Time... My Random Thoughts

I’ve decided that I have a love/hate and bitter/sweet relationship with time.  This seems to be the case regardless of whether I am waiting in anticipation for something ; reflecting on the past, or even considering  the time that led up to the event that I had previously anticipated for so long.

For example; when you consider a 25 year period of “time” it seems it is something that will take forever to get here. However, my first daughter is 25 years old and when I think about that, it seems like it was just yesterday when she was running around building la-de-ta-dee’s and chasing “stomy” (aka stoRmy)  through the house. Now, she is a beautiful mommy with a busy toddler of her own running around their house!

I am looking forward to Christmas. Not for presents, but because that is the next time I will get to speak with my baby boy. I got to talk to him today for the first time in 6 weeks. Yes, before that 6 weeks started I thought it would pass slowly but in retrospect, it really did go by fast. I am anticipating Christmas day when we get to talk to him again and I have established little points in between as things for me to look forward to that will help make that time pass more quickly through the “waiting in anticipation” point of view.

As to the full two years that Elder Kuhn will be gone… I am trying not to think about it in that perspective. Yes, I miss him and will miss him every day but dwelling on that will not make the time pass any more quickly. Rather, I am trying to shift my focus to the bigger picture and be thankful for the wonderful choice he has made and the work he is doing on behalf of the Lord.

Time is a precious commodity whether going quickly or slowly. How grateful I am for the joy I have received over time, from being a wife and mother. I am blessed with a loving, hard-working husband, three amazing and wonderful children, a son-in-law that loves his family, and a beautiful grandson. I look forward to the many other times of anticipation and reflection that time will bring!  

Holiday Traditions

Since 1991 our family has had the tradition of making candy and delivering it to our friends on or around Christmas. Another tradition is that each year we take a family photo and send it with or as a Christmas card to all of our friends and family. I know we've done this every year since at least 2002.

This year we did not uphold either of these traditions. I really don't have explanations as to why. I wanted to, but I guess I felt like that desire was not embraced by any other member of my family.
We couldn't all get it together to take a family photo - which seems ridiculous considering what a great photographer Jenifer is. . . but the guys (James and Colby - not Kenneth) had bushy hair and beards in November and in December when we were together, James and Kenneth both needed haircuts.
I probably could have pushed and James would have been fine but Kenny is another story...

The candy making and subsequent delivery are very time consuming projects and while I have plenty of time, I really just did not have the energy to undertake the task by myself. Karli has been my biggest helper with this for the past few years but with her work schedule she didn't get to come home until the 23rd and when she got here we left immediately for Arizona. We probably could have made it when we got back on the night of the 25th but at that point I felt like we'd pretty much missed the boat so why bother.

For us, 2012 was a good year. Most of you probably already know that we are grandparents now, which was probably the most exciting thing that happened to us this past year! Tatum James Howard joined our family on July 11th. He is adorable and loved very much!

Anyway, I wanted to just let everyone know that even though you didn't get a candy delivery or a Christmas card from us this year it doesn't mean that we weren't thinking of you. I hope that you are all healthy and happy and that 2013 will be a great year for you and all of your loved ones!