One of those days…

Do you ever just get down, worried and stressed out?  Or have a whole day where you just want to cry…or you do cry?  I have felt that way this weekend.  Life is hard.  Seriously.  It’s not easy.  Jobs are hard, parenting is hard, seeing others go through difficult times is hard.  This morning I woke up and I didn’t want to do anything.  I just felt the weight of the world on my shoulders.  Now I am not telling you this for sympathy or a batch of cookies brought to my door.  I am telling you this because as hard as it is at times we have to get up and keep going.  After a hard weekend of trying to figure out some stuff in our own personal life, I just didn’t want to do anything.  Currently right now I am just getting to the point of realizing I should just get up and get on with life.  Nothing is going to get better with me just sitting around. 

I had felt prompted all weekend to read my Patriarchal Blessing.  You can read more about what these are here. I kept putting it off, feeling grumpy and not wanting to read it.  It has been a while since I read it.  But finally after my amazing husband left for work leaving me with a clean house and reassuring words I went and got it.  And as I read it I felt peace.  Man, why does the spirit always have to be right!?!

Life isn’t perfect, it won’t ever be, but if we don’t loose faith in God and we put our trust in him and his plan for our family and live as righteously as we can, I know my family , and yours, will be blessed!  So here’s to getting through those tough days. 

“Our testimonies can be strengthened and fortified and our lives given greater purpose every time we read and reread our patriarchal blessings.” Your Patriarchal Blessing by James E. Faust

 

What a day with the Blue Angels!

Today was a day of celebration and fun.  My husbands parents came to town last night to take us to the Blue Angels air show today.  We started out our morning dressing in green, pinching daddy and eating a breakfast of Green Milk and Lucky Charms (my 3 year old was mad I didn’t buy Marshmallow Mattie's…silly boy, these are better!)

Then we were off to the air show.

It Was AMAZING!  I am considering a career in Wing Walking! 

That looks awesome! 

The Blue Angels were fabulous and we all really loved the F22 Raptor!

 

Little Mister was SO good, infact my favorite part of the whole show was holding him while he napped twice. 

The kids stayed close to us and we didn’t have any scares of being lost in a crowd of 30,000 people {I threatened then on the way there that if anyone wondered off we would never go any were again with crowds of people until they were teenagers.)  They were awesome!  I was grateful that the wind only picked up as we were walking to the car.  It was crazy and dusty and I could barely see through my wild hair!

If you ever have a chance to go to one of these show…GO.  They are AMAZING!

Oh and go enter this giveaway over at Chocolate on my Cranium today.  That book looks really good!

"Beautiful Life" by Mercy River

If you haven't heard these ladies sing they are awesome and their new cd Higher just got released this month!  This song "Beautiful Life" is awesome!



Mercy River will be guest posting on my blog and doing a giveaway of their new CD soon, so tell your friends and follow me on Facebook to know when that is going to happen.  Have a wonderful weekend.

I had a wonderful anniversary, and tomorrow we are going to the Blue Angels Air Show!  So excited!

10 Years of Marital Bliss

I can't believe we have been married 10 years today!  10 YEARS is a long time!  That is half my life that I lived at home.  Crazy to think about.

Weren't we so cute...

 and young...

 and Skinny :)

 Love old wedding pictures. 

So much has happened in 10 years.  Trials and blessing, many many blessings!  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband.  Sure we have had our ups and downs, but mostly many wonderful ups!

Here are 10 things I love about my husband.

1. He loves me for me.  He doesn't care about how much I weigh, or if I have a zit, or if I fail on my diet, or if I cut my hair, or color it blue (which I have never done, maybe I should try it to see if he would still love me :).  
2. He is the hardest worker I know!
3. He is super handsome.
4. I love when he laughs!
5. He is a good spiritual leader in our home and to others around him. 
6. We work SO well together.  We communicate about everything and work hard together to achieve our goals
7. He supports me as a mom in all that I do, Blogging, Homeschooling, Exercising, Hobbies and Callings
8. He is the best dad in the whole world.  I am not kidding.  He is such a good daddy
9. He does dishes and laundry!
10. He loves me SO MUCH!

I am excited to spend many many many more years with him

Oh and if you are wondering if we are going on a trip...we aren't :(  I know sad, but it's ok because we are trying to buy a house before summer so we are saving our pennies and crossing our fingers!  Maybe later this year, or next year, but I will be more than happy with a house!

Lego Ninjago Party

My little Jack Jack really wanted to have a Ninja party.  Like I have mentioned before they are all for theme parties.  Even for adults. They are always asking “well what kind of party is it?”  I love it!  I love parties, and planning then, but mostly I love when they are over.  This year I felt a bit busy and scattered {since I actually went and bought the stuff for the party the night before!}  So I asked my husband to help me.  He made the invitations a week in advanced.   Aren’t they so cute! 

