Spring Break(s)

Me, Dan, Trisa, Kayli and Jake

The first full week of April was spring break for Dan (who is in 9th grade) and Trisa (who teaches Kindergarten).  Derek and I got our 2nd Covid shots on Tuesday and so Wednesday was not a good Spring break day!  

Monday we were able to help celebrate Tia's birthday.  Tuesday I took Dan to the library.  Thursday was our adventure.  All of those who live here, minus Derek who was still feeling yucky and working anyway, went to the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium.  I totally stank at taking pictures.  Kayli took the one above and I took the two below.  I've been there a couple of times before with Dan and I think so many things are awesome that I just didn't bother taking pictures.  Instead I decided Derek needed to come with me and see for himself another time (and thus it got added to my 54 before 54 list -- see post from the 14th).  

I really enjoyed looking at all of the creatures and the jungle.  I even somewhat enjoyed watching people who spent so much time taking selfies that I wondered if they actually saw the sharks they were posing in front of!  

This past week was Kayli's Spring break.  The weather is less cooperative.  There were impressively dark clouds, rain, hail, and some really loud thunder!  We went for a walk on the Spanish Fork River trail (not in the rain) and painted pottery at the Color Me Mine.  We got smoothies too.  Mmmm.  The rest of her Spring Break was left to her since Derek and I took off and left her with Jake and Dan.  I was glad to be included in the days I was here!

Tia's Birthday

Tia's birthday was April 6th.  We celebrated the day before that.  She and Mike came over, along with her Christensen Grandparents, to eat dinner.  It was a nice day and we barbecued hamburgers and hotdogs per Tia's request.  We also had Strawberry delight and sang to Tia.  After dinner most of the family went off to the batting cages and hit some softballs.  Then, Tia and Mike came back so Tia could open her presents, most of which she had picked herself.

Tia's presents included a book, a mystery solving game, and some........maternity clothes!  We get to be grandparents!  YAY!  We on purpose opened presents after her grandparents left because Tia and Mike hadn't told them yet.  They wanted to wait until after seeing the doctor, and that was the next day on Tia's actual birthday.  

Mike sent me this picture from their appointment.  Baby is due at the end of October!  So exciting for us!

I love Tia and Mike.  They make me smile and are genuinely good people.  We are all happy for them -- and for us!

54 Before 54

This year I will be turning --- you guessed it ---- 54.  Yesterday it sounded like fun to do one of those lists people sometimes do where they do 30 things before their 30th birthday or 25 before their 25th.  Since my birthday isn't until the end of September, I figured I had time to do 54 things if I didn't make them too hard.  

I am not my enthusiastic competing cousins who would probably have managed to throw at least a half marathon into their plan if not some other super hard race.  Mine includes things like "have a picnic using my jean quilt", "learn a line dance", and "sing every day for a month".  I do have some exercising things included.  Even a race!  I don't have to actually race before my birthday, but I do need to sign up for a breast cancer walk / run before my birthday.  It's looking like that will be a late October thing (which means I'll likely be dressing warm).  I am happy to have racing buddies if anyone is interested!  Just don't expect me to go fast.  You can go fast and wait for me at the finish line!

When Derek heard what I was doing he said something like, "can you make one of your things to not make any more lists?"  The answer was to laugh.  I actually have become a little anti-list in some ways.  I get tired of trying to keep track of things, and I don't want to define my worth by what I accomplish.  I also don't want to become upset that I didn't do something on a list of things that I made up myself for fun.  On the other hand, I can be motivated by lists -- especially lists I like.  My list does have some things that are out of my comfort zone (say -- racing).  It has things I'm good at, like studying.  But mainly it has things to do, including things I would do without my list, like "move into my house".  All in all, I like my list and checked the first thing off today!  Yay for me (and Kayli) who came with me to Color Me Mine and painted some pottery!

**The picture above was taken by Derek.  The elephant is available for purchase at RC Willey :-)

A Gift

***
A Gift

In a garden dark and still

A good Son knelt, to do His Father’s will

And soon He fell upon His face

Taking on Himself our disgrace.

