QOTD (last Sunday)

In Primary on Sunday Sammy's teacher was talking about searching, pondering and praying to receive answers. She started telling about a 14-year-old boy who had a question so he searched the scriptures, pondered what he should do and then went to pray in a grove of trees near his house. She asked, "What do you think happened?"

Sammy shot his hand into the air (which is unusual for him--usually he likes to think of an answer first), and when he was called on, paused for a moment in thought, and then said,

"Joseph Smith went into the forest and prayed to ask what church was true. He prayed in the forest and a pillar of darkness came around him and then he saw two Personages in a pillar of light! And one said to the other, "This is my Beloved Son, hear Him." Jesus said none of the churches were true, so he joined none of the churches. Read on in the scriptures!"

(Here is the link, if you are so inclined to do as Sammy suggested)

More choreography

Here is what Elise looked like close up--she made those hair ribbons herself! She is the music box dancer in the song.

Here is her dance:

And here is her with her award for the best choreography!

She's got...Choreography!

As part of summer ballet (let's face it--when we move we won't buy a house until we find a ballet studio. Then we'll buy a house next door to the studio) Elise participated in a choreography workshop. She practiced her piece for hours and hours and had feedback from different instructors and her peers. This is her solo piece:

I was so good--I had the tripod all set up with the camera ready to go...I was enjoying the performance when Mason kept talking to me. I kept shushing him until I realized he was telling me that I hadn't pushed "record". Duh. So you don't get all of her dance. Sorry.

Elise's primary talk

If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

One day my Mom, brothers, and I  were at Target shopping for clothes in the girls section. There was a big picture  close to the ceiling where everybody in the store could see it. The picture was of an immodest girl who looked about 13 and she was only wearing a bra and underwear.  I thought about my little brothers standing by it, so I took my brothers over to a rack full of clothes away from the picture, and we played hide-and-go-seek in it. Later, I thought about what I had seen in the picture. One night I was talking to my Mom about it, and she said I should write a letter to Target. I was a bit nervous at first, and I had to go through five pieces of paper to get it right and perfect. Then I brought it to activity days and had all of the girls sign it. Then we sent it off to Target.

Every time you see something bad you should tell a parent,  If you see your friend being immodest, you can tell your friend that you think they should wear something that covers them more.

I know some times it is really hard and sometimes you feel too scared to tell your parents about it. Just be bold and tell them about it, or ask your friend to stop.

My mom always turns off the radio when there is bad music, and we always cover the screen and mute the computer whenever there is a bad commercial when we are watching a show. I know that if you are good and do good things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father then you will be happy.

Sammy's primary talk

I know that we should look at good things and spend our time on good things.

13th Article of Faith

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

It's good to watch General Conference

It's good to look at pictures of family or Jesus

It's good to listen to tape stories about prophets

If we watch, look at, or listen to good things, then the spirit stays with us, and we feel good.

It's bad to watch commercials or movies with killing and bad stuff

It's bad to look at pictures with people that are immodest or naked

It's bad to listen music with swear words in it

If we watch, look at, or listen to bad things, then we break our covenants, the spirit goes away, and it makes us feel bad.

I know that Jesus Christ is real. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know this church is the true church of Jesus Christ.

Why I do what I do

"To be a righteous woman during the winding-up scenes on this earth, before the Second Coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman's strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help to enrich, to protect, and to guard the home--which is society's basic and most noble institution. Other institutions in society may falter and even fail, but the righteous woman can help to save the home, which may be the last and only sanctuary some mortals know in the midst of storm and strife."

The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 326-27

Random life happenings

I'll let the pictures tell the stories of the week...

Me practicing Elise's doll makeup for her performance in a couple of weeks

Lincoln was rocking (hard) on his rocking moose and tipped backwards into our window seat. Ouch.

Every day the kids go to the garden and collect veggies for faces. Then they put the face pieces in the fridge...it's a little surprising to open the fridge and see limp chives and basil leaves.

Lincoln LOVES shoes. Especially my high heels. I really need to pull out the boy dress-up!

The kids and I have been playing Monopoly over the last couple of weeks. It's hilarious to play with the kids because of the high drama that goes along with losing money. The kids really look out for each other--whoever had the most money would slip 100 bucks to someone who just lost money. Once Mason sold a property to Elise for $1 because she really wanted it. They love to get houses and hotels, but always knock the rental price down for each other. But not for me. :)

This evening we heard Sammy calling out, "Help, help!!!" We found him face down on the garage floor...pinned up in a box. This is after Stephen picked him up and brushed him off. Sometimes I wonder what is going on in his head!

My sweet Sammy

Mason and Sammy have been doing pre-ballet this summer (it's free for boys) and have really enjoyed it. They are doing it because it is free, but I think that Mason would really enjoy tap. He has the energy and the rhythm and I think he'd have a great time. I told him that if I could get another piano student this fall that I'd sign him up.

Sammy just came up to me and in his sweet voice asked, "If I take piano lessons could Mason take tap?"

Me: "I need a paying student so that I can pay for tap."

Sammy: "Well, how much does it cost?"

Oh, my sweet, sweet boy!!!

The strength of the Lord

Several thoughts and experiences have come together for me over the last couple of days. I'm reading the book of Mormon in The Book of Mormon, where Mormon is describing the awfulness of the Nephites as they battle with the Lamanites. In Mormon 3:3 he says that, "...they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them....And behold they did harden their hearts against the Lord their God." And then, in verse 9, "...they began to boast in their own strength..." From the time that they relied on their own strength they were beaten and, in not many years, destroyed.

Contrast that with Zeniff in the book of Mosiah, where he says, "Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle....And God did hear our cries and did answer our prayers; and we did go forth in his might."

And again in Alma, "...in that selfsame hour that they cried unto the Lord for their freedom, the Lamanites began to flee before them."

So, back to me...because we all know it's all about me, right? :)

Stephen is gone at a conference (in Boston--wish I was there!) for 5 days. Have I mentioned that I need Stephen? I need his sense of humor and easy-going-ness and everlasting patience...and I need him to tuck the kids in at night, because, frankly, I'm pretty much fried by bedtime. This is his first trip away from home since Trevor has been born, and I've been pretty worried about how I would react to so much kiddo time with no breaks. Pretty sure that Stephen was a tad bit worried, too.

Well, I read the scriptures in Mormon in the morning on the day that he left. I realized that if I tried to do this weekend relying only on my own strength (or lack thereof), I was doomed to fail. But, and this is a very big 'but' (don't laugh at that ridiculous phrase, k?) I didn't have to do it alone. Oooooh, aaaaaaah, ding! Ah-ha!

I DON'T HAVE TO GO IT ALONE.

I'm pretty sure that intellectually I knew that fact, but it really hit me hard when I actually understood it--when it became relevant to me and my situation.

So this weekend I've made a point to pray earnestly every morning for me and my kids. I've done better with reading the scriptures in the mornings. And you know what? I have been amazing (if I do say so myself). I have had patience and haven't lost it by bedtime. I've kept a reasonably tidy house, made meals, run errands--all the normal stuff--and been patient through it all...even bedtime! It truly is a miracle.

I'm pretty sure that I can't keep it up (oh me of little faith!), but Stephen will be home soon, so when I slip up (which I include in my self-improvement plans), it will be okay. This weekend I needed this particular miracle. "And God did hear [my] cries and did answer [my] prayers."

So when I feel alone and at the end of my rope, I just need to rely on Someone who is a lot stronger than me. Because He really does care about my little family. Isn't that a wonderful thought?