Is there a God?

  There have been things swirling through my mind lately about my creator that I wanted to put into words, so that I could figure out what it is I've been thinking and feeling.  I've thought about and prayed for the families of those that lost children in Connecticut.  There are my daily struggles of motherhood that are hard.  There is having a child with disabilities (and extraordinary abilities that others don't have) that I do my best to understand.

Now we've celebrated Christmas and I struggle to help my children understand why it is we celebrate it.  I worry that they'll get lost in the distractions.  I hope and pray with all of my heart that they'll come to know and understand their Creator- their Savior.

I recently was studying about the creation of the world.  Reading the Bible and thinking about the immensity of what he did.  Jesus Christ, under the direction of God created worlds without number.  If you think about how big our universe is- our universe is roughly 16 billion light years in expanse, and there are over 10 billion galaxies.  Then think of all of the planets, stars in that space.  It makes us look pretty small in comparison.  Yet despite that, I feel very reassured that we are known and loved.

So I asked myself:  What kind of experience did the creation give Jesus Christ?  In Moses 1:35 (32-39) it says "all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them."  Not only does he KNOW his creations, He LOVES them!

In creating us and this world that we live on, He gave a purpose and a mission to His creations.  It then became His mission too: To bring immortality and eternal life to all men.  We were also created to show that even in the hard times and in our struggles and in our trials that we would love others and Him.  Jesus' experience with the creation also gave him knowledge and understanding.  Christ said, "My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee." (Abraham 2:8)  Despite having innumerable creations, we are still in His hands, and known to Him!

I trust that Jesus Christ has knowledge and understanding that I don't have.  It allows Him to instruct, guide, counsel, and love His creations.  I also have the very firm belief in my heart that through his miraculous atonement, that all of the bad things in life, somehow, in the end will be made right.  He can turn sorrow into joy.  He can turn bitter into sweet.  He can give back what was lost, and songs that haven't been sung will be sun.  If you're living through a moment that feels pretty terrible or disappointing, I trust that in the end he can make something wonderful out of something that seems so black or terrible.  So through pain, and through happy times, and through struggles, and through my weaknesses I know that He loves me, He can change me, He can help me to feel better.  He can make me a better person.

Is there a God?  I say YES!!!!!!!  He knows and loves us!

Merry Christmas (2012)

 We started off our holiday kick by a very special visit from Captain America (Paolo's friend: Matteo).  The boys had a lot of fun with their super hero visit.  They didn't know it was our friend.  They just thought they got a really cool visit.

 This was from our family Christmas party at uncle Ivo's and aunt Ivana's.  We were up way too late and the kids were a little off kilter the next.  Isabel got a doll for Christmas that she regularly gives hugs and kisses to.  The cutest thing I've ever seen!

Santa's little helpers

Santa's little helpers

 

Here we are trying out our new Christmas bikes at the park Giardini Margherita.  They had fun!

 It also happens to be cold, humid, and muddy everywhere!  Aaron didn't negotiate a corner too well and landed in this.  I didn't see it happen, I just noticed him cleaning his shoes off on the grass nearby.  After picking up the bike, I took a picture of the mud puddle.

 Jordan being silly as ever.

 Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Dad

 the 17th was Paolo's birthday.  The boys chose to make a Pirate Hat birthday cake.  To tell the truth it looked nothing like it when he finally got home from work.  It got tipped over multiple times and the white on the front was all a blur.  And then they put their fingers in it so many times....

 Our kids were REALLY excited to make a cake and wrap presents for daddy.  We love this man, and I'm a lucky woman to have him as a husband!

closing prayer

Today in church, the children did the program for sacrament meeting- the Primary Program.  Aaron got to say the closing prayer at the end of our services.  As he went up to the pulpit, one of his teachers tried to whisper what to say in his ear.  In a very loud and carrying voice he said "No!  I can do it myself!"

He then gave this prayer:

"Caro Padre Celeste, ti ringraziamo che siamo qui in chiesa.  Grazie per Babbo Natale che e` amico di tutti i bambini e ci porta dei regali!  Nel nome di Gesu` Cristo, Amen."

"Dear Heavenly Father.  We thank thee that we are here in church today.  Thank you for Santa Claus who is a friend to all the children and will bring us presents.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

And that was his prayer that he did all by himself!

boys verses girls

Aaron has started turning into a little boy over the last few days and weeks.  He's all of a sudden started using imaginative play, all the time.  Before it was usually lining up toys, or repetitive play and doing the same things.  Trying to enter into his play was stressful and painful and usually ended in tantrums (even made me want to throw a tantrum after a while of trying to play with him).  It was also just imitating things on TV.  Now it's like a little boy has exploded and he's a very willing participant in playing and pretending, and much more open to letting you in.

 This also includes him adopting new personalities and being them for a while.  Lately he's been Santa Claus.  He's been taping a paper mustache and beard to his face and been preparing presents for a while.  On Saturday he asked me to write this note and tape it to his door.

Translation:  This house belongs to Santa Claus.  But the Reindeer doesn't go in Santa's house.  The Reindeer go to their house to eat.  The little reindeer eats a small salami, cheese, and hot dog sandwich.  HO HO HO! Merry Christmas!

It turns out that Isabel is the little Reindeer and she's not invited into Aaron's/Santa Claus' house while he's playing.  I just had to smile and shake my head.  It warms me inside to see my little baby come out of his shell and turn into a real kid.  Merry Christmas to me!

picking olives

 Paolo's uncle has an olive tree in his yard that produced a lot of olives.  We picked the olives with Jordan's help and had lots of fun doing it.  I learned a few things about olives.  They are very bitter when you pick them and they are only good after being treated- with salt.

 We had 2 baskets!

 And Isabel managed to grab her yogurt while I was trying to get food to the boys, and man did she have fun!

Jordan wanted his picture taken too.  Silly kiddo.