Happy Halloween

Here's a little sneak peek of our Halloween pumpkin; more photos to come :)

Train Travel

We headed off on the train a few weeks ago to visit some friends for dinner. It was not until we were on the train that we realized how long it had been since we had actually been on a train (over a year!). There are certainly some benefits to train travel, but there are just other options that usually win out for each particular journey. On this particular occasion though, we were quite happy to be on the train. It had been so long that the kids were both very excited to be on the train and behaved very well. And it was rather relaxing (as a parent) to not need to worry about directions, keeping our eyes on the road, other drivers etc. and we could all just enjoy the journey. What a nice treat. I think we may need to plan another little train journey in the near future :).

Within moments of sitting down, Milayla was kicking off her shoes and eager to greet the passengers next to us.

Atticus promptly pulled out his snack.

Milayla - a blur - always on the move; meeting people, chatting, exploring, helping.

Atticus and Mommy watching the scenery out the window go by.

Doing the dishes

I love my little helper. 

Look how proud she is about putting her cup in the dishwasher.

Seriously, someone needs to let me in on the secret of how to keep kids this excited about cleaning well into their teenage years (and beyond!). In truth though, Milayla really is one very thoughtful, helpful little lady. No task is too big for her to try tackling. And when she isn't quite able to lend a hand, she will help by keeping you company and we love chatting with Milayla. She always has wonderful things to say :).

Date with Atticus

Something we've been working on lately is ensuring that each child gets some one-on-one time with both parents. Atticus and I lucked out last month and were able to head off to the Science Centre for our date a few weeks back (big thanks to Jason for making it home early!).

Honestly, there is something about the Science Centre here that I find a little creepy, but we still had fun checking out some of the interactive displays there. Atticus was particularly excited about a series of mirrors that he could make faces in. This next series of pictures cracks me up.

We had fun getting all squished and stretched in the wavy mirrors. Atticus was a little concerned as when he looked in the mirror at his eye level our bodies were gone - just a couple pairs of upside down feet.

Then it was on to the sensory booths. Sights, sounds and smells just like your in the forest. No where near as good as being in the real forest, but it did have the benefit of no mosquitos :).

After playing a bit more with huge magnetic gears it was time to head home for dinner. Of course we snapped a photo of us before we headed back on the bike.

Love spending time with this little guy and learning more about his unique personality. He is always surprising me with the way he processes information and impressing me with his thirst for knowledge. What a treat!

Bremen Traditions

There's a little tradition here in Bremen that when a man or woman turn 30 and they are not yet married they must head down to the church. It is there that they must either sweep up bottle caps or polish the door handles (men sweep, ladies polish) until a member of the opposing gender climb the stairs to give them a kiss. Thoughtful family and friends will will typically announce the upcoming church "cleaning" ahead of time in the newspaper so that everyone is sure to see it.

We happened to be cycling through downtown as a guy was serving his time. Friends and family were standing by with plenty of bottle caps for him to sweep up.

We only stayed long enough to snap a picture. Wonder how long they let him sweep for?

Teaching Our Children to Understand

Last month I was asked to give a talk in church based on a General Conference Address by Sister Cheryl A Esplin. I've had a few friends and family members ask for the talk, so I thought I would post it on here and throw in the respective links for references to make the reading a little easier. Enjoy!

**I know there are many people who read this blog who do not share our faith, or prefer to not have a faith at all. Whatever the case may be, I hope you are able to read this with an open mind and a respect for what we believe and strive to live in our daily lives. Thanks!

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In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord instructs parents to teach their children to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. It reads:

“…inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.” (D&C68:25)

As Sister Cheryl Esplin emphasized in her General Conferencetalk in April 2012, it is important to note that we are not simply asked to teach the doctrine but to teach our children to understand the doctrine. The difference could be explained as the difference between our children simply knowing who Christ is and understanding who Christ is and what that means for them as individuals.

It is an important calling as parents to teach our children to understand; President Boyd K Packer has emphasized that “Husbands and wives should understand that their first calling – from which they will never be released – is to one another and then to their children.” (‘And a Little Child Shall Lead Them’ Apr. GeneralConference 2012). With such a large importance and emphasis placed on this eternal duty of teaching our children it becomes extremely important that we heed Elder Ballard’s advice to “…prioritize [and] [p]ut everything [we] do outside the home in subjection to and in support of what happens inside the home.” (‘That the Lost May be Found’ AprilGeneral Conference 2012). Are we making our families and the spiritual education of our children a priority in our homes? Are we holding family home evening weekly? Do we pray together daily? Read the scriptures together? Do we make the most of spontaneous daily moments in which gospel principles can be rooted in their soul? Or are we doing the minimum and expecting our children to figure out the rest or for someone else to teach them?

