Have I Done Any Good?

I am trying harder than ever to concentrate during the Sacrament.  I usually will read some of my favorite Sacrament hymns during this time to help me feel the Spirit.  Today, as I was flipping to one of my favorites, Lord I Would Follow Thee, I came across, Have I Done Any Good?  I had the impression that I need to teach my family this song and then sing it as part of our daily scripture study.  I love the words...

Have I done any good in the world today?  Have I helped anyone in need?  Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?  If not, I have failed indeed.  Has anyone's burdens been lighter today because I was willing to share?  Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?  When they needed my help was I there?  Then wake up and do something more than dream of your mansion above.  Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, a blessing of duty and love.

The talks during Sacrament meeting were excellent again today.  I really love my ward.  The first speaker talked about being active in the gospel not just active in the church.  He told a story about when he was a Bishop in another state, he sent a missionary off to the MTC.  He returned home after just 2 weeks and went inactive a short time later.  He often wondered what happened to cause this boy to not finish his mission.  He had checked all the boxes, attended church, seminary, etc.  But during this time he must not have been doing the things necessary to build his own testimony.  The second speaker talked about the need for unity and reaching out to those struggling.  That made me feel good that I had just received that prompting earlier to teach my children that song.  

Have I mentioned before that I love the new curriculum?!  It is wonderful when your 15 year-old comes home and tells you about great lessons in Sunday School and Priesthood.  He had previously invited a friend to come to church with him.  Her parents think we are a cult.  So she invited him to go to church with her family.  Mario told him that he could go check out her church.  Eric texted her and again asked her to come with him and he would go with her.  She told him all the things she had heard about Mormons.  Eric corrected her and she said attending our church would just confuse her.  He stated that attending her church wouldn't confuse him because he knew that ours was true.  I am thankful that he is bearing his testimony.  I know he has a long way to go in developing his testimony but I am so grateful for his church leaders who are working so hard to make this new curriculum work.  Erin seems to be enjoying it also.  She loves her YW leaders.  I have noticed that even the primary teachers are doing more with the kids this year.  So it is so nice to see the twins get assignments to take home also.  It gives us more of an opportunity to discuss the gospel in our home.

The Bishop read a letter from the Stake Presidency today.  We are having a special meeting for all members of the Stake next Sunday.  They wouldn't tell us why and asked us not to speculate on the reason.  My family without trying to speculate too much, thinks that the wards will be realigned (we had a realignment 3 times in the 3 years we were in Tucson.)  So I can't wait until next Sunday.  I sure hope I keep my nursery calling.  I can't believe I am saying that.  I would have never thought I would like the calling so much.  It helps to have Tessie Snow in there with me.  She grew up in Utah and everyone tried converting her thru high school.  Only one friend didn't give up on her and she converted just before leaving for college.  She has such a strong testimony.  I love working with her and all the little children.

YMCA

My family has become addicted to basketball. Well, not me and Nathan, but the rest of them. Mario, Eric, and Erin play church ball and the twins play for the city league. Nate doesn't love it but he plays, reluctantly. All the others want to do is play basketball everyday. Neither Mario or I have callings at church that would allow us to have keys (I think nursery leader really should have keys). So we can't go up to church to practice whenever we want. So we finally joined the local YMCA this past weekend. We are so excited to have a big gym, pool, and workout equipment to use again.

Joining the Y brings me back to fond memories when we lived in O'Fallon, IL. I remember a friend suggesting that I get a membership when I first moved in. I replied that I had a treadmill so I really didn't need a gym membership. That's when she told me something that saved my sanity. Free childcare for up to two hours a day. Well with twin one year-olds, it was a deal I couldn't pass up. I took full advantage of that Y and got into great shape that two years. Plus I made some really good friends that two years.

Now I don't have the same incentive. My kids are all in school but I do have to drive them to school every other week so I'm going out in the cold anyway. I may as well head to the gym after taking them.

I love it that Mario is enjoying basketball so much. He plays Wednesday nights from 9-11 pm so I do complain that he keeps me up late. But I guess it is worth the sacrifice. He loves it so much. The men play Saturday games. It's such a good way for Mario to make some good friends. I love going to his games and cheering him on. It is probably a little embarrassing for him but I guess that gets him back for waking me up late Wednesday nights when he gets home.

So for at least the next couple months, our life will revolve around basketball.

New Curriculum

The church has recently started a new curriculum for the youth. The youth are expected to be more involved in the lessons by having more discussions and then the teacher assigns them some simple homework like discussing a principle with the family or looking up some scriptures at home. This month the topic is the Godhead. My first thought was wow, this is so basic. But as I listened to 3 talks in Sacrament meeting today on the Godhead, I felt the Spirit strongly. I am grateful for inspired leaders who know what the youth (and even us adults) need at this time. It is sad to look around and see so many people who do not believe in God. I am grateful for my testimony and to know that God does exist and I am a child of God and He loves me. I hope that my children will gain strong testimonies that will help them weather the storms they will face through this life. We sing "The Wiseman Built His House Upon a Rock" each Sunday in nursery. What a simple but powerful song when you really concentrate on the lyrics. I love the gospel and I'm so grateful for the love Heavenly Father has for each of us. He truly does know and love each of us.

