Easter

This year for lent I decided I wanted to try and read the Book of Mormon in 40 days. I am happy to announce that I did it! It was a lot of reading and the fastest I have ever read The Book of Mormon. It was such a great experience. Because I was constantly reading and not having big gaps in between books I really felt like I learned more and was able to follow and understand what I was reading better. The more I read the more I wanted to read and I was always catching myself thinking about the stories I was reading throughout the day and was likening the scriptures to my life on a daily basis. There were a lot of instances too where the kids were doing something or asking a church question and I was able to quote things and refer them to scriptures to read and tell them stories. It was so awesome. I often found myself reading more than my set number of pages for the day just because I enjoyed reading so much. The best part of this was that the girls watched me everyday. Read and read, while I ate breakfast, while I made dinner. While I sat with the kids in the tub. Everyday they would check out my mark off chart and see my progress and inform me of how much more I had to read. I could have finished before Easter but I wanted to read the last few pages on Easter morning and the kids were so excited that I had reached my goal. Tallie during those weeks had also pulled out her scriptures and was reading every night in bed. I even found her on a Sunday afternoon on the couch curled up reading The Book of Mormon. 

That right there was priceless and worth more than words could say.

I'm now on to reading the Doctrine and Covenants.

I feel like that on every special holiday or occasion in which I should be so happy and grateful, I'm not. I think its on these days that the adversary knows that if he can creep in he can destroy the whole day and take away any chance I have of feeling the Spirit. I should just expect it and try and pray extra hard that I can be peaceful and allow the Spirit into my home. My head was just wrapped around the worldliness of the day and getting the kids dressed and hair done and getting a picture before church. We all woke up late, the kids weren't cooperating and Kasen spilled OJ all over his new outfit. I was so upset. Over stupid stuff that didn't need ruin the day. I had to say a prayer. I needed to change my focus and change the mood of the house. It was hard and I still went to church not in the best of moods.

As I sat in church listening to our wonderful Bishop Packer tell us that he and his family had just accepted a call to be Mission Presidents in Ukraine and they would be leaving in just over a month uprooting their family to a foreign land for 3 years. I just wanted to cry right there with him. And I did. I couldn't help but think that if that were asked of us if we were strong enough to go. And not just go but willingly and happily. It put things into perspective for me. The Packer's will do an amazing job and will forever be blessed for their sacrifice and service. I want to live in such a way that I can be prepared to serve the Lord whenever and in however He asks. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect Easter Sacrament meeting. 

I am so grateful for my Savior and for His atoning sacrifice so that I can repent, over and over and be made clean again. I am so thankful that He has felt every pain, sorrow, misery, suffering, joy, fear, tears, and knows exactly how to comfort and uplift me in times of need. He is my friend who loves me and His arms are always outstretched waiting to pull me in. 

For dinner we met up at Bob and Mona's with the rest of the fam and also had an easter egg hunt.

It was a wonderful day!