food, crochet, merriment
“We do not obtain our heavenly reward by punching a time clock. What is essential is that our labors in the workplace of the Lord have caused us to become something. For some of us, this requires a longer time than for others. What is important in the end is what we have become by our labors.”
Dallin H. Oaks
When Dane was getting ready to leave–for Lithuania…
he was quite determined to take all his precious belongings with him.
Strangely enough, no matter how he rearranged things–these particular gems just wouldn’t fit in the suitcase.
He comes home in a couple of months—at last, at last!
Isn’t he in for a surprise when he sees…
just how grown-up the little gooney-birds have become? Not to mention the sweet pea that he’s never even met!
I’m chanting…
June 10th…June 10th…June 10th…
right this minute…
Little fingers that are learning magical things…
Gum wrapper chains…remember them?
…stay tuned!
Candy too pretty to eat…well…almost.
A new headband with every color in the universe.
Finding a cozy home for some dear friends…
A busload of brand new snow…
Chocolate marshmallows. Yes, I said CHOCOLATE marshmallows. Why’s it taken so long to think up that cool idea?
Seriously.
A new, Diva Pink and Silver BagBag in the works…
A far away boy walking in the snow…
Real, live Oreos with real, live footballs on them. Oh, my-my.
Ok, Perhaps there is life after heartbreak.
Every noble impulse, every unselfish expression of love, every brave suffering for the right; every surrender of self to something higher than self; every loyalty to an ideal; every unselfish devotion to principle; every helpfulness to humanity; every act of self-control; every fine courage of the soul, undefeated by pretense or policy, but by being, doing, and living of good for the very good’s sake–that is spirituality.
David O. McKay
For the mushy hearted missionary mom with a baby boy in far, far away Lithuania–Christmas day is a fabulous thing. Because Christmas, my lovelies, is one of the four days in two WHOLE years that I get to talk to my boy on the phone.
So, at 12 noon, our time—which was 9 pm Lithuanian time—we called our Daney boy. Ohhhh…he sounded wonderful–just like he was sitting right next to me. He said he loved the pictures of the babies…
and of course his BYU loot.
I had no idea that he took that football with him. What a crack up!
He told us about the place that he lives now called Sialulia–pronounced Show-lay. It’s really quite beautiful–cobblestones and snow everywhere.
He said he spends most of his days knocking on apartment doors. Most often, no one is home or they don’t open the door.
He told us that he loves to entertain the kids at an orphanage by talking like Donald Duck. Imagine speaking Lithuanian and Duck at the same time. It makes his nose itch.
Makes my head hurt.
Lily and Beckham sang ABCs and Twinkle, Twinkle. Baby Chompy said, “Oh, wow!” right into the phone.
He read us the Christmas story in Luke–but in Lithuanian. It’s a very curious thing to hear your own child speaking a language that you didn’t teach him. He has worked so hard since last year at this time.
The best part about this phone call was that this was the last Christmas day call and then in June….
ahhhhh, then my boy comes home. I’ll try to contain myself.
That day will be Christmas.