Moody Family top ten 9/28

Dallan, Josh and Matthew flew to Maryland to spend the week with Mom and Dad Moody at the mission home! They had such a great time! Here are some highlights of their trip!


10- It was the first time Josh and Matthew had ever been on an airplane! Matthew was fascinated with the bathrooms, and they both enjoyed a bit of turbulence! They flew with a new group of Elders joining the mission. Mom and Dad picked them all up and they headed home in the mission vans. Dallan and the boys loved feeling the special spirit at the mission home and seeing Mom and Dad in action.


9- They spent the next day touring Washington DC. Josh loved seeing the white house!


Matthew enjoyed going to the top of the Washington Monument.

They both loved the museum of natural history. They couldn't get enough of all the neat rocks, especially the hope diamond. They also went to the air and space museum. They learned a lot of neat history and Matthew was impressed that he got to see the spot where President Lincoln "took his very last breaths"


They all loved seeing the Washington DC temple all lit up at night!



8- The boys enjoyed going to the Zoo in Baltimore. Josh's favorite were the cheetah's and Matthew liked the owls.







7- Hooray for the Baltimore Aquarium.












The boys loved going to the dolphin show, watching the divers feed the sting rays, looking at the sharks and other sea creatures, and watching an 4D movie. (The seats rumbled, bubbled, poked, and even squirted water!)



6- They all attend an Orioles baseball game and got an autographed ball from one of the pitchers (Jeremy Guthrie) who is also LDS! They were so impressed that he goes to church when he's done pitching! The game was rained out after 7 innings, but they still had a great time!




5- They enjoyed going to historic Fort McHenry. This is the fort lit up by the "Rocket's red glare" that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star spangled banner. That day they also went to the Carroll Mansion. Charles Carroll was the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence. Then they saw the building that was the tallest in the U.S from 1828-1846.




4- Both boys thought it was awesome that they got to eat hamburgers, fries and chicken nuggets almost every day!! They said Dad let them stay up late, and that he only combed their hair twice!




3- They could hardly believe all of the trees everywhere! They came home with a collection of acorns, and loved seeing all of the squirrels in the backyard. Josh and Matthew learned how to play Mormon Rook- MOODY STYLE! They've wanted to play non stop ever since they got home! They loved seeing Greg and Kelly and baby Ryan (who is "a little bit chubbier than Mitchell")


2- Their last day there, they went to an old cemetery and historic Elicott City. They also spent some time in Annapolis (which was actually the capital of the U.S for nine whole months!) They ate lunch at an old restaurant dating back to 1813. The boys enjoyed visiting an airplane museum at the top of the airport as they waited to catch their flight home.




1- What a special trip to feel the powerful spirit of the Baltimore Maryland Mission! Thanks Mom and Dad for taking such good care of my boys and for being such wonderful examples to them. I know they'll remember the spirit they felt as they prepare for their own missions!

Memories from Maryland

It was a 4 hour plane ride!

The mission home was beautiful with plenty of space for the boys and the missionaries too!On the train to Washington DC

This is where President Lincoln passed away

The Washington Monument- they went all the way to the top!Outside the White House
The home where President Lincoln died
"I love to see the temple....I'm going there someday"

The visitor's center at the DC temple

Fun at the Zoo!

Grrr!
The Lincoln Memorial
The boys loved the neat rocks at the Natural History Museum

Matthew at the Dolphin show

There were Monkeys at the aquarium!

The Aquarium with Nana and Papa!

Meeting baby Ryan for the first time!

Orioles Vs. Blue Jays
Our favorite missionaries
Carroll Mansion

Greg, Kelly and baby Ryan

Matthew striking a pose at Fort McHenry
Caught in the fort
Matthew loved the little airplane museum that was at the top of the airport!

