Upliftment

http://www.lds.org/topics/easter?lang=eng

Primary Easter Egg Hunt

I love being able to take the kids to the primary hunt because it's not as crazy as the public ones nor is it as small as our own family one.  The only downfall is not having a picture with the Easter Bunny but oh well.  When I first saw the outfits grandma shopping picked out, I thought they were a bit loud.  But let me tell ya, the loud worked when trying to spot these kids in the crowd.

 Cole is in love with little Miss Sohpie!  He even pulled out his sweet moves and showed her his belly dance.  Honestly, this kid would not stop staring at her but can you blame him?

 When I was in charge last year, I chose to do very simple things simply to make it easier on myself.  But hello, the kids LOVED decorating these cookies and painting eggs.  So great.  The best part is seeing how different they all are:

Jackson - neat, organized and much like a picture one would see

Ry - one color with a tad of another but oh so focused

Andi - packed with oodles and oodles of frosting (luckily she wasn't able to eat it all, ugh!)

Cole - took his sweet time in decorating and eating

 Ry, my little wanderer.

 The little ones were the first to head to the front yard so they didn't get trampled.  The funny thing about this was we no longer have four in that little category and Ryan just barely made the cut!  Cole kinda got it and only found a handful of eggs but he was totally content with that.

 AANNDDD out come the big kids!

 The Barlow's home was a fabulous place to have this hunt!  Can you spot all the orange shirts??

 The loot!  No complaints, no tears, nothing but happiness.

Life Doesn't Stop

Loved this Paparazzi headband on her and want to get her more headbands now - especially considering this one broke the first time she used it :(

My oh my - this boy has the worst luck.  I was at Matt's shop having him look at my car when Ryan suddenly needed to use the restroom.  I pull all the kids out of the car and take them to the "mechanics restroom" although we didn't make it there without Ryan tripping over the gigantic speed bump resulting in a complete body beat down.

Remember the days you are on time and about to leave the house when a child decides to poop their pants!?!?  These days I have different messes to clean up as I head out the door.  Will I ever be on time to boot camp?  And, oh yeah, thanks for wasting my expensive protein shake!

Two or three kids came running out to me Thursday morning requesting that I capture a shot of Cole sleeping in my bed because "he looked so cute".

Mom had the feeling to go visit Juana and Ito and initially I thought it was too much to pull off but the fact is, I've been taught to never ignore those feelings.  So, instead of getting the kids up and ready for school, we got up and ready for a all too brief trip to Corona.  It wasn't exactly planned out too well as Juana and I discovered we weren't going to fit in the car with the kids and groceries, but it all worked out in the end.  I mean, Cole looks cozy!

My total cheese ball loves striking a pose on my yoga mat.

Andi missed her Preschool Easter Party when we were in Corona, but Grandma K saved everything for her.  When Ryan got home from school, he and Andi were able to check out all their goodies.  It's insane how much kids get for each and every holiday!

Erin got together some girls to go see the Host.  I had a difficult time getting into the book and the movie, likewise, took me a minute to appreciate but in the end, I think it was a pretty entertaining movie.

My dear, dear friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, made all my dreams come true.  For years I have wanted this fabulous IKEA shelf to organize the kids' toys and other crap.  Just when I gave up on my hope to ever own one, she went out of her way to make sure I got one.  We love it!  The kids love what it has done for the playroom.  Now we just need to get a large rug and uh, maybe clean the closet mirrors.  Yuck.  THANK YOU!!!

My Replacement - Jackson

A child cut up my Patriarchal Blessing.  Yep, the original copy tucked safely in my scriptures.  Go figure.  It was at the time in which I wanted to read it most because I had been contemplating my mortality.  As many mother's do, I spent some time dwelling on the length of my life.  "And should we die before our journey's through, Happy day!  All is well!".  Yeah, tough pill to swallow, this pill of "happiness", when thinking about the kids you'd leave behind.  But as I do, I think about Jackson and how this boy will one day be the man that could totally replace me.  This child is me.  He could run this family just as I would probably even better because he also has some Andrew in there and I'd have to say, that's a pretty sweet balance because I know Andrew's strengths help adjust and/or fix my flaws and weaknesses.

