Liberty Jail

After visiting Independence, we traveled to Liberty Jail.

We traveled to Liberty, Missouri, 

which is only about 30 minutes apart by car.

But I would imagine traveling by horse or wagon was far.

The missionary couple liked the boys monster pants. 

She took pictures to send to her daughter-in-law.

When we first arrived, we were the only people 

by the end of the tour there were 5 other families.

Liberty Jail held 5 men for many months on false charges.

The holding cell was had a low roof, 

and some of the men couldn't stand up straight.

While the men were held here, their families moved from Missouri to Illinois.

Joseph Smith prayed to God here and asked why this trial.
God answered,

"all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." Doctrine and Covenant 122:7

Trials are for our improvement. We are to learn about who we are and if we are willing to follow God's will. Some trials are really hard and awful - not jail kind of awful. Some trials are better than others. Apparently God thinks we can do a lot of things so he gives us trials.

Independence, Missouri

After church on Sunday, the boys and I visited LDS Church history sites 

in the Kansas City area.

We went to Independence, Missouri LDS Visitor's Center.

A children's area was a lot of fun 

with a covered wagon, a cabin, and a well.

 

A sister missionary gave us a tour. 

The presentation talked about why the Saints moved from Ohio to Missouri.

The Saints built a very beautiful community and were very happy.

Eventually the other settlers were concerned 

because so many Saints were moving into their communities.

The Saints were eventually forced to leave.

We had family members who moved to Missouri and then moved to Illinois. 

The faith they had in God was stronger than a place or their circumstances.

I want to believe that God has a plan and being willing to follow his plan 

like our ancestors.

Oklahoma City Temple

After the Memorial, I took the boys to see the Oklahoma City Temple.

They didn't know where we were going.

When we pulled into the parking lot, each boy said,

"I see Angel Moroni."

They looked at the temple and said,

"It's really small."

The temple looks like it might be smaller
than the chapel that shares the same lot. 

Small temples are wonderful.

Gordan B. Hinckley taught about why all temples are important.

We are thankful for the promises that temples hold for 

FAMILIES TO BE TOGETHER FOREVER.

I am so happy to have this travel experience with the boys.

I want to be with them forever.

Pioneer Day

We celebrated Pioneer Day with our ward on Saturday.

We arrived for pancakes, sausage, and eggs.

Sweetheart stepped up to flip pancakes.

A bike parade was held. Hurricane brought the side car.

Sweetheart brought out his Scout and drove it around all day.

The day before we watched 17 Miracles and talked about our ancestors.

We talked about their courage, faith, and determination.

We asked the boys how they were pioneers and to think about it.

Put your Trust....to Do Good

And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good--yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive.

~ Doctrine and Covenants 11:12-14

Egg Hunt

To celebrate Easter,

our friends host an egg hunt.

They have a pot luck lunch.

It is usually at the end of spring break.

There are 3 quadrants.

Big children - hidden in the cacti in the back

Medium-sized children - less cacti and HOA cleaned land

Little children - front side walk and manicured yard

Underfoot attended a birthday party

but was allowed to gather before he went.

Hurricane was excited to gather eggs

 and was worried about Underfoot getting some.

I'm glad Hurricane is watching out for Underfoot.

Temple Day

"Temples are more than stone and mortar. They are filled with faith and fasting. They are built of trials and testimonies. They are sanctified by sacrifice and service. ... Why are so many willing to give so much in order to receive the blessings of the temple? Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, or too much discomfort to endure. They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort."

~ Thomas S. Monson (April 2011)

Minute to Win It

Yesterday I shared Chubby Bunny. Chubby Bunny was one of eight parts to a game called Minute to Win It. Auntie M. organized 8 different games to play within a one minute time frame.

One of the games to was wrap a mummy with out breaking the "gauze" a.k.a. toilet paper. This Mama-Daughter team won.

This Daddy -Daughter team giggled while being wrapped.

Miss A appears to be very comfortable in her new "threads."

Another game was to see how many beans you could suck up and move to a new bowl. I don't think the beans were recycled.

When the beans were spit out they went all over the floor if too much force was used. Other team members would pick up the beans and add them to the plate.

In the end Auntie M. said that in our lives each day we make choices that take less than a minute that can change how we treat someone, react to news, or what we choose to do with our time. If we combine the minutes to study the words in scriptures, serve someone who needs a lift, or slink into our own desires, we make big choices for the rest of our lives. Auntie M.'s thought is profound that a simple minute can make such a BIG difference.

A Short One

We attended sacrament meeting with my Uncle and his family. After the blessing of the sacrament, Hurricane announced in his outside voice, "That was a short one" in reference to the prayer. We smiled to ourselves that he was paying close attention. He later fell asleep.

