Summer Reads, Gospel Picture Study, and Tonto Natural Bridge

"Children don't stumble onto good books themselves. They must be introduced to the wonder of words put together in such a way that they spin out pure joy and magic."

~Gladys Hunt

We finally found a terrific way to hold our morning devotional.  Even the little ones can participate in our Gospel Picture Study, using the Gospel Art Picture Kit for the life of Christ.  While the kids are eating breakfast (mouths full : ), I read the back of a picture and they "Look and Listen."  Then, I ask them to close their eyes and tell me EVERY little detail they remember from the picture and the story.  We repeat each picture for three days in a row.  We are all RETAINING the scripture stories better, Mom included!  Then, on Sunday, we mix all the pictures up on the floor and create a Timeline.

In Elder Neil L. Andersen's talk titled Tell Me the Stories of Jesus he says,

"The stories of Jesus can be like a rushing wind across the embers of faith in the hearts of our children. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The stories of Jesus shared over and over bring faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strength to the foundation of testimony. Can you think of a more valuable gift for our children?

Are the life and teachings of Jesus Christ embedded in the minds and souls of our children? Do they think about the Savior’s life when they wonder what to do in their own lives? This will be more and more important in the years ahead." 

To top it off, we use our Memorize Board  www.gomemorize.com, so we consistently SEE the picture and the scripture as we pass by this wall in the family room.  Love it!  

September Friday Family Field Trip

Ahhh.... enjoying the view!

Love these boys :-)

The twins turned 9 this summer.  I am amazed at the little gentlemen they are becoming.  They had a very grown up family birthday this year (friend party every other year).  Birthdays at our house start with a special birthday breakfast (they chose French Toast drizzled with maple syrup and fruit) and a special reading of our traditional birthday book Hooray For You!

The Story of Carl:
We spent a few fun hours exploring at the Arizona Science Center and Planetarium.

On the way out to the parking lot, we were approached by a nice man named Carl who was out of work and living on the street.  We didn't have any small bills to give him, but the twins insisted that after we paid for our parking, we would give Carl the $5 in change and they would pay us back from their own money.  On the drive home, the twins said they prayed that Carl would find work soon and that giving the money to Carl was the best part of their birthday. 

(grateful for those tender experiences that just can't be planned)

We finished the evening with yummy Mexican food and fried Ice Cream!