Colorado Snow

Copper Mountain

Hot and Cold outside the Copper Mountain Condo

Right outside our condo is the ski lift and huge hot tub!

Brooke said, " But, how do you get in the water when it is cold?"

I told her that is what my little sister Amy and I did every winter at Grandma and Grandpa's house when I grew up in Salt Lake City.

It was fun to be in the snow and hot tub with my family as an adult!

My Colorado Memories

                                        As we pulled up to these snowy Colorado mountains

                                              Will and Brooke were so excited! Brooke said,

                                           " I have never seen snow like this in my life!" 

                                       Among all the great experiences that Brooke and Will 

                                             have been having on our ski trip, I personally 

                                           have a couple of my own memories, that I 

                                           will not forget. They will always be special to me

                       because they are showing me whom my children really are and are becoming.

                                 After I told Will and Brooke to thank their Daddy for taking us on our trip, 

                 Will ran with a smile on his face and said to his Dad while hugging him, " Daddy, thank you for taking us on our trip. This is the best day ever!!! And, Mommy, thank  you for letting me, and teaching me to read the Book of Mormon." 

                          Even on our trip, in all the excitement, Will was feeling thankful for not just the 

                   feelings that he knows the Book of Mormon brings in his life, but also feeling thankful

               that since we have been working on him reading verses each night, he can now read the                        scriptures all by himself! 

                          I will not forget waking up on this Sabbath morning and upon telling the kids 

                    that it is the Sabbath Day, Will saying, " Awe...but we can't go to church then. Can we 

                       say a prayer that we can go to church next week?" As I said of course to his request, 

                           Will said, " Can I say the prayer right now?" and Will prayed for just that. 

                         The last sweet memory for me was seeing Brooke struggle at ski school, 

                                  but knowing that she would not give up, but even more important, 

                               her ski school instructor told me today, " This is really a compliment to you, but your children were very good, and your daughter helped and taught her brother. They are really good kids. " 

                                 I feel so blessed to have had these experiences to know that even among

                             a fun and good time, the Lord and being good, is still at the forefront of my children's minds. 

                                      I am so incredibly blessed to be your Mother, Brooke and Will....

                     PS. I will try to talk your Dad into taking more pictures tomorrow. He really doesn't like taking pictures, but he really does love you and want you to learn and develop so many needed skills for life. 

               

Sacrament Cups

Will,
I think that some people at church might think that I am letting you get away with not following rules? I am not too worried about what others think, but I want to share your own testimony at 6 years old, with you as you will one day read this.  Each week, at church, during the time that the Sacrament is being passed Will, you follow my instructions to think about Jesus, but each time after you take the cup to drink the water, you keep it. If you had been just playing around I wouldn't have let you do this Will, but you specifically talk about the cup reminding you of Jesus and You tell me that you want to take it home to remember Jesus at home. You really show such love for your Savior. You keep a little stack of Sacrament cups in your room and each time that I clean your room, I am reminded of how blessed that I am to have a son that loves the Lord. You love to go to church Will. You worry a lot about certain friends of yours that you say might not know about Jesus? Sometimes you randomly pray for them by name in your nightly personal prayer. Lately you have been praying for a little girl in your class whom is new. In your prayer at night you pray for her by name and ask that the other girls in your class will play with her. You tried to invite her to play with you and your boy friends, but she told you that she didn't want to play with boys. A few nights ago you prayed thank you that this girl made some girl friends. You love, and care in between all your running around like a super hero. Tonight the cat had one of your sacrament cups in his mouth, to play with it. It didn't dawn on you that the cat was playing you just said, " Oh why can't the cat take sacrament and think about Jesus?"
You want everyone and everything to think about and care about Jesus. I am blessed for your example. You can take the Sacrament cups home if you want. It reminds us both how blessed we are to have our Savior.

Baptism - Mike and Alisha

Brooke and Will,

I had a wonderful chance to be a part of this lovely couple's investigation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this past December. When I first went with the missionaries to meet Alisha Smith and Mike Lobdell, they were living in a hotel after losing their place in Rowlette, due to a tornado that passed through.

