On my mind....

Have you ever had one of "those" weeks? Well I have....recently, in fact and in some strange way I am grateful for the way those type of weeks can help me to grow. I think it's important to be put into positions that remind us of our blessings and to not take anything in this life for granted. To that end, I ran across some quotes from one of my all time favorite sisters in the gospel. Sister Marjorie Hinckley. I know I have quoted her before in past blogs, but when someone is as insightful as her you can't help but look up to her and take her words to heart. That's what I did and I wanted to share what I read:

"Find joy in your children. Don't overschedule them or yourself. You may not be able to take them on exotic vacations. It doesn't matter. When the day dawns bright and sunny, take an excursion to the canyon or the park. When it's cloudy and wet, read a book together or make something good to eat. Give them time to explore and learn about the feel of grass and the wiggliness of worms."-Marjorie Hinckley




"We each do the best we can. My best may not be as good as your best, but it's my best. The fact is that we know when we are doing our best and when we are not. If we are not doing our best, it leaves us with a gnawing hunger and frustration. But when we do our level best, we experience a peace."-Marjorie Hinckley

a good idea....

I'm guessing I'm not alone when I say that our household has been suffering from all sorts of sickness over the last little while. I know that frequent and thorough hand washing is one of the better ways to prevent this, but I can't always control how my boys choose to, or not to wash their hands. Sometimes I hear the water running for a while and their little voices muttering under their breath, other times the water is off almost before it turned on.

Well, I heard of an idea to help kids visualize what they usually can't see. Coat their damp hands with some cinnamon and pretend it is germs, dirt, and bacteria that needs to be scrubbed off. This might keep them washing as long as they need to and make them aware of the nooks and crannies that are easy to miss. Let's be honest. We'll do just about anything to help stop germs before they start. And with the winter we have had I am always up for a good idea!

He Passed!!

I have some great news that I wanted to post this afternoon. As most of you know, Aaron started working in the insurance industry last month. Quite a difference from pharmaceuticals, I know. Well, he has been putting the pedal to the metal and trying to really get things off the ground since February. The business has been great, however there is this little rule about passing an insurance exam with a 70% before he can legally sell. It just so happens that today was the big day! YAY!! He called me at 10:00 this morning to inform me that he had passed with an 81%! Words can't express how proud I am of him! Not only is he the hardest working person I know, but he was able to study and pass this test in the midst of all his stress and sickness without 1 complaint! I have never known such dedication as I do in my Husband! He is, without a doubt, my hero! Now, with the test passed he is free to sell and dedicate 100% to his new job. I am so excited for this new chapter in our lives and I look forward to what the future holds for us. Congratulations, baby! I knew you could do it!!

who is that masked man?

Do you ever feel like it's Halloween year round? Well, it is at my house. My boys LIVE to dress up and love to get their friends involved, too. Lately we can't leave the house without Johnny in full costume. Oh, the looks we get. Oh well. At least the world is safe with my super heroes around :)

"the most beautiful thing i've ever seen!"

We, like many others lately, were able to attend the Draper Temple open house this past weekend with my Mom and Dad. What an AMAZING experience! Yes, I have been to many temples and I enjoy each visit, but this visit was different. Everything inside a temple looks different when you get to experience it through a 9 & 6 year olds minds. This was the first time that they have seen more than the grounds of a temple. We all agreed that Jackson appreciated it a little more than Johnny. Jackson was able to not only enjoy the beauty, but could understand the principals a little bit more. Johnny, on the other hand, was pretty much intoxicated by the light fixtures and nothing else. In fact, when we first walked in and saw the baptismal font I said to him, "look at the oxen underneath the font!" He said, "what about them?" Oh, the mind of a six year old!! For those of you who haven't had a chance to go through, I highly recommend it. You have until the 14th of March. Be advised that you could be in for a wait. We got lucky though. They ushered us right in with no wait. The line through the temple was long, but moved quickly. One of the volunteers there told us that they were averaging 20,000 visitors A DAY! Can you imagine? They must be coming from all over to see this magnificent sight. It's hard to believe that some people in this world will never get a chance to experience something like this. We are so blessed to live within a short driving distance to multiple temples. It's easy to take it for granted sometimes, but we should use every opportunity we have to visit on a regular basis. I am so thankful for temples and that I was able to share this experience with my family. As Jackson said to my Dad that night, "it's the most beautiful thing i've ever seen!" I think that says it all:)