"Trust in the Lord, and whatsoever things He say unto you: do it."

This blog post really spoke to me and said some of the same things I wanted to address in this post.

Lately the Lord has invited me to do some things that are unexpected, feel big. And frankly, I'm not even quite sure how to accomplish them. Do you know that feeling? Whether it is understanding our infertility, preparing for our second cross-country move, or applying for graduate school after a decade of not being a student, I've got a bundle of blessings on my plate that I cannot quite wrap my head around. I tried to phrase some of these concerns as questions or statements and then bring them to the Lord this past weekend. I got some deeply personal answers and would like to share a bit more with you in hopes of encouraging you on your journey of faith.

During Elder L. Whitney Clayton's talk I got up to go to the bathroom. When I returned, the first full sentence I caught upon reentering the chapel nearly stopped me in my tracks: it was an answer to every single one of my pondering questions/concerns! This bittersweet experience was made all the more memorable when my 5 year old noticed my briefly saddened face: 

"Mommy, why are you sad?" she asked.

Taking her in my lap I thanked God for this teaching moment before explaining, "I just got an answer to one of my pondering questions. I am happy because I have an answer and I know it is from God. But I am sad because it isn't the answer I wanted."

Whether you prepared for Conference far in advance or not, I invite you to ponder and learn with me today as we consider several scriptural accounts of obedience and apply key principles to our lives so our faith can grow and help us better endure as disciples of Christ.

First Scriptural Example: Mary, the Mother of Jesus

At the risk of overstating the obvious, Mary had faith.  I love trying to embrace in my own life such examples. Comment below with what other characters from history/ the scriptures have inspired you through their faithful obedience despite not knowing how to do what was asked of them. As I seek to mimic the faith of Mary and countless others, it has helped me to cling to the belief that "I [can] go and do what the Lord has commanded, for [like Nephi,] I know the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way for them, that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

Elder L. Whitney Clayton began by commenting on Mary's faith. "She committed herself without exactly understanding why He was asking that of her or how things would work out." This praise for Mary, the mother of Jesus, should be considered attainable praise for all disciples of Christ. Obviously none of us are being asked to give birth to and raise the Only Begotten Son, but each of us has eternal errands to perform. God has warned us that His ways are not our ways, so it follows that we often may not understand entirely what is being asked of us. This lack of understanding need not however, constitute a lack of obedience or trust on our part. 

So how do we conceive and maintain such faith? I love what the Bible Dictionary says on prayer:

         "Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into 

         correspondence with each other...[It] is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining 

         the highest of all blessings." 

Elder Clayton further taught, "When we decide to do whatsoever God sayeth unto us, we earnestly commit to align our everyday behavior with God's will. Such simple acts of faith as studying the scriptures daily, fasting regularly, and praying with real intent, deepen our well of spiritual capacity to meet the demands of mortality." I have felt the truth of this countless times in my life; this work is a constant part of growing my testimony as well as part of its foundation.

Exercise #1: Fill Your Soul With Faith

In what ways can we faithfully "fill up our own water pots to brim" so that "like water to wine, our lives [will be] transformed"?      

Elder Clayton suggested an answer to this question: "Those who are deliberate about doing the small and simple things--obeying in seemingly little ways--are blessed with strength and faith that go far beyond the acts of obedience themselves. It may seem hard to draw a connection between the basic, daily acts of obedience and the big, complicated problems we face, but they are related." 

Have you ever "committed [yourself] without exactly understanding why He was asking that of [you] or how things would work out"? What helped you endure the lack of answers as you waited upon the Lord? 

My deepened well of gracious strength has brought me peace throughout my life, including now; Elder Clayton bore similar testimony. Obviously these are personal questions but I'd love to have your feedback even if it isn't here in the comments below.

Second Scriptural Example of Faith: Naaman

Elder Clayton then told the story of Naaman, captain of the Syrian army and a leper, who was miraculously healed by the prophet Elisha. Now you probably don't have leprosy. But like me you may have notable challenges beyond your own ability to solve. Naaman's reaction to the prophetic counsel he received reminds me of when the Israelites had to chose to look up at the brass serpent their prophet held in order to be healed. This small act had significant consequences."Small acts of faith, even when they seem insignificant or entirely disconnected from the specific problems that vex us, bless us in all we do." Whatever one's current challenge may be, small and simple acts of faith are the closet thing we have to a one-size-fits-all solution. (see Exercise #1: fill your soul with faith.) I am so grateful to already be feeling this solution at work in my life as I ponder my plate of incomprehensible blessings.

Later on in his talk Elder Clayton taught,"[God] cautions us that we shouldn't expect easy answers or quick fixes from Heaven. Things work out when we stand firm in the trial of our faith, however hard that test may be to endure and however slow the answers may be in coming." A second lesson I treasure from pondering this familiar Old Testament tale is God's timing and how my willingness effects it. Sometimes I delay the effectiveness of a solution by not fully committing to promptings I don't fully understand. Sometimes I feel obediently committed in an instant and yet still find myself wanting answers. Instead of removing a trying experience, God may "solve" your problem by providing you with peace, insight, or empathy. I have definitely felt His promised strength in a myriad of ways. 

Shortest Verses in All of Scripture
Recently my brother wrote us from his mission in Arizona. Jonathan "found this little passage in 1 Thessalonians 5, which contains 4 of the shortest scriptures in all of the standard works.

16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
20 Despise not prophesyings.

It's interesting that all of those themes are still alive and well today in the counsel from our living prophets and apostles. So that's my invitation for you: find joy, regardless of your circumstances; pray always; don't do anything that would drive the Spirit away; and follow the prophet. That's a sure-fire recipe for success!"

Point of Perspective: Lessons from Life's Eternal Moments

When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Faith, hope, and charity grant us a more compassionate and complete perspective of our past, our present, and our future. Loving Christ and loving like Him (for ourselves and others) is what it means to me to have faith, hope, and charity. Thinking of these 3 eternal principles as they apply to these lyrics:

When upon life's billows you are

Sometimes life is just hard. It's not anyone's fault and there isn't much you may be able to do to alleviate your circumstances. But even in these uncomfortable shadows, faith fuels the light of Christ which fuels the flame of hope. Charity can soften and sweeten the bitterness always, but especially in these times.

Thinking all is lost

I have faith, hope, and charity when I can recognize in the midst of a storm that perhaps all is not lost. People can change, life's circumstances rearrange, and the atonement makes it so nothing is truly lost.

Count your many blessings

I have faith and hope when I recognize my blessings in the past and present but especially the future. God keeps His promises!

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done

Sometimes I struggle to recognize the hand of God in order to keep my faith burning brightly. But more often I struggle to have the charity to see as He sees, to recognize opportunities for growth and embrace them. He often plants within me seeds that won't germinate until exposed to harsher conditions. Much like "forcing a bulb" to bloom in the winter, sometimes my character waits to bloom until it's triggered by the frosty experiences of life. In these moments it is especially important to have enough faith to stop, remember, and recognize, the Lord's presence in my life; when I do this I have more hope and it is easier to have charity.

Years ago President Uchtdorf taught that faith, hope, and charity are like the legs of a 3 legged stool: We need each of them and they work together in such a way that it is difficult to have one without having some of the other two. 

“Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope.” 

In talk with a friend this morning we recognized that sometimes hope burns bright and other times it is a dim flicker. But in both cases it is technically burning. It can be difficult to have hope in a bright future when one's past or present is dark. But one way I know I still have faith in God is when I can feel this treasured gift of the spirit: hope.

What is faith?
I won't take the time here to define faith. Rather I'll give a summarizing quote from a recent sermon from our beloved President Ucthdorf and encourage you to click on the link. I'll be waiting here for you to come back and finish reading :) Feel free to share what you learned!

"Faith is a strong conviction about something we believe, a conviction so strong that it moves us to do something we might not otherwise do. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and being certain of what we do not see....[T]here are more ways to see than with our eyes, more ways to feel than with our hands, more ways to hear than with our ears." 

Faith Hope, and Charity Build Upon Each Other

There are many lessons to be learned about faith, hope, and charity in the story of Peter walking on the water. I'll briefly highlight a few hear as encouragement for you to find your own. Feel free to share in the comments section examples of how faith, hope, and charity build upon each other. It takes faith to believe that this experience really happened of course, but let us delve deeper.

Having faith in Christ and His atonement allows me to be forgiving and compassionate to others and to myself. Having faith and hope as I prayerfully strive to align my will with God's, changes me into a woman who loves and lives more like Christ would if He were in my shoes. This is what it means to me to be a woman of faith, to have these 3 eternal truths resonating in my life. Our beloved, living prophet taught, “In a 100 small ways, all of you wear the mantle of charity." President Monson continued,"May we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travels in this journey through life. May we recognize that each one is doing her or his best to deal with the challenges which come their way. And may we strive to do our best to help out.”

I especially love the phrase "fervent charity.“To do whatsoever is gentle and human, to cheer and to bless in humanity's name,” as angelic motto for any Christian to adopt. I love the hymn from whence this line comes. While the second verses confirms the title that as sisters in Zion we have a special work to do, the third verse is not limited to our eternally given gender-based roles. May we all exercise faith, hope, and charity as we prepare for General Conference this weekend is my prayer.

How vast is our purpose, how broad is our mission,

If we but fulfill it in spirit and deed.

Oh, naught but the Spirit's divinest tuition

Can give us the wisdom to truly succeed.

A Modern Disciple: How This Mother is Coming to Christ

What does the invitation "Come unto Christ" look like for me, in my life? 

At the heart of my testimony as a disciple of Christ is my favorite scripture Philippians 4:13. 

“As you do these things, the Lord will make much more out of your life than you can by yourself. He will increase your opportunities, expand your vision, and strengthen you.He will give you the help you need to meet your trials and challenges.You will gain a stronger testimony and find true joy as you come to know your Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and feel Their love for you.”For the Strength of Youth (booklet, 2011), 43.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one way I come unto Christ is by listening to the words of living prophets every 6 months. As I've pondered and reviewed April 2016's General Conference sessions, more questions for pondering have come into my mind.

If you've read my recent blog post about Victoria starting kindergarten you may have caught a whiff of my struggles in balancing and some of the labels I deal with. Studying Elder Hallstrom's talk "I Am a Child of God" reminded me that my most predominant labels should be the eternal ones. Countless talks spoke to me of meekness and humility. I love the Bible Dictionary's explanation of prayer being the act of aligning our will with the Lord's. I especially loved Bishop Waddell's formula for peace: 1) Learn of true doctrine. 2) Listen to the Holy Ghost and let it lead you to repentance. 3) Walk in and with Christ.

Wife, mother, daughter of God.

Whether you're striving to feel the Lord's peace in your life our impart it to others--THAT is the essence of what coming unto Christ means to me. It may feel different at different times and manifest itself in a variety of ways. But I echo the true words of W. Christopher Waddell, "We may not have the ability to control all that happens around us, but we can control how we apply the pattern for peace that the Lord has provided—a pattern that makes it easy to think often about Jesus."

What does "Come unto Christ" look like in my life for those around me? 

From personal experiences as both the receiver and the giver, I second Elder Neil L. Andersen's testimony that "[k]nowing someone's name can make a difference." But whether or not you know someone personally, you can still be a light in their lives whenever they enter your sphere of influence.

"None of us should be defined by the worst thing we have ever done," taught Kevin R. Duncan. While many of us crave justice in our everyday lives, at the end of the day we ALL need the Lord's merciful grace. That is why forgiveness has such transcendent power. Kevin R. Duncan taught regarding forgiveness: "We need not be a victim twice." Yes, I should let go of bitterness, resentment, etc. before it gets anymore toxic inside me; yet that is easier said than done.

With the aid of social media, there is plenty of judgement going around--usually unwarranted and highly subjective. I believe that truth is not a subjective thing and that there are instances where right and wrong have been clearly defined by the Lord. This means that whether or not a person believes something to be true does NOT change whether or not that principle is actually true. It also does not exclude Christ's disciples from unkindness. I once heard the analogy of a cheesecake: be lovingly firm. We needn't apologize for our testimony of truth or water down doctrine to make it more palatable. But we can and should be soft and loving in our delivery. I may disagree with you but it needn't feel disagreeable.

The Right Answer, The Ultimate Answer: Christ
Christ is the answer. "None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived or will yet live upon the earth. He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New." Through the infinite virtue of his great atoning sacrifice, all injustice can be made right and mercy can prevail. It is how we can overcome disappointing situations and take control of the uncontrollable: we come to God, lay our burdens at His feet, and do what He asks of us while He takes care of our problems. By taking care of us, His children.

"Come unto Christ. Come unto Him, and by His grace be made holy again. He's calling your name; he's waiting for you...with arms open wide, come unto Christ." Let us open are arms to embrace Christ and let Him into our lives more fully by placing Him at the center. I know that miracles will surely follow.

The Merry Month of May: A Perfect Prelude to June

Remembering Elder Perry

As I study Elder L. Tom Perry's obituary on the church's website I am struck by several ways in which I am or can be like him and his family.
             Elder L. Tom Perry was a builder all his life.    
             Sometimes that meant building a chapel out of 
             the rubble, and other times it meant building up a 
             soul or a nation in need of his boundless optimism,              enthusiasm, and spiritual power.

             Wherever he went, Elder Perry left things stronger 
             than they were before he came.

I want to be more of an optimist. I'll start by cultivating hope and Christ and refer to problems only as opportunities, just as he did. I want it to be said of me that I make friends wherever I go! I want to be like his mother, to be known for teaching. I also want it to be obvious to those around me that family is of utmost importance to me.

While I've never considered myself very patriotic, I love that L. Tom Perry's sacrifices to God were motivated by the same values that motivate me. While our country may drift away from these values to the point of dishonoring the sacrifices of its veterans, I still feel his testimony resonate within me:  

            I will teach my firm conviction that the foundation of any righteous government is the law

               that has been received from the Lord to guide and direct man’s efforts. Righteous 

               government receives direction from the Lord.

I also appreciate Elder Quentin L. Cook's summary:

              Through his background as a Marine he was very patriotic. and he saw faith, hope, and 
              family as a heritage of his generation of some of the things they were fighting for, some of 
              the things they were trying to protect. That those were some of the basic values that were 
              really most important.

Elder Perry said, “There is a real satisfaction that comes from finishing a task, especially when it is the best work we know how to do.” (See L. Tom Perry, “The Joy of Honest Labor,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 62, 64.)

Elder Perry never did anything less. He built, he taught, he served, he testified—all to the best of his ability. He was a true builder of the kingdom. Heaven has gained a great man.

Educational Endeavors
This summer we're doing week long unit studies to introduce Victoria to geography. This week we'll discuss key topics each day so that when we start studying countries she'll understand when we study using newer vocabulary. The library had some wonderfully helpful books to get us started. For example, Greg is in charge of showing her a globe (just bought one of the cheap inflatable ones via Amazon prime tonight!) and other types of maps and their uses. He'll also discuss longitude and latitude to give her practice with numbers and a reference point for the different hemispheres. That's all in a day's lesson.

Next week we'll studying the USA and spend one day on each state in which we have a stronghold of family, starting with IL. The rest of the countries will get one day for general facts and world context, one day on environments (notable climate characteristics and terrain) as well as places to see. Culture will be in over the course of several days: one day on clothes and music, one day on church history, one day on food, and one day on traditions holiday and otherwise. I'm sure many of you have valuable experiences to lend to this endeavor so don't be shy. I am thinking that we'll do this weekly schedule:

• Algeria (because we babysit for an Algerian family), 
• France (Victoria and Greg are studying French and Aunt Lisa nannied there), 
• Brazil (because we'll go visit our cousin Ben for the 4th of July and hear all about his mission), 
• Puerto Rico (Victoria's best friend is 1/4 Puerto Rican & her mom can help teach us)
• Germany (for Opa)
• the Philippines (because we already love adobo and for Uncle Spencer)
• FAMILY REUNION in Utah (maybe I learn a little tennis from Sam and Jonathan?)
• Italy (Toria loves their gymnasts and we've got RM aunties to interview)

Victoria will end up with a nice book this summer. I'm sharing what I've created here for others who may find it helpful. All are welcome to view it and share it. Just don't try to sell it or say you made it, okay?

Delightful Daydreams

Our garden is doing well and the maintenance man in charge of landscaping told me about some lovely purple irises that will grow well in my muddy flower bed out back. One of the best parts is that they're free! Cynthia's idea of a seasonal flower garden sounds particularly admirable. Greg surprised me with fresh flowers and a romantic Italian lunch from scratch this afternoon we included herbs we don't normally buy but happen to be growing: sigh of contentment. (See old but relevant photo below.) That man is golden! Back to the garden harvest...We inherited a plot with asparagus and are still sharing a double plot this year with our dear friends, the Savages. 

So far we've enjoyed asparagus, some sort of lemony lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, and soon green beans carrots, strawberries, raspberries, and garlic. Tomatoes and three kinds of squash will come a bit later in the season.

In addition to dreaming about the various stages of our garden and small yard, Greg and I have been talking more and more about the possibility of an overseas post doc in about 3 years. We still like the idea of going close to my mom's brother in NC to see how southern living treats us. Only time will tell where we'll end up.

Productive Projects
Victoria and I are going to begin a quilt for her soon inspired by Rapunzel and her golden sun. Yellow is one of Victoria's favorite colors. It is fun to have her help with every part of the sewing process. She was so ecstatic to learn how to chain crochet with her own little fingers during stake conference. She was reverent after bedtime for nearly an hour as a result! Sadly, she also enjoys unraveling her work.

Speaking of work, Greg is back in the swing of working for two two separate professors on separate projects with similar methodologies. I myself have been enjoying my scaled back work hours. Babysitting will pick up with the start of summer term and I'm already planning where to tuck the money into our budget.

Lemonade stand: Oh the Difference You Make

After reading about my nephew's "Out of This World" lemonade stand for his school and trying to prepare a family home evening lesson during nap time, I was inspired to revisit this draft of a blog post. Some of my ideas may sound repetitive if you've been following me a while, but I won't apologize. Sometimes it takes a few tries for the lessons God gives me to stick with me enough to change me. And I'm sure I'm not the only one ;-)

"May I point out something obvious? Life rarely goes exactly according to plan for anyone...It is still important to understand and teach the Lord’s pattern and strive for the realization of that pattern the best we can." 1

This lesson has really been brought home to me as of late. I am grateful for supportive friends and family who make such lessons less painful for me to learn. (In case you didn't know, my biggest pet peeve in life is when things don't go according to planned.) Sometimes I think if I can just square my shoulders and think positively I can get through ___. Like a kidney stone, this too shall pass. But as my favorite quote from the movie Letters to Juliet goes, "Life is the messy bits."

About a year ago I was feeling rather frustrated by a recurring problem. I thought was doing everything I could to live my ideals and things just weren't working out. I wanted the Lord's confirmation that I should keep trying, even and especially when what I was doing didn't seem to make a difference. I wanted to be able to better enjoy life's messy bits; I felt inspired to write this poem about a successful attempt of mine to make lemonade out of life's lemons. I don't think I've ever shared it publicly til now.

That sour moment when
Life hands you a lemon.
That tense moment when
You do your best to be nice and just try anyway.

That moment of relief when
A friend pitches in to help.
That satisfying moment when
You realize you've just made
Lemonade.

I leave you with this invitation to choose to turn sour moments sweet. Whether it's choosing not to pass judgement after a brief glimpse at a stranger's worst moment or smiling and making cheerful small talk while you wait in the longest grocery store line of your life, these are some of the small ways that each of us can make a great impact whose far reaching effects may surprise you. "So go and do something today!"

Feel Good Blogging Challenge #1: Who are you?

         

           making gifts for friends and
          decorating my home brings joy

celebrating 4 years of marriage
with homemade petite fours

 

Before donating 11 " back in
May of this year

      

Who am I?

My name is Danielle Eaton Hart. I am a daughter of God. I am also a wife to my high school sweetheart, stay-at-home mother of a 3 year old princess, and sister to many wonderful siblings and sibling in-laws. I am a lifelong learner, amateur opera singer, retired ballroom dancer, and creative chef. I have a lot of allergies but that's just part of life. I have a great life! I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so that makes me a Mormon. My favorite thing about myself is that I am a nurturer and cultivator of beautiful things. Doing these things brings me close me closer to my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Why did I start blogging? Who is my blog for?

I started blogging as a way to journal my feelings and preserve my family history. It's also a great way to stay in touch with friends and family who live farther away. Many of my friends from college and high school as well as a few distant relatives were already keeping blogs when I began mine; to me it seemed like a fun thing to do even before it became popular.

I want friends and family to know what's going on in my small family, whether it's spiritual experiences or funny toddler quotes. I want to share the joys and wisdom that God sends my way and help others experience similar miracles.

What’s something I have been working on lately that I am REALLY proud of? Through the nearby university, I have been attending a healthy  habits cooking class. I have been working on my diet and getting it balanced. When my husband and I first were dating I struggle with an eating disorder. I still occasionally struggle to get enough calories and to spread out my eating throughout the day. One huge reason for this is that I am an emotional eater: my emotions are generally stronger than the physical sensations they cause. It has taken years of learning and encouragement to hear the different messages my body sends me. Lately, I have been finding balance in my diet and it's led to balance in other things! I am eating a wide variety of nutritious food and it's getting easier to eat the right amounts without worrying all the time. It's also rubbing of on my toddler in positive ways. I love when I can model good behavior for her and she notices not just the good habits but even how they're established.

What’s the ONE MESSAGE that you hope people take away from your blog?

Seeing the hand of the Lord in my life has brought a steadiness to my life and a transcendent peace. His touch defines and molds my character. I hope that sharing various life experiences allows my readers to recognize the hand of God in their lives and inspires them to be better in all they do. It's like King Midas' wish for the golden touch: my prayer is that the lives I touch--whether through blogging or some other way--are turned to God.

Toddler Talk, Round #7

This month we were too busy travelling and taking pictures to record many of the gems that come from an almost three year old. View July album here.

SUNDAY, June 29th Learning new words
V: No Mom, he's not a chair! Get off your husband!

Victoria: wearing Mom's headband Dad, I have some ear muffins in the cold winter! giving them back Here Mom. Do you want some muff ears?

Victoria has been trying to learn new words and remember them. Today in church someone used the word sacrament over the pulpit and Toria leaned over and asked, "What's that?" I explained that the sacrament is what we call the special bread and water that help us remember Jesus. When she's older we'll teach her it's other meanings, but it was a good reminder to be careful in making assumptions about what she already knows and understands. We've been studying what atonement means too.

MONDAY, June 30th Wondering what to do this morning
V: Look, my cat is a nice one. It's doesn't say, "We are Siamese if you please." (She has been reading Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Escape)

V: We could make a card for Bridger's dad because he has a big owie in his throat. Can I use your nice paper?
M: Yes, you may. And here are some crayons.
V: I want to use my Angela markers: oh here are my Angela markers! a minute later I drew some snow for Bridger's dad. Because he likes snow.

M: Silly Tori, we don't kiss on the lips.
V:Yes, we do. Because Daddy is not here to kiss on the lips.

TUESDAY, July 1st Playing princesses with Mom over breakfast
"I am Princess Ariel with some clothes on. She doesn't wear clothes because she is a mermaid. I am Princess Ariel, who go-ed to the sea to check if there are any bad guys, or witches, or monsters, or anything about that...And there was a witch. There was not a two witch [another witch.]"

Sometime after July 1st but before the 10th, probably SUNDAY... Regarding body image
G: Do you want to be dressed like an Ishmaelite woman? wrapping her in a towel
V: Look Dad! I walking like a woman to build a snowman.

V: speaking to G I'm trying to fix this so you can be fatter. wrapping a towel around his back
G: Why does this need to be fatter?
V: So you can be big and strong.

MONDAY, July 21st Minnetonka Caves recap
"We went to the cave of Wonders! It was really cold and there wasn't a lamp or a genie or Jasmine or a monkey, or a mountain." looks at the picture of Aladdin fetching the lamp from a mountain of rocks

FRIDAY, July 25th Anyone else play the guessing game wondering what their child actually wants or said?
V: Yeah, that's the right answer Mom!

SATURDAY, July 26th potty training success: there's a first time for everything
V: Daddy, I pooped in the potty! I made 3 poops.

