Peace

This is one of my very favorite places. Jared had the day off, so I was able to go early. It was dark when I went in and the sun was shining when I came out. I thought that was perfect- my heart always feels much lighter when I leave the temple.

Gratitude- Week 1

I'm going to be posting my gratitude journal here for this month and next...

1) I am grateful that I had piles of laundry and dishes to get done and that I stayed up late working on them.  During that extra 1.5 hours, I was able to soothe children 8 times.  (8!)  I know that if I hadn't been up they would have been crying and I may or may not have heard them, and if I did, I would have been grumpy from being woken up just after going to sleep.  I wouldn't trade those moments.

2) I am grateful for good friends.  The kind that motivate me to wake up at 5am to go to our ridiculous workout class.  The kind who happily watch all my kids.  The kind who loan me cake pans in the middle of the night, and throw in their favorite cake recipe books while they are at it.  The kind who don't bat an eye when they walk into my messy house.  The kind who tag team with me when one of my children start throwing a temper tantrum.  The kind who encourage me to be better through their example and the conversations we have.  The kind who drive my girls to soccer or school when I'm running late.  The kind of friends who are more like family than friends.  I'm SO grateful.

3) I am grateful for the temple. We are lucky to have it only 40 minutes away.  I took the Twin Falls temple being only a few minutes away for granted, so I'm trying not to make that mistake again. I'm grateful for the feeling I have while I'm there. Sometimes I literally just close my eyes and breath it in. It is refreshing, and I need to fill my cup often. I'm grateful for the thoughts and inspiration I have while there. I'm grateful to look around and see that we're not alone in this journey through life, I am reminded that many have come before us and many will come after. It is all so tightly woven within eternity.

4)  I am grateful for Emma's fall break.  She has this week and next off from school.  She is enjoying sleeping in and doing leisurely things... like taking a bath and eating a bowl of cheerios at her pace. :)  I'm enjoying extra cuddles and talks and not having rushed mornings.  In short, I have learned that I love school breaks, maybe even more than when I was a kid!

5)  I am grateful for challenges that put me outside my comfort zone, that make me stretch and grow.  They are good for me, even if I can't always see it at the time.  I'm grateful that Jared likes a good challenge and encourages our family to "do hard things" daily.  Step by step, I can accomplish anything Heavenly Father places before me.

6)  I am grateful for time with my family.  The girls had soccer games at the same time this morning, and then we had nothing we HAD to do or go.  We got a few little projects done around the house, but mainly we were able to hang out and the kids were able to just run around and play and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.  It was a good day.  To end the day, Jared and I were able to attend the adult session of our stake conference, followed by treats and visiting at our neighbor's house afterward.  I am grateful for dates with Jared.

7)  I am grateful for Sundays.  I had our bedroom window open last night and woke up to the sound of rain.  It was the perfect start to my day.  I look forward to Sundays and taking a break from the normal routine of life to focus even more on faith and family.

Skeletons and Witches

An interesting follow-up to meeting those princesses that I last posted about...

Here is a conversation that took place late last night...  Emma came into our room because she was "scared of skeletons and witches".  What?!  I don't even know how she heard about them.  I explained both to her to help her understand they weren't real.  Skeletons were easy enough.  She understands that without a heartbeat, people die, and skeletons don't have hearts.  Done. 

I tried similar logic with the witch conversation.  Her response to "they aren't real"?  Well, then what about the witch in Snow White?  I told her she isn't real.  Well, then who gave Snow White the apple?  I said, "Snow White isn't real."  She said, "Wait, then which princesses are real?  Because I saw Tiana and Elsa and Tinkerbell, so I know they are real."  I told her they were all just stories.  She said, "Oh, so then is Jesus real?"

Oh man.  These kids are too smart.  We will be having an in-depth conversation about this topic at my house today.

I can tell you this, though...  I KNOW that Jesus is real.  Not just because I learn about him in church.  Not just because we acted out the nativity every Christmas and it was a fun story.  Not just because his miracles were incredible.  Not just because the scriptures tell about Him, His life and His teachings.  These things all built a foundation, but I know Jesus is real because of how I FEEL.  I feel peace when I'm struggling or worried.  I feel hope when things are overwhelming.  I feel grateful when I'm surrounded by my family, seeing eternal perspective.  I feel calm as I'm in the temple.  I feel loved and cared for no matter what.  I feel the Spirit testifying to me, even now, as I type this, that He is REAL.  And He knows me.  He knows each one of us.