This is Annie’s…As soon as Brooke gets up from her piano practice, Annie may stand and do “theory” work on her performance piece! Look at her face! So funny! This is her new “performance” face for everyone!
I better go find a very large pink eraser!
I have had many experiences with automatic answers. The ones that I have when I run back in the house for the fifth time and can’t remember exactly why I had turned the car around at the end of the driveway to get something that couldn’t be left.
I instantly ask for what it is that I am missing, and there it is, just like an amazing gift, that subtle answer that tells me it’s the lunch on the counter, the baby’s bottle or that note for a friend.
I have also been sitting on the sidelines of a sporting event for one of my children and found myself asking again for an “instant” answer.
Last month, as I sat on the sidelines of a tournament basketball game that Easton was playing in, that was in triple overtime, and Easton was at the free throw line, I asked for such an answer.
“Heavenly Father please bless Easton to make this shot. He has practiced and played to the best of his ability and making this shot, today, in this moment, will give him a confidence boost that he so desperately needs. Please Father.”
It wasn’t all net, but that ball went through that net, and that boy grinned from ear to ear as he heard all of his siblings yell his name with excitement.
I have also had “instant” answers in finding street names, remembering appointments and knowing what time that I scheduled a visit.
I have found the suit pants on Sunday morning and had babies sleep through the night.
But this past Sunday, I had an instant answer unlike any I have remembered for quite some time.
As I sat in our middle pew, the ones that can comfortably sit a family of eight with a wandering baby, I bowed my head to express a prayer to my Heavenly Father during the passing of the sacrament.
As I sat there with one arm around Brooke, who was holding the baby, and the other folded, I said a simple prayer.
I tried to wipe my slate clean for the week. I love this moment in the week when the Atonement is right there, waiting to be applied.
Next, I did something that I don’t ever remember doing before that moment. I prayed that the leaders that were stewards over my family, feel promptings of the Spirit and act on them on behalf of my family.
Whatever they were prompted to do or say, for my family’s sake, they would do.
How random.
No reason.
Everything is fine.
But something, at that moment, made me ask my Father in Heaven to watch over my family.
We spend a lot of time praying for a lot of other people. I would not ever change that, but today it was for my husband, my teenage son, my sweet daughter, my energetic & amazing son, my scared daughter, my young daughter and my baby.
That anyone who came into their path, would hear the Spirit, act on it and bless their lives.
Sacrament was over. The young men returned to their seats with their families, and the talks began.
The first talk…the light of Christ in all of us.
The second talk…the Holy Ghost.
And talk number three…Following the promptings of the Spirit.
Can you believe that? I just sat in my seat, numb by reaction and shocked at the speed.
An automatic answer.
I wasn’t looking for a sign, but sitting in that chapel, I heard talk after talk as an answer to my prayer concerning my family.
I was so grateful to those who spoke. I was grateful for their preparation, their delivery and their experiences.
You see, I know that leaders are not perfect.
I know this because during the opportunities when I have been blessed and privileged to serve, perfection was not present.
Not even in the ballpark.
In fact, during these times I felt challenged more than ever in the areas that I am weak in.
I also know that listening to promptings blesses our lives.
It blesses those around us as well.
It is now Thursday morning, just after midnight, and I have had an experience each day confirming answers and blessings related to that prayer that Sunday morning.
I will forever be grateful for the power of prayer and the testimony that sometimes our answers are automatic, and they can come through a Primary President, a loving friend, a visiting teaching companion, a den leader, a neighbor and a coach.
I hope and pray that I will hear what my Heavenly Father needs me to do and more than ever, I hope that those who lead and teach my family hear what Heavenly Father wants them to hear and do.
Do you ever meet someone and just know instantly that you wanted to be friends?
You don’t have to take months and months to get to know them, or see how their children are, or work on something together.
You just know.
This is a new family in our ward, and we want to be friends.
The kids had a great time today, and I wouldn’t let their mom leave, because I loved our easy conversation and uplifting subjects.
Hopefully, their feelings are the same.
I am so grateful for friends!
Just a few pictures to end a great play-date!
Ok, maybe not frightful, but definitely COLD!
