EASTER 2016

happy {very late} easter! our easter this year was really different from our norm. we'd just gotten home from mexico friday, and on saturday, i got the worst toothache i've ever had and spent the entire night awake in terrible pain. blessedly, my dentist was able to call in a prescription for some painkillers on sunday morning, and i got two root canals on tuesday, so i'm feeling much better. it did sideline our holiday quite a bit though!

we missed church, so none of us wore our easter sunday best, and orlando took amazing care of the kids and i all day sunday- i was pretty out of it- so we didn't do anything festive that day. but we did manage to dye some easter eggs, have a little backyard easter egg hunt, and have an FHE lesson on easter and the savior on monday. good thing the kiddos don't know the difference! it was a crazy weekend, but our lesson on easter and the savior was really sweet, luc had lots of questions and was super attentive, and the spirit was very strong. i love teaching moments like that, where you really feel like they are grasping the importance of it.

 

lia wanted to eat EVERY chocolate egg the moment she found it, and luc was an egg hunting champ! it was adorable, and super fun watching them!

MOVING

we moved this week and we are LOVING our new casa! it's almost twice the size of our teeny apartment and it has a big backyard of endless dirt, which makes luc a very happy kid. today we even had a cloudy, cool day to enjoy, which was amazing! we went out at 7am and watched it rain from the porch, it was heavenly. i'm so looking forward to winter. we are going to live outside! we are still in the process of unpacking/organizing so no pictures yet, but hopefully soon. moving/unpacking with two kids is no joke. all i want to do is get it all done as fast as possible, and i can't because i have to keep stopping to take care of the kiddos. which of course, is fine because they are most important, but the controlling side of me is having a hard time leaving things undone. i keep reminding myself that it's a process, and it's ok if it takes awhile. 

conference was incredible this weekend. it always is, but this year there were two talks on that really resonated with me. i've already listened to them again and probably will several more times over the coming months. i'm so grateful that i don't have to travel on these journeys of womanhood and motherhood by myself, that i have personal revelation and the encouragement of prophets to help me along the way. it makes all the difference in the world!

here's to a new home, a new week, and a fresh start to be better!

HAPPY EASTER, QUACK!

happy easter!

this year, the kiddos and i surprised orlando and both sets of grandparents with these adorable pictures. luc LOVED holding the baby ducks, he kept saying 'QUACK!' right back at them and then laughing uproariously at his own little joke. haha it was awesome! 

this easter, i'm so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and my eternal family, especially these two beautiful children we've been blessed with. i marvel at their perfection and innocence, and am overwhelmed with gratitude everyday that they are ours forever. none of it would be possible without Him, and for that reason and countless more, i love my Savior with all my heart.

BLESSING LIA ISABEL LEÓN

on sunday march 29, orlando gave lia isabel a beautiful blessing. our sweet girl looked angelic in the blessing dress that my mom made and i wore as a baby, and was peaceful as could be during the blessing. orlando blessed her to be strong, wise, and kind, and it was an incredible moment in my life, to hold my son and listen to my husband bless our daughter. i was so overwhelmed with the spirit, with the sheer honor and responsibility of this calling of motherhood, and with the purity and divine potential of our daughter. she is truly heaven-sent, and i never want her to forget that. being her mother is a privilege of the most sacred nature, and i am loving every moment with her. i am happier than i've ever been in my life, raising my two babies with my best friend by my side. i love my eternal family so so so very much!

and we felt so blessed to have so many friends and family there to support us. we hosted a little pool party/dinner to celebrate on saturday night for all our friends and family who could make it, and not only was it a blast, it also felt really good to look around and know how loved and lucky we are. all in all, it was a wonderful weekend celebrating our lia, we couldn't be happier or more grateful to have her in our family!

