Meet Fermie

That's right. We have a pet gecko thanks to Kiersten and her friend Cambree and their ingenuity. Their sixth grade class held an end-of-year auction and since neither one had enough money to buy the class pet on their own, they combined and bought it together. We got first dibs since Cambree is out of town for the weekend. I'm not really fond of the gecko. Just make sure she stays in her cage.

We ate our traditional chocolate cake for breakfast to celebrate the last day of school, and Kiersten spotted our first mouse, thankfully, in the garage. We might need a pet cat to join Fermie if the mice sightings keep up. With all this rain the neighbor's kitty just isn't doing its job.

Closer to Christ - Days 59-65

DAY 59

Scripture study: Alma 54-56

Mark and ponder: Exodus 19:5-6

Scripture thought of the day: Jeremiah 50:5

Thought of the day: "In our utter desolation, what could we women do but pray? Prayer was our only source of comfort; our Heavenly Father our only helper. None but he could save and deliver us." -Amanda Barnes Smith, Haun's Mill, Missouri, October 1838

DAY 60

Scripture study: Alma 57-58

Mark and ponder: Alma 57:21, 58:40

Scripture thought of the day: Psalms 62:6-8

Thought of the day: "Gospel hope is not a vague, wishful desire, but a powerful expectation, a conviction, that Jesus Christ will save us. This hope in the Lord Jesus Christ includes the expection of a glorious resurrection, indeed, hope that all of God's promises will be fulfilled in our behalf." -Lili de Hoyos Anderson

DAY 61

Scripture study: Alma 59-60

Mark and ponder: Alma 60:36

Scripture thought of the day: Joshua 24:15

Thought of the day: "In his wisdom, Captain Moroni didn't just look for weaknesses to shore up. He also focused on strengths in the Nephi defense so that if the attach from the enemy got too fierce, there would be safe places. As part of our ongoing effort to fortify our marriage, my husband and I also look for our strong places. They are easier to find through prayer. In prayer I have found that Heavenly Father loves us even more than we ourselves do and truly wants our relationships to succeed." -Michelle H. Bagley

DAY 62

Scripture study: Alma 61-63

Mark and ponder: Alma 62:49

Scripture thought of the day: Psalms 45:1-2

Thought of the day: "Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon put honor and humility in perspective . . . The scriptures teach us that honor includes such things as faith and trust in the Lord, payment of tithes and offerings, fear of the Lord, humility, and obedience." -Robert D. Hales

DAY 63

Scripture study: Helaman 1-4

Mark and ponder: Helaman 3:29-30

Scripture thought of the day: D&C 38:9

Thought of the day: "The spirit of God never generates contention. It never generates the feelings of distinctions between people which lead to strife. It leads to personal peace and feelings of union with others. It unifies the soul. A unified family, a unified Church, and a world at peace depends on unified souls." -Henry B. Eyring

DAY 64

Scripture study: Helaman 5-8

Mark and ponder: Helaman 5:12, 8:14-15

Scripture thought of the day: D&C 81:5-6

Thought of the day: "Climbing the gospel ladder toward exaltation will require more than a casual commitment to the gospel, more than a few visits to church on Sunday, more than a passing familiarity with the scriptures as we endure faithfully to the end." -David Sorenson

DAY 65

Scripture study: Helaman 9-10

Mark and ponder: Helaman 10:4-5

Scripture thought of the day: 1 John 1:8-9

Thought of the day: "But in coming here [to earth], we forgot all, that our agency might be free indeed, to choose good or evil that we might merit the reward of our own choice and conduct. But by the power of the Spirit, in the redemption of Christ, through obedience, we often catch a spark from the awakened memories of th immortal soul, which lights up our whole being as with the glory of our former home." -Joseph F. Smith

Brotherly smiles

I seriously cannot get enough of this photo. I think my mom must have taken it while she was at our house, and I have made it my desktop picture. Every time I sit at my computer it's one of the first things I see and I have to smile. It must be something about Alex's smile that looks just like Erik's. And who can't love a baby's first two teeth. He's starting to cut a few more on top and I'm a little sad about that. I'm gradually losing my baby.

Something I had to relearn about the atonement

I don't know who was more inspired this week when it came to the sacrament meeting talks, the bishop or the speaker, Sister Cook. But I do know I was meant to hear it. I was meant to learn more about the healing power of forgiveness through the atonement.

I had been wronged the week before and let it fester all week as I waited for an apology, even to the point of saying it would take a long, long time for me to get over it.

Well, that was wrong of me. I have been commanded to forgive all men and that means not holding on to the hurt anymore, because isn't that what the atonement is all about.

And the moment I decided to do just that, I felt so much lighter.

The atonement works! It really does if we just let it.

By the way, Elder Bednar gave a great address on this very subject titled In the Strength of the Lord.

A panoramic view of the last 10 days

It just so happens that birthday week and the end of school activities collide . . . every year. This year was no different with a few extra (special) events added to the mix.

Friday commenced our fun-filled crazy week which I've highlighted here.

Saturday I hosted a bridal shower for my new sister-in-law, Angelene. Here's how a conversation with Nate went this week.

Nate: "I can't believe I have a new aunt."

Me: "Ya, and you'll get to see her Saturday."

Nate: "What do you mean?"

Ash: "Nate! This Saturday we are having a baby shower for her."

You'd have thought it was a baby shower when they opened my gift of baby clothes. No pressure. None at all.

Sunday was our traditional 3rd Sunday Siesta. Tyler and I got the idea several years ago from our sister-in-law Jo. Once a month we host an informal get together with family and friends. Bring a treat and come and visit. There is usually a puzzle to put together.
Monday was a birthday get together with cake and ice cream for mom (Grandma), Uncle Jacob, Kiersten, and Erik. This is truly birthday week for us.


Tuesday my first baby went from this:

To this:

The poor girl had CORE testing on her birthday (BTW, we just found out she scored a perfect 100 on her math and only missed one on her language arts), but Grandma and I managed to steal her away for lunch during a snowstorm. And when she came home from school, there was one more surprise waiting.

Making the toy room into Kiersten's own room was something I've been wanting to do for awhile. Natalie and Ashlyn took over the project and made it something special.


Wednesday Nate had his recorder concert (Can I just say how impressed I was with their sound? Mrs. Workman can work miracles.), Kiersten had her orchestra concert, and Erik was receiving his Arrow of Light. Something had to give. Unfortunately, we didn't make it Kiersten's performance.

Oh ya, it was also Night of a Thousand Stars where the kids get to showcase the books they've written and illustrated. Nate informed me Tuesday night that he only had one page done. I came unglued and sadly he spent a long couple of hours putting it together. But after talking with other moms in his class, it sounds like the teacher wasn't all that into it. Nate wasn't the only one so far behind. Frankly, it just wasn't like him. Anyway, he got it done and all is well.





Then it was a race to get to the church for Erik. He is now officially a boy scout. I feel like I've become my mother in regards to scouting. It was a push to get him this far and I vowed I would never push my boys through the scouting process. I'm going to encourage him as much as I can but it won't be my eagle hanging on the wall.




Thursday morning Erik was busily taping and painting to finish his cardboard box car for the 5th grade drive-in movie. After getting him off to school I pretty much spent the day in a fog dealing with a head cold, achy teeth, and a baby who I've self-diagnosed with RSV again. Bring on the breathing treatments.



Friday I sent Kiersten to Lagoon with her friends for a discounted DARE day

and Ash had her kindergarten graduation. Afterwards I took her to McDonald's for a lunch date. It was a good old fashioned class reunion when she discovered her best friend Makayla (I don't know her and I'm sure I spelled her name wrong) in the play area along with another boy from her class. Ash says, "I thought I would never see her again!" They exchanged phone numbers and are hoping to get together this summer.


(Ash with her teacher, Miss Womack)

Saturday was Erik's big day, spent at Tracy Aviary and dinner at Chuck-a-Rama where the waitresses sang to him. He totally ate that up. This is a kid who really enjoys being in the spotlight.

Sunday we finished up with birthday pie for Erik and Alex. Two candles representing the number 11. Eleven years for Erik's life and eleven months for Alex's life.

I'm not even going to attempt to document this coming week. Let's just say there's a few awards assemblies, a field trip that has been washed out, field day, 6th grade graduation, a soccer game and practice, YW and scouts, a spelling bee, Lego League club, and we're scheduled to close on our Stansbury house tomorrow. BRING ON SUMMER! And, you know how we live in Seattle and all, well, I'm ready to move back to Salt Lake, to the desert.

Oh, that's right. I already live there.

I'm off to entice Mother Nature with a little Beatles, "Here comes the sun."

