To Doron -- The Gift

Is Ron Paul a Legitimate Candidate?

2012-01-18T03:57:00.000-08:00

This is a comment I left in response to this blog post :http://toddnjenifermoss.blogspot.com/2012/01/politics-by-me.html

Being a long time Ron Paul fan -- I had a sign and bumper sticker for him in 2008-- this shed a little light for me on Republicans general refusal to consider him as a legitimate candidate. I don't think it has to do with logic and seriously considering the issues, I think it has more to do with being afraid to do something out of the ordinary. All the other candidates will give us more of the same-- keep the status quo.

Personally I'd like to see real change. I'd like to see a balanced budget and significant cuts in spending. I'd like to see us get out of these far away wars. He's the only veteran up there by the way, and he has the most money donated by military people. He wins the majority of voters in the 18-30 age group which I think gives the country as a whole hope for the future once the baby boomers get out of the way. It's time for a real change. People tend to like his consistent domestic policy-- if he's so smart that way-- can he really be so wrong on his foreign policy? And if you are voting by nice families and character -- he's got it. He doesn't flip flop at all. You know where he stands and he's done so 30 years. People are finally starting to listen.

Ron Paul is a legitimate choice and probably the only one with a real chance of beating Obama. Realistically though, I'll take Obama over the other Republican candidates because he'll be watched by Republicans. George W. Bush passed more liberal laws and did more damage to the constitution than any Democrat president could have done.

So there you go-- my little vent. To each his own!! We can still be friends!

Things I've Learned and Things I hope I don't Forget

2012-01-15T23:24:00.000-08:00

When I started this blog, most of my posts were about books or works I read. I started this blog during a relatively slow easy time of my life. While pregnant with #5 I had time to start to learn the guitar, I was a member of 3 book clubs and I was part of some very nice homeschool groups and I had some very good friends. After having #5 I managed to read plenty, keep up with my book clubs, homeschooling, housekeeping, guitar and piano playing, running, yoga, cleansing, healthy cooking and other fun activities for both me and the kids. I was called to serve in Young Women's. I was in there about a year and learned a lot. It was very good for me to see what my girls were headed towards. A year later I was back in primary and about 6 months later I found out I was having twins. My life has not been the same since. I have grown as a person a hundred fold. That pregnancy was incredibly difficult. The following year and a half were also difficult for varying reasons. I have a sense now that we have switched wards (congregations), we'll be moving into a new house with an awesome layout, and my husband's work paying off more that we may get to experience some less stressful and growing times for at least a little bit. I know life doesn't slow down -- so I could be wrong about all that, but I still want to remember what I've learned these past couple years so that I don't ever forget.

Starting with the twin pregnancy: It was incredibly difficult. I was unable to keep up with most of what I had been doing before. No more exercising, playing the guitar or reading. It was all I could do to feed the kids and clean the house. By the end I seriously felt that I could better understand people with serious health issues. I have so much more empathy for people who are bedridden. At least for me it was for a wonderful cause and I had something marvelous to look forward to, and I knew it would end. How disheartening for someone for whom there may be no end to the pain and constant discomfort. That is the first thing I don't want to forget: I don't want to forget how it feels to be incapacitated. The first trimester I felt terrible-- I just let the kids watch TV and eat sandwiches and fruit. I just ate whatever I could get down. The house got so bad that we couldn't even walk down the hall. I am embarrassed to admit this on a public site, but it is the truth. The 2nd trimester was a reprieve, but the last trimester I got so big that I could barely get around. People were asking me all the time if I was pregnant with twins. I started to swell and I had to wash dishes and cook sitting down on a tall stool. I mostly just sat and slept.

The next thing I don't want to forget is how being a young mother alone feels. After the twins were born, I didn't have time to keep up my relationships with people and some of my best friends moved during this time. Also some of my friends were done having children and their youngest started school so they were no longer available for the get togethers I enjoyed with my older kids when they were young. Also, I essentially had a job teaching those older ones and I was unavailable for get togethers unless it involved my older children. Gone were the leisurely days of spending hours at the zoo or the museum or even the store. I finally realized and experienced how many first time mothers often feel alone and overwhelmed with their baby. All my babies have slept well and been calm and I'm pretty laid back so even 5 young children didn't slow me down or make me feel overwhelmed. Twins did it. I didn't have any time for anything besides caring for my new babies and my older children and my house.

But I still love my older children and I take my responsibility to care for them very seriously and I made sure they had friends and activities and schoolwork to help them grow. We didn't do as many outside things as before but we had these cute babies to play with and care for and it was pretty fun. We read a lot and got a lot of schoolwork done. Once the twins were about 6 months old I felt that we could breathe a little and I wanted to get back to being more involved at church and with our homeschool friends. One thing that was very annoying to me during this time were people who didn't want to "burden" me by asking me to help with things that affected my own children. I felt that I was perfectly capable and with older kids, I could certainly get away from the twins for an hour to help with something with the older ones. I didn't volunteer any help during the twins' first 6 months of life, but when I was ready I expected that others would be happy to have me back. This was not the case. I sensed that people wanted to keep me away. They didn't like me and were glad that I had been out of the picture and they wanted to keep it that way. This was mostly at church which I've written about before. But I don't want to forget how that feels because I don't ever want to do that to anybody else. People also assumed that I had to be so busy and because of that I was basically unable to do anything outside of my home at all. Especially the older women-- I think most of them had forgotten what it's like to have a bunch of little ones at home. It is very important for young mothers to get out of the house sometimes, interact with other women and do some things by herself-- not all the time, but it is necessary at least a little. Having a bunch of little ones is very physically demanding. There is very little leeway. If the mother hasn't thought out meals and snacks ahead of time, there will be a bunch of crying, hungry children and then it is almost impossible to make anything for them to eat.

It is not possible to just "run" to the store or check on this one thing real quick. Nothing is quick with little ones that you have to buckle and unbuckle in their carseats constantly. Going anywhere is a major undertaking that has to be planned ahead of time. The less stops, the better. There are lots of things that have to be packed like snacks and diapers and jackets and socks and blankets, etc. These children cannot be left alone at anytime. They have to be supervised at all times. It is a 24 hr. job. There is no "winging" it and when you have several children, eating out is just too expensive. Everything must be planned or you can't go. Older ladies especially seem to forget this-- so many of them just really don't have enough to do. They go shopping, they do projects, they read, they attend classes, etc. There is nothing wrong with any of these things, but they need to be sensitive to strain that young mothers bear. I hope I don't ever forget that. When I'm old I want to make sure I give a smile, kind word and encouragement to young mothers. I want to drop off homemade bread or just stop by to chat for a little bit. I want to reach out to their children and make them feel that they have a friend in me and I want the mother to feel at ease with me around her children and know that I really do love her and her children. I don't want to get caught up in all the projects and activities I'll finally be able to do. I want to be sensitive to the feelings of those around me.

Another thing I want to recognize when I'm old is that these young moms who will look sooooo young to me are full grown adults with personalities and opinions that are just as valid as my own. I never want to think that I am so much wiser just because I am older and have already raised my children. Those mothers deserve my full respect because they are working 24 hours a day and most do an amazing job. I hope I realize that I probably can't do half the stuff I was able to do when I was young-- and if I can, then I need to try to help out at least be respectful and encouragin and loving.

The other thing I experienced as I realized that I was being shunned at church is what it feels like to be subject to people who don't care about you-- how it feels to have no one care what you think about anything even though it affects yourself and your children. I sensed a lot of leaders willing to take my children and teach or serve them, but totally unwilling to reach out to me as a person. It was as if I didn't matter as a person-- just my children were important. The attitude was "thank you for bringing me your child, now please go away". They wanted zero input from me. Really they didn't want me to be me. They wanted me to fit some other mold that I couldn't. I closed up. I stopped interacting with these people. I avoided them, and I only went to church to worship and take the sacrament, not for social reasons. I finally understood first hand how inactive members and non LDS members must feel. I don't ever want to forget that because I don't ever want to make anyone feel the way I was made to feel. I want every person I meet to know that I care about them and love them as a person, not just because it is my duty to act like I care. I want them to know that I truly and sincerely care for them regardless of if I am in a leadership position in the church or not. I also want to remember what it's like to not have a calling and how ostracized it makes a person feel. It is much easier to deal with people's insecurities and letting your children go with them when you have another job in the church to do as well. But when you have nothing, no responsibility and not a soul who can help you that cares, how awful that feels. I don't forget that. I am so much more empathetic towards others. A lack of love, concern and care really does kill a person slowly. I never knew how bad until I experienced it myself and I hope I never forget.

It is so important to reach out. Even just an encouraging smile that shows your love can do wonders. Life is hard. You never know what people may be going through. We must love each other. We can all feel different and on the outside for various reasons and we need to lift each other and pray for charity for it truly is the greatest gift of God. Charity. Charity. Charity. I hope I will always remember this so that I never make anyone feel sad or lonely or weak. I hope they will feel love and that I will be able to love each and every person I meet.

I am really grateful for these hard times. I was strong enough to learn from them. I don't know if I would have been ready for these lessons earlier in my life. I am grateful to understand humanity better. I think I was very naive before. I loved people, I tried to be good and reach out, but some of the feelings people would tell me about, I just really didn't understand and now I do. I pray that I never forget. These have been most valuable lessons for me. I feel more connected to real people and to life. I don't think I'm scared of much anymore. I feel very empowered. I know that my worth and testimony are not based on other's opinions of me, but on my personal relationship with God. I feel that I understand better what our Savior went through with the hatred of those who should have accepted Him. I am so grateful. I pray that I never forget. I have much more to learn, but that's O.K. I will continue to learn and grow. It's O.K. to be wrong. Life is good, repentance is real. The Savior and the Atonement are real. Life is good. I am very thankful to have some new friends and a wonderful, welcoming, accepting ward where I can feel the Spirit and the Savior's love each week. Thank you new ward full of such wonderful people. Amen.

Guantanamo and Mitt Romney contrast to Ron Paul 2002 Predictions

2012-01-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

This is the story of an innocent man from Bosnia who was detained in Guantanamo Bay for seven years before he was finally allowed a trial and found innocent. It is not very long, but very worth reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/opinion/sunday/my-guantanamo-nightmare.html?_r=1

There are still prisoners in Guantanamo who have not received their day in court.

Look at what Romney said about Guantanamo during the 2008 election:

Is it any wonder I don't like Romney-- this is just one thing-- does he really know what's going on and is he willing to see the reality of many situations and deal with them?

