Watching LDS General Conference

I love LDS General Conference!!

I also love getting to watch it in my pajamas.

Easter Stuff

We did an egg hunt with my family while up in Mesa.

Then we did an egg hunt with our ward and our girls really made out on that one.

By the end of it our girls really got the idea of picking up eggs

Good bye Grandpa and Grandma

My parents came down for my birthday and to see our children and spend time with them. My children love their grandparents.

My parents entered the MTC April 1st. They are going on an LDS mission to Thailand. My dad served in Thailand back in the late 60's as a JR missionary. 

We are so excited and happy for my parents. We have already felt the blessings from their choice to serve the Lord. But I don't think my children understand that when they said "good-bye" to grandma and grandpa it was the last time they would see them other than on the computer for 18 months. 

I'm the Chorister (Assistant) for Primary

I've filled in a lot lately for the chorister in Primary. Our Chorister is expecting right now and she has been on modified bed rest. It was decided to go ahead and make it official and called me to be the Primary Music Assistant. Guess I can't get away from this calling. 

Collection of "If the Savior stood beside me"

The children seemed to really enjoy being the visuals for the song "If the Savior Stood Besides Me"
My own children really enjoyed it they wanted to play in it all morning. 

Fast Visitors

My best friend, Amber, came to visit with her son. It was just for the weekend. She was in Arizona for her Grandma's funeral and after all the family stuff was over she borrowed a family car to come see us. We were so happy to have them. We had so much fun together. I'm looking forward to their visit later this year.

Sunday Drive

A few Sunday's ago our children fell asleep in the car on the way home. When we got to the house with our girls asleep my husband suggested we just take a drive instead of trying to get sleeping children out of the car.
We drive through the Coronado National Forest. Its right on the boarder. For most of the drive you can see where Mexico and the US meet.

By the time our drive was over, all our children had taken a nap and woke up. They were all cranky and hungry when they work up.

Sweet Girls

My girls are so funny. The other morning they wanted to ware their tutus again. Combine that with their photogenic and wah la. Most adorable photos.

Teaching: If the Savior Stood Beside Me in Singing time

I'm subbing again this week. The children are starting on Sunday to learn "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" by Sally DeFord.
When I was the chorister the first year of my calling this was one of the songs for the program. They had already *learned* it when I came in, but come the end of the year and they didn't know it. As a new chorister I was so frustrated. I was having to go back and teach the song and spend tons of time re-learning it. In the end I finally made discrete visuals to show the children during the program.
they said
1-Do, Follow, Live
2-Say, Words, Share, Speak
3- HE, Loves
It was effective but I felt a cop out.
So when the Chorister asked me to sub and to start teaching this song I thought long and hard about doing more than a flip-chart, something that would make an impression on them.
"Too bad I can't have a life-size Jesus standing there next to them" I thought, and then it hit me, maybe not LIFE SIZE but I wonder how big I could make it out of the roll of butcher paper I own.
I found a coloring page of Christ to trace onto the butch paper. I liked this one. To me being able to find something to trace was important because when I try to draw Christ, my drawing always ends up looking like a scruffy, happy, hippie. I like the non-scary version of this Christ.

Then measured out to go with the box I have. My butcher paper is 1 yard tall and to use with my box I made them 28 inches wide. I cut the face hole in the center at a measured height for a kneeling child. After the first child I measured (age 6 almost 7) I tried a variety of other children (luckily I had a good number of different ages at my house by chance today) all were able to knee to the height just fine. A *really* small sunbeam might now be able to reach while kneeling. From floor to "chin" mine measures 24.5 inches and the forehead is 30 inches (by default then my face is 5.5 inches tall.
My drawn people are pathetic, but they will do the job. I am going to write the words on colored paper separate from the pictures and tape them on, that way I can remove them for memorizing.
There are 5 pictures of each verse. I have only completed the 1st verse. For the photos, I used a photo of me as a baby. Its the only photo I have where the head is anywhere near big enough to almost be life size.

If the Savior Stood Beside Me

Would I do the things I do?

Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true

Would I follow His example
Would I live more Righteously? 

If I could see the Savior standing Neigh watching over me.

 I thought about doing them on one long sheet of butcher paper and then you could roll it to get it out of the way, but our primary room is small and I didn't think that many in a row would fit in one space.

When I finish I will post the rest
Here is how I plan on splitting the panels for the other verses:
2- If I the savior stood beside me (same picture as the first verse)
 -Would I say the things I say (girl with word bubble with a cloud of scribbles in it)
 -Would my words be true and kind if He were never Far away (picture patting a smaller child's head with word bubble with Hearts in it)
 -Would I try share the gospel?
    Would I speak more reverently (child handing a book of Mormon to another child with a small picture of Christ in word bubble)
-If I could see the savior standing neigh watching over me (same panel as the last for the first verse.
3-He is always near me, though I do not see Him (same as with the first two verse except Christ is so lightly traced, or get a piece of paper to hold over that part of the panel where Christ is)
  -Because he loves me dearly I am in is watchful care (boy with hears all around and faint trace of Christ)
  -So I'll be the kind of person I know I'd like to be (reverent child with hearts and nice words ie kind, loving, righteous, Christ-like, surrounding the child
 -If I could see the Savior standing neigh watching over me (same panel as with the other two verses, nothing changed)

That's the plan. I hope something inspires you from what I'm doing.