Some Photos - Just Because I Love Them

"The good things that you've got are for many just a dream, so be thankful for the good things that you've got." 

These are some pictures that I love that I haven't gotten around to posting. There is no real rhyme or reason to them except that they are of the people I love.

This is the headshot I took of Jessica for her bio that will appear in the program for the next Davis Youth Symphony concert. She will be a featured soloist for this concert. She will be playing the Haydn Concerto, a piece that has been her constant companion these many months. She is working like mad to get it memorized for the concert, and for scholarship auditions three days before. I am so happy for her and so nervous for her! These are the kinds of things you dream of for your children when they are tiny, not realizing how absolutely nerve-wracking they can be for a parent. But it's the best kind of nerve-wracking.

Grandpa's houses with a gully for a backyard make the best kind, especially in the winter. I didn't see these kids for three hours this particular wintry afternoon.

There's that cute senior again all dolled up for cotillion. She insisted on getting a few shots in her arctic snow hat and boots. The kid has plenty of her dad in her.

Eventually she lost the hat, although I totally could have seen her wearing it to the dance.

Don't you think she looks like she belongs in a Frozen movie or something? Yet another moment you dream of as you hold your newborn baby girl. It all comes too quickly.

There is one cute couple right there. One thing you're never quite ready for is that first boy that comes along and steals your daughter's heart. But you're so grateful when he is a fine young man who treats your little girl with the utmost respect.

Sigh.

Hmmm. That's kind of cool. Good job, Google.

Jessica's favorite Christmas present this year was a record player. You can imagine her absolute jubilation when Grandpa appeared out of the basement with his record collection. Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, a whole array of classical records. The girl was beside herself. She spent the rest of the day snuggled up on the floor listening to old records. 

Two days later, she was off to Salt Lake to invest in some of her own records. Most teenagers know how to conjure up all of their music for free, but not this girl. She would prefer to spend a hundred dollars on vinyl. "The sound quality is so much better," Jessica says. Isn't it funny how the young love the novelty of old technology? Unfortunately, you can't plug your record player into your car or take it on a walk with you. I think we'll get her a phonograph next. I'm kind of not kidding.

We rung in the new year with a combined baptism for these two cutie-patooties who were born just two weeks apart. We're thrilled to death that Steve and Vye moved back to Utah in time for Kaleb's baptism. My favorite was when Mom was giving the talk about baptism and was talking about the importance of keys. She asked what you do when you get home and realize the door is locked. Kaleb burst out, "You break in!" That's one way to get yourself into the kingdom of God. The other way is to enter the waters of baptism, which was so precious to watch these two do.

Look at that batch of future missionaries! It never fails. No matter how you pound into your children the importance of not running in the Lord's house, when you have the entire building to yourself, the children can't help but run the halls like banshees. That would explain Jonah's red cheeks in the picture below. 

But don't worry. They're consciences caught up with them. I overheard the group discussing how they weren't going to run through the Lord's house anymore. Collin exclaimed with relief, "Yah, it's a good thing I'm not baptized yet!" Phew. He figures he's got a good two months of mischief to enjoy before he gets washed clean in March. It sounds like he plans to capitalize on that. As for the others, including the newest baptized cousins who only lasted one hour before they succumbed to the urge to make a less than ideal choice, that is the beauty of the Atonement. Repentance is a beautiful thing. It wipes away the most grievous of sins as well as the minor running-through-the- church-halls infractions. May that be the worst this little band of future elders ever has to worry about.