Reminiscing

As I was going through some photos from about 2013, I came across these ones of when Tali attempted to do ballet and tap. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. I thought she looked so adorable.

Stretching:

This is one of my favorites!she just looks so cute!

Her instructor had to keep repositioning her feet. It was kind of funny.

I really wish she would have stuck with dance, but then again, it is pretty expensive.

Halloween Family Fun!

Yesterday we took our family to the local mill for some Halloween Festivities. We had a good time. The kids liked the petting zoo and some of kiddie games they had. We decided to get Waffle Love for dinner. It was good, but very pricey. 

Today we took the kids to Lagoon's Frightmares. Thankfully it wasn't scary. We went early enough. We all had a good time. Everyone got along, there were no potty accidents, and we all got to ride something fun. It was great! The kids got to go "trick-or-treating" where they had people dressed up with cool scenery such as Cleopatra, Dracula, 50's diner, pirate, the Mad Hatter, steampunk, and a race car driver. We hurried home so that I could get some things ready for a very busy week. I've got to get ready for Tali's class party and a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team- I think that's what it stands for. It's for my new calling as a Welfare Specialist. I deal mostly with Emergency Prep stuff.) program. Here are some fun pictures from today.

This one cracked me up!

Photo Fun!

This morning my two youngest were being so cute hugging each other so I did what any other normal mother would do. I took pictures. Sadly the pictures of Zach and Silas were blurry, but I got some cute ones of Silas.

Stuffed Zucchini Awesomeness!

Last month Brian made these delicious stuffed zucchinis. They were so incredible!!! Sadly the kids would not eat them. Hmmmm....I think I may know what's for dinner tonight! Yum! Yum!

Precious Memories

This past Sunday we went to Brian's parent's house for a visit. I was able to capture these precious moments of Silas with his Grandma and Grandpa Monson. I just love them. 

Grandpa and Silas just chillin'

Fire Safety FHE

Tonight for FHE, we went over fire safety, our escape plan and a meeting place. I want to start teaching them some survival skills and how to be prepared. After our fun FHE, we had our annual caramel candy apple bar. It was awesome! Zach and Brian appeared to have a "candy salad." It was a great night with our kids.

Our caramel/candy apple bar consisted of smashed up Keebler Coconut Dreams (aka Samoa Girl Scout cookies), Butterfingers, candy corn M&M's, and Keebler Grasshopper (aka Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies). It was so delicious. I love our family! They are awesome!

Spiritual Feasting

The last month has been quite incredible. We have had a spiritual feast almost every weekend. It has been so nice! We had our Women's Broadcast the last week of September, then we had Ward Conference, General Conference, and then this past Saturday, I was able to attend and be a part of our Stake's Women's Conference which featured Hilary Weeks. It was so incredible!

I had the opportunity of serving on the Humanitarian Committee for our stake for our Women's Broadcast and Women's Conference. I am so lucky to serve with so many wonderful and talented women! They truly are amazing!

This past weekend, as I mentioned, Hilary Weeks (and LDS/Christian singer) came and spoke about strengthening our spiritual foundations. She referred to the hymn How Firm A Foundation. She told us to think of something we struggle with or are afraid of and then she mentioned 13 promises/blessings within that song from our Heavenly Father. I will never see that hymn the same way again. It meant something to me before and was one of my favorites, but now it means so much more. She also wanted us to think about the tender mercies He has given us. If we couldn't think of one, she wanted us to pray to remember those tender mercies because those are things that help strengthen our foundation. There was not a dry eye in that building. The spirit was so strong there! It was such a fantastic meeting!

Our Stake President, spoke about how we were the women in the latter-days that were foretold of. That was something that really resonated with me. After the meeting was over, we went to our ward building to do our humanitarian project. We were making "courage capes" for the children in our local hospitals, shelters, etc. We were really worried that people would just go home after Hilary Weeks. Thankfully, we had many people help with the capes and we accomplished quite a bit! They were so cute and so easy! The best part was we didn't have to sew them!

After the humanitarian project, we went to a lunch back at our Stake Center (because one building was not enough to hold all those women). When I walked in, it looked like a beautiful fancy wedding reception. Our Stake Relief Society President used to do weddings, and used some of the stuff she still had. Everything about it was so perfect. I'm so grateful for the wonderful women in my ward and stake. We are so blessed!

Hearts of the Children

Today, Brian had brought down his box of mission stuff from the attic. As we were going through it, we definitely found some priceless jems! We had a found a biography of his grandmother (his mom's mom). Wow! What a choice daughter of God! What a woman of faith! 

Lately, Brian and I have been going over stories of our incredible ancestors. It's amazing the kinship and love we feel for people we've never met or knew much about in this life. I half joked with him that it might be a good thing that I never met them for fear I would never be good enough for their grandson. They were incredible people that I could only hope to become some day. On the other hand, I would have loved to be able learn from them. We have definitely felt the spirit of Elijah lately. Our hearts have been turning to our fathers/ancestors. We are so grateful for our heritage of so many faithful men and women. 

