From A Mother's Heart

In December we laid to rest my sister Rebecca Dawn Watson and my grandmother Jannigje Copier Anjewierden. I miss them so much. Becky was so young to leave and it was so hard. She found out she had cancer in April of last year and she fought a good fight. She tried everything there was to try except chemotherapy and radiation. Oma was older and ready to go since she had suffered from Alziemer's for several years, but still gone. John and Freda had planned a wedding for their son Dan before all this happened so the wedding was in the Salt Lake Temple the day before Oma's funeral. We were all in the sealing room and the sealer said their are witnesses here (the father's of the bride and groom) to witness the expanding of an eternal family unit. There are also witnesses from the other side who are family. Of course I felt impressed that with Oma just leaving and Becky that they must be there with Opa, Mom and Dad, Gail, Mandi and a miriad of others. I find a great deal of comfort in the gospel knowledge.

It is well into the month of January. I am trying to decide which things to let go of so I have more room for the essentials. This year I want to attend the temple more diligently. I am reading the Book of Mormon with our stake who has the goal of finishing August 1st then attending the temple together.

August is also Bob and my 40th anniversary. We plan on being in Salt Lake City that week. We were married in the Salt Lake Temple.

Already this year is full of goals and appointments...

I am having my ovaries removed in February. I have had a cyst for over a year and with our history it is just what I need to do.

Elliott and Shelley are expecting grandchild number 17 in March and John and Shannon are expecting granchild number 18 in April. It is both of their second child. Lot's of challenges and lot's of blessings.

This year we have a new President of the United States, Barak Obama. He took the oath of office this morning. I did not vote for him because of some of the things he has proposed, but he is our president now and I will honor that office and pray with all my heart for him and our country. I am impressed that he is the first black president. It certainly is a milestone in our history.

This century has found war and financial stress, but the Lord is over all. For now, from a mother's heart... much love and prayers.