Luke

Me: Lukie, you are one of the three sweetest boys on the planet.
Luke: Thanks!
Me: You want to know who the two other sweetest boys on the planet are?
Luke: Sure.
Me: Parker and Jack.
Luke: (pauses) Yeah, but Jack scares me.

August

We went on vacation with my sister and her family, and my nieces did Luke's hair. I think he looks like one of the Olsen twins. This was at the beginning of August 2009.


Jackson Hole, August 2009.


Grand Teton National Park.


Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park.



We took our boys exploring on the BYU campus.



We went to a Dodger game on 21 August 2009 to celebrate both Luke and Parker's August birthdays.


"A Wing and a Prayer"
We flew to Salt Lake City on 28 August 2009 for our friend Paul's wedding.



The Salt Lake City Temple.


Our friends, Paul and Tami, on their wedding day: 29 August 2009. We'll never forget their anniversary, because it also happens to be Luke's birthday.


Music and the Spoken Word, 30 August 2009, Salt Lake Tabernacle. Amazing.



Okay, these pictures are from Luke's "Toy Story"-themed birthday party which actually took place in September, but I'm including them here because his birthday is on August 29th. I usually make my kids' birthday cakes, but this day was a little crazy and I ran out of time, so I broke down and bought a cake. My friend bought Luke the little Toy Story action figures which are on top of the cake.

Lucky

I am, because I married Tim on July 31, 1993.

Happy (belated) anniversary, Tim. Thanks for asking me if I'd marry you. I'm glad I responded in the affirmative. I love you.

"Lucky" Official Video With Colbie Caillat


Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat singing "Lucky" from the album "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things." This song makes me happy.

(We left on vacation on our anniversary, so I am late posting this. I'm a lame wife.)

Cool

This is one of the coolest videos I've ever seen. I love everything about it: the music ("The Funeral" by Band of Horses), the cool locations (in and around Edinburgh, Scotland), and the crazy cool bicycle stunts by Danny MacAskill. As cool as this video is, I was hesitant to let my boys watch it. You'll see why soon enough.

Enjoy.


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Cool.

PS-You'll be nervous to let your kids watch it, too, if they are anything like my Evel Knievel wannabes.

PPS-After watching this video, Jack said, "I bet he gets all the girls." Luke replied, "He's cool." Parker said, "I could do that." I then passed out.

Happy

Today is my 41st birthday. It actually sort of blows my mind, as it feels like I just had my 40th birthday last week. The years are flying by at an alarming rate. Really, though, I don't mind getting older. In fact, I sort of like it, though I just can't get over how fast the years seem to be passing.

On my 41st birthday, here is a list of 41 things (in no particular order) for which I am grateful. These are things which make my life more comfortable or which make me happy:

1) Modern medicine

I most likely would have died during labor without it. Had I been pregnant with Parker a hundred years ago, I wouldn't have survived the complications.

2) Parker

3) Jack

4) Luke

5) Tim

6) Our home

7) Air conditioning

We have pretty great weather here for most of the year, but July and August can be hot.

8) Our pool

Again, July and August can be hot. (But I'm not complaining, because I'm not so good with snow -- it's good for me that it doesn't snow here.) I can handle a couple months of heat, and we actually look forward to it because it means it will be warm enough in the pool to swim.

9) My flute

10) My music CDs

I love listening to music while I clean house, drive, work out, etc.

11) My piano

It's not fancy, but it gets the job done.

12) The opportunity I had to study music at BYU

I grew up wanting to go to ASU -- both of my parents had gotten their undergraduate and graduate degrees from ASU, and I wanted to follow in their footsteps. But when it came time to apply to colleges, I started feeling that I should go to BYU. It's the only school to which I even applied, so I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't been accepted. I loved the opportunities I had to hear so many great men and women speak at the weekly devotionals. (I once got to shake Neal A. Maxwell's hand after a devotional. He was one of my all-time favorite speakers/writers, so that was an experience I'll never forget.) I loved the atmosphere on campus and the amazing people I met at BYU. It was a life-altering experience.

