You "Saved" the Day

I've had a lot on my mind.  Change. Newness. New goals.  BECOMING something better.  Creating.  Desires.  Priorities. Time. 

I've determined it is time to Simplify and to Organize. Some things are going to slip away and some new things may take their places. 

I am one who gets overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious pretty easily and yet I tend to add things to my plate by my own choice.  Good things.  But there are better.

We just got back from a vacation and while we were traveling near a larger city my husband took a wrong turn and we ended up downtown with two tired children (it was bedtime) one of them crying.  I was grumpy, impatient, and frustrated (this was not the first time this has happened ;) I was getting after him and saying things like, "why didn't you just go the way we came?"  On and on.  Contention.  Then just as we were about to get back on the freeway in the right direction my son said, very enthusiastically, "It's okay Mom.  It's good.  We saw flags.  You saved the day!"  He felt the contention and in his 4 year old way brought a smile to my face. I didn't even see any flags but to him that drive, that wrong turn saved the day because of a few simple flags! And I was again reminded that I need to find joy in each moment and strive to be positive.  Later I found out that despite my pessimism and criticisim in that moment that little adventure that led us downtown was one of my husbands favorite moments from the trip.  He enjoys exploring new places.  But there I was and I couldn't see it.  I couldn't see that moment with my family with eyes of joy.

Then today I taught the lesson in Relief Society on families and again was reminded that I need to enjoy and take hold of each moment as a Mother not just get through each day but SAVE each moment and cherish it.  Not just go about my agenda but grasp those small moments in time that truly matter.

And then yet again I came across another reminder in this video. It is too perfect for all of the thoughts I have been having. I think the Lord is trying to teach me:



Let us all cherish the moments that matter most. Let us all try to "Save" and enjoy each day and recognize each moment for what it is. Let us all recognize the things that need to slip from our lives so that we might simplify and have our eyes opened to the joy that those little moments bring.

Summer Reading Plans

Do you have any?  I don't have any specifics figured out but reading to and with my children (and maybe some personal reading) is a definite must this Summer.  And yep, school is out, and summer is rolling (well not officially), the time is now. 

Our library has a Summer Reading Program where kids get prizes for reading 3 hours each week.  I am sure that many libraries do something similar.  I plan on signing up like I did last Summer only maybe being a little more consistent about it. ;) We read but we didn't make it to the library as often has we should have.

With that said, THIS has got my head churning.  For me and my kids.  I love it. The Friend is so "smart" I mean really. Yea, we hold a short family scripture study and yea we hold weekly Family Home Evenings but a simple Gospel reading schedule meant just for little ones.  Perfect.  Yea, there will be If You Give a Pig a Pancake, and Fancy Nancy, and The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar...but the Friend, the Scriptures, the Articles of Faith.  Oh, this will be good.

What are your plans? How do you keep your kids brains fired up and pages turning? 

2nd Semi-Annual No TV Week

So 6 months ago we held "NO TV WEEK" at our house and decided to make it a tradition.  There are actually two official no tv weeks on April 19-25 and the other September 19-25.  So officially "NO TV WEEK" is about to end but for us it is just about to begin. We have decided that our week (almost a week) of no tv would be the week just before conference.  So from Sunday-Friday no watching tv. Then the first thing that we'll watch at the close of our television fast will be General Conference on Saturday and Sunday.

During our "1st Semi-Annual No TV Week" I realized many things:

1. Many times when I turned the tv on there was something else that I should've been doing.
2. I used the television as a babysitter way too often.
3. I had my attention divided between the tv, the laundry (or some other task), and my kids rather than just being with them.
4. The TV was my first go to when I was board, tired, or plain lazy.
5. Having minimal external voices filling our home helped to prepare us to hear the word of the Lord at Conference.

Now funny thing is that I just wrote those all in past-tense. Ha!  I am still has lazy and selfish has I was 6 months ago and that, my friends, is why this is a Semi-Annual event and who knows one day it may become a more frequent one.  I definitely need reminders. :)

So please, FEEL FREE TO JOIN US IN OUR

2nd SEMI-ANNUAL NO TV WEEK - September 26 - October 1
(Leave a comment at let us know if you plan to join in the fun,
this may serve as a little extra motivation and accountability in following through.)

And just in case you need even a little more motivation read these quotes from a previous post or click on the following links to read two complete posts:

I challenge us to change this stat within the walls of our homes:
"American children and adolescents (and I'd add some adults) spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70 they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV."-- The Kaiser Family Foundation

And far too often those hours spent are in watching programs that are far from uplifting:
“Again I say, leave it alone. Turn it off, walk away from it, burn it, erase it, destroy it. I know it is hard counsel we give when we say movies that are R-rated, and many with PG-13 ratings, are produced by satanic influences. Our standards should not be dictated by the rating system. I repeat, because of what they really represent, these types of movies, music, tapes, etc. serve the purposes of the author of all darkness.”
-Elder H. Burke Peterson

What a bold statement that a lot of the media out there is "produced by satanic influences" and "serve the purposes of the author of all darkness". It is scary to think that we often are allowing satan to be our entertainer. We are allowing him to keep us company, to make us laugh, and to fill our minds with his filth. We must be so careful to not allow the rating system to determine our standards but allow our conscience and our personal standards to do so.  And sometimes Satan is simply striving to make us idle away our time and distract us from what is most important.