2015

painting by caitlin connolly

2014 was like two very different sides of the same coin for me. one side wonderful, happy and full of accomplishments, and the other side frustrating and exhausting and really challenging. it was a year of big mountains, and while i am proud of us for making it through, let's be honest- i hate hiking.

i must say- the wonderful parts greatly outnumbered the frustrating parts, and the feeling that comes the strongest now as i look back over the year is sheer gratitude. gratitude for all the help and love we received from our families and friends. gratitude for countless heaven-sent blessings. gratitude that orlando and i had each other and luc and baby sister to keep us smiling. so much gratitude that we made it through. and even more gratitude that we are where we are now.

but looking back, i feel like i epically failed at being grateful during the challenges. i was petty and small-minded and i allowed myself to care more about what i lacked than what i had. but even that doesn't encompass what i struggled with. i'm not sure how to adequately describe what i've been feeling, except to say that i found in myself a 'littleness of person' this year. not sure if that makes any sense to anyone but me, but it's been on my mind constantly the past month.

as i've thought about how i can change for the better, the one thought that has come back to me over and over has been that if i work, really diligently work, on my spiritual health and cultivate an attitude of gratitude in all things, everything else i want to accomplish/be will fall into place. so although the list of things i want to accomplish is long, my goals this year are simple and centered around gratitude and my spiritual growth.

this year i want to:

-live more simply. stop comparing myself and what i have/don't have to others. stop coveting and wanting what they have instead. be content with what i have- or even better, be content with less! it's just stuff and somehow it became way too important to me recently. a big part of this one is our goal to get out of debt this year {minus the student loans} and i want to contribute by spending less and not being grumpy/whiny about it. i want to enjoy it even!

-be a more patient, enduring mother. correct what is important and let the rest go. teach and nurture with the spirit. toddlerhood is fun and crazy irrational, and soon there will be two little niños over here- and my threshold of patience needs to increase accordingly. and i want to enjoy the everyday moments more. i want to be more grateful for this time of my life, to embrace it and enjoy it more fully.

-find a better balance between my roles of self, wife, and mother. i want to thrive in all three! discover or develop what talents and gifts i have, and then use them to find personal fulfillment and bless my family. i want to appreciate who i am and what i have to offer, instead of always wishing i was different, or like someone else.

so i'm going to:

1. start each day with an attitude and prayer of gratitude.

2. keep a gratitude journal. write something new everyday.

3. attend the temple monthly. 

4. personal prayer, 365 days in a row. 

5. continue to make time for personal scripture study.

these are my goals, and i feel promised that if i do these things, i will be blessed to accomplish everything else above. either way, i will come out of this year a more grateful person, and that is someone i really want to be.

MERRY CHRISTMAS DAY

CHRISTMAS MORNING! i had been looking forward to this for months. we got luc a train table {his favorite thing in all of creation} and i was dying to see his face when he opened it. knowing that as soon as he opened that, he wouldn't want to open another present, we hid it in the kitchen until the very end. 

luc woke up around 8:30am and we told him santa had come- he usually takes awhile to wake up and acclimate {he is not a morning person} but as soon as he heard that, he was up and happy and ready for  'NEW TOYS!' as he put it. nana and grampa were awake and the living room was all ready, and he was so excited that he spent the first five minutes bouncing from papa to his stocking to nana to the tree to grampa and back around again haha. we had to sit him down and hand him a present to get him started- and then he was on a roll!

baby sister makes her {big!} appearance- she was SO WIGGLY all morning, the excitement must have worn off on her too haha! i was super excited to give orlando his big surprise {a dallas cowboys jersey!} and he completely spoiled me this year, it was perfect all around.

nana and grampa brought more trains than this kid could ever imagine!

 luc and papa are ready for spring training in their matching padres hats

after all the presents were open, luc was playing happily with his trains, and we told him that we had one more present for him. while i videoed everything, orlando and grampa carried the wrapped train table out of the kitchen and set it down in front of him. at first he thought it was a 'TUNNEL!' and he crawled under it, back and forth, a few times. we were laughing so hard! we finally got him out from under it and showed him that the paper came off- after which he had it unwrapped in seconds and with his perfect dimpled grin filling his whole face, he yelled 'TRAIN TABLE!!!' it was the reaction i'd been dreaming about for months. he hurried to grab all his new trains and lost no time in getting them all set up on the tracks and chuffing around. 'play papa! play grampa! pome on nana! sit mom!' he immediately requested, and we all spent most of the morning choo-chooing to his heart's content. 

