Saturday in Salt Lake.

Saturday we traveled down to Salt Lake to attend the temple.  It is always so good to be there.  And whether we go in gratitude or seeking answers, the temple always fulfills.  It's a powerful place where we can retreat spiritually and commune with the Spirit.

Nana and Papa were kind enough to play with the boys and Maylie while we went.  And afterwards, we gathered in the basement of the Joseph Smith Memorial building to eat lunch and reminisce of days gone by.  This place is so special to my family, for we spent much of our childhood gathered around a little circle table eating homemade lunches.  Dozens of memories drifted through our minds.  I loved Temple Square as a child.  We were there so often.  I hope our little ones will gain a love for this sacred place just as I did and I hope that our little family can create just as many memories over the next few decades as we did from the past few.

P.S.  The view from the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial building has always been one of my favorites.

Lovely.

My heart swelled with joy when Patrick asked Tate who this was and he promptly replied,

"Joseph Smith!"  

Then, when we visited Grandma and Grandpa, the boys played in the sprinklers and Easton learned better how to swish the basketball through the hoop.  When we left the boys hid on the porch and we pretended we couldn't find them.  We drove around the block pretending to go home and when we returned they were in the kitchen...quite sad that we "realized" we had left them.  They cried when they had to go but we waved at all of the blue cars driving home to help cheer them up.

"The older I grow the more earnestly I feel that the few joys of childhood are the best that life has to give."  ~Ellen Glasgow

Books I Love.

 

I have always relished books...the thoughts expressed in little black letters, the feel of the cover, the smell of the pages.  Everything about a book speaks volumes.  And I have held thousands of them in my hands.  I wish I could remember every good fictional book I have ever read and make a list.

For today, I will write a few of the books that, over the last few years, have brought me joy, blessed my life, given me hope, or literally transformed me.  I can't remember them all but I'm inspired to keep a more comprehensive list from now on.  For now, here is what I remember.

{Books that have changed my life}

#1. The Book of Mormon

This book will always be my favorite...every time I read the answers to my questions and needs are given and I walk with greater faith as I apply the teachings of this book.

#2. Believing Christ by Stephen E. Robinson

I am reading this now and I can honestly say that this book has given me the tools to truly transform my relationship with Christ and has given me a greater understanding of what the Atonement is truly all about.

#3. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

My entire perspective of existence has been changed by the tenets of this book.

{Books that have greatly enhanced my life}

#4. Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach

This is a daybook that has encouraged me to find my authentic self...can be read in the temporal, creative sense, but can also be compared to things of a spiritual nature.

#5. The Water Secret by Howard Murad

I have been able to greatly enhance my well-being through this holistic approach to emotional and physical health.  proposes that the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables have the key to hydrating our cells and helping us look and feel years younger.

{Other inspiring books}

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Change your Questions Change your Life by Wendy Watson Nelson

A Mother's Book of Secrets by Linda Eyre and Shawni Eyre Pothier

The Mom You're Meant to Be by Cheri Fuller

Women of Virtue by Jodi Marie Robinson

On Becoming Babywise by Garry Ezzo and Robert Bucknam

I will update this list as time goes on for my list of books to read keeps growing.

What books inspire you?  Please leave a comment. :)

Rolling.

Little Miss Maylie began rolling the day Patrick took his boards...
Maybe it's one of those blessings in disguise. ;)

She's my dream come true.

Top Two.

Probably my top two favorite photos from this month:

 

April 8, 2012

It was Easter. 

I have pondered long about how to grow closer to my Savior.

I feel my relationship with my Heavenly Father blossoms through prayer.

And the more I heed the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, the more I feel His influence.

I have heard and felt that by learning more about Jesus Christ and by following in His ways, we come to know Him as well.

But lately, I've wanted to stretch a little more and feel His presence just a little nearer.  

But how?

Thank goodness for Springtime and Easter and all of the new green, green grass.  Easter is all about new: new flowers, a new season, new leaves, new shoots, new Sunday outfits, and maybe even a new and stronger relationship with Christ.

And my answer came yesterday in the form of a book lent to me by one of my dearest friends...my Mother.  It's called "Believing Christ," by Stephen E. Robinson.  

And it came at just the right time.

House Hunting.

It's like a treasure hunt every time we pile in the car and drive through these farmlands.  Our search covers an entire county and is bordered by mountains.  I know we'll know when we get to "our house" because it will feel like home and it will feel perfect for us.

We haven't found it yet.

But that doesn't make the treasure hunt unsuccessful.  On the contrary.  Every home we drive past and every home we go through just hones our search down a little bit more.  We learn what we really truly desire, and the things we can sacrifice.  Some homes are beautiful but in a poor location.  Others are in the perfect location but lack the right home.  And so the search continues...

We've driven by nearly 50 homes.

Tonight we'll walk through 4.

Only 3 more hours...

April 7, 2012

April 7th was the perfect day for an Easter party.  The Johnsons came (nearly all): Mom and Dad and Sadie; Jacee, Holland, Eliza, Nelson, and Madeline; Payton and Melissa; and Molly and Chris and Colbie.

With family all around, the real meaning of Easter was ever apparent in my mind...
It's a marvel to think that these earthly relations we so treasure would never become heavenly if it were not for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Oh how we need Him.

Perhaps this is why the holidays that center around our Savior are so much richer when family surrounds.

It was a beautiful day.

{Hidden eggs}

{Searching}

{And finding}

{Opening}

{Swinging}

{Climbing}

{Racing}

{Maylie cuddling with Grandma}

{Riding}

{Playing}

{Flying}

{Riding}

{Mommy and Maylie}

{And the cupcakes.}

The End.