KK's Special Day

Today was such a special day for our family.  KK chose to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  As a family, we have been planning this day for a couple weeks now.  It was a full family effort, thankfully my parents helped with the food (meat and cheese tray, rolls, veggies, and cupcakes).  I couldn't have done it without them, I think just having them there as a support and knowing if I needed more help they would be there helped to relieve some of the potential stress.  

KK brought pictures from home that he wanted to display.  This was the table leading into the chapel where the program was to take place.

These are the gifts that KK gave out as a thank you for coming to the baptism.  This is where I found the printable.   

Here is my handsome ET!  Drinking yogurt...man, he LOVES those things!  

KK received this awesome baptism towel from his Aunt JM.  She was able to use her new sewing machine to embroider his name, date, and the CTR symbol on it.  This was very thoughtful and a very awesome idea!  KK LOVES it!

So here is the infamous before baptism picture, when I took this picture I told them that they looked awkward, so....

 ...I told them they should at least look like they like each other!

 I REALLY LOVE this boy and am so very proud of him.  I can't believe how fast these 8 years have gone!  BTW, the necklace I am wearing is one that KK had made for me!

 I love LOVE my family!  I am so happy to have all of them in my life.  I am very blessed!

 I am so overcome with emotion.  When KK walked into the water font and being placed in the water I started crying a bit.  This was a huge step for him!  He is just growing up way too fast!  I am grateful for the people who came to support him and our family.  We are very blessed to have such a huge church family who loves us!  

So Proud!

A couple weeks ago KK had a talk in primary.  It was his first talk and he was really nervous but he did so good!  I'm super proud of him.  He read most of the talk and I only had to help him a couple of times.  I'm so super proud of him...I guess I said that already, but I really am!

This is KK's talk:



Each of us has at least one name.  Some of us have names that are special to our family.  Maybe you were names after one of your parents, grandparents, or a friend of the family.

My name is Caleb and I was given that name because it was a strong name that my mom liked.

In the scriptures, we can find over 200 names for Jesus Christ.  Each of these names helps us remember him and what he has done for us.

One of the very special names that we use when we talk about Jesus Christ is “Savior”.  The word Savior means a person who saves, rescues, or delivers.

As part of Heavenly Father’s plan, someone needed to pay the price for all of the mistakes that we make.  

Our older brother, Jesus Christ volunteered to come to earth and suffer and die for us to pay the price for our sins.  Because he did this, we call him our Savior.

Jesus Christ suffered and died for you and for me.  He did it for everyone who lives on the earth, even if they don’t believe in Heavenly Father’s plan.

Because Jesus is the Savior of the world, everyone who has faith, repents, is baptized, and obeys the commandments return to live with our Father in Heaven.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Black Canyon Ward

Since church didn't start until 11 Mr H.'s family wanted to go out for breakfast.  We went to one place and it was jammed packed...they said the wait would be a half hour and after 45 mins, I was getting very hungry and we decided to go to Ihop, since we don't have that here (or at least anywhere close to us).  We were crunched for time since we had waited so long at the other place that once we sat down at Ihop (which wasn't crowded at all!) we ordered food.  KK wanted Mac n Cheese, for some strange reason.  I ordered this omlette and pancake meal and it was so delicious!  Once we scarfed our meals down and took off to church.  We were late for sacrament meeting, but we caught the last two speakers.  One speaker had the same talk as my father had a couple weeks ago about single parents.  It was wonderful to hear.  There is a huge concern for those single parents in the church, I have been there I know how it is and to have the General Authorities talk about it to let the other members of the church that we need love and support too.  It was great. 

KK was a little nervous to go to a new class for primary but I knew that he would be alright once he warmed up to everyone.  Sunday school for Mr H. and I was in the chapel.  He was able to see a lot of his old buddies from church.  His old bishop just came back from a mission with his wife, they were in Nauvoo, Il.  We were so excited to see everyone even though I didn't remember anyone. 

