the kids piano and make sure their homework gets done. I drive them places at times. I write on several blogs. I am currently the Relief Society president in our ward. And so on and so on. None of this makes me particularly great and amazing, just someone who has plenty to do with each day.

I mention those last two paragraphs by way of making myself feel better. Because if two books a month is all I can do at this time in my life, then I like to believe that means I am doing other things that truly matter right now. And when I get a second to read, I definitely take it. But those moments are getting fewer and farther between. And I'm starting to be okay with that.

All that said, I have a new library book sitting on the bookshelf to my immediate left. And I cannot wait to get going on it. Hmm. I guess I just realized one of the reasons I absolutely love reading.

It always waits for me.

Just thinking

I was reading this article today and something that was written really struck me. You know when you read or hear something and it is not new at all as you have heard it over and over again, but you suddenly understand it? That is what happened to me and I wanted to share because it was such a wonderful thought to me.

I love the title of the article, The Best is Yet to Be. It is all about looking to the future with faith and hope and optimism. There are some beautiful thoughts in it, but the thing that struck me was the following idea.

When we leave the past in the past, by moving forward or by forgiving or by not dwelling on experiences that are negative, it does not mean that they did not exist or that we pretend they did not happen. It just means that we allow the past to remain the past--something that we can learn and grow from, but something that is over and need not control us now. Only then, can we happily do our best in the present and look forward with joy to the future.

Thanks for letting me share. I love how Elder Holland writes and appreciated this article so much. And I have absolutely no doubt, the best is truly yet to be.

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

Ben is so sweet and so funny and so very two. He is such a huge blessing
to all of us and we couldn't imagine our family without him.

Happy Birthday sweet Ben!

Tomorrow's cake

Organization = happy in my heart

Seldom have items on clearance brought me such joy.

Guess who ran a 10K this morning?

This handsome man of course! It was too cold for the kids to be outside while he ran,
so I stayed home with them, but grabbed this photo before Jacob took off to New Hampshire.

It was a little cold where the annual Hangover Classic was held.

There were even some crazies that took a plunge in the ocean after the race was over.
Good for them. And you couldn't pay me enough.

Some of our good friends from church (as well as one of their sisters and her friend) ran it too.

And just so you know, this guy smoked it. Six point one miles in under 42 minutes.
I think that is incredible. I think he is incredible.

Oh my word, I love this man.

2009

I have spent a lot of time in the last few days thinking about this past year. I'm not sure why exactly, but it has definitely occupied my mind. Most of it has been thoughtful and contemplative and so, in wanting to record my thoughts, I started several times to compose a post about it. And then realized that no matter how hard I tried, it was not going to happen. I think all of those thoughts were meant to be kept in my heart.

So instead I will just say Happy New Year! Here's to wishing you that 2010 is all you have dreamed of. I have a strong feeling that this is going to be an incredible year for us.

I can't wait.

My twenty favorite photos of 2009 (1-5)

My twenty favorite photos of 2009 (6-10)

My twenty favorite photos of 2009 (11-15)

My twenty favorite photos of 2009 (16-20)

Coming tomorrow

My top twenty favorite photos of the year 2009--five at a time for the next four days. Can you even stand the wait? You can? Oh, okay. Well, one of us can't wait. No names, but her initials are Linn Allen. If you haven't figured it out, she likes photography. A lot. Good photography, mediocre photography, it really doesn't matter as long as her family is involved. Happy day for her for sure. Now if we can just get her to stop talking in third person. And while we at it, let's throw Elmo on that list.

Christmas morning

Christmas Eve

Oh you lovely, lovely people...

THANK YOU!!

Eleven years ago today

He still makes me this happy.

And he is still the greatest thing that ever happened to me.

I love you Jacob Allen! Happy Anniversary!

I still miss him

From our home to yours