Sheri Dew and Wendy Watson Nelson Rock!

Day 18 My friend Val and our visit with Laurel.
Day 19 The "Perfect" Day! Legoland- short if any rides, great weather, no traffic, super fun, time with family!!! We only spent $60 on five tickets!
Day 20 I had lunch with my bestfriend from before high school. We hadn't seen each other for like 7 or 8 years.
Day 21 Wow! Sheri Dew and Wendy Watson Nelson (Russel M. Nelson, Apostle of the Lord-his wife) came and spoke. This was like more than a tender mercy! What a day!!!

This ends my 21 days of Tender Mercies. It has been sweet! I love the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind and strength. I feel his love daily and have been richly blessed. Jesus is my Brother and my Savior. He bore my griefs and just when I have thought I could bare no more he was there to calm my troubled heart. I love him and want to be more like him. I am so grateful to be a Daughter of a Father in Heaven who loves me. I have felt him close by. He has carried me through. I have often envisioned him rocking me like a new born baby during very trying days! I find comfort in knowing he is all knowing, never changing, omnipresent and my God!!!
I have seen way too much to ever deny Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost!!!

It's been a few days

Day 14 Today was such a sweet experience going to the temple. In the temple we have the opportunity to do ordinances such as baptism for members of our family who have passed on. This is so special because some times you can feel their presence. On this particular experience I got to do sealings for some of my family. Sealings are when you seal for eternity a husband and wife together or seal a child to their parents for eternity. I could feel joy and excitement from the other side. Some may call me crazy but as you do genealogy the vale becomes thin!
Day 15 At church a man who reminds me of my Grandpa Cooper (he's passed on) gave a talk on the temple and how it makes him feel when he does temple work. He talked about how he saw an angel in the temple. It was neat to here a story like that come from a no nonsense type of man.
Day 16 Family Night with friends!:) We made rockets, I can't wait to lauch them.
Day 17 I was having a terrible nightmare and was woken up out of my sleep which is rare for me to ever wake up in the middle of the night. I was sooo grateful to wake up and then be able to fall back to sleep pretty fast

Tender Mercies in the form of friends!

Chatted with my old friends from Texas! What Joy!!!

This was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me

This is something I just don't want to write but it was the grace of God. Isaac our almost seven year old loves to take long showers. He normally takes them at night but on this particular morning he really needed one. He wasn't feeling very good. He was wide awake in his bed and I asked him if he wanted to take a shower. He immediately responded with a Yes. So I put him in the shower. I came back some time later to find him laying down eyes closed in a small pool of water. Scared me to death!!! I grabbed him out so fast hoping he was just asleep. Well he was sleeping, sleeping in the shower. I got down on my knees and thanked my Father in Heaven for sparing my precious boy!!!

Day 11

In the book of Alma in The Book of Mormon, chapter 36 asks us to cry unto the Lord. Cry unto the Lord for mercy, cry over your flocks and fields, cry morning mid-day and night, cry in your closets and so forth. Well after this it says but this is not all after you have done all this you can't turn away the sick, needy, poor and afflicted. Well today I had the opprtunity to bring a lady who is wheelchair bound to pie night. A friend of mine afterwards was like it is really nice of you to help them. At the end of the night this scripture rung in my head. How many times do we come acrossed others with special needs and have no thought of what they might need from us. I am grateful for this opportunity I have to serve these sweet sisters. I love them deeply.

In love, Sleeping In, and a Missionary RWH.

Day 8, Day 9, Day 10
It's been a couple of days.
-Today's tender mercy was special. Hallie asked if hearts were a shape. Then she asked if a heart was a valentine. I told her that a heart was a symbol of love and valentines was a day for love, a day to express our love for those we love. This was her innocent yet funny response, "I was once in love with my teacher." This sounded funny being that her teacher is a woman however she does love her teacher alot. When I went to her Valentine's party in her class she had a substitute teacher who told me Hallie cried today because her teacher has been gone for two days.
-Today was a holiday. James let me sleep in. He cleaned the house including the kitchen and took the kids some where. If that isn't a tender mercy I don't know what is!!!
-Today was the home coming talk of my cousin, Garret who just got home from a two year mission. I felt blessed that my kids were able to be there for this special event! Thanks for being such a great example Garret!!!

Day 7 of Tender Mercies, This was a first.

I've never seen an entire rainbow in the sky in california than before today. The one and only time I have ever seen an entire rainbow was in Hawaii a couple of years ago. It was a beautiful site to see with the whole family in the car!!!

