Never a better hero.....

Beautiful pictures and song.

Link: Never A Better Hero

Finding joy!

Our Stake is planning a day of service in July which has got me thinking about meaningful service. As I was growing up, I had the best example of meaningful service, living right in my home. If I wanted to learn how to serve others, I had to look no further than my own mom!

As we serve others, we are serving the Lord!

Find a way to serve someone today!!!

Link: Joy Through Service

Beautiful pictures and music...

This video has beautiful music and pictures of the insides and outside of some of the LDS Temples.

Link: Power Of Heaven

Hadlock Family May 2011

As you may or may not know, getting this big a crew together and happy for pictures was quite a feat! We wanted to get a family picture taken with the two new spouses and before Spencer left for his mission. Spencer has been in the MTC for 3 weeks today! Almost half way through. He asks for prayers for him and his companion!

The day was like one of the few Saturdays this Spring that we could have gotten away with family pictures. When I told the photographer that I wanted outdoor pictures on Temple Square, he wasn’t too hopeful. He said it was probably too early for outdoor pictures but I think they turned out great! The other family picture I had made is too big to scan but the tulips are in perfect bloom and beautiful!!!

It was quite a cold day but you wouldn’t know it looking at the photos. Avery wanted his hair long for the picture. Yesterday he looked at it and said, “I need to grow my hair out long, like in the picture!” lol I was greatful the day he let me cut it but it is all part of our family history. McKell and Josh are great additions to the family! We love them both. One stands out more than the other. McKell fits in with the girls well!

We are in the middle of the family birthdays. Today is mine. Nate’s 25th birthday was May 21st, Spencer’s 19th birthday was April 5th and Ken’s birthday was March 31st. Still to go, Sarah will turn 22 in July, Amanda will turn 27 in August and Avery will turn 16 years old in August!!! Wow.

In September, Ken and I will celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary! Wow! Also in August will be my 30th year Highschool Reunion. I have been working for the last 1 1/2 to find names and addresses for former classmates.

Life goes on.....

It has been a week and a half since Spencer entered the MTC. He seems to be doing well. We have received one email and two notes in the mail. He sounds like he is doing fine. I have had a few hard days but for the most part I am able to make it through the day without crying. It has been odd as we move on to a life with just Avery home. We are still trying to make adjustments in that area. He has been making himself and his needs known. I guess he doesn’t want us to forget he is here. Who could forget him!

Yesterday Ken and Avery spent 7 hours working on a kayak. The teachers and priest quorums are all making their own kayaks for a trip to Yellowstone. Ken and Avery both came home sunburned. It is amazing what a nice day Saturday was considering all of the rain that has been falling in Utah.

Nathaniel Jack turned 25 years old yesterday. He and McKell spent the day together, stopping by here to change their oil together. It really was quite a sight. Amanda talked everyone into coming here for dinner tonight to celebrate. It was fun having everyone here except for Spencer. Our family has changed a lot in the last year. The kids all got along well and we watched some of our family videos. It is good to remind them how much they loved each other when they were young!

We have been blessed as a family over the past almost 29 years. That is an amazing number to me. One day you feel like you were just dating and then you have your own children getting married and making their own traditions. They are all wonderful, beautiful and successful people. I love them so...much!

A blog to follow.....

I have added blogs that I follow, to my blog. There is one in particular that has impacted me the most. It is called Sunshine Promises. It is the story of a sweet family in our ward that lost their young son Bennett a few short months ago. Although it is a sad story, Amanda, Bennett’s mom is taking us on a journey to experience the high’s and low’s associated with the loss of a child.

She is sharing her faith in Jesus Christ, with her belief as well as mine, that they will have the opportunity to be with Bennett again. The belief that families are forever. The belief that when this life is over, and we have each left this earth, that we will live again as families in heaven with our Heavenly Father.

I invite you to follow along on that journey. The journey to learn of our Heavenly Father, to follow Him and learn of His teachings! I am thankful for her faith and her ability to share her feeling in such a way, that I can feel of Heavenly Fathers love for her and her family.

The veil between this life and the next is very thin. I know that Heavenly Father has prepared and provided a way for us to live with Him again. May you and I grow and learn of His love and plan for us, as we take this journey together. I pray. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sarah’s married....

