Action figures update . . .

Yesterday, I found out that Trevor still likes to play with my "action figures." This is what I found. I'm so glad that he hasn't "grown out" of this phase in his life. It's so sweet. (Plus, I started collecting nativity sets a few years ago, and these are the two sets I bought this year. One is from my trip to Alaska--hence the north pole/eskimo motif. The other just reminded me of Trevor. I love how the animals are all grouped around the baby Jesus. Just so cute! . . sigh . . .)

Not what you would call tall

The other day Tanner was telling Trevor about all his favorite teachers. He then commented that his teacher from second grade was really tall--"Even taller than dad."

Trevor questioned him, "Taller than DAD?!" (As if that wasn't possible. Isn't it cute when a child looks up to his dad and thinks he is like superman and that nothing can beat him?)

Tanner confirmed with emphasis, "Yes! Dad is NOT what you would call tall."

Trevor thought about that for a minute and then said, "Dad IS tall! He's really smart too. He even knows 2 + 2!!!"

But after we all had a good laugh about that, I have to say that Jerel may not be physically tall, but he is tall in character and that's all I could ask for in a husband and father to my children.

p.s. All this talk about "being tall" promted us to measure everybody and update our "tall wall." It's always a lot of fun to see how much everybody has grown.

I'm back

I know I made a goal a while back to blog more often, and then I sort of got really really busy and fell off the blogging wagon. And then Jerel told me today that lately my blog was wonderful and awesome--actually he said it was boring and he might have even uttered the word "lame." So to prove him wrong--I promptly sat down right then and there to blog. Well, now that the bulk of my "busyness" is over--I'm back. Plus, I invited all of my Christmas card readers to visit my blog and if it truly is "lame" when they come to visit for the first time--they won't come back. And that would make me sad. So I'm back to the blogging world. Hope you all enjoy.

I love my action figures

This month Trevor came up to me with a worried look on his face. "Mom," he said, "are you going to get out your action figures this year?"

"What action figures?" I asked him.

"You know--the ones you always get out." he explained.

I must have still looked confused because he then went on to say, "You know--Jesus, Joseph--THOSE guys!"

Oh, of course--my action figures. "Oh, yes," I told him. "I always put out the nativity scenes." He was very relieved after that. I guess since I was behind on getting my Christmas decorations out, that he figured I wouldn't be getting out my "action figures." I told him that the most important decorations of all at Christmas time are my "action figures."

(I have a few nativity sets, but this is the one my mom gave me. The building on the right is the inn and the inn keeper looking very solemn as he says "no room")

This was started as a short little blurb, but this now reminds me of when Trevor was younger. He used to rearrange the nativity scenes all day long. Sometimes everyone would be gathered in the stable all around the baby Jesus, other times the baby Jesus would be all by himself (and even outside the stable at times), one time the wise men were fighting the shepherds, and sometimes they were all laying down sleeping (Trevor said they had a war and were dead--I prefer to say they were tired and sleeping.) My favorite was when Trevor would put all the animals--and only the animals--all crowded around the baby Jesus. It seemed so sweet to me. "Everyone loves Jesus" you know.

p.s. While I was trying to find a picture of Trevor playing with the nativity scenes, I stumbled across this picture from a few years ago. Every year Jerel's parents send an advent calendar for the boys to share. You know the kind--you open a little window every day and there's a little piece of chocolate inside. Well, this is the year that Trevor ate all of the candy at one time on like the 3rd day. Look how sad his face was when he realized how disappointed his brothers were going to be. I couldn't resist posting this picture because he still looks so cute!

Summer Vacation - Chase at EFY (June 15-21)

Chase is going to tell about Especially For Youth (EFY) session that he attended this past summer: On Sunday (June 15th) after church, I went to Nick's house and we met up with Nathan and Hunter. We all drove up to Nick's cabin in Flagstaff and stayed the night. On Monday morning we woke up, got ready, and drove the little ways to Northern Arizona University (NAU) where EFY was held. Nathan was my roommate so we got checked in and got our dorm keys to where we were staying for the whole week. We got set in our room and then we had to go meet our counselor and the other boys in our company. My counselor's name was Ryan and he was the coolest guy ever! My other counselor was Ashley.

