Ellis Gets Baptized

Ellis is finally eight! We had some awesome soccer ball cupcakes to celebrate.

The birthday celebrations were pretty low-key this year, because we had a whole baptism to plan instead, but Ellis did get to have Daniel over and got some sweet Pokemon cards.

And here we are on the big day! Ellis was baptized on September 9th, 2016 at our church in Wilmette. We very nearly forgot to snap this photo before the baptism, but I'm so glad we could capture his proud and happy smile.

It took a fair amount of cajoling to convince Sam to join Henry and Ellis for the musical number, but in the end they all sang with gusto and did a great job.

We were so happy that many of Ellis' school friends came to support him at his baptism (and that Ellis was excited to invite all of them). They were so good to come to this instead of a standard birthday party, and luckily we rewarded them with plenty of treats at the end!

Ellis has always loved going to baptisms, and can probably still name every one that he's been to. It was so fun and special to have it finally be HIS turn, and he certainly knew exactly what he was supposed to do in each part. Even better, however, has been watching Ellis mature and prepare for this day. While he has always had a strong desire to do what is right, in the past year we have really started seeing him learn to show love and care for others in more meaningful ways. We're so glad he is continuing on that path, and setting the example for his younger brothers!

A weekend in Nauvoo

Right after Archer's birthday, Jenn's parents came into town and we took advantage of Labor Day weekend to head down to Nauvoo. Somehow, we had lived here 3 years and had not yet visited!

First things first: by decree of the boys, we had to visit the Pioneer Game Pavilion before stopping anywhere else. Here's Sam trying some 10-pin bowling.

Ben and Grandpa Dave practicing the Acrobat sticks

Henry and Ellis racing to see who could get their wooden bear up the ropes to the ceiling fastest. Looks like Ellis has the lead here!

And Archer? Let's just say that Nauvoo isn't really an ideal place for a 1-year-old. He loved the games pavilion, but touring old houses wasn't really his thing. Instead, he just wanted to crawl in the grass all day.

This stick-and-ring game was awesome. The idea was to put your two sticks inside the ring pointed upwards, with the ring hanging at the base of them. Then you quickly spread your arms and it shoots the ring off towards the other person, how is supposed to catch it. We got it down after a little practice.

This game was another favorite. The idea is to make your opponent fall off their box by pulling on the rope. Somehow, Sam kept beating Grandpa Dave...

The boys desperately wanted to visit the homes of the prophets in order. Accordingly, John Taylor's home was our third stop of the day, since "John Taylor came third we know." Unfortunately, it made no sense to try to do this the whole trip, as we would have been zig-zagging all over Nauvoo to make it happen. 

After visiting the games pavilion, John Taylor's home, the brick shop, the blacksmith shop, Brigham Young's home, and Browning Arms, it was time for dinner at the only real restaurant in town: Hotel Nauvoo. We didn't do a carriage ride, but snapped a picture of it just the same!

Sam would have made a beautiful pioneer woman

Here is where I pause to mention that we got the coolest AirBnB rental right on the Mississippi. It was so peaceful and the sunsets were just spectacular. The boys threw rocks in the water for at least an hour each night, as boys should.

But we couldn't just sit and watch the sunset all night, because Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo was calling! Watching the senior missionaries put on this play just might be the best part of Nauvoo. They were actually pretty good, and the boys really loved it!

Why put in this picture, when it is almost identical to the one before, you ask? Because you need to take a good look at this Elder and come to terms with the fact that this is what Paul Rigg is going to look like when he is retired and performing at Nauvoo. That's him right there. 

On day two, we got up early to do a session at the Nauvoo temple while the boys stayed with Grandma Lori and Grandpa Dave. We were very happy to take a successful temple selfie.

There were long lines for the carriage rides, but no one was at the Ox Cart station. We jumped at the opportunity!

This is Dan and Duke, who are just gigantic animals. The boys were fully convinced that Dan was being lazy and making Duke pull the wagon all himself. Lazy Dan.

By this time, we needed some air conditioning. The Family Living Center was just the place! We let Archer wander around and pick things up and put them in the wrong spots while we...

...learned how to make rope!

The finished product. We also learned how they made bread and candles, but didn't snap any pictures of that.