Simple Acts of Kindness

Tonight I received a very nice surprise from some of the Young Women in our ward. There was a plate of cookies and a nice card left on our doorstep.. It boosted my spirits today. Apparently the Young Women from our ward chose people to give a plate of cookies to. When we finished the delicious cookies (which didn't take long I might add....don't judge), they had a Young Women's value written on each plate. I was very humbled. Especially when I felt like I was struggling with different things. I thought of many other people who would have been more fitting for the plate I got. I don't even know what I had done to even deserve such a gift. I barely even know any of the young women. I was so grateful. It was a wonderful surprise. 

This was the plate I received:

We also received a nice email the other day from our daughter's teacher who commented on how much better she was doing. It was a huge relief. I almost didn't open it because I was afraid of hearing more bad news. Thankfully, it was a good report. 

Genealogy! We Are Doing It!

Over the last few days I had been working on a specific line because of some discrepancies with christening dates and other records I know to be true. I came across my third great grandfather Jordan and found out he and his wife and some children were buried near where I live. I thought it would be great if perhaps I could get some information or even just see the graves. So for FHE, we decided to take a drive to the small cemetery. It kind of made me a little sad because you couldn't see them very well because of the weeds that were growing up around it. My third and fourth great grandmother's headstones were also very difficult to read. My third great grandfather's along with two of his children's graves were just marked on pieces of wood and stuck in the ground. I hope to one day be able to replace them with ones you are able to read. The two in front and the two to each side of me are my great ancestors. 

I found them!!!

First 20 Miler!

This past Saturday, Brian entered and completed his very first 20 mile cycling "race." It was for cystic fibrosis. He did pretty good. He took it easy and finished in about 1 hour 45-50 minutes. He had fun. The kids were surprisingly pretty good. 

Nickel Auction!

Tonight my new friend Tracy decided to do a nickel auction. Basically, people bring stuff to the host's house that they would have otherwise taken to the DI, Goodwill, etc. and people bid on it starting at a nickel. Then, whatever doesn't sell, you can take it back or put it in a pile for the host to take to DI, Goodwill, etc or sell it at the next auction. Tracy decided to do it once a month with others taking turns hosting. I thought it was a great idea! I actually did pretty well. I took $6.00 and come home with $9.90! I ended up with a graduation gown (for a Halloween costume as a Harry Potter character), a skirt for me, two cd's (Shania Twain- Come on Over & the Harry Potter soundtrack) 2 pairs of jeans and a nutcracker Christmas tie and a set of knives for Brian, two dresses for Tali along with a pair of pants, a shirt, a bracelet, a purse, two pairs of pants for Jairus and a Spider-Man beanie hat, and a Star Wars shirt for Zach. It was perfect! Tali needed some new dresses, Jairus and Brian needed pants, I needed a robe of some sort and the Harry Potter soundtrack cd for Tali's class party. I can't wait for next month's nickel auction! It was so freaking awesome!

Folding Firsts

On July 29th, I had decided to let go of some things lately that have been a bit overwhelming. Laundry is one of them especially when you're doing it for six people. I've decided to turn over the laundry to my two oldest. They will be responsible for their own laundry (I of course will still handle the washing part for Jairus until he's a little older) which includes folding and putting it away to their liking. This was Jairus's first attempt at folding. He had to fold certain articles of clothing first...I guess some of my neurotic behaviors have passed on to our six year old. Oops!

I have to give him props. Not too shabby for his first time.

Silver Lining

The week before school started off crazy. We were supposed to go camping with our best friends but one thing after another prevented us from not going. We were still determined to go...for the most part. First, I had an unexpected "womanly" visit. Second, I got a summons for jury duty which fell through. Third, the kids had dental appointments I couldn't reschedule for on the day we were to leave for camp. And lastly, Brian started getting this dry cough and then started burning up with a fever. At that point, I just cancelled. Obviously, we weren't supposed to go. I don't know why, something just didn't feel right. We were desperately in need of a vacation or getaway, but were sorely disappointed. I'm sure there was a reason we weren't supposed to go and I should consider it a blessing.

That following Saturday, was a nightmare that thankfully turned out in our favor. I was downstairs with our oldest boy, Brian was upstairs with the other kids. He started to feel chilled, so he stepped into the garage for a moment. My daughter was on her tablet right by the front door. Meanwhile, someone had taken the chain off the front door and Zach decided he'd go on a "little adventure." Brian had come back in the house and came downstairs. I asked him where Zach was. We started searching the house and yard, his hiding spots, etc. we asked our daughter if she had seen him and she said no, but we noticed the front door was unlocked. We quickly gathered everyone up and checked all around the neighborhood. Still no Zach. A friend of ours came by to help and I lost it. I was having a panic attack. I could tell my lungs were full of air, but I couldn't breathe. Thankfully, Brian held it together but was still panicking on the inside. My friend started knocking on doors and a neighbor who I don't know, but my friend knew came out of their house and asked if she knew of anyone looking for a little boy with red hair. She said yes and went in and saw him just relaxing watching cartoons. When he saw her he got all excited and ran to her. Our prayers had been answered! I remember just hugging him and crying on my neighbor thanking him for finding our little guy. His response put me at ease. He simply said "this neighborhood is family." I couldn't have agreed more! 

