Maybe it really is Christmas?

They told us that there was a 60% chance of snow with maybe and inch or two. This morning it started snowing. It's now about 3:30 and it's still coming down. The last time we measured it (probably an hour or so ago) there was about 6 inches. I took my very active Christmas cactus out on the front porch and took this picture. It struck me that we didn't get snow at Christmas. Maybe the plant and the weather both think it is Christmas now???

MTC Humor

Well, there's not really a whole lot going on around here. You can probably tell that by my lack of blog posts lately. Of course I have been keeping busy with work and church. We made No-sew fleece heart-shaped pillows with the young women on Wednesday. They came out cute. I forgot to take my camera or I would include a picture of them. They cut out two hearts in different colors, then cut fringe about one inch wide all around them. They lay the hearts together and start tying the matching fringes together, leaving an open space at the top for stuffing. You have to be very careful to keep the strips straight or you may miss one. I don't know if that made sense or not. The girls really liked their pillows. They planned an overnight at one of the girls' houses and were going to bring them along. They will probably tell us how it went this Sunday.

We got our last letter from the MTC from Aaron. He wrote it Sunday and left Wed. I imagine the only time he will have available to write now will be on P-day. We've been getting a couple of letters/week from the MTC. That really surprised me, as he has never been a writer. It has been really good hearing from him though. The last letter said that he had gained 10 pounds at the MTC, as he has had three unlimited meals/day for three weeks and hasn't really done much exercise to keep that in control. He expects that to change big time in the mission field. I think he is right. He sent the traditional silly MTC photographs. (See above for a couple of them)

So true . . . .

THE STORY OF ADAM & EVE'S PETS

Adam and Eve said, 'Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us.' And God said, I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves.' And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve. And it was a good animal And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, 'Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.'. And God said, 'I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG.' And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and lovedthem. And they were comforted And God was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, 'Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well.'? And God said, I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthyof adoration.'And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings. And Adam and Eve learned humility. And they were greatly improved. And God was pleased . . . . . And Dog was happy. . . . . And Cat didn't give a darn one way or other....

Belated Airport pictures

My blog is so mixed up right now. Here are some photos from when we took Aaron to the airport two weeks ago. He is doing really well at the MTC by the way. He has less than a week left before he leaves for California. If anyone is planning on writing, you have to do it very soon or plan to write to his mission home address. The mission president wants all of the missionary mail to go through that address. It is:

Elder Aaron Glenn Barnard

1814 N. Echo Av.

Fresno, CA 93704-6046

Science Center

After we took Aaron to the airport, Jeanette & Jason, Karen & Michael, Alan & I went out for breakfast. Somehow it felt like we should have taken Aaron to breakfast too, but there just wasn't time. He took some goodies on the plane. (They weren't very breakfasty, but filling I guess) After breakfast we met Amy and Zach and went to the Science Center. We've been there a number of times, but it is always interesting. We saw a good movie at the Omni Max about the Grand Canyon. We also saw Sue. She is the dinosaur skeleton that is located at the Science Museum in Chicago. Zach loves dinosaurs. It's amazing to stand by that skeleton and imagine what it would have been like to live in the time of the dinosaurs. Thank goodness that didn't happen!

Hwy 40 in St. Louis

They have been working on Hwy 40 in St. Louis for some time. I guess I expected it to look like other roads I had seen being worked on. You know, where they close down a lane and put up those orange barrels. Well, here is the highway --completely torn out and started over again. Wow! They look kind of blue greeen because they were taken through the glass in the overpass at the Science Center.

Seeing Aaron off

Ok, now I am up to the point where we saw Aaron off to the MTC at the St. Louis airport. We had spent the night at David and Wanda's on Feb. 3rd. Karen, Michael, Jason and Jeanette came over and we stayed up later than we should have, talking and being silly. Aaron got a great father's blessing. One thing that I remember being said was that there were people waiting in the Fresno mission area that Aaron was especially needed to help. That's a good thought.

We got up early and went to the airport around 6:30 A.M. It's just really a shame that people can't go to the gate and wait with the person who is leaving anymore. You just walk a little way to the security gate and "Bye", they are off on their own to wait. I didn't think to ask him if there were any more misionaries on the plane with him. I do know that there were some guys who arrived and rode the shuttle with him, so maybe they were on the same plane??

Snow

I'm playing catch-up. This post goes all the way back to the end of January. Here is a picture of Zach playing in the snow when they came to visit. He built a tiny little snowman. We had too much ice to roll a big snowman. They did shovel big chunks of the stuff in order to make a fort though. What in the heck is that expression in the fort picture??

We were off school for four days; I don't know if I mentioned that before or not. It was nice, in that I got to attend the temple and have family come visit during that time off.

MTC Shuttle picture

This is jumping ahead a little, but I'm going to do it anyway. We went to the St. Louis Temple again today. It was exactly one year today since Alan's mother passed away. So we met all our daughters at the temple and did all of her work. It was great! People at the temple were so helpful and thoughtful. Michael wasn't able to make it and Aaron is at the MTC, so he obviously wasn't able to be there. When we arrived home this evening we found a letter in the mail from a couple who meet the MTC shuttle weekly and take pictures for their families. Talk about thoughtful! There's my baby in the back row. He's a little washed out by the sun, but doesn't he look good?

Aaron set apart

This will have to be quick, as I need to leave for work soon. I actually have a lot to say, since so much has been going on lately, but it'll have to be a little at a time in various posts. First of all, we had five of our six children in our home last weekend. Aaron was to leave for the MTC on the 4th of Feb. and they wanted to come down before he left. On Sunday the 1st we drove to the stake center (which takes an hour) to have him set apart. It was a very spiritual prayer. Here we all are that day.