New Years resolutions

The end of 2012 was busy for me. Lets be honest, that time of year is busy for everyone but starting in October things got really busy and didn't slow down until the literal end of the year. As soon as I crossed one item off my list the next thing was there ready to be planned and prepared and I had to do it quickly. I became very aware of the fact that I get my inspiration first thing in the morning. I would wake up with so many ideas in my head; ideas that I had been trying and trying to get the night or days before. I would wake up in the morning and they would be there all fresh and bright and doable in my head. I was/am really grateful for that.
Somehow I also managed to spend quite a bit of time in William's school class room where I had the first thoughts of "I could do this at home". Looking back it is hard to believe that I even entertained those thoughts when I had so much else going on, but I know it is because those thoughts were not my own. They were inspiration from the spirit, that much I know. Cause I never would have imagined how happy homeschooling would have made me, I never would have thought my life could change so quickly and so positively just by making the choice to home school. Only my Heavenly Father could have known that. I am just so, so glad I listened. This year truly has felt like a fresh start. More than any other year. More than the years where Russ and I would sit down and talk about the ways we could improve on every aspect of our lives and set goals. Some goals that we worked on and others that got forgotten rather quickly. No goals were set this year, no resolutions. But changes were made. For example; I have always had a hard time getting up early in the morning. Always. I have tried and been successful for awhile but it never lasted. Now I get up with Russ in the morning and we eat breakfast and I talk his ear off (cause I just woke up with a bunch of ideas in my head) and we pray together and I love it so much. It has made such a difference in my life but I can't quite tell you how or why I can do it now and I couldn't before (I think part of me is writing this so I can figure it out).
I guess I find it interesting that the year I didn't even think about goals has been my most productive and joyful so far. On New Years Eve I had some wonderful friends over and Rachel asked me what my New Years resolution or theme was going to be. I had not really thought about it so I didn't have an answer but it got me thinking, but I wasn't really coming up with anything. Then on January first Connie asked me if I wanted to go see Les Miserables with her and Lindsey. I went. It was my second time seeing it and even better the second time. During the movie (especially the end) I realized what my word for 2013 would be: Disciple. I want to be like Jean Val-Jean and the Bishop. I want to be more like my Savior: kinder, more patient and loving, more forgiving, and less judgmental  I have been trying and I am better, but I still have a long way to go.
I guess it is not completely accurate to make it sound like the word disciple is one that just came to me that day. It has been floating around in my head ever since conference in October. When Jeffery R. Holland spoke on discipleship (*I am posting my favorite parts at the end of this post) it stopped me dead in my tracks. Literally. I was working on a project and walking across the room when I stopped dead in my tracks and stood there frozen without realizing it until the talk was over. There I stood with tear stained cheeks knowing that he was talking to me. And that I had work to do. It became the theme for Young Women in Excellence that was in November and I think studying it has begun to change me. Slowly, bit by bit, I have felt my focus changing. Things that used to seem important are not important anymore and things I had been ignoring are not only things that I am paying attention to, but tackling head on. I am learning that God has bigger plans for me than I had for myself.
I feel as though I have been walking base of a beautiful mountain for years. A mountain covered in lush greenery and beautiful flowers everywhere. I feel like I have been looking up at it, admiring it, and maybe even climbing it but only by slowly spiraling up the sides. Now I feel like I have turned with my face towards the top and I am starting to climb. And it is hard and tiring but so beautiful and so worth it. And I am going to be honest. I don't even know exactly what I have done that has made such a difference for me. There are quite a few changes that have been made around here, the most important being that instead of making sure I squeeze "the most important things" into my day, they have become my day. Anything else has to be squeezed in and more often than not let go, but that is okay cause they are not the most important things.  I have acted on the promptings I have had and it truly has brought me so much happiness. And the crazy thing is, I wasn't unhappy before. The base of the mountain was nice level ground with a beautiful view, but climbing it is even better. I can't wait until I reach the top, I can only imagine how beautiful it will be there and I am so grateful that I have my Savior here for the climb cause I know I could not make it their without him.

