Feeling Melancholy

Glen and I had just gotten home from our Memorial Day trip when we received a phone call telling us his oldest brother Nyron had passed away. He was 78 years old.

Shortly after that news, we read the email Rebecca sent us of the obituary of our good friend Joyce Rankin. She was 62 and died after a second round of breast cancer.

We knew the Rankin family in Georgia. Greg was the bishop for a while. Joyce and I would drive our sons, Adam and Abe, back and forth across town so they could play with each other. Rebecca was close in age to their daughter Ashlee.

Kind of makes me want to hug everyone around me and tell all my family, friends and neighbors that I love them and appreciate them in my life.

Most of all it makes me so thankful for the plan of salvation and my sure knowledge of life after death. Jesus Christ is our Savior and made all of this possible.

Quotes of the Week

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway."
-- Mother Teresa

"The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget yourself, and think of others."
-- Norman Vincent Peale

"Never forget where you've been. Never lose sight of where you're going. And never take for granted the people who travel the journey with you."
-- Susan Gale

Quotes of the Week

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
-- Winston Churchill

"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."
-- Guillaume Apollinaire

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you too can become great."
-- Mark Twain

Quotes of the Week

"If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will
never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you."
-- Lao Tzu

"If an egg is broken by outside force, Life ends. If broken by inside force, Life begins. Great things always begin from inside."
-- Jim Kwik

"Don't count every day of the week; make every day of the week count."
-- Mark Amend

Carson Turned One

It has just occurred to me that I have not posted the pictures of Carson's birthday party yet. Probably because Sarah did such a great job posting about it and probably because we have basically the same pictures. But here goes anyway...

Such a cute crayon theme going on at the Excell home.

Sarah is the enthusiastic party planner. Jeff said she was going to keep it simple, but as usual, she went way overboard and we all loved it!!

Everyone wearing party hats.

Delicious food.

Opening presents.

Birthday cake.

Balloon entertainment in the basement. Glen would rub balloons on Brooke's hair and stick them on the ceiling where Eli would then try to knock them down with a ball. (Not so great pictures, but very fun activity for the kids.)

Super fun party once again Sarah. Happy birthday Carson!!! What fun to be one!!!

Quotes of the Week

"Immature people always want to win an argument, even at the cost of a relationship. Mature people understand that it's always better to lose an argument and win a relationship."
-- Author unknown

"If you have a goal, write it down. If you do not write it down, you do not have a goal -- you have a wish."
-- Steve Maraboli

"Time decides who you meet in life, your heart decides who you want in your life, and your behavior decides who stays in your life."
-- Author Unknown