Easter Sunday

Our Easter Sunday was cold and rainy. As such, I didn't get a cute-outdoors-springtime family mini photo session like I had pictured in my mind. I just wanted to get some cute shots of the kids in their new Easter outfits that Jon and I made for them, maybe even with their Easter baskets. Instead, we set up the tripod in our living room after church, and it was perfect!! Curls were falling, kids were worn out from nursery, and still everyone looked at the camera and smiled. I don't think it could have turned out any better!

I didn't decorate the house or get a Spring wreath. I kind of thought I would have time to make a garland, but it didn't happen, and that's ok! Instead I was able to make breakfast for our family and spend the morning with them and serving in my ward calling as part of the Relief Society presidency. :) It was perfect.

I didn't post anything on social media about Easter morning, (except for a quick look at our bunny pancakes with "carrot" strawberries)
























and I didn't ever decide on the right words for talking about the Savior's loving atonement and sacrifice for us, like I had thought I would. Instead, I had the most spiritual Easter Sunday during all three hours at church that I've probably ever had. The talks were wonderful, I sang in the choir, and our Sunday School lessons were perfect. It was uplifting and touching, and exactly what Easter should be about. :) It was holy.

I did get a couple pictures of Kate's hair and dress right before church as she was showing off her chocolate egg:

hair clips and curls by Steph

dress 100% handmade by Jon

With the help of friends and family, Jon and I were able to put together great Easter baskets for the kids!

I even stuck our new family Easter book, and some Easter books from Nonna and Papa in with Jon's basket ;) He got two Easter eggs: a Cadbury one, and a Lindt one (that seemed more "grown up" haha)

The kids got wonderful little Easter baskets in nursery too with play-doh and CTR rings!

During the day we made popovers, resurrection rolls, had a family lesson on the atonement, and watched this adorable video of Claire Ryann singing Gethsemane. The kids were mesmerized!
Jon and Kate were able to skype with Nonna and Papa while Edwin napped, and we ALMOST forgot to start Easter dinner in the crockpot, but thanks to some fast action by Jon, it got done and we were nearly still on time for church!

I didn't get any pictures of our dinner, but we shared it with my mom and some friends. Everyone brought food, and it was busy, and talkative, and happy!

The kids told me they had a GREAT Easter, and it was probably one of my most favorites of all time. We didn't go see the Easter bunny, we didn't have an egg hunt, we didn't get "professional" level pictures of our entire day, and I wasn't even worried. To be honest, I'm not always that great at keeping up with Instagram and Facebook posts anyway. :) It's been joyful to spend the time with my family, and not worry about anyone's expectations except my Heavenly Father's. We had a holy day of worship, and I even got to see some friends who just had their first baby, and hold their 3 day old daughter. Score.

That is what Easter is all about. The love that our Savior had for us, to suffer and die, and the celebration of his resurrection on the third day, overcoming death and allowing us all to have the same blessing of resurrection after death, and live again with our families forever!

All of my personal and societal expectations aside, Easter was amazing. All of those other things I thought I would get done didn't even matter. I'm so glad that Easter Sunday got the true attention and focus from our family that it deserves. :) Just like Christmas, it is not about the "things" or keeping up appearances, but it is about the true dedication of the day to Jesus Christ. It is the most holy of holidays, and should be celebrated always! Because of Him, we can have eternal life, and all things are possible. That is the message that I hope Kate and Edwin took away from Easter this year. I know I did.

Faith

"Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe. Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it. ...
"faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things...even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiement upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe..."
-Alma 32: 17-18,21,26-27

photo credit: Steph, 12-29-15 Temple Square, SLC UT

On the last Sunday of 2015, I was asked to speak in our church Sacrament meeting. There were about 12 people in the entire congregation (including the Bishop and our High Councilman) because everyone was away for Christmas/New Year break. I don't have a problem with public speaking, so it wasn't really an issue either way to me how many people were there. I was just really glad that I could study this subject more.

The last time that Jon and I gave talks (in January) my talk was on Faith in Jesus Christ. Apparently Faith is a subject I need a lot of work on! I thought the talks might overlap quite a bit, but they didn't at all. There is so much that I could say on the topic, but my goal was to cover the basics. Faith is not perfect knowledge, but it is the idea that can define us. And that is what really counts.

