The Week After Vacation [Family Blog]

The sole reason for this post…I took a few pictures this week. This week home has been much like the week leading up to our wonderful vacation. After a fun FHE night looking at Temple Square’s amazing Christmas display (and playing at City Creek’s Children Area), Olivia woke up Tuesday with a fever and by Tuesday night reached 104 degrees under the arm.  She is finally acting more like herself today.

104 temperature
Playing Dad’s Ukelele. I am pretty sure I heard her singing “Burnin’ Ring of Fire”
She felt so much better she helped Mommy empty the dishwasher…completely.

via Blogger http://valentineslovehere.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-week-after-vacation.html

Holiday Travels [Family Blog]

After Olivia’s crazy week of breaking bones, sharing the flu, and getting over a cold, I was really looking forward to a week with family and warmer weather. Thursday before Thanksgiving, Olivia and I flew to Henderson. Olivia did awesome. She never cried and didn’t leave any smelly presents. Hallelujah. As an added bonus, I got to watch the strangers next to me flirt and eventually exchange numbers to go on a date when they are both in Utah after Thanksgiving. I couldn’t help but congratulate the young man for being so brave in front of an audience. They kept me entertained.

Olivia had a great time playing with her cousin Chloe on the week days. It’s so great to have a cousin so close in age. Sometimes they would talk their “language” to each other and laugh as if they just told a joke and it was hilarious. Oh, one funny experience was when we were driving back to Grandma’s from the airport. Olivia was exhausted and falling asleep, but every time Olivia would actually close her eyes, Chloe would yell “WAKE UP!” It was pretty funny and Olivia was a good sport about it.

James surprised us by coming down Sunday afternoon instead of Monday. We went to parks, the shark barrier reef, the Ethel M. Chocolate cactus garden Christmas lights, an international market (where we bought pickled cabbage which unfortunately spilled in our trunk), and the Hoover Dam’s new bridge. It was wonderful to just play in the backyard. I also really enjoyed beating Dad at Ticket to Ride and Clue. I also finished making a lot of my family Christmas presents.

The highlights of the week also included great meals by Grandma, family time, and our family’s Thanksgiving turkey run. Jeremy did an awesome job organizing a Thanksgiving morning 5K for the family and some of our friends. Rachel made amazing T-shirts and Jeremy made wooden medals for those who participated. I got to catch up with Nikki, get some exercise, and enjoy more warm weather.

Thursday we headed to the grand city of Toquerville, UT to see the Valentine’s. We had a delicious Thanksgiving meal. We enjoyed some time outside there too and they got us into the Holiday spirit by decorating their Christmas tree. We came home and decorated our apartment with what Christmas cheer we could, including James’ Grandma McCoy’s winter village.

Overall it was by far my favorite vacation since Olivia was born–she had cousins she was big enough to play with now and she did fantastic sleeping in new places. It actually FELT like a vacation. Well, enough of my rambling. It’s really the pictures that you want to see…

Look what Grandma found in the attic!
I probably took (and posted too many pictures of this moment)

Chloe’s “they made me play with this” face
They were more like Godzillas playing with it, but they had fun.

Train ride
Chloe and Olivia (and Grandma and me) rode the train at the mall.
Chloe kept waving to everyone and everything: “bye shoes” (passing Payless)

I wish these pictures were clearer. They were so cute!
“This is so much fun, Cuz!”
Chloe after the trip to the mall

The new Hoover Dam bridge
There was a group of teenagers/young adults on the bridge and when we passed one of the guys said, “did you see that little baby cast? It was so cute!” Super manly.

The “Whoa” face

It took for ever to leave because Olivia kept wanting to sit on the curb on each switch back
Squishy Face

At the park

Peek-A-Boo
Just before landing a jump

Olivia finally gets revenge on Daddy for the broken arm

“Where’s Daddy’s nose?”
Static
It is so impressive what this 20 month age kid can do these days. She is a master soccer ball dribbler.

Turkey Day Race
My camera died before the race started so I only have pictures of the cousins.
No sweaty people.

“I love this doll!”
Elephant backpack from Grandma

“Go away, I am only showing this rock to Olivia”

 The Valentine’s

Olivia’s participation in the Football game…banana!
Don’t worry, Olivia was in charge of the quality control of the ornaments

Again, it was a fabulous Thanksgiving vacation. I am so grateful for the time with James off work and especially that he surprised me in Henderson a day early…things like that don’t get to happen often after you get married. I love my little Olivia and her infectious laugh and smile. We all look forward to January when our little family gets a little bigger!

Priesthood power comes line upon line

This quote by John Taylor stood out to me as I strive to understand what the Lord would have me do. He said,

“If we understand ourselves and our position, it ought to be with us, the kingdom of God first and ourselves afterwards. If we can learn to accomplish a little thing, the Lord will probably tell us to do a grater, because we are prepared to do it. . . . If we are the people of God, and he is trusting to us to accomplish these great purposes, we have got to do a little more than we have done, and we have got to be willing and obedient to the dictation of the Spirit of the Lord and his servants whom he had placed over us. If we do this, every labor we engage in will be joyous and pleasant to us, peace will reign in our bosoms and the peace of God will abide in our habitations; the Spirit of the Lord will brood over us, and we shall be full of joy and rejoicing all the day long, and so it will be to the end of the chapter. I know of no other way to accomplish all this work, only to be taught of the Lord, and for that purpose he has organized his holy priesthood.”

