I Just Can't Get Enough!!

How can I even BEGIN? I've found some of the sweetest blogs lately - the kind of girls and families that I want living next door...you know the kind? Just today I came across a new site for free backgrounds and buttons, and another for FONTS!!! Now this is where I go gaga. My closest friends and family know that my hands shake. They have for years, who knows why. Needless to say my handwriting leaves a lot to be desired. Enter handwritten computer fonts. Squeel!!! SO FUN!! I could seriously go on and on about the sites that I've found lately but since K. has the kids in the bath and my attention is seriously needed, I'll just throw down the links and you can discover them for yourself! Have fun, and watch out - it's habit forming ♥
My NEWEST DISCOVERY - Handwriting Fonts save the day:
Fonts For Peas Handwriting Fonts For FREE*** ♥









Before I found  Fonts For Peas, my favorite site was:
Font Garden Handwriting Fonts for FREE**** ♥

Today's free blog backgrounds/buttons discovery:
Shabby Blogs Free Backgrounds and Buttons ETC ♥


For those who don't want to take the time to figure out how to change every single aspect of your blog by yourself, I just discovered that one of my long-time favorites now offeres semi-custom blog designs for only $15.00 So FUN!!!
April Showers Blog Design♥










Have Fun!!!

PS I was just on April's site and found out that she is having a Giveaway! Hop on a enter for a chance to win super cute blog designs from one of my favorite designers:)

April Showers Blog Design is having a HUGE giveaway and celebrating her OPEN waiting list that starts January 1st! April not only does blogs - but also invitations, announcements, calendars, cards, business cards, custom illustrations, and so much more! Just by pasting this paragraph on my blog I'm a winner! www.aprilshowersblogdesign.com

They Said We Should Do It.

Do what? you say? You know, all of it. At this particular point in my writing therapy I am talking about the all of it that includes praying as a couple, regular dates, regular temple attendance, scripture study. 'They' would be speaking in reference to the prophets, marriage counselors, self-help gurus, parents, etc. To keep a marriage strong, they would say - and do you know what? They were right. I think.
To set the record straight I would like to say here that I married the man of my dreams. K. is the kind of person that any woman would LOVE to be married to. In so many ways he is the glue that holds our family together. The dozens of ways that he shows his love for me make other women envious, though is seems some of my best friends in life have also found husbands who: put the kids to bed, give the kids baths, do the dishes, fold laundry. and don't mind the colors I choose to paint our home.
I would also like to say here that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing to me, and to K. also. From the time I was very young I could feel the Hand of the Savior, or of our Father in Heaven, in mine. ALWAYS. Reading back through my journals there are several entries that read something like this: " I HATE my Mom and Dad! They are so mean!!! typical teenager stuff My brothers are so rude, I wish I were an only child! It doesn't matter though because I have my Heavenly Father and I know he is always with me and that HE at least, loves me!"  Even through the years that I dealt with things that no child should have to deal with, even if I were scared or hurt, or angry, I knew that I wasn't alone.
And yet, knowing these things don't make good habits stick on their own. Habits such as praying every morning and night and reading my scriptures every day have never been like second nature. Night prayers have been the easiest, and though I can say that most of the day I carry a prayer in my heart, morning prayers are something that have only become more common-place since becoming married.

You know how sometimes as a parent you think you will go crazy if you have to tell your kids to stop jumping on the bed one more time? So you finally decide they are going to have to learn their lesson the hard way - then they fall of the bed and get hurt badly enough to remember, but not so badly enough to require a trip to the emergency room? I've been finding that when it comes to the basics of family life those things that we hear from our Heavenly Father over and over and over and over again are to keep us from falling off the bed.

After almost nine years of marriage, four pregnancies, four recoveries, four progressively worse bouts of postpartum depression, years of putting husband through school, years of being a stay-at-home Mom on a school teachers salary, medical issues and all of the rest of the typical stuff that life brings - I've fallen off of the bed a few times. In the world of make-believe I've been at the point where the parent is sitting with the injured child vacillating back and forth trying to decide if the child needs to go to the ER. At what point would one consider a child of God as having arrived at the Emergency Room? I THINK I haven't made it there yet. Perhaps the ER is - going inactive, or separating from my husband, having an affair, or picking up drinking? (Alcohol of course, not DDP! ;)

No, I haven't made a trip to the spiritual emergency room yet, but I've spent quite a lot of time nursing wounds that have come from falling off of the bed. Even now, K. and I have fallen off of the bed, and it hurts. It hurts because we were both raised in the church and we should know better. There are LOTS of "good" excuses for why we haven't been so good about regular dates: lack of money for a baby-sitter, lack of a baby-sitter (period), too soon after a baby, too much work to get things ready for a baby-sitter, too tired, too sick, kids sick, too tired, did I mention too tired? All of those "good" excuses would fall into place for attending the temple regularly. Sad as it is, I can't give ANY even LAME excuses for not making prayer as a couple a regular occurrence, as for studying scriptures together (?) well, that IS a lofty goal isn't it?