Every morning I am reminded of how aware Jackson truly is.  His prayers are probably longer than mine on most mornings and the detail reveals he's truly having a conversation with HIS Heavenly Father.  We often joke that he doesn't miss a thing and this leads me to wonder, is that because he'll need to know what this family needs?

My blessing also councils me to make good decisions each and every day for I must lead by example.  I would venture to say Jackson's will say something along those lines as well.  When I look at him I sometimes wonder what the pressure and responsibility will do to him.  But then he shows me, without even knowing he is, that he's capable, willing, and eager.

"FAMILY FUN"

I came home from my run to find a sign directing the other children to one location for "family fun".  Jackson wrote out the sign, arrow and all, and found some games to entertain his siblings.  This type of thing is so common for him and yet it warms my heart each and every time he does it because of the innocence and the pure desire to spend time as a family.

"STORY TIME"

Juana has often reflected on her moments in the kitchen cooking dinner while my dad would sit and play the guitar.  Those moments were precious to her and in turn, have made me yearn for something of that sort.  The other night Jackson was so excited about the new book he checked out from the library and so I asked him to read it to me while I did the dishes after dinner.  He got a chair, turned it around and began to read.  Remember Ace Ventura and all the animals flocking to him.... this was exactly what happened.  One by one the children scooted a chair, or a bench, to then surround Jackson as he read.  

"MUSIC"

Much fighting was occurring as we routinely loaded up the car to head out for some errand.  Cole's crying for a show, Andi and Ryan arguing over some toy, Jackson bouncing off the walls.  This is the point where I ignore them all and just blast the music I want.  Somewhere on Soledad Cyn. shortly before Sand. Cyn., Jackson said, "Mom, music really calms us down.  I like it."

"DRESS TIME"

These kids thrive on order and unity.  Cracks me up how they all come together after the bath to find their clothes and help one another find their clothes.  Jackson loves these moments and often requests a picture "to see how cute [we]  are".  The way he then looks at the picture taken is priceless.

"SNACK TIME"

Another one of those moments he wanted to capture.  The afternoon often has at least one organized "snack time" where he either gathers chairs, blankets or toys for a snack he has gathered or prepared for everyone.  For whatever reason, he was really in the "kodak moment" mood.

"BED TIME"

The top bunk is a full size but we only have a twin mattress.  Jackson has decided that it's much more comfortable to sleep on stacked blankets wedged between his mattress and the railing leaving an entire mattress unused.  He says it's nice and cozy up there but it kills me that he's sleeping on a piece of plywood.  In efforts of trying to figure out what the deal was, I pulled down the mattress and put down a couple feather comforters so he could spread out.  He hated it.   Back to the drawing board....
But I did find out what he likes to be included in our bed time routine...
Cole was having a rough week and I finally figured out that he responded well to me knealing beside his bed while I scratch his back and hum two verses of "I am a Child of God".  All was quiet when I would leave the room but I didn't think much of it.  One night Andrew was actually home and so he got bed time duty.  Once he turned out the lights and the fighting and yelling calmed, Jackson tried to tell him something.  The first effort was ignored but finally Andrew caught the tone in Jackson's voice and listened to what he had to say.  As I folded the laundry in our room, I overheard, "Dad, when mom puts us to bed she sits by Cole, rubs his back and hums "I am a Child of God"; what do you do?"
WHAT!?!?  First of all, I didn't know he knew what I was humming.  Second of all, he reminded me that things like that are really important to him and to the other kids.  When I looked backed, I realized that as I did this, all the kids were calm and as I left the room, all were asleep.
That's what this kid does all the time; reminds me of what's important and what I need to take the time AND PATIENCE to do.

