January 2nd - 14th

In Our Family the last TWO Weeks...
* Our family was reunited!! Mom and the kids drove home from Nebraska on Tuesday, January 2nd
* The day mom and the kids arrived back home, they were met with a VERY sick dad with the stomach flu! Ben had been a good nurse, but dad was sure happy mom was home :) Sadly, he was sick for the next FIVE days!
* The sickness continued - just 2 days after dad started feeling better, mom came down with the stomach flu (or food poisoning?) and was in bed for the next 3 days
* The day mom started feeling better, dad came down with a head and chest cold! Noooooo!! We just want to feel better! Thankfully, the kids haven't really gotten it and are old enough to help keep the house running (maybe not as smoothly.. but still running!) even with the parents out of commission
* The heater in moms van started making a very loud rumbling noise - so we took it in to get looked at. Turns out an old Fair Ticket had somehow made it's way from the windshield/dashboard and gotten lodged down by the blower fan! We were grateful it only cost us the diagnosis and was an easy fix!
* Many hours devoted to getting Primary up and running for the new year

Seth Spotlight...
* Most of the members there in his area went on a Temple Trip together (to the Temple in Honduras)
* He helped host an FHE
* Had a multi zone meeting with Chinandega and Leon - he really enjoyed that (and got to see many of his old friends and companions).
* It was Stake Conference for his ward - he and his companion helped out by singing in the choir. They sang "I Am a Child of God" and "How Firm a Foundation"

Spiritually Speaking...
Well, our beloved Prophet - Thomas S. Monson passed away on January 2nd. While we all knew that his health was declining and that he wouldn't be with us much longer, the news of his passing was still a bit of a shock! I think moreso just that our Prophet was no longer here on earth with us. He was sustained as our Prophet and President of the church on Feb. 3, 2008 and so he is the Prophet the kids all grew up knowing! I remember when he came to re-dedicate the Boise, Idaho Temple in November 2012 and the youth all practiced for months to put on a Cultural show for him. The group that I was over, was seated just a few rows behind him and to the right and we could see him throughout the whole show and his expression of joy and happiness! He was a wonderful prophet and we are so grateful for all that he did for us!