Asperger's

I went to the bookstore and bought some books on Aperger's.  Life can be challenging with Conner and so hard at times.  Everyday I have some issue with him that needs to be resolved.  I am so glad he is so sweet and he tries to always do his best.  I don't know what the future holds or how he is going to be as a teenager, but I hope that he stays as sweet as he is now.  Reading these books made Brent and I sad because it just describes Conner and how he acts.  But it helps us understand him better.  Everyday I am learning something new with him. We are on spring break right now and Conner is fixated in watching Wreck it Ralph.  He has watched it so much, even in Spanish, that he has now memorized it.  He does that, he goes through stages like that, he does something over and over.  The other thing these days is, he is asking a lot of questions on hurricanes.  We just had terrible weather on Sunday, I drove through what it seemed like a tornado on my way back from church, so he was scared and now is wanting to learn about hurricanes and storms.  I had bought him an atlas a while back and in it, it talks about hurricanes and the years that they happened.  He is asking all sorts of questions about the three big hurricanes we had the year he was born. It is really hard to keep him entertained, he really doesn't enjoy playing by himself.  He has never played cars or trucks or built with blocks or even legos by himself, and we have tons of them. He constantly interrupts me because that is just how he is, he is always bored can never seem to find something to do.  By the time the day is over, I am exhausted.  He is smart.  He is loving.  He loves to hug me and give me kisses.  Which is awesome because when he was a baby he was not cuddly at all. I hope that by reading these books I can understand him better and be able to help him. I just want him to grow up and be confident in who he is.  I love him so much!

Alison sent pictures

We are so excited to have gotten pictures from Alison.  She said she finally figured out how to do it so we will be getting more pictures in the future.

Her new convert Vivian

With her companion Sorella Eaton at Vivian's baptism and the brother who baptized her.  I don't know his name.

Loved back into activity

I love to read the Ensign.  I was reading This article in the April Ensign.  It brought to mind of a time when I was little maybe 11 or so and my dad was offended by something someone had said at church, something silly but it caused him to not go to church for a time, what I thought was an eternity but it was only like one month or so.  My mom was patient and loving with him.  Luckily my dad had a strong testimony and came back to church.  But I have seen time after time how people go inactive for a long period of time and it is very difficult for them to come back.  They feel embarrassed to come back to church and worry about what people might say about them.  That is sad because the church is full of imperfect people!  Jesus was concerned with "THE ONE" and we should do the same.  We should make those who are returning to church feel welcomed and loved.

In this article this lady's son went inactive.  He pierced his ears and quit going to seminary and church.  But, everyone was kind and loving towards him.  They all showed charity towards him which helped him eventually go back to full activity.  His brothers and sisters invited him to activities.  His grandpa made a huge difference by calling him once a week just to talk about everything.  Neighbors would include him in many activities and even helped with his Eagle Scout project.  He was not criticized for his long hair or his choices. A neighbor gave him odd jobs to do and even wrote letters of recommendation for him.  How wonderful for parents when this happens, you feel relief to see everyone helping you in your efforts to help your child.  You feel the love and concern for your son or daughter when everyone is helping you bring back that wayward child.  But all too often it is the opposite.  It is sad when people walk away from those who need it most, judging because they are not doing what is right.  I can't believe they are doing that? or I can't believe their parents let them do that? or They are never going to change?, so they say. That is not what the Savior taught.  He taught us, CHARITY, THE PURE LOVE OF CHRIST.   We often think of charity as bringing a meal to a mother who just had a baby or to a sister who is sick and visiting someone who is in the hospital.  All those are acts of charity, and they are wonderful but they are not the only way to show charity.

President Monson said:  "None of us is perfect, I know of no one who would profess to be so.  And yet, for some reason, despite our own imperfections, we have a tendency to point out those of others. We make judgments concerning their actions or inactions.  I consider charity-or pure love of Christ- to be the opposite of criticism and judging.  In speaking of charity, I do not at this moment have in mind the relief of suffering through the giving of substance.  That, of course, is necessary and proper.  Tonight, however, I have in mind the charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient toward their actions; the kind of charity that forgives; the kind of charity that is patient.  "I have in mind the charity that that impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate and merciful, not only in time of sickness and affliction and distress, but also in times of weakness or error on the part of others." 

