Half Way Party

We finally made it Half Way through the Book of Mormon! 

We started in 2005 reading with the kids as a family. 

Carter and Chloe were very little and Mason and Josie

didn't even exist as mortals yet.  With the little kids we have

them repeat a verse with us until they can read.  It has

 been a very slow process, and not always consistent,

but we are feeling the accomplishment of making it half way!

Three cheers for the Kears!

Let's have a party!

So, we all dressed up like characters in the Book of Mormon. 

We had: 

•  Nephi (Matt) and his wife (Alice)
• Mother Sariah (Memaw)
• Ammon (Carter)
• Abish (Chloe)
• King Benjamin (Mason)
• A Lamanite "dancing" Daughter (Josie)

 We love to dress up!

And make funny faces.

We started our party off with dinner.

~~~~~~

The Menu:

Homemade Pizza (couldn't think of a great name for it.)

Ammon's Bag of Arms (bread sticks)

Shiblon Salad (green salad)

Red Sea Punch (it was blue)

~~~~~~

Next on our agenda was a Treasure Hunt. 

We had to search for the keys to the treasury of Laban. 

There were several clues that eventually led us

to the treasure chest...

...which is where we found the treasure!

Candy Bars!!

No, it didn't take any time at all to finish eating the treasure.

Sariah is looking pretty mean in this picture. 

It's just a look though. 

She really isn't mean; quite funny actually.

After the treasure, we had some trivia papers to review what

we have learned in our reading.

Then we played a family favorite game.

We called it "Don't Burn Abinadi!"

One person goes out of the room while the

rest of the players choose one candy

to be Abinadi.  When the player re-enters the

room, they begin to take one candy

off the board at a time and eat it. 

When they pick up the candy Abinadi, everyone yells,

"Don't Burn Abinadi!"

(This game is normally called "Don't Eat Pete!")

We have to be quieter when it is Josie's turn because when we yell,

it scares her and she covers her ears and cries.

 Then we played "Casting Lots."

We had a large marble that we had to roll down the

pathway without hitting any obstacles and keeping

within the boundaries.  This game was a lot of fun

and a real favorite of the kids.   

Bedtime snuck right up on us, or we would

have played this game all night.

This was an absolute "BEST NIGHT EVER!"

I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the

blessings that come into our family from reading it.

We have made a goal to finish the second half of the

book by the end of this year.  We don't want to

wait another 5 years to have our next party.

I believe Joseph Smith's words,

"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most

correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion,

and a man would get nearer to God by abiding

by its precepts, than by any other book."

My own testimony:

I know the Book of Mormon to be true. 

It has changed my life and it is my greatest hope and prayer

that it will change the lives of my children and my posterity.

Post 1-28-11