GLIMPSES .

We took a family walk after dinner tonight.  With those who were at home, that is.  It is starting to look little different lately around here on little outings like this.  The older girls are often involved with some thing or another.  Of course, Selena is currently off and away at BYU.  I am not sure yet how I feel about this changing stage of life.  

As we stepped out the door, the sky was alive and breathtaking.  These clouds!  A rippled pattern across the sky from the setting sun stretching across the valley to the east.  I stopped to capture them alongside the blossoms that are just popping.  

Stunning art by the Creator.

It seemed reflective of the feelings I am having. ... these ripples of time. 

The starting of this ripple effect of life beginning with that day we became one.  

The daily decisions, the small moments... rippling forward through time.  Yesterday's dreams and beauty merging into tomorrows hopes, recklessly colliding into the present.  I am wondering when hopes will become realities, a wonder becoming puddled in fear and uncertainty.  

Yet, looking up tonight at a sky of wonder.... for now... I feel content.  Hope filled.  Tranquil.  

His gift to me tonight- a celestial glimpse on these ripples in time.

PROM . BEAUTY . ROUND . TWO

 Daughter No. 2.  Are we really already at this stage of life for you?!

Prom with the boy down the street... or at least that is what we have all lovingly dubbed it.

Breyganz was sweet in his journey to asking you... especially after your mom gave him such a hard time for not asking anyone!  Maybe that was the push he needed to have the courage to ask... and you happened to be the lucky recipient.  

Because I was taking your pictures, I spared you the camera at the house and met you at the pond for pictures.  I thought it was sweet that you waited to put on each other's flowers until then... so I could capture it in your pictures.

We snapped away.  I loved watching you more comfortable in the picture taking this time from last.  Feeling perhaps more confident in this dating thing?  Baby steps.

There you go, twirling into this next stage of life with beauty and grace that stands the test of time. 

You rip my heart out and fill it with extreme joy, all in one breath.

Most impressive is jumping in that long dress... in heels... on grass!  

All that ballroom dancing is paying off in unique ways! 

You made a sharp looking couple!

This is the perfect size date in my opinion... two couples.  I think you discovered that, too.  Great for not feeling awkward if alone, but small to make the getting to know you better part more intimate.

You were home by 11:40... pretty sure that is a record for date night returns around here.  I smiled because it is typical of you.  First.... that you tire so easily and don't handle those late nights well.  And that you were content to be home before midnight.  Also you, my home body girl.  Your sweet smile told me that it was a good day for making memories and friendships.  And that is what it is all about.  

JUMPIN' . EM .

This is our Jumpin' Em.

A member of the Junior Team of Just Jumpin' for one year now.

Her new passion and love in life.  It is always in her conversation and movement.  She can be found practicing outside on free afternoons for hours.  I love how happy it makes her.  How it fulfills her.  How it is teaching her.

Minus the fact I don't love how grownup she appears in these photos, I LOVED these team captures that were shared with us recently.

She has found friendships and joy in this little group of athletes in abundance over the past year.

Because of lots of jumprope competition prep, competitions, and upcoming JOLT fundraiser performance, I have been able to witness a lot of this marvelous lady in action.  Her coach is simply incredible.

With joy and positivity abounding, she leads these kids to be and do their best, to try hard things, to not give up, and to be proud of efforts no matter the result.  I know Emery feels loved by her by the way her face lights up as she talks about Kathryn. 

These are the kind of people you pray for as a parent, the leaders who will show your children down paths of lessons learned to last a lifetime, and to love them all the while.

I don't know where all this jumprope will lead us.  I hope, Emery, that you stick with it.  Push through the parts that bring you fear.  Trust the ones showing you the way.  Find joy the in the small and big success along the way.  I am proud of you!  I am amazed by you!  

And I love that you have found something so beautiful to treasure in this season of life.

Your Jolt poster brought me great joy to read.... so much to love about incredible you!

Recently, your Dad took you to Colorado for your first real competition with the team.  I loved the feedback I kept getting from him via text... my favorite comment being:

 "I have never seen so many braids in my life!  I am craving a pretzel now."  

