Families are Forever

We had a very merry Werner Christmas for 2011, with the presence of every member of my parents’ family – even Ross was there. Well, his picture was there, and we thought about him and talked about him a lot.

We took some family pictures (thanks, Victoria!) and when it was time for us to have the “mom and dad and offspring” picture, I kept looking around for Ross. There was someone missing. It was kind of hard. We really miss him.

 

As I was thinking about writing a post today, I remembered this oldy (but goody) from the LDS Church back in the 70s. The first time I heard it (when I was a kid) I cried my eyes out, and I still can’t get to the end without bawling.

It is a lot more poignant for me now. And I am so grateful for the testimony I have that families are forever.

“Dad, dad, it’s alright! Families are forever!”

“And he said, ‘Dad, dad, it’s alright! Families are forever!”

I Love to See The Temple

On Sunday I found an 11am ward meeting and took the kids. In all of my careful packing I had completely spaced bringing any of our church stuff. No books, no crayons, nothing. I did have a few toys, so I brought them hoping we could get through sacrament meeting without too much trouble. Apparently that was too much to ask of my travel weary children. They fought and screamed so much I had just about decided to leave church altogether when a really nice sister from the ward caught me as I was getting the kids into the car. She introduced herself and asked if she could help. I was in tears I was so frustrated. She offered to sit outside in the grass with Vincente so I could go in an listen to the meeting. My tears changed to tears of gratitude. She was so sweet. She even got Vincente ready for Primary and helped me find the class. I can’t for the life of me remember her name. I should have written it down somewhere! I felt really loved by Heavenly Father that day. He basically sent me an angel.

After church we went back to the hotel and met up with Meg (Geoff had left already) to have lunch and then head to the temple in Littleton. I had been trying to think of things to do while we were traveling that would help us keep the Sabbath day holy. Church took a good 4 hours, and a trip to see the temple grounds would be another couple of hours, then we could watch a Church video and have dinner and the kids would be ready for bed! It was a perfect plan, and other than the slight hang up at Church (which ended up with a beautiful blessing) Sunday was a perfect day.

It was fun to take Megann to the temple. She didn’t know much about the temples, so before we left I told her a few things and showed her the Church temple website and some pictures of both the inside and outside of the temple. On the drive to the temple I got to talk to her a little more about the temple and share my testimony of the temple. I love going to the temple. Even just being on the grounds feels really special to me. It melts my heart to see my children eagerly looking out the window trying to see the angel Moroni at the top of the temple as we got closer to it. I love that they love the temple so much. It was fun to find a new temple to visit.

There was a family of little bunnies hopping around the temple grounds. The kids got a kick out of that. The bunnies weren’t nearly as fond of the kids as the kids were of the bunnies.

We took some pictures at the temple and then headed back to the hotel and watched The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd (a movie that always makes me cry and is highly recommended – you can buy it here).

It was actually one of the best Sundays ever.

hope ya know, we had a hard time

“…many of the trials and hardships we encounter in life are severe and appear to have lasting consequences. Each of us will experience some of these during the vicissitudes of life.” (Elder Quentin L. Cook)

We’re experiencing a little bit of this right now and could use some extra prayers.

Don’t ask for any details, because I won’t give them, but we could use some extra prayers for the next little while.

More Good

I’m feeling good and loving how our life is going right now, which is no excuse not to write blog posts. Part of the lack of blog posts might be that I still don’t have our camera (hopefully I remember it get it when we visit the in-laws for Easter).

Why am I so happy? Well, let me tell you what’s on my “happy list” right now:

- I’m getting stronger (I got to a power pump class at the gym on Tues and Thurs, and I can feel the strength and stamina I’m developing. Now I just need to start running again, since the weather is good)

- Russ and I have better gospel discussions and are more unified as parents and spouses. We have Family Home Evening, family prayer, we read scriptures together as a family, and are working on worshipping better on the Sabbath day.

- We are one step away from getting our foster care license! (home study tomorrow!)

- The military (finally!) paid a huge chunk of Russ’ student loans (almost HALF of the loan!!) and will make another payment this fall, and the fall after that.

- The military fixed our address in their system (finally!) and we are now getting paid enough to cover our housing expenses!

- Russ will be coaching Vincente’s T-ball team this spring, which starts next week!

- We’ve been to the eye doctor, I’ve had my first yearly exam (ever!), and the kids are getting caught up on their shots (we’ve been a little lazy about following our alternative schedule – but most of that has to do with moving around so much), and I’m going to the chiropractor regularly again, so my hips are feeling a LOT better.

- We’ve been getting a lot of work done on the yard (I thought that I had posted about how it looked before,  but I can’t find the post – so here are some pics of last fall):

The lawn is getting really green, and we have cleaned up all of the weeds and trees (well, the big ones). My plan for next week is to mow the front lawn, then weed & feed. Then in a month I’ll re-seed the parts of the front lawn that need help. The backyard is being re-seeded, and we expanding the dog run so we don’t feel so bad about keeping them cooped up. Plus, we’ve been taking them out on walks/runs/dog park visits more often so that they can get some much needed exercise. And I’ve also done a few home projects – I replaced the water line to the fridge, so we can finally use the water and ice maker in the fridge. I also replaced a motion sensor light on our back deck. The sensor was defective or something, because it would turn off and on and off and on… sooo annoying. I replaced it with a fixture that didn’t have a motion sensor, since we only want the light to be ON. We’ll hopefully be adding some motion sensor lights to the corners of the house soon. We’re also going to replace the light at the front door (which is completely broken…) and put motion sensor lights on the side of the garage door.

