I need two empty chairs...

Kailyn had her baptism interview Sunday with the Bishop and when Jim and I came in afterwards he asked her if she was going to have any family or friends coming. I will never forget how tender this next moment was. Kailyn was very serious and said, "My grandpa Hadfield and grandpa Sparks died this year and I need to have two empty chairs for them." Our sweet Bishop told her that he was pretty sure they wouldn't need chairs, but they would surely be there and probably would have the best seats in the house.

Together Forever, No matter what!!

If there is anything I've learned over the years, it's that Jim and I can get through anything. We've lived a fairly "easy" exhistance really, compared to some and I am constantly going back to the promise that the Lord gave us that he will not give us anthing we cannot handle. I hear about the last days, the things to come, the trouble that my generation is going to see and it does make me nervous, but we CAN handle it. Trust in the Lord! There is a greater plan.

I am posting an email that I received from a friend of mine. She puts things into perspective... Some of the email I have kept out to keep it reasonable in length.

Dear family and friends,
Early this morning at about 1:45ish we were woken up by our good neighbor pounding on our door and yelling loudly to wake us up! He was there to quickly inform us that there was a fire on our mountain, and we needed to get up, get the kids out, and get ready to defend our home.
Our family knows how wildly dangerous and destructive fires can be, but we also know, with a sure knowledge, that heaven isn't far away. Modern miracles happen. Prayers are heard. Angels are sent to help us when we need them most. And, most importantly, no matter how prepared we are it is still not enough without Heavenly Father's help.
Early this morning, a few good men showed up from the church to help Ty fight and defend our home. Ty has spent countless hours, and years preparing for events such as these. He has thought of every little thing doing whatever he can do to be self-sufficient and prepare for the worst. It calms us, somewhat, knowing we are doing everything we can, but it still feels like it is not enough when faced with the massive force of fire.
Not too long into the night and other fire-fighting forces began to pour in. Because this fire was the only fire in the area, many resources were sent from all over to help out. I watched as an army of fire fighters pulled their forces together and faced the fire monster head on. They formed a protective line of defense and did what they were trained to do in these situations. They proceeded to back-light the fire to form an area that they could contain the fire in. Still, with the winds and heat as strong as they were, nothing was a guarantee. As I looked though borrowed binoculars, I was amazed at how many firefighters were on the ground fighting this beast. There is strength in numbers. Without a doubt, there is strength in numbers!
As I watched and prayed through those many hours, a lot of thoughts went through my mind. This wicked fire and its destructive power reminded me of the destructive forces we face right now in our state and in our beloved nation. I know and realize that Satan and his evil forces have always been around through all generations of time, but boy, it sure feels like the heat has really been turned up lately. Every day I wake up and feel like we are all being asked, quite literally, to fight off the fires of the adversary and to defend truth and righteousness with all our might. I don't know about you, but fires scare me to death! I feel like I have no control over them. Mostly, I just feel overwhelmed and want to run away and hide. Who really wants to face that kind of monster head on anyway?
Well, I hope and pray that as we fight for truth and righteousness that we will not fear, or run away. I hope we can unite our own families, our neighbors, our wards and stakes, and our state and nation. Moral and good people everywhere need to unite together and stand for truth. The silent majority can longer have the luxury of being silent anymore. Together, we need to fight the evil and destructive forces that face us head on and not back down. We can do this not with anger or malice, but with real humble strength, and with a peaceful confidence.
United we stand, divided we fall. There is strength in numbers!

So I tried to find some pictures online but couldn't. My mom called me early this morning to tell me she was okay... I wasn't aware you weren't ok, I said. She proceeded to tell me that there was a very large fire in her back yard. OKAY, SCARY!!! I'm affraid of a lot of things, and fire is for sure high on that list. She gathered all of her pictures and loaded her car with the things she thought were important and her neighbor came and helped spray the hill in her backyard with water. I believe the fire was on the other side of a gully that was directly behind her house. There were a couple other houses up on that hill and if I can get permission to post it, I got a really neat email from one of those home owners. The fire was put out successfully and evacuation was not necessary, thank goodness.


On a side note.... I heard someone say something the other day that really struck me and made me want to really pray about who I am going to vote for in this election. Many people, including myself have said... "All we do in an election vote for the lesser of two evils". Neither candidate being of any great character. Well, voting for the lesser of two evils is STILL voting for evil. Think about that one!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAILYN

This beautiful girl turns 8 tomorrow and how proud of her I am! She is sweet and kind and funny and extremely dramatic. Kailyn, you have some wonderful qualities and I am so glad that you are a part of this family. Happy Birthday.

I didn't have a very good camara or take very good pictures when you were little so I'm still looking for some that I haven't scrap booked and can scan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIGHTON

My baby turned 4. That is CRAZY!! What a joy he has been. I love my girls, but there is something so great about a boy. Something so different.

13 years. Holy cow! It's funny to me that it seems like only yesterday, and yet I feel like we've been together forever. Jim and I celebrate our 13th anniversary tomorrow. It has definately had it's ups and downs as all good marriages do, but it has been a great ride. I am not in a sappy mood at the moment, (and I'm pretty sure he'll never read this), but I hope that Jim knows how wonderful I think he is. So often I think about how blessed I am. I married a man who is patient with my flaws, who will cook so that we don't starve, and allows me to have "my time" whenever possible. He even helps pick up around the house and does his very best to make me happy. If I sit back and really think about it, I am spoiled. We have made it work and showed a lot of people that we were meant to be together. I am grateful for the triangle we formed with our Heavenly Father when we were sealed for time and all eternity. He is the center of our marriage and our home.

Thanks baby for a great 13 years!! I love you more today than yesterday and less than tomorrow.