We didn't do anything big this year. The Easter Bunny was told that Shelby and Cooper watched him hide the eggs last year, so it was unneccessary for this year. So this year the baskets were filled with eggs and a few fun prizes and there was no hunt involved in our Easter festivities. Sadly I didn't even make the Easter cake that I usually make (green cream cheese frosting with green grass (food colored coconut) with jelly bean eggs. With our lower sugar lifestyle, I just didn't do it. I did make a concession for Cooper's benefit and made his favorite dessert which is a cake mix cheese cake with blueberry pie filling - a little lower sugar, but still dangerous!
We started the day out nicely by Shelby and I going to the Easter Morningside held on the temple grounds. I don't know how our stake is lucky enough to be able to do this every year, but it's a long standing tradition in the Lehi Stake. Our youth gather on the south side of the visitor's center with chairs set up facing the temple just over the reflecting pool. Then we have an hour long testimony meeting. The first time I was told about this in our stake I resented them taking me away from getting my then 3 year old Shelby up and ready for Easter Sunday 8:30 am meetings. Now I'm so grateful to be able to go to a wonderful testimony meeting with my 15 year old Shelby and to hear testimonies of the youth of our stake who are strong in what they know and steadfast in what they do. Our stake presidency all bore their testimonies and it was a wonderful meeting. It's amazing how my perspective and priorities have changed. We always have a Big group of youth there even at 7am. And there is rarely any periods of silence during the meeting.
During the meeting I had a thought that I shared with my family at the dinner table this afternoon that relates to the beauty of the resurrection and this Easter season. I heard something said - I don't even remember what it was or who said it during the meeting - that got me thinking about my dad. This time my thoughts went to how he died. Every once in awhile I imagine how it was for him and for those who were there and I replay in my mind the details I heard about that morning. I was just starting to get teary eyed with these thoughts when I was able to replace that yucky scene with my imagination of where he is now and what he might be doing on the other side. In speaking with a friend of mine who lost a 2 year old child a few years ago - she expressed it well by saying that when she puts her daughter in situations on this earth - it's hard for her to bear - thinking of what she would look like now, how old she would be, etc., but when she thinks of her daughter in the spirit world she feels peace.
(I hope I'll be able to put this in writing clearly) I feel like this is part of the beauty of what we know about the atonement and the whole process of the crucifixtion and the resurrection. As a church we don't honor the symbol of the cross because that puts the focus on Christ's earthly, physical death. We put steeples on our church buildings that point to the heavens - the place where Christ still reigns. Whenever I start to feel despair about my dad's death or any other earthly trial - I just need to change my perspective to an eternal one and remember that Jesus Christ made it possible for us to return to immortality and Eternal Life.
I'm so grateful for that knowledge on this Easter Day! I'm going to put a link to the http://www.lds.org/ website so you can go and see the amazing video that's been put together with part of Elder Holland's general conference talk last week about our Savior. President Ahlstrom, our Stake President challenged all of the youth of our stake to watch this today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
What did happen this week anyway?
Why is it that when I go to review my week to contemplate the great and exciting things that have happened, it seems like I didn't do anything, yet, I can guarantee you I didn't have any free time on my hands?
It's a busy time for us. We've added a couple of baseball games and at least one practice each week and there you go! Our Family Home Evening was spent at the ball field - unfortunately, Shelby stayed home so she could practice for her chair auditions for MYS and to do homework, so I don't know if it can really be counted as a Family Home Evening.
Tuesday I didn't go into work, but instead spent the day paying bills and taking care of some YW stuff. I then made lettuce wrap fixings for Enrichment night and for Amy and David (that's a tough thing to make for so many people - very time intensive), but instead of eating any for us we went to dinner at Manuels with Jeff's family to be able to see John and Kathy and their family before they went home and we completely missed them.
Wednesday the kids started the Aims testing - really a more important test for the teachers than for the students as far as I can tell (unless they're in high school).
Thursday Cooper had a game and we had YW softball. Friday Cooper had a friend come home form school with him, Shelby had a rehearsal for the Junior High Festival Orchestra (she's 1st chair violist by the way), and Jeff and I went to dinner/meeting with John and Jacqueline to nail down some ideas about Vital Solutions. After our meeting we picked Shelby up and went to visit with Joey and Vanessa Mortensen. Joey is having some serious health problems and we went so they could cheer us up:)
Now that I'm working so often I hate to go anywhere on Saturdays if I don't have to, so I took Shelby to her orchestra practice, fully enjoyed watching conference (you stay awake much better if you watch if from a treadmill!), took Cooper and his friend to practice, picked Shelby up, took her to get a salad at Subway, and dropped her off at Leslies to watch the 2nd session. Jeff was helping John and Jacqueline hang pictures at the new Mesa office of Vital Solutions, picked Cooper and Scotty up, took them to see Tim Hightower at the new Sports Authority (very exciting for Cooper - Time Hightower plays for the Arizona Cardinals).
