A bit heavy....

We were a bit stunned by Michael's email this past week as he told the story of the boy's father who thought that their family dog had attacked and killed his son, so he took the dog out into the woods and "put it down" and then came back to find that the dog had attacked and killed a bear that was trying to attack the son, that the dog was actually trying to protect the son.

(You can go to my blog list and visit Elder Nelson's blog to read the whole story.)  Anyway, Stephen and I had a difficult time understanding the message behind that story.  The speaker who told the story was talking about the youth and parents and how sometimes the youth think that their parents are too harsh or cruel.  When they are just trying to protect them. It was interesting to me that Mike got the message right away and that it had such a huge impact on Michael.  If you knew the relationship between the 2 of them you would understand.  Michael has always been a sensitive young man.  We were always very close, afterall he was our first child and it was just Michael for 5 years before we had Stephen.  But coming from the background that I did I was always very protective of him and his feelings.  Mike on the otherhand came from a very different background and his expectations of his sons is high, his patience is long and his determination strong.  I am grateful for this, but when Michael was growing up he often mistook Mike's expectations as being too high and his discipline as being too strict.  In fact it wasnt long before Michael left on his mission when he just started to understand that his Dad was just being a good Dad. I on the other hand, tend to be too lenient and too much of a pushover.  It took me a while to see and then help Michael understand that his Dad isnt trying to be mean but that he is trying to teach him to be the best young man that he can be.  Well, it is so nice to read Michael's letters and to see how Michael now gets it.  He is so much of who he is today because his Dad loves him, pushed him and didnt let him settle for mediocrity.

Michael mentioned as a side note to me that he thought maybe his email was "a bit heavy", but that he felt it was important to mention.  I am so thankful for missions and the many experiences that Michael is having that are helping him (and me) to grow in areas that are helping him to be the person that Heavenly Father knows he can be.  He'll be a great Dad someday.

What if?

It's Sunday yay!  I woke up this morning thinking "what if?"  Not that this is the first time I have ever asked myself that question...but this morning a different thought came to mind when I asked myself that question.  I usually think...there is no what if...things are how they are and were always supposed to be.  But this morning the thought came to my mind that it all depends on our choices.  Now, it's not that I dont know that our choices make a difference as to what happens in our lives, it is just that it has never quite hit me the way it did this morning.

I thought about the Plan of Salvation and how simple it really is.  It is us that complicates it by some of our choices. We make life hard for ourselves at times, or at least harder than it has to be.  Yes, we all have our  agency and we will ALL have trials in our lives, however, so much of what we go thru we could probably avoid if we made different choices.  But the great part about it all is that no matter what we do, no matter what choices we make or how many stupid choices we make, the plan of salvation provides for us a way to start over and still receive all the blessings that our Heavenly Father has promised to those who are faithful.

So, "what if"....well, who cares?  It is what is it is and we just keep on going from here.  Today I am thankful for the Plan of Salvation and for my agency to choose how difficult I want to make life for myself because it is really so simple.  Just have faith, be obedient and believe.

What if I didnt have the gospel in my life....now that is a very different story!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Did you know?

Besides being with my family, this has got to be my favorite place on earth!

Did you know that you no longer have to make an appointment to attend during the week?  They only take appointments on Friday and Saturday now.  Yay!  Last night was such a nice visit and just what I needed to clear my head and give me strength. On my way home I got a call from a very dear friend that I havent heard from in ages....and it just topped off a great night for me. ( Love you Christin! ) 

I am very blessed!

Just a little prayer

In 2008 when Mike first lost his job and we didnt know if we would be able to keep our home, I really thought I would lose it.  I had already thought up my reaction in my head and it wasnt good.  Then when it actually happened and we did lose our home, I was surprised that all I could think about were all of our blessings.  Everything that was really important in our lives was already in place and I knew that this was just a trial.  However, trials can really work your patience at times.  And ours is being tried.  Although Mike was able to find temporary work that we could get by on, he has not worked consistently for the past 3 weeks and this week he has not worked at all so far. 

Do you ever feel like you are going thru the refiners fire?  Well, that is how I feel these days.  The Lord loves us too much to not try our faith that we may have the opportunity to grow.  Lately all I can think about is what I am not doing and should be doing.  I have become increasingly aware of my faults and short comings.  Almost to the point that I hate to ask the Lord for anything.  But I know that "all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for our good".  I also know that "tribulations bring about patience and patience experience and experience hope", so today I have hope.  And so I am asking and hoping that today you will say a little prayer in our behalf  that Mike will find a good job soon...according to the Lord's will of course...his may be very different than ours.

Just a little prayer?
Thank you,

The Fantastic Finks

Here I am with my very bestest friend in the whole wide world!  Denisa Fink!  She and I are exact opposites in looks but so much the same inside!  We've been thru a lot together over the 29 years we have known eachother, from sharing our hopes and dreams, dating the same guys, laughing our guts out together, to throwing water in eachother's faces (remember peppermill), to both of us marrying into families of all boys, to being with eachother in childbrth and having her throw up on me when she labored at home...fun times;), and lets not forget the endless phone calls about how awful or wonderful life is...she has seen the absolute best and WORST in me and still loves me just the same.  

Yesterday Bryce and I traveled to Redding to attend the baptism of her youngest. 

Jacob Fink was baptized by his big brother Phillip.  In fact he was baptized in the same baptismal font that his Dad was baptized in when he was 8.

