Wednesday, January 24, 2024

His Embrace

"His Embrace" 
That's what this piece of art is called. 
I have this artwork in my bedroom and I see it almost every day. However, most recently, it has hit me differently. I'll explain why, but I need to give some background first. 

This year I decided to study and read the Book of Mormon with the perspective of how to become a better parent. That's my goal for my personal study.  As I've read, I've been taking notes on the parenting lessons I'm learning in the Book of Mormon. It's been an eye opening and tender experience and it hasn't even been a month yet. 
Because I feel like I've been reading and studying with this intent, I feel like I've been more sensitive to promptings that felt like small, little things but have been changing my daily life as a mother. 

The first small change was to start reading the actual scripture verses of the Book of Mormon together as a family. At the beginning of the year I heard a quote that struck me so hard that I immediately knew we had to make a change.
Here is the quote from President Marion G Romney, 
 'I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness' (Ensign, May 1980, p. 67).
 
So with those amazing promises in mind, we made a change. It wasn't a big change but it was a change. We went from using the animated come follow me lesson and scripture summaries I printed weekly, to reading the Book of Mormon verse by verse.  
Was doctrine being taught with the lesson summaries and cute animated pictures- YES! 
Will I continue to use them to teach- YES!
But there is power in the words of the Book of Mormon and we were missing it. 
So we changed our habit and started reading from the scriptures, verse by verse. We left the cute printables and fun games and activities for our Sunday lessons. 
 
The second little change was made after our winter break and before returning to school at the beginning of January. I felt strongly that we needed a new approach to our bedtime routine. This didn't feel like a huge revelation and it really didn't even feel like the spirit was speaking to me. I really thought it was just an idea that I had and wanted to try. 
So the idea was to start a staggered bedtime routine. Maybe lots of people are already doing this and I had considered it before, so that's why it didn't feel like anything groundbreaking for us. 
But we started doing this and while it was a hard start, it's a great routine for our kiddos. So our kids now go to bed at thirty minute intervals. 
 
Finally, the last little change we made was just this week. On Sunday I felt inspired that we needed to start our day with our children by reading the scriptures. It was important to us to read each day and sometimes the nights are too crazy and we aren't together. However, we are always together in the mornings before school. I thought this would be a better time to ensure we didn't miss a day. So we started waking our kids up 10 minutes earlier to read the Book of Mormon together. 

Now, this is where it gets good. I felt prompted to write this blog post today because it's my family's journal and it felt important that I make note of these tender mercies I've experiences because of these changes. Because I don't want to forget them, I'm writing it down. I also believe that when we recognize the good, the good not only gets better but more apparent. 
It gets easier to recognize the blessings  when you do it more often. Practice makes perfect, right?

How did the first tiny change bless our family?
After reading that quote by Pres. Romney to my kids, I asked each kid if they would like those blessings? I asked them which blessing they wanted the most. Each kid told me what they wanted and I asked them if they would be willing to put the effort in to receive those blessings.  They hesitantly answered yes and we started to read the Book of Mormon daily together, verse by verse. 

Over the last few weeks, since starting this habit, we've had less fighting. Not no fighting, but less. 
We've had sweet moments of compassion and love. We've had secret acts of service done without need of recognition. We've had more snuggles, hugs and words of appreciation. We've had discussions after disagreements followed by forgiveness.  We've had opportunities to grow as parents with our kids as we approach situations with more love and less frustration.  It's been small, little things but the more I look for them, the more I see them. 

