make the most of

My visiting teachers brought by a cute message this month with some m&m's. The message was about making the most of General conference and gave some tips on how to do it. I really liked the message and was excited to do it. Then Conference began today. I guess I had envisioned my boys quietly playing on the floor while I watched and wrote notes. Brent was gone at school/work, Chico was grumpy, and Grizwald was full of energy as always. I realized after getting frustrated that it was no big deal, this is my season with my little ones. I can always re-listen to conference later. When they're asleep I can make the most of my quiet time by not being idle and instead doing things that matter most. And when they're awake, I need to make the most of my moments with them. Because someday these moments will be a distant memory and I'll only vaguely remember how right now, anything Chico does Grizwald wants to do even if it makes things a little cramped...

and I'll hardly remember that the reason I find this next picture so cute is because it is just so Grizwald. He always has something in his hands, walks around with curiosity and a desire to enjoy life and explore what things do and figure out how he can best play with it.  And his outfit, lol, the majority of my kids's wardrobe are hand-me-downs and for me, that's okay, it's just not a priority in my life to have us looking put together all the time.  I may get judged for it but I don't care. :)  Anyway, baggy pants and a onesie. That's so him right now.

While I'm writing, I've got to try to write down the sweet moment we had in family prayer last night. Chico normally says the same prayer every day unless we whisper different words for him to say. We've stopped doing that for the past while to let him decide on his own and do it when he's ready.  So last night for scriptures (which Brent was actually home for, wahoo!) we talked about how the Lord is ready to receive us into his house, we just need to enter in at the gate and he will be there and wants us to come and that if we live righteously now, someday we can live with the Lord in his really really big house. 

So then Chico said the prayer and instead of saying his one line ("thank you that Daddy's been safe") he said, "thank you that we can go through the gate and be at Jesus's house..." and he said one or two other things that were related that I couldn't understand or can't remember.  I felt the spirit from my sweet three year old and I felt like he did too because then he said after he finished, "Did that make Jesus happy?" and we told him how much Jesus loved it. And then he asked if Jesus loved that he closed his eyes. We assured him that Jesus always loves him no matter what but that we're sure Jesus was happy that he closed his eyes. And then he started asking about things Jesus loves for a bit after that.

It was just one of those nights where I felt like all those scripture times where I felt like I wasn't accomplishing anything actually WERE contributing and that bit by bit my son is learning and understanding and growing.  Consistency really helps and I need to remember that.