I thought he'd be around forever, or at least another decade. When I stood in front of his headstone, lacking only a death date, reality hit me. This precious man, our prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, would be with us only a short while longer, after having served the church and the world for many decades . That was this past July, when I unexpectedly found myself standing by his gravesite. We were in Salt Lake City locating the graves of of Carl's pioneer great grandfathers, the Fishers, who are buried in the same cemetery.
The picture I didn't take with my camera, but which is firmly imprinted in my mind, is that of his departed wife's grave. By her headstone, stood a vase filled with water and fresh flowers. I was told by someone who lives in back of the cemetery, that President Hinckley places flowers in that vase every week. It was nothing fancy, just an ordinary glass vase containing fresh flowers. It was, however, an eloquent expression of love, which touched me to the core. Pondering the beauty and reality of eternal love, I forgot to take a photo of that grave.
After a lifetime of service to our Savior Jesus Christ, our prophet passed away on Sunday night, January 27. We'll miss the twinkle in his eye, his marvelous sense of humor, and his inspired words, lovingly encouraging us to be better than what we are. My sorrow turns to joy as I think of the flowers he must be giving his Marjorie every day now in heaven.
The happy conclusion of this year's Easter egg hunt!
Aiden (3yrs.) gets down to some serious business.
Avery (2 yrs.) is an expert.
Little Ava (16 mo.) finds her first egg.
Every Easter weekend, the mommies and daddies put together a fun Easter egg hunt for their little ones, our grandkids, on Saturday.
We enjoyed looking at and eating Lauren's Easter Bunny cake.
Who needs boots for walkin' when you can drive around in your own John Deere!
It's my excuse to get to play in the dirt. When I was a kid, playing in the dirt was one of my favorite activities. I was rewarded with a Narragansett Indian arrowhead and bragging rights to the deepest hole dug by any kid in Rhode Island. My brother and I were seriously attempting to dig all the way to the other side of the earth and surprise the kids in China. The hole got so big, that as I was crouched inside it , digging away, my brother couldn't quite see me (or so he says) and his hoe came down hard on my head, resulting in a trip to the emergency room and several stitches.
My "baby" Carl (also known as Uncle TaTa) turned 16 the same day, March 2, that his sister's baby, Avery, turned 2. What a good sport he is, sharing a birthday with a 2 year old! 