The days that followed weren't exactly the best. In fact it was far from it. The next day we were all getting ready for church and my oldest two left the house. I immediately went after them and was still haunted by thinking we had lost our son the day before. I was so upset that I told Brian I needed to go for a walk. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew I needed time to think and process things. The thought came to me to go to the local park so I did. As I walked, I prayed for help. My emotions were so close to the surface. I had to keep it together. As I got to the park, I saw that it was empty. I was alone. I sat on a swing, closed my eyes and just started swinging. I remember pouring my heart out to God and just sobbing. All of a sudden I open my eyes and see this bird descend and perch itself on the playground close to where I was. Then it looked at me for a moment. The first thought that popped into my head was when Christ was baptized and the Holy Ghost descended like a dove. Obviously, I am in no way comparing myself to Christ, but for me it was a reminder that I wasn't alone. It was a reassurance that everything would be okay. It's funny how something so simple could be so profound. From that moment, my tears dried up and I thought "okay, I will be okay." I found peace and solace that day. That park became the holy place or a sanctuary of sorts for me. It was just what I needed to keep me going.

The next day was the first day of school. I took Jairus to his classroom and started putting donations in his teacher's bins she had for everything. Tali then tells me she is going to class so I hurry and take her things to her class. I turn around and little Zach is gone again! I then check Tali's class, go back to Jairus's class and he's not there. My thoughts went back to that previous Saturday and I thought "not again. This cannot be happening again. I cannot handle this." I see someone from my ward and ask her if she had seen him. She said no, but she helped me look for him. I went around the school one way and she went the other. I finally found him by the kindergarten teachers who thankfully recognized him and held on to him. 

The following day I had taken Zach to his first day of preschool. I had to rush back home to pick Jairus up because they went half a day for the first week due to reading assessments. I see Jairus and he ran over to me. I started talking with another teacher who happens to be our Relief Society President and I turn around and Jairus is gone. By this time, I'm wondering what the heck is going on with my children. We had had several talks about this very thing countless times over the past couple of days. I didn't know if it was just the excitement of a new school year or what, but I seriously felt that I could not take anymore of this. I go look at the bike racks and his bike and helmet are still there so I know he didn't leave. Then, I check with his teacher, she hadn't seen him. I check by the van. He's not there. I check in his classroom. He's not there. I see another woman in my ward, and ask if she could call my neighbor that lives across the street because I didn't have a cell phone and couldn't remember her number. I thought maybe he walked home and was sitting on the porch or something. One of the kindergarten teachers was keeping an eye out for him along with his teacher. Then someone asked me if the boy they just brought in was mine. I went into the office and sure enough he was there. Apparently, his sister had lunch the same time he was getting out so he went to look for her at recess behind the school. Another teacher saw him and brought him in. I was so glad to see him, but at the same time I was so mad that he just took off. As I was getting ready to leave, my RS President said to me "it looks like it was a happy ending." Then she said something jokingly that I know she meant to be light hearted and to ease the tension, but it was too soon with everything that had gone on that as soon as I was out of sight just broke down. I was feeling like a failure as a parent. I did however start counting my blessings over the last few days. It seemed to help me not slip into a depression and just lose it and give up.

The next day was Back to School Night. Brian and I decided we would split up. He would take Jairus and Zach to Jairus's class and I would take Tali and Silas to Tali's class for their presentations. Jairus's let out sooner than Tali's so he just came to her class. I look over at Brian who was holding Silas and asked him where Jairus and Zach were. They had wondered off and started playing in this little amphitheater room. By this time, I thought "I am going to either have a heart attack or get a bleeding ulcer from all of the stress and worrying" I had done that last week.

Last week, I got an email from Tali's teacher that said she had been coming in late from recess and would spend way too much time hanging out in the bathroom before lunch. She did the same thing at the beginning of last year so I decided to go and talk to her previous teacher to see how she handled things.we came to the conclusion she may just be testing her boundaries. I had emailed her current teacher and talked to the principal about it and what I would like done if it happened again. She would lose her recess privilege and have to stay in and write sentences or the rules. Thankfully, things have settled down a bit and we haven't had anymore problems with that or children running off since. Knock on wood. 

