The boys

Spencer has had an interesting transition to a bed from the crib. So after Christmas, I rearranged their room a bit to accommodate a bed that would fit both of the boys. They both love to sleep together. Spencer was screaming tonight when I put him to bed so I put him back in his crib. But Joel insisted that I move him from the crib into the big bed. I love that my boys love each other right now. 

I often find them snuggled up when I go to wake Joel in the mornings. It's so adorable. 

Becometh as a child

Two boys that love me no matter what!

Spencer showed pure love to someone yesterday. He is not the personality to sit on anyone's lap or play with anyone that comes along, but he could sense that she cared about him and so he attached himself to her. It was a powerful lesson of loving as the Savior does, regardless of life situations or unfair judgement that we as adults give. Maybe this is why I'm still having children. It took me until my fourth to notice this principle. At this rate I could end up with twelve kids. :) The Lord must really love me to be so patient with such a slow learner. 

These things make me smile

Farm kid wannabes. They love to pet and ride the donkeys, explore the barn and the old house, and climb on hay bales. 

-Macy woke up this morning feeling sick to her stomach so we sent her to the bathroom. After a few minutes she came out having only coughed, we've all had bad colds, and told me she coughed out the sick feeling. 😀

-Spencer singing songs from the movie Frozen, or any song. His vocabulary is amazing and I love communicating with him. 

-Joel is spending time with his cousins for a few nights and they made this. 

He has some amazing aunts! Someone asked us how we compete with all the fun. The answer is that we don't. We've accepted the fact that we won't ever be as cool or as much fun. 

-seeing and hearing brynn interact with friends.  She's entirely different. 

-The Olympics make me smile. I've really enjoyed watching some full events but lots of highlights. It's fun learning about the athletes. It's fun cheering for two countries and it's fun that Canada is doing so well in the medal count this time.  

a call to family history

For a long time, I've been content and felt good about my methods of working on family history, ie. writing a blog, journals, indexing, and attending the temple. I've been doing well at all except indexing. The last several times I've tried to index, there hasn't been anything for me to do.  I was starting to feel a little bit bad.  Also, Brynn turns 12 in December and will get to go to the Temple for the first time.  We thought it would be really neat for her to have a family name to take with her.  I guess it got my mind on it.  I've always thought I couldn't do anything because so many in each of our families has been working for years on our family lines, researching, etc.  And I don't know where to start.  Well, the other night, I had a dream.  In the dream I had a conversation with someone about family history work.  They asked why I hadn't been involved in this way.  I told them it was because so many others were doing it and I was choosing to be involved in other ways, and I believed I wouldn't be able to find any names.  The person then said that there were names that only I would be able to find.  I was shocked!  I woke up excited and compelled to figure out how to research our family lines.  Help! Does anyone have any tips?

I love it when the answers finally come

Patience is a virtue that most of us are working on.  I've been struggling for a LONG time, years, with an issue.  This issue is trying to have joy amidst life's challenges, particularly family life.  I have been trying to figure out what I can do to help set a happy tone in our home and to try to keep it when the kids come home from school and immediately begin to fight.  I have tried a few things but I had an inspiration filled scripture study Saturday morning.  I often get inspiration as I'm reading but this one really stood out to me and it was something I've really been trying to get an answer for. I was reading about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and their choice to eat the forbidden fruit, which brought physical and spiritual death to them, and all mankind.  I was reading that when we sin, we feel guilt and shame, and this is what helps us to repent.  I finally realized that I have been feeling guilty about what is going on in our home, because I have been breaking one of the commandments, "Love thy neighbor as thyself."  My family members are my neighbors as well as the rest of the people I come into contact with.  I often don't feel joy because of this sin-sin leads to unhappiness.  I can fix this.  I know how to repent!  I am so grateful that the Savior atoned for this sin of mine, as well as all others, and that I can repent and be made clean.  Since I had this realization, I now can look at my family differently.  Loving all of them, each of them, as my neighbor will help me keep the proper perspective that I need to help reduce the contention in the home.  I love that I can receive personal revelation, straight from Heavenly Father, through the Holy Ghost.  What a huge blessing in my life!