Inniswood Gardens Metropark

We took family pictures today. We had a great time with Seth's mom Jeena who arrived last night! And Kyla Shurtz and family were very fun to spend time with! thanks Kyla! We're very excited to see how they turned out! 

Saving worms

I like to save worms. Whenever there's a rainstorm, and worms are washed onto the sidewalk, I always want to save them if I can. I don't like to touch them with  my fingers if I can help it. But worms are worth saving. The soil needs more and more worms to keep it healthy. Today Seth said, healthy soil, healthy food. I absolutely agree. There was a huge worm in the road behind my car, and I put it on the grass so that I could find the soil again. John and I our neighbors, Stella, and Elsie were as intrigued as John!

Motherhood is a Blessing

John and I went to the conservatory again today. We both really love it there. We got to explore a lot more of it today. And we were thankful to be able to roam around, because it was pouring outside. John was so thrilled to see all the butterflies. It is a humbling thing to be able to learn with a child. To be able to see things with wonder as John does is a great gift to me. I love being a mother. It is my dream job; it is the hardest one I could have chosen. But it is also the one that brings the most joy and the one in which I can do the most good.

Go Duke!!

Seth's a huge Duke Basketball fan, and so am I because he is, and I like Coach K. We really enjoyed watching them win the championship tonight! (Although we like Wisconsin too, and they sure worked hard. I hate how the camera men follow the defeated team at the end to capture their tears. Huge wins always come with huge losses for someone. That's why basketball often makes me feel sad. Second place isn't celebrated) but if it's anyone, we're very happy it's Duke! I like having activities to do with Seth that we both like. I'd have to say that he's gotten me into football and basketball, surprisingly enough :)

Easter and General conference weekend 2015

It is hard to believe that Easter and General conference weekend are already over! We had such a nice visit with my parents. My mom and dad drove out for the weekend. Unfortunately they hit a pothole on their way here in the pitch black of the night in Indiana. I know the Lord was watching out for them. Although their tire busted, they were safe, and godsend very nice construction worker who is on his way home. to help them change their tire, his name was Tim. He refused any payment, and said that he would hope someone would stop and help if his parents were in need.

John absolutely adores his grandparents. And they adore him. They had so much fun playing and reading books, and snuggling.

John has filled out his first sticker chart for going potty. He has been using the potty consistently for a very long time, but we are preparing to try to have him start using the potty all the time soon, so we started doing the sticker chart, and he really likes it. I have decided against doing treats when he goes potty, but, we are doing stickers, and it seems to be a good reward that he looks forward to. And then I thought it would be good to have a prize or something fun for him to play with when he fills out each sticker chart. Someone was giving away a dragon costume, and John recently saw the movie "How to Train Your Dragon," and he loves it, and subsequently he really likes dragons right now. It took him a little while to warm up to it, but he loved wearing the dragon costume, and my mom was wearing drapey poncho, and John thought that looked kind of like Dragon wings, so if they pretended to fire around the house together. It was so fun.

  John loved eating with my parents, here is John and grandpa eating a yummy bowl of ice cream made with just strawberries, bananas and a little almond milk.

My mom and I went outside with John to our patio, to drive with sidewalk chalk on our patio walls. And John really enjoyed that, but maybe not as much as my mom and I did. :-) I tried to draw the temple, and John knew what it was, so it must have been recognizable. My mom said it was like a Monet. She's a little biased though since I'm her daughter. 

We enjoyed a delicious Easter dinner together on Saturday, and on Sunday, we had a nice breakfast together, and talks about Jesus and told John the Easter story. My parents got him a really nice board book that tells the Easter story into your old language, and we looked at lots of pictures of Jesus. John seem to understand that Easter is about Jesus. And he went around all day saying happy Easter!

We also had a blast doing a little Easter egg hunt with John. He carried his basket around the living room, and picked up the eggs and put them in his basket. We filled them with little toys and balloons to be blown up, and some dairy free chocolate chips and pretzels. He thought it was the coolest. And my parents got done some really fun toys that he loved. Especially a ninja turtle top that he loves to spin.

During our visit, my dad said that as far as men and husbands go, the bar really isn't that high these days, and Seth is way above the bar and even to the moon. He told me I couldn't have done better, and I absolutely agree with him. Both of my parents said that Seth was a wonderful husband and father, and thank him for taking care of me. I am so grateful that my parents respect him and know what a good man he is.

My mom loves the food that I cook almost all the time, and I really appreciate that. And my dad and I had a really nice conversation about nutrition and health issues, and I am really glad that we can talk about a subject that is so important to me, and share ideas and thoughts. My dad asked me some questions about wheatgrass, and why I do the things that I do. And I truly appreciated him listening to me and my story. It is okay that we have some different ideas, we can still discuss them together, and learn from each other, and support one another. I love my parents very much, and I am grateful for them. We are so blessed.

    

It was excellent watching general conference this weekend. If you missed it, or if you watched it and want to watch it again or listen to it or read it, just go to LDS.org/generalconference 

There were so many talks that were direct answers to my prayers, and many that I truly needed that have been concerns of mine, and that maybe I haven't even prayed about yet. God knows us perfectly. He knows what we need and he has restored his true gospel to the earth again, and there are living prophets and apostles to teach us his will and to guide us through this difficult world. I am so grateful to know that and I'm very thankful that I can teach that to our children. John is doing so well learning the gospel.

He has memorized the names of all of the apostles and the prophet. he knows them all by their faces, and he identified all of them the moment they came to the podium. I am one proud mama.

Happy Easter! He is Risen!

Celebrate Easter by remembering the most important person that ever lived. www.mormon.org/easter

And watch General Conference at www.lds.org to learn more about Jesus and receive guidance for your life.

I love general conference!

I am amazed again, although I should not be surprised that in the first two sessions of conference, so many of my concerns were addressed. I received answers to my prayers, and the guidance that I need to overcome my own personal trials. There is something in general conference for everyone. I am so thankful that God still speaks to his children, and I am so excited to listen to the prophets voice tomorrow. You can too at www.LDS.org