Closer to Christ - Days 52-58

DAY 52

Scripture study: Alma 37-38

Mark and ponder: Alma 37:35-37

Scripture thought of the day: D&C 88:118

Thought of the day: "Yes, the scriptures do give us counsel and prepare us in all things. They are pertinent to the situations we find ourselves in daily: how to meet temptation . . . how to handle hurt feelings, maintain family stability, be a good neighbor, and manage one's finances; the list extends as far as study and human need will take us." -Thomas E. Hays

DAY 53

Scripture study: Alma 39-41

Mark and ponder: James 1:12-16

Scripture thought of the day: D&C 63:47

Thought of the day: "By obedience to the laws of the gospel, you can lift yourselves above the quagmire of sin that surrounds us in this world. In addition to helping you to become better servants of the Lord, obedience to these laws will help you to be better in everything you undertake in life . . . because you will know that your life is acceptable to your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ." -Joseph B. Wirthlin

DAY 54

Scripture study: Alma 42-43

Mark and ponder: Alma 42:27-28

Scripture thought of the day: 2 Nephi 2:28

Thought of the day: "Sometimes . . . a person . . . is almost overwhelmed and wonders, 'Can the Lord ever forgive me? Can I ever forgive myself? but when one reaches the depths of despondency and feels the helplessness of this position, and when he cries out to God for mercy in helplessness but in faith, there comes a still, small, but penetrating voice whispering to his soul, 'Thy sins are forgiven thee.'" -Spencer W. Kimball

DAY 55

Scripture study: Alma 44-45

Mark and ponder: Alma 44:4

Scripture thought of the day: Joel 2:32

Thought of the day: "It is my constant prayer to God that He will have mercy upon us and preserve us from the great enemy who knows he has only a short time in which to work. I have been made to tremble and quake before the Lord and to call upon him with all my heart almost day and night . . . Maybe it is through suffering that we are to be made perfect. At least it has the effect of drawing us nearer to the Lord, which is a blessing." -Mary Fielding Smith

DAY 56

Scripture study: Alma 46-47

Mark and ponder: Alma 46:12-14

Scripture thought of the day: D&C 109:54

Thought of the day: "You are like titles of liberty as you strive to protect your families from such intruders as selfishness, harshness, anger, and strife. Your banner stands for peace and love and service to your families. You don't have to be Captain Moroni to make a difference. Our Father in Heaven needs you to be who you are, in your family. You are very important . . . We call upon you to take a stand for kindness and goodness and service to those you love most, our families." -Sharon G. Larsen

DAY 57

Scripture study: Alma 48-50

Mark and ponder: Alma 48: 11-13, 17

Scripture thought of the day: 3 Nephi 27:27

Thought of the day: "The power of one person is apparent throughout the scriptures as we see the influence of . . . Mormon and Moroni . . . often alone, standing as one, even as each of us on occasion must stand alone in a sometimes hostile world. Yet as these valiant servants of the Lord were not entirely alone, neither will we be, if we are worthy of His companionship and the companionship of the Holy Spirit." -Wm. Rolfe Kerr

DAY 58

Scripture study: Alma 54-56

Mark and ponder: Exodus 19:5-6

Scripture thought of the day: Jeremiah 50:5

Thought of the day: "President Joseph F. Smith and his counselors promised church members that is they would gather their children around them once a week and instruct them in the gospel, those children in such homes would not go astray. It is time for us to think of turning the hearts of parents to children now while living . . ." -Harold B. Lee

This boy's favorite place to hang out

Doesn't his shirt say it all? Alex absolutely loves the garbage in my office.

Lucky Leprechauns

Nate and Ash off to find the gold at the end of the rainbow.

A sacrament meeting talk analogy

So the high council speaker in church today was telling how he and his wife were shopping for a new car, decided on the model, and then voila! They started seeing that model everywhere. And I was thinking as he was saying all this, "Yes, yes. We've done the same thing. Especially while we were building our house." All of a sudden styles, decor, became more apparent. It seemed to be everywhere.

Same with what we teach our kids. What you talk about and discuss at home will soon become more apparent and your kids will starting "seeing" it more in their lives. I guess you could say that about anything. His talk just happened to be about temples.

