All things new

So here is my new blog design, I love it.  Tiffany Kuehl helped me with it and she did a wonderful job.  Anyone who knows me, knows how indecisive I can be.  Take me out to dinner and I have trouble deciding on what to choose, I'm even known to change my order just before the waiter/waitress leaves the table (that's better than once they walk away, right?)  She did such a great job with my ideas that I had a hard deciding what I liked best, finally I told her to surprise me.  I love it.  She was also very kind and patient with my indecisiveness.

I also received a new calling this past Sunday.  I'm Second Counselor in the Primary program at church.  Primary is the program for children between the ages of 3-11.  I'm so very excited because I get to be with my children.  Even though we homeschool and I am with them all the time, I can't seem to get enough of them, they might feel differently though.  Sunday was my first day in my new calling and I was already put to work by conducting, it was fun.  Now that we are in July, I am responsible for Sharing Time, so I get to come up with a lesson for the kids each Sunday this month.

Aside from sewing, I've developed a new hobby, genealogy.  This past week, I found eight new family members from my mother's side of the family.  I already had my great grandmother's information but I found her parents and siblings information, and marriage information for one of her brother's.  I cannot find my grandfather's birth parents or if he had any siblings.  I hope to find more about him soon.

This new endeavor in genealogy has me a bit emotional, especially not being able to find out more about my grandfather's family.  I remember him, he was a big teddy bear and I remember a doll he gave me as a little girl before he passed away.  Her body was crocheted in pink and white yarn, in one  of her hands was a bottle attached that fit perfectly in her mouth.  There was also a blanket crochet to the back of her so that the blanket wouldn't fall off, it wrapped around her to keep her warm.

It would be nice to find out who his parents were or if he had any siblings.  All my mother's family has already passed away, so there is no one to ask.  I wish I would've asked more questions when everyone was still around.  But now I can find puzzle pieces along the way and put them together to create a bigger picture of my genealogy.

My patriarchal blessing mentions that there will come a time in my life when I will be engulfed in genealogy, it seems like that time has arrived.

UPDATE: So I talked to my father and I remember hearing the name Dotty as a child, Dotty (Dorothy) was my grandfather's sister.  During the great depression, it was common to send boys to live in an orphanage because families were having a hard time.  My grandfather was one of those boys.  His parents kept his sister.  My father said that my grandfather would often speak of the nuns who took care of him.  One more step closer.

The Service of Motherhood

I never thought of motherhood as service.  I guess because feeding my children and doing their laundry is something I'm supposed to do because if I don't do it, who will?

The season of life I'm in right now: a homeschooling mother of four young children doesn't allow me to do much service.  You know, the kind of service where the sisters in the ward get together to help clean someone's home during the day, or helping at the bishop's storehouse, temple service, etc.  I even hate to admit that I'm not a very good visiting teacher.  Needless to say, I often feel that I am lacking in the service department which makes me feel pretty horrible.

Today in Relief Society one sister said something that changed my point of view.  She shared an experience she had years ago as a mother of four young children herself, wondering why she even went to church (we've all had that thought cross our minds as we try to get to church on time and sit with little wiggle worms).  She said the lesson she was sitting through was on visiting teaching and service, she felt horrible because she wasn't able to serve the way the topic had been discussed.  Then her bishop got up to speak on the subject of service and she prepared herself to feel even more horrible as she anticipated hearing even more ideas of what she should be doing but wasn't.  To her surprise her bishop began by saying things like, "Service is getting a child a glass of milk or changing a diaper."  He said everything that mothers do in the home is service.  I have never looked at it that way.  Maybe I'm slow and the light just turned on for me while many other moms already got it.

Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying, I love motherhood and what I do for my children, I don't look at it as a burden but a blessing.  Sometimes we get caught up in the day to day and don't see the importance of what we do, the service we are giving to our children.

I shared my thoughts about how I never looked at motherhood as service because it's something I'm supposed to do.  Another sister responded with, "Lavinia, who else is going to love and nurture your children and teach them the way back home to Heavenly Father?"  The answer was no one--no one else will do that for my children but me.

Or you.  YOU.  All you other mothers out there who may or may not be stay at home moms, but are mothers none the less.  Who else is going to teach your children the gospel?  Who else is going to teach them love and kindness?  Who else will teach them to pray?  To read their scriptures? To follow the prophet?  Who?  Certainly not the world, have you seen the world today?  The world doesn't have much regard for motherhood, particularly stay at home mothers, or anything that is virtuous, lovely or of good report or praiseworthy.  The world is LOUD.  Sometimes we fall for the lies the world feeds us about what kinds of mothers and women we should be or that there are more important things to do than being a mother; because as I said, the world is loud.

But Heavenly Father is peace, He is quiet.  He speaks to us in the still small voice that we know as the Holy Ghost.  We need to escape the loud of the world so that we can listen and feel his peace, feel His comfort when the house is a mess, when our clothes are stained, and laundry is piled up.  We need to feel Him by our side as He supports us in our calling as mothers.  Those moments when we feel we are lacking and aren't doing much, but then look at our children and see their happy faces. We need to see what they see, not what we or what anyone else may see.   They see a mommy who is  available for help them; to teach them, and to love them, to answer questions about the Gospel; not a mountain of laundry or the piles of dishes in the sink.

