four years ago

Today in Sunday school the lesson was on Job.  I didn't think much of it as I saw his name written on the chalkboard.  But as Brother Fassbinder dove into the lesson by asking us a time we had adversity that strengthened us in the end, it kind of hit it me all the sudden.

Four years ago I heard this same lesson.  Carly George from the Summerlake ward taught me about Job the day after I learned that I might have MS.  I sat there, somehow having made it to church after an exhausting and devastating Saturday, and it was like I was hearing Job's story for the first time.  It struck me deeply that if he could go through such horrific and terrible trials and still have faith in Heavenly Father's plan for him, then I could maybe, possibly accept His will for me during this new trial.  I could try to be a little bit like Job.

My little family four years ago

Back to today.  I didn't share how important this lesson had suddenly become to me.  I didn't raise my hand and tell of my experience four years ago and how that adversity in my life strengthened me, prepared me, taught me and helped me be who I am today.  I didn't reveal the significant parallel that this was for me.  I was too emotional about it and I didn't want to bawl in front of everyone.  But I felt so much gratitude for where I am today.  There are other trials that have come and gone since then, and I know there will be more, but I am happy to be on the other side of some.  And I know going forward that I have a loving Heavenly Father and Savior who are there for me.

I was just really humbled and grateful to be hearing another lesson on Job.  And the words that Brother Fassbinder said were just what my heart needed to hear today.  The video he showed was just what I needed to see, to remind me of where to turn in times of trial.

It's funny, I feel like sometimes in life, spiritual experiences flow really freely.  It's not hard to feel the spirit and receive personal revelation.  Then there are times when those spiritual experiences are really hard to find.  Hard to feel, I guess is more accurate.  I have been in that hard place for a couple months now.  I have wondered why I am not feeling the communication I usually feel from my Heavenly Father.  Wondering why I felt like He wasn't hearing my prayers, and especially not answering them.

Today, several times throughout church, and pretty much the whole of Sunday School, I felt those feelings again.  Today's lesson helped me remember feelings I had forgotten.  It helped me know things for today- that He is here, that He cares, that He listens.

And today I knew that my prayers were being answered.  

Today in Sunday school something in the lesson stirred a memory in me.  One I haven't thought about in a long time.

I was 18.  Jana and I were in Canada, visiting, and no doubt getting spoiled by our dear Nonnie and Poppop.

The memory- the day my 75+ year old grandfather navigated us to an LDS chapel in downtown Toronto- not before insisting on a stop at a mouth-watering donut shop on the way.  It was fast Sunday, ironically, but this was not lost on me.   I, a young adult in every sense of the word, was well aware of what this meeting could mean to my grandparents.  I could show them my testimony.  I could show them that our church was right there in between the donut shop and the flea market in their city.

Without much hesitation I stood up and walked to the pulpit.  I began to bare my testimony to a room full of strangers.  The only thing I remember saying was how remarkable and comforting it was that the church is the same no matter where you go.  I was far away from home- in a different country- and there in that modest chapel in Toronto I found a little piece of home.  I hope that I testified of Christ, as my Savior, and of a loving Father in heaven, but I really don't know.

I do remember marveling at my courage- this was not really something I would have expected from myself.  I also remember my primary motivation for going up there that day.  My Nonnie and my Poppop.

Oh they were simply the best.  I could not have asked for more attentive, loving, selfless, kind people to grandparent me.  They cared.  They loved us so much.  They showed us this every chance they could.  And that day I remember wanting to show them, my Poppop especially, what I believed and possibly impress him with my fearless act of testimony.

You see, one of the primary reasons I had been told all my life on why he wasn't a Mormon like me, was because he was incredibly shy, especially when it came to public speaking.  My parents would speculate that was one of the biggest reasons he had never gotten close to investigating their religion.  Praying in public.  Giving a talk to a congregation.  Teaching a class on gospel topics.  It was perhaps inconceivable to think Poppop would ever join a church that required that of it's members...especially when he was content with Father Harold, his pastor, doing all those things every Sunday- while he silently benefited with the mass.

Today as we were talking about missionary work, my mind was brought to back to that moment behind a microphone in Canada.  What did Poppop think of me?  Did my testimony stir anything in his soul?  Did the Spirit touch him in any way that day?  Did I make a difference?  Was I prompted to do that for a reason?