"SECOND TOOTH"

wiggly tooth

two missing teeth (first lost in shower, second mom yanked out)

"deer tooth fary I am so so saree I lost my tooth."
No glitter money tonight, just some other random embellishments.

For the record, I do know I have three other children that are just as amazing and special in their own ways.  I love as they grow older, I am able to see their personalities and strengths much more defined.  Ryan has matured so much over the past few months and we're proud of his desire to take care of his siblings and any one else around him.  Andi is also a caretaker and the love of our family.  Cole makes everyone smile as his personality and zest for life is so contagious.

The kids did NOT want to leave the library the other day and I realized, I really should take them there more often. 

I love that when she came out of her room dressed, shoed and backpacked, she didn't throw a fit when I told her she couldn't take the backpack to school.  I would have never put her in boots with her jean shorts, but hey, she pulled it off.

On this particular walk, Cole marched all the way up Grandifloras and half of  the way down to Soledad Cyn.  On Soledad I finally had to force him into the jogger because it was making me too nervous on that busy street.  Andi wasn't feeling well so she was so good.  I made an example out of her and told her she'd earned a piece of candy when we got home and that right there was what got Cole to sit nicely.

I love that the kids are getting much more patient with my run/walks.  Both reading a book.  And yes, the promise of candy still helps :)

Thanks to my mom, our home is feeling quite like Spring.

When growing up, my mom had this poem hung in our bathroom for years and years:
"CLeaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow... for babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow... so quiet down cobwebs... dust go to sleep... I'm ricking my baby and babies don't keep!"

Because that particular picture is so not my style, I decided to get a picture of all the kids in the bath, the youngest one I could find, to frame with that poem as it now represents so much more to me.

**Side note.... so grateful for good friends and family helping me out when my car is refusing to start
Fran - Laurel - Jenn. B - Jenny B. - Dad - Mom - Nikki... and I'm hoping Matt L. will soon be helping me out if I could just get this thing to his shop.  Thank you, thank you!  Grrr...

Cousins!

It really is cute how much the kids are comprehending "cousins" and all that that entails.  I feel that they sense the connection is somehow slightly different than that with friends.  Our kids were so stoked to hear that their cousins were coming to visit with papa and grandma nette.  Friday Jackson didn't have school so we picked up Ryan a bit early and all headed to the beach for a day of leisure.  It was freezing but not one of them complained.

 Andi really is so very sweet with little kids.  I wonder if this will be one of her things or if it will phase out.  They respond well to her and she just loves making them happy.

With the new beach tools from Uncle Curtis and Aunt Tristan, Jackson went to town with digging this monstrous hole.  He would have to take occasional breaks to rest his arms and I don't doubt they were tired.  Everyone helped out here and there but really, this kid did the majority.  I love the picture below with the sand in midair.

 Ryan absolutely loves the beach - loves the ocean, really.  He has no fear; just a desire to watch and experience the crashing waves.

Saturday was an out of control day so Shay, her kids and nette came over that morning to visit a bit.  We ended up with a mini photo session with the cousins and Shay with her kids.

 We needed Tori's kids in here so I don't feel so old providing the eldest in the picture!!!  And hello, we totally can't wait to have Curtis and Tristan's kid added to the mix soon!!  We feel blessed to have the family growing for we know many memories will be made in years to come.

*Andi's odd pose is in the efforts of showing off her freshly painted nails, FYI.

Grandma Nette also brought the buckets she got for the kids for Easter.  They were intended for Easter but they were in the front room just begging to be opened.  Or the kids were begging to open them!?!?  Either way, Jackson had the idea that they could open them for FHE because we could have a lesson on giving and how it feels to give gifts and then transition into the gift of the Holy Ghost, the best gift there is.  I thought it was settled and he would do just that the following day, until a half hour later he begged and pleaded yet again to open them.  Needless to say, it was easier to give in than to deal with the issue everyday for the next two weeks.  Kids were stoked!