He's a funny one, that Dad of yours!

You came back with extra infused joy.  So proud of you and how well you did on your first solo freestyle!

I have recognized your added effort, your individual growth, your discovered fears, and your dream filled hopes.  I am grateful for what this is teaching you to become and strive for.  

What can I say?  I love our Jumpin' Em!

EASTER .

 The last 10 years, we have truly tried to change our Easter celebrations to have more focus on this most miraculous, most life changing week of all time.  In little, simple ways our family has created memories, connections.  This year, as we reflected today on our Easter celebrations, we all reveled in the beauty this past month has held in our home... different.  Planned.  Reverenced.  Treasured.  I needed to document the journey and the why so that this can carry forward for us in the future - Changed.

This year I started pondering in February how I wanted to really make this Easter different, better, holier, celebrated.

I loved Elder Stevenson's talk last spring about making Easter more.  It was particularly inspiring to me how he referenced how we celebrate Christmas being so incredibly looked forward to.... and that we needed to look to Easter with that same reverence and anticipation.

This set my mind in pondering what it was that I loved about our Christmas celebrations that could be mirrored at Easter:

Evergreens - the tree, the arrangements, the smell, the beauty.... my Easter equivalent?  Palms.  

I have done wheatgrass growing as my Easter time thing for some time, but loved the twist that we found in making it an easter wheatgrass display.  Thanks to Gramma P for kicking us off in the right direction, we have found great joy in this little change this year!

Light - the strings of lights, but also our candle tradition.... so a reverential light ... more candles. And I can't wait to add the candle sconces we made for the women's conference for this specific reason moving forward!  A little bit of Jerusalem in our home.

This quick snapshot of the piano decor that I sent to Aspen one morning holds both these additions, though pictures do not do it justice in a quick capture:

I purchased that scripture frame in reference to my word this year and how I wanted to move with it.  But it also matches wonderfully with the season.... even noting that it is shaped possibly like the opening of the tomb.  Which makes me excited to keep using it for Easters to come.

The Nativity creche - how I anticipate putting ours upon the shelf and glancing at it all through the month of December!.... therefore, I desired an Easter creche... the tomb.  And perhaps figurines as we go through time to be collected with it.

Food - Christmas has so many foods that we love... Easter is starting to be the same!  Our last Supper dinner gets better every year! This year we tried grilling lamb chops - a success! (note to self... I am on the lookout for wood cups for the years to come to go with our wood plates)...

Scarves do wonders for taking us back to Jerusalem. :)

And that boy washing our feet with baby oil might have been the sweetest part of it all.

Books - The kids love this part of pulling out at Christmas and reading them daily throughout the month, a mixture of holy with the secular.... I can do this for Easter, too!

And Music - Christmas music is the highlight of my year... but I am finding so is Easter music.  I made a playlist a few years ago that I have been slowly adding to.  And the Christmas season is always filled with the priority of Christmas concerts.  Our favorite is a Gentri Christmas... and this year they must have also felt the need to bring the celebrations to Easter with their new King of Kings concert.  We bought tickets months ago and made the occasion even better with Grandma and Papa P.  What added to our absolute joy and pleasure was our seat neighbors... none other than Elder Kearon and family!

These girls were mesmerized with an apostle of the Lord.  And most especially Joslyn, who was invited over with a personal chat, who couldn't then wipe the smile off her face all night.  What a highlight to our Easter week!  

I caught Joslyn clapping at random  a few days later while sitting at the kitchen bar where I was prepping dinner.  I asked her what she was doing.  "Oh, Mom!  I watched really closely the other night, and it is true- plain and simple.  Elder Kearon claps perfectly, and I am just practicing to be able to do the same!"

I giggled at her enthusiasm.  But also felt extreme gratitude that she had attached her heart and soul on this man of God and could see even goodness reflected in his clapping technique. 

A final note to our Easter that had this Mom and Dad extra excited - gifts.  We have tried to do Christ centered Easter baskets for years, trying to connect Christ in all things.  We have had great discussions through time during this gift giving portion of the holiday.  In our search to connect our children to Christ this year, we came up with something fantastically different.

