Easter - 2014

Easter was full of fun and activity again this year. 

I was pleased that the older kids were excited to color eggs again this year. I never know how many more years they will participate in this. I am so glad that for Evelyn's sake they still get excited and jump right in with her. I am glad she will have the memories of doing this with them. 

After all of our festivities at home we went up to Logan to my Mom and Bob's home. We had a wonderful dinner with them and with the Muirbrooks. Most of the kids didn't want to do a second round of egg coloring for the weekend, but Evelyn, Megan and Carson were game. So fun!

Happy Easter!!!

Evelyn's Hair Skills

This cute girl of ours likes to play with her hair. She is starting this process a lot earlier than Ally did. However, I think it is because she is watching her big sister work on her own hair more these days. 

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She likes to get creative and is very picky. It is a rare day indeed that she will even let me touch her hair. Such a fun and spirited girl. 

Spring At Temple Square

We decided it was high time we took the kids down to Temple Square to see it in all of its Spring glory! 

I am so glad that we did! It has been years since we went down

there to see all of the beautiful flowers.

We started out at the Beehive House, then worked our way over to the Lion House to get a yummy roll with honey butter to enjoy while we walked the grounds. Divine! 

 It doesn't matter how old they are, you just can't keep their hands out of the water features. 

While visiting with one of the Tour Guide Missionaries he told

us that every year they clean out the water features and 

donate all of the coins to Primary Children's Hospital. 

He said on average they pull out around $20,000! 

That is definitely a wish worth making!

 We also went over to the Conference Center and went on a little tour through it. We were able to go up to the roof and see the view from up there as well as all of the water features and gardens. Very cool! 

 Ally took this awesome photo of the reflecting pool east of the Temple. So pretty.  

While walking around in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building we also stopped in at the Family History Center. I love that place. 

They took our family photo for us while we were there. It is a replica of Ellis Island which was neat because yesterday was also the Ellis Island day of research for family history. Perfect timing! 

Before we headed home we decided to head up the hill to see my Aunt LaRue and Uncle Dick. We had a great visit with them. 

The girls had a good time looking through Great Aunt LaRue's jewelry beads and making plans to come back down and spend some time making jewelry with her. 

We had a great time!

The Spirit of Elijah

I feel compelled to share with you an experience that I had today. 

While I was sitting in Sacrament meeting, 

my mind was wandering a bit through the various things happening in my life right now. 

The good, the bad and the ugly. 

I eventually got thinking about the different family history projects I am currently focusing on. 

I thought about how fun it has been to get to "know" my ancestors. 

To know their faces, not just their names.

 To hear stories of their lives 

and of their own hard lessons learned. 

The scripture came to my mind 

"turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, 

and the children to the fathers..". 

I immediately thought of how this has come to life for me! 

Instead of it just being a nice sounding scripture with a nice thought that I have heard before, it suddenly came to life for me!

 The thought and feeling that

 I LOVE THEM

 flooded over me so completely

that I was immediately overcome with emotion. 

While facing trials of faith and adversity this year 
I have enjoyed the 
eternal perspective and 

BIG PICTURE 

that family history has given me. 

However, now feeling the LOVE I have for them 

I also was blessed with feeling the LOVE they have in turn for ME! Even writing this now, 

my heart is so full and I am so full of love

 and the Spirit that I KNOW that what I am feeling is true.

 It is such a warm and comforting feeling to know that I am loved and that I am being watched after by so many on the other side. 

I know that they are also aware of me and pulling for me. 

I look forward to the day when I get to "meet" them 

on the other side and truly know them. 

I TESTIFY that the Spirit of Elijah is real

 and I invite everyone to strive for their own experiences with their

 own family.

Carrot, Egg or Coffee Bean?

A while ago I came across this story on Facebook. I don't remember who shared it or who even wrote it so I can't give it proper credit here. I came across it again today and I thought I would share it here so I can find it easily again later. I love the lesson that it provides. I know I have been the carrot, the eggs and a coffee bean before.

A young woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved, a new one arose. 

Her grandmother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She then pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her granddaughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The granddaughter then asked, "What does it mean, Grandmother?"

Her grandmother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity -- boiling water -- but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her granddaughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity? Do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor of your life. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you changed by your surroundings or do you bring life, flavor, to them?

Are you a Carrot, an Egg or a Coffee Bean?

Here is hoping that I can always be the Coffee Bean. Sure does take a lot of work to do that.

Photo Shoot Sunday: Big Fat Dash

It has been one year since our Dashie Boy left us. We still miss him terribly. He was a wonderful boy and a great addition to the family. In honor of him I wanted to share a few photos of him.