What strikes me is that the sacrament helps me remember the covenants that I made at my baptism to always remember Jesus Christ. Even though the prayers are short, they help me to keep myself close to God and the promise given that he will forgive me as I repent and continue to keep the commandments during the week. I hope you felt God's love today in your church service to be better for the coming week.

Mother Education

How does one become a mother? I do not mean physically being a mother more so using the word mother as a verb. Phrases like "being a mother bear" communicates to protect or "kissing the hurt away" as a way to nurture. Mothering is more than just giving birth or taking a child into one's care. Mothering is teaching, tending, caring, protecting, and many other act verbs. Often love is used as an action verb. I venture to say that mothering is the most active of all verbs because "motherly teaching takes time—lots of time. It cannot be done effectively part-time. It must be done all the time in order to save and exalt your children. This is your divine calling" (Benson, E. T., To the Mothers in Zion, Feb 1987).

Knowing how to be a mother is not always common knowledge. A woman spoke in our sacrament meeting about how she learned to be a mother. She said she petitioned God in prayer, listened to the Holy Spirit, and watched how other mothers mothered. She learned from the women around her and asked questions to God and others. I am learning how to be a mother and to have "perfect" children. I feel that I fail often especially when my sons pray at night and in the morning that Mama won't be angry. (I'm working on it by the way.)

Recently a resource was provided to assist mothers in their quest to be better called Mother Education. They are lessons that were taught to Relief Society sisters in the 1990s over the course of 4 years. I have enjoyed what I have started to learn to be a better Mama. I hope you will join me in learning how to mother better with your own children, nieces or nephews, or children around you. I'd love to hear of your success!

Princes and Kings

My Grandpa had a favorite poem. He asked that we learn the poem. Over the past few weeks we have every morning at breakfast recited it.

Underfoot needed to share a talk in Junior Primary. He decided to use the poem as part of his talk. We drew and colored pictures for R. L. Sharpe's poem, "A Bag of Tools."

Isn't it strange that Princes and Kings,

And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,

And common people like you and me,

Are builders for eternity?

 Each is given a bag of tools

A shapeless mass, a book of rules

And each must make, ere his life is flown -

A stumbling block or a Stepping Stone.

 (End of Poem - Rest of Talk)

I know that Jesus will help me to build Stepping Stones.

One of the Stepping Stones is to be baptized.

When I turn 8 years old, I will choose to be baptized.

Phone time & Prayer

Lately, I've been silent. And I'm not sure if I'm ready to return to this space.

Yet.

It's time to share again. About family. About love. About our current lesson.

We try to talk with Grandparents often. Hurricane is on the phone to his namesake. He is listening intently on what is being said so he can return with his typical response about tractors and trains. He loves tractors and trains like his Grandpas. 

I like how the look on his face has soften. He started to really listen.

He talked for a while and then was done.

As I took these pictures, I was hoping to share them with his Grandpa who he was talking with. He will ask how the tractors are running and when it is his turn to drive them. (This is my child that pulled the car out of gear and if I don't watch my car keys carefully will start the car on his own.)

At times, I just talk in prayer and listen for the cues that I want to hear back instead of what I really need to hear and feel. And those few times that I soften and really listen I know that God hears me talk and answers to my heart that I will be okay even if it isn't in the way I want. I'm learning that lesson over and over again.

Simple and Sweet: A Mite

At times I believe that I want to be the most of everything. I want to be praised and especially recognized for what I do that is good. In Matthew, Christ teaches that we are to not to serve others to be praised but for the glory of God.

The following Bible story shows the account of the widow's mite. She comes quietly and with dignity to bring her offering to her Father in Heaven.

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For more accounts of Christ's life, please look at The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos.

Simple and Sweet: A Big Brother

In an attempt to get more physical exercise, I pushed our boys up our hill. I asked them to get ready. And this is what I got on one boy. He was obedient and put shoes on. They are both his older brothers.

I am the oldest in my family. I've liked being the oldest. Growing up I was told (by Grandparents) that I needed to be an example that all the others would look to me for what I would do. In some ways, there was a lot of pressure in that comment. In a different light though, apparently my Grandparents believed I had great potential to do great things. I have done some pretty great things. Right now in my role as a Mom, I'm trying to do good things so they will become great boys.

They decided to share a blanket on the chilly morning.

I've been learning lately that I don't have control over everything in my life. Something I desperately want. I especially would like to know how the plot turns out so I can go along my way. Yet it is not the plan God has for me. He wants me to trust and wait on him. Robert D. Hales talked about waiting on the Lord and said that from the scriptures waiting is "means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust." (Source) So when I look at Hurricane who looks to his older brother for help and a way to be, and then I look at Underfoot as he and his brother look to us, their parents, on what will be, they have given us an incredible amount of trust. And it is similar to how God wants me to look to him.

