Signing On!

I'm going on a mission! Well, at least I will be as soon as the Mayo Clinic sends up one more medical report, and I submit my final application, and I am interviewed by the stake president, and I wait three weeks until I get my call, and then I wait until it's time to go. I haven't specified where or what type of mission--I've only written that I'm "super-excited" about learning a new language, and think I would be "super-good" at learning a new language. I keep telling the kids I'll be going to Burkina Faso. It's in Africa, and they speak French.

For those of you who knew Dan well, you probably know that we agonized over what to get him for Christmas every year because 1) he already had almost everything, and 2) if he didn't have it, he would buy it for himself. We would put a "buying freeze" on him the beginning of November and then desperately try to figure out what he would like/need/want that he didn't already have. Well, it seems this year I became the hard one to buy for because I announced that I was going to go on a mission in 2008, but I didn't know where (and still don't). So the kids didn't know what to get me. The conundrum sparked some amazing gifts, and this blog design is one of those gifts. Mandy had a business associate of hers design this beautiful template, with the hope that wherever I end up going, I will keep an electronic journal of my experiences. Blogging is a brave new world for me, so I hope you'll forgive any faux pas.

The other gift I got was a scrapbook album that my children put together, packed full of appointments for family gatherings, including tickets for events and descriptions of activities that we will engage in over the next two months. (I'm listing my availability date as 1 March). The activities are cleverly described within a paraphrase of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." While we wait, I'll share the text and pictures of the events as they happen.

4 January 2008 - Snowbird

Merry Christmas, Mom!

'Twas the month before Christmas, when all through the west,
The family was struggling, to come up with the best;
Their brave Mom was leaving to goodness knows where,
So we thought it best to try and be there;
We'll all spend some weekends together, we said,
While visions of family-time danced in our heads;

So Friday the fourth, we'll head up the hill,
For some dinner and a movie, we'll all have our fill,
We'll all be at Snowbird, enjoying the view,
Making some memories and having fun too.

Jessie and Steve, Chris and Andrea, and Cole came up to Snowbird with delicious fondue fixings. We pigged out, then had a lively discussion as to whether we would watch "Waitress" or "The Bourne Ultimatum." Bourne won out. Dallin provided great entertainment. The food and the family time were exquisite.