Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Top Stories of 2009-November and December

Amy and her husband and boys came to visit at the beginning of November. How good it was to see them all, and to have them drive with us to Spring Creek so they could see our home. Now we just need Alan and Jessica to spend time in our new home and I'll feel complete.

Dr. McNeill came into my life in November. He is a podiatrist, and he worked wonders with my foot. He diagnosed a heel spur and treated it several times. Within weeks I would have ultrasound treatments, a cortisone injection, and get fitted for orthotics. I was no longer concerned that I would be a cripple for the rest of my life.

We spent Thanksgiving in Utah at Lisa's. It was a wonderful day. Katy's family joined us. We had so much to be thankful for. The next day we had our family candy party in Layton. My brother Charles from Iowa and his family were there. Some of my nephews and nieces joined us, my sister Ethel and her family, and my dad was there. My Utah kids and grandkids were there, too. We had a splendid afternoon remembering my mother and her influence on our family. It was a a memorable event.

The last month of the year could not have been much busier! There were the end-of-the-year concerts and lots of Christmas performances for the choirs, the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert which we attended in Salt Lake City(my brother-in-law David Oswald is a member of the choir), and Tom's company Christmas party in Layton. On the seventeenth I flew to Richmond so I could spend some time helping Cindy with her new baby. I had hoped to arrive before she went into labor but Noah Roger Badger decided he wanted to get a head start on celebrating the holidays so he arrived December fourth. Tom joined us on the twentieth and the next day we drove to New York to visit Alan and his family, and I was able to meet Jack. We spent Christmas here in Richmond. Tom has gone home now and I am going to see the New Year in with Cindy, Eric and Noah, and then I'll return home Monday, January 4th.

I've learned a number of things this year, read some wonderful books, met some fabulous people, experienced a wide range of emotions, seen some breath-taking scenery. I don't know if I can say I am a better person now than I was one year ago, but I can say I am more experienced and more tutored in spiritual matters. I have a yearning to know more about my Heavenly Father and about Jesus Christ, how they love, why they love, what they want us to know and do. I am thankful to have had 365 days to learn and grow, to do and feel, and look forward to another 365 days to do the same, maybe in bigger and better ways.

Now, in reference to my first of these top stories posts, I think this year gave me an opportunity to apply what I learned in that first institute class this year, as taught by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin: "Come What May and Love It!" There was a lot that came my way and I learned to love it all!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Just admit it, though, meeting Noah really was your top moment...

Amy said...

Uh, no, their top moment always revolves around me.

Edna said...

Cindy, that all depends on whether or not you look at a year as January on top and December on the bottom or vice versa. Amy, since you're in the middle of the country, then,yes, our lives revolve around you.