Five Months Old + A Baby Blessing

Like magic, Louise continues to grow bigger. I recently was thinking: babies get cuter, smarter, funnier, more fun, easier, and better at everything as they get older.

And yet, those first few months are still somehow the best months of all. 

I'm trying to not be a really giant drama queen every time Louise crashes through another milestone, but it's tough. 

At five months old, she is so happy. I love these pictures, because I feel like they're so accurate to her personality. She is constantly smiling, chatting, and trying to get the attention of the people around her. She doesn't like being held facing me, she always wants to look around! She is definitely an extrovert, she gets excited and happy whenever we are with people. In Sunday School, our class sits in a circle and she sits on my lap. When she's awake, she spends the whole hour looking around the room, panting in excitement, and occasionally bursting into excited laughter. She's so happy to be surrounded by smiling people!

She laughs and giggles very easily, almost constantly- especially at her brothers. They can make her laugh much harder than Travis or I can. She loves her brothers and doesn't mind if they flop her around or are too rough or too noisy. She loves it all! Soon she'll be wrestling and crawling after them. 

On a few occasions when she's been face to face with other babies her size, she gets so excited! She starts panting and trying frantically to grab on to them. I predict she'll be one of those girls who loves baby dolls.
She is basically a baby doll, too. Everywhere we go, little girls come out of the walls and inch up to see her. "Oh! What a pretty baby! Can I hold her?" is something I hear every single time we leave the house. She has those big blue eyes and rosy cheeks that make her irresistible.

She still only has two teeth, and isn't mobile. She can sit up by herself, but gets tired or loses her balance within about 10  minutes. She can roll (and does instantly) when she's on her stomach, but hasn't figured out back to front yet. She doesn't like tummy time, and get frustrated with me very quickly (as pictured!) if I keep flipping her back over on to her stomach. 

Louise is getting very good at grabbing things, and her favorite things to hold on to are her toes and our fingers - all of which go right into her mouth. She's not as drooly as my other kids, but she is just as anxious to eat as they are. She gets very offended if we dare to eat in front of her without handing over our food. 

She chews on apple slices, watermelon, and bananas while we eat. The bananas are her favorite thing in the whole world- but slippery! So everytime she drops her banana, she SCREECHES. Also, she can scream SO loudly, and she does it when she is clearly not hurt, but angry. I'm a little worried about my ability to deal with future toddler-tantrums from this one!
She is a pretty good sleeper- amazing during the day, usually taking 2 three-hour naps! At nigh she sleeps about 12 hours, but wakes up twice to nurse. Which means I'm still getting up every night at 1am and 4am. But she sleeps so well in between eating and goes to sleep without any help, so I can't let her cry it out or anything. She obviously knows how to self-soothe and is actually hungry!

A few weeks ago, she was finally blessed at church! Mormons traditionally do a baby blessing when babies are a few weeks or months old. Similar to a Christening, it's a public prayer given in front of our congregation- typically given by the baby's father. Travis gave a really sweet blessing, and our families were able to come and participate. 

Some of the things Travis said in his prayer were that Louise would grow and develop normally and to be strong and happy.  That she would develop spiritually, find her talents, desires and purpose in this life and use them to build the kingdom of God.  He blessed her with a desire to serve and be aware of the needs of others around her, and to find joy doing so.  To love the scriptures and rely on inspiration of the Spirit and the leaders of the Church. And to have a desire to make and keep covenants pertaining to the gospel and help with the building of the kingdom of God.

Louise with her Dad and both Grandpas on her blessing day. 

Louise Mae (part 1- pregnancy)

My first public "belly shot," at about 14 weeks.

After August's birth- I was a wreck. I had a rough labor and delivery and difficult recovery, which actually jumpstarted an autoimmune disease in my body. (They are usually brought on by stress or sickness.)
In addition to the undiagnosed disease that I was fighting, I also was suffering from undiagnosed postpartum depression, which made me angry and irritable. I loved all my kids, but I was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. I was physically and emotionally drained.
I recognized my depression about 6 months after August was born, and was able to address it. And a little over a year after his birth, at the poorest health of my life, I was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease and was able to start healing physically.

So it wasn't until August was about 15 months old that I felt like I had my own body and mind back.

I wanted to have more children eventually, but the idea of having another baby any time soon sent me into a panic. The exhaustion, sickness, strain and pain of pregnancy was terrifying to me, as was the idea that it might take me years to recover from it. And I had two four year olds and an eighteen month old to take care of, too!

We also had just bought a house, so in addition to taking care of me and our kids- Travis was faced with the financial strain of paying a mortgage and paying for lots of new medical bills. So Travis was even less interested in having babies than I was.

In October of 2015, we started listening to General Conference (a two day world-wide broadcast by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), and having another baby was not even on our radar at all. We were not pondering or praying about it. We were not looking for inspiration as to whether or not we should try for more kids.

Elder Nelson gave a talk called, A Plea to My Sisters. As he spoke about the importance of women in the fight for good, I felt the spirit very strongly. Then he said, "We need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who will use that understanding to teach and help raise a sin-resistant generation... We need women who have the courage and vision of our Mother Eve."
As he said these words, I felt a very strong spiritual impression.
First, I heard in my mind the words of Mother Eve saying, "It is better for us to pass through sorrow."
And I felt a very strong impression that I needed to begin preparing for another baby- and that it would be difficult and even heartbreaking.

I almost laughed out loud. I was not interested in another baby! God knew this. And if he was trying to convince me that I should have another baby, why would he do it while telling me that this baby would bring me sorrow?

Despite my annoyance at my Heavenly Parents for giving me such direct and unappealing instruction- I had felt the spirit very strongly. I knew what was expected of me. Over the next few days, I began (rather half-heartedly, I admit) to pray that I would feel a desire to be obedient. I did not ask, "Should we have another baby?" (I knew the answer already), instead I prayed - often saying things like, "I don't want another baby now. If I am supposed to have another child, help me feel a desire to do so."

I prayed like this for about three months, and although I didn't realize it at the time, my heart was beginning to soften. I had told Travis of my impression- but since he didn't want another baby yet either, and since he had not received any such prompting, I believe that his prayers concerning the new baby were even more half-hearted than mine. Only occasionally in our prayers together did we mention the fact that we were supposed to be preparing for another baby. And I don't think I told him that this baby had been promised to come with sorrow. 

