OK that was so fun I love posting photos hope you like them. Kind of gets you up to date at what we have been doing for the last month or so. I have not had a lot of time to get on the computer and just look around. I can spend hours looking at all the families blogs it is so much fun to see what everyone is doing. All the cousins and every thing. We have had a fun week with Sabrina and Katie staying with us The girls are all sleeping in Grandpa Macs room all together; they think that is so cool.

I had a thought on Sunday this week that I have been meaning to share. It is one of those thoughts that come to me when I am least expecting them.

Sunday morning I woke up in a not so good mood as has been the normal for me lately when it comes to 9am church. The last few weeks I have not made it to church because of a birth. Ray was really excited not have to get the kids ready by himself and to get to go to church as a family. Any way I was in a really not so nice mood and I picked a fight with my husband. (I know hard to believe) I wanted to stay in bed longer. So I told him I did not need as much time to get the kids ready as he did because I am Supper Mom. (or something to that affect.) Lets just say it was not the best spirit in my home that morning but we were able to get to church on time. Then I realized it was Fast Sunday and well that kind of annoyed me to.
Just as sacrament meeting is about to start my phone rings (I have to keep it on at church in case I get called to a birth)It was my dad, he needs a ride to the church for a meeting. I am really excited that I get to miss some of the meeting, so I jump at the chance to go.
OK I know you are thinking that I am really an awful person right now not wanting to be a church with my family.This is why am telling you this story.
I get my dad but my mom needs to get the car they left at my house the night before. So I am thinking cool I might miss all of Sacrament meeting. I take my dad to the church and my mom up to my house. We decide to take a look at the flower boxes I planted because my husband told my mom that they were not doing so well (thanks Honey another excuse not to get back to the church) My mom is looking at my flower boxes and says" are you watering these?"
and I say "yes"
She says "well they need water that is whats wrong with them."
and I say " I have been giving them water regularly" a little annoyed at her for thinking I can't water flowers ( really we are talking a chore a 4 year old can do.)So I proceed to show her that I do know what I am doing and start watering the flowers.
My mom says" OK if that is all you are doing it is not good enough you need to be getting the routes all the way at the bottom of the box. If this is going to work; if you want them to service you really have to give them water until it is coming out of the bottom of the box." and she proceeds to what looks like drowned my flowers with lots of water.
You see were my house sits we have great southern light and lots of pretty steady wind. This really sucks the moister out of the soil.
So this is the thought that came to me.
My life and testimony is like my flower boxes if you look at them from a far off
they are quite pretty, but if you look close they are struggling not reaching there full potential.
As is with my life and testimony, I guess I thought I am doing enough. We go to church, We are well religious about family prayer in the evening, I even have about 40% OK maybe 30% visiting teaching record. I feed the missionary 2-3 times a month, my kids listen to the primary songs,and my husband and I are temple recommend holders. I mean we look the part. But then why was I so excited to get out of going to church. And what was up with my attitude that morning.
It accord to me that I am treating my testimony like I was treating my flower boxes I was just doing the bare minimal that is required of me. I am not doing any thing to really sock the routes of my testimony. It was quite a wake up call. There is so much more I could be doing.
We spend a lot of time as a family, but we do not have weekly family home evenings with a lesson. We say family prayers but not couple prayers, and we have stooped reading the scriptures on a regular bases. not to say that we never do these things but they are few and far between.
So I am having these thoughts as I get back to church in time for a few more testimonies and a woman in our ward stood up and told an interesting story.

She walked by a stack of about 2000 paper bags that were sitting an her porch for the u-pick farm her family is running for her parents while they are on there mission and she thinks I should move those. but she doesn't and she walks by them all day with the same thought and not a cloud in the sky. But then as it some times does in our area it rained that night. Not all of the bags were ruined but a lot were. What she said next is what touched me most.
It is not enough to know what you are spouse to do if you don't do it.
Wow was heavenly father talking to me that day or what. So needless to say I am making a new commitment to excellence because our heavenly father wants us to reach our potential.