Believe In Who You Are!

Day 6
Tonight I was at my Parent's house on the computer comparing my genealogy records with what I have on the new family search website. I was into the great grandparents and realized I better start from the beginning of the family tree. So I compared the info. for my Grandpa Cooper. As I did this I felt him, I got the chills from my head to my finger tips. I was slouching at the computer and I heard him say, "Sit up." Which is typical of him to say. Then I heard him say, "I'm proud of you!". Naturally I got teary eyed and then I heard softly "You're doing a great work." It was so good to hear. Sometimes you feel like your efforts don't mean a thing. I've been trying my best to follow the will of the Father in all aspects of my life as a Mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend, in my calling at church and so forth. Through this tender mercy I could feel the love of my Heavenly Father showering upon me. That yes, I am a daughter of God and he loves me and I love him. I am about a great work. How many times do we clean the toilet, cook that pasta or wipe a dirty face and feel accomplished in a day. But isn't that what this life is about nurturing our family through building a home that will produce the next best business man, citizen, or room Mom! One first lady said something of the sort, "What is most important in this country is not what goes on in the white house, but what happens within the walls of your own home."

Day 5 Patience
Tonight my husband called to say, "Not only do I have to work late but you might as well just see me tomorrow! Meaning, "I've got allot of work!" I was seriously bummed and wanted so badly to have family dinner. I immediately felt fumed being that this was a common thing on and off for the last 2-3 weeks. I longed for this family dinner time! I was just about to express that to him and a little voice said "Don't say it. If it's really that important to you, you can wait and say it at a later time." So I bit my tongue and told him to call me later when he knew more of a time that he would be coming home. Well, later when he got home we had a quiet moment where we had a chance to talk and come to find out he was really stressed at work that day. He said he had never felt such anxiety at work than before this day. Holy Cow- I had no Idea! I was so grateful I was given that warning earlier. I was grateful I had the will to yield to promptings of the Spirit. Wow!

Day 4

Today's tender mercy from the Lord was absolutely breath taking!
We woke up to a clear day and all of the surrounding mountains covered in snow.
Wow! All I wanted to do is drive closer to get an even better view.

Ghost Stories

Hallie totally afraid

Day 3 Tender Moment = Tender Mercy

Tonight's family night we all climbed on my bed, turned out the lights and told scary/funny stories with a flash light. We each took a turn. Our 5 year old Hallie's was by far the cutest and funniest as she said "The three girls were scared because of the ghosts but it was there Dad really freakin them out.....And then they died except the chinese people (how random). This family time was some of the most fun!!! You can see through the pics. :)

Day 2 Tender Mercies

Today my tender mercy from the Lord came as a result from service. I have these two ladies, a mother and daughter whom I visit teach. Well the Mother, Patricia has rheumatoid arthritis and has been confined to a wheel chair with in the last five years. Her daughter, Amy has special needs. Amy doesn't seem to lack any of the physical capabilities her mother lacks. So together they make up for what the other is lacking. After being around them I had got down on my knees to pray at the end of the day, I broke down into tears realizing that though they have this immense trial the Lord has blessed them tremendously with each other. I feel blessed to be in the presence of these sweet sisters. Patricia is an everyday gal who lived a very full life until these physical limitations were placed upon her. She doesn't want to be a burden on anyone. Amy is the sweetest person you would ever meet. She is so innocent and has an angelic personality that would keep you laughing the whole way home with a comment she would make. They are my tender mercy from the Lord and I love them!

It's Tender Mercies Time

Yes- do you remember Elder Eyering's talk on the Tender Mercies of the Lord. He told us to write them down daily. So I decided that's exactly what I'm going to do right here on my blog (for at least 21 days).
Today's tender mercy was so awesome! After a spiritual night at the temple doing Sealings for family (Uncle Louie I felt his love) I went to go pick up the kids from the babysitter. Well they gave me a movie I have wanted since we had rented it two months ago. My whole life I have always been given things. Though we didn't have much growing up, I never wanted for a thing. I always had the things I needed and often times I would get the things I wanted. I know the Lord knows our wants and our needs and if we remain faithful he will bless us!!!

James took Isaac (age 6) to the slopes. This was his first time on skis. Last time he boarded. He fell asleep with in 10mins. of getting in the car. I love spending one on one time with our kids!

Muscles you eat?!

James and I tried Mussels at Sushi last night with the Williams. Yum! We love Sushi. We went and saw Mall Cop afterwards. Date night rocks!