Three Dogs and Easter

Starting on the 19th of March, we had Arkhon's brother here for a week. I was a bit worried about what it was going to be like having three dogs in the house, but it went much better than expected. The first day, Allopex was outside watching them play. He said that when Loki (Arkhon's brother) started to get rough with Siff, Arkhon would get between them. There was nothing aggressive about it, but he would just quietly tell his brother to back off.

 He sure is a good boy.

However, by the end of the first day, they were getting along really well. Loki enjoyed his time here, I think, though he did have a couple of accidents. The ironic thing is that he had more accidents than the puppy did. She seems to be completely house-trained. We've trained her to bark when she needs to go outside, and in the last week, she hasn't had a single accident. Instead she barks at the door and waits for us to open it.

Even though they were all really good, having three of them around did stress me out a little bit more than normal, so I was a bit relieved when Loki left after a week. It was nice to only have two dogs again. 

 We had a great Easter weekend. Somehow, the holiday came up on me unexpectedly. I wasn't nearly as prepared for it this year as much as I would have liked to have been. We're trying to start a tradition where we focus on Christ every day of Easter week and what happened that day during his final week. However, this year we weren't prepared, so we just did minimal celebrating. We tried to maintain a good focus on Christ nonetheless.

On Saturday, we did the local Bunny Chase (where they release some rabbits and the kids that catch them get to take them home) and Easter egg hunt. Kevin didn't catch a rabbit, which we were pretty grateful about since we're leaving on vacation soon and didn't want another brand new pet.

He was a little bit sad, but we weren't too upset. I tried again as well, but my feet have been injured recently, so I couldn't run as fast. 

Siff is doing so well! She gets along great with everyone and is so adorable that we attract a lot of attention when we take her out. It's a lot of fun!

Her main issue at the moment is, now that we've taught her to speak, we're teaching her to stop speaking when we ask her to. That's harder for her to learn. 

It was fun to have Loki for company, but I don't think we're ever going to have more than two dogs. +

He can come and stay anytime though. 

Dyeing Easter Eggs

So far, our Easter schedule is working out great.

Yesterday, we spent nearly the whole day cleaning our house. For only having lived here for a couple of months, you wouldn't think it was that dirty. Some of what we cleaned was from the previous occupants. Grig washed the windows on the outside and the difference is spectacular!

The house feels great, and I would nearly feel comfortable letting the Savior come and visit. That was the whole point.

After we finished cleaning, we dyed Easter eggs. It was Kevin's first time, and he loved it!

He dropped his first egg into our plastic cups of dye, causing the fluid to slosh everywhere. After that, he was more careful. He was really excited when he pulled the first egg out and it had turned blue.

After his second egg was finished, though, he told us the eggs were done and he didn't want to dye them anymore. He had a great time, though.

Here are all of our eggs. From left to right (we had two eggs each, we put our eggs in the same column) you have Kevin's eggs, my eggs, Grig's eggs, and Argent's eggs. She left just before we remembered to take pictures.

Today, we were going to go on a family hike, but Grig and I ended up make a hike to the temple instead. That was also appropriate, we felt, because mountains are often symbolic of temples in the scriptures. We still want to go on a hike this week, but we ran out of time today. Grig had a fishing appointment with a friend, and by the time we returned home, it was nearly time for him to leave.

We put some desks together that a family member had given us, and reorganized some furniture.

Things looked pretty great afterward.

We're still hoping to be able to go on a hike at some point this week. We're looking forward to it.

For anyone who's wondering why Grig is at home instead of at work, it is not his fault. They told everyone in his department not to come in this week. They use the excuse that they don't have enough parts, but some of Grig's co-workers told him that they do this nearly every year to match the kids' Spring Break. He'll be back to work next week, and even though we don't appreciate the reduced paycheck, we are grateful to have him around so much. We've been having a fun time.

It's made Easter week that much more special!

Mormon Monday: New Easter Traditions

As a fairly new married couple (only three years so far), we are still establishing family traditions.

One of the things that we really wanted to do was to make Easter less about bunnies and more about Christ. We wanted to focus the whole week on the Savior and what he did for us. So, after a discussion last Monday, we came up with the following plan for every day of this week:

Palm Sunday:

This is the day Christ rode into Jerusalem.

Put this scripture in an Easter egg and hide it for Adam to find.

Mark 11: 1-11

We then go outside and find the best plant that we would give to the Savior. We can press our flower or leaf in the pages of a book to flatten it.

Cleansing Monday:

This is the day Christ cleansed the temple.

Hide this scripture in an Easter egg and hide it for Adam to find.

Mark 11:12-19

After reading the scripture, we “cleanse” the house. Everyone helps to make the house as temple clean as possible. Once everyone has helped, we dye Easter eggs for FHE.

Teaching Tuesday:

This is the day that Christ delivered his last sermon about the last days and contended with the Pharisees.

