Things I haven't told you.

1. We have three kids now
2. We moved to Oregon this year
3. We bought a house
4. We bought a minivan
5. We saw Hamilton—An American Musical in San Francisco

We have been in Portland for about 6 months now and it's starting to feel like home. I don't really have any friends yet, but I have joined a book club and living near my in-laws is wonderful.

We just got back from a trip to Arizona to visit family. We didn't get to see very much, but we saw my Grandpa Bradshaw and stayed with my aunt Mary and uncle Russell and that was great. I've lived outside of Arizona longer than I lived there, but it still has a special place in my heart. It was very refreshing to return to the gorgeous Pacific Northwest though after the 97 degree heat (in October!). 

I'm going to be writing more on here more as a journal than anything else. However, if anyone does still read this blog, please raise your hand because I would like to know :)

I've visited 25 states!

In July we took our kids to visit my parents in Indiana and now I have officially been to half of the states in the US!

The other half is going to be a lot harder to arrange, but here are the ones I could reasonably come up with an excuse to visit in the next 5 years:

• Nebraska (I have a cousin in Omaha and it's reasonably close to my parents & brother in the midwest)
• Louisiana (Bruce served his mission there and has never been back)
• Ohio (After reading The Wright Brothers by David McCullough, I really want to go to Dayton! It's not too far from my parents in Indiana)
• Rhode Island (Bruce has a sister in Connecticut, so we could easily check out neighboring states)
• Alaska (Now that we live in Oregon, I feel like this isn't that far. ha!)

Current Events & The Tongue of Angels

I know that ours is not the first time in history when there has been political bickering, polarization, and division, nevertheless none can deny that it has been a very tumultuous time. The advent of social media seems to have exacerbated any and all misunderstandings or disagreements. Most of my friends and family are discreetly silent, but there is a vocal minority that is inflammatory, judgmental, and ruthless. Even these I know are good, decent people. 

“For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, … hath been tamed of mankind:
“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” - James 3, as quoted by Elder Holland, The Tongue of Angels

On the other hand, there are those who are trying to build bridges of understanding. I don't agree with all of my friends and family, but I love and respect them and want to understand their views and I would like to be like my friends who are trying to build more unity of love, if not politics.

To quote one of my favorite passages of Isaiah, I would like to "build the old waste places [to be a] repairer of the breach, [a] restorer of paths to dwell in." (chapter 58)

Again, from Elder Holland:

Paul put it candidly, but very hopefully. He said to all of us: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but [only] that which is good … [and] edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God. …
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you. …
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4)

Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail.