Micah was taking a compulsory nap, thank goodness, so Sadie and I had the kitchen to ourselves. We made strawberry rhubarb pies. Here she is, after having put bits of butter atop the pies:
Weaving the lattice tops:
Friday, June 28, 2013
Sade and I made pies the other day.
I have some friends in my neighborhood who have an ENORMOUS rhubarb plant. They always tell me to just walk in their backyard and hack some stalks off anytime, so I finally did it a couple of days ago. And dude, that plant was soooo big! The leaves themselves were probably the size of...a nightstand table. That's the only thing I can think of right now that would compare. They were huge. So I hacked the stalks off the plant, literally thew them over my shoulder (they were really heavy) and headed home.
Micah was taking a compulsory nap, thank goodness, so Sadie and I had the kitchen to ourselves. We made strawberry rhubarb pies. Here she is, after having put bits of butter atop the pies:
Cutting strips of pastry to make the lattice tops:
Weaving the lattice tops:
We brushed the tops with milk, then sprinkled them with sugar. Sadie went a little crazy on this part:
Waiting to go into the oven:
Um, I forgot to take "after" pictures, but here is an old picture of a finished rhubarb pie I made once:
It's yummers. I gave all but one away - to the bestowers of the lovely rhubarb, and to the ladies I visit teach. :) If you want the recipe, you can find it here.
Micah was taking a compulsory nap, thank goodness, so Sadie and I had the kitchen to ourselves. We made strawberry rhubarb pies. Here she is, after having put bits of butter atop the pies:
Weaving the lattice tops:
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Every time I feel like strangling him, I should watch this video.
Micah is a REALLY REALLY HARD KID. I spend most of my days teaching
him appropriate behaviors. "No, Micah, we don't pour soda over our
brother's head." "Micah, put on your shoes like I asked you to. Do
what I say, when I say to do it." "You can open your own car door,
Micah." "You can go down to your room and get your toys by yourself,
Micah." "You can clean up this mess, Micah. You moved the couch
cushions; you can move them back." "Micah, you do not lie to me. Tell the truth, or you get into even MORE trouble." "Micah, we need to
get our reading done for today. Get up off the floor and stop kicking
the couch."
I'd say that the previous sentences are all said within five minutes of time in a typical day with Micah.
I'm not exaggerating.
REALLY REALLY HARD KID.
He has a few moments in a day - let me accentuate the word "few" - where he is kind and happy and smiling and really, really cute.
When I'm helping him to brush his teeth, he does this funny thing when it's time to spit. He'll spit, then turn around and give me this weird, toothpastey smile. It makes me laugh every time. He likes to cuddle. He likes to garden with me. There are good moments. He's just...my squeaky wheel.
I LOVE the song, "I love it," by Icona Pop. I can't get the video to move up here where I want it, so you'll have to go to the bottom of this post to watch it. Which is cool.
Every time I hear this song on the radio, it turn it wayyyyy up, and, as is my custom, do some car dancing.
Micah also adores this song. I catch him singing it all the time. And I think it's super, super, super cute. I videotaped him singing it yesterday - adorbs:
Focus on the good moments, Kar. Focus on the good. Another pep talk there. I have to give myself lots of pep talks.
Oh, and by the way, I bought a bag of 24 popsicles on Monday. They were gone by Tuesday morning. My suspicion is that Micah ate approximately 20 of them in that time period. Sweeeeet.
I'd say that the previous sentences are all said within five minutes of time in a typical day with Micah.
I'm not exaggerating.
REALLY REALLY HARD KID.
He has a few moments in a day - let me accentuate the word "few" - where he is kind and happy and smiling and really, really cute.
When I'm helping him to brush his teeth, he does this funny thing when it's time to spit. He'll spit, then turn around and give me this weird, toothpastey smile. It makes me laugh every time. He likes to cuddle. He likes to garden with me. There are good moments. He's just...my squeaky wheel.
I LOVE the song, "I love it," by Icona Pop. I can't get the video to move up here where I want it, so you'll have to go to the bottom of this post to watch it. Which is cool.
Every time I hear this song on the radio, it turn it wayyyyy up, and, as is my custom, do some car dancing.
Micah also adores this song. I catch him singing it all the time. And I think it's super, super, super cute. I videotaped him singing it yesterday - adorbs:
Focus on the good moments, Kar. Focus on the good. Another pep talk there. I have to give myself lots of pep talks.
Oh, and by the way, I bought a bag of 24 popsicles on Monday. They were gone by Tuesday morning. My suspicion is that Micah ate approximately 20 of them in that time period. Sweeeeet.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
I thought bees were supposed to be good.
Every year after my peonies are done blooming, they start getting munched on. Big time:
It makes me so mad - I can't ever see any insects on or around those things, and the poor peonies look raggedy for the rest of the summer. I decided to do something about it this year.
I went to the nursery yesterday and explained to the pest expert what was going on. He asked me if the leaves just look raggedy, or if the bites look really precise, almost like someone used a hole-puncher. I told him DEFINITELY the hole-puncher, precise look:
He told me that I've got leafcutter bees eating my peonies. Apparently, they don't eat what they cut out. They carry the portion they cut out back to their nests and fashion cells for their young with the portions of the leaf. He says that they hang out in wood piles or in sheds. Which I don't see any of anywhere near my house. He told me that where they burrow, you'll see a little pile of sawdust on the ground underneath the hole.
I was reminded of some holes I saw last year in my railroad ties that surround my backyard garden. Whatever was burrowing into those ties left a little pile of sawdust at the base of their hole. I'm wondering now if that's where these bees have been nesting.
And apparently, they're nocturnal. Which is why I've never caught or seen what is destroying my peonies.
The dude gave me some insecticide/plant food in the form of pebbles that you scatter on the ground in your flower beds, and then water. He says that it seeps into the soil, the plant soaks it up, and then the plant smells and tastes bad to the pests. I'm hoping to see less damage soon.
While I was there, I picked up some perennials for my front garden. They're called Ice Plants. When I saw the picture of what their blooms would look like, I said, "Mother may I?"
They bloom April to June, so I'm not expecting to see any color on them until next year, but I do have a few tiny blooms here and there:
Perennials are so expensive, but really worth it, I think.
I went to the nursery yesterday and explained to the pest expert what was going on. He asked me if the leaves just look raggedy, or if the bites look really precise, almost like someone used a hole-puncher. I told him DEFINITELY the hole-puncher, precise look:
I was reminded of some holes I saw last year in my railroad ties that surround my backyard garden. Whatever was burrowing into those ties left a little pile of sawdust at the base of their hole. I'm wondering now if that's where these bees have been nesting.
And apparently, they're nocturnal. Which is why I've never caught or seen what is destroying my peonies.
The dude gave me some insecticide/plant food in the form of pebbles that you scatter on the ground in your flower beds, and then water. He says that it seeps into the soil, the plant soaks it up, and then the plant smells and tastes bad to the pests. I'm hoping to see less damage soon.
While I was there, I picked up some perennials for my front garden. They're called Ice Plants. When I saw the picture of what their blooms would look like, I said, "Mother may I?"
Monday, June 24, 2013
Provident and Improvident
Ugh, I'm going to have a hard time posting these pictures, because I'm mad at Sadie right now. I told her to let Micah play with a toy of Gage's, because Gage is napping, and she gave me the worst stinkface look ever.
She's in her room.
I'm so glad I only have one girl. Oh the drama.
There's a really sweet gal in my ward who sometimes goes through her daughter's old stuff and gives it to us for Sadie to wear. I'm always really appreciative, because Sadie doesn't have an older sibling from whom to get hand-me-downs. When she grows out of a size, we have to go buy her a whole bunch of new clothes. It's a killer. With my boys, with the exception of Dylan, if they grow out of clothes, I open up the box labeled with the next size up.
Anyways, she gave Sadie some pants, shirts, and dresses that are just her size, and I was sooo excited. This dress had some damage, but I was determined to revitalize it, and I did, with minimal cost:
There was a big tear over the left chest area. I went to my mom's house and asked her what to do, and she used a darning setting on her sewing machine to sew the tear up. I saw a feathered flower thingey at Wal-Mart for like 2 bucks that matched the material on the dress, so I snatched that up and sewed it onto the tear. The flowered feather thingey had a really cheesy sparkly fake diamond heart in the middle, so I gently pried that loose and sewed some pink buttons onto the middle instead:
And then, to make it modest, I went hunting for a shrug or an undershirt. It took some doing, but I found the above shirt at Downeast Basics - it was in the women's section, but I bought an xx-small, hoping I could make it work. The green perfectly matched the little green ribbon leaves on the buds that dot the skirt of the dress. I think I might have to take up the seams on the shoulders of the shirt - it fits her well around the mid-section, but the chest and shoulder areas are a little big, you know, because she's not a woman yet.
But I was really proud of myself. The whole re-vamp cost about $10. Which maybe is not that provident, because I could probably buy a dress at Wal-Mart for $10.... But whatever. Sadie was thrilled with it and wore her ensemble the entire day yesterday. To church and beyond. (To infinity and BEYOND!!)
And then here am I with my completely improvident ensemble for church yesterday. I did get the dress with my birthday money, but I actually bought the accompanying shoes and earrings. Which is improvident. But sometimes a girl wants to wear pretty things. Am I right, or am I right?
I realllllly hesitate to post the above picture. I look pregnant. And I went to Great Clips Friday and the lady did not do the greatest job cutting my hair.
Accept your body, Kar. You've had four and a half kids. The jig is up. It's okay.
Sorry. Had to give myself a teeny little pep talk there.
But look at these really cute earrings:
And Ben calls these my Hooker Wedges. Which makes me feel a little uncomfortable, since I bought them to wear to church:
I don't think a hooker would wear these. I think she would go for a more stiletto black type thing. And she would definitely not wear a below-the-knee-and-up-to-the-neck dress, eh?
Parenthetically, when Ben refers to these shoes as hooker shoes, it's a compliment. These shoes make him very, very happy. :)
All I need now is a nice, green, chunky, long necklace to complete the look. That's what I think. I'm on the hunt.
She's in her room.
I'm so glad I only have one girl. Oh the drama.
There's a really sweet gal in my ward who sometimes goes through her daughter's old stuff and gives it to us for Sadie to wear. I'm always really appreciative, because Sadie doesn't have an older sibling from whom to get hand-me-downs. When she grows out of a size, we have to go buy her a whole bunch of new clothes. It's a killer. With my boys, with the exception of Dylan, if they grow out of clothes, I open up the box labeled with the next size up.
Anyways, she gave Sadie some pants, shirts, and dresses that are just her size, and I was sooo excited. This dress had some damage, but I was determined to revitalize it, and I did, with minimal cost:
But I was really proud of myself. The whole re-vamp cost about $10. Which maybe is not that provident, because I could probably buy a dress at Wal-Mart for $10.... But whatever. Sadie was thrilled with it and wore her ensemble the entire day yesterday. To church and beyond. (To infinity and BEYOND!!)
And then here am I with my completely improvident ensemble for church yesterday. I did get the dress with my birthday money, but I actually bought the accompanying shoes and earrings. Which is improvident. But sometimes a girl wants to wear pretty things. Am I right, or am I right?
Accept your body, Kar. You've had four and a half kids. The jig is up. It's okay.
Sorry. Had to give myself a teeny little pep talk there.
But look at these really cute earrings:
Parenthetically, when Ben refers to these shoes as hooker shoes, it's a compliment. These shoes make him very, very happy. :)
All I need now is a nice, green, chunky, long necklace to complete the look. That's what I think. I'm on the hunt.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Not one, but TWO of us got pooped on.
We were taking pictures of just the original sisters and my parents in some shade under some huge trees when Lex said, "I think something just fell on my hair." I examined it, and it was bird poop. In her hair. She started screaming, and I ran for some wet wipes that I knew Mom had nearby. I dug the poop out of her hair and wiped it down and kind of combed it back in place. Luckily, it was toward the back of her skull. She was surprisingly calm and accepting of the fact that a bird had just defecated on her hair. I would NOT have been so calm.
So we go back to posing and smiling. And then....
Nat got pooped on.
This one was worse - right at the hairline, so it kind of mooshed through her hair and onto her forehead. I screamed and ran for the wet wipes again, laughing so hard. This poop was a big 'un. Some splash-off from it got on my mom. So we wiped Nat's hair and forehead, and she just laughed and laughed, and I was like, "What is it that these girls are taking that makes them seem not to worry at all when it's PICTURE DAY and they get POOPED ON?"
I'm really grateful no poop landed on me. I would not have reacted in such an easy-going manner.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Pas des danglars.
When I was a teacher, every now and then we had to take extra classes to keep our certification up-to-date. I took this really great class with a professor from Weber State; he was such a great guy and had such good ideas for teaching. He taught us a writing style called a triptych.
There are triptychs in visual art - it's basically a work of art divided into three panels. But it can be used for literature, too, because literature is art. (This reminds me of my professor when I was in study abroad in London. There were a bunch of people planning to go to a local museum to see an exhibit on furniture. I wasn't planning to go. My professor demanded to know why I wouldn't go to something so cool. I said something like, "Well, it's just furniture. It's not like it's art." "Furniture IS art!" he yelled back at me. It was funny. No, I didn't end up going. And it became a running inside joke with us Londoners. "Furniture IS art!")
So when you see triptychs in the literary form, they will be separated into three parts and labeled with roman numerals, I, II, and III. Each section will be a few paragraphs long. And they have a common theme. I remember this professor from Weber State did one with three different stories about jogging. And then I think he did one with three different stories involving one friend in his life. Triptychs are beautiful and fun.
Well, you are in for a treat, because I'm going to get all ambitious and write a quadriptych for ya. I haven't seen a quadriptych in literature, but I do know that there are quadriptychs in works of visual art. So I say, if you can do it with a painting, you can do it with words. Here's your quadriptych.
I.
