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First ya gotta find a … ?????

Pawprint!

Right ’cause that’s the first…

Clue!

Then we put it in our … notebook!

‘Cause they’re Blue’s clues… Blue’s clues……

Cause when we use our minds and take a step at a time,

We can do any THING… that we wanna do!

Tyler definitely thinks he can do anything that he wants to do.

He has discovered our Blue’s Clues computer game and was really enjoying it.

He decided one night while brushing his teeth, ALONE, in the bathroom. (Do you see our first mistake?) That he would make pawprints (clues) and leave them all over the house for Mommy & Daddy to discover.  We found the first paw-print (AFTER he was asleep) right in the middle of the TV screen.  What did he make the print with?  Wetted-down TOOTHPASTE.  They were on the TV, across the entertainment center, on the fireplace sides and front, on the mirror above the fire place and started getting fainter and fainter from there on.  I was not really happy about the mess he made. But I thought it was a pretty clever idea…for a nutty 5-year-old.  Andrew and I started wiping up the mess and then went into our room and saw our mirror!

The kid made no fewer than 50 pawprints that night!  We snickered about it (our second mistake) because it didn’t do any real harm (it’s not spray-paint, after-all).  I talked to him about not doing it ever again in the morning.

So the next night while brushing his teeth, ALONE, AGAIN!!!  He thought he’d do it again.  This time he headed into the office.  There was one pawprint on the computer screen and one right in the middle of the keyboard……..with gunk in the gaps next to the keys.  We found them while he was still awake this time and he got yelled at, by ME, of course.  We had ANOTHER talk about it.  I think he understands that it isn’t funny anymore because there have been no more toothpaste prints found.  But he wanted to know how he could make pawprints to play Blue’s Clues in real life.  So with Ashley’s help, they made pawprints out of construction paper.  Now we’re finding little scraps of blue paper ALL OVER THE HOUSE.

Am I annoyed?  Nope.  Amused.  Boy have things changed, right?

Hey, I’m just glad he didn’t use glow-in-the-dark SPRAY PAINT, like Christian did at that age.  That was all along our new chair rail in the boys room, on the new bunk beds, on the back sides of the bedroom doors, across the fireplace (before Andrew covered the bricks) and randomly sprayed in the air.  We couldn’t see most of the paint until is was DARK, of course.  So we were finding new Christian “clues” for MONTHS.  We still have ONE of them left in the hallway near the light switch.  In case anyone has ever wondered what that strange smear is across the wall and why I don’t wipe it off….I can’t.  It’s paint.  It glows though, which is cool. :)

Test results are in

I took an online Adult ADHD quiz and here are the results.  I was not just a little likely to have it, but SERIOUSLY LIKELY.  I scored 80.  Take the quiz and see how you do.  I think I would score differently with fewer kids. :)
I just looked at another website that uses the same quiz…it said that, of course, it’s not an official diagnosis. “High scores [like mine] on this examination may result from anxiety, depression or mania. These conditions must be ruled out before a diagnosis of Adult ADD can be made.”  So, based on that statement, if I don’t have ADD, since I’m not manic and I’m not depressed, I am most likely full of ANXIETY!  THAT makes a LOT of sense!  Zanax anyone?  
So if I take a pill and hire a maid, I might turn out to be more normal?  Hmm… TEMPTING… If only money grew on trees.  I’d hire someone to shop, clean, and cook organic/gluten-free/Tyler-friendly meals. :D

Pictures will be coming soon, but just a warning: they’ll be disgusting!

I’ll never understand why bad things happen in three’s.  But, they always do.  Sometimes even 4’s.  As soon as an appliance breaks down, we wait for the second and third one. Or for a car, OR for Tyler to break something or for a kid to get sick…or…or…or…!

Today we found out Jenna’s throat culture from Friday is starting to look like Strep.  Andrew’s car was broken into last night.  AND Ashley has a Staph infection on her foot.

What the heck!?

