It took us fourteen months, but we did it. This morning we finished reading The Old Testament in our family scripture study time. The kids all felt an enormous sense of accomplishment (letting out a slightly irreverent whoop), and Patrick and I were a bit misty as we read the last beautiful verses of poor, lonely Malachi together.

It works out nicely, too, with Hope getting baptized tomorrow to mark the transition between old and new. Monday morning we'll jump right into the Gospel of St. Matthew; Hope will get to read out of her bran new grown-up scriptures, and Tess will start with the edition of The New Testament everyone secretly envies: the one with pictures and maps on every page.