And while He suffered an angel came

To comfort Him in His intense pain.

But the weight of our sins no one else could bear

It had to be endured as He suffered there.

And once the pain eased up enough that He could walk again.

The soldiers came into the night, and they arrested Him.

And after He’d been beaten by those He came to save

He endured the cross and chose to leave His body for the grave.

And lightning came, and the Earth did quake

His friends His body they did take

And reverently, but quickly too

They laid Him to rest, as friends would do.

And mourned His loss, for it was very great.

And they did not understand His fate.

And sadness reigned, and a hopeless night

Before Easter came, with the morning light.

For Christ had risen from the dead and had called Mary’s name.

And because of this, the world was saved, and would never be the same.

Death had not power to keep us now.

Sin was conquered if we just learn how

To turn to the one who conquered all

And saved us from death and the fall.

Christ lives and loves us.  He’s our friend.

His life a gift, our lives to mend.

by Sherie

*** Picture by Harry Anderson used by permission from

churchofjesuschrist.org

Victory!

Victory!

There is a garden at the base of the Mount of Olives named Gethsemane.

If the trees could speak, I wonder what they would say to you and me?

Their master, and ours, knelt there so long ago.

And suffered so much pain. Pain that we will never know.

And then He was arrested, and taken off to trial.

And those who loved Him really hoped he’d be free in a little while.

But the next day came with Jesus stumbling under a heavy load,

As he carried His heavy cross down the dusty road.

And people mocked and spit and laughed, while others hid in pain.

So deeply sad that their friend would die -- not to be seen again.

And nails pierced through His hands just could not be enough

They nailed His wrists to hold Him up upon the cross so rough.

He forgave the soldiers for the duty they performed

And for the mocking laughter, for they knew not whom they scorned.

And as He suffered agony, His mother suffered too

And Jesus asked His friend to help with what He could no longer do.

And crying out in agony to the Father that He loved

Who seemed to hide so far away in His heavenly home above,

Christ chose to die, for you and me, to save us from our sin,

And quickly He was taken down to a sepulchre so dim.

His followers mourned and howled and cried

Their sadness deep, and justified,

But on the third day, in the early morn

Christ rose, and hope again was born.

For death was conquered. Men were free.

To follow Christ for the victory

Over sin, and death, and sorrow too.

The greatest gift ever given to me, and you.

by Sherie

The Power of Questions

Have you ever noticed that some people have a knack for coming up with good questions?  I often think I should really take someone with this gift to doctor's appointments because I don't think of questions until after we leave -- if I think of them at all.  This kind of gift is also helpful when it comes to pondering important things.  I am so thankful for people who come up with good questions because I can learn a lot by trying to come up with the answers!

I am such a fan of "The Chosen" t.v. show that I also bought their book "The Chosen:  40 Days With Jesus".  I am working my way through it a day at a time and I have loved it.  I find myself pondering our Savior more because of the questions they ask.  They are not questions that I can always answer right away.  They take thought.

The questions asked have had the power to direct my thoughts to my Savior and His life and what His life shows me that mine can be.  In the past I have thought about what Christ has delivered me from, but haven't spent as much time on what he has delivered me for.  I have always assumed I welcome everyone, but I have now had a chance to ponder who I struggle to welcome.  It was interesting to think about what I repeatedly petition God for and it would probably never have occurred to me to ask, "What are some audacious things you can ask God to do in your life?".

I still am not sure what a good answer to that last one is!  Still, I do love helpful thinking questions and coming up with questions is a talent I would like to acquire because good questions can help people learn.

Photo by Matt Walsh on Unsplash

Up and Down to Bliss

The sun came out and shone so bright

I had to squint into the light.

I thought the world was grand.

Things went just like I planned!

And then a cloud blocked out the sun.

I tripped and fell as I tried to run.

I thought the world was mean.

It was stepping on my dream!

A rainbow came with colors bright,

And brought me joy through its colored light.

