Friday, March 26, 2010

The Spirit of Elijah

Friday March 26, 2010

Tonight I know the spirit of Elijah really exists. That is, we really are connected to our families that have come before and who will come after us.

I JUST started doing family history on new.familysearch.org.

It's been hanging over me for some reason. I got on and there is TONS of work to be done.

Jordan and I were able to do work for 8 of our family members tonight in the temple.

5 children were sealed for time and all eternity to their parents on Jordan's side

Baptisms, confirmations and initiatories were done for one man and one women and one man on my side

and we got the privilege to seal a married couple together FOREVER and remember our marriage covenant again.

They always say that when you do family history the temple becomes more meaningful... and well.... it does.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

"ing..." on everyth..ing

Thursday March 25, 2010


Today I'm grateful to be a mom. I fear that it will be a lot of times that I'm grateful for that. I want to be more creative, or more exciting maybe. Maybe I'm feeling that pressure because I've decided to write on the web (not that anyone is keeping up)... but today I caught myself standing on the corner of the street thinking... well I guess that car could have swerved and hit us, but we were protected! But, I don't really think that car was ever going to swerve.

So today I'm grateful to be a mom, and a stay at home mom. I know there are many that are not as fortunate, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I know I'm her mom but I think her speaking patterns are VERY advanced:) Lately she's been adding ING on everything. Which usually works.

For example:

I walkING
I eatING
I dancING
You runnING mom?

she's VERY into it.... and that includes

It's stuck....ing mom! It's stuck...ing.


Whenever anything is stuck:) Why not right?

I'm glad I get to witness this cuteness because it doesn't last long before they figure out the REAL and BORING way to say it.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Olive is learning to pray

Wednesday March 24, 2010

Olive wanted to say a prayer before her nap today, which we usually only pray before bedtime.

Olive's Prayer:
Dear....ter
tank you... Stella
tank you....Cole
tank you... church
tank you... Mommy... No WAY
tank you ...Daddy.... No Way (giggle giggle)
tank you... books
byess meeeeeee
byess meee
amen

"He dies..."

Tuesday March 23, 2010

(I don't mean this to be irreverent, you know how kids are)

We've had a hard time doing Family Home Evening on Mondays because the Mr. doesn't get home until 9pm. I've felt really inspired lately to make sure we include Olive and make FHEs for her now that she is old enough to understand. We decided to do FHE on a different night, Friday.. but we keep forgetting. It'll take awhile to establish a pattern that we remember I think. So you can see we had it on Tuesday.

I wanted to do an Easter Lesson and threw it together really quickly thanks to the blogs "A Little Off the Top" and "The Family Home Evening Spot" (check it out! SO quick and fast! Mormon bloggers... the best.) I threw it together and as we started I wondered if Olive would really get it. I've been talking about the Easter Bunny and candy, but haven't even mentioned Jesus Christ and the resurrection. This was the first time she would be hearing it. Also, the story involves things like... death. Does she even know what that means?

Well to my surprise she listened and participated very intently (thanks for the visual aids bloggers!) and after I went through the story I thought we'd review to see what she learned. I said (with my aid) "Here is Jesus, and what happens?"

Olive, with a very sad and concerned face (possible the face I made while telling the story) says, "awwww... he dies"

I guess she got it! As for the "He is Risen part"... maybe not so much

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Mr.

Monday March 22, 2010

After three years of marriage I get this email:

Dear love of my life,

I wanted to take a pause out of my day and tell you how much I love and appreciate you. You are like a rose petal on a clear warm spring California day. You blow me away with your excellence and grace every day. I'm so glad you are my wife!
I love you so much.

your Jord.

so I respond

Dear prince of my dreams,

You are weird. I guess that's why I love you:) you are like a soft whisper on a cold winter day. I'm glad I married you out of all the other missionaries I was waiting for.

Love,
Your ers

Sent from my iPhone

I'm grateful for a husband who is so poetic, in the sense that he'd never get published
I'm grateful for iphones
I'm grateful that I see the Lord's hand in my life every time I wake up in the morning... he usually says either, "you get her" or "lets get up together"

I'm grateful for you sweetie!

1st Timer

Sunday March 21, 2010

So I read over Elder Eyring's talk and it was good to know that it took practice even for him at first. I don't know if it's that I'm looking too hard for BIG things, or if I think the small things are insignificant and not really the Lord's hand, but I think this is going to be a challenge. This one is a little all encompassing, but I feel so blessed in this particular regard.

I'm so grateful for my Ward Family. I don't think it a coincidence that we live here, in this neighborhood at this time. It took a lot to get us to be in NYC (back story) and when we decided on living here and starting a family here, I thought it was "right" for different reasons than what I believe today. Our Ward, the Inwood 1st Ward in the Manhattan Stake, is on fire! I feel humbled by the wisdom and intellect of the members. I'm shocked at their drive to do ANYTHING whether they be a performer, finance, med school, major research scientist, scholar, musician, etc. When you are surrounded by a bunch of people striving for such heights it does something to you.... well to us. I'm grateful for two aspects in particular:

1) I've never felt judged or felt like I have to keep up with the "Jones'" .. thank Heavens! I never could!
I could easily feel inadequate by comparing myself to others who are so much smarter and more talented than I. But I've never felt that way! It's such a welcoming place where I can just go get inspired. That brings me to...

2) As a young married couple, I feel like this was the perfect place for us to start. We had nothing set in stone, only a starting place. By being surrounded by these outstanding people we've realized our potential in so many ways. How we can be better and expect more professionally (especially my husband). We are inspired to be better parents, be more creative and really enjoy the city we are in. We feel inspired not to sit back and waste time, but to get out there and DO something, whether it be for work, school, family, church callings, etc. Anything is possible, and now we REALLY know that because we see others around us striving and achieving the impossible all the time. This started our family off right!! We will be a different family because of our ward family!

I know this is the Lord's hand in our lives. It is no coincidence that we've made such wonderful friends and learned so many great lessons here. When you live in a Jungle, a concrete jungle, you have to rely on the ward as your strength and family. We have each other. Thanks for making us feel apart of you. Thanks for being brave and bringing your families to NYC too. Thanks for inspiring us every day. I know it is our Heavenly Father that brought us all together.

AND.. on a personal note, I NEVER want to leave!