In January of 2016, I was standing in my kitchen with several other women. One of my friends said, "I think I am ready to start trying for another baby."
"So am I!" I said, surprising myself as I said it. And even more surprising, I realized as I spoke that I meant it. I was still very afraid to have another baby (or more specifically, to be pregnant again), but I finally felt like the difficulty of pregnancy would be worth another child.

Now that I felt a desire to have another baby, Travis and I discussed the possibility again. He was still adamantly against having a baby. He wanted to wait another few years- after our home was a little less chaotic. I urged him to pray about it, and we visited the temple together several times and prayed about the baby. He still did not receive any promptings about the baby. Meanwhile, I started to feel an increasing desire to be obedient. I knew what was expected of me, God had given me time to prepare my heart- and now, I wasn't being obedient. I wasn't following instructions. It made me feel anxious and unhappy. God had answered my prayers- I wanted to obey!
Around this time, I also had the almost constant impression that I couldn't find my baby.
I would wake up in the middle of the night, searching half-awake through my sheets and blankets for the baby that I was sure needed to nurse.
When I buckled kids into the car, I was constantly counting, "Grey, Micah, August, and... where's the baby?" More than once, I rushed into the house, shouting to Travis, "We forgot her inside!" or "We're missing someone!"
Only to find myself standing in the kitchen, realizing that I didn't actually have another baby yet. "Who are we missing?" I asked every day, on walks, at the playground, at the store. I kept feeling that one of my children had wandered off- and yet they were all there.

I knew who we were missing.

After a few weeks of this, I felt like I was going crazy. I wrote out a list of all the things I wanted to discuss with Travis, and we sat down together. (I needed a list, because I knew that I would begin crying and have a hard time making points unless I had all my thoughts written down.)

And so we began. I explained that I felt a desire to be obedient. I explained that God wanted us to have another baby. I told him lots of things that were personal and heartbreaking, and I sobbed through the whole conversation.
But the thing I said most often and empathetically was, "She is waiting. She's waiting and she's anxious. I can feel her waiting, and I want her here with us."

Travis wasn't quite ready to agree to having another baby, but he did agree to pray and ponder whole-heartedly and not half-heartedly.

It's a GIRL!

In April, 6 months after I received the impression to prepare myself for another baby- I was pregnant. It had taken Travis and I each about three months to accept the idea of having another child.

My pregnancy was amazing. It was easy, and I felt good. I was able to hike, travel, take care of the boys, and didn't throw up a single time. I felt so blessed- but I also felt worried.
What was this sorrow that I was supposed to prepare for? If the sorrow didn't lie in my pregnancy, then should I expect it in my daughter?
Would be be disabled? Sickly? Would I lose her in childbirth?
I felt panicked as I tried to remember exactly what I had felt when I was prompted with those words, "It is better for us to pass through sorrow."
But over the months, I also felt peace.
I felt reassured that whatever happened, was supposed to happen. God doesn't make mistakes. And if there was something "wrong," it would be better than if everything was "right." It would be what we needed, what was right for our family and our daughter.
As I attended the temple, prayed, and read my scriptures looking for answers - I realized something.
When Eve tells Adam, "It is better for us to pass through sorrow," she isn't talking about a specific event.
She isn't referring to death, disability, or Cain killing Abel. She is talking about life. About mortality. Everything.
It is better for us to be alive and have families, even if it's hard. It is worth any heartbreak.
And I felt sure that God wasn't promising me a big, huge problem. He was promising me a baby.
And babies are hard. Children come wrapped up in heartbreak, in sickness, in sleepless nights, and broken arms, and angry words, and growing up. And it's all worth it.
The sorrow of having children is worth it, because babies also come with more joy than could be imagined by non-parents.
Maybe God was referring to fear that I felt of pregnancy. I needed to overcome that sorrow.
Maybe he meant the sorrow of wanting to be obedient and not being able to.
Maybe he meant the difficulty and pain of childbirth, or the sleepless nights and acid reflux that we're dealing with now.
Maybe there is something big, lurking around the corner. Maybe there is sickness, death, heartbreak and sorrow waiting to spring on us.
But now that we have Louise, I know that he was right. It is better to pass through sorrow. She is worth it. She is worth the heartache that I've already endured for her- and all the heartache that will come, just as all my boys were and are.
I am grateful that God knew what we needed better than we did. I am grateful that he told us to prepare our hearts and home for Louise, even though we were scared- even though it took a long time to find the desire.
Because by the time she got here, we were all anxiously awaiting her. I don't think we could have lasted much longer.

Due Date!

(A note: If you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, you might be confused by our beliefs about Eve. So let me sum them up.
Unlike most other Christian religions, we don't believe that Eve made a great big mistake in the Garden of Eden all those years ago. We believe she made an important and brave decision.
When God told Eve that she would die if she ate the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil- it wasn't a threat. It was an explanation.
Eating the fruit of the tree wouldn't kill Eve, but it would make her mortal. It would introduce grief, pain, and death into the world- but it would also introduce life. Eve and Adam would be able to bear and raise children.  Eve's decision to become a mother was brave and selfless- she gave up the ease and comfort of a painless and eternal life, and it allowed each of us to be born and live and die.
Likewise, all women are able to follow in Eve's footsteps and bring children into mortality- giving everyone a chance to experience life and gain bodies. If you're interested in reading more about Eve, you can read the scriptural account in Moses 4 & 5 - consider it an "extended edition" of Genesis. Or you can read this article about Eve, which is one of my favorite explanations of our beliefs.)

Parent's Reference Guide to Teaching from the Scriptures

I have been working on this project pretty diligently for a couple weeks and I am really excited that it's finally done. 

I have made a downloadable PDF collection of scripture references arranged by topic. These are topics which I find myself often explaining or discussing with my kids, simple things like "Making good choices," "Prayer" "Family" or "Being Christian."

Under each topic heading, I have a few scriptures that explain or describe this topic. Because my kids are still young, I didn't use any stories or long, philosophical scriptures. (For example, under the topic heading Faith, I don't reference any of the many people in the Bible who experience doubt or a renewal of faith, instead I used scriptures like Matthew 9:22 "But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour" and Alma 32:21 "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

I also (obviously) didn't address every topic or many "older" topics like immorality. These lists are by no means definitive, (the definitive list would probably be the actual scriptures!), but I wanted a list that was short enough that I could print it on a single piece of paper and fold it it into my Bible to use as needed. 

Over the last several months, I have searched the internet repeatedly for this. I would look on Pinterest "Scriptures for teaching children," but often the only thing that would appear was a list of good scriptures for kids to memorize. Every time that my searches were futile, there was that nagging feeling in the back of my mind, a small voice whispering, "You need to do it." And I put it off, because I didn't have the time.

