Happy 33rd Anniversay to us!!!

This was from a session of wedding invitation photos but didn't make the cut. October 1975. Now I'm reading your mind as it's saying, "Wow, isn't it hard to believe they were ever that young..."

Come on, I think we look just the same now! SH

Truth is stranger than fiction

Killed in the line of "doody"

There will be a memorial service Friday at 10 am at the Carl's Jr in Centerville for a toilet shot to bits by a man who should not have been allowed to carry a gun. (Don't get me wrong; I'm for the right to bear arms. This bozo gives responsible gun owners a bad name.)

Here are the highlights: "It seems only fitting to have a formal service to let everyone say goodbye to such a critical member of our team that was in very close contact with the public each and every day. Our thoughts go out to the surviving men's room urinal and porcelain sink. We only hope that the new toilet can fill the void left by its predecessor, but so far it hasn't made much of a splash."

Store manager, Christian Martinez told the Tribune: "We have received e-mails and cards from all over the country expressing condolences for our loss. People will have the chance to say goodbye in their own way at the memorial service."

Link to story here: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11574397

A Chinese import...

...no one wants to see.

Birthday greetings from...

...your adoring fans.

Have an EXCELLENT day, dudette.

Birthdays, anyone...birthdays.

What you talking about?

Hey, birthday girl. Tell your dad to send me a campaign contribution and I'll fix you up with a state job.

Fo' a white, you allright.

This morning I signed an executive order requiring you to have a Happy Birthday.

And Dad H wishes RPH a very happy birthday, too!

XOXO

Unlike Utah winters

Those of you living in Utah have a different kind of winter. The snow comes, the sun comes out, temps rise, and the snow melts.

But here in Illinois it is a different situation. The snow comes, temps don't rise, the sun shines less, and the snow remains.

Here's a view of Mt. Summit. It has been here all winter. It had melted down to about two feet high by last week but we've added to it. It is a mix of snow and road salt so it is pretty solid once you get down a few inches.

Current temp: -8 but the wind out of the north makes it feel like -30.
Forecast for tonight: -17 with -35 windchill.

The other day I was shovelling the roof. We have a couple of flat roof areas on the house and if you get a foot of snow up there you risk damage from leaks and the weight of the snow.

I'm preaching to the choir for you Milwaukee folks but this is an education for your Westerners.

So, why do we live here? Good government!

A Special Christmas Gift

What a delightful time I had the day after Emily and Nathan's wedding when our family exchanged our Christmas gifts. I especially loved seeing the homemade ones.

Doug and I received identical gift bags from Robert and Beth. We opened them together and found brand new scriptures--a triple combination in each. And a nice inscription inside the cover quoting 3 John 1:4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." Then "With Love from your children, December 2008."

But whoa, there's more. Like an extra 18 pages inside that you can't even detect when you look at it! What a lump grew in my throat and tears in my eyes when I realized that I had in my hands the testimonies of all of our wonderful children, their spouses, and even our grandchildren on down to the tiniest one. Never got a two-Kleenex gift before!

I hugged it close and later on it dawned on me that I hadn't even let anyone else look at it. So here is a photo of one of the pages so you can see how the pages were inserted and the corresponding scripture was by it and carefully marked. Audrey said they worked on this during family night with their dear children a few weeks before . Here is another testimony I would like to share, by our little 10-month-old granddaughter with special thanks to Bree: "Priya would like to share her testimony that miracles happen, because she is one. She believes angels exist because she sees them. And she knows God is real because she remembers Him." Scripture reference? 3 Nephi 17:20-25.

One of those gifts that just keeps on giving. Thanks again to all of our wonderful family. You're the best!!! I'm so proud of you for living the gospel in your homes! MOM/Susan

Bree's Cocoa is Da Bomb

Here we were at the Seattle airport hoping our flight home would be on time. We packed a rather heavy carry on with books and gifts. I was the mule for that piece of luggage.

So it goes on the belt and I get pulled to the side by the TSA guy in the new blue shirt. He wants to look in my suitcase.

On to the steel table while we rummage through the bag. He pulls out Bree's hot cocoa mix in the cute penguin bags and Diane's wassail mix in the plastic tub.

"What's this?" he says. "Hot chocolate mix and orange drink," and off he goes to test the powder.

He came back in a couple of minutes and explains that these items look just like "carbon-based compounds" on the x-ray so they had to test them. He further told me that if I had taken them out of the carry-on and placed them in a separate tub for screening I probably wouldn't have been stopped.

So, to Diane and Bree...your goodies are Da Bomb.

~Dad H

(Go ahead, Audrey. "My weird Dad takes pictures of soap and Tupperware.")

Dad's advice

When we had the luncheon after Em's wedding I had a serious speech prepared but went for the lame one about sarcasm instead. With the miracle of modern blogging you still get to hear it.

Love, trust, forgive.
That really is the way the Lord deals with each of us. And it's a pretty good basis for your marriage as well.

When we love someone we sacrifice for them. We extend ourselves for their well-being. David O. McKay was the gold standard for watching over Emma and attending to her comfort.

Trust is vital in marriage. And that is really hard to do if you've been hurt deeply. But your spouse deserves your trust. Like it says on Audrey's wall. "Love like you've never been hurt before." Which brings me to the last one...

...forgive. Spouses disappoint. You disappoint. That's why we have repentance. God forgives us and expects us to forgive others. I'm not talking about putting up with abuse here; My point is that we all say and do some boneheaded things. We ought to give our spouse a pass, especially when no harm was intended.

That's it. Love, trust, forgive.

~Dad

A few more photos