After School Special

J:  Ry I can't wait until you go to my school.  You're going to make so many friends.
R:  Like what?
J:  Maybe you'll even find a girl that likes you.
A:  I like Ryan.
J:  No, like a different kind of girl.
R  You know Brandon, he likes a girl.  At school.  At preschool. But he didn't go today.  He likes A*&%#^.  She says bad words.
J:  Like what, stinkey butt??

Kids.  They really do crack ya up when you really listen to their little voices.

The other day there was this woman in Walmart rather early in the morning.  I doubt it was where she planned on being that morning considering she looked rather thrown together and her kids were just as disheveled.  Honestly, they fit in wandering Walmart with no shoes, messy hair and tacky clothing around 8:30am but she was on a mission.  On a mission to get some answers.  You see, she was late, yep, about six days late and her heart was pumping.  Emotions all over the place wondering how in the world she and her husband would support five kids when struggling to take care of four.  And then there was also the issue on not wanting five but would then prefer six if a fifth was a must.  Where's the logic in that, no one knows... especially as she barreled through Walmart on this mission for answers.

Is it wrong to be relieved?  Back in the day there was always a sense of disappointment with a negative test but in these days, the current days, no disappointment.  Great relief in it's place.  I mean don't get me wrong, the days shortly following peeing on a stick can be rather exciting.  Telling the news, seeing the baby for the first time, thinking about their personality and name, all exciting things.... but to then to really deal with the reality of doing this all again.... I mean honestly, I'm not changing diapers for the first time in about 7 years.... no one needs me to pump or to buy formula, no one needs a crib.... ahhhh, yes, relief.  Children are a blessing, indeed, and if it were positive, I would adjust.  But for now, I'm quite content.

Bit of History - for our children to read....

The “Mormon Effect”

February 22, 2013 By Publius 76 Comments

Reprinted from “SMART MORMONS,” By Mike Jensen, January 22, 2013

During the 2012 presidential campaign, that awesomely deep well of perpetual wisdom, Alec Baldwin, proclaimed that if Barack Obama were not black, his vote total would have been 20 percent higher.

People of real intelligence realize that the opposite was probably true: if he had been white, his vote total would have been 20 percent lower. The African-American voting bloc combined with enough whites suffering from liberal guilt guaranteed a higher vote total for Obama.

The truth of the matter is, if Mitt Romney had not been a Mormon, his vote total might very well have been significantly higher.
In fact, according to a Gallop poll released in June of last year, while 4 percent of people said they would not vote for a black president, a full 22 percent said they would not vote for a Mormon. In fact, only atheists and gays ranked higher.

So Baldwin probably had it backwards, which he usually does, so that comes as no surprise.

What did come as a surprise to me is why people would have such negative views of Mormons. I have known lots of them in my life, and in most cases they have been hard-working, kind, generous family-oriented people—just the kind of people this country used to value (and maybe that’s the problem right there.)

Mormons have intrigued me ever since Mike Huckabee back in 2007 claimed that Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers. With the recent election over, I decided to check out Mormons a bit more.

My hope in doing this was to explain to readers who Mormons are and whether or not 22 percent of the people were justified in opposing having a Mormon president.

But instead I’m going to share an intriguing bit of Mormon theology I learned that I think makes them perhaps the most politically wise human beings on the planet. Ironically, this story stems from that Huckabee quote about the relationship between Jesus and the devil, but the lesson to be learned is one that, regardless of our political or religious views, we would all be wise to consider.

So here’s what I learned: Mormons, unlike most other Christian sects, believe that all humans lived a life before mortality. They call this the pre-existence or pre-earth life. At birth a veil is placed over our minds so that we don’t remember it (you’ll see why in a minute).

In this pre-earth life, we were all in the presence of God as His spirit children. Jesus was there—the first-born of God’s spirit children, and a leader in the councils in Heaven. Lucifer was also there, and was another leader among the children of God. He was called a “son of the morning.”

