We found her!

Marie Adel,  Nicknamed Maddi.  Born June 18th weighing 5 lbs. 2 oz.  Placed in our arms on June 20th.
We have never been so happy!!

Where can I turn for peace...where is my solace?

I woke up this morning to hear that people are trapped in their homes in Massachusetts Because of a hunt for a terrorist. We have been subject to scenes on our daily news of people injured or killed while enjoying the Boston marathon. Children are witnesses to factories on fire and then exploding. The power struggle over the legalities or rights of gun possession are pasted over and over on Facebook. We live in a world where people are frightened...troubled....or unable to support themselves. I can't help thinking about the kind of world our baby girl will be growing up in. I pray that as her mother I will be able to protect her for a time from the harsh reality's of life but I pray more that she will learn from Berrett and I where you go during difficult times. That there is a way to find peace in this life. Putting your faith in Christ our Savior and following his example will be the most valuable lesson I can teach. When other sources cease to make me feel whole...I find my greatest strength in prayer.

Maddi's blessings

Today I have spent a great deal of time thinking about what we have to offer to a unborn baby girl in CA.  I know we have lots of love, a strong stable marriage,  faith in Heavenly Father and  common beliefs and convictions.  We can offer her a warm home, food on the table and clothes on her back.
Berrett will be able to pass on his curiosity about the world and people.  He has a great thirst for knowledge and will teach her in such a way she won't even know she is being "taught".  He knows how to have fun!!  He will probably teach her about computers and technology and I imagine he will do his best to share these fun electronic toys with her.  He will be able to show her that daddy's are men you can count on.  He will give her lots of kisses and hugs and I know he will tell her she is beautiful every day of her life.
As for me... I will hope to teach her to explore her creative side.  She will see my passion for art, music and cooking.  I hope she will love books the way I do.  I know I will read to her from the beginning.  I will sing all the time!!  I love to make up songs about our every day happenings.  She will learn mommies "diaper" song, and fall asleep to my lullaby's.  I hope I can be a example of loving and liking who you are at the moment.  That what really matters is what is on the inside.  It has taken me a lot of years to learn this and loving husband who reminds me daily. I pray she will love the Lord the way we do, and depend on him.
She will have Aunts and Uncles who love her and teach her so many things. Tammy..courage and humor, Tom.. to dream, Staci... looking for the bright side.  Annie... trust in God, Andy.. overcoming obstacles.
Monte Jr...working hard and finding humor in simple things,  Rachelle.. Service, love and probably how to sew!!
Amy... Service and a love for music,  John...strength and love for family, Katy...honoring your parents and service to those in need, David.. a love for athletics and loyalty.
She will have so many cousins, and she will grow up surrounded by them, an extended family that resembles siblings without having to share a bedroom!!
Her grandparents.  Grandma Maynard will never leave her any doubt that she is loved.  She has the great ability to make each grand child feel they are the most important at the moment.  Grandpa Maynard will teach her to giggle and lift her up as "high as the moon."  They are both great examples of faith. 
My mom will be her Nana who can teach her to crochet and a great love for the words of God.  Her papa, my step dad is a quiet man, but won't be afraid to sit on the floor and have tea parties or play barbies with his grandchild.
We have many extended friends who will love her as well.  Linda will teach her to laugh, to play and to overcome whatever life gives you with a smile. 
I pray she will always know she is loved, by her natural family and by her forever family.  I pray her natural parents and grandparents will be assured that we will offer her a life blessed with all the wonderful things we can give her.  Not necessarily material things, but the things that matter most. Love, Faith, Humor, obedience, respect, a love for art, nature and music.  We hope we can be a blessing to her but we know the greatest blessing will be what she brings to us!!!

"Hope is the abiding trust that Heavenly Father fulfills His promises."

I believe it was about a year ago that I heard a brother in our ward share this quote in a talk in Sacrament.  I quickly jotted it down because I had  often felt like I was losing hope for the promises I wanted fulfilled. The hope that Berrett and I would some day be parents.
Well we have had our up's and down's and I have often picked up that piece of paper and read it and silently asked Heavenly Father to help me to keep my hope alive and to believe He would fulfill His promises.
I can tell you today He keeps His promises!! A expectant mom and her parents and family have chosen us to adopt her baby girl.
We want to protect her privacy and the privacy of our future daughter so we won't be sharing very many details.  She is due in late June, early July and we are very excited!
We ask you our friends and family to pray for her, to pray for the father and their families.  Pray that they may be comforted and at peace with their decision.  Please pray that they have all that they stand in need of at this great time of change.  Also please pray that the Lord will pour out blessings on their heads for sharing this beautiful gift with us. Please pray for us as well.  Adoption is costly and we will have many changes to make in our lives as well.  I will say it again though, "Hope is the abiding trust that Heavenly Father fulfills His Promises."  I KNOW He does.