It has been a few weeks to get to this point but I didn’t want to go too long without blogging about Sarah’s wedding. On January 8th we took both Sarah and Spencer to the Bountiful Temple to receive their own endowment. It was a wonderful day and one I never want to forget. Spencer received his mission call to the Florida, Orlando, Spanish speaking mission, just three days prior. I took some family names that we did and later took those that stayed and we did sealings. The sealer called up Josh and Sarah. He told them that this was just a dry run. After the first sealing he said, “Now you two understand that I did not just seal you? You will have to wait til next week for that!” We all laughed. Spencer was called up to be a son, with Sarah and Josh, as mom and dad. Ken and I did some sealings with Josh’s dad, Duane as a child. Brandi Devey stayed and did some daughters, one of which she did the endowment for. Her first name was Gracie, just like her and Darin’s youngest, named Grace. Nate and McKell also did some couples sealings. Later we went to the cafeteria for lunch. We were in the Temple for a total of 6 hours. It was a beautiful, wonderful, uplifting and satisfying day!

When we got home Sarah and I only had a 1/2 hour before we needed to be at a shower being thrown for Sarah. We rested for a minute or two and then went to a shower that Stacy Smoot and Jeri Dabling put on and invited ward ladies. It was very enjoyable and the ladies we so kind and giving. Sarah has received so many nice things from the showers that she had. When we got home we both pretty much crashed!

January 15th was the day of their Sealing. It was fun going early with Sarah and getting the opportunity to help her dress for her wedding day. The sealer did a fantastic job and it was a special treat to have Milo and Jackie there with us. They have lived in our home since September 17th, 2010. After the sealing we went out for pictures. It was a nice day because there was no snow, but it still was cold. Our neighbor LuAnn Anderson let us borrow a cape for Sarah to wear outside. It made a big difference for Sarah. It helped her to stay warm!

The luncheon was held at the 10th Ward building of the Salt Lake Park Stake, located on 400 S. and 800 E. It was so....nice to be able to relax and visit with family. I wasn’t worried at all about setting up for a Reception. Josh’s family did a great job on the luncheon. We were able to invite all of our family members who wanted to come. We did not exclude anyone. It was fun to have the neices and nephews there.

The Reception was held on January 22nd at the Salt Lake Park Stake Center. Our neighbor Sara Dickes did the decorations! She did a fabulous job. Lots of ward members from the 31st Ward were awestruck with the beauty. Many of them said that they had never seen the building look so beautiful! It was fun to see ward members from both wards. We did live in the 31st Ward for the first 7 years of our marriage, so it was fun to see old friends! For the treats, we had cake, eclairs, punch, lemon water and Temple mints. Mandy and Lucine helped me to make 500 mints for the reception. I still have lots if you would like any for a treat at the end of a lesson.

Sarah loved the reception. She was excited when she saw the Stake Center being decorated earlier in the day. Sarah and Josh made their own cake, that day. I think that was a little stressful for Sarah, but they wanted to make their own cake! I couldn’t believe the support from our ward. The Smith family mentioned how many people came from our ward and how few came from their ward. I was grateful for the support!

The only bad part of the day was that earlier in the day, a darling little boy, Bennett from our ward, passed away in his sleep the night before. They did not find out until later in the morning. I was devastated! I cried for several hours and then had to pull myself together to pull of a reception. Bennett Wilkinson was 20 months old. Just the Sunday before, he spent about a 1/2 hour of Sacrament Meeting on my lap. I talked with him, brush his eyebrows, held his cute little hands and colored with him. I have been holding Bennett since he was a baby. Everyone who know me knows how much I love children, especially babies. Every chance I get, I have held Bennett, putting him to sleep more than once. His spirit was strong and beautiful. He leaves behind a loving mother and adoring father, two sisters and one brother who will all miss him terribly. After the autopsy still no reason for his death. Heavenly Father must have needed him badly. I will miss Bennett. It was hard to see his family at church without him on Sunday! I miss baby Bennett!

On January 23rd, Sarah and Josh opened gifts. They only invited Josh’s mom and me. We took all their gifts to their apartment since they had already been on a short honeymoon. They were blessed with many wonderful gifts! Sarah and Josh seem to be enjoying being out on their own! We have already seen her and Josh more since they have been married, than we have seen Nate and McKell. They got married August 10th, 2010. We now have two married children, one preparing for a mission, and one living in Ogden, two 86 year olds and a 15 year old, living with us!