"No no no no no!"

Despite his refusal to crawl, Hebs manages to get around. (I found him in the bathroom this evening, just about to dump some blocks down the toilet.) Yesterday, he was hanging out under the Christmas tree, just looking. Every so often, the temptation to touch overcame his good sense, and he would reach up to touch. Every time, I would say, "Hebs, no, no." And he would look at me and grin, and stop.

After we had done this three or four times, I looked up to see him reaching again. "Hebs..." Before I could finish, he looked at me and said, "No no no no no!" And he pulled his hand back.

Such a sweet, smart little boy.

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Advent Day 9: Many prophets talked about Jesus's birth. Alma 7:10 And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem...she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall...bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. Mosiah 13:33 For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people?

A day which will live in infamy...

The first time I went to Hawaii, we spent four days on the Big Island (with the active volcanoes) and three days on Oahu (with pineapple plantations, , and gorgeous beaches). Naturally, I would have preferred to spend the entire time with the volcanoes, but I was able to console myself adequately with the Polynesian Cultural Center, the gorgeous beaches, and an amazing swap meet.

We also visited Pearl Harbor. We first watched a movie at the visitors' center, and then boarded a little boat filled with long, white benches to be ferried over to the USS Arizona memorial. I never knew the water was so shallow there, that you could see the sunken battleship so clearly.

There was a very solemn feeling on that memorial. It was the same feeling I had earlier that day when we visited the Punchbowl National Cemetery, where thousands of US soldiers killed in WWII and later wars are buried. It is the same feeling I had three years later while visiting Martin's Cove in Wyoming, where the handcart pioneers suffered so much. It was a feeling of hallowed ground.

To all who served or are serving in our armed forces, thank you. Thank you for your sacrifices and service. And God bless you.

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Advent Day 8: For thousands of years before Jesus was born, everyone was watched and waited for Him. They were excited for Him to be born. Number 24:17 "...there shall come a Star out of Jacob..." Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

"You ruined Christmas!"

My sister Jenafer put this post up on our family blog; I laughed so hard I was in tears, and begged her to let me repost it here. She graciously consented.

The kids have been bugging me about setting up Christmas since we landed in the driveway on Sunday. I've been putting them off until the house was clean again after unpacking from the trip. Yesterday I ran out of excuses, so we hauled the Christmas boxes out of the garage before going to bed. This morning, L. really wanted to decorate the Christmas tree. I got her settled in my room watching Playhouse Disney and brought the tree upstairs, opened it, and started to set it up. I had all the branches sorted and the center pole in place and was running lights up it to the top, also in place, when L. walked into the loft. I smiled at her, thinking how happy she should be to see me putting up the tree, instead she burst into hysterical screams and collapsed on the floor in tears.

I rushed over to see what had happened. I was sure she had stepped on a tack or something equally horrible. "What's wrong?" I asked.

Her answer had me in hysterics, too, the laughter kind. Over and over again, she repeated, "You cut the branches off! You cut the branches off! You ruined Christmas! It's ruined!"

Of course, my laughter only made things worse. She jumped up and yelled it at me a few more times, then she grabbed my hand and dragged me into her room to point to her little fiber optic table-top Christmas tree that we set up on Sunday and declared, "That is what it's SUPPOSED to look like!"

I finally convinced her that I was sorry for ruining Christmas and I would be able to fix it and settled her down to watch me finish setting it up while she drew pictures for me to show me exactly how a Christmas Tree is supposed to look like.

I love having a four year old. They are great!

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Advent Day 7: Jesus Christ loved us so much that He promised to come to earth and die for us. This is called the Atonement. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Heleman 5:9 O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.

Taking Saturday off

No post today, just the advent readings for tomorrow.

Advent Day 6: Jesus Christ offered to help us return to live with Heavenly Father again. Abraham 3:24-27 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;

25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

26 And they who keep their firstestate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.

27 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me.

Clean house, neat-freakish momma

Or messy house, laid-back momma?

I've noticed that when I try to keep my house clean, I jump all over the kids every time they make a mess. Not just, "You need to clean that up," but I feel personally attacked by their messiness. And, like all kids, they aren't really eager to jump right in and clean it up, so then I feel even angrier and less-appreciated. Don't they know how hard I worked to clean that floor? Just ten minutes ago? Don't they want to live in a clean house?

There has to be a happy medium. A solution. Something.

To my beautiful friends who know of what I speak, yet still have clean homes, how do you do it? How do you keep your tempers and not take it personally when they act like kids?

I await your wisdom.

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Advent Day 5: Because we are mortal like Adam and Eve, we can't live with Heavenly Father again without help. 2 Nephi 9:7-8, 10 "Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.
8 O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.
10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit."
Alma 34:9 "For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Tonight we decorated our Christmas tree. We cleaned and wiped and decluttered and rearranged all day to get ready for this fabulous event.

