It has been a good week with some highs and lows.

First off the highs -- We celebrated Aimee's 5th birthday. She had a great time. She and two of her friends went to the park and had a great picnic and lots of fun playing on all the new awesome play equipment they recently installed at the park.

The weather has been great and I was able to get a lot of the yard work done that desperately needed attention.

I get to buy me a new microwave Ü

The lows -- Elena & Allan decided to take a few days of sick leave from school - good news they are better now and made it back to school in time to get lots of make up work to do for the weekend. Then my poor Darin decided he needed a turn of extra sleep and found himself sick during the week end. He's home today again with me breaking his perfect attendance. :o(

My microwave decided to quit working thus the need for a new one.

A young sister I visit teach passed away last weekend and her funeral was held Wed. It is sad to see a young girl waste her life away due to the terrible addiction of alcohol. She was in denial about her addiction and the doctors had warned her that she'd loose her life if she didn't stop. The good news is that she was really trying to get active with church and trying hard to do the right things. The monster of alcohol was just too big for her and now she is in a better place and will soon be free of that addiction and her progression will continue in the gospel.

This week begins a new month Ü and new opportunities to serve and share the gospel. I'm grateful for the many blessing I have and I find great joy in serving others.

Lots of love to my family and friends,
Jodi, Mom and Grandma (soon to be Ü)

With humbleness I come back and update my blog.

I'm so sorry for a 5 month delay, but look on the bright side, I'm trying to blog once again Ü

For my kids far away, I want them to know how much we love them and how proud we are of their accomplishments.

Jared and Julianna are expecting our first grandchild - a little boy, to which we are thrilled about and Julianna graduated in Dec. - WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!

We so much enjoyed having Kelli, Rob and Brian home for the holidays. They along with Jared are all busy back in school at BYU and busy with their studies and jobs.

Elena, Kacie, Allan and Darin finished up their 1st semester with school and are glad to begin this 2nd semester with the excitement that school is half way through.

Aimee graduated from speech!!!! We celebrated with a donut and a balloon from H.E.B.

Jeff stays busy with his work at Broadway Bank and his service to the Hill Country Stake. Today was the first ward conference in Kerrville. I was able to go with him and had a great time. I so much enjoy getting to know the members throughout the stake. It is an extra treat to go to Kerrville because they put on a wonderful pot luck dinner after the meetings. Ü

Jeff also had an unique opportunity to dedicate the new stake center. It has been three years since the San Antonio Hill Country Stake was created and to have a stake center now is such a great blessing.

I am busy, busy, busy getting ready for girls camp this year. I have been working on camp songs and having a blast with it! My YCL leaders are all called and they too are busy at work getting ready for this year. I am soooooo blessed to have a wonderful camp assistant to help me and keep me on task. There is a sweetness in service when you share a love and admiration for wonderful sisters in the gospel.

Along with girls camp, I have been asked to teach a workshop for our Relief Society Conference in Feb. Talk about being out of my comfort zone!!! I'll just have to pretend we are gathered around a campfire and then I'll be comfortable.

I love the gospel! I love my children and I love my dear wonderful husband!!