happy halloween weekend

Because painting my living room wasn't enough this week, I also completely rearranged the boys' room. The new set up is not at all the best use of space, but sometimes you just need a change, you know? It feels like a clean slate with the drawings and posters and stickers that covered the walls taken down and now I can breath when I walk in the room again.

I have some sad news to report. Mike accidentally left his bike at the park the other night and now it is missing. This is the bike that is our second car. He rides it everywhere! I'm not sure what we're going to do without it. We are praying hard that it shows up.

Have you baked pumpkin bread yet this season? Mabel made a batch to share with her friends at school and when she reached for the chocolate chips I practically swatted them out of her hand. It was an important lesson that she needed to learn. You do not defile my pumpkin bread with chocolate chips! Cream cheese frosting, totally. Chocolate chips, no way. Am I right? Or am I right? Right. Right.

I am looking forward to the start of my month of thanksgiving on Sunday. This is when I post something that I am thankful for every day for the month of November. It is such a great exercise in gratitude! I hope you'll consider playing along. It always leaves me feeling happier, more content, and more generous, too.

But first we have to survive Halloween. Good luck!

refresh

After testing many, many colors and having paint swatches painted on the walls for months, I finally got around to painting my living room this week. Basically, it looks exactly the same as before, just lighter and brighter. I love it. (It's Canvas Luggage by Behr. You can see the old, darker color here.)

My house is not a gray wall house or a white wall house. There is not a lot of natural light built in to these desert houses (it keeps them cooler), so having a color that moves the light around the room is important. I found this post by Emily Henderson very helpful.

While I was painting, I filled all of the nail holes, and I can't bring myself to rehang any of the old pictures. I also removed some furniture and paired down our book collection. This room is where we spend most of our time, and I want it to feel clean and spare. I dream of replacing those wobbly Ikea bookcases with built-ins someday.

I always get the urge to freshen our house in the fall. It's so much easier to be motivated when it's cool outside! We've had the top of our dutch door open all week. The fresh air is totally worth the mosquitos that come pouring in.

don't be too critical of the barrier

I believe that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us and wants the very best for us. Because of this, He has created barriers to keep us safe. This point was well illustrated by Elder Von G. Keetch in his conference talk, Blessed and Happy Are Those Who Keep the Commandments.

Elder Keetch was vacationing in Australia some time ago. While he was there, he visited a bay that was famous for its surfing. During his visit, Elder Keetch marveled at big waves crashing just outside of the bay, and smaller waves that rolled into shore. He came upon a group of American surfers who were loudly voicing their disappointment at a large barrier that stretched across the mouth of the bay and dropped to the ocean floor. The barrier made it impossible for the surfers to reach the large waves. Elder Keetch and the surfers didn't know why the barrier was necessary, and the surfers felt like it was spoiling their trip. As the surfers continued to discuss the barrier, Elder Keetch noticed an older man, a local of the area, who had overheard their complaints. After some time, this local man approached the group and pulled out binoculars. Elder Keetch and each of the surfers took a turn studying the barrier with the help of the binoculars. And do you know what they saw? Sharks! There were sharks just on the other side of the barrier, feeding on the reef. Elder Keetch and the surfers were subdued. The local man turned to walk away, and as he did so, he said, "Don't be too critical of the barrier. It's the only thing that's keeping you from being devoured."

Elder Keetch said, "As we stood on that beautiful beach, our perspective had suddenly changed. A barrier that had seemed rigid and restrictive--that seemed to curtail the fun and excitement of riding the really big waves--had become something very different. With our new understanding of the danger that lurked just below the surface, the barrier now offered protection, safety, and peace."

I feel the same way about the standards God has asked me to follow. I have faith in His divine direction, and I know that because I have a very limited knowledge of the dangers, if I follow the course He has set, I will be safe.

