We love bath time!

Abraham has a bath every night. Usually after about twenty minutes of playing in the bath, he wants to get out. The other night, however, he wanted to stay and play in there all night! We put his toys away, and let the water drain out, but he was just happy as a clam sitting on the bottom of the tub! So, I took some pictures.

It took a lot of convincing, but he did finally get out!

A Refuge from the World

The temple has been on my mind. The HBO series “Big Love” aired an episode last week that depicted parts of the temple ceremony. I wrote HBO a letter, asking them to respect what others hold sacred. If I'd given it more time and thought, I may not have—I hope I didn't add fuel to the fire.

But speaking of fire, I really felt upset over this. The temple means so much to me. It is a vital sanctuary for me. A conduit to heaven, free from all of the many worldly conduits outside those walls. There are no cell phones, iPods, computers, TVs, or even books (aside from the scriptural canon) to distract our minds and hearts inside God’s fortress. Revelation flows freely in the temple, and the most important revelations of my life have taken place therein. The temple is a necessary part of mine and Ariel’s weekly routine. I am attached to the light and knowledge gained in the house of the Lord.

The world may mock God and His truths, but eventually their knees will bow and their tongues will confess. The best reaction is to keep the work rolling forward through work for the dead, preaching the gospel, and perfecting the saints. Here's a good Nibley quote that articulates the correct reaction to all this.

“Even though everyone may discover what goes on in the temple, and many have already revealed it, the important thing is that I do not reveal these things; they must remain sacred to me. I must preserve a zone of sanctity which cannot be violated whether or not anyone else in the room has the remotest idea what the situation really is. for all my covenants are between me and my Heavenly Father, all others being present only as witnesses. . . .No matter what happens, it will, then, always remain secret; only I know exactly the weight and force of the covenants I have made — I and the Lord with whom I have made them — unless I choose to reveal them. If I do not, then they are secret and sacred no matter what others may say or do. Anyone who would reveal these things has not understood them, and therefore that person has not given them away. You cannot reveal what you do not know!” — “Return to the Temple”, Temple and Cosmos (Deseret Book/FARMS, 1992), pp. 64-65

Another reason the temple has been on my mind is the Draper temple dedication that took place today. It is wonderful to see temples erected for the eternal benefit of the living and the dead. The temple, although a work for the dead, is a lively work that builds bridges between this world and the next, bringing all closer to Christ.

Heavenly Father is so merciful to us by giving us a place where worthy members can sit at His feet and learn. I cannot imagine leaving initiatories, an endowment session, or sealings with any doubt that God lives and that Joseph Smith restored the fullness of the gospel.

I am grateful beyond words to know that I am sealed to my parents, siblings, parents in-law, siblings in-law, and most of all to my wife and baby. I know that the sacred sealing power of the Atonement, only accessible in the temple with the priesthood, can seal us as families, and seal us to Him. Knowing I can live with the two pictured below keeps me whistling while I work pretty much every day.

I could be the last believer on earth and would not deny what I know.

A bit about Abe

I think it's been a while since I just wrote about Abe and what he's up to, so here are a few details about our little 8.5 month old.
-Abe has new big-boy tennis shoes
-BECAUSE he has started taking steps by himself
-He moves so fast, it will probably be a while before he slows down enough to really balance
-He is learning a bit of sign language
-He really only knows the sign for "milk," but he's really good at it
-In order to affirm that he knows the sign, and that I respect what he asks for (because I can't explain to him "not right now"), I end up feeding him in some very strange places
-While nursing, he feels most comfortable if he's playing with my face or hair (eyelashes and eyebrows are preferred)
-Abe weighs over 20 lbs
-He has a lot of energy
-He LOVES being outside
-If he can't be outside, looking out the window is the next best thing
-His favorite toys consist of phones, computers, and cameras
-He thinks he's too old for Cheerios (they're not as good as salty crackers)
-The same satisfaction he used to get from feeding himself, he now gets from taking food off his tongue, squeezing it in his fingers, and throwing it on the floor (it's especially satisfying if he gets to watch me pick it up again)
-He doesn't like juice
-Or anything sweet (even candy-we'll see how long that lasts!)
-His favorite foods are probably carrots, celery, apples and broccoli
-He never really took from a bottle, but is great with a sippy cup
-Besides nursing, he only drinks water
-He doesn't understand what shaking or nodding your head means (he just thinks it's a fun thing to mimic)
-He falls down a lot
-He loves going down the slide
-And eating dirt
-He's definitely a daddy's boy