The second change has been hard to implement because my kids have been on vacation mode for so long that bedtimes are hard. But as we spend individual time tucking each kid in at their appointed bedtime, we have more chances for conversation and bonding. 
This has happened multiple times but let me just write one example that was extra sweet. 
One night after our Family Home Evening, it was time for Benson to go to bed. He's the youngest and he goes to bed first. We said prayers, I gave him a hug and Chris took him into his room to lay down and snuggle for a while. 
I decided to sit on the couch after they left and I just opened my scriptures back up. I had used them to teach our lesson a few minutes earlier, so they were still on the couch next to me. I opened them up to keep studying and Tucker saw me. He then asked if he could read his scriptures with me. 
Of course I said yes. My mommy heart was thrilled. 
Then he asked me "Are Mormons Christians"?
I asked him if he knew what a Christian was and he answered no. I explained that a Christian was someone who believe in Jesus Christ and his role as our Savior. I then asked him if he is a Christian. 
He sweetly nodded his head and then I felt inspired to tell him to open his Book of Mormon and use the new red marking pencil I had given him to mark every time he sees the name Jesus Christ or another name used for him. 
He sat next to me for the next 20 minutes and marked in his scriptures. When it was time for his appointed bedtime I asked him to show me his scriptures and we marveled at all the red on his pages. 
Jesus is everywhere in the Book of Mormon and it was a tender mercy to witness him getting to have that realization. 
That little experience would not have happened if I would have sent him to bed at the same time as his younger brother. It simply would not have been possible to have that experience. 
I know that staggered bedtimes aren't for every family. But because of the small prompting I had to start this new routine for our family, I am having little experiences with my kids that are strengthening our relationships and our testimonies. 

The last change we made has just been recently but I can sincerely tell a change in our family. 
We are waking up 10 minutes earlier to read the Book of Mormon verse by verse before school. 
This has been the hardest sell for my kids. They don't like early mornings but each morning this week that we have read together, there has been less frustration, less arguing and we are getting ready faster. 
I really feel that by consecrating our time each morning reading the Book of Mormon, the rest of our morning is going way better. We are getting ready faster and if I didn't know better, I would think God is slowing down the clock. The last two mornings we were ready with 5-10 minutes to spare. 
If you have school-aged kids then you know how miraculous this truly is. 

Now, back to the artwork at the beginning of my post. Because of these small changes that I'm convinced the spirit prompted me to make, I have felt my Savior's arms around me and my family more. I can feel his loving support of me and my efforts. That picture doesn't feel like just a hug with Christ, it feels like the woman, maybe a mother like me, is being upheld by his arms. 
He is lending her strength to keep going even when it feels pointless and fruitless. 
He's holding her up when her strength is exhausted. 

I'm so very grateful for my Savior who knows me. He loves me in all my imperfections. 
Just to keep things honest here, It's been a really hard month for me personally. 
At the end of December I started looking for a new anxiety medication and it's been really difficult process. Between side effects and having to wait the trial period and then wean off the meds when they aren't the right fit, it's exhausting.  
My hormones are unbalanced, my emotions are high and I'm anxious and irritable because I haven't found the right medication yet. My anxiety is making it hard for me to feel like myself and sometimes I don't like who I am.  
Not to mention, some really difficult things have happened that have had me on my knees in tears. 

 But through all that- my Savior is holding onto me. Not only holding on and holding me up, but speaking to me.  He is sending his love through little thoughts of inspiration that he knows will make life just a little easier for me. Small little changes that will allow for tender mercies- easier bedtimes, sweet exchanges with my kids, testimony strengthening discussions and bonding.

He knew what the results would be in my life when he inspired the changes. 

He knows me. He loves me. He loves each of his children. Just ask Him. He will tell you!




 

Sunday, December 3, 2023

It's beginning to Look alot like Christmas

We are just coming out of the post-thanksgiving fog and we got home from Mountain Home on Saturday. I was so excited to get Christmas up but I didn't have time right away. But by December 1st we had our trees up and we were ready to welcome our Elfs back. 
We decorated the living tree first. This tree is my baby and I love the color scheme. 




We also set up a full size tree in our kitchen/dining room area this year. This new tree was to hold all our vacation ornaments. It was so fun to go through the ornaments and remember the trips we've taken. 
I think that it may be my new favorite tree. I love our tradition of buying ornaments on our trips. 

We also welcomed our elves back with a nutcracker themed party. 
It was so fun to set up and the elfs came back in costumes to match. 


The kids have lots of nutcrackers but they were really excited for the elfs to bring them new ones too. 
Bailey and I use to go watch the Nutcracker ballet each december and she would get a new one each time. But we haven't gone the last few years. However, we started watching the ballet at home with the boys so the boys have started their own collections. 

