How Time Flies

For the past few days, I've had a feeling that I need to post again on this blog.  I was surprised to read that my last post occurred after General Conference in April. Yesterday, we wrapped up another wonderful session of conference, and it left me feeling uplifted and grateful for all of my blessings. 

Two weeks ago, my sister Rochelle got married.  It was a beautiful event.  I love the opportunities to reflect that these milestone events provide.  As we sat in the sealing room of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, I reflected on my own wedding day and the covenants I was able to make with my husband.  I remember that listening to the words and blessings the sealer pronounced upon us once we were married literally took my breath away, and I let out a gasp as tears sprang to my eyes.  I had never heard the words in a sealing ceremony until my own.  How beautiful are those blessings and promises!!  My gratitude for those blessings has only increased since that day as Craig and I have begun to build our own kingdom, starting with our beautiful children.  I love Craig more and more and more as I've watched him become the wonderful father and provider and husband that he is.  Our children increase our love for each other.  With each child born to us, I fall more and more in love with my little family. 

I can see why having a family is a crucial part of Heavenly Father's plan for each of His children.  Nothing teaches us to love, to be less selfish and more generous, to be more patient, or to have more compassion and empathy than having a family.  Becoming a mother has shown me just how imperfect I am, but has given me a way to overcome my weaknesses.  Motherhood has stretched me in more ways than I knew I could be stretched.  While it hasn't always been pretty, I would never go back to the person I once was.  I only want to continue to grow and improve and become worthy of my eternal family!  

Here are some of the pics from the wedding.  Sawyer insisted on wearing his moonboots the entire time.  It was a battle, and he won!

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Things That Matter Most

I often feel guilty that I don't blog with more frequency.  I wish I could document every single sweet moment of my life.  However, as the mom of four busy kids, I am lucky to find the time to simply pull out the camera and snap a few pictures every now and then much less take the time to download the pictures onto the computer and then upload and write about them on Facebook or this blog.  Perhaps there will be a time and season where I can do more of that.  Until then, I feel that if I stress too much about the documenting, then I miss out on more of those priceless moments.  I just want to soak it all in. 

Today, we got to listen to General Conference, which I always love.  One of the thoughts that has stuck with me all day stems from one of the brethen's comments about the people of Africa.  He said something to the effect that they are some of the happiest people on the earth and that ironically, they have "very little of the things that matter least and an abundance of the things that matter most."  I, too, am genuinely happy.  Though I have been blessed with an abundance of material comforts (the things that matter least), I have also been blessed with an abundance of the things that matter most.  The things that matter most to me in this world include my faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and my family.  These two things bring me such incredible joy! 

Sometimes, I wish that I could just freeze time.  My kids are growing like weeds, although much cuter and much more valuable.  I'm so grateful I get to spend eternity with these precious souls!  They are my definition of heaven!  Here are a few photos we took Easter Sunday:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Bedtime Prayers

We had a late night with the kids last night, so I was anxious to get them to bed quickly.  However, they had different ideas.  They kept coming out of their rooms with a vareity of excuses about why they couldn't go to sleep:  "I'm afraid of the dark," "I need to go potty," "Mom, remember the time that you said [blah, blah, blah] and you didn't do it?  That made me sad,"  etc.

I was getting pretty tired, so my responses got shorter and shorter, and I ended up yelling, "Just go to bed!"

Alas, Crayden came out one more time and said, "Mom, I said a prayer that you would not be a mean mom anymore, and that you would be the nicest mom ever."

My thoughts: Should I tell him that sometimes that Lord's answer to us is "no" or that sometimes He makes us wait a while before our prayers are answered?

Too tired to say anything more, I just said, "That's great...now go to bed." 

 

The Holidays

Snapshots of our holidays including Cameron's 7th birthday, Christmas, and our New Year's trip to sunny California: