Centered on Christ

When I walked into the boys bedroom I found one exhausted little boy, sound asleep on the floor!

My sweet kids seem to work and play so hard that this sight isn't really all that uncommon...

At a glance, this scene wasn't unfamiliar at all...

Until I looked a little closer and saw this...

Gavin's note that he wrote says, 

"I want my life centered on Christ."

OK, now, if you want to talk about tugging on some heart strings, THIS will do some tugging alright!!!

This sweet little boy has such a tender little heart and is constantly saying and doing things like this that show the kind of person that he really is inside.

He may just be a little 11 year old boy that is really kind, and happy, and really good at basketball...

But he's also a little 11 year old boy with a heart of gold that's the size of a giant!

Gavin has the most sweet disposition and is so loving to ALL of the kids at school...even the ones that like to make trouble. He says the most thoughtful prayers, and is keenly aware of the needs of those around him.

So...

For me to see a note like this written by Gavin does NOT surprise me AT ALL.

It just makes my heart swell up with gratitude and love, 

and so excited for all of the amazing things that he is going to do in his awesome little life!

Gavin, 

your life IS centered on Christ and you are such an example to me and all of your family!

I'm trying to be like Jesus...

and so is Gavin.

:)

Dallin the Kind~Hearted

On this warm November day, Kesslyn stood in the front doorway of the house watching as her big brother Dallin got off of the bus and came to greet her. She absolutely LOVES Dallin, but then so does every other child in the universe! Seriously, what is there to not LOVE about this kid?? :)

 He is so sweet and kind hearted...he genuinely cares about people and it shows by how he treats them...

Just the other day we were at the public library getting a book for school,

 when we saw a boy that used to live in our neighborhood.

 He was very different and quite a little trouble maker, but that never stopped Dallin from being his friend. 

Whenever this boy would try to ditch his parents or teachers at church, 

Dallin was the one who could go find him and convince him to stay and go to class with him.

So, at the library, Dallin said, 

"Mom, I am going to go say hi to Caleb."

my thoughts... "Of course you are...because you are sweet like that..."  :)

When Dallin came back I asked him how it went...he said,

"I told Caleb we really miss seeing him but he didn't say much
so I think he must be busy doing his homework." 

I told Dallin that he was so nice to take the time to go talk to Caleb.

 Then, we continued our hunt for Dallin's book.
When we had found what we needed, we went to check out and got ready to leave but Dallin said,

 "Mom, I will meet you at the car. I am going to say bye to Caleb." 

I smiled and said OK. :)

When Dallin got back to the car I again asked him how it went...

"I'm so glad I went back mom. I told Caleb that it was good to see him..." and he said, " Thank you for talking to me Dallin. I really miss you."

I know that those few minutes and that tiny little bit of effort on Dallin's part meant so much to this boy, and my heart was full of gratitude once more for the privilege of being the mother of such a little angel. I'm telling you, these kids really teach me so much...more than they will ever know.

Dallin always gives his time and attention to whoever may need it at the moment...

and little Kesslyn always seems to need attention!  ;)

Maybe that's why she loves Dallin so much...she genuinely knows he cares about her and loves her. But I think she feels that with ALL of her siblings too...she can FEEL how much they love her!

Dallin, thank you for being such a great kid, a good example to everyone, and for being a true disciple of Jesus Christ... for using your priesthood and spiritual gifts to bless the lives of all those around you. You are a blessing in my life and I love you sooo much!

Press Forward

2 Nephi 31:20

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father, Ye shall have eternal life,"

(Susette, Michelle, Lorelei, and Susan on the top of the Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah)

I have felt so blessed to have these amazing women by my side, serving in the young women's organization of the church together for the last 3 years. 

Rubbing shoulders with some of Heavenly Father's most valiant daughters, 

and taking part in the work of service, love, and discipleship have been nothing short of 

a privilege and part of a miracle...

We have gone through so much together that these friends of mine are also my sisters. 

So dear to my heart and always will be...

Presidency meetings every Wednesday afternoon and weekly activities every Wednesday night, Sunday lessons and planning meetings and visits and counsels...Girls camp, youth conference, Oakcrest, and temple trips...the list goes on and on!

We have also helped each other personally with marriages and missions, babies and death, health problems and aging parents, school activities and sports events, community events and personal struggles...

When you experience so much, and then know that a change is coming,

 it can be hard to say goodbye to the times that you have had together...

 but I will ALWAYS treasure these beautiful friends along with all of the memories!

 They have become some of my most prized possessions, and things that I know I can take with me. Michelle, Lorelei, and Susan, I love you and am so thankful to call you my sisters and friends!

(Carew, Dallin, Susette, and Kierra on the top of the Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah)

Another blessing of the timing of this great calling was the opportunity that I had to be surrounded by my own sweet children for so many awesome and faith building experiences! Seeing them at the activities each week, interacting with their peers, and seeing their testimonies grow, always gave me such a sense of gratitude and satisfaction. They are strong and clean and good...oh so good. And they teach me more than they will ever know... 

I'm so grateful for each one of them and their tender and genuine hearts. I will also cherish all of the memories that I have with them being in the youth programs. But, lucky for me, I get to live with these guys and continue on with the faith building and the FUN!!! :)

(Bobbi, Diane, Laura, Katie, Jill, Susan, Diane, Lorelei, Susette, and AshLee at Heber Vally Camp)

 "We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us, and we love Him.