we spent the rest of the day eating donuts and popcorn {plus a roast, potatoes, and gravy feast} and playing with our presents, board games, and watching movies. it was a perfect day.

it's only been a week, but the magic hasn't worn off, and luc is still on cloud nine. he calls it 'my train table' and runs to it first thing every morning. he LOVES it and it makes me so happy to see him so happy. i can safely say that this christmas was a huge success! 

looking around the room in the late afternoon on christmas day, i got a little choked up because it was all so wonderful. not the gifts, but my family, our small and happy home, luc laughing and baby sister kicking away. i felt the spirit so strongly and i thought about how all this happiness is mine forever because of the birth and life of Jesus Christ. how grateful i am to Him for all He's done for me and for all He's given me! i love christmas most for the much needed reminder, the increased gratitude, and the renewed spirit of Christ it brings into my life. 

HE IS THE GIFT

merry christmas!

love the leon family

we tried to use the self-timer to take a christmas sunday family picture and this was the best we got. ha! it's not perfect, but it's real, so we're going with it. regardless, i'm so in love with my handsome boys and so grateful i get to spend this holiday season with them. i'm grateful for baby sister and her pending arrival. i feel so incredibly blessed! more than anything, i'm grateful for the birth and life of my Savior, Jesus Christ. He made eternity with my family possible and that is my greatest, most treasured blessing.

i hope you get to spend this week with those you love most, and that you remember that Christ is the reason for this beautiful season.

MERRY MORMON CHRISTMAS!

our ward christmas party was this last weekend, and of course, no ward christmas party would be complete without ham, cheesy potatoes, and a santa lap to sit on. luc was hilarious sitting up there- his smile was cautiously nervous and he was stiff as a board, but he didn't cry or panic and when santa asked what he wanted for christmas, he perked up and eagerly said 'santa, i need trucks!' and then he got his treat bag and didn't care about anything else, including smiling for another picture.

i love my beautiful family, and i love celebrating this wonderful christmas season with them. this year i feel especially grateful to have moved into such an awesome ward where we have easily made friends and have felt completely welcome since our first week. there's nothing like a good ward family to help make living away from home a little easier. i'm grateful for the gospel and the lifelong friends we've made wherever we've lived, all thanks to 'being in the same ward.' we are so very blessed!

PHOENIX TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE

last wednesday we were able to walk through the new phoenix arizona temple before its dedication in november {if you want to go, reserve your free tickets here!}. it was seriously stunning- gorgeous stained glass throughout, beautiful stone work with colorful carved patterns, and the paintings- swoon!- the paintings blew me away. i was impressed/surprised at how many were original works just for this temple, and how few of the standard religious pictures they used {you know, the ones in every church meetinghouse in the US}. most of them weren't even religious scenes- there were a lot of landscapes and some really amazing ones of women around the bride's room and sealing rooms- just women, some in modern dress, depicted in quiet thought, no obvious allusion to any one specific biblical woman or anything. they were breathtaking, and by far, my favorite part of the whole building.

we took luc, which i was a bit nervous about beforehand {40 minutes of keeping him quiet and restrained? eeeeesh!} but we really want him to grow up living and learning the gospel, to know it and love it from his first memories. so along he came, and he was an ANGEL. seriously, he was so good, he far exceeded our expectations. when we walked in the celestial room, he said 'wow' right on cue, it was pretty darn cute, haha. it was so wonderful to be there together as a family, to feel the peaceful spirit there, and to be reminded of what matters most to me- my eternal family and the gospel that binds us together.

i love the gospel, i love visiting the temple, and i'm so grateful for the blessing of being with my favorite people for all of eternity. i don't think it gets much better than that!

