some FIRST'S at our house.

Livy has loved saying the prayer all by herself, and she wants to say every prayer. We convinced her the other night at dinner that we needed to give Elijah a turn to say the prayer. Elijah started saying the prayer and Livy decided she needed to help him. She guided him to say thanks for everyone in the family and then demanded over and over, "thank you for ME", thank you for ME". We all couldn't keep the laughter in. It was so dang cute.

Livy always demands that she say her prayer all by herself. Half way through it she will say,"I can't say it", "I can't say it", then one of us will jump in and help her and then she will remind us she's saying it all by herself and she will finish up with what we helped her with. Last week was her first time saying the whole prayer by herself. It started out with Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for my MOMMY, thank you for my DADDY, thank for my family, thank you for this day, please bless the food, thank you for the food, I LOVE YOU in the name of Jesus Christ amen. Everyone in our family was grinning from ear to ear, so proud of her.

Zyan gave his first prayer last night. I helped him and he said what he could. It went like this Dear Heavenly, THANK YOU day. Bless DADDY, LOVE YOU, JESUS AMEN.

What a great reward it is to being a parent!

ZYAN told me "THANK YOU" after I changed his poopy diaper :P

Well this week Daddy is gone. He decided to have a little talk with our kids about helping me out this week while he is gone. Well whatever he said worked. I told him he better do that more often :) All 3 older kids AT THE SAME TIME have went out of their way to help me. I have woken up to Camry all ready for school(which is a HUGE first) and doing her chores(which we do after school) and feeding the dogs, all without being asked. Camry made all her sisters beds for them. Halli had gotten both babies dress and ready for the day(even hair). Halli did her sisters hair for the one of the mornings before school. Elijah has been on his best behavior, getting on his chores done right away without having to be asked and he has done a great job doing them all RIGHT! Elijah has been very helpful with Livy and Zyan, playing with them and helping them with anything they need for me. The first night dad was gone was an emotional one at our house. It started with Camry and then Livy and then Zyan, everyone crying for daddy. About 30 mins after I had put everyone into bed Halli came downstairs and told me that she was doing everything she could to comfort Livy, she was snuggling her in her bed but she just heard Zyan and she wanted me to know that she could get him too! It has been so AMAZING to watch me kids this week, they have all strived to be so thoughtful and helpful to me. I was saying my prayers last night and I was so grateful for my wonderful kids and their desire to help me.

OBEDIENCE!

Last night I was chatting with my sister for quite a while about the trials we both have endured recently. After our conversation I still had a lot on my mind so I took up our conversation with Casey(until he fell asleep on me)!!!! I had so many things floating around in my head and my first thought was to get up and just write every word that came to mind down. But it was late and I was tired and didn't want to get out of bed. So I just laid there contemplating. The question I posed to myself is, how do I, my family move forward towards adopting again knowing that we've been given the knowledge to proceed forward with the many adoption opportunities in the past that have all failed? How do I move forward feeling good, knowing it's what we are to do, but not letting the doubt take over of what's happened in the past. It's hard not to think that I have been blessed with this knowledge before, I have felt this peace and comfort but in the end it didn't work out. What makes the next time any different? I started to think of situations in the scriptures where there were a lot of trials but those being tried kept moving forward. I thought of Nephi when he was asked to obtain the plates of brass and how he was given many obstacles and had to keep trying over and over. What kept him going was the knowledge of what he was asked to do and he was determined to be obedient. I also thought of the early Saints who were pushed from settlement to settlement, working so hard to re-establish themselves each time. I thought of how they must have felt when they lost what they worked so hard on. All the time and materials that went into the church buildings, stores and Temples, to only see it destroyed each time. But they kept going, they started over and over again. Or, the Saints crossing the plains and how they endured so many trials and tribulations along the long journey to the promise land. They continued to stay true to the knowledge that they needed to proceed forward as they were guided by the Prophet Brigham Young and they offered much faith and obedience and sacrificed all that was asked of them in the name of faith.

Mosiah 5: 5
5. And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.

So after all this running through my head, I came to the direction I felt we are to go next. Ask for reconfirmation, the knowledge we have been blessed with in the past, that adoption is right for our family and that his timing is now.

Alma 32:34-35
34. And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.
35. O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?
If my answer is YES I must and will proceed forward in faith with the desire to be obedient just like Nephi and just like the Saints!

No looking back for me or focusing on the past but looking towards the future doing what Heavenly Father has asked me to do.

Ether 12:6
6. And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.