Out of the mouth of babes

I overheard Charity singing about Jesus today during quiet time, and had to capture it on camera. She does this often and I just think it's the sweetest thing. She has the most tender little heart of gold. I imagine Heavenly Father must be so pleased to hear one of his little ones singing His praises. (Just disregard the messy house, haha!)

He is Risen!!

This is one of my favorite general conference talks ever. I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and I know that He lives. Happy Easter!!!

The Spirit of Christmas

For the young women

I LOVE working with the youth in the church. The young women I have met here are amazing, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve them and to try to help them grow closer to Jesus Christ. I love each one of them. I am astounded at their spiritual strength and their testimonies of the gospel. Many of them are just one of just a couple Mormons in their entire school. They show great courage to withstand temptations of their peers, and stand up for their beliefs.

These young women are wonderful examples to me of TRUE beauty. They understand that although it's important to try to look our best, inner beauty is what matters most. This video is really eye-opening, and I think it's good for all women to see... especially those who are most vulnerable to the pressures and influences of the media.

Looks will fade, but inner beauty will last forever.

Mormon Message

I love this video about the atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that He will heal, comfort, and transform us when we turn to Him in faith. He has healed my broken heart, and He has given me hope to keep trying when life seemed unbearable. I testify of His infinite and perfect love for each one of us.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Mattew 11:28

Tale of Two Brains

Mr. Wonderful and I got a good laugh out of this video. Sometimes it's best to just laugh about the differences between men and women. Trying to change each other simply doesn't work! Enjoy!

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

I thought I'd share my favorite recording of all time. My parents had a VHS that we used to watch on Thanksgiving called "A Thanksgiving of American Folk Hymns" by the BYU combined choruses. I just found it on youtube and I'm so excited! This arrangement is truly a masterpiece, and the performance is so heartfelt. It's just unbelievably beautiful and the ending makes me cry every time I see it. Enjoy!

Little Performers

While Celeste was rocking out at the birthday party on Friday, we had a couple other little performers here...

Ha ha... "jibberty and justice" He cracks me up!

And I'm convinced Baby Jakey is a future conductor. He really feels music, and whenever he hears it, he tries to conduct. But it's no surprise because I come from a family of musicians. His uncles would be especially proud. Anyway, so here's a video of us watching conference. The internet connection wasn't great... but it's cute anyway.

Love these kids. :)

My Testimony

I found this video on a friend's blog, and I thought I'd post it here to help clear up any misconceptions out there.

I am so grateful to be a member of this church that has brought so much JOY into my life! I know the doctrine is TRUE, and the Book of Mormon is the word of God. We believe that the book is another testament of Jesus Christ. We also believe the Bible to be the word of God. I am grateful beyond expression to be a part of this church that has been such a blessing to me and my family! I invite any and all to read the Book and find out for themselves.

I testify that if you read the Book of Mormon, and sincerely ask in prayer if it is true, that God will manifest the truthfulness of it to you by the power of the Holy Ghost, and it will bless your life as it has mine.

For more info, go to http://www.mormon.org/.

Family Home Evening

In our church, we are taught to set aside one night a week for a special family night, we call family home evening. It usually consists of an opening and closing prayer, a musical number, gospel themed lesson, an activity, and a treat (of course). So here's our special rendition of "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam." The kids request this as our musical number every family night.

These are the promises we've been given if we are faithful to this divinely inspired counsel:

"If the Saints obey this counsel, we promise that great blessings will result. Love at home and obedience to parents will increase. Faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth of Israel, and they will gain power to combat the evil influence and temptations which beset them." President Joseph F. Smith

It's not always easy to make it happen every week, but I feel the love and closeness in our family growing stronger as we set aside time to be together, and I know that being true to this counsel will help strengthen and fortify our families.

Happy Easter

This is a beautiful video I thought I'd share in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This song make me cry every time I hear it. Hope you're moved by it as well.




Lyrics:

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head,
for love is passing by

Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so

Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so

Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then

Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then

Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and

Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

Smiley!