Our Heavenly Father loves each one of us, whether we are active in the church or not.  He wants for us to return to live with Him and He needs our help to help those who need love and encouragement to return to church.  We do this by being loving and patient, by inviting them to come to Christ and NOT by rejecting them and make them feel worst than the probably already feel.

Happy birthday Brent

 Yesterday was Brent's birthday.  We celebrated with the kids and then went out to dinner with our friends the Tillotsons from our ward.  Brent has been working a lot so it was so good to go out to dinner and just talk and spend time together.

Pet-sitting

Conner is pet-sitting our friend's hamster.  He is so cute with it. He is taking very good care of it.

Pinewood Derby

We had a great time at the Pinewood Derby today.

Conner won the "Best Scout Spirit Award". Congratulations Conner!!

Sunday lesson

I am preparing the RS lesson for Sunday and I can't help but think of how thankful I am to my Heavenly Father for all my weaknesses and how patient he is with me.  This lesson is chapter 6 of the Lorenzo Snow manual, Becoming perfect before the Lord: A little better day by day.  It goes along with yesterday's lesson, chapter 5, The grand destiny of the faithful.  Yesterday as we were learning; "As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be", I remembered back when I was about 10 or 11. For some reason the subject of becoming like God was so fascinating to me as a kid.  I was so excited about it and never had a doubt that I could become like my Heavenly Father.  I remembered trying to convert my friend and next door neighbor Mildred. I would tell her about the church and how it was the only true church and that she should get baptized. I remember telling her that we could become like God.  She was Catholic and to her that was blasphemy. She would tell me that we would never be like Him, that I should not say those things.  She ended up marrying a distant cousin of mine and she became a pastor.  She was always very religious and a God fearing person even as a child.  Oh well, I used to think, I tried to convert her.

I am excited about this coming Sunday's lesson, because I get to teach it in Spanish, but also because it is so beautiful. It is so beautifully written.  I am thankful for President Snow, and for his experiences.  When I read  the story at the beginning of the lesson, I thought he was just like me!!  He was painfully shy and it was really hard for him to speak in public.  Even when he had to share his testimony it was so hard for him.  I wish I had read this years ago!! I have always struggled with this.  Since I was a kid it was so hard for me to say prayers, bear my testimony and give talks at church.  I would put myself down, thinking that I was a failure. I was always comparing myself to others who had that "gift" of speaking in front of people.  I remember when they called me as Primary president and how hard sharing time was for me. When I was pregnant with Conner I was called as Primary chorister, and that was hard too! Especially during the primary program, having to lead the music in front of everyone, what if I messed up!!! It has always been a struggle for me, so painful, I get sick to my stomach, I get headaches, I can't sleep all because I have to get up in front of people.  SO, it was so wonderful to see that President Snow was just like me!!! When I was called as 1st counselor in the Stake RS last year, I was mortified!!  I have to go around the wards teaching RS, I have to teach at Leadership training meetings, I have to SPEAK 3 times during the year in OTHER wards!!!! This all  was going around my head. I never turn down a calling, I was taught! So I have learned to ask Heavenly Father to help me, because this weakness is BIGGER than me!!!! Even though I am excited because it is in Spanish, therefore easier for me to teach, I am still so SCARED!!!  This lesson though, is just what I needed.

I am thankful for a patient and loving Heavenly Father who KNOWS exactly what I need to grow and be better every day.  He gives us exactly what we NEED so that we can grow and become WHO He wants us to be!! We are not perfect but as long as we are trying our best it will all be good. I sometimes feel discouraged because I might have lost my patience or did something else that I should not have, but all He asks of us is to repent and start over.  There is no need to be depressed or discouraged!! He says that we are perfect in some things and not in others.  For example, we go to church every Sunday and keep the Sabbath day holy, we are perfect in that sense.  We pay our tithing, we are perfect in that too.  So we should work on those things we are not perfect at, and ask His help because we can't do it alone.  We need His help, if we think we can do it without Him, we are wrong.  We should not expect to become perfect at once, right away, it takes time, little by little, day after day.  As we become stronger, we become better at overcoming our weaknesses.  We grow everyday in knowledge and wisdom and become more experienced as we get older and our ability to accomplish good increases.  As we get older we should live nearer to the Lord each following day.