Picking Ourselves Up

Today has been a difficult day.  I have struggled on and off with tears and disbelief, really.  I slept poorly last night after going to bed so late, troubled with real life rather than dreams.  I think I will allow myself the luxury of this day to mourn the lost hopes of millions of people, and then buck up, put on my big girl pants, and keep preparing my family for any eventuality.  Today on Facebook Mitt Romney posted this picture.  Again with the tears.  I cannot imagine how devastated he must be.  He is a successful man, so he'll pick up and go on to do wonderful things, but what a lost opportunity he must also be mourning. 

 

I love the United States of America.  I have felt such a sense of patriotism this last year or so.  I have become much more politically aware, and much more opinionated about it!  I am honored that I was able to vote yesterday.  I am so blessed to live in this nation that allows us to have our own opinions and views.  I am blessed to have had my children here, so they can enjoy the same blessings.  I feel a need to be a better mother and wife.  I feel a need to better prepare my children to work hard and find joy in it.  We know things are going to be ugly and probably a bit scary before Christ comes again, and I need to be prepared for that, and then, as I said yesterday, I can live without the fear that can cripple us.  It's not difficult in this day to see how things can fall apart in preparation for the Savior's Second Coming, but we have the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and regardless of what goes on here in mortality, that is our anchor.  The Father has a plan for each of us, and I believe for this nation, and we simply cannot see the scope and scale of it.  I am going to (have to!) work harder at having faith that that plan is for our good!


Brad is in London for work.  Luckily they got a little bit of time to wander.

 

 

To say that Brad is excited about the United States release of the the new Bond film, Skyfall, would be a serious understatement.  He gets home on Friday afternoon, and he's not even coming home!  He's going straight to a guys night for dinner and to go see it.  He told me I could come meet them, but I think I'll leave him to his guys night.  :)

 

 

He found this street vendor that was selling stamps with family names and crests on them.  The man carves them all out himself, and they are not cheapo, they are made from metal.

 

 

Christmas is coming, even in prim and proper London.  I don't know why I thought they'd be more stickler-y about the calendar, but I guess they don't have Thanksgiving in the middle of Halloween and Christmas to pace themselves.

 

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.