Toddler Talk, Round #6

MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS (photos)
1) Squirt guns: Victoria has discovered squirt guns at the pool. Greg and his physicist friend Karl tried to build super squirt guns and exploded a few holes in one of the fun noodles similar to an SPS activity using paper cars and compressed air...only less dramatic
2) Biking: Greg's bike got an owie when it collided with a car. He's okay (more banged up from running and therefore slipping at the pool Saturday and than getting hit by a car ironically.) He's too sick to bike this week anyway seeing as I gave him my viral throat infection or whatever it was.
3) Gardening: Check out this month's album for so great photos and be prepared for Toria's cuteness. I'm still getting used to her love of fresh peas, though I cannot say I blame her. They make a delightful breakfast snack. Our raspberries are finally getting harvested and they sure are tasty, though Toria doesn't like their texture and claims that they're sour even if they are ripe.
4) Potty training: For the last 4 days we were doing great. Then we had three small accidents after dinner because we didn't force the issue. We're trying to repeat the streak again and again, each time getting longer. She's working her way towards earning a dinner at Steak and Shake.
5) Research: While Greg mentors an undergrad and works for two professors I have been enjoying window shopping for various things and researching our options for this upcoming cross-country family road trip. Soon Victoria will join the ranks of researcher in this household as see researches the alphabet more in depth and begins the journey of learning to read.

SUNDAY, June 1st Someone's been watching a lot of "Dave and The Giant Pickle"
V: Can I have something to eat? I'm famished.
G: Sure, what do you want?
V: Fried chicken.

MONDAY, June 2nd I had to share in honor of Opa and his love for "The Three Amigos"
While making pancakes for dinner...
M: Stir, stir like the wind.
V: The wind doesn't stir! Laughing That's so silly.

In explaining Victoria's imaginary friends and her sudden love for making up stories.
Greg: You mean like her playing "with Mom and Dory?"
Dani: That's real.
Greg: Um, Dory?
Dani: Just because her friends are "imaginary" doesn't mean they aren't real!
Yeah, I just said that to a physicist.

TUESDAY, June 3 Getting ready for the pool and scheduling scripture study for later.
M: I'm painting your face [with sun screen.] Did you know Indians paint their faces? [Sometimes] Lamanites painted their faces with blood I think.
V: Why?
M: To be scary...One even promised to drink blood!
V: Drink blood?!
M: Do we drink blood?
V: No!
M: Did you know that spiders drink blood?
V: What? That's so silly! It's not even a drink.

SATURDAY, June 6th Victoria likes it when Greg pushes her over so she falls across our bed.
V: Dad, it's not good to push people.
G: Oh? I thought you liked being pushed.
V: smiling Oh, I do.

FRIDAY, June 13th Victoria shares her thoughts on sharing and personal space
"No Phoebe...You're wrong, I'm right!"

SATURDAY, June 14th
M: Am I a mean mommy or a nice mommy?
V: Sometimes you're a mean, when I don't get poop in the potty.
M: Oh. Yeah, I'm sorry. Am I nice sometimes?
V: Yeah.

SUNDAY, June 15th
M: Did you know that Nana means grandma?
V: No!
M: It's does! And it's the name of a dog. In Peter Pan, with Tinkerbelle.
V: Tinkerbelle peed her pants?!
I couldn't say, "No, Peter Pan," without laughing aloud.

Victoria trying to read a thank you card from Aunt Becca and Uncle Spencer: So what you do Danielle is say, "Help me Toria. I'm feeling mad!"

SUNDAY, June 22nd Victoria loves the Stand Taller virtue series that Greg and I grew up with.
G: Could we read a book with church stories in it?
V: Um, we could read my service books. Those are Sunday books! Going to the bottom of the stairs Could you please help me carry them downstairs? I don't think I can do it. I don't have enough arms.

Toddler Talk, Round #5

Tuesday, May 6th Being beautiful/pretty: a lessons worth learning
Paraphrased from a bejeweled toddler speaking to her imaginary friends while Mom and Dad unpack, "I am being pretty right now but you can have a turn when I am done." Perhaps someday soon I'll figure out how to upload the photos from my phone so you can all enjoy her being "a fancy mom."

Wednesday, May 7th In discussing the grafted branches of the olive tree which brought forth wild fruit...
M: What happens if we don't repent?
V: pause We go to live with Satan.

MONDAY, May 12th
M: I am going to give you hugs and cuddles and wuddles. I don't know what a wuddle is do you?
V: Laughs heartily
M: Well I'm going to give it to you like this. Wait, I need to kiss you. It's part of a wuddle.
V: No. dancing Ducks wuddle. Waddle waddle...

Tuesday, May 13th Playing pretend
V: I have a nice dog. My dog likes bacon. He is funny. So don't worry my friends, I can take care of you. to Mom My friends have panties.

V: I need to go to the doctor because I have a baby in my tummy.
M: Excuse me?
V: No, I need to go to the temple...muttering something about then have a baby in my tummy.
V: Can you please tie my shoes? I am going to the temple so then I can have a baby growing.
She just told reiterated the order and added, "I need to go to the doctor so she can catch my baby."

V: I have stinky feet.
M: You have stinky feet? Ah! covering face
V: It's not going to get in you eyes.
M: What?
V: I have stinky feet everyday.

THURSDAY, May 15th Victoria loves God.
V: The computer is being bad. It needs to draw a picture to calm down....And think about God.
M: You're going to help draw it a picture so it can calm down?
V: Yeah.
M: What are you going to draw a picture of?
V: God in/and heaven.
M: What are you drawing?
V: God, so the computer can calm down. It's for the computer. I drawing the good fruit and Lehi and God in the dark. Proceeds to tell the first half of the vision of the Tree of Life.

during her dinner prayer: I'm sorry. Please forgive me for making bad choices.

TUESDAY, May 27th We have been planning to be Frozen characters for Halloween. Before that we were going to mythical creatures: a unicorn, griffin, and dragon. Here's the new plan according to the toddler princess, which may or may not involve fairy wings.
V: I'm going to be Lala for Halloween.
M: Oh yeah? Well I'm going to be a Lala lou-lou and Dad is going to be a Nee-nee nou-nou.
V: A Nee-nee cuckoo?
M: No, a Nee-nee nou-nou. Mom will be lala lou-lou; Dad will be Nee-nee nou-nou; and you will be a Lala. What color is a Lala?
V: She is very very pink. Because I'm pink!

Have you ever wondered what makes you a toddler-baby, or a full grown toddler?
V: Phoebe is not eating my chalk anymore.
G: Oh?
V: She's a toddler now!
G: Phoebe, are you a toddler so you don't eat chalk anymore?
Ph: Mhmm.

