Merry Christmas from the Sharp's

We took a few pictures on sunday (thanks to Josh and April). When we tried by ourselves it was a sad experience. I almost gave up and decided to just print the ones where the girls were bawling or pulling hair or falling over or glaring or sticking out tounges, etc...but Aaron had a great idea. "Let's go to the Lindsay's." He's good looking AND smart! Lucky me.
Well, I don't usually send christmas cards so this will have to suffice. Merry Christmas to all my family and friends out there! We love you all so much!!


It looks like Jocelyn is reaching for a pretty little ornament doesn't it? Nope. I'm holding lollipops above them to keep their attention. Hee, hee

I figured I'd add a couple of photos of the devil-house (as Aaron puts it) and boat since a few friends have asked me to. The boat actually wasn't too expensive considering we went in on it with April and Josh, but I'm afraid it's still gonna go. Anybody want a boat? A house? I'll give you a great dealio....any takers? :) Ha, ha, ha..seriously though. LOL :)

Olivia's Miracle

Olivia and I experienced a miracle yesterday. She was looking for a ziplock bag that had a piece of paper in it from her teacher. The paper has a list of all the books she's supposed to read and then Aaron or I have to sign them off. Well, we couldn't find it anywhere. I think she probably could've simply asked her teacher for a new one. I pretty much remembered all the books she had read so it would've been easy to mark them off again. I normally wouldn't have bothered with such a simple thing and told her to just ask for another one. However, the Spirit prompted me to tell her to go and say a prayer that Heavenly Father would help her find it. As she left to go say her prayer I was nervous. I pleaded in silent prayer that He would help her find her paper so that her faith would not waiver and so she would know that she could ask and He would answer. She returned and told me she was done. I should've prefaced this saying, at first I didn't want to help her look, and I didn't. (I've been trying to teach her to be responible for her things.) However when she told me she was done praying I had the strong desire to help her. I went about doing my normal work but was constantly looking for it as I cleaned up. With in minutes, I found it. She never would've seen it. It was inside a book cover behind the couch that I just happened to see. I wasn't cleaning anything by the couch I just felt like I should walk over to it. I called her into the room and showed it to her. We both cried together, but then she said, "But mom, Heavenly Father didn't answer my prayer because you found it and I didn't." I then got to explain to her how prayers work. Most of the time He uses other people to answer your prayers. I quickly thanked God for helping us but forgot to teach Olivia that important step. About 10 minutes later I saw my daughters "The Friend" magazine laying open to the story "Ten Lepers and a thank you note". I immediately called to her again and told her to go and say another prayer to thank Him for helping her. It's so amazing to see that as I am teaching them--He is teaching me. I think that my faith was strengthened just as much if not more than her's was. She probably had sufficient to find it but He wanted me to trust in Him.

On with the saga....

So far we've cut up 2 credit cards, hooray!!! What a great feeling. It's going to take a while I'm sure but we'll slowly get all our debts paid and be back to normal. No credit cards (with balances that is) and no large mortgages. I can't say no more boat because that was the best thing we have ever bought for our family. We'll just have to be happy with one we can afford next time. I don't think we could live without one now--nor could the YM and YW of our ward (or the cub scouts for that matter). Although, we'll have to live without it until everything else is paid off. You know, as bad as being in this situation is, I still consider it worth it. We sure had a great time thinking we were getting all that interest. We made some wonderful memories over the last two and a half years that we probably wouldn't have. And we would've been able to afford all of it too if we just wouldn't have bought this last house, darn it. Oh well...at least we got to live in the BEST neighborhood and ward we've ever been in. I still know that we were supposed to be here. Perhaps it was because I really need to learn humility--and I am. And, I've really got to say that I'm so grateful for it. I love me more now than before. I'm a much better person for having to go through this. I know that sounds like pride, but I, like Ammon, "...do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God." I continue to see God's love for me and He has shown me my weaknesses and I am trying to strengthen them with His help. "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behod, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." (Alma 26: 11-12) I sincerely think this will be my all-time favorite Christmas ever because of this. I feel like I say more earnest prayers, I read my scriptures more diligently and I continually have a prayer in my heart and think of my savior Jesus Christ more often. Truly this will be the best Christmas because I have been compelled to be humble. "And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye;..." Unfortunately I had to be compelled. Alma goes on to say, "And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word." So my homework is to be humble without being compelled to do so. It's a lot less painful that way anyway.