HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SAYRE!

Sayre turned 7 years-old on Friday, February 7th.  I well remember the day (or I should say early morning) he was born.  I think I got to the hospital the evening before so Kate (and Jonathan) had a very long and painful wait before he finally arrived.  But definitely worth the wait!

 He had a Sneaky Sasquatch party yesterday with five of his good friends. They had pizza, lemonade, and Kate made this really cute Sneaky Sasquatch cake and cupcakes.

Sayre loves Harry Potter, sports, Sneaky Sasquatch, reading, swimming, crafts, legos and playing with his friends 💖
 

 Kevin and I had a really nice flight over.  I had to make a change in our tickets after I realized I had mistakenly booked us on a flight that would have made Dad late for his Institute class on Thursday.  When I called United to make the change, the gentleman I talked to not only changed our flight but also upgraded our seats.  Thank you Mr. United!

Then Chris came to my rescue when we looked at our boarding passes the night before we left and saw that I didn't have TSA pre-check.  I had put the incorrect ID number in so Chris repaired that mistake for me.  I am so thankful to each and everyone of you who take such good care of us! 😳

Samantha has been so kind to take care of Sendai for us this week. She even let Milo have a sleep-over and I know Sendai was in heaven because not only does she love Sammi, but she really loves it when Milo comes to visit.  Though Sammi said sleeping does get a little tight when both dogs try to get on the bed, and Sendai wants to stretch out.  You really have to claim your own foot territory. 😁  Thanks also to Eilis who stopped by on her way to work one day to check on Sendai - it's so nice to not have to worry about our girl!

Lily is in Arizona this weekend at a soccer tournament.

 Rumor has it she is advancing to a new team. 

Max had friends over to help set up a new computer, and then looks like a New Year's celebration - Vietnamese style 

So happy Max is enjoying BYU and doing well in his classes!  

Kate has the day off tomorrow so we are going to unclutter the kitchen and to to Scheels so I can get a new Hawkeyes hoodie 

Speaking of uncluttering - this is what I accomplished this week - 

AFTER

BEFORE

I also got part of the linen/medicine/game closet cleaned out on Monday in between school work. It just feels so good and I'm embarrassed to say how many bottles of over-the-counter drugs were past their expiration date.  😲

If you missed reading the blog last week I added a form that Kate sent me to give you a head-start on spring cleaning/decluttering. It is really great and the best thing is you can go at your own speed - 

THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK - 

In my class this week we have been reading about Positive Psychology which is a change in psychology from a preoccupation with only repairing the worst things in life to building the best qualities in life. Their premise is that strengthen our weaknesses may be less useful to lasting change than knowing and building upon our strengths. They also suggests that preoccupation with our problems or wallowing around in the muck of our lives is not the key to good mental health or happiness. We must build from our strengths and use this focus to solve life's problems.

Then today in our Relief Society lesson we talked about how unfair life can be sometimes.  Brother Hales related a story about his mother - 

My mother did not have an easy journey through mortality. She received no accolades or worldly honors and did not have educational opportunities beyond high school. She contracted polio as a child, resulting in a lifetime of pain and discomfort in her left leg. As an adult, she experienced many difficult and challenging physical and financial circumstances but was faithful to her covenants and loved the Lord.

When my mother was 55, my next older sister passed away, leaving an eight-month-old baby daughter, my niece, motherless. For various reasons, Mom ended up largely raising my niece for the next 17 years, often under very trying circumstances. Yet, notwithstanding these experiences, she happily and willingly served her family, neighbors, and ward members and served as an ordinance worker in the temple for many years. During the last several years of her life, Mom suffered from a form of dementia, was often confused, and was confined to a nursing facility. Regrettably, she was alone when she passed away unexpectedly.

Some might say that is lady lived a life with so many challenges that it just didn't seem fair - and maybe you feel the same way or know others who have unimaginable losses in their live that it just doesn't seem right. 

Chris sent me a quote this afternoon that I loved so much and really pointed out how much Heavenly Father loves us. It comes from a talk by Elder Renlund ~

In unfair situations, one of our tasks is to trust that "all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ."  Jesus Christ overcame the world and "absorbed"all unfairness. Because of Him, we can have peace in this world and be of good cheer. If we let Him, Jesus Christ will consecrate the unfairness for our gain. He will not just console us and restore what was lost; He will use the unfairness for our benefit.

I challenge you that in the face of all of your challenges this week, you will remain positive and will remember and acknowledge all of your many blessings.  Life is Good ❤