OCTOBER

i love october. it's a month of change, and i find that more often than not, i need things to change right about now. usually, we'd be bidding our park days farewell and breaking out the soups and sweaters, but this year is a little different. it was 81 degrees today, so we aren't exactly pulling on the layers, but i feel the change in the air nonetheless, even if it is lacking that crisp chill we're used to.

general conference weekend was a big weekend for me. nothing extraordinary happened, but i was really touched by a few of the messages and i have been putting some of the inspiration i felt to good use, including daily personal scripture study and morning prayer. seeing the difference a prayer to start my day has made, i have no idea how i got through so many days without it. i have more patience, more energy, better mothering ideas, and a more grateful heart.

things just feel really good this week. i got into a kind of negative/depressed rut over the long summer, and i have taken my sweet time shaking it off. i'm sure i can chalk most of this up to hormones and the stress of being a single + pregnant mom for most of the summer, but it sure has been hard to get over. i'm finally feeling like the giant load of stress and worry and frustration i was lugging around is gone, and i am happier and lighter than i have been in weeks. i'm putting on lipstick and laughing over spilled apple juice {instead of crying} and letting go of all the have-tos and trying to just enjoy today. arizona seems to be feeling the same way, as the weather has turned into perfection this week- 77 degrees all day and night- and we have been soaking up every minute of daylight. i watched the cloudy sky split with streaks of the deepest blue yesterday and i had to fight the impulse to throw my arms out and twirl, everything just felt so good- the air, the sky, my soul, luc's grin and dirty knees, baby girl playing kickball in my belly- i felt a peace and contentment i have been missing for too long.

i think that's how it goes sometimes. life gives us trials and times of stress, but to help us through, heavenly father has given us this beautiful earth, personal revelation, and really special people to call family.

and they really do help us through.

to love them and be loved by them is my life's greatest blessing and dearest happiness.

MOVING IS NOT MY FAVORITE

just thought i'd get that out there. it's one of those things, you know, like going to the dentist. you do it because you have to, but nobody ever really wants to. sure, you may want to live in a new place or buy a new house or whatever, but do you really want to pack, move, and then unpack the boxes? no, you don't.

we've been married six years and we've moved 4 times, with 2 of those being cross-country. safe to say, i'm ready to go NOWHERE for quite awhile.

all that being said, i have to say that we have been so incredibly blessed with this move. we left ohio on may 20th for a long summer of bar study for orlando and single motherhood for me, and sometimes it felt like it would never end. but it did! and over this past week i can see so much more clearly why things have worked out this way and how Heavenly Father has blessed us more than we even asked for. orlando was offered an amazing contract-to-hire position here in north phoenix that he's really excited about. the start date was september 8th- a full 6 weeks sooner than any other job he had interviewed for. the pay is exactly what we hoped and the company is awesome to work for. the hours are flexible and the overtime is unlimited for anyone who wants it- and while that means long work hours for orlando, it's a huge boost to our finances after a summer of unemployment.

then, when we arrived in phoenix to find an apartment, we spent an entire day looking at everything in this area we thought we would like, but we hated it all. too expensive, too old, not family friendly. we were striking out left and right and i was starting to feel the panic rise in my chest. we were staying in a hotel and we couldn't do that forever- we needed to find a place to live, pronto! the next day, we wandered around a bit and came across a neighborhood that we instantly felt so good about. we found this amazing apartment- it has a splash pad AND a movie theater- and it turns out, there are three other young families from our ward who live here too, so it's toddler play date central. cha-ching! our first sunday at our new ward was great, everyone was really inviting and friendly, and MIRACLE OF MIRACLES, luc walked right into nursery- didn't look back once- and stayed the entire time. no tears! he hasn't done that once since we left ohio- instead i've been attending nursery full-time all summer long. and as an added bonus, we are only ten minutes from the brand new phoenix temple that's opening in a few weeks.

so far things are just working out really well- better than we could have planned. i always knew Heavenly Father was mindful of us and that things would work out ok- if there's one thing law school taught me it's that. we would not have made it from semester to semester without His help. so i knew He wouldn't leave us to do this big move alone, but sometimes over the summer i wondered how and when it was all going to work out, and i got impatient to be at the end already. now that we're here {and i can most definitely say i'm happy to be here} i'm so thankful for His constant care. i can't overstate what a blessing it has been to us this year. i have a sure testimony that He knows us- ALL OF US- and that He wants us to be successful, and if we ask, He will help us get there. He cares, even about those temporal things that might seem unimportant to Him, like an apartment with clean carpet or a ward with friends for my toddler. He understands that sometimes it's those little things that make it feel like home. 

another blessing- luc was an absolute ANGEL the entire 6.5 hour drive to arizona. it was seriously the happiest, most content mood i've ever seen him in, especially when cooped up in the car for so long. 

