threestinkyboys

Which Came First?

2011-08-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

We were driving into the neighborhood the other day behind a leather-clad motorcyclist. The dude looked pretty formidable, but just before we parted ways with the bike Matt and I spotted a long, curly ponytail laying down the biker's back. Matt goes, "That's a chick!" And I was like, "Seriously? Whoa, that IS a chick." Gabe shouted out, "Where?" and Matt directed him to the motorcycle, which was speeding away from us. Gabe again shouted, "WHERE?" and I said, "Riding the bike that was in front of us, Gabe, that was a chick."
Gabey got all excited and flustered but managed to haltingly exclaim, "I can't see how... And I VERY don't believe it... that a CHICKEN could ride a motorcycle!"

Prayer of a Gabey

2011-05-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day and for all our blessings. And thank you for medicine when we're sick, and when we get dead we can live again. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
I love him.

Oh How Things Change...

2011-04-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Last time we were pregnant, Jesse's constant remark was, "When is the baby gonna hatch?"
...Cute, right?

His response to tonight's announcement was, "We'd better get a new dresser or something cause he's not using mine."

Great Stuff.

2011-01-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

Stumbled across this great self-sufficiency article here, thought y'all might appreciate it too.

"...In the end supplies may be the least important part of prepping. However, because gear is the easiest to acquire, requiring only a credit card, sometimes it is the aspect of prepping most people relate to, because it is something they can immediately jump into. I’ll admit that I was part of this group, and I acquired a whole lot of stuff long before I knew what to do with it.
I’ve since come to understand that acquiring skills is of far more value. Using a chain saw, running a trot line, knowing CPR and basic first aid, being able to change a flat tire or clean your battery posts, are all examples of useful skills. Robert Heinlein in his book Time Enough For Love says:
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
As a specific example, let’s talk about starting a fire. While I have many ways to start a fire, including bic lighters, magnesium fire starters, and waterproof matches, none of those would replace or be more valuable than the ability to start a fire without any of those things. Any number of things can happen to our stuff, but its much harder to take away our natural abilities and skills. The important thing to remember is that any of us can learn to start a fire the ‘old-fashioned ways’. (And it’s one of the thousand things on my list! As I will go into detail in a future post, in a longer-term disaster scenario, supplies main use is to buy us time for our skills to come into play.
So if you’re just starting out on the prepping path, find out those around you who have skills you might one day need and ask if they would be willing to teach you. Most times they will be, as it is human nature to want to share what we know. Also check out your local Red Cross Courses or your local community college, as many offer one day or multi-day courses in practical skills. In future posts we will cover must-have and good-to-have skills and where to learn them. If you would like to discuss something in particular, please let me know!
Our next several posts will discuss the other 2 fundamental aspects of prepping: fortitude and supplies.

So what is a basic definition of prepping?
A basic definition of prepping is ‘Gaining the skills, supplies, and mental and physical fortitude to be prepared for any circumstance.’ While it is likely impossible to be prepared for ‘any’ circumstance, such as the moon careening out of orbit or a large asteroid strike a la Armageddon, that is the goal we shoot for.
When I discuss being prepared, I don’t just mean in terms of a major disaster, but also each little emergency in our lives. For example, can you change a flat or jumpstart your car? Do you know how to safely deal with a wasp’s nest underneath your porch? How to safely put out a stove fire?
So while yes, we’ll talk about being able to deal with a power outage lasting 30 days on our own store of supplies, being a prepper means being self-sufficient wherever we can. I’ll be straight up with y’all. For most of my life, I was a chain-smoking, video-game playing, indoor-dwelling, TV-watching sloth. My opinion of a trip outside was running to the convenience store for more Amberbock. My method of changing a tire or jump-starting my car was calling AAA.
However, somewhere along the line about 7 years ago, I started controlling the elements of my life, instead of having them control me. I quit smoking cold turkey, and I was smoking 3 packs a day. I got out of debt, even though I was only making a very average wage. I started to get back into shape after having abused my body with smokes and alcohol for many years.
So please believe me when I say anyone can do this, and needs to! My family were laughing at me recently as I struggled to dig a trench for my wife’s tomato plants. I was actually a little hurt, but to be honest they were right to laugh. They have never known me as anything other than a couch-dwelling, coffee-swilling layabout.
So digging ditches was not something I had ever done before…but guess what? It is now. I’ve learned quite a bit about good technique and not so good technique. And as a side benefit, because so much of what I dug up was rock, I decided to kill two birds and use the rock to help with a grade I am going to build up under my porch.
If something needs to be done around my house, it is my responsibility to do it, especially if it doesn’t require specialized skills (and sometimes even if it does). The reason I started Advice and Beans is because I believe it is time for every person to make self-sufficiency part of our lives, and to not expect others to do for us what we can do for ourselves.
If we make it a habit to try to resolve any situation prior to calling in the cavalry, eventually we’ll find that most of us can do many tasks we used to rely on others for. That ability to function consistently without outside assistance will help in the most critical times, because we will have conditioned ourselves to act, not react."

Praise Heaven!!

2011-01-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

Celebrate with me-

Prayer, guidance from my neighbor, and a little redneck riggin just fixed my plumbing!!! AND with NO trip to Home Depot!!!

Hip-Hip HOORAY!!!

My New Favorite Phrase...

2011-01-20T12:40:00.000-08:00

"Mom! No, just one more chapter- PLEASE!!!!!!"

Finally Following the Gut, HOORAY!!!!

2010-12-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

We pulled Jesse out of school.

Don't even get me STARTED on the reasons. We were hesitant (to say the least) to enroll him in public school this year but in the end we decided to officially give it a try, even if only to rule out the option once our suspicians were confirmed.

It SUCKED.

So, now we're a homeschool family. So far, it's fantastic. (I know, I know. We're just getting started. But don't kill my buzz, people. I need it.)

We're still gathering curriculum, but here's what we plan to focus on. Lots of common thinking with this dude. This is an excerpt from an article on his site:

Today I frequently return to the lessons I learned in my youth.
We had a home teacher, an older gentleman (he was also Stake Patriarch), who would visit with us faithfully on the first Sunday of each month. He told us the stories of his youth.
He was raised on a farm in southern Idaho. They grew wheat, corn and potatoes. They also had a small herd of cattle. He had a neighbor that would torment his father. This neighbor would point out everything that our friend’s father did wrong. The furrows were not straight enough. They didn’t fertilize properly. The cultivating was never right. The irrigation was not done properly. Nothing would satisfy this neighbor.
This wise father operated his farm in an unusual manner. He gave each of his boys responsibility for a 20 acre plot when they reached a certain age. The boys were to plow, fertilize, plant, irrigate, cultivate, and harvest. They even got to keep the profits. They just had to replace the seed. The boys made many mistakes. Our friend told us that the first year he had responsibility for his 20 acres, he barely harvested enough corn to reseed the next year. He was very embarrassed, even ashamed.
The neighbor was right. Many things on the farm were not as they should be. The boys were running things, or so it appeared.
One day our friend overheard his father and the neighbor (who was an atheist, and did not believe that parents had any right to indoctrinate their children) talking. His father said words to this effect: “You don’t understand you think that I am raising potatoes or corn or cows. I’m not raising any crops or any animals. I am raising boys . If you spent as much time raising your boys, as you spend telling me how to run my farm, perhaps they would have turned out different.”
This wise father was letting his boys learn, and make mistakes, under his watchful eye. He maintained the bulk of the farm and made sure that the family had enough, but he allowed the boys to make mistakes and see the consequences of those mistakes. The neighbor was just a farmer, only raising crops, but he was never a father.
Children do not raise themselves. They learn from their parents, in both word and in deed.
I was visiting with friends from my mission in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, when one person whom I did not know asked me where I was from. I told him I was from Southern California. This brought to mind visions of endless beaches, lined with palm trees and decorated with beautiful bikini clad women. I explained that I was not from that part of California, but I was from the desert, a place that I affectionately call “the place of eternal religious retribution.” I told him, “It is very hot there, as a matter of fact, it was 114 degrees in the shade the day before I flew out here.” When he heard this, he leaned over to his wife and said, “Remember that. Next time you’re out there, keep out of the shade.”
At first, I thought that this comment was just funny. The more I thought about it the more profound it became, because when you’re not in the shade, you are in the light. I learned a song, in church, as a child that goes like this:

Teach me to walk, in the light of His love.Teach me to talk to my Father above,Teach me to know of the things that are right,
Teach me, teach me, to walk in the light.
When we are not in the shade, we are in the light. My parents taught my brothers and me to avoid anything shady, and stay in the light. I was the youngest of four boys. There was never any doubt that my parents were always raising boys. Now my wife and I are in the business of raising daughters.
(Note: Self teaching is a valid approach. I recommend using it only went there is no other choice.)

THIS is the kind of stuff I want my kids to learn, and the kind of stuff I intend to teach them. And speaking of the subject, we've also taken this big change as an opportunity to impart some other things. I've been taking a moment here and there to teach the boys all the skills of my regular work around the house- like, virtually all of it. YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE how little trouble it's been. And suddenly, everything gets done. No, seriously! I mean, we've cut out a little of what used to take up our time, but WOW! You can ask Matt, and he will confirm. The house is clean when he gets home. The kids have learned more (academically & real-world) than they ever would have before, and so far I even get to blow dry my hair every day!! NO BULL, I'm telling the truth. So, God does answer prayers. See, I told ya!! Goodness, life is better at this moment than I'd have ever dared to wish for. (Satisfied sigh.)

Want it?

2010-11-11T09:02:00.001-08:00

Getting rid of most of my Halloween stuff. Anyone want to pick it up? Otherwise, will take to Good Will. Thanks y'all!

A Good Change

2010-10-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

Cruising around this morning I found this article. I learned SO MUCH about something that I've been failing at. I was strongly impressed that our family needs to MAKE A CHANGE. After reading that article, we will no longer allow this harmful influence to dull our spiritual sensitivity. I was particularly struck by these points:

"The Spirit will not inhabit a polluted temple."

"We must recognize... and take responsibility for our choices." -(Ouch. Responsibility for choices is something I do my best to take very seriously.)

Maybe the most important part for me was the article's emphasis on the dulling impacts of violent entertainment on our senses, (spiritually speaking). I can remember some very distinct moments in my life of feeling wounded by violent images from movies, and by harsh, dark music. I remember being very aware that some good part of me had died, and trying to get the courage to stop the source. I'll admit, in recent years there have been a couple times I've seen one of my kids experience that spiritual pummeling from tv or movies. This article made me face that I have failed to adequately protect my family. I should be preventing these things, and when they have happened I should have talked to the boys and taught them why it was beneath our standards to watch that junk! So we're going to sit down as a family and talk about violence and what it does. I think it would be good to go through our dvd's as a family and decide what to throw away. Guess we'll have to talk about the difference between the lessons/ history taught from our scripture story movies, verses shows that use violence for entertainment. Also this seems like a perfect opportunity to discuss our other standards of what we watch/ listen to. "Uplifting and edifying" comes to mind.

So from now on there will be a heavier filter on what we bring into our home and minds. We've screened before, of course, but it will be good to make this conscious choice as a family. (We've never allowed video games so that's not an issue for us.) I feel really good about this! If you want to check out the article, see "It's 'Only' Violence," by Brad J. Bushman on lds.org, or copy this link:
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=590b74536cf0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Glennypoo, My Hero!

2010-08-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

Did y'all know about the rally this last weekend? Inspiring! So nice to hear some honesty and truth- that's what I admire about the man! Here's an interesting report:

Monday, August 30 2010

Glenn Beck Rally: Restoring Honor
By Maurine Proctor

George Washington wanted to be a farmer, not a president. He wanted to be a surveyor, not a general, but when they came knocking at his door for help, he answered the call.

“If we are going to change our country with lasting ramifications, we will each come to the point in our life when we are at the last thread, and then say have I not yet done enough for my country? The answer is no, because God is not yet done with you yet, and he is not yet done with man’s freedom yet.

“There comes a time when one generation must sacrifice for the next, so our children can have a chance,” said Beck. “If we want this for our children and our grandchildren, we must pledge our lives and our fortunes.”

Sounding every bit like a Latter-day Saint, he told the crowd that it was not enough to stick $20 in the basket at church. He advised them to tithe. “It’s my joy and honor to give 10%. Our nation can only do great works in our churches if they have the means to do it.”

He said that people have to live the truth and “the truth will set you free.”

“If we do these things,” Beck said, we will heal a nation. We will do what the greatest American generation did the last century. We will be a shelter for the whole world. The storm that is coming is not just an American storm. It is a global storm.”

America has always come in at the end to save the rest of the world during these storms. “But we are not prepared,” said Beck.

Emerging Role as Leader of Christian Conservatives

Hearing that this nation will fail, unless God is the foundation, is certainly a core doctrine for the Latter-day Saints, a theme oft repeated in the Book of Mormon in words like these: “This is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God” (Ether 2:10). It is not surprising to hear this sentiment at the center of Beck’s outlook.

What the media keeps harping on, however is Beck’s emerging role as a national leader for the Christian conservatives, something that is surprising since Beck is LDS, and some Evangelicals have difficulty with that.

Ralph Reed, former director of the Christian Coalition told CNN’s Belief Blog, "The evangelicals participating in the Restore Honor event are not endorsing Glenn Beck's theology, nor is he asking them to."

"Together, we and millions of our fellow citizens are calling America back to its Judeo-Christian values of faith, hard work, individual initiative, the centrality of marriage and family, hope, charity, and relying on God and civic and faith-based organizations rather than government," said Reed, who leads the Faith and Freedom Coalition.”

Beck has spent the last year meeting Christian leaders asking them to join with him in calling for a return to the Judeo-Christian values that marked America’s founding.

Though Beck consciously chose to avoid overtly political discussion at this rally, and the crowd looked more like a Sunday School picnic than a political gathering, the press who have covered this event sees the enthusiastic response as a harbinger that this group, who are concerned about big government and are skeptical about incumbents, will have the power to flex their muscles at the upcoming election.

http://www.ldsmag.com/lds-church-updates/article/6137/page-14-5?ac=1

Jacob Marie.

2010-08-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

That's his official title when he doesn't care enough to really sell a good fit. We've known this little dude for what feels like only a month or two, but since meeting him he's taught us plenty.
Now I'm about to make one of those statements. We've all known some crazy woman who claims that her infant woke up one morning reciting the Desiderata in Danish, or whose toddler has now expertly filed the family's taxes for two years running. So here's to my initiation into the Psycho Maternal Self Delusion Society. You ready?
With my mortal life as collateral, I affirm to you all- in perfect sobriety- that Jacob pitched his first fake tantrum when he was exactly three and a half days old. We hadn't yet left the hospital. Being a seasoned mom by this point, you can be sure that I recognized the episode for exactly what it was. The kid had spent over 72 hours gathering intelligence on the fussy creature who dispensed his food. Apparently that's all the time he required to familiarize himself with the ins and outs of human (or at least baby-) interaction. (Before I go on, it should be noted that Jake was not my first child. Or my second. I was a C-section vet by this time and I was tired; thus, when the baby was sleeping, I put him down.) So the exchange was clear and predictable: crying=holding. Baby cries, Mama picks him up and talks all sweetly till he stops. Baby cries, Mama picks him up and talks all sweetly till he stops. Baby cries... Astonishingly he detected a pattern in the cycle. I remember specifically, sitting on the Stone Aged, fluid-proof Postpartum mattress with Jakey's luxurious plastic bassinet beside me when I heard it: the ceremonial First Fake Cry. For a second I actually doubted my own veteran-mom judgment, but no, there it was- true as the color in my hair. I laughed aloud and reached in to pick him up and test my findings. Jake was six inches off the sheet when he clamped his mouth shut again. Immediately I set him back down, and- yep, there it was again. Whhhhaaaaaaaaaaa! It was then that I knew it, and I might have cried a bit myself. We had a professional on our hands.
Over a year has since gone by and my premonition has proven flawlessly accurate again and again. And BOY were we ill-prepared. In fact Matt and I still lack the competency to adequately manage affairs with Toot aboard. (Did you know that? We call him Toot. Guess why.) He's opinionated- (strange...). He's charismatic. He's resourceful. He's vegetarian. (Just kidding.) He is giving us a run for our money- a run for most things, actually. (Seems like we cruise through life these days at a dead sprint.)
The boy's an evil genius when it comes to picking on his brothers. At any moment he's got a three-tiered plan to manipulate his way to what he wants next. The main trouble for us, you see, is that throughout his various ploys and tactics, the boy is irresistibly enchanting. Perhaps the fiercest weapon in his arsenal is a startlingly dashing smile, which he doesn't hesitate to flash as necessary. Instantly it stuns his pray, rendering futile any resistance to which said victim was clinging. In an almost grotesquely ironic twist, the Target is most often left in a daze- and more infatuated with this mystical creature than before the incident occurred. Merciless. Diabolical. Magnificent.
Luckily, Jacob is generally a benevolent dictator. He does seem to prefer smiles and laughter over, say, the mindless slaughter of his opposition. If he can win an encounter without things getting ugly, (and if he's recently had a nap) he will more often than not choose that course. For this we thank Divine Providence. After all, reality has taught us that despite our (unremarkable at best) efforts, it's true. In our house oftentimes, Toot is king. Or at least he likes to think so. Check back as the tournament continues. In times of old I've been known to play a good game, myself. Maybe if I can get a nap in, or something...

Boys

2010-08-17T18:59:00.001-07:00

Had to Post This One.

2010-06-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

So touched by this. Got it in my inbox and really loved it. Hope y'all appreciate it as well. My love to everyone!
-Donna

Best Prayer I Have Heard In A Long Time...

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in
traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and
is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and
spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man
who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student,
balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting
his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the
same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to
addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through
the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this
moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week,
this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us,
the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those
we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but
to all humanity.. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show
patience, empathy and love. Matt 5:44

Working for God on earth doesn't pay much. . . but His retirement plan
is out of this world.

Mud Puddles, Airplanes & Papa, Oh My!

2010-06-10T07:12:00.001-07:00

WHOA.

2010-05-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

Good Heavens. Every now & then my darling mother-in-law emails me something to read (which ALWAYS proves to be INCREDIBLE). Lately I've hardly read even the most pressing things in my inbox, but tonight I felt like sitting down and reading whatever she'd sent me most recently. All I can say is: ...I don't know what to say!! I am strongly impressed of the purity of truth I found in this article. Some of these concepts BLOW my mind! Furthermore, there is an intense itch for discussion brewing and I'm dying to pick the brains of some of my peeps. So read it and tell me what ya think.

I should add here that an open-minded (and -hearted and -spirited) approach is the way to decipher what you believe is truth of course, as with anything else. Any questions, check out LDS.org or Mormon.org, or ask me & if I don't have the answer we'll find out together. But seriously, read this. It's amazing! I painted red the parts that stood out most to me. Hope you enjoy! :)

The Dynamics of Sin

By Larry Barkdull

If you enjoyed this article you’ll also enjoy, Maurine Proctor’s “Can You Feel So Now?”

I confess that on occasion I have sinned. I’m not proud of it. What I thought I would enjoy ended up making me miserable. Worse, I gained a troubling companion whom I had a hard time shaking loose. This article is dedicated to my fellow sinners. All of the rest of you can ignore it and rejoice that you are past such things. But I have the feeling that I am in good company. I am sure that there are people out there like me, those who are trying to do their best, but who, to their disappointment, frequently bump up against their “natural man” and the frightening reality of sin.

Why does Satan tempt us to commit sin? To make us miserable is the quick answer. But if we dig deeper and gain understanding of how misery is produced, we will unearth Satan’s sinister strategy.

The Influence of the Adversary

A mother of seven spoke of sin as disempowering spiritual hemorrhaging that renders a person ignorant of God and of the simple truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ:

Two of my seven children left the Church, leaving me hurt and confused. For a while, I beat myself up over my apparent failure as a mother, but that did little good. Despite all my suffering and soul-searching, I could not discover where my husband and I had gone wrong. Not that we are perfect parents—we are not—but why had we lost these two children? They were brought up alongside our other children who had remained true.

When I decided to give myself a break and look for another reason, I took my question to the Lord. My conversation went something like this: “These children have not only left the Church and are critical of it, they also seem absolutely ignorant of the most basic gospel principles! That is the most confusing part to me. It is as though they had never heard of gospel concepts before—like everything is foreign to them. How could this be? They grew up in our home where we had family prayers, family home evenings, and gospel discussions. Weren’t they listening? They went to church with us and had equal opportunities in the gospel with our other children, and yet they seem to be as clueless as new investigators. They seem to have forgotten everything that we taught them. How did this happen?”

As I pondered, a scripture was impressed upon my mind: “That wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience.” I couldn’t remember the location of the scripture, but I soon found it in Doctrine and Covenants 93:39. The adjoining verses read, “I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth,” and “Light and truth forsake that evil one.” Suddenly, I realized what had happened. My husband and I had tried to bring up our children in light and truth, but these two children had chosen to commit sin in their youth. Worse, they had failed to repent. Their disobedience and disregard for repentance had opened the door for Satan to come and take away their light and truth. Now they were rendered ignorant, as though they had no gospel literacy at all.

When they lost their light and truth, they filled the void by adopting bizarre philosophies to explain life and spiritual things. Now I knew why their inactivity and rebellion had happened, and now I gained a greater appreciation for the prophets’ counsel to repent quickly and sincerely. Procrastination, I learned, causes gospel stagnation at best and gospel illiteracy and captivity by the devil at worst. Now armed with this understanding, I center my prayers on asking for opportunities to reintroduce basic gospel concepts to these children with the hope that they will one day remember and respond.

Defining terms

Light. This mother used the words “light” and “truth” as though they were a substance. In fact, they are. A survey of the scriptures reveals that the word lighti is synonymous with truth,ii spirit,iii intelligence,iv power,v law,vi life,vii agency,viii and glory,ix to name a few. Joseph Smith revealed: “All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes; We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter.”x Clearly, spirit or light is a substance, and Satan tries to steal it. The absence of light causes misery.

Natural man. There are a variety of definitions about the natural man, but one characteristic that we ought to explore is that the body of the natural man is made up of telestial material. A reality of that condition is the fact that celestial ideas are wholly foreign to him, as are putting forth celestial efforts and living celestial laws. The nature of the natural man is to follow the instincts of his telestial body and partake of that which naturally resides in a telestial environment. Consequently, by nature the natural man is “carnal, sensual and devilish.”xi

Carnal, sensual and devilish. Beyond being a list of loathsome characteristics, carnal, sensual and devilish seems to form a downward, spiraling cycle. To be carnal is to be of the flesh; that is, we naturally pamper the physical body and are inclined to succumb to its passions and appetites. Both the apostle Paul and Nephi’s brother, Jacob, state that “to be carnally-minded is death.”xii That is, if we give in to carnality, we will eventually give in to sensuality by seeking more and more physical and sexual pleasures. At least two things are automatic with sensuality: lying and a damaged testimony. The carnally minded who become sensual will stop believing and begin seeking physical evidence as signs to confirm the truth.xiii This condition is spiritual death. Such behavior weakens us to the point that Satan can take control of our bodies and then we become devilish. Now our behavior begins to mirror that of Satan; we become sexually perverted, sinister, cruel, scheming, deceitful, and mischievous. We begin to act like the demons who prod us to become like them. The carnal, sensual and devilish cycle inevitably leads to apostasy. Breaking covenants is inevitable,xiv and that tragedy summons the judgment of God and damnation of the soul.

Stealing Light

Because Satan knows that the body is highly susceptible to suggestion and can be acted upon by outside influences, he knows that he can tempt us to sin. If we cave in, something terrible happens: “That wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth.” How does Satan take away light and truth? “Through disobedience.”i Literally, sin creates a gash in our souls, allowing Satan to gain entrance. Now light hemorrhages from us. Once inside, Satan can drain us of truth, spirit, intelligence, power, law, life, agency, and glory.

Are we listening to the scriptures? The strategy of Satan is to tempt us to sin so that he can gain entrance and drain us of light!

How does he accomplish this feat? Through direct temptation, deception, flattery, and sometimes abuse: “Yea, he stirreth up their hearts to anger….Yea, he saith unto them: Deceive and lie in wait to catch, that ye may destroy; behold, this is no harm. And thus he flattereth them, and telleth them that it is no sin to lie that they may catch a man in a lie, that they may destroy him. And thus he flattereth them, and leadeth them along until he draggeth their souls down to hell; and thus he causeth them to catch themselves in their own snare. And thus he goeth up and down, to and fro in the earth, seeking to destroy the souls of men.”ii

If he can empty us of light, we will be left in darkness, and then the mischief begins. Without light, we are without truth, intelligence, power, law, and agency, the capacity to choose: “Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation.”iii

Do we grasp the meaning?

When Satan gains entrance to our souls and convinces us to sin, he steals our light and thus our ability to act and choose is greatly diminished. Satan has won after all. Our agency, that for which we fought in the war in heaven, is now his…and we hardly put up a fight.

Inside Our Souls

Does it terrify us to think that Satan can actually take up residence in our souls by convincing us to sin? He might tell us otherwise, but it is true. Once inside, Satan can fill our thoughts with myriad evils and convince us to experiment with all sorts of wickedness. We must keep in mind that the body has no inherent capacity to act on its own, but rather must be “acted upon”i by another source. If that source is evil, carnality will soon give way to sensuality and eventually devolve to devilishness.

Now Satan can explain away spiritual events, including our testimony. He can change our opinion of people we love so that we see them through the filter of criticism. He can ruin our perception of ourselves, and plant the idea in our minds that we are beyond forgiveness and beneath God’s consideration. He can parade our sins and the sins of others before our eyes and torture us with ugly memories. He can replay sinful events as though we were watching a movie. He can invade our sleep with horrifying dreams. He can render us powerless to resist further temptations. He can tell us what to think and what to do, and we will do it! He will tell us that we are good people after all, and what we are doing does not qualify as sin; we should go easy on ourselves and other people, and we ought to adopt the attitude of tolerance—a prevalent latter-day deception. Clearly, with a ruptured soul that is bleeding light, we are as impotent as a victim of a stabbing.

Satan’s Arsenal

With one-third of the hosts of heaven and a legion of disembodied unclean spirits at his command, Satan enjoys almost unlimited access to talents and abilities beyond our imagination. Within his demonic realm are skilled artists and musicians, medical personnel, mechanics, people who understand the workings of the mind, others who peddle sex, businessmen, philosophers, scientists, and geniuses of war. Clearly, he can sabotage the arts, cause illnesses, aggravate us with break downs, torment our minds, lure us with sexual perversions, attack our livelihoods, advance seemingly reasonable philosophies and theories, and turn us against each other. Moreover, he can enlist weak-minded or wicked individuals on the earth to do his bidding. Whereas the Holy Ghost imparts spiritual gifts to the righteous, Satan gives counter spiritual gifts to his followers, then he uses those people as his instruments. Unfortunately, the weak-minded, spiritually immature, and sinful people cannot readily discern his tactics.

Satan is the devourer.i Therefore, we must “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”ii With little imagination, we might expect that he would have a counterfeit to Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers, except his companionships would be assigned to carefully observe their charges with the purpose of identifying weaknesses. Perhaps then they would report back and devise a strategy to destroy us in the same way we would report to our church leaders for the purpose of creating a plan to give charitable service.

The Sin Becomes a Cancer

Once Satan has succeeded in causing us to act on his temptation, he attempts to hold the sin in place by persuading us to wink at the transgression, disregard it, or feel so much guilt that we are paralyzed to seek wellness through repentance. The problem with unrepentant sin is that it is the seed of a spiritual tumor, which grows inside the soul until it has consumed it. The seed of unrepentant sin is never dormant; its cells divide like cancer until the system is overwhelmed by it. When Satan convinces us to sin and persuades us to procrastinate repentance, he enjoys free reign to dull our conscience, steal away our light and truth, and render our soul spiritually illiterate. The cumulative effect weakens the soul so that Satan can shackle it and lead it carefully down to hell.i

The Atonement—The Only Source of Healing

Only repentance made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ can once again infuse light and truth into the soul and free it from Satan’s grasp. We must examine ourselves for unrepentant sin and get ourselves to the Healer, whose servant is the bishop. Only the bishop holds the keys to direct the healing process; only the Melchizedek Priesthood has the power to eject an uninvited influence from afflicting our souls. We can no more heal ourselves of a serious spiritual disease than we can heal ourselves of a serious physical disease without consulting medical professionals. To assume the contrary is a deception perpetrated by Satan for the purpose of remaining inside and in control. Elder Boyd K. Packer said,

In the battle of life, the adversary takes enormous numbers of prisoners, and many know of no way to escape and are pressed into his service. Every soul confined to a concentration camp of sin and guilt has a key to the gate. The adversary cannot hold them if they know how to use it. The key is labeled Repentance. The twin principles of repentance and forgiveness exceed in strength the awesome power of the adversary.i

The Body’s Difficulty with Retaining Light

Finally, we must wage our defense against the forces of darkness from a point of view of knowledge. We must know our enemy and we must understand his strategy. Clearly, the adversary’s attack is aimed at our most vulnerable area: the physical, telestial body. The body of the natural man seems incapable of maintaining the substance of light,i which is essential to spiritual life. That is our primary weakness, as Moroni pointed out.ii Whereas a resurrected celestial body “shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in [it],”iii a mortal telestial body must receive ongoing transfusions of light in order to exist spiritually. Therein lies our answer.

Armed with this knowledge, we know how to defend ourselves and to heal from former sin. The Lord has told us how we can infuse light into our systems and thus protect ourselves. A few transfusion methods are scripture study, partaking of the sacrament, anointing with oil, charitable service, temple worship and, of course, prayer and fasting. The more our bodies are filled with light, the more we can comprehend all things,iv and the more we can detect and resist the onslaught of Satan’s temptations.

With light and truth re-entering our souls, something marvelous begins to happen: “Light and truth forsake that evil one.”v The combination of confession to and counseling with the bishop, sincere repentance, infusing light and truth into our souls, and, if necessary, receiving a blessing by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, carries the power of casting away Satan, obtaining forgiveness from the Lord, and achieving total spiritual health. Whereas sin breaks and divides, the Atonement mends and makes broken things one. The Atonement provides a constant pull to bring together fractured parts into their perfect form. Therefore, the frightening realities of sin can be overcome and eradicated by the merciful Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Atonement allows us to experience life without being destroyed by our choices.

Once we are delivered and re-lighted by Jesus Christ, we are commanded to light other people whom Satan has wounded and entered. The singular commission to the repentant and the forgiven is to reach out to those who are spiritually dying and to bring them to the Light, even Jesus Christ.

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You Make My Heart Go Pitter-Patt. Oh How I Love You, Redbox!

2010-05-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

The backlash will be bitter, I'm sure. And I can't blame you grandparents for your disappointment that I'm finally blogging and there aren't pics of the kids... still. :)
But I need to be an adult female for a sec, despite my mommihood.

So here's my shout out to the cheapest date ever- and a hot one at that! You know what I'm talking about, baby, R-E-D-B-O-X. The other night we rented Young Victoria (or whatever it's called). Five stars from me! Beautifully portrayed the sweetness of newly-weddedness, and without being vulgar! Just imagine, and it's from Hollywood?! So for a buck, rent a great movie. Pair that with an excessively large bag of mini snickers, maybe even a little mascara, and Presto! You've got yourself an official date with your hubby. Oh and don't forget to wear the kids out all day so you can haul-butt through bedtime and get them to sleep. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha... Blockbuster can lick my big toe.

So I have this nasty little habit of writing on my hand. Some of my friends have even commented (good-naturedly) that there's almost never a time when I don't have something written there. You can monitor my present degree of out-of-controlness just by glancing at my hand, which has sometimes bled over from the back side to my palm. PLEASE, someone tell me that you LOSE all the little papers you make notes on. I might as well swallow each page before the ink is dry. I KNOW I'm not the only sufferer of mommy brain, but please remind me. What absurd things have you jacked up recently, simply because you've lost the capacity to think? I'd list mine here, but my self allotted half hour to blog is nearly up and there's no realistic way to even begin such an undertaking...

Anyway, miss y'all. Let me know what's up with the grown-up side of your life (if you still have one).

Confessions.

2010-03-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever:

Had to pick Chuck E Cheese tickets out of your bed at night?

Gone pee-pee while on hold with the cable company (and had the dude answer a little sooner than you expected)?

Been tired enough to actually give your child a hostess cupcake to eat on the couch?

Awaken to a suspiciously warm, wet sensation coming from a sleeping child beside you and just closed your eyes again, praying for another 5 minutes?

Silently hoped the kids would fall asleep on the drive home so you wouldn't have to brush their teeth?

Slipped your kids a treat for being exceedingly cute, even though they'd had enough sugar already?

Been scolded for trying to flip multiple pages at once to get through a particularly obnoxious children's book?

Ignored your pressing To Do List so you could cuddle your kiddo on the couch?

Hidden candy wrappers at the bottom of the trash can so no one (not even you) will see the evidence of your binge-a-licious crime?

Been mid-diaper/ -mess/ -project and looked the other way while the baby ate something (that's right, I'm gonna say it)- from last night's dinner that he found on the floor?

...Oh. I have.

Happy Birthday to Gabe.

2010-01-28T07:37:00.000-08:00

Gabe got a real drum with wooden drumsticks for his birthday. I was just stealing a whole 30 seconds alone so I could pee, and Matt burst into the bathroom. The drumsticks were hanging from his face, one in each nostril, and he was in monster stance, growling "Bllllaaaaaaa." I looked at him and said, "It was inevitable, I suppose. Impressive you could get the big ends in there."
"It hurts," he mumbled as he walked out.
Sigh.

My Jesse Boy!

2010-01-22T16:51:00.001-08:00

Two things. Sweet doozie first, then the other doozie.

I was blown away today when he said this. We were all looking for the case of kids' movies so Jesse could watch a particular one. We couldn't find it anywhere. I had previously put the wrong one in the player, and he wasn't exactly giddy about it. After LOTS of searching, he caught me by complete surprise when he jumped into my arms and said, "It's ok Mom. I'll just be grateful for what I have." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess some things do get through to him... Who'd of thunk? I'll control my compulsion to gush endlessly and I'll just say this: I was totally shocked, deeply pleased, and overwhelmingly grateful that somehow my son is learning these things from us. One moment of success really does make up for thousands of worries and doubts. Nothing else is this fulfilling.

Now this one was a few days ago. Perhaps the funniest situation I've ever witnessed firsthand took place in my living room. It was Sunday, just one day after Matt had taken Jesse over to the neighbor's to see them skin some rabbits they'd just hunted.
(Side note: I know that is controversial. Here's why I was totally on board for my son experiencing such a thing. Yes, it's a somewhat disturbing process. Yes, it's fairly harsh to watch. But it's reality. And I firmly believe that kids should understand the truth of things, on a level that's appropriate to their development. It offends people's sensibilities the first time they see an animal get killed/ butchered- as it should. I think God made that a part of our nature so we would have a certain reverence and respect for life. But, animals were created for the benefit of man. These rabbits were killed to serve as food for our neighbors, and witnessing the process undergone to achieve that purpose brings a certain sense of significance that steaks in the freezer just don't communicate. It's an important lesson to learn. Matt explained this to Jesse and answered all his questions. And, since that experience, Jes hasn't left any uneaten meat on his plate, because he knows an animal was sacrificed to feed our family.)

So back to Sunday. We were all laying around, enjoying the breeze from the open windows and the unusual quiet that had possessed our home. It was so peaceful and lovely! But Jesse got bored, so he turned to us and said, "Dad, do you think the neighbors are peeling any rabbits today?" I laughed till I was delirious. (I've never pushed oranges on the kids as part of their fruit quota, because I am lazy and of the position that they aren't worth peeling. Besides, I can chew one for 20 minutes without managing to swallow, and the texture is unappealing at best. Recently though, Matt's on an orange kick and the kids are loving them! Hence the terminology in reference to the rabbits.) Priceless!!

Burnt Biscuits

2009-12-19T16:38:00.000-08:00

Got this in my inbox. I LLOOVVEE it. Bet you will too.

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every
now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made
breakfast after a long, hard day at work.

On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and
extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see
if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile
at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I
told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and
jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom
apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what
he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he
really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said,
"Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And
besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

Life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the
best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just
like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that
learning to accept each others faults - and choosing to celebrate each
others differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a
healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the
good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet
of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give
you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the
base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or
friendship!

"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it
in your own."

God Bless You..... Now, and Always....

Love This!!

2009-12-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

Came across a link to this on a Family Home Evening blog. It comes from iPrepared. Love it!! Easily adapted for younger kids by discussing scenarios rather than writing them, then teaching a family plan for emergencies.

family home evening - earthquake scenario

I taught a lesson on preparedness last night for FHE (family home evening). Here is a synopsis, if you would like to try something similar:

I chose the most likely emergency for our area - which in our case is an earthquake. I invented a scenario including time of day and extent of the earthquake. I also determined situations - like downed power lines, dam breaks, and gas leaks that we would encounter (but I didn't share these additional situations with anyone else).

I gave each member of our family a blank sheet of paper with a single sentence indicating their location and situation. After the earthquake "occurred," each family member wrote on the page what their next course of action would be. I had predetermined my course of action prior to starting the activity so that my responses were not changed based on their decisions. Then I responded (by writing on their paper) to their actions indicating additional situations as needed. The main objective was to find each other.

We have older children and a three-year old. Obviously, this activity is better suited for children who can write. Our little-one acted as the paper "passer" as we responded to each other and loved it.

Here is what happened:

Tuesday @ 10:30 am - 7.8 earthquake occurs. There is major damage, no electricity, and many injuries.

My responses:

10:30 - I am grocery shopping with my three-year old. Sky lights in the store break sending glass everywhere. I cut my shoulder. By the time we make our way out of the store, everyone is busy and frenzied. We find the car and use the first-aid kit kept in the glove box to bandage my shoulder. We discover that all cell-phone service is dead.

11:15 - I attempt to drive back into our neighborhood. However there are so many power lines, trees, and poles down that I finally park the car and start walking.

1:15 - We've walked up into our neighborhood, only to discover that there must be a major gas leak up by our home. We need to stay out of the area.

1:30 - We walk to our church building instead. There I find my oldest son waiting for me. My 11-year old and husband are not there, however.

My oldest son:

His paper states, "School collapses in two-story section. What class are you in? What do you do?"

My summary of his responses:

10:30 - He isn't affected by the collapse. He looks for his friends. They start walking home.

11:30 - He arrives at our neighborhood only to discover that he can't go to our home because of the gas leak. He decides to stay at the church with his friends.

1:00 - I wrote on his page: "You've been waiting at the church for 1 1/2 hours now and haven't seen any other member of our family. What do you do? His response: "I pray" [This was my favorite response of the whole activity!]. I ask: "Do you stay there?" His response: "Yes."

1:30 - Mom shows up at the church at 1:30.

My 11-year old son:

His paper states, "Part of the school gym collapses. Many injuries among those who are there. Rest of school is moved out into the school fields. Where are you? And what do you do?"

My summary of his responses:

10:30 - Not in gym. Go out to field with friends - am really scared.

12:00 - I wrote: "Many of the kids have been checked out. The school won't just let you walk home so you have to stay until someone checks you out. You see Mrs. J. come to the school to check out her kids."

12:15 - He asks Mrs. J. to check him out (she is authorized to do so), then heads west back towards our neighborhood with her.

12:30 - I write: "you see a huge set of power lines on the road all along the major north/south road." He responds, "jump over." [This was the most disturbing point of the whole exercise. I discovered at this point that he honestly didn't know that you shouldn't jump over power lines. Hopefully Mrs. J would have not let this happen. We discuss this problem verbally and I teach him about power lines.] His new response, "go around."

12:45 - He gets to our neighborhood (north end) only to discover about the gas leak. He continues with Mrs. J around the neighborhood to the south end. They tape a note to our mailbox (which is not in the neighborhood) to let us know where he is.

Note - We didn't get any farther with him on the scenario. He determined that he would stay with Mrs. J. But we figured out that we would have spent a lot of time looking for him and that we would have just missed each other. We discussed better places to leave notes (like on the church doors).

My husband:

His paper states, "Windows blow out in your building. You have minor injuries from glass/books. Many campus buildings collapse and a lot of people are cut and hurt."

My summary of his responses:

10:30 - I would spend several hours helping take care of students.

2:30 - Go look for car. Car is luckily in an exterior lot. Can drive away from campus, but finds roads jammed. Rumors that the overpasses have collapsed on the freeway. Tries cell phone only to discover that it is dead.

3:00 - Takes side roads until police officer stops him and indicates a potential dam break and the need to move to high ground. He abandons the car, takes blanket and water from car and moves into high area.

5:30 - I write, "Flood threat is cleared. But in the middle of a huge rainstorm now." He writes, "walk" - to "the church."

Note - We figure he would have walked through the whole night in terrible weather to find us. I'd like to have an office kit and a better car kit for him in this type of situation. He had water, a blanket, and a 1/2 full gas tank, but he also needed a rain poncho and some food.

At the end we discussed meeting locations and note-leaving locations. We also discussed basic precautions like not jumping over power lines, etc. All is not worked out -- but a lot was! It would have been appropriate to serve snacks from our 72-hour kits (but we did something else). My kids thought that the activity was "fun." Go figure.

Poor Piglet!

2009-11-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

This arrived in my inbox with the heading "H1N1."

Those who know our family may see Gabe as a sad, isolated little pig from now on. At this moment he's in the ER with his dad, finding out what strain of AIDS he's got this time. My poor little piglet has a fever of 103. Pull out your masks, people, and avoid us like the plague we are! If there's anything contagious, Gabe hunts it down and licks it's sweaty butt folds. (Sorry, was that irreverent?) I'm a little stressed right now.
Oh, and thanks- I love you too, truly. But please don't stop by to check on us. We're holding up fine, but that hinges on the fact that friends and family cannot see the state of our front room. Thankyouverymuch.

Urgh!!

2009-10-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

Last night I was feeding the baby in the front room while Matt was watching some toons with the other boys in our bedroom before bed. I could hear the tv and was mentally singing along to the theme song when I heard Jesse's spontaneous remark. "Dad, I just wiped a big booger on your cheek."
Matt's reply? A calm, "Good, I'm gonna leave it there till I get hungry. Then I'll eat it." A regular person would never believe how nonchalant they both were about the whole thing. It ended almost as soon as it began, probably as unremarkable to them as blowing your nose is to you. There was, however, a reference made this morning, when Jesse addressed his father. "Dad, did you eat that booger I gave you last night?" I can't report Matt's response, as the question alone induced an automatic mental shut down/ block out on my part. After a while around here you build up these defense mechanisms to shield yourself from... you know, everything.

Catching Up... Sort Of...

2009-10-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some glimpses into what we've been up to: Jesse at soccer, preschool trial run, and Family Night with Andrew's family. Thank you Kristen for sending me all of these. Between forgetting my camera, forgetting to charge the battery, and forgetting the memory card (all on separate occasions!) Kristen's sort of stepped in for me as our family photographer. Now I've got things together a BIT better, so hopefully she can rest from her generous labors. Sorry y'all for being so far behind.
For some reason Blogger is only uploading about half of the pictures I tell it to upload, so I'm gonna try later to post the rest. Weird...

Judy M. DalPonte, “Pillow Packets,” Ensign, Oct. 2009, 71

2009-10-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

Pillow packets have helped me emphasize the love I have for my grandchildren when they come to visit. I have made the packets using legal-size paper envelopes fastened to the pillows on their guest beds. Inside, I tucked small messages and gifts that conveyed my love for them individually. Soon I discovered that sharing carefully chosen quotes from conference was a perfect addition to the packets. Not only do these mini-messages uplift my grandchildren, but they also bless me when I review each conference talk with them in mind. For me, the Church leaders’ words of encouragement for our youth, in particular, give me greater hope for our world and future.

I read this in the Ensign and loved the idea. Wouldn't it be great to make a note each day of something we love about each of our children and communicate it this way? I just imagine how cool it could be for a kid to come to expect these things every day, and the trust and strength that could be added to a relationship this way. Maybe I'm naive and the kid would just whine and be all sarcastic about it, but I bet deep down they'd appreciate it and it would make them feel valued. Besides that, it would make them aware that you notice their strengths and it might even challenge them to develop those parts of themselves. It's always encouraging to have a little acknowledgment. And adding inspirational quotes is genius. One of Kristen's many good influences on me has been the encouragement to make every moment a "teachable moment." I love how she demonstrates with her kids that every experience we have comes with some sort of lesson, if we'll only think it through or talk about it with someone. What a great way to learn about perspective, attitude, goals and standards to live by. The perfect habit to keep us aware of our choices and priorities, which likely will otherwise run away from us unchecked- and we might not like the directions we've gone without even realize we were headed that way. We can all use these reminders!

What a Great Start!

2009-10-06T04:45:00.000-07:00

It's About TIME, I Know! (RIGHT?- That part was for you Kristen.)

Ok, Grandparents, prepare to be disappointed. My first blog after all this time is PICTURELESS. But regardless, I think the topic is significant. (And I'll get to that picture thing right after this, if all goes well.)

This morning I woke up early. I was quietly excited for some time alone while the very first signs of morning light were peeking through my windows. (When I can manage to pull myself from bed this early I relish these hours. It just brings joy to the soul, doesn't it?) Last night I was so tired by the time I managed to pull myself from my new found love of online coupons, leaped the hurdles of a sleep-refusing Gabriel, anxiety-attack Jesse, and woke-up-too-fill-my-drawers Jacob, that I was nearly spent by the time I got to read my scriptures. (Matt was working overnight so the evening was a long one.) Anyway, I was deeply glad this morning for my stolen time with the Lord before anyone else would wake up.

I grabbed a spare Book of Mormon from the shelf and since I'm actually reading the Doctrine and Covenants right now, I flipped randomly through the book and settled into Alma mid-chapter. After a few verses I came to a place that struck me profoundly and I want to share it with you here.

Alma 58:40-41
40 But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they ^astand fast in that ^bliberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come.

41 And now, my beloved brother, Moroni, may the Lord our God, who has redeemed us and made us free, keep you continually in his presence; yea, and may he favor this people, even that ye may have success in obtaining the possession of all that which the Lamanites have taken from us, which was for our support...

Those who know my positions regarding the state of our country and who are of a like mind may easily tell why this seemed so applicable. One of my most valued possessions is my freedom and liberty, and I am passionate in my love of them. I do believe them divinely given, and thus all the more sacred to my heart. I also strongly believe that many of our freedoms are currently under attack and slipping away, often without even the notice of the citizens. It's natural to become concerned and even afraid, but I've had profound comfort in my faith that in keeping the commandments, the Lord will not leave us alone. Knowing that, there's nothing to really fear.
I took some time last night flipping through my scriptures and browsing some of the ones I have highlighted. Here are some that were particularly appreciated:

Galations 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but ^aChrist ^bliveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the ^cfaith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

2 Corinthians 6:4
But in all things approving ourselves as the ^aministers of God, in much ^bpatience, in ^cafflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

2 Corinthians 4:8-11
We are ^atroubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in ^bdespair; ^aPersecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not ^bdestroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:15-18
For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the ^athanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the ^ainward man is renewed day by day. For our light ^aaffliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and ^beternal ^cweight of glory; While we look not at the things which are ^aseen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not ^bseen are ^ceternal.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be ^ain Christ, he is a ^bnew creature: ^cold things are ^dpassed away; behold, all things are become ^enew.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18
Wherefore ^acome out from among them, and be ye ^bseparate, saith the Lord, and touch not the ^cunclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a ^aFather unto you, and ye shall be my ^bsons and daughters, saith the Lord ^cAlmighty.

Romans 16:17& 20
Now I beseech you, brethren, ^amark them which cause ^bdivisions and ^coffences contrary to the ^ddoctrine which ye have learned; and ^eavoid them... And the God of ^apeace shall ^bbruise ^cSatan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written, ^aEye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath ^bprepared for them that love him.

Some of these inspire me with perspective and with their relevance to my thoughts and feelings lately- and some are simply blessed reminders of eternal truths. I never regret time spent reading my scriptures. The words in these books are the most powerful on earth. They do bring joy and salvation to any soul that will read and believe them and do all they can to live them. I've never known anything with stronger conviction than I know that the Lord answers prayers. He wants so much to bless each of us. There is so much joy in store for anyone who will obey His words and receive His blessings. It's the way to true peace.

I have so many things that I'm working on to become more obedient, and many more to go, I'm sure. But every step I take in the right direction is very richly rewarded. I am really grateful for that.

While I was constructing this post Jesse woke up and came to cuddle on the couch with me for a while. We were huddled together quietly while his sleep wore off, then he issued this request.

"Mom, can I have m's?" (That's short for M&M's)
"Hmm... ok. Do you want to get them from the cupboard?"
(Yawn) "I just want you to get them for me."
I fought the urge to correct his impertinence. "Well... will you tell me how much you love me?"
"I love you bigger than this house."
I smiled and kissed his head. "Thanks Honey. I love you bigger than the moon." I headed to the kitchen.
"I love you bigger than- we could be astronauts! Mom, when could me and Dad be astronauts?"
I smiled again and joined him, with our healthy breakfast in hand. We had a good time together. It was some good conversation, fragmented attention spans and all. What a great way to start the day!

FYI

2009-08-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're home from our trip (which was seriously awesome!). We're also quite sick. We left in a hurry, had a blast and came home exhausted. The house is still a wreck. Matt started a 24 hour stint at work yesterday and we're all dragging a bit. So fair warning: I have no intention of answering the door for at least a couple days. Phone calls are a maybe, depending on what's going on each moment. So please don't take it personally. We're just not up to interacting much as of now, and we really look forward to seeing/ chatting with everybody when we've got some umph back. Love to you all! We'll post pictures soon. Thanks for understanding. Talk to ya later.

My Son is Like a Box of Chocolates...

2009-08-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

Jes was eating a delectable dinner of reheated takeout pizza, when Matt related the story about a middle of the night pizza mission he'd carried out with Gabe the night before. Matt slanted the facts a little to sound like the whole trip was concocted just to surprise Jesse with pizza for dinner tonight. Matt ended with, "Wasn't that nice of Gabey to go get this pizza for you?" J's response: "Well, I like Little Caesars, and... is this Little Caesars?"
Actually, it was Domino's. (Little Caesars was closed.) Sorry Domino's, a consensus has officially been reached. Y'all are pathetic compared to the classic five-buck-pizza.

In other quotables, Jesse's dinnertime prayer last night included a request to "Please let Jesus come and see us for a while." Tonight's contained, "Please don't let Jesus get killed by the bad guys again." (I should note here that we have explained how Jesus allowed some bad men to hurt and kill Him because of Heavenly Father's promise that if Jesus did these certain things for us, families can be together forever, etc. This will obviously be an ongoing discussion.)

A couple weeks ago we were in the car when Jesse had some questions. "Mommy, next time it rains can you show me the rainbow?"
"Of course, Baby."
"And can we go outside and play with it?"
...Oh and yes, in case you're wondering, I am in love with the boy.

It was that same car trip, when out of nowhere I was very urgently briefed. "Mom, we have a problem." His voice held all the panic of a mouse on a glue trap, trying to keep its cool. "WHERE IS GRANDPA JIM GONNA SIT?? There's a seat right here (gesturing to the front passenger seat) and Grandma Kay can sit in it. And you will sit there, and me and Gabey and Jakey will sit back here, and THERE'S NO PLACE FOR GRANDPA JIM!"
I told him all about rental cars, and he listened patiently, then sounded both relieved and astounded as he responded, "Oh. That's weally cool!"

So while it's at the very least entertaining to be around the kid, there's just no guessing what excitement the next moment may hold. I can only imagine what Gabey and Jakey will have to say as their vocabularies increase. I admit, I'm morbidly curious.

Good Ol' Abe!

2009-07-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

~ Abraham Lincoln

More Men!

2009-07-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

J wasn't feeling well and kept going inside and back out. Couldn't quite resist.

Jesse's picture of himself

They built a jail, guarded by Army dudes.

I was running low on blankets so I threw him on a towel to sleep, and he found this thumb! SO FREAKING CUTE.

Whenever the girls come over, every single toy from the toy room gets dragged out. Check out the destruction in the background! Impressive, no? Even better than what my kids normally do!

I know, I need to take more of the other boys. Jakey's just changing so fast I've been focusing mostly on him. I'll do better next time.

My Favorites!

2009-07-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

I took these after Matt came home a couple weeks ago. My boys are the greatest! This life is my dream come true.

Too Many Pictures...

2009-07-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

When Matt's away I post all three billion pictures I take, even if they're barely different from each other. He wants to see them, so just endure and keep scrolling, please.

My milk is mysteriously drying up and my sweet Fatman isn't the tiniest bit interested in formula, so (after three days of stubborn hunger so extreme he couldn't sleep) as of yesterday I've had to start supplementing with the real stuff. Meanwhile, the fight for fuller ta-tas continues, as I prefer to keep nursing as much as possible. Here's his first semi-real meal.

This is Gabey running away so I won't take his picture.

Jesse pretty much stayed on the couch all day yesterday, after playgroup and the doc's office and an emergency Walmart trip. His tummy started to hurt as soon as we got home and he didn't eat all day. Finally in the evening he had some juice and crackers and puked all over the couch. He said, "I feel better now. Can I take a warm bath?" Oh, and while he was laying on the couch he asked me to turn the baby's swing toward him because he wanted to see Jacob's "cute little fat face."

Jesse's Birthday Presents!

2009-07-15T08:10:00.001-07:00

He also got a soccer ball & goal to go with the shin guards. He's loving it, and we play every evening.

Popsicle Stick Houses...

2009-07-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Matt & J1 were playing with matches in the street and Jesse got the idea to build a little hut with twigs so they could light it on fire. Frustrated with the wind and faulty construction, Jes gladly accepted Matt's proposal to go build a house with popsicle sticks and glue, which they then (of course) could light on fire. They weren't satisfied with the drying time of Elmer's glue and the Super glue had set up rock solid in it's tube, so they were obliged to settle for the hot glue gun. Matt maintains that he did not get carried away, and the tiny, proper windows and doorways he built into the construction design were added for Jesse's benefit... Meanwhile Jesse was seriously impatient to just go outside and light it already. I wish I'd gotten pictures of the houses melting into collapse (hot glue, remember?) in the fire. It was actually pretty cool.

Got Milk?

2009-07-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

I gave the boys one cookie each and went to help Matt clean out the closet. Matt noticed Gabe kept coming in & out of the room with his cookie still in his hand, and always chewing... This is not like Gabe. His cookies normally have a 4.2 second lifespan. Suspicious now, we walked into the kitchen and this is what we saw of our freshly opened girl scout cookies. When confronted, Gabe did a victory dance and gloated in his mischievous elation. Shameless bugger! We about hit the floor laughing.

Playgroup at Heidi's!

2009-07-15T07:47:00.001-07:00

Heidi was gracious enough to host playgroup a couple weeks ago and it was a memorable one! Is was SO much fun. I think she was born to be a hostess; the girl knows what she's doing...

Beauty Sleep...

2009-07-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

Introducing Emily Audra!

2009-06-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Kristen and Leif's perfect little darling! Born at 7 lbs. 2 oz this morning, Emily is healthy and beautiful and perfect as she could be. Her nose is the very sweetest little Paulsen nose. Mom and baby are fantastic. Congratulations, adorable family, on your amazing new addition!!!

The Fat Man Speaks...

2009-06-18T02:53:00.000-07:00

Fun with Andrew!

2009-06-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

Today we were able to hang out with Kristen & Andrew for a bit. Time of our lives! The boys went into the extra bedroom that we don't use and managed to entertain themselves.

Looks painful, but they sounded happy...

Pretty cute little nerds.
(And if I had any dignity at all I'd be mortified by what has become of Jesse's neglected hair.)

Who is Really the One Learning Here?

2009-06-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

Jesse is begging me constantly to work on a project- meaning artwork of some form, preferably messy. So we've been painting a lot, and today we did a project my parents sent out to him. It involved sprinkling tiny foam pieces onto a sticky parrot. He had to match up the colors with numbered sections on the parrot to make it like the one on the package. He was being as patient as he could stand while I neatly tidied up all the stray pieces of each color of foam before we moved on to the next color, and I realized I was being completely lame. I caught myself lecturing him when he leaned forward and blew some pieces all over the place while I was trying to clean them up, and I thought, what am I going on about? What did he do that was so wrong? What would it hurt for me to just let it go and bring a little fun into his day? So- full of anxiety- I picked up a few pieces and threw them at him, and smiled when he looked at me like I'd really lost it. He cautiously reached for some pieces, and when he saw me still smiling he threw them at me, and the inevitable war ensued. Gabe even ran over to join us. You know what? We had fun. I hope I can remember this and learn from it. And what do you know, cleaning it up after was no big deal.
P.S.- I'd been watching for chances like this because a good friend of mine is really great about these things, and she helped me realize the value in it. Who knows how long it would have been before I clued in to the need to join in the fun of my kids' childhood? What more would I (and the kids!) have missed out on? So to that person, thank you for this moment and the endless ones to come- from my kids and from me.

Love the Little Reminders...

2009-06-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Karen just forwarded me an email that was a copy of a column written by an old woman. It's a list of her 45 lessons of life. It was a cute read, and a few things stood out to me. They're probably things you've heard or thought about before, but we can all use little reminders sometimes.

#2) When in doubt just take the next small step.
#7) Cry with someone- it's more healing than crying alone. (Why is that so true?)
#13) Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
#28) Forgive everyone of everything.
#35) Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
#37) Your children get only one childhood.
#40) If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd hurry and grab ours back.
#43) No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

Lots of Fun!

2009-06-13T19:57:00.001-07:00

Big Joey & Little Joey brought a fire truck around for the boys to play with. What great friends!

Kicking off the summer with a picnic in Heidi's gorgeous back yard- so much fun!

Kathryn is seriously the coolest. Love that girl.

Portly little summer sausage.

Gabey kept busy in the sandbox and seemed to enjoy the time on his own.

Couldn't you just eat those beautiful, rosy cheeks?

My guys get the best post-nap bed head.

Here We Are!

2009-06-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

Sonic play yard

Even his neck is superfat!

He looks like my sister, Denise, from this angle.

Holy thighs! You HAVE to bite them sometime...

After bath time

Almost caught that pouty lip. Couldn't get a good shot of it.

Guess What!

2009-06-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

I have pee in my hair. How about you? No? Oh Well. I really do wear it with pride.

Overwhelmed

2009-06-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

I'm given so much. I'm almost dazed by the blessings heaped upon me, one after another. My mind is motion sick when I try to call up all the miracles I see in a day. The list is so long I don't dare start writing it here, because I could never finish. To cover most of it I'll have to be vague. Ready? I can't adequately express my gratitude for the fulfillment I find in my friendships, my family relations, my closeness to my Savior, and the beauty that surrounds me. There are so many sources of joy in my life that I can't even manage to hold on to a bad mood for more than a moment these days, which, itself, is an incredible blessing. I am strengthened and inspired by nearly everything in my life at this point. How can I tell you all how very much you mean to me? I really don't know. In some cases it's a conflict in my mind, feeling real joy from loving people, and pain induced by being away from them. You might assume I'm referring to Matt- and he certainly fits into this category- but there are also a few people in particular on his side of the family that have been on my mind a lot lately. I find myself thinking about how important they are to me and I inevitably end up in tears over the distance between us. The moment of sadness passes, but boy it's strong when it comes, and all because I'm so stupefied by the awe I have for them. Of course, I'm in awe of so many people in my life these days. My kids- of course, my husband- always, and specifically my friends at the moment... They're such special ladies. I'm always left with an abundance of inspirational thoughts to reflect on after I talk with them. Maybe that's why I crave their company so much. How nice it is to be surrounded by people I so look up to. I love that they know who they are and what really matters, and are so courageous in following what they believe. I've been lucky to have many good examples in my life, such brilliant, gifted, dynamic people to learn from. So to all of my dear ones- near and far, the words, "Thank you," are simply insufficient. The best way I know to say it is simply, I love you.

Big Day

2009-06-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning Heidi and I hosted a baby shower for Kristen. It went really well. Here are a couple pictures- more to come when I pilfer them from my friends. Isn't she hot?
(Why won't the underline thing turn off? Annoying.)

Kristen and Kathryn looked so beautiful! Dig the cute new dresses. Kristen got her gorgeous jewelery from Heidi's girlfriend, Katrina. Looks so pretty on her, huh? And check out Kathryn's adorable new glasses!

Then in the afternoon we all headed to Haylee's place for Hannah's birthday party. It was so much fun! Here are some toads Haylee's boys caught in the yard. So cool, huh?

Couldn't resist posting this- CUTE LADY! :)

Scotty with another toad

Jesse & Scottie fighting (Shocking... they do that.)

I know. He really needs a haircut. Looks like a total nut in this one.

This nerdy smile is making more and more appearances these days. Weirdo!

Slipping and sliding

Ok this was the best. Gabe and Paige hit it off at cupcake time, playing the cutest games of Peek-a-boo and Tickle-monster. Nice to see him being social, for goodness' sake!

Isn't she a cutie? Her smile is incredible!

So this is love... and an older woman, no less. Looks like the real thing to me! You must admit, the boy has taste. She is the sweetest girl! I wonder if his new reaction to her will persist...

This one's my favorite.

Later at home

These last ones are from today. Handsome goof-balls in their church clothes. Thanks, Tyson, for Gabey's shirt!

That Jesse...

2009-06-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

(above) Jesse drew the cutest picture of himself with his brothers. Left- Jesse, middle- Jake, Right- Gabe.

Admire my cute post-naptime artist.

Don't You Just Miss Us?

2009-06-03T22:37:00.001-07:00

New Ones

2009-05-31T20:08:00.001-07:00

Playdoh Ice Cream- did it all by himself.

Creative Side?

2009-05-27T21:24:00.001-07:00

Grandma & Grandpa sent out some clay, so this is what we did together while Gabe & Jake napped today. Can you guess which is which? Teddy bear, Train, Frog, Strawberry, and Monster With Lots of Green Ears

All his handsome chest hair is showing! (It's a work in progress...)

Fun in the Sun, Always on the Run...

2009-05-26T20:57:00.001-07:00

Check out these thighs! He does belong to this family, after all...

Playing with our wonderful friends at Heidi's house... She had so many fun water games for the kids, and the adults just chilled out. Add a little food, what more could you ask for?

This is Kristen, one of my most beloved sources of strength and sanity.

My darling Heidi

Inspirational Brynn

Amazing Becky

Heidi's hubby, Matt, even held the baby for me while I ran after the other two.

Poor Jesse hurt his hand.

Is he just darling?

Nice shot, Gabe...

Today...

2009-05-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

I have many pictures to post, but I have GOT to go to sleep, so they must wait. I will say though, that Gabe just said to me, "Watch this!" and he rhythmically counted "one, two, three, four!" and banged a pen against its lid like a set of drum sticks. Then he continued tapping them, while singing, "De-ga, de-ga, de-ga, de-ga!" as only Gabe does. Love you, Matt! We miss you!

Wonderful Baby

2009-05-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

I corrupted him with Oreos. Yes, already. I'm a bad mom. He cried when he'd finished it- just like I do!

Noisy!

2009-05-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

All of my babies have done this, though Jacob the least. They make those adorable sounds with each breath, even when they sleep. Gabe had to stay an extra few days at the hospital when he was born because they didn't believe me that it was no indication he was sick. I personally find it irresistible. The video's kind of a pain cause he was doing it in his swing, but I had to catch it on tape for Matt to watch. So cute! Oh, and the open-his-eyes-while-he's-sleeping thing is pretty creepy, but what can ya do...

Why are there always shoes or toys or something in the background of every video I take? I guess my house is just never as neat as I'd like it. But ya know what? Life here is happy anyway.

I Am SO Gonna Get Mocked for This...

2009-05-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

Ok there must be a million more important things than this that I need to get done, but I'm stubborn. I've wanted to do this forever so I'm not even going to bother justifying it- I'm just going to do it.

