Carthage

We arrived in Carthage after hours.

The children got out and ran around on the grass.

They were willing to break away from playing tag

to take a picture with me and their cousin.

The boys posed.

Their day had been long so they were spirited.

They pulled Miss Sunshine Rae into the picture.

After they posed, they resumed their game of tag.

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.

Find Peace

In our lives we will have temptations; we will have trials and challenges. As we go to the temple, as we remember the covenants we make there, we will be better able to overcome those temptations and to bear our trials. In the temple we can find peace.

~ Thomas S. Monson

Blessings of the Temple

Mormon Battalion

We went to a presentation about the Mormon Battalion 

that was an active military unit during the Mexican-American War. 

It is the only battalion named after a religious group. 

Hurricane was enchanted by the brass band that played.

He counted how many instruments have mouth pieces,

 how many boys and girls, and how many songs. 

I grew up learning about Israel Evans who walked the 2,000 miles in Company B.

He was stationed in San Diego after arriving in San Diego. 

He later was a captain of a handcart company. 

Sweetheart and I have talked about him.

On his messager at work, he has "Israel Evans walked 5,000 miles."

One day he was asked why Israel did that.

Sweetheart responded, "Because he believed a prophet."

Before we went, we looked up on Family Search to see 

if Sweetheart had a member in the battalion. 

He did. His name was Riley Garner Clark.

He was in Company A and was assigned to Los Angeles

after arriving in San Diego.

He eventually settled in Panguitch, Utah.

We haven't learned much about him yet.

The only battle that the Mormon Battalion fought was against bulls south of Tucson. 

Their march took them through the desert in the winter.

When they arrived in San Diego, most had no shoes, and their clothes were in tatters.

After the presentation, the boys got to dress up and see different displays.

We are glad we learned about our history.

Butterfly

A butterfly wanted to hang out.

A neighbor boy was scared of it.

He didn't know what the butterfly would do.

The butterfly landed on him,

and he screamed.

We transferred it to a tree.

We don't know how long it was there.

I looked and thought how beautiful it was.
The inside was different than the outside.
I thought about fear of the unknown.

David Bednar said, "Correct knowledge of and faith in the Lord empower us to hush our fears because Jesus Christ is the only source of enduring peace. He declared, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (D&C 19:23)." 

(April 2015)

I take comfort in the peace that Jesus Christ brings.

Sunset

"Parents, help safeguard your children by arming them morning and night with the power of family prayer. ... Protect your children from daily worldly influences by fortifying them with the powerful blessings that result from family prayer. Family prayer should be a nonnegotiable priority in your daily life."

~ Richard G. Scott, 

October 2014

Family Tree

Quinton L. Cook said,
"We need to be connected to both our roots and branches."

After listening to his address, 

I completed a project that I've been thinking about for 2 years.

We made a picture family tree on our wall. The end result is cool.

We bought some frames to display family pictures.

They looked really crowded on the mantel.

I laid the pictures and the tree out on the ground.

This helped with appropriate spacing and placing.

Here is the beginning of the tree.
I built the tree while Sweetheart was at a camp out.
Camp outs are always are a good time to get stuff done.

Who are we?

One of the things on my Dad's "to do" list
was to repair some familial headstones.

He shared our Grandparents' story of how they met, 

where they were from, and how they lived.

We went to the cemetery and replaced them together.

My brother created the molds that hold the broken stones.

He fixed them.

He is pictured here with his family.

 In the same cemetery, my Mom's family are also buried.

Two sides of the family are here.

Now as the next generation learns 

who they are and what they accomplished,

they can make decisions about who they will become.

"Who are we? We are children of God.  

Our potential is unlimited. Our inheritance is sacred. 

May we always honor that heritage—in every thought and deed."

~ Russel M. Nelson (source)

Setting Apart with Elder Cook

Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Craig C. Christensen 

invited us into Elder Cook's office.

