Spring Break

This week we are off for spring break. I have to admit I am very nervous about how I am going to entertain them this week and if I can make it through with my sanity. I have been searching and decided on a craft for every day. Some of them are just cute spring crafts, but I also found some great things for preparing for Easter. They are like little sponges when it comes to anything with the gospel, so I am finding this part of the week’s activities exciting, it is a real opportunity to share what is so important to me. I love Easter and the feeling of hope and peace it brings.

So I made a makeshift calendar for the next two weeks, planning each day of spring break and the week to countdown and celebrate Easter. I went shopping with a huge list to buy everything I needed. I spent over $100, and when Kelly’s mouth dropped at that news all I said was. “It is about my sanity” and miraculously he was perfectly fine with it.

Actually, he is truly amazing at how he supports me.

I also revised the chore charts to add some reading time, and spring cleaning acitivites for the week. To help keep some sort of routine so that after spring break we are still on track.

Today’s craft was from the Friend magazine and it is to celebrate Spring. We made jelly bean butterflies.

Kind of Random

This week my photos are a bit random.

Ellie was walking around with her jacket on and her hair became so tangled and staticy (is that a word?) that when she took her hood off she was left with this lovely hairdo!

Hunter was chosen as student of the week in his class. He was so excited and we had some assignments to get him all prepared for the special honor. We filled out this large poster of information about him and gathered some picture to send. He came home from his visit and not much was colored on the poster, but he didn’t want any help. Finally he let us help, but just a little to get the poster colored b bed time. I think he did a great job!

Lastly, we made rainbow cupcakes on St. Patty’s day, which I didn’t take pictures of. I colored parts of the batter from a cake mix and let the kids fill the cupcake papers with the batter all willy nilly. Well, that activity inspired Kelsey to make this mini cupcakerainbow. It is so fun and creative!

Trusting My Belief

C.S Lewis said this:  ”You never know how much you really believe anything,” he confesses,  until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to [tie] a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it? . . . Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief. [Lewis, p. 25]

I read this quote and thought it was interesting, very thought provoking. I tried to imagine each of my beliefs in a way that it was a matter of life and death, and answer honestly in my heart if they were strong enough. I am not sure that I can really be successful with that, that I can put myself in an “as if” state of mind. One decision those thoughts left me with is that time spent strengthening my beliefs is not time wasted so that when the time comes, it will be strong enough. I think life is pretty much alternating between a time of strengthening and a time of testing.

The Book of Mormon has so many examples of people who were tested and it was a matter of life and death. Their example strengthens me. There are also examples when it didn’t feel like life or death at first, but by the end of the road it was life or death, even eternal life or death. I can see that even though I am not in a life or death situation, I need to live what I do believe “as if” because eventually it becomes life or death. Living what I believe will strengthen my beliefs.

Another thing I have been noticing as I read is the stark difference between obedience out of fear and obedience out of love. Where am I on that scale? Do I obey because I fear the consequences or out of pure love? The answer is probably both—I think that I obey different principles for different reasons. And hopefully always moving toward the best side of the scale.

Plainness

It has been a while since I posted about my studies of the gospel. It has been a while since I felt like I was inspired to write I guess. Lately, I have found the most comfort in the basics of the gospel, in the simple thing of the gospel, so when I read Nephi’s words today, they resonated with me.

Nephi teaches that God teaches in plainness. I found that interesting after spending so many chapters quoting Isaiah. I don’t feel like Isaiah is very plain, but I love the promise that if we study his words we will receive help and understanding through the Holy Ghost. We are promised that he can teach us ALL things.

I am grateful that the gospel is clear and simple. Live and living the gospel are not always easy, but the path is clear to see.

Thru His baptism, Jesus showed us 1. to be humble before God, 2. that obedience is the key, 3. that baptism is required for entrance into the Father’s kingdom and 4. that He is our example in all things. Then He said “come follow me” making it clear that we are to do those same things to follow Him. We are to be humble, repent, and get baptized so that we can receive the Holy Ghost who will help u s endure in following Christ so that we may have eternal life.

One of my favorite scriptures is 2 Nephi 31:20 where we learn exactly what enduring is:

• keeping faith and hope in Christ = believing the atonement
• loving God = obeying His commandments
• loving mankind = service
• feasting upon the word = studying the scriptures and following the prophet and apostles

When we falter we repent through the atonement. When we feel weak we find strength through the atonement.

Plain, simple, clear path back home.

Temple Trip

We took Ellie and Hunter to the temple for their first time. While Kelly and I did some sealings, Maryn and Kelsey took them around the grounds and to the visitor center. They loved the temple. They loved seeing it, walking around it and feeling the spirit of it. They can’t wait to go back.

My favorite part….it smelled HEAVENLY! There were so many flowers in bloom that even in the open the air was so fragrant.

Sister Visit

Sister Barret and Sister Shimitzu have been coming over to teach the kids. Their visits bring an added peace to our home. I know that Hunter and Ellie enjoy their lessons, but I also have found added strength to the messages they share. They always teach in a way that the kids will understand the principles. This week they taught about the restoration using stacking cups. I know that they come for the kids, but I also know that my Father in Heaven sends them with a message of comfort for me.

Each week, Hunter like to show them the improvements he is making on his roller blades. So before they leave, we spend a few minutes outside watching him make the corner from the driveway, dodging people, rocks and occasionally the water hose.

February Collage

Ellie’s science fair, broken toe, snow in Tucson, heart pancakes and eggs, Hunter and pinewood derby