Houston connections

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to all of my friends and acquaintances that I met in Houston. I've been thinking about all of the wonderful people that we met there in the church. We look back on that time and feel very blessed to have been a part of the HP ward. I have so many wonderful memories from our 4 years there. We grew so much there, from being around so many righteous examples and just genuinely good people. I remember sitting in one sacrament meeting and listening to the speaker say that he was looking at a bunch of future bishops and stake presidents. I have no doubt that was true. My only regret is that I didn't get to know some of you better. It's been fun to catch up with some of you through facebook and blogging. I thank Melissa J. for encouraging me to start a blog (and since I've started one, everyone in my immediate family has one!). I know there are several of you out there who I'm not linked to yet - I'm slowly trying to make amends where I can. (To any HP ward stalkers out there, "Hi!" I don't mind - I know how things go in the blogging world.)

It's amazing to me to see the hand of the Lord in our lives, leading us and helping us to grow. When we were considering graduate schools, we hadn't even considered Houston. Who wants to live in Houston? :) But as things unfolded, we knew we were supposed to go to Rice University there in Houston. It was one of the best decisions we've made. The experiences we had, the people we met, and our financial decisions there have made a lasting impact on us and the success that we have today. And I'm just grateful that I was able to meet so many wonderful people there, who have had an impact on us in big and small ways. Thank you!