Elder Cook asked a little about my Dad's family 

since his wife is from the Kirkham family as well.

Elder Christensen knows my Mom's family.

They then gave them blessings and counsel 

for the mission they are going to serve.

We gathered for a picture on the stairs. 

My Grandpa joined us.

We were happy to be together. 

First Lost Tooth

He did it while opening a bag of Cheetos.

He lost his first tooth.

I don't think it was because he was eating Cheetos.

He did it on vacation.

His Uncle A gave his childhood Tooth Fairy box to Underfoot.

Because the Tooth Fairy needed to know to come.

His Uncle A is very sentimental, 

and I was humbled that he gave the box to my son.

Thank you Uncle A!!!

 

When did my baby grow up to have his teeth fall out? 

I was sent this quote and believe it fits perfectly for this moment.

(And many more...)

"Let us relish life as we live it, 

find joy in the journey and 

share our love with friends and family. 

One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows. 

Let us not put off what is most important." 

~ Thomas S. Monson

A Passover Seder

I did this post for Jocelyn at  

We Talk of Christ! We Rejoice in Christ! in 2011.

She sent it to me so I could have a record of it. 

Tonight starts Passover.

We celebrated and enjoyed the evening.

=========================================================================

Growing up, we enjoyed when Easter and Passover fell on the same weekend. My Mom would make a passover meal, and we would be taught about Moses, Jesus Christ, and Elijah. All of their stories point to the atonement of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. I will share a brief history. I know there are others who can give more details and explanation to the Passover. I love to learn how all things connect together. My hope is to share the symbols and a meal and references to how simple or complicated the meal can be.

But first:  Here is a brief history lesson. 

(Note: I am simplifying the account.)

The Ten Commandments 1956 Film

 Moses came to Egypt as a prophet and told Pharaoh that the Israelites were giving their two-week notice and were moving on to a land of milk and honey. God had commanded Moses to do this. Pharaoh really didn't like the idea of losing his labor force and decided to fight against God. God always wins when He wants something to happen.

After bad water, bug bites, nasty food, and dead animals, Pharaoh was still a little reluctant to let the Israelites go. So God said that the Israelites needed to sacrifice a first born lamb and put the blood of the lamb on their door posts. This sign signaled to the Destroying Angel to leave all in the house living. All of the first born children died in the homes of anyone who chose not to sacrifice as instructed, being taken by the Destroying Angel. Pharaoh finally conceded and let the people go. He had second-thoughts though and chased them down again. But that is another story for another day.

The Israelite families held a special meal that same evening. God told them to have the meal every year to remember the sacrifice and the exodus from the bondage of Pharaoh.

Source

 During "The Last Supper", Jesus and his apostles were celebrating the Passover feast which commemorated the Israelites being spared from temporal bondage, which caused an actual death of the first born.

This was both an awakening of their faith in God and a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

Jesus came to save us from our spiritual bondage and from death - both physical and spiritual. His death was the sacrifice of the Lamb not a figurative lamb, but the true Lamb of God. The first born. Christ freed us from all things as long as we are willing to be obedient and believe in Him.

Elijah has a place set for him at the table in most Jewish homes during Passover. At one point during the meal, the door is opened to invited Elijah to come and be apart of the meal. The belief is that Elijah will return with the Messiah. The hope is that the Messiah will come before the next Passover.

Source

According to the testimony of Joseph Smith, Elijah has returned.  He came to the Kirtland Temple equipped with the "keys to bring to pass the restoration of all things." (Source) Surely it is no coincidence that Elijah came during Passover. The prophesy has been fulfilled. And in accordance with that prophecy, the Messiah appeared also in the Kirtland Temple that day with Elijah. (Source)

Here are some of the symbols of the feast of Passover.

