Hope's First Primary Talk

Unfortunately, I am blogging about this several months after the fact, so I can't recall many details, but here are the big parts.

Hope got to give her first primary talk! Apparently she offered to do it instead of being asked, which I think is very cool. She loves to do stuff like that and doesn't get too scared or embarrassed. Hopefully that courage will continue throughout her life. At first, I tried to get her to memorize her talk. After the first line she wasn't having it and I didn't want to turn it into something she was dreading, so I resolved to just whisper the whole thing in her ear. She did awesome. I am so proud of my sunshine Hope and her little testimony that seems to grow stronger and more beautiful every day. I am so grateful that my children know who they are, why they are here and that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them.

This is a copy of her talk.

"There are many ways that Heavenly Father can talk to you through the Holy Ghost. He can speak to you through the scriptures. One very important way that Heavenly Father talks to His children is through His living prophets. When the prophet speaks, he is telling us things that Heavenly Father wants us to know.

Our prophet today is Thomas S. Monson. Heavenly Father uses the prophet as his mouthpiece to deliver messages he wants us to hear. Each April and October the prophet and other general authorities speak to us in a special meeting called General Conference. They tell us things the Savior would if He were here. Their words are like scriptures and will teach us and help us choose the right. I am thankful I can listen to Heavenly Father's messages for me by listening to the prophet."

They Know

Saturday Ben threw his back out while doing yard work. The kids and I were all outside helping when Hope asked what was wrong with daddy. I looked over to see him on the ground unable to speak or move. I thought he had had a heart attack. We were all very scared. Ben is a strong man and to see him like that was disturbing and I could have sworn that my heart stopped beating for at least a second or two. The girls kept asking him questions and trying to get close to him, so I asked Noah to take them back to their rooms so I could try to help Ben.

After Ben was able to stand I went back to check on the kids. Noah had turned on his church music and moved Hope's little table into his room. They were all sitting around it making Ben get-well soon cards. Thinking about how cute and thoughtful my children are I went back to my room to listen in case Ben needed me while he was in the shower. Yes, even though he had just been in severe pain and barely able to move, he INSISTED on taking a shower the minute he could stand. I've learned over the last 48 hours that he is even more stubborn than I thought. Anyway, while I was waiting I overheard Eden tell her brother and sister that they should say a prayer. Then her tiny 3 year old voice prayed for her daddy.

 I smiled with pride and thought about how lucky they are to know where to look for peace and comfort. Noah had immediately played his church hymns for them to listen to and Eden needed no prompting to ask her Heavenly Father to help her earthly father.

Taking three kids to church by myself has not always been easy (although it is getting easier as Miss Chevious gets older), but I'm so glad that I stuck with it. So many - okay EVERY-  Sunday mornings  I dreaded wrestling with two of my three children in the congregation while trying to feel the spirit. I often wondered "why even go"? I knew they needed it though, and I am grateful for the strength I received to push through the dread and often time embarrassment of sacrament with Miss Chevious.

I am grateful that Ben and I have had family prayer every night for the last year and that we continue to do it. I am grateful that they have heard us ask Heavenly Father to bless family members who have been sick and have seen them get well and know that Heavenly Father heard their prayers. I am grateful that Hope and Noah have CDs of hymns that they listen to while falling asleep and that we sing primary songs every night before prayer. Once again, I have often wondered what good it is all doing. The singing and praying, trying unsuccessfully to get the younger children to be reverent during family prayer. "Why am I even doing this?" is something I've asked myself frequently.
Last Saturday I got my answer.

Blessed

Sometime during my teenage years I received a very special present from my mom. She had kept the little white dress I was blessed in when I was only a few weeks old. Since then I knew I would be dressing my own little girls in that very dress on their blessing day.

Well, life doesn't always go as planned...

Hope and Eden were given a name and a blessing on January 20, 2013. I knew that Brother Brian Jensen would be the man I asked to do it. Not only was he the first Bishop that Ben and I met with as a couple, he also officiated at our wedding.

It just so happens that the girls have matching cream colored dresses and I planned to dress them in their matching Sunday outfits for the special occasion. Well, Hope wasn't having it. At first I was going to insist she wear it, despite her tears and overly dramatic sobs, but then I realized that this wasn't about what she was wearing. Originally I had wanted her to wear my blessing dress and that didn't work out either, so what did it matter as long as she is happy excited about the day?

 

 

Pictures didn't go as planned either. No one wanted to pose (normally) for pictures before church, and I took my camera to church so I could get some photos of everyone who stood in the circle with the girls, but I forgot. Here is what I did get.

 

 

The blessings were simple and beautiful and something else that I did not do but intended to, was to take some paper so I could write down everything I could remember afterwards.