Our kids have faired much better. For the most part they are well adjusted, happy kids who know how to bear their testimonies (by themselves), take turns reading from the scriptures during family scripture study, look forward to our hectic, sometimes insane Family Home Evenings (which, of course, revolve around who's favorite song will be chosen first and the time and location of refreshments), and can name the prophet at a glance. Spiritually speaking, they are doing pretty well. Emotionally speaking? Does crying and throwing tantrums because so and so took this or that or Mom asked me to pick up WHAT(?!) mean they are emotionally handicapped? Naw...I think they are pretty normal (I hope).

The fact of the matter is that in this day and age it's getting to be easier and easier to find a trip to the ER  inevitable after falling off the bed. The falls are harder, the recoveries are slower and the long-lasting limps are, well, longer-lasting. Injuries that used to take just a few stitches to fix are now requiring major surgery - with medical bills left over!!
I'm getting the impression that we are out of time. The Lord has told us plenty of times what to do and the next time we jump we are going to fall flat on our faces! At this point in my life I have had to realize that my marriage is the part of our family that needs a band-aid. Duh! Of course Satan would attack there! If he wins in driving K. and I further and further apart, he succeeds in destroying a family.  Below is a quote from President James E. Faust that reminds me of what is obvious to spiritual eyes if one were to look around at what is happening in the world.
"There have always been two great competing forces in the world. These began before the world was created. These opposing forces are the forces of good and evil. Between these two powerful forces each of us is caught in a tug of war. In simple terms, that which is good comes from God, and that which is evil comes from the devil.  You can’t have it both ways and find true happiness; some have tried, but in the long run all have failed....There is a price to pay for success, fulfillment, accomplishment, and joy. There are no freebies. If you don’t pay the price that is needed for success, you will pay the price of failure. Preparation, work, study, and service are required to achieve and find happiness. Disobedience and lack of preparation carry a terrible price tag....There is a continuing sifting process going on. We are reminded of the parable of the wheat and the tares. In that parable the Lord said, “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field,” but while he slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the grain, so that when the blades of wheat sprouted, so did the weeds. The man’s workers did not understand how weeds got into the field and asked if they should go and pull the weeds. The owner of the field said no, because while you pull the weeds, you also pull up the grain. So he counseled that the grain and the weeds grow together until the time of harvest, when the wheat would be bundled separately from the weeds. The disciples of Jesus asked the Savior for an interpretation of the parable, and the Savior answered: “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; … and the reapers are the angels.... As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.”

The Mom part of me comes naturally...I've been taking care of kids my whole life. The wife, married to a GUY, sharing everything, discussing too many things, working together part of me is like meeting an alien in the mirror - not so natural. Yet, natural or not, my brain and my soul have been speaking to each other and they've decided that they need to wake up my heart and get it into the right place in ALL of the areas of my life, not just SOME of the areas. Looking at the GRAND PICTURE helps. It helps to realize that even though my attention is dominated by my very present little family, if I were to step back and take a look from, say, Kolob, I would see much, much more. I would see good people surrounded by the tares of the world. I would see the hand of the Lord in places that may not seem obvious. I would see all of the problems and sicknesses and natural disasters as necessary occurrences as the earth is being prepared for the Second Coming of our LORD. I would most likely see many, many members of the church, just like myself. Sons and Daughters of God who were raised in the gospel, married in the temple, valiant-at-heart people, who are being choked by the tares of the world. Keeping with the metaphor the solution to the problem is to send down my roots to access the living water that I know is available. You know what the interesting thing is? This 'falling of the bed' isn't one of those problems that my young womens' leaders talked about. It wasn't put in front of me to make a choice when I was 13 that when I was 31 I would fight for my family and put the teachings of the gospel and the light of the Savior so obviously ahead of ANYTHING else that there would be no margin for error. I am making the choice right now, and I am going to teach my children about the choices that they will have to make too. What the members of the church, and anyone who desires to follow the Savior needs to remember is this: The only things that are really happening in the world right now are the things that are going to prepare the earth for the coming of our Savior. If each of us, brothers, sisters, parents, grand-parents, great-grandparents, would make every decision with this GRAND PICTURE in mind, then we would be safe. Safe from a trip to the ER, and safe from being thrown into the burning pile of tares. Sigh, don't I WISH I had been one of those super people who listened and obeyed in the same breath? Ah well, better late than never huh?

PS Have a Wonderful Thanks-giving! Christmas tree goes up tomorrow!! Yipee!!!

