Loralie Turned 9!!

This year Loralie had a very fun party with all her girlfriends!  These girls know how to have fun.  They are the cutest sweetest you ladies!

Birthdays seems so magical when you are a child!  I love how creative kids  are and how they can have fun doing just about anything!

Stop & Smell the Flowers

So part of my prioritizing is including a lot more service into my life.  I get wrapped up in my own little world and forget about everything around me.  I was flipping through the April Conference issue and decided to read the talk Finding Joy through Loving Service. Jeremy has been saying for a while that we as a family need to make service a bigger part of our lives.  I am really bad at listening sometimes.   Well, the other day the light finally came on and I got the motivation.  Sometimes I wonder why it takes me so long to listen!  I start reading this talk and what do you know, it was just what I needed to hear.  I couldnt believe my eyes!  Read the following story and you will see what I mean.

Oftentimes we are like the young merchant from Boston, who in 1849, as the story goes, was caught up in the fervor of the California gold rush. He sold all of his possessions to seek his fortune in the California rivers, which he was told were filled with gold nuggets so big that one could hardly carry them.

Day after endless day, the young man dipped his pan into the river and came up empty. His only reward was a growing pile of rocks. Discouraged and broke, he was ready to quit until one day an old, experienced prospector said to him, “That’s quite a pile of rocks you are getting there, my boy.”

The young man replied, “There’s no gold here. I’m going back home.”

Walking over to the pile of rocks, the old prospector said, “Oh, there is gold all right. You just have to know where to find it.” He picked two rocks up in his hands and crashed them together. One of the rocks split open, revealing several flecks of gold sparkling in the sunlight.

Noticing a bulging leather pouch fastened to the prospector’s waist, the young man said, “I’m looking for nuggets like the ones in your pouch, not just tiny flecks.”

The old prospector extended his pouch toward the young man, who looked inside, expecting to see several large nuggets. He was stunned to see that the pouch was filled with thousands of flecks of gold.

The old prospector said, “Son, it seems to me you are so busy looking for large nuggets that you’re missing filling your pouch with these precious flecks of gold. The patient accumulation of these little flecks has brought me great wealth.”

This story illustrates the spiritual truth that Alma taught his son Helaman:

“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass. …

“… And by very small means the Lord … bringeth about the salvation of many souls” (Alma 37:6–7).

Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple, no matter how much we try to make it complicated. We should strive to keep our lives similarly simple, unencumbered by extraneous influences, focused on those things that matter most.

What are the precious, simple things of the gospel that bring clarity and purpose to our lives? What are the flecks of gospel gold whose patient accumulation over the course of our lifetime will reward us with the ultimate treasure—the precious gift of eternal life?

I believe there is one simple but profound—even sublime—principle that encompasses the entirety of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we wholeheartedly embrace this principle and make it the focus of our lives, it will purify and sanctify us so we can live once again in the presence of God.

The Savior spoke of this principle when He answered the Pharisee who asked, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

“This is the first and great commandment.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:36–40).

It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and service—the way that the Savior would love and serve all of us if He were among us today.

When this pure love of Christ—or charity—envelops us, we think, feel, and act more like Heavenly Father and Jesus would think, feel, and act. Our motivation and heartfelt desire are like unto that of the Savior. He shared this desire with His Apostles on the eve of His Crucifixion. He said:

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you. …

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35).

The love the Savior described is an active love. It is not manifested through large and heroic deeds but rather through simple acts of kindness and service.

I have realize I wait a lot of time to do many things waiting for that "Large Nugget" rather then just looking for the small and simple things in life to enjoy and ways to serve. 

Stop and Smell the Flowers Today!

Taking Inventory

It's that time in life again!  I am sitting here close to the end of summer with my children and thinking about all the things I wished I were doing with them and myself.  I've decided it is time to take a break from some things and really get my life together again.  I have just been "getting by" without much purpose.  Jeremy is leaving early Wednesday morning for another trip to the Congo for two weeks with his job.  So I decided what better time to refocus on myself and the children and get back on track.  I love that life is always changing and allows us to change right along with it.  Whether it is changing our hearts, changing our schedules, changing our priorities, or whatever needs changing.  Staying focused on what is of most importance can be hard.  That is why I "TAKE INVENTORY" every little while and see where I need to make some course changes.  I don't know about anyone else, but life seems to be flying by and I feel like I am not accomplishing all I want to do cause I am waiting for the perfect moment to do it.  So I've decided to make this scripture my motto:

'Wherefore, be not weary in well doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.' (D&C 64:33)"

I need to focus on the small and simple things and just DO THEM!  I think that is where I get overwhelmed.  Trying to get all the great and wonderful things done I never start cause I am too overwhelmed.