Getting soaked in Annapolis!
Matthew found his name in the old cemetary
Hanging out in the mission home

A bone to pick with Elmer

Mitchell has a fascination with Elmer's glue...and unscrewing things- not a good combination. Yes, I put all of the glue out of his reach the last time he had a glue incident, but he still found a bottle, unscrewed the top and dumped it in a big glob on the carpet. The kitchen linoleum was only 3 inches away, but that would have been way to easy. After scooping, scrubbing, smearing, and shampooing- it's still crusty. Ironically, that spot looks cleaner than the rest of my carpet. I don't think that layer of crust will allow any other stains to seep through...isn't there a better way to put stain guard on the carpet?

From the hundred acre woods

Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing. - Winnie the Pooh

Thoughts that I love from the hundred acre woods...

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you.”

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”

“If there ever comes a day when we can't be together keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever”

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.”

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you."

If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.

A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.

When late morning rolls around and you're feeling a bit out of sorts, don't worry; you're probably just a little eleven o'clockish.

Just because an animal is large, it doesn't mean he doesn't want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo. - Winnie the Pooh

"I wonder what Piglet is doing," thought Pooh. "I wish I were there to be doing it, too." - Winnie the Pooh

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day. - Winnie the Pooh

Some people care too much, I think it's called love. - Winnie the Pooh

Dancing to Winnie the Pooh

My boys love to listen to the music from Winnie the Pooh. There is one song that they listen to over and over that brings out their best moves...

You've got mail...

In Matthew's class they get the chance to deliver mail to each other! Matthew comes home with cute little first grade notes to read almost every day. Today he came home carrying a taped up envelope with a note inside. It said:
"Dear Matthew, You are cool and awesome! You are better than all the third graders! From ?" Matthew was grinning from ear to ear saying "Isn't that a great note, can you believe it..." Later he came up to me and said, I know who wrote that note....ME!! His best friend from kindergarten moved this year, so I guess he is learning how to be his own best friend while he continues to make new ones! Wouldn't it be great if we all remembered to send ourselves a little encouragement every once in a while?

Happiness

10- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
Albert Schweitzer

9- I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.

8- Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.

7- When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.

6- The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances. Martha Washington

5- The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. ~Benjamin Franklin

4- If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy

3- Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Brault

2- Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response. ~Mildred Barthel

1- Act happy, feel happy, be happy, without a reason in the world. Then you can love, and do what you will. Dan Millman

The usual spot

Every morning I drop off my two older boys at school. We arrive at the same time, drop off in the same place, and say good bye in the same way each day. The last thing Josh says to me every day is "Remember the usual spot!" "Josh" I sometimes say, "Have I ever forgotten to pick you up at school?" "No" Do I always pick you up in the same spot?" "Yes" "Then you don't even need to worry about that, I promise I'll be there every day..." But every morning he continues to remind me to be there.
I think that my prayers are similar to Josh's morning reminder "Don't forget to be there..." and in my heart I hear the same response, "Have I ever forgotten you? You don't need to worry, I promise I will always be there... in the usual spot"

Advice from Elder Busche

A sweet friend sent this to me, and I can't help but share! If you had a chance to listen to Elder Holland's talk, you'll see it has a similar message!
You'll love it! Please stop the music on my playlist at the bottom of the page so that you can hear the music with this clip.

Jeffrey R. Holland

This past Sunday Jeffrey R. Holland gave a CES fireside that really touched my heart.

He ended his talk with these words:
"Bad days always come to an end, faith always triumphs, and Heavenly promises are always kept."

His challenge was to read D&C 121-123 and to remember "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power, and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." (D&C 123:14)

You'll be well fed if you take a quiet moment to listen to his inspired words.
http://www.lds.org/broadcast/ces/0,7341,538-1-61-1521,00.html

Side by Side

Today as I was rocking Caleb in the nursery, Matthew came up to me with a big grin on his face and the game "Sorry" in his hands. "How about a before dinner game," he asked. I started explaining that I was holding Caleb who was hooked up to a feeding, and that as soon as he put the game on the floor, Mitchell would pulverize it. So... Matthew climbed into the crib next to me and set the game up in there. He drew all of my cards for me and moved my pieces. He even thought up strategies to help me along. I found myself thinking that he could have played that whole game whether I was there or not. But- just being together was the most important part. Sometimes just being side by side is what matters most!