Jeff then got ready and went to the Priesthood session. I had to take a big priveledge away from Cooper after he and his friend decided to walk to Chevron after I told them not to. The funny part was they both tried to deny it with BLUE MOUTHS from the candy they had been eating or icee they had been drinking. For awhile I was the meanest mom in the world, but felt better after Jeff and I came home from dinner and Cooper apologized. Sometimes concequences can be a good thing I guess. Besides, now the playroom is all picked up and the toys are organized in bins.
Today we had another great session of General conference. This time to stay awake I did a puzzle. I almost finished the whole thing, and have threatened my kids that they don't get to finish it for me after I've done the majority of the work!
We also fasted today for Joey Mortensen and for Kent Jones and Kristi Crum. All three of these are people who are very close to us who have serious cancer issues. They'll need some miracles in their lives!
I thouroughly enjoyed the conference talks this time around. I think the older I get the more I see their value and the how appropriate all of the talks are for me at this time. I was listeneing with the idea of our leadership meeting and was so happy to hear a talk that pushed me in the direction I think we should take our leadership meeting. I had some ideas during the YW general broadcase, but nothing that stuck out like the idea of letting the YW presidencies have real leadership experience in their classes rather than having the leaders do the majority of the planning and carrying out. I really feel like the girls will be able to feel how the Spirit can direct their classes if they rely on the Lord for direction - rather than relying on leaders to take care of everything.
I'm excited to talk about this with my counselors and see where we can take this.
Well, this has been more of a journal entry than a blog entry, but you can see that without really doing anything - my life has been full this week.
It's a busy time for us. We've added a couple of baseball games and at least one practice each week and there you go! Our Family Home Evening was spent at the ball field - unfortunately, Shelby stayed home so she could practice for her chair auditions for MYS and to do homework, so I don't know if it can really be counted as a Family Home Evening.
Tuesday I didn't go into work, but instead spent the day paying bills and taking care of some YW stuff. I then made lettuce wrap fixings for Enrichment night and for Amy and David (that's a tough thing to make for so many people - very time intensive), but instead of eating any for us we went to dinner at Manuels with Jeff's family to be able to see John and Kathy and their family before they went home and we completely missed them.
Wednesday the kids started the Aims testing - really a more important test for the teachers than for the students as far as I can tell (unless they're in high school).
Thursday Cooper had a game and we had YW softball. Friday Cooper had a friend come home form school with him, Shelby had a rehearsal for the Junior High Festival Orchestra (she's 1st chair violist by the way), and Jeff and I went to dinner/meeting with John and Jacqueline to nail down some ideas about Vital Solutions. After our meeting we picked Shelby up and went to visit with Joey and Vanessa Mortensen. Joey is having some serious health problems and we went so they could cheer us up:)
Now that I'm working so often I hate to go anywhere on Saturdays if I don't have to, so I took Shelby to her orchestra practice, fully enjoyed watching conference (you stay awake much better if you watch if from a treadmill!), took Cooper and his friend to practice, picked Shelby up, took her to get a salad at Subway, and dropped her off at Leslies to watch the 2nd session. Jeff was helping John and Jacqueline hang pictures at the new Mesa office of Vital Solutions, picked Cooper and Scotty up, took them to see Tim Hightower at the new Sports Authority (very exciting for Cooper - Time Hightower plays for the Arizona Cardinals).
Jeff then got ready and went to the Priesthood session. I had to take a big priveledge away from Cooper after he and his friend decided to walk to Chevron after I told them not to. The funny part was they both tried to deny it with BLUE MOUTHS from the candy they had been eating or icee they had been drinking. For awhile I was the meanest mom in the world, but felt better after Jeff and I came home from dinner and Cooper apologized. Sometimes concequences can be a good thing I guess. Besides, now the playroom is all picked up and the toys are organized in bins.
Today we had another great session of General conference. This time to stay awake I did a puzzle. I almost finished the whole thing, and have threatened my kids that they don't get to finish it for me after I've done the majority of the work!
We also fasted today for Joey Mortensen and for Kent Jones and Kristi Crum. All three of these are people who are very close to us who have serious cancer issues. They'll need some miracles in their lives!
I thouroughly enjoyed the conference talks this time around. I think the older I get the more I see their value and the how appropriate all of the talks are for me at this time. I was listeneing with the idea of our leadership meeting and was so happy to hear a talk that pushed me in the direction I think we should take our leadership meeting. I had some ideas during the YW general broadcase, but nothing that stuck out like the idea of letting the YW presidencies have real leadership experience in their classes rather than having the leaders do the majority of the planning and carrying out. I really feel like the girls will be able to feel how the Spirit can direct their classes if they rely on the Lord for direction - rather than relying on leaders to take care of everything.
I'm excited to talk about this with my counselors and see where we can take this.
Well, this has been more of a journal entry than a blog entry, but you can see that without really doing anything - my life has been full this week.
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