But my need for it grew. I keep trying to teach important principles to my boys and I want them to understand that the reason I say "You have to still be kind, even when you're angry" or "You need to help me with the chores because you're a part of this family" isn't because I've concocted this idea of what is right or acceptable. I want them to understand that these are eternal, important truths.  These are things that their Heavenly Father also expects of them. 

On more than one occasion, I've tried to explain "Jesus says we have to love everyone, even people who are mean to us," and my kids have looked up expectantly. 

"Jesus said that?"

"Yep."

And then they'll ask "What did he say about it?" or "When did he say it?"

and I find myself trying to rifle through the index in my Bible, not knowing the reference off the top of my head. My kids lose interest, and I lose an important teaching moment. 

Since I started working on this list, however, I've found so many opportunities to use it. 

The other day, Micah was throwing toys and having a tantrum. When I asked him why he was acting that way, he yelled "I'M SO ANGRY!"

"Come here, let's see what Jesus says about being angry," I said. 

I read to him Ephesians 4:31-32 "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you."

We talked about putting away anger and noise and being peacemakers. "I can do that like Jesus!" he said. 

Over the next several hours, I heard him say repeatedly, "I am pushing my anger away. I am being a peacemaker."

I was so proud! And I know that the spirit helped me to teach him without also losing my temper. 

Obviously, every single time I try to teach my kids, I won't have such good results- they are stubborn little four year olds, after all! But it was a testament to me that I was doing things the right way. 

So I wanted to share this collection with you. 

I actually have three different versions!

The first is the version I recommend, it is a reference guide to scriptures from the Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. 

DOWNLOAD PARENTS GUIDE TO SCRIPTURAL TRUTHS

But because I know so many Christians don't believe the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants are actually scripture, I also made one that is just Bible references. 

DOWNLOAD PARENTS GUIDE TO BIBLICAL TRUTHS

Both of these are just one page (in the case of the BOM and D&C, it's double sided!) and can be printed and folded in your scriptures. 

The last is a list of all the scriptures with the full text of each verse included. It's very long! It looks like this: 

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT SCRIPTURE GUIDE

Please print, save, and share these and let me know if you do! I would love to think that these reference guides were being used. 

And a note to anyone who is unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants:

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka Mormons) believe that the Bible is scripture and the word of God. We also believe the Book of Mormon is scripture. It is a book written similarly to the Bible, a combination of the history of God's people, prophecies of Christ, and stories of Christ's followers through the ages. 

Unlike the Bible, which focuses on the children of Israel in Jerusalem, the Book of Mormon is written by and about the people living in America thousands of years ago. We believe that because God loves all His children, he provided his "Other Sheep" with prophecies and promises of Christ, regardless of where they lived in the world. 

The Doctrine and Covenants was written more recently, based on revelation given to prophets in the last two hundred years. 

Both books are full of testimonies, prophecies, and promises of Jesus Christ our Savior. The scriptures that I included are beautiful and helpful in teaching. I hope you take a chance to look at  them! (To learn more, please visit Mormon.org)

I used this Scripture Guide on lds.org in my work on this project. It was very helpful!

Because He Lives

Happy Good Friday, my friends.
Have you seen this video yet? Travis' company The Good Line contributed to some of the amazing shots in this video (not the one's of Jesus, FYI, mostly shots of people in other countries) and I love it so much. It's a good way to get in the Easter spirit.

Another beautiful Easter video is this short Bible video. Our family has watched this several times over the last few weeks as we try to explain to our children what this beautiful Easter holiday is about. It isn't about the death of Christ- not really! The death of Christ wouldn't be any different than any other death before it or after it if it weren't for what happened afterward. Easter is the celebration of Christ's resurrection.  His return, His life, and the redemption that came for each of us because of Him!



Today, in addition to being the day before Easter weekend, is also the day before General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Twice a year (in April and October), all members of the Mormon faith try to gather together (even just in families or as friends) and watch or listen to the prophets, apostles, and leaders of the church. There are two days of uplifting talks and speeches about the simple doctrine of Christ, how to love your family and others better, how to be your best self, and always- how to grow closer to God. I encourage everyone to tune in, even if you only have enough time to listen to a single talk, even if you're not Christian or Mormon.
{Click Here} to find out how to view or listen online.

Christmas Spirit

Whether you are having any trouble getting into "The Christmas Spirit," or if you're already full-throttle Jingle-belling and Hallelujahing - these videos are for you.
Last night for family night, we watched these two sweet Christmas movies on YouTube and I would encourage everyone reading to spend ten minutes today and do the same.

The first is the story of The Nativity. It's the best version I've ever seen portrayed on film.

The second is a good reminder for all of us that Christmas isn't about the parties, the trees, the turkey, or even the gifts. (Maybe Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more.)
It's about the Savior. And as many times as we try to tell ourselves that, it's still easy to forget.






And I'm off Facebook, as your probably know. So if there are any awesome Christmas videos that are trendy right now, leave them in the comments. I can always do with an uplift. :)

Peace for my soul

As you probably know, I have been struggling with finding peace lately. While most days are so good, I've also spent days feeling angry, overwhelmed, and depressed in the last few months.
One of the things that has brought me a lot of peace is reading (or listening to) talks about Christ, strength, hope and endurance.
Here are some of the talks that have lately brought peace to my soul:
(Click the title to read it, or watch it below.)

Come What May, and Love It by Joseph Wirthlin


“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” The Lord Jesus Christ is our partner, helper, and advocate. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be successful. If we do our part, He will step in.

He who descended below all things will come to our aid. He will comfort and uphold us. He will strengthen us in our weakness and fortify us in our distress. He will make weak things become strong." 


Bear Up their Burdens with Ease by David Bednar


"Thus, the Savior has suffered not just for our sins and iniquities—but also for our physical pains and anguish, our weaknesses and shortcomings, our fears and frustrations, our disappointments and discouragement, our regrets and remorse, our despair and desperation, the injustices and inequities we experience, and the emotional distresses that beset us.

There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power. Indeed, His yoke is easy and His burden is light."

Of Things That Matter Most by Dieter Uchtdorf

"The search for the best things inevitably leads to the foundational principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ—the simple and beautiful truths revealed to us by a caring, eternal, and all-knowing Father in Heaven. These core doctrines and principles, though simple enough for a child to understand, provide the answers to the most complex questions of life.

There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions."