Ron Paul on the otherhand-- Here's a video of his predictions from 2002:

My husband was the one who found all these links-- I liked them so much I wanted to share. Knowledge is power.

Pregnancy

2012-01-07T22:01:00.000-08:00

I thought I was past morning sickness, but I'm probably not as far along as I thought and although I had a decent week this week and was able to function mostly normally I started getting a headache last night and I've had it off and on all day today, and I haven't done much at all today. It is really frustrating and pregnancy is really really hard. I of course don't remember any of these hard things from previous pregnancies so my husband told me he really wants me write this down so I can remember. I have no memory of my only natural childbirth either. I remember no pain. All I see is my cute almost 2 yr olds and think oh they're so cute and then we decide to have another and boom-- I'm sick for 2 months. It is really crappy. I know it will be more than worth it in the end, but wow, pregnancy is tough. It truly is a sacrifice, very worth it, but very hard.

Baby #8 is already making his/ her mark in the World

2011-12-30T22:25:00.000-08:00

I think each child I have had has taught me something. Having so many children has forced me to learn how to clean efficiently and organize my home-- I don't think I ever would have gotten around to it with only 3 children. I'm still not very clean, but I'm much better than I would have been without being responsible for so many. I've also learned to put my children first and read to them at night even though I'm tired, and make sure I am available to help them with whatever school work they need help with, and just take care of them and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to do. It has taken a lot of time and attention to figure out how to get it all to work. I'm far from perfect, but I'm much further along that road because of my children.

Even with 5 kids, I was handling my life fine-- I had time to learn how to play the guitar, time to read and time to learn all sorts of cooking and food prep. Enter the twins-- I went from 5 kids to 7 and it was rough. I am jut 5'2" tall, so the pregnancy was very heavy for me. By the end I could hardly walk and I struggled to finish the dishes by sitting on a stool, I also sat on a stool to cook. The pregnancy was hard from the beginning-- I was twice as sick the first trimester and twice as big the 3rd, the 2nd was O.K. I was too tired to do anything besides take care of my 5 children and my pregnant self. Once the babies were born I literally could do nothing except take care of those babies, pull meals together and read to the kids or help them with their schoolwork while I nursed those twins. There wasn't enough time to clean, our house was really, really messy. The kids would have helped, but it was so out of control that they just couldn't because they wouldn't know where to start. I did have meals brought in at first and my mom helped with laundry, but wow-- the whole year is kind of a blur. I loved those babies and enjoyed them, but there was no time for book clubs or playing the guitar. We barely made it to our homeschool group once a week. School was O.K. because I could do that while I nursed, but that is about all I did. I don't even remember much about Christmas because I think it was still a blur. Once those babies turned 1, my life started to ease up. I was ready to join back into life and social events as I am a very social person.

That was a rude awakening. My 3 best friends had moved during that year and 3 others the year before. The couple of friends who were left who I had done things with when my older kids were young no longer had babies. They were entering the phase of motherhood where the youngest child goes off to school and they suddenly have some newfound freedom and opportunities. I felt like everybody left me behind, and I think they did. It was time for me to grow further and it was time for our family to move to a better environment closer to my husband's work. That didn't turn out to be very easy, and only after it got really hard for not just me, but for the kids, we knew we had to force the move and just do it. We are in the process now- still haven't moved, but we are feeling much better because we are building a great house in a great neighborhood and area for our family. Things I've learned and experience I've gained from these experiences are really due to those twins.

I read that only about 0.5% of women nowadays have 7 children or more. In Utah, there are a good number of families with 4 and 5 kids, 6 is less common but accepted as normal, and very few families have 7 or more children. So I think I was considered "normal" with my 7 because the last 2 were twins and that is "acceptable". Those twins are so cute and so sweet. They are worth every pain I endured. With a promotion at work and a new house being built with plenty of room and a feeling of someone missing, we decided to have another baby. I am no longer considered "normal" even though it is just one more kid than my 7. Some people are having a hard time accepting it. I find myself growing again, going against the culture and defending my freedom of choice and being fine with staying away from negative people and just doing what I think is best regardless of what others say or think.

So far baby #8 has already changed my life forever. I am officially "unusual" now and officially in the BIG family club. I do have a very nice big family group I'm a part of and those ladies are wonderful and very encouraging. I have some good friends with varying sizes of families who are supportive of me and that make me feel good.

I read a quote by Joseph Smith the other day that perfectly describes how I feel about this:

When persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O what power it has over my mind, while the opposite course has a tendency to harrow up all the harsh feelings and depress the human mind.

( this is from Daughters in My Kingdom page 23)

I had no idea there was even so much to learn and do in this life. Thank you baby #8, I am already a better person because of you. Thank you to my husband for always being there for me-- at least we have each other!! Thank you to all my sweet and good children for putting up with me and loving me despite my weaknesses. Thank you to all the people who have shown love to me even though they may not understand me or even know me or have met me in person. Thank you to anyone who has been kind to me and smiled despite the throng of children usually following me around. Thank you for being nice. Going against the grain is not an easy thing to do-- there are plenty who mock and don't even try to understand. Thank you to you for being a true friend.

p.s., the morning sickness is finally starting to subside, I exercised for the first time today in about 6 weeks-- it felt sooooooo good-- I should be pretty much back to normal in a week or 2 so I'm sure I'll be back on here posting updates-- the past few weeks have been rather boring with me laying down and resting every time the twins go to bed. Fortunately my kids watch so little TV that they actually guiltily like it when I'm sick because then they pretty much get to watch as much TV as they want. My husband was sick last week too so they had a couple days of marathon Curios George shows on Netflix. They're hoping to watch a lot of Kipper too, but I'm starting to feel better and I made them all do aerobics and yoga with me today. They'll thank me later!!

Just be nice!!!

2011-12-26T21:09:00.000-08:00

Life is too short for meanness and cruelty. Sometimes we think we're not being mean by making fun of someone-- we're just joking. Maybe we think we're not being by talking bad about someone's faults when they're not there-- we're just trying to find a way to help them. The worst is passive agressiveness by people who are supposed to be nice- so they won't be outright rude or mean to someone-- they will just be on the lookout for that person's failure in anything so that they can subtletly point it out at an embarrassing moment for that person. They take secret pleasure when life is difficult for others.

We don't know what each other is going through. We don't know the pain we can cause, especially to those who trust us. Betrayal is such a terrible feeling.

Just be nice. Look for the good in people all the time and let them know. Overlook their faults and build them up. Give them opportunities to do good things if you can and be happy for them when they succeed. Be kind, say nice things, don't make fun of people. A kind word and a smile can do wonders for anybody. Life is tough enough, it is almost unbearable when surrounded by ridicule. Be nice!!!

This is from 2 Nephi 27:31,32 in the Book of Mormon:

31 For assuredly as the Lord liveth they shall see that the terrible one is brought to naught, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off;

32 And they that make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of naught.

go Ron Paul!!!!

2011-12-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

I whole-heartily support Ron Paul's views on the Constitution, the Fed, economic policy and FREEDOM from big government. I think he totally understands the constitution and the proper role of government. I like his idea of being non-interventionist around the world and that we need to get out of all these wars, and use that money saved to take care of things here at home. Like he told Jay Leno-- his message hasn't changed in 30 years, but people are finally fed up with what's been happening to the country and the loss of our freedoms and his message is resonating with the people. Now he's ahead in the polls for the Iowa caucus which is a big deal. The Republican elites have been trying to ignore him, but they can't any longer. So watch for a smear campaign against him and we also need to watch the election and make sure it's not stolen. I read that Iowa is taking precautions such as using paper ballots as a backup in case there are odd results as there have been in other elections especially with these stupid voting machines that are really not very secure. www.infowars.com has lots of good article on the state of the nation and Ron Paul if you want to read more.

Anyway go Ron Paul-- keep it up and thanks for staying in the race and explaining so much about the constitution, gold standard, freedom and the proper role of government!!

Kids and Cameras

2011-12-15T03:38:00.000-08:00

I am taking my camera back. My girls love to set up scenes with their dolls, playmobil or legos and take a ton of pictures. I have a ton of pictures of stuffed animals at the Monte L Bean life science museum with no kids in them. I like pictures of people especially my kids and I kind of let my girls take over the camera thinking they were getting some good shots of the kids-- WRONG!! There are some, but not nearly as many as I would have taken and not nearly as good-- plus the camera gets filled up with junk pictures so it's not available for the really good pictures. Both girls now have their own cameras and I will be guarding mine-- I'm the only one who will be allowed to use it-- when the boys are ready to take pictures, I'll get them their own cameras!! That's it!!! I'm taking control of the situation!!! Also got a new refill kit for the printer so I can print too!! What a hassle photography can be-- one I don't like to delve into as you can tell by the number of photos I post here!

Cleansing, Life

2011-11-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

I sure do try to do a lot of things sometimes. I have realized that it is physically impossible for me to do as much work as there is to do around here- there jsut simply aren't enough hours in the day. This means that the kids have got to help more, and I will have to make them. Not a great prospect come tomorrow after a long weekend of playing around, and the necessity of doing schoolwork!

I am also in the midst of an awful cleanse. I started 2 weeks ago thinking I would ease into it for a week and just eat fruits and veggies, then move on to the deep cleansing with juices and broths and herbs and be done by now. Well, I got a new book on cleansing the bowel, so I've never done this cleanse, but it's a lot cheaper than the one I like doing the most of course, anyway, it took me some time to get all the supplies and get going with it. I'm hating it so far, but I know my body really, really needs it and we really can't afford $500 to do the other one. If it really doesn't work, then we'll have to cough up the $500. I wish insurance would cover that great cleanse. They'll cover medication and surgery, but for me colonics and herbal cleanses are what keep me healthy and avoiding medication and surgery. I guess even without insurance paying, it's more cost effective in the end- not to mention quality of life. But the cleanse I'm doing now will be even better if it works because I won't have to depend on anybody else-- going to an appt. or anything.

We'll see though, because I am REALLY tired of salad and watermelon and tomorrow I start the juice phase for 3 days. I hope I make it, my herbal combinations aren't as good as having it already made for me.

We also got the little goats. They were so loud going back to their pen. They've been quiet ever since, so I think it will work out. I hope it's worth the cost-- you know that goat's milk really does help the kids in their growth. I'm about halfway through The China Study, so I'm just not sure. The kids like them though, and they learn a lot about animals, nature, biology and responsibility taking care of the animals.