Closer to Christ - Days 45-51

DAY 45

Scripture study: Alma 20-21

Mark and ponder: Alma 21:16

Scripture thought of the day: 1 Nephi 4:6

Thought of the day: "God does not send thunder if a still, small voice is enough." -Neal A. Maxwell

DAY 46

Scripture study: Alma 22-23

Mark and ponder: Alma 23:6

Scripture thought of the day: Alma 17:2-3

Thought of the day: "Our temporal bodies would soon become emaciated, if we fed them only once a week, or twice, as some of us are in the habit of feeding our spiritual and religious bodies." -Joseph F. Smith

Day 47

Scripture study: Alma 24-25

Mark and ponder: Alma 24:19

Scripture thought of day: Alma 52:20

Thought of the day: "The summer patriot and the sunshine saint retreat when the battle wages fiercely around them; theirs is not the conqueror's crown." -Bruce R. McConkie

DAY 48

Scripture study: Alma 26-28

Mark and ponder: Alma 26:5-6, 22

Scripture thought of the day: Mosiah 2:17

Thought of the day: "Your call to serve is not from human beings. It is a trust from God . . . Whatever name it has, every call is an opportunity to watch over and strengthen the children of our Heavenly Father. The Savior's work is to bring to pass immortality and eternal life. He called us to serve others so that we could strengthen our own faith as well as theirs. He knows that by serving Him we will come to know Him." -Henry B. Eyring

DAY 49

Scripture study: Alma 29-31

Mark and ponder: Alma 29:9

Scripture thought of the day: Hebrews 13:14

Thought of the day: "I pray that you . . . will not only be worthy to receive ministering angels, but that you  . . . will become a ministering angel in the lives of of others as you exercise faith in working mighty miracles, thereby becoming a great benefit to your fellow beings." -Spencer J. Condie

DAY 50

Scripture study: Alma 32-34

Mark and ponder: D&C 18:10-11, 15-16

Scripture thought of the day: D&C 8:2

Thought of the day: "It is the right and priviledge of every man, every woman, and every child who has reached the years of accountability, to enjoy the spirit of revelation, and be possessed of the spirit of inspiration in the discharge of their duties to members of the church." - Joseph Smith

DAY 51

Scripture study: Alma 35-36

Mark and ponder: Ephesians 6:13-18

Scripture thought of the day: Hebrews 11:1, 6

Thought of the day: "A key promise of the Father is the gift of the Holy Ghost, whose purpose is to lead us along the strait and narrow path helping each person develop unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. If one makes and keeps gospel covenants, he or she will yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and become a Christ-centered person." -Merrill J. Bateman

Happy Friday the 13th

I got a certified letter in the mail from an attorney representing Staker/Parsons, a concrete supply company. Apparently our concrete guys have not paid their bill from last November and we now have a lien on the house. NICE!

I really dislike how any company who is owed money can come after the homeowner even when we've paid the bill in full. This should be between Staker and the concrete guys. We should have zero involvement, but the law says they can include us and so they did.

After a phone call to the concrete people, it sounds like it will be getting paid. And the funny thing is Tyler was going to call them today anyway and get a bid on more concrete work. We'll be rethinking that idea.

On a happier note, Kiersten hosted a birthday party. She did the invitations, came up with ideas for food and entertainment, and basically took care of the whole thing. I helped fix the dinner and took them home. My kind of party. She is an amazing girl with amazing friends. How lucky she is to be surrounded with an army of strong, valiant young women.

At the request of Ty

I will no longer be ironing.

At least his shirts.

Well, maybe not all his shirts.

Why?

Because this has become our second closet. More often that not if he can't find what he's looking for in our main closet, he can look in the laundry room and always finds what he's looking for. (There are currently A LOT more shirts hanging in our laundry room than this photo shows.)

I just can't help not ironing even though it is the one housekeeping chore I detest the most.

I blame my mother for that. We always had a bajillion of Dad's shirts to iron every week, every one of them white.

Or maybe I should blame him for wearing so many shirts that needed ironing. But what's a seminary teacher to do.

Either way I can't stand to iron but I can't seem to give it up either. Baby steps, baby steps. So . . . Tyler's golf shirts are banished from the laundry room to find a permanent home in our master closet. I'm a little tense just thinking about it, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW no one will even be able to tell if they had been ironed or not.

This is going to be hard. But like I sometimes tell my kids, "Learys do hard things."

And a glimpse into laundry day at our house. No room for a nap that day.

This made me smile!

Yeah for motherhood!

"I have no doubt that there is an audience of angels standing and applauding our valiant efforts to raise good and moral children everyday. I hope the next time any of us find ourselves feeling unappreciated or undervalued in our roles of mother, we will stop for a moment and turn our minds and hearts to the greater picture. I hope in that almost prayerful moment we will be able to feel the warmth of that heavenly applause and know we are doing the most important job on Earth. We are caring for and raising children of God. " -Stephanie Waite, Nevada's Young Mother of the Year

I love all the wonderful women who have shaped my life and taught me how to be a better mother, especially my own mom. Being the oldest I was the guinea pig. There was a time I was grounded for an ENTIRE month because I sassed my mom and my dad just happened to be home and heard it which was a rarity. I guess having a 14-year-old home for an entire month was a little too much because none of my younger siblings ever got the punishment. But ya know it was for my own good. Sometimes moms do things because they know better. I'm always telling my kids, "Moms know everything!"