One of my favorite books of all time is (laugh if you must) Dr's Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go! It's silly and fun, but poignant, somehow. I love reading it to the kids, though I only rarely get through it without tearing up at some point or other throughout the book. So if you have the time, read the words. Maybe it will inspire you, too.

Congratulations! Today is your day.
You're off to great places! You're off and away!

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course, you'll head strait out of town.

It's opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen, and frequently do
to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along. You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't. Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true
That Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on. You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump.
And the changes are, then, that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right and three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
For a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting place...

...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, of the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Unkle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO! That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping, once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you're that kind of guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winningest winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't. Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win 'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go, though the weather be foul.
On you will go, though your enemies prowl.
On you will go, though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.

On you will hike. And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems, whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.
You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.
Be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So... get on your way!

For some nutty reason this book inspires me to buck up and keep moving when I feel unsure or intimidated or nervous. With everything I've got going on I'm pretty much always feeling this way about one thing or another. I love sending the message to my children that life is going to get difficult, but they must keep going and they will manage somehow- even succeed, if they choose to. So hopefully you got something out of this too, or at least, got to spend a few minutes regaining an appreciation for Dr. Seuss.

To Daddy

2009-05-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled with the way the flash highlighted all the nasty muck on our tv screen. One of my proudest moments. It also leads me to wonder, is that what every surface in our house would look like if the lighting was just right? I shudder to think of it... And this is why people wash their hands before they eat.

My Man Jake!

2009-05-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of Jacob from last night. His eyes were temporarily stuck crossed, but I still think he's pretty dang great.

Bubbles on the Porch

2009-05-21T20:57:00.001-07:00

Excuse the diaper/shirt motif- this was post nap time.

Pictures for Daddy...

2009-05-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Matt's traveling again, so I'm finally getting into gear and posting some updated photos. Enjoy, everybody! Why didn't I do this earlier? What can I say? I'm more motivated to make him happy than to please you people. Sorry. Y'all are great, but look at the kiddos he gives me!
Can ya blame me, really?
...P.S. Jake is officially over one month old, somehow, which is weird cause I only gave birth to him like five minutes ago. Strange. Oh and he's gained over two pounds since birth. Dig the cheeks.

Once in a while you get a really great shot!!! Love this one!!!

Jakey's Here!

2009-04-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

Welcoming Jacob Aiden into our family!
Three cheers for our newest stinky boy!!!

2 days before delivery

Just before c-section

At the hospital with our new Jakey-poo!

Ready to go home!

Then There are THESE Moments...

2009-04-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

I was standing in the kitchen, completely zoned out. I had smelled something suspicious that Gabe was working on, so I was giving him a minute or two to finish up before I changed his diaper. I was suddenly dragged back into reality when I heard a very cute little voice that said, "Gabe, can I see your poo again?" followed immediately by another cute voice saying, "Sure, Jechies." (That's code for Jesse.) I spun around to see Gabe plop to the floor and pull the crotch of his diaper aside to proudly display his work. I didn't miss the fact that Jesse's horrible request included the word again. Of course I flew into sterilization mode and took care of hands and diapers and everything else in a nine-mile radius, and it was then I wondered for perhaps the millionth time, Is this normal? Is my life really at all like anyone else's? Do these catastrophes strike other households, or are my children really different from the offspring of others? I still do not know the answer.

Polite Boy- (Sort of?)

2009-04-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

By the time Matt and I actually finish our tasks and get to bed every evening, it's usually around midnight. When Matt has to get up particularly early or is really desperate for sleep, we pick up our sleeping boys and bring them to their little mattresses in our room. See, it's only a matter of minutes from the time Matt and I lay down until one or both of them wake up and we have to get up to address that whole scenario. If we bring them into our room ahead of time, we can hush them back to sleep immediately and carry on trying to sleep ourselves. So this is what we were doing the other night, only this time Jes woke up. He needed to go potty, so he shook off his sleepiness and wanted to talk for a few minutes and sleep in our bed. We were entertaining his whim (gotta take these chances when they come- they can be the funnest moments) when Gabey momentarily vacated his state of unconsciousness and requested quite loudly, "Shut up, please!" He was out snoring again within a second. The three of us who were awake busted up laughing, thus rousing ourselves even more, and spent an extra while trying to calm down again enough to sleep. Can't beat those moments.

Bird Houses!

2009-04-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

The kids went to Home Depot for the monthly building project, and this time they made bird houses. They had a blast of course, then we all had a ball in between Saturday Conference sessions getting them painted. We stapled a plastic table cloth to the deck and stripped the boys down & let them do their thing. I know there are a billion of these- we like to overdo it in the picture department- so give 'em a quick scan & get on with life...

Love this one!

Holy Huge... (Admire my painting outfit- it's beautiful, eh?)

Girl Time!

2009-04-06T18:48:00.001-07:00

Summer hosted a baby shower for me on Saturday before church conference, and it was so great! So much hard work went into the details; the food was incredible, the decor was beautiful, and the game was hilarious! It was a Pregnancy Memory matching game, and here are the matches and prizes as I remember them- (this is great)- pay attention to the details here:

*BREAST FEEDING- Milky Way
*OB/GYN- Butterfinger (Eew!)
*COLIC- Double Bubble gum
*SEX- Good & Plenty
*SLEEP- Now & Later
*UMBILICAL CORD- Licorice
*PENIS- Whatchamacallit

It was SO FUNNY! There were more but I can't remember the rest. The picture I got of Summer with the game was not very good, and I wish I'd taken more of the whole event. If any of you ladies who attended have pics, could you please email me copies? It was such a great day! Thank you Summer and everyone who helped out/ came by! And thank you all for the awesome gifts. I appreciate it so much. Any chance to party with these girls is not to be missed!

More Handsome Men...

2009-04-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

When kids get a hold of the camera... (J's self-pic- think he gets that from Matt?- and a few snapped in the OB/GYN's waiting room today)

Jesse prefers cut pieces of 2X4's rather than traditional blocks. He's never been one for kid stuff... (Did I already post these ones? Can't remember a thing...)

On a walk through the neighborhood the other night. Yes, I can still walk.

(Still figuring out how to keep the flip flops from flailing off)

Some Great Videos for Grandparents & Others Who May Obsess Over the Boys...

2009-03-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit it. I seemingly always have laundry piles mid-fold on my couch. I may get five loads done in a day, but I seem to always stop at least one load short of finishing the folding/ putting away process. It's embarrassing, but it's life- for me at least. Try to ignore it and watch the funny kiddos.

My Firemen, with a race track fire hose.

When Gabe's throwing a fit, he DOES NOT LIKE pictures being taken of him. In this video he keeps saying, "No pictures!" while continuing his tantrum. Watch the next video for part B- it's the BEST.

PART B of "the fit." It gets funnier!

(A few nights ago Matt was making the boys laugh by scowling at Gabe and shouting, "Tell me your name!" Can't remember why this was so funny, but Gabe played along and refused to say his name, only responding with "Nope!" So then Matt and Jes started calling him "Nope.") Here Jesse catches a Nope.

More mood swings from Gabe... this is funny.

Nutty Family Pictures...

2009-03-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Jes had sprayed Gabe's hair with a squirt bottle.

"Cuddling Jakey" a.k.a. Gabe on my belly-

Rather than going to sleep, why not unload all the food storage and try on each pair of Jesse's underwear- (in the dark)? All that work sure is tiring...

Wrestle-mania: Jesse verses Matt...

(Aunt Den sent Jesse's favorite orange shirt. It reads,
"I STILL LIVE WITH MY PARENTS." Love it!)

Lincoln Logs!

Gabe keeps falling asleep just inside his bedroom door at night- not even crying, just dreaming of escape. We have to scoot him away inch by inch.

Oh, and he likes to unload the dresser first.

Fun times on the porch... He might be a redneck. (Comes by it honestly.)

The ever-expanding woman!

I WISH I Wasn't Familiar With Terms Like "Snot Rocket." Don't You?

2009-03-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

It's the ONE- (and I mean ONLY- I put up with a lot around here) topic that is NOT acceptable to discuss in my presence. In a word: mucus. So this is going to be difficult. Gagging yet? I am.

In Sacrament Meeting (which we just came from; the boys are too cold-germy to hang around other kids today), there was a bit of an incident.

Poor Jessica Bogle. Poor, poor Jessica...

This cute, young, very-recently married girl (who was recently called to teach the Sunbeams- again I say, poor Jessica) was sitting in the pew behind us. There was a small ruckus and I looked to Matt to see what I'd missed. Apparently he'd turned around when he heard Jessica quietly shriek in horror, to find Gabe with some of the runny stuff dripping from his hand and hear Jessica proclaim, "He just picked his nose and wiped it on me!" She was still in shock. Matt quickly filled me in and I immediately (mothers have no pride, gee, wonder why...) covered my face and took just a second to pull myself together so I could take this on. I looked up and apologized profusely and scrambled for some wipes to offer her. I missed the comment Jessica's dad made as he laughed and slapped her leg, "You lookin' forward to kids, Honey?!" He went on to stifle my apologies and assure me that that's just what she needed right now, and how we've all been around kids and it wasn't gonna hurt anybody... It was hard to keep my mind focused on the meeting after that. On our way out, Matt caught Jessica's attention and thoughtfully reminded her not to forget to wash her hands.

I know, this is class. No one says sophistication like our family.