Aaron is in MN/ND vacationing with friends and family.

Ben, Jake and Mitch went to Acquire The Fire in Boise, ID this weekend.

Chuck and I had the weekend to ourselves. We napped, went out for breakfast, went out for supper and went to a movie. We ate a big tub of popcorn all by ourselves!

I thoroughly cleaned 2 levels of the house and finished all the laundry.

We took the christmas lights off the porch.

Made a big pot of minnesota wild rice soup...yum!

I wonder if my children miss us as much as we miss them when they are gone? Of course, I know that "growing up" and "moving on" is a part of life. But the older I get, the more nostalgic I get about my relationships, my children, my husband...the people that mean the most to me. Do they REALLY know how beautiful they are? What a gift they are? That they are my joy and my inspiration...to love more deeply, to live more contentedly, to be a better mom and wife and sister and friend and daughter...to know and live in the presence of my Savior. To live in His presence. To live with purpose. To "pass it on." With praise and celebration of each day. To connect and soak up the gift we have in each other. We are blessed!