Crash 'Silver Lining'

Well, last week we had a fender-bender with our car and it is in the shop getting repaired.  It will delay us getting home a few days.  Traffic here is the worst in the world so being that we almost made 1 year without a wreck is beating the odds.  We have a rental car, a big mini van which is very nice with every kind of gadget you can't even think of. 

Last night we went to visit a former investigator.  She is married and has 5 kids.  She is always complaining/bragging about having 5 kids.  She says everyone criticizes and makes fun of her for having 5 kids.  The Elders asked me to tell her how going to Church has been a blessing to me.  I told her how in the Church we consider children a gift from the presents of God.  The Elders asked her to come to church and she started making excuses. The Elders told them it would be our last Sunday and she was very sad to see us go and said she would come.  The best part is we have a car large enough to take her and all her kids.

Abigail on the Move

This was on her birthday. For more Albright happenings you can go to my blog at codyandutahna.blogspot.com We hope Holly get some good video and pics when little Isaac makes his appearance!

Holy Ghost

One thing that I have learned on my mission:  I have always assumed that the feelings you get from the Holy Ghost come inside you because of what you hear or see, something spiritual.  As we sit in on discussions with the French Elders we do not understand what is being said but we feel when the Holy Ghost starts to come during their lesson.  We know the minute that the investigator starts to doubt or gets argumentative just by how we feel for the Holy Ghost leaves immediately.  It is outside us and there in the room.  Something very real and tangable.  Something to think about.....

prepared???

I am the most pregnant that I've ever been. Are you guys praying that I give birth after you get back from the mission??? It would be good to know. Every day I try and think of a good reason or two to not have the baby that day so I won't be too disappointed if it doesn't happen. I am selfish and moody and needy, but I can also be sweet sometimes and I think my family forgives me for the other stuff. Samuel and I and maybe Ethan are a little sick so maybe Isaac will come when we get better. I think we are reverting back to Isaac Henry instead of Isaac Taylor, but who knows?
My smoothie belly button (Samuel now calls it button instead of just butt) is starting to become an outie and one of my pokey moles went through dramatic changes before falling right off. Ethan and I drew you another volcano picture this time with bugs and flowers, but he likes it too much so he wants to keep it. We liked the puzzle card you sent.
We had testimony meeting today and I would like to add that I know that Heavenly Father is aware of and blesses my efforts to be a better Mother and Wife. He knows me and I feel His love.
You are in our prayers. Happy New Years.
holly

Our Last Baptism

We and the Elders met with Nichole today.  She has been coming to church and taking lessons for a long time but has not committed to baptism mainly because of coffee.  Today she told us that when Rene was confirmed and given the Holy Ghost she saw a flame of fire come down and go into him durinig the prayer.  The Elders had her read 3 Nephi 11.  It tells of Christ's first visit with the Nephites. After they felt his hands and feet He taught them about baptism and confirmation and in verse 35 it says ".... and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost."   Maybe because I had my eyes closed or maybe because of my superior sophistication I did not witness this.  But I am glad that she shared this sacred experience with us.  She will be baptised Jan 15, our last Sunday here.

We are so blessed

Awhile back we were briniging home 2 members from the Saturday night session of Stake Conference when we noticed that our warninig light indiciated that a tire was low (20 psi).  We started looking for a tire shop/service station.  Everythinig was closed and we dropped off our people.  Still looking and praying as we went home, we were not happy thinking about having a flat tire at 10 pm in a questionable neighborhood.   We knew that we had investigators to pick up early for tomorrow's church.  Then as we watched, to our amazement the gage started rising.  By the time we got home it showed 30 psi.  We got up in the morning thinking we would have a completely flat tire but we started up and the warning indicator didn't even come on.  We went to church with no problems.  We have been amazed and grateful for how the Lord has looked out for us while we have been on our mission. 

For the love of gum

I've started doing my blog again at codyandutahna.blogspot.com if you want to catch a glimpse of our daily blessings. We tackled Wal-mart today, all four kids and myself, six days before
Christmas. Yes, I am insane. It started pleasantly enough. Corban ran in to
twist all the gumball machine levers and, to his delight, and for the first time
ever, actually got a free gumball! Had I only known the trouble that gumball
would soon cause. We wound in and out of the isles hitting everything on my list
in what seemed like molasses fashion, amidst all the other shoppers and the kids
wanting to show me every other toy we passed by. All too soon Abigail was
fussing to get out of the cart, as well as Corban, who had been riding in the
back, and was getting crowded among the canned goods. So now, single handedly,
my family is congesting the isles. I'm trying to get the kids to stay with me,
to not get in front of the cart, to not grab items from shelves, to not jump out
in front of other people, to not run, to not climb on the shelves... and I've
realized we've moved from molasses fashion somehow to a frozen molasses stage,
culminating with Annali counting out all her pennies to make a purchase of her
own as we check out. Finally we are headed out the automatic glass exit doors,
(which at this point look almost as good as the pearly gates congratulating me
for enduring to the end) when I realize Corban is trailing a bit behind, off to
check the gumball machines again. This time he comes up empty handed, and that
is all too unacceptable, since he knows those gumball machines can now put out
for nothing. He refuses to leave them. Abigail has reached her boiling point in
my arms, and while I pull the cart with one hand, I send Annali and Chandler
back to get Corban. They had to drag the screaming child behind me all the way
to the car. He's 100% ballistic by now, which is not normal for my sweet little
guy. But it is what it is. As they get in and I'm buckling Abigail, Corban
shoots out of the car to make a run down the parking lot for the gumballs again.
Luckily he wasn't hit by a car. I put him back in the car. He tries about 20
more times to open the door and escape while I loaded the groceries. Finally
Chandler got him to calm down by sharing some of his candy with him. And I'm
thinking, "Never again!" But through all of this I was actually able to keep my
cool. I didn't yell. I didn't strangle. I could see the moment for what it was
while I was in it, and so I was able to stay in control. This is a BIG
improvement for me :) I feel like I'm slowly becoming more the mother I'm
supposed to be, and I really feel that it is homeschooling my kids is the road
that is taking me there. And I do have wonderful kids helping me all along the
way. Really, they are, even my sweet little gum-loving Corban. We are so
blessed.