Easter Two Thousand Twelve......

This year we decided to not go crazy with the Easter candy.  Partly because we wanted to focus on what Easter is really about and partly because they had had a Primary Easter Egg Hunt Party the day before at church and also the week before that we went all out for our General Conference Party with more candy than they have probably ever eaten in one setting!  :-)  The thing that impressed upon my mind this year as we slimmed down the celebration (Pagan-wise anyhow) was how the kids were plenty satisfied with what they received.  I think if i can remember this for birthdays and Christmas i could probably save myself a few hundred by the end of the year, ha ha!  ;-)

Anyway Easter was a fun and special day for us and we did talk that previous Monday on a Family Home Evening night about what Easter meant and talked about the Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.  I have to say that when i try to put to words what Easter really means to me, it is hard.  I am not sure if any mortal can truly comprehend what Christ did for us in performing the Atonement, at least in this life, but i do like President Thomas S. Monson's testimony of it and i feel the spirit a great deal when i read his words.

He said: “I believe that none of us can conceive the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane, but I am grateful every day of my life for His atoning sacrifice in our behalf.

“At the last moment, He could have turned back. But He did not. He passed beneath all things that He might save all things. In doing so, He gave us life beyond this mortal existence. He reclaimed us from the Fall of Adam.

“To the depths of my very soul, I am grateful to Him. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. He secured our salvation.”

What more can I say?  I am truly grateful for all of our blessings and i thank my Heavenly Father everyday for all of those blessings that i enjoy, namely my family, my home, John's job, the ability to buy my own food and be self sufficient, a working vehicle, and our health to name just a couple.  I know that all of this is made possible because of the Lord's infinite mercy.  I know he has a specific plan for each and every one of us and i am very grateful also that he has given me four wonderful children to help them find out what their purpose is here.  The are GREAT ones and i am honored to be their mother.

I enjoyed seeing their excitement on Easter morning.....they truly are a joy.

Jack's

Sarah's

Eden's 

Immanuel's

Ready, get set, go!

Faith like THAT!

I have said it before, but you will hear it again, that i am a firm believer in that we create our own realities.  Yes life happens, yes things don't go the way we "want" them too, BUT i think what we think about the most is what becomes our reality.  I have seen the show "The Secret" (years ago) and think there is a lot of truth to it.  My truth includes a Heavenly Father and not just  "The Universe,"  but it has the same principles.  We even read about the same principles in Proverbs 23:7, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he."


I have also had my own personal experience with this principle and it is amazing what can happen in your life when you become conscious about thoughts that are typically subconscious.  ;-)


ANYWAY......last night the options for dessert were two Oreo cookies, or a slice of banana bread.  Sarah came and politely asked me if she could have both.  I told her that she had to pick one or the other, which she was quite distressed and upset about.  She eventually conceded to pick just two Oreo cookies.  A few minutes later she came back to me and lamented that there was only ONE Oreo cookie left!!   Oh, what a disaster!  lol.  ;-)  So i pondered a minute and the most natural response in my mind was, "well she can just have the one cookie and a small slice of banana bread then."  So that is indeed what i told her to do.  A few seconds later i pondered on how Sarah ended up getting what she first desired..... a bit of both.  It made me laugh and thought to myself, "What great faith, what she wished for and wanted ended up coming to pass anyway, and it was nothing deliberate on my end for that matter either."  


I looked at Sarah and said, "Sarah you must have crazy great faith," to which she responded, "why do you think that?"  I said, "well you wanted both desserts, and look you ended up getting your way anyway."  And she said, "I am the Queen!"   


It made me laugh so much, but i am glad that at her young age of 6 years old, she already has the faith and confidence needed to get her the things she wants in life. Now you may be thinking to yourself, whatever, that's just a coincidence, or you just gave in to her or she can't control that there was only one cookie left etc. etc.  However i know something special about Sarah and i will tell you another thing, and that is she is and will continue to be a woman of GREAT faith.  It will serve her well in life and she will be able to bless millions through this great gift she has.  

So.....what are the thoughts and intents of your heart?  What do you spend your time thinking the most about.  Maybe you should take the time every once in a while to take a break and have a double dessert day too!  ;-)

The Right Time for the Right Things......

We recently made the decision as a family with prayer, research, and pondering to get a dog....again.  I wanted to make sure that this time we did things the right way and that I in particular was ready for the kind of commitment a dog is.  It also helps that i researched out breeds that fit our family's (and especially my) personality best.  We came across, online, a little terrier/dachshund mix who was just about 5 months old called Madeline.  I specifically wanted a small dog this time that would be fiercely loyal in the appropriate moments and easy for me to take care of.  I wanted a dog that would be a blessing to our family and most of all that is what i prayed for.  Prayer, you ask yourself....is that really necessary?  Well after my last attempt to own and train a dog, it most certainly is.  I am a firm believer in the right things at the right time.  Last time we got a dog was before Jack was born and during my pregnancy our poor dog, Wilford, really started to suffer from lack of adequate attention and ergo i was tense and irritable from his acting out 24/7.  We gave Wilford to a good home and one that would give him all the love and attention he needed.

I have to say that when i came across "Madeline's" picture online i knew instantly that she was the dog for our family.  Although owning a dog does not come without it's hiccups as they are trained etc., our little puppy who is now named lovingly, Norah, has really been just the blessing we were looking for.  She is really starting to get into a routine with things and the crate training has been a mental life saver for me!  (thanks for all the advice everyone!)  :-)  Norah is my little buddy and follows me almost everywhere i go.  She is sweet and LOVES to play with the kids and her toys.  She is super fast and when she has an energy burst in the back yard it really is all you can do to stop yourself from falling over with laughter as the kids and i have experienced.  She runs around and around in circles encouraged by our laughing and loves to chase and be chased too.  Simone our cat of just a year old now, has a love for her that has been reciprocated and watching a cat and a dog play and love each other the way these two do is really something unique and special.  Norah really has become another member of our family and i look forward to many more memories with her to come.

