First of all - we have 1:00 church. This is right in the middle of nap time for Hunter, and is when Gabe generally eats lunch - and when I get a nap out of him if I'm lucky (and most of the time I'm not). And for some reason having 1:00 church we are always late (although the last few weeks we've done better). It's like all morning long we think, "We don't have church until later - we have enough time to lay around in our jammies, eat a nice breakfast, rest, play, etc." And then suddenly - it's time to leave for church - and we're late! And in our ward if you aren't like 1/2 hour early - you sit in hard chairs in the back...or possibly in the hall!
Sacrament meeting is a struggle every week - but this week was one for the record-books. It was Ward Conference - so I was looking forward to hearing from our stake leaders. Our stake president is SO great - and I LOVE hearing his counsel. Anyway - Gabe is still working on the potty training (and if anyone has any advice - I'd love to hear it - we're not making much progress...) and at the beginning of the meeting announced to the entire ward that he needed to go potty (that kid is LOUD!). So Cory took him out to go, and then I took him a few minutes later and that continued..... Well - Sacrament Meeting is what - an hour and 10 minutes long? Gabe continued needing to go out FIVE different times. I'm proud to say he stayed dry through the meeting. I'm less happy to announce that I missed most of what was taught....
Taking our kids to church is one of those things I do hoping that blessings will come of it. I hope that someday our children will realize that even though it was difficult most weeks - we were there at church. I hope somewhere along the line they get something out of it all - but for now, that's yet to be seen...
Since it was Ward Conference they announced statistics for our ward. We have are the 2nd largest ward in our stake, and our primary is by far the largest in the stake (it's huge!) They said that there are SIXTY infants in the ward as of last week - that is children under the age of 18 months! That means in a year our nursery is going to be BURSTING at the seams! Wow!
And lastly, Gabe had a cough and couldn't go to nursery, so Cory took him and Hunter back home. I stayed and got to go to Relief Society - which I never get to do because I'm in the YW presidency. But the stake leaders taught our youth and I got to enjoy the Stake President's message in Relief Society. How wonderful it was to be spiritually fed by one of our leaders. I could feel of the love of our leaders, and more importantly my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. It was a touching meeting and I felt somewhat re-charged - more-so than normal.
Anyway - where is this post going (other than on and on....?) I just want to say how grateful I am for the gospel. Sure, it can be hard to get to church sometimes. There are weeks when the weather is gorgeous and we'd rather be out playing, or weeks when it seems easier to stay home with the kids than to fight them through the meetings. But I do know that is where we belong on Sunday. And I know that I have a HUGE responsibility to my kids to have them there, and to teach them how important the church, and the gospel is. I have a testimony of the gospel and I hope and pray that I can teach my children so they too can have a testimony of our Savior and His plan for us. I hope your Sunday was wonderful!
11 comments:
I'm with ya. I fell asleep in Sacrament Meeting at Jed & Laura's ward because I'm so used to trying to keep track of my crazy kid.
I didn't know that church could be so crazy. Taylor gets so tired by the end of priesthood.
This week, the elder's quorum sent down a substitute for sharing time so I could go to priesthood. N. is playing piano this summer in primary, so I took T. with me. There were two other dads with kids T's age, and the 3 of them were so funny.
I don't know where I'm going with this comment either... love you, P.
Laura usually is in charge of about 20-25 kids in nursery each week. I thought that was crazy!
This last 2 months, our ward has blessed 12 babies...
I couldn't tell you what one lesson was about yesterday- it wasn't Lucy's best day at church.
yet we keep going... it's very exciting to see Alli finally REALLY learning things in Primary. She loves to learn from the scriptures... and her sunbeam teacher is perfect! If nothing else, watching her learn is reward enough to get us all out of bed and ready for 9:00 church.
love ya - J.
There is a time and a season. Hang in there. Consistency is important. It may be hard to get more than just a good habit out of going to church when the kids are that little, but they do grow out of it and they do get something out of it as well. I'm so impressed with how much Lily is learning from her simple nursery lessons.
Our last ward was very similar. We had 60 kids under the age of 2 in one year as well. The nursery was split into four classes. We all just got used to the baby dance and the humdrum buzz in sacrament meeting. I appreciate that now as we are in a tiny branch with only two toddlers on a regular basis. Lily's little comments and whispers seem LOUD when it's just her. Ha! Fortunately my husband and I take turns with her so that both of us get a chance once in a while to hear a message.
As far as potty training goes. We're right there with you. I just haven't pushed it with her. If she feels like cooperating Great! But I'm not expecting great results until she's at least three anyway.
Don't get discouraged. Your kids might not be getting anything spiritual out of church yet, but the fact that you are going every week anyway will eventually rub off on them, and if nothing else they will realize that church is the place you go on Sunday no matter what, and eventually that will lead into the spiritual part. My kids are still young too, but they have started learning things in church now, and it's pretty exciting to hear what it is they get out of the meetings. (Still not always spiritual, but they do hear what is going on and that's a start, right?:) As far as the potty anouncements go, don't worry about it. Most people are either going through that stage, or already have with thier kids, and they understand. The only people it really bothers are the parents of the child doing the announcing. (At least that's what I tell myself:) You are doing great. I think you are such a great example to your kids, and to me. Thanks for being someone I look up to.
Our Sundays are not so pleasant either. I wish I could blame it on my two year old...unfortunately it's more of my 6 year old causing the problems, LOL. Three hours is a LONG time to hold still, be quiet and be reverent, no matter how old you are. We have 1:00 church too and that certainly doesn't help. I wonder when they'll get better? When the kids are in college perhaps? :0)
we must be on the same wavelength this week because this is exactly what i thought of at church this week. [i actually got a chance to think about anything since henry was home sick and i was blissfully, quietly alone.] anyway, our bishop posed the question in his talk "why do you come to church?" he even put the deacons on the spot and asked them why they came. sometimes it doesn't seem like there's much reason to go, like when Tyler is in the hall with an uncooperative Henry and I'm in the mother's lounge feeding, burping, and changing Jack. but there definitely is a power in church that you don't feel elsewhere.
We're at 1, also, and we have to start getting ready no later than 1130 or we're late...and the building is pretty much in our backyard. We'll be at 3 next year, which might actually work better for naps and lunch.
On the potty training thing, I have Henry in pullups when we go to church or run errands, though I'm starting to get braver and take him to different places in underwear. Every day that Henry has a completely dry day, he gets a new CARS matchobox car. Figure out would motivate Gabe. One of my friends gave her kid a new movie every time he pooped in the toilet. Unfortunately, as soon as she ran out of movies, he wasn't interested in the toilet anymore. Anyway, good luck!
Even if you don't feel like you are getting much out of church when the kids are small, you are showing them, by example, that church is important. You are setting the framework for a life of church activity. I still remember those days and know they are not easy, but I know that the Lord blesses you and your family for making the effort. It also brings a peace and a sense of direction to your weeks that few other things can. Hang in there!
By the way, I love these pictures of you and Cory and the boys! You're looking great! Have you lost weight again lately?
Mom
Our ward meets at 1:30 this year and I am looking forward to going bact to the AM schedule next year. I just tend to waste away my whole morning. Now that Clayne is up on the stands my kids are naughtier than ever - no it doesn't become easier when they get older - at least not for our family. Hang in there I tell myself and you hang in there too.
Was it Elder Ballard in the last conference who talked about how he had been on the stand thru all the kids being little and then he was released and his wife had to be on the stand for a program? It was so funny. He said the cheerios got away from him and that was embarrassing and he had hand puppets on every finger and they weren't working and something else and he glanced up at his wife and she was grinning from ear to ear.
You know, We're in our fifties and there are still times one or the other of us wonders why we get up in the middle of the night and spend 7 to 8 hours traveling and sitting in meetings and in church. We are not the most reverent family in the ward and we sit on the side in the very front row. Brian is known as the "Candy Man" and kids are always hunting him down for Jolly Ranchers.
When I question our reverence or what he gained out of sleeping thru the talks, My wise husband always has the answer..... 1. We are there to partake of the sacrament. That is first and foremost the entire reason for the day.
2. We are there to form bonds with our ward family - and that can't always be done in a reverent fashion. Our ward is very noisy, but we love each other SO MUCH.
********************************
I so struggled with Blake when he was young. For him to sit thru Junior Sunday School, a member of the bishopric and a member of the sunday school presidency sat on each side of him and literally held him on his seat.
If there couldn't be 2 of them there, the next place we found him was under my feet pushing the pedals of the piano as I tried to play.
But by the age of 3 he could recognize every modern day prophet of the church, and although he held Alicia onto the actual floor of the baptismal font (to be sure she was really baptized??? ) - there was something so deep inside me that stirred to see my son using his priesthood. Worth waiting for and working towards - - It takes your breath away.
And as someone who didn't go to church for a long time and who now is too sick to go every week, I can tell you, it is so built in to who we are as a family and as individuals, that we have to be there. I miss the sacrament SOooo much - the talks I admit bore me, alot, but sometimes, when I go I get to eat Jolly Ranchers and I regulate the "crane pecking" and "ostrich attacks" and "monkey bites and monkey punches" so that keeps me awake.
We have a lot of disabled in our ward who make awkward noises and commotions so nobody notices the kids. For so long, we didn't have any babies in our ward and now that we have some, we love to hear their cute little voices announcing that they have to go potty or that Daddy farted or something. I always tell young mothers that we older members enjoy hearing their children and they don't believe it, be we do.
We were looking at a piece of property next door to the church to buy and build on, but we knew we would be late for every meeting and function. We get to church 90 minutes BEFORE it starts. and you would be surprised how many times stuff comes up and one of us rushes in at the last minute out of breath.
ALSO - read Robert Farrell's books about chair sitters and bench sitters. We draw blood if someone takes our bench - and yes, one of the reasons we get to church 90 minutes early is so no one sits in OUR bench.
Cut yourself some slack - it isn't you or the boys or Cory, it is just human nature.
PS - I love you. Aunt Charlotte
Joanna, you look so great in this picture! Love these shots.
Post a Comment