Lies of The Adversary

We all know how damaging Satan's lies are to our society....or do we? The first time I saw this commercial from Dove I was blown away!  When I take the time to sit down and think about the media's influence on my life, of course I know that it's filled with a false portrayal of beauty, or rather I think of the unrealistic standard of beauty. However, on a normal day on the road or in the doctors' office those aren't the thoughts that automatically cross my mind. Satan is so LOUD and CONVINCING that when I see the billboards and magazines my initial thought is more along the lines of, "How did they get that skinny" or "I LOVE her hair!" and of course those thoughts naturally turn to self-depreciating, coveteous thoughts. It's AWFUL!!
Enter Dove Evolution of Beauty Commercial and a loud wake-up call. When you watch it you will understand, so I really don't need to go into the details here.
Here is the big thinker question though: If satan is so good at making us, and especially our daughters paint an unrealistic, worldly picture of what beauty is in our mind; and if a commercial source like Dove is willing to put MILLIONS of dollars into a real-beauty campaign, don't we, as Mothers have an obligation to help it succeed? I really think that sometimes the hand of the Lord is made manifest in unexpected ways. More than just a sunday-school lesson on divine nature or on accepting everyone, regardless, this Dove Campaign is a real-life, straight from the world, tool.
As I sat in front of the computer with my kids a couple of hours ago and observed their reactions to the commercial, I noticed a few different things. For my youngest watcher, silence. From my 5 1/2 year old boy, Whoa! That's crazy!! From my 7 1/2 year old daughter, surprise, a request to watch it again, and then a hug. That's it. Not a lot was said until I told E. (daughter) that I was totally amazed when I first saw it. Then I said something like "it sure makes me feel better!". Then she climbed on my lap to give me a hug and said "oh, Mom, you are beautiful." Smile.

Dove - Evolution Commercial (higher quality)

Reginald Pike's Yael Staav takes us from model to billboard in under 60 seconds in this impressive new spot from Dove.

In the end, it comes down to our responsibility as parents to teach our children that our bodies are sacred, that each person is different and that that's okay. We need to teach our children, by our words and actions that we love and appreciate our bodies. No matter what. What ARE YOU teaching your children about body image and appreciation for their bodies? What are your own beliefs concerning your body? Are they in line with the Savior's teachings or are they in line with Satan's lies.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I believe that a person is better/worse of a person if they are fat, or have acne, or too old, etc.?

2. Will everyone be thin in heaven?

3. Do my children hear me complain about my weight, or skin or hair? Do they hear me make comments about other people's weight, or skin, or hair? Or is the subject of weight a closed topic?

4. Am I willing to allow the world to teach my children what is/isn't acceptable when it comes to body type? Do I acknowledge that teaching my children to despise certain body types may be considered one of the "sins be upon the heads of their parents"? Am I willing to accept that responsibilty along with the outcome of my chilren's perception?

5. How can I do better? Now. Today.

True stories:

One day this past spring, I was invited to a play-group with several Mom's from our neighborhood. During the 'adult' conversation that took place while the kids were playing, one of the Mom's told a story that had happened recently. She spoke about one of her little boys snuggling up to her and sighing happily as he said "oh Mom! I don't think you'll ever get fat!". First of all, no one said anything but most of the other Mom's laughed a polite, uncomfortable laugh. I really don't know if their embarrasment was for HER or for ME.

Though I would have liked to put them at ease on my end by assuring them that I was sooo NOT offended, I didn't say anything either. Why wasn't I offended? Obviously the heaviest person in the group, maybe I should have been, or maybe not. This was a subject that I was all too familiar with, having been 'too big' since the age of eight, it was also a subject that I had been given an eternal perspective of and tesitimony to go with it. At this point in my life it's NOT about looks, or peer-pressure (nice to see that some of us haven't changed since Jr. High ;) it's about overcoming a weakness of the flesh, of being grateful for the body that is a gift to me, that has given me four beautiful children.  It's about my health, and raising my children to not be prejudice against anyone, black, white, tall, short, skinny, FAT; because really people, will I be kept from Heaven if I haven't reached a size 8?

In my opinion, the embarrasment was on her end. Mostly, I felt pity. Pity for her and for her children, and for other parents like her who are strengthening Satan's attack on our most precious gift, our bodies. I wish now that I had said something, and if I could go back, I would. I would say what I am writing in this blog post, but I can't go back, none of us really can - we have to fight the good fight here, today, with our own children. One of the other Mom's who was present was so sweet. The next time I saw her she complimented me on something, my shirt, I think; and she asked if I had lost weight. I just laughed and said thank you and 'no'. I certainly wasn't go into the medications I've been on the past several years that make losing weight almost impossible, and I wasn't going to go into the lessons that I've learned throughout my lifetime, or how she didn't have to feel bad for me because of another Mom's shallow comments. She was sweet, and concerned, and one of those beautiful Mom's who come to their baby blessings looking like they never had a baby in the first place.

The size we are is influenced by lots of factors beginning with our genetic makeup; who we are, who we really are is a child of God. Divine, eternal, glorious and beautiful. We have been taught that our goal in this life is to enter into the next unspotted from the world. If that is so, how are we doing in our living and teaching when it comes to our bodies?

Sunday's Lesson

My calling as the 3rd Sunday Relief Society Teacher has to be one of my favorite callings ever. Once a month! Pretty nice. This past Sunday the lesson was on the restoration of Christ's Church in the Latter-days. I LOVE this subject. There are so many things that testify that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly the same church that Jesus established during his time on the earth. Huge things that are so obvious it makes me wonder how someone can still argue that this isn't his church such as the 12 apostles. Jesus Christ had 12 apostles, what other church in this day and age has the same? Principles such as baptism for the dead, tithing, fasting, the priesthood, and personal revelation each testify that Joseph Smith was directed by God Himself in RESTORING Christ's Church on the earth.

