Service and beehives and emus, oh my!

It's the original J.G. Stewart reporting to you today from the living room desktop while Mommy is busy with Jack. We had quite the day. Mommy has this thing about service, and she was very excited to participate in the Stake Day of Service today. She signed up to babysit 4 kids. That would mean six of us all together. Her friend, Miss Bridgette came over to help.

Then we found out that the kid's mommies and daddies had things come up so that they couldn't go serve...so the kids had to stay at home instead of play under my dominion--erm--share my toys.

So Mommy and Miss Bridgette tried to think of a different way to serve others. Miss Bridgette took me and Jack on a walk while Mommy mowed the lawn and weeded the strawberry beds. The strawberries reminded us of a farm where we could pick lots of them, so we decided to go pick strawberries for some of our friends that can't get out of bed right now.

But guess what? Jack, Miss Bridgette, Mommy, and I drove all the way out to the Strawberry Farm and it was closed.

But right next to the strawberry farm was a very interesting place called Bee City. So we stopped in there for lunch. And then guess what? There were emus there! And Alpacas and lemurs and capuchins and great big blue, green, and red parrots (did I tell you I know my colors now?) and baby bunnies I could pet, and goats and beehives and llamas, and turkeys, and wallabies and all sorts of other wonderful creatures. Mommy bought two different kinds of food and they ate right out of my hand! Mommy promises we'll go back there with a camera so everyone can see how much fun it is. She thinks we'll have a Joy School field trip there, and maybe go with Daddy too.

We had a great time. There were also giant statues of horses and dinosaurs and warthogs and turtles, and I rode every one! Miss Bridgette helped me a lot, and mommy carried Jack. We learned all about bees and beehives and got to taste fresh honey. Mommy bought some for us to eat at home. Mommy told me all about my grandma who loves bees and beekeeping. I'm going to visit her soon, and now I'm extra excited to see her and talk to her about bees.

When we got home, we said good bye to Miss Bridgette and Mommy gave Jack and me a long lukewarm bath to wash off the rabbit poop and monkey food crumbs. Then we had fresh bread (from Miss Tammy) and fresh butter and honey and apples for supper. Then we watched Quest for Camelot and Mommy put my hair in curlers so it will be beautiful and bouncy for church tomorrow. She even made us popcorn!

So we were sad that we didn't get to serve any humans (we served monkey o's to the monkeys and pellets to the llamas and alpacas) but Mommy says it will be okay if we keep trying to serve other people. When we serve, we do nice things like not pull Jack's hair. I was very good at not pulling hair today. I even played peek-a-boo with him this morning and made him smile. And I wear panties, which is nice for mommy because she doesn't have to change as many diapers. I think I will be good server when I'm grown up.

I have to go now. Mommy thinks I'm asleep in bed, and I think she's coming in to finish preparing her church things and write her book on the computer.

Signing off,

the ORIGINAL J.G. Stewart

A mommy post.

Usually, we let the kids run the blog, but today I had some thoughts I want to share...because they're meaningful to me.

I feel like I have read the opening chapters of the Book of Mormon a million times in my life. I have NOT read the whole Book of Mormon a million times. I probably haven't read it five times. Most of those times were aloud with Dave.

Lately, I've been taking a free online course with BYU on the Book of Mormon. It's been wonderful. I do the "computer" part of it before novel writing during naptime every day, and the reading part of it whenever I can catch a minute (usually while nursing-is that TMI?) and I realized in the course of doing this today something I never noticed before.

When the Lord asks Nephi to kill Laban, Nephi doesn't want to--this is an understandable sentiment. Then there is that desperately true statement: "It is better that one man should perish than an entire nation dwindle and perish in unbelief." (1 Nephi, 4:13).

Nephi then realizes 3 things:

1. The Lord promised to prosper his posterity insomuch as they kept the commandments.

2. They can't keep the commandments if they don't know the commandments.

3. The commandments are on the plates that Laban is refusing to give him. (3 Nephi:14-17)

The "nation" could very well be referring to Nephi's posterity. Now. Anecdote time.

I lost an uncle when I was 17. He didn't die--he left. We lost him to pornography and adultery. Although the pain I felt pales in comparison to whatever his wife and kids went through at the time, the loss was still very, very difficult, as he was someone I had really loved and admired growing up. In many ways, it would have been easier if he had died instead of abandoned the family.

I don't think Nephi had any children at this time (he wasn't married)--but he knew and loved his future posterity. Heavenly Father had made covenants with him concerning his posterity. Nephi cared about his children-to-be. He cared about their spiritual well-being. The spiritual well-being of the whole nation of posterity that would come from him was HIS responsibility in that moment. And yes, that is worth the life of any one man. That was more than worth the mortal life of Laban, in my opinion.

I would kill for my children. I certainly hope I never have to, but if it comes down to it, I would. And their spiritual lives mean so much more than their mortal lives. No, that doesn't mean I'm going to kill the stupid kid who tries to get my son to look at a dirty magazine. But it does mean that in reading this passage of scripture, I have felt something of the gravity of making sure that my children understand those sacred commandments, and have the records for which men have died.

Each of us is responsible for the nation of posterity that may come from us. What we do matters.

Like Nephi, what we do before we're even married matters. It will have bearing on our children, for good or evil. I'm not just talking about chastity. I'm talking about what we know or don't know, what power and strength our testimonies give us, or fail to give us. We can't give what we don't have. I sure hope I haven't shorted my children too terribly in this respect.

Yes, I'm having an overwhelmed mommy moment. I hope I remember to teach them everything that matters. I love them so very much.

On a lighter note, I'm learning to teach Joy School. But I'll let Jane tell you about that one of these days.

Yo.

There's a new J.G. Stewart on the block now. The sister's gonna have to find a new nom de plume, 'cause otherwise there will be confusion. And I will not be mistaken for a girl. Nope. I'm definitely a dude.

The name's Jack. Jack Gabriel. I was born last Christmas, but Mommy wouldn't let me near the computer until I had gotten over my colic/spontaneous puking. I guess she had good reason.

So, apart from my birth, mommy's primary business, Jane's potty training, Daddy's graduate school, the new family frog pond, the new family car, mommy's novel-in-progress, and Daddy's church meetings, we're pretty chill these days. Oh yeah, and Mommy says I'm gonna meet some more family in a couple of weeks. We're flying out to Utah and Oregon. Jane says grandmas and grandpas are great because the buy you chicken sandwiches. I don't have the teeth for a chicken sandwich, but I'm sure they'll be cool. They gotta be. They're related to me!

Will keep you more updated now that I can finally blog.

Love,

(The new) J.G. Stewart