We spent most of the entire day between the wedding and the reception decorating.  Someone was there from 10 a.m. until five.  We had the family dinner at 6.  Dinner was great!  Super enjoyable!  It was fun to see and meet everyone on both sides of the family.  Because it was so crazy, I didn’t even get any photos of the set-up.  But here are a few from the evening.  First the ones Spike took of our table.  Not too bad for a four-year old.

Then the few I took:

This last photo is super significant!!  Richard’s mother and sister have been at odds for several years.  Somehow, as both of them put aside their differences for Richard, they healed their relationship enough to speak to one another and share some time together.  Hopefully it is the beginning of better times for them!  Way to go Richard!!  Special blessings for working and praying so hard!!

Dani and Richard were married last week.  The bigger boys, Slim and Spanky, and Tammy all came home from Utah for the wedding.  Slim was Richard’s best man.  We got up super early that morning 4:30 a.m., left by 5:30 and headed up to the temple.  We were suppose to arrive at the temple by 11:15.  We stopped at the storehouse to pick up wheat.  Our storehouse wheat is cheaper than anything else we have in town, including renting a car and paying for the gas to drive four hours away.  Things are a little pricier here.

There was a little drama with the storehouse.   They aren’t usually open on the day we could come.  The manager agreed to meet us early, before we needed to be at the temple.  Then when we arrived, she was at the doctor and unavailable until we needed to be at the temple.  We were able to work it out to meet with her after the sealing, but it was a little sketchy at the beginning.

For those of you who are not aware, members of the church go to the temple to have their marriage sealed for time and for all eternity.  In the temples, the Priesthood authority can bind marriages not only for time but forever, as long as the parties to the covenant keep the promises they have made.  That is why it is so significant to us to have our marriages performed in the temple.  In order that temples remain a place where God can dwell, there are certain requirements that must be met in order for men and women to be worthy to enter.  Thus each of us who is able to go into the temples and participate in the ordinances therein has met with a member of our bishopric and a member of our stake presidency answering specific questions about the way we live our lives.  If we are found worthy, we receive a temple recommend which allows us to enter and participate in temple worship. 

My parents were not able to attend our sealing.  Dani’s parents were not able to attend hers either.  Only Richard’s mother on his side was able to be there.  It is hard for us to not have our families there.  I know it is difficult for the family members also.  On such a special and sacred day, we want our family members, those we love, to be there with us.  Although that is our desire, being sealed by the authority of God having our marriage solemnized for eternity outweighs the sad feelings we have that those we love cannot participate with us at that particular time.

Dani’s father even came up to the temple with her.  He waited outside, but we made sure he was the first to see her and her husband as they exited the temple.  It was really sweet to see his love for his daughter.  Because I was helping Dani with her dress, etc….I didn’t take any photos outside the temple.  I will have Scuff send me a couple.  But here are the ones I took before they went in and after she was in her dress.

After the sealing, we went to eat at Red Robbin, with a party of 20.  It was totally fun and we were totally starving!  I don’t think I have ever eaten so many fries!!  Delicious!

On the way home, we let the boys travel with their dad and Tams and I took the other car.  That way we could have some girl time.  We stopped at the beach on the way home, just because the big kids have been in Utah, land locked and beach deprived.  Here they are playing.

Then we finished the drive home.  By the time we arrived, we were all wiped out.  We got home about 9:30p.m., to bed by 10:30 p.m.  Then the big boys wanted to talk.  They came up to our bedroom and jumped into our bed and talked for another hour.  Slim tried to sleep in between Drew and I.  I kicked him out so we could sleep.

The next morning started bright and early, but I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.

Spike Spike turned four the day Dani and Richard were married.  We celebrated his birthday the day before so he didn’t feel forgotten.  In our house, we open birthday presents first thing in the morning and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ before everyone leaves for work and/or school.  So in these photos with the presents, everyone has bed head because they literally just got out of bed.  We sang, opened presents, said family prayers, and those who needed to leave did.  The rest of us listened to Spike play his beautiful music. 

