No Worries

Papa,

Mom said you were concerned that in my preparations for China I might sell my sewing machine. Don't be silly! I did offer to lend it to close family members for the year that we are gone but I would NOT sell it. Funny daddy.

Projects from this week:

I made the blouse in about two hours. I am so proud of it! The shorts took longer and were significantly harder, but I'm still proud.

So, You Think You're Busy!

I'm teaching a Temple Preparation class this week for one of our young men who will be leaving on a mission to Brazil later this year.  The class is being condensed into two evenings, and he is the only student in the class.  I'm really looking forward to this because he is a great guy and will be a wonderful missionary.  As I was preparing the lessons, I got to thinking about Marriner W. Merrill.  I freqauently think of him when the subject of temples comes up.

Brother Merrill was a convert to the Church in 1852 and moved to Salt Lake City the following year.  A few years later; sometime around 1860, he moved to Richmond and was subsequently called to serve as the bishop there in 1861.  He served in that capacity until 1879 when he became a member of the Stake Presidency and served as a counselor to two Presidents.  He was called to be the first President of the Logan Temple in 1884 and then sustained in 1889 as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles where he served until his death in 1906.

What makes his story so interesting, and which is one from which I draw strength whenever I think I have a calling that is overwhelming (yeah, that hasn't been for a while!), is that he was not released as a counselor in the Stake Presidency until his call to the Quorum of the Twelve.  Which means that for 5 years he was serving as both a Temple President and a member of the Stake Presidency.

However, to echo the words of some of the more annoying TV commercials, "But Wait...There's More!"  He was not released as Temple President upon being called to serve as a member of The Twelve.  Instead, he served in both of these capacitites until his passing in 1906.  That's 17 years serving at the same time as an Apostle and a Temple President.

But wait...there's more!  And didn't you just know there had to be?  In 1899 Brother Merrill was called to serve as President of the Cache Valley Stake, where his term lasted for about 18 months.  I just can't imagine what it would take to handle being a Stake President, Temple President, or Apostle; but to fulfill all three at the same time, wow!  So whenever you think you are busy with Church callings, just remember Marriner W. Merrill.

Avery loves to read.

She does it all the time. We spend at least 30 minutes a day reading books together. That is a long time for a one year old to sit! But she loves her books and anything else that has words for her to stare at. Our friends left this magazine at the house and Avery spent the next four days pondering it whenever she could get her hands on it. She cracks me up.
China is looking like a sure thing at this point. We are searching for renters and preparing to sell most of what we own. We plan on seeing you before we head out, we just don't know when that will be yet. Love you much!

Do We Have Gratitude in Our Hearts?

What follows is a quote delivered by Abraham Lincon as part of a resolution in 1863.  I ran across it while pondering why we as Americans have come to suffer from ingratitude to such a great degree.  It concerns me greatly, and I wonder how long the Lord will continue to bless America if we do not repent of this.  Apparently this is not new!


"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth, and power as no other Nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.


"It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our . . . sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness." (John Wesley Hill, Abraham Lincoln, Man of God, 4th ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, p. 391.)


As it happens, I found the Lincoln quote in an address given by President Marion G. Romney during the October 1982 General Conference.  He went on to say this:

"To the Lord Jesus, who bought us with a great price, we owe an undying debt of gratitude. It is impossible for us, weak mortals as we are, to fully comprehend and appreciate the suffering he endured on the cross so that he might gain for us victory over death. And even less can we understand the suffering he endured in Gethsemane so that we might obtain forgiveness of our sins. 'Which suffering,' he said, 'caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink.' (D&C 19:18.)


But nevertheless, he endured it for our sake. None of us could have endured that suffering. No mortal man nor any number of men together could have endured it. All people who understand what Jesus did for us ought to love him and demonstrate that love by rendering to him, in a realistic manner, thanks and gratitude."

I hope that as a family and as individuals that we always remember and are grateful for all that the Lord has done and continues to do for us.

Dr. Samuel Isaac Woodard

Hey Dad!

I'm sure Mom told you that she and I got to hang out for a few minutes in Kansas City last weekend.  It was great to see her and now I'm that much more excited to see you in just a couple weeks.  I'm looking forward to Memorial Day with the family.

Micah and I were in Kansas City to see Sam graduate from medical schools.  SAM IS A DOCTOR!! I still have trouble wrapping my mind around that fact.  He graduated as a D.O. and will be in Philadelphia for five years completing a general surgery residency.  Not only is Sam a doctor, he's going to be a SURGEON!

We went to dinner after graduation - of course! - and Micah and I grilled Sam with every medical question we've ever wondered about.  He did a phenomenal job answering our questions and giving dumbed-down details of how the body works.  It's really an amazing thing to see how far he's come.

