Dancing with Daffodils

January has been nice so far. We enjoyed a very lazy New Year's day watching the Rose Parade and football and reading. It was tough that night to get ready for school and getting back into normal life. Josh had taken Tuesday off to spend the day with me since we haven't spent hardly any time together in weeks. But after I got Lily to seminary I came home to find that Josh was really quite sick. He spent all day in bed with a terrible headache and sinus pain. He was out of it for a couple of days and it was disappointing, and actually he still isn't better even though he is on antibiotics now. I didn't feel super on Wednesday or Thursday either, mostly just really tired, so I rested during the mornings and read a lot and then ran my kids around in the afternoon and taught piano.  Friday was lovely though. Josh and I went with Matt and Michelle to the temple and it was a wonderful day. The drive was fun and being in the temple was wonderful and then we went and un-decorat...

 2023 was a good year with some challenges; I suppose that is normal. It was a year of a lot of traveling for Josh especially, but for all of us. Josh was actually gone for work 11 weeks of the year starting with two weeks in January, then three is May, two in June, two more in October, one in November and one in December. It was a lot for both of us and I'm glad that this year is looking much more calm. We also went to Miami and the Florida Keys for the most amazing 20th anniversary trip. It was so fun to explore a new place and be alone and just be us for a week. I loved every second of it, especially our dinner on Little Palm Island and the sea plane ride to Dry Tortugas National Park. Also my pina colada in Little Havannah. Then we went to Florida as a family for spring break and had a great time at the beach and also at Universal for the day to see all of the Harry Potter stuff. It was so much fun to share that with friends too. We also did our Darrow family trip to Tennessee ...

Saturday we went to the Zobell's for soup and then out to Nicolletti's for dinner. Sunday was a big day and I was nervous and excited. I had to be to church pretty early to run through a quartet, then the choir pieces and then I had asked all the youth pianists to play their Christmas songs for prelude so I had to get in there to get that going. The program was the one thing I am really pleased with this Christmas season. It went really well and was quite beautiful. I knew it was going to be my last Christmas as the music coordinator so I went all out and picked my favorite songs. The choir did Sussex Carol and For Unto Us a Child is Born and then a quartet sang Still, Still, Still and a double quartet sang Gesu Bambino. They all did such a lovely job singing and it all came together so well. It was the first time all month I really felt the spirit and my heart overflowed with love for my Savior. The talks were great and it all just clicked; I was so grateful. I usually get ver...