BTW, he HATES this picture, but I love it. I brought it to my bunco group's sleep over as a joke, but now keep it by my bedside. He just got home from work school so now we get to...watch American Idol. :-)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Happy Anniversary Mike!
Today marks 5 years from when we said our I Do's in Kissimme Florida. I don't want to say too much, but I do want to let everyone know that I feel grateful every single day to have the opportunity to be married to this wonderful man. He works so hard to be an amazing father and husband and I'm very fortunate he chose me to come along on the ride. Happy Anniversay handsome man!
BTW, he HATES this picture, but I love it. I brought it to my bunco group's sleep over as a joke, but now keep it by my bedside. He just got home from work school so now we get to...watch American Idol. :-)
BTW, he HATES this picture, but I love it. I brought it to my bunco group's sleep over as a joke, but now keep it by my bedside. He just got home from work school so now we get to...watch American Idol. :-)
HARAS
Today Sarah was coloring with chalk and called me over to see that she'd spelt her name. Somehow she did it backwards, but I thought it was still cute and worth sharing.
I don't correct her speech directly, but when she mispronounces something I'll repeat what she says using the correct phrase. i.e. Sarah: I drawed my name Me:great, you drew your name. When I did that today she corrected me and told me it's drawed, not drew. I tried once more, but she was insistent she had it write. Tween years, here we come. ;-)
I don't correct her speech directly, but when she mispronounces something I'll repeat what she says using the correct phrase. i.e. Sarah: I drawed my name Me:great, you drew your name. When I did that today she corrected me and told me it's drawed, not drew. I tried once more, but she was insistent she had it write. Tween years, here we come. ;-)
Hidden Treasure
Yesterday we went with our new friends to a wonderful park I had never heard of in Copperton. Those of you from the west side are probably familiar with their town and park, but it was a pleasant surprise for me. The park is really good sized considering the size of the township. The best part is that we pretty much had it all to ourselves since it is so out of the way. You just head west on New Bingham HWY and don't stop until you hit 100 E in Copperton. Here are some pics of the trip.
Sarah loves to "feed" people from little restaurants she creates and we had quite the meal furnished by these little ones. :-)
The park has two modern play sets, swings and a cool tunnel/Mayan temple thing. ;-)
Don't spread the word, because I don't want to share it. j/k
Sarah loves to "feed" people from little restaurants she creates and we had quite the meal furnished by these little ones. :-)
The park has two modern play sets, swings and a cool tunnel/Mayan temple thing. ;-)
Don't spread the word, because I don't want to share it. j/k
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Free Udder Cover
Funny Dude
Sarah decided that in the time between going to bed and waking up she needed another bath, so I put her in while I got ready. Mike and I were talking and next thing we know Sarah is informing us that Steven got in as well. He loves the water and didn't care that he still had his clothes on. (we were standing by the door, so I didn't leave my kids alone near water)
Sarah insisted on this picture because it has the cat in it, (who also likes the bath) so I edited it for your viewing. :-)
If laughter is the best medicine, then these two deserve all the credit for my good health. :-)
Sarah insisted on this picture because it has the cat in it, (who also likes the bath) so I edited it for your viewing. :-)
If laughter is the best medicine, then these two deserve all the credit for my good health. :-)
Fun Moab Trip
Last weekend we went with some friends and family to Moab. It was rainy, cold, messy and totally fun. The kids had so much fun hanging out together. We camped outside of Moab and drove in to watch the Jeeps and other vehivles climb "Potatoe Salad." Watching trucks climb a hill was more fun than I had anticipated.
These pics are from Tiffany and Miranda
This picture was supposed to be "silly faces," but I obviously heard "stupid faces." ;-)
We also went into Arches on Saturday and Sunday and the kids loved hiking around in the soft sand.
We had an Easter egg hunt in Arches and the kids had fun running around and exploring the picnic site. I love Arches! There is so much to do.
Our camera broke last week, so I'm relying mostly on the pictures my friends Tiffany and Miranda took. I'll post more on facebook soon.
These pics are from Tiffany and Miranda
This picture was supposed to be "silly faces," but I obviously heard "stupid faces." ;-)
We also went into Arches on Saturday and Sunday and the kids loved hiking around in the soft sand.
We had an Easter egg hunt in Arches and the kids had fun running around and exploring the picnic site. I love Arches! There is so much to do.
Our camera broke last week, so I'm relying mostly on the pictures my friends Tiffany and Miranda took. I'll post more on facebook soon.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
An Apostle's Easter Thoughts on Christ
Thank you sharing this video Ruth. We have so much to be grateful to our Savior for. The Resurrection is something even a child can get excited about. What a wonderful gift.
Happy Easter Holiday
"For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. "
~John 3:16
"And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen: he is not here: behold the place where they laid him."
~Mark 16:6
" But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."
~John 20:13-17
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—"
~D&C 76:22
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend
~John 3:16
"And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen: he is not here: behold the place where they laid him."
~Mark 16:6
" But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."
~John 20:13-17
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—"
~D&C 76:22
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Pinching those Precious Pennies
For a while I've been using coupons while I grocery shop, but just recently I've decided to buckle down and take the time necessary to really cut my grocery bill. We use financial software and I'm seriously a little shocked each month with how much I spend. I wanted to share a few websites that can help you save some money, although you'll have to shop around AND you have to have room for food storage since you'll be stocking up on items you won't use up every week.
With both of the grocery sites you need to keep the coupons you get in the mail and get a Sunday paper to reap the full rewards. It also requires filing the coupons until you're ready to use them.
The first website is a great beginner one, because it only showcases one store each week. It is called Grocery Guru and is featured in the SL Tribune. It has menu ideas, coupons and "Hot deals."
The next website can save you a lot of money, but it requires more time. You can pick from a number of stores and it has all their deals and matches them with coupons. It is called Grocery Smarts and the password is g84ckv. The woman in charge will also come and do "parties" or speak at church functions if anyone is interested. I haven't been to one, but my friend Kellie is a big fan.
Another place you can look is a website called Pinching your Pennies. My bosses wife suggested it to me, and it has some valuable resources. It gives promo codes to a lot of stores as well as the grocery guides like the above stores. It's more of a one stop shop for saving money. But again, it requires time. (and who has any?) ;-)
My friend Kelly also posts some money savings ideas on her blog that you can get to through mine. She posted a recipe for laundry soap if you're adventurous. It only costs around $11/year to make it.
I just wanted to share, since I'm sure we're not the only family looking to save money in todays economy. :-)
With both of the grocery sites you need to keep the coupons you get in the mail and get a Sunday paper to reap the full rewards. It also requires filing the coupons until you're ready to use them.
The first website is a great beginner one, because it only showcases one store each week. It is called Grocery Guru and is featured in the SL Tribune. It has menu ideas, coupons and "Hot deals."
The next website can save you a lot of money, but it requires more time. You can pick from a number of stores and it has all their deals and matches them with coupons. It is called Grocery Smarts and the password is g84ckv. The woman in charge will also come and do "parties" or speak at church functions if anyone is interested. I haven't been to one, but my friend Kellie is a big fan.
Another place you can look is a website called Pinching your Pennies. My bosses wife suggested it to me, and it has some valuable resources. It gives promo codes to a lot of stores as well as the grocery guides like the above stores. It's more of a one stop shop for saving money. But again, it requires time. (and who has any?) ;-)
My friend Kelly also posts some money savings ideas on her blog that you can get to through mine. She posted a recipe for laundry soap if you're adventurous. It only costs around $11/year to make it.
I just wanted to share, since I'm sure we're not the only family looking to save money in todays economy. :-)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Blessing of General Conference
I didn’t become active in my church until a couple weeks before my 20th birthday. I stopped going regularly when I was 15 and stopped completely in my 17th year. Of all of my regrets during that time period many have to do with what I didn’t do as much as what I did.
When I served in Young Women’s I was proud and envious of the girls when they shared their stories about seminary. These young girls loved their teachers and learned so much about how to live right and keep themselves clean. In my ward a member of the bishopric is a seminary teacher, and I imagine the impact he has on the kids in his classes. He is not only a great teacher, but is really funny. Those kids are lucky. I can remember my seminary teacher in middle school, but I don’t even remember what my high school seminary teacher looked like in Springville. I planned on attending in Oregon, and did for a few months, but then I again just used Seminary as a free period for stupidity.
I didn’t read the Book of Mormon all the way through until I was 20, and was so upset at myself for missing out on this wonderful blessing for so long. I fell in love with it. When I got to 3rd Nephi I was dumbfounded. Somehow I had gone my whole life as a member of the LDS religion without knowing that Jesus Christ visited the American continent after His resurrection and taught the people there. How would my life have been different if I’d read this wonderful book of scripture earlier in life? Alma the Younger became my instant hero and I'm still in awe and gratitude every time I read it.
My mom made a valiant effort when we were younger to make us watch General Conference, but I have no memory of GC other than sleeping on the couch while my mom watched. I still remember the 1st time I watched General Conference all the way through, and by my own choice. It was the October session in 2000. I was part of an incredibly fun singles ward. We hung out together, ate together, and even watched conference together in our pj’s. Within minutes of its beginning I once again regretted all the years of not watching. These weren’t old boring men lecturing us on everything we’re doing wrong or shouldn’t do. These were Prophets, Apostles and teachers giving us wise and loving council for challenges we face today. Their messages are about love, faith, hope, families, marriage, trials, frugality, preparation and many other topics desperately needed in today’s world. Why had I neglected this blessing for so long?
