This week has been weird and busy and very fun. We have been finishing getting ready for Christmas and having family which has been exciting. It figures that as soon as all my course work is ready for me to start it is the middle of the holidays. ’Tis the season to flake out on your other commitments, right?

Merrick was in town and we got to have dinner and hang out with him Thursday night. He has such an interesting and exhausting life right now. He is traveling all over the world. I would die of jet lag. I’ve seen Elisa’s jet lag and she is not exaggerating! Merrick talked software with me and that’s fun.

It was great to have John and Renée and Jeff and Sarah and Sophia arrive earlier than expected yesterday. We ended up getting to relax with them before they left for Anacortes this morning.

I just love this time of year. It is so wonderful that everyone (hopefully at some point) is reminded and thinks about the wonderful gifts we have all been given. Our family, our many material blessing, all our opportunities and even the crazy trials that have molded us into better and stronger people, and especially the Gospel and our Savior making all of our eternal blessings possible for us. I love the scriptures that talk about God’s purpose for making His plan. In the D&C we are told that His work and glory are to bring about the immortality and eternal life of men. And then in 2 Nephi we are told that we are to have joy. This time of year especially reminds me of the joy we can all have and why. I just love it!