Read, watch, or listen to the entire talk here.

p.s. I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure this out, but I've started using these Monday posts for our Family Home Evening lessons. Tonight we'll sing Keep the Commandments, and use 1 Nephi 3:7 as our scripture to ponderize for the week, if you need an idea.

happy weekend

We have our first Halloween party this weekend. Finishing Oliver's costume is top on my to-do list today. I am really pleased with how Stella's turned out. We had a fitting after school the other day and she couldn't get the smile off her face. She will be Princess Buttercup from the Princess Bride. She has just the right hair for it this year. I don't love Halloween, but I do like seeing my kids enjoy dressing up.

The best news around here this week was the weather, for sure. Oh, it was a relief. Cool, breezy days make everything feel easier. For instance: I forgot an ingredient for dinner the other night and had to run to the store real quick to get it but it was no big deal because it wasn't a million degrees outside! It's the little things.

Hooray for fall. And hooray for the weekend, too! Watch out ice cream. I'm coming for you.

fall break, cabin style

My kids had fall break last week, so we spent a few days at my in-law's cabin in Heber, Arizona. It was still 100 degrees when we left the valley, so the cooler mountain temperatures felt really great.

Our days looked a lot like this: staying outside all day collecting rocks, playing games with cousins, and reading. We came home relaxed and ready for a new season.

By day the fire pit acted as a school room.

By night it was s'mores central.

On the way home we stopped at the Mogollon Rim lookout point. Sometimes it's nice to remind myself that Arizona is a really beautiful place.

And good news, our high is only going to be 79 today! Every fall I feel like I should win some sort of award for surviving another Arizona summer. I think the cooler temperatures are here to stay. We've made it once again. Phew.

answers will come

Mike and I have been seeking an answer to something important, so when I heard Elder James B. Martino's talk at Conference entitled, "Turn to Him and Answers Will Come," my ears perked up. He begins by telling about his conversion. When he first read the Book of Mormon, he prayed to know if it was true, but because he was lacking real intent and was praying more out of curiosity, the answer did not come. So we must understand that if it is revelation we are seeking, we need to start with a sincere heart.

In the Book of Mormon, we can find the stories of two groups of brothers. Both groups were raised by righteous parents in the gospel and both rebelled. Their stories help to illustrate the advice of Elder Martino.

When wicked Laman and Lemuel were unable to understand the words of their father, prophet Lehi, they complained to their righteous brother, Nephi. Nephi asked them if they had prayed about it. Of course they hadn't. What Nephi says next is important. He says, "How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?--If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things [will] be made known unto you." (1 Nephi 15:10-11) I can't expect God to answer my prayers if I am not doing the things He has asked me to do. Keeping the commandments is key, and is the first thing Elder Martino tells us we must do.

Second is scripture study. The other group of brothers from the Book of Mormon that Elder Martino mentions are the sons of Mosiah. Unlike Laman and Lemuel, after they rebelled, they changed their ways and became incredible missionaries. But when they started their mission, things were not going well for them. The scriptures say that their "hearts were depressed, and [they] were about to turn back." (Alma 26:27) But why were these men able to continue in faith? Because they "had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God." (Alma 17:2) I know that if I study my scriptures everyday, I will be more open to revelation. Now that I don't have a smartphone anymore, I've been reading from my old paper scriptures. This has made a surprising difference in how well I am able to concentrate. I feel like I am really studying and not just reading.

Third is prayer and fasting. Not only were the sons of Mosiah studying their scriptures, but "they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore, they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation." (Alma 17:3) Elder Martino simply says, "Prayer and fasting will allow us to be susceptible to spiritual promptings. Communicating with Heavenly Father while abstaining from food and drink allows us to "loose the bands of wickedness and to undo the heavy burdens" (Isaiah 58:6), opening us up to promptings.  I have seen this in my own life. When I add fasting to my prayers, I feel the answers come more easily.

Elder Martino says, "These personal religious habits--obedience, scripture study, prayer, and fasting--strengthened the sons of Mosiah. The lack of these same personal religious habits was a major reason that Laman and Lemuel were left vulnerable to the temptation to murmur and doubt."

I know that answers don't always come as an event. More often, they are a process. If I turn to Him by embracing these personal religious habits, then my faith will increase and the answers I am seeking will come. It has happened many times in my life and I know that it will continue.

