A Small Tribute to the Passing of a Great Man

For those who may not be aware, Sunday evening (January 27, 2008) marked the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Although I did not personally know this marvelous man, I believe that his intentions were honest, his faith in the gospel was devout, and his love for ALL people was sincere. I know he is now in a far better place, with his beloved wife and eternal companion, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't saddened by his passing.

I received this YouTube clip in an email from my sister-in-law. I enjoyed it so much, I figured I would post it here to share with anyone who may be interested in viewing it.

I am also including a link (click here) to the official press release of President Hinckley's passing, which was posted on www.lds.org. After reading about all of President Hinckley's many accomplishments, I realized that we really can stand for something, live a better and happier life, and do just a little bit more than we did today. Enjoy, and happy reading!

Knock on Wood

So...even though I had the foresight to get a flu shot this year, my comments from last night must have jinxed myself, because today I found myself suffering from some of the same symptoms that have been plaguing Doug for the past five days - not so much fun. Luckily, Bethany was kind enough to watch the girls for us this afternoon so that Doug and I could get some much needed sleep to combat this nasty little flu bug.

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for a speedy recovery!

"Papa...papa sick"

This is what the girls have been saying for the past few days, since Doug has had the misfortune of contracting the FLU. It started on Thursday, when Doug came home early from work feeling light-headed and feverish. We thought he finally broke the fever late Friday night, but his temperature spiked back up midday Saturday. He's had a nasty cough, and every single bone/joint/organ/cell in his body seems to hurt. In the four days since this nasty sickness started, Doug has only been able to stomach 4 pieces of bread, 1 bowl of chicken broth, 1 bowl of spaghetti-o's (who would have thought, right?), about 6 bottles of Gatorade, and some water.

Fortunately (for Doug), the girls have snuck in to the bedroom and given their papa all sorts of extra snuggles, hugs, and kisses. Yesterday afternoon, A climbed into bed and started rubbing Doug's head while saying "It's okay papa...it's okay papa." Both girls have been super sweet to their suffering papa...their care and concern is something I should learn from.

I am afraid that I have not been as sympathetic as I probably should be...with Doug out of commission, I have had the sole responsibility of being caretaker, housekeeper, referee, household accountant, all while working 2 part-time jobs, attending school, and trying to keep my sanity. I have always considered myself to be a strong woman, but this latest challenge leaves me doubting a LOT.

P.S. Other than a 24-hour episode of nausea for me (NO-it was not morning sickness, and NO I am not pregnant), and a mild fever for A, the girls and I are faring quite well against the influenza bug. For any skeptics out there, let this post be proof that getting a flu shot truly is worth it!!

Phoenix Zoo

So, Friday was the girls and my first trip to the Phoenix Zoo. I think this trip confirmed that I have been spoiled by my childhood fieldtrips to the LA and San Diego Zoos, but fortunately the girls seemed to enjoy being out and enjoying their visit with the animals. We didn't get to see a huge variety of exhibits, but some of the girls' favorites were the prairie dogs (the girls played peek-a-boo with the little critters), the ducks (seen at the entrance of the zoo along with some sun-bathing turtles), and a wide variety of cactus (AK was especially good at pointing these out; she is much more cautious around these spikey plants since she was pricked by one during our Christmas Tree hunt at Home Depot).

All joking aside, I must admit that this was one of the most challenging field trips the girls and I have taken. I will blame myself for the girls grumpy moods - we didn't get out of the house until close to their naptime, so I think they were just really, REALLY tired. Needless to say, I was especially grateful to have my brother Ben with me (he and my sister Valerie are down visiting this weekend from Salt Lake City) to help keep the girls entertained. Here are some pictures from our recent adventure.

My brother Ben, R is in the blue, and A is in the pink

4 Years Down...

...and many more to come! January 2nd marked four years of marriage for Doug and I. We celebrated by going out to dinner and bowling...sans twins (thank you Bethany for volunteering to watch the girls). We had a lot of fun, although it was weird going out without the two girls in tow.

I must admit that the past four years have brought a lot of ups and downs and unexpected changes for our family. We have moved more than any person should (6 different residences in three different states). Fortunately, all of this has helped us to grow closer together as a couple and a family. We still have our off days, and I know that the years to come will bring many more "learning experiences." Lucky for me, there isn't another person on earth I would rather learn with. Happy Anniversary Doug...thanks for putting up with me. :0)