Our theme for Easter baskets this year was Pickled in Him.

Our baskets included a new pickle ball paddle (for all who did not have one), pickle balls, pickle snacks, a Pickled in Him dink band, and this picture of Christ and quote. We hope to make this our family activity for the coming summer (and moving into the future) - growing better and learning together in this active sport.  And for us to have a tagline to help each other along in our spiritual paths... PICKLED in HIM!  For this pickled family, it felt so perfect!

An extra lesson learned was our pickle ball.  Did you know that an outdoor ball has 40 holes in it.  We talked of the significance of the number 40 - how it signifies in scripture new life, new growth, transformation, and change from one great task to another.

40 days in the wilderness fasting and praying for the Lord.

40 days and nights raining on Noah's boat.

40 years in the wilderness for the Israelites.

40 days on Mount Sinai to receive the 10 commandments.

40 days of lent.

40 weeks of gestation for a baby to grow and be born.

Yes, “40 means something”, as it brings to mind such qualities as repentance, newness, preparation (say, for an important work or task), self-examination, transformation, task fulfillment, escape from bondage or slavery (such as to sin), nourishment and growth (for example, in the spiritual life), and, finally, personal fulfillment, such as with redemption and salvation, and ultimately, new generation and new life.

Indoor pickle balls have only 26 holes.  We made the comparison that to face the harshness of outdoors and meet the task, 40 is necessary.  And being Pickled in Him is what is necessary to face the task of transformation needed in this lifetime.  I can't wait for these feelings and thoughts to pour into minds as we hit the courts each time over the coming months!

So enriching!  So full!  

Easter has truly left us breathing out an abundance of Hallelujahs and Hosannas this year!  

We cannot wait for the celebration of Easters to come!

RAISE . A . HALLELUJAH

 

A weekend months in the making.

A year in the scheming.

One built on many prayers for inspiration.

A night sacred to me personally for the miracles that surrounded it.

Our 2024 Hyde Park North Park Stake Women's Conference.

Patterned after what Brandi carried out in her stake last year - but with changes inspired for our own stake and circumstances.  Grateful for the seed planted by being able to help her out then.... and for the journey it was that brought us to what happened last night.

I can testify of inspiration that came through the words of others.... and inspiration that came through sudden thoughts and pictures that came to mind.  Inspiration that came through music playing on the radio... and inspiration that came in still quiet moments.

I can testify of God's desire for this to happen because of peace that came in the moments of flurried preparation... and of moments of frustration when we battled through details, understanding that the adversary did not want it to go forth.

The miracle of setting up:

I have never claimed to be a visionary person.

But I had distinct visions come to mind on what this could look like.  

And I believe on what this was supposed to look like.

The blessing of family to help.

The timing of being able to go in the night before and set up the lights... that went up so much quicker than I ever hoped.

The vision went from my mind, to paper, to production beautifully (Minus that broken accordion door in the gym - nothing can ever go perfect, right?!).  Mom asked if it was what I hoped... more than.

The miracle of the candle sconces:

Going home to Mom and Dad's to make them on the only available Saturday for three months.

It happened to be the snowstorm of the century that day.  Taking us an hour longer to get there.  But finding ourselves safe in our travels to and fro.

Where a valley was without power for days... but their house and shop just happened to be one of the few with power.   

The perfect amount of wood scraps to get exactly what we needed.

A quick trip there and back - but abundant in His blessings.

The miracle of the lights:

Worried that I would not be able to figure this out on my own... seeking for help from women in the stake and finding none.... asking dear friends for input, and being discouraged after their difficult personal experiences with it.

The vision of how the gym should look moved me forward.

Seeking to get bids from companies and feeling deflated at the astounding prices keeping us at bay.

Reading and studying and researching options.

Then coming across a thought and process that felt doable.

And seeing it all come together - without one broken light! - beautifully humbling.

The miracle of Joslyn:

How excited she was to be able to sing this song that she had fallen in love with.  Hours upon hours practiced.  

To come down with a horrible cold the Monday before.