So glad we'll be moving. I hope it goes by quickly! The Lord really does watch out for us, but I don't really like growing and stretching. I'm glad in the end that I'm a better person with more understanding, but when I'm going through it, I just want it to be over. Patience, patience.

We got the Lot!!!

2011-11-26T06:10:00.000-08:00

I am so happy. We have our lot for sure, they are drawing up the plans and now we just have to wait for the building permit and they can start building. I'm sure other issues will arise, but now we are really going to move there and we can stop wondering if we should try to find something else. Yay!!

Why do we often get pushed to our limit before something good happens?

toddlers

2011-11-24T02:53:00.000-08:00

#6 hit his older brother,#3, with a wooden spoon. It made his brother laugh, and it was fun to do, so he tried it on #5 who did not laugh, but cried. Then little #6 was reprimanded by me, his mommy, and the combo of #5 crying and mommy's reprimanding made #6 cry too. He's sorry and he'll try not to do it again!

#7 learned where his nose is. He pointed to his toes once, but now he runs around and points to everyone's noses saying, "no, no, no".

They both love to be chased. They run away a lot and laugh and laugh. They also understand a lot and will try to help as much as they can. They bring me all sorts of things from the cupboard. They'll put things in the cupboard too. They'll also put things on the counters and table and they like to decorate the walls with marker. They will also help me find whoever I'm looking for. This really is a fun age.

Transition-- STIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLL............

2011-11-20T22:04:00.000-08:00

Today was a little rough. As I've mentioned before we have been driving an hour each way to church each Sunday. We have to leave by 8 a.m. to get there on time. We didn't get up until 7:30 am last week, so this week we made sure to get everybody bathed Sat. night, but I forgot about gathering all their clothes. It didn't actually take that long to find them all, but it was just more than I could bear. I'm just running out of steam. We were very late again this week. It would be easier if we knew that we would get the lot we want and build the house we want on it to be in that ward and that neighborhood. I hate this uncertainty. I broke down and cried on the way there and held back tears when everybody was so friendly to me and wanted to know about us.

It's nice but it's hard to be so uncertain. I can't really tell them anything yet. It is a great ward, and they have all been really nice to us, but we aren't really a part of them yet. We can't move our records until we get our lot, and the builder/owner is being the same way with our new builder that they were with us- not returning calls, not making appts., etc. so it is moving way too slow-- it has now been 2 weeks since we signed with them and now it's Thanksgiving so we probably still won't hear from them this week. Day after day we wait, day after day, there's nothing new to report. Meanwhile, it's getting colder and snowier and later in the year. Plus the new ward isn't perfect. I'm very sensitive to picking out people's tendencies to be cliquish and mean and this ward does have a few of those. So it's hard to go, but I always leave feeling very thankful and glad that we did go (we did skip nursery and sunbeams though- the twins and the 4 yr old won't go to their classes without us-- we just drove around and talked/complained).

The other kids are very happy there. They all have friends. They all feel included and supported. I think the people are genuinely caring and kind overall, so we will continue going for the kids. It makes it worth it. I can hang on and keep going for them. I will just have to step up to the next level of organization again. I would never be well organized without all these cute kids. They have made me better than I every though possible and I guess there's still plenty of room for growth.

I do hope we will have something more definite soon. I hope we get that lot so that they can finally start the process of getting the permit and getting started on the house. Life is really tough sometimes. It's hard to fit everything in with all this driving. I think my cleaning time has suffered the most. I just have to make the kids follow through on their chores better. I think our new house will work out, but this is definitely the roughest transition we've ever had to make. Patience, faith, ENDURANCE. I will really try harder to not murmur.

Some great faith stories

2011-11-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

My friend, Diane, just had a few people post their stories on faith this past week. I finally got around to reading them and they were well worth my time.

here's the link:

www.thoserobertsons.blogspot.com

Family Prayer

2011-11-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

I love my boys. They love the wii and they will do just about anything to play on the wii-- it is a great motivator and they do a lot of chores and schoolwork for the privilege. Works for me. They've been playing super mario bros. and one of them prayed in family prayer that they would keep finding secret passageways!!

I'm sure they will!

kid stuff

2011-11-10T21:28:00.000-08:00

#2 told my brother how she wants to be journalist because it uses no math at all, she also sold him 4 slingshots she makes out of sticks she finds in the backyard for $1.

I took #1 to milk the goat this morning, someone is supposed to be taking that goat, but not yet, she came back while I was getting the bucket to say that the goat was gone, I went to do a double take, and the goat was there!!

Miracle Music is a miracle you never saw so many little feet run to make their bed!

I'm so tired I can't remember any more funny sayings right now-- but they are plentiful. We laugh all the time. The twins are especially cute. #6 tries to push his brothers off my lap, and they both fold their arms and they want to get certain things themselves.

#4, 5 are really cute too. I watched a lot of jumping and rolling on couch cushions today. They built a huge fort out of them. "watch Mom", "watch again!!" very fun, very good kids!

2 Ne. 8, Isaiah 51

2011-11-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

I read this chapter yesterday morning and got nothing out of it-- as I slammed the book shut, I remembered our Relief Society lesson and how important it is to meditate and listen for answers as we read, so this morning I decided to pay attention and look at these beautiful gems I found!!!!

7- Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

12-- I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you. Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son man, who shall be made like unto grass?

22- Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people; behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again.

I just need to do what I know is right regardless of how strange I may seem and what other people think. It is what the Lord thinks of me that I need to worry about. Man really can do nothing-- only the Lord!

hands full today

2011-11-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

We took the sides off the babies cribs, and they have done pretty well and slept most of the time- but not today!! I would lay them down and out they would both come smiling, knowing they were getting away with something and thinking it was a very fun game. We finally put the baby gate up in their door way so they couldn't get out, and #6 fell asleep right there on the floor by the gate. They didn't sleep well and they were sure cranky and tired. They went to bed fine and fell asleep fast when it was time for the night time sleep. So cute!!

Robert D Hales Conference talk

2011-10-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

Another winner-- this one is on patiently waiting upon the Lord-- great perspective:

http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/waiting-upon-the-lord-thy-will-be-done?lang=eng

Here are some of my favorite parts:

Why such terrible tribulation? To what end? For what purpose?

As we ask these questions, we realize that the purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences. How do we do this? The scriptures give us an answer in one simple phrase: we “wait upon the Lord.”12 Tests and trials are given to all of us. These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son. He already knows, and we have the opportunity to learn, that no matter how difficult our circumstances, “all these things shall [be for our] experience, and … [our] good.”13

What, then, does it mean to wait upon the Lord? In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end.

In my life I have learned that sometimes I do not receive an answer to a prayer because the Lord knows I am not ready. When He does answer, it is often “here a little and there a little”33 because that is all that I can bear or all I am willing to do.

Birthday Parties

2011-10-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

We are getting good at holding birthday parties. Autumn is our birthday season, we have 3 in a period of 5 weeks. The first one we had was for #4, he had a dinosaur party, the kids buried plastic dinosaurs in our woods that the kids had to dig for. We played dinosaur, dinosaur, roar instead of duck, duck, goose, we had some other games I can't remember it's been a while now and then of course we had homemade whole wheat vegan lemon birthday cake with homemade sherbet made in the vitamix out of frozen fruit, agave nectar and a little bit of water to get the blades turning. We also decorate with lots of streamers and balloons and the kids pick stuff out at the dollar store to put in the goody bags and decorate the table. We usually have the party hats and matching plates and cups.

So we had a carnival party today. The kids filled easter eggs with tickets and hid them in the forest. Then they set up several stations outside with different activities like bowling, golfing, bean bags, jump rope etc. We also popped popcorn and filled popcorn bags with it and #2 made some great little cookies that got eaten really quick. Then my husband let each kid have a turn shooting the BB gun and then the bow and arrow. That was a highlight. Then we had them play catch the chicken, so the boys were running around the yard and forest getting all scratched up catching chickens to put back in their coop. Finally we had our lemon cake and sherbet, party hats and sang happy birthday in the midst of our lovely decorations. Very fun times, very easy, most everybody just walked and they all walked home when it was over. Thanks to my girls for setting up and pretty much running the party while I baked the cake and talked to one of the moms.

Next week we'll be going to the Classic Fun center-- more good and easy times. No wonder my kids all insist on a party!! But I am pretty glad when February comes around-- no more celebrating-- we can actually get some work done!!

We got a full day of celebrating tomorrow with Halloween parties at our homeschool group, Ryan's work, and the pinewood derby in the evening. We'll be leaving at 8 a.m. and getting home around 9:30 p.m.

Falling out of bed

2011-10-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

We took the sides off the cribs yesterday because #7 is usually in #6's bed in the morning and I don't want him to get hurt climbing from crib to crib and the side of his crib kind of broke. So anyway, #6 fell out of his bed about 4 times last night, but went right back to sleep each time. #7 only fell out once mostly because his bed is partially blocked by the other one. It's hard growing up!

Elder Uchtdorf's talk

2011-10-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Fourth and finally, please understand that what you see and experience now is not what forever will be. You will not feel loneliness, sorrow, pain, or discouragement forever. We have the faithful promise of God that He will neither forget nor forsake those who incline their hearts to Him. Have hope and faith in that promise. Learn to love your Heavenly Father and become His disciple in word and in deed.

Be assured that if you but hold on, believe in Him, and remain faithful in keeping the commandments, one day you will experience for yourselves the promises revealed to the Apostle Paul: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

Brothers and sisters, the most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love.

God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him.

Another home run talk. http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/you-matter-to-him?lang=eng

Too bad I can't read and write all day-- gotta get the day moving!

Another Great Conference Talk-- Boyd K. Packer -- following the Spirit

2011-10-23T00:59:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of behind in the whole conference discussion, because I really don't pay that close attention during conference mostly because of all the excitement that is constantly around me when all 7 kids are awake. But then afterwards as a I read or listen to the talks, I find these great nuggets of inspiration. This whole talk is great. Every sentence contains great wisdom. I'll just blog about these couple quotes:

http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/counsel-to-youth?lang=eng

This quote is very comforting to me:

The gift of the Holy Ghost, if you consent, will guide and protect you and even correct your actions. It is a spiritual voice that comes into the mind as a thought or a feeling put into your heart. The prophet Enos said, “The voice of the Lord came into my mind.” And the Lord told Oliver Cowdery, “Behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you.”

It is not expected that you go through life without making mistakes, but you will not make a major mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Spirit. This promise applies to all members of the Church.

