Snow Day Jan 9th 2017

It's a kids dream come true!  The earth is covered in this beautiful white stuff and then the school calls and says you can take the day and just be a kid and enjoy it!  Here is a picture of Jenny enjoying it on Nelson's hill!

We braved the roads to spend the morning in tricities at the orthodontist.  Then we returned for lunch and fun with Jenette and Ronald's family sledding on Nelsons hill! 

Back home to sled, build forts, feed and water animals, eat a stew dinner, and watch studio C with our Lawson neighbors.

Dad had a great Family Home Evening on 3 scriptures: (I'll have to look up the right scriptures later) Daniel 2 , ? Nephi 14:12and the 10 virgin story.  

The first was the stone cut out without hands.  It filled the whole earth right?  Does that mean te gospel will fill the earth? The believers will fill the earth? The gospels influence? The word?

But then in Nephi when it says the believers are but a few because of the influence of the whore of the earth.

Then we read the 10 virgin story and realized the 10 were all invited.  There were probably others not mentioned in the story that didn't want to go.  So who is represented by the 10?  Probably not all man kind.  The 10 were probably numbered among the believers and considered themselves part of the group.  But only half were really ready and really knew God.  If the ratio is right for suggesting it is the believers at the end of the earth, Nephi says there are only a few and the 10 virgin suggest of the few only half were ready.  The point being the Church may never become what we might have been imagining from the Daniel scripture.  If you are hoping or waiting for the believers to become the majority or to be the popular thing you might be shocked to know the church goes forth quietly.  It does not wait for the worlds approval.  If we as individuals are basing our religion or our expressions or our testimony our actions on the popular opinion or the worlds acceptance and judgements we might find in the day of recogning we are in the wrong crowd and shut out from the lords presence! 

(I think about the church in Christs time.  The son of God came to the earth and people still did not believe or join in mass movements but as individuals and one faithful act, one testimony at a time.)

Great lesson, well received, and magic bars for a treats. 

We may have more great snow days in the future.

Helmet Head Hero

This boy loves adventure almost as much he love this helmet.  I have to smile everytime I see this oversized helmet walking through the house.  He reminds me of a little Calvin character off Calvin and Hobbs.

 "His" helmet goes just about everywhere and I feel like it makes everything he does seem so much more adventurous.  

Temple trip with friends and family

The teenagers wanted to have a temple trip before they got back to school, sports and regular life.  So they made a few calls got some names together and had a great time together!

Man I love these kids!  What a great group of kids!

Payton, Brighton R, Easton R, Jenny, Dallin F, Elijah R, Avery, Janea F, Jill

New Leaf 2017

After much debate and silly jokes about each others New Years resolution or lack of, I have decided to make mine a little more permenant and write them down.  I'm not going to follow anyone's goal setting advice but leave it broad.  

#1 Feast on the word= Read the scriptures.

#2 Don't give up on me- or maybe I should say work on myself or make time for myself.

#3 Don't give up on my kids-  or better put- make time to love my kids.

Photos count.  Now I will see if I remember them all year long.  I justs saw my blog yesterday and thought how fun it was to see my kids so little again.  Maybe l should have kept up with the blog.  Or make that a New Years resolution to do it this year. ... But I never seem to keep it up and I don't need to feel guilty for another failed phase so I will put it under not giving up on things.  

(One of my resolutions complaints is that life gets in the way.  I don't like when I set goals and try to plan ways to accomplish them and then heaven and earth seem to work against me and I can roll with it but inside I find myself getting frustrated or angry even when I don't accomplish them or even seem to make progress. Things like a sick kid or someone's needs or hurt feelings or outside influences suddenly pop up in my life and they come before my goals and wants but because I am measuring my goals  I have to count them as fails as time after time after time I give up on what I want to work on for a greater cause.  So I find it a necessity to abandon my personal interest in hopes to help others and make life bearable without resentment or continued feelings of failure.)

Rag...

July 19, 2015. Loving the views!!!

Another day July 21, 2015

July 21, 2015
After much trial and error we finally got Black Jack hooked to the cart and gave the kids rides around the yard.  Need lots of work with that horse but I'm pleased to have nothing bad happen especially from the stories I heard about last time and his trust issues now.

Lunch of BLT.  Yes my life is complete.  With all these yummy yummy tomatoes I was worried we wouldn't ever remember to buy bacon so we could have BLTs.  Yep heavenly!
Paige Ben and Mabel had their second day of swimming lessons!  Kaitlan is awesome!
Pond time- I took Hollys 7 kids, 5 of mine, Marks oldest, 1 cousin and two sisters to swim at the pond.  Joel, Amy and Micheal joined us and Grandma Elaine eventually came out.  She was fun.  She had some stories for the kids about why you don't take baby birds from their nest.
Came home to sloppy joes and corn on the cob.  Love summer days!
Spent the evening at Cousin Pipers bridal shower.  Fun to catch up with the out-of-
towners!
Bonus today.  Justin had to come out of the box for a meeting and snuck in a quick call and sweet message.  Makes the silence a little more bearable.

The Ragnar Van