Hello, Again!

 I haven't been good about updating this journal for my family. I believe we are in the busiest time of our lives. Life is going good for our family. I love my children and I love my husband. I couldn't ask for better extended family and church is an extension of family as well. I truly feel as though we have successfully built a Zion community here in my home. The rest of the world is in turmoil, a quick gander at the news will cause anyone to get depressed. There's a war in Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine and it's driving up inflation, gas prices, and disrupting the supply chain. I am told that this is the beginning of really hard financial times and economic turmoil. The attack on the family is still strong, gender confusion, transgenderism, cohabitation and sexual sin are all pervasive. Suicide is an epidemic. Men's hearts are failing them. But, all of that is depressing, so this blog I mostly ignore the bad and try to focus on the good of my own family and the little Zion we've built here. I have fallen so far behind that I will have to let the previous pictures speak for themselves. Here are some highlights to catch you up to speed:

Family:

Jon Mark was made a partner at the law firm last year and enjoys his associations with his collogues. He is the YM advisor over the Teacher's quorum and does quite a bit to magnify that calling. He and I like to walk 2-4 miles every night. It gives us time to talk and a little bit of exercise as well. He has to do three knee surgeries to repair a completely torn ACL. He has been working so hard for me to demolish and lay new flooring. Our house is a demolished disaster right now, and it has been back breaking work, but the end result will be fantastic. I have so much love for him in my soul and I believe our spirits are connected and can communicate where words cannot. He is patient and selfless and loving. He is a wonderful father and he does so much for us. The other day he went grocery shopping and came home with a LOT of junk food. Caleb yelled out, "YES!!! I love it when dad goes to the store!"

Ralae: I am busy subbing. The schools would like me to sub every day but I try to keep it to 2 or less days a week. I got to sub Caleb's class at school for three days and that was special for me. I am also the primary president still--going on 3 years in October. We have such a good rhythm and our primary is another Zion for me. I feel as though I have been on a spiritual high with this calling and I have seen the Lord's hand in this work so many times. I hug each and every child each and every Sunday. We are a family in our primary and I believe that the Lord is pleased with the special spirit that is present there. I am very hands-on as the president and so as a result, I am very close to each of those children. It will be sad for me to be released. My presidency is the best of the best. I was very directly drawn to calling each of them to serve with me. I knew that I was going to be the primary president a few months prior to being called, I just had a feeling. I even felt impressed on who I would want my counselors to be. It was very clear to me that the Lord called them through me. Each of them are going through really difficult trials. For the sake of privacy, I will not disclose what those trials are on this platform. But, needless to say, they are life-altering, BIG trials. Nevertheless, they carry on and fulfil their callings so well. They are earthly angels and I feel blessed to serve alongside of them. We have done some great things together. We have had an old-fashioned Christmas where we dressed as pioneers and churned butter, sang to guitars by lantern light and caroled to the bishopric. We have had fun-filled Easter egg hunts and quarterly neighborhood parades. We have had a Halloween party that included a flash mob dance and a fashion walk costume contest and dance party. We have linked arms during singing time and sang as a primary family. We surrounded fellow members of our primary who lost their grandparents and sang Families Can Be Together Forever as a way to honor our baptismal covenants and mourn with those that mourn. We were combined for a lengthy time period as we navigated the world post quarantine. We got though Covid together. We have discussed at length what it means to build Zion and gather Israel. Our primary knows the doctrine. They know how they feel the spirit on an individual level. Our teachers are more than just Sunday teachers. They are also involved in building this Zion primary. It's the best to serve in primary!

Joshua: Joshua has found a new sport that he is excelling at. Wrestling! He's a good wrestler with some natural talent. Truly his uncles have been wrestling with him since he could walk, so he's been preparing for it his whole life. He came in third place at his last tournament and he pinned a guy after he had sprained his ankle. He has been into shooting his siblings with Rival nerf guns and they don't like it. Today, as I walked out of my bedroom to wake up the kids, he shot me in the hand. It's not necessarily the way I'd like to be greeted first thing in the morning, but it's not that big of a deal. But, I told him, "Please, please don't shoot your siblings when they first wake up". Did he listen to me??? Nope. So, one by one I heard each kid crying and whining about being shot. I took away his guns, but he wasn't surprised. He's been somewhat of a teenager. He's easy going and pretty stable emotionally, he's a really good kid. But, it does seem that he tried to dampen positive emotions: How was the dance? Fine, I guess. Did you have a good time? Whatever. Are you glad you went? Mom! Sheese! Why are you asking me so many questions?! Stuff like that. 

Mercedes: As much as it pained me to do it, I did take her out of her Mexican dance class. She loved it and was so good at it, but the teacher made it difficult to participate. She wanted Mer at practices in Gilbert everyday and practice went from 7-10 pm. It was too much. She's involved in her last season of regular dance. Next year we hope she will be given opportunities to dance through the school. She very interested in Ballroom. She is also turning into a teenager. Her emotions are all over the place, but she is a sweet girl who always tries to do the right thing, and whenever her temper gets the better of her, she is quick to course correct and ask for forgiveness. She has a tender, teachable, heart. She loves to snuggle and she loves alone time. She is quick to jump into the car with me to run errands, and she doesn't like it if one of her siblings had the same idea and also jumps into the car. She is a good friend to Hannah and they are very close.

