What I Would Pay...

I was heading to bed last night and passed by something that caught my eye.  The house was quiet, my mind was clear, and this sight just stopped me in my tracks.  It was Ashlee's Book of Mormon, the same one she's had for about ten years now.  I've seen it a million times, I've picked it up when it was left where it shouldn't be, I've returned it to her room, I've set it on the shelf... but this time I just had to hold it and look at it for a minute.  And then, of course, I had to get the camera.

These scriptures have been used and abused.  I know that some of their wear and tear has come from their accidentally being dropped or maybe even sat on, but the pages are worn because the book has actually been opened and read.  This book wouldn't look this way if it were sitting on a shelf, remaining untouched.  And for that I am so grateful.

I'm grateful for Primary teachers, Sunday School teachers, Young Women leaders, and seminary teachers who have taught her to use them, to mark them, to love them.  And I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who has blessed her to feel her own witness that the words contained in this book are true.  When these scriptures were purchased years ago, I hoped and prayed that they would be loved and put to use.  And last night I was reminded that they have been.  As I stood there looking at them, in a way I never quite had before, the thought went through my mind, I would pay for these a thousand times over, to know that they're being used.  If any of our kids ever manages to wear their scriptures out so badly that they need new ones, I'll have that purchase made before they can even blink--one of few cases in which I would be thrilled to reward my children for wearing something out.



And then of course this thought popped into my head:

First set of scriptures                                  $73.95
Second set of scriptures                            $73.95
Third, fourth, fifth set of scriptures         $73.95
Knowing they're being used.....                Priceless =)



This is the Night We've Waited For!!!

I was organizing some pictures and came across a few that I've taken over the years during Family Home Evenings. We've definitely had our share of family nights during which the "Bedlamites" were out of control, and it seemed that our efforts were in vain. But pushing through the not-so-inspiring FHE's has paid off, and we now have many wonderful memories of spiritual as well as fun evenings spent together. We seldom reach the end of the night wondering--as we used to years ago--if our time or energy has been wasted. And the kids truly do look forward to each Monday as "the night we've waited for." As the Primary song says,

This is the night we've waited for;
Always a treat we have in store,
We love each other more and more
With every family night.
Stories and games for everyone,
Learning the gospel can be fun,
Father and mother, daughter, son,
Together on family night!

These pictures from 2008 are some of my favorites.  One night, as we played one of our favorite games, "Don't Eat Pete," Chase kept shocking everyone as he cleared the game board without eating Pete!  I love looking at these pictures, and the kids' smiles as Chase kept managing to avoid Pete...  The suspense is killer!!!  =)

The first chocolate chip... Safe!!!

...And safe again!

Safe again... and again... and again...  They can't believe it!

All the way down to the last chocolate chip!!!  Incredible!!!  =)

Everyone is hysterical over Chase's triumphant round of "Don't Eat Pete" - and of course Chase is thrilled with both his success and his tummy-full of chocolate chips! =)

Another night we played a game to see how well we know our family members--by their noses =)  We've also played this with hands, feet, and by a kiss on the cheek.  (I have to say that the older boys weren't too excited about kissing each other on the cheek, but it made for some laughs!  Too bad we didn't have the camera out then!)  =)

I'm not sure if this one was an actual "Family Night" or just a time when we made cookies... but we all know that no FHE is complete without treats of some sort!  So this is a favorite picture at our house.

When we hang it in our world-famous family art museum someday, we'll title it:

"Kids Waiting for Cookies" =)

This was our first FHE after Chase was born.  With our family officially complete, I decided I wanted to take this picture.  I don't know why, and Rob thought it was a silly idea, but I'm grateful that he humored me and participated.

This one wasn't taken during FHE, but was an opportunity to put a FHE lesson into practice:  Forgiveness.  This picture was taken after Emmee dropped and broke Ashlee's porcelain unicorn, which was very special to her.  Tears were shed by both.  We took a picture so we'd at least have that to remember it...

This was a "family talent show."  Rob wouldn't consider the accordion to be one of his talents, but he was willing to give it a try!  It's all just about having fun, right?!?

The kids always love to help by holding up the pictures during stories.  (And it helps keep them from jumping around, somersaulting, fighting, etc., through the lesson!)  =)

Of course decorating for Christmas is always a favorite FHE activity!

Even though our Family Home Evening pictures are relatively few, they're a reminder to me of my gratitude for inspired leaders, who realized--60+ years ago--the importance of families setting aside a night to gather and learn together.  Sometimes the most important lesson of all is simply remembering how much we enjoy each other.  The small moments may not seem to amount to much, but as they all add up they create unbreakable bonds that will keep us close throughout eternity.