13) My car

And the fact that Tim paid it off last month, a year early. When you live in a rural area, having a reliable car is helpful.

14) My friends

Friends from my childhood. Friends from BYU. Friends from when I served as a missionary in Massachusetts. Friends from when Tim and I first got married and lived in Berkeley. Friends from when we moved to Bakersfield after Tim took his first "real" job. Friends from our current city of residence.

Friends have gotten me through the worst life has had to offer, and they've been there to rejoice with me through the greatest times, too. Life without them would be pretty depressing.

15) Facebook

I've been able to reconnect with many of my aforementioned friends on Facebook.

16) My mom

17) My dad

18) My siblings

19) Jesus Christ

Happiness would be impossible without Him. An inability to repent and be forgiven of our sins would keep us miserable.

20) This area where Tim and I are now raising our family

It is close to Sequoia National Park, a couple hours from Yosemite National Park, and 2.5 -3 hours from several beaches. It makes planning family vacations easy, and I love looking out my windows every day and seeing the Sierra Nevada mountains.

21) The writings of C.S. Lewis

When I die, I want to meet him.

22) My eyesight

23) My hearing

24) The fact that I am able to walk/run/swim/bike/play

I take my good health for granted sometimes.

25) My Thermador double oven

Our home is a little bit of a fixer-upper, but it has good appliances. I love cooking.

26) My Thermador 6-burner gas cooktop

Again, this house is a fixer-upper, but the appliances are decent.

27) Books, books, books

28) My flute teachers, past and present

29) My assignments at church that allow me to work with the children ages 18 months - 12 years

I love playing the piano every week for the children's worship services, and I also get to teach a lesson once a month. I love working with children -- you never know what they are going to say or do. It's pretty fun.

30) The opportunity I had to serve as a missionary

It was another life-altering experience that continues to influence me daily, 18 years after returning home.

31) The fact that my husband is an optometrist

I tend to lose things like glasses.

32) The Office

Always good for a laugh.

33) My endocrinologist

Thank heaven for kind, helpful doctors.

34) Our apple orchard

I love apple pie, apple butter, applesauce, etc.

35) The citrus trees that we just planted

I love citrus fruit as much as I love apples, so I'm looking forward to picking citrus off my own trees in my own yard.

36) My flat iron

I have naturally curly hair -- I'm talking corkscrew curly hair -- and it's nice to be able to straighten it now and then.

37) Our DVR

Otherwise, I would miss The Office, because I never seem to be home on Thursday evenings.

38) My cell phone

I didn't think I needed one until the day eight years ago that I ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere with Parker and Jack in the car. Thank goodness for the nice farmer who had a gas pump on his farm.

39) Living in the United States of America

Sometimes, I'm ashamed to say, I take freedom for granted. Until I see what is happening in other parts of the world -- then it's like someone slapped me upside the head. Wow, are we ever lucky to live in a republic.

40) Chocolate

41) Going to church every Sunday

I need regular reminders of what is really important. Reminders "of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be." (Book of Mormon, Jacob 4:13)


Okay, that was a fun exercise. I think I'll make a list every year on my birthday of things that make me happy.

Curry

My husband served as a missionary in South Africa, where they eat a lot of curry. I made this curry chicken recipe last night, and he said that of all the curries he's eaten since coming home 20 years ago, this was the most like what he had in South Africa.

I figured I'd better write down how I made it before I forget.

Luisa's Curry Chicken

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tsp. each salt and pepper (I used kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper)
2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons curry powder (I used a hot curry powder that I purchased at Cost Plus World Market)
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, sliced into chunks
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
4 oz. tomato paste mixed with 4 oz. water (or 8 oz. tomato sauce)
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 bay leaves

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat oil and curry powder in an enameled cast iron French oven (or large skillet) over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.

Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add chicken and red bell pepper chunks and toss lightly in curry oil to coat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.

Add coconut milk, diced tomatoes, tomato paste/water, and sugar. Stir to combine. Add bay leaves.