*From the talk: The First and Great Commandment
By Jeffery R. Holland

After a joyful reunion with the resurrected Jesus, Peter had an exchange with the Savior that I consider the crucial turning point of the apostolic ministry generally and certainly for Peter personally, moving this great rock of a man to a majestic life of devoted service and leadership. Looking at their battered little boats, their frayed nets, and a stunning pile of 153 fish, Jesus said to His senior Apostle, “Peter, do you love me more than you love all this?” Peter said, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.”¹⁰

The Savior responds to that reply but continues to look into the eyes of His disciple and says again, “Peter, do you love me?” Undoubtedly confused a bit by the repetition of the question, the great fisherman answers a second time, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.”¹¹

The Savior again gives a brief response, but with relentless scrutiny He asks for the third time, “Peter, do you love me?” By now surely Peter is feeling truly uncomfortable. Whatever his feelings, Peter said for the third time, “Lord, … thou knowest that I love thee.”¹²

To which Jesus responded (and here again I acknowledge my nonscriptural elaboration), perhaps saying something like: “Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me.”

My beloved brothers and sisters, I am not certain just what our experience will be on Judgment Day, but I will be very surprised if at some point in that conversation, God does not ask us exactly what Christ asked Peter: “Did you love me?” I think He will want to know if in our very mortal, very inadequate, and sometimes childish grasp of things, did we at least understand one commandment, the first and greatest commandment of them all—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.”¹³ And if at such a moment we can stammer out, “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,” then He may remind us that the crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments,”¹⁴ Jesus said. So we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord. We can’t quit and we can’t go back. After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before. The Crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a Christian life, not the end of it. It was this truth, this reality, that allowed a handful of Galilean fishermen-turned-again-Apostles without “a single synagogue or sword”¹⁵ to leave those nets a second time and go on to shape the history of the world in which we now live.

I testify from the bottom of my heart, with the intensity of my soul, to all who can hear my voice that those apostolic keys have been restored to the earth, and they are found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To those who have not yet joined with us in this great final cause of Christ, we say, “Please come.” To those who were once with us but have retreated, preferring to pick and choose a few cultural hors d’oeuvres from the smorgasbord of the Restoration and leave the rest of the feast, I say that I fear you face a lot of long nights and empty nets. The call is to come back, to stay true, to love God, and to lend a hand. I include in that call to fixed faithfulness every returned missionary who ever stood in a baptismal font and with arm to the square said, “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ.”¹⁶ That commission was to have changed your convert forever, but it was surely supposed to have changed you forever as well. To the youth of the Church rising up to missions and temples and marriage, we say: “Love God and remain clean from the blood and sins of this generation. You have a monumental work to do, underscored by that marvelous announcement President Thomas S. Monson made yesterday morning. Your Father in Heaven expects your loyalty and your love at every stage of your life.”

To all within the sound of my voice, the voice of Christ comes ringing down through the halls of time, asking each one of us while there is time, “Do you love me?” And for every one of us, I answer with my honor and my soul, “Yea, Lord, we do love thee.” And having set our “hand to the plough,”¹⁷ we will never look back until this work is finished and love of God and neighbor rules the world. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

We are doing home school!

I have so many things I need to catch up on this journal but I first need to write about what is really on my mind right now and that is that I have made the decision to home school. And I am really excited about it. This decision has been a long time in the making, even though I didn't know it. It started when it was time for William to start kindergarten. I started looking into different types of education because the public school he was supposed to go to was not very good. Someone let me borrow some CD's that were about Thomas Jefferson Education. I don't remember a ton about it (although I will be looking into it more now and most likely will follow their phases of learning with my kids) but what I remember was the guy describing public school education as conveyor belt education. He talks about how kids lose their love of learning early on and I started crying while I was listening to it because I realized and remembered when that happened to me (it was in 3rd grade when they started having me do timed math tests). I did not get the most (or even close to it) out of my public school education. (*if you want to read more about why I am not crazy about public school education you could read some articles I have linked at the bottom of the post) I know not everyone had the same experience as me but William is a lot like me and I did not want him to lose his curiosity of life that he has. I found a charter Montessori school that he went to for Kindergarten and first grade. It seemed to be less Montessori and more public school when he was in first grade. I found another Montessori charter school that was closer to our house and was all ready for Gracie and William to go there when a month or so before school started I got an email from someone telling me about Kimber Academy I felt like I needed to learn more and it wasn't long before we knew it was where our kids should go to school. That is where they have been last semester and it has been great. I have loved it. I love them learning with morality in every subject. I have seen changes in them like a huge spike in their creativity and wanting to play outside and be adventurous all the time. I love it. I also love that it is only 3 days a week and 4 hours a day. Sure it is nice to have a break from kids while they are in school but in the end when my kids are in school full time I feel like our life is a big rushed mess. There was no time to even read my kids a chapter book. I remember William telling me that they were reading Charlie and The Chocolate Factory at school and it kind of bugged me because I wanted to read to him but couldn't find the time without keeping him up late, but his teacher got to read to him. I also liked that his school had a garden but then remembered that I wanted to have a garden and would rather them learn that at home. So when I heard the hours of the Kimber school I was so excited and I have loved it. So basically what happened is I was going to help in Williams class room and I loved it and wished I could go to the school too (cause remember I didn't get a good education). One day while I was helping in the class I had the thought, "I could do this. It's only 12 hours a week and the curriculum is all laid out for me." Once I had that thought it would not leave me. Each day it seemed I would wake up with a knew reason in my mind of why I should teach them at home:
-have time to focus on teaching my kids obedience and mutual respect for each other
-the older kids helping younger kids and strengthening relationships through serving each other
-more time to peruse extra curricular interests
-I get to learn the education as I teach it
-More time to teach them to take care of our home and their things and letting them earn money doing work
-sometimes me and my kids don't get a long and at those times sending them to school seems like a good idea but I feel like now I need to face it and change it rather than hide from it.
 And other reasons too. I kept telling myself I would take some time and pray about it when I had more time but the Holy Ghost kept giving me answers before I would even ask. So I finally admitted to myself what I needed and wanted to do. One day I was driving in the car, Christmas shopping by myself and listening to a conference talk and I received so much personal inspiration. I felt like that talk was just for me. I was just going to link to it but I decided to paste the whole thing here and put the parts that really stuck out to me about this topic in red. It also just a really great talk for the start of a new year.

Of Regrets and Resolutions

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

President Monson, we love you. Thank you for the inspired and historic announcement on the building of new temples and missionary service. Because of them, I’m sure great blessings will come to us and to many future generations.

My dear brothers and sisters, my dear friends! We are all mortal. I hope this does not come as a surprise to anyone.

None of us will be on earth very long. We have a number of precious years which, in the eternal perspective, barely amount to the blink of an eye.

And then we depart. Our spirits “are taken home to that God who gave [us] life.”¹ We lay our bodies down and leave behind the things of this world as we move to the next realm of our existence.

When we are young, it seems that we will live forever. We think there is a limitless supply of sunrises waiting just beyond the horizon, and the future looks to us like an unbroken road stretching endlessly before us.

However, the older we get, the more we tend to look back and marvel at how short that road really is. We wonder how the years could have passed so quickly. And we begin to think about the choices we made and the things we have done. In the process, we remember many sweet moments that give warmth to our souls and joy to our hearts. But we also remember the regrets—the things we wish we could go back and change.

A nurse who cares for the terminally ill says that she has often asked a simple question of her patients as they prepared to depart this life.

