Halloween Stuff

Halloween seemed to come up real fast this year.  I still haven't even gotten a few pumpkins for the boys who want to carve them!  But my friend, Linda McAllister, helped me get into the spirit of things, just a little, by asking Hyrum and I to go door bell ditching with her.

Her and Hyrum were in church a few Sundays back, when door bell ditching was brought up.  To door bell ditch, you leave something nice on someone's door step, ring the door bell or knock, and then run off.  It's real fun to do around the holidays because then you can base the treat off of that holiday.  Linda wrote on the treat bag tag, "It's not a trick just a treat."

I love having friends who will do little things like this to serve our neighbors.

 Yesterday, Ruger's daycare/preschool went to a pumpkin patch.  Hyrum wanted to go as well.

 Spartan Soldier

 "Blue Batman" as Ruger calls it.

It is fun watching Ruger with other kids.  He tends to be the leader or a friend that they just want to be around.  Later that night was our ward's trunk or treat.  Ruger was with 2 older kids, at one point, and had to go to the bathroom.  Those older boys waited outside by the door until Ruger came back (and you know Ruger...he got distracted and started running down the halls.  By the time we corralled him back to got out side where the boys were, a good 10 minutes had passed!).  Those boys were still waiting on him!  My point?  Ruger makes friends real easy and he makes an impression.

Hyrum, on the other hand, has really struggled with the friend situation since being here in Oklahoma.  He had his own little group while we lived in Washington Terrace and most of them were friends that I saw often.  It has been so hard not seeing the same thing happen here for Hyrum.  So to see Hyrum with this boy last night at the trunk or treat was what this Momma has been wanting to see for a whole year now.

Church History Sites in Missouri

A picture overload follows but I just had to share all of it.  I don't want to forget this trip!

We had been planning this trip for while and originally Dad and Mom were planning on taking Ruger while we visited as many Church history sites as possible.  We knew the 6 hour drive (it took that long because of dropping off Ruger) wouldn't be the most fun for Ruger (or us!) but mostly, we knew that there would be a lot of places that we were going that we would need to be quiet at.  Quiet and Ruger do not go together!

But just before we were to leave, Mom found out that she had strep throat.  So my sister, Amanda, and her family took Ruger for the weekend.  Having family that you can count on means so very much.  I can say with all honesty that giving of ourselves is one of the best traits that my side of the family has.  I really hope the boys catch on to that spirit of things.  

 Anyways, when we got to the Kansas City area we dropped off David and Hyrum at the hotel while Levi, Brigham, and I went and did baptisms for the dead for our ancestors.

 While we were in the temple and waiting for our turn, Brigham asked me, "Mom, why are you so proud of us when we go to the temple?"  I tried my best to explain my feelings.  I wanted him to know that it was more that I was so happy to know that they were a part of helping their ancestors.  That I really truly believe that if we help our ancestors that they will in turn help us while here on Earth.  That we were in this together as an eternal family.

 On the way home, we almost got in a serious wreck.  And just before we left for Kansas City, someone backed up into our van.  And Mom got sick.  I think it is safe to say that the adversary did not want us at the temple that night.  I said a few prayers that night to Heavenly Father thanking Him for letting this trip happen for our family. 

On Saturday, we had to try to get to as many sites as possible.  It was the only full day that we had on this trip. I have been to Liberty Jail a few times but this was my first time with my boys.  

 We went to the Independence Visitor's Center.  It has changed a lot since I went as a youth.  It was very informative as it kind of took you back in time.

You can't tell, but in this picture David, Levi, Brigham, and Hyrum are each standing next to the stones placed for where the temple will one day stand.  It is a dedicated temple lot in Independence, Missouri.

 This site was the most special to me and I'm pretty sure to David as well.  I had never been to this area.  It is where Zions camp was before the big storm came that stopped the men in this camp from having to go to battle.  It is where Joseph Smith said that, "God is in this storm."

Levi's namesake was a part of this Zions camp.  I have always known that.  But I didn't realize that Hyrum and Brigham's were as well.

This will explain it better:

"The Lord directed Joseph Smith to lead a group of faithful Saints to aid Church members "scattered on the land of Zion"  as a result of mob violence in Jackson County, Missouri. A company of about 200 volunteers known as Zion's Camp departed Kirtland, Ohio, in May 1834 on this rescue mission.

On June, 19 the company arrived between the east and west forks of the Fishing River just north of Jackson County. A large mob intent on destroying Zion's Camp gathered on the other side of the river. The attack was prevented when a fierce storm swept the area and the river quickly rose more than 30 feet, turning the mob away. Joseph declared, "God is in this storm." 

Several days later, the Prophet received a revelation at the Fishing River, wherein the Lord declared that the time for redeeming Zion had not arrived. He explained that Zion's Camp had been "brought thus far for a trial of their faith." The company was formally discharged on July 3, 1834.