Poppop never did join the church on this earth.  But today I wondered if maybe, just maybe, Poppop remembered my small, probably infantile testimony.  And maybe, just maybe, as he heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a perfect way on the other side, I made a small difference.  I hope with all my heart that he has accepted the Gospel.

I wonder, if he hasn't, what Nonnie has to say about that...

thoughts on a sunday (from a couple weeks ago)

• Layla has been into reading the scriptures lately.  This means that she carries around her Book of Mormon and asks me if I want her to "read" it to me.  When I say yes, then she opens it up and begins a story.  I will have to ask her to "read" to me tomorrow so I can remember what she says, but it's pretty cute.  

• Today she brought her scriptures to church.  She carried them around all three hours, and home again.  They got pretty heavy going up our hill.  

• The people sitting in front of us commented on how well behaved our kids were in Sacrament meeting.  I thought for a minute, then concluded that they were actually pretty good.  It's not usually that pleasant, but we were in a short bench, which I think is the spot that produces the most reverence for my children.  If only we could be early enough for that spot each week...

• We  had the craziest Saturday- I think out of all my Saturdays.  The poor Grovecrest 5K was again scheduled on a day with terrible weather.  Those PTA ladies deserve a hug because they put so much work into this event and the weather is bad nearly every year.  This year Ellery ran the Fun Run, and McKay ran the 5K.  Layla and I were spectators, along with a very dedicated, supportive pair of grandparents.  It was pouring rain for the whole race- we were out in the thick of it for over two hours!  We got our rain gear on, set up our chairs under our giant umbrella and made a little fortress on the grass of the Jr. High.  Besides the PTA, the runners, and one other lady with a stroller, we were the ONLY people there.  We were the whole crowd.  It was great and terrible at the same time.

• Ellery ran a great mile- even coming in before lots of upper grade boys!  She only walked for a little bit.  McKay did a speedy 5K with Brian, and they both got 2nd place in their age groups...which means they both got medals.  This was exciting stuff, I tell ya.  We waited around for the raffle prizes to start, and lucky enough, McKay Matthews was the first name to be drawn!  He won a space mission to the Space Center (don't know what it's called exactly) for 8 people!  It was one of their biggest prizes and we are way excited for him to go with some buddies.  Then he and Brian were awarded their medals and we all zipped home to get ready for the girls dance recital.

• Yep, we had about twenty minutes to put on leotards and get two buns perfectly placed before we headed over to the church.  Layla and Ellery have been taking dance from Miss Rachel, a former beehive of mine.  She is a great girl- and so sweet with the girls, and her dance classes have gotten even more popular this year.  There were a lot of dancers, which meant a lot of people there to watch.  

• The girls did great- they loved being on stage.  My favorite moment was in the middle of ABC, 123 Layla whisper-yelled, "Mom!  Hey mom!" and flashed me the I-Love-You sign.  Heart melted.  And seeing her cute little pot-belly and tiny bun up there dancing away- I couldn't even handle the cuteness.  

• And then there's Ellery.  She loves dance so much.  Brian and I have seen a natural talent in her in dance, and we are wondering what to do next for her.  She wants to keep dancing, so we need to make some decisions about what that means, and where that would take place.  She was fun to watch and did such a great job.

• After dance, we had another half hour to get dressed up to get back out in the rain for Mack's soccer game.  We somehow made it in time to his game in Alpine (with the grandparents still in tow- those two deserve their own medal!) and set up our little huddle under the umbrella once again.  This time it was even colder...and wetter...and more miserable.  McKay and his team did awesome in the less than ideal conditions, and I'm sure its a game he will always remember.  They were freezing and soaking wet.  His team didn't win, but McKay did score two goals!  It was awesome.

• I never really understood the feeling of loving watching kids play sports.  Baseball does not thrill me at all, and football wasn't much better.  But soccer?  I'm loving it.  And I'm totally into McKay and his little team and watching them play.  I am excited to see how he improves with each game, and it's thrilling when he does well and plays hard.  And guess what?  He's eight.  So then I kind of step back and tell myself to relax because he's eight and this is a tiny eight year old team.  But I would much rather watch that little team play, than RSL (who McKay and Brian are WAY into).  So I guess I am not such a terrible sports mother, after all.  I can do this.  

