Back to School Dinner & Theme

We had our back to school dinner last night. Brooklyn started school last Monday and the boys all start next Monday. Josh grilled steaks and I made rice pilaf, green salad, and corn bread. Dessert was our favorite - Christensen Diabetes. It's an ice cream sandwich dessert that is amazing!

Our theme comes from Elder Boyd K. Packer. It is: "If you stumble, rise up, go on." I read from the talk that Elder Packer gave. It talks about keeping your body and your mind clean. It also talks about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and how because of that we can always rise up and go on.

I explained to our kids that we are not on Earth to be perfect. We are here to make mistakes. Stumbling is okay - as long as we get back up and go on in the right direction. I told them that they are going to have times during this school year when they stumble. I told them that there will be bad days. I told them that they will struggle, but that because of the Atonement, they can get back up and move forward.

This year, we will have a tenth grader, eighth grader, seventh grader, sixth grader, and first grader. I am beyond grateful to be their mother. I am so proud of them and the choices they have made thus far. I am also eternally grateful for Josh, who by all accounts is the greatest patriarch our family could have. His focus is always on those kids.