One thing I realized this past week is that even though children may grow up and move out of the house, you never stop parenting and being involved in their lives. That's what makes a family. Sometimes children move far away and it becomes even more crucial to be creative and find ways to stay involved in their life and continue to build those relationships. When the lines of communication are down, the relationship suffers. Kind of like prayer, huh?

My mom is a wonderful example of always staying in constant contact with all of her six children. It is usually a phone call, sometimes a lunch date, but rarely a mass email sent to all of us. It would be an easy thing to let contact slip especially when life is busy but she is so good at taking individual time for each one of us. That is something I want to emulate when my children are grown and have moved away. I couldn't imagine months slipping by with no contact from my mom and certainly don't want that to happen with my own kids. I love her and am so grateful she is my mom. What a great lady.

Closer to Christ - Days 38-44

DAY 38

Scripture study: Alma 5

Mark and ponder: Alma 5:38

Scripture thought of the day: Matthew 6:24

Thought of the day: "One can still go to the Garden of Gethsemane, but the Lord Jesus cannot be found there, nor is he in the Garden Tomb. He is not on the road to Emmaus, nor in Galilee, nor at Nazareth or Bethlehem. He must be found in one's heart." -James E. Faust

DAY 39

Scripture study: Alma 6-8

Mark and ponder: Alma 7:23-24

Scripture thought of the day: Phillipians 4:8

Thought of the day: "While the Lord will magnify us both in subtle and dramatic ways, he can only guide our footsteps when we move our feet." -Marion G. Romney

DAY 40

Scripture study: Alma9-10

Mark and ponder: Alma 10:22-23

Scripture thought of the day: Proverbs 15:29

Thought of the day: "Being born again, comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances." -Joseph Smith

DAY 41

Scripture study: Alma 11-12

Mark and ponder: Alma 12:10

Scripture thought of the day: Ether 4:8

Thought of the day: "That man is greatest and most blessed and joyful whose life most closely approaches the pattern of Christ. This has nothing to do with earthly wealth, power, or prestige. The only true test of greatness, blessedness, and joyfulness is how close a life can come to being like the master, Jesus Christ. He is the right way, the full truth, and the abundant life." -Ezra Taft Benson

DAY 42

Scripture study: Alma 13-15

Mark and ponder: Alma 13:28

Scripture thought of the day: Corinthians 10:13

Thought of the day: "If we entertain temptations, soon they begin entertaining us.

DAY 43

Scripture study: Alma 16-18

Mark and ponder: Alma 17:2-3

Scripture thought of the day: Luke 1:37

Thought of the day: "Faith is the force of life." -Leo Tolstoy

DAY 44

Scripture study: Alma 19

Mark and ponder: Alma 19:6

Scripture thought of the day: Corinthians 4:4

Thought of the day: "If we falter and turn aside, our lamp will burn dim and finally go out when lo, the Comforter, the source of revelation, will leave us, and darkness will take its place; then how great will be the darkness." -Joseph Smith

Kiersten Quoted

"I love my life!"
is exactly what this girl told me as we were standing in the kitchen the other day.

And I believe her.
Doesn't she look like she does.
She always has a smile and is generally happy.
I sure do love her and loved hearing those words.

A royal wedding of our own

Our very own Prince William and Kate (aka Matt and Angelene):

Matthew had lots of practice with marriage as a kid. My name was Prilla and for the life of me can't remember what his was. Didn't we make a cute couple?

Friday was a day of many smiles and tears, a royal wedding of our own. Just like I knew I would I bawled buckets in the sealing room. It certainly didn't help that my sister Katie and I were seated directly across from the bride and groom. Matt was a little teary-eyed and that got me going. And I didn't think to bring a Kleenex, but I did remember to put mascara on right before entering the temple. Dummy me.

Matt and Anglene were so calm and happy. Part of me wondered if I would ever see this day. I can't wait for him to be a dad and experience the joy that comes with that. I'm sure he's been happy being the favorite uncle, but there is nothing like having your own children. And Angelene is just wonderful. Ash took to her immediately and even started counting down the days since last Sunday. I can see her quickly becoming a favorite.