Christmas in Florida

As I stated in a previous blog, this year we decided (I coerced Mario into it) to spend Christmas in Florida.  Out of our 18 years of married life, I can only count on one hand the Christmases that we have spent with the whole family.  This was a perfect opportunity to go because Alex, Mario's brother, was getting married in the Orlando Temple just a few days after Christmas.

We couldn't bring all the gifts with us on the plane, so we had a pre-Christmas present opening before we left.

Zachary bought Nate a snowboard

Nate spent almost every dime he had to buy this giant dog for Zach

It even snowed (a little) on our fake Christmas Day

Erin, the twins, and I left on Tuesday, December 17 because the plane tickets were so much cheaper to fly that day.  Eric and Mario came out the following Sunday.  On Wednesday, the day after I flew out, a blizzard hit Omaha and dumped 8 inches of snow.  So Mario and Eric had a great time playing and cleaning it up while the kids and I enjoyed the beautiful Florida beaches.    Eric had his first snow day off from school.

Playing at the beach

Ice skating

Our new favorite family game from Grandma and Papa

All the cousins together on Christmas Eve

The four cousins in front of the very cute homemade fireplace

Nate gave Erin Pooh Bear pjs

We got lots of Dollar Tree Christmas presents from the kids

Mario with one of his best friends, Burton Adams

Rachel and Alex at their reception in Miami

We had such a great visit to Florida.  It is so fun to see my parents and siblings and to see all the cousins play together.  It really makes me wish we could live closer.  But we have just over 5 more years until retirement (if Mario retires at exactly 20 years which sometimes I doubt.)  It was so great to visit with Burton and his sweet family and we loved attending Alex's wedding and reception and seeing Mario's side of the family again.  

Now I am just left to endure the Nebraska winter.  But I bought a cute pair of boots to wear and it hasn't been windy.  So it is totally tolerable (so far.)  The kids are really enjoying playing outside so we will enjoy the four seasons for a few more years and then hopefully be able to enjoy year-round warmth.

A Runaway

Yesterday I asked Zach about something that happened in Florida.  He wasn't in trouble, I just wanted to know the story behind it.  He told me but then Nathan became involved and said he knew what happened also.  So I asked for his version.  Zach got upset and stormed off to his room, not even waiting to hear that their two versions matched perfectly.  So he wasn't in trouble, he just needed a little talk about respecting people's privacy and being kind to others.  I waited several minutes and then went up to his room to talk to him.  He wouldn't talk. He was in the process of packing his backpack with the following items:  jacket, extra clothes, toilet paper, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, pencils, fruit snacks, water, and Life Cereal.  I asked if he was running away and he wouldn't say anything.  So I asked him to at least wait until I returned a few minutes later from running an errand.  He agreed.  I thought he should at least have a cellphone if he was running away, and Eric handed over his but only after trying to convince him not to run away.   I didn't know if I should laugh or cry and I think I did a little of both.   Eric and I left and when I returned a few minutes later, Zach immediately walked out the back door.  I thought I would just follow him but he was walking thru the snow.  I quickly put on my snow boots and then went out the front door hoping that I would spot him so I could follow.  He ran away to the side of the house.  He saw me, I asked him to come home and he just stayed quiet.  Nathan went out a few minutes later and offered him $20 to come back (I can see what kind of parent he will be.)  Still no words from Zach.  A few minutes later I went to check on him again and I spotted him behind the house.  He was dialing on Eric's phone.  I quickly went inside before he saw me and my phone started ringing.  Zach asked me how to get home from Derek's house (a couple miles away).  I offered to come pick him up.  He didn't want a ride and didn't confirm or deny that he was at Derek's house.  So I decided to put the leash on Buzz and take him for a walk.  As soon as I started our walk, Zach came out from the back of the house and wanted to know where I was going.  He joined me with walking Buzz and then he returned home.  He told me it was hard to run with such a heavy backpack.  We're all happy he decided to come home and extra happy that he doesn't know how to drive a car yet.  I'm sure he'll be upset for me posting this but I can't miss an opportunity to tell him this story when he has a 9 year-old child.

Snowman Ornament

Nathan wrote this in school and I thought it was really sweet. I couldn't scan it because it has glitter all over the edges but I took a picture of it. It says, "My favorite ornament is a snowman. It is white, it has a black hat. My grandma made it for my family. I always put it on the top of the tree. It is special because my grandma made it."

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Piano Recital

Erin had a piano recital last night.  She asked her teacher if she could play Mario's favorite Christmas carol, Carol of the Bells.  Mrs. Black said that the only copy she had was a duet.  So Erin suggested that Eric play it with her.  The teacher was thrilled when Eric agreed to the duet since Erin is her most advanced piano student.  Now she would have two advanced students in her recital.   Eric has never been a fan of recitals so he was hesitant to play when he's not even a piano student.  But Mario said it could be his Christmas present and Eric quickly agreed.  I think it is the best Christmas present ever from both Eric and Erin.  We love when they play the piano together.  Erin played Santa Clause is Coming to Town also.