People Who Need People Are the Luckiest People in the World....

I've been thinking a lot about friends lately.

Visiting with my BYU roommate as a mom while in Washington.

Reconnecting with Davis friends because of Janell's funeral.

Reconnecting with our "first" friends from Davis on-campus housing through a baptism.

Connecting with new friends at a GNO in our new hometown.

I need friends. I am thankful for them. I am blessed to have many acquaintances and a few close friends.

What can I do to strengthen friendships on my own without having an event bring us all back together again?

So thank you, my friends, for listening to me, cheering me up and reminding what is most important in life--people.

Winter time Blues

I am going through family withdrawals!! We had such an amazing time with all of my family (yes, all 41 of us, and two more on the way) in Vancouver, Washington the week after Christmas. To see all the pics, please visit my youngest sisters blog at:

http://especiallydelicioustoast.blogspot.com/

Now if Michaela can just recover from pneumonia this week before I say goodbye to my parents before they leave for their next mission. I want my vacation back!

Janelle

In the ten years I lived in Davis, I had the honor and priviledge of serving in three different presidencies. While I cherished each of the women with whom I served and learned many things from each person, I will always remember my time in the Relief Society Presidency. I served with four different presidents within that presidency of 3 years. From Deidre Oliver I learned organization and the benefits of planning ahead. From Marsha Purves I learned that Relief Society is a way of life and service that begins within our families and extends outwards to help other families. From Janet Mayhew, I learned that efficieny and love can both be bestowed at the same time.

From Janelle Brubaker, I learned that Charity Never Faileth. I have the pin she gave each of us, Phoebe Fillmore and Mandy Halverson, to remember that legacy. I learned that while setting a tablecloth on top of the Relief Society table may seem unnecessary to me and my simple style, that others greatly appreciate the extra effort. I learned the importance of food storage and wheat and that being the Enrichment Counselor is very important! I learned how to love each sister and see them as Heavenly Father does and that inspiration is indeed given when filling callings, like Kiyomi as the chorister. I learned that eventhough you are preparing to receive ongoing tests for blurred vision, headaches, inability to read or write anymore and forgetfulness, it is still more blessed to share your canning expertise until the wee hours of the morning with your young presidency members. And I learned that when a diagnosis of Brain Cancer is given, that with fasting and prayers, it can go into remission, and that a presidency is still a presidency when the president is sick.

Janelle died today around noon. I will miss Janelle for her kindness and wisdom and for the many ways she served me while we served together in Relief Society. And I will continue to pray for her hopelessly devoted husband, Bruce, and their 7 children, their spouses and many grandchildren. I hope they will remember what I remember about Janelle--Charity Never Faileth.