Future apostles and prophets, including Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff, participated in Zion's Camp. Joseph observed that these leaders "had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham." The experience also helped prepare those who eventually directed the 1847 exodus to Salt Lake City."

Alisa Rene' Adams

My name is Alisa Rene' Adams.

I am a daughter of an Eternal God.

I am the sister of the Savior of this world.

The Holy Ghost is my friend.

I am the wife of a loving man.

I am the mother of 4 good boys.

I am a daughter, grand-daughter, niece, sister and aunt to those I love.

I am the friend to many.

I pray I am the instrument that is needed in all of their lives.

I hope I am enough to return to where I belong.  

I pray for happiness and hope for strength.

This is who I am.

The Bible Tour

After going to the TobyMac concert that was at Frontier City, I told Hyrum that I would take him to Christian concerts every now and then.  After seeing him spiritually react the way that he did to the TobyMac concert, I knew that he needed it.  And I think it is only fair.  Every Saturday night, David and the older boys watch a PG-13 movie while Ruger sleeps and Hyrum and I go into Mom and Dad's room and watch some silly show that Hyrum has picked out.  But sometimes David and the older boy's choice of movie is in the theater.  So I think this concert deal is perfect!

 Well, I heard on the radio about this Bible Tour that was coming to a church in Yukon.  

 The performers were Matt Maher, Natalie Grant, Daniel and Harvest Bashta, Andrew Peterson, and Steven Malcolm.  

 They performed while pictures from the movie "The Bible" was playing in the background.

It was a little loud for Hyurm but we got smart about halfway through the concert and moved all the way to the very top row.  After that, our insides didn't feel like they were shaking anymore!

Hyrum didn't outwardly show the same reaction as the TobyMac concert but after this concert he told me that by the second song, he was feeling emotional.  I just love this sensitive boy of mine!

October 2018 General Conference

This past weekend was General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

 With new revelations comes changes.  I have never been good with changes.  Not even good ones.  I usually use the example of Rexburg, Idaho in these cases to prove how bad I am at good change.

 I went to Ricks College (before it changed into BYU-Idaho) and it changed my life spiritually.  I am in love with Idaho, to this day, because of it.  So, after graduating from Ricks College and having to leave that wonderful place, you would think I would do anything to get back there, right?  And in words, I would!  David applied just after we first got married and got accepted (we were living in Utah at the time) to BYU-Idaho.  But all of a sudden I had to talk myself out of telling David all the reasons we should NOT move to Idaho.  Yes, that is how bad I am with change.

So, new good changes were made at conference and I was nervous.  So much so, that I had David give me a blessing because I knew these new changes would require more from me than anyone out of my family.

But I am doing it and hope to continue to do so.

 Before I go into one of the things that I have learned, I wanted to share this picture.  It goes perfectly and our family got it just in time for this post.  A while ago, my neighbor gave this tree to our family.  It is made of wire that came out of the temple.  The temple that David and I were married in.  The temple, that now David is working in restoring.  So this little tree means a lot to me.

A few days later, I thought I would ask a friend from church to make me a pot to put it in.  When she came back with her work of art, I almost felt guilty with having David glue this tree in and then cover it with the sand and shells that we took from our vacation at Dauphin Island, Alabama.  The inside of it is beautiful!

I love this tree so much.  It tells a story of our time here in Oklahoma.

It also makes me think of the Tree of Life, spoken of in The Book of Mormon.

So when President Nelson asked us to read The Book of Mormon by the end of this year, I started on it that night.  Just within a few pages of beginning it, is the story of the Tree of Life.

It hit me hard as felt it described my life and so many other people that I know who try hard to follow Christ through many trials.

1 Nephi 8:5-12

5 And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.

6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.

7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.

12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy

There are some people who know suffering for the majority of their lives even when following Christ.  They know joy here and there but as much as they pray for it to go away, the depression or illness or loneliness or whatever it is that they suffer from just doesn't go away wholly.

And the hard part to accept from this is that it won't until they leave this life.   And they have to live this life just having faith in that very realization.  

But they also have joy in that very realization.

Shoulder Surgery

I've been wanting to journal about this for a while now but 1) life happens and 2) every time I try to scan David's pictures it doesn't work.  So I give up on the pictures and will just tape in the pictures when I print out this book.

The rotator cuff surgery went well.  The tear was bad and as the doctor said, if he would have given it 6 more months or so, it would have completely torn off.  It really was just barely hanging on there.  The surgery and recovery has been inconvenient but I can't imagine how inconvenient it would have been a few months down the road when he would have had a much more serious surgery to repair it.  

David has been faithful in doing and going to physical therapy.  He is healing nicely.  There is a lot that David can not do now but the boys are picking up the slack around here.  David even has extra help around the job site from hired employees.

I'm truly grateful that this has gone as smoothly as it has.