Brothers’ Hero Factory

Sometimes when these boys spend a lot of time together they fight, but this weekend there was more laughter than frustration. I opened the door and snapped this picture as quickly as I could to capture what they were doing so happily together. They were listening to Harry Potter CD’s read by Jim Dale as they constructed robots. Their theme lately is to make battle scenes with robots. Each night I walk into Mark’s room to find that he has new robots strung from the blind strings, poised for the fight on the ledges of the window. Enemies are posed in heroic battle scenes across the floor; robots scale the mattresses, climbing, spider-like toward the covers. We scoop them up and dump them back in the bin for tomorrow’s play.

The Cacophany that is Spring

Baseball

Construction in the neighborhood. Boom! Boom! Rattta-tat-tat! Sloosh!

Writing my book

Pursuing study

Birthdays for almost every extended family member

Music all the time

School deadlines

AP tests and study sessions

Graduation details

Messy flower beds

Anniversary love notes each day in the mail from Richard

Youth activities

Jazz band practices

A teen with a broken cell phone (The horror!)

Reading something good

Meals on the run

Pink flowering tree views out of the windows

Shorter hair

Ski equipment in storage

Almost finished with the school books

Field trip season

Crowded visit to the Bean Museum this week

First fly in the house

Open windows and bird song

Losing my view of the mountains because the leaves are back

Pastels, not blacks and browns

Snow last week, sunshine this week

I’m only allowed to bring healthy snacks to baseball?

Scout camp

Goodbye, Gilbert Blythe. I’m totally watching Anne of Green Gables this weekend.

Apostasy and Restoration

Daniel taught Family Home Evening last night. He pulled out a puzzle with one of following labels written on each piece.

baptism
scriptures
belief in Jesus Christ
priesthood
sacrament
apostles

We assembled the puzzle. Daniel taught how Jesus Christ established His Church on the earth, but after the death of the apostles, pieces of the gospel and Church were missing. He removed the puzzle pieces labeled, “priesthood,” “apostles,” and “sacrament.” He said many things were lost, and the puzzle was just an illustration. The Church fell into apostasy.

He handed out scriptures from the Doctrine and Covenants and asked each family member to identify something that was restored by the prophet Joseph Smith. With each scripture, we were able to return a puzzle piece to its rightful place.

He showed us this video that has the words of one of the living apostles.

Daniel shared his testimony that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ. His testimony was the best part of the lesson.

Our family puzzle piece

I was asked to make a piece of a puzzle to represent our family. There had to be space for a 4×6 photo to be mounted in the center. I used some state die cuts to show where we have lived. I placed sepia prints of the kids in bottle caps with a clear glossy stickers over the photos to show where each child was born. What a sentimental journey.

Are you finished with school yet, Mark?

My friend who is a school teacher pulled me aside last night to give me something she had saved. It was a magazine article listing positive things about homeschooling.

Bless her sweet, sweet heart. I didn’t know it until I talked with her, but I needed to feel that support.

Do over

She talked to me for the first time about her mother’s cancer yesterday. I asked her if she had any news (hoping she would share about her mother) and she almost didn’t tell me. But with flushed cheeks, she rushed to tell me details of a new study that her mom began that day.

Because chemo isn’t working.

I told her I was grateful that her mother was accepted into the study. I told her that her mom is a blessing to so many people and that her mother and the girl were in my thoughts and prayers all of the time. And because I didn’t know how to end my open expressions of hope that the new study medication will help her mom, I said, “You never know…”

What?

I should have said, “I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for you and for your mom, and that plan is beautiful.” Because that is what I know.

And I should have hugged her before continuing with the lesson.

Living Prophets

1-DSC_2781 — Timothy showed us his latest Lego design, bringing back the old tradition of “Show and Tell” during Family Home Evening.

Family Home Evening, April 13, 2015

Conducting: Timothy
Song (Hymn #22 We Listen to a Prophet’s Voice): Richard
Prayer: Mark
Lesson: Paige
Treats (brownies): Daniel
Helper: Angie

Paige’s lesson was about remembering the messages of General Conference. She told us that one or two days a week during the last several months she has been reading a General Conference talk for her scripture study and that it has blessed her life. She shared the following scripture:

And if my people will hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold, verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out of their place. -D&C 124:45

What does it mean to “not be moved out of their place?” she asked. Daniel brought up the talk given by Elder Pearson about Lehi’s vision. The righteous stayed by the tree of life. They didn’t leave it. If we follow the prophets, he said, this is what it means to stay by the tree.

Paige shared this quote:

“We have the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants; but all these books, without the living oracles and a constant stream of revelation from the Lord, would not lead any people into the Celestial Kingdom of God. Of course, these records are all of infinite value. They cannot be too highly prized, nor can they be too closely studied. But in and of themselves, with all the light that they give, they are insufficient to guide the children of men and to lead them into the presence of God. To be thus led requires a living Priesthood and constant revelation from God to the people according to the circumstances in which they may be placed” (President George Q. Cannon 1827–1901), First Counselor in the First Presidency, Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of George Q. Cannon, comp. Jerreld L. Newquist (1987), 252.

Paige asked us to share our favorite messages from General Conference last week. Mark immediately told us the story from Elder Holland’s talk, full of details, about the two brothers who went rock climbing in Southern Utah, one brother saving the other from a fall. As the rest of us shared, Mark rolled on the floor and moaned. I thought he was just bored, but then he said, “The brownies are getting stone cold!” So, midway through sharing our notes on General Conference, Daniel served brownies to the group. Thankfully, they were still warm.

Richard: Shared Elder Perry’s talk about the importance of marriage and families
Angie: Shared President Uchtdorf’s talk about grace
Paige: Liked Elder Ringwood’s talk about being truly good and without guile
Daniel: Shared many quotes from many talks: President Uchtdorf, Elder Pearson, Elder Ballard,…
Timothy: Seemed to remember the Priesthood session best and shared some of the stories he heard there.

1-DSC_2782 — This was Mark’s Show and Tell. This is his own design.

Recovery

This plant that I nearly over-watered to death has been drying out and perking up in the light of my biggest window. I’ve left it alone for two weeks and it’s thriving.

I’m remembering this lesson as Daniel now holds a drivers permit. I must not be overly zealous in my nurturing that I don’t allow him to stretch and grow in responsibility. My efforts to “protect” can weaken my children.

“Let your children have some freedom to learn, to experience, and reach for the sun,” the little plant reminds me.

Fear phase

Have you ever talked yourself out of giving a gift? I’m at that phase of giving where I hope that my generosity doesn’t seem silly, misplaced, juvenile, or crazy. Have you ever read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli? There are elements of Stargirl in me. I remember important dates in people’s lives. I don’t play the ukelele, but I serenaded almost every sister who joined our Relief Society in Texas with my guitar when I visited their homes. I try to figure out people’s tastes in food, music, literature, and color. I feel deeply for people in their struggles. I don’t know what to say most of the time, so I think of things to give people. But that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to give. What if my gift makes them feel uncomfortable?

You can do this, Angie. You can do this. It’s just a doll. And 99% of the time, it is worth it to show that you care.

Red

I am working on this beauty this week. The lighting is bad today (snow!) so I will wait to take a photo of her finished hair. I fall in love with each doll and of course, every recipient. I love to watch individual beauty emerge with each stitch. I feel a bit like a spectator to their creation, surprised by their “personalities.” She begins her journey, along with a piece of my heart, through the mail to her new home on Friday.