A Happy Moment

Tonight we had dinner with the missionaries . . . all four of them! I decided not to cook a huge meal since I spent all day yesterday cooking dinner and baking homemade cinnamon rolls for choir practice. Anyway, we took the missionaries to Double Daves Pizza (Audrey's favorite). We had a nice time at dinner and I was happy that I didn't have to do the dishes and that everyone was able to eat as much as they wanted. On the way home James had the windows rolled down so we had a cool breeze in the car. James and the girls were all trying to see who had the scariest witch cackle. We were all laughing and I just had to pause and think, "what a happy moment." We got out of the car and the sky was so beautiful with a full moon to top it off! I am feeling so grateful for the simple things in life at the moment. There have been a lot of things changing around me lately and it has really made me appreciate the one thing that will never change and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We had some terrible news this last weekend. At about 3:00 a.m. on Thursday night I heard James' cell phone ringing - never a good sign. I rushed to answer and was greeted by the Sheriff of Beeville Texas where my Mother-in-law lives. He asked me if I owned a home on Wafford Lane and I told him that it was my Mother-in-Law's house and than asked if there was a problem. He then told me that the house was on fire. Adrian, my Mother-in-Law, has been doing major additions and renovations to a home in Beeville. It was absolutely beautiful and they were almost finished. It took me a moment to remember that she had been sleeping there. I panicked but was quickly assured that there were no cars at the house. I then assumed that she was down the street at her sisters house. We had to call her and break the news to her that her beautiful home was burning to the ground. There was no stopping the fire and it was a total loss. We think that it was an electrical malfunction due to some work that had been done earlier that day. Ever since this has happened it has made me think about how little all of the "things" in life matter. We work so hard to acquire things but in the end they can all be gone in a matter of a minute. So it is a happy moment that really matters most. That is what we will take with us. That and the memories we make with the people we love. I love you all! Niki