"It's Christmas Day"

Just a few minutes ago I was catching up on some of my favorite blogs and Joaquin was looking thoughtfully out the window. Suddenly he announces, "It's Christmas day". I said, "Oh yeah, what does that mean? PRESENTS. OPEN. ME. I chuckled and went back to reading. A few minutes later he announces, "It's time". I said, "Time for what" he responded with "To open presents." I am not quite sure what he saw in the dark night he was staring so intently out into but it was Christmas for him.


Joaquin has a cold so he went to bed after church and slept until 8pm. As a result, I put him in bed with me so I could go to sleep. He and Rodrigo were watching a movie and I was drifting off to sleep. Just as I was about to enter dream land I felt a soft little hand take mine and hold it. Sweet Dreams...

Jesus' House

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to take my two boys to the Draper Temple open house. Neither of them have been inside a temple since the womb :) It was a wonderful adventure and worth every ache and pain. I say ache and pain because I didn't realize that I could take a stroller so I carried Ezekiel the entire way.

First, we park in the parking lot of a local chapel that has been designated for preparing us for our temple tour. We are seated in the cultural hall for about 10 minutes and then they call a group of us to the Chapel where we veiw a 12 minute film on the history of temples as well as Draper. To be honest I didn't get much out of this as Ezekiel began squirming and squealing due to hunger. I was too busy trying to quiet him and just wishing it would end so I could get hot water for a bottle. Sad, I know but part of mommyhood.

Next, we are all loaded on a bus that drives us to the temple. I really enjoyed this part almost as much as Joaquin. He thought it was the coolest thing to be riding a bus. As we road up the hill (about a 6 minute ride) to the temple an usher read us some interesting information about the temple. The marble on the outside of the temple was shipped from China, the stone on inside shipped from France, the cherry wood inside shipped from the west coast of Africa and the murals were painted by local artists. I have always known that the finest materials are used but when he read us these facts I was in awe. I take for granted the physical part of the temple...thinking it is pretty but not appreciating the wonder of it. I was grateful that someone planning the open house thought to use that brief ride to remind me of the physical glory of the temples.

Once we entered the temple there were three things that really stood out to me.

First - The baptismal faunt was beautiful. It was the typical design set on the backs of the 12 oxen but the colors that they chose were this peaceful green tile(the tile was the color of the water) and a warm brown on the walls. I wanted to sit down and soak it all in...I wanted to stay and do baptisms! Joaquin was in awe...I could tell he wanted to stay too.

Second - The chapel has a beautiful painting of the Savior at the tomb with Mary on the front wall. The lighting in the painting was gorgeous and caused me to pause and reflect on that moment in a way I had never done before. VERY MOVING!

Third - the Celestial room. To be honest I don't remember much about it except the beautiful Chandelier and a ceiling that looked like it went up into the enternities. I just kept looking up...my eyes were drawn and I was mesmerized. I kept telling Joaquin to look up...he loved it too. I can't wait to go back and do a session when it is open.

Something that stood out to Joaquin were the mirrors in the sealing room. He wanted to look in them...he was got by the eternal effect that looking in them has. I wish I could have accomodated him more in this desire but alas Ezekiel was so tired and I thought my arm was going to fall off or my back break. All I could think about by this point is where is the exit! Poor my Joaquin...I even missed the cookies and water in the little reception at the end. But the best part of the whole tour was as we stepped outside of the temple and Joaquin exclaimed..."Mommy that was soooo COOL!" And I know my little Ezekiel felt the spirit as well because he was good throughout the tour and didn't act up at all until we got on the bus.

I wish that I could say that arriving at the car was a relief but Ezekiel was beside himself at this point and it took me the good part of an hour to calm him...Yet, I say it was still worth it.

I love to see the temple.

I'm going there someday.

To feel the holy spirit.

To listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God.

A place of love and beauty.

I'll prepare myself while I am young.

This is my sacred duty.

Spirit Daughters of the Most Creative Being in the Universe

"The desire to create is one the deepest yearnings of the human soul."  