Understanding answers to prayers

As A couple we have been earnestly praying about some life changing decisions. I have always struggled with waiting for answers. I am like a petulant child who wants to know now!!!!!! I make it a practice to listen to old conference talks while getting ready in the morning. Yesterday I was listening to a talk by Richard G. Scott called "Supernal Prayer". He explained the ways that answers come to prayers. He reminded us that answers seldom come while we are on our knees. That the answers come in steps- small impressions or whispers Of the spirit. Intellectually I knew this- after all I have received answers to prayers before but the hard ones for me are the ones where I want the answer to be yes and the Lord has a few more steps in mind before I know what I am to do. He said something that made quite an impression on me. He talked about the peace we feel when the answer is yes. About the confusion or stupor of thought when the answer is no and then the prayers where no impression comes. He said those are the times we should thank the Lord for trusting us!! If we move forward and still try to receive impressions He will stop us if the move we make is wrong. I have also come to know that sometimes the answer "yes" comes with a purpose. For instance in our last adoption experience we both felt that we should move forward and yet in the end it didn't work out. I remember pleading with Heavenly Father to understand why he let us feel such pain. In hindsight we look back and learned some things. We know that the mom has her free agency. We know that we want to work with birth parents who seek help from counselers and we want their parents and brothers and sisters to be supportive. We learner what red flags to watch for and that the case workers are a part of this for a reason. They have the experience that we do not. They can help resolve questions and issues. I have also come to rely on answers to prayers in my calling. For instance I received a impression to call someone to a position and didn't understand why. My own experience with this person made me doubt their abilities. But the Lord was insistent and I have discovered I was wrong. This was suppose to be their calling. I guess it all comes down to doing your best to live your life in such a manner that you are open to the spirit and to develop a trust in the Lord. He knows what is best. He is also doing his best to teach this petulant child patience. Yesterday I was reminded in the words of a song sung by the children. Heanenly Father are you really there? And do you hear and answer every child's prayer? Seek He is there. Speak he is listening. You are his child his love now surrounds you. I must remember my mother in laws favorite scripture."Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Another day in the life of the Primary President

This is me the day of our mini mission

Today was the 5th Sunday of the month.  The sharing time manual only provides lessons for the usual 4 Sundays in the month.  So we usually have a guest speaker or one of the presidency teaches.  I had decided I would teach. We are planning on focusing on service this next year, and how serving other people helps them to know they are loved and in turn children of our Heavenly Father.  I had prayed long and hard about what to present to the children this Sunday.
A few weeks ago we attended the tabernacle Christmas concert with Alfie Boe.  As much as I enjoyed his performance, what stuck with me was the story of the candy bomber. (Gail Halvorsen) It impressed me to think that what started with 2 sticks of chewing gum, brought hope to a whole country of children and hopefully their parents.
I did some research on Brother Halvorsen and discovered that the "Friend" had published his story, many years ago.  I wanted to impress to our children, that even small acts of service could make a difference in peoples lives.  I created a power point presentation using the story from the "Friend" and pictures off of google of the candy bomber.  I wanted something I could use as a story book, since so many of our children are younger.
I started out by challenging one of the older girls to divide 2 sticks of gum into enough pieces to share with the whole primary.  The most she was able to divide it into, was 10 small pieces.  With teachers and students we had about 20 people there today.
I then proceeded to tell them the story of the candy bomber.
In my experience this has only happened a few times. We often feel the spirit, but to feel it the whole presentation is rare!, The spirit entered, and the children were quiet and paid close attention.  I felt like the words were being placed into my mouth.  My thoughts were clear and I was able to focus on what needed to be said instead of what I thought I needed to say.
 We are going to use a warm fuzzy jar this year, and I place one pom pom in the jar and asked them if it filled the jar?  When they agreed that one "fuzzy" wasn't much. I asked them if Brother Halvorsen knew that when he gave that group of children his last two pieces of gum that it would change their world?  He didn't know that when he made 3 small parachutes with 3 candy bars that first time that 20 tons of candy and parachutes would be donated and dropped for so many children.  He didn't know that by one small act of service he could do big things!! I then challenged the children and teachers to do small acts of service in their homes, schools and neighborhoods to help others to know they are loved.  We will ask who did service the week before on Sunday and ask a small number of children to share. a warm fuzzy will be placed in the jar for each act of service.   At the end of the year we will use the warm fuzzies to make ornaments for our tree and then send them home with each child and teacher after Christmas.
This is the story I used.  I just printed it out and used a comb binder to make it into book form.  All credit for story goes to  Jan Pinborough.  I only added my testimony at the end by challenging the children to be like Jesus.  I don't own the story, the clip art or the photo's used.

  

If you are interested in having a copy of this presentation, leave a comment with your email address and I will be happy to send it to you!!

 

The world of boys!!!!

Declan

Jayden

Dawsyn, Jayden, and Blake

Its funny to me to be surrounded by little boys!!  I love frilly pretty dresses, jewelery, and all things girly!!!
Yet, I spend at least 6 days a week tending 2 to 3 little boys.  I have had Declan since he was 7 weeks old and he is now about 20 months.  Jayden since he was about 10 weeks and he is 8 months old, and his older brother Dawsyn, off and on through out his life and he is 8 years old.  I tend at my place 3 days a week and my sisters 3 days, so I get to spend time with Jayden and Dawsyn's oldest brother who is almost 18.  He was my very first nephew and my first real experience with dealing with boys.
I have discovered that boys have a world filled with cars, blocks, balls and lego's.  They also think burping and passing gas is funny!! They love to jump on each other, roll on the floor and occasionally beat on each other.  I have been welcomed to the world of sponge bob square pants, rap music, and video games,  Ant farms, sea monkey's and beta fish.
I have also discovered that there is nothing in the world like little boy kisses and hugs!! They snuggle and cuddle and love their auntie!!  They smile toothless smiles, tell the best jokes and fill my life with wonder  as they explore the world!! 
When I was young I used to think I wanted a little girl first, but now, I would welcome either!! I love my niece Addi and enjoy playing house with her!!  We have painted finger nails, toes and dressed up as princesses!! But I can also appreciate the world of boys!!  The love of a child is priceless no matter how it comes! I just pray that Berrett and I will be blessed with that kind of love soon!!