Good news all around!

The first good news is that it is Easter! What could be better news that our Savior lives and lives still and we will be forgiven and live again because of Him! I need a good Southern Baptist Choir behind me. Or Mo-Tab, we enjoy them around here. I am grateful for the gospel and the Truths we have in our lives.

Good news #2: My nephew Tanner got his mission call! The first grandkid on my side to go, and the oldest in his family, so we were all hanging on the last couple weeks trying to guess where he was going. It's a little more high tech now, the Stake President e-mails everything to Salt Lake, then they e-mail back to him when it is getting mailed out so you can get a pretty good guess on what day it will show up. It came to his house on tuesday or wednesday this week and Tarilynn managed to keep herself from steaming it open until Friday when Tanner got home to open it himself. I guessed Scotland, but his mom and dad were praying for a stateside location, they apparently hold more sway because he's going to Cleveland Ohio. Tarilynn was singing "Cleveland Rocks" from the Drew Carey Show, and Tanner didn't know who Drew Carey was (you know, that guy on the Price is Right, the one without the fake tan). Hmmm, feeling old. His mission covers Kirtland, which will be really cool. Rob went to Independence Missouri and served around Adam-Ondi-Omen (How do you spell that?) and Liberty Jail and lots of other Church history sites, so it'll be cool for Tanner to be around the Kirtland Temple. We also spent time trying to remember the tune for that Erie Canal song, I guess we'll have to google it. We had stake conference this weekend and they had all the people who just came home or were leaving soon on missions come up to the front and tell where they were going. All those wonderful enthusiastic young kids! I am so proud of Tanner, how he is excited to spend two years of his life for others and for his Heavenly Father, and how glad I am that he kept himself clean to go and that he's such a good person. I'll stop blubbering now and I won't even tell about how I used to change his diapers. Well, I don't think I ever did anyway.

Other fun news is that Cindi had her baby! Little Shailey was born on August 21st. Her due date was April 7th, but that's ok, Cindi got through Sam's wedding! When one of my other nieces was born late it was said that it was because she wanted to get her hair done before she was introduced to everyone. Is that your excuse, Shailey? She has cute curly dark hair, so there you go. Congrats Cindi, Scott, Tennessee, Addi, and Parker! Can't wait to meet the sweet bundle!

Other good news? Hmmmm, we're painting the outside of our home, very excited because I've lived in the Ugly Blue House for the last four years. We're going to try a couple samples to see what looks good and then paint away! Well, I'll paint as much as my waddling allows. 21 weeks, and I'm already huge. Also, I finished the kids' crayon rolls for Easter so they could take them to our Stake Conference today. Yes, I try to bribe my way through Stake conference because two hours sitting on a church bench for the kids is pure torture. We didn't do too bad today, I had to lead Joseph out during the closing song, which is really pretty good. Seth went out earlier, but he made it past his regular time of "want to go to class now." And he didn't throw his socks or shoes, just his bow tie and it didn't go far. Ohhhh, I love Stake Conference, but my favorite meeting hands down is the adult meeting, I can hear a lot more of it. Our stake president told about how he was visiting his sister's family one weekend long ago, and when they left he counted out seven noses that should belong to his kids, they all got in the car and were cruising home when he found out he was one daughter less than he should have and one niece more than he should have. All the kids were promptly grounded until they were 40 and never allowed to get drivers licenses. His point? Don't go through life just counting noses. Remember what is really important and who in your life is really important. I know some days I get in bed and I think, "well, at least I fed my children today." It's hard to get beyond the keeping everything pristine ('cause that happens everyday--sarcasm implied), feeding everyone enough fruits and vegetables to satisfy the food pyramid, and doing all I can for my callings, plus all the other stuff that for some reason seems so important. When I can forget all that, and sit down and snuggle with the kids or play games with them or read stories to them, I feel cleaner at the end of the day, if you get my drift. And it doesn't happen as much as it should. Anyway, all around a good stake conference with good reminders of things I need to concentrate on.

Happy Easter everyone! Count those "good news" things in your life!