Celebrating Ivy

I love celebrating my grands birthdays!  I can't believe Ivy is already 11 and growing so tall.  Ivy is such a gramma's girl.  I know I am one of her favorites! She is my very favorite 11 year old!  She has always loved coming to our house and still does.  Ivy chose to go to Toys R Us to pick out her gift.  She picked out a craft thing...making window clings.  She also bought some little tiny beads that grow in water.  We had bowls and bottles all over the kitchen as they grew.  The little beads were cool and fun to play with when they were fully grown.  She had a gallon bag full of them.  I always think it's fun to take the grands shopping and to see what they chose.  I love watching them look at everything as they try to decide.  It just makes my heart happy!  It was fun having Kimi go with us.

We stopped at Swigs for cookies and drinks.  We made Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner because that is what Ivy wanted.  Ivy loves playing games and we did that while she was with us.  I slept with Ivy on my big air mattress and Holy Moly this girl is wiggly!  We watched Zootopia before going to sleep.  Ivy went to sleep early in the show but that's probably because she had watched the show with Zaden at least six times. I hadn't seen it and so I stayed awake.  We didn't even start the movie until 10:30 pm.

We played more in the morning and then Ivy and I picked up Sushi and took it to her house to share with her mom.

I sure love my oldest grand.  Ivy is so smart and talented and kind and fun!  She's a joy to have around!

Kathy was having a Pampered Chef party and so Ivy and I went up there for a bit. They made Hawaiian Haystacks too and so Ivy enjoyed another plate of it.  Kathy had a Hawaiian theme and in the center of her tables she had brown sugar that looked like sand with sea shells.  I thought it was pretty cute.  Pampered Chef has a lot of cool things but I only ordered a pan to go with a lid I ordered a while back that didn't fit any of my pans. ☺

Temple

This month the visiting Teaching message is about Temple Ordinances and Covenants.  I love the Temple and the covenants I have made with my Heavenly Father.  It's because of those covenants I have been able to get through some hard times.  They have been a strength and a protection to me.

I love going to the Temple each week.  I love feeling the spirit.  I love helping those on the other side of the veil.  I know this work is critical.  It needs to be done!  I am glad that I am at a time in my life I am able to help more.  It's a blessing to me to be able to go to the House of the Lord.

I love "Sealing" families together. I especially enjoy being proxy for daughters being sealed to parents.  It brings back the wonderful feeling and memories of when I was sealed to my parents.

Today there were a few different last names but I can only remember one of them.  It was Lovingood!☺

Lisea and I talked on the way home about how the Gospel is True but  how members can mess things up for others because of their opinions and actions.  I kind of understand why people choose not to attend regularly.  However, when we don't attend and participate we just don't get all the blessings we could be getting.  When we are serving others, which is what is asked of us, it benefits us and those we serve.  The "spirit" of Christ is felt stronger and more often in our lives as we attend our meetings and do what is asked of us.  I guess we need to focus on God's will and purpose and not let others affect us so much.  I love feeling the Spirit and even though I feel it daily, I feel it more on Sunday when I am at church.   I feel it when we pray together.  I feel it when I partake of the sacrament.  I feel it on the classes I attend.  I feel it when I visit with a friend.  For those three hours I am filled!  The Gospel is True!  God wants us to help Him by doing our part however that may be.  Part of doing our part is over looking others errors and forgiving.  We should work at being like Jesus and do the things He would do!  The ordinances and covenants of the Temple help me do that!