Wednesday, December 27, 2017

I have always considered myself to be a “morning” person, but these two early morning shifts each week are proving to be a challenge.  We just get so tired and it is hard to get good sleep before we go.  We are always glad for Wednesday evening when we can relax a little and not have to worry about getting up early and staying awake even though we face Thursday which is our longest day

I helped with the initiatory for a sister receiving her own endowment today and it was such a sweet and emotional experience that it was hard to keep my composure.  She was young—maybe early twenties—and came in an electric wheelchair.  Her demeanor was so charming and pleasant and the pretty smile she wore never left her face.  She was quite independent despite her disability and we gave her all the time she needed.  Her happy mother was with her along with her dad and three sisters.  One of the sisters used a walker and had the most severe tremors I have ever seen.  Her cognitive abilities seemed great, but her poor body was out of control.  I don’t know how she ate or slept, but my heart went out to this family and the struggles they have faced.  But there was no whining or sadness—just joy at having this experience in the temple together as a family and knowing that at some point in the future, the Atonement will make all well and perfect for these sisters. 

Glade decided this evening that we should go out, in spite of the biting cold temperatures, and get us a game and another puzzle.  That should keep us from getting on each other’s nerves 😊 and will be much better than the limited television we have.  We found a Subway in the food court and had a bowl of delicious chicken noodle soup and a sandwich.  It was a great little activity and we found the mall to be busier than it had been before Christmas.  There were tons of teenagers and lots of families and everyone was carrying packages.  They were obviously taking advantage of all the sales. 

We love you all so much and hope you are continuing to enjoy your Christmas holiday vacations.  Thanks for the year-end summaries we received for Christmas and hope the rest of you are working on yours.  They are so delightful to read and may actually be more beneficial to the writer than to us, the readers! 

Good Night!!