Then we painted our own nutcrackers too. This activitiy took about two days to finish. 

 
But the kids did great on theirs and it was so cute to watch them work so hard. 


We are so excited for the Christmas season and all the good that comes along with it. 
Stay tuned!

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Thanksgiving Break in Mountain Home

We just got home from Mountain Home for Thanksgiving. 
We had a great time but it was the most laid back, relaxed thanksgiving break ever.
It was just our family at Nanny and Papa's house and my kids loved getting to have Nanny and Papa all to themselves. Of course, we would have loved to have had cousins to play with, but since that wasn't an option, we made the most of it. 

Tanner was a great helper on the morning of Thanksgiving and he helped us make the stuffing. 

Benson helped with the deviled eggs.
Since it was just the four adults, we had to be intentional with our time and efforts to make sure all the food was finished on time. Dinner was delicious and we all devoured it. 

Of course we did take time to tell what we were thankful for while we ate. That's a tradition that I always love.

Benson was pretty thrilled to get a turkey leg this year. 
After dinner we decided to go for a walk. It was a beautiful day and a walk was just what we needed to help all our food settle. 
I felt keenly how much I have to be grateful for. 
On the top of that list is my sweet husband. He's the best and I love doing life together.
Also at the top of my list is my family- including my wonderful parents. 
We had a great time with Nanny and Papa and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. 
After our walk, we went back inside for pie. 
Sadly, my coconut cream pie did not set up very well but Papa still enjoyed it.
Sarah always makes the coconut cream pie for Papa each year, but since she couldn't come I had to try to fill her shoes. 
While the pie had a wonderful flavor, it was very thin. 
We laughed as Papa spooned it into his mouth. 

We all ate pie and visited until bedtime. 
The kids slept in the basement all week and loved it. 

One night after we had brought up all the Christmas decorations from the basement, Tucker slept in the cupboard under the stairs. He called it his "harry potter room" and he loved his special little space. 
It was pretty funny. 

We helped Nanny and Papa get their Christmas decorations up and spent time playing games and watching movies. It really was the most laid back thanksgiving ever and we all enjoyed it. 
It was just what we needed to recover and get ready for the upcoming crazy Christmas season. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know we did. 
Now onto Christmas and all the fun and craziness that goes along with this time of the year. 

Thursday, November 16, 2023

School Fun

Before we left for the cruise, I got to attend the Rise and Shine Assembly for Tucker's class showcase. 
It was pretty cute. It was based around veterans day and so the kids all wore red, white and blue. 
Tucker had a speaking part and they sang a song. It was pretty cute. 


Tucker loves his teacher and he was pretty excited to see me at his showcase. 
Then this week, after getting back from our cruise, Tucker performed in the 4th grade musical. 
It was a cute musical based on songs by the Beetles. They did a great job and Tucker sang along to every song. 
We sure love this cute 4th Grader. 


 

This week is also the week before Thanksgiving break and so the kids had their Thanksgiving lunches. 
I got to have lunch with both boys and it was so fun. 
The school lunches are nothing to write home about, but the boys loved that I came and ate the same lunch as them. 
First I had lunch with Tucker. 
He's so cute. Since getting back from our cruise on Sunday he's been wearing his cruise lanyard to school each day. 

The next day I got to have lunch with Benson. 
In typical cute 1st grade fashion, he had a turkey hat on and it was adorable. 

Now it's just about time for Thanksgiving break. I can't wait. Even though we were just on vacation for a week, I'm ready for another break from school. Plus it will be nice to see Nanny and Papa. 
Stay tuned for Thanksgiving in Mountain Home. 









 

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Herb Family Cruise - Part 2

Next up were our port days. Our first port was Roatan, Honduras. 
This was probably my favorite port day. It was also our most busy and full day. 
We got off the ship and immediately had to take some pcitures. 


