God Gave Us Families...

We were watching a family movie tonight but I was too tired to finish it, and so was Anna. We came upstairs and got ready for bed. She asked if she could sleep with me until the rest of the family came up and I said yes. She went to brush her teeth and I knelt to pray. When I opened my eyes and looked across the bed, there was my baby kneeling in prayer.

When she finished her prayer I told her how I loved to see her praying and she replied, "I want to follow your good example" then she sang..."when I am a mom or dad, so glad, I'll help my fa remember, God gave us families to help us become who he wants us to be. This is how he shares his love, for a family is of God." Being a mom is the best thing ever!

Fasting

Last week was eventful. My sister-in-law Lori, whom I love, had her husband, Glenn, in the hospital with a terrible case of diverticulitis that looked like it would require surgery. After talking to our family it was suggested that we have a family fast. In our religion, we observe fasting as they did in the Old and New Testament in the Bible. We basically abstain from water and food for a period of time, in our case 24 hours, in order to show our need and will to the Lord as well as our our sincere desire in asking Him for a blessing. 

We decided to fast Saturday after lunch until Sunday at lunchtime. On Friday afternoon my dad, who is serving a mission for our church with my mom in Colorado, lost his short-term memory. People that they knew, passwords that he had typed, friends that he had made in Colorado in the last 10 months, even the missionaries who were with them at the time, all of those things were affected. It was very frightening! My parents went to the hospital and had some test run to make sure he had not suffered a stroke, and we added him to the fast.

Miracles really happened! I know that fasting helped to make those miracles possible. Glenn is home from the hospital now and there's a possibility that he will not have to have surgery from what I understand. My dad is also home from the hospital. They determined that his memory loss was due to a transient ischemic attack, or in other words a small clots of blood blocking the artery for a short period of time to the brain. It resolved itself. We Skyped with him and my mom last night and they are doing so well. As a matter of fact, three hours after getting out of the hospital, my mom and dad were at a Stake Conference! Absolute miracles.

There were other miracles yesterday as well. One was that our Bishop talked in sacrament meeting and his entire talk was about fasting. Another miracle came when I was asked to teach my daughter Camilla's 12-year-old primary class yesterday and lesson was about Esther from the Old Testament and the purpose of the lesson was to teach the importance of fasting. Does it seem like the Lord has something he wants me to learn? I have always had a testimony of fasting. I've seen it work. But it is stronger today because of my fast yesterday.

Even Ella and Anna had a longer fast than usual yesterday. Ella had a hard time continuing in the fast because she got very weak. I thought about giving her some candy at church that I had in my bag and a drink of water to help her,but just as I was having that thought she said to me "it's hard but it's worth it."I knew then that even though it was hard for me to see her like that and for her to do it, I needed to let her finish her fast. She did! She lasted until after church, said her prayer, had her drink, had her lunch, and had the blessings of the fast inside of her forever!

As we were ending our fast last night I got a text from my best friend Emily. It told me that she had been thinking of me that day and had

been fasting with me. I hadn't asked her to. I didn't expect it! But that also strengthen my testimony of fasting because I realized how strong her testimony of the power of fasting was.

I'll end this post by quoting scripture that our Bishop used yesterday and his talk. It is from Isaiah in the Old Testament:

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Isaiah 58:6

I really do feel that the bands were loosed, heavy burdens lifted, and that we were able to break every yoke. I am grateful for fasting.

Pre-Peach Passion =TORTURE!!!

In our religion, we are encouraged fast one Sunday per month. Going without food or drink for 24 hours is a different and challenging thing for most of us to do in the day of plenty. However, there are so many things that I learn from it, and I know that I am blessed by the Lord for doing it.

Today's challenge was especially hard for us. Last night we received several boxes of fresh peaches. By the time we got them it was too late to eat them, our fast had already begun. Today we made two desserts using these fresh, fragrant peaches, also during our fast. Madsen, Camilla, and I made homemade peach ice cream and a fresh peach pie. First we scalded the peaches, put them in ice water, and then slipped the skins. The smell was overwhelming! The juice in our hands was so enticing. Even the look of the peach seem to be heightened by our desire for food. I had a realization; when I can just eat whatever I want I don't often take time to appreciate the sight, smell, feel... Peaches even have a sound when you cut them it sounds like "p...e...a...c...h...," whispered really softly. But when I'm really hungry, I can truly appreciate them for all they are.

I'm so glad that I have food! I am so glad that I have water! Having these in plenty is one of the greatest blessings of my life. But, I must also admit, that going without them once a month helps me to appreciate the pleasure in a beautiful peach made by God, ripened on His tree. This Sunday, I count one of the blessings received this afternoon with my children, in gratitude for a peach.

Memorial Day

Today was beautiful! Weather like we normally only see in the depths of summer, sky like it was painted to look too perfect, breeze just brisk enough to snap the flags to attention.

We started our day with friends. All of the kids had a friend over and they enjoyed (and destroyed) the fruits of their labors (they cleaned their rooms and helped with big jobs on Saturday). Brad and I cleaned and organized, then took the friends home, and the party began!

We visited Wendell's grave.

We ate ice cream at Reeds Dairy.

We saw the 1000 flags set up at Freeman park.

We watched a man reenact being a soldier during the Revolutionary War.

The kids ran through the sprinklers and jumped on the trampoline together while Brad and I ran errands.

We roasted hotdogs over a fire and ate dinner outside.

We installed a new kitchen faucet.

We fixed our back door which wouldn't close.

We tightened Camilla's bike chain which kept falling off and fixed Tanners brakes so his bike could stop.

We filled up everyone's bike tires and ended the night with a family bike ride (which ended after 10:00)

It was a wonderful day. I never grow tired of hearing my children play kindly together. I love family dinners, especially when we can eat outside! Brads days off always make us happy. Ice cream is delicious. I love living in America and celebrating her greatness. Projects accomplished make me look forward to tomorrow. I'm glad I am me!