Life goes on :)

We have been really enjoying the warm weather lately! Evie and her cousins that are her age LOVE riding their trikes around outside when they get together!

 We pulled out our little ride on toy/walker toy. After family home evening last week, Evie was really excited to push Zayne around....

and he loved it :)

 He loves being pushed in the swing. It makes him laugh and I love hearing it :)

 I was able to go to the temple twice this last week. The first time, I went by myself, and the second time, I went with Owen. The tulips are in full bloom and they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! I had to take some pictures, because they don't usually last very long!

We had Stake Conference last weekend and we were able to watch a broadcast from Salt Lake. I can't remember which person gave the talk, but they talked about the Brother of Jared. When he started telling the story - much to my surprise - Evie perked up in her seat and said "Hey! That's the story in my book! The story about Jesus touching the stones and making them into a light!" I was totally caught off guard. And a couple of weeks ago during the sacrament I asked her if she remembered what the bread represented and she said, without hesitation, "Jesus' body!" I am sharing this because it just proves to me that our children do listen to us - the good and I'm sure the bad! Evie is so good about reading scriptures and saying prayers. She generally doesn't let us miss it :) When I told Evie that we had to pray really hard and a lot for daddy to find a new job she exclaimed "that's too much prayin'!" I guess you know what we do in our house ;) Anyway, I'm just very grateful that we have the gospel in our lives and I realize the importance of teaching our children all that we know.

I really enjoyed the peace that I felt while attending the temple this last week. I mentioned in my last post that I was feeling very peaceful about our whole situation. In my mind I keep thinking that life isn't fair, and when going over the money coming in and the money going out, that there is NO way we are going to make it....but my heart tells me other wise. I know where the inner peace is coming from and I am so very grateful for that blessing. When we were unemployed a couple years ago - it was really hard. I don't think there was a day that went by that I wasn't worried sick- BUT, my faith grew so much. In fact, I don't think I realized how strong my faith was until this 2nd round of unemployment. The previous trials I have had in my life prepared me for this one (and I'm sure the many future ones that will come.) I am learning more about the nature of faith and what it really is. It isn't necessarily having faith that Heavenly Father will bless us with exactly what we want, but having faith that Heavenly Father has a plan for us and having faith in His will - whatever that may be. I love this quote and wanted to share it:

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven.”

—Orson F. Whitney, quoted by Spencer W. Kimball, in Faith Precedes the Miracle (1972), 98