A Time for Reflection

Today I was in the kitchen, busy with preparations for the RS Broadcast dinner. Ashlee was in the other room, playing the piano, and she had chosen to play from a "Sound of Music" collection. As she began playing "Climb Every Mountain" the words started through my head, and it related so much to my thoughts about her and her life lately:

Climb every mountain

Search high and low

Follow every byway
Every path you know

Climb every mountain
Ford every stream

Follow every rainbow

Till you find your dream

A dream that will need

All the love you can give

Every day of your life
For as long as you live

Climb every mountain
Ford every stream
Follow every rainbow
Till you find your dream

She's in her last year of high school, with so many decisions and so much excitement coming in her near future. She definitely has some mountains to climb, some paths to follow, and some dreams to pursue. We don't know any of the details yet--the order in which it will all take place, which experiences will be the hardest, which will be the most fun, which will bring the most growth...

She might find some of her dreams relatively easily. Others might take a lifetime of effort yet still be unrealized. As her mom, how am I going to handle watching it all unfold? In some ways I can't wait and I'm filled with excitement for her. In other ways, I'm terrified, sad, and find myself wondering where the time went. I think back to the days right after we brought her home from the hospital, when I just held her and stared at her and couldn't believe she was really mine. I think of that time in our lives and I just want to start all over and raise her again--she's been such a joy.

Every time she plays the piano I'm reminded how much I'm going to miss those sounds when she's gone from our home. As I stood there today, listening to the music, thinking of her future and how terribly I'll miss her, it felt like one of those moments when time stops. It was such an interesting combination of emotions--I love hearing her play the piano and I just soak it in whenever she does, but as she played this particular song the words began to play in my mind, which brought a lot of reflection and then, of course, some sadness.

I know it is what it is.  Children grow up.  Things change.  Life moves on.

I know her dreams will come true.  I know she'll have wonderful opportunities, beyond anything any of us can imagine now.  She has blessings awaiting her that will continue into the eternities.  I know she'll climb the mountains to get there, I know it will be amazing, and I know through it all, no matter where she goes, I'll still be her mom.  So it's all ok............

(Right???)

=)

... I Had a Mother Who Read to Me

THE READING MOTHER
Strickland Gillilan

I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath

I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Celert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings-
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such.

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be --
I had a Mother who read to me.

President Monson has quoted this well-known poem in Conference talks.

President Benson listed, "Read to your children" as one of his ten most important pieces of advice for mothers.

And I know other Church leaders have also addressed the importance of reading to children.

As our family has applied this advice, I understand why.  And I'm so, so grateful for wise parents and leaders who instilled in me a love for good books.  We still don't put this into practice as often as I would like to--my choice would be every night at bedtime.  But with teenagers going every direction and so many things pulling at our time, it just doesn't always happen.  (And NO, teenagers are not exempt from joining the family as I read to everyone.)  Sometimes we finish one book and [I] get distracted and don't find another to start right away.  So I'm going to keep a running list of good suggestions--for myself, as well as for anyone else who's interested.  Sometimes it seems like a challenge to find a book that ages 5-17 will enjoy, and I have to admit, this has held me back at times from putting forth the effort.  But I've realized that it's really not that hard.  Sometimes a book will interest the older kids more, which just means the younger ones will play around on the floor more as they listen.  That's fine.  And the books that captivate the little ones will bring out that inner child in the older ones--who grew up a little too fast anyway, in my opinion!!! =)  Basically, I've found that if it interests me it will interest all of them.  It's really not so hard!!!

Here's a short list to start with.  I'll add more as I think of them:

The Miracle of Miss Willie, by Alma J. Yates
The Little Britches series, by Ralph Moody
The Little House Books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series, by Betty MacDonald
That Quail, Robert, by Margaret Stanger
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
Goodnight Mister Tom, by Michelle Magorian


Our oldest could potentially be leaving home in just 18 months, and it makes me sad to look back on the times we haven't been involved together in a good book.  Reading together is truly the frosting on the cake, the cherry on the sundae, the sauce over the noodles... =)  Maybe I'm hungry... =)  Anyway, it's motherhood at its best!!!

Dinnertime Humor

A couple nights ago, during dinner, Chase didn't want to eat his salad.  Everyone knew there was cake for dessert, so when Chase said he had just eaten two bites of salad, Rob told him that he could have two bites of cake.  Chase then said, in all seriousness, "Actually, I'm gonna eat 16 bites of salad." =)