FHE - Sponsered by The Home Depot

Thanks to Grandma & Papa Salisbury, the boys got these super cool projects to work on for FHE. (They are from the Kids Workshop at Home Depot, my parents send them to us every month, since I am usually alone with 3 kids on the Saturday when they do them in the stores.  They also sent us the aprons and pins.) They got out their aprons and tools and, with a little help from mom and dad, got to work. 

Jackson:

Harrison: (Yes, he still has his hair.  Sigh.  For a little longer.)

They are mini Foosball tables, or mini soccer games to Jackson.  Kind of perfect... they can play by themselves.  :)  They had a lot of fun and they were quick and easy.  It was great to have an activity that was a little different from our usual. 

Thanks G & P Salisbury!  Hope you like the pictures!  :)

FHE like Rock Stars

We set a goal at the beginning of the year to do better at consistently having family home evening. I'm pretty proud to say we have done pretty good! It's almost always some form of chaos, but they like doing it! And any lesson that involves fighting/battle/swords is a favorite! :) (Of course!) I don't write about them very often, but we had a lot of fun, and I got some funny pictures!

Follow the Prophet was Harrison's song of choice, it's his favorite song! I need to record him singing it, it's hilarious! (We even have to sing it at bedtime!) Then Patrick did the lesson on Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty. Jackson always gets very into the stories! He loves to hear them! Harrison was running around, making a lot of noise, probably still singing! He's 2, what can you do!? Then after the lesson we let them make there own Titles of Liberty. They drew pictures of the things they love and then we attached them to a stick!

They were very proud of their work! And last, for an activity, was Rock Band (or Rock Star to Harrison)! Jackson is pretty good at the drums and an even better little singer! Twice he outscored both Patrick and I while he was singing! :) Harrison liked drumming, but the guitar was his favorite! He has a pretty good Rock Star face he likes to do while holding the guitar! He wasn't actually playing, but he didn't know or care! :) Some pics from the concert! (Yes, Jackson has been Optimus Prime for a few days now!)

Miss Reagan was a good little audience! :)

They were playing Hungry Like the Wolf! Jackson was howling! And well, you can tell where they get there enthusiastic Rock Star attitudes from! :)

We don't always have the best structure, our lessons don't usually have anything to do with our activities and the song is usually one they pick. Last week we learned about the Golden Rule and then taught them Go Fish with cards! They're 2 and 5, we improvise! But they remember the things we talk about and we have fun together as a family! :) I am SO glad we do it!

Family Home Evening

This week has been really difficult and crazy and exhausting for a lot of reasons, some of which I'm not ready to talk about yet! But the good news is... some of it is passing. :)

Both boys are doing much better, we are mostly infection free! (Harrison still has a cold.) So we had FHE tonight (it's easier for us to do it on Patrick's days off) and we chose to do it on faith and priesthood blessings. We don't do long or elaborate lessons, because we obviously have an attention span issue. :) But the boys were really good, they sat and listened and Jackson was just full of answers! After talking a little bit about priesthood power, he decided it was like magic! haha.

They really love to go to church and to have FHE, they even fight over who gets to bless the food or say family prayers! It warms my heart to see my kids growing love for the gospel. It's always been such a huge part of my life. And I LOVE to hear them talk about the Savior! They have the sweetest spirits and testimonies. ...To end this week, that has often left me struggling to breath, with a night together as a family talking about faith and blessings was exactly what I needed!

We ended the lesson with Patrick giving Reagan her very first fathers blessing. It was wonderful. ....Which means I cried like a baby! :) My concerned little men were right there giving me hugs and consoling me. I told them I was happy, but I don't think they believed me! :) (Jackson told me I should get a Pepsi "because it always makes you happy, Mom." LOL! He knows me too well!) Oh, my kids... They are like little pieces of me... Vital pieces! And Patrick... I wish there was a better word than "love" to express how I feel about that man! "Grateful" doesn't seem adequate either! So maybe there aren't words! ...Hopefully he knows!!!

Mostly, I just needed to remember this day! I have been SO emotional this week. But at the end of this day I was really overwhelmed with Love. Love for my Father in Heaven and for my Savior. For the priesthood and the man in my home who holds and honors it. Love for the 3 very special little people who have completely changed my life and completed it. And love for the people so far away who love us.

...So memory saved!