What A Spring Break!

Some call us crazy, but for Spring break we loaded our little family into our van and started East! We knew we wanted to head towards Florida and stop in a few places along our way, but we wanted to be spontaneous, so we only actually planned 2 nights of our week long stay. We got plenty prepared with maps, information, city to do lists, camping gear and loads of food...we figured if all else failed, we could always find somewhere to put up a tent, or sleep in our van. So we ventured out-not knowing beforehand the things which we should do!

And what a blast we had! Thanks to cheap camp sites and priceline's 11pm same day reservations, we were able to stay in awesome locations on a small budget! We stayed in Baton Rouge-LA, New Orleans-LA, Pensacola-FL and Destin Beach-FL, stopping at nearly every beach and historical marker along the way! There is far too much to post about this trip, so I thought I'd start with a few of the videos I took. I'll sort through the mounds of pictures later...(I'll do everything later right..wink wink).

Needless to say, it was one of those...relationship strengthening-(come back so much more in love), entire family entertaining, educational, peaceful, exhilarating, spiritual, reflective, exhausting, always going to remember, perfect time and money spent- kind of family vacations.

CREATE

Silence from this 3 year old is never a good thing...

Mom wonders why the sudden silence from her 3 year old...

Mom calls from the other room:"Hey Addz, whatcha doin in there?"

Daughter suspiciously replies:"Nothing"

Now skeptical, Mom makes her way to a newly closed door, opens it-

Mom: Big Gasp!

3 Year old:"I wanted short hair like you Mom"...


Self cut hairdo




















Mom's fixer cut hairdo
























Like Mother like daughter :)

It's been a long time, but this past week....

You could have found me...

Early Morning Reading with Adelaide (crying over Dr. Seuss's "Oh' The Places You'll Go" )

Hearing simple testimony from my sweetheart

Taking in My first Texas Rodeo and Stock show with a handsome feller

Changing Kamorah's crib to a big girl bed after a few floor-thumping attempted escapes

Savoring chocolate covered strawberries from my lover

Swinging with my daughters

Playing pretend grandma to my daughters babies

Holding hands as a family, strolling in the park

Planning and preparing for New Beginnings

Teaching the YW how to do different hair braids and sharing with them the life of one of my heroes, Elizabeth

Cleaning the church Saturday mornings

Embracing the help of my assistant, Adelaide, and cracking up at her insistence in doing her "job" of putting away the silverware

Reflecting on memories as a friend departed, I love you Grandma Tink! Till we meet again!

Sitting together as A Young Women's Presidency in the temple- I consider it an honor to work with such women

Filing my taxes (yahoo, they're done!) and making plans for the refund (savings!)

Sharing a huge $4 stack of nachos from Chachos with my very own Chacho

Praising the magic eraser that cleaned pen drawings off my counter-top

Finding joy in my daughters learning- Adelaide being able to write by herself, her name and mine. Kamorah exploring any word I ask her to say, and pushing with excitement on the toilet.

Contemplating the YW's challenge to "lead the world to a return to virtue" and how to help them catch that vision

Listening to Kamorah's first prayer, recited from her prompter Adelaide

Sobbing over "The Secret Life of Bees" (don't watch the first few scenes, I couldn't-too disturbing) then kneeling by my daughters beds, praying they know how I cherish them

Reading a few (ever-motivating) conference talks, Always needing a reminder to SIMPLIFY

Playing Hide and Seek

Taking time (as brief as it may have been) to be holy.

DVR-ing and watching (late at night with my sweets)-American Idol and The Biggest Loser

Laughing with wonderful friends in church meetings.(just the meetings-not the actual service, you think you'd know the gal) (;


Giggling at Kamorah being her jokester, thinks she can do anything, little character

Cleaning out my voice inbox

Being up in the early hours of the morning with a sick child, happy to give her comfort and care, wishing it were me instead

(Subsequently) Cleaning up a few "accidents" and bathing gals multiple times in a day

Keeping track of my families Biggest Loser competition

Running away from ducks

Stressing a bit over how best to communicate and delegate responsibilities

Reading some of "Number the Stars"-Lois Lowry

Unsuccessfully highlighting my hair- what was supposed to be caramel-light "Beyonce" brown, turning into brass orange... covering it up to make the final product: red auburney mixed highlights instead. But you know what, I'm embracing it!

Being captivated by a true history lover and story teller, my sweetheart speaking to the cub scouts about America

Daily "flying pillows" making in our mother daughter bed making

Doing my Total Body Work out from the BYU channel

Getting a new crock-pot ("how could I live with out you...I want to know..") Good job finding that Babe!