Bryan(Dad) gave a talk on Baptism and Jacob came up and recited the 4th article of faith.

The Fink's are Giant people....literally...Bryan stands 6'8" and he is not the tallest in the family by far.   (And yes, he played basketball both in college and professionaly) 

Tyler, Phillip and Jacob....Ben is the oldest but he couldnt make it...bummer.  They are all such good looking boys.  They are my babies too.  Tyler stands 6'6" and still calls me Mama Lisa.

And here is Denisa with her one and only beautiful 13 year old daughter Marie...lucky!

Bryce and Marie 

After the baptism we went back to the house to enjoy some family fun time.

And here's where it all started ....Bob and Coleen Fink

The Fantastic Finks

Memorial Day Weekend Fun!

Last Thursday we left to go to Utah to meet up with Mark (Mike's brother) and family to caravan to Idaho for a Nelson Family Reunion.  When we got there we had dinner and my wonderful sister in law made me one of her all time famous Rum Cake's to celebrate my birthday! Happy Birthday to me....I finally turned 27....true story....kinda:) just change one of those numbers to 4....you pick.

Then on Friday we traveled to a place called West Pine Creek Girls Camp just up past Idaho Falls where we stayed in this Lodge.

It was a huge place with lots of rooms and lots of beds. We shared a room with Mark's family. (this just shows a small portion of our room, there were 10 sets of bunk beds just in our room alone) We loved how it had this table where we were able to play some games together.

There's my feet.... laying in our bed ....I just had to show off the hot pink blanket that my sister Regina got me for my birthday....It's so soft!  Love it! (and no smart alek comments about my toes.. Theresa:)

Stephen and Taylor sharing her ipod headphones. Arent they cute?

Kareoke

The night we got there they had Kareoke! And of course we could'nt resist that.
Stephen and I sang "Drops of Juipiter"(stephies choice) with Mike's cousin Stephie and her hubby Ryan.
One of the several times Stephen and I got up there...fun times!

Stephen, Devyn, and Kesley(Devyns friend)

girl cousins

little boy cousins

Mom and Dad just enjoyed listening.

Mike, Taylor and Bryce goofin!

Uncle Keith and Aunt Sandra just danced to the music.

Stephen, Devyn and Kelsey again

Gee I wonder what everyone is looking at???? Well take a look at this!

The Slide

Yup!  As you can imagine this was the highlight of the fun for the kids and some of the adults too.

Unfortunately it rained and even snowed while we were there and the sign said "do not ride the slide if it is wet or after dark".  But of course they did.  It was crazy! 

.

Bryce went through about 4 sets of clothes going down this slide. Most of the time there was a huge puddle of mud to land in.

Coleen found out the hard way.  

Me and my sister in law Coleen.  I just love her to peices!....you can see the river running behind us. It was really pretty there.

Twilight Baseball

Preston (Cherie's son) up to bat....he cracked my up!

Brianna (Tami's daughter) quite a ball player.

At the bottom there was this huge field with a gigantic backstop for baseball and a huge swing set.  When it cleared a bit we played some baseball.  The kids said it reminded them of the Twilight movie...vampires could have come out of those trees at anytime!

Playing Games

Inside the lodge there was an ongoing game of around the world ping pong.  There were lots of games being played and crafts for the little ones.

Stephie painted nails...yes, even Jordon had his toenails painted.

Aren't they lovely?

Taylor painted mine....blue with glitter!  Aren't they pretty?

(try getting this stuff off your fingers....my nails were a faded blue for 2 days)

Stephen played a game of "Bones" with some of the other kids including Jordan who gave him this nice little ouchie with his braces....hmmmm what is that game all about?  Coleen has a great video of the brawl between them...so I'll post it when I get it.

Someone(oh, not lil ol'me:) told Uncle Keith to go in and wake up the kids on Sunday morning.  Since his room was right next door and he had to listen to us play games all night....he didnt mind a bit!

Some Family Members

Dad, Andrea, Aunt Sandra, Aunt Joan, Tami, Kara holding Zerik, and Uncle Keith
It was mostly the Hemenway's (Aunt Joan's family) there and then Mom and Dad and us and Mark's families. Then Keith and Sondra and their 2 girls with their families. But it was fun.... those Hemenways really know how to party!  We missed so many other family members who were not able to make it:(

Darin and Mona Hemenway.  Their son Tyler is on a mission in St. Louis Missiouri.  Mona and I spent some time talking about our sons and the gospel and just how wonderful it is.  I love her!

 We really enjoyed getting to know Anthony and his wife Annie.  They were fun and cute and just really nice kids, married almost 2 years.  

Rachel, Kelsey, Brianna, and Devyn.

Brandon & Kym with their littlest.

Unfortunately Brittani got sick on Saturday night and spent a lot of time in the bathroom.  Then we woke up to the sound of her throwing up in the room in the middle of the night...good thing she brought the trash can with her to put by the bed.  Mike held the flashlight up for her so she could see.   So we decided to head back for Utah the next day.

On Sunday afternoon we packed up to head back to Utah to spend the night then head for home on Monday morning...guess who's behind the mask?

Lori and Justin came to say goodbye among some others and I got this picture of them.  They are a very fun couple. (Bryce surprised both Lori and Tami by giving them each a big smooch on the cheek)

I wish I had gotten more pictures of the group.  There were about 70 of us in all.

I am looking forward to getting together again in a couple of years. 

It was a great time!