Then it was time for the Trail of Hope. This is the walk down Parley's Street that the Pioneers took when they were forced to leave Nauvoo. As they walked, they could look back and see the temple on the hill. Along the way, there are plaques with journal entries from Saints about their experiences going west.

Backwards was the only way Archer was going to be contained for this part of the day.

Ellis and Sam pretending to be Joseph and Brigham planning the trek west

And here we have Henry and Ellis mimicking Hyrum and Joseph at Carthage. I sure hope these two grow up to support each other like Hyrum and Joseph did!

Back at the house, the boys collected all of these shells along the banks of the Mississippi. Who knew the Mississippi had shells?

Our trip ended with another idyllic sunset on the Mississippi.

Small and Simple Things

I have always been kind of like Alma in the Book of Mormon, who wished he was an angel, so he could declare the gospel and preach repentance to the whole world, sounding like a trumpet.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in my life.  It makes my life so full, rich, and wonderful.  It gives me perspective, depth, understanding, peace, and pure joy -- and I want EVERYONE to be as lucky as I am to have it in their lives.  I have a swelling desire, a flame in my heart that just yearns to bring about the salvation of many souls.  

I have thought, worried, and stressed a lot about this desire.  I have made a lot of mistakes in talking to people about the gospel, and I have had a lot of humbling learning experiences.  But something I learned in the past couple of months is that I DON'T HAVE to bring about the salvation of many souls!  That is God's end of the deal - he'll do that part.  All I have to do is "small and simple things."  Tiny little things that don't seem like very much at all.  But they can have a profound effects on some very important lives.

Yesterday my friend Stephanie got baptized and became a member of the Church.  She is truly converted, and she knows that her life has been changed forever.  She knows that God has great things in store for her, and that she was meant to do great things for Him.  She knows the fullness that this true, amazing gospel can bring to her life.  I am so happy for her - and our friendship that started only four months ago will last forever.

Stephanie and I met with our kids at the park near our homes.  She has two sweet little girls, and her youngest one is named Sami (close to my Sammy's age).  The older one, Tabi, goes to the same school as Henry.  The more we talked, we found out that we had even more in common.  I realized that it was unusual to meet another YOUNG mom at the park (usually if I meet someone that seems close to my age, she is a nanny).  She talked about her husband graduating recently.  I explained how my husband is STILL a student, and that I don't think I have ever met anyone in our area who has kids while they are still in school.  Steph was excited because she also never meets young people like her.  I told her that she was in luck -- I actually know a LOT of young moms in our same situation - since I'm Mormon and we all tend to start our families earlier. :) I told her she needed to hang out with me and all my Mormon friends -- she would fit right in!

That's where it all started - a small and simple thing.  Many playdates later, we invited Stephanie to bring Tabi to see all of her friends sing in our Primary program.  They came, and Tabi immediately asked when they could come back so she could be in Primary too.  "Why not?" Stephanie thought.  And then she started looking into the Church and found what she had been needing her whole life but didn't even know to look for it.  Since then, she has been SO faithful, strong, capable, and brave.  She is officially a member and is here for good!  

Elders Johnson and Nordin

Here is Ryan, the supportive and awesome/funny/charismatic husband.  He isn't interested in joining the Church, but he is already popular in the ward and is talking about forming a Ward Wrestling Club and Ward Science Club.  :)

It has been SO surprising to me that in order for Stephanie to be converted, I didn't have to do anything great or profound.  All I did was small and simple things - hanging out, sending a text, planning a playdate, asking a question, listening, and handing her an invitation.  She and the Lord did all of the big stuff on their own.  This is His work, and He knew what He was doing in bringing Stephanie and myself together.  I just feel honored to have had a chance to be a useful little instrument in His hands, and I'm so happy to have a new eternal friend.  

We Choose the Right

Here is a little project I have been working on for our Primary. With the yearly theme of "Choose the Right," we are trying to find as many opportunities as possible for our kids, teachers, and leaders to share experiences when they have chosen to do what is right. I have found that hearing these experiences already makes ME want to be a better person, to be a little bit more careful about what I say and do.

Enjoy the show:

What have YOU done to choose the right?