So Blessed!

  

 I have been wanting to write my feelings down for a long time and so here it goes....

I have been so feeling so blessed these past 9 months or so, ever since Lydia was born.  I have actually found that I have never felt more love for my life than I do now.  I think having children does that to you, makes you realize how important you are as a Mother and how much you want and need to become the best you can be so that your children can become even better than you!  

When I got pregnant with Lydia, many asked, are you nervous to have three children?  In honesty, I would answer No, I am not nervous.  I felt so at peace that this little one should join our family at this time.  I was so blessed when Lydia joined our family because it really has been such a wonderful experience for me.  Don't get me wrong, there have been stressful and trying times, adjustments, and learning experiences, but I feel that my role as a mother has never been clearer to me and my heart has never felt more full than it does now.  I most certainly never imagined how much I could LOVE and that has given me the greatest perspective on how much our Heavenly Father loves each of us as  His children. 

A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to speak on increasing happiness in our homes.  It was a fun topic for me to speak on because I was able to ask my parents and Tyson's parents about what they thought increased happiness in our homes as we were children.   Looking back on my childhood, I realize how much love was in our home and how amazing my parents were to raise such 8 strong, valiant children.  My main goal in life is to be able to raise my children to be like that...And I am so grateful that my amazing husband also came from those loving circumstances.  So together in our parenting, we both want that for our children.  My testimony has been strengthened so much about how the HOME is the Haven from the world.  And that is my goal, especially as now, Alissa has begun preschool and has left my home for just a few hours a day.  But she is out on her own, without my watchful care, and all I hope is that we have taught her to be a kind, honest, compassionate, and most importantly a Christ like example to those whom she comes in contact with!

I can truly feel the work of the Holy Ghost in our home as we are raising our girls and trying to teach them the Gospel truths.  It is only another year until Alissa starts full time school and she will be out of my protection and on her own with wordly evils around her for more time than she is IN our home.  I now have realized just how important, even at such a young age, it is to start teaching them how to recognize the spirit, say prayers, read scriptures, and ask for Heavenly Father's help.  It has been a wonderful and humbling experience to see Alissa and even Hannah teach me things.  They are choice spirits and I am so privileged to be their Mommy!  I received an email from Alissa's sunbeam teacher.  She told me that she just loves Alissa, but most of all, she is so impressed by her in class.  She told me that she has never heard more sincere prayers in a 4 year old before and she answers questions thoughtfully, not just shouting out things.  She thanked us because she knew that the Gospel was being taught to her in her home.  Such a sweet testimony to us at what we are trying to do in our home!

For FHE, we have been concentrating on memorizing the Articles of Faith. We have a sticker chart and the girls are so excited to achieve this goal.  Alissa already has three memrized and passed off and we are so proud of her!  I thought that we mostly would be just teaching Alissa to memorize, but the most amazing thing happened!  After Alissa had recited her memorized Article of Faith #4, Hannah siad "Its my turn!"  Then she asked for help and we said "We Believe..." and then she continued on her own without our help and said....

"We believe in God Eternal Father, in his son Jesus Christ, and the HOLY Ghost!"  She said it just like that...missing a few words, but we were astonished that our two year old had been listening, learning, and memorizing as we taught our older daughter!  They may be young but they still can learn and be affected by your teachings!  Such a sweet memory of our Hannah and how proud we are of her and already her faith and love of the Gospel.  

We also spent the evening on Sunday giving our daughters blessings.  We wanted to give Alissa a blessing to prepare her for her upcoming school year, just as Tyson and I were given blessings by our Fathers growing up prior to beginning school.  Alissa was a little nervous and wanted to sit on my lap while Tyson blessed her.  It was a beautiful blessing and a very spiritual experience for us as a family.  Alissa said afterwards "I feel good inside."  We taught her that what she was feeling was the Holy Ghost and we can be guided in our choices if we live worthy of it.    Alissa, in the past few weeks, has really grown up and has been so loving and helpful and understanding in all aspects of her life.  I have really seen her develop and just the other day she said, "Mom, excuse me, I am going to go say a prayer in your room, so I can be alone and talk to Heavenly Father."  I again, found her another time, after her and Hannah had been fighting over a toy- she was on her knees next to her bed praying.  When she looked up and saw me she said, "Mom, I was praying so that Heavenly Father could help me be nicer to Hannah."  My heart melted and I know that this girl already has a firm and strong testimony of prayer and a wonderful relationship with her Father in Heaven.

Next, it was Hannah's turn for a father's blessing.  She said "I don't want you to hold me Mom."I watched as Hannah lifted her petite little body up onto the chair and turned around to sit down.  She reverently folded her arms, bowed her head, shut her eyes and held this position for the entirety of Tyson's blessing.  She is such an example to me, this sweet little girl!  Tyson mentioned in his blessing how she has powerful traits of being a peacemaker and we have already seen that displayed in her few short years here on earth in our family.  She is a very kind-hearted and forgiving person.  Hannah has a soft spot in our hearts.  We know it is because we are so lucky and blessed to have her in our family, because of the circumstances in which she was born.  I don't think we ever portrayed our fright to others, but Tyson and I were so nervous about our little Hannah.  She wasn't growing, wasn't getting the nutrients she needed to develop into a strong healthy infant.  But we all knew that with the Lords will and the power of Priesthood Blessings, all would be well.  Hannah continued to show signs of growth through pregnancy, although very small, but she held on, much longer than the specialists thought.  She was a fighter at birth, weighing in at just 4 pounds 13 ounces, she avoided the NICU!  She came home at 4 pounds 7 ounces!  Such a tiny Christmas miracle that has touched our lives and testimonies ever since...and as she gets older, she continues to touch our lives and testimonies!  Such a blessed old soul lives in our sweet Hannah! She is older and wiser than most, in the Spiritual realm of things!  

 I say all of these things, not to boast in any means, but to express my gratitude that our Heavenly Father has entrusted Tyson and I with such amazing little girls!  I have an important work to do and know that that is the MOST IMPORTANT thing I will ever do in this life...Teach our Children the Gospel in our Home so that they can further the Kingdom of God.  I love my girls so much and couldn't possibly imagine my life without each of them.  I look forward to Lydia and all that she will become as she grows, especially because she has two older sisters who are going to be wonderful examples to her!!  

Love my BLESSED life!  Don't want to forget that I have the most wonderful companion in the world- one that I amazed by everyday and so blessed to have him helping me become better and with me as we strive to teach our family the Gospel!