When I took the junior high kiddos to the bus stop this morning it was 5 below zero. CRAZY!
We live in Denver where it is supposed to snow occasionally, be sunny 355 days a year, and not be so cold for so long!
Since it was, we played inside.
I do have to admit that the children did take daredevil trips sledding and snowboarding down the hill several times, but the little girls and I had a little adventure inside the house.
We have pictures to prove it.
You know when you come to the end of a play date, that is well into the afternoon and you have two very tired little five year old girls, things start to need a bit of mom help.
So, today Ellie and Emma decided to dress me up.
They put together outfits that they were very proud of. They didn’t flatter my figure, or accentuate my lovely hairdo, but they did bring out plenty of smiles and giggles.
Please don’t copy and paste these pictures. They are copyrighted by Emma & Ellie Photography.
As you can see, there is joy is playing dress-up! And plenty of smiles from the older girls as well.
Cute kids, sledding, snowboarding, snacks and smiles! Guess that old “Mr. Winter” didn’t get the best of us!
Easton: “Mom, are you dating another man?”
Mom: “Easton, I don’t have the time or desire to date another man.”
Easton: “I have the time to date another woman, but I am sticking with the one I have.”
Lucky girl!
This was not the scene at our house tonight.
Tonight started out great.
Dad got home on time, the house was clean and dinner was cooking with a table set ready to go.
Family Home Evening went smoothly. No opening song, but a great prayer and lots of children writing lots of thank you cards.
In the background, the Fiesta Bowl was playing on the television. (Nice win, Boise State!)
Dad and A.J. left for a late baseball practice. (Yes, baseball. Crazy, I know! They were inside in batting cages and on an actual infield!)
The kids and I had some quiet time, read scriptures, prayer, the family cheer and then off to bed.
I told Easton he could be tucked in first tonight.
I took him down and for some reason asked him, “Hey Easton, what is the best part of your life right now?”
He promptly answered, “That I have a family.”
If you know Easton, this is not an everyday thing, but when it comes out it is sweet and sincere.
Next, I headed up to tucked in all the girls. As we sat on Madie’s bed, the girls and I discussed what their favorite things were in their lives.
Brooke’s was that she had a mom and dad. Ellie said that she had a mom, dad, Nana, Papa, Grandma and Grandpa. (Good thing she didn’t list every uncle, aunt and cousin!)
And Madie couldn’t pick just one thing (which is a good thing for a teenager!)
Now for the boogie man part…as we sat on the bed having this sweet moment, Easton came tearing up the stairs, goose bumps all up and down his back, crying, and telling us that as he was falling asleep he heard a distinct bang on the end of his bed. To see his eyes, was to truly feel his fear.
As we analyzed it over the next ten minutes, deciding right away that we would wait for dad to check downstairs, we think that it was probably Sadie’s tail, because she was in E-man’s room when I tucked him in.
This calmed everyone down somewhat.
The only problem was…Sadie was up with us girls discussing the good things in our lives.
Just don’t tell Easton.
http://www.heapsorhappiness.blogspot.com/
My new website for everyone who needs a little more organization in their lives.
I know I do.
Sad, but true.
You know in the wedding planner how Jennifer Lopez’s character says, “Those who don’t wed, plan.” In my case it is, “Those who don’t want to do everything in their own home, organize others’ homes.”
I have to admit that even though I have all of the skills necessary to have the most perfectly organized home, I don’t.
So, 2010 has entered a whole new chapter for me. I am going to organize my home in a way that I have never accomplished before, and in an effort to see that through, I have started a blog to accomplish just that. That way, everyone can hold me accountable, and you and I might just learn something in the process. Or, you could just do what we are doing, and see the amazing results by years’ end.
It is going to be a 365-Day organization blog, and you can follow along everyday with what I am working on and any ideas we can come up with to solve even the smallest of problems.
I am so excited that I think I literally just killed a friend with details.
But seriously, it is going to be great!
If you want to come along for the ride, or if you have anything you would like to contribute to help the rest of us find the peace that comes from having a house of order, we would love to have you.
Have a great day! I am off to post tomorrow’s ideas!
~Laura