Kay, this is going to reveal how exactly puritanical I am - I wasn't even really sure what the male anatomy looked like until I got married. For reals, yo. I mean, I had seen some pictures in books when I would do research papers on the Holocaust in high school. There were skeletal naked men in some of those pictures. But when I glanced at their privates, I thought, "That can't be right. They were starving to death." And I never wanted to linger long looking at their privates. They're called "privates" for a reason.
It's like when I go to a movie and there's a sex scene. I get intensely uncomfortable. I feel like I'm intruding. Intimacy is private. When I was in college, I went to Shakespeare in Love. (This was during my Rated-R Period. Kind of like Van Gogh's Blue Period. I've been on a non-rated-R streak for about...10 years? It was really hard for me, but I have that habit beat. Now if I could just break my swearing habit...)
Anyways, the Shakespeare in Love love scenes made me soooo uncomfortable that I took a long bathroom/get some soda/get some candy break. I felt like what was going on with Shakespeare and What's-Her-Name (Viola?) was private and just between them. Even though it was fictional. And it was two actors.
Puritanical. That's me.
Anyhow, I remember reading The Count of Monte Cristo when I was a senior in high school, and one of the main characters is Monsieur Danglars. It's supposed to be pronounced "don-GLAHR," but mentally when I read it, my brain said, "danglers." And, for some perverse reason, whenever I read his name, I pictured in my mind my imagined/slightly damaged Holocaust version of the male anatomy.
I felt really badly, because I really am a good girl. I guess that when I thought of things that...dangled, I thought of....male things that...dangle...
Every time I watch The Count of Monte Cristo (we have the movie, I think), whenever Monsieur Danglars is referred to, I snicker.
II.
I was a bridesmaid to my darling friend Rachel in college. We were at her parents' house the big day of her wedding, getting all dolled up, when her younger brother (he was maybe...four?) ran through the living room, buck nekked.
I was in shock. It was my first time seeing...those.
Danglers.
I screamed and closed my eyes and Rachel laughed and laughed.
Remember, I didn't have any brothers growing up. I had noooo idea what non-Holocaust danglers looked like. It was a shock.
III.
Several years ago, I was visiting my Aunt Marilyn at her house at Christmastime. Her Christmas tree is always really beautiful. But something was bothering me as I looked at how she arranged her ornaments. She would put them in groups of three. There would be one of those pretty, lengthwise, kind of pointed ornament in the middle. Like a pointy egg. What is that shape called? Hmmm.
And then, flanked on either side of the long pointy ornament, were two round ornaments.
I stared and stared, thinking, "Why is this bothering me?"
And then I realized. It looked like....male anatomy.
Danglers.
I started laughing and laughing, and Marilyn was like, "What? What?" I kept telling her it was nothing, but she insisted on knowing what about her tree was so hilarious.
"Well......um.....the way your ornaments are hung....it kind of reminds me of....um, men's junk."
This time she was the one screaming and closing her eyes, while I laughed and laughed.
Later, I felt badly. I probably ruined her Christmas with that comment. I really should have kept it to myself. I wonder if she rearranged her ornaments after that, or if she pushed what I had said out of her mind. I really hope it was the latter.
But a bunch of her kids read my blog, so they will most likely remind her in the next few days. So there goes that.
I am sooooo sorrrrry, Marilyn. And I love you. And I know you love me. Because I'm your favorite niece. (I always jokingly refer to myself, when I'm speaking to any of my aunts an uncles, as their "favorite niece." "Hi, Aunt Marilyn, it's Karlenn, your favorite niece!!" I know it's probably not true. But I entertain myself in this way. It's fun. I'm my own best audience.)
IV.
I went to an Oragami Owl party a few months ago. It's like Mary Kay, but with necklaces. And they're cute. They're see-through lockets, see? (Say that last sentence like a 1920's gangster, if you please.) And you put these teeny-weeny charms in them. You can change the charms out if you want for special occasions or to match your clothes or whatevs. They're adorabs. When I went to the party, I ordered one for my mother-in-law for her birthday. Here's what it looks like:
All the charms I picked had to do with her. The plate at the back of the locket says "mom," there's a little heart charm that says "grandma," a charm that looks like a book and says, "Love to read," a little birthstone for her birth month, and a "G" for Gloria. So cute.
Now, when you get one of these lockets, it's en vogue to get this little charm that dangles alongside it.
A dangler.
They really do call them danglers. When you order your parts for your necklace, you literally say, "I'd like a crystal blue dangler, please."
So, wanting to be en vogue, I ordered a dangler. A cute red one to match the little heart on the little book charm. But the cute consultant lady forgot to order it. Which I wasn't mad about at all. She had a few others on hand, and wanting to get it to my mother-in-law in time, I looked at those and picked one with a tree on it. It was cute, and Gloria loves to garden and landscape and stuff, so it felt fitting.
But the dangler just....didn't dangle right. It flopped all over the front of the necklace, like so:
I couldn't figure out why it didn't look like the danglers in the pictures. Those kind of sat up and to the side and were really cute. (I have since learned that you put a little chink thingey in your necklace, then attach the dangler to that. And then you get that cute up-and-to-the-side dangler look.)
Ben and I thought that maybe it would look better if we ordered the red dangler. When it arrived, I think I was at work or something, and Ben called.
"Is this the right dangler?" He sent me a picture of it.
"Yep, that's the one."
"I don't like it, Kar. It's weird. It flops all over the front of the necklace."
"Dang. I was hoping that, because it's smaller and round, it wouldn't do that. I wanted it to sit up and to the side. It looks so cute in the catalog..."
"Can we just give this to my mom without the dangler?"
"Sure, hon. Package it up and mail it."
Gloria loves her locket. Even without the dangler.
There are triptychs in visual art - it's basically a work of art divided into three panels. But it can be used for literature, too, because literature is art. (This reminds me of my professor when I was in study abroad in London. There were a bunch of people planning to go to a local museum to see an exhibit on furniture. I wasn't planning to go. My professor demanded to know why I wouldn't go to something so cool. I said something like, "Well, it's just furniture. It's not like it's art." "Furniture IS art!" he yelled back at me. It was funny. No, I didn't end up going. And it became a running inside joke with us Londoners. "Furniture IS art!")
So when you see triptychs in the literary form, they will be separated into three parts and labeled with roman numerals, I, II, and III. Each section will be a few paragraphs long. And they have a common theme. I remember this professor from Weber State did one with three different stories about jogging. And then I think he did one with three different stories involving one friend in his life. Triptychs are beautiful and fun.
Well, you are in for a treat, because I'm going to get all ambitious and write a quadriptych for ya. I haven't seen a quadriptych in literature, but I do know that there are quadriptychs in works of visual art. So I say, if you can do it with a painting, you can do it with words. Here's your quadriptych.
I.
Kay, this is going to reveal how exactly puritanical I am - I wasn't even really sure what the male anatomy looked like until I got married. For reals, yo. I mean, I had seen some pictures in books when I would do research papers on the Holocaust in high school. There were skeletal naked men in some of those pictures. But when I glanced at their privates, I thought, "That can't be right. They were starving to death." And I never wanted to linger long looking at their privates. They're called "privates" for a reason.