I thought the world a gift!

My spirits they did lift!

And then the wind, it knocked me down.

I fell right on the hard wet ground!

I’d had enough of this!

What happened to my bliss?

But sure enough, the clouds did part

And sun warmed up my broken heart

Life is a gift you see.

Up and down for you and me!

The sun was warmer than before

It chased the cold right out the door

I had time to prepare!

Next up might be a bear!

I would be ready!  I’d have bear spray.

I’d make that bear run right away!

But what came? Poisoned darts!

Be still my beating heart!

I ran and hid.  What’s up with this?

Can I please go back to the bliss?

And then at last I knew

Exactly what to do!

I donned my armor pure and bright.

I marched into the cold dark night.

My sword was lifted high.

For danger, it was nigh.

And suddenly what came to view?

My friends who wore their armor too.

We chased the bad away.

And rejoiced in a new day.

So up and down the days flew by

And every day I’d really try

To battle valiantly

For bliss, for you and me.

by Sherie

Picture by Ricardo Cruz on Unsplash

Belonging

I admit that sometimes I have no idea what the prophet Isaiah was talking about, and yet, some of my favorite scriptures are from Isaiah.  For March I have decided to learn a part of Isaiah 43:1.  "Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine."

As I have contemplated this scripture it has given me a strong feeling of belonging.  I belong to Heavenly Father as His daughter.  I belong to Jesus Christ because He redeemed me.  I choose Him -- but honestly, He chose me a long time ago.  He loves me and chose to redeem me.  I believe that Jesus wants to keep all those that are His, and so contemplating this scripture has given me a great deal of peace.  

Today, I hope that you will feel that belonging too.  We are loved.  God knows our name, and we are His.

**Picture "Isaiah Writing" used with permission from churchofjesuschrist.org 

RESET

Today I looked at my goals in the four areas of physical, spiritual, social, and intellectual.  Since I had to look to remember what they were, you can imagine exactly how much those goals were helping!  I set them last March 1st, and I did them for a while, but it was time for a reset.  Thankfully, I believe in resetting goals any old time that they aren't helping!

I have been working on the word Joy for over a year now, and these still fit in with that word.  With my nice counselor I am working on focusing on good things and having compassion for myself.  Here's what sounded helpful to me today.

Intellectual:  Write down the evidence I find every day that God loves me.  I will finish up my gratitude journal this way, and I will be trying to notice every tender mercy that comes my way.  How is this intellectual?  It helps me focus my mind on the things I have to be grateful for which keeps me out of the negative thought patterns I am prone to on occasion.

Social:  Share God's Love.  In conversations I have, and through writing, I want to share the evidences I find that God loves me -- and all of you.

Spiritual:  Share God's words.  I have noticed lately how often the Doctrine and Covenants says that God's word is "quick and powerful, sharper than a two edged sword".  There is a lot of power in God's word and so I am planning to memorize a scripture a month and then share how the scripture has strengthened me.

Physical:  Gain energy and confidence.  I hesitate to talk about this one because some people look at my size and assume I am "in shape".  This is not the truth.  I am tired a lot, and don't have much stamina.  I hurt and can find lots of "good" excuses not to move much.  Moving is not always comfortable and I always wonder if the hurting means I am damaging me more, or just working out the kinks!  So I am adding a health plan to my current "seasons" plan -- which has helped my mood some but not quite enough.

So hooray for a reset!  

To My Children: Miracles All

Miracles

I heard you say you thought you’d need a miracle

To change the way you think of who you are

But I know you, and I know you are a miracle

So the miracle that you need just can’t be far.

The day that you were born I held you closely.

I sang of One who came long, long ago.

And as I sang His love filled up the whole room,

For the miracle of His love is one I know.

You are the child I longed for.

You are a gift to me.

The day that you arrived on earth

A miracle came to be.

The sun rises and the sun sets,

On good and bad and all that’s in between.

And through it all you shine, though you are hurting.

And try to find the courage still to dream.

