Skiing

We went cross country skiing today. Second time since we moved to Michigan. Silly me, I thought we were moving to the great white north when we came here. Turns out it's the great cold north, not so much with the white. Anyway, it was GLORIOUS. Here's to hoping we can go again before the season is over. Also, I'm blogging from my phone, since that's what I used to take the picture. My little dumb phone! I think it's awesome. Or will be if it works!

It's Snowing!

Let's lighten things up a bit here, eh?  I haven't posted a video in a long time.  This is from back in December.  It's nothing particularly special, just us walking into the backyard to play in the snow, but I love it for a few reasons.  1) You can hear the snow crunching underfoot.  That is one of the best sounds/feelings.  2) Ella loves snow.  I can't get over how cute she is when she says, "It's snowing."  3) The way Ella holds her arms.  Cracks me up. 

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

The other thing I remember from that day was the girls going down the slide.  That first time, with all the snow on it, it was pretty slick, and Julia thought it was the coolest thing EVER.  So she tried her best to pile that snow on each time she went down the slide.  Except it kept sliding off before she could get up the ladder.  Comedy, right there.

I feel fine

I feel like I posted the big, bad news last week, and then sort of left you all hanging. 

We are doing fine.  Things are getting better.  I still have my moments when I want to shake my fist in frustration at the heavens and ask why, but they are generally short-lived.  In fact, let me share my journal entry from last Wednesday:

"I shall now list the little bits of awesome from my day:

• I got to sleep in until 7:30 on a weekday and not feel guilty.
• Julia showed her teacher the "books" she made.  Complete with hand gestures.  Couldn't be prouder.
• Heard a Guster song at the grocery store.  Proceeded to sing in the aisles and look like a fool.  But a happy fool.
• Julia's comment after getting the free cookie at Meijer: 'They always have the BEST cookies here.'
• Both girls ate dinner again, with minimal coaxing.
• Dinner was DELICIOUS!  And healthy.  Win-win.
• Took a luxurious shower at night, with no time constraints.
• Watched the Netflix movie we have had out for weeks, The Big Year.  And enjoyed it.
• Heard a Guster song in the movie.  
• Lots of messages of encouragement from friends.  Texts, emails, facebook messages, blog comments.  The works.  (There really were a lot of these.  And they were exactly what I needed.)
• Flowers from a friend.
• Finding a scripture that felt like it was written for me in this moment."

There were a lot of tender mercies that day.  Thursday we went to the temple.  More tender mercies, from the friends who watched our kids to the people from our ward working at the temple that day.  I have felt an outpouring of love from all the friends we have.  People asking what they can do to help.  People offering to pass along Clark's resume.  People offering to pass along MY resume, if it comes to that.  It has restored my faith in humanity, really.  People are good.  People are kind.  People want to help.  And, perhaps most importantly, I feel so loved. 


So, in summary, yes, this is hard.  No, this isn't the worst thing that could happen.  And we're doing fine.