 

What I remember from Eden's blessing:

she was blessed with happiness

her happy voice fills our home and will continue to

 

What I remember from Hope's blessing:

she was blessed with an eagerness to learn

and with many other ventures

she was blessed for the gospel to be an important part of her life

and to know her Heavenly Father knows and loves her

 

I was concerned that it would scare the girls because they've never had a blessing before, but they were perfect. They sat in my lap during their blessings and didn't move or make noises, which for Eden is a small miracle. I think that she was feeling the spirit and reverence naturally followed.

 

The day wasn't what I had been picturing for the last 20 or so years, but it was special. Life doesn't always go as planned, in fact, it usually doesn't, but that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful and meaningful anyway. Now I will save my blessing dress for my granddaughters.



Sunday Best

This year our ward meets at 11 a.m. I am relieved because it is just easier to get everyone ready and there nearly on time without waking up earlier than usual. Unfortunately, it is during lunch and nap time for Eden, but I'll take it.

I was very pleased Sunday morning when Hope allowed me to put sponge curlers in her hair. Usually it takes some pleading for her to even let me comb it. Hope's hair is naturally curly right now and immediately following a wash and air dry her curls are perfect. However, she has her baths at night and when she wakes in the morning she has bed head just like everyone else and wacky wisps of hair have replaced the curls. I've been really frustrated lately with her hair and her lack of desire to do anything with it. So I was excited which in turn made her excited, especially when i told her I was going to make my hair curly too.

Here is Hope with the curlers.

 I know a lot of people sleep in these...but this is Hope we are talking about. I knew that would never happen so I settled for about 15 minutes in the morning. Turns out that isn't quite enough time. After a few minutes of having curler free hair, the curls went a limp and her unruly hair was back. She wouldn't let me take a picture while the curls were in tact. So here's hoping for next Sunday!!!

Eden is always a busy body at church. Sunday before last she made 'friends' with a little boy about her age that was sitting behind us and he shoved a fruit loop in her mouth. After a few minutes Eden went back for more. The little boy had a fruit loop for himself in one hand and offered the bag to Eden so she could get one for herself (a suggestion made to him by his mother). Eden looked at the bag and the fruit loop in the boy's hand and ate the fruit loop right from his fingers. Little silly.

I always pack a purse with books, snacks, and toys that I think might distract kids from naughtiness. As of late, few of these work for Eden. She did share her Mickey Mouse toys with a super cute little girl about her age though. Anyway, during the passing of the Sacrament, when the chapel as quiet as it will ever get with the amount of kids in our ward, Eden likes to go exploring. She stood right in front of and stared at the man sitting a few seats down from us while he took his bread. Then off she went...yelling all the way. I immediately got up since I was closest to the end of the aisle, swooped her up and took her in the hall for a few minutes. She kept say "uh Daddy....uh Daddy". (She makes that sound before most of her words, which is both weird and cute.) Thinking she has settled down a little I went back into the gym which was opened up to make more room in the chapel. She was some what decent for a few minutes and then she was off again. This time Ben got up for her. She ran to the far side of the gym while Ben took long strides to try to keep up with her. Usually she doesn't go to far before she stops and comes back. Not this time. While Ben was still on the side of the gym I saw a flash of color running in front where the gym meets the chapel. She was on her way somewhere and fast. Ben's pace quickens as the reality of what is happening sets in and I start to feel the dread I know he is feeling. Ben is not one for attention and he was about to get a lot of it. Eden comes to a fork in the aisles. She can go up to the front of the chapel, where the first speaker is in the middle of their talk or she can go out of the chapel into the lobby, which would not have made this a big deal. Of course she chose to run towards the front, I'm sure to make her way to the pulpit where she would inevitably scream into the microphone if she could reach it. Ben starts to run after her but she has a good lead on him as she caught him off-guard with her new found bravery for exploring the chapel. He is basically jogging down the aisle now with benches packed of people turning to see the commotion. I am laughing so hard that my eyes begin to water, still feeling so sorry for Ben. The man that Eden stared down earlier begins to chuckle and says something to me about Eden...not sure what he said, but my eyes were watering so that I just nodded my head and said, "I know." Ben finally grabs Eden right before she gets to the stairs that lead to the stage where the bishopric is intently watching, obviously entertained. He swiftly heads back the direction he came and turns at the fork in the aisle for the lobby.

I thought for sure he would've just headed out to the van and to take her home, but a few minutes later the gym doors open and in comes Ben holding Eden tightly in his arms. I give him a knowing smile and he jokingly frowns as he sits down. We have a good quiet laugh and he says, "I don't know if you're supposed to run in church or not, but I didn't know what she was going to do when she got up there."

Can you believe this precious angel is actually a little devil in disguise?

Maybe this gives it away just a TAD more. She is trying to repel off my bed. :)