***

Jon and I were watching Inception the other night, and there's a line that Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Dom, says to Ariadne, played by Ellen Page, that immediately made me think of of Faith:

“An idea is like a virus. Resilient. Highly contagious. The smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define, or destroy you.” –Dom Cobb (Inception)

FAITH is an idea. Faith is resilient (returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched. Recovers from adversity/being tested.). It is highly contagious (capable of being transmitted or spread from person to person). The smallest seed of faith can grow. Faith can grow to define you, and destroy any fear or negative characteristic that you may have previously held.

Faith is one of those words that we use interchangeably with many others, but it encompasses so much just on its own. Faith is confidence. It is trust in a person or thing. It is the observance of an obligation from loyalty. It is fidelity (strict observance of promises, duties, etc. loyalty, accuracy, exactness) to a person, promise, or engagement. It is a belief not based on proof.

By now your mind is probably spinning with synonyms and concepts of what Faith includes. I know mine was! So I decided to contrast the idea of Faith with other concepts to more clearly define what it is, but also to see what it is not. What, for instance, is the difference between faith and hope? A friend of mine who is currently serving a mission asked this question of us (her friends and family) in an email home this week. Here are the thoughts I came up with:

Q: What is the difference between faith and hope?

A: Hope is something that you look forward to, or want for. “I HOPE that I will get this job…” “I really HOPE that my classes this semester will be great.” Faith on the other hand is an active belief. It is based on at least a little hint of something concrete. Maybe you don’t know a professor yet, but you have had friends tell you that they are a great teacher. You have faith that the class will be excellent based on your confidence in the friends who gave you their testimony of a previous experience. Faith is an act of trust. Hope is a wish and a desire.

In his talk from this past General Conference, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke on faith as a matter of CHOICE and not just by CHANCE. He says,

“How we live our lives increases or diminishes our faith. Prayer, obedience, honesty, purity of thought and deed, and unselfishness increase faith. Without these, faith diminishes. Why did the Savior say to Peter, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not”? Because there is an adversary who delights in destroying our faith! Be relentless in protecting your faith.”

If faith is that little seed of an idea within us that motivates us to action and trust, then it should be the most PRECIOUS idea that we keep, not to let anybody tarnish or steal it. Faith can be small, and it can look differently inside of each of us. But faith has incredible potential.

In ethical philosophy there is the idea, suggested by Immanuel Kant, that some things have inherent value, and are ends-in-themselves. Rather than using a person, for instance, as a means to achieve a certain end, the person has their own intrinsic value, which is not dependent on anything else to have value. Just by existing, it is valuable. Similar to this is the idea of an acorn. It holds within itself the potential of tree value. It doesn’t need anything else to have that ability, but it must be nurtured to reach maximum possibility. I think of Faith in this same way. Faith, in itself, has everything contained within it that it ever needs to be. It might start off small, and we might want to tend to doubt it based on stature. But the way we treat it and nourish it will determine its end result. (Are we going to let it blow away? Or will we plant, and water it—actively contributing to its growth?)


Elder Andersen says, “Although your beginning fire of faith may be small, righteous choices bring greater confidence in God, and your faith grows. The difficulties of mortality blow against you, and evil forces lurk in the darkness, hoping to extinguish your faith. But as you continue to make good choices, trust in God, and follow His Son, the Lord sends increased light and knowledge, and your faith becomes settled and unwavering. President Thomas S. Monson said: “Fear not. … The future is as bright as your faith.””


But if we’re feeling like our concept of faith is shaky, Elder Andersen continues his talk by giving us advice for building faith: “Addressing honest questions is an important part of building faith, and we use both our intellect and our feelings. The Lord said, “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart.” Not all answers will come immediately, but most questions can be resolved through sincere study and seeking answers from God. Using our mind without our heart will not bring spiritual answers. “The things of God knoweth no man, but [through] the Spirit of God.” And to help us, Jesus promised us “another Comforter” and called Him “even the Spirit of truth. Faith never demands an answer to every question but seeks the assurance and courage to move forward, sometimes acknowledging, “I don’t know everything, but I do know enough to continue on the path of discipleship.”


I loved this so much, because, as Elder Andersen puts it, “Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not something ethereal, floating loosely in the air. Faith does not fall upon us by chance or stay with us by birthright. … as the scriptures say, [in Hebrews chapter 1 verse 11] it is… “substance … , the evidence of things not seen.” Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible.” (to be discernible means that it can be perceived by the sight, or some other sense, or by the intellect; it can be recognized, or distinguished mentally; as distinct or different.)


Elder Andersen further continues by saying, “Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it. Your faith is either growing stronger or becoming weaker. Faith is a principle of power, important not only in this life but also in our progression beyond the veil. By the grace of Christ, we will one day be saved through faith on His name. The future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice.”


