MORNINGS with MADISON

 I think I have mentioned before how much I love that my girls don't go to school at the same time anymore. I love getting up with Sierra at 6:00 and Madison at 7:00. I love that it is just us for a few minutes. Madison has to have all of her ducks in a row before she can relax in the morning. She has to have her hair done and breakfast eaten and her lunch made. She gets really anxious if I ask her to read a book or have scriptures or prayer before these things are done. 

I have been reading in 3 Nephi lately. 3 Nephi, chapter 4 to be exact. Click here if you want the really good stuff. I was telling Madison about how the Gadianton Robbers were running out of food. 

"They were hunting in the wilderness until they couldn't find any food." 

She said, "Like the Indians?" 

I said, "Yes, these were the Indians." 

Then I asked her, "What do you do when you run out of food and there are no grocery stores to go and buy any and you are a really bad guy. You take food from the good guys. These Gadianton Robbers were bad, so they dressed up in lambs skins dipped in blood. They put these metal plates on their heads. They went to war with the Nephites, who were the good guys. 

She looked at me wide eyed. 

The scriptures said these Gadianton Robbers looked terrible. Not terrible like there hair was out of place, but terrible like horrible monsters.

Do you know what the Nephites did?

She said, "What?"

I said, "They fell to the earth and cried out to their Heavenly Father for help. What should we do when terrible, scary things happen in life?"

She said, "Pray."

I said, "That is right we pray."

Then we had prayer and I gave her a huge hug and she was off.

There were so many other things I wanted to tell her. I want to read her verses 23-28. They are some of my favorites in written scripture. I will save it for another day though because the bus was coming.

ASHTON HAS A FEVER

 Today has called for the Starfall App, lots of shows and bottles full of delicious milk. My baby is sick. Oh, and popcorn for James because if you watch that many shows you have got to have popcorn. He shared with his brother although he wasn't that interested. 

APPLE PICKING

Madison and I went apple picking tonight. Stacy Ellsworth invited us. It was so fun. Jenn Neff drove us out to an apple orchard and I got to pick apples and visit with friends. I wish the whole family could have come, but my car is in the shop again  to get the headlights fixed. I have a lot of blogging to catch up on but I jumped ahead to today because I really want to get back into doing a post a day. I love my life and I love documenting it. We are going to be making applesauce all week and I can't wait till my home smells of apples. 

STEPHANIE and CON's BAPTISM

 Stephanie and Con, Leslie's sister and nephew were baptized the following Sunday. September has been a really amazing month. Leslie's testimony is so beautiful. I know that it played a huge role in helping Stephanie and Con. Stephanie and Con are both such beautiful people. It was so beautiful to see these two sisters take this journey together. (How many times can I use the word beautiful?) Stephanie has been so dedicated. She has been reading from the Book of Mormon and the Howard W. Hunter manual and Conference talks. She wants to learn more and become more and it is beautiful to watch her. She is such a great mother to her children too. 

I love watching miracles happen as someone turns their life over to the Savior. Leslie was over at my home one afternoon before we left for Disneyland. I felt inspired to show her this video. It isn't made by the church. It is just pictures of the temple put to music. She wept through it. I told her to got to the Fort Collins temple open house. She said she didn't want to go without me. I was headed to Disneyland and by the time I would come back the open house would be over. (Where are my priorities? I know Nate said the same thing.) I said, "I can't, but you should go with Stephanie." Not two seconds later she gets this text from Stephanie saying I ran into the Gladdens at the grocery store they want us to come and stay with them in Fort Collins and go to the temple dedication. The Gladdens babysat Stephanie's youngest son when he was a baby. The Gladdens are Mormon too. Think about it, she runs into one of them at the store whiles she is out for a coffee run for her co-workers. They invite Stephanie at the same time I am encouraging her sister to go. Not a coincident! Divine! They went, all of them. Stephanie and her boys and Leslie and her girls. They loved every minute of it. This wasn't the only miracle I witnessed in this journey with these girls. 

Heavenly Father wanted to send them a clear message, you are my daughters. I love you.

I am so grateful I got to witness this. I love these girls and Con with all my heart. I have told them over and over again that this is the first step in a long journey. I am excited to watch them grow along in their journey. I am grateful Heavenly Father trusted me enough to be apart of it. 

Love you all.   

LESLIE'S BAPTISM

I can't even begin to express in words how happy this makes my whole being. Leslie calls herself my first converted friend. I have always had friends outside the church I love people. I love people that have walked a different path in life than me. I learn so much from them. I feel blessed that Leslie let me become apart of her life.

