Book of Mormon Family Home Evenings - WITH KIDS!

Dun dun dun.

One of my new year resolutions was to do FHE every night this year. I laughed at my own resolution, but suprisingly its been so far so good! One of the first things I wanted to teach and read to my kids was the Book of Mormon. Here's why! 

You know how in primary they teach the stories and songs and will tell examples of prophets and stuff, yeah do you really think the kids have any idea what they are talking about? No not really. I've also secretly always wanted to use the excuse when my kids are naughty to ask if they're acting like Nephi or laman and Lemuel. I think it's important to teach kids the scripture stories first so when you need to use a life lesson or example they have something to refer back to! 

I've felt like having family home evenings with my kids made me a bad mom. Haha! I yelled at them more than Bringing the spirit into our home. ITS SO HARD! Their patience Is 0 and well, so is mine! 

I've come up with something that has worked pretty well so far and it's kind of a no brainer! So to tell you that my kids sit there listen and obey now 100% is complete lies! They don't. BUT! They are so much better and they are listening even if they act like they're not. 

I have a 5 year old, a two year old and a 6 month old. Obviously the baby doesn't listen, the two year old is a long shot. Usually I find that he will participate in prayer and that's it. However, their are coloring lds apps and other church apps for kids that he will sit and do during the lesson, if not find what works for your kids. Now for my 5 year old, she is old enough to understand but not patient enough to sit and read the scriptures. 

Here are my steps to reading the Book of Mormon in a year turning them into family home evenings and having your kids listen!:

1. Break the Book of Mormon into sections. What books (in order) can you read in a month, how many can you fit in a month, ect.? Space it out so it measures to be a year. Then break the chapters/verses into four weeks. 

2. Take that chapter(s) for week 1 and read it alone!!! This is so important! Do not physically sit there and read the scriptures to your kids if their patience is zero. You read what you will be teaching that week by yourself or with your spouse. This can go towards personal scripture study too. Win win :)

3. Take what you read and turn it into a 5 minute lesson! If that! 5 minutes is pushing it for us. 

Teach it in a way your kids understand best. Whether that's just an activity, drawing pictures on a white board (in advance) and telling the story about it. That is what we usually do. You know how they learn best, DO THAT!

4. Remind your kids daily of what you learned the past week. While doing so, keep them excited that after each "book" In the Book of Mormon at the end of the month there is a "scripture book party". This motivates them to listen, and they end up reminding YOU to do fhe if you forget! (Pictured below.) You can tweak this to however you want!

5. Have the parties at the end of the month in reference to what the books meaning was about! Change them however best fits your family. But remember to remind them during the party why you are doing what you are doing at that party.

6. Have a refresher once in a while to go through (in 5 min) what you have learned from the very beginning. 

I cannot explain the happiness I feel and the spirit I feel when my kids randomly repeats to me things we have read and I'm shocked at what they remember!! I'll find my 2 year old "reading" the book of mormon, just looking at the pages atleast for 15 minutes. They DO listen even if they are dancing around the room and upside down the whole lesson. (MY KIDS)

One thing I have learned is Kids love theatrics. Make your lesson fun and dramatic. My kids laugh and laugh but that's how they remember. And although you might not feel the spirit during the lesson, after you have the end of the month party, YOU WILL! Trust me! After we have had our parties, I have never felt the spirit stronger! They need this! And they will remember. It is so worth it not only for your kids but for you. 

Don't give up! 

I will be posting our monthly Scripture book parties (eventually) (ha) to show how much fun we are having and the simpleness of our fhe! 

My 15 Week Fitness Challenge

15 Weeks To Cancun -- 
My Personal Fitness Challenge

COMING TOO SOON

but not soon enough...

Remi Jo Raby {a birthing story}

month 9 of pregnancy-- quick write. birthing story, below.
I've started Month 9. And it's been nothing but depressing. Today I had my appt. and no dilation, no effacement, my cervix is tipped, i have high blood pressure & a high heart rate. long story short, im frustrated. my body from the very beginning tried to get this baby out, and i've tried to stay pregnant, which i did, but now that I can have the baby, it doesn't want to let it out. haha.