Hopefully we all have an idea of Faith. A concept of what Faith in God means to us individually. My question, to myself, and to you, is: What are you doing (TODAY) with your faith to make it active?

This idea of Faith can be defining and grow to be the motivation behind every decision we make, and every direction in life that we choose to go. As we listen to the spirit of guidance from our Heavenly Father and have Faith in his intentions for us, we can find great blessings awaiting us. So LET YOUR FAITH BE BIGGER THAN YOUR FEAR.


If you’re not sure where to start, or aren’t sure of what exactly you have faith in, I would suggest starting with the Articles of Faith! These are the most basic points of belief that we have in the church, and are guideposts to help us simplify the gospel. As we start with the first one and examine where our faith is on the subject, we can work out our concerns by asking honest questions of ourselves, and then build up to the next Article of Faith.


Elder Andersen gives us a warning: “Immersing oneself in persistent doubt, fueled by answers from the faithless and the unfaithful, weakens one’s faith in Jesus Christ and the Restoration. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.” [1 Corinthians 2:14]” These things must be spiritually discerned.


So, start with the basic idea of faith. Build up slowly, increasing your faith by understanding one principle at a time. When you get stuck, acknowledge that you don’t know everything, but you know enough to continue on the path of following Christ and being a disciple of Him. Choose your faith over your fear, and stay True to that Faith that you cherish. Lastly, recognize that Faith is a gift from our Heavenly Father. He knows that we aren’t able to see everything in perfect detail. He knew that it would be hard for us to function here on Earth with a partially blind view of everything. But this is where the gift of faith comes in. To us it is given to discern spiritually what is true and what is worth pursuing. As we trust this gift, nurture it, build upon it, PROTECT it, and help it to grow, it will be the idea that comes to define us, and change us in ways that we never thought possible. [Faith defines character. It is a form of hope. It requires action. Faith is a feeling, and it builds on knowledge. Faith can grow as it is nurtured. Perhaps most importantly, Faith is the first principle of being a disciple of Jesus Christ, our Savior.]

1 Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day.
Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time I pray.
Faith is like a little seed: if planted it will grow.
Faith is a swelling within my heart. When I do right, I know.
2 Faith is knowing I lived with God before my mortal birth.
Faith is knowing I can return when my life ends on earth.
Faith is trust in God above;
In Christ, who showed the way.
Faith is strengthened; I feel it grow
Whenever I obey.
-Children’s Songbook 96

I know that this is true. I have had personal experience with testing my faith and just following what I know enough to keep going, and it has always brought me out on the other side of a trial with more awesomeness than I started with. Faith and trust in God works. I am thankful for this gift in my life. Especially with this Christmas season coming to a close and the start of a new year in less than a week. I hope we can all make our faith a little more active in 2016.


I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Christmas 2015

Christmas this year was FANTASTIC.

Kate insisted on wearing her "pretty dress" before we could even go to the living room Christmas morning

It was very different from Christmases in the past.

First of all, Jon and I were in classes up until December 18th, so it kind of squishes the month down, with finals happening so close to Christmas.

Because of that, though, I did not have time to worry about Christmas. We majorly simplified, and just did what we could. The result was that the most important things were done (spending memorable moments with our family and friends) and the other stuff did not happen (wrapping paper was not bought, so some presents weren't wrapped, dinner was uber-casual buffet style with paper plates, the tree was set up the week before Christmas, I did not do an advent calendar, paper snowflakes, sugar cookies, or any crafting or sewing that I had originally intended to.)

AND, it was the best Christmas that I can remember.

Kate is finally into holidays and birthdays, so she gets really excited about everything that is happening. Edwin gets excited right along with her, even though he doesn't really know what's going on. They each got two or three presents from us, and a pomegranate and marshmallow tree was all that was in their stockings--AND THEY LOVED IT.

"There's a hole in this cake!"

We opened gifts (after the kids slept in until 9:30am) and then my mom came over and we exchanged presents (which Kate and Edwin really enjoyed helping with!)

and we got to watch The Santa Clause as a family.

The entire living room floor wasn't covered in a cascade of overflowing presents from the base of the tree, but we were very spoiled by friends and family sending us packages. We received so much that we wanted and needed, and are extremely grateful!

opening gifts with Gram

Christmas away from our big family groups is definitely not the same. Alston/Joyner MexItalia feasting on Christmas Eve just doesn't taste exactly right without 25 people running around singing Christmas carols and re-enacting the nativity. But we have been able to start new traditions, and Christmas is still beautiful in our wintry white Idaho wonderland.

