Still Thinking About It

I was running on the treadmill at the gym last night, watching the news. Some of the kids who survived the Connecticut shooting were recounting their experiences. What it was like to see blood coming out of their teacher's mouth--what it was like to watch someone die.

And I got to thinking: For many of those children, that day will be their first memory. Ever. Of their entire life. (I certainly don't remember much prior to age six. Do you?) I got really angry thinking about that. Adam Lanza, what was wrong  with you? Then Peter, Paul, and Mary came on my iPod.

So long honey, babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye's too good a word, babe
So I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't saying you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right.

We all could do better for everyone, couldn't we? Maybe that's all Adam needed. (I wasn't angry anymore.)

Connecticut

When I was about ten years old, I remember sitting at the piano one evening, practicing songs for an upcoming recital. My dad came into the room and sat down next to me as I played. All of a sudden he started crying and held me close. I didn't know why.

"There's a lot of parents who won't get to hear their kids practice piano tonight," he told me. I still didn't understand, but later I learned what had happened that day, April 20, just an hour down the road from us.

Connecticut is a bit farther away from me, but it hurts more this time. It hurts because I have two little brothers ages eight and nine. It hurts because my grandmother lost a son when he was eight, and his portrait still hangs in her living room. It hurts because I teach a sweet seven-year old boy in primary whose prayers make me feel God in the room. But even though I can't feel God in the room at the moment--I'm alone and crying--I know that twenty little souls are with  Him in the room.

He had a little Son who died, too. What a lovely room that must be.

Been A While, Eh?

Hello dear readers! (read: Mom and Grandma Thomas)

This month has been crazy. It was quite the adjustment going from unemployment sabbatical to working full time. But it's great to be in the groove again. Not to be read as "busy", because I believe that busy-ness is not admirable nor telling of your productivity, but just having a schedule  is nice.

Aside from work, we took a long Thanksgiving vacation to go on a Disney cruise with Brock's extended family! It was awesome. We spent four days park-hopping in DisneyWorld followed by a four-night cruise in the Bahamas. Brock's family is the bomb--I just love spending time with them. I'll write a detailed post on the  cruise later.

We've been keeping up a grueling social schedule here in SLC. It's fun having a huge social network here. Our church obligations also keep us on our toes. We teaching the sweetest little boy in primary (Troy) who is such a light in our lives. Nobody in his family is a member (his mom is currently investigating), so it's been fun teaching somebody who is literally a blank slate in terms of gospel knowledge. We taught him the story of Jesus' birth for the first time last week. He loved it.

In miscellaneous news, we taught Mojo a new trick ("shake"...for shaking hands and paws!) and have been Hulu-ing the show New Girl like there's no tomorrow.

Also, y'all BEST be gettin' ready for my Christmas letter.