We’re going to replace some light fixtures and fans around the house, and replace the doors and door hardware (these two things will happen in the next few months). And this summer we’ll put in tile in the dining room (which is currently carpeted) and replace the tile in the kitchen.

We have to do things piece by piece because our cash flow is relatively low (some day Russ will be promoted). But we feel blessed because we have very little debt (and we’re paying that off) and some savings (which we’re adding to) and very low expenses, so we’re able to accomplish a lot of the things that we want to, even with our limited income. I’m always astonished with how much we are actually able to do each month with our limited paycheck. It always seems to be more than it really is.

Well, that’s why life is good here. I hope life is good for you, too!

When Life is Good

 

Life is pretty good right now. We’ve finished all the preparations for our foster care license, and have our home study scheduled for next week! I think it will go really well, and hope that we will be approved for a license soon so we can get a placement. I am so anxious to be a a foster mom!

My new normal has been working out pretty well. I love my kids, and I love just being with them, and I love my pump class at the gym, and I love that we can go to the indoor pool any time we want, and I love that the weather was warm enough for us to go for a walk and jump on the trampoline. I love that our dogs are living in their run again so that we can grow a lawn in the backyard. I love that my tulips are budding, and soon we’ll have tulips all over our front yard. I love that my husband is a sweet heart and that we have experienced so much growth in the past five years (both personal, and as a couple).

I am grateful to live so close to my little sister, who I adore more than pretty much anyone on this planet (after Russ and my kids), and who is amazing and selfless.

I am excited for my parents to come visit this summer and see our new house. I am grateful to be homeowners (even though it means we spend more time at the home improvement store than at home!) and I am grateful for a reasonable mortgage, little debt, a little savings, paid-for cars, food storage, and a handy husband.

I am grateful for my talents, my abilities, and my desire to improve them. I am grateful for my callings, and the opportunities I have for growth. I love to read, and I am grateful for all the good books there are to read – there is so much to learn!

Well, I didn’t expect this to turn into a thankful post – I just wanted to write something on the blog today, and post that adorable picture of my Mini-Me and me, and talk about how wonderful life has been lately.

Hopefully I will be updating more often. If I don’t write here, chances are I’m still posting over on my scripture study blog, or my preschool blog. So go check those out if you can’t find updates here.

When I post on the blog, I send a feed to Twitter (follow us!), which sends a feed to Facebook (friend me!), so all the posts will show up on both, not to mention any blog reader you have.

Have a great Wednesday, and I will, too!

Monday Musings - His Plan

 
I have been having a hard time lately trying to make sense of some spiritual promptings that I have had. I won’t disclose the specifics, but I have been having strong promptings about a certain thing. However, when I think about our life right now and the situation we are in, the prompting doesn’t seem to fit, or make sense.

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to deal with promptings. Obviously there are some promptings that you just take and run with it (like, “Call so-and-so.” Obviously, that’s probably a right now kind of prompting). But then there are more general impressions you receive, like “Have more kids.” and “Get a job.” Or something like that.

I am a believer of the principle explained in Doctrine & Covenants Section 9

Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

So when I receive one of those “general” impressions, I try to study it out and then take my “interpretation” to the Lord for approval. Sometimes I feel that burning in my bosom, and other times, I get the stupor of thought.

I also have to be very careful that I don’t inject “my” will into the impression. I have to work really hard at making sure that my will is in line with God’s will (and it isn’t all the time… which is frustrating).

The good news is that I think I have figured out those “general” impressions that the Lord has been giving me.

I’ll let you know how it works out.

Caution: Bumpy Road

This is what our life has been like the last week – a very, very bumpy road. Thank goodness it’s almost over, and everything has worked out.

I’m always amazed at our Father’s ability to make the hard times not seem so bad.

Among the issues of the week was Russ’ car’s alternator dying. He got it to start at work in Lehi and drove it all the way down Redwood Rd and it died waiting for the light to cross Bangerter highway. So I gave him a little nudge with the van (which scratched the paint on my beautiful bumper!!) and he made it across the intersection. Then I put a cloth shopping bag on my bumper and gave him another little push into a bank parking lot where we jumped his car. It made it a little farther down the road, but then he had to stop at a red light and it died again. So we pulled it over and charged his battery again a little with my car. Rinse and repeat, basically. This time, he made it to the left turn lane right in front of AutoZone and was able to push the car into the parking lot. We had originally thought it was the battery (which apparently in a Dodge Stratus you have to get at through the wheel well -  we will never ever own one of these cars again… ever) but at this point we were pretty sure it was the alternator. Sure enough – the battery was fine, but it needed a new alternator. Our favorite shop is all the way in West Valley, and at this point we were in South Jordan (10400 S 1500 W ish). The shop is at 5600 W and 3100 S. Oh yeah, and it’s been raining pretty much this whole time). So we buy a tow cable at AutoZone and hook up Russ’ car to the van and tow it all the way across the western Salt Lake Valley. It was an adventure. I was actually really enjoying myself. I had prayed the whole time that we would make it safely to the auto parts store (because I figured we just needed a new battery, and the guys at AutoZone could help us figure out how to replace the battery).

Well, we made it safely, and sure enough it needed a new alternator, and it’s all fixed and ready to go for us (we seriously really love this shop – they do a great job, warranty their parts and labor, and you don’t have to pay out your nose for it! and they are honest, and helpful, and fast – we left the car there last night with the key in the drop box, and by the time I called at 9am, they had looked at the car and were finding out which part to order so they could call and give me a quote. Then they called around noon to tell me it was done and ready for pickup).’

So we’re doing well, and have experienced the fact that Heavenly Father doesn’t always make our life peachy, even when we have faith – but he does help us through our trials, whether by actually making them lighter, or by making them seem lighter.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Philippians 4:13

General Conference Prep

I played the Prophets and Apostles matching game with Vincente again today. He did really well remembering the names! He even got Elder Hales and Elder Scott straight (I really struggle with those two when I see them – hearing them I can differentiate, but their pictures look a lot alike, especially in black-and-white printer paper quality).

While we were playing, Vincente says to me, “I was the prophet when I was telling you what to do.” It took me a minute to remember what on earth he was talking about, but then I remembered for Family Home Evening last Monday we had Vincente pretend to be the Prophet, and Russ pretended to be Heavenly Father – Russ would tell Vincente something to tell me, and then Vince would come around the corner and tell me (“put your hands on your head” “sit down” “stand up” “fold your arms” etc). I couldn’t believe that Vincente remembered that lesson! He has been surprising me left and right with his gospel knowledge. I worry, because we attend a Portuguese ward, and sometimes I think he doesn’t understand what is going on in Primary. On top of that, he doesn’t have a long attention span and never looks like he is listening, so half the time I think we’re just talking to ourselves. But then he goes and says stuff like this, and reminds me that prophets talk to Jesus, and I’m just floored. Over and over again.

Anyway, I was getting excited for Vince to see the General Authorities at General Conference in April, and then I remembered that he has never really heard their voices. So I hopped on to LDS.org and looked up the “General Conference Highlights” and showed him this video:

He actually did pretty well naming them while he was watching.

The thing that struck me, though, was how quiet he was during the first clip of President Monson. I could tell that he was feeling the Spirit while he watched. After a minute, I started explaining what each apostle was talking about in Primary terms - “He’s telling us that we need to obey.” “He’s telling us that we can have the Holy Ghost with us to teach us.” “He’s telling us to be like the Savior.” “He’s telling you to keep the commandments so that you can have the Priesthood, which means you have the power of God.”

Then, on one of the clips of President Monson, Vincente says, “Hey, President Monson! Do you talk to Jesus?” And then, Vince changes his voice (to sound like President Monson, I assume) and says, “Yes, I do.”

It was a really humbling experience for me to listen to that sweet (if somewhat silly) testimony of my not-quite-four-year-old son, affirming that he knows that President Monson is a prophet, and that President Monson talks to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

When Elder Oaks talked about the two lines of communication with Heavenly Father, I tried to reinforce the testimony and explained that Elder Oaks was telling us that we can talk to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father when we pray, and that we can also listen to the prophets because they talk to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and tell us what to do.

I plan on playing the matching game with Vincente more, and then also playing the “highlights” clip from last year’s General Conference. During the six months following April’s General Conference, I’ll play the new “highlights” clip for him every now and then. I think the “highlights” clip is probably the best tool yet for exposing little kids to General Conference. There is gentle background music, and the clips are short (1-2 minutes) and it’s only 16 minutes from start to finish. Vince was just about done at 12-13 minutes, but I tried to help him stick it out. It’s just perfect for his attention span – 4 two hour sessions is going to be entirely too much for him right now, but this will help get him ready to sit and listen to longer talks. And later as he gets older, we can play clips of the talks by the apostles in longer segments.

I think we will have him sit and listen when the Prophet addresses us. I haven’t decided what to expect out of him for the rest of it. We’ll try to get him and sit with us (by me explaining what the speakers are saying – in Primary terms), but I don’t know how much he’ll care to sit through, and I would like to be able to just sit and soak up one or two sessions. We’ll see how it goes.

A Little Backwards

I have been trying really hard to get my life in order. I have been working on being more productive, getting more things done, and taking better care of myself and all of the temporal needs of my family.

In all that quest to be an “effective mother” – meaning, having a clean house, a stocked pantry and fridge, and dressed and bathed children – I realized that I have been seriously neglecting the thing that matters most.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said this:

“As we turn to our Heavenly Father and seek His wisdom regarding the things that matter most, we learn over and over again the importance of four key relationships: with our God, with our families, with our fellowman, and with ourselves. As we evaluate our own lives with a willing mind, we will see where we have drifted from the more excellent way. The eyes of our understanding will be opened, and we will recognize what needs to be done to purify our heart and refocus our life.” (emphasis added)

I studied this talk back in January on my scripture study blog, My Soul Delighteth, but I think that maybe back then my mind wasn’t as willing to see where I may have drifted from “the more excellent way” – but last night as I prayed for the Lord to help me be a better wife and a better mother, I prayed for help to “do the most important things.” And then something President Uchtdorf spoke about came to my mind.