Then we walked through the port and found our tour guide, Ron Rivers. I had  booked all our excursions outside the cruise line and so I was a little nervous, but it all went smoothly and we had a blast. 
For this port I had booked a zipline course, a sloth/monkey interactions and a beach break. 
We started by getting our harnesses on and storing our bags and stuff. Then we hopped on a big open bed truck and started the drive up the mountain to the first zipline. 

Here's the whole group before we did our first line. 
Grandpa decided he didn't want to zipline but Mimi came and everyone else participated too!
I love that you can see our cruise ship in the background. 
Then it was time to do the first line and I got to go first. I've discovered over the years that I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie and kind of love high adventure stuff. 
I loved the zipline and got to try a few different tricks. 

Benson and Paige were both to light for the first line, so they got to go together. I love Benson's huge smile. I'm so happy that he was big enough to participate. I would have hated for him to miss this- he had such a great time. 

Tanner loved the zipline and had no fear. 




Tucker got progressively braver and by the end was doing flips and tricks with the other boys. 


Bailey had fun but was totally content to just hold on and go straight across the line. 


I did catch a few smiles on my girl though. 
Benson also got braver and braver. Even when he had to ride with someone else, he was still trying to do tricks and flips. It was so funny to watch. 
Chris had fun but also preferred to just hold on and not do any tricks or anything. He doesn't love heights but he was a good sport. I'm so glad we were able to do this experience as a family.  



We got a group shot on one of the 22 platforms. I'm so proud of this crew. Everyone was so brave. Stephanie didn't think she would be able to do the ziplining but she was extra brave and committed to it. 
It was pretty awesome to zipline through the jungles of Honduras. It felt a little unreal that we were there, getting to experience it. 


Because I was the first one to go, I was always with the kids the longest while we waited for everyone else to come across the lines. I seriously love all these brave kiddos! They were rockstars.


When we finished the ziplines, we walked a little ways to a small interactive zoo. 
We had so much fun getting to hold and pet the animals. We saw monkeys, sloths, guinea pigs and lots of birds. It was so fun. 
The monkey's were the most fun to watch and interact with. They would just hop for shoulders to heads and all around. The kids were giggling like crazy and it was so cute. 




 

This little guy just jumped on my shoulder and decided to pose for a selfie. 



 


 




I think my favorite thing was the sloth interaction. The sloths were so adorable and the moved so slowly. I loved it. Bailey did too!





The birds were pretty but not quite as fun to hold. 




 



We had so much fun with the animal interactions. Then we hopped on a bus with out tour guide and he drove us across the island to the beach. 
We unpacked and got situated and decided to go snorkeling. 
I bought the kids snorkeling masks back at Christmas time and we've been practicing with them on and off since. Because of this, the kids were great at swimming with their masks and we had a great time snorkeling together. 

I also invested in a cool underwater case for my phone so I got some great pictures and videos. 













I was so impressed with how well all my kids did with swimming and snorkeling out in the middle of the ocean. They had a blast and we were able to all stay together and enjoy seeing the ocean life together. 



The fish were everywhere around us and it was crazy. We didn't see anything real crazy, just lots of beautiful fish. It was still super fun.

Chris took the younger kids back to the beach first and Tanner and I stayed a while longer to snorkel. 

Tucker really loved the beach. He just loves sand and water so much

Benson also really enjoyed building sandcastles and playing in the water. 




We found this awesome massive beach chair and had to get some pics. 
I love my crew so much. I love adventuring with them and I love that they are all old enough to do so many fun things together. 


After playing at the beach, we eventually headed back to the ship. Our tour guide drove us all the way back to the port. But on the way, he stopped at a roadside stand and bought us some pineapple bread. He just wanted us to have a taste of his culture and city. It was so nice and the bread was delicious. We all loved Ron Rivers. He was the best and took such great care of us all day. 

When we got back to the ship it was time to get showered and changed for dinner. It was "Caribbean Night" and so we wore our matching outfits. It was pretty cute. The kids looked adorable together. 



That night we watched the ice skating show. It wasn't my favorite storyline, but the talent was amazing. 
Tucker really loved it. He loves ice skating and was entranced by the skaters and their incredible talent. 