Rise to the Stature of the Divine Within You by Gordon B. Hinkley

(Click on the link to watch at lds.org- there wasn't a YouTube version.)

"Marvelous is the power of women of faith. It has been demonstrated again and again in the history of this church. It goes on among us today. I think it is part of the divinity within you.

Sisters, rise to the stature of that divinity. In that effort make the world in which you live a better place for yourself and for all who will come after you. There is much to do. There are many challenges to be met."

I love listening to and reading these talks, and hope you find time to listen to them, too! There's nothing like listening to the prophets of God speak while you do dishes- it makes it a much more enjoyable experience!
Please, please leave your favorite talks in the comments. I promise to read them. :)

About the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Amos 3:7 - Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 

 As I suspect you all know by now, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons.)
This is a church that I love and which follows The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and it's been getting a lot of bad publicity lately, mostly from people who don't really understand what we believe or why.
So I want to add my voice to the whirlwind of noise, by sharing some of the basic beliefs of the church- to help non-Mormons understand what we believe about a few key things.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a like any Christian religion in many respects. We study and revere the Bible as Holy scripture. We believe that Christ literally died for our sins and was resurrected three days later- making eternal life possible for all.
The primary difference(s) between our church and other religions lies with the prophet.
Mormons believe that just as God gave men prophets throughout history- he gives us one today.
Think of it! Even those of you who know nothing about the Bible can doubtless name a few famous prophets. Adam, Noah, Daniel, Samuel, Job, Isaiah, and on and on down to that last prophet who heralded Christ: John the Baptist.
These men were not perfect or sinless (only Christ could live without sin), their purpose was not to negate or rewrite scriptures - they were men chosen by God to explain and clarify scripture and God's will for the specific time in which people dwelt.
Noah's job was to warn of the flood, Daniel stood up to the King when he tried to change the laws contrary to the commandments, and always- always, these men testified and preached of Christ, urged the people to repentance, and held up the laws of God despite the ebb and tide of society.
Wouldn't it make sense that, in this day and age- with an influx of information, with a million ways to interpret the scriptures, and people struggling to find themselves and God- that God would give us a prophet again? A man and mouthpiece on earth to help guide people to Christ?
If God is the same yesterday, today, and forever- he would not change his method of speaking on earth. Yes, individuals can feel God's love for them, learn his will for themselves and their families, and find personal answers to prayer- but when God has a message for the entire world- he uses his servants the prophets. (A note: We do not worship the prophet. We worship God, but we revere and respect the prophet as the "mouthpiece" of the Lord- someone who can help us better know, follow, and worship the Savior.)
Now, you may argue that a prophet is not all that sets Mormons apart from the rest of the world. But every difference in practice or doctrine was brought about by the prophet.

For example:

1. We believe the Bible to be the word of God, but we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon is a history and record of God and his people, usually as recorded by the prophet of the day. It is a testament of Christ and does not contradict the Bible but is a helpmeet to it. It was recorded by prophets of old and translated by the prophet Joseph Smith in the 1800s.

2. Probably the most obvious and well-known difference between members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that we (strive to) live up to up to higher (seemingly stricter) standards. Famously, we don't drink alcohol or coffee, we dress with intentional modesty, we try to refrain from swearing, viewing degrading media, sex outside of marriage, or getting tattoos or piercings, etc. None of these things are evil. We don't judge people who drink alcohol or look down on people with tattoos, nor do we believe that we are better people for following these standards. But, we believe in following the prophet, and in setting ourselves apart from the world, and being our best possible selves- so we follow these (sometimes seemingly silly) commandments. We don't follow Old Testament laws like "Don't eat lobster," because the prophet of the day has not asked us to. We do continue to follow other important Biblical laws, however, as the prophets have explained that their observance is still important.

3. We have the priesthood power and authority of God on earth. The "priesthood" is another word for the "authority" of God. Just as the prophets, apostles, and Christ-himself performed miracles, healed the sick, and controlled the elements (think of Moses parting the Red Sea, or Elijah sealing up the heavens so no rain fell)- the righteous members of the church can be given that authority too. It is not a magical power, it is a responsibility to follow the commandments of God, even if the commandments seem impossible. But, I have personally witnessed miracles, I have been blessed and I have been healed. Not by a preacher crying out over me in front of a crowd, but by my father, or husband- lying their hands on my head and quietly calling down God's strength and power.
With that authority also comes the authority to baptize, bless, and ordain. I could be sprinkled with water, go swimming a hundred times, and really promise my heart to Christ - but without the authority (given from God to man), my "baptism" would be nothing more than a dunk under water. It cannot wash away my sins, merely because I want it to. All things must be done in Christ, the right way. The way that he instructed and set up while he was on the earth, and the prophet provides those keys.

4. We worship in meeting houses AND temples. You've probably seen the beautiful temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They are stunning in appearance, flawless in craft, and altogether glorious.
But the temples of the church are not where members meet on Sundays to preach, teach, and worship together. Our chapels and meeting houses are open to everyone- little children, non-Mormons, and anyone who wants to wander in. There we gather for activities and group worship. We sing hymns, we take turns teaching, we gather to uplift each other, learn of Christ, and form a community.
The temples, however, are a place of quiet, individual contemplation and worship. Only adult members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who are living the highest standards of the church are allowed to enter. This is to protect the quiet, sacredness of the temple.
As anyone who has ever sat through church with a toddler on their lap can attest, it's distracting, noisy, and at some point in time- your kid will probably escape and climb under the pews and rows of people, kicking everyone they pass. This is okay for church- lift up your joyful noise! But the temple is place of quiet, not noise.
Likewise, the temple is a place to "escape the world" and come to God, and because of this- the "world" is kept at the gates. Those who might misunderstand, disagree with, or fight our doctrine and the quiet peace of worship are asked not to enter. Those interested in learning about the Mormon church are welcome to join us on Sundays at the church buildings.
The temple is also the place where we make more sacred covenants with God. For example, men and women can be married in the temples. Unlike a traditional marriage, which is a covenant between two adults until "death do you part," marriage in a temple is a covenant between a couple and God, and lasts "for all time and eternity."
We also make other personal covenants with God in the temple. For example, we covenant to obey the commandments of Christ (including those given by the prophets of the day), to be chaste and loyal in our marriages, and to give everything to Lord if called upon. We take these promises very seriously. Because of this, only those members of the church who wish to make and keep such covenants can enter into the temple. Making these covenants are not a requirement for anyone- even many members of the church do not go to the temple to make these promises, nor are they a tourist attraction for non-Mormons to attend. They are an important, personal decision and form of worship- and so, they are kept private (but not secret.)
There is a time before the temple is dedicated and opened for use when it can be toured and viewed by anyone- and I would recommend a visit! The temples are as beautiful and intricate inside as they are out. I know there is currently a temple in Ogden Utah doing tours (throughout the month of August.)
And, as with all things in the church, we believe that Christ set down the ways should be done (from the covenants we make, to the teachings we receive) and those things have been revealed to us through the prophet. (Again, if you're looking for Biblical examples- think Solomon.)

