I Am (finally) Doing It!

I've always been intimidated by family history work.  It was a commandment I basically ignored.  I used all of the typical excuses..."I'll do it when I'm older."  "All my family's work has already been done."  "I simply don't have the time right now."  "There is too much to learn."  Over the past several years I have had frequent jabs from the Spirit, reminders that regardless of the excuses I used, I was still not obedient.  So I put forth a little effort here and there.  I registered and indexed a batch of names.  I committed to write more frequently in my journal and in my kids' journals.  I still avoided any work with my own ancestors.  

That was until General Conference.  During conference this time, I felt completely rebuked - not by a specific speaker, just by the Holy Ghost.  It was as though I was told, "You are keeping yourself and your family from a specific set of treasured blessings by your refusal to be obedience and do family history work."  I knew I had to do something.  

The very next time I saw my friend Jessie, I asked her about it.  See, Jessie is Miss. Genealogy!  (check out her fab YouTube channel here.)  I expressed to her my desire, and that my number one concern was lack of time.  "What do I give up during my day in order to do family history work instead?"  She said, "I bet we could find family names for you to take to the temple in five minutes."  I was skeptical, especially because I really did believe that most of my work - the "easy" stuff especially, had already been done.  We came into my {messy} office, logged into Family Search and Jessie showed me some simple, easy tools on my own family tree.  The next day, I spent less than an hour and found over 50 ordinances that needed to be done for ancestors.  I was thrilled!  I was doing it!  I couldn't believe how easy and EXCITING it was.  My heart was just pounding as I was clicking on names and finding work to do.  

I printed off the page of requests to take to the temple.  Jeff and I went that very week.  I was a little nervous.  I wasn't sure what to do when we got to the temple.  I was ashamed to admit to the workers that this was my very first time bringing names.  As is always the case, everyone at the temple was incredibly helpful and gracious.  It was very simple and took less than 10 minutes.  I just gave the page I printed to the lady in the office, and she printed off the name cards we needed to perform the ordinances.  Voila!  I asked her, "Can we do these ordinances tonight?"  She smiled and responded, "Yes, you can do them right now."

So we did!  Jeff and I went into the temple and performed sealings for our ancestors.  As I knelt across the alter from him, acting proxy for people who could not do so for themselves, I felt completely overcome with emotion and full of the Spirit of Elijah.  I was reminded once again that EVERY TIME we make an effort to be obedient, our efforts are rewarded ten fold.  My heart and mind were opened to things in the temple sealing that I had never considered before.  I felt a renewed and strengthened commitment toward Jeff and our eternal union.  I said, as often is the case when we delay obedience, "Why did I wait so long to experience this?"

 Now there is a new file in my filing cabinet!  It has my very own family history work inside.  I can take the names of my ancestors to the temple and perform essential, saving ordinances for them.  I can experience the sacred, enlightening Spirit of Elijah over and over again.

It was the first time in my life that I wished one of my children was older than they are.  I told Daisy, "In about a year and a half you can do this too!  You can take your very own names to the temple and be baptized and confirmed for them when you are twelve!  I want so much for you to be able to go to the temple with daddy and I and do this amazing work!"  So in the meantime we created her very own Family Search account.  Now she can search her own ancestors and get in on the excitement. 

 Jeff and I taking names to the temple for the first time.  "Family history, I am doing it, my family history...I am yours and you are mine through all eternity." ("Family History I Am Doing It, Children's Songbook, 94.)

Living Planet Aquarium

 We have been wanting the visit the new aquarium since it opened and we finally got our chance.  Daddy was working so we got up and got our chores done and headed up to meet him and visit the aquarium.

 This iguana (I think) jumped off of the branch it was resting on and swam over to say hi to Titus.  I could have watched it swim around in there forever!

 That first close up made Titus an instant aquarium fan.  He was in heaven.

 I was glad that this giant anaconda and flesh-eating piranhas were behind glass.

 This South American Amazon River tank was super cool because you could look in from the side or from above, and the fish were HUGE!

 When we were first considering our visit, I was a little apprehensive about the cost.  It was going to set our family back $70 to spend a few hours there and I thought that was a little pricey. 

 After Jeff and I talked about it, we decided that if the kids wanted to go, we could invite them to pay their own admission.  They were happy to use their own money to buy their very own ticket.  It made the whole experience more meaningful to them.  We were only there for 10 minutes when we all decided that the aquarium is well worth the price of admission.  In fact, I would say it's a bargain for what they have to offer there.

The penguin exhibit was so fun!  I wanted to stay and watch them walk and dive and swim much longer when Titus announced, "bye-bye" and started waving at the glass.

 They seemed so playful as they would dive in and swim right over to where the kids were standing.  The penguin exhibit also featured a unique underwater viewing where you could watch the penguins swim from underneath.

 Not gonna lie...jellyfish=creepy.

 The sharks though, were not creepy.  Just very, very cool.

 How often do sharks swim right over your head?

 Levi finished the aquarium feeling distraught.  He wants to be a soldier when he grows up and fight the bad guys, but he also really wants to be an animal scientist.  After visiting the aquarium, he felt certain that he will have to give up his military ambitions to be a biologist.  I reassured him that he doesn't need to decide all of that right now.

Our visit was a great success.  We would recommend the aquarium to anyone. Hanging out with this crew, however, is my favorite thing to do no matter where we are.

Deer Camp

 For the Fifth Grade Living Wax Museum History Project, Daisy chose to be Sacagawea.  She read her biography, wrote a speech, and made a poster.  Grandma Jones sewed this authentic Sacagawea costume.  It was fabulous! I don't know how we would make it without Grandma Jones.  How do other people survive without a Grandma Jones?

 We shipped the boys off to go deer hunting.  Daisy and Ashlyn performed their Halloween dance routines at the local holiday craft show.

 When we were all done dancing, we joined the boys at deer camp.

 Titus could hardly wait to get out of the car and onto a four wheeler.

 And when I pulled into camp and saw Levi wearing his hat, I simply had to capture the moment.

 While everyone else was on a horseback ride, Grandpa and Grandma took Titus on the four wheeler.

 

This guy had been counting the days down to deer camp for months.  He was so happy to finally be there.

It is not easy being the only girl with all of these rascally boys around, but Daisy does a good job of it.

Isaac joined the big boys for extensive hut building on the hillside.

Levi was all business when it came to chopping wood.

We ate grandpa's homemade deer camp stew.

 I left Daisy at deer camp to take care of the boys.  She was right in her element with her daddy and her horse.

Trevin (whom Titus adores) took Titus for one little ride before Titus and mom left deer camp for the season.

While everyone else was camping, Titus the Troublemaker kept me entertained and exhausted.

 When the boys got home from deer camp it was time to shift Halloween into full swing.

Isaac and Titus got to wear their costumes to the library for Storytime, so we took these pictures outside.  Titus was mad that he was too short to see through the cut outs.  I couldn't hold him and take his picture at the same time so he had to settle for standing in front. 

Autumn has been good to us.

All Hallow's Eve

 It is no secret that I am not a huge fan of Halloween.  I just can't figure out what it is that we are celebrating.  I get the whole historical significance of this day that comes before All Saint's Day, but it is blown waaaay out of proportion in my opinion.

Luckily for my kids, their Grandma's are much more festive than me. 

 The kids look forward to Grandma JoAnn's Annual Halloween Party every year.  Even though my little goblins are really the only ones young enough that live close enough to really get in on the fun, Grandma still goes all out.

All the kids and Grandma get in costume before we go to Grandma's Haunted House for spooky games and witchy food.  

 This year we carved pumpkins with our friends the Noll's.  Levi's choice to get the biggest pumpkin he could find at the Big Red Barn ended up being a beast to gut.

 No power tools or fancy patterns for us...just old school Jack-O-Lanterns carved by kids.  That's the way we like it.

 The kids got to wear their costumes to school.

 Titus and I went up to watch the School Halloween Parade.

 Isaac walked through the parade with his best friends Macy and Raelee.

 And Daisy was cracking us up.

 Soon after the kids got home from school it was time for Trick-or-Treating.

 When we went to visit my parents at the beginning of the month, my mom took all the kids shopping and bought them whatever Halloween gear they wanted. They were in heaven...and I was so thankful.

 This guy LOVED his Superman costume...and still asks to wear it.

 I don't know what these two would do without each other...or what I would do without them.

 Isaac morphed from Captain America at school in to a Monkey for Trick-or-Treating.

 I love that we can go trick-or-treating around our neighborhood just like I did when I was a kid. 

 Titus is oh-so-super.

 Happy Halloween from the Circus.