Amber May Be…

Three plus one makes four!

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Amber Mae | Leave a comment | Amber may be...a mom

I’t's been a while since I posted. I’ve been a little busy. The day after we moved into our new home (yep we’re homeowners now) we went into labor. There may be a small possibility that the move jump-started my labor… just a chance…

After 14 hours of labor, one epidural, and maybe 5 minutes of pushing we gave birth to this sweet little guy. 5 lbs 14 oz and 17.5 inches of pure miracle.

Little Lion told us not to bring him home when we first met him. But she changed her mind the next morning. When she woke up the first thing she told her pop was, “baby home OK” she has since transitioned amazingly well. She was a bit timid with him at first, but she loves him and wants to help take care of him. She’s a little mother.

I was so scared I couldn’t handle two. But I remembered a tender mercy from when we first found out I was pregnant. I had this strong assurance from the Lord that I could do it, because He would help me. It’s been true. I can do it and He has helped me.

When they first put our sweet little boy on my chest I was overwhelmed with his spirit and his sweetness. I felt how much our Heavenly Father loves him and was in awe that Heavenly Father sent him to us to love and care for.

Motherhood is wonderful and beautiful and I’m so grateful to be a woman. We love our little boy. We call him our little jaguar. He’s perfect. Even with all the exhaustion, hormonal shifts, and stress associated with newborns I keep feeling that these could be some of the happiest moments of our earthly lives.

Family Home Evening – Peace in the Home

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Amber Mae | Leave a comment | Faith, Family Home Evenings, Thoughts

Based on Elder Richard G. Scott’s ‘For a Peaceful Life’ address and Elder Quentin L. Cook’s ‘Personal Peace — The Reward of Righteousness’ in April 2013 General Conference

Opening Prayer

Opening Hymn: I Feel my Savior’s Love – Children’s Hymn Book # 74

Treat: popsicles

Attention Getter:

Show a picture of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Give the following facts:

This pyramid is the oldest and largest of the pyramids of Egypt
It took about 20 years to build
It was the tallest man-made structure for over 2000 years
Construction on this pyramid was concluded around 2560 BC
The pyramid is made of limestone blocks that each weigh about 2.5 tons
The pyramid is estimated to weigh about 6.5 million tons
The pyramid has very little space inside and weight estimates don’t take into account what space it has

Now ask the following question: About how many blocks are there in the Pyramid of Giza? If you have a math nerd like my husband this will be pretty fun, otherwise let people throw out random guesses and then give a treat to whoever guesses closest.

The answer: 2.3 Million Blocks

Info Source: http://www.world-mysteries.com/mpl_2.htm

Lesson:

Creating peace in our homes is like building a pyramid. It must be done over time, brick by brick. Elder Scott mentioned that parents and children should be made responsible for peace in the home and the regular practice of prayer, scripture study and family home evening are essential to finding peace. What other little things can we do to create peace in our home and in our lives?

Elder Cook mentioned repentance, baptism, and prayer as ways to obtain peace.

Read the following quotes from Elder Scott,

“Don’t rationalize away future happiness by taking shortcuts instead of applying sound gospel principles. Remember: little things lead to big things.”

“If you young people would review a verse of scripture as often as some of you send text messages, you could soon have hundreds of passages of scripture memorized. Those passages would prove to be a powerful source of inspiration and guidance by the Holy Ghost in times of need.”

Ask family members if obedience will stop bad things from happening, then read the following quote from Elder Cook after a short discussion.

“Peace is not just safety or lack of war, violence, conflict and contention. Peace comes from knowing that the Savior knows who we are, knows that we have faith in Him, love Him, and keep His commandments, even and especially amid life’s devastating trials and tragedies.”

Encourage family members to make a personal goal to help them find more peace throughout the week.

Bear testimony on your personal experiences with peace.

Closing Hymn: Where Can I Turn for Peace? – Hymn Book #129

Closing Prayer

Family Home Evening Lesson Plans Based on April 2013 General Conference

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Amber Mae | Leave a comment | Family Home Evenings

I couldn’t sleep last night. Third trimester sleeping is very similar to trying to sleep when you have a newborn… impossible. Around 4 a.m. I finally decided to stop laying there feeling annoyed and started to make family home evening lesson plans. I’ve got six done – all based on talks from the first session of the April 2013 General Conference. I’m publishing them online in the hope that they can help someone else with Family Home Evening but bear in mind that A) I’m not an official representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and B) these were all designed with my little family in mind – stuff that works for two adults and a toddler – and possibly a newborn. Remember that everything is free for personal use, but none for commercial use.