Enjoying the Summer

Summer has been flying by.  First we started the summer by just returning from Utah.  Then I was off with Graham and my parents for a quick visit to see my sister Emily and her sweet family.  I hadn't see her house since they moved so her husband could attend ASU.  There home is so cute.  We had fun shopping, eating, and visiting.  It was MUCH needed, and we decided we will be doing it a lot more often.  My kids were disappointed they didn't get to go.  But having time with just the adults was wonderful.

Then right after we got home we got a call from our dear friends the McNeill's.  Because of the wildfire they needed a place to come to get away from the fire and wanted to know if  they could come and play for a week!  We had so much fun.  We went swimming, played in the sprinklers. the trampoline, we to lunch, attended the temple, watched movies, went on a date, lots of "Retail Therapy"!  My kids were so sad when they left.  Fisher kept asking where David was.

We are enjoying swimming lessons, baseball, movies, crafts, family work, finishing our playhouse/girls clubhouse, friends, and just being together.  I love Summer!

Our Utah Trip Part One

At the beginning of the year I found out that The Power of Moms was having a retreat in Park City.  And to top it off two of my favorite authors would be speaking and hosting it at thier home!  I was beyond excited and asked Jeremy if he would take me.  So we decided to make a family trip out of it.  I have never been to Salt Lake City and wanted to see Temple Square and go to the Salt Lake Temple.  Well about two weeks before it was time to go our parents talked us out of taking the kids.  They insisted they would be so bored in the car for 15 hours and we would not have as much fun seeing all the sites with kids.  I was very reluctant but thought it over and agreed.  With hind sight now I am so glad we didn't take them.  The 2 older ones would have enjoyed it, but not so much the younger ones.  So we bought plane tickets and left on a Friday.  We flew out Saturday morning and arrived early Saturday in Salt Lake City.  We got our rental car and went straight to Temple Square.  My long time really should be sister Valerie Claussen and her family met up with us and we took some tours.  It was a beautiful day with some light rain.

Happy Happy Birthday Hunter Dear!

Hunter turned 7 on the 11th of May.  This is one of our months for Birthday.  Hunter had his first friend party.  He invited 4 of his friends and they had a great time.  For some reason I can't find all the pictures from the party.  When I do I will add them.  He is growing up to be a sweet young man.  I can't believe in one short year he will be baptized.  He is our curious question asking child.  He loves to do things with hands and is very creative.  I love watching him blossom into the man he is becoming.  He is sensitive and sweet and loves to give hugs.  We love you Hunter!

Graham Turned One

Graham turned one on the 5th of May.  The year has flown by!  He is still such a baby to me.  Being our caboose he will stay the baby for a long time.  He is 17 lbs, loves to play with toys, crawls everywhere, and has the biggest smile ever.  He brings so much joy into our lives each day with his sweet little spirit.  We love you Graham!

Easter

We did so many things this year!  It was so much fun and really stress free for once.  We did a lot of talking about the meaning of Easter.  We dyed eggs, filled up plastic eggs with goodies, did our Saturday Easter egg hunt with a family cookout.  Then Saturday night we did our Easter Cookies and the story.  Then Sunday morning we opened the oven and finished the beautiful story of our Savior.  We gave the kids chocolate bunnies and spent the morning together before church.  We don't do the whole Easter bunny at our house, but we do lots of fun things.  The kids really enjoyed Easter and all that came with it.  I can't believe how fast they are growing up.  Holidays are becoming such a joy with this bunch!  We even had the privilege of witnessing 4 baby chick hatch out.  Their mother had 4 other babies and left these eggs.  So my sweet husband took them under his wing and keep them warm in our dehydrator and hatched them.  Watching the miracle of their entrance was so neat.  The kids loved every minute of it.  From the first little crack to the hole getting bigger and bigger and then the little beak poking out.  It was amazing!  Easter was wonderful this year.  What a blessing my family is to me.