Lower heat to simmer and cover. Allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice with chutney and/or sliced bananas. (We used a spiced mango chutney, also from Cost Plus World Market.)

I wish I had taken a picture. (I want to be more like my friend, L., who makes good food and then posts beautiful pictures of it on her blog, http://exoskeleto.blogspot.com/. Her blog always makes me hungry!)

P.S. This curry was even better today, the day after I made it.

Time

Seventeen years ago today, I met my husband for the first time when we went on a blind date.

When he came to my apartment to pick me up that evening, the first thing I noticed about him was his eyelashes -- they are freakishly thick, dark, and long. So unfair. I was a sucker for gorgeous eyelashes, so I pretty much didn't stand a chance.

I was playing the flute on my friend's organ recital that night at BYU, so Tim picked me up and we drove to the Harris Fine Arts Center on campus. Tim had to sit and listen to me warm up on my flute for a while, and I remember worrying that he would be bored out of his mind as I played Moyse's "De La Sonorite" Exercise 1 (a very effective warm-up which I imagine is extremely boring to listen to).

My friend (Tyler Vance) and I played Noel-Gallon's "Recueillement" for flute and organ, which is a soothing, heavenly piece to perform. Then Tim and I enjoyed the rest of Tyler's recital.

(As a side note, any of you in the McCall, Idaho area may witness Tyler in action at the McCall Community Congregational Church. http://mccallucc.org/Director_of_Music.html Tyler is doing many great things there.)

After the recital, as we were driving to Olive Garden for dinner, Tim mentioned to me in passing that he had just had a lot of dental work done. When we got to Olive Garden, I ordered this very inexpensive chicken salad, and he told me later that he worried that I ordered it because I was trying to go easy on him since he had just spent a lot of money on said dental work. (I really just liked that particular chicken salad -- I don't think I even noticed the price.)

Anyway, the conversation that evening was good, and it was a fun first date for me. I guess Tim enjoyed the evening, too. We were pretty inseparable after that, with only a couple episodes of "cold feet." We married a little over a year later.

In some ways, that blind date seems like yesterday. In other ways, it feels like a lifetime ago. Time is a funny thing.

Random

Okay, these "25 Random Things About Me" posts seem to be all the rage amongst bloggers. I guess I'll cave to the peer pressure and share 25 things about myself that you might not know.

1. I am a little obsessed with buying Christmas CDs. I buy two or three a year, and my collection of Christmas music is out of control. I think this year I actually ended up buying five CDs, because after I'd already purchased a couple, a friend recommended five of his favorite Christmas CDs. I bought three of the five, and I fully intend to buy the other two next year before November.

2. I am a minimalist with pack rat tendencies. You can see how crazy this could make me. I hate clutter, yet I sometimes find myself surrounded by it because I get paralyzed when it comes time to throw stuff away. I'm getting much better at it, though. I love the relief I feel when I finally chuck stuff. I've pretty much decluttered the downstairs and am now working on the upstairs. It's liberating. Although by the time I finish this post, the downstairs might be cluttered again.

3. I love V8 100% Vegetable Juice. I buy multiple six-packs of it each week -- and drink every last can. Every week. I'm surprised my skin hasn't turned orange. I'm addicted to it. I think they add crack cocaine or something to make it so addictive. I should buy stock in Campbell's.

4. I play the piano in Primary (the children's worship service at the church I attend) and I love it.

5. My friend, Brook, and I make really good pomegranate jelly and Meyer lemon jelly. Tim and I have pomegranate trees at our other property (and plan to plant some here), and Brook has a Meyer lemon tree. Almost every December, Brook and I get together to juice the fruit and make jelly. It's fun. And messy. (Did you know pomegranate juice stains your skin and fingernails?)

6. I love The Office. I enjoy a good belly laugh, and that show delivers.

7. I sometimes have this dream that I'm still in college and I have a final exam in a couple of hours in a class that I haven't attended all semester because I forgot that I registered for it. I wake up in a sweat.

