Rain and Rings and Swings Oh My

Monday we had our nephews Connor and Corey over. It was a day filled with boys playing with each other, some minor issues of feelings hurt, lots of noise and TV time. Benjamin seemed overall to enjoy hanging out with his cousins.

We decided we would break up the day with an outing. We walked down to the elementary school to play on the playground there. I knew it would help wear them all out a bit.

Sorry this one is a little blurry but I still love it. It was the first thing Connor did when we got there.

Jared is probably a favorite uncle because he knows how to get down and silly with the kids.

Connor was able to reach one of the rings and just hang there. I kept telling him he had to swing onto the first one and reach for the second. He kept telling me he couldn't. I told him yes he could he just had to try. It wasn't long before he was able to get to the second without an issue and onto the third. He had a blast hanging on the rings!

Corey of course got a little jealous and wanted to be like his brother. So uncle Jared stepped in with Benjamin in tow and helped him out.

Now Corey cracked me up on this. He did it a few times with his uncles help and following Connor's lead but then went back without either of them there. He got up to the top and then freaked out like he did with his uncles help about how he needed help and was stuck. We told him he was fine (the drop wasn't much if he did fall) and told him to keep trying. He almost fell off and then made it all the way across and back down the other side without any help. I was pretty proud of him.

We eventually went over to the swings. Corey only wanted little pushes until Connor got a big push from Uncle Jared. Then Corey wanted slightly bigger pushes. I couldn't resist the call of the swing. I sat there with Benjamin swinging back and forth for a few minutes. Then I handed Benjamin over to Jared so I could swing. Now this swing is meant to kids not adults so my legs could not go under me straight out and pump with the upper body. I got the boys' attention and jumped off. They thought it was pretty cool.

After swinging we packed up and headed home. Just in time I might add. It really started to rain once we were inside. On the way to play it started raining and I kept praying it would hold off so we could play and get back home without too much rainfall. We got there and it stopped and we got home and it poured. Another tender mercy from the Lord.

Tender Mercy: A Question Answered

This morning while watching General Conference I had a question come to my mind while listening to Jay E. Jensen. The question was "How do I teach my children to have their own testimony?" Jay E. Jensen was talking about how when he was out on his mission he realized he needed to have his own testimony and not rely on his parents anymore. This is why the question came to my mind. I have been thinking long before I even had Benjamin how will I raise him. How will I teach him the gospel? How will I teach him to trust in the Lord? How will I help him to understand how prayers are answered? How will he come to know right from wrong? The thoughts have become more prevalent since he was born. I wrote the question down in my journal and just mulled it over a bit while I continued to listen to conference.

The next speaker was Mary N. Cook. She talked of a new granddaughter born into her family and the need to teach her of being an example of the believers. She did not speak for very long before tears started to stream down my face. The answer to my question written down moments before was being answered. My spirit was lifted, tears of love and gratitude were falling as the spirit bore witness to me that what she was saying was tender mercy given to me in answer of my question.

To teach our children the gospel and to have a strong testimony we must lead by example in all that we do. They must see us saying our prayers, reading our scriptures, dressing modestly, giving service and all of these things we must be doing with a joyful heart. As we do them and lead by example they will see it and make it a part of their life. I've already seen how much Benjamin is just repeating things we do...smiling, trying to drink from our cups, blowing bubbles...

I am so grateful for General Conference and the opportunity to listen and have questions and concerns answered.