I love this church, and I am so grateful for it. I am grateful for the strength that it affords my family, the peace it lends to my soul, and the safety I find in it. I love the Lord and I love the prophet, Thomas S. Monson. The prophet teaches the word of the Lord. He can't be swayed by public opinion, by picketing, by sarcastic news reporters, or the "disappointment" of the world. But the opinion of the world isn't that important, and I would rather follow a prophet that fears God than a prophet that fears Man.
I love my savior Jesus Christ and am trying (not always successfully) to follow him, obey his words, and learn from his example - especially when my children test my patience to the very limit.

August's Blessing Day

It's been two weeks since August was blessed, but I am determined to finally post about it!
It was a whirlwind of weekend, since my family all came to town for the blessing, but they were only here for Saturday and half of Sunday.
When a baby is "blessed" in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it essentially means that they're presented and prayed over. It's one of my favorite traditions. So Travis, my dad, my father-in-law, my sister's husband and another family friend gathered in a circle at the front of the congregation, and blessed my sweet August James.
My brother Jack was kind enough to take some notes for me, so that I could just focus on taking in the beautiful words of prayer for my baby.

Some of the things that Travis blessed August with are these:
To continue to grow strong and be healthy.
To have sensitivity to the spirit of God.
To find Joy and satisfaction in the world around him and the people that become involved in his life.
That he will look to his many role models as examples, and follow the path set for him.
To serve in the church, and serve God.
That he can serve a mission as well as he can, and dedicate his life to the Lord.
To give service throughout his life.
That he will have love for everyone and find beauty and peace in the people that he serves with.

Now, obviously, these aren't predictions for August's life - so much as a father's prayer and hopes for his son. I am grateful for such a husband as Travis, who is close to the Lord. August was blessed on Father's Day, and we were blessed to be surrounded by the phenomenal fathers in our lives.



I am so grateful, not only for Travis (whose praises I sing constantly), but for my own Dad and Father-in-Law.

They each have so many admiral qualities that I hope all of my sons grow to emulate. In Grey and Micah's baby books, I included a paragraph where I talk about who they are named after (Grey Christopher after my Dad, and Micah David after Travis' Dad).

Rereading them recently, I was reminded of how blessed we are to have these strong, Godly men in our lives. I wanted to share the paragraphs here, too, as I hope these are the things August emulates as well:



Some of the things that we hope you learn from your Grandpa Chris are these, to have respect and love for nature, to be smart and driven, to be willing to work hard. To understand and appreciate both science and facts, poetry, and art.
We hope that you know that you can do or be anything you want. Your Grandpa Chris has more hobbies and talents than anyone we’ve ever met! You will be good at so many things, and if you work hard, you can make anything good happen.
We hope that you have a good sense of humor. Your Grandpa Chris is so funny, and makes friends so easily. He is personable, and happy, and we know that you will be the same!
But we hope especially that you have a love for your family and the gospel. No relationships are more important than your relationships with your family, your Father in Heaven, and Jesus Christ.

From your father, I hope you learn to work hard and passionately. That you can create beautiful things, and follow your heart in work and in life. I hope that you learn to be kind and calm, to take things in stride and remain optimistic, regardless of the difficulties you face. I hope that you can cultivate many interests, and be brave - in work, relationships, or life in general. That you can be content with simplicity, but be able to handle anything that is thrown at you.

From your grandpa Dave, we hope that you learn how to be patient and kind, gentle and thoughtful. That you will seek opportunities to show love to those around you and be quick and happy to serve. We hope that you will recognize good in the world and in others, and help the people around you desire to be better.
He is a wonderful example of service and love to others, and dedication to the gospel of Christ. Your grandpa Dave is quick to smile, laugh, and bring ease to any situation. He is hard-working and dedicated, to his work, callings, and especially his family - whom he lovingly and unselfishly serves.
Throughout your life, as you face challenges, follow their examples and remember to remain close to your Father in Heaven, and your family here on earth. We all love you so much, and hope that you never forget that, or think that it doesn’t matter.

In Defense of Mothers

I've written like four "mother's day" posts over the last week. I just keep thinking of different things I love and cherish about motherhood, about my own mother, about mothers in books, the role of motherhood in religion, and a billion other branches off that motherhood- tree.
But here's the gist of it all:
Mothers are important.
Fathers are important.
Children and babies and families are important.

I live in Utah now, which is- as I'm sure most people know- quite overrun with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka Mormons).
Mormons are all about family. In fact, with the exception of the doctrine of Christ's resurrection and atonement - I would say that nothing is more important to Mormons than family.
All of our doctrine and beliefs are centered around the family. Motherhood and fatherhood are divine, eternal roles. Children are an heritage of The Lord. Families can be together forever. And we are the most like and obedient to God when we are striving to protect, nurture, heal, and strengthen our families.
So that's the culture I've been living in for 7 years.

Sometimes it feels like everyone in the entire state of Utah is baby hungry.  And the fact that I got married at 20, and then was pregnant soon afterward is generally not frowned upon but applauded.
The fact that I'm now 25 with three young children is often a more impressive and enviable accomplishment to many of my friends than the fact that I've traveled to Africa, Asia, and Europe or that I got into a really good college, or ... I don't know. What else are people even impressed with these days besides babies?
And I love it. I love every day that I stay home with my boys, even days that are hard.
I was raised in a happy home, with a loving family, and was "brainwashed" from a young age to delight in babies, to relish in my potential as a woman capable of creating and rearing life, and to look with joy on the opportunity I have to be a wife and partner to my husband.
There is not a single day that I find myself thinking, "I wish we'd waited a little longer to have the boys."
In fact, most days I look at my gorgeous kids and think, "Okay, I'll start trying to get pregnant again two years from July, so my next baby will born..."