It's like when I go to a movie and there's a sex scene. I get intensely uncomfortable. I feel like I'm intruding. Intimacy is private. When I was in college, I went to Shakespeare in Love. (This was during my Rated-R Period. Kind of like Van Gogh's Blue Period. I've been on a non-rated-R streak for about...10 years? It was really hard for me, but I have that habit beat. Now if I could just break my swearing habit...)
Anyways, the Shakespeare in Love love scenes made me soooo uncomfortable that I took a long bathroom/get some soda/get some candy break. I felt like what was going on with Shakespeare and What's-Her-Name (Viola?) was private and just between them. Even though it was fictional. And it was two actors.
Puritanical. That's me.
Anyhow, I remember reading The Count of Monte Cristo when I was a senior in high school, and one of the main characters is Monsieur Danglars. It's supposed to be pronounced "don-GLAHR," but mentally when I read it, my brain said, "danglers." And, for some perverse reason, whenever I read his name, I pictured in my mind my imagined/slightly damaged Holocaust version of the male anatomy.
I felt really badly, because I really am a good girl. I guess that when I thought of things that...dangled, I thought of....male things that...dangle...
Every time I watch The Count of Monte Cristo (we have the movie, I think), whenever Monsieur Danglars is referred to, I snicker.
II.
I was a bridesmaid to my darling friend Rachel in college. We were at her parents' house the big day of her wedding, getting all dolled up, when her younger brother (he was maybe...four?) ran through the living room, buck nekked.
I was in shock. It was my first time seeing...those.
Danglers.
I screamed and closed my eyes and Rachel laughed and laughed.
Remember, I didn't have any brothers growing up. I had noooo idea what non-Holocaust danglers looked like. It was a shock.
III.
Several years ago, I was visiting my Aunt Marilyn at her house at Christmastime. Her Christmas tree is always really beautiful. But something was bothering me as I looked at how she arranged her ornaments. She would put them in groups of three. There would be one of those pretty, lengthwise, kind of pointed ornament in the middle. Like a pointy egg. What is that shape called? Hmmm.
And then, flanked on either side of the long pointy ornament, were two round ornaments.
I stared and stared, thinking, "Why is this bothering me?"
And then I realized. It looked like....male anatomy.
Danglers.
I started laughing and laughing, and Marilyn was like, "What? What?" I kept telling her it was nothing, but she insisted on knowing what about her tree was so hilarious.
"Well......um.....the way your ornaments are hung....it kind of reminds me of....um, men's junk."
This time she was the one screaming and closing her eyes, while I laughed and laughed.
Later, I felt badly. I probably ruined her Christmas with that comment. I really should have kept it to myself. I wonder if she rearranged her ornaments after that, or if she pushed what I had said out of her mind. I really hope it was the latter.
But a bunch of her kids read my blog, so they will most likely remind her in the next few days. So there goes that.
I am sooooo sorrrrry, Marilyn. And I love you. And I know you love me. Because I'm your favorite niece. (I always jokingly refer to myself, when I'm speaking to any of my aunts an uncles, as their "favorite niece." "Hi, Aunt Marilyn, it's Karlenn, your favorite niece!!" I know it's probably not true. But I entertain myself in this way. It's fun. I'm my own best audience.)
IV.
I went to an Oragami Owl party a few months ago. It's like Mary Kay, but with necklaces. And they're cute. They're see-through lockets, see? (Say that last sentence like a 1920's gangster, if you please.) And you put these teeny-weeny charms in them. You can change the charms out if you want for special occasions or to match your clothes or whatevs. They're adorabs. When I went to the party, I ordered one for my mother-in-law for her birthday. Here's what it looks like:
Now, when you get one of these lockets, it's en vogue to get this little charm that dangles alongside it.
A dangler.
They really do call them danglers. When you order your parts for your necklace, you literally say, "I'd like a crystal blue dangler, please."
So, wanting to be en vogue, I ordered a dangler. A cute red one to match the little heart on the little book charm. But the cute consultant lady forgot to order it. Which I wasn't mad about at all. She had a few others on hand, and wanting to get it to my mother-in-law in time, I looked at those and picked one with a tree on it. It was cute, and Gloria loves to garden and landscape and stuff, so it felt fitting.
But the dangler just....didn't dangle right. It flopped all over the front of the necklace, like so:
Ben and I thought that maybe it would look better if we ordered the red dangler. When it arrived, I think I was at work or something, and Ben called.
"Is this the right dangler?" He sent me a picture of it.
"Yep, that's the one."
"I don't like it, Kar. It's weird. It flops all over the front of the necklace."
"Dang. I was hoping that, because it's smaller and round, it wouldn't do that. I wanted it to sit up and to the side. It looks so cute in the catalog..."
"Can we just give this to my mom without the dangler?"
"Sure, hon. Package it up and mail it."
Gloria loves her locket. Even without the dangler.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Friends with Benefits
Sadie has long begged me to let her dye her entire head of hair pink. And I have long told her that she can do that when she has a job and saves up her own money to deface her lovely hair. I'm always telling her how many women dye their hair to make it look like her exact color. She doesn't care. She wants pink hair.
I was moving the sprinkler outside yesterday, and when I came back in, there was a message waiting for me on my phone. On the message was Sadie's plaintive voice.
"Mooooom, can I pleeeeeeeeeease have some pieces of pink hair? Zya's grandma has some stuff you can put in your hair to make it pink. Pleeeeeeease???"
So I called Zya's grandma. She said she had some purple and pink extensions (she does hair out of her own house) and was wondering if she could attach them to Sadie's hair - just a couple of them. Which I was totally cool with.
Here's the result - her hair looks a little weird because it was done in twists and had to be taken out in a couple of different parts to put the extensions in:
To say that she is thrilled about it is an understatement. And it's been a fascinating thing for both of us. I've never had extensions or seen extensions up close, and we're both so worried about doing something to make them fall out...we've been treating them with kid gloves. But they're fun.
It's fun having a best friend whose grandma does hair. :)
And yes, that is Gage in the background, sipping on some Coke in just a diaper and a shirt. We're basically the best parents EVER.
"Mooooom, can I pleeeeeeeeeease have some pieces of pink hair? Zya's grandma has some stuff you can put in your hair to make it pink. Pleeeeeeease???"
So I called Zya's grandma. She said she had some purple and pink extensions (she does hair out of her own house) and was wondering if she could attach them to Sadie's hair - just a couple of them. Which I was totally cool with.
Here's the result - her hair looks a little weird because it was done in twists and had to be taken out in a couple of different parts to put the extensions in:
It's fun having a best friend whose grandma does hair. :)
And yes, that is Gage in the background, sipping on some Coke in just a diaper and a shirt. We're basically the best parents EVER.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
My Mom's Master Plan
My mom has been planning out Sadie's life for the past few years, ever since it became apparent that Sadie would be a Tall Girl. (Sadie is currently Dylan's height, and he's two years older than she is.)
Here is the plan: Sadie will play volleyball, love it, excel at it, and get a full-ride scholarship to college.
So we put her on the road toward her inevitable fate this week when we signed her up for a volleyball "camp" at a local high school. The high school girls teach little girls how to play volleyball, and the money they earn goes towards uniforms, traveling, whatever.
I actually did one of these camps when I was 11 or 12. I liked it okay. It was very painful, though, hitting a ball with your arms/wrists repeatedly. I think that's why I never really got into it. And I wasn't into sacrificing my body to hit a ball. But I learned the game, and it was fun hanging out with other girls my age and doing something exciting.
Sadie seemed to like volleyball alright. She complained about hurting her thumbs on the ball and hurting her leg when she dove for a ball, but besides that, she enjoyed herself. The other day, I saw her trying to teach a neighbor girl how to bump a volleyball in the backyard, which was adorbs.
I thought camp was four days long, and I had planned to take action pictures of her on the fourth day, but it was only three days. So this is all I have to show for Sadie's experience this week - a t-shirt:
I need to hop onto the Parks and Rec website and see if they have any volleyball classes this fall. But I also promised her I'd let her take art classes this fall, and I can't afford both....it's a conundrum. We'll see.
Here is the plan: Sadie will play volleyball, love it, excel at it, and get a full-ride scholarship to college.
So we put her on the road toward her inevitable fate this week when we signed her up for a volleyball "camp" at a local high school. The high school girls teach little girls how to play volleyball, and the money they earn goes towards uniforms, traveling, whatever.
I actually did one of these camps when I was 11 or 12. I liked it okay. It was very painful, though, hitting a ball with your arms/wrists repeatedly. I think that's why I never really got into it. And I wasn't into sacrificing my body to hit a ball. But I learned the game, and it was fun hanging out with other girls my age and doing something exciting.
Sadie seemed to like volleyball alright. She complained about hurting her thumbs on the ball and hurting her leg when she dove for a ball, but besides that, she enjoyed herself. The other day, I saw her trying to teach a neighbor girl how to bump a volleyball in the backyard, which was adorbs.
I thought camp was four days long, and I had planned to take action pictures of her on the fourth day, but it was only three days. So this is all I have to show for Sadie's experience this week - a t-shirt:
Monday, June 17, 2013
I can't take credit for this idea.
After the ties were cut out, they were so intricate - like spiderwebs or lace - that I couldn't effectively glue them to the white tie backgrounds, so I Mod Podged them. I looooove Mod Podge.
The "Happy Father's Day" isn't a stamp - it's also a download from the Silhouette store online. You can print it on your printer, then stick it in your Silhouette and have it cut around it. I seriously loooove that machine...
Anyways, all said, this might be my favorite card of all time. It was wayyy too much fun to make.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Check these bad boys out.
Kay, I'm going to throw these onto my etsy. You can buy them there, or if you're a townie and want to come over and get some, call me.
That sounded kind of kinky.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
The Lesson - How can I participate effectively in councils in the Church? - What I Did.
Dude, I'm so sorry I've been so lackadaisical about posting my lessons lately. I cannot get over how busy I am. Also, I feel like I my lessons haven't been as exciting as usual. I usually spend hours and hours looking up fun object lessons or making cool games, but lately I just haven't been feeling that. Lack of time, exhaustion...and maybe the Spirit telling me, "You don't have to do all of this extra stuff." It reminds me of President Uchtdorf's talk, "Forget-Me-Nots." He was saying something about not needing to cross-stitch a thing with the theme of the lesson for each woman if you're teaching Relief Society. And I was like, "Am I doing that?
I need to update this with THREE lessons I've done in the past three weeks. I'm going to start with this one. And I'm warning you - this won't be a ton of help in the creativity department. If you're looking for some creative object lessons, posters, etc. that go with this lesson, go here. Back when my depression wasn't kicking my butt. :) Depression really takes the wind out of your sails. (Still struggling with that. Still needing to go to the doctor about it. Still not being able to afford said doctor meeting.)
*Before class, write on the board, "Why does the Lord use councils?"
1. Finishing up last week's stuff
Last week, we did the lesson on testimony, and I had the kids write their answers to a couple of questions on a sheet of paper. We had time to go over the first one, but not the second one. The kids really wanted to share their second answers this week, so we did. The question had been, "When has someone else's testimony really affected you and why?"
So the ones who wanted to share did, and it was really nice. Brought the Spirit to class in an effective way.
2. Making Connections
I handed out these worksheets:
Matthew 18:20
We know you have set aside other things to attend this worldwide
training session, and we commend you for your faithfulness. We love
you for your willingness to consecrate your time, talents, and
resources to building the kingdom of God.
We have received wise counsel today from those who have devoted their lives to hearing and heeding the voice of the Holy Spirit. We urge you to carefully consider their counsel.
Of course, we know that hearing words of counsel and acting upon them are two very different things. The Savior spoke of the difference when He said that those who hear and obey are like those who build their houses upon a rock. And those who hear but don’t follow—well, they could just end up being ex-home owners.
Church members are wonderful in their desire to be obedient and follow the Lord. But sometimes, in spite of our good intentions, we delay doing what we should do or we misunderstand what we were taught. As a result, inspired words of counsel might not have the promised effect.
That evening the husband came home and handed his wife a
beautifully wrapped present. She opened it with deep appreciation for
her sensitive husband, only to find a book entitled A Guide to
Understanding Dreams.
President Harold B. Lee has said to the teachers of the Church that it is not only important to be understood but also not to be misunderstood.1
So the first thing we must do is understand. The second is to put our understanding into action. This is the “Put Your Shoulders to the Wheel” part.
In that spirit, and building on what Elder Ballard’s group discussed, I would like to offer some additional counsel and then a few suggestions as to how you might implement what you have heard today.
Too often, we complicate the beauty and simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ with endless lists of meticulous expectations. However, when we focus on the “why” of the gospel, much of the confusion fades away. Why are we here? Why are we asked to obey the commandments? Why is the Atonement of Jesus Christ of such value to us?
The proper “why” questions will lead us to the proper “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how” decisions.
Elder Ballard and his group gave us a great example by asking, “Why do we meet in councils? Is it to arrange and rearrange the ward calendar? to discuss staffing problems? to schedule cleaning the building?”
We meet in councils to seek the inspiration of the Spirit in
building the kingdom of God. We meet to seek the answers to two basic
questions:
Once we understand the “why” behind our council meetings, it is easier for us to focus appropriately on how to accomplish it. For example, as we consider ways to increase love for neighbor among our members, we might decide to plan a service activity in which we include our less-active members and our friends of other faiths.
All of our discussions concerning young and old, from welfare needs to missionary work, from gospel teaching to strengthening families, should be framed in this context.
Some may be tempted to say, “Just tell us what to do, and we’ll
do it.” While we commend a righteous desire to be obedient, there
is more to leadership in the Church (and more to life) than simply
checking items off an assigned to-do list.
As you have noticed, the new handbooks do not specify in great detail every action you are to take in your calling. These handbooks were provided for the right amount of structure without regimenting every detail. It might be wise to look at the handbooks and even the scriptures not as checklists or detailed scripts but rather as opportunities to prepare our minds and hearts to receive divine inspiration for our responsibilities.