During the two years our family spent at Christian Heritage Elementary, we grew substantially in our understanding of the doctrines that divide our church from the rest of Christianity. While there are doctrines that unite all Christian churches, the doctrine of Christ was spun into hundreds of different directions after His death. Studying these doctrines and the teachings of our modern day prophets has strengthened my testimony of the divine restoration. Historically speaking, it makes sense! During my lesson I encouraged the sisters in our Relief Society to strengthen and expand their knowledge of the history of Christ's church and then to pray and solidify their testimony of the restoration.

What started out as a hand-out for the ladies who serve in Primary and Young Womens' as well as the ladies who were unable to attend their meeting on Sunday turned into a letter. A letter feels so much more personal than a handout, almost too personal, nevertheless, it's what felt right, and hopefully the message the Lord wanted the women to hear was passed along to all of them. For the record, It's pasted below. If there is one theme that stood out in this Sunday's lesson it's that we each need to do our part to move the work forward to prepare the world for Christ's second coming. I hope we can each do our part to testify of the magnificance that is HERE, right now, on the earth. I hope that somehow, the knowledge that God still speaks to man, that the Heavens are still open, and that HIS church is here, again, will reach those who are seeking light.

Dear Sisters,                                                Third-Sunday Lesson


In this crazy day and age I often wonder how to keep up with all of the demands that a normal day requires. I know that you feel the same way! This week the lesson for Relief Society is about “The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times” on page 507 in the Joseph Smith Manual. It has been pretty amazing to study about the restoration of all things, it’s been a little overwhelming also! Along with all of the magnificent events and blessings that we are privileged to witness, comes GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. More responsibility, in fact, than I am comfortable with.  That said, I have a testimony of something Joseph Smith said in the lesson. He said, “ Every man (or woman) who has a calling (all of us) to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before the world was.” Each one of us has a calling; as a daughter, sister, mother, friend, visiting teacher – or any other ‘official’ calling in the church. How on earth (haha) are we supposed to do it all? That, dear sisters, is the million dollar question, and the answer is free. It begins by getting on our knees each morning and praying to our Father in Heaven and telling him that we can’t do it alone! That is sooo opposite of everything that the world tells us about being a woman. I WISH that I had listened to this years ago. I’ve worn myself out trying to be everything to everybody and do it all by myself! I can’t do it anymore! I can’t give “complete, unselfish dedication” or “hearty cooperation” by myself! Sometimes I don’t want to be dedicated! If I were to do what Joseph Smith says and “lay aside every selfish principle, every low and groveling; and stand forward in the cause of truth, and assist to the utmost of their power” I’m sure I would make it to the Celestial Kingdom; but to tell you the truth, after a long day of taking care of kids and husband and friends and dog and home and calling…even the Telestial Kingdom sounds like paradise! What is a woman to do?

We have to ask for the help that we think we don’t need. Sometimes we even have to ask for the desire to ask for help ; that kind of prayer would go something like this – ‘Dear Father, I really don’t want to want do my VT (or whatever else) please just help me WANT to do it.’

I finally understand that the Savior’s Atonement covers WAY more than just REPENTANCE. When the Savior suffered in Gethsemane he felt not only sorrow for my sins but also the stress and worry and hurt and guilt that I feel on a daily basis. He FELT the stress and worry, and we have been asked to let Him feel those things. HE will give us what we are lacking and at the same time will take our burdens, whatever they may be. THAT is how we do it – WE don’t do it, we hand it to HIM, trust HIM, we turn to HIM – for everything. Even if it seems like it would be UN-important to GOD, like ‘what to make for dinner’, it’s not. This is what I’ve been discovering lately. They are the things that make participating in the promises contained in this lesson seem attainable. I promise YOU that if you take the time to GIVE your burdens or stresses or worries to the Savior (in your prayer to the Father) it will be possible to be a diligent, active participant in this FINAL Dispensation.

The lesson this week is worth the 20 minutes it would take to read it! My challenge to each of you (and me) is to try and strengthen our testimonies or the Restoration this month. Please join me in reading the following talks and praying for a testimony of the teachings contained therein. Through doing this I promise that your testimony of the Restoration will be strengthened and your awareness of the magnificence of the Latter-days will increase. Your days will go smoother, your challenges will seem smaller and, who knows, you may even enjoy your visiting teaching! (j/k)

Love,

Sister Jensen



Jeffrey R. Holland, “Safety for the Soul,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 88–90
Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Ministry of Angels,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 29–31
Jeffrey R. Holland, “‘My Words … Never Cease’,” Ensign, May 2008, 91–94
Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 40–42

My FAVORITE Way to SHOP!!

First off, let's get this straight. I HATE SHOPPING!! I've always hated it, at least in the traditional sense. Going from store to store looking, searching, looking, searching, buying....ick! It just isn't my idea of fun. Then came the invention of the world-wide-web. The internet, or online shopping, for me - is where it's at. I LOVE IT!!! Perhaps some shopping experts would call it lazy but I love to be able to click, click, click and make my way from store to store in my pajamas, hair a mess, makeup off, and find what I need. When it comes to making the best use of our time, online shopping not only saves us time, it can also save us money. A LOT of money. Those of you who are on board with me understand; but what about those of you who haven't yet discovered the ease of shopping from your computer? That's what this entry is for. To share my vast knowledge of the secrets to shopping online. Haha...so VAST...lol, seriously though there are a few things you should know if you are going to hit the information highway before heading out to hit the pavement.

Finding the best price:

Tip #1 = 'google' the item you are shopping for.

When you do this you will have a page full of results that show dozens of places to buy what you are looking for. Look for results that show sites such as Google Shopping Results or Bizrate. For instance, if I were to 'google' buy solar system wall mural online I would get 143,000 results (overload!!!) with the first ten links being my best bet. At the top of the page are Shopping Results For solar system wall mural, the third link is for bizrate.com and the fifth result is for nextag.com. Both of these sites will show you several stores and the current price offered. There have been times when I've been shopping and I've seen prices vastly different, for the same product! AFTER you find the lowest price website, be sure to follow tip #2!

Tip #2 = Look for 'promotional codes' or 'discount coupon codes'.

Today, my order of 12 yards of fabric (on sale) totaled $52.21 and since I don't live in the state that this business is located I don't have to pay sales tax. This website ships ALL domestic orders over $35.00 for FREE :). Before checking out, I did a quick 'google' search with the phrase fabric.com promo code. I could have also entered the phrase fabric.com coupon code. which would have returned the same results. My search results listed several websites that exist for the purpose of saving me money, one of my favorites is www.retailmenot.com which is the link that I selected for this shopping trip. Retail Me Not's site listed several active coupons with high success rates. I browsed through the selection and found the promotional code that would save ME the most money. That code happened to be 3PLTRY9 which would save me 30% on an order of $50.00 or more. There were codes for 20% off and 25% off and 10$ off also. In the end? Here's the breakdown.

12 yards of fabric for only $3.05 a yard!!! This isn't cheap, poor-quality fabric people! This is a yard of satin, 3 yards of WOOL SUITING, and 8 yards of high-end cotton decorators fabric. My order totaled $36.55.  Anyone want to guess how much I would have paid without the promo code? $52.21. Don't forget though, this site: http://www.fabric.com/ had emailed me an ad that told me these fabrics were on sale. Fabric.com is my favorite fabric web-site and they carry most of their fabrics at reduced prices. (compared to, say Joann's Fabrics) If these fabric's weren't further on sale on their site, I still would have paid $76.76!!! That is a savings of $24.55. However, if I had visited a local retail store for these same fabrics I would have paid a whopping $130.88!! That is $94.33 MORE!!! Seriously people, it's amazing, and gratifying to be able to save that much money. In truth though, I NEVER would have been able to buy that fabric at retail cost. Decorating and gifting on a school-teachers budget are ways of life that, allthough resented at first, have become a hobby. At this point, even if I won the lottery I would be hard-pressed to pay full price for anything!

Fabric.com purchase                                   12 yards of quality fabric

              retail cost                                           $130.88

              fabric.com cost +sale+coupon code   $36.55
                                 I saved   $94.33 !!
In the end, searching your favorite search engine will bring you percentage discounts, dollar discounts or free shipping discounts. In other words...DISCOUNTS!!!

Tip #3 = sign up for promotional emails.

I know, I know, too much in the inbox already huh? Me too, but this is a tip that can really help out when you are in the market to purchase something. If you have shopped from a site and had a good experience, make sure to check the box at checkout that indicates you are willing to recieve promotional emails. Websites will often have sales for only their email list, and if that's you...score! Every day I have about a dozen emails from a dozen different web-sites but I don't take the time to open them unless I am needing to shop for a gift etc. For instance, today I opened my emails from http://www.fabric.com/ and http://www.lakesidecollection.com/ to find exclusive sale items. Yesterday was Tuesday and I recieved my weekly email from http://www.deseretbook.com/ that contains their tuesday's online-only special. I ordered two very nice christmas presents for our parents that, the day before, had been 'on sale' for 50% off. Yesterday, that sale was upped to 59% so I was able to save and extra $10 for each gift. I wouldn't have known about that deal if I hadn't been signed up for their emails.

***Don't give into pressure portrayed in the emails subject line. What do I mean by this? One site that I like to shop is http://www.landsend.com/ for their overstock selection (look for that word on the top of the page and click for huge discounts on, what else, overstocks!). For 5 days in a row I recieved emails from Lands'end pushing "free shipping - only 5 days!!" The next day? "Free shipping, only 4 days left!!".

 The next day? "Free shipping, 3 days to go...", same thing the next day AND the next. I had fully intended to grab some shoes for one of the kids before those "free shipping" days ended, but that last day slipped by without me. Guess what? The next day, the day after the last day of free shipping? I got another email offering free shipping!! I was able to jump on it that day, buy a high-quality pair of shoes for my daughter at a great discount (because it was overstock), sans shipping charges. Can you say awesome?!?!?!

That's it, those are my three favorite tips for shopping online. Most of you probably already know those secrets (right, all of the ONE people who read this hahaha!), but if you are  reading and you didn't know it, now is the time to learn. Get online NOW and get your Christmas shopping done before you have to worry about long lines at the store or shipping times online. Then you can sit back and enjoy the season!! Merry Christmas Shopping ho!ho!ho!!!

                                                                                      

Oooo-hooo, doesn't this look FUN? : P

Starting Off on the Right Foot

As a family, we have always loved music. When K. and I were dating we enjoyed attending concerts and sharing songs that meant something to us. In fact, the first time I was struck by K’s kindness, it was because he gave me a CD that I had borrowed and enjoyed. It was the soundtrack to the Seminary videos for the Doctrine and Covenants. He had lent it to me and when I tried to give it back, he said I could keep it because he could easily get another. (His Mom was a seminary teacher at the time.) Little did we know that we would end up with two copies, or each other for that matter! When Munchkin was born I sang primary songs to her every night before she went to bed and that tradition of singing has continued for a long time.

Music is still a major part of our family. Each morning after breakfast and before hitting the day, I sit with the kids for our family devotional. The idea for this devotional came to me during my evening prayers the night before school started this year. I knew in the instant the thought occurred that it was a whispering of the Spirit, but I had no idea how much it would change the spirit and feeling in our home. I also didn’t know what we would do during the devotional, but what I did know was that it was a way for me to pray to our Heavenly Father before sending our children out into the world. I needed for the kids to hear me pray for them and to know that when I send them out the door, I am trusting our Father in Heaven to take care of them. Perhaps I needed it more than they did, some little way to soothe my nerves and calm my spirit as I prepared to let them grow up a little more. Our devotional gave me that chance. The first morning I knew that for the time being, I would teach the kids one of the hymns out of the church Hymnal. First up – “Have I Done Any Good In The World Today?” This was our first year in the public schools after spending two years in a private, Christian school. Munchkin was super nervous, (me too!) Valiant was excited to be going into Kindergarten, and Bug would be going into her first year of preschool. I knew that one of the best ways to smooth the transition into a new year would be to look for other people that they might serve. Munchkin was given an ounce of optimism by hearing that the best way to make friends at a new school would be to look for someone who looks like they need a friend. Time will tell if the lesson sticks huh? Nevertheless, the kids now know the song and the addition of our morning devotional has made a huge difference in three noticeable areas of our life: First, the kids seem to get along better on the days that we do it. Second, they seem to listen to me a bit more, or rather, they are more obedient. Third, their sacrament meeting behavior has improved DRASTICALLY!! We haven’t had to pull Valiant out of the chapel for a time out even once since the beginning of the year, and we notice a significant shift in his whole being if we make time to have devotional before church. (Ha! WAY easier said than done. )

I am so grateful that I was listening to the spirit that night before school started. I will be the first one to tell you that this is a job that I can’t do alone. There are moments of every day that I wonder what is going on inside those little minds. What were they thinking???? LOL! If I can get past my own frustrations, and fatigue, and preoccupations for long enough, the spirit is usually able to turn the question ‘what were they thinking’ into ‘what do they need?’ For instance, last week Bug (my 3 ½ year old daughter) turned into a super touchy, very mad porcupine bug. One night after the kids were in bed I was thinking about her and the thought came to my mind, “she needs you to hold her more, to tickle her more, to spend more time with her and to keep her close by especially when Valiant and Munchkin are home.” In other words, Bug needed me to give her what her older brother and sister had experienced at her age. It’s easy to let her go through most of the day without a ton of interaction from me because she is easily engaged by M. or V. It was the voice of the Holy Ghost that told me what she needed, and I listened. The next day I did just what HE said, and do you know what? It worked. She LOVED it. Every snuggle, every hug, everything…she ate it up. Then she turned back into the adorable, happy little girl that we love.

Did I do that? No…It wasn’t me just like it wasn’t me that had the idea to have a 15 minute devotional every morning. It’s often been said that God will make more out of our lives than we will. If that is true for each one of us then it must be true for our children too right? I am SO GRATEFUL that I know where to turn for help with these four beautiful children. The answers are not in Secrets of the Baby Whisperer or in Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood (though I have both of those books and they are great) rather they are in the answers to prayer. I know that God speaks to me through the quiet voice of the Holy Ghost. (No wonder those promptings come when the kids are all asleep!!) HE knows. HE knows what I need, even when I don’t know what I need, and HE knows what HIS four children need….ESPECIALLY when I don’t know what they need. As I sit in bed writing this, countless examples of how this has worked in my life are popping into my mind. Like the promptings that told me Bug was going to be a girl, even when my OB said the baby I was carrying was going to be a boy. (Haha. I told you so!)

Then there was the prompting that told me to put my 6 week old baby girl on her stomach to sleep. This in answer to a desperate prayer, “Please help me…I have LOVED holding her non-stop for 6 weeks in the recliner, but I really, really want to lay down in my bed.” What! On her stomach? But the doct…the maga…what??? She’ll die…of SIDS…they will call DCFS on me….but wait – I know that voice. That was the voice of the spirit telling me that it’s what she needs. So I did it, and do you know what? She slept, like a teenager. She still sleeps on her stomach. God knew. He still knows what she needs, and what they all need.

