Magical Painting Sunday Afternoon

On Saturday our ward's primary volunteered to host a primary activity about the temple at the stake center adjascent to the temple.  While the children learned about the temple, the adults got to attend a session.  What a great service!!  It was great to get to go and ponder life with my husband while I was not stressed about my children. 

Saturday morning was a strain.  Joren's behavior was sapping all my goodness out of me.  I insisted that the kids play outside for a while and I got out my best parenting book called "5 Spiritual Solutions" and re-read a chapter I had previously loved, then I asked the Lord to help me be more patient and loving to my kids.  At the end of the chapter there was a suggestion that sometimes we have to ask for the help of the members of our ward or our families and friends to teach our children the lessons they might not learn from us.  I asked the Lord to help Joren respond to someone at the primary activity.  As we were having potluck dinner after the session a sister came up to me and told me how much she loved my children, how they are angel children.  She said each Sunday she can't wait to hear the things that Joren says.  She got a tear in her eye as she talked about how special they are.  She told how as the kids were walking around the temple Joren was really cold and Eirik took off his sweater so he was wearing only a white shirt and put it on Joren so Joren would have two sweaters.  I feel she was guided to share that with me in answer to my prayer because I did look at my children with more love after her kind words.  I asked Joren later how much he believed in God, a tiny bit, a little bit, a lot, or a whole lot.  He has been telling me for weeks that God is not real, but today he said, a little bit so I take that as an improvement.
After the kids had been indulged in quite a bit of TV time on Saturday I told them there would be no TV on Sunday and we brainstormed a lot of activities we could do to fill up our whole big Sunday.  It was a great precursor to a wonderful Sunday afternoon.  After a lunch, we got out the paints and my boys painted with me for over 3 hours.  They were self motivated and so creative.  Everyone was so nice and fun to be with.  We had a great time!  I think it was the first time I have actually worked on my own painting with my children and I am really excited about the progress!  Then we all went out in the dark and had a late night (5:30pm) walk around the neighborhood.  Grosse Ile has no street lights and it is a magical place at night.  We are always uplifted when we get outside for a walk.  Now that it is getting colder, we have missed more days and I think it is worth getting out there even if it is really cold because we all come home so refreshed. 

We are loving reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories together at night.  We are reading "Life in the Big Woods"  What a great book!!  I hope my kids really pick up the values in these books.  They resonate with me in such a big way.