Here Comes Peter Cottontail

And just like that it was Easter!  This year Easter was the same weekend as General Conference and I loved it.  General Conference and Easter should always go together.  It helped me to focus more on the true spirit of Easter.  That is of the resurrection of Christ.  I am so grateful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and for the prophets and apostles that are on this earth today.
Our Easter celebrations started the week before Easter when we got together with the Brandley's at Pug Park for an Easter egg hunt.  The girls both had lots of fun!  Avery had fun running around and playing with the kids and Mary had fun climbing the trees!  I wish I had a picture of it!
The day before Easter we headed down to Ogden early in the morning to be at Louis' parent's house in time for the morning session of conference.  It was a wonderful session and I was actually able to listen to some of the talks even with the girls running around.  After the session was over we hurried out the door to meet up with Ben, Sarina, and Lizzie at Ogden Regional to meet the Easter Bunny and go on an Easter egg hunt.  Avery and Mary both did okay with the Easter Bunny.  They didn't want to give him a high five, but they didn't cry or run away either!  Better than last year.  The hunt was fast and both the girls did really well and had fun.

On Easter Sunday we started our day with finding the Easter baskets that had been hidden for us.  Avery and Mary both loved going through their baskets.  Even though Mary doesn't look like it in the pictures!

After they had looked through their baskets and eaten some chocolate I made some pancakes.  I attempted to make bunny shaped pancakes, Avery and Mary were satisfied so I was too!  Even though Mary shouted out Mickey Mouse when I put her pancake in front of her.

After the first session of conference we had a lesson on Christ; His last days, His crucifixion, and His resurrection.  Nothing in my life has brought me as much joy as teaching my children about the Gospel and seeing them gain their own testimonies of Christ, our Heavenly Father, and His plan.

"He is not here:  for He is risen."  -Matthew 28:6

"Today we celebrate the gift of victory over every fall we have ever experienced, 

every sorrow we have ever known."  -Jeffrey R. Holland

Fast Sunday

If any of you have noticed I've been doing churchy posts on Sundays.  Today I've had a lot of things going through my head on what to write about.  Since it's Fast Sunday, here we go!  Today is the first Sunday of August and in the LDS church that means it's Fast Sunday.  Which is where we fast!  Fasting is where you abstain from food and drink for 2 meals.  Fasting should always be partnered with prayer. You are not just going without food for no purpose.  When you fast you can fast for a certain purpose.  When you do this you can receive special help, knowledge, or other blessings.
I'm going to be honest here, I've never been good at fasting.  I love eating!  And I don't like not eating.  Louis has always been good at Fasting, I try to learn from him.  I just need to remember the purpose of fasting and the benefits that I and others can receive from it.  I got this out of one of the church manuals:  "Fasting can help us develop great spiritual strength.  It is one way to worship the Lord and to show our obedience and
 devotion. . .Fasting and prayer are ways of hungering and thirsting after God, of drawing close to him and petitioning him for help.  If we fast without prayer, the main result of our fasting will be physical hunger.  If we fast with prayer, even physical hunger can remind us that we should spiritually hunger and thirst for God and his righteousness.  Fasting helps us humble ourselves and draw closer to him."
So here's to having more of a testimony of fasting!  I do have a desire to do better so that's a start.  It's just when you have a 15 month break from being pregnant and then nursing, I'm getting back into the swing of things again.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

Faith is one of my favorite topics.  The fourth article of faith states:  "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are:  first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."  Faith is the number one principle, you need to have faith first.  Having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can get you through your trials.  It can lift you up and give you peace, hope, and comfort.   

Here is a great quote from Richard C. Edgley that I found from the October 2010 conference:  "Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism."

Check out the whole talk here, it's seriously a great talk.

Faith is a choice, I know my choice.

P.S. Rereading this post just now I have the song for the 4th article of faith running in my head

Our beloved Prophet

Today in church we sang "We Thank Thee O God For Prophet"

I've probably sung it about a thousand times,

give or take a few.

"We thank thee, O God, for a prophet to guide us in these latter days.  We thank thee for sending the gospel to lighten our minds with its rays.  We thank thee for every blessing bestowed by thy bounteous hand.  We feel it a pleasure to serve thee and love to obey thy command."

I have it memorized.

I sang it without looking at the hymn book.

"When dark clouds of trouble hand o'er us and threaten our peace to destroy, there is hope smiling brightly before us, and we know that deliverance is nigh.  we doubt not the Lord nor his goodness.  We've probed him in days that are past.  The wicked who fight against Zion will surely be smitten at last."

The third verse really sunk in with me today though:

"We sing of his goodness and mercy.  We'll praise him by day and by night, rejoice in his glorious gospel, and bask in its life-giving light.  Thus on to eternal perfection the honest and faithful will go, while they who reject this glad message shall never such happiness know."
Really just the last sentence here, "while they who reject this glad message shall never such happiness know."  The message that we have to share is a message of happiness!  I know that is definitely true, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has brought me so much 

joy.

happiness.

peace.

comfort.

knowledge.

It is a wonderful thing to know that we have a true prophet on the earth today.  President Thomas S. Monson is a wonderful man.  He listens to the whisperings of the spirit and he guides our church well.  In the April 2008 conference (the first one after President Hinkley's passing) many speakers started out their talks by testifying that President Monson was the Lord's prophet on the earth today.  That helped to strengthen my testimony of President Monson.  He is a wonderful man and I am so grateful that I have the knowledge of a true prophet on earth.  I'm so grateful for the joy it brings me.

Love this man

We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet was written by William Fowler, if you want to listen to the song go here

Temples

Ogden, UT temple

"The temple was a place of learning for the Savior when He was on the earth; it was very much a part of His life. Temple blessings are available once again in our day."

James E. Faust

I love going to the temple, during my senior year in high school I would go (with Nicole and sometimes Kristy) to do baptisms for the dead before school just about every Wednesday.  Also for my senior trip Nicole, Kristy, and I went on a temple trip!  We started in Logan and went down to Provo doing baptisms for the dead at every temple in between.

  I love the feeling of the temple, you feel completely at peace, it is a sacred place, when you enter you leave the world behind.  It helps you remember God's plan for us, and think in more of an eternal perspective.  I have received a lot of comfort in the temple.  Towards the end of my pregnancy, around 34 weeks I think, the doctor said I was measuring a little small so they were scheduling another ultrasound to make sure everything was okay.  I started getting a little worried!  The week before the ultrasound I was able to go to the temple and in the Celestial room I decided to pray about this.  When I started my prayer I felt so much peace and I just thanked Heavenly Father for the healthy baby I would be able to bring into this world.  If any of you remember my earlier post about this ultrasound, it turned out that Avery was measuring ahead of my due date!  So I really had nothing to worry about!  

I love the work that I am able to do in the temple for those who have passed on without the opportunity of receiving these ordinances.  The spirit I feel from these people and the gratitude I know they are feeling in wonderful.  The last time we went to the Ogden temple before it was closed we did sealings, I love doing sealings.  The sealing ordinance is so special to me and doing it for these families who have waited hundreds of years fills me with the spirit.  Feeling how happy these families are to finally be sealed together for all eternity.  

"Through the power of [the] priesthood. . ., husband and wife may be sealed, or married, for eternity; children may be sealed to their parents for eternity; thus the family is made eternal."

Joseph Fielding Smith

I love the temple and i feel so blessed to live in Utah where they are so convenient to me!  The Logan temple is closing for cleaning soon and the Ogden temple is now closed for the next few years for remodeling and Louis said he heard someone complaining that they're going to have to drive all the way to the Bountiful temple.  Are you kidding me!  We're so lucky!  Some people have to drive hours to go to the temple, some people have to wait years to save the money to take their family to the temple so they can be sealed. I'm so grateful that we have temples on the earth today and so so blessed to have the knowledge that I have of the restored gospel.

