In Memory of President Gordon B. Hinckley

My Redeemer Lives
by President Gordon B. Hinckley
June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008

I know that my Redeemer lives,
Triumphant Savior, Son of God.
Victorious over pain and death,
My King, my Leader, and my Lord.

He lives, my one sure rock of faith,
The one bright hope of men on earth,
The beacon to a better way,
The light beyond the veil of death.

Oh, give me thy sweet Spirit still,
The peace that comes alone from thee,
The faith to walk the lonely road
That leads to thine eternity.

Hymn #135

Some of my Favorite Quotes by President Hinckley:

"True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well being of ones companion."

"Let us all try to stand a little taller, rise a little higher, be a little better. Make the extra effort. You will be happier."

"There is no obstacle too great, no challenge too difficult, if we have faith."

"I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms in life and enjoy more fully the sunlight."

“Under the plan of heaven, the husband and the wife walk side by side as companions, neither one ahead of the other, but a daughter of God and a son of God walking side by side. Let your families be families of love and peace and happiness.”

"Let your children be exposed to great minds, great ideas, everlasting truth, and those things which will build and motivate for good."

"There is no substitute for virtue. Keep your thoughts virtuous. Rise above the filth that's all around you in this world and stand tall in strength and virtue. You can do this and you will be happier for it for as long as you live. God bless you in cherishing, developing and holding on to this great gift, the quality of personal virtue."

"Begin early in exposing children to books. The mother who fails to read to her small children does a disservice to them and a disservice to herself. It takes time, yes, much of it. It takes self-discipline. It takes organizing and budgeting the minutes and hours of the day. But it will never be a bore as you watch young minds come to know characters, expressions, and ideas. Good reading can become a love affair, far more fruitful in long term effects than many other activities in which children use their time."

"Get all the education you can. Cultivate skills of mind and hands. Education is the key to opportunity."

"Walk by faith. God will open the way."

"Every man ought to regard his wife as a daughter of God, a daughter who is equal, with whom he walks side by side. Marvelous is that concept that does not place a woman in an inferior position. One great man said a father can do nothing better for his children than to let them see that he loves their mother."

Sister Whitcomb's Homecoming!

My youngest sister, Rachel, just completed her 19-month-long mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served her mission in the Utah Ogden Mission from June 2006 to January 2008, serving in Farmingon, Logan, Morgan, and North Ogden. She had an absolutely wonderful time in Northern Utah! I had the opportunity to visit her on January 9th at the mission office. I loved being there in her environment, observing her as an energetic, happy, spiritual, and enthusiastic missionary. I'm sure she's blessed the lives of many people.

Brad and I flew to California on the 10th to be there when Sister Whitcomb arrived home. We had a small group of family and friends greet Rachel at the airport, then we all gathered at my parents' house for lunch and to listen to Rachel tell us missionary stories while we ate Subway sandwiches. It was wonderful being with her again and listening to her speak of her mission. Rachel has such an amazing, bubbling personality. Once she begins to talk it's almost impossible to get her quiet again. I loved visiting with her and the rest of my family last week, and I miss them now that I'm back in Utah. I look forward to seeing them all again soon.

Beatrix Potter

Since the time I was a little girl I always loved stories by Beatrix Potter. My grandmother introduced them to me at a young age, probably due to my interest in small animals and wildlife, not to mention my artistic knack for drawing little furry creatures. I remember my grandmother showing me the carefully drawn pictures of Tabitha Twitchet, Benjamin Bunny, and of course foolish little Peter Rabbit. Even today I cannot read a Beatrix Potter book without remembering my childhood days.

"But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden, and squeezed under the gate! First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes."

Beatrix Potter was an excellent artist and children's author; loved and adorned by many. She was a remarkable woman, with a truly original imagination and literary talent. I really enjoyed watching the recent movie of her life titled "Miss Potter," starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. The movie did an excellent job portraying Beatrix Potter's love for animals and her brilliant, creative imagination. A very beautiful film which will leave you feeling awed and inspired. I highly recommend it.

~Becky N.

Family Christmas Newsletter

Merry Christmas 2007!

We hope to find you well and happy this holiday season. Our family has prospered much this year, and we are thankful for all the blessings we have received. We have been blessed tremendously, and we thank you all of you for your love and support.

Brad continues to work as the purchasing manager for Del Sol; a company that sells products that change colors in the sun. He loves his job and the people he works with. This past autumn he entered a weight-loss contest for Del Sol employees, and WON! He lost weight by going to the gym every morning (except on Sundays) and eating a very strict, healthy diet.