Unfortunately, we sometimes don’t seek revelation or answers from the scriptures or the handbooks because we think we know the answers already.
Brothers and sisters, as good as our previous experience may be, if we stop asking questions, stop thinking, stop pondering, we can thwart the revelations of the Spirit. Remember, it was the questions young Joseph asked that opened the door for the restoration of all things. We can block the growth and knowledge our Heavenly Father intends for us. How often has the Holy Spirit tried to tell us something we needed to know but couldn’t get past the massive iron gate of what we thought we already knew?
In some areas of the Church we have dramatic growth in new
members, yet active membership remains stagnant or grows only a
little. We have some measurable ways to indicate activity in the
Church, such as sacrament
meeting attendance, ordination to the priesthood at the right age,
missionary service, and possession of a current temple recommend.
Perhaps the more accurate indicators of real growth in the gospel of
Jesus Christ are those that we can’t measure as easily, such as
daily prayer, scripture study, family
home evening, love at home and for our neighbor, and personal
experiences with Christ’s Atonement. These are recorded not by a
clerk in Church records but in our hearts and in heaven.
Our missionary efforts are compromised if we baptize God’s children but do not maintain love and friendship with these precious new members who are excited to find fellowship with the Saints and a place of belonging in the household of God.
Here again, our councils can deliberate on the spiritual and temporal welfare of every member—taking special care to consider each new convert. Our work as a council is to help our members grow in their love for Heavenly Father and their fellowman. If we focus our efforts here, one-on-one, many more members will feel that they have found a home in the Church—that they have found the “why” of the gospel.
Brothers and sisters, let us remember that you and I are not perfect. Consequently, our councils will not be perfect either. At times they will be understaffed. At times they may include one or perhaps several people who are not fully engaged in the work or who are distracted by the complications and stresses of everyday life.
If your circumstances are less than ideal, please take comfort in knowing that the Lord will support and enhance your efforts, sanctify your decisions and actions, perfect them through the tender mercies of Christ, and “consecrate [your] performance … , that [it] may be for the welfare of [your] soul” (2 Nephi 32:9) and the souls of those you serve.
As I mentioned earlier, there is little good in hearing the word of God if we do not translate what we hear into our lives. Consequently, we ask that you take the following steps without hesitation and continue to do so throughout your service in your callings.
First, individually and as councils, prayerfully consider the instruction you have received. Think of priesthood power in the home, honoring divine covenants, rescuing others, focusing on the one, strengthening our youth, and building eternal marriages and families by applying gospel principles in our daily lives.
Second, as a result of pondering and discussion, determine a few
specific actions you will commit to implement. Please keep in mind
that the actions of each organization, ward, stake, family, and
individual may be different. They should fit your circumstances and
needs. The unity we seek is not necessarily that we all do exactly
the same things at the same time but that we each listen to and
always follow the direction of the same Holy Spirit.
Third, once you have made these commitments, follow up on them within the scope of your responsibilities and callings at each of your council meetings. Please do this. We ask you also to bring your decisions and efforts before the Lord in your daily prayers and ask for further light and direction. Trust Him. He knows you, and He loves you.
My dear brothers and sisters, we love and admire you; we pray for you. We know that you desire to heed the whisperings of the Spirit, to follow the Savior, and to be His hands in this great work. I bear witness that this work is true, that you are called of God. The Savior is at the head of this Church with President Monson as His prophet.
Dear friends, may you always find joy in your righteous service is my blessing and my prayer, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I need to update this with THREE lessons I've done in the past three weeks. I'm going to start with this one. And I'm warning you - this won't be a ton of help in the creativity department. If you're looking for some creative object lessons, posters, etc. that go with this lesson, go here. Back when my depression wasn't kicking my butt. :) Depression really takes the wind out of your sails. (Still struggling with that. Still needing to go to the doctor about it. Still not being able to afford said doctor meeting.)
*Before class, write on the board, "Why does the Lord use councils?"
1. Finishing up last week's stuff
Last week, we did the lesson on testimony, and I had the kids write their answers to a couple of questions on a sheet of paper. We had time to go over the first one, but not the second one. The kids really wanted to share their second answers this week, so we did. The question had been, "When has someone else's testimony really affected you and why?"
So the ones who wanted to share did, and it was really nice. Brought the Spirit to class in an effective way.
2. Making Connections
I handed out these worksheets:
Making
Connections
1.
Share an experience in which you learned something
about the gospel in a meaningful way. You could include experiences
from church, seminary, family home evening, personal scripture study,
or everyday life.
2. Share your experiences
participating in council settings in the Church, such as class and
quorum presidencies or bishopric youth committee meetings. What did
you do to prepare for the meeting? What did you do to participate?
How did the council help accomplish the Lord’s work?
To model for them what I was looking for (they all kept staring blankly at question number two and asking what I wanted. I was all, "Um, do what it says....?" Is it that cryptic? I think sometimes they don't want to bring their thinking caps to church. Their thinking caps are tired from school. :)) , I gave them some examples from my own life to answer the questions.
My answer to question number one - two experiences. The first experience I shared was from when I was 14 years old and at my first EFY. We had special devotionals on Thursday nights. Our counselor gathered us up into a nice room somewhere on BYU's campus and brought a big old box of doughnuts. "Who wants dougnuts??" She yelled. We all cheered and said, yes, yes, yes, we wanted doughnuts. So she addressed one girl first. "Do you want your doughnut?"
"Heck yes!"
"Okay. Hey, Julie, you need to do 20 sit-ups so that Sandy can have her doughnut." (The counselor had talked to Julie about this beforehand and Julie had said yes.)
Sandy was like, "Oh. Jeez. Sorry, Julie."
"It's okay!" she said cheerfully when she was done.
And so it went with each girl. Do you want a doughnut? You do? Julie, do 20 situps for her.
Julie was starting to shake and sweat pretty badly. She was really suffering. One girl said, "No, I don't want my dougnut. Not if Julie has to do sit-ups for me."
The counselor said, "Eh, too bad. She still has to do sit-ups for you."
Twenty more sit-ups.
A couple of the girls started to cry.
One girl asked if she could do the sit-ups for her own doughnut. Nope. Only Julie could do the sit-ups.
When all the girls had been offered doughnuts and Julie had done five million sit-ups, our counselor told us that this was like the atonement - Christ had to do it - no one else. And he atoned for our sins, whether or not we make use of the atonement. It really struck home to me. I still remember it, 22 years later.
Another example from my life to answer number one was my very first day of seminary, in 9th grade. Our teacher brought out this huge, amazing-looking cake. He sat down and was like, "Mmmm-mmm. This sure looks good." And he just started devouring the cake. Mooshing it into his face. Making satisfied sounds. Licking his lips. Repeatedly exclaiming how amazing it was. He was really FEASTING on it. It was hilarious. He was covered in cake and so thoroughly enjoying it. Then he said that reading the scriptures needs to be like this for us. Not dainty bites. Not licking the frosting once. Really feasting upon them. That always stuck with me, too.
To answer question number two, I told them about a couple of ward council meetings I had been to and about the Bishop/Youth Council meetings I went to as a young woman and my role in those and how they worked.
Once I gave the kids these examples, their wheels were turning and they were prepared to answer those questions for themselves. Then we shared everyone's answers.
2. Scripture Activity
I put them into groups of two. Then I gave each pair one of these slips (each slip is different for each team):
Why the
Lord Uses Councils
Directions:
With your partner, look up the following scripture. On the
chalkboard, write how the scripture answers the question, “Why does
the Lord use Councils?” Then, in the space below the scripture on
this paper, write how the counsel in this scripture could be applied
to your relationships with your families.
Why the
Lord Uses Councils
Directions:
With your partner, look up the following scripture. On the
chalkboard, write how the scripture answers the question, “Why does
the Lord use Councils?” Then, in the space below the scripture on
this paper, write how the counsel in this scripture could be applied
to your relationships with your families.
Moroni
6:5
Why the
Lord Uses Councils
Directions:
With your partner, look up the following scripture. On the
chalkboard, write how the scripture answers the question, “Why does
the Lord use Councils?” Then, in the space below the scripture on
this paper, write how the counsel in this scripture could be applied
to your relationships with your families.
D&C
38:27
Why the
Lord Uses Councils
Directions:
With your partner, look up the following scripture. On the
chalkboard, write how the scripture answers the question, “Why does
the Lord use Councils?” Then, in the space below the scripture on
this paper, write how the counsel in this scripture could be applied
to your relationships with your families.
D&C
88:122
After everyone was done writing their answers on the board and writing their answers to the second question on their papers, we went over them. I had each pair share their scripture, and we all took out our scriptures and marked those verses, writing "councils" in the margins next to them.
Then I had the students share how the counsel in these scriptures can apply to families.
Here are some of the applications I came up with early, just in case they had a hard time applying them:
A. Matthew 18:20 - The Lord will be with your family when you gather in his name for family scripture study, FHE, family prayer, etc.
B. Moroni 6:5 - Praying for each other in FHE, family prayer, etc. really unifies us and helps us to know that others in our family truly care for us. There is something really special about that - someone praying for you when you're right there.
C. D&C 38:27 - we need to be unified as a family - no division between us.
D. D&C 88:122 - We need to listen to each other when we meet as a family And we need to listen to everyone's thoughts respectfully.
3. Some Experiences in Councils
I emphasized D&C 88:122, where it says that you need to listen to each other. I told my students a couple of experiences some people I know have had in councils that applied.
A. My friend was once in a presidency, and they would have meetings, but the president didn't ever listen to anyone else's ideas, and she always made executive decisions. This made my friend really frustrated, because she felt like she had some ideas to contribute.
B. A relative worked in a group that plans Relief Society meetings - the ones that used to be called Enrichment. The main lady in the group had planned a lot of things that were fun, but didn't spiritually feed the women they were planning for. With some gentle coaxing from my relative, they were able to plan activities that were not only fun, but also had a point and helped to feed the womens' souls.
*We ran out of time right here. But if we had time, I would have done the following.
4. Acting on the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
I was going to give each student a section from Dieter Uchtdorf's talk in Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in February of 2012. They were to read the section, then write a question at the bottom of the paper about the portion they read. Then they were going to trade papers. The second person would read the first person's portion, and then answer the question the first person had written. Here are the worksheets:
Acting on
the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Directions:
Read the following section from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk,
“Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” in the
Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in February of 2012. Write
a question about participating in councils that could be answered by
your section. In a few minutes, you are going to trade your paper
with someone else in the class and have them read your section and
answer your question.
My dear brothers and
sisters, thank you for being with us today. President Monson has
asked that I speak to you. He sends his love and blessings to all of
you.
We have received wise counsel today from those who have devoted their lives to hearing and heeding the voice of the Holy Spirit. We urge you to carefully consider their counsel.
Of course, we know that hearing words of counsel and acting upon them are two very different things. The Savior spoke of the difference when He said that those who hear and obey are like those who build their houses upon a rock. And those who hear but don’t follow—well, they could just end up being ex-home owners.
Church members are wonderful in their desire to be obedient and follow the Lord. But sometimes, in spite of our good intentions, we delay doing what we should do or we misunderstand what we were taught. As a result, inspired words of counsel might not have the promised effect.
Question:
Answer:
Acting on
the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Directions:
Read the following section from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk,
“Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” in the
Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in February of 2012. Write
a question about participating in councils that could be answered by
your section. In a few minutes, you are going to trade your paper
with someone else in the class and have them read your section and
answer your question.
I am reminded of a story
about a woman who had a dream in which her husband gave her a
beautiful necklace she had always wanted. When she asked her husband
what he thought the dream meant, he smiled as only a loving husband
can and said, “You’ll find out tonight!”
President Harold B. Lee has said to the teachers of the Church that it is not only important to be understood but also not to be misunderstood.1
So the first thing we must do is understand. The second is to put our understanding into action. This is the “Put Your Shoulders to the Wheel” part.
In that spirit, and building on what Elder Ballard’s group discussed, I would like to offer some additional counsel and then a few suggestions as to how you might implement what you have heard today.
Question:
Answer:
Acting on
the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Directions:
Read the following section from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk,
“Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” in the
Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in February of 2012. Write
a question about participating in councils that could be answered by
your section. In a few minutes, you are going to trade your paper
with someone else in the class and have them read your section and
answer your question.
We human beings have a
strange tendency to complicate simple things. We set up rules, laws,
bylaws, processes, and subprocesses. Eventually, we pile up load
after load until we end up under a huge weight of expectations that
are so complicated it is difficult to keep track of them, let alone
meet them.
This is one of the reasons Paul said, “The letter killeth, but
the spirit giveth life” (2 Corinthians
3:6).Too often, we complicate the beauty and simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ with endless lists of meticulous expectations. However, when we focus on the “why” of the gospel, much of the confusion fades away. Why are we here? Why are we asked to obey the commandments? Why is the Atonement of Jesus Christ of such value to us?
The proper “why” questions will lead us to the proper “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how” decisions.
Elder Ballard and his group gave us a great example by asking, “Why do we meet in councils? Is it to arrange and rearrange the ward calendar? to discuss staffing problems? to schedule cleaning the building?”
Question:
Answer:
Acting on
the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Directions:
Read the following section from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk,
“Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” in the
Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in February of 2012. Write
a question about participating in councils that could be answered by
your section. In a few minutes, you are going to trade your paper
with someone else in the class and have them read your section and
answer your question.
Such issues may be urgent
and necessary, but are they the most important? There are many ways
to enhance our precious council time, like always coming well
prepared. We could handle scheduling or other organizational matters
by memo, phone, e-mail, or text. When we allow organizational matters
to dominate our efforts and time in our councils, we run the risk of
missing the mark of why the Lord has called us to minister in His
Church.
- 1.
How can we help our members better love the Lord our God with all their heart, soul, and mind?
2.
How can we help our members better love their neighbors as themselves?
