What would you miss most...

It's been a crazy couple of weeks in our family. We have been dealing with my Mom's health problems trying to find answers and solutions. A long and often frustrating experience. As we dealt with that, a week and a half ago, my 15 year old nephew was hit by a car while crossing the street. He's okay, but he has a tear on his kidney and so no rough housing for a few months. At work, a former student's mom is threatening a lawsuit and so now the district is having us jump through hoops to keep everyone happy, and then a week ago, while on our way to Ogden to visit my Mom, we were rear-ended on the freeway. Again, everyone is okay, but can you say Arghhh!!! As if everyday life isn't stressful enough!! (Oh ya, and tonight I dropped my cell phone in the sink of running water - trying the rice trick!) But that brings me to my post title. Two weeks ago, when I was teaching my Sunday school class, the lesson posed a question that has been on my mind. If you could not have the gospel in your life what would you miss the most?

My favorite answer from the boys (we teach 13 year olds) was the one who said he would miss the song "Love at Home" which his mother sings whenever he is fighting with his brother!

The answer that I shared with the class has stuck with me. What would I miss? I would miss the Knowledge that I have that my Heavenly Father is there watching out for us and that no matter what, when I turn to Him, He is there. What would my life be like with out that knowledge? I honestly think that there are times that I would quite literally lose my mind if I didn't know that one thing. So while there may have been moments this week when I thought I was headed in the crazy lady direction, over all I know that I will be okay. In this world we live in, that is something to be grateful for.

Draper Temple

Monday we had the opportunity to attend the open house for the Draper Temple. It was so neat to be able to take all of our kids and be able to give them a glimpse of the beauty and more importantly the peace that is found inside the temple walls. We began at a church in Draper where we saw a short movie about temple and then we loaded a bus and headed up the hill. The temple was beautiful. The beautiful wood and subtle floral motif were stunning, and of course all of the touching paintings.

It was a touching experience for me to sit with my entire family in the sealing room, take a few moments to look in the mirrors and reflect on out eternal family. No where else in the world brings into focus the things that are the most important like the temple.

A Change of Scenery

I actually always look forward to winter. I love the first snowfall and I love bundling up in cozy clothes. But then the we get the dreaded inversion and the snow turns black, and I never see my neighbors because we are all hiding inside. So in honor of my wish for clear skies and maybe a little green and I am retiring my winter blog early and dedicating this next theme to my sweetheart! Yes we did get engaged on Valentine's (well technically it was the day after because it was about 2am), and he's now put up with me for almost seventeen years. Maybe we can drive the inversion away through sheer will. It's worth a shot.

Not for the squeamish!

Our cat was sniffing around the garage today and stalking a chair that had been left on the ground. Low and behold, inside of that chair we had a little friend! I always think that I am not going to be freaked out by that, but... Yes I am! As Spencer so aptly put it as Kayleen and I ran screaming into the house, "What a bunch of girls!"

Boo (the cat) needed a little help tracking it down. He kept running places where the cat couldn't reach and then he'd just sit there!! I was determined that this was the cat's job so I had to help by moving some things out of the way. Almost more than I could handle!

Notice however that while I wouldn't get anywhere near it, I did run and grab my camera. Is that warped??? After the cat was done he so nicely left it laying in the middle of my garage... then I made Jarom go and get rid of it. He's got to learn to be a man sometime!!

Breakfast in Bed

Sunday morning, Tim and I were feeling pretty lazy. At about 9:30 they kids were wondering what was for breakfast. Tim countered by asking what they were going to make us for breakfast. So... they did! Robby made smoothies (following a recipe on the back of the can of juice), Kayleen and Jarom made eggs and cut up fruit for fruit salad, Spencer made toast and poured the milk. It was all actually very good and then there wasn't any reason to hurry getting up! The best part - they actually cleaned up when they were done - well mostly. :)

New Year Resolutions

So, they always say that one of the secrets to actually fulfilling your resolutions is to write them down. I have decided to go a step further and write them down here. I am definintely in need of some accountability... We all seem to dread January, but I think what we dread is all of those good intentions that disappear so quickly!!! Whenever I start to thinkg about things I would like to improve, I start with a couple of things, and then the list seems to grow, and grow, and grow and it becomes so overwhelming that I quit before I start. So I am hoping to narrow my list, and really try to set some truly acheivable goals. Hopefully by sharing them, I will stay motivated a little longer.
1 - It's time to get back on track in terms of my healthy eating skills! I felt better than I have in years last summer and so my goal is to get back to where I was last summer by this summer! (and maybe and extra 10 pounds to keep me going beyond summer!)
2 - Part of that for me is definitely excercise. I have all my excuses. I was doing great and then I got a chest cold that lasted 4 weeks, and then it got cold, and then... well I'm not sure what happened then, but it certainly wasn't excercise!! So back on track! My goal, 3-4 days a week of something!!! I'll start with the treadmill just to get it going...
3- As part of that goal, I would like to actually run a mile and a half this year. Running is NOT my thing! I can walk for miles (when I've been consistent) but running is, and always has been, hard for me. But it helps me push myself so there it is...
4- Read all of the conference talks before the next conference. Since we were at my brother's wedding we didn't watch it and I had such good intentions...
5- The Bishop challenged us to read just 5 minutes everyday from the Book of Mormon, shoudn't be hard right????

I could, of course go on and on, but I am going to make myself focus on these to try and make it successful. I'd love to hear the things that you are working on too. Somehow it always helps to know that others are working hard on things too!!!

Angel Friends

Yesterday in Relief Society we had a wonderful lesson about Elder Holland's conference talk "The Ministry of Angels" Here is a quote from that talk...

My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.” On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal.

So I just want to say thank you to all of my personal angels... Anyone who makes a phone call, leaves a note, stops to say hi, sends an email, or leaves a comment - you have no idea how many of those brighten my day. Thank you.