About Sundays

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Most Mondays on social media I see posts that say some thing like “Oh Mondays” or some kind of picture showing how Mondays are rough. I totally get it. We are all coming back from a weekend, a break of sorts, and getting back into the swing of things isn’t always easy or fun. But I have a different feeling about Mondays because I kind of like Mondays; and that’s because of Sundays.

Since the four of us were probably still carrying around remnants of our uninvited visitor (the stomach flu), and we did not want to send him home with any of our friends, we stayed home from church on Sunday.

It felt so strange.

I have to admit, it was kind of exciting to think that we’d have a whole extra day of doing nothing and just hanging out together, but once two o’clock came around and we still hadn’t done anything that even slightly compared in value to being at church, I really just couldn’t wait until next Sunday when we could be there again!

We don’t go to church because we should, we go because it’s like an anchor for us. We rely on it. I feel so refreshed after taking the sacrament, renewing my covenants with God, and feeling His Spirit in abundance. When Mondays come, I feel ready for a new week. I feel motivated to do good and to be a little better, and I enjoy the fresh start. It’s subtle, but when I miss it, I notice the difference.

So basically what I’m saying is that I’m grateful for the little church that we get to attend each Sunday here in North Dakota and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that gives it meaning. We are so blessed by it!

https://www.mormon.org/worship — Jake took this picture through the window of the moving van when he first arrived in our tiny town. He was excited to show me where the church was. He texted me after the first Sunday and said, “I think you’re going to really like this ward. I have the feeling we’re really going to miss them when we leave.”

Family Time

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We LOVE being with our families. We both come from big families, and we feel like we can never get enough togetherness with them.

So why do we live so far away!?

It’s interesting how that works. We feel like North Dakota is where we are supposed to be, for now. We love being out on our own, exploring new places and growing together as a little family of four. We love our life here, AND we love being with our family in other states. Eventually we would like to live near them, but for now we can be just as happy.

With that said, we had a BLAST with our families in Utah. We packed our days full of Christmas parties, potlucks, game nights, lunch dates, late night chats, downtown lights, charades, dodgeball, basketball, settlers, sledding, backyard ice skating, and a whole lot of togetherness. It was such a good trip.

These two

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These two. They give me so many messes and slobbery kisses and earfuls of requests. They give me energy, exhaustion, and a new kind of fun. They give me hugs. And when they wrap their little arms around my neck, they give me love in bushels. They give me motherhood, something that I have hoped for since I was big enough to carry a doll. Between their tears and their giggles, they are refining me to be more patient, kind, and selfless. They are showing me how to be more playful and creative. They are reminding me to simplify, to give, and to be humble. They are teaching me how to be their mother, and in the process I am learning how to follow the Savior a little better. I think God meant it to be that way. So, these two… they bring me a whole lot of joy. What brings you joy? Share with the hashtag #thatwemighthavejoy ☀️

Good King Wenceslas

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If you are wanting some good Christmas tunes, check out David Tolk‘s holiday albums. They are all instrumental, and I listen to them all winter long because it’s more a warm and cozy sound than a cheery holiday one. One of my favorites is “Good King Wenceslas.” Jake had it on his iPod when we were first married and going to school, and sometimes we would listen to it on repeat when life and school got stressful because it always made us feel good. I really appreciate music that brings peace like that. Also, my parents gave us a book about King Wenceslas a few years ago for Christmas and I don’t think that we ever read it until this year. It was a beautiful story. And now we love the song even more.