I have spoken often of creation in my posts and my yearning for it.  I love this talk by President Uchtdorf...as I listen to what he is trying to teach us my spirit readily responds to his words.   What wonderful...no, glorious truths...

"You are spirit daughters of the most creative being in the universe."   

"Think about it, your spirit body is a masterpiece created with the beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination."

"The more you trust and rely upon the spirit the greater your capacity to create."

Over the next three weeks I am going to take each of these statements and search, ponder and pray over them.  Each week I will post some of my insights and would absolutely love input from everyone.  

"It's the Earf" and "I'm a Man"

Today as we were running errands I was taking Joaquin out of the car to put him in the shopping cart. Just as I lifted him he shouted "Mommy, it's the earf" I looked to see what he was pointing at and there it was...beautiful blue sky, white puffy clouds and a big mountain...the earf. He repeated again, "it's the earf" and I said, "yes, baby, it is the earf." and kissed him.

Currently Joaquin begins every prayer with "Thank thee for the dinosaur park" and then proceeds to thank Heavenly Father for other things but he always begins with this phrase. He loves everything dinosaur. He knows the names, as I now do, of many dinosaurs and he never seems to get enough. Although he is amazed by them all he is especially taken with the ferocious carnivores ie...tyranosaurus, gigantosaurus (yes there is such a one) allosaurus, velociraptor, utahraptor etc...

He recently began to routinely tell me "I am not cold Mommy" if he knows we are about to leave to go somewhere. Repeatedly as I rush around getting bottles, diapers, keys, shoes I hear "I'm not cold Mommy" I realized this was due to the fact that he doesn't want to wear a coat. So I always respond with "but it is cold outside so you need to wear a coat" and of course he repeats "but I'm not cold Mommy." A week or so ago we were going through what I call his exit ritual when he decided to try a new tactic.
Him - "I'm not cold Mommy"
Me - "But it is really cold outside so you need to wear a jacket"
Him- "I'm a Man"
Me - "What? You're mad?
Him - "No! I'm a man, I don't need to wear a coat!"
Me - "Oh, well Daddy is a man too and he wore his coat this morning."
Him - "I'm not cold Mommy"
Compromise - he carries the coat with him:)

Nothing quite so moving as a 3yr old declaring he is a Man.

Just this weekend as we were having family prayer, I was pleading for comfort, peace, and guidance for Gracie Gledhill's family and for a good friend of mine who is very sick. I began to cry as I was praying for them...we were fasting for them...I suddenly felt two little arms wrapped tightly around me, holding me, trying to comfort me. Guess in some ways he is a man...a little boy with a manly spirit :)

To Be Honest

This morning as my husband was whirlwinding off to school I asked him if he had the money to deposit in his account. Saturday I had taken a bit from savings to put in his checking to pay a few bills. I put the money on the dresser with his wallet and cell phone and told him that I had done it. I was a bit suprised when he said, "What money? I didn't know what that money was for.?" I re-explained where the money was and what it was for...a bit impatiently I might add. Listening is something he struggles with and I inturn struggle with impatience with his listening...or lack thereof. He of course scolded me for my impatience as I had scolded him for not listening...never listening. I admitt I sounded a bit like my mother when I said, "remember, what goes around comes around...you're gonna know how this feels for me one day...never being listened to." I'm quite pitiful aren't I? :) Then I remembered how he asked me on Saturday night about the deposit and if he should use some of it for gas...When he returned to the room I said matter of factly, "you're lying about not knowing what the money was for because we discussed it Saturday night." He looked at me and this was his response..."if you keep using the word lying they are going to think you are lying....because I don't lie to you that often( slight pause) to be honest." Then he headed for the door to leave for school. First of all I have no idea who they are. Second...as soon as he said "I don't lie to you often (slight pause) to be honest...I lost it...I started laughing so hard I was crying. The kids didn't know why I was laughing but because I was laughing so hard they started laughing and or course this caused me to laugh even harder. I knew I had to share. Really, can there be any guile in a man who makes such a statement?