8. In one of the aforementioned dreams, I am standing in the hall outside the room where the final will be administered, and a bunch of people are there studying for the final. I ask what the test is going to be on, and someone hands me this really thick packet full of Greek and Latin roots that I should have memorized.

9. I have really great friends.

10. I have really great siblings.

11. I have really great parents.

12. I have really great kids.

13. Once, when I was about 8 years old, I told my parents I didn't want to go to church. My dad said I could stay home, but that if I wasn't going to observe the Sabbath anyway, I had to fold all the clean laundry. I decided I'd rather go to church.

14. I thought I'd use the above ploy on my kids if they ever said they wanted to skip church, but they've never wanted to!

15. I love aprons. I have an extensive apron collection. And I actually like to wear aprons when I'm cooking and cleaning -- it makes me feel like June Cleaver (minus the heels, dress, and pearl necklace that she wore while cleaning and vacuuming) or my amazing late grandmother, June Coleman.

16. I love reading. If I start reading a good book, I sometimes have a hard time stopping, even if my house is a mess and I have other things that I need to do. I call this "Book Prison." I'm incarcerated frequently.

17. I love running. I ran a marathon once and hope to do so again someday.

18. I love playing the flute.

19.In addition to my Christmas CD and apron collections, I also have a nativity set collection. My dad brought me back an olive wood nativity set after one of his trips to Israel about 15 years ago, and I've bought one or two nativities almost every year since then. This year I bought two at an antique store. One was made in Poland, and I believe the other was made somewhere in Central or South America.

20. I have to take thyroid medication every day for the rest of my life. Sometimes it's annoying, but I figure there are much worse diseases out there, so I feel pretty lucky that the one I have only requires me to take a couple of pills everyday to feel okay.

21. While my husband was in graduate school at UC Berkeley, I managed the apartment building that we lived in, substituted in several school districts, worked temp jobs, and taught private flute lessons at Bronstein Music in South San Francisco. Concurrently.

22. I have had major abdominal surgery three times. I have three beautiful, healthy sons to show for it.

23. My husband and I have moved about 8 times in our almost 16 years of marriage. I hate moving. If I never see another moving box again, it will be too soon.

24. I have lived in 5 different states. I was born in Newport News, Virginia. I was raised in Mesa, Arizona. I went to college in Provo, Utah. I served as a missionary in Greenfield, Lawrence, Worcester, Cambridge, and Salem, Massachusetts. I moved to California with my husband right after we got married, and I've been in California ever since.

25. My favorite flowers are orchids, tulips, and calla lilies.

Delete

You know when you write something on your blog, and you intend for it to sound tongue-in-cheek, but then you reread it later and realize that it just sounds bitter? I hate it when that happens.

And then I delete the evidence of my error. :-)

Motherhood

When I was 24 years old, I did my student teaching in music at a junior high school in Utah. I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful kids and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

One of the students who made a particularly strong impression on me was a 14-year-old boy named Michael. Michael was in the 7th grade. Due to complications at birth, he had learning disabilities, so he had been held back twice in school. He was also quite small for his age. Michael told me that when he was born, his delivery didn't go well and he'd almost died. After telling me his history, he said, "My mom's real happy that I lived." I could imagine the conversations that they might have had. I pictured his mom telling him every year on his birthday, and on every major holiday, and maybe at times for no particular reason, how happy she was that he was alive.

I could tell that Michael came from a good home. In spite of his disabilities, he was confident. He was very kind to other kids, and I was glad to see that he was quite popular. He was not your average surly teenager -- he was cheerful and open and sweet. In addition to being small, he wore glasses, had blond hair, and he had the face of an angel.

Michael was in the brass class and he played the tuba. He was able to get an amazing sound on the tuba and he had great rhythm. The only thing that he struggled with was memorizing the fingerings for each note. He had to practice 5 times harder than the other kids to learn the music, but his practice paid off. He was a great little tuba player.