“...it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives.” (emphasis added)

I am a list maker. Ask my husband. I have your usual grocery lists and menus, but it doesn’t stop there. I have priority lists of things to buy, projects to complete, debts to pay off, books to read... even that list goes on and on. My to-do lists are complex and list every possibility for my day. Well, they did until last night when I realized exactly why I am experience that “increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in [my life].”  It was because of the darn to-do lists. Sure, the laundry needs to be done, and the dishes need to be washed, and lunch and dinner need to be served, and groceries need to be bought. But the most important thing to do is spend time with my little ones. “We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e,time.”

I was trying to get into a strict, “efficient” routine that would help me feel like I had accomplished a lot during the day. But those accomplishments were temporal, not spiritual – not eternal. They were things that were going to last only in this life, only in this moment, and would not be as significant as the relationships that I can form with  my children right now while they are small.

From my journal last night: So I am going to try something new. Something completely different. Before the kids wake up, rather than trying to scramble and get things done, I am going to spend time with Heavenly Father and myself, meditating and studying the scriptures. Then, when the kids get up, rather than attemping to distract them so that I can complete yet more items on my to-do list, I will simply BE with my children.

It won’t be horrible if I actually get some chores done. It will be especially good if the kids help. They can sort laundry, fold laundry, help empty the dishwasher, help wash the table, help cook. I have had a little bit of a disconnect between being a mother and being a homemaker. I think that I felt like I could only wear one hat at a time (I could be a mother, but not at the same time as being a housekeeper, and neither of those at the same time as being a cook, or a courier or chauffeur). But really, the only hat I have is mother. And it is by far the most important.

The most frustrating (or rather, enlightening) part of this whole ordeal is that I just read and studied this talk barely a month ago! Why didn’t I figure it out then? I’ll tell you why. I am one of the most stubborn people in the entire world, and it takes an average of 3-4 months for me to admit that I was ever even wrong. Seriously. I think it used to take a lot longer than that when I was younger, but I have improved – probably thanks to my sweet, patient husband.

So far the past few days have been great. I have been spending more time with the kids, and less time doing dishes and laundry and washing toilets and vacuuming and cleaning up,  but you know what, my house still looks fine (not pristine, like I might like it to be, but it’s not unsanitary or cluttered or anything like that). And my kids are happier (especially Joseline – she has been a little cranky child for a looooong time, and finally she’s been pretty happy, only throwing the normal toddler fits, instead of just being ornery all the time.Vincente is being more helpful and loving.

And I feel more relaxed, and closer to Heavenly Father.

Vincente and Joseline playing on the air mattress with a friend. 

But who wouldn’t be closer to Him

around these little angels?

Monday Musings – A House of Order

Sometimes this is what my life feels like. Messy with little bits of life strewn all over. I’ve been doing pretty well keeping my life and house in order, but the weekend was pretty crazy (thanks for coming, all you who came to warm our house!) and I felt like I was getting further and further behind on life – leaving little scattered pieces of life lying around for people to step on. It was tragic.

Thanks to my sweet husband, he picked up all the scattered pieces and delicately put them back together for me, while I slept most of the weekend off. It was great.

Then we had an uplifting evening with some new friends on Sunday, and today had Family Home Evening – a beautiful lesson about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost (the Godhead). We sang the First Article of Faith song (in Portuguese – Regres de Fe) and we’ll sing it every day for the rest of the month, and hopefully Vincente will learn to recite the first article of faith himself. We’re going to make a sticker chart to “pass off” the articles of faith as we learn them (everyone, me, Papai, Vince, and Joss). We’re going to learn one a month, starting with the first this month (since it’s such a short article of faith, and the month is over half done, we figured it was a perfect time to start, instead of waiting until January – “New Years” resolutions can be made at any time of the year, in my book!)

So, now that the house is mostly back in order, and I got 8 full hours of sleep last night (plus a 1 1/2 hour nap! Which I wasn’t planning on taking...) I think I will be able to keep the little bits of my life from getting too scattered.

And Family Home Evening always puts me in a good mood – especially when they are followed with conversations like this:

Me: Vince, does Heavenly Father have a body like ours?
Vince: Yup.
Me: Does Jesus Christ have a body like ours?
Vince: Yep he does.
Me: What about the Holy Ghost? Does he have a body like ours?
Vince: Except, he don’t.

Love it. He soaks stuff up like a sponge (and I’m extra impressed, because FHE was entirely in Portuguese – which means he understands more than we think he does!).

What kinds of things throw your life off track? Do you ever feel like you’re leaving bits of your life strewn around? How to you clean up and get back on track? Do you have a sweet husband (or good friend) who helps pick up after you when you can’t seem to hold it all together?

Monday Musings – Follow the Prophet

On Sunday, October 3, 2010, President Boyd K. Packer, whom members of the church sustain to be a “prophet, seer and revelator” gave this talk.

As a prophet, President Packer’s responsibility is to call the world to repentance – much like Noah did in his day as he built the ark, like Lehi in Jerusalem, and like many other prophets in the past.

Unfortunately, as they did with Noah and Lehi, the world has rejected the words of the prophets, and have even gone so far as to petition him to withdraw his statements. This is not a new thing. It has happened again and again throughout history, and God’s word has always remained unchanged. As President Packer so bluntly put it:

...there are those today who not only tolerate but advocate voting to change laws that would legalize immorality, as if a vote would somehow alter the designs of God’s laws and nature...There are both moral and physical laws “irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world” that cannot be changed...To legalize that which is basically wrong or evil will not prevent the pain and penalties that will follow as surely as night follows day.

