2010 so far...

I cannot believe we are already mostly through January! Time just keeps flying by, which I am kind of grateful for because that means Bryant will graduate before we know it! So far 2010 has been good to us. So far this year:

• Bry is already 3 weeks into his second quarter of school
• Besides a very brief flu bug that Gracie got, we have all managed to remain healthy this winter
• Celeste came to visit!
• Bryant celebrated his 27th birthday
• Bryant and I have gone out on TWO dates without Gracie!
• Life is just good!

I also have to report on a few of my new years goals. This year I have decided to work on my "spiritual self" instead of the same old goals of losing weight (which I am working on!) or keeping my house clean (which I got over when Gracie got mobile, and really got over when she went to only one very short nap a day!) So, my main goals are to read my scriptures every day. I have gotten so bad about that! I have great intentions that seem to last a week if I'm lucky. Then a month will pass and I realize I haven't read them for weeks. I know I can't really strengthen my testimony and grow closer to Heavenly Father if that isn't a part of my life.

I am happy to report that since January 1 until today, January 25---I have read my scriptures EVERY DAY! I think it is finally a habit, and something I look forward to! I only read one chapter a day, be in long or short, and it has been wonderful!

Bryant and I also determined that this year, we are going to go to the Temple once a month. We are so blessed to have a temple in Spokane, and we need to take advantage of this and not just take it for granted. I remember when we lived in Kansas City Missouri, and my parents would have to travel 8-9 hours to the Dallas Temple. There really is no excuse for us not to make it once a month, especially since it's only 30 minutes away! So far, we are on track and we have everything set up (meaning a babysitter for Gracie) to go in February too!

And finally, I want to report that I am FINALLY enjoying my calling at church. I have been the Sunbeam teacher for quite a while now. Last year, my class through me for a loop! It's not that I didn't like the kids or anything, it's that I had between 10 and 12 kids every week (most of the time by myself) and most of these kids had something to their disadvantage. At least 3 of them were severely developmentally delayed (didn't talk, could sit for more than a few seconds, etc), a few of them had serious issues holding still at all, one of them would cry and cry when his parents left, etc, etc. To be honest it was a VERY difficult class. I would come home from church completely drained, not feeling uplifted at all. I felt like Sacrament meeting was spent trying to entertain Gracie and keep her quite and then the next 2 hours were spent fighting with a bunch of 4 year olds to sit in their seat, stop touching each other, to be quite, to stop picking their nose, etc.

Well, I have a new class now. They are very young--just out of nursery, and I still have quite a few. Today at church I had 8 and there were a few missing, but they are the sweetest little kids ever. They love coming to class, they love singing the songs, listening to stories, saying the prayer, etc. It is evident that he gospel is taught in their home and they have an excitement for learning and growing. One little boy told me today that he "loved me!"

I have wondered the past week if part of this is because I am working on my own spirituality, and because of that the Lord is helping me in this calling. That may be part of it, but these are wonderful kids and I am so excited to teach them this year and watch their little testimonies grow!