Joy in our Journey: April 2014

Friday, April 25, 2014

Great Grandma Della Hanson is sick. We wish we were in Utah to visit her. The girls love sending her care packages/letters. I love the one they sent off today.

Carolyn shared her testimony. What a beautiful testimony. I feel her testimony is such a rock in Carolyn's heart. So unmovable and powerful. Thank you Carolyn.

Angela's beautiful picture of our Savior with her testimony ("I know Jesus is true.") I love Angela's sweet and pure testimony.

Emily's sweet picture!

Monday, April 21, 2014

Tonight Carolyn started teaching me how to play chess. She's cute...I love it. I love how she even says I have to do the "thinking cup" (holding my two hands on my cheeks while I am thinking of my next move). It's pretty cute. I told her she has to help me get good enough to beat Andrew. That's always my objective when it comes to games after all - to beat Andrew.

Tonight while putting Angela to bed, I asked her for her happy and sad parts. She said that she had no sad parts- it was all happy....so I begged for just one happy detail of her day. She said it was when she was swinging on the swings at school. Some boys were saying inappropriate words on the swing next to her. She said she REALLY wanted to keep swinging, but decided to leave so she wouldn't hear the inappropriate words.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

The day Angela has been so awaiting...first lost tooth!!! Beautiful smile, babe!

Saturday, April 19, 2014

April 19, 2014

One day this week, my 3 year-old Emily was sad. As many of us might be able to relate to, she was having a hard time feeling happy. As she was lying on the ground in tears, my 5 year-ol Angela went over to try to comfort and console her. Angela told Emily to look up at a picture of Jesus that hung in our home. Angela said that one time she was feeling, she looked at a picture of Jesus and felt happy. Angela's great wisdom and understanding of our Savior is a beautiful portrayal of my testimony of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I know that no matter what we are faced with...whether it be remorse for decisions we have made – even on a daily basis – whether it be pains, sorrows, temptations, lonliness, feeling scared, heartache, or feeling sad – that we can look to the Savior and His infinite love and atonement for each of us and feel that happiness, peace and joy that I know can only come through our Savior and His love and Atonement for each of us. I know this because I have felt it in my heart. I have felt that mercy and great love for me. That great joy and peace that is available to each of us can only come through our Loving Savior and His love for us and His atonement for each of us. His atonement is central to our Loving Heavenly Father's plan for us and – just as my 5 year old taught – we can look to Him and feel happy.
Today during Saturday Work/Dance Party at the Kim's home. Angela was a sweety. She was going around and graciously giving out all of her hard-earned money and stickers. What a sweetheart and a wise girl that she knows giving up of all of her earthly possessions will bring her more joy than keeping them.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Easter 2014!!

Look - those crazy eyes of Emily's. Can we say she is excited about Easter?!

Dying the Easter eggs!!

Easter bunny was good to us. Chocolate.

Shoes!!

Look at that face. Oh - I love that Angela Smile!

What a silly girl! Excited and silly Carolyn!

Pretty smile.

After church (where mom was asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting about my testimony of the atonement. Although speaking is something I have to work my best at and ask the Lord to make up the difference for my weakness in speaking - I loved thinking and sharing my testimony of the Savior. It is Him that is my anchor and my peace and my happiness and joy. Because of Him I have continually felt the mercy and peace that can only come through the Savior and His atonement. I have a testimony that the atonement is more than what we can understand in our mortal brains. His atonement also makes it possible for us to call upon Him for strength in our trials and heartaches. He has felt every sorrow- every loneliness - every bad day we have felt. Just as Carolyn and Angela are faced with a trial of having to move to a new school - He has felt that. They can turn to their Savior in that hardship (and any hardship) because the Savior has felt that exactly and can strengthen and bring peace. Just as Angela teaches - we can look to our Savior and be happy (her story of telling Emily to look at the picture of Jesus when she was feeling sad). After church, we went to Chris (Andrew's brother) home. EGG ROLL CONTEST!