Jakey has a new trick! He did it for the first time at dinner tonight and we just laughed ourselves sick! We just LOVE our happy, smiley boy!!

(Celeste was especially amused by her baby brother) :) So here is a short clip of our little guy hamming it up!!

5 years down, 35 to go!

We asked (ahem, I mean bribed with a brownie) the girls to sing "Families Can Be Together Forever" tonight for Family Home Evening. (This is a special night once a week in our church designated for families to spend time together and learn about gospel principles.) Here are the Hudson-style lyrics to this song:


I have a family here on earth,
they are so good to me.
I want to share my life with them through all eternity.

Chorus:
Families can be together forever,
through Heavenly Father's plan.
I always want to be with my own family
and the Lord has shown me how I can,
the Lord has shown me how I can.

While I am in my early years,
I'll prepare most carefully
So I can marry in God's temple
WHEN I TURN 40. (should be "for all eternity")
Chorus

We were satisfied to hear that Charity has picked up the Hudson modification. :) Celeste is so convinced that it's supposed to be sung this way, that she corrected her primary teacher last year! Hmmm, I wonder how long we'll be able to keep this up!

(The end of the video is the funniest!)

A Sweet Serenade

Saturday afternoon was a perfect day for a picnic, so I took the kids to the park for lunch. While the kids were playing on the slides, I laid out a blanket and began to read. After a little while, Benny sat down on the blanket and asked, "Mommy, can I sing you something?" He proceeded to sing the primary song, "Mother I love you." It was the sweetest thing ever! I didn't even know he knew that song!! We've been playing the children's primary songs at bedtime, so that's probably how he learned it. I asked him to sing it again because I had to capture it on video. I have a feeling he'll make all the girls swoon someday with his sweet serenades. :)

Mother I Love You

Mother I love you, mother I do.

Father in Heaven has sent me to you.

When I am near you, I love to hear you

singing so softly that you love me too.

Mother I love you, mother I do.

I want to help you because I love you.

I want to mind you I want to find you,

happy and smiling because I love you.

Mother I love you, I love you, I do.

An aspiring missionary...

I Hope They Call Me On A Mission

I hope they call me on a mission, when I have grown a foot or two, I hope by then I will be ready to teach and preach and work as missionaries do.

Skydiving Videos!

Here's the actual footage of my skydiving experience. The first video (~4 min.) consists of short clips of the intro, the freefall in slow motion, and then in real time. The second video (~2 min) is the descension and landing. Check 'em out... I still can't believe it's me in these videos!

Family Home Evening

I have to admit that our family home evenings with the kids at these ages can be down-right disasterous. I'll put a ton of work into a special lesson or activity, (and a treat of course) only to have it end with all the kids crying in tandem. There are moments when I just look at Jon and say under my breath, "What's the point?"

But we keep on persevering, week after week, because I whole-heartedly believe the prophet Spencer W. Kimball, when he promised that, "Regular participation in family home evening will develop increased personal worth, family unity, love for our fellowmen, and trust in our Father in Heaven. It is my promise that great blessings will come to all who consienciously plan and hold weekly family home evenings."

I also am inspired to keep trying when I think about the Chinese bamboo tree analogy by Stephen Covey. "After the seed for this amazing tree is planted, you see nothing, absolutely nothing, for four years, except for a tiny shoot coming out of a bulb. During those four years, all the growth is underground in a massive, fibrous root structure that spreads deep and wide in the earth. But then in the fifth year, the Chinese bamboo tree grows up to eighty feet!" He goes on to compare that to family life, and that we work and invest time and effort to nurture, and build relationships and that sometimes we don't see any results for weeks, months, or years, but that finally that "fifth year" comes. And it makes all that effort worth it.

Our FHE tonight was crazy as usual, but great. I thought I'd post a video clip of the kids singing. Celeste and Benny are trying to sing the second verse of 'I am a child of God', but then Charity was feeling left out, so she steals the show. Jon and I laughed ourselves sick!! She's such a sweetie. :)