He also helped me with the cake and the decorations.   He is a natural at cake decorating. {Actually I think he hated the whole process because I am such a perfectionist, but he was good at dusting a way colored sugar and graham cracker crumbs).  I found this Lego Ninjago cake in the family fun magazine for the month and showed it to Jack Jack and he was so excited for mommy to make it.  So I had to.  It ended up actually being really fun to make.   

I colored my own sugar and instead of Shredded Wheat I used graham crackers and I used different less expensive candies for the training ground.  We also only had one Ninjago, so I borrowed some from a neighbor! 

I think it turned out pretty darn cute if you ask me!  And Jack Jack loved it!

My husband came up with the game “Pin the Sword of the Ninjago” So on Thursday night I pulled out all the art skills I could muster and drew a Kia, the Red Ninjago.  Now don’t look at this and think I am an artist (although my kids think I am amazing)  I had to hold the red ninja in my hand the whole time and I erased a ton, but in the end I think he turned out to be somewhat of a cute squatty ninja! My kids made a sword for all the kids that were coming to the party! Oh and don’t look to closely at the spelling (I didn’t say I was good at spelling…especially the word Ninjago-NinGago!)

My husband decorated the front room with Chinese Characters and Red and Black (Like ninja…ya know?!)

My daughter even made a gong!

The kids colored when they first got to the house and then ate pizza and apples!

Then they did a little Obstacle course my husband made up where they walked on 2x4’s, jumped over something and then saved a Lego!  It was really cute and all the kids had a lot of fun.  Then we did Pin the sword on the Ninja.  I realized this wasn’t the best game for 3 and 4 year olds.  They don’t think it is very funny if they miss the ninja and put it on another wall…oops!  Then they did presents, had cake and went home.  They all graduated from the Ninja Academy and so we gave them these gummies and told them they could now be “Life Savors”!

I still can’t believe this little guy is 4.  Boy how times flies when your having fun!  And this is what this little man is all about…fun!

He's Finally Fowa {4}

This little guy has been asking to be four for a long time now.  I am so glad I get to be this little guys mom.  He is such a funny little munch and I love him so much!

 Happy Birthday my little Jack Jack!

The many faces of a four year old that will not look at the camera!

  

  

Come back tomorrow and I will tell you all about his Lego Ninjago birthday party!

Sunday Repost–Spring Break

It’s our spring break this week!  I love spring break, but sometimes my kids get bored with out structure, so I am trying to come up with something each day to do with the kids.  I know most of our time will be spent outside riding bikes and  playing at the park, but I thought I would post my list of things to do when your kids are bored {because I despise that word}. 

I’m Bored

Have a fun week.  even if you aren’t Spring Breaking right now.  Go do something in this beautiful weather!

Provide Relief by Serving the Lord and His children

This is the last purpose of the Relief Society.  There is so much we can do to serve others.  Our visiting teaching is one great thing we can do each month to help and strengthen the sisters in our own ward.  We serve our families everyday. What else can we do to serve the Lord and his children?  I loved these two Mormon Messages called Unselfish Service and Have I Done Any good in the World Today?

 

“You can never love the Lord until you serve him, by serving his people.”

President Monson

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  Spend some fun time with your family and enjoy your Sunday!  I’m going to finish making my sons Lego Ninjago cake for his 4th birthday party and go to sleep!  My older kids are so excited for his party tomorrow…I think even more excited than Jack Jack.  Oh the joys of birthday parties!! 

Strengthen Families and Homes

I decided I wanted to talk about the 2nd purpose....Strengthen families and homes. Mainly because this is something that I am not perfect at and am striving to work on every day.
Within the last 12 years since I left the Young women’s program they have added this phrase to the Young women’s theme...We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values, we will be prepared to strengthen home and family
We as women have such a HUGE impact in the home and on the family. It hit me yesterday as I was thinking about what to say that these three things are in this order for a reason. We will not be able to strengthen our families and homes if we are not trying to increase in faith and personal righteousness. It just won't work. And if we aren't doing those top two things there is NO way we will be able to provide relief by serving the Lord and His children.
As far as strengthening our homes I always think of this scripture in D&C 88:119

“Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”