Jon had to work on Christmas Eve, but came home on his lunch break so that we could do our family tradition of raviolis and spanish rice with refried beans and ceasar salad. ;)

That evening we went to the Thomas' house (a friend that Jon works with is also the son of the professor I TA'd for last Winter semester) and they included us in their Swedish Christmas Eve dinner with grandparents and neighbors. :) After Babushka's story of looking for the Christ child, we headed home in the snow. Kate and Edwin both fell asleep in the car, so Jon and I took a detour into the neighborhood across the street from our place and watched some dancing Christmas lights set to music, then read the story of Christ's birth from Luke 2 and went home.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads!

Kate and Edwin each got a Family History coloring book, a traditional toy (colored building blocks for Edwin and a wooden tool set for Kate--because she loves helping Jon with his tools at home), and a homemade gift (pretend make-up kit for Kate, and hand burned alphabet cube blocks for Edwin).

Friends and family gifted us some really awesome and thoughtful things!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mug for Jon's stocking, to add to our collection

love love love love love!

We also got to Skype with Jon's family. It's the last time that a big group of the Alston's will be together for Christmas for a couple years since Jon's parents leave for their mission in England next month!

Best of all we were able to spend Christmas dinner with my mom and great friends from the ward who stayed in Rexburg for the break:

It's so great to have awesome people around us wherever we go. :)

Overall, I felt like this Christmas couldn't have been any better. I didn't worry about who got how much of whatever. I didn't step foot in the mall once. I didn't stuff our stockings with junk. Did I feel a little bad that I wasn't able to put everything in Jon's stocking that he had traditionally as a kid? A little. Was I hoping to pull more than half of the Christmas decorations out of the storage tub? Yeah. But when I asked Kate what Christmas was, she told me it was Jesus' birthday. And I didn't once worry about doing enough or being enough. I wasn't up late stressed about wrapping presents that were only going to be unwrapped anyway. Half the Christmas cards were sent out Thanksgiving week, and the other half were sent out a few days ago. HAHA. I wasn't stressed leading up to Christmas day, and our holiday was relaxing and full of laughter and excitement and movies and food and friends. I was able to see just how blessed we are, and I didn't have to force any of it to try and be magical. The important things were taken care of.

We are most grateful for the little family thousands of years ago that lived humble and simple lives, so that we could have SO much. Honoring our Savior's birth is the most important thing of all.

#ASaviorIsBorn -- click the picture for more!

We hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year's eve and start to 2016!

Love, The Alston Family

Spiritual Boot Camp - Wrap Up

Today wraps up the week of Spiritual upliftment and inspiration from our Boot Camp team!

Have you been following along?

In case you missed any of this week's posts, don't worry: I've listed them here for you!

DAY 1 started with me talking about how we teach our children about the Spirit and bring Jesus into our daily routine at home. Check it out HERE for 5 simple tips that can make a world of difference.

DAY 2 we jumped over to Jessica Poe at Jessica-Poe.com for tips on fortifying our homes. Read along HERE.

 DAY 3 Judith Kester pumped us up to prepare for Spiritual Attack with her post on our best eternal weapons. You can read her post HERE.

DAY 4 we had some awesome real talk from Pamela and Scott of That Mormon Couple. They shared their tips for strengthening an eternal marriage (or really ANY relationship that you want to last long-term). Check it out HERE.

and last, but certainly not least, was TODAY'S post from Lita Loves.

DAY 5 is a boosting post of motivation on the strength that comes as we simply love and serve others. See what Ashley has to say on her inspired post HERE.

I feel so grateful to be included with this group of strong and spiritual bloggers. Meeting them online through this project was really great and made my week so uplifting! I feel like I've definitely made new friends.

To keep up with all of us during the rest of the year, follow along on INSTA:

@Pineapple.Snow (my account for all things Alston family and our etsy shop)

@JudithKester (LDS family and lifestyle blogger in Sacramento, CA)

@ThatMormonCouple (Pamela & Scott MacDonald and their ADORABLE family. They lead with light and put their best faith forward. Such an inspiration and super cute to look at.)

@Lita17 (Ashley is such a breath of fresh air. Her blog is real and fun. Plus she talks about desserts all the time. ALL. THE. TIME. Who doesn't love desserts?)

@Jessica_PoePoe (LDS mama and all about family. Her thoughts brighten up my day!)

