May 28th & 29th

 Woke up at Sandi's on Saturday {28th} and the boys had a great time jumping on T&T, playing with Abbey and Sadie, and just chilling for a bit.  Even though I was majorly missing Zac by this time, I'm glad we didn't drive home & had a day to relax before being on the road another 7 hours. 

 We spent the morning hanging out and when Bex went down for his nap, the girls watched Gray for me while I went with Mom and Sandi to Seagull Book and Rodworks.  Got a few cute things and had fun getting out a bit.  Chilled at the house for a while and then took the boys and went with Mom, Doll, and Sandi to the Mall for some shopping.  We forgot a stroller for Beckham, so I mostly chased him the whole time, but both he and Grayson were super sports.  Grayson is always a good little shopping buddy and he got some ice cream that he loved, as well as his first time in the Disney store.  He tried being Jack Sparrow for a bit which I found hilarious knowing that he'd absolutely fall apart in terror if he ever saw the movie!

 Such cute boys-they were quite a hit with everyone in the mall.  Beckham seriously tried pushing every stroller he saw & Grayson just narrated what Beckham was supposedly thinking to anyone that would listen.  I was laughing quite a bit at them.  After a while, we saw T&T come in and ended up going with them & leaving Sandi & Mom behind. 

We got back home, ate a delicious dinner that Sandi made {garlic chicken pasta stuff} and Grayson cuddled up with Uncle Gary while he read him three books-so adorable.  Got the boys in bed & went there myself. 

 Sunday {29th} was spent driving home.  The boys were really good considering how tired they were & how ready to be home we all were.  Mom and I listened to a talk by Hank Smith called, "Break up with the World" and I LOVED it.  It applies to so many things in my life, but a few stuck out to me that I'm trying to work on.  Here are some points I loved:

-Break up with the world {or anything addictive}
-The world is obsessed with 3 things: comparison, competition, & not being enough
-In a relationship with the world {or food in my case}, you're never good enough.  It doesn't care!
-Break up with things on negative side, start doing things on the positive side
-Spend time on the negative side & you'll be unhappy

{Told the story of a girl who was obsessed with an inappropriate tv show.  Didn't want to give it up, but knew she should.  Finally she did & here are some of the things she said-I likened it to my struggles}
-I saw it, I reached out & touched it.  I said, "It's not me, it's YOU.  You're bad!  We've grown up together, but you're really bad for me."  I never watched it again. 
-It was hard at first.  I thought I couldn't live without it.
-My friends said, "Don't go back to 'him', 'he' treats you bad!
-Stay strong!
-Leave it in the world.

-Can't do both {have your cake & eat it too}
-For me: {food, diet coke, yelling}
-I can't break up with that!  It's too hard.  I tell you what, I'll break up with cocaine.  That's not fair, you're not in a relationship with cocaine.  You can't just pick something random. (:
-The Holy Ghost will help you see what you need to give up.  {as he's whispering to you, "How can I listen to the gospel being taught if you keep talking to me?!} (:
-Alma 24: swords are a simile to whatever you need to break up with
-Heavenly Father is saying "I want the one thing you're not willing to give"
-I'm saying, "I don't want to give that up.  This one is easy, that's easy, but NO, not that."
-Heavenly Father says, "okay, I'll wait."

-If we have no progression, we can become obsessed {I know this is true from personal experience}
-Elder Packer, "the moment I finally gained power in my life was when I gave it all to Him."
-Lay it ALL on the altar.

{Told the story of a bishop he met who had a really ugly patchwork quilt hanging in his office.  Brother Smith kind of insincerely complimented it and the bishop told him with teary eyes that the young women in his ward had given it to him.  They had taken all their immodest clothes & cut them up to make the quilt.  They said, "now these can finally keep someone warm."  That is burying it deep.}

-Abandon what holds you back.

-May 2003 Ensign, {Pres. Monson quoting a man}, "The best decision I've ever made was to give up something I love for the God I love even more.  He has NEVER forgotten me for it."

Wow, so powerful.  So many things to think about & for me to improve on. 

We visited the rest of the way home and toward the end the boys were tired, but still good.  Got home and loved all over Zac for a while.  Cuddled all together on the couch for a couple hours, unpacked, and headed to Cleaver's to celebrate Em's birthday.  Loved being together, visited for a while, and tiredly brought everyone home to bed.  So happy to be home.