Last month it was a talk, a lesson and a stomach bug all at once. Then Brooke had a bladder infection and some other little problems.  Then she bit nearly all the way through her lip on Thursday.  I should have known that her issues weren’t going to happen alone without some other stresses too.  When I had no appointments on the calendar for last week, I KNEW we’d end up at the Doctor’s office UNscheduled.  And sure enough, Jenna’s throat hurt bad enough for concern . . . I should have just blocked office time at the doctor and filled in the child’s name when we arrived.  Maybe I should just have standing appointments booked at the Doctor every other week.  My father-in-law hears my voice on the line and says, “Uh oh, Becky, what’s going on NOW?” 

All I can say is THANK HEAVEN FOR GRANDPA-DOCTOR!  Seriously, that has been one of the most awesome blessings of my life.  Especially when I walked into the Medicenter (for Ash’s foot), saw 20 sick people, walked in behind one that looked like she was green and going to throw up, heard another one of them cough, and started to have a panic attack worrying about Swine flu!  I turned around and left without signing Ash in.  I just thought, “Even if it IS staph, she won’t die before tomorrow.  And we could get any number of diseases if we stay here.”  Then I tried calling Grandpa-Doctor and he was able to check her out right away.  WHAT A BLESSING!  Never mind the lack of doctor’s bills, he saves my NERVES. :)

THANK YOU BRUCE!!!!!!!

Here are the pictures.  Sorry they’re a bit blurry.   Apparently when my camera battery is getting low, it doesn’t like to focus.  But maybe it’s a good thing since they’re pretty gross. :)

Strep is BREWING!

Staph is BREWING

Andrew’s gonna have a windy 25-30 mile drive to work tomorrow.

Counting my blessing:

Antibiotics are awesome; we have several doctors in the family; Andrew’s car will be completely taken care of by work; Our home is warm, dry & comfy; We have enough food to eat; Our sins can be forgiven; Heavenly Father knows my woes, probably laughs at me, and will help me whenever I need Him!

Be of Good Cheer!

View this montage created at One True Media
Beach 4-25-09

Endure to the end.  It’s 2 whole minutes long, but you’ll be cracking up at the end! :)

My baby turned TWO

Oh, so sad for Mommy!  But Brooke had a Happy 2nd Birthday.

 View this montage created at One True Media
My Montage 4/29/09

Next year she’ll understand about blowing out candles.  This year is quite humorous.  She’s just totally SCARED!

 

 

Enjoying her b-day cheesecake…”Cheeeese!”

 

 

We got Brookie her first undies and a kitchen for her b-day. 

She loved it, but of course the BOX was almost MORE fun!

Happy Birthday my sweet baby girl!

You are always such a joy and we are grateful Heavenly Father blessed our lives with YOU!

 

GUM RECALL

I totally wish gum would get recalled. 

It’s at least getting BANNED!! from my house.  I’m totally not kidding.  The 3 older kids can CHEW their gum, but I’m keeping it high up in my closet where Tyler and Brooke can’t find it! 

The kids (all 5) got their very own packs of gum from a loving auntie for Easter.  We love aunties.  We love special treats.  We totally appreciate being thought of.  But now, we HATE gum!

Tyler, the Terrific(ally bored and therefore constantly on the lookout for something NEW to explore, tear apart, or break) took his gum, his sisters’ gum, and his brother’s gum.  [He also snuck their chocolate hollow bunnies (also gifts) and got major diarrhea!]

What did he do with all of that gum?  WELL, HE DIDN’T CHEW IT FOR VERY LONG.  He chewed it just long enough to get it sticky and then…..

I don’t have a picture of the carpet, but it’s a good thing my carpet is already the color of peanut butter so that I could get some of it out before having to take the scissors to the rest.  How mad did it make me?  Well, we bought the new carpet in AUGUST!  It’s not even a year old!  And it wasn’t cheap.

And then……..

Thankfully it came out of the plug-y thingies easily enough.  But, you can see the sliminess on them.

And then…

 

Why the knob?  I have NO idea!

And then….

Sorry about the sideways pics.

And then…I think I found all of the packages of gum and HID them!

If he has a stash somewhere else, I’ll be finding out soon.

Breakfast anyone?

Tyler’s allergist wants us to try going wheat-free for a while and see if some of his symptoms go away.  We’ll being doing this next week.  But, in preparation, I decided to try making gluten-free pancakes last week. 

They LOOK fine, right?  What did they taste like?

Well, Tyler said, “These taste WEIRD” and wouldn’t eat more than 1/2 of one.  Do you know this boy?  Have you seen his appetite?  Well, I found a way to kill it! :)

Jenna, who’s more adventurous, was trying to be kind and said they were a little like oatmeal. 

My description?  I think they TASTE just like a cow-pie SMELLS.  Yup, it was like eating cow poop!  EVEN with 1/2 cup of syrup soaking into them!

Can YOU think of an easy, quick, kid-friendly meal, that’s not totally flavorless and does NOT use the following ingredients: milk or any milk products (casein, whey, etc.), soy or any soy products (soy is even in chicken broth and spaghetti sauce and cooking spray, of course Mayo and Miracle Whip, almost all salad dressings, etc.), chocolate, peanuts, bananas, or wheat (including: bread crumbs, bran, cereal extract, couscous, cracker meal, enriched flour, farina, gluten, graham flour, high gluten flour, high protein flour, spelt, vital gluten, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat gluten, wheat malt, wheat starch, whole wheat flour.)

  Think of your favorite meal, I’ll BET that unless you have celiac disease, your favorite meal includes at least one of those ingredients. 

I know I’m thinking negatively.  I’ll try to think about this positively. 

 What Tyler CAN eat includes: fresh fruits (except bananas & kiwi), fresh veggies, meats, corn and corn-based cereals and noodles, rice and rice-based cereals and noodles, baked potatoes, home-made spaghetti sauce, and jello, if we want him high on sugar. :)

Ugh. Boring.  I’m bored just thinking about eating it. Maybe this will help me lose the 12th pound (the one I’m stuck on.)

Having a boy that has been THE most difficult to potty train I’ve EVER heard about…except for kids with disabilities of some kind…has been quite an experience.  A real sh**y experience.  :)  

There’s nothing enjoyable about a 5 year old (the size of a 7 year old) POOPin’ IN his pants on a daily basis.  I mean NOTHING enjoyable.  I’ve made up some silly songs because of it.  But that doesn’t help: it stinks, it’s huge, it’s embarrassing, it’s EVERY day, it’s messy…the list goes on.  Oh, it’s expensive too - night time pull-ups, all the extra laundry, baby wipes and trips to the doctor to figure out what’s wrong with him.  If I totaled it, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s cost us over $1500! in doctors and night time pull-ups just this last year!  But I’m afraid to total it because it might be MORE than that.

Now, Tyler has done TONS better over the last 6-8 weeks.  As Murphy’s Law would have it, as soon as I posted he’d been doing better, he pooped his pants 2 or 3 days in a row.  But now he has more good days than bad.  HURRAY!  You have no idea how exciting it is to hear, “Mommy I went POO POO on the POTTY!”  I come running all excited to wipe a bum that doesn’t have the nasties stuck ALL OVER.  In case you forgot, never knew, or just wanted to read about it more, Tyler has food issues we’re STILL trying to figure out.  It’s either celiac disease or SERIOUS food sensitivities that give him chronic diarrhea.  Anyway, that’s another reason why it is SO exciting that he’s doing most of them on the potty now.  Of course this was one of his OFF weeks where he even peed his pants too…strange.  But, it doesn’t get me down like it did before because he’s 80% there! :)  Maybe even 85% there.

So, why is this blog titled “It all evens out in the end”?????????

Well, because Brooke, who is not quite 2 years old has started POTTY TRAINING HERSELF!!!!!!! Is that possible?  YES!  If every child was THIS easy, I’d have MORE! If NONE of them had ADHD, I’d have the biggest ego ever!  I’d think this was so easy that everyone should be able to handle 7, maybe even 8 kids…that’s how many I would have if none had ADHD and potty trained themselves!  Boys, girls, it wouldn’t matter.  The more the better.  Okay, I’m exaggerating a little.  But I would definitely have SIX.

Here’s how it began.  Around a month ago Brooke started ASKING to go on the potty.  She’d gone on the potty a couple of times before, but she was starting to ask on a regular basis.  I had just been given TWO new callings, been asked to give a talk on Easter and to substitute teach in RS….it feels like it all happened in a matter of 2 weeks, but it was really 6.  But, when you have 5 kids and are crazy busy, 6 weeks FEELS like 2 went by even though 2 weeks have 6 weeks of stuff crammed into them!  Anyway, this was when Brooke decided to be interested in going potty. 

Only one of my others ever did anything like this and it was only with poop, not pee too.  Jenna poop trained herself basically at 18 months old.  The pee took till she was 3.  Anyway…Brooke….I decided that I’d better embrace her eagerness to go on the potty or else the interest would pass and she’d decide it’s easier to go in her pants and the opportunity would be forever lost and I’d have another 5 year old problem.  (That’s one really long sentence.) 

So, I decided to use my stored up Geoffrey dollars to buy TWO potties. (No, I didn’t keep them from when Chris was little. They get so disgusting you need new ones for every kid or two.)  We made a fun trip of getting the potties and excitedly opened them at home and let her sit on them.  They were just there for show.  I wasn’t going to even ASK her if she wanted to go.  The next time she wanted to go, I’d show her how to sit on the little one.  She wanted to try them out right away.  She sat on one and then the other.  She moved back and forth and back and forth.  She picked her favorite for herself and put a dolly on the other one.  I used every ounce of patience I have to sit there on MY potty . . . waiting.  If I tried to leave the room, she followed and said, “Mommy.  Sit!” while pointing to the big potty. So, I waited some more.  Eventually a little drop came out.  You never heard such excitement.  “Brookie went pee pee on the potty!”  I made such a fuss.  She loved it.  EVERYONE got told and was totally excited.  They all came to SEE her drop!  Everyone gave her high fives!  WOO HOO!  It was totally exciting. 

Of course, she wanted to spend the next 2 days naked on the potty.  But, who cares.  If she WANTS to go, LET HER!

That’s all it took.  She started going on the potty twice a day.  For a whole week! Then she started going even more.  Then, a few days ago, she even went poop on the potty.  Then last night she stayed dry ALL NIGHT LONG!  Then today she stayed dry ALL DAY LONG!  Even during nap time!  We give high fives and cheers and it is totally cool.  I’m not putting any pressure AT ALL.  She wants to go, she asks, I take her.  I’ll ask after her nap or whatever.  But no pressure.

Now, I’m not claiming that she’s trained already.  We haven’t tried undies yet.  I have them and I’m thinking about using them.  But then that’s when I can’t help but put on the pressure because I HATE doing all of the clean up that comes with accidents.  I have CARPETED floors.  

I’m no expert at potty training.  I hate potty training, in fact.  I’m not sure HOW this is working.  I’m just excited at how well she’s doing a whole week BEFORE she’s even TWO!  I know, I know, I’ll have to eat my words because now that I’ve bragged to the world, she’ll turn around and never go on the potty again.  Well, I guess that would just be more of what I’m still doing…..poop poop and more poop.   But, I can HOPE that this is Heavenly Father’s way of evening things up after how difficult it’s been with Tyler.  Right?

I had the opportunity to speak in sacrament meeting today.  I had a month to prepare, which was AWESOME.  Several people told me that they heard most of it or some of it (because of kids) so, they’re in luck, I am posting it so they can enjoy the WHOLE thing.  Hahaha.  I’m not patting myself on the back here.  I just learned so much and was so strengthened by all my studying that I wanted to share.  So, here it is as I prepared it.  I know my delivery was a little different.  But, I can’t remember what I did differently, so you get the original plan. :)  I cannot just speak with an outline, I have to have the WHOLE thing written out - even my jokes.  Sad, huh?  It is all sincere though. 