Here are the photos:

As a side note, Spike has been asking for a “Dog Guitar” since we went to playgroup a few weeks ago and one of the kids brought it.  He didn’t get a chance to play with it because the one who was playing with it wouldn’t share it…….because she really like it too.  So he was pretty excited to have one.  Now he plays it every day, sleeps with it at night, and talks about taking it to play group.  I don’t know if I will let him do that, but it is what he wants.

I don’t have any idea where he saw the tongue thing but I do it when I shoot baskets and Slim does it all the time too.  It might just be in our genes……?

Later that night, we had cake.  Spike, because of his allergies, had to have special hot dogs, special bread, special powdered sugar (for frosting), special cake, and special ice cream.  When I called Drew to tell him that Spike’s birthday dinner (birthday person chooses the menu) was going to be $50 for hot dogs, cake and ice cream, he had a heart attack.  He asked me if we couldn’t pare that down.  So I figured out that it was cheaper to buy another cake and frosting, than to buy enough powdered sugar that Spike could eat for all of us to have his cake.  So we made two.  And we decided to just do without the ice cream.  That cut it down $20.  Seriously.  And we had the missionaries stop by!!  They brought him presents and that made him feel super special, and we obviously had plenty of cake.

Happy Birthday Spike Spike!!  I cannot believe you are four!!  The cake with the strawberries?  That is the special one…the powdered sugar for that cake? $6……..just for enough to sort of cover one cake!  Sheesh!

I am sitting in relative quiet for just a few moments as I scribble this out on the computer screen.  All of my children are home, in one place, at one time.  My head is spinning.  I cannot believe these are all my babies.  Having them all under one roof, all of that testosterone, hormones, relationship issues, Holy Cow!  I love them all, each one independent of the others, but managing their feelings about the other relationships they have with each other and being each one’s sounding board, Geesh!  It is almost more than one mother can bear!

copyright: Karen Larsen photography

Three of them rode home from Utah together for the weekend for Richard and Dani’s wedding.  (I will post about that next week……too much going on today and this weekend to report about that.)  But the 16 hours in the car of the three of them together, young adults who do not see eye to eye and who are all sensitive about the feelings of the others—our entire trip for the wedding was spent helping that little group to manage their 16 hour drive.

Now, we are having the new young adults struggling with the counsel and advice they are receiving from the older young adults and those frustrations.  I am so grateful we are only all together for two days 🙂

copyright:  Karen Larsen photography

I know this is part of life and each of us has struggles with our own relationships and families.  And I have been working with people long enough to know that I am not responsible for their relationships with each other.  It is not my job.  But I do have to listen to each one as they express their frustrations about the others and then figure out how to give which counsel that might be helpful and received.  I love them all, dearly, but it is no wonder that I am 60 pounds overweight—I have had to learn to not take their stresses into my own self and allow it to affect how I live and feel.  That my blogging friends, is a lot easier said than done.

We picked up 1000 pounds of wheat at the storehouse yesterday since we were in town.  Just loading the wheat with those oldest four adults, there was a little bit of drama.  Can I just tell you that there is one of us who causes so much more drama than the rest?  He is not terribly wrong, but he is not always right either.  But he is really good at letting others know that he does not agree and is frustrated–which makes all of us so happy!  ugh!

Currently, half of them have run down to the church to play ball for an hour before we have to set up for the reception.  I cannot even imagine how things will go when we are actually doing this for one of the boys as opposed to one of their friends.  I am thinking the emotions will run just a little higher, especially when it is that one son’s turn!

OK.  I think that is enough of my emotional ranting.  I just needed to dump it before I ate it 🙂

I really do enjoy having them here and I do love them, each and every one of them with their unique personalities, talents, gifts, feelings and emotions.  I cannot even imagine what the future will hold as they get married and begin raising children!  Wow!  So many people, feelings, and emotions!!  I am going to have to come up with a catch word phrase I use for when people come to me and dump their emotional drama.  Maybe it will just be, “And what do you plan on changing about yourself so things are working better in that relationship?”  Although it needs to be a little shorter than that.  I’ll try and figure it out.

copyright:  Karen Larsen photography

Anyway, thanks for listening.  Enjoy reading this over and over so you can know that my life is just as normal and difficult as yours 🙂  Because we each have our own drama and battles to fight, unique to us and to our spiritual development.  As we pray, read our scriptures, and petition our God for help, He will help us.  He knows each of us and our personal circumstances and resources.  He knows what is available to help us—all of us regardless of our religion, nationality, or the color of our skin.  He loves us all.  We are all His and He wants all of us to return.  Just start today.  Pray to Him and ask for His blessings and His help.  He is there and available.  I just don’t know how He can do that for all of us.  I am struggling with 10 of us.  But I know He can and He does.