• Today the girls and I all wore pink with white sweaters.  This is another thing that thrills me.  And it wasn't even planned.  

• I got Ellery that dress at Kid 2 Kid.  She loves it!  I saw it there and knew I needed to get it for her, even though it was more than I'd usually spend on a second-hand dress.  It was long and fancy, and those two things are hard to find for six year old girls.  I told her she could use it for dress up, or wear it to church and so far, she is doing both.  She was wearing her bride dress almost everyday after school, so this is a nice addition to her small stash of fancy gowns.

• Tonight my parents came over for dinner.  It was nice having them here and visiting, except for my kids went totally insane.  It was a barrage of "Grammy look what I can do!" and "Let me show you this!" or "Guess what I did yesterday?" and "Do you want to see my dance performance?"  I could go on and on, but I was exhausted just witnessing these every-minute exchanges.  It was like they had never had visitors before!  We need to work on this...

• This week was spirit week at Grovecrest, in preparation for the 5K.  We had fun coming up with costumes for each day.  I was proud of my kids, especially McKay, for being confidant enough to dress up and participate.  It can be scary when you don't know if anyone else will, or if they will laugh at what you show up in.  I'm proud of McKay because for three days straight he was the only boy in his class to participate.  None of the other boys dressed up.  On Friday, which was nerd day, there were some other nerdy boys, but that's it.  On Disney day, McKay wore a size 3T shark suit and pinned a note on himself that said "Fish are friends, not food," making him Bruce from Finding Nemo.  I was sure he was going to chicken out on this one because the suit was super small on him and hugged him right where it counts...but he prevailed and Bruce went to school!  As we were walking there, he got a lot of attention from his costume- many comments and people thought it was funny and clever.  I thought this attention might bug him, because although he loves to make people laugh, I'm not so sure that he's comfortable with a lot of attention.  But he kept on walking and off he went.  He said he took it off after a little while in the classroom, which I expected because it looked so uncomfortable. 

• Ellery had a bad experience when she dressed up like Minnie Mouse for Disney day, and some girls in her class laughed and said Minnie Mouse was for babies.  I find that funny coming from Mulan and Tinkerbell, but whatever.  She handled it well, and it ended up being a good learning, growing experience for her too- so I'm proud of Elle.  

• This reminds me that I am reading a parenting book about listening to kids feelings and it might be changing my life.  I love finding truth in books and applying those truths to my life.  I feel grateful to have been led to find certain books that my family needs me and Brian to read lately.  

• I wish I could read more books on parenting.  Jana and I had a great conversation this week about this.  I was telling her about some books I was planning on reading and how I felt like finding them has been an answer to my prayers.  In one of the books the introduction is about how the author noticed that the majority of parents don't have a plan in the raising of their children.  They realized that this was something big enough- this raising of their children- that they wanted and needed a plan.  So they wrote one.  And soon friends and family started asking for copies of their home-made plan.  And then eventually they wrote a book about it.  

• This really hit me, because although the Gospel gives us a lot of purpose and direction in parenting and raising a family, I feel like there is so much more to it.  The social, emotional, educational, responsibility-promoting side of parenting that I really don't know much about.  And I know that Brian and I will benefit from making and implementing more specific plans for our family.  Jana talked about how Heavenly Father did not just "wing it" when he created the world...He made plans.  It really made me think.  So that it is the story of why I'm reading parenting books right now.  I'm making us some plans...

• We had fun dying Easter eggs last week.  Layla was particularly excited about this.  It was fun for all of us.

• Earlier that day, I was working in the garden in the backyard and the girls were playing out front.  At one point I started hearing some crying and it sounded like it was coming from across the backyard- far away.  After a few minutes, I decided that the crying was more like screaming and it sounded pretty intense, so I thought I'd better go check my girls.  I got to the driveway and realized it was Ellery screaming.  I ran to find her at the front door, with her finger shut and stuck in the closed door, with Layla hovering around her trying to offer comfort.  Ellery was yelling, "GO GET MOM!  SHE'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO!"  Layla didn't want to leave her, and Elle was desperatley trying to get her to go find me.  Poor little thing.  I got to her and tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.  A little bit of panic hit me, because I knew I just had to push the door open hard.  I did it and out came the most bruised, swollen, disfigured finger you've ever seen.  I have no doubt it hurt like crazy, and was super scary for Ellery.  She was not herself for the rest of the day.  She was pale and super sad and laid on the couch with her hand on a pillow, watching tv.  I tried to get her to ice it, but she didn't want anything touching it.  We worried it might be broken, just because of how she was acting (similar to when Layla broke her wrist) but the nurse said that there's not much they can do but put a splint on it.  So a couple days later we got a splint and she was really happy to wave that thing around for all to see.  She is fine now, but it was quite an ordeal.  I felt so bad that I left her there for that long, not knowing it was my child in distress.

• Since that incident, Layla has asked me to put her owies (wherever they may be) on a pillow and lay on the couch with an ice pack.  It's the only thing that will help sometimes.
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• We had a great Easter last Sunday.  We had a fun BBQ and Easter egg hunt up the canyon with the Matthews', and then had dinner at Grandma and Granddad's the next day.  We did our own Easter egg hunt that morning, which was fun, and ended the day with our Resurrection egg lesson.  It was a nice weekend.

•  I really love getting my girls Easter dresses, and my boy and Easter tie.  This year I bought Ellery's dress about a month early, and was having a hard time finding anything for Layla.  Then at a last attempt at Target, I found that little gem.  They coordinated perfectly and the girls looked so cute in them.  McKay wanted a pink tie, and Brian went with him to pick one out.  He decided on pink and gray plaid.  

• McKay climbs this tree in Grandma and Granddad's backyard and he gets so high that I can't even watch.  I love it and hate it at the same time.

Happy Sunday from my happy family.

thoughts on a sunday

• Elle lost a tooth this week!  She had loosened it, she says, by biting down on an orange seed last week.  We were all pretty surprised that it was already loose, but I thought it would be awhile before it came out.  McKay's teeth would sometimes be loose for months before they fell out.  So a few days ago when we sent her in to brush her teeth and heard a blood currdling scream coming from the bathroom, I did not think it was from her tooth.  Even when I saw that blood dripping out of her mouth and the panic in her great big eyes I didn't know what had happened.  Then I saw it.  A little, tiny, white thing in the sink.  Her tooth.  She had biten the cap of the toothpaste open, like she always does, and out came her tooth and in came the blood!  We were all surprised, but no one more than Ellery.  She cried for several minutes just from the shock of it all, before calming down.  Knowing that the tooth fairy would be coming helped.  

• The tooth fairy did come.  It was funny, in the morning Ellery brought in her tic tacs and dollar and the little tissue that her tooth had been wrapped up in!  I was worried that the tooth fairy had forgotten to take her tooth, but Ellery reported that she took the tooth and left the tissue.  Then I vacuumed the floor, you know, just because.

• Ellery has been doing this thing where she loves to sneak around and hide.  I'll be getting ready in my room and she will zoom in and dive behind the bed, hoping that I didn't see her.  Usually I pretend not to, and she continues to zoom and dive to different locations around me.  Then I'll look at her and scream like she's surprised me and she thinks she's so sneaky.  Almost a daily thing, this little routine.

• If you know us at all, you know that our kids are notorious for not playing well on their own.  This week we had some major improvements in this area.  Farm was a big hit one afternoon, as well as a Where the Red Fern Grows inspired homemade horse-drawn carriage.  This makes me so happy.

• I got a new calling.  The bishop asked to come over to our house and since we had both just gotten callings in the last month, we had no idea why he was coming.  Well, turns out they didn't want me in primary after all.  I am now the beehive advisor.  I'm excited, but there are so many of them!  Like twenty I think.  There are three teachers, so I don't teach every week, which is nice.  

• The other day I was grocery shopping with Layla.  She's funny, she kind of gets in her own world as far as volume goes, and she gets lost in her own voice.  This particular shopping trip was such a time for her.  She got stuck on Do You Know the Muffin Man and was singing it. . .no. . .yelling it at the top of her lungs all throughout Walmart.  People were staring, laughing, smiling.  Heads were turning down every aisle.  She just gets lost in the music and lets loose!  It's cutely embarrassing.  

• During this trip she also started playing echo with another baby shopper.  She would make a noise, then he would copy, then she would make a different noise, then he would copy, and so on...

• Layla discovered that she could fit into this little doll crib.  I think maybe she spent an hour in there being a baby.  She even found a souci and was so proud of herself for turing into a baby.

• McKay got his first spelling words last week.  At and the.  I don't know why I think that is so fantastic, but I do.  He got 100% on his spelling test!

• I don't know if you knew that you were reading the blog of a famous family, but you surely are.  Today in Stake Conference, McKay and Ellery were mentioned for all of Utah county to hear.  Adele works out with Sister Reynolds, who spoke in conference today, and had told her this little story- when McKay and Elle put their hands on their hearts when we were passing the temple.  I can't believe that I chose that moment to take a restless Layla out to get a drink, but I missed it!  Brian said that after she told the story, McKay leaned over to him and said, "Is she talking about me???"  I wanted to get up after her talk and tell everyone in the stake center that she was talking about my kids- we were right there, sitting among them!- but I decided not to.  

• McKay stayed up until midnight last night to watch the BYU/Utah game with Brian at the Bott's.  We decided not to get cable in our new house, for many reasons, and I am totally happy with the choice.  Brian has been too. . .except for lately.  It's hard to not have cable when you're a football fan.  But it's only hard in the Fall.  He'll soon forget and be happy again.  

• It was mix match day at Ellery's preschool on Friday.  I have never seen a child more excited about something so small before.  It was so cute.  I am really happy that she is in preschool.  It is SO great for her.  My sister and I were talking the other day about how great preschool is.  A lot of people don't think it's necessary, and it's not I guess, but I absolutely love how much fun it is for my kids and I think there are a lot of important things gained from preschool- social skills, preparation, routine, independence, confidence.  Besides that, its pure fun.  There is no pressure to learn to read or write or add.  It's just friends and play and fun-learning!  I am a fan of preschool and so happy for my preschool-girl! I think it will be a great year for her.  

• We went to the school carnival on Friday.  Basically, the kids ate pizza, spent all their tickets on face-painting and colored hair spraying, and a few trips on the bouncy house thingys.  They loved it.  

• After that they got to have a sleep over at Grandma's- just because she wanted to.  They of course loved that.  Brian and I loved it to.  We got to go out to eat and to a movie- which is rare around here.  It was a nice break, and nice to miss them.  Sometimes I want so bad to have some time in my house alone to get things done and just have some time to myself, but when they were really gone, I found  myself missing them.  

• McKay started piano lessons this week.  He was so excited to be super busy like aunt Marilyn.  I stayed for his first lesson and it was cute to watch.  He got a million skittles, so he thought it was pretty great.  

• We hate our Guinea pigs.  Do you want them?  Actually, I don't hate them, it's just that I hate having Guinea pigs.  As predicted, our kids have lost interest, except when we threaten to get rid of them.  They are getting bigger, and Sparkles is so scared of us that she runs and hides when we just walk by the room.  Also, she is much bigger than Smokey, so I think that she is being a bully and hogging the food- and let me tell you, they eat a TON of food.  So I'm annoyed as Sparkles, and annoyed at Guinea pigs in general.  That's all.

Happy Sunday!

thoughts on a sunday

Three things.  First, this is quite possibly the only picture we will ever see of Brian doing his job, because lets be honest, who takes pictures during surgeries?  Second, I'll tell you who.  The CRNA Brian worked with this day had never used an iphone and was completely fascinated with Brian's, and consequently snapped this picture during one of their cases.  And third, this here mask is called a duck-bill mask, which I think is appropriately named.  Brian prefers them over the other varieties.  Now we all know.

• This week Brian started his rotation in Newport, OR- a little beach town on the coast.  He likes the hospital a lot, and really likes the three CRNA's that work there.  It's a much different atmosphere than OHSU or Kaiser Interstate, which is where he came from.  Small town, small hospital and really relaxed people.  I think it will be a great month for him.
  
• One thing that I was really worried about with Brian being gone was the night.  I am really used to having him gone in the day, and most days not even talking to him on the phone.  So having him gone during the day is no problem.  But nights.  I still have a baby that wakes up twice at night (yes, she's totally annoying and reverted back to being a newborn at night) and have two wanderers that may or may not get out of bed on any given night.  But that's not even that big of a deal because usually Brian just sleeps right through everything.  Bless him, but he's not much help during the midnight hours.  But what was really worrying me was just like emergency stuff happening at night.  Sickness.  Fires.  Injuries.  Seizures.  Asthma.  You know, stuff like that.  It's hard to imagine what to do if there were to be some kind of problem at three in the morning and there's no one there to talk about it with.    