As I get older, I am better at recognizing the promptings I receive. Especially as I look back on my life, I can see times where I should have recognized promptings better and other times where I am so thankful that I did follow promptings. There have been a couple times where I feel so bad about something, that even though there is no logical explanation for my feeling- I can't do the said thing.

The big one that comes to mind is from my BYU years. It was summer and I had gone down to the Y to finish setting things up and I stopped by my apartment for the year. While I was there looking at it, one of the girls who was living there for summer term asked me if I would trade apartments with her for the fall, her fall apartment was just upstairs. I said sure, because the only roommate I would know was the one I was sharing my room with, and I figured she wouldn't care. On my drive home, I just had a terrible strong feeling that I should not live in the apartment upstairs. It was so strong that I knew that I should either live in the apartment I signed up for, or find a different place to live. I called the girl and told her I wouldn't trade and when it came time to move in, I was very nervous because I had not met any of the other girls yet and I was afraid they really liked that girl and would be sorry that I had taken her place.

It turned out that we all 6 of us got along great. We still get together periodically and keep in touch. My room roommate especially bonded with the other girls in our apartment and that just wouldn't have happened for either of us had we lived with the girls upstairs. That was also the year I met my husband. He came to our apartment because he heard it was the fun place to be and it was. He never ventured to that other apartment. The Lord really was watching out for me and now that I can look back, when I get that bad feeling I know it is the Holy Ghost warning me about something. Sometimes it takes me a while to figure out what it is, depending on how strong it is, but the Holy Ghost truly acts in my life guiding me and helping me as I go along. I definitely get answers to my questions and prayers. It is such a profound blessing in my life.

I also loved this quote:

You may in time of trouble think that you are not worth saving because you have made mistakes, big or little, and you think you are now lost. That is never true! Only repentance can heal what hurts. But repentance can heal what hurts, no matter what it is.

We have a tendency to get down on ourselves when we are not perfect and I know people who feel they are too far gone to even try to take advantage of the atonement. I wish everybody knew what I know-- that God loves us and wants us back no matter what. His time was spent among sinners when He was on the earth, and it is never too late to come unto Him. He loves us and He will help us no matter how good or bad we are as long as we let him. He will take us from wherever we are and help us get better little by little- He won't make us do more than we can. He is perfect and He loves us.

Great Quote

2011-10-18T05:16:00.000-07:00

Pondering a passage of scripture can be a key to unlock revelation and the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one’s ability to overcome the challenges of life. They have potent power to heal emotional challenges when there is faith in the Savior. They can accelerate physical healing.

Richard G Scott October 2011 conference

I love the scriptures and I love this quote. I have found it to be true in my own life. I think when we have emotional challenges- heartache, fear, sadness, depression-- the scriptures can lift us and remind us that the Lord loves us and is watching over us and things will be O.K. even though we can't see how. This lifts our spirits and encourages us to reach outside of ourselves which in turn helps us put our own feelings in perspective. The scriptures have been my guiding light throughout my life- that where I turn for peace, solace and understanding. I like the idea of that they can accelerate physical healing. I believe it, because when we are happy we are less likely to get sick and more likely to get better. Reading the scriptures makes us happy and encourages us to do more things that make us happy!

Chicken Ordinance

2011-10-18T04:42:00.000-07:00

I'll be attending a city council meeting on the restrictions on chickens in our new city. I can't print from this computer, so I'm writing it here so that I can easily copy and paste and print it on my other computer.

To the City Council:

I have reviewed the proposed chicken ordinance for this city. I am glad that the city wants to allow the chickens in the city and is trying to find a way to make this possible in a way that is acceptable to chicken owners and their neighbors. Part of the reason we picked our lot was because the backyard neighbor had chickens. We decided against another lot where the next door neighbor had 2 yappy dogs.

The only thing that should be regulated is that the chicken structures are so far from the property line-- this should be the same as for any other shed or out building. What it looks like should not be regulated nor have need of approval -- unless it is larger than 120 sq. ft. just like any other out building. This city is considered rural and qualifies for federal funding for rural areas for home loans. We can't accept the 0% down loans because we are rural, and then not allow a few chickens into the area or overregulate them. This is the type of thing that HOA's are meant to cover- not cities. As long as there is no health hazard or other nuisance, the chickens are clean and healthy, and they stay in their own yard, then there should be no problem. I don't think they should even have to be registered with the city as that causes more red tape and cost for the homeowner and more work for the city that is really unnecessary. Also, since there already seem to be plenty of chickens in the city with no complaints, I think it's fair to say those chicken owners have probably been taking good care of their chickens and have done just fine without any regulation.

The current proposed ordinance regulates where on the property, chicken structures can be, also regulates that the chickens can not be allowed out of the proposed approved area designated for them. The healthiest chickens and best eggs come free range chickens. Chickens are great for fertilizing gardens and landscape plants. They can be used as tillers for gardens. They eat bugs, so letting them free in the yard actually keeps bugs down. They are birds just like the wild birds that roam freely throughout nature. When a small backyard flock is well-cared for- there are very few diseases, and the birds are very helpful and useful not just for egg production, but also for gardening and yard maintenance. The birds should stay on their owner's property, but where they are allowed to go on the property should not be regulated. This should allow owners to have their birds as free range as possible if they so desire.