TV, Television, the Tube, Flat Screen?
A Little Experiment

And while you're televisions are off you'll have plenty of time to prepare your family for conference.  I will have a Pre-General Conference post coming sometime this weekend. 

Are You In There?

Are you in there? Or are you in your own world? Are you focused on the things that you want to do or feel like you should do or do you put YOUR things aside and take interest in YOUR CHILDREN'S wants and needs on a consistent basis? I know I too often am thinking of the next thing I need or want to do while in the midst of "giving my children attention." I need to work on giving them my full and undivided attention and simply forget about my agenda or my list and think about what is important on theirs. I needed this wake up call.

Elder Perry said, "Parents must bring light and truth into their homes by one family prayer, one scripture study session, one family home evening, one book read aloud, one song, and one family meal at a time. They know that the influence of righteous, conscientious, persistent, daily parenting is among the most powerful and sustaining forces for good in the world."
-"Mothers Teaching Children in the Home," Ensign, May 2010, 30

How do you make sure you spend the time and are "in there" for your children? How do you balance your agenda with the things that are REALLY important?

How do you balance your commitments and priorities...

How do you balance your commitments and priorities to do everything that you should and some things you want to and still remain sane?



*This question was submitted by a friend over at "Be it Ever so Humble" Thanks!

Self-Medicating...

I ran, I dove, I smacked into the accordian wall on several occasions, I slide on the floor and gave my back a bump on the stage, and then it might seem that I scooted home quickly to head straight to the cupboard for a "dose of relief" but it wasn't that kind of self-medicating. Oh, it was a dose just right, so right that I realized that I need to "self-medicate" much more often. It was just what I needed.

It was a stake women's basketball game. A cure really. Now you might be thinking, what? A stake basketball game, self-medicating? Hmmm, that's interesting.

So let me explain - I played and I played hard, not the kind of hard I played in high school but the kind of hard that a Mommy who needs to just get the "Mommy Wiggles" out does. And it felt good. I came home tired but rejuvenated. And then the late night wakings of a Mommy with a new little one began and as I sat there nursing at two a.m., half asleep, the thought popped into my mind that that night's game was self-medicating. Weird, I know, but that was my thought.

So the following day I looked up this definition:

Self-medicating is the use of a drug with therapeutic intent but without professional advice or prescription.

And now I have realized that I really can't call what happened that night self-medicating although it did act as a drug in that some Mommy symptoms felt relieved and non-existent for a time and it did feel quite therapeutic however it had been prescribed by a professional indeed, only I had forgotten to refill my prescription. So you see, after this self-medicating event and a week or so later THIS event, I've been reminded that unlike many prescriptions this type requires refill after refill to keep symptoms in check.

And the prescription is written by this wonderful professional:

Elder Ballard

First we must accept the prescription:
"Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children. Avoid any kind of substance abuse (so ladies no real self-medicating :), mistakenly thinking that it will help you accomplish more. And don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet. Turn to the Lord in faith, and you will know what to do and how to do it."

And then here is where the role of your "pharmasist husband" comes in:

"Give your wife a “day away” now and then. Just take over the household and give your wife a break from her daily responsibilities. Taking over for a while will greatly enhance your appreciation of what your wife does. You may do a lot of lifting, twisting, and bending!"

So when you are feeling a funk coming on or well before then you may just want to call-in a prescription to your husband at work or hand him a copy of this quote when he gets home and head out the door or lock yourself in your bedroom or whatever your choice of "medicating" might be. For me, this time, it was stake basketball but maybe next time I'll lock myself in my room with a good book.

It is high time I follow the prescription (counsel) of a professional and fill up my well on occasion. So maybe today (Valentine's Day) I'll be asking my honey for a day-away or maybe just an hour. I have a feeling that sometime soon I may be in need of a "dose".

