Shakes

After doing some house hunting, we stopped for a bite to eat and got a little shake to share.

Hey, look! We all made it in the picture!

Gotta get every last drop!

Indoor Fun

 We have missed the outdoors this winter, but have managed to have fun indoors.

A visit to Discovery Gateway with our friends was a lot of fun!

Playing in boxes is always a blast!

Sunday Best

P1 got new clothes for church, and he looks quite handsome in them!

 

P1 started Sunbeams. He has a hard time when I am in there playing the piano for primary. He just screams and cries until he can come sit by me at the piano. So Dad now drops him off, and I sneak in and hide behind the piano. He does great, unless he sees me.

P2 does the same thing in nursery. She screams and cries when you try to leave her, and holds on with a death grip. But once we are out of sight, she does fine and has fun.

January Fun

Just playing with Dad's Legos:

P1 used to put all his toys on the couch, out of reach from his sister. Now that she can get on the couch, his new spot is the kitchen island. They also love playing in the coat closet. Maybe they are looking for Narnia.

P1 and I had an epic snowball fight! We had fun playing outside, just the two of us. 

P2 is always stealing P1's toys, poor kiddo.

Selfies!

A sweet couple in our ward were the nursery leaders while P1 was in nursery. The children all loved them, and called them Grandma and Grandpa. They were released in the fall because Grandpa was getting a lung transplant. Then, on Christmas Eve, they were told he had cancer and would not have much time left. We found out on Monday, January 4, that he had passed away the night before.

I was thinking about this dear family, and how good they were with the children in nursery. I contacted the other moms and suggested we put together a gift for them from the children. I was thinking something simple with their handprints on it. After many emails, we decided to make them a quilt. I have very little experience quilting, so I wasn't sure if this would work out. We had 1 week to put it together before the funeral.

Well, miracles do happen! We started the quilt on Tuesday, and it was finished by Saturday night! And it turned out so well! I was very impressed by all the young moms who were so willing to help, despite the fact that we are all so busy with young children. It's amazing what a group of women can accomplish!

The Tree of Life: A Weekly Journey

The vision of the Tree of Life in the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 8) is full of beautiful symbolism. Much of the symbolism is explained by Nephi in the following chapters (1 Nephi 11).

I used to view the vision as a lifelong journey to partake of the precious fruit, which represents eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God (D&C 14:7). While it is a valid interpretation, I have found it more helpful to view it as the journey we take each week.

The Tree of Life represents Christ, which is the embodiment of God's love. It bears fruit that we partake of. Next to the tree, is the fountain of living waters which also represents the love of God (1 Nephi 11:25). Christ often referred to himself as living water (John 4:10), and the bread of life (John 6:35). And to help us remember Him, Christ instituted the sacrament where we partake of the bread and the water.

Every Sunday (except for Stake and General Conferences) we have the opportunity to come to the Tree of Life and partake of the precious fruit which is desirable above all else. We have the sacred privilege of partaking of the sacrament.

Each week is a journey to the Tree of Life. During that week, do we hold onto the rod of iron? Do we study the word of God daily? Viewing it as a 7 day journey suddenly makes each day more critical. Missing one day equals traveling 1/7 of the way without holding onto the rod, never knowing when the mists of darkness will appear.

Lehi saw 3 types of people. The first group never made it to the tree (1 Nephi 8:21-23). The second group made it, but cast their eyes about while partaking of the fruit and then they fell away (1 Nephi 8:24-25, 28). The third group made it to the tree, and fell down while partaking of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:30). Their full attention was on the fruit, and in gratitude, they fell down and worshipped God.

I have been in all three groups.

There have been some weeks that I did not make it to sacrament meeting when I was physically able to. Mists of darkness in various forms caused me to lose sight of the tree.

The have been many weeks where I was physically present for the Sacrament, but my mind was elsewhere. I was casting my eyes about.

And lastly, there are weeks where I fall on my knees and prepare to partake of the holy sacrament. Sacrament meetings where my mind is focused on my Savior and His Atonement. Weeks where I truly partake of the fruit, and it fills me with joy.

If we desire to never fall away, then we must strive to be in the third group, for they are the ones that never fell away. It's not always easy, especially if you have young children. But I have found it helpful in my life to think about which group I am in each week.

Each week is a new journey. May we hold fast to the iron rod, make it to the Tree of Life, and truly partake of the love of God.

Dance Party

For Christmas, we got some fun Lego Star Wars action figures. PE likes to pose them, and when our nephew came over they were posed ready for a dance party.

PE tried to convince the kids to have a dance party too. They didn't quite understand.

But they sure are cute!

 

2015 in Review

2015 was a good year. It was a very challenging year, but we have learned a lot and been blessed greatly. Nothing really big happened, except for watching my little kids grow up a little more (where did my babies go?).

P1 is growing up fast. We tackled potty training this year, and he is good about it most of the time. His favorite color has changed from orange to blue.

 

P2 seems like a whole new person! She has changed a lot in these last 12 months. Walking, talking, and hair long enough for pig tails!

 My health has improved a lot over this last year. Dealing with ulcerative colitis has been one of the most difficult things I have done. But amazing family and friends have helped me through it. And I have felt the Spirit guiding me and comforting me through out this year. It took a whole year to get here, but I am finally in a really good place! Yay!

Happy New Year!!!