My cooperating teacher turned over all of his classes to me, with the exception of this brass class. (I think he was afraid they would eat me alive.) On one particular day, he was going to administer a playing test in the brass class. Michael forgot that there would be a test that day, and he was very upset when he got to class and was reminded of that fact. He asked me if there was any way that he could do the playing test the next day. I talked to my cooperating teacher, who told me that I could take Michael into one of the practice rooms and work with him the whole hour, and then Michael could do the playing test at the end of the class period.

Michael and I worked very hard on that piece. It was a march, so it was not something that he could play slowly for the test. He was struggling to play it up to tempo, though, because it was difficult for him to remember the fingerings for each note, so we ended up writing in the valve combinations above each note. Michael practiced the piece over and over, and by the end of the class period, he was playing it up to tempo.

We went back into the band room so that Michael could have his turn at playing the piece. When he got ready to play, I was so nervous for him. I wanted him to do well because I knew how hard he had worked and I knew how nervous he was. I said a silent prayer that he would be able to play it as well as he had in the practice room. I really wanted him to succeed, and I wanted the playing test to be a positive experience for him.

When he started playing, I was happy (and enormously relieved) to hear him play it exceptionally well. He played the march up to tempo, he got a great sound out of his tuba, and he didn't falter or hesitate on even one note. He nailed it. I don't think that his own mother could have been prouder of him than I was at that moment (although I'm sure she would have been equally proud). I wondered if the other kids in the class had any idea what an accomplishment this was for Michael. To most of the other kids, that playing test was no big deal. I wondered if they could appreciate what a triumph it was for Michael.

I got my answer soon enough. The instant Michael was done playing, the entire class erupted into applause. Everyone cheered and whistled for him. "Bravo!" and "Encore!" were yelled. The congratulations continued after the bell rang and they were all packing up their instruments. It was like they were a team and Michael had just scored the game-winning point.

That was the day I fell in love with an entire class of teenage brass players (and one little tuba player in particular). It was also the day I knew that, whether or not I ever got married and had children, I was a mother.

Beautiful

I don't really have anything in common with the late John Lennon. Well, except two things: He loved music, I love music. He loved his boys, I love my boys. I love them so much it hurts sometimes.

I enjoy "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" -- I can relate to the hopes and dreams John Lennon had for his son, which he expressed so beautifully in this song. I remember my own parents comforting me after I'd have a nightmare, and now I do the same for my own children. It's pretty universal, this desire parents have to help their children feel safe, and the hopes they have that their children will grow to be beautiful adults. And yes, there is a lot of prayer involved.

Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)

Close your eyes,
Have no fear.
The monster's gone,
He's on the run and your daddy's here.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful boy.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful boy.

Before you go to sleep,
Say a little prayer.
Every day, in every way,
It's getting better and better.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful boy.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful boy.

Out on the ocean, sailing away,
I can hardly wait
To see you come of age.
But I guess we'll both just have to be patient,
'Cause it's a long way to go,
A hard row to hoe.
Yes, it's a long way to go,
But in the meantime...

Before you cross the street,
Take my hand.
Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful boy.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful boy.

Before you go to sleep,
Say a little prayer.
Every day, in every way,
It's getting better and better.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful boy.
Darling, darling, darling,
Darling Sean.

Oddity

So yesterday, I was in my bedroom typing an email to a friend, when out in the backyard there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a yelling man on a horse, followed by a bunch of barking dogs, chasing a cow through the orange grove behind our house.

Okay...

(People, I couldn't make this stuff up.)

Rodeo

Our little town hosts a rodeo every year in April. We had been planning for over a year to attend the rodeo this year (it took place April 24-26) with our dear friends, Rick and Rebecca (and their three children), who were going to come stay with us that weekend. About a week before the rodeo, Tim realized that in order to earn all of his required CE credits by the deadline this year, he would need to attend a conference that same weekend up in Berkeley. We were all so disappointed! Rick and Rebecca decided to come another weekend so that they could visit with Tim, too.