I respect everyone’s right to an opinion. But I also believe in God’s word, and I firmly believe in God’s prophets who deliver His word to us – especially in these latter days.

Satan is stirring up the hearts of men. A war is waging. “Who’s on the Lord’s side, who? Now is the time to show...” This particular battle hits really close to home for me. I have had to make some really difficult decisions about some people who are very dear to me. All I can think about is how to “love one another” while still being devoted to righteousness, and not “look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.” This article, a Q&A with Elder Oaks and a member of the 70, has been particularly helpful.

In response to the petition I mentioned earlier, the brethren had this to say:

Much of this was not new, but there were a lot of really great things said. A few of my favorites:

“As a church, our doctrinal position is clear: any sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong, and we define marriage as between a man and a woman.”

“None of us is limited by our feelings or inclinations. Ultimately, we are free to act for ourselves.”

“The Church distinguishes between feelings or inclinations on the one hand and behavior on the other. It’s not a sin to have feelings, only in yielding to temptation.”

I don’t believe that people are homosexuals or “gay.” I know that people will disagree, and that is fine. I believe that people have same-gender, or homosexual, attractions, and that they can sometimes be very strong. But they are still just children of God to me. If they choose to participate in homosexual behaviors, or live a homosexual lifestyle, then that is what they are doing. I believe that there is nothing fundamentally different between someone who struggles with same-gender attraction, and the rest of God’s children who struggle with something else. We are all children of God experiencing trials and struggles on this earth with Satan tempting us and trying us. We inhabit imperfect bodies with imperfect emotions and chemical make ups. We all face trials. (read more about that here)

God made man and woman. He created them specifically different – to fulfill different purposes. From The Family: A Proclamation to the World, “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”

As I write this, I realize that I am not writing it to an audience of people who don’t believe in Christ and the atonement. I am writing it in hopes that someone who feels unsure about the word of God on this issue can maybe read my testimony and perhaps feel the spirit and have a little better understanding of God’s word.

It is not easy to stay true to the Savior. Especially in today’s social and political climate. There is so much of the Adversary’s influence in our societies that we can be easily confused by the arguments out there.

Sometimes I get very discouraged because the world is getting more and more wicked – good is called evil, and evil is called good. But I know that there is hope and happiness available to those who live the gospel – for those who earnestly call on God in the name of His Savior, Jesus Christ and ask for a confirmation of that which is true. The Spirit will guide us. I know that because I beg the Lord for His Spirit to be with me as I raise my children and feel like I don’t know anything.

If there is one thing I know is absolutely true, it is that God lives and loves us and has given us living prophets on the earth to help guide us when we become confused about how to live in the world and not be of the world.

And I hope and pray that you will try to get that testimony for yourself.

Recommended reading:

Cleansing the Inner Vessel by President Boyd K. Packer
The Q&A with Elder Oaks and Elder Wickman
The Response to the HRC Petition
Many of These Articles
This Proclamation
Another Good Article by Elder Oaks

Monday Musings - A Jack of All Trades

There is a saying - “A jack of all trades is a master of none.”

While I am a firm believer that it is a good thing to be well rounded, I would like to have something that I am a “master” of. When I was younger (ha ha, like I’m old or something) – I was a master of music. I played for hours every day. I breathed music.

I still love music, but I am not nearly as good at it now as I was then. It’s not my passion for music that I’ve lost. It’s just the time and ability (kids, you know, they take time – time and love).

Teaching – yeah, I’m passionate about that. But not teaching like having-a-classroom-teaching type.

I like being a mother.

But I’m not particularly great at it – definitely not a master. And I don’t know nearly all there is to know about being a mother. And for heaven’s sake, my parenting style is whacked (partly because Russ and I don’t really have similar parenting styles – something we discovered with the introduction of children into our lives, and something we are striving to overcome – we’re getting there – unity in parenthood. We’ll be there soon, hopefully).

But yeah, I think being a mother, and learning how to be a better mother, is the thing that is mine. The thing I’m passionate about.

I’ve told Russ I think that I want to be a “professional mother.” Ha ha. But no, really – if there could be a “job” that was “mother” I would pick that. And obviously, there is...

 

But I want to go beyond the scope of just my own children. I want to be a mother to everyone who needs one (and that’s, well, everyone!)

Already Russ and I have committed to applying for foster care. Because those kids in foster care need moms just as much as anyone else. And adoption. We want to have 100 kids. No, seriously (I used to laugh when Russ would say this – but really, I think he’s right).

I read these girls’ blogs about all sorts of various stuff – crafting, home decorating, being cute, etc (basically all of them are moms), and I keep feeling the urge to write about the stuff we do...  but what is it that we do?

Yeah. Being a mother is my calling in life. That’s my profession. You can call it “Child Development Professional” if you want. Because probably in the “professional” world, that’s what it would be called.

But here, we just call it “mother.”

And the winner is...

(click play for the drum roll)

 

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Christy

@ The Blog She Will Eventually Create

Okay, so she doesn’t have a blog – yet. But she wants one, so I’ll help her with that. And I promise I didn’t pick her because she’s my sister! Vince really did draw a name (out of an IKEA pot, no less). And he picked Christy. So there you have it, folks, the winner of my first ever giveaway!