One day as I was in the middle of all of this the best thing happened. Our three old came up to me one morning, gave me a hug and said "I happy mom." Nothing could have melted my heart more than that. He then he started naming body parts (eyes, ears, etc) in German. Man, I love this kid! Then, our daughter was having a difficult time getting back into the school routine and wouldn't get up. Earlier that morning I had cut up some fresh cantaloupe because she had wanted some. She was running behind schedule so I told her that I had cut up cantaloupe for her (and everyone else). It was kind of funny how fast she moved after being told she could have some if she hurried and got ready for school. Haha! I had to laugh at that being her motivation.

Although this school year started off to be a bust, I think despite everything, I have seen some incredible blessings, prayers have been answered, and peace has come at the right time and I've gained a stronger testimony that God is aware of me and my family. He knows us and loves us. What more could I have asked for? 

Last Official Cub Scout Meeting

Today is my last official Cub Scout meeting. I will have the opportunity to see two of my boys get their Arrow of Light and Webelos awards at my very last Pack Meeting. I can't believe my time with them is over. I have some great memories from my time in scouts. The weird thing is I feel sad, but I'm okay with it. I feel like I accomplished or learned whatever it was I needed to during my time in scouts. I don't think I've ever had that feeling with other callings I've had. For Pack Meeting, I made the collage below to show the boys and parents some of the fun we've had in Cub Scouts. It's been a great three years with these boys! They are so good! I love them all! I will miss them and the awesome leaders I had the chance to serve with! It is time for a new chapter in my life though. I don't know exactly what it will entail, but I'm sure it will be great! My only wish is that these boys remember who they are and stay good and strong in their values and their faith. 

Oh my heck! I miss these boys already! I am so proud of my boys! I'm not gonna lie, I thought it was pretty cool that I got to draw on one of my scout's faces!  Hehehe!

Hahaha! These boys are awesome!

THEY DID IT!!!!!

I wish these boys the best of luck in their next scouting adventures.

School Picture Day

Today was picture day for my oldest two. I have to say I have some pretty good looking kiddos. I just love these guys! They can be little stinkers sometimes, but overall they are good kids and so good to each other. They are so goofy and yet so sweet. I love how they cheer each other on and help one another.

I wish I would have had more time for Tali's hair. They got up early enough, but chose not to be ready on time.  They like to dottle. Oh well. They're still cute!

Blessed

I found this cute gift from my friend and neighbor Camilla. She is our First Counselor in the Primary Presidency and Souting Liason. Since I found out I was being released from scouts, I had been a little sad about it. I had to chuckle though when I read the note "not do scouts" on Tuesdays which was when we normally met for Den Meetings.

I am surrounded by such great and wonderful people! I LOVE my friends and neighbors. They are great examples to me. I am so blessed by them! They may never know how much of a strength they are to me. I feel so grateful to know these amazing people! I'm so blessed!

Mixed Emotions

This past Sunday at church I was having a difficult time sitting for some reason. I felt sir crazy, but also kind of weird and uncomfortable physically. I walked out of our Sunday school class when our Second Counselor in the Bishopric stopped me and asked if we could talk. I knew what was coming. Sure enough, it did. He told me they would be releasing me in two weeks. We have Regional Conference this coming Sunday, so they have to wait and do it the following Sunday. 

I'm really going to miss my boys! I have grown to love my scouts! I'm really kind of sad about it, but I know it's God's will. 

As I was preparing for our last Den Meeting with the boys, I was calling around to parents to get permission for an activity the boys have been begging me to do. I spoke with one particular parent who asked who the new leaders were. When I told her I didn't know, she said "they better be as good as you." She told me how much her boy loved going to scouts with us which made me feel really good. It's kind of hard to let these boys go and share them with other leaders because I feel I know these boys. I have grown to love these boys. They have taught me so much! I wish I could stay, but I need to remember that other people need this opportunity to learn and grow with them too. I assume the Lord has other plans for me and I am okay with that. 

I thank Heavenly Father for giving me this opportunity to be with these boys...twice. I have had the opportunity to be with these boys as they entered Cub Scouts as Wolves and as they exit as Webelos. They are such wonderful kids. I will miss teaching them and hearing their crazy stories. They have such fun personalities. They are so kind and considerate. I have seen them help and serve one another and it makes my heart happy!

Parables

This past week or so I had been thinking a lot about the parables found in Luke 15 of the New Testament. I thought a lot about loved ones who have left the church. I don't know all of the reasons why they left, but I came across this quote in the New Testament Institute Manual by Elder Jospeh B. Wirthlin that I found to be profound. 

"Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917–2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles applied the message of the parable of the lost sheep when he taught about why people stray from the Lord and Church activity:

“Some are lost because they are different. They feel as though they don’t belong. Perhaps because they are different, they find themselves slipping away from the flock. They may look, act, think, and speak differently than those around them and that sometimes causes them to assume they don’t fit in. They conclude that they are not needed. …

“Brothers and sisters, if only we had more compassion for those who are different from us, it would lighten many of the problems and sorrows in the world today. …

“Some are lost because they are weary. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. With all the pressures and demands on our time and the stress we face each day, it’s little wonder we get tired. Many feel discouraged because they have not measured up to their potential. Others simply feel too weak to contribute. And so, as the flock moves on, gradually, almost imperceptibly, some fall behind” (“Concern for the One,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 18–19)."

It got me thinking about our Stake Conference last week. There is a need to hasten the Lord's work and help "feed his sheep" with his word. I wish I could be a better missionary and be fearless in sharing the gospel with others. I tend to keep to myself for the most part. The gospel is something I value and for me to share that part of me and have people scoff and scorn or trample it under there feet is heartbreaking for me. I know people who know the church is true but refuse to follow its teachings because they don't want to give up their current lifestyle or do what is required to have everlasting joy. If only they knew what they were giving up. I hope that I can be enough of a good example to be some sort of a light for them to bring them to a desire to "come back to the fold." I am not perfect by any means, but I am trying. I pray that I can be an instrument in bringing others to a remembrance or a knowledge of the gospel. I hope I can be enough to help others.

Another parable that I had read about was the parable of the "prodigal son." In the institute manual, it read:

"The parable of the prodigal son teaches us much about the nature and attributes of our Father in Heaven. Like the father in the parable, God will not control us, keep us from straying, or keep us from making selfish, foolish errors. Yet His love never diminishes. He is so anxious to have us return that He will run to us when we are still “a great way off.” He knows us so well that He can recognize our better selves when no one else can. Each of us, male or female, will be able to recognize something of ourselves in each of the sons in the parable.

The parable also teaches us about what the Savior does for us when we turn from sin and return to Him. Through the Atonement, He runs to welcome us home and does not require us to make the trek of repentance alone." I absolutely love these parables because it does show the true nature, love and compassion of our Heavenly Father. We can't even begin to comprehend the love he has for each of his children. I love the scriptures! Aren't they a wonderful thing? They have so much wisdom for us to learn and apply to our lives!

Mischief Managed!

Our three year old certainly keeps us on our toes. Between spilling water all over the floor, potty training, and playing in the toilet this is almost humorous....almost. I assume while he was on the potty, he lifted the lid off the tank and dropped it. I tried looking everywhere online for a new toilet lid and the least expensive I could find was about $85 + tax and shipping. Oh joy! Good thing we love our kids. 

Retro Posting

Because I am leaving Facebook, I will be posting things from it that were relevant to me and our family.

Back in July, I had the following experience:

"This may sound a little weird to some people and may be a bit personal, but it was something that struck me and I have heard some friends echo the same fears or anxieties about recent events.

This morning I woke up at 3am and for some reason started to worry a lot (I come from a line of worriers). I was very troubled and had great anxieties. As I was expressing these anxieties and fears (probably irrational fears and anxieties) to God, I thought maybe I'd study some General Conference talks instead of reading my scriptures to calm me down. Then I had the feeling that wasn't what I needed to do. I began to read the chapter heading in Mark 4, I immediately started to feel more at peace. I then read about when Christ calmed the seas and thought about what had happened this morning. I was feeling troubled by the cares of the world, but Christ had given me peace through the Holy Ghost. It really hit me when he said in Mark 4:40 "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" It really got me thinking that I need to work on exercising my faith. I remembered a talk that Elder David A Bednar gave about this same thing. I thought was incredible!"
I am so grateful that my Father in Heaven knows me so intimately and blesses me with what I need rather than what I think I need. 

Family History Stories

This past August there was a story published in The Friend magazine (an LDS magazine for kids) about my 3rd great grandmother (on my father's side). I had never heard this story...among many others.

 The story is called The Ducks New Clothes. I thought it was a funny little story. When we told it to our kids, they got a kick out of it. 

I had also read and heard of some other stories that I thought were incredible! There was a man by the name of James Stephens Brown (also on my father's side- my 3rd great grandfather (my grandfather's mother's grandfather)) who was an incredibly faithful man and a great missionary. Here is a small portion of his biography from of one of his experiences on his mission. Before he left, broth President Brigham Young and Willard Richards had told him that men would seek to take his life, but that he would return home safely and honorably. 