The next day we were at Costa Maya. Again, we took a few pictures as we got off the ship. 

 
Costa Maya is also beautiful and the port is surrounded by beautiful beaches. 



Mimi and Grandpa didn't get off the ship in Costa Maya, but the rest of us rented golf carts and drove ourselves to a beach resort. 



The water at the beach in Costa Maya was gorgeous and clear. 
We loved the beach here and the kids had a great time swimming and playing in the sand. 
Tucker and Conner almost immediately struck out in a kayak to explore. They had a great time. 
While the boys played in the water, Bailey got her hair braided. It She loved it and it looked so cute. She really loved the pink hair highlights that we had braided into her hair. 
 
We also bought some coconuts so the kids could try them. Some were more sweet than others. 
I'm not a huge fan of coconut milk. 
Sometimes I don't understand how Bailey looks like she's 16. It's terrifying how fast she is growing up. 
When Tucker got back from canoeing with Conner, he enjoyed some coconut milk too. 

Tucker, Paige and Tucker made a cute little foot spa in the sand and they played for hours together. 
 

Eventually we ordered some food and it was all delicious. 
Tanner enjoyed the food and the drinks. 
I tried to get a picture of Benson with the coconut but he hated the taste of the milk and didn't want to drink it or even pretend to drink it. 
Benson did love the coconut meat though. He ate lots of that. 
While the kids played, I got an amazing massage. I love massages and they are so cheap in Costa Maya. It was $20 for 1 hour. AMAZING!
After my massage we took the kids to get souvenirs. We also had to get a picture outside the beach club where we spent the day. It was called "The Krazy Lobster". 
The kids each picked out a small souvenir to bring home with them and I found a Christmas ornament. 
The kids really loved hanging out in the hammocks that were hanging all over the beach. 
They would lay in the hammocks until they were too hot and then go cool off in the water and then repeat the process. 


Benson and Tucker also really loved the swings. They are the cutest.  
These kiddos make my heart happy. I just love getting to experience new things together. However, I think we are all happiest at the beach. 

Eventually we made our way back to the port, driving in our little golf carts. 
We had a great time in Costa Maya and we were sad to leave. 

That night before dinner we went up to one of the top decks and watched as the ship pulled away from the port. We also caught a beautiful sunset. 
We took a few pictures of the cousins together just because they are so cute. 

The kids slept hard each night. We were all tired from our very full days. 

The next morning was our last port day and we snapped a picture at breakfast before leaving the ship to explore Cozumel. 


Mimi and Grandpa  joined us for our day in Cozumel. 
It was fun to be all together. 

We ended up going back to the same resort we visited on our first cruise. 
We really liked this resort and we felt comfortable going back. 
So we spent the day at "Chankanaab" and we loved it. 

When we got there the kids and I went straight to the dolphin enclosure with Stephanie and her kids. 
The husbands and Grandparents didn't want to do the dolphin interaction, but everyone else did. 

Even though Tanner, Bailey and I had done this already, we were all eager to do it again. It was so fun the first time, I was giddy at the thought of doing it again. 
We met our dolphin and her name was "Reya". She was so smart and we loved getting to play with her. Each of us got to hold onto her fins as we rode belly to belly as well as having her push our feet as we surfed on a boogie board. Then we got to do some other interactions with Reya that included a dolphin kiss and smile. It was perfect and we all loved it. 



Again, I felt so grateful that Benson was big enough to do this interaction with us and he loved it so much. I couldn't imagine him having to sit this one out. He was so brave and loved getting to play with the dolphin. It was awesome. 




Tucker loved it too. Honestly, everyone loved their dolphin interaction. 












































After everyone finished their interactions, Reya gave us high fives and did some more tricks for us. 

I hope my kids always remember getting to play with a dolphin. It was such a bucket list item for me the first time, but it was just as magical the second time. I loved it and I loved getting to experience it with my kiddos. 


After we finished with the dolphins, we went over the pool to get some drinks and play for a bit. 
 
Eventually we ate lunch at the buffet and then watched the sea lion show. It was so cute. I think I just love sea animals.

