Our Family, or The Day After "The Bachelor" Gave Away Only Two Roses

Hi. Okay. I can't tell any more about the bachelor's doings, 'cause I might spoil it for Megan, who watches it on her computer the next day - or for someone else who may not have seen last night's program. I half-titled my post what I did, simply because "Tuesday" sounds boring and repetitive. So there! :) I just want to reply to the question about whether Seth enjoyed his birthday: yes, he did! His knife came yesterday, his dream knife which he is partly paying for, called a Black Sable from Cold Steel. It's super high quality and feels great in the hand. Anyway, Seth couldn't wait to get it and he was so happy with it that he sat in the car, while we went in to Dollar Tree, just admiring it. His arms won't have any hair left on them, 'cause he shaves little patches off to show how sharp it is. I'm jealous! Seth also enjoyed dinner and the movie. The food was all excellent at Golden Corral. I ate chili, deep-fried, good-sized shrimp, real mashed potatoes and poultry gravy (my favorite part), some green beans, and some ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate syrup on top. I also took some gummy bears for the movie. Hehee. Mark and Seth ate meat of all kinds, besides a few other things and desserts. I kept thinking of the eating scene in "Spirited Away", although we had much better manners than the people who turn into hogs in that movie I love Mr. Myasaki's movies! There are only a few that we don't have on DVD yet. One just came out here in our theaters, although it's been out other places for a long time ("Pom Poko"), another ("Porco Rosso?") is on my wish list, and the third I don't care for - can't remember its name.

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So Seth is 17, Phillip is 19, Haley is 21, Melinda is 29, Megan is 31, Justin is 33, and Ben is 35. Did I get that right? We have 1 Army guy (for now), one new mommy whose husband is in college, three in transition (new daddy Ben, Seth, and Justin), and two mommies of bunches of kids. That is besides daddy of four now Cameron, a health dept. administrator who is in school to be an RN, Jaylynn, mommy of two, who is a CNA, Katie, mother of two, who works for a beauty/cosmetology school, Marra, who may work in a dermatologist's office, and, of course, Stephanie, whose daughter has been adopted by Cameron and Janick. We also have Mark, who is a Psychologist-Turned-Manager grandpa and still dad, and me, who is a blogger/grandma, and still mother. Our family is resourceful, and we help each other. Considering that my generation is the first to get some college, we have come a long way. A number of you have advanced degrees and/or multiple vocations and talents. You are all good, honest, kind, and intelligent people and you who have married have found wonderful spouses. But we're more than the sum of our parts, because we are a family, and we extend outward and backward and forward to many hard-working, righteous people (I was tempted to say dudes). We are an eternal unit which will still be intact on the other side of the veil. We have a duty to teach our families and to set an example for them. This isn't practice; this is the real thing. Please remember these things, but also remember that each and every one of us is worth our potential, or what we were intended to be, to borrow a phrase from "Ink." The Atonement takes us from where we are to perfection, right here and now, and it does the same for each of us. The worth of souls is great, to borrow another phrase. Rejoice in your perfection. Love You! xoxoxo