Bearing burdens (Laura story)

Right after the girls left our home my twin sisters husband left her, decided he no longer wanted to be married to her.  For the past two months I have been helping my sister bear one of the hardest trials ever. Her marriage was failing and she was really struggling.
She needed someone to talk to, to cry to many times a day. I was that person for her. For a few months she bore this burden on her own. Since I have known I knew I was suppose to bear this with her. I had that confirmAtion and can fully see the lords hand in helping me see that. He has buoyed me up to be able to listen to her sadness many times a day. To just listen and reassure her until she was ready to go.
It had helped me reflect on the time with the girls. The number of people who jumped in on a regular basis to bear that burden with us. To call and offer words of support among many other things.
I have a firm testimony and strengthened renewal of the baptismal covenant and importance of bearing others burdens. We are given the strength and put in positions to lift and support in times when that person can't. I am grateful for this lesson and for being on both sides- helping and being helped.

A new Year- Be A little Better

I honestly love starting a new year. I love taking the time to look back at what I learned the year prior as well as being able to recognize all my blessings. We have truly been blessed! I kind of set goals, but don't set things that are so unrealistic for me to achieve or I end up failing right from the start. This year I have decided to focus on trying a little hard to be a little bit better. There are so many different ways that I can be better. It is amazing how broad of a scope this covers and all the many things I can work on. I want to work on control. What does that really mean? When it comes down to it there are a lot of things in my life that I can control- my eating, my thoughts, my time, spending, scripture study etc.... One other way to help me be a little better is to expand myself in different areas. I have a goal to do 13 new things this year. Why 13? Because of the year 2013. I am a girl of habit, I get into a routine and could do the same thing over and over. Heck I could listen to one song the whole day and never get sick of it. So as we go through out the year I will be determined to do a little more to be a little bit better!!

Returning the girls (Laura story)

What a crazy roller coaster ride we have been on for the past 13 months. I canonestly say up to this point in my life his is the hardest thing I have ever experienced. But, I would do it again, in a heart beat. The lessons and experiences I have learned is so worth it.
The strength in the gospel is so tremendous. Moving day for the girls was amazing but hard. We celebrated Christmas with the, before we took the, back. We had a prompting to write them letters. We read them our letters, gave them a scrap book of heir life with us, said a prayer and loaded up. Yes tears were associated with this whole process, but so was an overwhelming peace. Christ had comforted us with peace at this time.
One overwhelming thought that came over me was it was time for me to let go. I at points of raising my children will have to let go and realize I have taught the, what I needed. I know I have done what I needed the ,sat 13 months and now needed to let go and put it in the lords hands. 

7 year house anniversary (Laura post)

7 years ago today we moved from Harrisville to our home in Farr West. I remember being worried and scared. I remember wondering if we would fit in and love the area like we did harrisville. I remember my cute 4 year old Max putting his head down and just crying the first day we went to church. He missed his old friends and worried no one would like him. I just cried, it broke my heart. Well I'm proud to say 7 years later he totally fits in. We have a loving neighborhood, amazing people to be with. We realize daily how blessed we are to live where we do and associate with the people we do.

Girls going home to their dad

The girls are getting ready to go home , but we are hoping their dad is ready for it. There are many things we know from this experience:
* we know the girls were suppose to be in our home
* we know for some reason the bowen family was suppose to meet the Sanchez family
* we may never know the full purpose behind all this but we know we were suppose to bring those two girls into our home for the last 13 months.
* I know my faith has tremendously been strengthened.
* I know I have faith in a Heavenly Father who knows me and trusts me and has a plan for me. He has lifted me through so many things so I know he is aware of me.
* I can honestly saw that every basic principle of the gospel has been strengthened. Susan as prayer, faith, scripture study, relying on the Holy Ghost and priesthood blessings. We have had to use all of these to help us get through our days.
The other day I had the boys list the blessings / lessons they learned. Max said that he has Learned to not even deal with girls while they are throwing a fit. Oh man does he realize this is a lesson he will need the rest of his life???
I can see Heavenly fathers hand in helping me cope with the girls leaving.  Two words have totally stuck in my mind- happy and capable. I was reminded the girls still have another chance to be happy even though we may not see it that way. Also capable, it is time for the dad to show what he is capable of.

faith- (Nelson story)

Today Nelson taught me a great lesson on faith. As always I pushed it more than I should have to get ready for church. I am sure I was trying to squeeze in accomplishing one more thing. As I was getting ready Nelson had come home From church with a migraine. He had a bad headache that morning, but headed out for meetings hoping he would be ok. He came home the worse he has ever felt. He couldn't stand the pain he was in. He laid down for 5-10 minutes and was convinced he was going to sacrament to support the primary program. I told him to just lay down because he looked miserable. I had asked the young men president to have the young men bring sacrament into him. But what do you know, 5 min after church he came walking in. I knodded my head a bit because of his stubbornness. But at that moment I had an overwhelming reminder of Gaithersburg. Reminder how my faith needs strengthened. I thought he should have just laid down and called it a day. Nelson was convinced to be a part of something and knew heaven,y Father would help him to accomplish it.

reaquanting with our neighbors - (Laura story)

On Monday nights we try to take treats to different people in the neighborhood. A few weeks ago I had felt a prompting to take treats and reaquant ourselves to the people who lived behind us.  It took me a time or two to follow through with that prompting. We made pumpkin cookies and headed over to the street behind us. We made a few stops then went to the Bushell's. I know John (the husband) but if I ran into his wife at the store I would not recognize she was my neighbor.
We knocked on their door and they let us in heir entry way. Lily jumped up in my arms next thing I knew she started barfing all over me. I started pushing my way out the door as she pukes all over the entry way, white carpet, front porch and driveway. We found ourselves standing outside completely covered in throw up. We couldn't jump in the car so we found ourselves walking home.
As I was washing the throw up out of my hair I was thinking what bad timing, and that the situation wasn't really ideal. But what do we do? I asked Nelson what we should do, can't really take treats to replace the throw up treats. I ended up calling and apologizing and having a fantastic talk with her. I decided this meeting couldn't have turned out any better. She in turn brought us a big bowl full of juicy apples and Carmel. We a few days later picked bushels of their apples for them and us as well. She in turn brought us a nice apple pie.
This mistake made our exchange greater than it would have been with just a plate of cookies. Grateful for that embarrassing moment and what we gained from it.