If you are my friend on Facebook, you probably had to unfollow my posts this week because of the insane influx of adorable baby pictures I've posted. (That is, if you hadn't unfollowed me already, because even before August was born- I was a little picture-happy.)
There are many people that I am "friends" with on Facebook that I haven't seen since high school or earlier, people I don't send emails or occasional texts to, people that -frankly- I don't even remotely care about. Sometimes one of their photos will pop up on my newsfeed and I find myself wondering what they think of me and my current situation in life- if they know or think anything of it at all.
I assume, generally, that they're jealous of me.

And why wouldn't they be? I live in a beautiful home with the love of my life, I get to stay home all day finger painting and going on walks to the park. I get to celebrate each change of seasons with forgetful and easily delighted children who are surprised by blossoms on trees and first snowfalls. I get to hide Easter eggs, make Christmas pudding, and sew tiny, adorable Halloween costumes.
I get to introduce a new generation to Frog and Toad, Corduroy, the Wild Things, and Curious George.
My kisses have magical healing properties, my snuggles are fought over, and there's someone to hold my hand every time I cross the street. I have a simpering, sighing baby asleep on my chest right now. Someday he will call me "Mama," and I'll probably cry. Someday he will tell me, unprompted, "I love you," and know what it means, and mean what he says.
And I will definitely cry.

My life is full. Full of meaning, beauty, and love.

It occurs to me that most of my non-Mormon peers (and some of my Mormon peers) are not actually jealous of my life. My beautiful friend Celia was recently mocked and shamed by a rude woman on an airplane for having three young children and being pregnant with a fourth. She wrote on Facebook,
"As I stood up to deboard the plane, the lady sitting across from me noticed I was pregnant. She looked at me, and her eyes went huge with horror and then disgust. She immediately turned to the passengers beside her and said, 'Just look at that girl! She's pregnant AGAIN! Four kids is just too many. Shouldn't she be happy with three and just be done!?' Several of them started whispering like teenagers, and I heard a couple of audible gasps. I was embarrassed, then ashamed and humiliated as people turned to stare at me, and it took every bit of my self control not to burst into tears. I then felt angry and defensive and made myself hold back a cutting response because that wouldn't do any good. People are entitled to their opinions. I just wanted to tell her, 'Be nice to me. You have no idea what I've gone through to have this baby.' "

Man. Maybe I've been in Utah too long, because I didn't know that people acted that way about babies.
I can't get over how rude and unacceptable that woman was, but primarily- I can't believe that this woman acted as though Cecilia was fulfilling some inappropriate and selfish desire of her own by having children.
I can't wrap my head around the assumption that one is somehow a burden on society by having, caring for, and raising little human beings.
Or, especially, that this woman who knows nothing about Celia or her family felt like she could decide how many children was "enough" for them.

Motherhood is important. Good women who raise strong, happy, kind children are a blessing to society and not a burden.

Children are a blessing, prayed for, hoped for, and beloved by millions of  men and women around the world.

And families are important. No other success can compensate for failure in the home. The family is central to God's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

And the world wants us to forget this. The world wants us to think that parents are selfish, that children are inconvenient, and that happiness in family life is not only unnecessary, but unattainable.
And it's just not true.

I wish I could stand up in front of you- on a literal soapbox, perhaps- but all I have is this blog.

So I hereby figuratively stand up for mothers and say, Motherhood is a divine calling. There is no greater blessing on earth than to be a mother. Children need good parents to rear them in love and righteousness, and they are themselves blessings and gifts from God.
Happiness in family life is not only possible, but can come with relative ease when homes are founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ and maintained through faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, and work.
I am grateful every day for my mother and father, I am grateful for my children and husband, and I am so overwhelmingly grateful for the opportunity I have to be a mother.
I did not get pregnant accidentally. I did not give up my dreams to run a home instead. I chose to be a mother, and it is the best choice I have ever made.

Happy Mother's Day, my friends. Now be kind to your own mom, and all the moms around you.
Raising children is hard work- especially if you're being picked on for it.

Because of Him

I hope your Easter weekend is beautiful and filled with joy. This is a pretty great way to start your weekend off right:

Where Can I Turn for Peace?

Our world is so hectic. I feel like I am constantly busy, distracted, often at the end of my rope. There is a queasy, almost constant feeling in the back of my head and pit of my stomach that I've forgotten something. I have pregnancy insomnia (it's 4am now, and the neighborhood dogs are a-barking, so who knows if I'll go back to sleep?) and often I wake up and toss and turn. I'm fitfully trying to remember what I have to do, what needs to be checked off my list. So often, I pull out my phone and scroll through blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram- looking for something to quiet my mind and distract me. But that never really works, does it? I just end up with more on my mind; trivial things that I don't care about, people I've never met or haven't spoken to in years, and new things that I suddenly think are a necessity in my own life.
Lately, the lines from two hymns been running through my mind.
The first, Be Still My Soul is perhaps my favorite song. I still remember a powerful moment of personal revelation that I received while singing it years ago. As a freshman at Brigham Young University, I hurt my foot and tore through my tendons. I had to leave the college that I had JUST been accepted to. I had to leave my new-found friends and happy independence and go home to icy Minnesota for surgery. All my high school friends had moved on to colleges away from our small town, and as far as I could see- my life was ruined. I knew how quickly things moved at college. If I left for a semester, I wouldn't have the same friends and roommates when I got back. The boy I liked would probably have some new girlfriend. The classes I was taking with friends would have to be finished with new peers. All torture. But worst of all, I felt betrayed by God. I knew that I was supposed to be at BYU. I knew that was part of "the plan."
So WHY was I going home? Why had God let this happen? If I was supposed to be at BYU, why was I leaving? If I was supposed to be at home, why had God gotten my hopes up and let me get into this college that I loved?
I was heartbroken, to say the least.
One evening, I was gathered with several friends around a piano. I am not musical, but every other Mormon on the planet is- so they were taking turns playing snatches of musicals and popular songs, while the rest of us laughed, joked, and sang along. I try to remember how it happened, that we started singing hymns- but it was just one of those moments, I think. Someone picked up a hymnal off the top of the piano and started playing. We all sang along. Of course we did. We were good Christian girls who loved a hymn as much as any musical number.
And in the midst of my heartbreak, while experiencing exactly the sort of bonding and joyful moment that I didn't want to give up- we sang the words, "Be still my soul, thy God does dost undertake to guide thy future as he has the past."
And I knew. The spirit gave me a little nudge, and quieted my restless soul, and for a moment- he made it okay.
I was still sad. My heart still ached. I still bawled the entire plane ride home, making everyone on my flight uncomfortable. But I didn't feel alone anymore; I felt supported. I knew that my plans and my worries were going to be taken care of- even if it wasn't how I intended. Be still, my soul.
Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side; With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.  Leave to thy God to order and provide; In every change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heavenly Friend Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

