"And Jesus Was Alive Again!"

My Easter post to the church newsletter.

When A. was a toddler, we taught him about the resurrection for our Easter Family Home Evening.  He learned it well enough that he would repeatedly tell the story.  My favorite part was when he would get to the end.  He would throw his arms up in the air and joyfully exclaim, "And Jesus was alive again!"  It amused me that he was so excited about it.  Typically we are reverent and reflective about the events of that Easter morning, but perhaps we neglect to recognize the joy we surely felt as we rejoiced on that day.

We chose our Heavenly Father's plan in the council in the pre-earth life.  We voted, trusting that our brother, Jesus Christ, would do what He said He would do.  Everything rested on Him going through with His part of the plan.  We must have known Him well enough to put all our faith in Him.   Jesus did fulfill His role in the plan; Jesus did what we entrusted him to do.  He paid for our sins and then He rose after three days in the tomb, conquering death.  President Hinckley said, "Easter morning...is the Lord’s day, when we celebrate the greatest victory of all time, the victory over death."  (April '96 conference, emphasis added)  

Jesus made it so we are not subject to the grave.  There IS life after this earthly existence.  All of us will one day have our bodies reunited with our spirits and have the opportunity to live again in our Father's presence.  Maybe we should feel the exclamation of joy in our hearts whenever we think about that momentous morning when "Jesus was alive again!" 

"He is risen!  He is risen!  Tell it out with joyful voice.

He has burst his three days' prison.  Let the whole wide earth rejoice.

Death is conquered. Man is free. Christ has won the victory!" (Hymn #199)

High Hopes

Conversation with 3 year old K. at Red Robin while everyone else was in the bathroom...

K.:  I want $10.
Me:  You have $14.  (allowance)
K.:  But I want $10.
Me:  $14 is MORE than $10.
K.:  Actually, I want 100 million.
Me:  Well I can't help you with that.  You're gonna have to get a job.
K.:  OK, I'll get a job.

Should I hope that he sends some of it my way?  ;)

Spoiled Plans and Probably Too Much Exposure to Superheroes

K. and G. playing in the snow

G. walked by A. and attempted to give him a wedgie.  G. has this fascination with wedgies.  I told him not to do it and that no one likes wedgies.  He disappeared for a few minutes and then delivered this note to me.

unedited
From A.
to Amy
I A. love Weges
Ples Haf G. giv me it


I told him that I knew this note was not from A.  He asked me how I knew.  First off, A. never left the room and A.'s name was misspelled.  G. says, "Oh man, my plans always get foiled..."

I'd Choose Him Every Time

engagement photo 1997

I met Andy at the first church activity freshman year at BYU.  I was asking boys to sign up for the ballroom dance class I was taking.  I was surprised that he said yes and actually signed up.  He was really careful not to dance with me too often, lest I would think he took the class because he was interested in me.  LOL  I got a B+ on the Cha Cha test that I danced with him.  My mom thought we should get married though because he was from Illinois where her family lives and we could have a reception out there.  I told her that was a silly reason to marry someone.  We were just friends, but I gave him a picture at the end of the year.  And he left on his mission.

Fast-forward a few years.  Andy was back.  We took a class together and I started crushing on him.  He went home for the summer and I hoped that having a newish car would give him reason to come around.  Then over the summer I got engaged to another guy.  And then when the new school year started, it started to unravel.  I was crushed.  I told my roommate that if it ended, the only one that could make me laugh again, feel good about myself again was Andy.  She told me that it sounded like I needed him now.  But I was engaged and it didn't seem right.  

So fast-forward through all that mess...  We got together a few months after I ended my engagement.  And married 8 months after that.  And he did make me laugh again (no surprise to anyone that knows Andy) and he did make me feel good about myself again.  And I'd choose him every time.

We have been through lots of jobs, lots of adventures (good and bad), four states, four cars, two apartments, four homes, three wiggly boys.  He's my best friend and we can still stay up too late talking.  He "gets" me like no one else.  He believes in me.  And no matter what we face, doing it together is the best part.  And he still makes me laugh.  And I'd choose him every time.  Happy Valentines' Day Andy.