What not everyone knows is that my whole family came down with a stomach bug and I spent Saturday trying to refuse to catch it.  I prayed SO HARD.  You have no idea.  I just wanted to be able to deliver this message.  And I was blessed to feel totally well all morning - of course until sacrament meeting was over.  I’m still refusing to be sick.  But now I don’t have the same reason to call in help from above.  While preparing this over the past month I really and truly had some quiet moments where I knew I was receiving inspiration.  I felt funny saying ”Thank you” to any congratulations because I didn’t do it alone.  I had help - truly!  

This is more of a comment for myself/something I’d write in my journal.  But, it just hit me now and I don’t want to forget it because I probably won’t get to my journal tonight:  A choir from a High School Utah was visiting and one young man took the time to come and firmly shake my hand and say thank you.  It was really interesting.  There was something very nice to see in his eyes.  I know it was the light of Christ.  But, to know it so surely about someone I’ve never met before was a really interesting experience.  And for him, a TEENAGER, to take the time to come to me, and old lady and mother of 5, means he has got a great testimony!!  At least, that’s what it means to me.  It was a wonderful thing for me to see.   

Anyway, here it is:

I’m very grateful for this opportunity. The amount of time I’ve been able to spend studying, fasting & praying has been such a blessing to me and I know I’ve gained so much from it.  I hope to be able to share some of what I’ve FELT because it’s been very spirit strengthening. It has forced me to grow closer to the spirit, for which I am SO thankful!  I wish I could take you on my entire journey of this past month.  But, sacrament meeting doesn’t last that long.  So, I’m going to do my best to condense.

 

I LOVE EASTER (minus the Bunny part) and Christmas time.  In December I love the feeling in the air. The Christian radio station my alarm clock is set to plays nothing but Christmas music all of December.  I LOVE it!  I am sad when that comes to an end and we have to put away the tree and take down the lights.  And after Elder Bednar’s visit/message to us about the symbolism of it all, I really am sad when I have to take the tree down.  [I wish I could say that was the reason I don’t get it put away until February (or even March one year).] 

 

But the sadness doesn’t last long because there soon follows that excitement in the air when everyone knows Spring is near.  Here where we live, the changes in seasons are more subtle.  They are there, but you have to watch for them and really pay attention.  The changes are quite evident when beautiful, but ever browning, snow and ice have covered everything and as it melts away you see little patches of green grass and bulbs blooming.  (It’s even humorous when you discover that big puffy white mound in the neighbors yard turns out to be a soggy sofa.)  That was my first Spring in Utah.  It was like I’d never experienced Spring before. Totally Amazing!

 

Just a couple of weeks ago, during the last weekend in March, my family and I witnessed a mother duck and her TEN little ducklings waddling down Raymond.  We were (or at least I was) squealing with excitement.  I don’t know where she was headed, ‘cause we don’t have a lake within walking distance (maybe to someone’s swimming pool?), but it was the cutest thing to watch.  It left me with such a feeling of delight….spring is here!  Later 4 of my 5 kids and Daddy went and caught some tadpoles.  So now in this tiny cesspool in my kitchen we have tadpoles and other little swimming things growing and HATCHING.  We even have a pet mosquito.  Watching these tiny living things grow has become more exciting than television (for a while.) 

 

While spring is exciting and feeling and watching things come alive…the new births and the rebirths of dormant plantlife, nothing is MORE exciting than the message of Christ’s resurrection.  EASTER. [Could it be more perfect?: the timing of Spring, Passover and Easter?!]

 

I mentioned earlier that I don’t like the Easter Bunny.  I’m sure I’ve put many kids into shock.  So, I’ll explain.  It’s not because I’m not a fun person. For those that know me really well, you know it would be out of character for me to not say something silly or funny at some point EVERY day, even today. It’s actually DIFFICULT for me to remain serious – even at a funeral. So, if there’s no laughter here today, either I am not being myself or you have no sense of humor.  I do have to tell my husband all the time  “I am funny!”  But that’s because my best humor is TOO silly or “punny” for him to give me the satisfaction of laughing.  So, I am fun, but I’m not fond of the Easter Bunny because of what it’s done to the MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT OF ALL TIME.

   

Our Bible Dictionary says “the resurrection of Jesus is the most glorious of all messages to mankind.”   

I don’t like that the most glorious message to mankind gets clouded over by eggs, a bunny, and baskets of candy.  My mother wasn’t all that fond of the Easter Bunny either, and I didn’t understand why at the time.  I thought it was just because she hated cleaning up Easter grass.  Of course, I feel the same way now that I have children and I don’t even allow Easter grass.  I do have a couple of childhood memories of the baskets and candy.  But thankfully I also have a memory of getting a picture of Jesus in my basket and remembering, “Oh yeah, that’s what this is about.”  I try very hard to keep my kids from forgetting what Easter is all about.  But, if they do, I hope they also have an “Oh yeah” moment when they remember the true purpose.  I got an idea from the Ensign last year about finding an empty egg.  So now we hunt for the MOST important egg: the empty one.  In it was a message, “He is not here, for He is risen.”  (I’m a visual learner and do much better at internalizing things when I have something to SEE – thus a prop.)

 

I cannot contemplate those words without a warm feeling entering my heart.

 

He is Risen.

 

I would like to suggest that everyone take a look at their April Ensign.  Pages 40-45 have such amazing paintings depicting all of the aspects of the resurrection that I won’t have enough time to fully discuss.  If you have it with you, great, you can look at it now.  If not, please go home and look at them.  My favorite is on page 41—the picture of Peter and John running to the Sepulchre.  Look at the expressions on the faces.

 

In the words of President Hinckley, who spoke so plainly in conference a decade ago:

“Only a God could do what [Christ] did.  He broke the bonds of death.  He too had to die, but on the third day, following his burial, He rose from the grave, “the firstfruits of them that slept (1 Cor. 15:20), and in so doing brought the blessing of the Resurrection to every one of us.

“He taught with Parables.  He performed miracles the like of which were never performed before or since.  He healed those whose sickness was of long standing.  He caused the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk.  He raised the dead, and they lived to speak His praises.  Surely no man had ever done such before. …

“A few followed Him, but most hated Him. … [The scribes and Pharisees…plotted against Him. …]

“He was betrayed, arrested, condemned to death, to die in awful agony by crucifixion.  His living body was nailed to a cross of wood.  In unspeakable pain, His life slowly ebbed away. While yet He breathed, He cried out, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

“The earth shook as His spirit passed. The centurion who had seen it all declared in solemnity, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matt. 27:54).

“Those who loved Him took His body from the cross. They dressed it and placed it in a new tomb offered by Joseph of Arimathaea. The tomb was sealed with a great stone at its opening, and a guard was set.

“His friends must have wept. The Apostles He loved and whom He had called as witnesses of His divinity wept. The women who loved Him wept. None had understood what He had said about rising the third day. How could they understand? This had never happened before. It was totally unprecedented. It was unbelievable, even for them.

“There must have been a terrible sense of dejection and hopelessness and misery as they thought of their Lord taken from them in death.

“But that was not the end. On the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary returned to the tomb. To their utter amazement, the stone was rolled away and the tomb was open. They peered inside. Two beings in white sat at either end of the burial site. An angel appeared to them and said, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?

 “He is not here, but is risen.”  (Luke 24:5)

 

The Savior appeared to Mary; and other women; to two followers in Emmaus; to the 10 Apostles and later to Thomas, who had doubted.  For 40 days He ministered to his Apostles and others.  He was “seen above five hundred brethren at once…And last of all he was seen of [Paul].” 1 Cor. 15:6-8.

 

[paraphrased words of James E. Faust.]  We Latter-day Saints have additional witnesses of the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  One of these is in the Book of Mormon. The Savior said in John: “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd”? (John 10:16). So, In 3 Nephi we read of His ministry upon the American continent (to his other sheep) which took place after His death and resurrection in Jerusalem.

 

Another witness Latter-day Saints have is the testimony of modern witnesses recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants.  The Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon testified:

“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him:  That he lives!  For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—That by him, and through him and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.”  (D&C 76:22-24)

 

I think it is only natural that this also becomes a time when we think of loved ones who have gone on before us. 