I am trying to let my soul be still. I am trying to remember that God is in charge, and to let the unimportant things fall by the wayside.
It's hard to do and takes constant reminding.
The other hymn I've been leaning on lately is Where Can I Turn for Peace?
It seems so applicable, lately. With so many sources calling out for my attention, so many distractions. Everything on social media promises us peace, happiness. Right? Easy meals on Pinterest, tricks and tips for losing weight, 5 secrets to a happy marriage.
Everything. So many lists and blogposts offering up advice. So many "articles" explaining why everyone but the author is an idiot. So much drama, all the time, everywhere, and I am addicted to it. And I do not feel at peace.
I feel stressed out. Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace when other sources cease to make me whole?
Do you do this? I pick up my phone to check the time and find myself on Instagram. I think my fingers have been programmed to automatically open up Instagram without any thought-process from me. I feel badgered and battered by the constant news stream of my friends' lives, but I can't look away.
I feel frustrated and overwhelmed.
In addition to social media, though, I feel overwhelmed with so many moments in my actual life.
Eight months pregnant. Three year old twins. My husband is in India. We are poor, our house is too small, our food is not healthy enough, I let my kids watch too much tv, we don't see Travis enough, I say hurtful things to others, and have my feelings hurt in return. Just. Everything.
Nothing big. I know that I am so blessed, and usually I feel overwhelmed with gratitude- not with grief. But some days it's just all too much.
Where can I turn for peace when with a wounded heart, anger, or malice, I draw myself apart, Searching my soul? Where, when my aching grows, Where, when I languish, Where, in my need to know, where can I run?

Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One.

I am so grateful to know where I can turn for peace. I am so blessed to have the calm of Christ at the eye of life's storm.
I want my home to be filled with the spirit of Christ- to be a place of refuge and relief. A place to come for peace.
But even when it isn't, I'm grateful for The Lord. I am grateful that I can turn to him in prayer, scriptures, and music and find peace from the noise of the world. Be still, my soul. I can find peace.
And now I think the dogs outside are quieting, and the breathing of my boys sleeping on my bedroom floor is soft and slow. Be still my soul, Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Our Stocking Advent

I love, love, love advents.
I love them as decorations, I love the daily reminder to read scriptures of Christ during the holiday season, I love getting little pieces of candy, I love the expectation and excitement of remembering them.
They just amp up Christmas.



If I said that I started planning this advent in July, that would be a lie. Let's just say that I've been thinking about since at least last Christmas. And as my knitting abilities improved, my desire to knit an adorable advent increased.
I'll include some more info and links throughout this post, but the pattern to knit these easy, awesome, extremely forgivable stockings is free on Little Cotton Rabbits {here}. I seriously loved making them. Even making 24.
So, here's way more information on making these than you could possibly want:



Making the Stockings:
I started knitting these stockings in July or August. Not just because I was anxious for the heat to subside and for it to be Christmas, but also because I knew I'd need a long time to knit them.
I am a mediocre knitter at best, and only half-way understand patterns (Google taught me everything besides the basic knit-stitch). For the first few stockings, each one took a couple days of figuring, knitting, unknitting, and reknitting. By the fourth or fifth one, however, I had gotten it down and could knit one in just 2-3 hours.



That seems like a long time, but if we watched a movie in the evening, I could easily start and almost finish a stocking. The only thing that was hard was paying attention to the design, and if the stocking was plain or striped, then I didn't need to think about that either.
I usually get bored knitting after a while, and leave things in the middle of being finished and these were the perfect size that I could finish it without getting bored, and each one was different and often an experiment so they were fun to knit.
I actually never even finished! I only have 22 done! Someday I'll finish them, but right now I've moved on to new crafts and am in more of a sewing mood, than a knitting mood.
I knit them with number 5 size needles, and regular, cheap Lion yarn. The gauge is different than pattern, but they just turned out a little bigger, but still proportional. Each stocking is about 6 inches long, although they seem much smaller than that, because it's at a slant. (The top to the heel is about 4-4.5 inches long.)

Inside our Stockings:
Scriptures:
I started by finding about 20 scriptures about Christ or his birth. The majority of the scriptures are prophecies about his birth, and towards the end they include the actual tale of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wee King of Kings.
Lots of advents I've seen just have a verse or two per day, but I really like reading the actual stories and backgrounds from each scripture, so many of ours are longer - even chapters.
I also included a couple other things, like talks or videos about The Savior - I'll link to all of them. The verses are from the Holy Bible, as well as from the The Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Christ and holds many stories and prophecies of Christ. If you don't have a Book of Mormon, but would like one {click here}, or you can read the stories I link to below.



{Read the Book of Mormon online}
{Read the Bible online}
{The Living Christ}
{The Tabernacle Choir & David Archuleta: A Wondrous Christmas} 
{Video: The Christmas Devotional}
{Video: Christ's Birth}
{Because He Came: a talk by Thomas S. Monson}

I wrote the scriptures on popsicle sticks, which I had dipped into cheap acrylic paint. To dry them, I filled a deep, wide bowl with rice and stuck the sticks in it, paint up. Because of that, there are drips on some and they're all uneven and wonky. But I don't mind.


Candy and treats:
Some of the stockings (but not all) will include candy. I haven't put any candy into them in advance. I just slip it in the night before, so my kids don't eat it all at once! Mostly, I think it will just be mini-candy canes.
The boys get to take out the candy and scripture stick. They get to hold their candy until we're done reading, and then if they're good, they can eat it. Yep. Before breakfast.
I also wrapped about a dozen Christmas books, and some times instead of candy they get a little tag that means they get to each unwrap a Christmas book! Then we read them together.




They're not new (in fact, everything that wasn't a hand-me-down I bought via Thriftbooks or garage sales), and I will use them throughout the years, probably adding to the collection as they grow. It's just fun to unwrap presents! And books seem new if you haven't seen them for over a year.
(If you don't buy kids' books from Thriftbooks.com yet, start! Sometimes they're a little abused, but my kids will abuse books anyway, so I'm happy to buy a three dollar book I don't feel guilty letting them have. Also, no shipping fee, ever.):
Some of our favorites above are:
The Polar Express
Santa Mouse
The Christmas Story
How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Activities:
I also wrote out a list of activities to include in some the stockings, but haven't figured out how to go about including them. Since my kids can't read, I've just been announcing it. "Oh, today we're going to read from Isaiah and later we'll make Christmas cookies!"
Any suggestions? I think if I write them on popsicle sticks (for example), I'll slip them in the night before with the candy. Just because it's hard to know at the beginning of the month which days we'll want to watch a Christmas movie, or have enough snow to go sledding with Daddy.