Salt Lake City, UT temple

San Diego, CA temple

The temple lifts us, exalts us, stands as a beacon for all to see, and points us toward Celestial glory

Fathers

 I found this quote on lds.org and I wanted to share it:
"Second only to the title of husband is that of father. Next to eternal life, the greatest of all gifts that our Father in heaven can bestow on a man is the opportunity of being blessed with sons and daughters."

(L. Tom Perry "Father-Your Role, Your Responsibility" Ensign, November, 1977)

I have some great father/grandfathers in my lives. I can't think of anything better for Father's day than to share a little bit about each one and why they're amazing and why I love them.

My dad my dad I love my dad. He is an amazing man, he makes me happy and is one of my very favorite people in the world. I have so many great memories with him, one that I know I have mentioned many times is when I would go and do papers with him in the middle of the night. It was fun, we'd have a lot of good talks and I got to form a great relationship with him. Another thing I love is that when I was living there he'd ask my opinion on things for what to get for my mom for her birthday, anniversary, Christmas etc and I'd also sometimes wrap his presents to her for him. I just thought that was fun and I liked that he'd appreciate my opinions. My dad always supports me, even when I've done things that weren't the smartest he always let me know he loved me and he wouldn't get mad or frustrated he'd just be supportive.

My Grandpa is the coolest. Anyone agree? Yes I thought you would. He is. . .I want to say 87, am I wrong? Anyway, he's 80 something and he still competes in the Senior Olympics, and he get's all the golds. He says his strategy is to outlive his competition. Which he's doing a good job at because last year when I went to go see him compete, he was the only one in his age group! I have some great memories of him, he's such a fun person and loves to joke. When he lived in Utah he would come over for dinner most Sundays and that's where most of my best memories of him were made. He is a great man and a fantastic grandpa!

Louis Dad Joel, and Grandpa grandpa to Avery. Joel is a lot of fun, he cares so much about his children and will do everything possible to help them out. I have benefited many times from this in just the two years I've been in the family. He can also always get a killer deal on things. Louis has called him many times to have him go somewhere or call some place to get a better deal than he could have gotten on something. It always works! Ever since Avery was born she's had a special bond with Joel. When she was tiny tiny and wasn't even smiling yet she would still respond to Joel so much! He made a comment that they must have been friends in the pre-existence and I think he's probably right. Avery loves her Grandpa grandpa and I'm glad she has such a great grandfather.

This is Louis' grandpa Brandley. He is always looking for the chance to serve people. In fact we have helped him move dozens of people. One of which we moved three different times. He knows every one. We can hardly go anywhere without him stopping to talk to some acquaintance. Whenever you need him he'll be there. Even if you just need a ride. That was from Louis and I want to add something in here too. I agree with everything Louis said about him, he's such a wonderful person who absolutely loves to serve. He is always willing to serve, he loves doing missionary work, I'm pretty sure most of the missionaries in Ogden know him. I loved Grandpa Brandley even before I was a part of the family, some of you may know that I met Louis through my good friend Katie Brandley who is Louis' cousin so I knew Grandpa Brandley before I even knew Louis. He makes you feel very welcome and loved.

And of course my Louis, the father of my beautiful daughter Avery. It's only been 7 months, but he's a great father. It has been great to see him change into a father. It happened the very first day Avery came into our lives. Those of you who know Louis well you know that he really doesn't show his emotions. Well if you know him like I know him you know what his emotions are, but he can be hard to read for some people. When we were in the hospital about 20 minutes after Avery was born I caught him doing a little dance. This is remarkable for Louis, and it showed just how EXCITED he was and how much he loved that little girl. He is so great with her and helps me out so much. Louis is such a fun person and loves being silly and just has such a fun loving spirit. I just know when Avery gets a little bit older she's going to love running around with him.

Happy Father's Day

"I belong to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

I know who I am. I know God's plan.

I'll follow him in faith.

I believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ.

I'll honor his name.

I'll do what is right; I'll follow his light.

His truth I will proclaim."