Snow!

We woke up this morning to this:

It's pretty rare to get more than an inch of two or snow at a time in our neck of the woods so 7+ inches is squeal worthy to my girls. The forecast said 3-5 inches, which usually means the storm will go south and you'll get a skiff if you're lucky, but this storm surpassed expectations! Woo-hoo!

This is what my girls were doing 20 minutes ago (those sleds they've set up as fortifications are currently under their tushes as they zoom down their favorite sledding hill).

Errands and other plans for the day are out the window. We're gonna play!!

Surprised by Joy

http://www.amazon.com/Surprised-Joy-Shape-Early-Life/dp/0156870118
(C.S. Lewis book)

It's been forever since I posted and it's time to get back to the blog!

Have you been where I've been lately? You know the church is true, you attend church every week, you still pray daily and spend time in the scripture most every day, but you're not really seeking, just going through the motions and you feel kinda empty inside.

I'm just coming out on the other side of one of those. It lasted too long, I'm ashamed to say.

The biggest emotion on this side? Surprise at the joy I've been missing out on. Why didn't I do what it takes to feel this sooner?

I have known and believed all my life that "men are that they might have joy" (2 Ne 2:25), that God gives us joy as we obey . I've felt it, experienced it, as I've tried to keep the commandments, sought to come to know my Savior and become more like him. And yet, I'm still continually surprised by the  depth of joy that comes through simple obedience.

I want to be lazy, to do things just for me (and things for me aren't wrong in moderation). But when I get up and serve (my family, sisters that I visit teach, anyone who crosses my path), there is this joy that fills my soul in ways nothing else does and it surprises me... every...time!

The past few weeks I've made decisions to consciously serve, daily. You think you don't have time, but I've had just as much free time as ever and the difference in how I've felt is just monumental.

It's a beautiful thing!

(Sarah, can you tell you inspired this post?)

Book Review: Newport Ladies Book Club. Athena

I just finished the last installment of The Newport Ladies Book Club series: Athena. It grabbed me right from the first and I couldn't put it down. It was such a pleasant surprise to find that it was largely a romance novel, and just the kind I like, clean and sigh worthy.

Athena has avoided committed relationships like the plague and certainly isn't looking for one when a chance meeting starts a whirlwind relationship that she simply can't resist, no matter how often her mind tells her to put the brakes on. Every woman wants a Grey in her life and Athena is lucky enough to get one. Just when she's convinced he's the real deal and ready to jump in with both feet, an overheard conversation dredges up her worst relationship phobias and throws everything into question.

The end was satisfying, if a bit too quick. The writing is smooth and concise. All in all, a very nice end to the series. If you haven't picked up these books, you really should! Here, here, or here.

Crazy Hair Day!

It was crazy hair day at the elementary school today. We got online and googled crazy hair day images. 

This is the one Abbie liked the best (it came from here):

 

Here's our version:

She was sooo excited to go to school! She said her hair looked 

like a truffela tree (her classroom is all Dr. Seuss). 

At the bus stop, cars kept honking at her and giving her the thumbs up sign. 

I love, love, love how much joy children get out of little things! It was a blast to watch 

her excitement this morning, as she got ready for school. 

I just adore her!

Book Review. Newport Ladies Book Club: Paige

I've just finished reading the third book of the Newport Ladies Book Club: Paige.

This one was my favorite so far! I love it when an book is emotionally spot on. I didn't know how I'd feel in the situation until I read my own feelings on the page. That happened again and again in this book! Not the perfect, storybook ending, nothing trite or cliche; just real life situations and a strong woman who struggles through and is better because of it. Pick this one up, you won't be sorry!

Have Joy

It's so interesting when God is trying to teach me something, it starts popping up everywhere. The newest? A deeper understanding of God's desire for us to have joy, not just in the eternities, but in the here and now.

The current frustration--the proverbial spilled milk of the moment--is real. You know what I mean, the torn grocery bag whose contents scatter over the garage floor, the child who is being obstinate, the friend, neighbor, family member, co-worker who has misjudged (or is simply hard to be around), the finances that are strained, the hole in the stocking, etc.; those things are a constant in this life. However as I choose to focus on the spilled milk, obsess over the unfairness, get angry at the unkind person, etc., I pull blinders down over my eyes to beauty and strangle my ability to see or feel or savor or be grateful for what God is giving me right now.

2 Ne 2: 25 ^aAdam ^bfell that men might be; and men ^care, that they might have ^djoy.

I LOVE that verse. God's plan for us is to find joy. How beautiful is that?

Choosing to look at the downside is working at cross purposes with God--never a winning prospect--and, I think, a direct refusal of God's gifts. Hmmm. Gonna have to think some more about that one.

Trek!

A couple of weeks ago, I was privileged to be a ma for our stake's youth conference, a handcart pioneer trek. It was an amazing experience, full of challenges and learning to work together and spiritual experiences. 

Our youth survived the first day on whatever they had for breakfast, some saltines and dried apples for lunch and a roll and some broth when we finally got into camp at 12:30 pm. The miracle mile--which was aptly named--and trekking in the dark for hours will never be forgotten. 

On the last day, I asked most of my kids if they were glad that trek was so hard. They each gave me a resounding "YES!" They had different reasons, some because they now understood some of what the pioneers went through, some because they learned that they should be more grateful for what they have, and one young women because she had always thought she was weak and couldn't do hard things and now she knew that wasn't true! 

Here's a picture of Michael treking along.

Here's a picture during the women's pull--and, yes, that hill is as steep as it looks!

 

Here's a picture of my cute trek family.

 

From left to right: Mallory, Wayland, Jane, Kyle, Melody, me, Megan, Kenny, Pa G, Alex and Trevor. Uncle Brad (a member of the stk presidency) is missing--sad!

Here's a picture of our Stk Presidency (Uncle Brad is in the middle)

 

These are amazing youth! Hard working, kind, helpful, and with real testimonies of the gospel. I adore every one of them!! I'd do trek again in a heartbeat!

Here's an article in the local press.

Lot's of pictures here