Jamaica Funnies

Real moments from our vacation...

Grace being fed up with getting her picture taken

We saw this face a lot in Jamaica

 Graceful I am not. This felt so much more fun then the pictures show.

 Sophie had an unfortunate run in with the gate at our villa. Being ever so stylish, she developed a perfect triangle wound and black eye. After the drama, I said a prayer of gratitude. The closest hospital, a  rural, Jamaican one, was well over an hour away.

This just makes me laugh. It looks so weird and Jason is forever closing his eyes in pictures.

Luke was such a good kid on this trip. He was super patient with his mom wanting to take pictures of him all the time. Once he even told me that he didn't like getting his picture taken, he was just a good sport. Sweet Kid.

 Until this night...and then Luke was done with pictures.

Ya mon...cool snorkel

Jamaica

 Our trip to Jamaica was wonderful. Because we were visiting my parents as missionaries, we really got to experience much of the country. Most of these pictures are of the beautiful places we saw. I didn't feel comfortable taking pictures of the poverty and challenges of living in Jamaica. I was most impressed with the faithful Latter-day Saints we met with my parents. They deal with challenges so outside my experience and comprehension, it was very humbling.

We went to church with my parents in Ocho Rios at the small branch where they served for a year. Sacrament meeting was conducted by Bro. Paul Lester. He was baptized the first week my parents were missionaries and now is in the Branch Presidency.  Paul bore an amazing testimony of gratitude and contentment with what the Lord has given us. The Spirit bore witness to me of all he was saying, I felt his message resonate in my heart. After church my parents took us to visit Paul's home and I understood even more the strength of this good man.

Here are my kids in Primary. I guess Grace didn't want her picture taken...

 My Mom with Jody Ann and other sisters from Ocho Rios.

Our family with Marcus and Bro. Gail

I don't want to sound overly dramatic, but meeting these Saints has impacted me so much. Life changing.

Here are more of the fun, touristy things we did...

 All of these pictures are from YS Falls. It had to be our favorite place in Jamaica. We were surprised that they let you climb and jump off some of the low falls. Hands down, favorite place to swim of all time. The water felt absolutely amazing.

  

Grace with my parents on the ride up to YS Falls .

 Grace and Sophie both gathered their courage and jumped off  here. Of course after mom and dad went first!

 

 This is the view from where we stayed in Treasure Beach. After a bit of a fiasco with our first hotel, we totally lucked out and ended up here. I have never stayed in a more beautiful place.

 Playing at Treasure Beach

 Grace really is my beach baby. This girl adores the sand and salty sea.

 

  Sweet Noah picks me flowers all of the time. Just about every time we are outside he will pick a flower and bring it to me.

 Gracie and I loved this outdoor shower. It was totally private and super fun to shower in.

 Such a good trip. So glad we are home. I have honestly never been so happy to sleep in my own bed. I am grateful we were able to go. I hope it impacted my kids at least a bit. I know Jason and I learned a lot. It was so good to spend time with my parents! I have to admit I am super happy they are coming home in a few months.

The Power of One

Ashton Eaton set a new world record in the decathlon yesterday at the Olympic trials.  I wish I had seen it. The final of 10 track and field events in the decathlon is the 1500m. Eaton needed to run a PR to break the record. He had competed in a persistent and often heavy rain over the course of 2 days in 9 other events. Before the race he said that he was so tired he just wanted to lay down and go to sleep.

Curtis Beach is the Duke runner you see in this picture to the right of Eaton. He and Joe Detmer ran a fast race. Eaton pushed himself to keep up. Beach was expected to easily win the 1500m. As Eaton rounded the back stretch it was announced he was 2 seconds off the world record.  "In one of the classiest gestures you'll ever see in any sport, Curtis Beach, leading the 1500 as Eaton sprinted down the straight, moved out, slowed and waved Eaton across the line first."       (runner'sworld.com)

The power of one man or one woman doing the right thing for the right reason, and at the right time, is the greatest influence in our society. — Jack Kemp

Hydrangeas

 How can this right outside your door not make you happy? I finally got to grow my own when we moved south. My beloved hydrangea blooms green and the gradually turns vibrant blue.

 

Like this.

Until this year. 

  

 

My hydrangea this year looks like this.

 

Same soil, same exact fertilizer. I am not sure what happened to create this multi-hued beauty. We had a warm winter and a cool spring, maybe that had something to do with it.  I do not control the weather, but I know who does.

These amazing blooms, all from exactly the same source.  I can not help but think of the Lord and how he knows you and I. When He sees beauty and feels love, so often I feel inadequate and not enough. Why when we are a soft, subtle lavender pink, do we long for vibrant, stunning blue? Just opened green, full of expectant possibilities, we do not we see our immediate beauty but feel badly that it is not yet our time to be full and violet? Why is it so hard to love and appreciate the amazing beauty of the petals we have been given? Why do we long for what we are not, or do not have?

In John 10:10 the Savior says "...I am  come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly"  I want to recognize the abundance of my life given to me by the Lord, to revel in the joy and beauty that is already there. I am praying that I can learn to do this more consistently, that the Spirit will help me to see what is already amazing and beautiful in my life.  At the very end of chapter 32 Alma testifies, " Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you." The rewards come as you are waiting...not at the end. The reward is the journey taken with the Lord.

Why do I feel inadequate when I have been created by a loving God who knows exactly what strengths and weaknesses I need to learn to love like Him? Every time I walk out my door and see my amazing hydrangea, I am reminded of the Lord's love. Also of the beauty we already are, each of us.

Hmmmm....

Would you give this man a visa to visit your country? Seriously....

Every time I see this picture I just crack up!!!! 

Jason was in a super hurry on his lunch break getting some passport pics for a duplicate passport. He went to a drugstore, the kid working took his picture, charged him $15, put it in an envelope and Jason rushed back to work . He swears he just looked at the camera and followed the directions to not smile, just look normal....

Law of the Harvest

We finally planted a garden this spring. It took some ingenuity, engineering and many more hours then expected, but we finally built a deer-proof growing space. We have been eating peas and lettuce now from our garden for the past few weeks.  It is so satisfying to go and pick some vegetables that you have grown and tended for dinner. I want to always remember Grace running into the house, her hands full of homegrown peas and a smile of wonder on her face.  She was the first to sample them, but we have all eaten our share. Does anyone ever grow enough peas that they make it to the dinner table? We just seem to eat them straight from the vines.

The kids each have their own area to plan, plant, tend and harvest. I know it is small, but it is a beginning. There is so much eternal truth to learn from the Law of the Harvest. We will see if we can keep our thumbs green all the way through the heat and humidity of summer...

 Molly loves peas too!

Twin Day

Grace and Sophie's school had a "twin day" today. The girls have been planning for couple weeks what they would wear. An old pair of glasses with no lenses were resurrected with their Papa's help. $5 dollar t shirts were purchased.  I even had trouble this morning telling them apart. They thought it was really funny. I think it is funny that my twins are so excited about dressing up as twins!