Brothers

"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time." Author: Clara Ortega


Adam was able to spend some time with his brothers this week. The bond that these four brothers have is a truly special one. They get along so great, even though they are all so different. I love the way they interact with eachother. They become a bunch of "big boys" and start throwing around words like; dude, sweet and sick!
I know that there isn't anything they wouldn't do for eachother. Adam loves his brothers so much. I'm grateful that families are eternal, and that this bond that these brothers share will only continue to grow and get stronger.

It Might as Well Be Spring

This week the crocus bloomed. For me, they are a symbol that spring is finally on it's way. Along with the blooms, came sunshine and warmth. It was so nice to see the kids playing outside again. All week they rode bikes, played horse shoes, flew kites, played on the swing set, and jumped on the trampoline.
It seems as though Mother Nature was just teasing us with this taste of spring, because tomorrow there is snow in the forecast. I guess we'll have to enjoy the winter for a little while longer, knowing that it won't last forever.
Spring is on it's way!

Who's Your Hero?

Three years ago we started reading the Book of Mormon with the kids each night before bed. Last night we finished the book for the first time. We started out with each of us reading one verse. The kids would simply repeat the verse a few lines at a time. Occasionally we'd read a few extra verses, but there were a lot of words and phrases that needed to be explained, so we usually just read five verses a night. Now that the kids are in school we have them read what they can while we help with the "tricky" words. It takes them a while, so were still at five verses a night. So here we are three years later and we finally finished it!!!! YAHOO!
To celebrate this momentous occasion we had a PARTY ! In attendance were some of our favorite Book of Mormon Heroes. There was Nephi, Sariah, Ammon, Captain Moroni, and an Anti-Nephi-Lehite Mother.
Adam chose to be Nephi. If you ask me, Adam is a lot like Nephi. He works hard, and is a builder. He too was born of goodly parents, and honors them. He is obedient to the Lord and leads others in the path of righteousness.
I've always considered the Mothers of the Young men in Helaman's Army to be the unsung heroes in the book of Mormon. It was their faith and teachings, that gave those 2000 Stripling Warriors the courage to go to battle. I pray that as a mother, I can teach my children to have that kind of faith and trust in the Lord. I know that as they learn and grow they will be faced with spiritual battles of their own. "If they do not doubt, God will deliver them."

Eliza's Hero is Captian Moroni. "Because he had a sword, a shield, a helmet, and a sweet flag!" Eliza is a leader,and has strength like Captain Moroni. I know that if she will put on the whole armor of the Lord throughout her life, that she will be a powerful instrument in the Lord's hands.

Sarah wanted to be Sariah. Not only are their names similar but like Sariah, Sarah follows the Prophet. I know that Sariah must have been an amazing mother, to have raised sons like Nephi, Sam, and Jacob. Sarah will be a great mother too. She is very nurturing, and supportive. Sarah made a beautiful Sariah.

One of the best Missionaries in the Scriptures is Ammon. One of the best missionaries in Taylor is Caleb. I was not at all surprised when Caleb said that his Book of Mormon hero is Ammon. Ammon was able to gain the Lamanites trust through his service to them. Like Ammon, Caleb works hard and serves others and he is not afraid to share his beliefs with anyone who will listen. Ammon may be Caleb's hero, but Caleb is my hero!


I have a Testimony of the Truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. While reading it as a family, we have felt the Holy Spirit enter our home bringing peace and understanding. Our family has gained a greater testimony of our Savior and his plan of happiness through this book.
Tonight we will begin reading this great book all over again. Even if it takes another three years to complete it, we know it's worth every minute.

Love at Home

Love is in the air, and on the cupboards, the refrigerator, the doors........
We kicked off Valentines week with a Family Home Evening lesson about showing love for each other through kind words and deeds. For activity, we wrote what we love about each other on hearts, then we put the hearts up for all to see.
We love that Daddy works so hard to provide for our family, and that he is fun to be with. Mom is nice and gives good hugs . Eliza makes us laugh with the crazy fun things she says and does. Sarah is sweet and kind. Caleb is helpful and does cool tricks on his bike.
There are so many reasons why we love each other.
This morning Caleb and Daddy treated the girls to yummy French toast sticks for breakfast. They also have a Lasagna dinner planned for us as well. I made giant sugar cookie hearts for Adam and the kids which they ate for lunch!!! (hey, I know it's not exactly nutritious...don't worry, I made sure it was a balanced meal by giving them hot dogs as well.)
Adam and I got each other the same thing for Valentines Day : Symphony bars, and i-tunes gift cards. We got a good laugh out of that, I guess great minds think alike!
The kids had a wonderful time at their school Valentines parties. They all got so much candy and cards. According to them, it was the best school day EVER!!!!

Happy Birthday Ben !

My Brother Ben came to Taylor on Thursday with his family, to celebrate his birthday. We don't get many birthday's around here, so the kids were excited to throw a party! Ever since the day we found out that he was coming, the kids have been scheming and planning. They decided that the party should be a surprise.(Where everyone hides and jumps out to "scare" the person who's having a birthday.)
We sent Ben with Adam to go pick up some Pizza. While they were gone we put up balloons, and set up for the party.
When Ben got back we turned off the lights and hid. He came in, and we all yelled "Surprise!!!"
Boy was he ever surprised.(wink,wink) I'm sure he never suspected a thing.
After the party we all went out to see the Bar-D-Wranglers preform in Snowflake. They entertained us with their "Old West" country music and comedy.
The rest of the weekend was filled with buggy rides, games, and a trip to play in some snow. As an added bonus, my sister Amanda and her husband Nathan came up to play too. We had a great time, and hope they come back for another visit soon.