Vaccination should also be left up to the owner. It is unnecessary to vaccinate backyard chickens because they are not exposed to many other chickens who could have disease. Also, there are no guidelines to do so given by the USDA. The chicken diseases that are preventable by vaccine do not pass to humans. They are mostly for big farms who have their chickens in tight quarters without enough air and room to roam. Chickens with space and care don't get sick.

The chicken coop, tractor or other structures should be subject to the same regulation given for other out buildings in the city. The chickens should be required to stay on their owner's property, and should not cause a nuisance as many things can. Roosters are already not allowed- hens are no louder than other birds in nature. Keeping the yard clean should be a given just the same as for anything else. Yard maintenance is not regulated by the city. As long as there is no health hazard, the owner should be allowed to keep their yard however they want. Chickens should fall into this same category.

Redwood Forest Adventures!! Part 2 -- the rest of the story

2011-10-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

We recovered pretty well from the crazy lady experience, the kids were very glad that we reported her to the police, and I think they were glad to all be sleeping in the same tent with us and nobody wandered off on their own the whole trip. They now understand why it's important to have a bathroom buddy and to stay together. Our new campground and site again was right by the bathrooms and the trees were even taller. We drove to the visitor center to see where to go and we were on our way.

We drove on the old horse and buggy road into Crescent City and had to stop to look at some of the huge trees. The kids loved it until #2 got stung and then #4 got stung twice. We checked him and he looked alright, but he was ready to drive all the way back home to Utah. We stopped at Stout Grove and finally got him calmed down enough to agree to go when he got stung again. We quickly took his shirt off and sure enough, a yellow jacket fell out-- it had been caught in his shirt. Now he really did not want to go- so Ryan took the other kids and I stayed with #4 and the twins, they came back and said it was so awsome, Ryan promised #4 a new wii game if he would come. He came very reluctantly, but it was awesome. It was so beautiful, it was just like being on a movie set. The trees were so huge it felt like we were small insects and a big dog could come bounding out at any minute. He had a good time and everyone agreed that if we did nothing else, that walk through Stout Grove was worth the long drive and the misadventures we'd had so far.

We finished the drive into town- it was just beautiful and we had a picnic lunch on an overlook to the ocean. The waves were wild, but it was beautiful and peaceful and spectacular really. Then we drove on down through other parts of the park, we had to stop at one of the beaches it was so pretty and I love the ocean. We were disappointed however, to find out that there was a large swell coming in for a direct hit on the beaches while we were there and it wouldn't be safe to go tide pooling. We were educated on sneaker waves and decided against going into the water. However #5 fell in and got soaked, but we had extra clothes and shoes for him and he liked the idea of being the only one to go into the Pacific Ocean.

We drove on down some more and paid $5 to drive through a tree, but our van was too big, so we just walked under it and got sap dripped on us. Then we were pretty much done for the day and drove back through the forest on the old horse and buggy route the other way. It was spectacular. We let the kids take turns riding up front to stick their heads out and we let them all be unbuckled for most of it which the twins especially loved.

We packed everything up in the morning, ate breakfast and hiked down to a beautiful river beach. The kids found some frogs and stayed mostly dry and threw a lot of rocks in. It was very relaxing. We drove on down through the rest of the park and stopped at Wayside tree and hiked around. It was surreal- lots of moss, greenery and huge trees. We ended at the opposite visitor center, watched a video on the Redwoods and the kids got their Junior Ranger badges and bought their souvenirs. We ate lunch on the beach, read an Indian legend about a girl who turned to stone because she cried about nothing, and watched the waves some more.

Then we drove on down the 101 through Indian country, then more forests, hills, trees, eventually small towns, then vineyards, then bigger towns and finally into Marin County. We drove across the Golden Gate Bridge at night into San Francisco, drove along the Embarcadero, pointed out places we used to go when we lived there and the building Ryan worked in. We explained a lot about cities and boats and people and buildings. We decided not to get out and try to find a place to park or anything, but we think it gave our kids a better perspective on what a big city is. Then we drove out across the Bay Bridge to San Ramon where we lived and Ryan worked most the time we were there. It was fun to remember our time together there- having our first baby, Ryan working his first "real" job out of college. The kids got bored looking at our apartments and work places there, but I remember thinking the same thing when my parents would take pictures of there first houses and other stuff. I understand now- guess I'm getting older.

Well, there was no where to camp around there at all, so we just kept on driving, it was all pretty much on the way home anyway. There were probably places around Reno and Tahoe, but by the time we got there it was going to be morning soon, so we just kept on driving- switching off. The kids slept through most of it, we had to wake them to see the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco so it wasn't too bad, but we stopped at a rest area and slept for about 2 hours. We got pulled over in Nevada, because Ryan thought the speed limit was 75, but it was 65 through there- fortunately the kids were all buckled in and the cop let us go when we couldn't find our registration. We had had to stop for the bathroom often throughout the whole trip, and true to form our last stop was at the rest area right before Tooele, Ut at the rest area where the salt flats are. Then it was a 2 hour drive home, where we turned the TV on for the kids and crashed for a couple hours and said-- we're not really home yet!

The kids were great. We listened to a lot of music along the drive and there was plenty to see. We all loved it and would do it again-- but our next road trip will probably be to Colorado or Idaho! :)