"The young braves came armed with muskets, shouting and yelling, saying they were going to

have a fat roast for tomorrow. They kindled fires and began shouting, singing, and dancing. They kept up a continual howl all night long, while James and his friends held prayer and testimony meeting, never sleeping a moment the whole night. The next day was spent in continued feasting and rowdiness. In the afternoon, two large ruffians came to bring James before the council. Suddenly, it was brought to James's mind the promises that had been made to him by Pres. Brigham Young and Willard Richards, that though men should seek his life, yet he should return in safety to the bosom of the Saints. The Spirit told him that he had not forfeited those promises, and all his fear was driven away. Without hesitation he arose and walked out to the beach where the people were assembled. One faithful Mormon man named Rivae and his wife with an eight month-old baby in her arms stepped forward. This brave brother said, "If you burn this man," pointing to James, "you burn me first." Then the heroic wife stepped forward, holding her babe at arm's length and shouted, "I am a Mormon and this baby is a Mormon. . . . and you will have to burn all of us, or Mormonism will grow again." Rivae and his wife were ordered to stand back, and James was confronted by Tabate, the spokesman. He said, "Iatobo, you have caused the people of our land to sin by having them to travel more than a Sabbath day's journey on the Sabbath. You have also taught the people that God is a material God, and that is not lawful to teach in our land." He then said, "Look there at that fire. It is made to consume the flesh off of your bones." At that moment the Spirit of the Lord rested mightily upon James, and he declared, "In the name of Israel's God, I defy ten of your best men, yea, the host of you, for I serve that God who delivered Daniel from the den of lions, and the three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace!" He was absolutely cool and unshaken. After this stirring speech, the natives began to

quarrel and fight with one another until the whole assemblage were fighting. There was no more talk of burning him, and he was left to do his work on the island. Some two months later as James was traveling alone he happened upon one of the old men who had been a party to the decision to burn him. When the man saw James, he turned and ran. James overtook him and demanded to know why he ran from him. He answered, "Your God is a God of power and I was afraid to meet His servant." James asked how he knew that his God was a God of power and why they had not burned him as they had decided to do. He answered, "At the moment that you defied us, there was a brilliant light or pillar of fire bore down close over your head. It was a bright as the sun. We remembered reading in the Bible about Elijah calling fire down from heaven so that it consumed the captains and their fifties. . . . The young men did not see the light. They were going to burn you, and we tried to stop them. So we got into a fight. Now we all know that you are a true servant of God and we do not like to meet you out of fear."

James later married a woman named Lydia. Her grandfather's name was John Tanner. There is actually a video of his story on the church's website as well as on Amazon Prime. It's titled "Treasure in Heaven: The John Tanner Story." I love this man and his example and faith! I am so blessed with such a wonderful heritage! 

Random Thoughts

This morning I woke up around 1:30am and couldn't get back to sleep. I kept thinking about nothing in particular, but my brain wouldn't "shutdown." 

I thought a little about my recent decision to leave social media (Facebook). On the one hand, it's a relief because of all the drama, negativity, and bad or depressing things I see on there that makes me look at people in a way that I don't want to. On the other hand, I thought about how much info I get from our community and ward pages to "keeping in touch" with family to the uplifting posts from various LDS Facebook pages. I know it can be a missionary tool, but it can also be a hindrance as well. I so want to live the gospel to the best of my ability even though I fall short in many areas. 

I guess the reason for my decision to leave Facebook comes from my desire to simplify things. To not be so distracted by how many likes or comments I get on a post. To spend my time more wisely with my family or doing those everyday things that need to get done. Doing things I actually enjoy like reading or actually communicating with others face to face and enriching the relationships I have instead of looking down at my electronic device. 

The other day I decided to look up stories from my family history and I just have to say that I am so grateful for those stories and those people! It made me think that I need to be better at journaling. I have seen and witnessed some great things. My ancestors left some incredible legacies that I cherish. I am in awe of their unshakeable steadfast faith. Brian has been working to try to put family stories in his genealogy so others may learn of their ancestors too. I love the stories because they make the person more real. More than just a name on a pedigree chart. 

Lately I've been studying the New Testament in my personal study and The Book of Mormon in our family study. Wow! It has seriously enriched my understanding and has helped me grow closer to my Savior and feel his love for me. Yesterday I was reading in Luke 12 and there were several times where the Savior had said "fear not" or something similar. Perhaps that's just what I got out of it. Anyway, I had found myself these past months worrying over so many "what ifs" that my faith was lacking. Because of recent events and dissensions of the people due to different political views, it caused my soul some serious unrest. I remember waking up in the middle of the night in a state of panic. I don't remember any dream or nightmare, I just remember thinking I've got to be prepared for whatever is coming. I've got to better prepare my children so that they can "withstand the evil day." Now I'm not advocating a "doomsday" mentality, but I just want to make sure that my family and I are prepared for whatever lies ahead for us. One thing happened though in my moment of panic that was unexpected. I remember thinking of ways to calm my nerves. I remembered a talk Elder David A. Bednar gave in General Conference not too long ago about the fears of the world and overcoming them. I remembered feeling peaceful when I had heard it. I decided that morning I was going to search for it and read it or listen to it instead of reading my scriptures. I got this feeling that was what I needed to do, but without even thinking about it I opened my scriptures to the chapter I was supposed to read that day and in the chapter heading it hit me. The reason why I needed to read my scriptures that day. It was when Christ walked on water and Peter beckoned to come to him, but there was a tempest or something and Peter took his eyes off the Savior because he was afraid and began to sink. I imagine that when the Savior said "O ye of little faith" it wasn't in a harsh or chastising tone. I imagine it was in a loving tone reminding Peter as well as us just who he is. That he will not leave us to utter destruction as long as we come unto him and have our eyes and our faith fixed on him. As I read that that, I had this overwhelming peace come to me. 