Anywho, I make no promises about making more sets for the subsequent sessions of conference. My kids come first and once baby boy is here I’m going to be pretty busy.

Yep… I probably sound all ornery and lack of sleep like huh? Yep… oh you probably want links to the lesson plans… here they are. Enjoy :)

President Henry B. Eyring: Come Unto Me

Elder M. Russell Ballard: This is My Work and Glory

Elder Craig A. Cardon: The Savior Wants to Forgive

Sister Elaine S. Dalton: We Are Daughters of Our Heavenly Father

Bishop Dean M. Davies: A Sure Foundation

President Boyd K. Packer: These Things I Know

Family Home Evening – Drawing Closer to the Savior

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Amber Mae | Leave a comment | Family Home Evenings

Based on President Henry B. Eyring’s ‘Come Unto Me’ address in April 2013 General Conference

Opening Prayer

Opening Hymn: Reverence is Love – Children’s Hymn Book # 31

Treat: smores from the oven (or if you have a fire pit do real ones!)

Attention Getter:

Gather all of your biggest and softest blankets and together as a family make a killer blanket fort. Consider using clotheslines and Christmas lights to really deck it out. Once the fort is made and everyone is cuddled inside talk about how warm and safe it feels. Being close to the Savior is kind of like being in an awesome blanket fort. When we are close to the savior we feel safety, love, and joy. What are some of the ways we can draw ourselves closer to Jesus Christ? President Eyring mentioned church attendance, taking the sacrament, scripture study, and service as ways we can draw closer to the Savior, what do you think of his list? When have you felt closest to the Savior in your life?

Lesson:

Read the following quote:

“My promise to you who pray and serve the Lord cannot be that you will have every blessing you may wish for yourself and your family, but I can promise you that the Savior will draw close to you and bless you and your family with what is best. You will have the comfort of His love and feel the answer of His drawing closer as you reach out your arms in giving service to others.

“As you bind up the wounds of those in need and offer the cleansing of His Atonement to those who sorrow in sin, the Lord’s power will sustain you. His arms are outstretched with yours to succor and bless the children of our Heavenly Father including those in your family.”

Make a goal as a family to find ways to serve others, this can be through a family service project or it could simply be through simple acts of service at home.

Closing Hymn: Nearer My God to Thee – Hymn Book #100

Closing Prayer

Family Home Evening – Priesthood Power

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Amber Mae | Leave a comment | Family Home Evenings

Based on Elder M. Russell Ballard’s ‘This Is My Work and Glory’ address in April 2013 General Conference

Opening Prayer

Opening Hymn: Love is Spoken Here – Children’s Hymn Book # 190

Treat: popcorn

Attention Getter:

Go for a short walk with your family. As you go point out everything you see that was made by Heavenly Father. Ask what power created all of these wonderful things.

Read this quote by Elder Ballard:

“The power by which the heavens and earth were and are created is the priesthood. Those of us who are members of the Church know that the source of the priesthood power is God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ. Not only is the priesthood the power by which the heavens and earth were created, but it is the power the Savior used in His mortal ministry to perform miracles, to bless and heal the sick, to bring the dead to life, and as the Father’s Only Begotten Son to endure the unbearable pain of Gethsemane and Calvary — thus fulfilling the laws of justice with mercy and providing an Infinite Atonement — and overcoming physical death through the resurrection.”

Lesson:

I can’t find this video on youtube for imbedding purposes, but here is the link to some of the training Elder Ballard suggested we watch in his talk. This is a short video and would be perfect to watch at this point in your lesson.

http://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/the-power-of-the-priesthood-in-the-family/children-learn-of-the-priesthood-in-the-family?cid=HP000014&lang=eng

Read the following quote from Elder Ballard’s talk and discuss the sacred ways men and women bless each other.

“In our Heavenly Father’s great priesthood endowed plan, men have the unique responsibility to administer the priesthood, but they are not the priesthood. Men and women have different but equally valued roles. Just as a woman cannot conceive a child without a man, so a man cannot fully exercise the power of the priesthood to establish an eternal family without a woman. In other words, in the eternal perspective, both the procreative power and the priesthood power are shared by a husband and wife.”