P.S.  I scored the jackpot when I married into the Johnson family.  They are great people~ inspiring, loving people.  I appreciate all the time I get to share with them.  It's been the ultimate blessing to call them family and to have them spend time with our boys.

Indulgence or Gluttony? ;)

I was working at the computer today and I hear this little voice say, "I'm sorry."  And I realize that a little head is peeking around the corner.  So what was he sorry for???  I asked and he said, "I'm sorry.  I ate all 4 of them."

Then it made sense.  About 20 minutes before, K. had asked for some vanilla Oreos.  (one of my favs...)  I told him that he could have TWO.  He pulled out 4- 2 for him, 2 for G.  But G. was too busy cutting out a paper snowflake to even respond when they were offered.  So K. left the room to put them back.  And I thought it was all over...

Until "Honest Abe" admitted his disobedience.  Guess he just couldn't help himself.  LOL

I guess if this is as bad as my boys get, I'm a pretty lucky Mom.

3 Moments

1.  G. did something the other day that could have required a repairman.  When I explained that to him and asked him what he was thinking (!?!) , he said, "I'm sorry, and by that, I mean I'm REALLY sorry."  Luckily, so far, no repairman required.  Sending up my gratitude.

2.  K. told me the other day that the next time it was a "snowy wonderland" we should make a snowman.  I love the outlook of children.

3.  The other day I was by myself, thanks to a wonderful sister in-law that was watching my kids.  I chuckled inside when digging through my purse,I found these:

Usually they fit right in with my wallet, tube of lip gloss, and tin of mints.  I am a mom of boys.  I keep toys in my purse for boredom emergencies.  But at this moment, when I was taking a break from my usual life, it made me laugh at the reminder that across town were my three boys.  :)

The Aftermath

Yes, that's what it looks like.  A box of peach jello.  A box of cherry jello.  A box of pistachio pudding.  A box of chocolate pudding.  And three (count them THREE) boxes of vanilla pudding.  

And this is the bowl that had all that powder mixed with water from the bathroom sink that was carried (dripping all the way, on tile at least) to the kitchen.

G. almost lost his life...  And there is a Mommy that needs to repent from thinking such horrible thoughts.

This is being recorded, not to embarrass G., but to record it for memory's sake.  And so I can remember to tell it to his future wife so she knows why her kids do similar things...  Because I wished it on their dad... ;)

So she won't feel like a horrible mother when she thinks impatient thoughts when it happens with her own kids.  Because stuff like this happens to all mothers.  And it isn't our finest hour.  

But, later on this day, G. went to a friend's house to be babysat while I took A. to get started on his Pinewood Derby car.  G. told me afterward that he saw some T-rated video games that looked really cool, but he didn't play them because he knew that it was against our family rules.  

So far, we haven't allowed any T games in our home.  Of course when G. was 3 and he LOVED Spiderman, we had a long-winded argument on the way home from Target when I wouldn't let him get a T-rated Spiderman game.  I told him that I wouldn't allow that in my house because it might have bad words.   (I had recently bought a Spiderman cartoon DVD that had some mild SWEAR words.  I was horrified!)  G. told me he liked swear words and I was so mean.  I couldn't believe I was having this conversation with my toddler!

I was so proud that G. had made a good choice even though no one was there to see him make it.  We talked about "integrity" on the way home.  Could this be the same child that had made "Jello/Pudding" water!?!  (And the babysitting mom said that the "T" he was talking about was the T for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, not the rating... lol)

One more story about G.:

He really wanted a red pencil to mark the scriptures we gave him for Christmas.  I wasn't sure what he would mark, but OK, sure.  The other day, we were looking at a verse that I thought would mean something to him. He pulled out his pencil and started marking words that he felt were important: Lord, commandments...  Then he underlines "children" and says "that's important, huh Mom?"  I was so touched that I got a little misty.  

He's such a great kid.  He just has crazy ideas sometimes.  LOL