The Woodard clan wanted me to send you a quick hello.  They are hoping to see you while you are in Utah as well.  Hope things are still looking up now that the weekend is over and we're all back to work. 

Love you! 

Angela

Saturday, May 15th

Feeling great after 8 hours of sleep last night. Going to bed on time does wonders for you! Elizabeth and I will be going to Kyra's gymnastic show this afternoon and will take any of the kids who want to go. Looking forward to it. I'm doing so much better than in February.

Chemo Update

Had Chemo session today.  Taxotere, I get it once every 3 weeks.  Also had a Zometa treatment.  A bone strengthener among other things.  Already feeling better in areas where I have been having some problems over the last several months.  Every treatment seems to make me feel stronger, and I am feeling great tonight!  However, it is pushing midnight and I need to go to work in the morning.

What I Really Wanted to Say.

Dad-

I don't know if I was camera shy or if I felt like I was talking to Ben since he held the camera or if I didn't want to hurt your feelings because you weren't able to be there, but I wish I had said more to you about the day Amira was blessed than what Ben actually got on film. (Okay- "film" kind of dates me and will soon be one of those sayings that people use but don't really know where it came from because everything will be digital and film will be obsolete- but I digress.)

The day started out really windy but the sun came out and it turned into a beautiful day. There were lots of friends and family gathered together and the only thing missing was you and mom.

It was wonderful to see so many worthy Priesthood holders take your beautiful granddaughter in their arms and with love and authority give her a name and a blessing. Ben talked about how she had already experienced trials in her short life, but that this life is a time for proving and she will have the strength to overcome her trials if she stays close to her Heavenly Father. She was blessed with a pure heart, charity for others, that she will be a friend to many as well as an example and a light, and she will have confidence to do what is good and right.

After a beautiful blessing, Ben stood and bore his testimony of the power of the priesthood. Melissa testified that prayers are answered. Their testimonies can be added to those that were shared in Arizona and the faith of this family.

Ben and Melissa then opened their home where we continued to feel the Spirit as we shared a meal together with both families who love and adore this beautiful new soul, fittingly named Amira Grace Sauter.

I know you could not be there, but it is a day that will be entered into the record books of faith and devotion and Amira will know that you were part of creating and supporting her legacy of believers in our Savior, Jesus Christ. It was so hard to not have you and mom there, but I thought you'd like to know what a wonderful day it really was.

As an added note- Ben and Melissa kept Amira home for the day, but the rest of us met at my house for fondue later that night. David's friend, Jesus, joined us and he and I talked about his conversion and the impact David had on his life and his testimony. It was a sweet experience to listen to his tender feelings for David and I know you'd want to know what an influence for good your son was.

(It happened to be his birthday in April too!)

You were missed Dad. We all hoped you would be here, but I know you needed to rest and get well. I just wanted you to know what really took place.

Anyone is welcome to add their experiences from this day. For me- it was a special day.

I love you Dad!
-Jennifer

Impromptu Water-Day

So, Joe's birthday was yesterday. As is my nature I saved the shopping until the very last minute. Avery and I went out to pick up a couple of things at an outdoor mall nearby. Most outdoor malls here have little splash areas where water shoots up and there are cool lights and whatever. Anyway, Avery loves them. So after I made her behave for a couple hours of errand running I figured the least I could do for her is let her get soaking wet in a public place.

Lucky for me I have a sister like Jenn to tell me that I should ALWAYS carry an extra set of clothes for my child wherever we go. I could let her frolic without having to worry about putting a wet baby back in the car.

Too long

It has been too long since I have posted here. We love you, dad, and we think of you all the time. I promise I will be better at posting about our goings on. Have I mentioned we may be moving to China in August? Not kidding. Really. China.

The great thing about this site is that I can post about the silly Avery things that I find hysterical that other people might not care that much about, but that I know you will love! So here's the first: Avery hates soda but loves bottles. Every time she tries soda she freaks out about the bubbles and spits the stuff out. But we have become Pop Shop regulars so the soda we drink is in cool bottles. Those she LOVES. So now we make a habit of drinking the soda really fast so that Avery can have the bottles to "drink" out of. If there is one on the table during dinner then she will not eat until she has her hands on it. It's out of control.

Second: Avery is obsessed with the bath. We even say the word and she goes running to the bathroom because she wants to take one. She loves to turn the water off and on, throw toys in and out, and play peek-a-boo in the curtains. While we were visiting Jenn this last month Avery disappeared for a few minutes and when I went to find her this is what I found:

There isn't even any shame in her for it. When I was calling her name she would call back with a "hoo, hoo!" When I finally discovered her she grinned really big and laughed. Oh, this child.

Love you!