Displaying the Stockings:
I had a hard time figuring out how to hang these, but ended up just sewing some thick, canvas-y fabric into a band and pinning it to the wall. I used regular ol' clothes pins to hang them, but might come up with something cuter someday.




What do you think? What are your favorite Christmas traditions?
Do you have any children's books to add to our stack? I'd love it to grow. Christmas books are my favorite.

I love to see the Temple

We are lucky to live in Salt Lake, only a few miles away from the most famous and recognizable LDS temple in the world. It is extremely beautiful, and we often pass it while driving or go run around its grounds when the boys and I need something to do.
Lately, the boys have developed a total fascination with it. Every time we pass a church, anything with a tower or steeple, even haunted houses or the Disney logo, the boys yell, "The Temple! The Temple!"
And since we never had a working radio in the car until recently, we started the habit of singing at all times while driving.
Usually it's preschool songs, like "Wheels on the Bus" or "Five Little Monkeys," or children's hymns from church.
Since the boys are so into the temple, I decided to teach them, "I love to see the temple," which they now love and sing and request constantly.
It's pretty much adorable.

Here are the lyrics for those of you who don't know the song:

I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday,
To feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray.
For the temple is the House of God,
A place of love and beauty.
I'll prepare myself while I am young,
This is my sacred duty.

(And for those of you who are unfamiliar with Mormon temples, here's a quick bit of info:
Mormon meetinghouses are open to anyone and are used for congregational worship (on Sundays) and community events throughout the week.
Mormon temples are used for personal worship, meditation, and covenants. They can be attended almost every day if you want to, but due to the sacred and quiet nature of the service there, Temples are only open to adult members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
We also perform our more sacred ordinances at the Temple, such as marriages. Of course, Mormons can be married outside of Temples, but we believe that the Temple is the literal House of God, and that when a couple is married there- they can be together with each other for eternity.
To learn more about Temples, click here.)

How to have a Good weekend:

Sometimes, I kind of regret the blogposts that I write. I do regret the blogpost that I wrote two days ago. I don't really regret the sentiment, I agree with what I tried to say: that everyone is too concerned with being right, and being offended and no one is concerned about the feelings and happiness of people they love- including themselves. But that's not really how I expressed it, is it? Instead, I let myself also get offended, by all the offending.

And I know that being offended is a choice, and very few things are worth making that decision over.
I especially regret that blogpost in the light of today, because first I want to convince you that I am a happy person, and then I want to convince you that you should take my advice on how to be happy.
But that's a little harder to believe in the light of such a recent negative post.


But today, I wanted to say something nicer. Today is one of the best weekends of the year in our house, and I want to invite you to have a nice weekend too.
First, let me make you a promise. A real one:
If you've had one of those weeks - you know the kind: your patience has run thin, your school or work is overwhelming, your kids are sick or inexplicably naughty, you feel lonely or abandoned, upset, annoyed, tired, frustrated - if you've had one of those weeks, I know the cure.
Maybe it won't make your troubles vanish, but listening to General Conference this weekend will certainly give you renewed strength, hope, and happiness.
So, what is General Conference? Twice a year, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka Mormons) gather and listen to talks from our church leaders, and since the church consists of millions of people around the world, the conference is broadcast to all. But, it really isn't just that.
I can't even express how wonderful and uplifting it can be.

Here's why it's so wonderful: because the leader of the church is not just a wise, adorable old man (although he is that.) He is a prophet of God. Just as God's church through the ages has been led by prophets, (Adam, Noah, John the Baptist, etc), so it is today - and just as the prophets of old have counciled the world about specific troubles, grief, and hardships of the time- so does the prophet today.
And, I know (from prior experience) that all of the talks will focus on bringing you and your family closer together and closer to Christ. They will encourage you to find peace and happiness, to serve and love those around you, to be a better husband, wife, sister, parent, daughter, friend, and person.
And who couldn't use that?

So whether or not you believe that Thomas S. Monson is actually a prophet, I encourage you to take a while this weekend to relax and listen to conference. Allow yourself to be uplifted.
And even if you're not Christian, Mormon, or even if you don't believe that God exists - I sincerely encourage you to listen and see for yourself.
If you are interested in doing so, here's a bit more information, and how and when you can watch or listen:

There are two two-hour sessions on each Saturday and Sunday, each session consists of prayer, singing hymns (by the very well-known Mormon Tabernacle Choir), and talks by church leaders. The talks are between 5-20 minutes each, and the speakers are not given topics to discuss, but decide themselves what to say and talk about.
So, if you want to, you really can listen for anywhere from 5 minutes to 8 hours.
On Saturday and Sunday from 10am-12pm and from 2pm-4pm (MDT).
And you can do it anywhere you have the Internet, just head to {this link} for live streaming.

Or {go here} to listen to or read past talks.

There is a lot of misinformation about the Mormon church. Lots of people, (sometimes even members of the church!) aren't quite sure what the church teaches about many things. We are accused of hatred, many people don't believe that we are Christian, people have even told me that I have been brainwashed and tricked by the prophet.

I encourage you to Come and See for yourself. If you want to know more, indulge in curiosity, and see if the rumors are true: there's no better way to learn than go to the source.
And if you're having one of those weeks (or months, or years), I really do promise that nothing will make you feel better like listening to men and women of God encourage and uplift you- it's a perfect way to follow up Easter.


As a side note, I've recently tried to read a talk from past conferences every day as part of my scripture-study (which really means, I read talks 3-4 times a week. Ah well, I'm working on it.) But I have discovered so many gems and wonderful talks in the last few months!
If any of you have favorite talks from the past, leave me the name or link in the title and I would love to read them!

And for those of you curious about what this weekend will hold, here are some of my very favorite talks from the past:

Creativity is an inherited quality from our Heavenly Father, by Dieter F. Uctdorf: Happiness, Your Heritage
On being happy, even in times of trouble, by Neal A. Maxwell: Be of Good Cheer
Advice on having a happy marriage, by Gordon B. Hinkley: Except the Lord Build the House
You have a responsibility to do good in the world, by D. Todd Christofferson: Brethren, We have Work to Do
We demonstrate our love of God through service to others, by Jeffery R. Holland: The First Great Commandment