I also think of what goes on in our homes, To go along with the theme....Do we show love in our homes, what we are teaching or talking about, what are we listening to, is our home clean, can you feel the spirit when you are there.
A while ago my uncle who is an amazing man was at my house, we had been chatting and he looked me in the eye and said “it feels good here, I can tell this is a place that the spirit like to be”
Although I am sure there are moments when the spirit doesn't want to be in my home I was so grateful that he felt that way. I always want my home to be a place where the spirit wants to be.
A little while ago I went into a home of a friend and felt that exact same feeling.  It was strange because I haven't ever really thought about it when I go to peoples homes...but from the moment I walked in I felt the spirit very strong in that home.
A while ago I asked my readers what they thought of when I said “Strengthen families and homes”
One lady responded,

”Strengthening homes and families is probably the most important thing we as mothers can do. And not only our own family, but helping others also. Of course the things we do each day (prayer and scripture study) are the building blocks to a strong family, but ultimately I think teaching our children to think about Christ and treat others like Christ would treat them is what will strengthen our families. If Christ is the main focus of our lives, He will be the main focus of their lives and that will be a protection and guiding force in their life and influence every decision they make.”

Another lady said,

“I have prayerfully considered this at the beginning of the year and one thing we are focusing on in our family is exact obedience. If we put the Lord first in all that we do and are exactly obedient to all gospel principals we will be strengthened and more easily guided by the spirit. My prayer is that if I try my best to have a "house of order" my children will be disciplined in all areas off their lives especially when it comes to making and keeping sacred covenants. So if at times my children think I am, quote "the meanest mom in the world" for not wavering from a house rule. I lovingly tell them," I say what I mean, and I mean what I say and rules keep us safe".

Love Both of those! They totally uplifted my thoughts about family life!  In the proclamation to the world it says “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, [and] to observe the commandments of God”
Daily we need to help our children understand the spirit and to recognize it, and to try our hardest to be good.
I just watched a movie called Courageous in the movie there is a part where a man is talking to his guy friends and says something like...we only have a short amount of time with our kids at home to teach them and let them know how much we care about them and about how much God loves them, and to teach them morals and values. He says “we need to stop wasting our time and be with our families
I know many of you sisters who's kids have left can attest to this statement that kids do grow up fast, so don't miss the opportunity to teach them.
Strengthening home and family means to provide a place where we have the spirit in our homes, where we teach and love and serve on a daily basis...like it says in Deuteronomy 6:5-7

5And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these swords, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

I found a great list from a talk called Strengthening Families: Our Sacred Duty by Elder Hales that had a great list of ideas to help us as parents identify areas that need strengthening in our homes and families!

{You can right click on this list and save it to your computer and print it}

I am so thankful for my family and that I get to be a mom.  It’s the best thing in the world and I wouldn’t choose anything else on this earth to do! Although hard I know if I ask God for help he will help my husband and I strengthen our home and family and bring us closer to him!

Increase in Faith and Personal Righteousness

Remember when I wrote about the new purposes of the Relief Society here.

1. Increase in faith and personal righteousness.
2. Strengthen families and homes.
3. Provide relief by serving the Lord and His children.

The thing I found most interesting about these 3 purposes is that they are in the order they are for a reason. In order to do the 2nd and 3rd purpose you really need to be working on the first and it’s hard to do the third if you aren’t doing the first or second.  Agree?

For the next 3 days I am going to talk about each of them.  The first one is to Increase in faith and personal righteousness.

I love that they chose to use the word “Increase”. To increase means to make greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality.  So it’s not something we have to be perfect at, but something that we are working at to make greater.  Faith and Personal Righteousness are not something that you can develop over night.  It is something we have to work on on a daily basis.  Sometimes we may struggle and lose faith or feel like our personal righteousness is lacking. 

This is something we need to work on daily.  How? 

Here is a list of things I think of when it comes to increasing my faith and personal righteousness

• Am I reading my Scriptures daily, and not just reading them, but trying to learn from them?
• Am I saying my personal prayers night and day asking the spirit to be with me throughout my day?
• Am I helping to have peace in my home, or am I getting distracted by other things?
• Am I attending the temple at least once a month?
• Am I going to church?
• Am I willingly doing my visiting teaching?
• Am I exercising my faith instead of thinking all is hopeless?
• Am I trusting God and his plan for my life?
• Am I being a good friend?
• Am teaching my kids gospel principles on a daily basis?
• Am I working each day to be a better person.

I don’t do these perfectly.  I should, but don’t.  But the good thing about the gospel is we can try harder the next day.  God wants us to be better he wants us to work harder and he is there to help us each day if we ask!  We can daily increase in our personal righteousness by trying harder each day to be better. 

Elder Keith B. McMullin says, “The more we cleave unto righteousness, the more we enjoy the protecting care of our Savior. He is the Creator and Lord of the universe. He will calm the winds and the waves. His teachings and Atonement will heal the repentant soul….”

Any thoughts?  I’d love to hear from you!