At some point in this existence, the Father called all of His children together to explain how things worked. All of His children would have to leave His presence and come to earth for a period of testing. The goal was to see if we would live a righteous life even when we had to live by faith, as we would no longer be able to remember God or heaven (that’s the reason for the veil).

If we would live a righteous life, we would be given the opportunity to return and live with God forever. Otherwise we would forfeit that chance, because no unclean thing can live in God’s presence. However, God knew that we would all make mistakes, so he would provide a Savior for the world. This Savior would live a sinless life, and because of that, he would qualify to pay for the sins of the world through what would be called the “Atonement.” If people would sincerely repent of their sins, then the Atonement would essentially erase their sins, and they could still return and live with God. The Father called for volunteers to be this savior, and two stepped forward: Jesus and Lucifer.

Lucifer said that he would be the savior and he would force everybody to live righteously, thus guaranteeing that all of God’s spirit children would return to Him in heaven [and he, Lucifer would receive all the credit/glory]. Jesus said that He would follow the Father’s plan and allow God’s children their free agency [and all the glory would go to God]. They could choose for themselves whether to live righteously and take advantage of the Atonement or whether to live in sin and forfeit the opportunity to return and live with God.

God rejected Lucifer’s plan, causing Lucifer to rebel and declare war on God. One-third of God’s spirit children joined Lucifer in this rebellion. In the end, the rebellion failed and Lucifer and his followers were cast out of heaven. They came to earth without bodies and now, continuing the war they started in heaven, they tempt men to do evil to one another and lose out on the chance to return to God. [Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:9; Isaiah 14:12]

PAY ATTENTION HERE; THIS IS THE GOOD PART

Now, any traditional Christians reading this will see similarities to their own belief system. Most traditional Christians believe that Lucifer lived in heaven as an angel, but then declared war on God and was cast out. However, the causes for that war are not necessarily clear in traditional Christian theology.

That is where Mormon theology is so intriguing. For Mormons, the greatest of all battles, the war in heaven, was fought over LIBERTY—or as they call it, “free agency.”Lucifer wanted to take it away, while God demanded that humans have it.

Although a Mormon might balk at my making comparisons between their religious beliefs and modern politics (and as I said earlier, every Mormon I’ve ever known was a very good person, so I apologize to any I offend), I see a direct correlation here. For a Mormon, the battle for liberty is not unique to this life; it is the core battle of the ages. Lucifer lost the war in heaven (he really thought he could beat God?), but the war continues on earth. So seeing the government become more and more tyrannical is not just a political concern; it’s a fundamental, eternal concern.

I’m inspired by this Mormon theological idea: God intended for humans to be free to make our own choices and live with the consequences of those choices. The Founding Fathers of this country said essentially the same thing in the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evidence, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

My study of Mormonism has not only given me newfound respect for this people and their religion; it has also made me evaluate my own attitude towards the liberty that seems to be slipping through all of our fingers. Is this just something that is nice to have, and for which I thank the Founding Fathers? Or is it really something that is endowed by God, and that He expects me to fight for. According to Mormon theology, I already fought for this once. The fact that I’m here says that I was on God’s side in the war in heaven, and fought for liberty.

A Mormon might ask, why should any of us be less willing to fight for it here than we were there?

Read our story from last year about Harry Reid: A Failure to Excommunicate

Confessions of a Mormon Bishop

by RUSS HILL on MARCH 19, 2013

I pulled into my driveway at 12:30 this morning.

I sat in the car in front of our dark house for a few minutes.  Everyone inside was asleep.  The whole neighborhood was still.  And yet my mind was racing.  So many questions.  So many emotions.  Sadness.  Hope.  Inadequacy.

Welcome to the life of a Mormon bishop.

Like pastors, priests, and clergy in other religions, those of us asked to serve as a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spend hours behind closed doors meeting with people who allow us into the darkest corners of their lives.