WEDNESDAY, May 29th Sometimes a part of welcoming summer is allergies. Victoria explains further here: "Olaf the snowman has lots allergies. Sometimes he sneezes so hard he loses his nose."

Vicky and Victoria enjoyed watching The Nutcracker ballet (Act 1) while Vicky's mom packed 

and ran errands. The girls were so cute eating their snacks and comforting each other 

during "the scary parts." We miss them.

A family just moved in to where our Brazilian friends used to live, so we went to say hi. They're also members of The Curch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I volunteered Greg to help them finish moving the heavy stuff when he'd get home. While we were there on the doorstep a bus drove by and Toria said, "I see Daddy. My Dad is coming home!" She then stood up in the stroller and said, "I love you," and blew kisses to the bus til it was out of sight. It felt real mean to tell her Greg wasn't on that one.

St. John 15:15

The missionaries here have been reassuring me that I'm doing a lot for them even when I haven't given them people to teach yet: free rides, team-ups, regular dinners, preparing my friends to meet with them, and even placing a Book of Mormon. Sometimes I feel guilty and left out that I'll be the only one who hasn't served a full-time mission (until I'm done raising my children and can serve full-time in that capacity with Greg.) Having the rest of you to report back to is sometimes the extra kick I need to approach neighbors and ask that one last question. Which reminds me, Toria has really been into learning people's names so we've been using that as a means of getting to know those around us better. It's amazing how significant a simple thing as remembering someone's name can be. I actually had a brief missionary experience in that regard while working in the garden. A friendly Arabic woman stopped by and we chatted. As she left I asked her her name: Elam. I told her my name and was prompted to add, "It means God is my judge in Hebrew." She seemed touched by that and told me it was beautiful. I learned that her name means hope.

What about you: How are you a good Christian and friend to those around you? And do you know what your name means?

In other news, here's an update from Greg.

Hello Everyone,
It has been several months since I last sent out an update, hopefully you all remember who I am.

Abundant blessings:
Fellowship– I won the Computation Science and Engineering fellowship. This gives me access to extra computing facilities and pays half my stipend. It is nice to be "giving" back to the group.

Extra Curricular Research– Through I member of our ward I have connected with a business professor, Jeff. Jeff was looking for some one to speed up and parallelize some Bayesian Inference code (my research is done in parallel using Bayesian Inference). So during the summer I am doing extra work for him on cultural anthropology. This amounts to a 60% increase in my stipend; which we were planning using for the August gap.

12 Month RA– So it is normal for graduate students to only get paid 11 months out of the year (skipping August). I found out at our lab dinner at the end of the summer that we are being paid year round now.

It is wonderful that the Lord keeps blessing us and opening up doors for us.

Children:Danielle has been a babysitting fiend this semester. There have been times when we have six children under six in our house. There have been weeks when the average child population of our house has been over 2.

Danielle has also been substituting regularly in primary. She has been doing the same class for several weeks and is starting to wonder if the primary presidency remembers she isn't a regular teacher. She might prepare lessons just in case.

Victoria has adopted her largest doll as her younger sister. She has named her Julina and takes very good care of her. She has also started telling people that she is a big sister. It is nice to know that when God blesses us with another child she will be excited.

Toilet:
Victoria has been very back and forth on her use of the toilet. For over five days while we were traveling for the wedding she didn't wet herself once, but as soon as we got home we didn't seem to remember what the toilet was for. This week she has made really progress. She has started going to the bathroom on her own and of her own volition and she has pooped in the toilet twice; which is her first and second time doing so.

We enjoyed seeing everything at the first of the month and are excited for the family reunion [in UT in July].
I don't remember when we last shared pictures. So here are a few months worth:

February                   March                  April                  May            

Toddler Quotes, Round #3

Family album

First weekend in March

V: Are you happy Mom?

M: Yes. Are you happy Victoria?

V: Yes I am happy.

M: You are? I am so glad. Why are you happy?

V: God made us to be happy.

MONDAY, March 3rd

V: giggling You're silly Mom

M: You're silly too. Kisses

V: reminding mom Can I have some granola bar?

M: Sure. After I kiss your face off.

V: No, I don't want you to kiss my face off. I need it.

WEDNESDAY, March 5th She is into expressing her feelings through words and also copying her friend Phoebe.

V: sending a text to Phoebe after an evening play date ended  "Phoebe left me at my house because I was naughty and mad." pause Scab, scab, scab, scab.

M: No those are pound signs!

THURSDAY, March 6th Victoria's newest and most effective time out spot is the locked car. The following is an interview after such a time out.

M: Why did you hit me (on the head for the third time today)?

V: Because I was sad and mad.

M: What could we do instead of shouting and hitting when we get mad and sad?

V: We could just calm down.

M:...How could we calm down?

V: We could just calm down by ourselves.

M: We could have alone time. What else could be do?

V: Might read some books. 

M: Did you say read books?

V: Yes, we could read books. That's how I calm down too! One more question.

M: Okay, what's your question?

V: When Nephi built a boat to the promised land and they set sail...happily mumbles the rest of the story.

TUESDAY, March 11th

We interrupt this dance break to bring you in the kitchen the following announcement from Miss Toria Marie: "Excuse me, I tooted."

SATURDAY, March 15th

M: You're dancing just like a ballerina!

V: No Mom. They're snowflakes, not ballerinas. dancing away Look, I a ballerina. 

Discussing the Tree of Life vision, 1 Nephi 8

V: [Laman and Lemual] didn't come? Why not?

M: They had broken ears and hard hearts. What happens when we have hard hearts?

V: Um, I don't know. thinking Satan comes and will break them!

MONDAY, March 17th

M: watching Phoebe drink plenty of water to fix her runny nose Good girl Phoebe.

V: between bites of Daddy's wheat bread Thank you for not choking.

WEDNESDAY, March 19th Don't thank me til I'm finished!

V: I'm giving you a massage. Because your back is broken.

M: Thank you for my massage. 

V: I'm still giving you a massage.

After reading to her a message from daddy

No, Daddy doesn't say that. He doesn't says that. He says, "Surprise." And Phoebe says, "Boo."

Thursday, March 20th

V: My armpits are tickling my fingers.

