Overcoming the Natural Man

This week I was memorizing Mosiah 3:19 "The natural man is an enemy to God...and will be forever and ever...unless he becometh a saint." We had a painful opportunity this week to overcome the natural man. I went out Christmas shopping and left older children home babysitting. While I was out, the older children fell asleep, and Anna was left to her own devices. She found some blue craft paint and painted her whole body and one wall in the hallway. She also wandered around the house, leaving blue tracks wherever she went. Then she woke up one of the babysitters, saying "Look at me!" Attempts to clean her up left the bathroom blue, as well. Sigh. Aren't we grateful for toddlers, and teenage babysitters, who give us so many chances to "become saints"? This picture was taken, by the way, after the clean-up efforts.

New York Trip

One of the reasons I was behind on my birthday posts was because we spent the entire month of October preparing for, going on and recovering from our anniversary trip to New York. I decided to post some of those pictures here as a memory for later. Rich's dad and Jeri babysat for us for 9 days while we went off all by ourselves!

The last two birthdays for the year

I have been terrible about posting lately, but I need to finish up the year of birthdays. Beth turned 7 on Halloween. Beth is our fiesty, independent, sensitive soul. She was so pleased with her simple birthday gifts. Her birthday is on October 31, and Katie made her a special Halloween costume to match Anna. She was Little Bo Peep with her little sheep. Incidentally, Beth played soccer this year and she scored a goal on her birthday! Beth had a great day, and we love her so much!





The last birthday for the year was Rich, who turned 39. Pretty old, huh? (Just getting him back.) What a great husband and father Rich is!! He is the rock of our family, consistent and steady, always taking care of everyone else and the little details that make life go along more smoothly. We love him so much!!!