We started the new year with a big and important event: Michael was ordained to the office of Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood. This increases his responsibilities, and we were so happy that he chose to be ordained and was so excited about his ordination that he wanted to be ordained at his first opportunity. The roads were absolutely terrible, and our bishopric was so great do perform the ordination as soon as sacrament meeting was over so my mom and Grandparents could get home to Idaho before it got dark. Brian ordained Michael, and we were so happy to have Michael's two living grandpas assist in the ordination, Papa and Grandpa Linville.
We are all so proud of Michael! And we're so grateful that everyone braved the terrible roads to be with us for this important event.
After the ordination, I went back to my house with my mom and grandparents to prepare a little lunch for the road and bid them farewell. Before church, we'd had a little bit of summer sausage, cheese, crackers, and grapes--a Chadwick traditional family NewYear's snack. After church, we all continued to munch off my little charcuterie board.
We also had leftover nachos from the night before, also a traditional New Year's Eve tradition that Brian and I started with our family.
Speaking of traditions, somewhere in my childhood, it became a tradition for me to take a small (emphasis on small) walk barefoot in the snow. It started when one of my siblings stole the boot off my foot and thought they'd have the upper hand in whatever argument we were engaged in at the time, but being the little stubborn thing I am, I looked that sibling in the eye and walked in the snow barefoot without flinching, acting like I didn't notice the cold and wasn't bothered in the least by the theft of my shoe. Since then, it became a ridiculous tradition of proving unnecessarily my toughness. With a sprinkling of snow on our deck, I figured I'd start the new year right and take the traditional steps in the snow barefoot when we let Gracie out to take care of business just before bed.
And I had to take a picture of proof to send it to Cal, who had asked about the tradition just a week or so prior to this.
I stopped putting expectations on the start of a new year eleven years ago, so I won't say that I have this amazing feeling about how 2023 is going to be our best year ever. I will simply say that I have many things to look forward to. I know there will be growth (for sure physically with the kids and hopefully intellectually and spiritually as well). I expect there to be laughter and tears. I know there will be amazing things, and there will be really difficult things that will try us. Whatever this year lies in store, we plan to face it all with optimism and faith in the Savior.
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