Skiing

Rob and I took the kids skiing yesterday. It was SO FUN!

We did the rope tow a couple times and then headed in for hot chocolate.

A perfect moment! I always hesitate doing winter sports because it is cold, but this was perfect.

Look at these happy faces. And just for the record, Kyle and I did not fall... we just sat down to rest.

Playing at the park

I was recently reminded of my own human frailty. Today, as in answer to that, I attended a women's conference that discussed "the Key to Happiness is to celebrate the day - serving with love and a grateful heart."

In my effort to live in the moment, I decided to try and find a perfect moment each day. This afternoon, we went to the park as a family and did some geocaching. My son found a box elder bug, which he promptly adopted as a pet, and soon found other bugs for a mama and daddy. My daughter can now do the monkey bars all by herself. My son tried the climbing wall even though he was pretty nervous. One thing I love about my husband is that he always has fun. No sitting on the sidelines watching kids. So we all played chase, we all climbed the climbing wall, swung on swings, laughed, and enjoyed the beautiful day. Carpe Diem!

Illumination

"The ability to qualify for, receive and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life."
---Sister Beck

I've been so thankful for personal revelation lately. We seem to have needed a lot of direction, and I've been grateful that it is always there. I have been thinking of Abraham... how he sought light and knowledge to know the nature of God. Not just guidance over the trials he was facing. But stretching beyond his own circle of concern to want to know God himself. That is powerful.

Easter Marathon

Since I have half-given up on my idea of running a half-marathon this summer (seeing as I haven't run in almost 2 weeks), I compensated by making Easter weekend a marathon.

Friday afternoon we were going to go skiing with the kids (last minute there was a power outage at Alta) but ended up going home for a couple hours, then my mission reunion. Saturday was an Easter carnival, then up to the Franklin's to watch conference. Then I went to dinner with my mom and sisters while Rob and his dad went to Priesthood. We spent the night at the Franklins, had an Easter breakfast and egg hunt Sunday morning, watched conference, ran home to pick up our second car, drove up to my mom's for lunch and conference, then I ran to work afterwards while Rob took the kids home. Phew. Busy, but you know what, it was wonderful! I am so thankful to be able to be with family, even if that means running a bit.

Just braggin'

If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others. ~Haim Ginott

Bear with me as I brag a moment. We were in the children's museum (on a 5.5 hour marathon since our pass expired the next day) leaving one of their classes when the instructor came up to me and told me how well behaved my kids were and how impressed she was by us.

WHOOHOO! I just wanted to write this to remember it always. Especially like tonight when my kids were wound up after 3 icecream cones (where was their mother? :) ... hey, it let me talk another hour with my mom and sisters.

Fiestas galore!

My husband is a champion. For his birthday, while we had tickets to a play, he had to stay at home writing his thesis. Every free moment, he has been spending writing this thing. I read itWhen he finally finished, I couldn't help but cry. Well, a couple weeks ago, he traveled to Michigan to defend his dissertation. After giving his presentation and answering any questions, he waited while the professors discussed his dissertation. "Congratulations, Dr. Franklin!"

Since then it has been super busy. We seem to have things going on all of the time. Yesterday, for example, we had a birthday party for my son. I took 5 (it was 4, but last minute, another boy came along) boys to Discovery Gateway Museum and then for ice cream. Unfortunately, we happened to go on a super busy day, so I spent the whole time making sure the boys played in the same area and counting them over and over. Well, nobody got hurt, they all left accounted for (easier said then done with 5 boys, 2 of them wanderers), and they all had lots of fun.
So I wanted to do something special for Rob. I planned a surprise party, calling people at Rob's work, at school, where we used to live, friends here, and family. And miracle of miracle... we surprised him! We got together at a nickel arcade and ate, talked, played. It was fun and thanks to everyone who came and helped us over the last 8 years. Thank you all!
Some of the friends and family who came

Enough with the whine

I have been reading in the Bible about the Israelites the last couple of days. It seems all they ever did was whine. Moses lead them out of slavery, they whined because they saw Pharoah coming. They were saved from Pharoah and they began to complain how hungry they were. They received Manna and began to moan about the lack of variety.

This theme of traveling through the wilderness has struck a chord with me, as we are living in the 5th month of a temporary move. I felt the Lord's direction to sell our house when we did, and we have definitely received guidance on what NOT to buy so far. We just haven't made it to the promised land. But I think of how the Israelites traveled in the wilderness for 40 years. For that generation, the wilderness WAS their promised land because they were unable to be content or even hope for more.

This has gotten me thinking in 2 directions. First, I don't want to be a whiner. I know I do it sometimes, but I really have got to eliminate it. (The second direction will have to be another blog).

So I think that I will list a 4 things I am really grateful for in my wilderness.

1. I am overwhelmingly grateful for prayer. I cherish the thought that I am heard and someone who knows the future and has my best interest at heart can hear and respond to me.

2. I am grateful that Rob has been busy doing something that he enjoys. He could have been gone all the time working 2 dead-end jobs. Instead he has been able to do research and work in an area where he can potentially make people's lives better (he is currently designing sensors that can help amputees move prosthetic arms easier and better).

3. I am thankful that I have developed the ability to operate and run the household on my own. With Rob gone a lot, I have found out that I am stronger than I thought I was. I have been able to teach myself things like putting up light fixtures, staining my deck or furniture, and using the new imovie... stuff I would have probably just delegated to him. I think that I have also become more sensitive to the amazing women who do everything alone because there isn't someone else to do it with. Before, I never thought about doing things alone like easter egg hunts or carving pumpkins... but now I know what it's like to be, and hopefully I can be sensitive to others who may be struggling. I shouldn't say alone. I mean one-parent. My kids are really fantastic and I have had a ton of fun with them going a TON of places with them. We've even vacationed just the 3 of us a bunch.

4. I am thankful to live in family housing. It is funny to move backwards in life when you know it isn't permanent. A lot of things are funny when you know that they aren't permanent. I think only 1 bathroom per family is funny. If we had more then 1 bathroom, I would never have had to explain to my children that they should not go the bathroom on 1 toilet at the same time even if they could do it.