I still planned to attend the rodeo on Saturday, although I almost changed my mind. I had a baby shower to go to that morning, Parker and I were both asked to speak in church on Sunday and we needed to work on our talks, and our house was a disaster. There was just too much to do, and I didn't think I could get it all done before the rodeo that evening. I started thinking that maybe the boys and I should stay home and clean the house and work on our talks.

Thankfully, Rebecca called that morning and said, "Hey, we want to come for the rodeo! We know Tim won't be there, but we'll just come for the rodeo and head home when it's over. We would be bummed to miss it and we want to see you guys." Yay! That was just the push I needed to hurry and get things done. I decided the house could just stay messy. (It's messy every other day -- why should that day have been any different?) I finished up the research on my talk and we were almost ready to go when Rick and Rebecca arrived with their children, Dean, Grace, and Isaac.

The evening was replete with good rodeo food (tri-tip burritos, corn on the cob, cowboy beans, and strawberry shortcake), good company, and good rodeo-ing. Rebecca is one of those friends who is like a sister, so getting to spend an evening with her and her family seriously made my month. We have been there for each other over the last 13+ years, and I feel so blessed to have a friend like her. I was with her when she was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we've supported one another through good times (births of children, her marriage to Rick, new jobs, etc.) and bad. It was a hard day when Tim and I moved from the Bay Area to Central California -- I knew how difficult it was going to be to not get to see Rebecca almost daily. Anyway, I was very glad to get to spend some time with Rebecca and Rick for a few hours at the rodeo.

Thanks, Rebecca and Rick, for saving us from an evening of lameness! We love you guys. And thanks, Rick, for actually bringing a camera. (I can't believe I forgot mine.)

Only three of the six kids sat still long enough for Rick to get pictures -- Parker, Luke, and Isaac. (Jack, Dean, and Grace apparently hid from the camera. So did Rebecca and I.) Next year, we'll have to make sure to get a group shot.

Oh, and a special thanks to my friend, Brook, for loaning me some cowboy boots for the evening and for coming along with us to the rodeo with her three boys. It was fun to have two of my dear friends, Brook and Rebecca, meet. (And Brook, I promise I'll get my own boots before next year's rodeo!)


Luke, acting like a monkey on crack. Get a load of the beans, corn on the cob, and tri-tip burrito.


Parker and Isaac, chillin' on the bench.

Luke and Isaac. Luke is literally kicking up his heel (and sticking out his tongue) for some reason. Notice how well-behaved Isaac is.

Conversations

Here are a few of the conversations that I heard in our car and hotel room when we went on a mini-vacation to Disneyland back in January. I wrote these down on the hotel stationery, but then lost the paper and forgot about them. I found the paper the other day, so here's a sampling of the types of conversations I am subjected to on a regular basis:

Tim (after going for a run): Anyone want to wear my sweaty hat?
Parker: Not me.
Jack: Not me.
Luke: I want to, Daddy! I do! I do!
Luisa: That's just gross. Don't you dare put that sweaty hat on Luke.

Parker: Ugh, Luke farted on me! Why does he always have to fart on me?
Tim: Because he knows you are about to harass him.
Luisa: Luke, don't fart on your brother.

Parker: I need some Weird Al on my iPod.
Jack: Me, too.

Yeah, I'm the only female in this house.

Encore

This is Susan Boyle singing "Cry Me a River" on a charity CD made in 1999. Apparently, only 1000 copies were made of this CD. (Oh, to own one of those...) There is no video -- just stills from her performance on Britain's Got Talent -- but the audio is fantastic. Enjoy, fellow audiophiles.

Susan

Susan Boyle.

If you don't know that name, let me introduce you to her HERE.

I love that this video starts out with Susan Boyle sitting on a chair, eating a sandwich. Many great things start with a sandwich. Never underestimate the power of a good sandwich.

I loved her little smile right before she started singing. She knew, from the snickering and laughing going on, that everyone had very low expectations of her, but she also knew that she was going to blow her audience away the second she started singing. That smile showed her confidence.