BECAUSE OF HIM

this easter, i'm trying to remember that every good thing i am and every blessing i have, is because of Him. i love my Savior and i know He lives.

because of Him i can be a better daughter, sister, wife and mother
His perfect example of love and kindness is my daily reminder of the kind of woman i want to be. because of Him, i am striving to be better to those i love most dear.

because of Him i can serve others
when we serve others, we are serving Him. so even when it's a challenge to put myself out there and serve those around me, i want to and i try to because i want to serve Him.

because of Him i can love more fully
He opened the doors of eternity for me. because of His sacrifice and resurrection, i can live forever with my family, i can love them forever. knowing that our relationships extend beyond this earth allows me to love without ceasing, to love and give of myself boundlessly.

because of Him i can be a better me
because of His atonement, i can be forgiven and washed clean of my sins. i can start every day anew. i can be better than i was yesterday because i am not burdened by the mistakes i made then. i am clean and i can follow Him.

because of Him i live in this beautiful world
He created this world for me to enjoy. every sunny day is a reminder that He is mindful of me, that He wants me to be happy here.

because of Him i am inspired
His words fill my heart with the Spirit and I am inspired to be more like Him, to follow Him. His loving care for little children inspires me to be a better mother.

because of Him i can get answers to prayers
He is my advocate, He knows me and through Him, i can communicate with my Heavenly Father. my prayers are heard and answered and i receive personal revelation daily.

garden tomb, by j. kirk richards

Tip for YW leaders: the week before Easter, have your girls write a sentence or two for each of the 'Because of Him' headings and ponder them throughout the week. Makes for a great discussion on Easter Sunday!

GRATEFUL IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be. Have we not reason to be filled with gratitude regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves?

-Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Grateful in Any Circumstances

without fail, shortly after general conference ends, i find myself presented with a trial or decision or circumstance that requires me to use what i learned in conference. i think of it as Heavenly Father's way of testing me to see if i was really listening to what He wanted me to hear. earlier this month, elder uchtdorf's talk really resonated with me, and so here i am, trying to be thankful in the midst of disappointment and a few difficult days. nothing major, just the usual things that get me down- only this time, i'm going to try and stay up, because really, there's so much to be happy about and grateful for.

...

i'm thankful for my wonderful hubby. i'm grateful for his sense of humor and for all the hard work and studying he does for our family.

i'm thankful for our temple sealing in the san diego temple. i'm thankful for the reassurance that being an eternal family brings to the hard times in my life. 

i'm thankful to be a mother. i'm thankful for luc and his happy, adventurous personality. i'm thankful for his hugs and kisses and clever mannerisms that keep me smiling. 

i'm thankful for my testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. i love the gospel with all my heart and i know that everything i am and everything i have is because of my Savior and my Heavenly Father. 

i'm thankful for my parents and brothers and dear friends who love and support me, and who have made me a better person. 

i'm thankful for my good health, energetic able body, and clear mind. 

i'm thankful for the opportunities i've had, and continue to have, to learn new things, to be well educated and pursue subjects i am interested in and passionate about. 

i'm thankful for our wonderful experience in cleveland these past three years. we have been immeasurably blessed here!

i'm thankful for sunny days, walks to the park, ice cream, and early morning snuggling, all three of us. words can't describe how thankful i am for the countless precious memories i'm making with my little family. 

i'm thankful that even though some days are rough, the truly excellent days far outnumber the difficult ones. 