• Vegetable - Parsley, celery, or a potato and salt water are eaten together. The parsley is a reminder of the lowly station of the Isrealites. The salt water are the tears that have been shed because of the slavery in Egypt.
• Matzah - Matzah is a flat bread. Because of the flight of the Israelites, the bread did not have time to rise. It is also considered a poor man's bread.
• Bitter Herb - Horseradish or romaine lettuce is to remind of the bitterness of slavery.
• Mortar - This is usually an apple, cinnamon, nut, and wine (grape juice) salad to symbolize the mortar used for the building projects in Egypt. When the bitter herb and mortar are eaten together, it is surprisingly tasty.
• Pechal Offering - The sacrifice of the lamb's blood was used to mark the door.The rest of the lamb was eaten.
• Drink - During the meal of passover, there are 4 blessings over a glass of wine. Each has symbolism in the feast.

A whole meal can be made from the above items if a simple meal is desired. Such as:

• Vegetable - a tabouli with parsley added or just the parsley with salt.
• Matzah - flat bread or a pita bread
• Bitter Herb - a green romaine salad
• Mortar - A Waldorf salad
• Pechal Offering - Roasted Lamb
• Drink - Grape Juice with soda

All symbols are used in the meal. A Seder is the meal of Passover. Passover is known as the feast of the Firstborn or Pesach. The above menu is not a traditional Seder though. Each of the items are represented on the Sedar Plate. Also on the Seder plate, a hard-boiled egg is included representing the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem so there cannot be a Pecach sacrifice. A Seder is the whole evening with the blessings and the telling of the Exodus. This site gives a beautiful explanation of the evening. A festive meal is included in addition to the above items.

If you are looking for a more traditional Passover meal, there are many wonderful menus.  Here is a script if you are interested in having a more traditional Seder.

A Way of Working Out

Photo by Kirk Kirkham

Do not expect that all will go smoothly throughout your life. Even for those who are living as they should, it sometimes will be just the opposite. Meet each of life’s challenges with optimism and surety and you will have the peace and faith to sustain you now and in the future.

For those who do not yet have all of the blessings you feel you want and need to have, I firmly believe that no experience or opportunity essential for redemption and salvation will be denied you who live faithfully. Remain worthy; be hopeful, patient, and prayerful. Things have a way of working out. The gift of the Holy Ghost will guide you and direct your actions. - Boyd K. Packer, January 2011

Under the Knife

This week I had surgery and have been convalescing at home. I'm pretty sore and not looking very pretty.

The first time I checked my email after being a little A LOT dingy there was a note from Mariel from Or So She Says.... I was super surprised by what she had to say. She reposted a post I sent her because it has been pinned a couple times.

While I get better, we as a family get to spend time together, eat treats, draw pictures, and listen to talks from prophets and apostles.

Hurricane is most excited for the treats. Underfoot is most excited about helping his brother pick the right treat.
 


If you get the chance, please join us.

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)

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.

Simple and Sweet

"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.” ~ Robert D. Hales, October 2011

We have been learning about our purpose and what we can do. My boys have expressed it through paint and picture word reminders.

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)

(source)

 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.

Just Stand

Have you ever felt betrayed or forgotten or hated? Have you ever had to stand up for something with your personal image on the line?

In the Old Testament, many heroes stand for events such as these. Usually they were not in the land of their inheritance. Esther did. Daniel did. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego did. Each was faced with a death sentence for what they stood. 

Consider that for just a moment. Are there things we face death for? People? Morals? I have not been threatened with physical death. I have though felt some of the sting of spiritual death. In my heart, I recognize the times I didn't want to stand up because I didn't want to look foolish. Those events are very clear in my memory. That is embarrassing to admit. I knew the truth and feared what others would say.

How can this great change occur? Howard W. Hunter gives encouragement saying,

A successful life, the good life, the righteous Christian life requires something more thaan a contribution, though every contribution is valuable. Ultimately it requires commitment—whole souled, deeply held, eternally cherished commitment to the principles we know to be true in the commandments God has given. We need such loyalty to the Church, but that must immediately be interpreted as a loyalty in our personal habits and behavior, integrity in the wider community and marketplace, and—for the future’s sake—devotion and character in our marriages and homes and families.

If we will be true and faithful to our principles, committed to a life of honesty and integrity, then no king or contest or fiery furnace will be able to compromise us. For the success of the kingdom of God on earth, may we stand as witnesses for him “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death.” (Mosiah 18:9.) (source)

Source

 As I ponder where this might begin, I am struck by how my behavior is magnified by my sons. The place to start to stand as a witness in our homes with our families.

Home is strongest and most beautiful in which we find each person sensitive to the feelings of others, striving to serve others, striving to live at home the principles we demonstrate in more public settings. We need to try harder to live the gospel in our family circles. Our homes deserve our most faithful commitments. A child has the right to feel that in his home he is safe, that there he has a place of protection from the dangers and evils of the outside world. Family unity and integrity are necessary to supply this need. A child needs parents who are happy in their relationship to each other, who are working happily toward the fulfillment of ideal family living, who love their children with a sincere and unselfish love, and who are committed to the family’s success. (source)

 With the idea that it starts at home, the parents of Esther, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego must have taught them the law, and at some point they made their decision. As I have participated in our advent this season, I have found areas in where I need to better myself as an individual, spouse, and parent. The hope for this change comes through knowing Jesus Christ better and having faith in the atonement that I can repent and change to truly stand as a witness.

In my heart....

Once upon a time, I was a missionary. Since I was 3 years old, I talked about going on a mission. I wanted to go so much that I bought a fake engagement ring because of all the marriage talk around me. I wasn't dating anyone, and no one was looking my way so my $10 purchase could have been better placed like into a package of Oreo cookies.

Made with buttons from Sweetheart's Grandma's sewing items

In my heart, I wanted to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I wanted to share the love that I had felt from the Savior with other people. And I got to do it. Every day for 18 months, I wore a name tag over my heart saying I was a disciple of Jesus Christ.

My Missionary Tag

In Jeremiah, a prophesy is shared about our day. The prophesy says that God "will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people" (source). In our day, God says that his children on the earth will want to know him, to follow his plan, and will want to share the good news with others. They will be good people and will carry the name of Christ on their hearts. Not all Christians wear the name of Jesus Christ on a name tag. They emulate it in their lives by living the law which is their love of God and their love of their fellowman.

Scraps from the dresses I wore a missionary. My Mom made it into a quilt for my first Christmas after my mission.

I am grateful for my neighbors of other faiths that show they love God through their actions and their expressions of faith. Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation; it is a pathway, marked by our loving Father in Heaven, leading to happiness and peace in this life and glory and inexpressible fulfillment in the life to come. The gospel is a light that penetrates mortality and illuminates the way before us. (source).

I hope that others can see in our actions that we choose a path that will lead to happiness even without a name tag on our chest.

The Atonement during Christmas

To celebrate Easter during Christmas might seem odd. Because of Christmas we have Easter. This post was to go up yesterday, but we spent the day as a family doing odds and ends.

The past few days have been the prophesies of Isaiah. Jesus Christ said, "Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah."

In Isaiah 53, Isaiah gives a complete description of what the crucifixion would be. As we read this, what struck me was "yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him." God the Father knew that Jesus Christ was willing and had covenanted in the counsel in heaven to follow through on "this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Heavenly Father did not take pleasure in the suffering of his son nor does he take pleasure in our suffering. He knew that it needed to happen for our happiness.

Our happiness is improve when we following the teachings of Christ such as prayer, service, scripture study, and having a Christian heart. In keeping with Christ's admonition to study Isaiah, Richard G. Scott about the power of scriptures in our lives.

Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. (source)

 I hope each of us can find Christ in our Christmas to ponder the miracle of his birth to bring about the miracle in our live to live with God again.