 

In October my paternal grandmother passed away.  It was not a peaceful and quickly-in-your-sleep kind of passing that my grandfather had had a few years before.  Her passing helped paint a picture in my mind of the reality of the crucifixion and how his loved ones must have felt when watching him on the cross. 

In a popular children’s book series the main character goes away to school each year and after getting off the train, is whisked up to the school by carriages which seem to draw themselves.  One year he returns and wonders what the creatures are which are now pulling the carriages.  He soon finds out that the creatures were always there and it is because of an experience he had that he was now able to see them.  Before he had only known of a loved one’s death.  Now he had actually witnessed a friend dying and his vision was forever changed.   I think this is similar to the change in me since my grandmother’s passing. 

I wasn’t there in her final moment.  But I was there only hours before and prayed for death to come and ease her suffering sooner.  I have the assurance that I will be with her again.  I am sealed to my parents and my parents are sealed to their parents.  So saying goodbye was not the most difficult thing about her passing. At the time I had wondered why death can’t always be more peaceful.  Why is it sometimes like torture for families to watch?  I now understand it a bit better.  Without that experience I know I would not be able to have this deeper appreciation for what the Savior went through for ME and for you…as well as having a stronger testimony of Christ’s resurrection and the resurrection of us all.

 

I am so grateful for the knowledge we receive from 1 Cor 15:22: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”  And from D&C 130:18 we know that “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.”  And from Alma, (chapter 11:42-44) we know “that all shall be raised from this temporal death.  The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.  Now this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit…”

 

Easter time is a wonderful time then for us to recall these important truths, and it is a challenge as well. 

 

President Ezra T. Benson reminds us that “The literal resurrection of every soul who has lived and died on earth is a certainty, and surely one should make careful preparation for this event. A glorious resurrection should be the goal of every man and woman…”  How do we have a glorious resurrection?  In addition to necessary saving ordinances, the primary hymn “He Sent His Son” tells us simply what we must do:

 

How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness?

He sent His Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness.

How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go?

He sent His Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know.

How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death?

He sent His Son to die for us and rise with living breath.

What does the Father ask of us?  What do the scriptures say?
Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way.

What does he ask?  Live like his Son.

 

In the few quiet moments I had to ponder what I should say today, a few phrases jumped into my mind.  One of them was “That he lives”  …from the testimony of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in D&C.  Another was “As in Adam all die” from 1 Cor 15.  And the final one was “Lest we Forget.”  I had NO IDEA where that thought came from or where to find it.  So, I Googled it.  It turns out to be from Rudyard Kipling’s “Recessional.”  It’s a good reminder for us when appreciating veterans, or slavery, and is read at many memorials.  It’s quoted often in General Conference also.  I feel that it is appropriate to remember at Easter as well.

 

The tumult and the shouting dies;

The captains and the kings depart.

Still stands thine ancient sacrifice,

An humble and a contrite heart.

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget, lest we forget.

 

 

I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to add my testimony this day: that I know this gospel is true.  I know we have a loving Heavenly Father, that he sent his Son, a separate and distinct individual, to die for our sins and break the bonds of death. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and he restored the full gospel to the earth. And that we are led by a prophet today.

 

In 1981 the man who is now our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, said:  “As the least of His disciples, I declare my personal witness that death has been conquered, victory over the tomb has been won.  May the words made sacred by Him who fulfilled them become actual knowledge to all.  Remember them.  Cherish them.  Honor them.  He is risen.”

 

I hope that we will remember THAT HE LIVES and that we will also, so we should work harder & take the challenge to strive for a glorious resurrection and LIVE LIKE HIS SONLest we forget.

 

“Such is my fervent prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

 

Just A Quick Funny

I just remembered a funny thing Tyler used to say.  It was about a year ago.  We had been snacking on graham crackers a bit and he REALLY enjoyed them.  Later in the day he really wanted some more, so he asked in his most polite voice… 

“Mommy, can I hab some more Dam Crappers?”

Gotta love those lisps!

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