Sunday, January 30, 2011

A Sweet Little Angel





Monday, January 24, 2011

Grandma Comes to Visit

A new grandma!

Hi Aunt Cynthia!

Amanda wore these when she was a baby 

Getting tucked in by Aunt Stephanie 

She Made It

Elizabeth Lindy Christensen


14 January 2011  6: 30 AM
7.66 oz , 19 inches long





Thursday, January 6, 2011

A Valuable Gift


One of the greatest habits that I was able to develop as a missionary
was writing in a journal every day.

Before I left, Adam gave me two little blue notebooks (pocket sized)
and said if I did nothing else, I should write down what and where I ate every day.
That would help me remember things we did that day.

I had never been a really diligent journal writer, but I decided 
to do better than that, and wrote a quick bulleted summary of each 
day's events. I missed a few days, but was able to keep up because
lists are easier to make than telling a story. (I still wrote down very
significant experiences in nicer journals, but less frequently). I was
surprised to read through them and find that I had preserved exactly
what missionary life was...day to day things with miracles mixed in.

I kept up the habit after returning to normal life. I keep a little journal on
my nightstand so I have it there handy at the end of the day. I still
resort to a bulleted list sometimes, or even just a sentence. But the
memories recorded are invaluable. There are things I've forgotten in
even a few months' time that are neat to look back on. Even the most 
mundane days seem kind of amusing to remember. And to think that
it all started with two little notebooks from a friend.

Imagine stumbling upon an old journal from an ancestor like that.
It would be so fun to read!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Preserving our Memories


One of the best parts about not having school anymore...
a chance to catch up on photo albums!

Our wedding album is almost finished, and getting our family album
caught up will be a breeze. I'm not feeling ambitious enough to
start on the mission albums yet, but maybe our Ecuador photo book!