What we do in the home is so important, it is a noble.  It's more important than any other career.  We may not get much recognition and are looked down upon by some, but our children see us for who we really are and what we really do, and that is all the reward we need.  We are also the only ones who can see them for who they really are, we can see their potential and all the wonderful that is in them.

Our efforts are seen by our Father in Heaven, who smiles down each time we stop what we are doing to wipe a nose, change a diaper, read a story, help a child with homework, or simply just sit and snuggle a child who is in need of a hug.  Sometimes this service is more important that any other service we can give to anyone else.

I now look at service and motherhood differently.  I will be more joyful about my service as a mother, about the four little miracles that are in my care, the calling that no one else can fulfill but me.

The Youth of Today

The awesome youth of our ward invited friends to the activity

This past Wednesday we had the youth from our ward over for an activity of Human Battleship.  I should've taken pictures of the the tennis court so you could see how awesome it was.  Basically, it was two sides of the tennis court separated by a taller wall made from a sturdy tarp where the net is.  Then kids sit on either side and throw a ball over the net in hopes of making contact with someone on the other side.  If someone gets hit by the ball, he or she is out.

The purpose of my post is to mention how amazing the youth of the church is.  Sometimes I see or hear about things going on with youth in the world today and I am saddened by what has become of this world and the bad choices some kids are making at a younger age.  But then I see the youth of the church and the activities we have with them, fun wholesome activities that they participate in.  There is no swearing or bullying, everyone is kind and once again, the Spirit is there.

Not all youth are troubled, there are a lot of great kids out there, both members of the church and non members.  The negative is more focused on than the positive.  So I just want to focus on the positive in hopes of giving it more attention than the bad.

In a few years these kids will be going on their missions, but they are already missionaries now.  I am grateful for the hope and good example awesome youth are to the world.

Sweet Sabbath Day

Sundays are special because it's the day we go to church, but most Sunday mornings are hectic in our home.  My husband has meetings in morning so it's my job getting the littles ready for church and get us there on time.  I hate to admit that I tend to raise my voice at my children in frustration sometimes as I rush them to get ready so we are not late, but this has not worked out very well.

I do my best to prepare for Sunday on Saturday by getting the kids bathed and setting out their clothes, but I still allow my frustrations get the best of me when Sunday morning rolls around, which ruins the spirit of our home and the importance for the day.  Not to mention, it makes the adversary smile to see our family so out of harmony as we prepare for church.

Yesterday I decided that I was not going to get frustrated this morning as we got ready for church, no matter what happened, I was not going to raise my voice.  

The morning went well, we got off to a late start but I was not going to allow that to get me worked up.  If we were late, at least we'd still have the spirit with us.  I usually get the kids fed and dressed before I get ready, that way I know they are ready to go when I'm done because if I don't, then we are all getting ready at the same time and it usually means someone gets distracted or all of them get distracted.  There were a few moments when someone couldn't find a shoe or button a shirt and the child got frustrated but I calmly took care of these things and made sure the child knew that it was fine. This morning we all were fed, dressed, happy and we left well before we normally do.

The drive there was peaceful.  I chose to listen to Mercy River (I own all four of their albums, really uplifting and inspiring music; especially for women and mothers) which really set the tone and kept the Spirit present.  I noticed the children were listening, there was no fighting or bickering.  Trenton even asked if we were listening to songs about Jesus.   

We sat in an actual pew, usually my husband has us sit in the very back row of chairs so as not to disturb the meeting since we have four littles.  But I enjoy sitting in a pew so much more.  Before Sacrament meeting started, one of the Primary leaders asked me to sub in the CTR 8 class (I think it was that one) and of course I said yes.  I was excited because my boys are in Primary and I love being with them even if it's not in their class, I get to see them during sharing time.

The speakers were great; a youth speaker, a convert, and a returned sister missionary.

My lesson for the kids was on Joseph forgiving his brothers for selling him as a slave.  It was a great lesson and the children knew all the details of the story.  I was very impressed with how much of the scriptures they knew and for be so well behaved.

I feel Primary gets a bad wrap at times, I think some people cross their fingers and hope they can avoid a calling in Primary at all costs.  I used to be one of those, but that changed once I had children of my own.  Maybe we forget what it's like to be children and how fun and carefree it was, and mistake it for being too loud and rambunctious.

When I'm in Primary, I am reminded of the simple things of the Gospel, yet at the same time the most important ones as well; pray, read my scriptures, love, choose the right, and serve.  I see children in Primary and how they are sponges, taking it all in and knowing the Savior is real. The faith they have is so strong, they are not afraid to talk about their Savior and tell others about Him and how much He loves them.  I want to be like these children, my children.  

Speaking of my children, my boys sat so reverently during sharing time.  I was so proud of them. 

The spirit was so strong with me today.  I wept a little throughout the day, not because I was sad, but because I felt the spirit and I know my children did too.

I hope every Sunday is like this.  I know that I as the mother set the tone of what the day will be like, the day will only go well if I am in a good mood and have a welcoming spirit.

I've always loved this picture of the Savior blessing the Nephite children.
Look at the joy on that little girl's face, the excitement in her eyes.