If our morning devotional can start our day off on the right foot and if a Mother who listens to the prompting of the spirit can start our children’s lives off on the right foot, then what else is there? Haha, not to break the serious mood this post has taken, but you know what my first thought there was? Diet Dr. Pepper. It’s bad, I know!….anyway…

This is a picture I found on a google search.

From the 'Just a Moment, Mom's Praying' page.

Where is Halloween Going?

We had 5 knocks on our door last night. 5. Five. On the other end of the stick, my kids only had doors opened to them at 3 houses on our street. Where is Halloween Going? Or maybe I should be asking, where has Halloween gone?
I know one place it is dissapearing. In Utah, there is this strange phenomenon called "Trunk-or-Treat." If you do a quick 'google' search and then click on the images tab you will easily see that this phenomenon is spreading quickly. Now, this is my 7th Halloween as a Mom and I understand the answers that will come in relation to my question. I understand the fear that has swept the parents of my kids' generation off of their feet. Fear of pedophiles, poisened candy, drunk-drivers...I understand all of that, but I think that the foundations of this fear has been forgotten and in the process, and we have to ask ourselves, we are literally killing a cultural celebration? Are we promoting laziness? What is this all about?
The demise of Halloween trick-or-treating began during the fall of 2001. Do you remember? I was pregenant with my first baby and though I didn't see the effect that Sept. 11th had on Halloween I can remember the talking. No one wanted to go Trick-or-Treating. Even halloween parties were stretching it. Everyone was still raw with the hurt that those cowards inflicted upon our nation when they hijacked four airliners. People stayed inside and their celebrations were muted, at best. Here, in an article from a newspaper in Berkeley Newspaper you can read a perfect example of how the entire nation felt about the holiday.
To read how parents felt about Halloween in 2001 CLICK HERE.
Anthrax, terrorists, fear was at it's highest point in years. ANY alternitive to Trick-or-Treating seemed like a good alternitive.

Next came Halloween 2002. The kids were kept inside, again. This year, however, it was due to fresh memories of a sniper attack in Washington D.C.
To read one Man's observations of Halloween in 2002 CLICK HERE

Halloween in 2003 was snowy here in Utah. Our church congregation had a Halloween party that included trick-or-treating. I took our oldest who was then 18 months old and we had a wonderful time. My husband worked nights at the time and I was 6 months pregenant with our second. This party was a great option for our family, well, at least for me. I was tired and felt the usual obligation to give my child the kind of memories that I had grown up with. This party was such a relief, I have to think that most parents felt that way about the alternitives that presented themselves after Sept. 11, 2001. Easy, quick, fun for the kids, warm. To say nothing of the 18 inches of snow that had landed in Utah that day.

Halloween in 2004 was our first in Clinton, UT. and we were excited to be going Trick-or-Treating. We spent this year with my brother and sister in law a few miles south in Farmington, UT. For that year, as well as the next two years our congregation held what has become known as a "Trunk-or-Treat" but in 2005 and 2006 we opted to stay in our neighborhood and visit our neighbors. The population in our neighboorhood largely consisted of familes that were not members of the LDS church but as my research has discovered, this is more than likely just the luck of the draw. We had a fun time, there were dozens of families marching house to house, tons of inflatable decorations, and lots and lots of...what else? CANDY!!

What on earth is a Trunk-or-Treat? It varies from place to place but generally consists of everyone pulling into the church parking-lot with the backs of their cars facing inward. When the signal is given the kids then walk from car to car to get their candy. Some congregations really get into it and the individual vehicles decorate the backs of their cars with lights and every kind of Halloween decoration you can find. My parents congregation has a traditional chili dinner and a contest for the best decorated vehicle. (One note about their congregation, Half of the people live in one neighborhood and the other half lives 5 miles up a canyon. Their Halloween party has been going on since before the September 11th attacks and was born out of logistcs concerns.) Different from a Halloween Party, TRUNK-or-Treat is meant to be a substitute for the traditional TRICK-or-Treating. Looking through the picture files has shown a HUGELY wide variety of levels that this kind of Halloween celebration is taken to. The city-wide celebrations sound like a blast. The church-wide celebrations, be it Methodist, Baptist or LDS, look fun, boring, or anywhere in-between the two.

Halloween in 2008 was our first year living in Ogden, Ut. Ogden, a city that has had troubles with gangs, drugs and prostitutes  but has also rebounded in the past several years through the efforts of the city officials and the community. Ogden is a beautiful city at the base of the Wasatch Mountain Range and is known for it's recreational opportunities. While the gang and drug problems still exist and the Latino population inhabits a large part of the inner-city limits (cited as an example of the language barrier only), a great portion of the city consists of quiet neighborhoods lined with large trees. The first Halloween we spent in Ogden was full of hopes of a good time walking with the children to collect their candy. Our congregation joined with another that meets in our building and held a hap-hazard 'Trunk-or-Treat' in the parking lot. When I say hap-hazard, I am referring to the lack of Halloween-ness. No dinner or refreshments, no decorations, just lots and lots of kids grabbing their candy and, 20 minutes later, heading home. LAME-O!! What's fun about that? 20 minutes and then finished for the night. Now, I want to say here that I am not picking on our own congregation, and especially not the church itself. I am also not mounting a personal attack on any of the members of our congregation (many of whom are dear friends). My concerns are not personal, rather communal. They are not about a single person or clergy or congregation, rather they are about our nation as a whole. The LDS and the Non-LDS, the race majority and the race minority. The whole community, as I have come to understand during the past 24 hrs.

