Good Memories

We watched some old family videos together yesterday, it was so fun and funny.

Wesley was our little baby then and he was SOOO cute! It was so fun, we were all laughing. Corey was in business school at the time and our little family of 7 was living in an 800 sq foot apartment for married students (and we survived!) ...so I know we were busy and learning and being stretched in many ways, but life looked simple and wonderful. And it was. Then I looked around me... and what do you know, it's gotten even better. I love my family and just feel so content and grateful.

Lily seemed to be concerned that she wasn't in any of the footage, we promised that next time we'll show a video of when she was the baby. Our videos from 2000 through 2006 are on DVD now, but I need to get going on transferring the rest of them before the videos get too far ahead of me. The video highlight for me yesterday was a 5 year old Joseph and a 4 year old Melodie having a spelling contest - when I said "JET" little Joseph made all of us laugh when he said "JET! JET?! Jet is sooo hard!" and the 8th grader Joseph watching it (who got his first 4.0 this past term!) got a good laugh at himself, yeah right, life was sooo hard back then, sure! ..."Jet is SO hard Mel!" he kept telling her. ...and smartie pants Melodie whipped it out before Joseph even had the J down. She is a smartie still - she just got her report card - she got a 4.0 too! Go Mel! So if I would have known back then all the adventures and kids we would have in the next 10 years, I'm sure I would have been surprised and excited to see when and how it would all happen. I guess it's good we go through life by faith and not knowing what opportunities await us. What does your future hold, my little Natalie? I will help you along the best I can, and am excited to find out all the wonderful things you will do and who you will become.

"What a thrilling life awaits you! You may not be a John Cabot, sailing off into the blue with the king’s patent to discover new lands, nor a Captain James Cook, whose voyages of discovery carried him to “far away places with strange-sounding names.” But you can be explorers in spirit, with a mandate to make this world better by discovering improved ways of living and of doing things. The spirit of exploration, whether it be of the surface of the earth, the vastness of space, or the principles of living greatly, includes developing the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. ~ This is your world. The future is in your hands. The outcome is up to you."
- President Thomas S. Monson, Decisions Determines Destiny