Family Home Evening - Happy New Year!

Christensen Family, Thanksgiving, 2009
What a wonderful celebration the past few weeks have been. To have all our posterity together for Thanksgiving, then to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are so grateful for all that you do for us and for each other. We have witnessed many acts of generous giving and sharing, of love for one another. How blessed we are to live at this time in the history of this earth, and to enjoy the technology that allows us to travel for such events, then to return home in a day.

I have thought about this first posting for the new year for the past few weeks, and not until last night did I realize what I really wanted to say. As you know from reading Grandma and Grandpa's letter, a woman I grew up with, Susan Buhler, is terminally ill and in hospice care now. I haven't seen Susan for over 40 years, and we haven't kept in touch, except through our mothers. Susan's mother, Phyllis, who was my mother's best friend from her youngest days, passed away several years ago, but her youngest daughter has remained in touch with my mother ever since. She was the one who called and told Grandma that Susan would soon leave her mortal experience. She seems so young (I know, I'm older than dirt, which means Susan is also, but age is relative.) to be leaving a family of children and grandchildren. Then I remembered a good friend, Lynn Tanner, who served in the branch presidency when we were on our mission. He and his wife went out to dinner with other friends from the branch, and fifteen minutes after returning home from that wonderful visit, he was dead-totally unexpectedly. I realize that none of us know when that time will come for us, or if we will have warning and time to say the things we want to say. I have decided that I wanted to post the few words I would want to share with each of you if my time was ending. (I'm not ill, I'm not expecting to leave this earth for many years. I'm in good health and enjoying life. However...) So, on a happy note, for these are the things I rejoice in:

I love each of you, and realize that I knew and loved you before we came to this earth. For my children, I am grateful to be your mother. You are awesome people. For those who have joined our family through marriage or friendship, I love you also. You are great people. For my grandsons, you are very special young people, come to earth for the greatest of all times, the return of Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrated a few days ago. I am so grateful for the restoration of the Gospel, and know beyond a doubt that families are meant to be eternal. There is a prophet on the earth today, the heavens are open, and one day, peace will be established under the reign of a Righteous King. May each of you know always of His love for you.

We have a wonderful year ahead of us. Yes, there will be challenges and there will be joys. May we unite in facing whatever the year brings, with love and determination.

Love, Mom