I had so much fun thinking about all the people who entered and what I wanted to do for each of them that I am sure I will have another giveaway soon. Maybe when we move into our new house. Maybe in conjunction with moving to our new domain name (maybe both!)

So there you have it – Christy, we’ll be in contact to get that blogger header done for you! And I’ll post it here on my blog for all you to see (and drool over).

Love to all!

And if I drop off the face of the blogging planet for a while, here’s why. I will do my darndest to keep posting (because it’s good to be distracted) but I’m facing this problem where I feel unreal if I talk but don’t talk about what’s happening, and I don’t really want to talk about what’s happening, so I just don’t talk.

Makes for a pretty silent Becca. You should have seen me dodging people at church today. Mostly what I need is good big hugs. No words. Just hugs. So if you see me and wonder what to say, don’t say anything. Just hug me. Maybe let me cry for a minute.

Monday Musings -- “Os pequeninos deixai vir a mim”

“Pois, é teu Pai e muito te-ama”

This is a line from the Portuguese translation of the song, “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” from the LDS Children’s Songbook,

(in English)

(em Português)

I have always loved this song – in English, of course – and it was one of the first songs from the Children’s Songbook that I learned to play. When we made the decision to raise our children bilingual, we realized that we were going to need the resources to teach them the gospel both in English and in Portuguese. So we bought scriptures (including the Book of Mormon stories, and recently the Old Testament stories), manuals, and the Children’s Songbook (and CDs!) in Portuguese. We read the scriptures as a family in Portuguese, and we have family home evening, and family prayer, and sing songs as a family all in Portuguese.

I absolutely love the Children’s Songs. I was raised to have a deep love for music, and for the gospel, and the music in the Children’s Songbook are just ingrained in me! They come to mind all the time when I am studying the principles of the gospel. They are a perfect simple introduction to the gospel, and the music is so sweet and beautiful, I just feel warm all over when I play and sing these songs.

When music is translated into another language, the basic underlying meaning of the music is preserved (as much as possible), but the words and expressions can be vastly different.

For example, this words of this song (My Heavenly Father Loves Me) read:

Pray, He is there, Speak, He is listening,

You are His child, His love now surrounds you.

He hears your prayers, He loves the children.

Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven.

Whereas the Portuguese translation reads:

Sim, perto está. Sim, Ele te ovre.

(Yes, He is near. Yes, He is listening to you).

Pois, é teu Pai e muito te-ama

(For he is your Father and he loves you very much.)

Com terno amor, ama as crianças,

(With tender love, He loves the children)

Pois delas é o reino, o reino do céu.

(For such is the kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven)

I think the Portuguese expression is much more beautiful than the English translation that I just wrote there, but I just love that the words in the Portuguese translation say “He loves you very much.” The words “His love now surrounds you” are very poetic and beautiful – but I am a fan of simple and direct. You can’t get more simple than “He loves you very much.” This is the testimony that I have – that Heavenly Father loves me very much and it is the testimony I want to share with everyone, especially my own children: é muito te-ama.

Please let that piece of truth touch your heart. Because it is true:

é muito te-ama.

(if you’re wondering – I use Windows Live Writer to write my blog,

and downloaded this MP3 Player Plugin for Writer to embed the mp3’s in this post)

Monday Musings –- Seven Brides

This past week has been crazy. It went something like this:

Piano lessons, tutoring, rolled ankles, lack of running/exercise = cranky mamãe, making homemade pizza and pizza cookie = happy mamãe, swimming lessons (in which Vincente nearly drowns – but that’s another post), bachelorette parties (in which there is no drinking, but lots of laughter and conversation with a bunch of really smart ladies – a vet, a lawyer, a business owner, and an accountant. Whoa.), wedding preparations, wedding ceremony and reception, and finally a day of rest.

I attended the wedding of Megann Hamlin (now Edwards) on Saturday (picture at left with Jannae – one of the bridesmaids, and hopefully a soon-to-be bride ;) ) – the last of three weddings for this summer – phew!

I feel really blessed to have been able to attend so many weddings this summer! I have been thinking about my own marriage, and the beautiful covenants that I made that day.

I am so grateful for my knowledge and testimony of eternal families, and of the blessings of making covenants in the Lord’s temples. I found myself feeling very grateful for the covenants that Russ and I made in the house of the Lord. And wanting to live those covenants better and more fully. There is an earnest desire in me to live the gospel – a burning that guides my actions, and brings me to my knees when I come up short.

And I am so grateful for the atonement – the love of Christ and God – that allows me to be better than I was before. Sunday was a much needed day of rest for me.  I love the chance to reflect and be taught by the Spirit.

I posted some more motherhood thoughts over on my scripture blog. About the story of Ammon and motherhood.

I am going to post a “Monday Musings” post each Monday – just my thoughts, maybe a few pictures, and hopefully some of my testimony – because I need to share it more often.

This week I will be posting lots of pictures from our fun activities last week – and we’ll be visiting the puppies so I’ll probably write an entire post about them.

And don’t forget to check out my first ever giveaway – going on now!

How was your week? Does Sunday refresh you like it refreshes me? (I can’t live without Sunday!) What blessings are you grateful for?

 

 

 

 

Because She is a Mother

I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately, and I have had the great blessing of receiving personal revelation. It has been a sweet and tender thing for me.