“Do you have any regrets?” she would ask.²

Being so close to that final day of mortality often gives clarity to thought and provides insight and perspective. So when these people were asked about their regrets, they opened their hearts. They reflected about what they would change if only they could turn back the clock.

As I considered what they had said, it struck me how the foundational principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ can affect our life’s direction for good, if only we will apply them.

There is nothing mysterious about the principles of the gospel. We have studied them in the scriptures, we have discussed them in Sunday School, and we have heard them from the pulpit many times. These divine principles and values are straightforward and clear; they are beautiful, profound, and powerful; and they can definitely help us to avoid future regrets.

I Wish I Had Spent More Time with the People I Love

Perhaps the most universal regret dying patients expressed was that they wished they had spent more time with the people they love.

Men in particular sang this universal lament: they “deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the [daily] treadmill of … work.”³ Many had lost out on choice memories that come from spending time with family and friends. They missed developing a deep connection with those who meant the most to them.

Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.

Is it?

I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.

I can’t see it.

Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day. When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time.

In our day it is easy to merely pretend to spend time with others. With the click of a mouse, we can “connect” with thousands of “friends” without ever having to face a single one of them. Technology can be a wonderful thing, and it is very useful when we cannot be near our loved ones. My wife and I live far away from precious family members; we know how that is. However, I believe that we are not headed in the right direction, individually and as a society, when we connect with family or friends mostly by reposting humorous pictures, forwarding trivial things, or linking our loved ones to sites on the Internet. I suppose there is a place for this kind of activity, but how much time are we willing to spend on it? If we fail to give our best personal self and undivided time to those who are truly important to us, one day we will regret it.

Let us resolve to cherish those we love by spending meaningful time with them, doing things together, and cultivating treasured memories.

I Wish I Had Lived Up to My Potential

Another regret people expressed was that they failed to become the person they felt they could and should have been. When they looked back on their lives, they realized that they never lived up to their potential, that too many songs remained unsung.

I am not speaking here of climbing the ladder of success in our various professions. That ladder, no matter how lofty it may appear on this earth, barely amounts to a single step in the great eternal journey awaiting us.

Rather, I am speaking of becoming the person God, our Heavenly Father, intended us to be.

We arrive in this world, as the poet said, “trailing clouds of glory”⁴ from the premortal sphere.

Our Heavenly Father sees our real potential. He knows things about us that we do not know ourselves. He prompts us during our lifetime to fulfill the measure of our creation, to live a good life, and to return to His presence.

Why, then, do we devote so much of our time and energy to things that are so fleeting, so inconsequential, and so superficial? Do we refuse to see the folly in the pursuit of the trivial and transient?

Would it not be wiser for us to “lay up for [ourselves] treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal”?⁵

How do we do this? By following the example of the Savior, by incorporating His teachings in our daily lives, by truly loving God and our fellowman.

We certainly cannot do this with a dragging-our-feet, staring-at-our-watch, complaining-as-we-go approach to discipleship.

When it comes to living the gospel, we should not be like the boy who dipped his toe in the water and then claimed he went swimming. As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we are capable of so much more. For that, good intentions are not enough. We must do. Even more important, we must become what Heavenly Father wants us to be.

Declaring our testimony of the gospel is good, but being a living example of the restored gospel is better. Wishing to be more faithful to our covenants is good; actually being faithful to sacred covenants—including living a virtuous life, paying our tithes and offerings, keeping the Word of Wisdom, and serving those in need—is much better. Announcing that we will dedicate more time for family prayer, scripture study, and wholesome family activities is good; but actually doing all these things steadily will bring heavenly blessings to our lives.

Discipleship is the pursuit of holiness and happiness. It is the path to our best and happiest self.

Let us resolve to follow the Savior and work with diligence to become the person we were designed to become. Let us listen to and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. As we do so, Heavenly Father will reveal to us things we never knew about ourselves. He will illuminate the path ahead and open our eyes to see our unknown and perhaps unimagined talents.