I really hope we can make Boot Camp a yearly thing. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this week and what stood out to you most! And above all, we hope that this week has brought an increase of the Savior and his spirit into your home. For more information on Jesus Christ and his love for us, visit LDS.org, and I highly recommend THIS article from the Liahona magazine, January issue.

"When we understand everything the Savior does for us, He becomes the most important person in our lives."

Have a happy weekend, and may the love of our Savior elevate your every day!

Easter Sunday

We had a fantastic Easter Sunday as a new family of four!

Since baby Edwin is still so little, Jon and I took turns going to church so that we could trade off with the kids. I joined my parents for sacrament meeting at 9am and Jon went to our ward at 1pm. We spent the rest of the day at home with Jon's family and also visited my family in the afternoon. Jon's sister Beth is back for a few weeks before she starts her master's program in Arizona and we love having her around. It's so nice to have everyone close by to celebrate the holidays with our kids!

I had a lot of fun putting together Kate's first Easter basket. (Last year she was too little to really know what was going on.) I made it a non-candy basket since we knew she would get enough sweets from the grandparents. I filled Kate's basket with all sorts of things she would love :)

Bubble necklaces shaped like carrots (bubbles are one of her most favorite things in the world), color drops for bathtime (her favorite part of the day), her very own Laffy Taffy flavored chapstick (because she always borrows my Burt's Bees), a 20inch beach ball (we played with one at a friend's house and she thought it was amazing), a toddler sized garden rake (there is an old plastic one in the backyard and she loves to dig), and a mini coloring book of The Easter Story that I put together with the wonderful help of Jon (to help her learn the true meaning of Easter and why we celebrate).

The mini book has little descriptions and scriptures that talk about Palm Sunday, The Last Supper, The Resurrection after the atonement in Gethsemane and crucifixion, and then baby chicks with Easter eggs and a basket explaining the celebration of new life that we're given because of Jesus, and the symbolism of Spring.

Kate especially loved her chapstick and just wanted to eat it :)

While chewing on her new garden rake, I was able to get a picture of the kids in their Easter best :)

I made Kate's dress from scratch and Jon helped me applique Edwin's tie on a onesie with some of the scraps. Kate's dress turned out so beautiful! I was very happy. I knew right when I first saw the fabric come in at Beverly's I wanted it to be Kate's Easter dress, but the shape and design came along as I made it. Pink tulle gathers out from the bottom and the bodice has 4 front pleats with cap sleeves. The bodice ended up having somewhat of a wide boat neck as well. It was very elegant, almost "off-the-shoulder" and Jon said it reminded him of the Rory dress :) All you Gilmore Girls fans know what I mean:

Jon's parents gave Kate her very own purse for Easter, so we immediately put a book in it to complete the Rory effect ;)

Baby Edwin got a fun newsboy style cap, but since he is still so little he will wear it more this Summer.

I didn't get any other great pictures of Wynn's fancy Easter onesie because he was so sleepy the rest of the day!

Kate and I had a fun time coloring and talking about Easter while everyone was at church. I was also able to get pictures of her pink flower hair clippies which I made to match her dress.

I just loved watching Kate sit in her chair at the table in her Easter dress with Margo begging for some graham cracker nearby :)

After visiting my family (where Kate and Edwin both received Easter books, treats, adorable cards, and Kate got a soft pink bear) we had dinner with Jon's family. Lamb, ham, scalloped potatoes, grilled veggies, and jello jigglers made by AnnMarie.

That evening we played outside and hunted for Easter eggs!

 

 

 

It was the most magical first Easter Sunday with both kids that I could imagine.

I just want to end by sharing my faith in our Savior.

Through all the fun activities, projects, games, Saturdays, play times, dress ups, and holidays that we participate in as a family throughout the year, it ALL comes down to the real life of this extraordinary man. Jesus is not just a story. His atonement is central to our lives and our Heavenly Father's purpose. I am so thankful for my knowledge of Him and the opportunity that I have to raise amazing children and teach them of this truth.

I know that my Redeemer lives,

Triumphant Savior, Son of God,

Victorious over pain and death,

My King, my Leader, and my Lord.

Hymn 135

As Jon and I talked about yesterday, Easter is really the most important Christian holiday there is. Without Easter, Christmas would just have been the birth of another baby. What makes Christmas so special and important is that it is the birth of God's son, who sacrificed everything for us to have it all, and was resurrected on Easter to make it possible for us to have eternal life. For that, I will be forever grateful.

I know that these things are true, and I hope that you also find the peace that comes with this Easter season. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.