having a greater love

I have tons of things I want to update to my blog, including a couple more things from Spring Break, but I just haven't had the time and blogging is so not the priority right now! We started Clinicals this past week and of course I still have tests (had one today, 84%, blah) and care plans to write, SIM labs to botch and of course the regular ol' rigamarole around the house.

However, I had something I did want to share of a personal nature.

Now, my non-LDS friends, please bear with me for a bit while the post turns a little bit to the spiritual side. I know not all (maybe half?) of my readers share my faith, but I hope you don't mind a Mormon Moment so to speak. :)

This past year, I've had some struggles. Who doesn't, right?

One of the things I've struggled with is having a bit of a lack of testimony in the Book of Mormon as anything other than just a history book. I'd hear and read peoples' testimonies about their love for the Book of Mormon and how they needed to read it every day and how it strengthened their faith and... well...I had just lost that at some point. I didn't doubt it happened. I didn't doubt that this 1000 year long history of the development of the american continents was true. I just didn't feel inspiration from reading it myself.

So, when exactly a month ago, we were encouraged by our Relief Society (women's organization at church) to do something to better ourselves, our families, etc, I knew it was time to put it to the test.

I decided to read the Book of Mormon in 4 weeks.

I figure, hey, if I can read 'Twilight' in 12 hours, I can certainly read the Book of Mormon in 28 days. So, starting with a prayer and a desire to gain more of a testimony and a love for the book, I divided it up into a set amount of days and pages per day, and took off running.

I didn't miss a day, I'm happy to report.

Also happy to report that I got so very much out of it reading it in large 20-page chunks (and boy howdy the Isaiah bits were much easier to get through, plowing thru those in pretty much one day). I was able to follow along and understand so much better, so much clearer. I felt that I mourned with the people when times were hard, and I felt uplifted when things went right and the people were righteous. I felt that I identified with the prophets and understood their struggles and counsels so much better, so much clearer, so much more personally. I shook my head when entire peoples turned away in wickedness after being swayed by pride and disbelief. I felt the joy and jubilation when the people in 3rd Nephi were able to talk to and touch the resurrected Lord. I felt the despair Moroni must have felt as he closed his chapters, disappointed with the way of the world and disheartened at all the bloodshed.

And truthfully? I was sad when I finished it tonight. I literally wanted to start right back up again.

So now? After having read it day in, day out these past four weeks, I have to admit, I have a greater love for the Book of Mormon. Having said nightly prayers just about each and every day (and some mornings too, I forget a lot once that alarm clock goes off), I feel closer to my Savior. I feel like I'm closer to where he wants me to be. I look at the Book of Mormon now as more than just a history book; I see it as written testimony. Example. Family histories, sure, but more so with the purpose of guiding and teaching than simple documenting for posterity sake.

I'm so grateful I was able to accept and act on this RS challenge. I do intend to start the Book of Mormon over again, to read a bit slower but to continue developing my love for its prophets and teachings. I look forward to General Conference this weekend and being uplifted and buoyed up for the next 6 months.

Friends, thanks for indulging me. If you have any questions about the Book of Mormon or the challenge I took on, feel free to email me or check out the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website.

cousin time

Growing up I had a favorite cousin, Deana, whom I loved to visit.  Over the years we swapped many a silly letter as pen-pals.  Then of course as we grew up, got married and had families and jobs, and life kind of got in the way of anything more than the occasional 'what's up cuz?' email.  We really hadn't gotten together much as adults to just hang out and have fun--Grandma's funeral doesn't count.  *wink*

Enter Spring Break, 2011.  :)

As mentioned, we finally just did it, and planned a vacation around visiting friends and family other than Grandmas and Grandpas.  (We love you Grandmas and Grandpas of course, but it was fun to do something different!)

Our kids were still trying to put together exactly how we were all related--are they all 2nd or 3rd cousins to one another?  And when exactly does the once/twice-removed enter into the equation?  In the end, Deana became Aunt Deana and the kids all just collectively became cousins.  'Nuff said.

Luckily, this happened to be a birthday celebration for two of her immediate familysibs, so I got to see the rest of my cousins, and aunt and uncle and all the new itty bitties to join the family in the past several years.  Dan was in heaven as the sports talk started. . .and pretty much didn't stop for about four hours.  Hard to believe I come from the same gene pool.

It was so fun to catch up!

 

Cameron and Calder.

 

My cousins Dani and Cory and then my cousin-in-law Gary.  :)  Who helped me keep the time clock  regarding conversations consistently swinging back to BYU football.

 

There's my cuz makin' the birthday cake!  ('what's up, cuz?')

 

Probably the best most natural smile I got on film from Cameron all week.

 

Present time and some inside jokes.

 

And then back to football.

 

First off mostly little kids and then as the afternoon progressed, mostly big kids.

 

 

 

Probably Cameron's 3rd. . . 4th? pair of pants while on vacation already.

 

When the sun went down I was freezing and this little native was running around without socks on.

 

 

Again, right outside their window.  Gorgeous!

 

Yes please!  I guess a family favorite--cake made with no eggs.  And it was so good.  I may have had 3 pieces.

 

Lots of this going on with my Uncle Dave as we swapped camera talk.

 

My youngest (and newly married) cousin Kyle.

 

This kid was such a ham.  He really cracked me up.  Totally posed for this picture.

 

There it is, the self-shot!

 These two were seriously two peas in a pod.  They could have been brothers, instead of 3rd cousins-twice-removed--whatever.  They put on a little show for us and I was cracking up.

I show you this just to demonstrate how open and out of their shells and silly they were being, and how much fun they had.  They were quoting the "Despicable Me" movie ver batim all night long.

It was nice to hang out with you Davis clan!

game {night} on!!

So after the vigorous hike in the snow we settled down for some serious game time.

 

The first game of choice for the evening was Balderdash, which I had played once and stunk at.  So I admit I was not really looking forward to it.

You make up definitions for real usually-unheard-of-words, and then vote on who's sounds like the right definition.

Dahlene and I kinda dominated this one!

 

Something else she dominates at?  Making these delicious cookies.

  I know.  Seriously.

There was a lot of this going on!

While we played our games, the boys were livin' it up in the hot tub. 

40-50 degrees outside, but the water was a balmy 102.  They were lovin' it.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Sean was kicking our butts at Qwirkle--a different game we'd never played before.  He ended up just barely losing to the master, Jayden, but it was a fun game.

Right?

Ya can't win them all, hon.  :)

Later, Dahlene fattened us up with huge tacos, more cookies and then a huge waffle breakfast in the morning!!  We sure didn't suffer for good eats this trip!

Thanks so much to Matt and Dahlene for a fun quick visit.  We had a really good time and picked up right where we left off 5 1/2 years ago when they moved away.

Next up:  Cousin Time!

so, while everyone else is enjoying a nice warm spring break and soaking up the sun. . .

We went to the snow!

Well, sort of.  :)

I was so happy to find out my spring break coincided with the boys' this year, so we planned a little getaway to visit some friends and family up north.  Incidentally, this is the same set of friends we were on our way to visit when we had a most unfortunate car accident June 2007--we were very thankful to get there and back in one piece this time, all the while on bad rotors, calipers, and brakes, come to find out.

So we took a few days to go up north of Salt Lake City and enjoyed gorgeous weather, beautiful panoramic views, and ate like pigs.  I mean seriously?  Dahlene fed us so good.  I seriously recommend staying at the Mullins Bed and Breakfast any time you get a chance!  :)

We took the opportunity to do a little hiking--and when I say little, I mean a mile + up in the snow.  I was so far behind the group I couldn't even hear my loud boys any more.  ;)  It's hard hiking in snow. . . the stuff is slippery!

Here's the best from our hike.

Seriously?

 

Who is so lucky to see this just outside their window each morning?

 

I want you to notice what my darling middle child is doing in this picture.  Running through a puddle full-force.  Yup.

 

I think I was one of the few to keep dry feet and socks while on our hike.

 

Here we took a water break at the bridge, and the snow-throwing did commence.  (You may notice we are short one child.  Ethan stayed at my parents' house for the week.)

 

Jayden gathered this huge snowball and tossed it over the bridge.  Half an hour later we came back and found it still sitting in the water.

 

Perty!

I'm not exaggerating, HomeBoy went through three pairs of pants in the first 24 hours.

 

Hello Matt and Dahlene!

 

And more snowball fights.

 

 

On our way back I took some pics of my favorite houses along the way.  (Is it ok to post other people's houses on the internet?  *shrug*)

 

I want.  I need.  Can I have?

 

How many bathrooms do you think are in that puppy?

Stay tuned for Game Night and lots more fun to come.  :)