Once we understand the “why” behind our council meetings, it is easier for us to focus appropriately on how to accomplish it. For example, as we consider ways to increase love for neighbor among our members, we might decide to plan a service activity in which we include our less-active members and our friends of other faiths.
All of our discussions concerning young and old, from welfare needs to missionary work, from gospel teaching to strengthening families, should be framed in this context.
Question:
Answer:
Acting on
the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Directions:
Read the following section from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk,
“Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” in the
Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in February of 2012. Write
a question about participating in councils that could be answered by
your section. In a few minutes, you are going to trade your paper
with someone else in the class and have them read your section and
answer your question.
By simplifying and
strengthening the council process and by inviting the Spirit, we will
find the life and fire of the Holy Spirit, who provides guidance and
heavenly support for our efforts.
As you have noticed, the new handbooks do not specify in great detail every action you are to take in your calling. These handbooks were provided for the right amount of structure without regimenting every detail. It might be wise to look at the handbooks and even the scriptures not as checklists or detailed scripts but rather as opportunities to prepare our minds and hearts to receive divine inspiration for our responsibilities.
Unfortunately, we sometimes don’t seek revelation or answers from the scriptures or the handbooks because we think we know the answers already.
Brothers and sisters, as good as our previous experience may be, if we stop asking questions, stop thinking, stop pondering, we can thwart the revelations of the Spirit. Remember, it was the questions young Joseph asked that opened the door for the restoration of all things. We can block the growth and knowledge our Heavenly Father intends for us. How often has the Holy Spirit tried to tell us something we needed to know but couldn’t get past the massive iron gate of what we thought we already knew?
Question:
Answer:
Acting on
the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Directions:
Read the following section from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk,
“Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” in the
Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in February of 2012. Write
a question about participating in councils that could be answered by
your section. In a few minutes, you are going to trade your paper
with someone else in the class and have them read your section and
answer your question.
Another topic I would like
to discuss is the difference between growth and real growth. We have
heard some about this today. In Church terms, growth could be defined
as new members. New members come through children baptized at age
eight as well as convert baptisms. Real growth, however, is defined
as growth in the number of active members.
Our missionary efforts are compromised if we baptize God’s children but do not maintain love and friendship with these precious new members who are excited to find fellowship with the Saints and a place of belonging in the household of God.
Here again, our councils can deliberate on the spiritual and temporal welfare of every member—taking special care to consider each new convert. Our work as a council is to help our members grow in their love for Heavenly Father and their fellowman. If we focus our efforts here, one-on-one, many more members will feel that they have found a home in the Church—that they have found the “why” of the gospel.
Brothers and sisters, let us remember that you and I are not perfect. Consequently, our councils will not be perfect either. At times they will be understaffed. At times they may include one or perhaps several people who are not fully engaged in the work or who are distracted by the complications and stresses of everyday life.
Question:
Answer:
Acting on
the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Directions:
Read the following section from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk,
“Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” in the
Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in February of 2012. Write
a question about participating in councils that could be answered by
your section. In a few minutes, you are going to trade your paper
with someone else in the class and have them read your section and
answer your question.
Please do not give up. Be
careful not to over-idealize your expectations of how your councils
should operate. Once again, if you are focused on the “why” of
the gospel, the Spirit will direct your humble efforts.
President Hinckley once said, “We are here to assist our
[Heavenly] Father in His work and His glory, ‘to bring to pass the
immortality
and eternal life of man’ (Moses
1:39). Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of
responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere.”2
What a humbling statement by a prophet of God.If your circumstances are less than ideal, please take comfort in knowing that the Lord will support and enhance your efforts, sanctify your decisions and actions, perfect them through the tender mercies of Christ, and “consecrate [your] performance … , that [it] may be for the welfare of [your] soul” (2 Nephi 32:9) and the souls of those you serve.
As I mentioned earlier, there is little good in hearing the word of God if we do not translate what we hear into our lives. Consequently, we ask that you take the following steps without hesitation and continue to do so throughout your service in your callings.
First, individually and as councils, prayerfully consider the instruction you have received. Think of priesthood power in the home, honoring divine covenants, rescuing others, focusing on the one, strengthening our youth, and building eternal marriages and families by applying gospel principles in our daily lives.
Question:
Answer:
Acting on
the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Directions:
Read the following section from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk,
“Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” in the
Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in February of 2012. Write
a question about participating in councils that could be answered by
your section. In a few minutes, you are going to trade your paper
with someone else in the class and have them read your section and
answer your question.
As you consider these
topics, ask yourself about the “why” of your service and ministry
and the resulting “therefore what” in your responsibilities as
individuals and as councils. In this process, please open your hearts
and minds to the will of heaven, and I promise that the Spirit will
reveal the things that matter most—for you, your family, and your
responsibilities in the Church.
Third, once you have made these commitments, follow up on them within the scope of your responsibilities and callings at each of your council meetings. Please do this. We ask you also to bring your decisions and efforts before the Lord in your daily prayers and ask for further light and direction. Trust Him. He knows you, and He loves you.
My dear brothers and sisters, we love and admire you; we pray for you. We know that you desire to heed the whisperings of the Spirit, to follow the Savior, and to be His hands in this great work. I bear witness that this work is true, that you are called of God. The Savior is at the head of this Church with President Monson as His prophet.
Dear friends, may you always find joy in your righteous service is my blessing and my prayer, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Question:
Answer:
And that's it!
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Things that Mystify Us
The other day, I was talking on the phone to my sis, Lex. At one point, she said, "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure!"
"Does Ben ever...talk about his bowel movements?"
"YES!! Does Chris?"
"YES!!! Why do they talk about that to us?"
"I don't know. It's so gross. I don't want to know how hard Ben worked to get his poo out, or its size..."
"Or how successfully or unsuccessfully it went down the toilet hole..."
"Or if he's prairie-dogging it."
"Alright, what about this - does Ben fart as loud and big as he can when he's in the same room with you and then laugh about it??"
"YES!! Does Chris?"
"YES!! Isn't it disgusting?"
"So disgusting. Why don't they, like, go into the other room? That's what I do if I feel a fart coming on."
"Does Ben fart when you two are in bed, ready to go to sleep??"
"Yes!!! It's so gross!!!"
"I don't need to smell that when I'm trying to go to sleep."
"Tell me about it. Again, go out of the room and relieve yourself, and then come back in. That would be the courteous thing. Sometimes Ben will do that, and then trap my face underneath the covers so that I have to smell it."
"Ewwwwww!!!"
"I know, right?"
"I mean, sometimes a little one will slip out, and you're unprepared for it, right? So you acknowledge it and apologize for it. But it's another thing entirely to PUSH THAT FART OUT AS HARD AS YOU CAN so that you can laugh about it. Or brag about it."
"Gross, gross, gross."
Can you tell that Lex and I grew up in a family of all sisters? We just don't understand guys. I often will call and ask my BFF, Pooh, if something that one of my little boys does is "normal." She grew up with two brothers and has two sons, so I consider her my Guy Expert. She has them figured out. After 12 years, I can still say that I don't. But I'm trying.
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