Read, watch, or listen to the whole talk here.

halloween decor

You're going to want to pin this, I'm sure. Ha! Whenever Halloween rolls around, my kids ask me why we don't have any Halloween decorations. Well, the truth is, I don't really like Halloween, and I'd rather save the little bit of holiday decorating energy that I have for Christmas.

But this year, I gave in. Stella and Elliot spent some very happy minutes after school one day crafting some decorations for our porch. Stella's heavily eye-lashed ghost peeking out of the front door is my favorite. And in the desert, when it's still 100 degrees everyday in October, styrofoam pumpkins from the fabric store are the rot-free alternative to the real thing.

The look on Elliot's face when he went outside to check his handiwork was the best. He was grinning from ear to ear and gave me a very enthusiastic thumbs up. I made him recreate it for posterity. :)

Happy Halloween! (Or not. Bah humbug, sheesh.)

pumpkin crumb cake

I've happily turned the household baking reigns over to Mabel. Last weekend she made a delicious pumpkin crumb cake for Sunday dinner. It was moist and fluffy and sweet and I'm not going to lie, I had the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. It's a good one, if you're looking for a new pumpkin recipe to try.

life without a smartphone, an update

I'm still chugging along without my smartphone over here. Actually, I wouldn't describe it that way. Thriving without my smartphone is a better way to put it. I kind of feel like I've discovered the secret to living a more fulfilling life. Are you ready for it? Be less connected to social media! At least that's what is working for me. I've always been a homebody and I am really good at living in my own little bubble, but this is taking it to another level. I feel like I'm even less accessible to the world now and I love it. Another plus is that I have more time on my hands. I still check Instagram on our mini iPad, but I check it much less often. I've become more deliberate with how I spend my time online, and that has made such a difference. No more mindlessly scrolling. I am more content, more involved in what is happening in my home, and less hurried. Honestly, I haven't come across one negative since I made the switch.

Something that I really love is that our life is now being documented with high-resolution digital photos instead of blurry, low-def cell snaps. Like this one of me and Elliot in our matching navies before church on Sunday. If I'd had a smartphone, I probably would have posted this photo on Instagram (and then checked it a million times to see who liked it). But you know what? No one cares if Elliot and I were matching on Sunday except me! So, posting it to a social media account felt pretty silly once I thought about it.

If you are tempted to give up your smartphone, even the tiniest bit, I say go for it. You can always switch back if you need to. I don't think you'll regret giving it a try.

My friend, Danyelle, sent me this great article: Why your teenager might be happier without a smartphone. It's worth a read, and the title could very easily be changed to "Why YOU might be happier without a smartphone".

What do you think?

to remember Him

I am excited to get back into my weekly Conference Reports. Just about every Monday, I will post about the conference talk I am studying that week. Ever since I started doing this I have gotten so much more out of these talks. It has become easier to incorporate them into my life, to recognize the changes I need to make, and then to make them. I believe that we have a prophet on the earth who, along with the other leaders of our church, tells us the things our Heavenly Father wants us to know to help us better navigate this life. It seems so logical to me that we would have modern day prophets, just like the prophets spoken of in the Old and New Testaments. As the people in those days needed to hear counsel from Heavenly Father, so do we today. I am grateful that twice a year we get to sit and listen to new counsel. It brings me peace, gives me hope, and always answers my questions or concerns.

One talk that really stood out to me from this most recent Conference was Elder Claudio R. M. Costa's "That They Do Always Remember Him". He said, "I believe that starting a tradition of telling the stories of Jesus to our children and families is a very special way to keep the Sabbath day holy in our homes." This made me reflect on what we do in our home to keep the Sabbath day holy.

We are really good at not shopping on Sunday, and not doing homework or housework. We attend our church meetings, visit family, and try to maintain a quiet, reverent feeling in our home. But are we actively keeping the Sabbath day holy? Is there more that I can do as a mother to make the Sabbath day more fulfilling for my children? The spirit whispered to me that yes, there is more that I can do.