In doing a little of my soul searching, I went to the Church’s website where I happened upon this MormonMessages video.

I bawled through the whole video, of course (as I am prone to do while watching Mormon Messages videos).

But then I looked up Elder Holland’s talk on the Church’s website.

I felt as if Heavenly Father was confirming the spiritual promptings I had previously received, and was preparing me for further inspiration that came later that night.

I love the things that I have learned. I love having that relationship with my Father in Heaven. I want to do His will, and I know that He reveal it to me as I become able to understand and act upon it, and as I prepare myself to receive it.

Motherhood is such a sweet gift.

I don’t need to feel pressure to teach my children the things the world pressures me to teach them. Elder Holland read parts of a letter he received from a young mother who said that “...she felt like the world expected her to teach her children reading, writing, interior design, Latin, calculus, and the internet – all before the baby said something terribly ordinary, like ‘goo goo.’”

I have often felt a lot like that. I feel a lot of pressure to teach my children these things. But then, when I sit back and reflect, I feel a greater need to teach them the gospel.

“...we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” (2 Nephi 25:26)

“Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

The Proclamation to the World talks about successful families being established on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.

I find it interesting that the Lord doesn’t include “learning” as one of those principles – obviously he wants us to learn, as He has instructed us to “seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (Doctrine & Covenants 88:118) But when he talks about “successful families,” the emphasis is on teaching Christ-like attributes, not teaching our children their ABC’s.

I never cease to be amazed at the Lord’s mindfulness of me. When I actually come unto Him and humble myself and really ask for revelation, He gives it to me! Just for asking. I feel really blessed, and I kick myself for not preparing more fervently for that revelation. I could have done more, and done better a lot earlier in life if I had just kept in close contact with the Father. He has so much to teach me, if I’ll just open up and listen.

One Year Older

Joseline turned 1 on March 23! She’s growing up so fast. Still not walking, but she’s my little sweetheart. She is so precious and snuggly and such a good eater (she ate that whole mini cake above. Probably in under 5 minutes)!

Grandma Shirley bought Joseline a pretty green Easter dress for her birthday (turns out I have two Easter babies!)

After church (and before the cake madness) we did a photo shoot of Joss in her pretty new dress.

 

We tried to get a few pictures of Joseline with her cousin, Annie, but I don’t think we ever got them to both look at the camera at the same time. I tried to get Joseline to walk – as you can see, she does a great job holding on with one hand.

She didn’t really like the feel of the grass on her feet, and kept trying to inch toward the sidewalk.

I am in love with this little girl. I’ve been listening to the General Young Women’s broadcast on my iPhone, and I just can’t help feeling so blessed to have this beautiful baby in my life – who will one day be a beautiful young woman! I feel very privileged to be the mother who will get to sit with her at the General YW meetings. To be the mother who gets to teach her to pray and to love Heavenly Father. I am in such awe of this beautiful little girl. I just want to be the best mother for her and Vincente. They are a precious responsibility that Heavenly Father has placed in my hands. I can’t do it without Heavenly Father, I know that for sure. Good thing He’s with me in this child-raising thing.

     

How does being a mother make you feel? Do you counsel with Heavenly Father every day, pleading with Him to help you be a better mother? Do you feel His strength with you as you strive to be a better mother?

Sincere Desires

I posted today over in my scripture blog about refinement. Russ and I read an article last summer in the Ensign called "Our Refined Heavenly Home". It was a great article, and at the time reminded me of a lot of things. Then it was of course put in the recycle bin, and the article was forgotten. But not entirely.

Today, or maybe this was last night, as I was studying the words of the Prophet and other Church leaders, I was reminded of a few Ensign articles I had read that had a profound influence on me. This one about refinement was one. This article about a great mother was another that had a deep impact on me.

So I printed both articles to a PDF on my desktop so I can read them regularly. It’s not often that I feel so deeply affected by an Ensign article or a talk. Sure, many talks and articles have stirred my soul and increased my testimony, but occasionally there is a talk or article that feels like the author was sitting down with you in private conversation, answering your very concerns and questions – giving voice to the sincere desires of your heart.

Well, there is a lot in both articles – too much for one imperfect person like me to become in less than a lifetime, but I want to work on the things in each article.

This week I am going to work on being more refined in my speech. I want to speak with “purity of thought and sincerity of expression.”

I don’t want to be only refined in my choice of words and in my language, but also in what I talk about.

“Refinement in speech is reflected not only in our choice of words but also in the things we talk about. There are those who always speak of themselves; they are either insecure or proud. There are those who always speak of others; they are usually boring. There are those who speak of stirring ideas, compelling books, and inspiring doctrine; these are the few who make their mark in this world.”

So there it is. My goal for the week. My soul’s sincere desire. I have faith that as I come to Him in sincere prayer, Heavenly Father will bless me with the ability to become more than I am.

How do you want to be more than you are? Are there any General Conference talks or Ensign articles that seemed like the speaker/author had sat down in private conversation with you?

the ER visit that starts them all

Today Vince, Joseline and I went with Trisha and her kids to the Parks Mothers' Day luncheon. It was great food, and great company - here's the proof about the company: (oh, btw, I broke my camera on Sunday, so until we get a new camera there is going to be a little lull in our pictures... which sucks hard core)

The company was so good, there were lots of little friends for Vincente to play with. What happens when you get a bunch of preschoolers in a room together? They run around and jump around and chase each other and are basically little wild crazy children.

