A candle goes out.

I was in the kitchen last night and I heard Adam gasp. My heart sank and I asked him what had happened. When he told me we'd lost President Hinckley, I really did feel like my blood ran cold for a minute. We read some of the articles about him and then just talked about the way he had touched our lives. Adam called home and so did I. It seems like that's what you do when someone close to you passes away...and that's when I realized what an amazing man President Hinckley was if only for the way that he made Adam and I (and likely everyone who heard his voice) feel close to him because of the way he carried himself.

I think I'll miss his wit most. That and his optimism. My dad was saying last night that every now and then the world gives him reason to feel pretty overwhelmed or sad. Things like terrorism or the economy. But every time he heard President Hinckley, he realized that a man who can see a great distance beyond where we can see gave us every reason to be optimistic about the future and that put a lot of minds at ease, I'm sure.

Even above the service that he gave to millions of people the world over for decades and decades of his life, I feel like he served me just by being alive. I always felt happier after any occasion I had to see him. I felt uplifted and with new resolve and energy to try a little harder because he asked me to and I felt empowered to accomplish new tasks because he believed we are all capable of that. What a gift we were given to have him in our lives for as long as we did. How rare are those souls who actually brighten the world just by living in it.

What about you? What will you miss most? Do you have favorite President Hinckley memories?

The Joker Slays the King.

So says SI this morning. And I couldn't be happier.

It's winding up to the end of the Australian Open, a tennis tournament to which Adam and I are particularly partial for various reasons. We love tennis. We've both played a lot of tennis in our day. Adam even coached a high school team. And it's one of a handful of sports that we both love equally and so we watch and watch and watch and never tire. We just love it and this tournament has a lot of good memories for us. Fortunately, we align on our style of tennis so we mostly like the same players, men and women.

Here's the Man of the Hour. His name is Djokovic. He's Serbian, he's 20 and he's not the favorite in this tournament. He's nicknamed the Joker b/c he's got a bit of a sassy personality on the court, kind of goofy sometimes.

So anyway because of the time difference between here and Australia, the match was on at 2:30 this morning. Adam and I set the alarm and got up to watch it b/c we may or may not be junkies. Here's the great part. Last night (or in the wee hours of the morning) this kid knocked of a veritable legend, a two time champion at this very tournament to earn a bid in the finals. I love me a good underdog! I'm so excited. Finals for the women tonight a 8:30. The men's final is tomorrow. If you need us, you'll know where to find us. LONG LIVE THE JOKER!

More cold weather? I'll show you!

So Winter has never been my favorite season and this Winter is not an exception. Adam and I have developed an unhealthy obsession with the beach of late and can barely bring ourselves to daydream of much else. I'm a Cali kid! I swear I function on photosynthesis because if the sun isn't shining, I can't think of many good reasons to get out of bed. However, I woke up this morning and it was cloudy! This has gone on far too long! It was too much for me so I decided I'm officially declaring that for me and my house, Winter is over. I will now be listening to the beach boys and Will Smith's "Summertime." This is me breaking out the flip flops. Which, by the way, explains the new blog background. My own bit of sunshine. Feel free to bask anytime you need a break from winter.

Christmas Eve Day at Carthage.

On Christmas Eve Day, my MIL and SIL planned an awesome field trip for us out of town visitors. We packed up the car early in the morning and made the trek through the frozen corn fields of Illinois (which were beautiful, pristine and serene, by the way) all the way to Carthage Jail. Here Adam, Jessi and I are out in front of the visitor's center where there is an amazing monument to Hyrum and Joseph. We met the sweetest little couple missionaries who told us all kinds of neat facts and were so hospitable, even on an inhospitably cold day. One of the ladies was even wearing one of those decorative Christmas sweaters that either calls to mind your grandma or your third grade teacher, but either way it's endearing. She came out and asked if we'd like pictures taken even before we'd ever gotten to the visitor's center door! And then, in her little flats, she hoofed it out into the snow to stand far enough back that she could get us all in the picture. I was dying outside and she wasn't even wearing a coat so she had to be frozen solid! (The good news is I never get to bust out all of my cute warm coats in Dallas so we'll call a few days of cold weather a plus.)
I didn't know what to expect from our tour. I thought it would be really somber and sad. It wasn't that way at all...at least not for me. It was just as you would think Joseph would have wanted it. The building was without pretention or majesty. But inside, there was a feeling of triumph. Of a man whose spirit was inconquerable. A man who did what he had to do in a cause that he recognized was much bigger than he...a cause that would go on and fluorish long after his opportunity to participate in it was over. I'm so glad I went. Thanks Mama Braun and Jessi!