John Taylor
Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p. 124

Priesthood is given to enable us to build up Zion

Speaking on the purposes of the priesthood of God, John Taylor taught,

“What is the priesthood given for? That we may be enabled to build up the Zion of our God. What for? To put down wrong and corruption, lasciviousness, lying, thieving  dishonesty, and covetousness, with every kind of evil, and also to encourage faith, meekness, charity, purity, brotherly kindness, truthfulness, integrity, honesty, and everything that is calculated to exalt and ennoble mankind, that we may be the true and proper representatives of God the Father here upon the earth, that we may learn to know his will and do it; that his will may be done on earth as in heaven.”

John Taylor,
Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p. 122

Trials Designed to Make Us Stronger also can Diminish or Destroy Faith

Elder Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve taught us about the purposes and challenges of trials. He said,

“Think it not strange,” [the Apostle Peter] said, “concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.”

“These fiery trials are designed to make you stronger, but they have the potential to diminish or even destroy your trust in the Son of God and to weaken your resolve to keep your promises to Him. These trials are often camouflaged, making them difficult to identify. They take root in our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, our sensitivities, or in those things that matter most to us. A real but manageable test for one can be a fiery trial for another…

“By definition, trials will be trying. There may be anguish, confusion, sleepless nights, and pillows wet with tears. But our trials need not be spiritually fatal. They need not take us from our covenants or from the household of God.”

Neil L. Andersen
2012 October General Conference, “Trial of Your Faith”, Sat. Afternoon Session

Sketchnotes – “Brethren We Have Work To Do” – Church Notes for November 25

Back in our home ward, I took some sketchnotes during our lesson in Priesthood based on Elder Christofferson’s recent address during the Priesthood Session of General Conference, “Brethren, We Have Work to Do.”

“As men of the priesthood, we have an essential role to play in society, at home, and in the Church. But we must be men that women can trust, that children can trust, and that God can trust. In the Church and kingdom of God in these latter days, we cannot afford to have boys and men who are drifting. We cannot afford young men who lack self-discipline and live only to be entertained. We cannot afford young adult men who are going nowhere in life, who are not serious about forming families and making a real contribution in this world. We cannot afford husbands and fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership in the home. We cannot afford to have those who exercise the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God, waste their strength inpornography or spend their lives in cyberspace (ironically being of the world while not being in the world).

Brethren, we have work to do.”

The full talk: Read | Watch

Our Exchange with the Savior

Robert C. Gay of the Seventy said,

This is the exchange the Savior is asking of us: we are to give up all our sins, big or small, for the Father’s reward of eternal life. We are to forget self-justifying stories, excuses, rationalizations, defense mechanisms, procrastinations, appearances, personal pride, judgmental thoughts, and doing things our way. We are to separate ourselves from all worldliness and take upon us the image of God in our countenances.

Robert C. Gay
2012 October General Conference, “What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?”

The Savior Fully Comprehends our Trials

John Taylor taught,

“It was necessary, when the Savior was upon the earth, that he should be tempted in all points, like unto us, and ‘be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,’ (Hebrews 4:15) to comprhend the weaknesses and strength, the perfections and imperfections of poor fallen human nature…

“He knows how to estimate and put a proper value upon human nature, for he, having been placed in the same position as we are, knows how to bear with our weaknesses and infirmities, and can fully comprehend the depth, power, and strength of the afflictions and trials that men have to cope with in this world. And thus understandingly and by experience, he can bear with them.”

John Taylor
Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p. 53

Children Alive in Christ

President John Taylor spoke of power of the atonement over children who have not yet reached the age of accountability,

“Without Adam’s Transgression those children could not have existed; through the atonement they are placed in a state of salvation without any act of their own. These would embrace, according to the opinion of statisticians, more than one-half of the human family, who can attribute their salvation only to the mediation and atonement of the Savior. Thus, as stated elsewhere, in some mysterious, incomprehensible way, Jesus assumed the responsibility which naturally would have devolved upon Adam; but which could only be accomplished through the mediation of Himself, and by taking upon Himself their sorrows, assuming their responsibilities, and bearing their transgressions or sins.”

John Taylor
Teachings of the President of the Church: John Taylor, p. 52

The Joy of the Resurrection

President John Taylor (Third President of the Church) said,

“How consoling it is to those who are called upon to mourn the loss of dear friends in death, to know that we will again be associated with them! How encouragining to all who live accordingly to the revealed rpinciples of truth, perhaps more especially to those whose lives are pretty well spent, who have bourne the heat and burden of the day, to konw that ere long we shall burst the barriers of the tomb, and come forth living and immortal souls, to enjoy the society of our tried and trusted friends, no more to be afflicted with the seeds of death, and to finish the work the Father has given us to do!”

 

John Taylor, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p.50-51.

Curb-sitting. – From Instagram [Pic]

We went down to Hoover dam this week and walked out to the new bypass bridge. Olivia gets more independent by the day, always wanting to walk if she has the chance. As we were walking the trail that brings you back to the parking lot, Olivia kept turning and sitting on the curb.

Curb-sitting. via Instagram