January 3, 2011

Previous to this date:
I had interviewed at Loma Linda University, Midwestern University and Boston University and had been accepted to only BU. In addition, BU was requesting a deposit of $3,000 to hold my seat. Erin and I had been praying ever so earnestly to for either LLU or MWU to let us know ASAP so we could make a decision and not have to loose any money.
Here is what happened:
At 8am I received a phone call from Dr. Polk at MWU. He invited me to join the entering dental class of 2011 of Midwestern University. We had already sent the check to BU just 3 days earlier. We had the thought that if BU wasn't the place for us to go that we could still cancel the check. So we decided to pray about it! I said the first prayer asking our father in heaven which dental school we should attend... realizing heavenly father would never give an answer to a prayer that easily (thereby robing us of our opportunity of trail and faith) I ended the prayer and said to Erin "That's never going to work." "Let me try again and tell heavenly father that we feel that we should let Boston go and go to AZ and see how we feel about that"
After the prayer, I felt uneasy or unsure... but Ers said the thought came to her mind
"This is the opportunity to save the money you have been praying about."
I was very intrigued because this was not the response I had received at all. We then decided that she would pray in the same manner and I would try to listen to the spirit. She did and I felt a peace come over me that solidified what she had felt and thought.
Thus we cancelled the check to Boston and have no doubt we're on the path the Lord would have us be on. What an amazing blessing prayer is. The capacity to communicate with our heavenly father truly is a blessing and one that blesses our lives with faith and love!!
- Jordan

The small things...

July 29, 2010

There's been a lot of trials for my family lately. I've had a reoccurring thought all summer and this months visiting teaching hit on it too. It was called "Strengthening at every Oppurtunity".

It talks about strengthening your family by doing all the small things!! Family prayer, family home evening, scripture study, church attendance, etc. Could it really be that easy!! The inspirations I've been feeling confirm it. It's a layer of protection for us and our families! I don't want to forget the small stuff no matter how tired or busy we are.

The spirit was thick...

July 4th, 2010

This year the 4th of July happened to be on a Sunday (yesterday in fact). We were fortunate in many ways... 1) Jordan's parents came out to spend the 4th with us 2) we happen to live in Kansas City where many of the church history sites are and 3) we got to visit the Independence visitors center!

I'm always so incredibly impressed by the church visitors centers. They are so wonderfully organized and functional and informational in a simple way and most of all, they are FILLED with the spirit. This was Jordan's first time attending this particular visitors center and it was the best! They have a little exhibit about the family, a lot based on The Family Proclamation and the plan of Salvation. Within the first minute my eyes were filled with tears. I chalked it up to the pregnancy hormones. But then I looked at Olive and she was sitting quietly (RARE!) and taking it all in. Then we reached a certain point and Jordan looked at me and said, "the spirit is SO THICK!" I knew we'd get to the end and the sister missionaries would say, "so what did you think...." What do you say? We were speechless. The spirit testified of the truthfulness of the message of the family. It brought such joy to our hearts.

When we got home that night, Jordan wanted to make sure we talked about it! He said it was like he just couldn't hold it back. The spirit was almost suffocating. And I knew just what he meant! I knew that I was a crying mess but I didn't realize he felt it as strongly as I did. I think we were all just completely bombarded by the spirit. It was amazing.

It wasn't anything new. It wasn't something we haven't heard a million times. It wasn't that the acting was AMAZING nor was the music and presentation (though it was VERY well done). It was the TRUTH. And right now in our lives, we are feeling so blessed to be living it! I'm so grateful for my little family. I can't wait for our new addition and I feel like she is adding to the spirit already.

good day. Our testimonies were grown!

a birthday to me...

Tuesday May 11, 2010

Today was Olive's 2nd Birthday and I was just so in love with her today! I've spent every single day with her since the day I had her 2 years ago. What a life transforming opportunity to be a parent. As Olive went to sleep tonight we overheard her singing to herself...

"...a birthday to me
...a birthday to you, no me...
... a birthday to me"

Jordan and I just melted!! She's turned into such a funny little person. She has the sweetest little spirit there ever was. She's such a little goof. She is SO creative with such a huge imagination already. She is a little chatter box, so much more than her peers. She has been such a blessing in our lives. Our lives these past two years have been so full and so enriching for us as parents. I've learned service and love like I've never known.

I love our little Olive Grace for all she is, and also for who she makes me!

Happy Birthday Ninny:)

Missionary "erk"...

Tuesday April 20, 2010

This Sunday is a "Come and See" Sunday, which means to invite your friends to an investigator friendly meeting. I've had some names in mind, which I almost hate... you know if you thought about who you could invite and NO ONE came in mind, then you'd be off the hook! Right?

Well I finally got up the courage to deliver two invites to my neighbors tonight. Olive came with me and it was kind of neat. A week ago for Family Home Evening we talked about being a "good friend" and learned about one way to do that is to bring your friends to church. So I reminded her about how we are good friends by inviting our friends to church and asked if she wanted to come with me to invite our friends. She said yes (probably because I said we were going somewhere) and we said a little prayer for the spirit to be with us and went off. That was probably the coolest part really. Olive held the invitations and it was pretty uneventful, yet great. They were both gracious and gave a sure-fast "we'll have to see"... But I hope they come. And if not this time, maybe something in the future.

I grew today. I don't have many missionary opportunities anymore because I have so many member friends. But our neighbors are really great... and after all.. they did come into my mind!

I'm grateful Heavenly Father cares about all of His children enough to ask us to stretch ourselves, not even that much, and make an invitation so that He might open the doors to the happiness we feel and enjoy everyday!

You are wonderfully normal...

Saturday April 17th, 2010

Before my Grandpa Jack passed away I would send him links to my blog to that he and my grandma could stay in touch with us and see our little Olive because we weren't able to see them much. He was a wise man, but of little words, especially in emails. After getting an email link to our blog he would respond with something like:

Thank you for sharing. You are a wonderfully normal family.

to some that may seem an odd thing to say (well it is odd) but coming from my grandpa it is a compliment. It is a blessing to be able to be "normal" and functioning in social ways. To be able to go to ward activities or travel AND have fun at the same time... something that I think was a struggle for some of my extended family.

Tonight we went to our ward's SPRING FLING. It was an open mic night and dance! (I know! A dance for a married ward with children!?... so fun!) At the open mic night every time someone was done, Olive said, "My turn!!" I kept asking, "you want to go sing a song too??"... trying to clarify what she really meant. And she would say yes. So Olive and I got us to the microphone and sang (ok.. she got shy and I sang it) 'On Top of Spaghetti.' It was her first debut at a microphone in front of a large crowd. She didn't sing a word. But she thought she did!

Then the dance started and she was a MANIAC. In the middle of EVERYONE twirling and dancing, kicking her feet... she loved it. She danced all night long. She reminds me of me a lot sometimes. I was a proud parent as I saw a fun trait get passed to my little one. She is going to LOVE church dances! Any dance for that matter.

I'm grateful tonight to have a normal and functioning family! I'm grateful that we can be dorks, go to a church dance with our babe and pregnant belly, and dance the night away, and never wish we were somewhere else!

I guess we are wonderfully normal.

Olive's Prayers

Saturday April 10th, 2010

mostly by herself... I filled in the important words, she filled in what she is grateful for!


Thank you ...a church
thank you...a Ana (adam)
thank you...a church
thank you... a shamu
thank you...a milk
thank you... a daddy
thank you a mommy
thank you a puppy
thank you a house
bless me.... sleep

amen

We're so grateful she is learning to pray so early! It touches our heart to hear what she comes up with. And, Adam, you are always in our prayers!!