Hide this scripture in an Easter egg and hide it for Adam to find.

Mark 11: 20-Mark 13:37

As a family, go on a hike up a mountain and read these scriptures.

Bring figs (or fig newtons) and talk about the fig tree.

Service Wednesday

This is the day that the woman anointed Christ with perfume and Judas Iscariot contrived to betray the Savior.

Place this scripture in an Easter egg and hide it for Adam to find.

Mark 14:1-11

Do an act of service for someone as the woman did for the Savior. List reasons why we love each family member and we’re glad they’re part of our family. Play family game such as hide and seek or capture the flag.

Passover Thursday

This is the day of the last supper and the Passover.

Place this scripture in an Easter egg and hide it for Adam to find.

Mark 14:12-51

Eat lamb, fish, and unleavened bread. Drink grapejuice (or grape-flavored kool-aid).

Good Friday

This is the day that Christ was crucified.

Mark 14:53-15:45

Watch video To This End Was I Born. Can also watch church bible videos.

Do Easter egg hunt! Explain how eggs symbolize Christ’s rebirth (resurrection) that will be celebrated on Sunday.

Holy Saturday

Mark 15:46-47; 1 Peter 4:6; D&C 138

This is when Christ was in the tomb. He was also preaching to the dead. For this day, we’ll spend some time working on family history and watching family videos.

Easter Sunday

This is the resurrection of the Savior. Have Easter treats Sunday morning when the children wake up. 

Have the following scripture in one of the eggs.

Mark 16: 1-20

Read scripture as a family and watch videos about the Savior. Sing hymns. Eat candy.

So, that's our plan. So far it's going pretty well. We have been cleaning all morning, and we're taking our first break. Feel free to steal any of our ideas. Our hope is that as we focus on the Savior this week, that Easter will have more significance and will be more about Jesus Christ.

Mormon Monday: By Small and Simple Things

Happy Easter!

We had a great day yesterday. We ate Easter candy, had a great service at church, and went to my grandparents for dinner afterward. 

Like many of you, I was trying to direct my thoughts toward the Savior yesterday. Before church, we listened to the following talk. It is one of my favorite about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is the shorter 4 minute version, but the longer version is also on youtube under "None Were with Him". This really changed the way I think about the Savior's atonement.

It is kind of amazing how such simple things lead to such incredible moments. In the Book of Mormon, there is the story about a prophet named Lehi who was leading his family through the wilderness and looking for guidance. One morning, he woke up and found a strange object, shaped like a ball outside of his tent door. If he and his family followed the counsel and commandments of God, this compass pointed the way they should go through the wilderness. However, if they sinned, it would no longer point the way.They called this compass a Liahona.

Last night, I was reading my scriptures, and I read the following versus (Alma 37:38-46):

 38 And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or director—or our fathers called it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it. 39 And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness. 40 And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day. 41 Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey; 42 Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions. 43 And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual. 44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. 45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise. 46 O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.

I was contemplating this last night. Our Savior's death might seem like a small thing to people who don't understand it. I mean, people die every day. However (Alma 37:6-7):

 6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. 7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth  confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

The Lord's death may seem a small thing, but by dying and then being resurrecting, our Savior opened the way for the rest of us to follow in His footsteps and to gain eternal life! He died so that we could live.

There are so many things in my life that seem like small things. Just this last week, my husband and I were praying about whether we should move to a different apartment complex. Grig was playing outside with Kevin, when suddenly he saw a neighbor and good friend of ours, and he was impressed by the Spirit that we needed to stay in the apartment because she still needed us. I had been feeling similar impressions that we weren't supposed to move at this time. This seems like a momentous decision for us, but the answer came in small and simple ways.  

The Lord uses small and simple things to testify of the truthfulness of the gospel and to lead people to the Savior. Sometimes it is a simple conversation with a friend where a word sticks out to us, or something wonderful that we read. Sometimes it is searching through the scriptures. The Lord will not leave us alone. It is simply up to us to listen to the small, still voice of the Spirit that will help us know where we are supposed to go, and what we are supposed to do in order to find peace and happiness on this earth.

I know that Jesus Christ did live.

I know that he suffered for our sins, died on the cross, and was resurrected on the third day.

I know that as we turn to him for comfort and guidance, that we will find guidance and peace on this earth.

The Lord has a plan for each of us. If we listen to that still, small voice and do those small and simple things, we will be amazed at where the Lord can take us and the incredible things that each of us can accomplish! We are each small and sometimes I feel insignificant, but with the Lord's help, I know I can do amazing things. This is true for everyone.

By small and simple things are great things brought to pass. I know that is true, and I have seen it in my life many times. Don't look for great miracles. Keep an eye open for the small details and you will truly know that Christ is present in all facets of your life.

Finally, here is the Easter message that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) put out for this Easter season. It's quite powerful.

Enjoy: