Monday, June 25, 2012

Baby gifts

So I because of my calling, I am in charge of the baby gifts in our ward. I wanted to do something fun and cute, but something the moms could really use! So I found this great idea on pinterest. I have heard, and when I have babysat, they were my favorite too, cloth diapers being used as burp clothes. So I decided I would spice up some clothe diapers to give to the women having babies in our ward! It was super easy, and looked like I spent more time and effort then I really did!
First step- choosing some ribbon that you like as well as some fabric that goes with it.





Next I took a clothe diaper, cut two pieces of ribbon and sewed it onto the clothe diapers.




Then I took 2 pieces of fabric, and folded them in half "hotdog" style, and sewed it to the edges of the clothe diaper.



When I sewed the pieces of fabric to the clothe diaper, I left a little edge so that I could cut it, and make it look like the rag quilts, this picture is just after I cut it on both sides, and about to throw it in the wash before I gave it as a present. I forgot to take one after I had washed it, but you get the idea!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Bittersweet

This last weekend, we had the chance of going to the temple to see two of our friends be sealed for time and all eternity. It was the first time we have gone to a marriage or sealing of someone we know since we were sealed. Even better, was when the sealer walked in and we realized it was the same man who had done ours. I loved how strong the spirit was, and even better, being able to listen and remember the commitments I made with my husband. I am grateful that we were invited! As I was listening, the sealer promised our friends something, many times. And while I understand he won't say the same thing every time he seals someone, I still had a hard time hearing them promised this blessing multiple times. I honestly don't remember a lot of what was said when my husband and I were sealed, however, I don't remember being promised this. They were promised over and over that they would have kids. This has been a very sore subject. I have been doing pretty well with the fact that we have been trying for quite a while now, and don't have children yet. I have actually been okay that we don't have children yet, and have been looking at the bright side of things, and then this hit, and it hit HARD!! Even worse was how many times we were asked yesterday if we had children, including from our sealer.I wasn't expecting to feel like this, but I finally understand the meaning behind bitter sweet. The spirit I felt in the temple yesterday was absolutely amazing, and yet part of it was bitter! I'm glad for a new day.

posted from Bloggeroid

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Sunday talk

So I know it has been a while, but there hasn't been tons to update on, we live kinda a boring life, but it works for us. But we are doing well. Just working, and living life and enjoying being married! I couldn't have asked for a better husband. I got the chance to speak in church today, and just wanted to post it here to have for the future.


In 3rd Nephi chapter 18 verse 21 it reads “Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.” I was asked to speak today on How Prayer and daily Scripture Study blesses our lives.
Through Family Pray, we can improve our communication. In a talk given by Diane Ferguson titled Families That Pray Together, they gave examples from families of the blessings they received through family prayer. One example talked about how they would communicate about blessings they were thankful for, or blessings they needed for themselves or friends before their family prayer. They talked about anything they felt should be brought before the Lord. I think this is a great example, this teaches children things they can pray for, as well as helps them to feel comfortable about praying for them. It also brings them closer as a family because they were praying for each other and communicating.
We can receive answers through prayer, which I think is a huge blessing. Bonnie Adams shared her story in that same talk. She talks about how she was running late, and she told her children that there would not be enough time to pray together. She says, “To my surprise, my children objected. I said ‘Ok, but I’m too grumpy this morning. Who will say it?’ “My youngest replied, ‘I will, Mommy.’ “My little boy said things only Heavenly Father could know about my so called problem, without realizing it. He asked Heavenly Father to bless me because I was having a hard time and he missed my smile. The prayer gave me an answer I’d been searching for, an answer I needed to hear. After the prayer, I opened my eyes and immediately smiled a real, sincere, ear-to-ear smile, though my eyes were brimming with tears. I kissed my boys and walked them to school. When I came home, I knelt down again to thank my Heavenly Father for my beautiful child’s prayer and for the comfort I had found through family prayer.”
A couple weeks ago I had a bad couple of days. I had some hard feelings, that I didn’t want to have. I kept a constant prayer that I could get rid of those feelings. I knelt down that night and asked Heavenly Father to help me, because I didn’t want to feel that way. I prayed hard, and knew I needed to say thank you for the wonderful blessings I have been given, but I told myself I just couldn’t do that right then. The next day I was still having a hard time, and my husband and I were out getting dinner, when he says to me “So the home teaching lesson tonight was on gratitude, and how we need to make a choice to be grateful. They had a challenge at the end of the message and that was to make a list of 100 things you are thankful for.” He continued to tell me how they broke it down into 10 things in groups to make it a little easier, but also how you realize once you get doing it, 100 things really isn’t too many. I kind of brushed it off just like I did the feeling to be thankful when I was praying. I came home and messaged a friend of mine to vent a little bit. When I received her reply, I realized that I wasn’t listening to the answer Heavenly Father was trying to give me. One thing she said really stood out to me, and that was that I needed to use this experience to grow closer to my Heavenly Father and my husband. I had been praying that I would be able to get rid of that feeling, and stopped listening because it wasn’t the answer I wanted. Prayer helps teach you how to listen, as well as recognize the spirit. Another blessing that comes from praying, is Heavenly Father knows your needs and is able to help, once you ask for it. We can also be blessed through others because of prayer.
We can learn Faith through praying, a classic example is in James 1:5-6 and it reads, “ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” Joseph Smith is a great example of how he had to have faith in order to find out about the true church.
Another blessing of prayer we can receive is to ask for the spirit to be with us, as well as to know the truth of things. This is a very helpful blessing, especially when we use it to study the Scriptures. In the Scriptures we can learn about our Savior, and know him better, as well as strengthen our relationship with him.
In the talk given by Bruce Harper titled Seeking the Influence of the Spirit through Daily Scripture Study, he talks about his experience with daily scripture study with his family. He says “Once our daughter Lori was spending the night with some girlfriends. As they were preparing for bed, she suddenly remembered something she had forgotten to do that day. “oh,” she said aloud, “I haven’t read the scriptures yet today.” Two of her friends realized that they had not read either, so they borrowed a copy of the Book of Mormon and read together. He continues by saying, “Such diligence in scripture reading had not been a long established habit in our family. Perhaps we were not much different from many other families in the Church when it came to studying the scriptures. We knew we should study the scriptures; we wanted to study the scriptures, but we had never had much success in our attempts. Finally, we decided to dedicate ourselves to gaining a habit of scripture reading. To help us in achieving this goal, we adopted an approach presented by Carvel Whiting, our Stake Sunday School president. His method was simple. He made the habit of reading something each day the primary objective of his program. The goal was to establish an attitude, to raise the scriptures in our awareness. He did not specify how much we should study each day, nor did he suggest that we study in a specific way. We were simply encouraged to read the scriptures every day, no matter how briefly, and to keep a record of how many consecutive days we had read, even if we read only one verse.” He talks about how they would keep track of the days they had read and once they reached certain consecutive days, like 10 days, 30 days, 50 days, and so on, they earned some sort of reward or recognition in their family. This helped them develop a good attitude about the scriptures, as well as bring them closer as a family and help one another to meet their goals.
I really liked the talk The Power of Scripture given by Richard G. Scott. He says, “Our Father in Heaven understood that for us to make desired progress during our mortal probation, we would need to face difficult challenges. Some of these would be almost overpowering. He provided tools to help us be successful in our mortal probation. One set of those tools is the scriptures.” He goes on to talk about how throughout time, Heavenly Father has chosen select people to find out the solutions to certain problems, and record it, so that we as his children can benefit from it. He also says “Because scriptures are generated from inspired communication through the Holy Ghost, they are pure truth. We need not be concerned about the validity of concepts contained in the standard works since the Holy Ghost has been the instrument which has motivated and inspired those individuals who have recorded the scriptures. Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.” He also talks about how the scriptures are always there when we need them. He says, “Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world.” What an awesome blessing to always be able to have that in our life, whenever we need them! He also talks about the power that can come from memorizing scripture, and how when you memorize a scripture, it is like making a new friendship. He says, “It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change.” Scriptures can also be a form of support, and help give us direction in our lives. They can also calm an agitated soul, give peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one’s ability to overcome the challenges of life. He also talks about how one scripture can give guidance in more than one situation. I really like this talk, because it teaches us the powerful blessings that can come from scripture study. It helped me to look at the scriptures in a new way, and I really like being able to think of them as a friend.
Elder David A. Bednar gave a talk Because We have Them before Our eyes. He asks the question How can I make Scripture study more edifying and effective? I think this is an important question to understand, in order to really be able to receive and enjoy the blessings that can come from scripture study. He lists 5 principles to help. The first principle is Pray for understanding and invite the help of the Holy Ghost. He says, “The things of the Spirit can be learned only by and through the influence of the Spirit. It is helpful to not only at the beginning, but to plead for understanding as you study.” The second principle is Work. He likens the Holy Ghost as our tutor. In order to find the scripture treasures, we need to work to find it. He says, “We cannot expect to reap a rich scriptural harvest unless we pay the price of regular and diligent study.” The third principle is Be consistent. Good intentions and simply hoping to find time for scripture study are not good enough. Try to set aside a certain time of day and place to study. The fourth principle is Ponder. The word Ponder means to Consider, Contemplate reflect upon, or think about. The process of pondering takes time and can’t be forced, hurried, or rushed. President Ezra Taft Benson said, “If the Book of Mormon writers saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, “Why did the Lord inspire Mormon or Moroni or Alma to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?” The fifth principle is Write down impressions thoughts and feelings. Elder Richard G Scott said, “You will find that as you write down precious impressions, often more will come. Also, the knowledge you gain will be available throughout your life. Always, day or night, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, seek to recognize and respond to the direction of the Spirit. Express gratitude for the help received and obey it. This practice will reinforce your capacity to learn by the Spirit. It will permit the Lord to guide your life.”
In another talk titled Savoring the Scriptures given by Terie Wiederhold, she talks about how even though she was trying to read the Scriptures daily, she realized she wasn’t feasting upon the words of Christ. As she incorporated the 5 principles into her daily scripture study, she noticed changes such as Dread became Delight, becoming a better parent, and help with Trials. She talks about how she didn’t always want to read the scriptures every day, but still kept trying to form that habit. As time went on, she came to look forward to the time when she could read the scriptures because of the peace it brought. She says, “When I began to enjoy scripture study, I also realized how many other aspects of my life were benefiting. I began to understand what President Gordon B. Hinckley meant when he said: “I am grateful for the emphasis on reading the scriptures. I hope that for you this will become a love affair with the word of God. I promise you that as you read, your minds will be enlightened and your spirits will be lifted. At first it may seem tedious, but that will change into a wondrous experience with thoughts and words of things divine.” She also talks about how when she started studying the scriptures more diligently, instead of getting mad at her children at the trivial problems, she was able to have more peace, and be a more loving mother. She said that many times as she prayed about a particular problem, the answer would come in form of a scripture that she had read or memorized.
I know in my own life that when we have been diligent in reading the scriptures together, it has strengthened our relationship, and I really look forward to doing it with my husband, and hearing the insight that he has. I know it helps us to feel the spirit stronger through our day. I know that through prayer and scripture study, we can be blessed when we are having trials, and be able to have peace. I am thankful for the blessings that we receive from it.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

When upon Lifes Billows...

I have been having one of those blah days. Things just aren't going the way I want them to. It has just been one of those days.
Well tonight we were driving home in my car, and right before we get home, the service engine soon light comes on. My registration expires in July, it is almost the end of May people!! So here is the deal, when we bought my car, the engine light was on, that year my brother in law had just replaced the Fuel Injectors, and the o rings were bad, and it was leaking to much gas. Easy fix right? Get the car registered, and the light comes on after, again. This time it is saying it is the catalytic(sp?) Converter. Well I drive almost a year with it on, and a month or 2 before my plates expire again, my muffler falls off. Well in the process of fixing that, we find the catalytic converter is not bad, there is just a leak, However we had already bought a new one, so we replaced it. This year who knows what it will be.
Oh wait, did I mention cars must not like me? I did throw a rod through my engine when I was 17 because I hadn't checked the oil in a whole year, and I drove a 1987 Ford Ranger. I didn't know you needed to check it. Needles to say, I stay current now on changing my oil.
I will admit, I didn't act very well in the car when it happened, I cussed a lot more then I should have. As soon as we got in the house a song started going through my head, and I can't get it out. Can you guess which song? Count Your Blessings. The words are this:
When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
(Chorus)
Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God hath done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

I have been a little overwhelmed with my calling too lately. Sometimes I feel like it is too much, and I wish my time was up and I could have another calling already. I realized I really need to have a better attitude. This song also helped to remind me of that.

I really feel like I need to make a list of some of my many blessings. I had a Young Womens leader who gave us a glass bowl, and had us write down some blessings, so when we had a bad day, or needed a reminder that we do have blessings, we could pull a couple out.

-my hubby! I know every one says it, but I love my hubby! He makes me smile! He knows if I am having a rough day, and does whatever he can to cheer me up. He loves me for me! ( I could go on and on!)
-my parents! I was born of greatly parents! I wouldn't be who I am today without my parents!
-my sister and brothers! I am so thankful that even though I am 11 years younger then the oldest, and about 6.5 years younger then the second youngest, I was always included and I ALWAYS felt loved!
-my parents in law! I got a second pair of great parents! I feel comfortable around them, and consider them my mom and dad too! I can be at their house even if my husband isn't.
-my sisters and brothers in law! I have a second family just like mine! I love my family! Blood and law related!
-my pup pups! I was trying to be mad about the whole situation, and we gave both the dogs peanut butter on a spoon, and instantly I couldn't be upset. They always make me smile! And nothing better then when they want to be loved on and cuddle.
- 2 working vehicles! While we are having issues with my car, at least it is still drivable. Landon and I don't have to worry about working our schedules out.
-a place to live! We have a warm, dry place to live.
-the gospel! It really gives you a joy that you can't come across any where else. It's a lasting joy!
-a living prophet! It is so nice to get counsel from a living prophet. To see his joy and feel of his spirit, and know how close he is to our Savior, it truly makes me want to strive to be a better person!
-my calling! I have a greater love for the women in my ward. I have a greater appreciation of callings.
-service! My calling has helped me gain a better love of service. It really is one thing that always brings a better attitude, and makes your problems seem small, and not as bad.
-counting my blessings! It brings me back to a better state spiritually, and I am happier after.

These are just a couple of my blessings,and reasons why I consider them blessings. I do feel better after coming up with some blessings! I know I have so much good in my life! But sometimes when bad things are happening, it is hard to remember the blessings out weigh the bad!

posted from Bloggeroid

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Drum roll please.

And babysitter of the year award goes to yours truly... yep you heard it right... Here's how I got nominated... Parked the car on the road (it is a hill) and put the emergency brake on.. Found a wire dangling from said car a couple days before... Went to take car to the park, and go to pull the release latch, oh it won't release the emergency brake, yep that cord snapped ( that said cord I found a couple days earlier)... Next-Take the kids to the park... Things are going good, right before we leave we swing on the tire swing... yep, I spun them... We drive to my house to stop for a min before we come home... Little boy tells me he is NOT feeling well, but he can make it home... We had just left my house, and were not even 5 mins away, and that is right... ALL over.. He threw up! Back to my house to clean him up, since 20 mins is WAY too far for us to drive with that smell... and last, here is the reason why I won... I see 8 yr old boy with a black permanent marker before school, and think... I should take that away, then I think, eh if he has it, his mom is probably okay with it... Fast forward to later that day... I just finished cleaning downstairs since parents are coming home, and I want it to look nice... I am walking up the stairs, and I am looking at all the pictures on the wall... Wait, there wasn't a black line on moms tooth before, umm... Is that permanent marker? Yep, sure is... That, is why I am the babysitter of the year! What is that saying, Quit while your ahead? Well thanks to goo gone, I am ahead, and the marker came off. I sure love those kids, and there was a lot of really good moments too!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

My new calling

So this last sunday, I was apart to be the Relief Society secretary. I am excited to be able to get to know everyone better! I was just thinking about how I was set apart, and the different things that were said for me, but also the things that were said for the other sisters in the presidency. It reminded me how amazing the priesthood is, and the way it works. The words were so different for all of us, and really tailored to us! It reminded me Heavenly Father really knows me personally! I was waiting for my turn to be set apart, and I remember just thinking, man it would be nice to just know that everything is going to work out! I was told, if I did my best at this calling, and gave it my all, that I would be successful in every aspect of my life. That is just one more assurance that Heavenly Father knows Me!
I went over some of my duties on Monday, and ever since, I am nervous, and have thoughts of what if? Like what if I can't do everything? What if I forget something? What if I can't learn every ones names? This morning it dawned on me, that is satan! I was blessed with what I need to succeed at this calling when I was set apart, and I just need to do my best and my Heavenly Father will help! It is crazy that satan does not want you to succeed, and will do what he can, and make you feel like you can't do it. I am excited for this new calling!

posted from Bloggeroid

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Love day 2

This post is about Bruiser. Bruiser is a mama's boy, and my baby. ( Both pups are my babies) I love Bruiser! I love how he is starting to mellow out. I love how he loves to jump in bed if Landon lets him, and lay next to me and kiss my arm, like he is telling me good morning. I love how excited he gets to see me when I get home from work! Even though it is usually more of a pain then anything else I love how smart he is. I love his low mean growl and bark, I know he will protect me! I love how when they are playing outside, and I am sitting on the front porch watching them, he has to come up, put his front paws on your lap so he is up higher, and look over the fence to make sure everything is okay. I love watching him play with Bella bug, the pointer gene comes out, and they sneak to each other. I love his BIG paws. I love his mickey mouse ears! I love watching him sit, shake and lay down! I am glad that I was finally able to get a dog! I love you Bruiser boy!





























posted from Bloggeroid