•5:21 PM
A new year is the perfect time to jump in and start documenting the daily craziness of this brood, in addition to my own personal musings. Self-indulgent? Perhaps. But when I can follow the counsel of wise prophets while indulging myself, that's a win-win.
Today also marks the 10th birthday of Thing 2 (a.k.a. Kiara, Binky Mo, Ra-Ra, Chabba). (I think the names our younger children give our older children are always my favorites.) She requested spinach quiche for her birthday dinner, a homemade ice-cream cake for dessert, and has been desperately requesting a pet fish for months. She scored a trifecta and had all three.
This was the first Sunday Kylie was able to attend all of her youth meetings. She is so glad to have graduated from Primary. Her life seems to be flashing before our eyes.
Mr. Aiden also got the privilege of wearing his very first "suit outfit" to church today. He looks so handsome I can hardly stand it. I had a momentary flash-forward, seeing him in a larger version of this suit, wearing a missionary tag. I pushed it from my mind before the emotional impact of that could hit me with full force.
We had high hopes that Alysia would be as successful in remaining in the nursery this Sunday as she was last time. It was not to be. After three successive nights of very late bedtimes due to family celebrations, the 9 a.m. church start time came very, very early for everyone. That translates into intense emotions in this family, and Leela was no exception. She had a battle of wills with Aaron until he snuggled her to sleep and just held her for the rest of the meetings.
For me, that meant I was able to actually attend both Sunday School and Relief Society today for the first time in about 18 months (thank you, Aaron!). My soul needed the refresher. We learned about Moses' experience being transfigured and instructed by God, and his subsequent interaction with Satan (Moses 1). God referred to Moses three times as His 'son,' reminding Moses of his divine nature and worth. By contrast, Satan referred to Moses as the 'son of man.' I was struck by the notion that one of Satan's most insidious strategies is to attempt to undermine our confidence in our divine inheritance and identity. If we forget that we are God's children, the implications of that are extremely significant. It impacts every relationship, every decision, every part of our lives. We must continually remind ourselves who we are. "For behold, I am a [daughter] of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten..." (v. 13).
Another impactful message for me today came from our Relief Society lesson: You don't find time for anything. You make time. How often am I tossed to and fro on the day's stormy sea without a thought for how I will make time -- for my husband, for myself, for God's word, for a loving interaction with my children... This life is about choices, and I need to be more proactive in how I spend my time. Meals will need to be made, clothes will need to be washed, and something will need to be cleaned out of the carpet. Those are the inevitabilities of domestic existence. But if I don't plan and schedule the most important parts of family life, the chaos will overtake us.
I read a quote from Thomas Edison recently that I loved: Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Work involves a conscious choice to put forth effort toward a worthwhile endeavor. This year, I want to work smarter.
2010 will be a year of blessings for our family. I can say that with confidence because every year has been a year of blessings for our family, but I also sense change brewing for us. It will be interesting to see what God has in store for us.
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2 comments:
Thank you for your inspiring words. We love your family.
I love every bit of this...from Kiara's b-day wishes come true to your inspiring insights into Sunday's lessons. Thanks for sharing. :) And can I just say that Aidan is beyond adorable in that suit!!