Family Connections and The Small Plates

Hello everyone,

Greetings from the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest...

We here in the gray rainy forest think of you in the southernmost parts more often this time of year, and those ponderings of what it must be like to live under blue skies has led to a few discussions of starting a family record. Not one on vinyl, although that would be cool. Maybe:)

As each of us become busier with our own families, children coming and going, jobs, challenges, and life in general, I feel it has become more difficult to stay connected and communicate in ways that are meaningful and lasting. Certainly, all communication counts - the emails, group texts, Christmas cards, random phone calls, reunions, etc. I find myself depending on Mom for some of the updates about each of you. I know each of you feel that our family is connected and knit together in ways that are remarkable and unique. However, I cannot shake the impression that we can do better.

So, I am proposing a quarterly family journal, record, or newsletter....whatever you want to call it. Ideas that have come to my mind include the following:

1. Evelyn serve as the editor and collector of our submitted material. If she gets tired of doing it, we could have another take the reins - plenty of talent available - but for now, she is excited about it. A blog could be started, and as each of you submit your experiences to her every 3 months, she could help with the recording and formatting, with the vision of being able to print out the newsletter into pages that could sit on your dining room table so that you and your children can sift through as you are eating breakfast, waiting late at night for your teenager to come home, or rocking your colicky infant for the umpteenth time.

2. Give priority to the "plain and precious" experiences that happen within your homes and families. Think of the small plates of Nephi and please, above all share that which you find to be of great worth. What tender mercies have been extended to you? How has your family grown? What have you learned as a parent about your children? It would be good, at a minimum, to just share something to start, such as "my family went to Disneyland." Better to share how you felt about your family as you spent time with them and wondered how they became so big already. Best to share the experience of feeling the Spirit testify of the truth of the gospel as you sat in a Tongan ward sacrament meeting in Los Angeles and tried to sing the hymns in a language that your mind was unfamiliar with but resonated deep in your heart.

3. Just do it. There are more than a few reasons why I think we should. The word "remember" or a form of it appears over 200 times in the Book of Mormon. It will take some figuring out, but documenting the small and simple ways each of us are blessed I feel will be of infinite worth to us and our families. If you feel like writing is not your talent, don't worry. I think the most important thing is just to start. Enos wasn't the prolific writer that Nephi was, but his words and testimony stand just as brightly.

The deadline for your first entry is March 31st.

Second edition June 30.

Third edition Sept 15.

Thanksgiving edition Nov 30.

Now, get back to living and loving. We just want to hear more about how you are and the happenings within your soul. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Go make Spiderman proud:)

We love you and hope the best for each of you,


Ryan