I know that you are broken.

That’s how the light gets through.

Christ’s light holds you together

A miracle just takes two.

One person who is broken.

One Savior who can heal.

One miracle is created.

With a light that you can feel.

You are the child I longed for.

You are a gift to me.

The day that you arrived on earth

A miracle came to be.

All of my children -- quite a long time ago!

Decor, Hospitality, and Seasons

Winter Inspiration!

 I've been in to getting library books from the non-fiction section lately.  Often they are about decluttering, organizing, and gardening.  Then I started looking for books on hospitality, and this last time I stumbled on one called Welcome Home by McQuillyn Smith.  I love it, which made Derek decide I was "so funny"!  Maybe it seems funny to read books on hospitality when I have such good examples in friends and family, but I have always liked the idea of having a house that people feel welcome to come to, and where they can feel loved and comfortable.  New ideas are always welcome.  One of the things I love about Welcome Home is that the author talks about every season, and I have been trying to make a seasonal health plan, which I think can be enhanced by the principles she talks about.  The author is a "cozy minimalist" who is an "imperfectionist".  I can get behind those things!  

 I read in a magazine about sharing God's love through hospitality.  That is something that I strive to do when I have people over, and I appreciated the ideas that this hostess has.  One quote I loved is, "hosting is never about the host, and hospitality is never about the house."  She suggests that, if you are feeling super stressed and tired it might be better to cancel, or reschedule, than to have people over and have them be uncomfortable.  I like that she reminds the host to take a few minutes to feel calm before guests come, and to make sure your family knows guests will be there and what you hope they will contribute.

I liked her thought about decorating for Christmas too.  I usually do a lot of Christmas decorating, but I learned years ago that if it is stressing me out it just isn't worth it.  The author explains, "If decorating my house for Christmas is a burden, then I stop.  I have to.  It’s the most ridiculous thing in the world to stress out and overdecorate when what I really need is to undo myself and rest in the one whom we are celebrating.”

Decor is to be enjoyed, not to trip over or give you a headache. Hospitality is about making connections and seasons are a part of life that reminds us that there is always change. There are times of rest, and times of renewal. I am looking forward to the daffodils blooming. I saw the green poking up through the ground today on my walk and it is good to know that Spring is coming.

Kayli Graduates From Institute!!!

Hi everyone.  This is Kayli.  Most of the pictures I have of Kayli are with me in them because we sometimes go off on adventures and then I like to document it, but I wanted without me in it!  

Some of you will know what Institute is, and others will be wondering. Institute is a religion program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for young adults. According to the Church's website "Institute provides an opportunity for students to strengthen their commitment to Jesus Christ and conduct a comprehensive study of the scriptures and words of modern-day prophets. "

To graduate a student has to take at least 14 credit hours worth of classes -- some specific, and some elective. Kayli was very diligent in working to complete this. She did this on top of "regular" life, which can be busy and complicated. We had a little "ceremony" with her sisters and sisters-in-law via Zoom when we were all online for a book club we are doing. Kayli has an official certificate and we gave her a plant to honor the occasion.

It is easy to be proud of Kayli.  I love her and am so thankful she is in our family.  We are truly blessed!

Jake's Birthday

 Jake turned 19 on the 12th of February.  I can hardly wrap my head around the fact that he has grown up so fast.  I am so thankful that Jake is a member of our family.  He has a great sense of humor and really is a kind, compassionate, and loving son.  I absolutely love what a good brother he has always been, and what good siblings he has who love him just how he is.

These aren't the best pictures, but at least we took some!  For his birthday Jake would have loved to have the whole Baxter family over to our house to have dinner.  Their home was often like a second home for Jake.  Because of the pandemic we didn't invite the whole family, but we did invite Jake's friend Brennan, who took time off work to come and support his friend.  I am so thankful!  He made his own pizza like the rest of us and spent a bit of time here.  I know Jake has missed seeing friends and I am glad that, at least for one day, he got to see one!

Happy Birthday to Jake!