Family...It's spelled T-I-M-E!

Nice title post right? Its from on of Elder Uchtdorf General Conference talks, so sadly I can't take the snappy title credit. I think I had mentioned that I had to speak in church last week. I really HATE speaking, I am do not think I am very good and most of the time I come across unarticulate because I am so dang nervous. This also was the first time in my entire married life I did not speak with Larry so that was a little odd, he typically picks up the slack on my part in the time department making sure we strech it all through sacrament meeting. In the end I think the talk went pretty well, I got the message out without minimal mess ups and spoke the perfect amount of time!

I was able to speak on the Proclamation To The World On The Family. {Read Here} It was such a blessing to be able to read and study the proclamation and to think of a new interesting way to present the information. I really wanted to get the message across that the proclamation is meant to strengthen families, and define our roles as men and women, the purpose and definition of a true family. The proclamation is such a true document that gives me a purpose here on earth as a women, wife, and mother. Its simple truths help me strengthen my own family and gives me the desire to serve my children and husband better.

My talk centered around key ways to strength your own family and create strong family bonds that will bind our families here on earth and also in the eternities. One key thing I spoke on was creating traditions in your family. The idea being that if you give your children something to look forward to, be involved in, and feel an sense of love and need they will most likely seek your home for entertainment, and refuge from the world. A loving family teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ can give your children something to hold on too while they wade through the harsh realities of the world!

Traditions are something that I heavenly want to establish and maintain in our family. As the mom in the family it is part of my role to really nurture and bring about these different ideas. Larry is all for a happy family but he doesn't have the time to plan all the different things, its really up to me to do it and then hopefully the boys and Larry will reap the benefits, and I am happy to do it! One book that really helped me see the big pictures of the concept of traditions was 3 Steps To A Strong Family by Richard & Linda Eyre. This book gives some great ideas on birthday, holidays, and trips and the background on why a strong family needs traditions to bring together and tie together the family.

As a mother I am extremely grateful that I get to head the family in these important things. I love being the nurturer of the home and being a wife to my husband. I love staying home {most days} and being crafty, cooking, and even doing laundry. I am so grateful that the proclamation is a banner I can look to, and it is all centered around the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for a sweet husband who believes the best place for a mom is at home with her kids, and is trying hard to be the provider that allows us to continue on with that blessing.

Life is SO hard and cruel sometimes, and while our family is SO not picture perfect {you can see countless examples on this blog!} I grateful for the opportunity I've been given to give birth to sweet chubby babies, take care of them, kiss my husband when he comes home from work, pray with my family, and fight and make up with each other! Moms out there be proud of what you get to do in this life! It might not be as glamourous as some cooperate job, or bring you any sort of freedom, but it's meaningful, it's a divine calling that if you embrace I promise you will feel an overwhelming amount of love you can't find anywhere else!

Max mugging up on Larry after playing in the water @ the park, and me holding that slobbery baby Noah. We love our limited family time with dad! Friday lunch dates at the park!