“. . . the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation . . . and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy⁠“

— Pres. Russell M. Nelson

Latest Posts


  • A Fun Final Week of 2025

    We have been so blessed with gorgeous weather this past week, and I have been soaking in the time I get to spend walking outside in nature, since those walks won’t fit into the schedule once I start teaching again… Continue reading

    A Fun Final Week of 2025
  • My Year in Books – 2025

    I love to read, and I always have. There were definitely periods of time in my life where I didn’t get to read for fun as much as I would like, but between the amazing gift of audio and ebooks,… Continue reading

    My Year in Books – 2025
  • A Wonderful Family Christmas

    I love Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, spend extra time together as a family, and participate in some of our favorite traditions. This Christmas Eve, we started things off with a walk at… Continue reading

    A Wonderful Family Christmas
  • Merry Christmas 2025

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Brown family! And what a year it has been! A year full of adventures, both good and hard, and a year full of all the miracles. This year has had so many… Continue reading

    Merry Christmas 2025
  • Leading Up to Christmas

    I absolutely love the lead up to Christmas – the anticipation, the traditions, and the extra time together as a family. And this year I was especially grateful to have us all together. The Sunday before Christmas is always extra… Continue reading

    Leading Up to Christmas
  • Graphs, Charts, and Miracles

    Graphs may not seem exciting, but this one actually is – at least to my family . I just got an update yesterday from the lab, and my latest bloodwork showed that the amount of DNA of my cancer in… Continue reading

    Graphs, Charts, and Miracles
  • Celebrating 20 Year Old Derek

    How is my little Derek so grown up?? Twenty years old?! He went from being my Santa baby home from the hospital, to being my “tall boy,” who cannot only reach all the high things for me, but is the… Continue reading

    Celebrating 20 Year Old Derek
  • 3rd Week of Christmas & Back to School

    What a week!! So good, so hard, so fun, and yet so bone-wearingly exhausting (both mentally and physically). On Monday, I went back to work. I set foot in my classroom for the first time since a week after my… Continue reading

    3rd Week of Christmas & Back to School
  • The Second Week of Christmas

    We started off the second week of Christmas celebrations with one of our very favorite things – watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It is also incredibly inspiring, and always starts off the holiday season firmly centered on our Savior,… Continue reading

    The Second Week of Christmas
  • Holding on to Hope – A Health Update

    I guess it’s time for an update about me and how I’m doing, but I’ve been so overwhelmed with all the emotions this week, that I haven’t been sure how to put it into words. It has now been four… Continue reading

    Holding on to Hope – A Health Update