Primary Program

Today was the best sacrament meeting of the entire year: The Primary Program!

There is nothing more adorable and diverting than watching 30-35 children, wriggling and squirming, sitting up on the stand. The littlest are too precious for words, and even the older kids (the ones just too cool for all this) are sweet and funny.

Zee has been so excited for this day to come--his part was the very first part of all. He did a great job reading, too--they added quite a bit to his part at the last minute, I think because someone else was absent. He ended up speaking for a good two minutes. (I've heard youth speakers with less to say!) Zee got to introduce the theme and everything. (I only have the part we practiced at home, not the extra.)

"For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth" Job 19:25. This year in Primary we have had the opportunity to learn of the great love that the Savior, Jesus Christ, has for us.

Gee was fairly excited, too. He has been eager to try "the big microphone" for ages. When the Primary President called the kids up to the stand, after the sacrament, Gee jumped up and was off. He then stopped short, turned around, and asked in a loud tone, "Where's the microphone, Daddy?" (Good thing his teacher was there to help him, or he would have headed up to the podium right then and usurped Zee's introduction.) When he finally had his turn at the mike, the congregation couldn't see him at all, he's so short. But they could definitely hear him:

Prophets are called by God. In the Book of Mormon we learn that Lehi was called to take his family to the promised land.

Afterward, he couldn't stop telling everyone about his "BIG" voice in the microphone, and how he said "Promised Land" SO LOUD. He was mighty proud of himself.

Em's turn came a little after Gee's. She got up, looking so much older with her new haircut, and seemed a little shy at first. But then she got into it, and by the time she was done with her part she was fairly beaming with excitement. She gave a little flourish at the end of her part that was so adorable I nearly busted with love:

In the Pearl of Great Price, we learn that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and was called to restore Christ's church on the earth. President Thomas S. Monson was called by God and is the prophet on the earth today.

(Of course, I was slightly less amused when she came down from the stand a few minutes later, "whispering" loudly, "I need to go potty, Momma!" She never needs to go during sacrament meeting, except for today. Of course.)

Gee didn't sing at all during the songs (no surprise there), and spent the entire time on his teacher's lap (bless her heart!). I teared up a little when they did the sign language for "As I Have Loved You", because he had his hands over his teacher's hands while she did the motions. It was sweet.

Em was in the far corner of the stand, so I couldn't really see her, but there were times I could definitely hear her. ("I KNOW he LIVES!") And Zee was hilarious during some of the songs. He really loved certain parts of them ("We are his DESCENDANTS in the LATTER DAYS!"), and because he was sitting in the front row of the stand seats, um, he was well-noticed.

Several people came up to us later to compliment us on our adorable children. One woman said, "I wonder if you think they are as hilarious as we all think they are?" I answered, "I usually wonder the opposite: Do you all find them as funny as we do?" I guess the answer is yes.

(Poor Hebs was a little under the weather today, so he slept on the pew next to me the whole time. (Daddy then took him and Mimi home for the rest of church.) As much as I wish he wasn't feeling sick, at least we were spared his reaction at being left behind while everyone else went up to the stand! )