Have a great weekend!!  We have a family dinner, family photos, and a wedding reception on tap for us!

I’ll report more later, when I have more time and fewer people 🙂

This isn’t all of us!!  We are missing our YCL (youth camp leader) and our other cabin leader (adult) from the photo.  We took it as a surprise for our other cabin leader and our YCL just happen to be off taking care of some other certifications.

But you can see how beautiful our camp site is!  Behind the trees is the lake.  It is gorgeous!  Love it there!!  Girls’ Camp for me has always been in the Redwood trees.  As a girl, it was in Oregon on the coast.  Here in California, we travel to Oregon 🙂

The first major success of camp was throwing our skit together.  We arrived on Tuesday by 1p.m.  Our cabin had a skit that night.  We came to camp with nothing and had to perform that evening.  With a bunch of people who don’t really know each other, that was a major feat!  The girls rallied together, threw their ideas out there, and between our cabin value color and our princess (we were Pocahontas) we managed to make something happen.  And the girls chose who played which parts and made adjustments when those things weren’t working out.  Whew!

Also, Sun sang a solo at camp on Tuesday night.  She did an amazing job!  It is so fun to watch her perform!  She is developing a major stage presence and she knows how to communicate with her audience.  I had more than one person (adults and youth) compliment Sun to me on how amazing her voice is and how well she manages the stage.  It is so fun to watch her grow!!  One of the men at camp commented during campfire one night, how he sat and just sobbed listening to her sing because he knows and has worked with her brothers and how neat it is to see her find something that none of them have.  It was super sweet as he admitted that to the entire camp!

On Wednesday night, as it was getting time for personal scripture study, one of our two other denomination girls asked her friend, “What is scripture study and how do I do it?”  I took that as my cue to go over the Introduction to the Book of Mormon with her and our other non-denominational girl who was sitting with them.  We just went through the photos in the blue Book of Mormon and outlined the story.  Here are the photos:

You can totally explain the entire book using these photos.  It is a book about Jesus Christ (photo #1).  In 1823, a young boy, Joseph Smith (photo #2), was lead to find a record of an ancient people.  The book tells the history of a family whose father preached in Jerusalem (photo #3).  Because of the message he gave, his life was in danger and the Lord told him to flee Jerusalem.  He packed up his family and traveled south.  They eventually arrived on the sea shore, where they built a boat and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, landing in South America (photo #4).  The older brothers made bad choices (Lamanites).  The younger brothers made righteous choices (Nephites).  Because of the disagreements in the family, when the father died, the families split apart beginning the rise of two separate nations, who continually warred with one another.  This book, is a record of those people.  As the civilization progressed, sometimes they followed their prophets and softened their hearts and fulfilled their responsibilities to God, like being baptized (photo #5).  Other times, they did not.  Prophets were sent to preach to them and instead of obeying the prophets, they tried to kill them.  Samuel the Lamanite (photo #6) was actually sent to the Nephites to convince them to repent before the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ.  Just after Samuel preached, and after His resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to the Nephite people (photo #7).  You can read about His visit in 3rd Nephi 12.  Four generations after Christ appeared to them, the civilization once again turned to the natural man.  They would not listen to the prophets.  Mormon was commanded of the Lord to go through the records of his people and compile the most important ones into the book which bears his name, the Book of Mormon.  Mormon then handed the record to his son, Moroni (photo #8).  Moroni witnessed the destruction of his entire civilization, but before he died, he buried the record and prayed that those records would be preserved and others would know and learn of his people.  In 1823, it was Moroni who appeared to Joseph Smith and told him about the record and where it was located.

This is the story we shared with our non member friends at camp.  Both of them were deeply moved.  We then talked about their feelings and helped them to recognize that the feelings they were experiencing were from the Spirit witnessing to them the truth of what we had told them.  It was a very beautiful moment!