If you want to (or the kids just aren’t paying attention anymore) you can end here, or you can go on to tell the story Elder Ballard shared about the plant that wilted when it was forgotten in a dark room – similarly priesthood holders withhold nutrients from their spirits if they don’t exercise and honor the priesthood appropriately.

Closing Hymn: Truth Eternal – Hymn Book #4

Closing Prayer

Family Home Evening – Forgiveness

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Amber Mae | Leave a comment | Family Home Evenings

Based on Elder Craig A. Cardon’s ‘The Savior Wants to Forgive’ address in April 2013 General Conference

Opening Prayer

Opening Hymn: When I am Baptized – Children’s Hymn Book # 103

Treat: oranges

Attention Getter:

Watch the following bible video – Jesus forgives Sins and Heals a Man Stricken with Palsy

Lesson:

Discuss repentance and forgiveness. Why do we need it? Who gives it to us? How do we repent? How do we forgive? Read D&C 101:9 and discuss how much Heavenly Father loves us and wants to forgive us. He knows we aren’t perfect – that’s why He provided a way for us to repent.

End with this quote from Elder Cardon

“The Lord is always interested in our hearts and rationalized false faith does not justify sin,” he said. “Rather, after doing all we can do, His compassion and grace are the means whereby ‘in process of time’ we overcome the world through the enabling power of the Atonement. By humbly seeking this precious gift, ‘weak things become strong unto [us],’ (Ether 12:27) and by His strength, we are made able to do that which we could never do alone.”

Closing Hymn: Help me Dear Father – Children’s Hymn Book #99

Closing Prayer

Family Home Evening – Do Well Thy Part

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Amber Mae | Leave a comment | Family Home Evenings

Based on Sister Elaine S. Dalton: ‘We Are Daughters of Our Heavenly Father’ address in April 2013 General Conference

Opening Prayer

Opening Hymn: Dearest Children God is Near You Hymn # 96

Treat:

Attention Getter:

Get a ball and begin to throw it back and forth between mom and dad. Talk about how when we play a game we all have to participate to make it work. Then have mom stop catching and throwing the ball back to dad. Discuss how if one person stops fulfilling their role it affects everyone. Play catch for a while with the family while you discuss the importance of the roles we all have. Refer to The Family: A Proclamation to the World and make sure everyone understands that they are loved by their Heavenly Father.

Lesson:

Read Mosiah 18:9 and discuss how we are all asked to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places. Sister Dalton mentioned the importance of virtue as we stand as witnesses. Watch the following video clip about virtue.

End with this quote from Sister Dalton

“What would the world be like if virtue … were reinstated in our society as a most highly prized value? If immorality, pornography and abuse decreased, would there be fewer broken marriages, broken lives and broken hearts? Would media ennoble and enable rather than objectify and degrade God’s precious daughters? If all humanity really understood the importance of the statement, ‘We are daughters of our Heavenly Father,’ how would women be regarded and treated?”

Closing Hymn: We’ll Bring the World His Truth – Children’s Hymn Book #172

Closing Prayer

Family Home Evening – A Sure Foundation

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Amber Mae | Leave a comment | Family Home Evenings

Based on Bishop Dean M. Davies: ‘A Sure Foundation ‘Address in April 2013 General Conference

Opening Prayer

Opening Hymn: The Wise Man and the Foolish Man (complete with actions)

Treat: Rock Candy

Attention Getter: First decorate two paper cups so that they look like houses, next fill a bowl with sand and flip it over (like you’re making a sandcastle) put one of your cups on the sandy foundation and put the other on a flat rock or on concrete. Pour water over both – if you do it right the one on the sandy foundation will tip over and the rock foundation one will stay strong. Talk about the importance of building on a sure foundation. Have someone Read Helaman 5:12

Lesson: Heavenly Father has given us tools to help us build on a sure foundation. Faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end are some of the tools mentioned by Bishop Davies. Just as building a house takes time, so does building our foundation of faith. Make Rock Candy together following this recipe and explain how it will take time for the rocks to form. Watch them grow together throughout the week and use it as a reminder of your Family Home Evening lesson.