YW ACTIVITY IDEA #1

i love my calling as the miamaid leader in my ward. my girls are fantastic, funny sweethearts, and teaching a lesson every week has been really good for my personal spiritual study. also, our presidency is new and while they've been getting organized, i've been able to plan a few activities and i'm having tons of fun with them.
tonight i did a personal progress bubble gum 'pop' quiz and it was a hit. and super easy too.

you'll need:
paper
pens
small treat bags {1 per girl}
bubble gum {i got these. for ten girls we went through two whole bags}

and since the purpose of this activity is to help the girls work on their personal progress, they'll need to bring their pp books and scripture journals.

to start, each girl takes a pen, paper, and treat bag. then for each question in your 'pop' quiz, they write a or b on their paper and then take the corresponding gum ball and place it in their treat bag. for example, the question is- which would you rather do?
a. bear your testimony in public
b. sit down with your grandparents {or other elderly couple} and ask about the qualities needed for a successful, happy marriage

if they answer a, they take a WHITE gum ball. if they answer b, they take a BLUE gum ball {don't eat them yet!}

and then onto the next question until you've done all 21. at the end, the girls count up how many gum balls they have of each color and whatever they have the LEAST of {some could have zero of one color even} then that is the value they have to choose their next pp activity from {aka: the value they need to work on most}.

in this activity, the PINK gum balls are substituted in for integrity {there weren't any purple} and we left out virtue completely. you could add virtue if you found another color of gum ball to include.

my girls had to discuss every option {they're wonderfully talkative} and i learned a lot about them and we had some fun debates. then when the quiz was done, they all got out their books and choose a pp activity from whatever value they had the least gum balls of and went to work. it was fun AND productive! {and then they can eat their gum balls of course!}

here are the 21 questions for the quiz. you're welcome to use these or make up your own!

1. which would you rather do?
a. make an effort to stop criticizing and complaining. take BLUE
b. be more selective about the tv programs you watch. take ORANGE

2. which would you rather do?
a. write a poem, story, or article that illustrates a gospel principle. take GREEN
b. be more selective about the music you listen to. take ORANGE

3. which would you rather do?
a. tutor a friend who need help in school. take YELLOW
b. stand up to your friends/be an example of righteousness. take PINK

4. which would you rather do?
a. bear your testimony in public. take WHITE
b. sit down with your grandparents {or other elderly couple} and ask about the qualities needed for a successful, happy marriage. take BLUE

5.which would you rather do?
a. babysit for free. take YELLOW
b. make a new friend. take RED

6. which would you rather do?
a. apologize and do something nice for someone you wronged. take ORANGE
b. talk to your mom/any mom about motherhood. take BLUE

7. which would you rather do?
a. organize a family photo album. take RED
b. sing in the ward choir. take BLUE

8. which would you rather do?
a. learn a new recipe. take GREEN
b. answer a difficult question honestly. take PINK

9. which would you rather do?
a. read the new era cover to cover. take WHITE
b. learn a new subject/skill. take GREEN

10. which would you rather do?
a. help out a family member when asked, even if you don't want to. take ORANGE
b. serve an elderly sister in your ward. take YELLOW

11. which would you rather do?
a. go to bed on time. take RED
b. stay up late to finish a book report. take GREEN

12. which would you rather do?
a. forgive someone who hurt you. take BLUE
b. turn down an invitation to a questionable party. take PINK

13. which would you rather do?
a. teach an FHE lesson. take WHITE
b. help your sister/friend with a new hairstyle. take RED

14. which would you rather do?
a. be cheerful when you don't get your way. take ORANGE
b. buy and wear a modest prom dress. take RED

15. which would you rather do?
a. read your scriptures for 15 minutes daily. take WHITE
b. help your sibling with their homework. take YELLOW

16. which pp project would you rather do?
a. stop an argument. take ORANGE
b. learn a new hobby. take GREEN

17. which would you rather do?
a. listen to a friend. take RED
b. write to a missionary. take YELLOW

18. which would you rather do?
a. get crafty and create something. take GREEN
b. clean your room because you promised you would. take PINK

19. which would you rather do?
a. invite a nonmember to church or seminary. take WHITE
b. do an extra chore at home without being asked. take PINK

20. which would you rather do?
a. sing a hymn to chase away a bad thought or a bad mood. take BLUE
b. make someone new feel welcome. take YELLOW

21. which would you rather do?
a. admit to your mom or dad that they were right. take PINK
b. pray for help in getting along with your parents or siblings. take WHITE