If you are feeling that same warmth as you have read this explanation, I would invite you to read the Book of Mormon too.  I have read it and can testify to you of its truthfulness.  I love that record!  I love the men who wrote it and kept it and made it available to us today!  It is the word of God and it testifies of His son, even Jesus Christ!

And that my friends, is why we have camp.  That we can bring the souls of these girls to Jesus Christ and remind them of the many and great things He has done for them.  Some of them do not even know.  Camp is their first exposure!

Read it!  Read the Book.  It will change your life, if you let it 🙂

I am not sure what I want this post to say or express, so I am just going to ramble a bit and see how it all turns out.

When I arrived at camp, I felt like I did not belong there which is very strange for me because I love camp and feel comfortable most places, especially at my regular stake girls’ camp place.  But this year, it felt different.  Like I was allowed to come, but I wasn’t really suppose to be there.  Part of it, I am sure, is because there has been a change in leadership, both in the stake young women’s presidency and the camp director. 

Oh my goodness!!  This was totally our theme this year…we were all princesses!

I haven’t been to camp in four years.  The exact term of service of the previous stake young women’s president.  The currently called stake yw president, served in various capacities with me at previous camps, she loves me, and considers me a sister.  I know I got the call this year, because she changed things up a bit and then was short several leaders and she needed to call in people she could trust on a short notice.  Which is why I was called on Saturday for camp on Tuesday.

The emphasis for the theme and what they were trying to help the girls understand this year was very different doctrinally from where it has been in the past. (Which is fine, it just may have contributed to my feelings that I didn’t belong there.  That feeling didn’t persist, though.  By the end of the week, I felt like I did belong there and my calling wasn’t necessarily one of desperation.)

I kind of felt like my four years of not attending camp was Heavenly Father’s way of helping me not to get too attached to the idea of serving at camp and to help me distance my heart from that calling.  Once I was there, I got to return one time to enjoy it, say thank you, be at camp with my daughter, and say good-bye.  I really do not think I will be able to go back.  My husband thinks that is absolutely nuts because of who the stake yw president is and how she feels about me.  I know those feelings are true, and I know of her great love for me, but I did feel I was there to say good-bye.  Which I did.  And if I am called to camp again, then I will simply shout for joy, pack my stuff and serve with all my heart.  But I really don’t think that is what will happen.

Unfortunately, I do not have very many photos.  It was a no cell phone week.  Since my only camera is on my cell phone, no photos.  I got special permission to pull it out and snap a few of our cabin because we were putting together a special project for my co-cabin leader.  I will post those later this week.

Remember this week will be super busy for me, so I will try to keep things posting, but it may not happen.  I am giving myself permission to sporadically post.  But I will try to post the highlights of girls’ camp over this week, and then blog about the wedding/family stuff next week.

And even though we exercised like crazy because of all the walking and activities we did, I think I still gained weight at camp.  They feed us like crazy!!  So I have to put those things back into order also.  I haven’t dared to step on the scale yet.  But I can just tell from my shape that I gained weight.  Lovely.

I’ve already expressed how I feel about camp in another post…..here.   But I have to tell you the sweetest story.  One of my girl friends who has been serving at camp for the past 13 years, was super excited that I was called this year.  Last Sunday, she caught my husband in between wards, because she is in the other one, and told him, “Hey thanks for letting your wife attend camp this year!”  To which my husband apparently replied, “Jackie, there wasn’t another choice.  If I said no, I would have to sleep with one eye open all the time!”  Wasn’t that cute?  It made me feel loved to know he knew how important camp is to me and how much I love it!

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Saturday morning, my kiddos and I went off to clean the church building because it was our turn.  We returned home from straightening, vacuuming and dusting the chapel to find our High Councilor sitting in the living room with Drew.

I, of course, looked absolutely lovely, unshowered, hair in a pony-tail, yesterday’s clothing on.  Of course, he was there to see me.

He extended the assignment for me to serve at our stake’s girls’ camp this year!   That was totally exciting!!  The only issue was that camp started on Tuesday, as in that’s where I have been this week.  So I threw things together, cancelled the dentists appointments we had scheduled this week, went grocery shopping for the kids while I was gone and rushed together planning for a vacation/camping trip.  Which is great and was a tons of fun, but there was a lot of planning to squeeze into no days so that things were comfortable for the boys here at home.  I guess they figured it out.

So I should be on my way home pretty soon, and then I can catch you up on our exciting week!!  Hopefully I won’t have to be doing too much 4 year old triage!!

This next week is super busy, so blogging may be a little sketchy too.  Richard and Dani are getting married on Thursday, meaning Slim, Tams, and Spanky are coming home and Spike Spike has a birthday this week, plus family photos in between the wedding and the reception.  Yep. It’s going to be nuts.  Ah good times!  But we are all here and accounted for.  We will see if I am still alive when it is all over.  (Then it is time to jump into seminary—sheesh!)

copyright: Karen Larsen photography

 
Just FYI, I am taking the week off of blogging.  I will explain next week!!  Have a wonderful week!  Read over the General Conference Messages if you need some inspiration!!

My patriarchal blessing speaks of my leadership abilities.  Through my callings, I have been a leader serving many times in the primary presidency, the relief society presidency, and the young women’s presidencies.  Though through my church service I have been called to leadership opportunities, it has come to my attention recently that the greatest place for leadership and the greatest influence of my leadership is in my home, with my children.

most of my boys, pre-missions

At this point in time, I have four grown sons, five sons who have received their patriarchal blessings.  Each of their blessings speaks to their leadership abilities and responsibilities within their home, the Church and the communities where they will live.

The true value of my leadership will never be more apparent than it is in my home.  Children who have been born and raised here will have the benefit of my example and teaching throughout their lives.  As I struggle through mortality and the trials of life, they have a front row seat into the depth, or lack thereof, of my character.  My life is the book they are taking example from as to how to apply the principles and doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Do they have other people?  Yes.  Do they have the scriptures?  Yes.  Will mine be the only example?  No.  But it will be their primary example.  Why?  Because I am their mother.

Mother is the first great care-giver in mortality, the first who comforts, the first kiss, the first hug, the first tear wiper, the first food……or at least she should be.  That is the way God intended it.  God sends men (mankind, in general) to mothers, always.  If, as mothers, we understand our responsibilities and are true to our nature, there isn’t anything that we wouldn’t do for the safety and protection of that little, new soul that has been sent to us straight from Heaven’s door.

Sure, as our child grows, there will be frustration, even irritation and annoyance.  But as that little person sleeps, or hugs us, or tells us how much they love us, those negative emotions will slip away and our hearts will swell with those eternal feelings of love and motherhood. 

My favorite childhood book is Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch.   (OK, I just read the blurb on the link above about why/how he wrote the book–totally crying right now, tears running down my face!  Go and read it right now, and then read his little book.)  I love this book because it speaks to all of what life and parenthood is.  We do feel that way.

And in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we know they will be our baby for eternity!  No matter how old they get, when they pass away, or who they become in mortality or eternity, they will always be our baby.

But back to my original point, my ability to teach and train and love the next generation, the one who I influence day in and day out, at least for the first 18 years or so, directly impacts, molds and shapes, the men and women they become.  My ability to manage stress, to forgive, to be kind in the face of hurt, anger, temptation, my choices for food, exercise, education, employment, sleeping habits, media appetites, leave the first impressions and set the first examples for those men and women to discern meaning in the world around them.  Most importantly, my relationship or lack thereof, with God and my feelings about spiritual things directly influences their world-view concept.  What greater form of leadership can there be?

Here are the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley, October 1996:

And here are the words of a woman I love, Sister Julie B. Beck, from her amazing talk, Mothers Who Know:

lds.org

Mothers Who Know Are Leaders

Let us be Mothers who know, leaders of the next generation in our homes, in our communities, and in the world as we stand for truth and righteousness.  I am not just a mother.  I am The Mother, and specifically, Their Mother.

With President Packer’s funeral being broadcast today, I was thinking about his last message in General Conference.  Specifically, I was pondering what was the focus of his last message and Elder Perry’s also, being that this last conference were their final words in their last conference assignment.