The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets. The more we rely on the Savior’s grace, the more we will feel that we are on the track our Father in Heaven has intended for us.

I Wish I Had Let Myself Be Happier

Another regret of those who knew they were dying may be somewhat surprising. They wished they had let themselves be happier.

So often we get caught up in the illusion that there is something just beyond our reach that would bring us happiness: a better family situation, a better financial situation, or the end of a challenging trial.

The older we get, the more we look back and realize that external circumstances don’t really matter or determine our happiness.

We do matter. We determine our happiness.

You and I are ultimately in charge of our own happiness.

My wife, Harriet, and I love riding our bicycles. It is wonderful to get out and enjoy the beauties of nature. We have certain routes we like to bike, but we don’t pay too much attention to how far we go or how fast we travel in comparison with other riders.

However, occasionally I think we should be a bit more competitive. I even think we could get a better time or ride at a higher speed if only we pushed ourselves a little more. And then sometimes I even make the big mistake of mentioning this idea to my wonderful wife.

Her typical reaction to my suggestions of this nature is always very kind, very clear, and very direct. She smiles and says, “Dieter, it’s not a race; it’s a journey. Enjoy the moment.”

How right she is!

Sometimes in life we become so focused on the finish line that we fail to find joy in the journey. I don’t go cycling with my wife because I’m excited about finishing. I go because the experience of being with her is sweet and enjoyable.

Doesn’t it seem foolish to spoil sweet and joyful experiences because we are constantly anticipating the moment when they will end?

Do we listen to beautiful music waiting for the final note to fade before we allow ourselves to truly enjoy it? No. We listen and connect to the variations of melody, rhythm, and harmony throughout the composition.

Do we say our prayers with only the “amen” or the end in mind? Of course not. We pray to be close to our Heavenly Father, to receive His Spirit and feel His love.

We shouldn’t wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available—all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect. “This is the day which the Lord hath made … ,” the Psalmist wrote. “Rejoice and be glad in it.”⁶

Brothers and sisters, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it.

Perhaps we should be looking less with our eyes and more with our hearts. I love the quote: “One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.”⁷

We are commanded “to give thanks in all things.”⁸ So isn’t it better to see with our eyes and hearts even the small things we can be thankful for, rather than magnifying the negative in our current condition?

The Lord has promised, “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold.”⁹

Brothers and sisters, with the bountiful blessings of our Heavenly Father, His generous plan of salvation, the supernal truths of the restored gospel, and the many beauties of this mortal journey, “have we not reason to rejoice?”¹⁰

Let us resolve to be happy, regardless of our circumstances.

Of Resolutions

One day we will take that unavoidable step and cross from this mortal sphere into the next estate. One day we will look back at our lives and wonder if we could have been better, made better decisions, or used our time more wisely.

To avoid some of the deepest regrets of life, it would be wise to make some resolutions today. Therefore, let us:

• • 
  Resolve to spend more time with those we love.
• • 
  Resolve to strive more earnestly to become the person God wants us to be.
• • 
  Resolve to find happiness, regardless of our circumstances.

It is my testimony that many of the deepest regrets of tomorrow can be prevented by following the Savior today. If we have sinned or made mistakes—if we have made choices that we now regret—there is the precious gift of Christ’s Atonement, through which we can be forgiven. We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret¹¹ and remove the burden of our sins.¹² His Atonement allows us to leave the past behind and move forward with clean hands, a pure heart,¹³ and a determination to do better and especially to become better.