Last night at dinner (which is almost always chaotic) we were reading in 3rd Nephi 18. That has got to be by far one of my favorite chapters! It was my turn to read and as I read about Jesus blessing the children, it touched me. I tried to imagine my family there gathered around the Savior and him blessing my children one by one. What a scene that must have been! Seeing them encircled about with angels like fire. What a miraculous and wonderful thing! It made me reflect on my struggles of the day with my kids. I could have handled things better, but it made me think of how truly special these "little ones" are. 

I've been reflecting on the things spoken at our Stake Conference this past weekend. One thing that hit me like it never had before was the account of "The First Vision." I contemplated even writing about an experience or rather a dream or two I had similar but yet different from Joseph's. There are very few who know this but I felt like I should share. We know from the account that Joseph was confused about which church to join, came across James 1:5 and decided to go to the woods to pray and was seized upon by an unseen being. His tongue was bound and he could not speak. When he thought he was about to be destroyed, he saw a light brighter than noonday sun descending upon him. He saw God the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. Now, I did not have such a miraculous vision or anything, but in these two similar dreams which involved my kids (which made it much worse) I was seized upon by some darkness. I remember my tongue was bound so I could not speak. I remembered in these dreams the account of the "First Vision" and the stories of the "casting out of evil spirits." I remember begging and pleading with God to save and deliver me and my kids from this being. Then I woke up. Perhaps that was my deliverance. Perhaps I had those dreams to testify of the goodness of God. Perhaps I had those dreams to more fully appreciate and understand the importance of the "First Vision." I don't know. As I listened of the account again in Stake Conference, the spirit confirmed to me that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God with a divine work to do. He really did see Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ. I knew it was all true. 

DNA Results!

A while ago, Brian and I decided to do a DNA test for genealogy purposes. He got his results back, but I had to resubmit my sample. Big shocker. 51% is from...wait for it...Scandanavia. Big shock with the pale skin, red highlights, and green eyes. I had a pretty good guess it would mostly be from Sweden and Norway. It was kind of cool though to see how many matches of how many close relatives there were. I am hoping to get in touch with some of them and perhaps add more to my genealogy. I will look more into it, but for now, I need to go to bed. Tomorrow will be a busy day.

This is my "ethnicity estimate." I thought it was pretty cool, but now I kind of feel like a mutt. Tali thought it was really cool because I am "part African." I had to remind her it was less than 1%. It was fun to see these results and I'm glad I did it. For those interested, I just got an email yesterday that the kits are on sale for $79 when they are normally $99. I highly recommend doing it. I was a bit surprised by some of my results.

Freeze Dried Zucchini & Peas

On August 26th, we had some zucchini we didn't know what to do with, so we decided to freeze dry it. It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.

Before:

After:

First Day of School

I'm a little behind on things right now. It's been a bit of a frustrating week. Anyway, here are some collages I made of the kids' first day of school. Tali and Jairus started on August 22nd, but Zach didn't start until August 23rd. They all seem to really enjoy their teachers.

Talitha- 3rd Grade:

Jairus- 1st Grade:

Zacharias- Preschool (1st year):

Scouts & Opportunities

I (Amy) have been in scouts for just about three years. At first, I hated scouts. I didn't like the politics of it. At the time, there was this decision made about homosexual men teaching scouts when board members of the church were unable to attend because of General Conference or something. I can't remember all of the details at the moment, but there had been talk about the LDS church possibly pulling out of the scouting program. At that time I was wishing they would have. President Thomas S Monson must have decided the scouting program was too important to walk away from because we (the LDS aka Mormon church) are still a part of scouting. I didn't consider myself "scout leader" material at all. I always thought the scout leader had to be someone much less girly than me. I mean, come on. I squirm when I see snakes, spiders, certain bugs and creepy crawlers.

I had asked to be released after having Silas. They told me it would be a few weeks. We then had a committee meeting one Sunday to discuss pack meeting and other things coming up. As I sat there, I got this distinct impression that "I was not done." It was almost as if someone was basically telling me that I needed to change my attitude toward scouting. Obviously, President Monson thought it was important enough to be a part of, so I should sustain him in that decision. If it was good enough for President Monson, it was good enough for me. Since then, I had tried to change my attitude with success. I grew to love it and the boys more and more. When I was first in scouts, I taught Wolves for about two years and had two different companions. I then was moved to Webelos (teaching my first group that I had as Wolves) when about a month after I was informed I would be getting a new companion. This was in late February, early March. It is now August, and I still don't have an official Assistant Den Leader. Not for a lack of trying. There was a lot going on that I won't go into because this blog is still public. It was okay though because my friend and scout liaison Camilla Frank was a big help and did as much as she could. I later recruited Brian and he was more than happy to help. He and I make a good team. We taught in Nursery years ago when Tali and Jairus were younger and it worked great! He's so good to work with and I feel that together, things go more smoothly. 