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Do you know what both of them spoke of?  Marriage and family, God’s plan for happiness.  I just thought it was so fitting.  President Packer (last conference address) shared with us the beginning of his courtship with Donna Smith.  He said, “Over the years I have frequently taught an important principle:  the end of all activity in the Church is to see that a man and a woman with their children are happy at home, sealed together for time and for all eternity.”  

And this, “The commandment to multiply and replenish the earth has never been rescinded.  It is essential to the plan of redemption and is the source of human happiness.  Through the righteous exercise of this power, we may come closer to our Father in Heaven and experience a fulness of joy, even godhood.  The power of procreation is not an incidental part of the plan; it is the plan of happiness; it is the key to happiness.”

I think you should read that last sentence again.  Go ahead, read it again!  Right now.

That is a very different view than the world paints of it, huh?  It is not about the hot, steamy, with whomever stuff you see in the media.  It is quiet, reserved, sacred, for only one person.  Righteous behavior in our marital intimate relationship, is the plan and key to happiness.  That, my brothers and sisters, is a profound statement.  Think about that.  Is that how your relationship is working?  I know mine could use some work.

Is it any wonder that Satan does things that will disrupt that harmony between a husband and wife and cause strife in that all important relationship?

I loved these words of President Packer,
“Sister Donna Smith Packer and I have been side by side in marriage for nearly 70 years.  When it comes to my wife, the mother of our children, I am without words.  The feeling is so deep and the gratitude so powerful that I am left almost without expression.  The greatest reward we have received in this life, and the life to come, is our children and our grandchildren.  Toward the end of our mortal days together, I am grateful for each moment I am with her side by side and for the promise the Lord has given there will be no end.”

As I think about our 25 years and our nine children (no grandchildren yet), I too am grateful for my sweetheart.  I am glad that our intimate relationship is ours alone.  What we have and are building is worth fighting for.  It is worth protecting, nurturing, savoring, cherishing.  When things happen in our relationship that hurt one or both of us, it is worth fixing and changing for.  I can only imagine that when we have been married as long as President and Sister Packer, that we too will feel the way he does.

Elder Perry, in his last address, shared his experience of attending a colloquium on marriage and the family at the Vatican in Rome.  He quoted Pope Francis, who said, “We now live in a culture of the temporary, in which more and more people are simply giving up on marriage as a public commitment.  This revolution in manners and morals has often flown the flag of freedom, but in fact it has brought spiritual and material devastation to countless human being, especially the poorest and most vulnerable…..it is always they who suffer the most in this crisis.”

lds.org

He shared how amazing and reassuring it is to know there are other like minded individuals in the world, not of our faith, who are concerned with marriage and the family.  Then Elder Perry said,

 “Now you may be asking, ‘If the majority felt that similarity of family priority and beliefs, if all of those faiths and religions essentially agreed on what marriage should be, and if they all agreed on the value that should be placed on homes and family relationships, then how are we any different?  How does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints distinguish and differentiate itself from the rest of the world?’

“Here is the answer:  while it was wonderful to see and feel that we have so much in common with the rest of the world in regard to our families, only we have the eternal perspective of the restored gospel.

“What the restored gospel brings to the discussion on marriage and family is so large and so relevant that it cannot be overstated:  we make the subject eternal!  We take the commitment and the sanctity of marriage to a greater level because our belief and understanding that families go back to before this earth was and that they can go forward into eternity…..

“….We also believe that strong traditional families are not only the basic units of a stable society, a stable economy, and a stable culture of values—but that they are also the basic units of eternity and of eternity and of the kingdom and government of God.”

Isn’t that amazing?  Two prophets’ final words are about the significance and importance of marriage and the family.  One teaching us why we must be leaders on the discussion, because the family is the basis of society not only in mortality but also in eternity.  The other, expressing the happiness and joy that can come from building our marriages and families in the manner the Lord has commanded us.

Truly the definition of marriage and family matter to the Lord.  He has an opinion.  His prophets have expressed what that is, even with their final addresses.  It is a significant issue of our day, in fact it is probably the most significant issue of our day.  And we have a responsibility to understand this doctrine, how the Lord feels about it, and then to bring our behaviors and attitudes as much in line with that doctrine as is possible.

My heart will be with the Packer family today as they mourn the loss of a great, great man and prophet of God, even their husband, father, and grandfather.