April, 2017 -

 I am so sorry.  I meant to write a million times over the last two weeks.  Since finding out we are moving I have been cleaning out, cleaning out, cleaning out stuff I thought was essential but will have no bearing on my life in the future.  Today I will be taking a carload of stuff to Goodwill.  Really, a garage sale would be nice but for the few hundred dollars it would bring in, it just doesn't matter when you look at the big picture.  The agent says we should put the house on the market next week but we are no where near ready.  Maybe the 1st of May will work.  He comes on Monday to give us advice and tell us if our house is worth a nickel.  The good thing is Ellington is hot right now and the trend is more on the sellers side than the buyers.  We shall see.  Bob is freaking out saying he doesn't want to stay in CT by himself for three months if the house sells quickly, but I say, you count your blessings and be grateful for the good things Heavenly Father sends you.  Yesterday he heard from someone that said his job may have been eliminated next year which would have meant a lay off.  This way he gets to retire on his own terms by taking the package or early retirement.  

     I was sorry to not be able to go to Spencer and Heather's baby blessing for Sophie.  Spencer says they had forty people there.  I know there were a few Olson cousins and Jean Marie went up for the weekend.  The pictures of Sophie are darling and the boys, Maximus and Maverick love her.  Maximus was Jean's shadow all weekend.

     We are almost done teaching the marriage class.  I am thinking that this week will be our last week as the rest of the lessons apply to child rearing and most of the folks in the class have no children.  They asked me to be a councilor in the primary last sunday but I had to break the news to them that we are getting out of Dodge.  I would have enjoyed that, I think.  I will finish babysitting the end of May.  Yahoo!  It has been a financial blessing but my heart is done.  I have had the boys all this week since my partner in on vacation for spring break.  The boys have been fine.  Yesterday we went to a park after nap time and played for 1 1/2 hours so they should have slept well last night.  Tonight I am babysitting while they go out to dinner, then next week I am on again all week because Janel wants to prepare for the stake rs dinner and program on sat. The next week the family goes out of town so I will be relaxing, well maybe no, there is always more to clean out and put on Craigslist.  

     There were many emails sent to me during conference concerning Jean's new calling the the General RS.  You could have knocked me over with a feather.  I could have sworn it had not been five years since she was called to the Primary presidency.  My heart is grateful to have such a good and righteous sister who strives to do what is right.  My first thought was, "Gee, I hope I don't do anything to embarrass her."  

     Well, on to the task at hand.  I am realizing I am not as strong as I used to be, nor as energetic.  When did that happen?  I need to go up and down the stairs about 50 times to gather the stuff I have piled in the big bedroom upstairs and take it to the car.  It will feel good to have it on it's way.

     This is a crazy year for many of us.  Five of the nine are moving and one has the world placed on her shoulders.  But Mom and Dad are routing for us and will help carry us through it all.

     Love to all.  You are so dear to me!

Ruth & Bob