Forget me Not

Wow! President Uchtdorf is such an amazing speaker. During Women's Conference, an annual conference specifically for the women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but inspiring for any woman, he used the tiny "Forget Me Not" flower as a metaphor to apply to our lives, touching on five different topics. Forget not:

1. to be patient with yourself
2. the difference between good and foolish sacrifices
3. to be happy now
4. the "why" of the gospel
5. that the Lord loves you

One of these really hit home with me. Number one, to be patient with myself. President Uchtdorf told us that God is fully aware that we are not perfect :) He went on to say that many of us are often good at being patient with others, but for some reason don't apply the same practice to ourselves. With a little fear of sounding self righteous, I'm going to toot my own horn for a moment. I've been told more than once before that I'm very patient with people, with personalities and imperfections (I have so many of my own, there is no way I could judge). Now to quiet that horn a bit; I've also been told I'm too hard on myself in many aspects from parenting down to housekeeping. I also know that I am not the only one. In fact, it seems like I am often having conversations with friends and thinking to myself or even telling them, "don't be so hard on yourself." Why is it that I don't offer myself the same tenderness and understanding that I offer others? Well, let me tell you this talk was a lightbulb moment for me. As I listened, the Spirit whispered to me that God is just as sad when I'm impatient and down on myself as He is when I am that way with others. Whoa! What a concept, he loves ME just as much! I need to let grace work in my life. Psalms 84:11 says, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." I am expected to be on the right side of God and do my very best, but the grace of my Savior, Jesus Christ will make up the difference. This all makes sense to me and my spirit feels lighter because of it and I hope and pray that I can be better at applying this principle to my life. How blessed I am and will be if I work to find grace in His sight.

Grandma and Grandpa Hardie visit- June

It seems to get longer and longer between visits and I miss them more and more. LOVE when they can be with us!
Grandpa has a soft spot for Brooklyn.

Trey and Grandpa playing catch
Dune buggy time!
Grandpa risking his life with the 8 year old driving
Dirt bikin' Grandma
She's brave...I won't do it
With Luke
m&ms Uno...of course
And in between it all, Justin turned 32!

June- Baptism and Blessing

On June 4th, my oldest boy was baptized. We prepared for months. Well, we'd been preparing for eight years really. Have I taught him well so far? He is now accountable for his actions...yikes. It's an important responsibility and I know he feels that, but he couldn't have been more excited for that day. At the moment he was baptized I felt so grateful for my husband who holds the priesthood and was able to perform this ordinance for our son. My favorite part though was when Justin, Grandpa Hardie, Grandpa Price and Uncle Dale laid their hands on Treygan's head to set him apart as a new member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and give him the gift of the Holy Ghost. I peeked at my little boy and the Spirit rushed over me as he looked so reverent with his head bowed, arms folded, soaking it all in. I wonder what he really felt and if he'll remember it later. I hope so because the feeling surely cannot be denied.

If that wasn't enough, the very next day Luke was blessed in church. It was so precious to watch his daddy, grandpas and friends who hold the priesthood stand in a circle with this tiny baby to give him a name, Luke Thomas Price and a blessing to remember who he is as he goes throughout life.

Here are some pictures of friends and family who joined us for this great weekend:

Trey with his buddies
The Sweeney family
The Shaw Family
Lissa, Ashley, Melinda and Jamie
Gia and Marla
Bishop Barfuss and Brother Young
The Pugmires and Heidi Cook
All four Grandparents and Uncle Dale and Moroni
My Eternal Family
The men on Luke's blessing day
My three boys
Luke and Treygan- brothers and hopefully someday best friends

Luke in his blessing outfit, the same one Trey wore made by Grandma Hardie
My sweet baby, 3 months old

playing catch up

Well, my sister convinced me that I should keep doing my blog and print it later (so what if I don't have many readers, it's a great way to journal). So instead of doing a new blog devoted to my testimony, I'm going to combine them since, after all, my family is a huge part of my testimony. Bear with me as I play catch up over the next little bit.

Mother's Day 2011- Tangible evidence that I'm appreciated:








I'm a stay at home mom. This is the hardest job I've ever had, but also the most important, "No other success can compensate for failure in the home."-David O. Mckay. It's true that my days are filled with seemingly mundane tasks that I will inevitably do all over again the next day, and the next...and the next. It's easy to get wrapped up in the whining, fighting and messes and wonder if you are even making a difference. There are no raises, no promotions, no bonuses or pats on the back from the boss. Or are there?

Each night as my children hug me tight around the neck and kiss my cheek, my spirits are raised. Every year, they grow older and enter a new stage in life, promoting me to a new level of motherhood with new things to learn and master. When my four year old passes by me in the kitchen and says, "Mom, I like you," it's a bonus perk from all of my hard work. Then, every time I fall to my knees to repent for my shortcomings and ask how I can be better, I can feel the warmth of the Spirit and the love from my Father in Heaven, just like a pat on the back from my boss...only better.

Changing direction

For quite some time now, I have been feeling prompted to take advantage of so called “social networking” to share and record my testimony as I study various gospel principles. And, for quite some time, I’ve been dragging my feet, unsure of how to do it and what to say, among other “I don’t have time” excuses. Well, today is the day. From now on, my blog will be devoted to the gospel and what He wants me to use it for (I know my kids are cute, but you can see them on Facebook). The Lord has been patient with me and I also know He will give me guidance. I don’t even come close to knowing everything, so please comment, share, ask questions and join me on this journey.

It’s been tough to decide what my first topic will be. I’ve been studying grace and patience a lot lately (I’m guessing I’m not the only mom in need of those), but I want to take on a broader subject first, a saying really: to be in the world and not of the world. It’s a phrase I’m familiar with, but I actually didn’t know exactly where it came from…embarrassing, right? Nah, I’m not perfect and I learn something new every day. In John 17: 14-15 as Christ gives the intercessory prayer, He prays for His apostles and the saints: “…and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I know what it’s like for my beliefs to be hated as I’m sure others of different religions may have felt too. I don’t think I, as a person have been hated, but my faith has definitely been hated. I can see how it could be easy to fall away and become “of the world.” Society as a whole doesn’t look on faith, charity and godliness as good traits, let alone prayer or accountability to God (among a loooong list of other qualities). We have to be in this world, we were sent here to learn, grow and be found worthy, but we do not have to be of the world. The question is, how do we do this? My answer is that we absolutely cannot do it without our Savior Jesus Christ. Every single day, I need to get on my knees and ask for His help. I’ll admit there are times I’m not good about this and boy do I notice a difference. When I ask for the Lord to help me, life is still difficult at times, but the burden is lighter. I recently heard this phrase, “Right choices, lead to more right choices.” It is never too late to make a good choice, just one good choice can lead to many more. When I am doing what’s right, I feel the Spirit swell in my heart reminding me who I am, why I'm here and where I am going and it really does get easier to be in the world and not of the world.

Scripture references:

John 17:14-17

John 1:10