Relief Society was nice and eye opening.  The woman teaching was a little older but looked very healthy and able-bodied, but she spoke about how she needed to put her husband in a nursing home because she couldn't take care of him any more.  She did not go into any detail about it but she would visit him everyday and she didn't think the aids or nurses there really cared about her husband.  Or at least they weren't taking care of him the way that SHE would take care of him.  She felt that "no one cared".  Basically towards the end of the talk she said that's a horrible way of looking at it...because there is someone who cared.  Our Heavenly Father ALWAYS cares about what is going on in our lives and he is NOT a nobody.  And her lesson was EXACTLY what I needed.  When I thought that the temple cancellation was not going to take place, I told the stake president that "no one cared" about me and that I didn't feel that I was part of the flock.  And that was wrong of me to say and think.  I know that Heavenly Father loves and cares about me and I am a part of HIS flock.  It's pretty amazing that it took me 1850 miles away from home to realize that.  It seems simple enough...but sometimes we all need to be inspired in different ways and I was inspired by this lesson and as she was planning and thinking about this lesson she probably didn't know that she was planning this especially for me!  It was great, great service, great lesson, great support from that ward. 

Oil Lamps

The latest Sunday school lesson was on Matthew 25, about the parables of the 10 virgins, talents, and the sheep and goats. I've been thinking a lot about the 10 virgins parable since Sunday and I wanted to write down my thoughts before I forgot them. This is such a great parable for me at this time in my life. There is so much to take from it and I will break it down as best as I can, but please know this is just my interpretation.

The 5 virgins who had oil and the 5 who did not. I liken this to those who are prepared for the 2nd coming and for those who are not. The 5 virgins who did not have oil were not prepared for the bridegroom. Just as we may not be prepared in some way such as, prayers, scripture study, FHE, "the essentials" list can go on. We may have been prepared at one time in our life but we slip and start forgetting to do "the essentials". (This is where I am) I'd always wondered why the 5 virgins with oil couldn't just share? I had always thought that they were a little selfish that they didn't, but the more I think about it the more I understand why they couldn't share. The oil represents preparation, which takes time and dedication. I can share my testimony, but that will not fill someone's oil. I can't lend someone 2 years of prayers for them to use. Filling our oil is something that WE have to do ourselves.

We may have 10 gallons of oil in the basement but forget that it's there. We may feel "unworthy" to use it. Gaining this oil will take time. Studying the scriptures for 5 hours is very different than studying the scriptures every day for 5 years. But once we have this oil we can use it to help us "get through" those tough times. This is something that I need to work on. Our family has been going through some really terrible trials and at times I feel that I cannot go on, it's too much, and I just want to give up. I've realized that I do not have this "reserve oil" to use to get through the hard times. It's not that I'm doing anything wrong...but that I sometimes forget scripture study or having family prayers on a regular basis. Since Sunday I have felt VERY strongly that this message was catered to me.

My Talk

I gave a talk at church on the 20th. I was nervous and the last time I gave a talk was about 3 years ago and I was in a very different place in my life. The talk on the 20th was from the last General Conference by Quentin L. Cook titled Let There Be Light!. When I first was told what I would be talking about I thought, "Great! Another talk about how to let your light shine and be that light in a world of darkness" But that's not entirely what I came out thinking after the talk. One of the biggest ideas I came away with was that we should "blackout" our homes from evil...close the curtains, shut the door, and blackout evil. Our homes should be a refuge from those evils. I'm not going to bore you with everything I said in the talk but there are a couple quotes I wanted to put in here:

"Think about the impact [honesty has] on society if youth didn’t cheat in school, if adults were honest in the workplace and were faithful to their marriage vows. For us the concept of basic honesty is grounded in the life and teachings of the Savior."

"The moral foundation of our doctrine can be a beacon light to the world and can be a unifying force for both morality and faith in Jesus Christ. We need to protect our families and be at the forefront together with all people of goodwill in doing everything we can to preserve light, hope, and morality in our communities."

I am glad and grateful for the opportunity to give this talk. I was able to break out of my shell a little bit and talk in front of people...which I do not like to do. I am grateful for the church and the principles it teaches. I am very thankful that families can be together forever. I love my family and I couldn't imagine ever being without them.