M: Normally people say their fingers are tickling their armpits.

V: What? No, no silly Mom.

FRIDAY, March 21st

Victoria kept raising her hand and saying, "Me__ too!" during family scripture study. I was teaching her and the Wagstaff children (6, 6, 4, and 9 month old Peter) an excerpt from Jacob 2. After explaining that God told his prophet Jacob what the people were thinking I asked each child individually what he/she was thinking. The Wagstaffs each answered, "Jesus," and Toria followed suite. They were pretty good listeners.

SUNDAY, March 23rd: We had this conversation at the beginning of Sacrament mtg. while we finished out breakfast quickly in the foyer. 

M: Can you whisper?

V: But there's no Dad.

M: confused Because your Daddy isn't here...?

V: Yes, because my Daddy is not here. I can only whisper with Dad.

Luckily her speaking voice is sweet and moderate in volume.

Throughout the month Toria has been saying. "Bye mom. I going to Egypt to visit my friend Egyptus." She really likes learning people's names and is impressed and confused that the scriptures only name one of Noah's daughter in-laws. Noah and the ark is a new favorite bedtime story. She has also started saying thanks instead of just thank you. 

Taking Dad to see Egyptus 

March 27th: After driving the missionaries home...

V: No silly Mommy. The missionaries don't live in that building.

M: What? moment of realization Oh, they live at institute?

V: Yeah!

Toddler Quotes, Round #2

M for Mom, D for Dad, and V for Victoria

SUNDAY, February 2nd
D: getting a headache Uh-oh, my head is starting to hurt.
V: I can help. You need a hair cut or something?

Victoria wishes for a sibling and loves to take care of those younger than her.
V: My baby is playing the piano. My baby can crawl (when Victoria moves her accordingly.) I can read her books. I can read her a Wilbur book! (Charlotte's Web easy readers)

Daddy coordinated the bedtime/snacks effort tonight.
V: Daddy got me some marshmallow cereal.
M: He did?! Do you have the best Daddy ever?
V: Yes! Because he is my Daddy and your...husband. And he can hold me the right way.

D: It's about time for you to take more medicine.
V: No.
D: We don't want you to get sick in the night.
V: confused I wouldn't. Because I covered my mouth.
D: It's good to know you are listening child.
We have been explaining why we need to cover our mouths when we cough or sneeze.

TUESDAY, February 3rd Daddy has been requesting that Toria be nice to Mom: give her extra hugs (Monday) and sit on the toilet when she asks (today.) She knows how to give compliments better than receive them.
V: I like your belt Mom.
M: scooping her up for a hug I like you.
V: giggling I not a belt.
M: What are you?
V: I Toria.
M: Are you a toddler princess?
V: I a toddler princess. And I like your pretty braid Mom.


SUNDAY, February 9th I regularly ask Greg why he is laughing at me when I'm being serious. I realize I can be witty but your laughter suggests that you're not listening or taking me seriously. Together we often quote Uncle Spencer: Don't you laugh at me!!!
V: No Daddy, don't laugh.
D: You must get that from your Mom.
V: Mommy, Daddy is laughing at me.

Lately Victoria has been telling Daddy, "Yes please."
V: Yes please Mommy. Daddy, you want to make chocolate waffles with us?
D: No, I think I'm going to write a letter to the office of the Quorum of the Twelve. (to request a patriarchal blessing)
V: Write a letter to the office? I need to see the office.
D: Not that office. (The complex's office)
V: Not that office?
D:...in Salt Lake City.
V: Like Jerusalem's a city?
D: Where the prophet works.
V: The prophet?

M: I need kisses. Who's going to give me kisses?
V: Dad is going to. Because he is an old man. (She learned that phrase from Tiki Tiki Tembo.)

I don't remember much after that because I was laughing too hard.

after timer beeps
V: Stop it oven or you will be punished. Say sorry oven.
D &M: What did the oven do wrong?
V: after some thought It was making noise when I told it not to. It didn't listen.

MONDAY, February 10
M: Do you dance when you're in love?
V: No.
M: surprised by the unusual response Oh...?
V: My prince dance [and] have super power.

THURSDAY, February 13th
V: I wiggle my booty. to Mom You wiggle your booty.
M: What? Who taught you to wiggle your booty.
V: Daddy did!!!
M: Ha!

SUNDAY, February 16th
M: after being a human jungle gym or a horse( not sure which) Oh...I love my goofy life.
V: Are you a goofy wife?
D: I love my goofy wife.
V: I love your goofy wife.

MONDAY, February 17th
V: I drew Phoebe.
M: You drew a picture for Phoebe?
V: No, I drew Phoebe.
M: Oh that is good. It kind of looks like Olaf.
V: No, I just draw Phoebe. I haven't drawn Olaf yet.
V: ...I drawing a picture for you and Daddy right now. Daddy can't draw Aunt Becca by himself because he needs my help.
M: Daddy can't draw what?
V: Daddy can't draw Aunt Becca by himself because he needs my help...I have to go to my class today.
M: Oh?
V: This is my class right now. For you and me. (coloring pictures) Yea, it's finished!

V: Muttering something about...a pig?
M: Did you say something pig?
V: I just say pink.
M: Ooh, pink. Like the color on your lamby's face?
V: Like my lamby's face.
M: And your wrist? pointing to the cuff of her pajamas
V: No, not my wrist. Just right here. pointing to the cuff of her pajamas
M: What color are you? What color am I? Am I pink?
V: No, you are just wearing it. pointing to my AK gold mine shirt from Greg

M: Are you going to be a mommy?
V: No, I just going to be have a baby in my tummy and be Baby Toria.
M: Well having a baby in your tummy makes you a mommy.
V: Are you a mommy?
M: Yes.
V: Is God going to put a baby in your tummy?
We hope so, but don't know when.

THURSDAY, February 20th
M: I am going to squeeze out your cream filling.
V: But I don't have cream filling. Just love.
M: What about me? Do I have cream filling?
V: No, you have just love inside you.
M: And Daddy, what does he have inside him?
V: He has love too.
M: What are we going to do with it?
V: You put it in your heart. To help it be soft.

FRIDAY, February 21st
V: I dip my head in boiling water.
M: Did you just say, "I dip my head in boiling water"?
V: Um no. I just came back up.
Moments later in a pretend phone conversation
V: Phoebe, I said, "I dip my head in boiling water." Then I came back up.

