Zander "talking" to Grandma Kandy

Sweet little Zander Boy was talking to me as I took this picture. Cooing and gooing...so cute!

Grandpa Bruce and Hannah Jo Graves

We took Hannah out to dinner at Wendy's and to Petsmart to check out the animals for a date night recently. Here is a picture of the two of them. Beautiful Blue eyes, huh?

Garrett as Basketball Man

Garrett and several friends play on a recreational basketball league in Provo and here is Garrett after a recent game. He's played with these friends since the third grade in some form or sport or another! We are still in the stands cheering them on!

Uncle Eli and Hannah take time out from playing to pose for a picture

Hannah and her favorite Uncle "E" - They are so cute together. He plays kitchen chef with her and she loves it! He cooks and she cooks, they are fun to watch! Eli is a very good sport about it. We all LOVE Hannah and just like being with her and we'll play kitchen chef if it means we get to be with her!!! She's our dolly girl!

Gram, Han and Zan

We recently celebrated Heather and Bruce's birthday's at Tucano's in Provo...both have February birthdays and whenever we have an excuse to be with and play with Hannah and Zander, we will do it!!

Happy Birthday Bruce, B52

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRUCE

I believe each one of us can make a difference. We can each positively impact our family, our world.

"Private choices are not private; they all have public consequences. All immoral behavior directly impacts society. Even innocent people are affected. Drug and alcohol abuse have public consequences, as do illegitimacy, pornography, and obscenity. The public cost in human life and tax dollars for these so-called private choices is enormous: poverty, crime, a less-educated work force, and mounting demands for government spending to fix problems that cannot be fixed by money. It simply is not true that our private conduct is our own business. There is a popular notion that doing our own thing or doing what feels good is our own business and affects no one but us. The deadly scourges that are epidemic all over the world have flourished in the context of this popular notion. But this is simply not true. Our society is the sum total of what millions of individuals do in their private lives. That sum total of private behavior has worldwide public consequences of enormous magnitude. There are no completely private choices." Elder James E. Faust

Miss Madeleine playing contentedly at our visit in January

Temple Sealing

Bruce and I arrived at the Portland Temple and we went to the chapel to wait. Bruce informed the temple worker that he would be a witness in the sealing of Madeleine Bell to her family. Soon Marie and Wade Bell came in and introduced themselves to us. They are Kevin's parents. Corrine's sister and mother came in and met us and then a host of other Bell family members came in and we shook hands with them. Then it was time to go to the sealing room. We went in and found seats, Marie was asked who the grandparents were and she included Bruce and I when telling the temple worker the three grandmothers that were there!! and two Grandpa's. The temple sealer came in and then Kevin and Corrine. Right after that Carter and Madeleine came in and when I saw Madeleine in the hallway - she was radiant and very content. She was cooing softly and had a few fingers in her mouth! I saw heaven in that moment! Bruce and I could not contain our emotion. The tears just rolled and rolled! The sealing began immediately and then when the sealer was done, Corrine stood up, got Madeleine and brought her directly to me! I was so overcome. How unselfish could one young woman be? Bruce got up and sat next to us and he held Madeleine first and then Corrine passed her over to me. I was crying and I whispered to Madeleine that I was her Grandma and that I was very happy to meet her. I told her that I loved her, and I do. I love her so much that I want what is best for her and what is best for her is being a member of the Bell Family. Kevin and Corrine and Carter have waited a long time for her. This is a sweet, loving and God fearing, Christ centered home and family. What more could I want for any of my grandchildren?

We are so blessed to have been with Kevin and Corrine and Carter when Madeleine was sealed to them.

The Bell Family: Kevin, Corrine, Carter and Madeleine