Becky finally got her driver’s license in June. She also attended her college graduation in May, graduating with an AA Degree in Early Childhood Education from Long Beach City College. Becky loves being a part of the N. family and being a fulltime step-mom. She helps the children do their homework every day, and reads and sings to them every night.

Scott continues to do well in school. He’s one of the top readers in his class and reads at a fifth grade level. He’s currently in fourth grade at Westbrook Elementary School. Scott has developed a new passion for Legos. He constantly builds new things and makes movies with them. Scott also enjoys playing with our new baby rats: Cinnamon, Cocoa, and Checkers. Sadly, we lost our other two rats, Annie and Brenna, earlier this year.

Emma started first grade in September. She made huge improvements with her reading and writing skills since the beginning of the school year and does about an hour’s worth of homework every night with Becky. Emma loves going to school and making new friends. Emma constantly befriends new people everywhere she goes. She enjoyed going to Disneyland with her family for the very first time in February. She and Scott had never been there before, so it was a real treat for them.

Our love to all of you! Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,
Our Family

Rosie in the Snow

Rosie in the Snow

by Rebecca N.
sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells"

Crashing through the snow,
On a cold and frosty day!
Kicking up her feet,
Slobbering all the way!

She zooms around the street,
In the pale December light.
She puts a smile on those she greets,
Because she's such a sight!

Oh, in the snow!
In the snow!
Watch our Rosie go!
She runs around and sniffs the ground
through the white and fluffy snow, oh!

In the snow!
In the snow!
Watch our Rosie go!
She runs around and sniffs the ground
through the white and fluffy snow!

Family Photos November 2007

At the Jordan River Temple in Utah

Scott and Emma

Halloween 2007

We had a wonderful Halloween! Brad and I dressed up for two Halloween Parties-- one at his work and one with our family. Brad was Ned Flanders, from the Simpsons TV show. He was a perfect Flanders, by the way! It was almost scary the way he would impersonate him, especially when he would start quoting various lines from the movie. I don't know how many times I heard the lines "Hidilly-ho!" and "Okilly-dokilly." My favorite quote was: "I just follow the three C's : clean living, chewing thoroughly, and a daily dose of vitamin church." I would start bursting out laughing every time I heard him say that! He was so good!

As for me, I dressed up as a nun. It was quite fun being a nun, actually. I think what I enjoyed most was Ned Flanders following me around throughout the day saying, "Now Sister Rebecca, I think it is my job to explain the evils of celibacy to you..." Needless to say I think he convinced me that being a nun was not the right path for me. : )

Scott and Emma had a wonderful Halloween as well. Scott dressed up as a storm trooper from Star Wars, and Emma was a vampiress. They went to five different Halloween parties throughout October, and made fine use of their costumes. They had a wonderful time going trick-or-treating with their cousins. Overall, our family had a wonderful Halloween.

~Becky N.

You Are Special

As a small child, I was fascinated by the show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Every morning, my sisters and I would sprawl out on the living-room floor in our fuzzy pink pajamas and listen to the warm, harmonious voice of Fred Rogers on our 12-inch television set. I remember the way Mr. Rogers would look into the camera as he spoke to us of our individual uniqueness and how special we were because we were different. I believed him and always felt as if he were talking to me when he sang the following words: “There’s only one of you like you, like you my friend, I like you.” Those words still play in my head today as an adult, and it is interesting to see how they affect my self-image and self-worth. As a 27-year-old housewife and mother, I can honestly say that I like who I am and what I have done with my life. I hope I can demonstrate Mr. Roger’s message to my children as they grew up, so they too can feel good about themselves and understand their great potential and worth.

"You are my friend

You are special

You are my friend

You're special to me.

You are the only one like you.

Like you, my friend, I like you."

-- Fred Rogers

Debt Free!

GREAT NEWS! We are now debt free! WHOO HOO! We discovered that our last debt was completely paid off yesterday. For those of you who know Brad's story this is a huge accomplishment for him. He was left with over $45,000 worth of debts from before and during his divorce. He lost so much of his money and his possessions, and was left next to nothing. Now he has things back in control again, and he's much happier with his new life.

Brad is the most financially responsible person I have ever met. The best thing about this experience was that he was able to get rid of the debts himself. It took five years and a lot of self-discipline and sacrifice but he accomplished his goal to become debt free. Now we are looking forward to establishing good credit so that we can buy our first home together.

We are very thankful to Heavenly Father for helping us get through our trials. We know we couldn't have made it this far without His help. Now we can focus more on our future without having the dark cloud of debt overshadow us. I'm very happy about that!

Becky

Love Me Tender

"Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go. You have made my life complete, and I love you so."