Wow! What a great realization!

Elder Hales explains:

We realize that the purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences. How do we do this? The scriptures give us an answer in one simple phrase: we “wait upon the Lord.” Tests and trials are given to all of us. These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son. He already knows, and we have the opportunity to learn, that no matter how difficult our circumstances, “all these things shall [be for our] experience, and … [our] good.” (Source)

 We have the choice to follow Jesus Christ and his teachings to learn and grow. As Easter continues to approach, I continue to think about the power that Christ gave to each of us to deliver us from death and sin to experience joy.

As I walked, I thought of our journey in the moment up the hill. It was a push and hard. But as I've thought about what life is that it too is a push and hard. And can be made easier if we look to Jesus Christ as our big brother and example.

Snapshot: March 2012

We celebrated a birthday last week! He asked for a purple light saber cake.

 Underfoot loves to sing. We found at a yard sale a karaoke machine. He sang and sang and sang Primary songs at the top of his lungs.

This is pure joy in him. His eyes are lit up like he's got the best thing in the whole world!

Hurricane also likes to sing. He turns the volume up as high as it will go. I've been amazed at his memory for the words to the songs.

These boots were made for walkin'.... After wearing the same cowboy boots for one year, he got new ones. The boots wore through the sole.

Some times we need to eat ice cream from the bucket.

This other part of this week has been a sad one for us. My cousin, Eldy, passed away. We were very shocked to learn about his death. Eldy was always kind and had a smile for anyone he met. It was said that he never knew a stranger. He was honest and very entrepreneurial.

His sister shared a thought that I think each of need to remember.

Checkin' Out

My Grandpa would say this phrase every time I would hang up with him on the phone. "When are you coming again? I'll probably check out before then." I would respond that he wouldn't check out, and I'd see him or talk to him again. He always told me he loved me before we hung up on the phone.

Yesterday he checked out. And just in the manner he would have liked - quick and with his dignity. I was called and told he went to the hospital in the early evening. When I called back later (because I had silenced my phone), he had passed.

The tender mercies we have seen as a family have been that he passed quickly. He carried his dignity with him and did not need to have assisted care. He was not alone at his home. He did not fear death. He understood that death is part of God's plan to be with family and friends and await the resurrection.

Watching the flowers grow...

The sweet boy painted this picture. He presented it to me with a story.

Mom - This is a picture of you watching the flowers and me grow.

He has insight. I am watching him grow and grow quickly. My heart wants him to stay in his sweet boy stage. He is thoughtful, kind, helpful, and a little sassy at times. Mary watched her Son "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." I would like to follow the example of Mary and help my sons grow in intelligence, physical prowess, spiritually, and socially. We have started to talk about going to school next year and how excited he is to go to "high school" (elementary). We have some specific lessons to learn together before we make the school leap together.

Let Your Light Shine

Day 23

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

When you wish upon a star....

Have you ever wished on a star? Have you ever looked into the heavens and wondered great deep thoughts?

The wise men knew what the star meant when it appeared in the sky. They knew and packed up for an adventure. Do you know wise men who seek and know the signs of the coming of Christ?

My Auntie has a plaque that says, "Wise men still seek Him....."

We are leaving for a family adventure! We hope to see lights and make memories! And to have good conversation for seeking Christ!

Be A Builder

Moving away from home was an exciting adventure. First to college. Then on a mission. And finally with my Sweetheart. Home in my heart will always be Idaho. I know that I have a family now, and our home is where we are living. Yet in my heart, Idaho is my promised land. I love how well I know the land where I came from. I love the people there. I love my growing up and the many, many memories it evokes.

Many prophets talked about how the children of Israel would one day be carried off as slaves because of their disobedience. Yet they were promised they would return to build the walls of their promised land in Jerusalem. Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and started the work. The people in the land weren't too keen on him doing this work, and tried to trick him to leave his work. He answered them saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" (source) 

If the children of Israel were to return to Jerusalem before the birth of Christ, how do we prepare for the Second Coming of Christ? He is promised to return. The signs prophesied of Christ's coming surround us. Russell M. Nelson says:

Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord “shall suffer persecution.”¹ That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.

How you deal with life’s trials is part of the development of your faith. Strength comes when you remember that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of infinite worth. The Lord has reminded you, your children, and your grandchildren that you are lawful heirs, that you have been reserved in heaven for your specific time and place to be born, to grow and become His standard bearers and covenant people. As you walk in the Lord’s path of righteousness, you will be blessed to continue in His goodness and be a light and a savior unto His people.²

(source)

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 We can be builders and like Nehemiah not be tricked by what will come. We each have worth in the sight of our Savior and must follow his commandments. I am learning to hope for a home with God and have that be where my heart is at all times.