-He loves his grandparents and his aunts and uncles
-He loves putting his hand in cups and splashing the water in the bottom
-And pulling the books off the bookshelf
-He loves bouncing- in his bouncer, or just all the time. His legs are little springs
-Abe is sick right now
-He does NOT like getting his nose wiped, poor guy
-He wakes up early, and with a lot of energy
-He still sleeps in our bed
-And likes to sleep with his arm around me
-He has tons of energy
-He doesn't like playing by himself very much
-He has six teeth- four on top and two on bottom
-Abe has a few hairs on top of his head that are very long, and he has one hair on the right side of his head that's about an inch long. Other than that, his hair's pretty short. But I think it's growing.
-He has been army crawling for about four months. Just now (when he's also learning to walk), he's started to pick himself up on his knees.
-His favorite game is peek-a-boo
-He is learning all about how drawers work (and doors and cupboards)
All together, he is a charming boy, and a joy to be around! I consider myself the luckiest mom in the world, because I'm the only one who gets to be with Abe all day long! My favorite times are when we just look at each other and laugh for no reason. We really get along great. I love my little Abey-baby

Sufficient Grace

Christ’s grace is sufficient. I’ve known this, and experienced the great grace many times. This week led to one more confirmation.
I’ve been sick this week, sick with stress. With accounting midterms, country analysis presentations, budgeting and HR papers piled on top of life-altering internship decisions, my body has reacted, and reacted poorly. I’ve had a fever, aches in my joints, headaches, and a stuffy nose as the icing on the cake. What has carried me through this stressful, critical week amid these physical ailments? Prayer, priesthood, and the love of a dear, sweet wife.
I literally felt a quickening in my body when I needed it this week. During the test, for example, my mind was alert, and sharp enough to get a good grade—something I wouldn’t have expected under the best of circumstances. During my presentation on Cambodia, I stood and presented confidently, and didn’t feel the effects of the sickness. During my interview this week I felt composed and ready to answer the interviewer’s questions. Almost always before and after these events I felt terrible. But of more importance, before and after these events Ariel was at my side, and so was the power of prayer and priesthood. She gave me medicine and I prayed for relief from my headache; she relaxed my muscles with a massage and I prayed for strength in my mind; she kept me eating healthy and I prayed for the strength to endure. An old mission companion showed up at my door this week and was able to give me a needed priesthood blessing, adding strength and security to my pleas.
Now perhaps I’m sounding a bit overdramatic . . . I probably am, it’s my style. That said, I’ve come to realize something important this week. I am nothing! “Therefore I will not boast of myself but boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things” (Alma 26:12). I have come to a greater realization that I am dependent on God for my life, and all that I have and am (Mosiah 4:21). I’m not just talking about health and life, or the necessities of survival. I’m talking about my education, my beautiful wife and wonderful baby, my car, my bed, my shower, my food . . . it is not mine, but God’s gift to me.
It’s been interesting how this experience and these thoughts have accompanied perfectly my morning reading in “Approaching Zion,” by the great Hugh Nibley. In his chapter entitled “Gifts” he writes, “It (meaning everything we have) is all free lunch, says King Benjamin . . . Either we believe that the lunch has been taken care of, or we are in for a long, horrible contest, both internal and external, over who is going to get the most.” Nibley explains over pages and pages that we are given “sufficient for our needs” and that we need no more than that. We are to be satisfied with that, and administer anything beyond that to others, for we are all beggars. We don’t have a “right” to anything, including money that we “worked” for. Not when Heavenly Father placed us in our homes, gave us our minds and bodies to work, led us to opportunities, and guided our parents and grandparents before us to get ahead for our benefit. No, the money we make is not ours, it is His. And that means we should be giving it freely to His children, keeping only sufficient for our needs. The only thing we have to give that is ours to give is our will, as Elder Maxwell teaches in the following quote:
“In conclusion, the submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we “give,” brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!”
So I guess what I’m saying is, I’m grateful to Heavenly Father and the unmatchable power of the Atonement for giving me everything, not just enough to survive, but enough to thrive and help others do the same. I hope to be more generous with the gifts He has given me, and in so doing, submit my will to His.

Abe's Big 8

Abe turned a big 8 months old last week! Here are a few highlights, including his lens cap obsession, ba-baing, and attempting to show his best friends how much he loves them.


And for those of you who want MORE, here is a bonus feature- meal time with Abe. Part of it is in fast motion so you can get a feel for what he does with a cracker over a lengthy period of time. And watch for him exploring his new top teeth (4 of them!) with his tongue.