Yes, this life is passing swiftly; our days seem to fade quickly; and death appears frightening at times. Nevertheless, our spirit will continue to live and will one day be united with our resurrected body to receive immortal glory. I bear solemn witness that because of the merciful Christ, we will all live again and forever. Because of our Savior and Redeemer, one day we will truly understand and rejoice in the meaning of the words “the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.”¹⁴

The path toward fulfilling our divine destiny as sons and daughters of God is an eternal one. My dear brothers and sisters, dear friends, we must begin to walk that eternal path today; we cannot take for granted one single day. I pray that we will not wait until we are ready to die before we truly learn to live. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I think I would benefit greatly from reading that talk every day. I really have been feeling like I am doing what the Lord wants me to do and what will be best for me and my family. I know it will be hard and that I will learn a lot of things about myself I didn't know before. I am so grateful to get this kind of guidance. If I had just decided to do this years ago it probably would not have gone so well. I feel like heavenly father has been preparing me for this and I feel confident and ready and I am grateful for that.

I typed in "how does ame" in google and the first thing that came up was 'how does amercia rank in education" That is where I found this PBS article and A Huffington Post article and this shocking article  also by the Huffington Post
But if I were going to recommend anything it would be the Back to School podcast by This American Life. Not just religious people realize the problem and the solution. I will gladly be teaching my kids with God and Morality in every subject and I know they will be better for it.
p.s. I should add that when I talk about public schools and what I don' t like about them, I am NOT talking about teachers I love them and admire them for the hard work they do will little pay a little recognition and I recognize that they help so many of their students. I think it is the fact that it is a government program that it is failing.

Evening in Excellence

Last week we had Evening in Excellence and it was amazing. We used the part of the theme for the year which is "standard for the nations" and then tacked on the questions, "where will you go?". We talked about the new curriculum for the youth (I am so excited for this!), aiming high and reaching our potential, and being disciples of Christ.

Angela found these perfect globe ornaments and I brought all my maps.

Angela also did all the design work and it was perfect.

I got an old road atlas at the thrift store and tore out the pages to use as place mats.

That is a pen in that little arrow right there. For taking notes.

I also borrowed my neighbors globe collection (like I did this time) and it was perfect.

We had a baked potato/salad bar and had someone make us really yummy cupcakes. 

Here are all my girls (a few are missing) and they are all so wonderful. 

This is with the leaders too. I love the women I get to serve with. I feel really, really lucky.

Mimi made an amazing video with the help of Brooke and Shelby and I love it so much. She did such an amazing job and I made the mistake of putting my speaking part after the video. Needless to say I bawled through my whole talk. They probably all think I am nuts. But I love this gospel! I love these girls! And that makes me cry.

it resonates

I have so much to blog about. I have been slacking for sure for quite awhile and then on top of the everyday stuff I have been neglecting we went on a wonderfully awesome trip to Washington. While there I was talking with my sister in law, Kirsten about blogs we read and I told her I only read blogs that leave me thinking "amen" or "what they said is true and I need/want to do better about that". If I leave feeling "I wish" or wanting then I stop reading them, cause I don't need that in my life.
Well I just finished reading some posts from the lovely Megan and she wrote a post  about body image that left me saying, "AMEN!" especially this quote:

i realized that the desire to change my body was the least interesting thing about me.

(that desire is in fact the least interesting thing about every woman i know). 


Oh man that is so true. Whenever I start to talk (or even think for that matter) about the fact that I want to lose a little weight or how I don't like my nose there is something nagging inside me and I couldn't quite put my finger on it until I read that quote. It is not interesting. To anyone. Or rather it is the least interesting this about me. See when talk with others and get to know others, talking about their body interests me very little as it is something that (for the most part) we have no control over. I want to know about them. What they feel, like, and do.

I am going to try and be better to not think and talk about my body in a negative way cause I have much more interesting thing to be thinking and talking about.

Just like Heaven

Today was the last day of General Conference. I look forward to this time of year so much. It usually comes right when I need it. It is usually at a time in my life where I'm kind of in a rut and forgetting the things that are most important to me. Stuff just seems to get in the way and I love that conference reminds me about how to get rid of that stuff in my life and to focus on the most important things. When it was over I couldn't believe it. It. flew. by. I can't wait to  re-listen to all of the talks (I try and listen to all of them at least three times so it really sinks in).