I loved Elder Costa's counsel to share stories of Jesus with our children as a way to better keep the Sabbath day holy. I keep being reminded that the home is where most of the gospel teaching for my children should occur. It is not up to their primary teachers or other church leaders to teach my children these things. It is my job as their mother. The church is there to support what is being taught at home.

So yesterday we tried it out. Instead of just letting my kids while away the hours quietly before church like we usually do, I sat with Elliot and read him stories from the Friend. I watched Bible videos (there is a great app!) with my children about Christ's life. We talked about why Jesus needed to be baptized because soon it will be Stella's turn to be baptized. I felt a better spirit in our home that day. And I hope, like Elder Costa said, we can "create traditions that build faith and testimony and also protect our family."

Read, watch, or listen to the whole talk here.

Washington DC, Georgetown

On our last morning in town, we met up with my sister and an old friend from our home ward for breakfast in Georgetown. It was cold and rainy that day. If I was looking for fall, I sure found it. Of course our desert blood froze. :)

But oh man, Georgetown is cute! I would love to visit again someday and explore it a little more.

Top on Mabel's list was visiting Georgetown Cupcake. We took a half dozen back to our hotel room and declared them delicious.

Also in this part of town is the Old Stone House. It's the oldest home in the district. It only takes a few minutes to peek into its rooms, but I loved it. I love old houses like this. I like the way they smell, and the creaks in the floors. Plus it was a good place to step out of the rain for a bit.

The gardens were lush and rain soaked and so pretty.

Here's what I learned about Washington DC: Four and a half days of sightseeing isn't enough! There were lots of places we just didn't have the time to see, and that makes me sad. Also, I think everyone should visit at some point in their life. There is so much history, and so much appreciation to be gained for the inspired beginning of this country.

It was exhausting and non-stop, and my feet still haven't recovered from all the walking we did, but it was wonderful! We'll have to go back when our younger kids are a little older. I thought Mabel was just the right age for it.

Washington DC, the last days

The National Zoo was only two metro stops from our hotel, and is the home to four pandas, including a brand new baby, so it was top on our list of places to visit. We went there first thing one misty morning.

Look, a real life panda! My kids died.

We also stopped to see the flamingos for Stella, and the bird house, too. Honestly, the rest of the zoo isn't anything special (we have a particularly fantastic zoo here in Phoenix), but it was worth a trip just to see the pandas.

That afternoon we got to see Mike! He had been busy at his conference everyday. We toured Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial with his conference group.

The changing of the guard was really impressive. Arlington is a quiet, peaceful place. It left me with a heart full of gratitude for the sacrifice of so many.

The Washington Monument, as seen from the Lincoln Memorial.

Nearby are the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the WWII Memorial. All are worth a visit. We didn't have much time there, but I am glad I was able to see them, even briefly.

Not pictured: An early morning White House tour. My big camera wasn't allowed, so I left it at the hotel for the day. It was neat to be in the White House, and I felt very lucky to have the opportunity (the tour was arranged through Mike's conference). But it mostly felt like we were in some exterior rooms that aren't used anymore. I was sort of hoping for more. Alas.

We also toured the Capitol. I loved this one. It's currently under construction, so we couldn't see much of the cupola, but our tour guide was excellent. And thanks to a nice reader (Hello Julie!), we were able to get tickets to the House and the Senate galleries, so we could watch the lawmakers at work. It was super cool. I left the Capitol feeling really grateful to be an American. It made me realize how special this country is and how unique our beginning was. I know things can feel sort of mixed up in the government nowadays, but visiting the Capitol made me remember that America is pretty great.

There is an underground tunnel that connects the Capitol to the Library of Congress, and since it was raining like crazy and we had just walked all the way from the White House, we took the tunnel. There isn't too much to do inside the Library of Congress besides peek into the main reading room, but it was worth it. It is stunning.

From there we walked to the Air and Space Museum. Of all the museums we visited, this was the most crowded. Due to time constraints, we mostly stayed in the "space" side of it. Even though it felt a little out-dated, it was still so neat. My kids totally loved it. There are huge rockets and planes and Apollo command modules on display. There are space suits and moon rocks and so many cool things. I think this museum made the biggest impression on my kids. And, it has a really great gift shop, which is always the highlight, of course.

