Thankful for a wonderful year of blessings

Cathy and I on our recent trip to Range Creek with the
Natural History Museum of Utah

On this Thanksgiving Day, I would be remiss to not express my thanks for a wonderful year of blessings.  While the year hasn't been without trials, we made it through it and have had some wonderful blessings that have come our way.  If I could have envisioned how 2013 would go in January, I would have left out a number of chapters!  It has been a whirlwind of a year.

First undoubtedly would be my call as Stake President of the Salt Lake Rose Park Stake.  While I've always enjoyed my voluntary service in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this has been an amazing experience for me.  After nearly a month since being called and sustained, I have such deep gratitude to the great examples who preceded me in this calling and to the faithful members of the our church who support me and most importantly express their love to our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ.   This is a long term deal and as I've entered a few things on my calendar and made them recurring entries, calculating the potential number of times it should reoccur, has been daunting.  However, we take it one day at a time, and find great joy with this new opportunity in our lives.

I'm grateful for a new job, that provides both opportunities and challenge.  As Salt Lake County's new Director of the Office of Regional Development, I have the opportunity of working with some great people, new challenges every day and hopefully an opportunity of using my talents developed over the last 16 years to make a difference in the lives of the most populated county in the State.  I am thankful for a County Mayor, Ben McAdams who has expressed trust in me and afforded the opportunity of serving the public, in a different way.  My thanks to my former employer, Zions Bank, who not only supported me in my public service over the last 8 1/2 years, but left on such a good note, that they let me take my super-duper heavy duty chair with me to my new job.  They are unmatched.

My thanks for eyesight.  Faced with diminishing vision, I had cataract surgery in both eyes during the month of June.  Through the miracle of Toric Lens implants, I not only solved my diminishing vision issues but now can see distant views in clarity that I haven't seen in 20 years.  The artificial lenses have a certain glare to them, but Cathy and the girls are always starring at them to see the reflections it creates.  Ok, they're the only ones who get to stare into my eyes.

I'm grateful for a myriad of opportunities to serve.  This year, not only do I complete my 16th year on the city council, but I finished my term as President of the Utah League of Cities & Towns, President of the Advisory Board for the Museum of Natural History of Utah, and rotated off my other regional boards and commissions associated with my public service.  Each have expanded my horizon and given me the opportunity to learn.  I look forward next year to joining the Advisory Board for the Jordan Valley Conservation Garden.

Finally, last but not least, my thanks to my family.  They have stood by me, carried me at times, and loved me without reservation.  Cathy in particular has carried some heavy burdens and I'm grateful for her numerous sacrifices to have our family be successful.  Both Jessica and Sarah always remind me what a wonderful blessing it is to be a father and I love them all.

And thanks to you, who took the time to read this and for being my friend.  You make a difference in my life.