Luke: Luke had his first wrestling tournament Saturday. For his first time, he did great. He doesn't know much about wrestling yet, but he shows great potential. His coach came up to Jm after he had lost his match and said, "He doesn't know a thing about wrestling, but he sure is scruffy!" Luke isn't afraid to be aggressive and go after it. He isn't afraid to throw down a little. He is a great kid. He still wants to be an OBGYN someday, he knows what it is ;) he just really wants to deliver babies. He LOVES babies. He loves his cousin Rose as much as Mercedes does, and they really fight over her affection.

Hannah: Hannah loves her older sister so much. I am so glad that they are good friends. She also gets along really well with Luke. She and Luke had an idea the other day to give my car a carwash. Hannah came running in a said, "Mom, come look at what we did for you!" I went outside to find Luke on top of the van, dish soap was EVERYWHERE, the sidewalks, the windows, the tires. Not only that, but the dish soap container that was quite pricey was in pieces on the ground. Hannah looked up and asked, "What do you think of our gift? Isn't it such a good gift?" Now, this part I am not proud of... I took that tiny face in my hands, and I whispered back, "This is a bad gift. I don't like this gift. There is dish soap everywhere, the windows are streaked and my new dish soap container is ruined. This is a bad gift." They both cried, and I felt really bad, but I was also laughing because it was all very absurd. Hannah is SO good at dancing. She decided that she was to be done with dance though and try soccer instead. She knows this makes me sad. I am sad because she has so much potential to be really good. But, also because I love dancing so much and it's a way to connect with her. But, she is her own person and I don't want to be a parent that lives through their kids... maybe she will pick it up again someday.

Cubby: Caleb is so funny. He has matured quite a bit since he turned 7. He gets himself half way dressed every night in his school clothes and then sleeps like that: his shorts around his knees and his shirt around his neck but his arms aren't pulled through. I am not sure how safe that is now that I type it. It's because it makes his morning quicker. I remember doing something similar as a teen. I slept in my bra with my hair all done and my clothes for that day. Caleb loves his friend Cade. They are such good friends. He wants to play with Cade every day and it is the first thing he asks for after school. He takes my phone and calls Holly. It's funny to listen to him talk to her. Yesterday it was, "Hey Holly, can Cade come over? My mom might not be home, but Mer is home and she is almost the same as Joshua. Joshua is 14 and she is 12 so that is pretty much the same thing so Cade can come over." Yesterday Caleb also came up to me with a concerned look and said, "I poured myself some juice from the juice on the counter and I drank it but I think it was probably medicine." I assured him it wasn't medicine, but that it wasn't real juice either, I had accidentally bought juice cocktail and that is why it didn't taste good. 

He Lives

It's not about the manger, though sweet was that silent night,

It's not about the drifted snow, a Christmas snowy white. 

It's not about the shepherds, or the wiseman from afar,

It's not about their gifts to bring, it's not about the star.

True meaning lies beyond the reach of that bitter cross to bear,

True meaning is in an empty tomb, the Risen Lord not there.

It is about that baby, who would grow up to be,

Our Savior, Lord--who would atone in Gethsemane.

It is about His teachings, it is about His grace,

It truly is all about returning to His embrace.

For Christmas-time is incomplete without her sister season,

The sweet promises of life anew, Easter is the reason.

For without that dark and empty tomb, and if death still had it's sting,

Would there be cause to rejoice? Hark! Would the angels still sing?

Because He lives, not all is lost, He lives for you and me,

He beckons us to come to Him for all eternity.

I'll follow Him, He knows the way, He is my Savior and Friend,

A gospel of peace forever more, and death is not the end. 

****

Taylor's Birthday:

Here are some things I love about you, my beautiful sister so loyal and true. You come to the rescue of those you love, and I know you'd be there if push came to shove. 

Your spunky and fun and all around pretty, your strong and resilient for when life gets gritty.

You're fashionable and sweet and decor is an art. You pick up a paintbrush and you're great from the start.

When life throws a curve ball you, surely stand ready, your feet may shuffle but they prove to be steady.

You were a limb that was missing from our family tree, I'm thankful there's four where there once was three.

Heaven knew to send you our way, I'm so glad you were born, Happy Birthday!

****

McAvoy Sealing:

April 14th, 1981 was the day you were sealed to your baby son.

Who then would grow up, my husband to be, I then was adopted into your family tree.

The roots go deep, tall branches to climb, a family so blessed through all generations of time. Twas the start of a gift of eternal round, that day in April on the Logan temple grounds.

****

A Painting:

Paint me a sky with sapphire hues, paint me green grass with crisp morning dew.

Paint me a world where peace will abound, then paint me a dream where you are found.

Above in the clouds, it all looks so bright, as we sprinkle the stars with a nice silver light.

The masterpiece not finished, it's only begun, as we paint golden hues of the brightest sun.

Now, wrap me in colors, and then set me free, my soul is wild--come fly with me!