They come to us for various reasons.  Because of guilt.  Because they have lost hope.  Because they have been betrayed.  Because they don’t know where else to go.  Because they feel worthless.  Because the person they are isn’t the person they want to be.  Because they have questions.  Because they have doubts.  Because they believe in a forgiving God yet feel disconnected from Him.

They come and sit in front of me.  Some hesitate.  Take a deep breath.  And grasp for courage to say out loud what they have been hiding inside for days, weeks, or years.

Others almost run in.  They spill before I sit.  They’re anxious to clear their conscience or announce their doubts.

Each one is different.

For hours every week I sit.  And listen.

I did not ask for this opportunity.  I never considered I might someday have an office in a church.  I have no professional training for this position.  I am not a scriptural scholar.  I have not walked through vineyards with robe-wearing monks.  And, if you’re wondering about vows of celibacy let me introduce you to my four kids.

All I did was answer a phone call.  Show up for a meeting.  And nod when asked if I would serve.  I don’t sometimes wonder why me.  I always wonder why me.  And yet they come.  Share their stories.  And look to me for wisdom.  I’m not sure any of them have learned from me.  But, I have learned so much in the hours I’ve sat in that office listening to them.  I have learned that we believe it is a strength to conceal weakness.  I have learned that it is easy to want others to overlook our flaws as we expect perfection in them.  I have learned that it is hardest to show compassion and grant forgiveness to those closest to us.  I have learned that while curiosity is a strength it can also be a curse.  I have learned that we are creatures of habit.  I have learned that faith is a muscle.  I have learned that it is far easier to deny deity than to deny desire.  I have learned the mystery surrounding death forces a consideration of spiritual matters.  I have learned that observance of the Sabbath recalibrates perspective and improves judgment.  I have learned that most of us bare scars from the failure, disappointment, and fear in our lives.  And, we prefer to wear long sleeves.  I have learned that to deal with life’s pain most of us choose one of the following: alcohol, drugs, pornography, or spirituality.  I have learned alcohol and drugs are the easiest path.  As long as you’re willing to never stop drinking, smoking, or swallowing.  I have learned pornography is highly addictive and has nothing to do with sexual appetites and everything to do with escape.  And that the habit is never overcome in isolation.  

I have learned that we feel like a failure when we make mistakes even when we profess a belief that the purpose of this existence is to make and learn from them.  I have learned that forgiveness is the greatest gift we can offer someone.  And ourselves.  I have learned that many know about Jesus Christ but more of us could make an effort to know Him.  I have learned that the strongest among us are those with the cleanest mirrors.  I have learned that the sins of parents profoundly affect children.  And are often repeated by them.  I have learned that affection from parents profoundly affects children.  I have learned that most communication between parents and children is what psychologists call “superficial.”  Strong relationships are built on the “validating” variety.  I have learned that children desperately desire parents who listen.  I have learned that churches are not museums or catwalks for perfected saints but rather labs for sinners.

I have learned that “tolerate” and “love” are two very different verbs despite what popular culture professes.  I have learned that there’s more sadness in this world than I had realized.  I have learned there is more goodness in this world than I had realized.  I have learned that to be happy is a choice.  I have learned those preoccupied with serving others have less time to count their problems.  I have learned that a habit of one brief moment of spirituality a day can alter one’s entire direction.  I have learned that we want God to grant us space to make decisions but step in to stop others, nature, mortality, or illness from hurting us or those we love.  I have learned those who have made more mistakes have a great gift.  Empathy.  Now to the matter of searching out someone who hungers for it.  Indeed, I have learned I have much to learn.

The names of those I meet with will never be known.  Confidentiality demands I never disclose their stories.  But, late last night as I sat in my car on the driveway I decided I should compile a list of what the people I meet with are teaching me.

And, I wanted to share it.

http://www.russhillmedia.com/2013/03/19/confessions-of-a-mormon-bishop/