We will stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places,

 as we strive to live the young women values which are:

Faith

Divine Nature

Individual Worth

Knowledge

Choice and Accountability

Good Works 

Integrity and

Virtue.

We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values, we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, 

and enjoy the blessings of exaltation."

Press forward my friends...press forward!

"Eyes To See"

I was out in the early morning hours going for a run and loving the feel of the crisp autumn air,

 when I rounded the corner and came upon a wide open space where the stars were everywhere!

I thought of what a gift it was to be able to see such grand evidence of the loving hand of God...

But then just as quickly as that thought came,

I also had a very distinct impression that all of this beauty was not only for me to enjoy, but for every single one of Heavenly Father's children...

My thoughts were...

"The sky is FULL of stars that blanket each and every one of us that live here on this earth...

but it is up to each one of us individually to choose to LOOK UP and see them."

So in the early morning hours of that run, I learned a lesson about having "eyes to see" the loving hand of God in my life, and about CHOOSING joy and being grateful for so many blessings.

They really are all around me, if I will but just "look up!"

Become As a Little Child

I have recently noticed little Kesslyn finding the same little corner to go and sit in multiple times everyday...

It seems that every time I am working in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, 

or whatever it may be, that she instinctively gets to work herself.

She walks over to our scripture baskets,

 reaches in to find the smallest Book of Mormon we have,

 walks over to the fireplace, and plops her little self down on the

 "one-brick high" seat that is just her perfect height.  :)

She thumbs through the pages like she has been doing this for ages...

She stops periodically and jabbers on like she is reading all of us a story...

...and reminds us that God has a sense of humor too,

 because there is always something in it that she reads us that makes her laugh out loud! 

(Or maybe it's just that she already recognizes the feeling of JOY that comes from reading the scriptures. :)

Children's hearts are so innocent, tender, and pure...

and when I stood back and watched what she was doing, I could hardly contain my emotion!

I thought at first that it was just her exploring her surroundings, but soon found out that it was more than that...because she does it everyday...multiple times a day...

Her sweet little spirit and her exemplary actions remind me of the scripture found in 3 Nephi 11:38...

"...become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."

I'm grateful for the little angels in my home.

:)

 Both those that are visible to the eye, and near to the heart...

The Ice~Cream Truck :)

This weekend I had my kiddos helping with a little fall cleanup out in the yard...

Kambriella always gets "pumped up" to work when I let her wear my blue tooth headset and headband . :) And then she always gets a little animated, singing and dancing...

using the shovel as her mic...;)

Dallin and Gavin are kind of like the Bobsy twins, or a male version of Thelma and Louise, or dare I say Jekyll and Hyde???...oh wait...I KNOW...

Batman and Robin!!!

That's it!!!

Either way, they are happy to help, easily distracted, and double the trouble AND double the FUN!!!

Carew is a BIG help and always loves working while listening to his music too...

I know where they get it from because I LOVE music too!

I was feeling so happy to be out in the beautiful weather, soaking in some of the last nice days of sunshine...admiring my children just doing their thing...when I began to hear a soft pretty music beginning to play...at first I thought it was either Kambriella or Carew turning off the headphones and playing their music for us all to hear, but after looking at both of them I realized that wasn't the case...

The music got a little louder, and I thought to myself...

"That sounds like the Ice~cream truck!"

Sure enough!!!

The music got louder and louder and then around the corner came the Ice~cream truck!!!

My kids bolted into the house scraping up all of their quarters and running to get a treat!

My thoughts were...

"Really??? In November??? THIS IS AWESOME!!!"

:)

It may seem silly to some, but to me, I looked at it like a sweet, tender little mercy from Heavenly Father.

I was trying to get some work done, trying to include the family in on some good lessons of, hard work, responsibility, and obedience...and then just like that, a simple little tender mercy came around the corner and made the work that much more enjoyable and fun. 

I really believe that is how Heavenly Father is. Always desiring to bless us for our obedience. He always has impeccable timing too!!! I just LOVE IT!!!

I love my kids, I love the little tender mercies, and I love my Heavenly Father!

Love One Another

 I love it when my kids have a day off from school!

I love that I get to spend more time with them,

 and I LOVE taking a break from the rush of the daily morning routine.

 Having no reason to be out of the house by 8 am gives us the opportunity to

 just enjoy BEING HOME and BEING TOGETHER.

I had been busy tending to Kesslyn, getting the laundry going, and other daily tasks when I walked passed Kambriella's room, only to find this heavenly scene...

Gavin and Kambriella reading together in a warm, cozy place...

As a mother, there isn't much greater JOY than when you see your children being kind

 and loving one another...it brought this scripture to my mind:

Mosiah 4:15

"But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness;

 ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another."

I LOVED that they were doing something wholesome together, that they were just happy being together, and that they had decided to do this all on their own without any prompt from me...

I know that my children love each other, and that their very best friends are their brothers and sisters, and that makes me SOOOOOO HAPPY.  :)

I found Gavin and Kambriella doing all kinds of fun things together throughout the day, and my smile only got bigger and bigger throughout the day! I love my family, I'm so grateful to be a mother, and I'm so grateful for these sweet angels that live in my home!!!

WE ARE BLESSED!  :)