I have a lot to blog about, but today is not going to be the day that it gets done. Since I use this as my "Journal" I wanted to record some thoughts that I have been having. This Sunday we had a Regional Stake Conference. It was really awesome and uplifting, we heard from Elder Grow of the Seventy, Barbra Thompson the second counselor in the Relief Society Presidency, Elder Hales, and President Monson. The overall thing that I felt so strongly was how simple the gospel really is. As I listened to these general authorities speak, they didn't say anything earth shattering or new, they just reiterated the basic principles of the gospel. Allan and I teach the 12-14 year old Sunday School class in our ward and every week we ask at least one question that the kids rattle off the "seminary answers" of: pray, read your scriptures, have FHE, keep the commandments, do service, listen to the prophet, etc. It really is that simple, that's what we need to know, straight from the mouths of prophets.
I had a similar experience last month at General Conference. As I listened I felt the spirit instruct me as an individual, but as I looked over my notes, I noticed the talks covered: instruction for priesthood holders(men), duties of members of the church, faith, instruction for women, families, scripture study, service, keeping the commandments, prayer, repentance, etc. Again, the basic principles of the gospel.
Here is the big question I had to ask myself, if it's so simple, why don't I do all of the things I need to do each day? The only answer I can give is that I have not made following the gospel a high enough priority in my life. I get so busy with the daily tasks of cleaning, cooking, and taking care of my children that the important things sometimes fall through the cracks. I feel like I am a good member of the church, I go to church every week and I don't do anything inherently wrong, but it seems like I go through spurts of being dedicated to prayer, scripture study, FHE, temple attendence, visiting teaching, and other day to day habits. I try to teach my children the gospel and be a good example for them, and I am so grateful that there is so much support in this endevor from family and their church leaders and teachers each week. I feel like there is so much more I could do though to be a more dedicated follower of Christ.
As I listened on Sunday, I jotted down some of the things that I felt like I could do better at in my life, (I am sure I didn't catch them all since I was sitting with 5 children) but here are the things I am going to work on making a priority every day:
Prayer
Scripture Study (individual and family)
Reading my Patriarchal Blessing
Following the Prophet
Reading the words of the Prophet
Pondering
Being more Obedient
Teaching my children about Jesus/the Gospel
Family Home Evening
Temple Attendance
Taking full advantage of the Sacrament
Seeking and Developing Gifts of the Spirit
Having a Gospel Centered Home
Service
Visiting Teaching
Now, obviously I am not going to do all of these things every day, but mostly I want to think about them daily and focus on how to make them more of a priority in my life. I think I will print off a copy of the list so that I can have it out somewhere and see it everyday. I am so grateful for the influence of the gospel in my life and for the ability to repent/re-evaluate and improve myself, I know I am not perfect and that is okay as long as I am trying to be better.
The girls were in The Wizard of Oz with their ballet last month.
Natalie was a bluebird in a dance around the scarecrow. She is so graceful on stage and did a great job!
Ally was a canary in the same dance as Natalie. (She really had to pee in this picture! haha) She is getting to be such a good dancer.
Hailey was a wicked witch. She recently moved up a level and is being challenged a lot more and she really loves it.
They all did such a great job and it was fun to go and watch them. 
Brayden is getting so big and it all goes by so fast! I didn't keep a good record of when my other kids did things, (I think I thought I would just remember?) so I am trying to be better about logging the things that Brayden does. This has been a big couple of months for him. His first laugh was on March 27th. On April 23rd, so about a little less than a week after he turned 3 months old he started rolling from his back to his belly. Within a week of learning to roll he started scooting by pushing himself along with his feet. By May 1st he could also roll from his belly to back. On May 14th he found his feet and he loves to play with his toes now. He also went through a phase around then that he loved to make "raspberry" noises with his mouth and laughed when you did it back at him, he doesn't do that as much anymore. Brayden isn't sleeping through the night yet, but he does a good sleep between about 9pm and 3am so that is good at least, and then he usually eats again around 5:30 right before I get up to go running. He is such a good baby and is happy most of the time, unless he is sleepy or poopy, but can you really blame him for that?
Brayden 4 Months!
Here she is with our AWESOME principal Mr. Marlowe
Making herself comfortable.
There were two other girls from our neighborhood who were also Principal of the Day with her, her good friend Megan Saunders and a first grader Makenzie Ulrich. In this picture Mr. Marlowe is speaking over the loud speaker and announcing that the girls will be leading them in the Pledge of Allegiance. Look how excited Hailey looks!
Their day as principals included two field trips with the kindergartners to the zoo and park and going out to lunch with Mr. Marlowe and Mrs. Ritter to Wendy's where they had kids meals and frostys, which is a big deal for Hailey because I'm cheap and I never buy the kids meals!
Ally is a morning kindergartner so she and I got to spend the first half of the day at the zoo with Hailey.
As we went around the corner this peacock was standing there and had his tail feathers spread, by the time we got the picture he was starting to put them down, but all of the kids were freaking out and didn't want to turn their back to the peacock in fear that he would charge at them if they did.
This was Ally's group at the zoo, her good little friend Memphis Owen is in the front, then Kobe is behind Ally and a little boy in our ward Kaden Taylor is behind him and Hailey ringing in the back. Those other two kids happened to come over when I was taking the picture.
Here is Hailey with Megan who is wearing high shoes but is still quite a bit taller than my little Hailey! I am so proud of Hailey, I think I say that a lot, she is such a good little reader and student. Along with all of the AR points she earned, she also finished the second grade accelerated math program and went partly through the third grade program. All of that is in addition to her regular classwork which she always does very well on. Hailey loves to write and I have enjoied reading her journal entries from school as she finishes a unit and brings them home. I LOVE Hailey's teacher this year and she has done such a good job motivating her students and the best part is Hailey will get to have Mrs. Julian again next year for 3rd grade.
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