Then we went down to the beach to play and swim. 
Tucker found a small crab inside a shell at the beach and was so excited about it. 

Tucker, Paige and Benson played non stop in the sand. They had the best time. It was pretty cute. 






We had a great time at the resort. We had to snag some pictures before leaving. 

It's crazy that we were here just 4 years previously. 
However, this time the kids were way bigger and had so much fun doing all the things. 
We had a great time in Cozumel. We did a little shopping once we got back to the port and then we went back to the ship. 

That night was our second formal night and so it took a little longer to get ready. 
Dinner was delicious, as usual, and we all enjoyed our time together. 

The kids all looked so cute in their dress clothes. 

It was also lobster night and the kids were pretty excited. They all got their own lobster tails and they all devoured them
 
Stephanie and I had to get a picture with pina colada drinks. Every night when we arrived at our table, the waiter would immediately deliver them to us. It was kind of comical. We love our fruity drinks. 

After dinner we took a few pictures. 


Then after pictures we went to head back to our room and when the elevator opened there was a man playing a piano inside. We were cracking up and decided we needed to get in and enjoy the music for a few minutes. It was understandably squished inside, but it was pretty fun. 


The next day was our last day and it was a sea day. 
We spent the whole day playing on the ship and we did all the fun things we could. We asked the kids what they wanted to do with their last day and then did our best to make all their wishes come true. 
I did have to take a few more pictures in our neon swimsuits because I loved them so much! 






I played with Benson in the kiddie area for a bit. He wasn't quite tall enough for the big slides. He was only 1 inch too short, but it was enough that they wouldn't let him ride. 
However, he had fun playing in the smaller splash area. 



Benson discovered he didn't really enjoy the water slides. He did the smaller ones and decided that was more than enough. I don't think he would have like the big ones anyway so it was probably for the best. 

Bailey loved the hot tubs and spent lots of time relaxing in them. 


I also rode some more water slides with her and Tucker

While the younger kids were doing the water slides and swimming in the pool, Tanner was with Uncle Phillip and Chase doing a guacamole class. He loved it. 
It turned out to be more than just a class, they also got to have a full Mxican food lunch. Tanner said it was delicious and they all had fun together. 


Tucker requested that we all play mini golf together, so we headed there next. 




Then we grabbed more ice cream cones. I have no idea how many ice cream cones these kids ate during our week on our cruise. It was a ton though. 


From there we rode the ultimate abyss slide again. The kids love this slide and I enjoyed it too.
However, this time when we rode, it was like it had recently been greased. We flew down the slide so fast. It was crazy!



On deck 6, where the slide ends, the kids played on the climbing platforms again. 


Then we rode the carousel again. 






The kids went to the kids club for a little while and Chris and I went to the adult only deck for some quiet time. It was so relaxing and we enjoyed the peace and quiet for a bit. 
Then it was time to get ready for dinner.  Our last night was a causal night and the food was delicious as usual. 
But before going to dinner, we took one last picture on one of the upper decks. We loved the views and the water was so beautiful. 
I love this crew of mine. 
After dinner the kids went to kids club for a while and Stephanie and I went to watch "Grease". It was an awesome production and I loved it. Stephanie had never seen it before, but I sang along to most of the songs. It was great. 


The next morning we had a delicious farewell breakfast. 
I had to snap a picture of Conner and Benson. Sometimes Benson would get really crabby and cranky- mostly just from him being tired- but Conner was always able to snap him out of it. 
We began to rely on Conner's good nature to help cheer Benson up. It never failed and we were so grateful for sweet Conner. 
They are cute friends and Benson was so sad to say goodbye to Conner on our last morning. 

After our delicious breakfast we had to disembark and it was sad. 
We eventually made it off the ship and through the port. 
Outside in the parking lot, we said our goodbyes to our cousins, Aunt, Uncle and Grandparents. 

We seriously had the best time and we can't wait to go on another cruise together. 
It was the best week and it flew by way too fast. 
10/10 - would definitely recommend a Western Caribbean Cruise on the "Harmony of the Seas" Royal Caribbean Ship.