Teaching for understanding takes determined and consistent effort. We must plan and prepare for it. Perhaps most importantly, we must also be an example of living those principles that we are teaching. What better place is there for our children to learn and understand the principles of the gospel than through the light that shines within us as we live those very principles that we discuss with them in Family Home Evening or read in the scriptures? Children are extremely attentive, and our actions will always speak louder than our words.

We must also continuously seek knowledge for ourselves. We must internalize and practice the principles we learn. The more consistent and devoted we are to nourishing ourselves spiritually, the easier it will be for our children to come to an understanding of the principles that we have internalized. Spontaneous and valuable teaching opportunities will come more frequently and be deeper in meaning as we are more spiritually prepared to recognize them and utilize them to their greatest capacity.

The daily tasks that we as parents must carry out may not always feel like the life changing, spiritual building blocks that we prepare ourselves for. Everyday tasks such as laundry, cooking, going to work or helping with homework can sometimes seem repetitive and far too simple to bring about great testimonies. In times such as these we must hold fast to our vision of our children, our families and ourselves. In the book of Proverbs we learn that “where there is no vision the people perish” (proverbs29:18). Do we have a vision of who our children are and what they are capable of becoming?

It was the artist Michelangelo, known for carving the famous statue ‘David’ who said,  “In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” Our children are similar to these blocks of marbles, each day we, as parents and teachers, are chiseling away the rough walls to reveal the incredible person that they have the potential to be. Heavenly Father sees our children this way, and it is up to us to lay hold upon that same vision so that our small daily chiseling is not mundane and repetitive but is instead, purposeful. And let us not forget the teachings of Alma who said, that “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6)

While we are chiseling, teaching and exemplifying the gospel we must also remember to be aware of when it is time to let our children exercise their knowledge and agency independently. Sister Esplin explained it simply when she said that “as children learn and act upon what they learn, their understanding is expanded, which leads to more learning, more action, and an even greater and more enduring understanding. We can know our children are beginning to understand the doctrine when we see it revealed in their attitudes and actions without external threats or rewards.” If we are unsure about which decisions to let our children make on their own, we can always approach the Lord in prayer for confirmation.

While the role of teaching our children to understand falls primarily on the parents of the children, the children’s understanding can be greatly enriched and deepened by church leaders and teachers, home and visiting teachers, family friends, neighbors, or even people they may only ever see in passing. I am very grateful for the consistent examples and teachings of older brothers, home teachers and bishops who helped me to understand and appreciate the blessings of the priesthood. It is due in large part to their examples that I gained a deep appreciation and understanding for the priesthood and subsequently, temple marriage, which led to my decision to marry in the temple which has blessed my life abundantly. I will forever be grateful to them.

As we commit our time and efforts to the duty of teaching our children to understand, our homes and families will be strengthened. In April General Conference, Elder Ballard emphasized that the “most important cause of our lifetime is our families.” He then shared that “If we will devote ourselves to this cause, we will improve every other aspect of our lives and will become, as a people and as a church, an example and a beacon for all peoples of the earth.” I have personally felt the joy and blessings that have come from prioritizing my family and the teaching of my children over the pull of worldly endeavors. I know it is helping us as a family to come to know Christ in a deeper and more personal way as we strive to follow him and come closer to God. 


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Hair

Milayla's hair is really starting to get some length to it and finding ways to keep it out of her eyes is an interesting feat as she likes to pull our her hair clips and try eating them. Not very tasty nor very safe. So our top options are the blowout....

And the pigtails....

Sure do love this girl! She is so patient while we mess around with her hair. Oh, and we're leaning towards the pig tails :)

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving. We hope that everyone is finding away to enjoy the celebrations and remember the many things there are to be grateful for.

Love and miss you all.

Road Trip

We're off on a little road trip! On the agenda are a few historical sites, a couple temples, and visiting with friends. We're really looking forward to it. Can't wait to share pictures and details when we arrive home. Meanwhile, there are posts scheduled so it will be like we never left :).

Learning to Play the Piano

I know, this photo is blurry, but I did not want to miss catching this moment on camera. The kids have been particularly passionate about the piano lately and catching them both practicing at the same time was a great moment. They love it and we are loving how much they enjoy it.

Atticus' Artwork

I just can't get enough of these Atticus originals. 

To work on his word recognition I have been giving him paper with simple words along the top and ask him to draw a picture of what he sees.

Here is Atticus walking his cat.

love those BIG smiles!

And here is Atticus walking his (very creative) dog. And yes, he gave himself curly hair. I asked him about it and all he said was that he wanted to have curly hair at that moment.

And then there is the family photo. I can't remember what word he said he had spelled along the top, but the family order (from left to right) is Daddy, Atticus, Mommy, Milayla and then our friend, Michelle (who happened to be visiting that day).

I may be a tad biased but I think he did a pretty good job, particularly getting everyone's hair (curly, straight, short, long etc.). We sure love seeing all the things that he comes up with!