The following pictures are of the kids in anticipation for Norah to be dropped off as the organization we adopted her through, Freedom Farms, came to do a home visit to check that our home and back yard was suitable for Norah.  The kids adore her and frequently argue over what is "best" for Norah and who gets to have her on their lap etc.  ;-)

 Sarah, not patiently waiting.....

 They are parked outside and ready to come in......

 TA DA!  Welcome Norah!  :-)

 In my pillows....she loves to bury herself in the blankets and pillows.  

"I want my Bro!"

Not having shared a brother to brother relationship for obvious reasons i can only guess and assume at what the bond between them is or can be like.  But what i do know i have received from my observations as a mother.....


Despite their 6 year difference in age Immanuel and Jack have quite a bond together.  Siblings will be siblings, but these two spend more time together than i thought they would given Immanuel is 10 and Jack is just 4.  Jack adores Immanuel and refers to him as his "Bro."  Immanuel is a great big brother and will share many of his belongings with Jack at his request and spends time play fighting, wrestling and teachng him the "ways" of coolness.

I am grateful for Immanuel's sweet spirit and his kind heart that make him such a good brother.  Jack takes every opportunity to glean from Immanuel what he can, even if it's his toys!  Often when Jack is upset by something and crying he is calling for his Bro....."I WANT my Bro!!!"  ;-)  For whatever reason having Immanuel come give him a hug heals all wounds at times like this.  I think they find a way to balance each other's personalities out too.  Immanuel is not the typical "althletic type" of a boy, if there is even a fair way to stereotype a gender anyway (probably not as i know girls don't like to be stereotyped either!).  He is more into his art, music, books, video games, and Lego.  However Jack is totally a boy all the way and loves to wrestle, run, bounce, play sports, karate chop you, etc., etc., etc..  And yet these too are able to share their love of their things with each other and for Jack, Immanuel is all about being tough and for Immanuel, Jack is the Lego Master!  :-)  What a perfect pair.  I am glad they have each other and look forward to seeing how their bond continues to form and grow over the years.

 Tickle Fight!

Rasberries!  ;-)

Two Day Camping Trip......In Our Living Room....

Six months ago in October we came out the Nashville area to search for a place to live.  John had been hired by LDS Family Services and they wanted us to be located in the Nashville area.  They had acquired an office for him the Madison Stake Center and so we knew we would be looking in that area.  After many searches from our Craig's List list we took a pause in our hunting and accepted the offer of the Stake President's wife, Kay Abernathy, to come and visit with them.  It happened to be the weekend of the Semiannual General Conference the LDS Church does in October and April.  We went house hunting that weekend because it gave us a weekend without John's church responsibilities as there is not regular church on General Conference weekend.  Just for those that do not know, General Conference is a two day conference on Saturday and Sunday with two, two hour sessions separated by a two hour block where member's of the church (and anyone else that may want to listen too) get to listen to and watch the leaders of the LDS church speak about topics that Heavenly Father has inspired them to speak on.  It is fabulous and very uplifting.

Anyway, back to my story......So we went to the Abernathy's house and they introduced us to their family tradition of making Conference weekend as fun as possible for their family by allowing fun treats, a free for all if you will, and a tent in their living room for the kids to lie in while watching Conference on the t.v..  We LOVED this idea and the positive associations it brings with the all anticipated conference.  I have to say, i'm not sure what my kids all got out of it, as i haven't asked them really yet (although i think it was more than they ever have got out of it before), but for whatever reason, i was able to focus better on the talks given and their messages.  I had a blast and we will definitely be doing this "Conference Party" every 6 months for sure!  :-)

I took notes and received personal revelation that will help me be a better person and give me strength to do the Lord's will.  I am so grateful for those inspired men and women whom the Lord has chosen to speak.  I really feel like a lot of the talks are just for me, even though i know there are many that are befitted by them.  The Lord knows my weaknesses and struggles and i know of his love for me because of the messages that are given that help me in my life.

OK, so now i have asked my children about their conference experience.  This is what they had to say.....

IMAN:  (paraphrasing - immanuel always has a lot to say, lol) I had a good time, i thought it was fun.  I liked that we had snacks and candy and that made it fun.  I also liked that we watched it on byu tv because i liked the cools shows we could watch in between conference sessions.  As far as the prophets and stuff, i liked how one of them talked about Cain and how he murdered his brother.  It made me think about how it is important to be kind to my own brother.  The party made things more fun because we had puzzles and candy and it wasn't boring.

EDEN:  I felt the Spirit.  The candy was awesome and good.  I loved hanging out with my family.  It was sorta like Christmas, except without presents.

SARAH:  I liked that the prophet was there and that there was lots of candy.  I'm glad i could watch conference and i'm glad i could have food coloring.  (Sarah and Immanuel cannot have food coloring because it makes them moody and crazy respectively.  Immanuel also cannot have wheat because it makes him moody, and super emotional......bet you can guess what my Monday was like!  ;-))

JACK: I liked the candy!


My husband said this:  I'm really happy with this conference because i think we were able to create some fun and new traditions and it felt sacred being with family and starting a new tradition.  That with the really nice weather made for a great weekend.  I loved that i got to stay home the whole weekend and play and reflect on spiritual messages and eat snacks.  It could not have been a better weekend.

FOOD COLORING for all!  lol.

Noah's Ark 1000 piece puzzle completed mostly by Eden with some help from John and Sarah.

....reveling in Bottle Caps!