So I was standing with the moms in the general area where our children were playing (although some of them, like Vincente, were running around the big ballroom). I hear Trisha calling me from across the room, and I run over, and there is my precious little baby boy and a nice lady (I think her name was Sarah) holding napkins on his forehead - he's screaming, and blood is dripping down his face. I almost lost it. Thanks to great AMAZING friends (Trisha, Krystal - you guys are amazing, I would have been a basket case without you!!), I was able to stay relatively calm. The people running the luncheon were way awesome, as well, because they were already on the phone with the paramedics by the time I got over there. One look at the cut (which was still bleeding profusely) and I knew he needed stitches. This nice Sarah lady seemed like she was a nurse or something because she was asking me if I had any of Vince's loveys with us (unfortunately, we've started leaving his blanket at home, unless he specifically asks to bring it with him, or if we know we're going to be out during nap time), so since I didn't have them, Trisha offered to run to my house and pick them up! Amazing friends, I tell you! Then Sarah was asking me if there were any song Vince liked to sing, but my voice was so shakey, I couldn't really sing in a soothing way, you know? It's not really relaxing to be sang to by a person who's having a hard time keeping it together. Unfortunately, all the songs Vince likes to sing are ones like Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam, I am a Child of God, and Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree - I had one of those "we're not in Kansas anymore" moments when I realized that I couldn't just tell her to start singing Primary songs. Anyway, eventually we moved into a different room - and empty room where away from all the commotion and people in the ballroom. Krystal brought in her adorable little three year old, Braden, to sing for Vincente. It was the first thing that calmed Vince down completely - Braden singing all Vince's favorite Primary songs. Braden is SUCH a cute kid, and I loved his little voice singing to Vincente.

Well, the abulance came, sirens and all, but Vince in his heightened emotional state would have absolutely nothing to do with them and freaked out when they even looked at him. All the to-do was a little much for the poor kid, and it was just about nap time. We ended up riding to the hospital in the ambulance, which was kind of fun - and I'll get to tell Vince about it when he's older, since he probably won't remember. Krystal watched Joseline at the luncheon while she waited for Trisha to get back, since Trisha was going to bring Vince's "Snuggle" back to the luncheon place. Krystal even offered to bring Joseline up to the hospital for me, but once Trisha got there, she took Joseline instead, since Krystal had her own three year old and 10 month old to take care of. Now that I look back I feel bad that I even asked her to take Joseline - you don't think straight in those situations, though. 

Before we rode off in the ambulance, I tried to call Russ, but his phone wasn't working, so I tried to call our friend Omar who studies Chinese in the same area as Russ, and whose number was the only one I had in my phone, but he didn't answer either, so I called his wife, whose number I also had, and asked her if she could get a hold of Omar for me and have Omar pass the message on to Russ to call me. Well, I found out later that Michelle got a hold of Omar, who goes to class down the hill from Russ, and then Omar called Wes (Trisha's husband) who goes to class in a room nextdoor to Russ. Wes talked to Russ, and then Russ called me. It was a crazy chain - but man, so awesome to have all these good friends. I don't know what we would have done without them.

Well, Trisha got up to the hospital with Vincente's Snuggle and a panda bear. Then Vince and Connor watched Jungle Book for a while. Russ got to the hospital just after Trisha, but he only had his motorcycle, so Trisha drove back to our house with Joseline so Russ could bring the car back to the hospital.

Around 3pm, we were finally seen by the Dr, and he said that since the wound was such a clean cut, Vincente wouldn't need stitches after all. He could just use the glue stuff that works like stitches. 

About half an hour later, Vince was all fixed up, and actually smiling and giving us weak little laughs every now and then when Russ could coax something out of him. We were discharged, and came home. 

It was a crazy, crazy day... and I am SO grateful for all the friends we have here.

When ever something "bad" happens to us, I always like to ask "Why?" I think I mentined this after our car accident in September - I don't mean to say I ask "Why me, Why me?" all pathetic like. It's more like "What does Heavenly Father want me to learn from this experience?" Because there is always something to learn. I think Heavenly Father wanted me to realize how much our friends love us, and how great a bond the gospel gives us. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ - which is made manifest by the way we bear one anothers burdens. I want to be that kind of friend to people. I think Heavenly Father wants me to be more like the friends I have - the kind of person who just takes care of things without even hesitating, and the kind of person who goes out of their way to make sure other people are taken care of.

I am so grateful for our health and our friends and the love we all have for each other. I am counting my blessings today.

too worn out

Yes. I am way too tired to write anything today, but I thought I should, because Heavenly Father has decided that this car accident thing should be the easiest trial I have ever dealt with. I keep trying to make it out to be worse than it is, but the pieces keep falling into place - our safety the day of the accident, the insurance giving me a good deal for my totaled car, paying for a rental, taking care of everything, basically, then me being able to qualify for an amazing loan by myself, and finding a killer deal on the exact car I want (actually, a killer deal on a better version of the exact car I want!)...

Anyway, I keep trying to make it be worse than it is, but then Heavenly Father plops another blessing in my lap, as if He is saying "Becca, you know I won't let anything be too hard for you right now." And then I sit, dumbfounded, wondering how on earth I am going to pay Him back for all these blessings. 

He really is looking out for us. And He loves us, I have no doubts about it!