I love how stunned the audience and judges were, and how she won them over with just a few notes.

I love that she made Simon smile. It was like the sun came out.

I wonder how she could even hear herself sing over the cheering.

And yes, watching her performance made me cry.

This video made my day.

Easter

Four years ago, I was in the throes of pregnancy and morning sickness. On the day after Easter, I was not feeling well enough to plan a lesson for our Family Home Evening, so I pulled out the Lamb of God DVD for us to watch. (This is a short film that depicts the last week of the Savior's life.) I figured we could watch it and then discuss Christ's atonement and resurrection.

I had no idea how much that film would impact Parker and Jack, who were 8 1/2 and 5 at the time. They had so many questions -- questions about Judas, questions about Pilate, questions about the Roman soldiers, questions about why "the bad guys were doing those mean things to Jesus." Certain parts of the film were difficult to watch. I explained to Parker and Jack that because Jesus was the Son of God, He could have stopped the people from hurting Him at any time. He could have called down legions of angels from His Father to stop those things from happening, but He didn't (Matthew 26:53). He willingly laid down His life as a sacrifice for sin. The boys expressed amazement that Jesus allowed others to beat Him and nail Him to a cross when He had the power to stop them.

The Friday morning after we watched that DVD, Jack came into my bedroom. (I hadn't gotten out of bed yet that morning -- morning sickness had gotten the best of me.) He said, "Mom, I've been thinking about it a lot, and I think I know why Jesus let the bad guys hurt Him." I realized that he had been thinking about this for three days, so I was curious to hear what conclusions he had drawn. I asked, "Well, why do you think Jesus let the 'bad guys' hurt Him?" His answer: "Because Jesus loved the bad guys."

My then five-year-old son taught me a sermon with that short sentence.

I think that each of us, at times, feels like a "bad guy." How grateful I am that I have a Savior who loves me and who, if I turn to Him, will save me from myself.

Isaiah Chapter 53
4 ¶ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Happy Easter.

Atonement

Every April and October, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are instructed by General Authorities of the Church at a General Conference. The April conference was held last weekend, and I would like to share an excerpt from my favorite talk of the conference. This talk was given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and it brought me a great deal of comfort.



You may listen to the talk in its entirety HERE.

I would like, also, to share the text of my favorite Easter hymn:

O Savior, thou who wearest
A crown of piercing thorn,
The pain thou meekly bearest,
Weigh'd down by grief and scorn.
The soldiers mock and flail thee;
For drink they give thee gall;
Upon the cross they nail thee
To die, O King of all.

No creature is so lowly,
No sinner so depraved,
But feels thy presence holy
And thru thy love is saved.
Tho craven friends betray thee,
They feel thy love's embrace;
The very foes who slay thee
Have access to thy grace.

Thy sacrifice transcended
The mortal law's demand;
Thy mercy is extended
To ev'ry time and land.
No more can Satan harm us,
Tho long the fight may be,
Nor fear of death alarm us;
We live, O Lord, thru thee.

What praises can we offer
To thank thee, Lord most high?
In our place thou didst suffer;
In our place thou didst die,
By heaven's plan appointed,
To ransom us, our King.
O Jesus, the anointed,
To thee our love we bring!

(Hymn 197, "O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown," Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

I wish you all a joyous Easter!

Conversation

Luke: Mommy, are you a droid?
Me: No, Luke, I'm not a droid! I'm your mommy.
Luke: No, Mommy, you are a droid. You are a bad guy!

That kid watches way too much Star Wars.

Parker

Parker was invited to go to the beach with his friend, AJ, for Spring Break. AJ's mom (my friend, Amanda) took the boys for surf lessons.



Parker, too cool for school.

Parker, headed to shore.

Seriously, how did he learn to surf so fast?

Parker and AJ.

Boys with their boards.

I think my kid looks cool surfing. I am going to take surf lessons this summer, but I'm not sure that I'll look as cool on a surfboard as Parker does. I might be a surf spaz, but I'm going to try anyway.