Family Home Evening Resource

In looking for a Family Home Evening idea I came across this website www.HatchPatchCreations.com. You can purchase FHE packets $5 for B/W and $7 ccolor. To see a sample you can print one out it is in Helaman and the Stripling Warriors. If you do group orders you get a discount too. Just thought I would pass this along. Just thought I would pass along the information.

I don't have time to order what I wanted but if you have a great idea for a Family Home Evening on President Monson or General Conference, please feel free to pass along the idea!

Star Performers

Here is a few short videos of our muy telented children...man they come from good stock!
The Clan (minus Lauren):

Haylie and Hannah:

Logan:

Miranda:

Lauren

Here is a little video of Lauren. She is crawling on all fours now. Although when she wants to move quickly she still does a very quick army crawl. She is now pulling her self up to stand, but only in her crib. She has been saying what sounds like da-da, and has moved on to whan can be interpretted as ma-ma. Here is my little Lauren hanging out. It is about 3 minutes long and nothing terribly entertaining happens but who can pass up watching such a cutie!

Hear a WHAT?

Alright no catchy title but I wanted to share this and who know maybe it will work for you and your family. Since it is spring break a.k.a. Easter vacation, Jeremy wanted to take the kids to a movie. So for Family Home Evening we talked about the still small voice, or Holy Spirit. We talked about how you need to be quiet to hear it's promptings, but you also need to act on what you hear. Jeremy used his loud voice to explain that when we are loud it is almost impossible to think much less hear that delicate little voice. Then we surprised the kids by taking them to see Horton Hears a Who. There is one point where Horton looses the little "speck" in a big pile of flowers. I leaned to Miranda and said how do you think Horton will find it and she said to be quiet and listen. I asked what is that like and she said the still small voice. There are other good messages in the film, but this is by far the most apparent. I love how Horton won't deny what he has heard and no matter what the cost he continues to do what is right.

Then after bedtime we watched August Rush. I really enjoyed the movie. It was about a kid who hears music in just about everything. One thing you noticed is that when he stood still to listen is when he could put the music together, so it what like a grown-up version of Horton, August hears a song which ends up being an orchestra!

A new little boy!

On my mom's side boys are few and far between. Logan is the only grandson surrounded by six count them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6! That is until now. My older sister had her second child via scheduled c-section yesterday. I asked if only green babies were born on St. Patty's Day and my mom assured me he was very much pink. Here's the goods: Spencer Allen (still not sure how they are spelling Alan, Allan...) weighed in at 7 lbs 1 oz and was 19 1/2" tall! Mom and baby are doing well. Of course it is not right to make a post about a baby and not show him off so World, that's you, welcome Spencer!

My Baby Girl

I had to put a quick post of representation that my little girl turn SEVEN yesterday. Holy Smoke is time flying. I have to say these last few months she is going through such a growth spurt. I am not necessarily talking physical. This will be a moment to brag so if you are not in the mood to read about a mother's love for her daughter and the pride she feels skip this post.

Miranda is an amazing girl. She has such light in her eyes they sparkle with beauty and creativity. She sing non-stop and talks almost as much, Jeremy claims this is from him and I will concur! A few things happened recently and I could help but feel my heart swell. We were walking home form school and we were coming up behind a young boy who must have been learning how to drive his classy high powered electric wheel chair. It wasn't easy but he was doing a good job. As we were walking by Miranda looked at him with a cheery expression and said "Hi Alex." In a world where disabilities almost cause you to be shunned whether it is to not may eye contact or show pity or making sure you are not staring, she said hello and we stopped and talked to Alex. What a super kid he is and to think I would have walked right by. The other thing was yesterday. It was Miranda's actual birthday. We have a few traditions that we do like getting morning donuts, and maybe go out to dinner. Since it was Sunday we didn't get donuts and the morning was filled with the hustle and bustle of going to church. We came home and made a friend a cake since she has no family to help her celebrate with her kids. That night I was laying down with Miranda and asking her if she had a good birthday she gave the thumbs up. I asked if she missed out on anything and she said yeah, I wish we could have put candles on friend's cake. I though how selfish am I that was the last thing on my mind. I would have thought how unfair it would have been that my birthday was not as fabulous as it could have been.

I am not sure if either event causes you to see the pride I feel but my heart is full with gratitude that she is a part of my life, the laughter she brings to us and the caring & love she shows and the desire to be a great big sister.

Happy Birthday Miranda!

The thoughts that float through my head...

I was lying in bed between dream and reality. This idea popped into my head about relating parenting to the Book of Mormon in a comical kind of way. The first part would relate to Nephi and Laman. Oh how sibling rivalry is obnoxious and very real. I know my kids will not try and slay each other even though they have a slew of lightsabers, pirate guns and nerf shooters, amongst other weapons of pretend destruction. There are times when it would be so utterly satisfying to tie one up to ship and let them not be able to move. Or be filled so strongly with the spirit that they are humbled at your feet. Man what a power trip that would be.

I figured as I went through the Book of Mormon on a more personal and less spiritual level, I would be able to relate the little temper tantrums that my children and myself go through. May be it would be like the battle of the stripling warriors where these young men honor their parents and fight in order to protect and help keep the promises that their parents made, more importantly, to honor their righteous upbringing. Oh the day when my children will fight for me. I already feel that they help keep me on a great path. I can’t help but look at them and see my flaws and want to be a better person, but again be able to look at my children and give my self a good pat on the back because they are shaping up to be great kids, who love the Lord and besides the typical things of youth they are kind and considerate to others, well Miranda definitely is Logan is getting over that little gap between thinking of only myself to thinking mostly of others. The twins, well they are three so enough about that.

Then I felt how the final battle at the Hill Cumorah is like the last ditch effort that we have as parents to save our children. Teenage hood can be so difficult and the decisions that are made can be so detrimental to their future. So this final battle where there are pretty much only wickedness every where you look are fighting, the good is worse than the bad and the bad are still just plain bad. Then you have a small group of righteous people who face the inevitable result of being slaughtered, yet hold out hope that it will turn out good in the end. Obviously we know how that battle turned out but when we relate it to our children and that stage of their lives it is so important that we act as Moroni did and continue to fight for the righteous.

Sometimes you felt lead by the spirit to do things and others you wonder if that is the carnal you wishing and dreaming. I would love to have the creativity and insight to write a book, but I don’t feel passionately that is who I am. Maybe that would change. I am not sure why I am posting this but hopefully it will make you smile at least once, make you curious about the Book of Mormon, or maybe you will skim through and move on. Either way I love being a parent, trials and all, I love the Gospel, and I love how the Gospel meets you on the level you are on.

Addiction...

Well it is actually more of an excuse to get together. A few friends have been using stamps to make onesies. I finally decided to make a couple for Lauren. I will post some more after I put together a slide show.