Yesterday Russ had to work so the kids and I picked up Connie and we went out to my moms and had a lovely day. Then today we went to Russ' parents house. We have found that it helps a lot for the kids to be at their grandparents house. It helps distract the kids so that they let us watch conference in peace and they seem to be a bit better behaved there. For the second session today I took Joseph home put him down for nap and was able to listen to the talks by myself while I worked on a project.

 I left this conference feeling really motivated to strengthen our family even more. I am going  to take some time to sit down with Russ and talk about each of our kids and figure out their needs and what we need to be doing differently with them. I feel like we have been going with the flow, but I don't want to miss out on the opportunities that we have as parents to spend time with and teach our children. Before we know it they will be grown up and gone.

When Joseph woke up from his nap went back over Russ' parents and had dinner and then spent some time outside in the yard. 

 The kids were swinging, laughing, and playing. The lighting was perfect and beautiful, I could smell citrus blossoms, and a cool breeze was blowing. It felt just like heaven.

 I was pushing Gracie on the swings and she said,  "I have to think of a lovely thought so I can fly."  (she is always flying when she's on the swing) and then she said, "my happy thought will be my family". I looked around the yard and saw her grandparents, uncle, and cousins watching and playing with the kids, William and Russ were pushing Joseph in the swing. I told her that was the most lovely thought of all.

There really is nothing more important than family. I know that. And there is really nothing that makes me happier. I am so glad I got to spend this weekend with family I love and hearing the truth of the Gospel. I am so happy.
Now here is a video of Joseph spinning in the swing. I promise he did like it (he didn't laugh as much in this one, but he was the time before)

On Sunday we had our New Beginnings. That's where we have any girls that will be coming into Young Women's this year come and learn about Young Women's. We also talk about what we're going to be doing this year and try and  set some goals. This years mutual theme is "Arise and shine forth that thy light may be a standard to the nations'' D&C 115:5.

 I knew my friend Lauren's huge light bulbs (that she so graciously loaned me) would be perfect to use for a decoration and I also knew (because of her instagrams) that this other gal had a collection of globes that she so willingly let us borrow. Isn't that awesome.

Add Angela's amazing lettering skills combined with a chalkboard marker (found at Hobby Lobby) and you got some awesome decorations.

Jessica, Angela, and I all took turns talking about the light of Christ: how to get in our lives and how to share it with others. We used the idea of nations as a way to lead into our Young Women in Excellence that will be at the end of the year, which will be a world's fair. We are going to encourage the girls to learn about their ancestors and where they came from so that at the worlds fair we can share what we have learned with each other. 

We used the same boxes and ties that we used for Angela's baby shower and made a picnic lunch. That made it easy because we could  prepare it all beforehand. We set it up quickly and had New Beginnings during our Young Woman's hour of church. 




 I also made a little book for the girls made out of a bunch of different shapes of scrapbook paper and envelope (for photos and notes) all sewn together. It is for collecting information about their ancestors and where they've come from. 

I was pretty proud of myself for the hand lettering I did on the front. I am really trying to improve my handwriting skills. The whole thing turned out lovely and, as usual, it end up strengthening my testimony on the light of Christ and how it can shine in us.

I have imaginary friends

I read blogs. A lot. I love them, I just do. It all started in 2006 when my cousin sent me a link to the blog she started and I was like, "what is this?" And we had just moved away from our families to go to school and I thought, "what a great way to keep in touch!" So I started one and then after about a year I realized it was the best (only) journal I had ever kept! There was/is no way I am going to stop that. Somewhere along the line I started reading other peoples blogs. I read blogs of friends and people I know, but then there are those that I don't know in the real world, but I have grown to really love them. I call them my imaginary friends. The first was...

