Fasting for Relief

President Nelson Fast Pray for Relief of Covid 19

Today, Levi and I as well as Clairana and Nephi are fasting. The prophet asked us to fast for specific purpose today and we are combining our prayers with others around the world for all the health care workers and for all those suffering that our world may be healed. 

We will give the money that we would have used on food today or what we feel is appropriate for our family to support the case. 

We are in the middle of our fast right now. We will fast for 24 hours. 

Clairana and Nephi are doing amazing and I am so very proud of them and the example they are setting. We will end our fast tonight over dinner with heart felt prayers. 

The last time the church addressed a specific need of a fast was for famine victims in Ethiopia...

 Latter-day Saints in the United States and Canada participate in a special fast on January 27, 1985. All donations from that day would then be dedicated toward assisting famine victims.

The response was overwhelming. In fact, Church members donated an astonishing $6.4 million on that single day.

https://www.ldsliving.com/Elder-Ballard-s-Miraculous-Trip-to-Ethiopia-the-Beginning-of-LDS-Charities/s/80514

**As a church we fast for 24 hours on the first Sunday of every month but never for a specific worldwide need. Most times we fast for our own personal families or those very close to us and then during our church meetings we bear our testimony of the gospel. 

Our Favorite Neighbors are HOME!

Jack and Jane (Levi's grandparents) made it HOME! 

They are snowbirds and go to Florida during the winter. 

They came home early this year but we are happy to know they are close during this mess.

We will not be seeing them for a couple weeks. 

I sat the kids down to explain to them a few days ago how important it was to keep them healthy and away from germs. 

We look forward to smothering them with love sometime soon. 

Sorority Room

It started a few weeks ago, we have been planning to change the garage into a girl's room for a little while now. We don't have a vehicle small enough to fit in the garage and for us we could use the space for living instead. 

We are all SO excited. The girls are excited for a new room, Nephi is excited for his own bedroom, I am excite for an office/homeschooling room. 

Our garage is thankfully already partially finished and a beautiful big space so more pictures coming soon!

It has been awfully raining here the past few days but it has been nice to have a project that everyone can semi help with. Of course we all know that Levi does all the magic but we all stand by begging to help with anything. 

New Windows!

First Wall Built

May you never know another bedroom.....Cecily Edithe. 

Life Around Here

We have been building birdhouses for a few sweet people during this time. Levi had an idea to draw adorable little ladybugs on one of them. 

Clairana and Cecily begging to start it up for a ride. 

I put this on my phone. No need to add to my anxiety I should be reading instead. 

This is how we feel about quarantine life. Eat the whole block of cheese. 

 We did read a bunch of books and made green cookies to celebrate St. Patrick's day.

Clairana and her new birdhouse she designed. 

My extra early morning reader. Her lessons keep getting earlier and earlier......

Newest Reader - Coraline

This is what mornings look like around here. I wake up and study my scriptures and this one always joins me bright and early insisting on doing her reading lesson. 

My Favorite Mail Day

The new yearly blog book arrived - although this last year I must have posted more than usual because I had to do two separate books. 

I am so thankful I started this journey 10 years ago, it has been lots of effort but when the kids look at the books and remember it makes it worth it. 

Random

I needed a laugh...

Nature Walks/Current Journey

I will say my moments of being loneliness are coming around.

 I will continue to keep us at home and cancel plans for everyone's safety. The only person we see from the 'outside world' is Levi and the mailman from a distance. 

Even if it is an over caution, I would rather stand on the side of caution just in case. I would never be able to handle the sadness if we did end up getting someone else sick or if I got one of my children sick because we wanted to meet up with others. 

We will see everyone again. Even if it will be summer. 

At least, we will be completely schooled up to take lots of time off.

On that note, I think we need to get an in-ground pool around here.  

It is strange really but as homeschoolers we are together all the time at home which isn't the difficult part in all this ... but we also enjoy the great freedom of meeting up with friends/friends whenever we want. 

We miss our little homeschooling tribe and I miss all the mamas too.  

Yesterday, it was raining but we had already decided it would be a science journal day. 

May I remember all the whistling going on right now.....

Our little Baby Bear

Looked back and caught Cabella drawing in her journal.
Little Homeschooler. 

Clairana and Levi made this birdhouse and within minutes a bird has already called it home.

My girlfriend from Arizona (she is now in Washington state) sent this to me late last night. 

Cecily Edithe

Levi took this photo the other night while I was away at a church meeting. 

She went and got a stool and started drawing on the board. 

CC Life

Our last two weeks of CC have been great and Cecily now happily leaves me for nursery. Bella is a rockstar big sister to her. Coraline and I get lots of bonding time together. Clairana and Nephi get to learn from someone else and watch their independence take off. 

Right now we are waiting to see if we will finish the year on our normal schedule due to the virus. 

We only have three weeks left to meet.

Lydia, Coraline, & Emma

Bridge Building and Testing for Weight

Micah, Liam, Alyssa (Liam's mama) & Felicity
ooh and Coraline peeking in the back. 

Trying to keep new memory work exciting. 

Latin Learning with Puppets and Marching

Clairana's presentation

She is a natural at speaking and giving instructions on how to do something.

Sums up my class pretty well - Coraline all giggles, Temi is crazy and my love for him is crazy, and Micah is sweet and gentle.

Building Towers

Nephi and Jeremy building a tower to see who could build the tallest one.

Corona Virus - Quarantined

I am sure I will post more on this at a later time but for now we are all healthy and staying home except for Levi who still reports to work. We are no longer meeting for church or any church functions. Thankfully, besides not meeting for church and Wednesday night activities our children have not noticed much change. 

We naturally have always been advised by the church to make our homes ready for an emergency. 

We have food storage and medicine and most all the things. It is such a huge blessing to be in our home which is private from most all people and we have land to let out our cabin fever feeling when needed. 

I am not nervous but cautious I have cancelled appointments that didn't seem worth it to go out such as the girl's hair appointments today and Levi had a dentist appointment in Indianapolis that he cancelled. 

I am thankful that we do homeschool and I am a stay at home parent. We will continue our studies as normal and maybe even more so now that it is snowing again and why not.  

I am off to break out the Easter/Spring books and add them to the reading nook.

The spirit is strong in our home and I am very thankful for that. 

Tomorrow, Levi will bless and pass the Sacrament for our family, I am thankful that we do not need to meet in a church building to feel the blessings of the priesthood and to renew our covenant with our Heavenly Father. 

Bella and I making Elderberry Syrup

I had one last church meeting on Thursday night before the big announcement of not meeting anymore so while I was away Levi sent me these pictures. 

Garner Family

Cabella the Newest Bee Lover. 

We had Bishop and his family over for dinner and a tour of the bees. 

They have seven children but only two left living at home. Their baby Klairr is 11.

Jodi recognized my maiden name on our temple record which is framed on the wall and decided we should use our church app to see if we were related. Sure Enough! We are 10th cousins. How Fun. With the app it scans everyone's tree around you and pops up if you have a connection. Technology is amazing. 

Jodi and her son, Corttin

Just Life Around Here.....

Ready to Go! 

Cecily is blowing kisses now and waves to everyone but mostly Levi. She waves to him even when he leaves the room. 

Clairana, Nephi, and Coraline were ask to participate in a small group of kids that will sing this week during Sacrament meeting. They have been practicing after church the past few weeks. 

They are singing The Miracle. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ2djzQ9J64 

Here it is. 

During our monthly 4H meeting they did an impromptu play. It was super cute. 

I have been so impressed with Coraline during these meetings she has followed along so well in participating with everything. 

It is always so neat to watch a little toddler turn into a kid. And maybe a little bit sad too. 

Clairana & Coraline 

Nephi