Read this quote: By “Anchoring our lives to Jesus Christ and His Atonement … we will be strengthened; we will experience real personal growth and a lasting conversion; we will be better prepared to successfully withstand the storms and calamities of life; we will experience the joy and happiness promised; and we will have the confidence that our lives have been built upon a sure foundation: a foundation that will never fall” – Bishop Davies

Closing Hymn: Oh Thou Rock of Our Salvation – Hymn Book # 258

Closing Prayer

Family Home Evening – Hidden Dangers

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Amber Mae | Leave a comment | Faith, Family Home Evenings

Based on President Boyd K. Packer’s ’These Things I Know’ Address in April 2013 General Conference

Opening Prayer

Opening Hymn: Choose the Right Way – Children’s Hymn Book Page 160

Treat: Gummy Worms (Snakes) or if you’re awesome and have the time – Dirt cups

Attention Getter: President Boyd K Packer told a story in general conference about snakes that hid in seemingly safe places near his home. Satan often sends snakes to invade seemingly safe places in our own lives. Print out and tape snakes around your home and go on a scavenger hunt to find the snakes – with each snake can talk about what kinds of temptations that area of your home could bring as well as ways we can defend ourselves from those snakes. Some suggestions for places: computer (improper use of internet), tv (immoral media), fridge (word of wisdom or lack of moderation), windows (worrying too much about what neighbors think when they look in your windows – I know I’m kind of stretching, lol), bathtub (keeping our thoughts clean). If you have more ideas on this please share them in the comments!

Lesson: End with this quote and discuss how we can strengthen each other and help each other avoid dangerous snakes. “The family, the fundamental organization in time and eternity, is under attack from forces seen and unseen. The adversary is about. His objective is to cause injury. If he can weaken and destroy the family, he will have succeeded.” Boyd K. Packer

Closing Hymn: The Lord is My Shepherd – Hymn Book Page 108

Closing Prayer

Toddlers = joy

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Amber Mae | Leave a comment | Amber may be...a mom, Thoughts

Lately I’ve been making more of an effort to connect with Little Lion. It’s something I didn’t really think about before. I spend every day with her and we bond all the time, but I’ve been trying to do something more meaningful than doing laundry together, or following her around the park. We’ve been adding in a few minutes of cuddle time right before bed. Sometimes she’ll sing to me, other times she’ll play with my hair or ask me to “read more”, but always it’s enjoyable and oh so precious. She knows that cuddling delays bed time (which she hates) so she is always ready to ask for more cuddles and I am always ready to give them.

Anyone who has parented a toddler knows it isn’t easy. They can be demanding and whiny and independent to a fault. Sometimes it’s all I can do to not pull my hair out. But in spite of the well known terrible toddler traits, I can’t help but think about my cuddle times and relish this particular stage of life. I love the declarations of independence, the creative mind that is just beginning to form, the knowledge that grows every day. I love watching the joy on Little Lion’s face when she discovers a new way to string words together, does a somersault, or finds a particularly interesting rock.

I love laughing at the silly things she does, like today when she licked me and then told me she was a cat, or when she put my shoes and scarf on, and then walked around the house declaring “I’m big!”. When she crawled underneath the covers of the spare bed today and sat waiting patiently for me to ask where she was – and then how she answered all of my questions while she was hiding, “Is she in the Bathroom?” “No!” “Should I look in the living room?” “Yeah!”.

I love that I read the Hungry Caterpillar six times and Green Eggs and Ham three today. I love that she tries to read to her toys and I once found her putting diapers on her books. I love that she’s starting to do little chores – and even though it takes more time to watch her do it than to do it myself – I love that she’s my little helper. I love that she is SO filled with joy. She spills joy wherever she goes. She can’t stay mad or sad long because there is just too much joy bubbling beneath the surface to allow it.

Our lives are going to change drastically with the coming of little brother, but I feel blessed that Little Lion and I have had such a fun time during the months before his birth. I know things won’t be easy for her, but I hope I can be patient with both of my sweethearts as we get used to everything. And through it all I’m sure that my loving Heavenly Father will be there for the whole family, guiding us through and helping us to see the silver lining. And even though she’ll have her terrible toddler traits here and there, I’m confident that Little Lion’s natural joy will shine through and remind all of us that life is good and cuddles are worth a few less minutes of sleep.

tutorials, recipes, printables, and thoughts on how to BE amazing

Three plus one makes four!

Family Home Evening – Peace in the Home

Family Home Evening Lesson Plans Based on April 2013 General Conference

Family Home Evening – Drawing Closer to the Savior

Family Home Evening – Priesthood Power

Family Home Evening – Forgiveness

Family Home Evening – Do Well Thy Part

Family Home Evening – A Sure Foundation

Family Home Evening – Hidden Dangers

Toddlers = joy

Categories

Pin it

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Grab My Button

Recent Comments

Advertisements