Over the Christmas Break, I went with Sunny & Riley and My whole family to the Aquirium in Sandy and the Children's Museum at the Gateway downtown. It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed being with their Aunts and Uncles.
Yesterday in Church, Regan taught the Gospel Essentials Class and it was on Sacrifice. He told of a story about a famous artist named Albrecht Durer and I was very touched by the story. If you have a few minutes, read this amazing story of sacrifice from 1 brother to another. It made me really think about what I do in my life to sacrifice for my kids, my family, my husband and for the Lord.
The Praying Hands
Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen!
In order merely to keep food on the table for this big family, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighbourhood.
Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.
After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by labouring in the mines.
They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg.
Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.
When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honoured position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfil his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."
All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."
Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late."
More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver point sketches, water-colours, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.
One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."
The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one - no one - - ever makes it alone!
Way back in October, I checked my little sisters out of school and Ashley, my BYU sister drove down to Salt Lake for a Secret Christmas Present for my parents. I hired my friend to take some pictures of all of the sisters at Memory Grove by the Capitol. I can't believe that the secret didn't get out before Christmas and so I am glad that I could surprise my parents for Christmas! Here are my favorites! (Danielle Rappleye did the photography! She is amazing!)
We had a wonderful, WHITE Christmas! We woke up at 5:30 am and did our own Fackrell Family Christmas with Regan making his wonderful Christmas French Toast. The kids went into the Music Room to see what Santa brought them, loved it, then Regan and I opened our presents! I got Regan a blown up picture of us on our wedding day and had it framed for his office, and he gave me some new shoes, a knife set and a huge skillet! Did I mention that Regan's big present was his new mountain bike and mine was a great digital video camera!
Anyway, we hope you had a wonerful Christmas!
So this Christmas was so much fun because Riley really only wanted 2 things, and Santa granted those 2 things: A Diego Rescue Center and a Leapster with Games. Sunny got a cute little kitchen with lots of fake food and a dolly with a stroller and bottle! When they came down the stairs, they were excited to see the news toys and Sunny immediatly started to stash food and dishes in the kitchen cabinets! Riley has not put down the Leapster hardly at all since he first saw it on the couch!
Sunny looked so cute in her black and pink Christmas Dress with matching bows of course! Riley and Sunny wore Christmas PJ's and matching slippers on Christmas Eve! Regan read a Christmas book on Christmas Eve-tradition, and then we left a plate of cookies for Santa!
Christmas Eve was fun because we had Regan with us all day long-well except when he went to the Golden Compass with my brothers, and oh ya, when he went to work also! But you know what, that is a lot better than what it usually is like! Anyway, we went to the mall with Andrea's family to get a picture with Santa Claus (a long time tradition), Riley played his violin with me in the Christmas Eve Talent Show (we played Jingle Bells and he did AWESOME!), Riley was a Wise Man and Sunny was an angel for the Nativity, and then we went to Regan's family party and saw Santa again! WOW-we saw a lot of family and we had a great time!
We have visited with a lot of family over the last few days and it has been a lot of fun to spend time with them! Whenever Sunny has an opportunity, she will go up to anyone with a book and pretty much MAKE them read it to her! It was fun to see Uncle Jordan during the holidays-he will be leaving on a mission pretty soon! Way to go Jordan!
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: "Elder Ballard Urges Students to Use New Media
At a commencement address on December 15, 2007, Elder M. Russell Ballard urged graduating students at Brigham Young University-Hawaii to use blogs and other forms of “new media” to contribute to a national conversation about the Church."
I read this article in the Newspaper and felt an urgency to share what I know of the Gospel through my blog. Who ever knew that blogging would be a way to share with our friends and family our testimonies of the Gospel? I have decided to share an aspect of the Gospel in my Blog once a week, so please check back weekly to see what is new.
Also check out www.lds.org anytime for answers to questions about the Church.
I think my brother would kill me if he saw this posting, but here goes nothing! I just had all of my family over at our house last night for my brother, Scotty's Graduation Party! He graduated from BYU-I this past weekend, and we had a party for him! He is a cute guy, a graduate now, and is staying in Utah! If any of you want to set him up with someone you know, let me know because he is a catch! Love ya Scotty!
Sounds like a Cartoon right? Well, this is for real! I was walking by the Music Room where our Christmas Tree is and all of a sudden it started to move! I freaked out, but then was too curious to be scared! Low and behold, one of our little kittens was in the Christmas Tree just hanging out! Of course a lot of the decorations were off, so I had to re-decorate the tree! Then Sunny had curlers in her hair for the first time and she just looked so darn cute! I think I have come to terms that her hair will never be as curly as Riley's, so I am resorting to curlers!
Riley wrote a letter to Santa Claus, with mom's help and then he decided to mail it to the North Pole! Well, a letter came back to Riley from Santa! He was so excited to see what Santa said! The next day, we got a knock on our door, Riley answered it, and Santa was at our house! Right when Riley saw him, he said, "Daddy!-why are you a Daddy Santa?" Regan had to dress up as Santa for one of our friends Family parties, and so he decided to come to our house to-not thinking that Riley would recognize him! I guess a boy knows his daddy even when he looks pretty funny!
My Aunt Linda came into town last weekend, so we spent some time with her. She played with the kids while the big kids (Regan and the girls) put together a gingerbread house! The frosting was not keeping the walls up, so Regan Hot Glued it! Riley & Sunny loved decorating it with candies-Sunny ate more than she decorated with! Here is the result!
So it has been a while since I have actually posted pictures and updated my blog so here we go! I actually thought that nothing went on, but then I downloaded my pictures, and ya-things went on! I just can't believe that I take so many pictures!
Pictures in Order:
*Girls Night Out-we went to the Forgotten Carols by Michael Mclean and out to dinner. It totally put me in the Christmas Spirit!
*Out to dinner at the Joseph Smith Building, the Garden with a bunch of friends. I love date night! We had to split up into 5 people on 1 table and 5 people on another table and it was so much fun to have all of the girls at 1 and the boys at another! Sorry Regan!
*As We left the Joseph Smith Movie, it was snowing so hard and I didn't have a hood on my coat, so needless to say, my hair was soaked! I started out with straight hair, and ended up with really curly hair!
*Regan and I went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert on Saturday night and it was amazing! Now I am really in the Christmas Spirit. We got in our seats at 6:00, and the concert didn't start until 7:30 so we had some relaxing time reading our books beforehand. Regan's mom was so sweet to watch our kids all night at our own house! Thanks Michelle!