Elder Robert D. Hales was the 2nd speaker this morning and gave a wonderful talk on Provident Living, which is something I’ve been working at. (Though I have a long way to go) Twice a year we, as members of the LDS faith, receive guidance on living within our means, Staying out of debt, Preparing for tough times with savings and food storage, and helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Imagine how our current economic climate would be different if people, including many LDS members, headed that council. I like the phrase “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” Easier to say than do, but wise council. One of my friends just posted a recipe to make homemade laundry soap for $11/year. Imagine how much could be saved by ideas like this.
I’m just rambling now, but I know I could do with far less luxuries than I have. Elder Hales (or the sister following him, I can’t remember) also said that the more we spend on ourselves, the less we have to help others. We may have a lot and be able to afford luxuries, but what if we used that money to bless other families less fortunate than ourselves.
I'm just so grateful that for eight hours each spring and fall I can listen to this wise council that feeds me spiritually and gives me strength.
When I served in Young Women’s I was proud and envious of the girls when they shared their stories about seminary. These young girls loved their teachers and learned so much about how to live right and keep themselves clean. In my ward a member of the bishopric is a seminary teacher, and I imagine the impact he has on the kids in his classes. He is not only a great teacher, but is really funny. Those kids are lucky. I can remember my seminary teacher in middle school, but I don’t even remember what my high school seminary teacher looked like in Springville. I planned on attending in Oregon, and did for a few months, but then I again just used Seminary as a free period for stupidity.
I didn’t read the Book of Mormon all the way through until I was 20, and was so upset at myself for missing out on this wonderful blessing for so long. I fell in love with it. When I got to 3rd Nephi I was dumbfounded. Somehow I had gone my whole life as a member of the LDS religion without knowing that Jesus Christ visited the American continent after His resurrection and taught the people there. How would my life have been different if I’d read this wonderful book of scripture earlier in life? Alma the Younger became my instant hero and I'm still in awe and gratitude every time I read it.
My mom made a valiant effort when we were younger to make us watch General Conference, but I have no memory of GC other than sleeping on the couch while my mom watched. I still remember the 1st time I watched General Conference all the way through, and by my own choice. It was the October session in 2000. I was part of an incredibly fun singles ward. We hung out together, ate together, and even watched conference together in our pj’s. Within minutes of its beginning I once again regretted all the years of not watching. These weren’t old boring men lecturing us on everything we’re doing wrong or shouldn’t do. These were Prophets, Apostles and teachers giving us wise and loving council for challenges we face today. Their messages are about love, faith, hope, families, marriage, trials, frugality, preparation and many other topics desperately needed in today’s world. Why had I neglected this blessing for so long?
Elder Robert D. Hales was the 2nd speaker this morning and gave a wonderful talk on Provident Living, which is something I’ve been working at. (Though I have a long way to go) Twice a year we, as members of the LDS faith, receive guidance on living within our means, Staying out of debt, Preparing for tough times with savings and food storage, and helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Imagine how our current economic climate would be different if people, including many LDS members, headed that council. I like the phrase “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” Easier to say than do, but wise council. One of my friends just posted a recipe to make homemade laundry soap for $11/year. Imagine how much could be saved by ideas like this.
I’m just rambling now, but I know I could do with far less luxuries than I have. Elder Hales (or the sister following him, I can’t remember) also said that the more we spend on ourselves, the less we have to help others. We may have a lot and be able to afford luxuries, but what if we used that money to bless other families less fortunate than ourselves.
I'm just so grateful that for eight hours each spring and fall I can listen to this wise council that feeds me spiritually and gives me strength.
Friday, April 3, 2009
FHE idea for young kids
One of these conference packets that you can find HERE would work really well as FHE's for kids. Each picture has a little quote and scripture you could use for a short lesson and then let the kids color the picture. If the above link doesn't work, here is the URL http://downloads.sugardoodle.net/Conference%20Packet%20Color%20Young%20New.pdf
Conference packets
Hi Friends, here are some links to the conference packets I've seen so far. They have ones for younger and older kids. (or adults that need a little help) :-)
http://www.scribd.com/doc/13298891/2009-April-Conference-Packet
This one is great for older kids. It has word searches and scrambles as well as coloring and questions.
http://www.sugardoodle.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4195&Itemid=5
This one has links to a few different ones you can choose from. The one she made is all about the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The link to other General Conference ideas has packets and games.
I hope you enjoy this wonderful weekend ahead of us. :-)
http://www.scribd.com/doc/13298891/2009-April-Conference-Packet
This one is great for older kids. It has word searches and scrambles as well as coloring and questions.
http://www.sugardoodle.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4195&Itemid=5
This one has links to a few different ones you can choose from. The one she made is all about the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The link to other General Conference ideas has packets and games.
I hope you enjoy this wonderful weekend ahead of us. :-)
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