It was such a special experience to go into the humble hotel and share my testimony along with the missionaries whom had met them in a Walmart parking lot.

Time continued. The missionaries continued to teach them the Restored Gospel, and their hearts began to feel the love and Spirit that the Book of Mormon can bring into the lives of it's readers.

This couple knew that Joseph Smith did indeed see God The Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, that day so long ago, in the Sacred Grove.

Mike and Alisha committed to be married and be baptized into the church in January, after Christmas.

It took a bit more time than planned to plan a wedding and baptism, but it was a great joy to be invited to speak a the most important part, which was their baptism.

Here is what I hope that you will feel the Spirit of, which I spoke at their baptism. I want you to forever know that I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I want to be a better Mother, wife, daughter, sibling, and friend in order that I can someday be with you in the Celestial Kingdom and so that I can continue in Our Father's work in an eternal marriage and family.

I hope that you will feel the Spirit testify the truth of the Restored Gospel in what I spoke.

Mike and Alisha,

It has been such a blessing to get to know you both and see the changes that the gospel has brought into your lives. As I have been pondering lately, I have been thinking about religion in general. There are so many different Christian Religions, going about and doing good on our earth. As I was thinking about religion, I came across a talk by President Nelson in which he teaches that the word religion in Latin comes from the word ligate, which means to tie back. From this we learn that religion is meant to secure us tightly to God.

Today is such a special day that you are going to be tied securely back to God as you have learned about the Restored Gospel and desire to take that step of baptism, but this is not something that you have not done in the past. Mike and Alisha you have been wonderful individuals in your lives and have often been seeking to be tied back to God through different church's that you have attended and our Heavenly Father and God recognizes that and has blessed you because of this.

Today,  I think the greatest blessing that we have is that you, Mike and Alisha have now come to a place in your lives in which you are ready to receive more light and truth, which the fullness of the gospel contains in it's correct authority.

I wanted to share a phrase that really stands out and teaches us so much about the way that Jesus Christ set up His church. After Jesus Christ took upon Himself our sins, was crucified, and came back to earth as a resurrected being, he taught his apostles to go set up one church around the world. He gave Peter the Sealing Keys as He told Peter upon this rock I will build my church, and He showed them how to organize His Kingdom.

As these apostles were going about setting up His church they came across some believers that are just like you Mike and Alisha. These believers had known they should be baptized and wanted to follow Christ in their lives. They had already been baptized.

The phrase that is important is in Acts 19, Paul said to these individuals,

" Unto what then were ye baptized? "

and they answered, " Unto John's baptism. " Speaking of John the Baptist.

These individuals had done all they could at that time to follow Christ, but now they were being introduced to the apostles whom could given them further light and truth in the correct authority at the time.

They were being introduced to the fullness of the gospel because they were ready. Just as you Mike and Alisha were introduced because our Father in Heaven knew that you were ready.

This account continues on and Paul asks these individuals, " Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? " They answered that they had not heard about the Holy Ghost, and a few verses later

we see these disciples of Christ are re-baptized under correct authority and and then they received the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, just as you also will receive after the same pattern, manner and order that Our Heavenly Father and His Son have set up their church.

Today Mike and Alisha the angels rejoice in your decision. Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ rejoice that you have made the choice to follow His pattern of prophets in the Old, New Testament and in this latter-day.

But, I want you to know Mike and Alisha that we too are blessed by your choices because we will be blessed by you both. We need you in this church and you have particular gifts and personalities that we will benefit from, and many of your friends and family will benefit from as they watch you grow in your journey in His church.

Just as Nicodemus asked Jesus, " How can a man be born again? " As Jesus stated that a man can not enter the kingdom of Heaven unless he is born again of water and spirit. You both are being born again as Christ was talking about baptism, but as a person is born, that growth does not stop. In this church you have been given leaders, manuals, classes, and eventual learning in the temple which will allow you to not just be " born again " as many Christian faiths claim, but you have been born and will grow in His gospel, even into the eternities.

I am so thankful that you will be in His kingdom with us all. We love you and we are blessed for your choices.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.