WOWW: Weightier Matters

This week has been a typical week at our house, a week like many of stay at home mothers...trying to spend time with and raise my children, amidst the chaos of a messy and getting messier house, all the while getting little and even littlier amounts of sleep. This week has been normal other than my total break down on Monday night. :) My husband was gone to class and thus had been gone all day and I was at my wits end. Really, I was just a time bomb waiting to blow. I could go on and on about the reasons why I blew (some of which included pans banging in the kitchen and digging through the garbage can) but I'm sure many of you could make a list of your own and could relate quite perfectly (although your story might not end in a dramatic cry fest, or maybe it would. Please tell me it would, so I can convince myself I am not in need of some therapy). ;)

It was a dramatic evening to say the least and quite exhausting. I determined one, that I need more sleep and two, that my life needs more balance and then an email came from my Grandpa with this quote:

"Gradually, eternal principles can get lost within the labyrinth of 'good ideas.' “ This was one of the Savior's criticisms of the religious 'experts' of His day, whom He chastised for attending to the hundreds of minor details of the law while neglecting the weightier matters (see Matthew 23:23)."So how do we stay aligned with these weightier matters? Is there a constant compass that can help us prioritize our lives, thoughts, and actions?". . . The Savior revealed the way. When asked to name the greatest commandment, He did not hesitate. 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,' He said. 'This is the first and great commandment' (Matthew 22:37, 38). Coupled with the second great commandment—to love our neighbor as ourselves (see Matthew 22:39)—we have a compass that provides direction not only for our lives but also for the Lord's Church on both sides of the veil." Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 21

I have determined that I have become trapped in the idea of attending to hundreds of minor details and am convinced that too often the weightier matters are getting set aside. My priorities are in need of a good check. Thinking on this I was directed to Luke chapter 10, which reads.

38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Just like Martha I have been careful and troubled about many things but not necessarily the needful things. It is time for a change. It is time I remember what will be my constant compass in keeping my priorities in check - 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,' It is time to choose the good part and spend the majority of my time attending to the weightier matters even if that means dishes are sometimes left in the sink and my family is happier and closer.

What Matters Most

A few days have gone by since the passing of my wonderful Grandpa. He was a very good man. He was so concerned with everyone around him. He was always so selfless and loving. Countless times I received checks in the mail from him for no reason at all when I needed them the most. He was so in tune to the Spirit. Although he was old in age his death came suddenly and unexpectedly. I will miss him.

With his passing and the timely watching of this video I have been drawn to reflect upon "what matters most". Just now I sit here thinking of my Grandpa, listening to President Monson's words as I type, along with the wonderful sound of my young family in the background and am reminded so profoundly of what matters most.

Let us always remember "what is important and what is not." Let us show our loved ones how much we love and appreciate them. Let us cherish them.

Mormonad Homefront Commercials

I found these videos yesterday at Mormontimes.com on their page called Today in the Bloggernacle. They are entertaining, funny, and send a good message about spending time together as a family. Enjoy!

Room for the Savior

Last night my husband and I watched bits and pieces of the CES Fireside given by President Monson. Of the parts that I actually got to listen to a line that he said stuck out to me. I don't think I have it written in his exact words but it was something along these lines,

To find the Savior we must make room for Him in our lives.

I pondered this last night as I began to read my scriptures and was reminded of a few verses. As you read these verses keep in mind that place and room can be used synonymously to mean "an area or space intended for something" and in this case that intention is not fulfilled:

Mosiah 2:36-37 - "...if ye should transgress...ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in wisdom’s paths...I say unto you, that the man that doeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against God; therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples. "

When we trangress and withdraw ourselves from the Spirit there is no place or no room for the Spirit within us. When we listeth to obey the evil spirit the Lord cannot find any place or room because we are unholy. Do we make room within ourselves for the Spirit of the Lord to dwell?

When we fill ourselves full of the Spirit of God there is no room for Satan. The verse below is speaking of what is to come during the Millenium but if we were to truly leave no room for Satan he would be bound by the way we live our lives. He would have no place in our hearts.

Doctrine & Covenants 45:55 "And Satan shall be bound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men.

We not only need to find room within our hearts and within ourselves, we need to find room for the Savior in our daily lives. We need to find room for Him in our hectic schedules. We need to find room for Him each and every day.



I found a wonderful talk by President Monson, titled "The Search for Jesus" that has many wonderful, thought provoking, insights on this topic:

"Before we can successfully undertake a personal search for Jesus, we must first prepare time for him in our lives and room for him in our hearts. In these busy days there are many who have time for golf, time for shopping, time for work, time for play—but no time for Christ.

Lovely homes dot the land and provide rooms for eating, rooms for sleeping, playrooms, sewing rooms, television rooms, but no room for Christ.

Do we get a pang of conscience as we recall his own words: “The foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Matt. 8:20.) Or do we flush with embarrassment when we remember, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7.) No room. No room. No room. Ever has it been."

Let us make more room for the Savior in our lives. Let us make room for Him in our hearts and in our homes. Let us make a place in our hearts with the intention to fill it with the Spirit of God. Let us find more time to remember the Savior, to ponder His teachings, to read the scriptures, to pray, to serve, to do the things of God. Let us truly find the Savior as we make room for Him in our lives and make a place for Him in our hearts.

Ten Ways to Spend Time With Your Children

I just came across this list of 10 ways to spend time with your children and thought it was wonderful. I have really been enjoying spending time with my little boy lately. I have always enjoyed it but recently I have been noticing the wonderful example that my little boy is, how much I can learn from him, and how much fun it is being a mom.

Here are a few of my recent fun, fulfilling, and wonderful Mommy Moments -

So one day just before lunch my little boy and I came across President Monson speaking on KBYU. He loves and knows all of the Apostles and Prophets so he got excited. We had it on for a minute or two and then I turned it off so we could have lunch. My little boy started to follow me into the kitchen and then turned around and I didn't think a thing of it. I started to get lunch ready and then decided to check on Luke and this was what I found. He had turned the TV back on and was sitting on the couch watching our Prophet, President Monson speak. It was so cute. What a good example my one year old is.

Our Fun Experience with Prayer - During the last few months we have been working on teaching our little boy how to pray. At first it started out in having him repeat the words we say. Now it has turned into a wonderful list of thanking. I am amazed of the things he thinks to give thanks for...his list of thanks always starts off with toys, colors (this is what he calls crayons and coloring pencils), and paper and then the list varies each time from things like Mommy and Daddy to fans, books, the temple, suckers, car, house, etc. Now even when it is not his turn to pray he will recognize when it is time to give thanks and will start listing off the things he is grateful for. I love to hear the things that he thinks of. He tends to notice the simple things that we tend to forget. He says the best prayers ever. Seeing the fruits that have come from the time spent teaching my son is so fulfilling.

Enjoy this great list of things to do with your children! I know that if we follow his cousel we will grow, our children will grow, and we will have so many great Mommy Moments.

Ten Ways to Spend Time
With Your Children
by President Ezra Taft Benson

BE AT THE CROSSROADS. First, take time to always be at the crossroads when your children are either coming or going -- when they leave and return from school, when they leave and return from dates, when they bring friends home. Be there at the crossroads whether your children are six or sixteen.

BE A REAL FRIEND. Second, mothers, take time to be a real friend to your children.

READ TO YOUR CHILDREN. Third, mothers, take time to read to your children. Starting from the cradle, read to your sons and daughters.

HAVE WEEKLY HOME EVENINGS. Fifth, take time to have a meaningful weekly home evening.

BE TOGETHER AT MEALTIMES. Sixth, take time to be together at mealtimes as often as possible.

READ SCRIPTURES DAILY. Seventh, take time daily to read the scriptures together as a family.

DO THINGS AS A FAMILY. Eighth, take time to do things as a family. Make family outings and picnics and birthday celebrations and trips special times and memory builders.

TEACH YOUR Children. Ninth, mothers, take time to teach your children. Catch the teaching moments.

Teach children gospel principles. Teach them it pays to be good. Teach them there is no safety in sin. Teach them a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and a testimony of its divinity.

Teach your sons and daughters modesty, and teach them to respect manhood and womanhood. Teach your children sexual purity, proper dating standards, temple marriage, missionary service, and the importance of accepting and magnifying Church callings.

Teach them a love for work and the value of a good education.

Teach them the importance of the right kind of entertainment, including appropriate movies and videos and music and books and magazines. Discuss the evils of pornography and drugs, and teach them the value of living the clean life.

Yes, mothers, teach your children the gospel in your home, at your own fireside. This is the most effective teaching that your children will ever receive. This is the Lord's way of teaching. The Church cannot teach like you can. The school cannot. The day-care center cannot. But you can, and the Lord will sustain you. Your children will remember your teachings forever, and when they are old, they will not depart from them. They will call you blessed -- their truly angel mother.

Mothers, this kind of heavenly, motherly teaching takes time -- lots of time. It cannot be done effectively part-time. It must be done all the time in order o save and exalt your children. This is your divine calling.

TRULY LOVE YOUR children. Tenth and finally, mothers, take the time to truly love your children.

Good, Better, Best

Sometimes our to-do lists can be overwhelming. Do the laundry, weed the garden, change that diaper and that one and that one, make dinner, go to work, do visiting and home teaching, fulfill other callings, clean up that spill, pick up that pile, call so-and-so, make that appointment, run kids to this and that, etc. You get the point! I loved this talk. It simplifies our to-do lists by knocking many things off or at least moving the most important things to the top of the list. Quite often I do the things that sound the easiest or the funnest first not necessarily the things that are best or most important. It is time for us all to check our priorities and cross some things off, move some things up, and maybe jot a few new "betters" and "bests" down.

Click on the title below to read the whole talk or watch the videos below.

Good, Better, Best
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

We should begin by recognizing the reality that just because something is good is not a sufficient reason for doing it. The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them...We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.

Some young people are amusing themselves to death—spiritual death.

Good, Better, Best - Part 1

Good, Better, Best - Part 2