Once we met with the guys in our company it was time to meet the ladies. Oh man were they cute!! We did all these greeting games to learn about each other. We went to an assembly after to learn all the rules and what is expected of us. Then our company had family home evening. We played games and then our counselors talked to us about different things. We then went back to our dorms for personal study and then went to bed.

Tuesday and Wednesday mornings were the same. We woke up, ate breakfast, and then went to our classes. I'm going to share some of the things that were taught to me. One class was about how to communicate with heaven. How can I get heaven to talk to me more often? JSH 1:8-20. How can I tell that heaven is really talking to me? D&C 6:15 D&C 6:23 D&C 8:2 D&C8:3-4 D&C9:8-9.

Miracles are manifestations of spiritual power. How can I better live my life so the Lord can work miracles through me? 1)We need to pray for guidance. D&C 19:38. 2) WE need to take action. Our BEST effort is all the Lord needs to create a miracle. There is no need to worry about anything, because the Lord will ALWAYS do his part no matter what :-) I loved that part!

INTEGRITY. What is it? Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one else is watching you. Stand up for what is right, even if you are standing alone. The teacher told us this phrase and I didn't understand it at first, but once I thought about it made sense. That's how a lot of things are up at EFY. The quote is, "The followers are few, when righteousness is taboo." The teacher kept telling us that if we have the spirit with us it will make choosing the right so much easier. Then to close up his class he said, " It's a covenant to stay true to what we know."

Right before EFY, I wasn't getting along with my parents very well and I never understood why they did the things they do, but then a teacher told us these scriptures. Mosiah 4: 14-15. Then it just kind of clicked. They only punish me and take privilages away so that I will learn to walk uprightly before God and to turn away from evil things. I thank my parents for that.

I made a mission statement in one class. It is: I will be where I should, when I should, with the right people.

There was so much more that I learned but it would take about a Tuesday and a Wednesday to share all of it. Tuesday night there was the first dance and it was fun! I got to dance with a lot of cute girls. Wednesday night was probably the funnest night ever though. It was Game night! Our company competed against other companies in games and a banner/cheer-off. Our banner got third place! We kicked butt and took names at the games.

Thursday was probably the most spiritual day of my life. We had to wear our Sunday best all day. That alone, seeing all these youth choosing to wear their Sunday best, brought the spirit in over me. The young men and young women broke up for the first part of the day. My favorite part, besides the testimony meeting of our company, was when all the young men were in the ballroom for the priesthood session. We started out by singing Called to Serve. Our session director then asked, "Do you feel that?" I know that I did. The spirit was overwhelming! He then proceeded to talk to us about how we have so much power in this room. All the young men in that room held the priesthood and it hit me. We have the power of God. Jesus Christ created the world and all that inhabits it with the power of God. I have the power to act as a tool in the Lord's hands to work miracles and do his will. Then the director talked to us about how we are the chosen generation. We were saved on purpose to prepare the world for Christ's second coming. We were the strongest, most valiant spirits in the pre-mortal life. I hear that so much and it blows me away. It also encourages me though. The Lord has that much faith in me, and the youth of the church. Every time I think about this the spirit comes to me and it testifies to me that this is true.

Friday we did a service project where you and a partner made one of those little baby hats on the circle looms. I'm so glad that Alison was my partner. Not only was she really fast at the hats and knew what she was doing, but she was also pretty dang cute. That always helps :-) We had the banquet that night and the final dance at the end of the night. It was such a fun night!

Saturday we woke up and got all packed up. We went and said our final good-byes to our company and then left. I am so glad that I had the oppurtunity to go to EFY. It has strengthend my testimony and got me in perfect tune with the spirit.