Greetings from the Other Side of the Hard Parts

 

Since the announcement of the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple in April of 2020 (and for months before the announcement actually), my family and I have been on quite the journey.

In the last 5 years, I have been serving with all my heart as Communication Director for the Pittsburgh North Stake. Through all of this, I came to understand that the Lord sees to every detail of the building of His temples, and I have grown and changed in so many ways under His tutelage.

I have worked closely with many awesome people in our town, and I've been humbled to work side-by-side with amazing people from every faith and organization in my area. 

I developed photography as a personal hobby and have taken thousands of photos of the temple, its construction from start to completion, special visitors, and my favorite, landscape photos that include the temple.  It has been amazing for my soul to watch how the temple has blessed our family.  I am in awe of all of it.

During that time, I have not blogged. 

As technology moved away from blogging, and as my son became a very controversial online presence with literally millions of followers, I just focused on sharing my testimony in my own life and on my personal social media circles. That has fed my need as a journalist to express myself and fostered many close relationships with people of all walks of life, for which I am so grateful.

As of right now, I am just recovering my blog, as my previous domain name (www.wetalkofchrist.com) got scooped up by someone else (probably when my payment method expired, and I didn't notice).  

Because of trolls online who want to "beef" with my son and what he stands for, I and my blog have been periodically attacked, which at first I found deeply hurtful and unfair. And since the content of this blog and the memories of my kids when they were younger and the lessons that I taught them are so well-documented on this blog, I am protective of it. Given this, I am contemplating just what to do with my blog.

I realized when my blog was unexplainably down for a while, that I rely on this site as a reference for recipes, thoughts, and lessons I have shared. I found it annoying when I couldn't easily access it. And periodically, I still receive very kind emails from people thanking me for certain posts.

So, that is the update. I am still here.  Still in the faith. STRONGER THAN EVER....despite difficult challenges that are just part of mortality, challenges that have seasoned me and brought me depth and wisdom that comes when children become teens and teenagers become adults.

Since it relates to this blog, I will share one more thought.

This blog was founded on one scripture: 2 Nephi 25:26, which says:

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

As I have watched my children move from that innocent, pre-baptism season of life, to the season of accountability and of trial and error, this scripture, that always guided my efforts as a parent became even more vital to me.

And I realized that I didn't fully understand it when they were little.  

When my children were small and incapable of committing sin, I focused mainly on the joy that talking of and preaching about Christ with them brought me.  And the last bit of this scripture, frankly, didn't seem to match the rest of this joyful passage.

But when my kids started making their own choices, I finally understood that the last lines "that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins," was not out of place at all. It was not mistakenly "tacked on" to the end of the passage...it WAS the point.

The point of decades (now) that my husband and I spent "talking of Christ" with our children was so that when the time came, we could have faith that our children are in God's hands now and that they would KNOW to what source they CAN look for a remission of their sins.

I am so grateful for this understanding that has taken me about a decade of difficult experiences to truly grasp. But my faith in Christ has grown, not waned.  

And through it, my new Mom-mantra has become: 

"I raise them. Jesus Saves them."

I don't try to do His job, because that would be very frustrating and frankly impossible. But I can keep doing my job and increase my faith by remaining calm and waiting and watching as His great plan for all of HIS children unfolds over time.

I trust that the Creator of us all, has the ability to bring ALL of His Children Home...in His time.

I am grateful for every woman, sister, and friend I have made over the decade of blogging that I did here. 

Thank you for supporting me with your comments and friendship and helping me grown spiritually as well.

XO, and Merry Christmas, Friends!

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Scarlett Turns 14

 

Can't neglect to mention that this sweet girl turned 14 recently.

She is so fun and so full of life.  I'm so excited for her to take on high school and hope that she has all the fun and normal experiences every kid should have and just become better and happier and wiser for it.

She's my buddy.  I'm so lucky to have her. (Even if she does kill me at Phase 10 every day.  I can no longer beat her....ever!)

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Volleyball

 

Another thing we've been doing a lot of lately is volleyball.  Our boys varsity team was in the state semi-finals, so we went to see them: Guy, Scarlett, and Me.

They both play volleyball, as did I in high school, but it was just so fun to watch my kids cheering in the student section.  It was so NORMAL!  Here's to more normal.

Our team didn't advance to the finals, but they got so far and were really fun to watch.

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Made it Through this Crazy Year

 

I'm very happy to start putting this Pandemic behind me!  And that kind of felt like it started with the last day of school!

Sometimes I guess I really am grateful for endings.  I've been excited for Scarlett however to start high school next year.  It has brought back all sorts of memories from that exciting time in my life.  I was in it to win it!  And because the last year and a half has sort of stunted lots of kids in this generation, I'm eager to jumpstart their high school time and get them all jazzed for what lies ahead....which is lots of good stuff!

In conjunction with some other moms in my hood, we did a little celebration when the kids got off the bus.  We had food, a water fight, and an old-fashioned balloon launch.

The children wrote their "summer wishes" on a tag connected to their helium balloon and all together we launched them into the sky.

And then we rounded out the last day of school with the three oldest kids getting their second Covid shot!!  We're all so grateful for that!!

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Children & Youth Goal: Know Your Worth

Autumn completed a very big goal this week: She created handmade signs of hope, positivity, and encouragement for each one of her classmates in the 6th grade (325 in all) and with the help of a small group of friends hung them on the lockers of each of her classmates to find the next day when they came to school.  It was a covert operation and no one except these few friends know that she is the one behind the whole thing, but just look at these faces!

Here are pictures of just some of the signs that she made--each one unique!  I loved hearing the girls squeal when reading each sign and then hearing them get even more excited discussing some special kid who might appreciate that particular message the most.

Autumn is a special and hardworking girl, and I'm really impressed she was able to get this done with very little help from us!  Her project is closely tied with the old value of "individual worth".  She hopes that her signs help others understand that they are loved and valued in her school and in this world!

 

 

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Autumn's First Talk in Church

 

Isn't it amazing that our Church it taught by the membership?  And that by invitation, regular members are asked to deliver messages called "talks" to the entire congregation on Sunday  mornings??

I mean, it really does amaze me.  We can be taught by the young and the old, the new members and the long-timers, the learned and wise, and everything in between.

This past Sunday, my daughter Autumn (age 12) was given the chance to speak in Sacrament meeting for the first time.

I was really impressed by how composed she was, and she wrote her own thoughts, her entire talk by herself.  Now, she's kind of a quieter girl.  Because of this her composure while delivering her talk impressed me even more.

I am so grateful I was able to watch my girl shine brightly as she testified of her faith in Jesus Christ and the blessings of making righteous choices.  I hope she will always have the glow that I saw on her today:

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Don't Forget the Friend

 

Most nights around 6pm, my little boys get really rambunctious!  The other night, I decided instead of trying to talk them down, I'd sit down and read The Friend with them cover to cover.

My 3, 4, and 8 year olds really loved it.  They wanted me to read them every story.  As we read it, I felt myself getting choked up multiple times and I thought, "What is going on here?"  I realized how easily the spirit was able to reach me while I was reading The Friend, and I just wanted to remind us all that this resource is here for us whenever we need it!

The photo at the top of this post was particularly sweet to me as my sister is going through a divorce.  What a tender illustration and testimony that we can pray and God will comfort us and bring us peace.  I am grateful for a Church that ministers to children in such a kind and loving way.

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Young Women Theme Wall

I love how creative my daughters are.  I walked into one of their rooms recently. It was a hot mess in there, let me tell you, but then I looked up and saw this neat wall that Scarlett had created with the YW theme as the center-piece, and I was really impressed.

All she did was taped a bunch of scrapbook paper to the wall with the YW Theme and it just made everything look "tre chic"!  

I thought I'd pass this along as an idea if any of your girls are looking for a room refresh!

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Painting Watercolor Chicks

 

It was an exciting week in homeschooling last week, as Honor had her homeschool evaluation, which is just someone reviewing samples of her schoolwork and interviewing her to make sure she has actually been taught.