SUNDAY, February 23rd Repeating things she hears, reads, and sees
V: acting out the following Come on Perdy! Let's all be Labradors. We'll all roll...That's what Pongo said.

and an ADHD adventure...
V: I need to go to Hawaii.
M: Like the Evans? Like Baby James' parents?
V: Yes. I have to get my books at Hawaii. moments later I got my books from the mice.
M: What mice? Are there mice in Hawaii?
V: Nope. finds some keys I have to unlock the door in Hawaii.

The other day Victoria was getting frustrated while wearing her biggest baby doll in the baby bjorn: sigh of exasperation "I don't have time for this." Sadly, her mom trying to saying this only to herself as a means of quelling mounting frustrations has made an impression on her in an unexpected way. This may or may not have been how she learned about "stupid" choices, a word we are careful never to ascribe to living things.

Victoria has been learning about gender too and is fascinated about who can go into which restroom. This sample of a usual conversation had a surprise ending due to her application of principles learned watching The Nutcracker.

Victoria: Are you my mom?
Mom: What do you think?
Victoria: Are you a mom?
Mom: yes...
Victoria: Are you a girl?
Mom: yes. only girls can be moms.
Victoria: I a girl. I can be a mom?
Mom: yes, then you can get married and be a mom.
Victoria: I get married when I get bigger. And bigger and bigger and bigger, like a Christmas tree?

She also acts out scriptures stories, as shown by a previously included quote. I was surprised and alarmed though when I overheard: "Nephi, we're going to kill you!" Luckily it was followed by, "No, I don't want to [be killed.]" She had been telling her stuffed animals scripture stories in preparation for their nap time.

TUESDAY, February 25 spoiler alert for those who have not watched it yet
Regarding the movie Brave, aka "the bear movie" Victoria told Greg late last night that, "Her mom turned into a bear. And sometimes her brothers have naked bottoms. But my brothers are still in heaven." In addition to her two imaginary friends Broccoli and Celery, Victoria has begun playing with and talking to and praying for her brothers and sister still in heaven.

Greg Celebrates February

Hello Everyone,

As I sit down to write this I can't remember much about this month so this will probably be short.

Victoria has been interested in the toilet for almost a year now, unless you ask her to sit on it. So after talking with another mother in the ward Danielle decided we should embark on potty training using a cold turkey method. You throw a party, get rid of all the diapers, and dedicate 3 days to following your toddler around and helping them use the toilet. We didn't throw a party and the diapers are still in the closet, but Danielle has spent two weeks asking Victoria to sit on the toilet, cleaning up messes, and washing underwear by hand (it is amazing how fast a two year old can go through twenty pairs of underwear). After all this and urine burns down Victoria's legs, she still seemed to have no idea how to get pee to come out or what it feels like to need to use the bathroom (at least before it is running down your leg). Then on the third Monday (February 17th) something clicked. She started asking to go to the bathroom and is suddenly able to get something to come out if we ask her to try. We are not out of  the woods yet (she peed at a friend's house Friday and fell off the toilet [during dismount] yesterday), but I feel that we have cleared a hurdle.

--interjection from Danielle--This last week of February there were a couple days Victoria went back to diapers. Let's just say potty training and diarrhea don't mix and leave it at that. We're excited for her continued progress in March.

Speaking of things clicking, Victoria also had praying click for her this month. She has (mostly) been participating in prayers with us, but wouldn't fold her arms at church or if we had anyone over. Then at Joseph Flechter's baptism (an 8 year old in our ward) she began folding her arms. This was particularly impressive since his younger brothers offered the prayers and I couldn't here them so I don't know how she was aware a prayer was happening. Now she always folds her arms and asks to say prayers at meal times and at bed time. She will also remind you if you forget to pray for the "missionaries, and the boy ones too".
 

For Valentine's Day I quit going to church with Danielle and started attending the Young Single Adult branch on campus [as the 2nd counselor]. It is obvious that this is going to require some adjustment. For example after a sunny week that melted most of the snow I decided to ride my back to the institute building so Danielle (and Victoria) wouldn't have to get up early to take me. I left our house to an inch of fresh snow covering a thin sheet of ice. Then, halfway there, my pedal and crankshaft fall off (anyone know how to screw it back on?). Luckily, I was only a few minutes late and beat the branch president and first counselor. Also, the city buses run on Sundays starting just before church lets out, so I could make it home with my bike. And Victoria was very good for Danielle at church.

Victoria has been very sweet and loving this month. She has began noticing changes and asking things like, "Mommy are you sad or something?". She will then proceed to help, but giving hugs, kisses, or prays. This has been surprisingly helpful.

Well this is much longer than I anticipated. I will have Danielle let everyone know when she uploads more pictures and leave you with a few quotes:

Upon discovering Victoria bent so far over that her head is on the floor.

Dani: Victoria what are you doing?

Victoria: I dip my head in boiling water.

Dani: Did you just say, "I dip my head in boiling water"?

Victoria: Um no. I just came back up.

Dani: I need kisses. Who's going to give me kisses?

Victoria: Daddy is going to. Because he is an old man. (the old man with the ladder from Tikki Tikki Tembo?)

I don't remember much after that because I was laughing too hard.

after timer beeps

V: Stop it oven or you will be punished. Say sorry oven.

D & G: What did the oven do wrong?

V: after some thought It was making noise when I told it not to. It didn't listen.

I guess that's what she hears when her mom demands obedience.

---From Danielle---

Victoria has been learning about gender too and is fascinated about who can go in which restroom. This sample of a usual conversation had a surprise ending due to her application of principles learned watching The Nutcracker.

Victoria: Are you my mom?

mom: What do you think?

Victoria: Are you a mom?

mom: yes...

Victoria: Are you a girl?

mom: yes. only girls can be moms.

Victoria: I a girl. I can be a mom?

mom: yes, then you can get married and be a mom.

Victoria: I get married when I get bigger. And bigger and bigger and bigger, like a Christmas tree?

She also acts out scriptures stories, as shown by a previously included quote. I was surprised and alarmed though when I overheard: Nephi, we're going to kill you! Luckily it was followed by, "No, I don't want to [be killed.]" She had been telling her stuffed animals scripture stories in preparation for their nap time.