At our last committee meeting, we were discussing parental involvement and me needing a new, official companion and my frustrations. I mentioned how I felt we as scout leaders were being ignored. I talked about and bore my testimony of scouting before I even knew what I was saying, words were just flowing out of my mouth and I started getting a little emotional. After the meeting I leaned over to our Cub Master and said "Watch. I bet now that I'm feeling more comfortable with scouts, they'll (the bishopric) will release me." We both kind of chuckled at that. The funny thing is, I got this impression like someone was saying "okay, now you're done."

That afternoon, I went in and spoke with our bishop about my frustrations with still not having an official companion called. I told him I felt like we were being forgotten and that we were losing another leader (because they were moving) and I was concerned with what was going to happen. I told him I loved scouts, but I couldn't keep doing it on my own. My good bishop was understanding. He asked how long I had been in scouts and I told him about three years. I had learned a lot and proceeded to tell him of the changing experiences I had. He told me that my name had come up for other callings and asked how I would feel with a new calling. I had to kind of laugh because my thoughts went back to what our Cub Master and I had discussed earlier that day. I told him how much I really loved my scouts, but I will do whatever it was they needed me to do. So, I guess for now, I just wait. 

There were some other changes recently too. My visiting teaching route was changed. I'm okay with it though because now I have my friends Camilla, Leora, and a possible distant cousin. I'm actually kind of excited. I was also recently asked to help out with some humanitarian projects through our stake Relief Society for the General Women's Conference and broadcast coming up. I felt so grateful to be a part of this great project! I can't wait to get started! I feel as though this opportunity was just what I needed. I felt so strongly about helping out, so I'm very grateful to be involved this way.

Silas's 1st Birthday!

I cannot believe how quickly year has passed away! I was going over some photos and memories of when this little one was born. He definitely gave us a good scare! I didn't get the chance to hold him or care for him as much as I would have liked the first week of his life. When he was born, he wasn't breathing very well on his own because he had a lot of gunk in his lungs and had pneumonia. He was born at only 4lbs. 15oz. and was 17.5 in. long. There were other issues, but I think I may have blocked them out. He had to be on a breathing and feeding tube. It was agony seeing him hooked up to so many machines. However, we are truly blessed by the good Lord who spared his life so that we could celebrate his first birthday! He is a fighter and a warrior! I cannot begin to describe how relieved Brian and I both felt when we were able to take him home. Every day with this boy (as well as our other children) is a gift and a blessing that I thank God for! My life has been so enriched! 

Here are some photos from his birth, some fun memories of his first year, and hist birthday festivities.

This little guy is such a joy! Always happy and smiling.

One year photo shoot.

We love our precious baby boy!

Decorations and cake.

Halloween Preview!

Who's ready for a cuteness overload of Halloween?!?

Mario Brothers costumes:

Star Wars:

Little Buddies

One day I decided to do an impromptu photo shoot with our two baby boys. It's was so fun. Our boys were so good. Silas looked at us like we were a couple of weirdos, but we soon converted him. Hehe!

Zachy Vader is 3!

Our little Zachy recently turned 3! 

We decided to throw a Star Wars party for him with kids from his nursery class at church. It was a lot of fun, but a little stressful. We did a little mini Jedi training, played a game where I taped a bunch of stormtrooper pictures on some cups and one Vader picture in the middle where they had to try to shoot Vader with a Nerf gun, and then we had a Vader piñata. I thought it ended up pretty cool.

This boy is all about Darth Vader, Kylo Ren & Yoda.

Sunday we had a little family gathering for his birthday which I loved. We had "Hoth" dogs, Luke "Skywater" and I was going to make "Han's Rolo" cookies, but because of the cake, I thought it was a bit much.

He had such a great birthday weekend.

My Love!

A few weeks ago, I was challenged to post photos of Brian and I that support strong marriages. I came across these photos of when we were dating. 

Our first camping trip with some friends. It was quite the interesting campout.

Brian being a typical boy. Pulling my braided hair. Yep, he liked me!

I also made some collages of pictures we've taken together. Dating, Engagement, & Married photos.

Family Adventures:

Terrific Talitha

Tali can be pretty feisty, but she is also such a terrific girl! She's very friendly. She's also very creative. She went visiting teaching with me one day and made a giraffe for our dear friend Leora all on her own. She loves reading and this summer we had gone to our local school for story time and a craft. She was always so excited to go. 

This girl is so beautiful, talented and smart and loving.