Her anxiety and fears went wild as she feared she would not be ready and able to sing by Saturday.

Tears shed.  A priesthood blessing. Prayers cried. Lots of pep talks of faith and trust from mother to daughter (and heaven sending it down to me!).  The words of the song came to my mind to sing back to her in a very personal way:

"Josy, Josy, don't you worry, Jesus is your friend - He wants to bless the ones who show their faithfulness..."

As the day before came into play, she was still struggling with a scratchy throat and definitely hurting.

More tears, more prayers, trying every trick we knew to bring relief and healing to her.

As she showed up that night for the event, we slipped into the darkness of the chapel and hugged one another, taking time for one more prayer. Then the words came to mind as I held her and sang back:

"Josy, Josy, stop your crying, Jesus is your friend.  He heals, he weeps, His miracle will bring you peace..."

And sing she did.  Her throat hurt still, before and after... but heaven gave her the voice to deliver the message to the hearts of the women there.

The miracle of Brandi:

When one of the numbers backed out last minute, I needed a guitarist to sing this song.  But I never felt panicked.  A simple whisper to ask Brandi came to my mind and heart. 

She came serving whole heartedly.  And her song certainly touched aching hearts in that room.

The miracle of sign language:

What began as a desire to have a dance number... and how I battled through weeks of calling, texting, praying for names, turned down by so many people.  The battle of was I supposed to drop this number and thought?  But the song felt so good and right and needed.  Then why the struggle to pull it all together?!

The inspiration from Alyson to consider using sign language.  Finding a video of it being done and a rush of warmth surrounding me.  It felt good.  Then struggling once more to round up people to make it happen.  Jean pulled through in getting the young women to perform it, practicing with them..... a burden off my shoulders.

And then seeing the joy of it happen on the stage... and how we had a sister there unknown to us that sign language was her first language and how it spoke deeply to her.  But God knew.  And therefore the miracle of it all.

The miracle of the food:

The planning beforehand... seeing what was important come to surface and what was not go to the wayside.  

Finding simple inspiration for what would be feasible with our numbers.

Watching the women who came together to prep and getting it done in an incredibly fast amount of time... the joy of serving together!

Abundance!  We used the leftovers to feed again for the General RS Broadcast that was happening tonight ... and still had leftovers.

And coming in under budget when all was said and done.  

Only God can make that kind of abundance.

The miracle of the program:

Brandi was my miracle in helping to take on the video, having done it before.  She did it so quickly and relieved such a stress from my shoulders in doing so:

While the musical numbers seemed to come quicker to resolution, the words were a lot longer in coming.  

I had a document open on my computer that I would just come type in thoughts, scriptures, quotes, feelings, and more as they came to me.  For months.  Realizing that we were only a few weeks away, I sat down to try to pull it all together, only to feel completely overwhelmed.  These words weren't meant to take the stage, and yet they were important to help transition the message from song to song.  And there was so much that could be said!  How to put it all together?!

One hour.  

I felt the words come, the connection flow.  Besides a few simple word tweaks to follow, it was done.  

When I did a final read through before passing it on to share with the rest of the presidency, the tears flowed down my face and my heart was bursting.  This was my testimony and His message proclaimed.  It was a sacred journey with those words, one I will forever treasure.  

Almost as if He pulled this whole evening together, just for me to find these words... for ME.  

I know God is like that, doing big things in order to touch and change the one.

I love learning more of God and His purposes, witnessing His miracles, and receiving His joy beside these women (missed you, April!)

Was it quite the numbers we hoped for? No.  But on this ever so busy weekend, I am grateful for the numbers that did come.  To stand at the door and greet them and watch their faces as they came into the room was beautiful.  The pictures show some of the details, but the feeling there was palpable and irreplaceable.  I hope they felt it, too.

 The feedback from the women who came has been humbling. 

And strengthening.  God was with us in this assuredly.

We will send out this recap to the women of the stake this week.  

My heart is full.  Hallelujah is all I want to proclaim!

A perfect kick-off to the Easter celebrations upon us. 

Oh, how I love Jesus!