As Hebs watched from the safety of his high chair, and the older children danced around excitedly, Bradley put the tree up. While I "fluffed" the branches (I hate that part of fake trees (and the lack of pine scent), but I love the savings and the convenience and the prelightedness of the fake trees too much to give them up at this point), Bradley dug the ornaments out of the box.

He then did something I have never had the courage to do: He gave each child (even Gee!) one ornament (glass!) at a time, and let the kids put the ornaments wherever on the tree they liked. This method resulted a very oddly decorated tree. (The bottom and the sides (where the kids could climb on the chairs to reach high) were very well decorated. The middle and the back? Well, not so much there. I think Momma will do some subtle rearranging in the dark of the night.)

But it also resulted in some supremely happy children. They were thrilled to get to participate so closely (and without so much momma-hovering) in this important family event. And I realized something: Who cares about the stupid ornaments? The one ornament I do care about, a pottery star with my 5-year-old picture in the middle, I removed from the boxes and placed myself. But the others? Wal-mart or Target specials, cheap as they come and easily replaceable. And to watch my children glow with the excitement and pride of decorating the tree by themselves--it was, to use a cliche, priceless.

And then Bradley suggested that we watch "The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd," a film by the Church that tells the story of the inhabitants of the Americas intertwined with the life of Christ. The testimony this film bears is pretty powerful, and I was crying by the end.

Zee: Why are you sniffing, Momma?
Momma: Because I am so happy.
Em: (Fake crying voice) I'm so happy too!! (Bursts into false tears.)

Despite that little interlude, it was a perfect way to end our Christmas tree evening.

My kids have a pretty brilliant daddy.

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Advent Day 4: Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This was against God's command. They became mortal, and had to leave the Garden of Eden. 2 Nephi 2:19, 22-26 "And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.
22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.

23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given."

And I wanted to add--my extremely talented mother-in-law Eva made us this gorgeous quilted advent wall-hanging. (You can see it in the picture above if you click on the picture to enlarge it.) We've filled it with candy and little treats for the kids to eat while we are doing the Advent reading. They love it, and I love it too. Thank you so much, Eva.

Advent

(Sorry about yesterday. At about 9pm, after a full day of child-wrangling, house-cleaning, and dinner-cooking fun, I was hit with the bug. I'm just now--at noon today--starting to feel a bit more human.)

Yesterday was December 1--day one of counting up to Christmas! We've had an advent "calendar" since Zee was a baby--it is a painted wooden Christmas tree with an arch of 23 bright red beads across the top. Each day a bead gets moved, and the final night has a star. The kids take turns at moving the daily bead. (And then I count the beads every morning, because it is just too tempting to move them back and forth.)

This year my kids (at least Em and Zee) are old enough to appreciate a little more out of Advent season. Traditionally (I think), Advent is celebrated on the four Sundays before Christmas, with scriptural readings and songs and candles and stuff. I wanted to do something (very little) every day, to remind my kids that Christmas isn't just Santa and toys and yummy things to eat.

I made up a little Advent schedule of my own. I decided to base it on the Plan of Salvation, simplified to a four-year-old and six-year-old mindset. Basically, I wanted to emphasize the need for a Redeemer and then the events leading up to His birth.

Last night we lit a candle and (while I was making grilled cheese sandwiches) talked about father and mothers, Heavenly Father, and the fact that we are children of God. Then I sent Zee and Em on a "treasure" hunt to find the "Proclamation to the World on the Family", which hangs on our wall in the front room. ("Go find a picture with writing on it, hanging on the wall!") Once they found it, we read the part about being spirit sons and daughters of God. Then we went back into the dining room and Zee got to blow out the candle. (Em's turn will be tonight, Gee's tomorrow, etc.)

All told, it took maybe five minutes. It was fun, and hopefully we can keep it up all month.

And I'd love to share.

At the end of every post this month, I'll put the scripture and topic we're doing for the next day. That way, if anyone wants to play along, you can! Today, I'll give you yesterday, today, and tomorrow, to get all caught.

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Advent Day 1: We are children of God. Proclamation on the Family, "All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny."

Advent Day 2: Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ created the world. 3 Nephi 9:15: Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name." Moses 2:1: And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I reveal unto you concerning this heaven, and this earth; write the words which I speak. I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by mine Only Begotten I created these things; yea, in the beginning I created the heaven, and the earth upon which thou standest."

Advent Day 3: Adam and Eve were the first man and woman, and they lived in the Garden of Eden. Moses 1:34 "And the first man of all men have I called Adam, which is many." Moses 4:26 "And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living; for thus have I, the Lord God, called the first of all women, which are many."