Our girls started Kindergarten together two years ago. Kaylie was a little shy about starting Kindergarten and Madison was biting at the bit to go. She had watched Sierra go to school for years and she was so excited it was her turn. I think I told her several times that week she didn't have to go. I could just keep her home for another year, but she was insistent. Flash back here. When I saw Leslie coaching Kaylie and saw how scared they both were. I suggested Madison walk her into class. Madison took her by the hand and they went to Kindergarten together.

A few weeks later I invited them to hang out with us at the park. Flash back here. We invited Kaylie to Madison's birthday party. Flash back here. And so a friendship was born. When Ashton was born in January Leslie drove over to my house and picked Madison up for school every day, so I wouldn't have to. It was such a blessing not to have to make three trips into the school every day with two little boys.

One day, this past February, I went over to Leslie's and she had a white bible on her desk and I picked it up. She said, "Yeah, my mom and sister sent that to me. My sister even put all these beautiful colorful tabs in it. You know I really want to know truth but I don't know where to find it." This scripture came to mind, "Doctrine and Covenant 123:12 ...who are only kept from the truth because they know not were to find it." Nate always told me to just be friends with people outside my faith and if they were ready to hear the gospel they would ask. I never believed him. He was right. I never even told Leslie I was Mormon. We were just friends. She asked, even if she didn't fully realize she had. 

We set up a time for her to meet with the missionaries. She meet with them for about six months. One day she told them, "I just can't do this Mormon thing, you have too many rules." A few days later I was in the middle of cleaning the kitchen and felt prompted to go to her home. Whenever I would go to Leslie's home there was always the television on and ipads and phones going like crazy. There was so much noise it was hard to just talk, but this evening it was silent. I said, "Leslie, what is going on?" She said, "Your church just has too many rules. I don't think God loves me less because I drink coffee or whatever." I agreed with her. I don't think Heavenly Father loved her less. I said, "Leslie, this isn't about the rules it is about whether or not it is true. If it is true, then the rules don't matter." She agreed. The next day she had a discussion on the Plan of Salvation. She wept all the way through it and she received a strong witness that the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith and that this is His Church. 

I love that Leslie has become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I love more that Heavenly Father entrusted me to her care. She is such a beautiful example of Faith to all she meets. She loves bearing her testimony. She has so much goodness in her. As long as I have known her, she has been the best person I have ever known at expressing gratitude and making people feel loved. 

She asked Nate to baptize her. It was such a beautiful moment when he took her by the hands in the font. After he brought her out of the water, she stood there and wept and it made Nate weep. He gave her a hug and they stood there soaking wet weeping together. It was one the most glorious moments I have ever experienced in this life. 

I often say, if I could take a young women into my honeymoon suite and they could feel what it felt like. If they could know what it is to be with the man you love, sealed together in the temple, both of you clean and virtuous. If they could feel that moment they would pay any price to get there.

I would also say, If you could feel this moment the moment your best-est friend is baptized. You would become friends with every person who was put in your path. You would love them and help them along lives journey. You would show them what it is to live the gospel by your example. You would huger more for the scriptures and the words of living prophets so you could help them through ever hard thing they would face to get here. If  you could feel this moment you would pay any price to get here. You would be a member missionary.

Oh how I love you Leslie.  

Top: Simon Weber, Leslie Weber, Stephanie Smith, Con Smith; Bottom: Addison Weber, Kaylie Weber, Jack Smith

Top: Elder Perry, Elder Brady, Elder Padilla; Bottom:Sister Uhri, Simon Weber, Leslie Weber, Sister Gannon

Top: Elder Perry, Elder Brady, Elder Padilla; Bottom: Sister Uhri, Leslie, Sister Gannon

A VISIT

 Grandma and Grandpa Craven and Aunt Kimberly came to visit. We would keep them here always, if we could. They just had a quick dental appointment trip. Dr. McKnight was able to fix a tooth that has been bothering Kimberly for sometime. She was so grateful. I was so happy he was able to help her. We got to go out to lunch with Nate and we found a cool tricycle at the Fruita Thrift. We ran to REI and bought new wheels for it. Kimberly got to take a nap with this kid. He doesn't nap with just anyone, so she must be a safe place for him. It makes me all full of happiness. It reminds me of watching her nap when she was little. I wish I had a camera and blog back then. She was the cutest little girl ever. 

THE OCEAN

 For the last day of our vacation we wanted to spend the day on the ocean. I haven't heard the sounds of the ocean since Sierra was three. It has been at least eight years. It did not disappoint. The kids could have stayed there all day. They loved every minute of it. I loved the feeling of the sand between my toes and listening to the waves. It was a beautiful end to our vacation. 

A huge shout out to Derrick who is a man among men to take two women and six children to Disneyland. He made our year. My children were over the moon to get to go and it wouldn't have happened without his kind, generous soul. We are so blessed to have an uncle who loves us this much. We love him to the moon and back.