October 31st, 2009 Halloween Night. Ogden, UT. 84403

My oldest has been sick this week with the dreaded swine flu. It's been a long week taking care of all four kids and not having felt well myself. I never seem to do well when our routine is thrown off. It is often said that children thrive on consistency, but I have to add that parents do too! I've been thinking all month about having a few friends over for dinner before heading out to take the kids trick-or-treating. I thought it would be so fun to make chili and serve it in one of the huge pumpkins that have spent the last month on our front porch and have our friends each bring some kind of Halloween-themed dish. I've talked to a couple of friends who are waiting, along with me, to see if my oldest recovers soon enough to not infect all of our guests.

24 hrs before we should be starting the party and my child still has a fever. The party is a no-go and after the week I've had I really don't care if the holiday happens at all. Unfortunately for me, I can't disappoint my kids by not doing anything. There is a part of me that wishes that I didn't care so much, it would be so nice to feed them dinner and put them all in bed. I can hear my P.J.'s calling my name, it's the same sound I've heard since...Wednesday, and it's getting louder and louder! With no religious signifigance there is little pull for me to get it on at this point in the game. My husband and I have talked about giving in and taking the kids to the 'Trunk-or-Treat' just to get it over with and really, in my head, it's decided. As I walk sluggishly around Costco for my bi-weekly shopping trip I am struck with an ounce of regret for two reasons: One, I don't really think I can make it home in time for the tunk-or-treat, and two, I HATE the Trunk-or-Treat! Can I really give into that cop-out? I dialed my husbands number and asked him to have the kids vote, it's one or the other but not both, TRUNK or TRICK. When he calls me back he says that the vote is unanimous - The kids want to go TRICK-or Treating.

In the end, it was a crazy but satisfying evening for our whole family. The craziness stemed from throwing together costumes, getting everyone dinner, taking pictures, loading a crying baby into the stroller and then finding a costume piece to fit our new dog. The satisfying part of the evening came from visiting with the neighbors that were home, running from house to house to house in the crisp yet pleasant autumn air, collecting several handfuls of candy and arriving home to warm baths, happy children and good memories.

Without involving the kids in our complaining, I, along with the neighbors I spoke to, wondered at the lack of families wandering the street. We contemplated what had happened to the days that we rememberd as children and we chuckled as we thought about how much candy would be sitting in our homes, not handed out to the children it had been purchased for. It is still sad for me as I sit writing this and I wonder if I should just resign myself to the way things are and accept the memories of my childhood as one more chapter to add to the book of the Good 'Ol Days. The days when parents didn't worry about the sex-offender down the street, or about their kids walking to school alone, or trans fat. For goodness sake! I am only 31 and yet it seems like another world, that world that I grew up in. Has Halloween really become a thing of the past?

No. Wow. After all of that poetic justice paid to our holiday of this past weekend, the answer is NO? What evidence could I have possibly collected in 12 hours? Mwahahaha....just read and see.....

I spent a lovely hour on the phone with my sweet sister-in-law this afternoon. She had called to wish me a happy birthday and we spent the hour talking about, everything. Mina told me that a group of their wards had held a Halloween Carnival for the community that was outstanding and had gone from 12:30-3:00pm (?) on Halloween. Then, she and Derek and the kids had dinner with some friends before going out trick-or-treating. When I asked if their had been very many kids out that night, she sounded surprised that I would even ask and responded with an upbeat 'yes'! Mina lives in Denver, Colorado. She told me that allthough the schools were closed Mon-Wed because of snow (in October!!) the snow had melted off enough that the streets and sidewalks were clear and the temperatures were relatively warm. Interesting. We reminiced about taking our families trick-or-treating together the year before they moved to CO. We had walked through her neighborhood in Farmington, UT. and had so much fun, especially at that house that had a table set up with donughts and hot-chocolate...it must be a City thing in Utah...

A while later I spoke to my "baby" brother who is living in Washington D.C. while interning at the Foriegn Service. I asked him if he saw kids trick-or-treating in D.C. and he said YES. What?! In D.C? Surely not, but he assured me that he had, of course it was in a residential neighborhood, but yes.
In the  NATIONS CAPITAL, kids are still trick-or-treating. Amazing!

Now I know, at least in part. Halloween isn't gone, it's just hiding. My guess is that those that are stuck don't realize the impact it's having.  Here's to hoping that we can find it before next year. Here's hoping that we can find our sense of community again in the streets of Utah or anywhere our brothers and sisters call home. Texas, Alaska, anywhere - in quiet towns like Spanish Fork, and less quiet towns like Ogden. If there is some chance you are reading this, let me know what you think. What has your experince been this year and in years past? Do you think that our communities have forgotten or do you think that we just found an easy out after 2001 and we are stuck in a rut? Is this a problem (or not) in only LDS communities? I'll be interested to hear what you have to say.