Washington DC, the middle days

For our first official day of sight-seeing, we met up with Ben and headed to the Mall.

We started at The American History Museum. A major highlight for me was seeing the flag that inspired Frances Scott Key to pen the Star Spangled Banner. There are lots of interesting exhibits for all ages (like Julia Child's kitchen, a massive doll house, and lots of old cars and trains). My kids really enjoyed the Spark Lab, a hands-on area where they could invent and build things.

Our next stop was the Natural History Museum, just next door. Stella loved the gems and minerals exhibit. My boys loved the animal skeletons. Mabel liked being Ben's buddy.

Not pictured: The Sculpture Garden. This was a nice place to sit and rest for a bit.

That night we moved to a hotel near charming Dupont Circle, where Mike's conference was being held. We walked around a bit after his meetings ended and ate dinner at the Shake Shack.

We brought Ben along with us again the next day and took the bus straight to the Spy Museum. One of the best things about Washington DC is that almost all of the museums are free. They Spy Museum is not, but I thought it was worth the ticket price. Mabel and Oliver really liked it. It had a little too much reading for Stella and Elliot (and strollers aren't allowed, so Ben didn't love it). It displays cool old spy equipment, kids can climb through air vents, and it shows the role of spies through history.

About a block away is Ford's Theatre, where Abraham Lincoln was shot. Tickets are required (they're free) and can be reserved online a day or two ahead of time. Since we were visiting on the off-season, we were able to get tickets that day and go right in. There is a nice exhibit in the basement, and across the street is the Peterson House, where Lincoln passed away. It has been turned into a museum. Mabel is just learning about the Civil War and Reconstruction, so it was perfect.

That afternoon we toured the National Gallery of Art. There were so many incredible works of art to see! And it felt like a more manageable size than something like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is mostly paintings, with a little sculpture and furniture.

We stopped to watch a few artists copying the originals. They were amazing.

Obviously my boys were fascinated with the Rembrandts. Ha! So this museum was not their favorite, but the girls and I loved it. I wish we'd had more time to see it all. I felt like we were rushing through it, and I regret that.

Not pictured: The National Archives. Again, because we were visiting in the off-season, we were able to walk right into the Archives and see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights without waiting in line. It was incredible.

So, after the art museum, we were pretty tired. It was the end of the day, and we hopped on a bus back to the hotel (or so I thought). After about 20 minutes of standing in the aisle, shifting a very heavy Ben from one hip to another, while Stella and Elliot used my legs to brace themselves against the movement of the bus (it was the most crowded bus I've ever been on, and there were no open seats), a kind passenger recognized that we were completely out of place and asked us which stop we were looking for. Turns out we had gone in the wrong direction. We promptly exited, crossed the street, and waited for the correct bus. Stella and Elliot didn't seem to mind, but the rest of us were sort of finished at that point.

The good news is that we made it back to the hotel just fine.

A note about Washington DC: I was pleasantly surprised by how clean it was. It is a beautiful city! There are lots of trees, gorgeous old buildings, easy and plentiful public transportation, and I always felt safe, even when we were walking at night.

Washington DC, day one

We arrived in Washington DC late Saturday night. Our first task Sunday morning was to get these suburban kids some city smarts. We started with a ride on the metro to our hotel in the District.

Then a bus ride to church . . .

where we met up with my sister, Julianne, her husband, Toni, and little guy, Ben! They recently moved to Washington DC from Germany. The timing was perfect, and I am so glad we were able to spend the day together.

Their neighbor heard that Julianne was entertaining four kids for the evening, so he brought over a great horned owl that he had on loan (he's a teacher). Super random, but so cool. Ben was obviously impressed.

The best part was just being with happy cousin Ben.

He gives really aggressive hugs. :)

A quick train ride back to downtown . . .

and to the Willard, where we stayed the night thanks to some hotel points. It was luxurious and fancy and historical and so much fun.

And it just happens to be right around the corner from the White House. Day one in DC was a success.