Visiting the enchanting Treasure Island, pretending I lived there and taking in an estate sale

Making hair bows with my gals

Seeing two Young Women perform as the leads in their High School Musical

Talking with my Mom for hours about how I can be a better leader, and getting inspired advice

Trying again to please everyone all of the time and realizing again, that it's not possible- and that I need to not worry so much about it. Slowly but surely, I am learning the fine art of freedom from feeling judged.

Feeling so incredibly grateful, so happy, so glad to be where I am at in this moment of life

Say Yes!

This youth celebration was exciting, uplifting and motivating! I was so thrilled to see the church make such an effort to collaborate the talents and testimonies of our amazing youth to share with youth around the world! Since I watched a few weeks ago it has become a part of me and my family-we have downloaded all the songs and find ourselves bursting out in song and dance (and occassionally tears). ;) I had to post about it when this morning I overheard my precious Addy singing enthusiastically to herself: "If you feel like all you say is no, don't let go...o o oh, you will eat insactly what you sowt (you will reap exactly what you sow), don't let go... So we say Yes! Yes! Yes to Happiness! Yes, we're livin stronger!" ...then later... " there's a choice, a choice to be grateful a choice to gain knowledge, a choice to be clean!"

And my eyes swelled again.

I've heard some say it's cheesy... but if cheesy can bring an enlightenment of the spirit, motivation to be better, and pure sweet joy, bring on the cheese! The more I listen to it and reflect on the words, the closer I feel to Heaven. Enjoy

Go HERE to see and hear more!

Elder Holland to the Youth

My Brother Nate...I love you

Of course I have a few dozen back posts a waiting as I have been gone from my home for 3 weeks and gone from blogging for even longer... and I know you must all be desperate to see our hundreds of photos taken over the holidays-wink wink, but...







I have to start with NATE. We have been blessed to have my little brother, Nathan, live with us for the past few months. He is a delight. An optimistic, loyal, helpful, hard working, hilarious, talented, passionate, clever, handsomely fellow whom my daughters adore and I cherish. He'll be leaving our home in just over a week to pursue another path. I don't think he (or we) have any idea how greatly he will be missed.




I hope I don't embarrass him with my honesty, but I've learned a lot from Nate these past few months. I've learned and thought a lot about how differently we all make choices, how specifically we are influenced and challenged, and how personally we are encircled in the arms of Mercy. I've appreciated more the virtue of Hope and the ability to feel real Christ-like love. You See, Nate isn't your conventional LDS youth. Some of his choices have been different from gospel standards. His path has lead him down some rough roads with unique challenges and trials. I'm not certain all that he has learned or decided for himself, but I know he has come to know the reality of the grip of the adversary and the sweet refuge of the Master. Watching, listening to, and praying for Nate has made me think more about who I am and how seriously I am seeking to serve and love others as our precious Savior does.

I was extremely inspired by the spirit and words of Elder Holland (one of my most cherished Apostle) in this weeks BYU devotional. He encouraged us to "Remember Lot's wife" (Luke 17:32). 'He referenced the biblical story from Genesis, where Lot and his family fled at daybreak from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot's wife ignored God's command to "look not behind thee" and — upon looking back — turned into a pillar of salt'(Deseret News).

Elder Holland Said,
"It isn't just that she looked back — she looked back longingly,...In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future. That, apparently, was at least part of her sin...."

"We remember that faith is always pointed toward the future — faith always has to do with blessing and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives. So a more theological way to talk about Lot's wife is to say she did not have faith. She doubted the Lord's ability to give her something better than she had. Apparently she thought — fatally as it turned out — that nothing that lay ahead could possibly be as good as those moments she was leaving behind."

" Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change — and improve. Is that faith? Yes! Is it hope? Yes! Is it charity? Yes! Above all it is charity, the pure love of Christ..."

"Dismiss the destructive and keep dismissing it, until the beauty of the atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future, and the bright future of your family and your friends and your neighbors..."

" God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as he does about where you are, and with his help, where you are willing to go."
(*For those of you who get BYU Television it will be rebroadcast on Sunday January 25th at 8:00am, 4:00pm, and 10:00pm*)

How grateful I am to be allowed to change my way, improve my vision, look to the future with faith- and move forward! Thanks be to heaven for the plan of Happiness, for the Plan of Growth and Change! For the gift of living in families. I am honored to be a sister to Nate. To have his friendship and confidence. To have been allowed to be part of his journey. To know him how he is and how he can become. To be able to encourage each other in our quest for joy- stepping back at times- allowing agency, that we might claim joy for ourselves through Christ.

I love you Nate, forever. Press on dear brother.

Sara