As the homeschooling mama, this is a big relief to me to have this done, although I don't have the letter quite yet, we're getting that much closer to completing 2nd grade.  39 days of schooling left!

In the meantime, we've busied ourselves by diving into water color painting.

Honor's friend, our neighbor, has to stay home for 2 weeks to quarantine because she was exposed to someone with COVID in class, so that means, around 11am each day, she now has a playmate her age.  And Friday, that meant that we had an extra painting buddy.

Aren't these chicks just the sweetest?  They're so easy to do.

You basically start by painting about 5 different colored, quarter-sized circles on a page (watercolor or sketch paper works well.)  Then you add triangles for wings and beaks.  Add yellow x's of some kind at the bottom of the page to form straw.

Allow your painting to dry, and then using a permanent marker, add eyes, legs, outlines, and other details.

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Giant Bubble Recipe

In the previous post, I shared our recipe for a fun at-home Field Day.  Today, I am sharing the recipe we use to make GIGANTIC BUBBLES...which are the hit of any gathering!

The secret ingredients are guar gum (found on Amazon) and concentrated dish soap (such as Dawn's Platinum Power Clean).

Here are the ingredients for this mixture:

• 1 Tbps Guar Gum Powder
• 24oz Dish Soap
• 3 Gallons of Distilled Water
• 3 Tbps Baking Powder

Note: The best dish soap for bubbles is up for debate, but generally Dawn Platinum Power Clean is seen as one of the best. I also like Dawn's hypoalergenic dish soap which seems to work nearly as well and can be easier to find in stores. Anything labeled as a concentrate of '2x' is typically not very good.

Giant bubbles will work best in high humidity and cool air, so mornings and late afternoons will give the best results. The middle of the night can also give great results, and the colors created in the bubbles by artificial lights are quite nice. 

(Recipe Source)

We have had the best results when we make the bubble recipe the night before use.

Another ingredient for success in giant bubble-making is to make these bubble wands: (This link shows you step-by-step how to make them.)

It's basically 2 rods, a washer, and rope.  Secure them in any way that makes an uninterrupted triangle that works as a huge bubble wand.  I keep my bubbles in a big storage tub that has a lid for storing overnight.  This is now one of those things that I always want to keep on-hand during the summer months.

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Neighborhood Field Day

It's been a long pandemic!  But here's an idea that might bring a few smiles the faces of kids you know!

At the end of last school year, we decided to hold our own Field Day for our kids and the children of our neighborhood, since our school's field day had been canceled.

It turned out to be one of the best events of 2020 and it was so fun to be involved and see the kids laughing and doing "normal things" for a change.

Here's what we did, if you'd like to host one this year:

First we gathered, and one of the neighborhood dads lead all of the kids in a series of stretches. (I think we had about 40 kids?)

We split the children up into three age groups and we had them rotate through three physical challenges three times (for a total of 9). There were two parents who served at "coaches" for each group.  They ran the events and kept tallies for each exercise for each child.

For example, the first rotation was things like:

1. How many times can you hop on one foot in 1 minute?

2. How long can you stand on one foot.

3. How many sit-ups can you do in 1 minute?

For the second round we did other events, like the standing jump, and playing parachute games, etc.

Then we did three-legged races, which was hilarious.  Even the parents joined in.  We did a sprint and a "long" run around our park.

Then we took a break for lunch.  Each family sat together on a blanket and ate lunches they had brought.  Then we did an "awards ceremony".  Beforehand, I had given each set of parents a paper certificate for each of their children.  They filled it out with something they were proud of their children for doing in the last year of distance-learning.

After lunch, we all sat on the grass and cheered as each parent stood up and sang the praises of each of their children.  It was a super amazing and special moment.  And each kid just beamed to be awarded and recognized for their special efforts during a difficult year.

Then we did a round of water games: sponge/water relay races, water balloons, and gigantic bubbles!

The giant bubbles might have stolen the show.  I will share that recipe in the next post.

 

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