Nie Nie

Before her plane crash I was introduced to her blog and being naive to the internet did not realize that there were blogs that thousands of people read without knowing them. I learned quickly. This gal taught me a lot, like it is okay to decorate and dress the way you like and not the way others do, that I can make healthier eating choices,  I can have a baby at home, I can buy an older home and make it just the way I want it. She also helped me remember that I love being a mom and to not let the stress get me down. Through her blog I found...

Kelly Mccaleb

 I was super drawn to her blog the moment I read it. She is real and honest and I love that. If I knew her in real life I know we would be friends, not because we are exactly a like, but because I appreciate and love the person she is. And the things she is into change all the time and that is the way that I am so I love it. Through her I found her sister...

Heather

I just love her. Her blog makes me excited to have teenagers rather than dread/fear it. I am not 100% sure why, but I have gotten teary eyed reading her blog quite a few times. She speaks my language, what can I say? Then they have another sister...

Coco

And Coco is like her sisters real, honest, and just cool. Plus she posts videos of MC Hammer.

Little Green Notebook

This gal is Jenny and she has a decorating blog. I have been following it for a long time and it has been fun to watch it grow. She has great taste and great tips.

Petite Mama

This is Marjorie and I got connected with her through the iPhone app, instagram. She is a mama that is a lot like me, but she is in France.sigh. I love communicating with her through pictures and seeing the parallel in our lives. It is like having a pen pal and I love it. And I love that google will translate her blog for me (though not always perfectly).

Playing House

My cousin introduced me to this blog and this girl is a young mama who is hip, but doesn't take herself too seriously.

Cakies

Then we have Ruby Ellen. she likes vintage (like me), she likes to craft (like me), she likes good food (like me), she loves her family (like me), and she loves god (like me). I feel better after reading her blog.

Shannon Hale

There was not a picture on the blog that I could see of Shannon, so I put the first book of her that I ever read. I love all her books and her blog. We have met in person and she called my sister and I her Arizona friends, but I think I will still call our friendship imaginary:)

Laini Taylor

The other authors blog that I follow is Laini Taylor's. I just adore this pink haired lady. Her daughter is so so cute and she is a wonderful mama and while her blog is mostly about writing her awesomeness as a mother, wife, friend, and artist cannot be contained. Her blog just makes me happy. And so do her books!

Kara Bagley

And this lady's blog is where I go if I want to take another step in eating healthier. She has wonderful information, tips, advice, and recipies. I love her passion and she makes me want to garden.

While scrolling through this list I noticed that most (if not all) of these ladies are spiritual. That is something that  I connect with. I am glad that these ladies do what they do and let me peek into their lives. It lets me know that I am not alone in my beliefs, passions, and style. I do read more blogs, but these are my favorites. And I just found another one last night (through Kelly).

Mara

I read the whole thing last night (luckily she has only been doing it for 3 weeks) and have felt so inspired to be  a better me (I hate to use the word "inspired" cause it seems so over used, but I don't know what else to say). She shares about her trials of infertility, divorce, remarriage (this was not a trial), and still struggling with infertility. I love it because she gives very simple, very real tips on how to be happy even though we all have trials. I think that everyone could benefit from reading this. This is part of her post today, 

"So, dear ones, I hope you will join me in this effort to become the best women we can be by finding happiness independent of our circumstances.

It is the most liberating, burden-lifting thing we could ever do (for ourselves).  And it will be the most noble and powerful act of love that we could ever offer our children or spouses."

I am joining her and I hope you do to. Lets all do this together (both fists in the air)!

So there you go. I hope someone appreciates this cause I had to do a lot of linking and such and it was not as easy as I thought it would be. Maybe someday I will let you know about my real friends blogs:) Those that post anyway. hint hint.

Oh yes I should also mentions a couple that used to be my imaginary friends, but have become my friends in real life!

Reachel Bagley

and 

Angela Hardison

And both are even cooler in real life so I assume it is that way with all my imaginary friends. 

The end.

whew!