Recital

So I missed last week posting, sorry. My week went from crazy to out of control! I started off having a few things scheduled for the week but by Sunday night I had free time of about a minute a day!

My two oldest take Polynesian dancing and it was their recital last week, ( okay so I take the mommy class too!) and our recital was last Saturday. I had about eight costumes needing to be sewn, and ten dances that needed to be practiced ( my two especially). We had two dress rehearsals and four desserts waiting to be baked for the luau after. Is a Christmas song coming to mind?..I feel I should end with a partridge in a pear tree.

I LOVE watching my little ones dance, Toshina does not look so little any more, I see her on stage and she is stunning! I'm not the only one who thinks that. And Harrison's smile and energy lights up the room. Their performance communicates so much more than the dance they are reciting. Innocence, Beauty, Hope, and Love!! At the end of the show we mommies do the final number which is a hula. The story is a tribute to our families and the love we carry with us. It was a beautiful dedication to all that was present there.

sunshine in my soul

I think Easter is my favorite holiday. I love the time of year, the decorations, and most importantly the story. I often compare my feeling during Christmas and Easter. I feel reverence and childlike during Christmas. My thought are frequently focused on childhood memories of excitement and awe. But Easter brings ideas of hope and redemption.

I love waking up Easter morning with the sun shining in and the noise of my little ones running around looking for their Easter baskets and goodies. Have you ever noticed the sunshine in the spring, especially Easter, is different than it is any other time of the year. It has a joy and delightful demeanor which it trades for intensity and power in the summer, and then it almost fades entirely in the winter. But springtime sunshine is the cream of the crop. Its warmth is the welcoming call to all creations to rise and start anew. I am always in amazement at how the world works so beautifully with the teachings of our savior and the plan of salvation. As our world creates a new every year so can we, and at the Apex of this rebirth is Easter.

What joy I feel to have the all things testify of my savior and how his plan works. It brings sunshine to my soul.

head in the clouds

My children had Spring break last week so we were able to spend a lot of time together. I am grateful for my hubbies job that allows him to create his own schedule, for the most part, so he can take time off when the kids are out of school. Of course the weather was not cooperating with the whole "spring break" theme. It was cold and snowy, yes snowy! As I watched the forecast at the beginning of the week my heart sank- What in the world was I to do with the kids for an entire week when winter was stubbornly wearing out its welcome?

So after exhausting all my indoor options we gave in and embraced the winter wonderland. We went skiing. We booked a cabin at Brighton ski resort and put in two good full days of skiing, and it was a blast! The conditions we awesome. I was so grateful for this mini vacation I was able to take, it really gave me a perspective I needs to have. Although Brighton is only an hour away from my house I felt I was really out of my world. The majestic snow covered mountains were breathtaking, the powder was unreal, and time spent was priceless.

Even though I spend time with my family on a regular basis I realized I still allow so many other things to distract me. The concerns for dinner or chores or getting somewhere else after seems to occupy too much of my thoughts during the time I am " spending time" with my them. Because we had designated this time as vacation time my mind released all the other everyday things, and when I did that I was able discover so many new things about my kids. I then realized I don't need a trip to the mountains or a physical removal of everyday things to find clarity of mind. I just need to pay attention to the moments that speak discovery and the peace of love and family.