• So on Wednesday morning when McKay woke up with the stomach flu I was a little annoyed.  But that usually only lasts twelve to twenty-four hours, so I prepared to deal with it.  What I wasn't prepared for was thinking my son was going to die from this illness.  Not really, but a little bit.  He threw up for a full twenty-four hours and could not even sit up the whole day.  At one point I loaded us all into the car to get crackers, soda and a red box at Seven Eleven (so I could just leave the kids in the car) and poor little boy threw up on the way home.  

• On day two I thought he'd improve but he was almost worse.  Not throwing up anymore, but a lifeless little pile of boy on the couch.  He slept from eight in the morning until four thirty that afternoon.  All day.  I was worried.  But by five o'clock he was wolfing down soda and saltines, claiming they were the BEST crackers in the world, and was shocked when after only a couple hours I told him it was time for bed.  Shortest day ever.  But he went to sleep.

• The following morning a little voice woke me up at six am, saying, "I have three things to tell you.  First, I want waffles for breakfast.  Second, I want mac and cheese for lunch.  And third, I want enchiladas for dinner."  He was quite excited to be eating again.  

• I kept having thoughts like why is this happening?  This was my biggest concern coming to pass on the first day!  My sister and Brian both said that maybe it was good that it happened so that I would know that I could handle it, right off.  I got annoyed at that thought at first, but now that it's all said and done, I think maybe they're right.  This week has got to be better than last week, right?  

• On a related note, the night McKay was sick I had a sudden urge to make whoopie pies.  I've never even made whoopie pies before.  And there I was just whipping away in the kitchen making them for no reason at all.  It surprised me.   They were just okay.  At least Ellery and I thought so.  

• This is pretty much all thoughts about the stomach flu.  Sorry.  Lets move on.

• Layla growls.  A lot.  Like a little animal.  

• This week we got a new little baby niece named Olive.  From what I've seen she is adorable.  I can't wait to hold her someday...

• On Monday we went on a little hike/walk on a beautiful trail in the hills of Portland.  Layla did great in the backpack for the first time.  It was so nice to get out and enjoy the gorgeous green trees and fresh air.  I have about a billion pictures, but later. . .

• I can finally fit into my regular jeans again.  I don't know how this could be since this last week I pretty much ate potato chips, toast, and chocolate chips all week.  We never even buy potato chips but for some reason we had them and I sure ate them.  I eat like a bird when Brian's not around because I hate preparing food for just myself.  I do have kids, I know, but without another adult around to cook for, I find myself giving them quesadillas, chicken nuggets or pancakes.  I need to be better.  

• I think every kid we know has a birthday in January.  It seems like someones' having a birthday party every week.  I've been using Ellery's best friend's birthday party all month.  "You can't do that today,but you can go to Kenna's party!"  It works every time.  I don't know what I'm going to do when it's over.  

• Having Brian gone all week was not fun, but we sure enjoyed the weekend together.  We had a late night on Friday.  We went to Red Robin for dinner, stopped at the grocery store to pick up treats and then watched Despicable Me at home.  The kids were actually quite grumpy the next morning, but it was worth it.  Saturday morning all five of us piled in to our bed and just stayed there for awhile, which was quite nice.  Then off to OMSI where we watch the IMAX movie Alaska which gave me a headache.  And Layla pooped right after it started and I had to change her on my lap, hoping no one would notice.  But I did learn that whales travel over 4000 miles from Hawaii every year just to hang out in Alaska for a few months and eat.  Anyway, we had a great weekend.   

• Layla poops almost every time Brian is holding her at church.  You know how babies just let it go and it's kinda loud but they don't even care.  Yeah, she does that.  And he gets a bit embarrassed.  I think she might do it on purpose.  

• I love Oregon this week.  We are being blessed with fantastic weather.  Everybody's January should look like this.

• Today we went on a walk.  We fed the ducks by our house, and after awhile the ducks were joined by a nutria, which is kind of like a beaver without the tail.  He wanted some bread too.   He would try to bite the ducks if they got too close, and had horrible vision when it came to finding the bread that we threw his way.  It was quite exciting. 

Happy.  Sunday.