THIS IS WHAT I STARTED TO WRITE FOR MONTH 9... BUT NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO FINISH IT.

how dramatic am i?
hahaha

no really though, my pregnancy sucked.

to finish month 9... I went into labor 2 weeks early (on labor day) ha. contractions were two minutes apart, I was dilated to a 4.5 and 80% effaced. We grabbed our bags and rushed to the hospital... I was in pain, but not excruciating pain on the way... once we got to the hospital the pain got worse & worse. After 6 hours of being in the hospital... from 11pm to 5am i hadn't changed at all. So they decided to send me home. Gave me pain meds for the pain and that was it. I was having on and off contractions after that for the whole week, my induction date was set for September 6th.

sweet daddy, talking to remi.

when i went into labor 2 wks early

NOW THE BIRTHING STORY :) ---

September 6th came. We went in at 7am. I was so nervous! I have never been induced before so i was freaking out. We arrived at the american fork hospital, got to the delivery room, opened up the blinds and we had the perfect view of the timpanogas temple. As soon as i saw our view & the temple... a huge relief came over me and I knew that despite my 1000 pregnancy problems, everything was going to be okay. This also was my first delivery with just Jordan & I. My whole family was out of town and couldnt be there to see my baby.  Jordan's family was busy as well... besides his dad & step-mom. :) So, it was weird for me to experience it with just jordan and i in the room. I wouldn't change that for the world. It was a total different bonding experience. I loved it.

Once we got all settled in and such, they started the pitocin at about 7:45. about 20-30 minutes later I started to feel them come on and start to be uncomfortable... not terrible though. The nurse told me I could get the epidural anytime I wanted. I waited probably another 30 mintues and then asked for the epidural. At about 9:00 he came in. The epidural was just a lot of pressure. I don't really remember getting them with my other two cause I was in so much pain. This time around the pain wasn't unbearable so it was weird to actually remember the epidural. It was wonderful though. and totally PERFECT! I finally got the perfect epidural! with shailee, too strong. I couldn't feel a thing. Ty- It didn't work. I felt everything. This time, It still allowed me to move a little bit and feel things without it hurting. It was AMAZING!

I got checked after the epidural, they broke my water, put in the cathader, and I was at a 6. The dr told me he would come back and check on me in about an hour.   He came back at 10 and was still about a 6. so he said he would come back in another hour and told him to call the nurse if I started feeling any pressure. 10:30 I started feeling like I had to push, but decided to wait to make sure. 10:45 I was like ok, I really need to push. We called the nurse, she came into check me, we didn't think anything of it. Then she said, OH ALRIGHT LETS GET THIS BABY OUT. I was like wait, what am i at? and she says your a 10. let me get the dr., and lets get this baby out. I went from a 6 to a 10 in a half hour. Jordan and I looked at each other and his face went white. I'm sure mine was white as well.

we were like shiz. here we go! got the video camera rollin, jordan had the camera around his neck. Dr came in got everything all set up, I pushed for about 5 minutes, and out came our little Remi Jo at 11:13 am.  She was 7lbs 2.6 oz --- 7lbs 3oz (they round it up) and 19 inches long. And so BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!

My heart was pounding so fast. Everything from pregnancy on went through my mind all at once as they were drying her off and laying her on my chest. Every pain, every worry about losing her (which the chances of her miscarrying were high), every day I was on bed rest, all made sense. This little girl was supposed to be here, and it was necessary for me to go through all those pains to appreciate what I had in my arms. I started to cry. There was nothing in that moment that mattered more than her. I looked at my husband. His eyes were starting to water and he had the biggest smile on his face. I hadn't seen him that happy in so long. His baby girl was finally here. I'm so grateful we didn't lose her when I was pregnant. I can't imagine not being gah gah over her soft brown hair, loving on her long long fingers and toes, looking into those squinty "daddy" eyes, and kissing those sweet little lips.

Heavenly Father has blessed me so much with my kids, and allowing me to keep this pregnancy and raise such a beautiful daughter, I am forever grateful for that. As soon as she came out, Jordan was like, I think we could do this one more time. I agreed. (don't worry, we've already changed our minds after no sleep and being home with 3 kids, haha) BUT those are the feelings you feel when you see a miracle. You want to experience it over & over, because the feeling is NOTHING you have ever felt before. The kids came to visit her... Ty didn't love her so much, and Shailee was ready to take her to show and tell at school. haha. But they both have warmed up to her and love giving her kisses and hugs non-stop.

 Shailee's first time seeing & holding remi

 Ty staring at remi, not sure what to think

 he didn't like it haha

 aunt shy shy

 aunt jacee

 we were a little tired. 

Remi is now two weeks and we love her so much. She has been such a blessing to our family. I love spending time with her, because I know it will go quickly. So we are using our time with her very wisely, and loving on her as much as we can. because for now... and 99.9% likely, she will be our last baby. And if that is the plan heavenly father has in store for us, then we are forever grateful for that.

We love you Remi Jo Raby.