YourLifeUncommon

Jenny GreenTeeth

noreply@blogger.com (Hi-Jack) — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 04:26:00 +0000

Went on a bike ride yesterday with my kid, some other guys, and some other kids. There used to be a canal running right through the middle of town, about 25' across, maybe 10' deep. It made for plenty of desperately fabricated tales animated to youngsters in dramatic fashion with the sole intent of scaring them to death before the canal could kill them...or something like that.

About 30 years ago, my wife was convinced by her well-meaning Mother that there are monster-types named 'Grinnie Grinnie GrinTeeth' that live in not just the canal--but any water, anywhere. Except maybe the bath tub. Anyway, I don't know if my wife just doesn't remember the name correctly, or if Mommy-In-Law's Mommy had it wrong too, but I'm pretty sure the creature she should have been completely freaked out by is 'Jenny GreenTeeth'.

If your thinking of googling images of her, make sure the kids aren't around. Sure, she's meant to be scary, but I'm pretty sure whatever images your kids get in their heads on their own will have much less potential for long term psychological damage than the offering online, and will likely still accomplish your devious designs.

For example--this was one of the pictures that popped up:

If you're mid-pottie training with a little tike, this photo may complicate things a bit after being viewed by Mr. Poopy-Pants. Heck, I've never even seen a photo like this, and that image has crossed my mind a few times just at the wrong moment. The 3 year old doesn't stand a chance.

Where was I...oh, the bike ride. I'm not sure if it was the lack of interest in the local public pool, or if too many kids were falling in the canal after poking around looking for Ms. GreenTeeth, but the city decided to bury all the water in a 10' 6" diameter pipe, and lay out a nice little bike path on top of it where the watery grave once was--which is where we were riding our bikes.

Anyway, that's all I really wanted to say. It was a good ride. I'm sure we'll do it again sometime.

Just a side-note: While I have a brother-in-law in his twenties who still refuses to get in the water, the GreenTeeth ploy was a complete and utter failure with my wife--which is great, unless there's water anywhere near you, and you have anything other than being in the water that needs to get done.

Oh well.

Toodles,
Hi-Jack

I'm kinda lazy...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 04:25:00 +0000

...so this was helpful:

Some guy by the name of Elbert Hubbard defined self-discipline as follows:

"The ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not."

After studying thousands of successful people for 11 years, a businessman named Herbert Gray found what he called the 'common denominator of success', which is:

"Successful people are those who make a habit of doing the things that unsuccessful people don't like to do."

All that being said, Mr. Hubbard was killed when the ship he was on was sunk after being hit by a torpedo fired from a German U-Boat.

Lesson: No matter how hard you try to be successful, a torpedo will almost always be more successful.

And Mr. Gray? I don't know what happened to him, but I'm pretty sure it did not involve a torpedo.

Lesson: It's probably worth pursuing success, because not everybody that tries gets cut short by a torpedo.

Also, I know some of you like to look at pictures, so I Googled a random term--'beautiful'--and this was the first picture that showed up. Oddly enough, this is a picture of Amy and I on the day we met.

Lots of Love,

Hi-Jack

Ding Ding--we have a winner

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 04:23:00 +0000

Comment from 'Clinton and Michelle':

"She is the cute girl in the red sweat outfit with her legs crossed making one of her silly faces! ;)"

Wow, that was fast. Winner already. Indeed she is the lady in red.

Lest ye think me untruthful, here's a picture of your spoils:

To save on postage, I'll just give you the magical three digit code on the back: 503. Oh, and I was off a bit--there's $5.20 left on it.

Lots of Love,
Hi-Jack

Couldn't think of a good post title

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 05:25:00 +0000

...aaaaaaand where exactly has she been for the last 181 days?

I know there's something very important I should be saying right now, I'm just having a hard time figuring out exactly what that would be.

So instead of that, see if you can find Amy in this awesome 27-ish year old photo. First person to comment with the correct answer gets a $25 gift card, with about $4.75 left on it.

Love,
That cool guy that hijacked her blog

P.S. A hint: She is NOT holding a red and white megaphone(although she truly wishes she were--she has a thing for megaphones).

The Origin of My Motivation

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:46:00 +0000

If you should ever take the opportunity to go back to school, I highly recommend taking a CLSS 1000 class. It is a Learning Strategies class, and I absolutely love it! It was one of those classes that I had to take to get the English class I needed, to fit into my schedule. To be honest I totally thought I would end up dropping it. I kept looking for other options. Then I actually started the class. The whole thing is based on teaching you to understand the sort of learning strategies that would work best for you. It is centered around learning based on reflection....taking the lessons and reflecting on how they apply to you. This is the most effective way of learning, and helps you become much more self aware. Our assignments are awesome. They are super free. We can write, or create projects...anything we want to get the most out of the experience.

I have absolutely loved this class so much! In fact, my professor is the head of the UV Mentor program and has talked to me about becoming a part of it. I would get to mentor classes at school and become a part of a program that leads to getting a Leadership & Service title on my diploma....along with a full ride scholarship! Yeah, I think that sounds pretty darn good to me! :) Next fall I will take the follow up to this class and then in the Spring I will apply to be in the program! My professor has also asked me to consider being a presenter at a large conference for the school this Summer. Oh my! Totally intimidating, but seriously awesome!

Anyway, I just wanted to share one of the projects I created for the class. It is a short slideshow representing the sources of my motivation. It was fun to create and reminds me to stick with my goals and plans...and why I keep going when sometimes it gets a little overwhelming and I wonder what in the world I am doing with so much on my plate! :) The music is an original song by my insanely talented brother in law, Brian Cook. Man alive, I love everything he does on the piano!

Enjoy!

A Shout Out From My Home Away From Home

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:26:00 +0000

Welp, I am officially past midterm of my first semester in college! It has taken me a while to get into a serious groove, with kids and home, work (more on that later), full time school for both Ryan and I, church callings and a million other responsibilities, unfortunately blogging had to take a serious back seat. However, over this last few weeks I have been seriously missing it. It seems that when a few months go by and you haven't made a single post, you teeter on the edge of permanence. Will I be back, or will I leave this part of my life in the past. The latter made my heart hurt every time I thought about it, so I decided to give myself the time I needed to adjust, so I could make time for blogging a priority again. I will say, Pinterest has kept this little blogging world of mine crackin! Holy smokes! I return to find that OurLifeUncommon has far surpassed the 1 million views mark...and that is just over the last year! That is crazy! YourLifeUncommon is inching up on the same. I have had to put on hold many offers for giveaways, guest posting, etc, but I look forward to looking into some of them to see if they are a good fit for all of us.

Anyway, I just wanted to peek out from under my pile of craziness for a moment. Just to let you all know that I am still here and have intentions to return. Thanks to those of you that have sent such sweet emails over the past few months! They absolutely inspire me and remind me why I love blogging so darn much!

I absolutely LOVE being back in school and I could shock the britches right off my high school teachers AND my parents with the grades I am getting right now! :) Who knew all I needed was a little focus and a lot of passion for learning to get A's?! Probably everyone but me! :) I absolutely GEEK OUT on my Psychology class...which is probably a good thing, since Psychology is my major! I promise, I will work the function of the brain and how it affects human behavior into any conversation, and probably drive everyone crazy! I can't help it! I LOVE IT! I seriously giggle through class because I just can't get enough of it! We will see how I am feeling about it as the classes get even harder, I guess! :)

Alright my friends, thanks for hanging in with me! Now I have to get back to 2 chapters of Math, a Psychology and English paper, all before I race to beat the kids home from school in a few hours.

A little Housekeeping: If you have noticed that the YourLifeUncommon.com direct address isn't working, you are not alone. It is annoying, but apparently we have overloaded our host. Ry and I are in search of a new one. For now yourlifeuncommon.blogspot.com and thewondertwins.blogspot.com are working just fine! Good ole Blogger! :)

Days For Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:53:00 +0000

Ok, guys! Here is a great opportunity to make a huge difference with way small effort!

A friend of a friend started an organization called Days for Girls. If you have read anything from my friend Mitch Weight's organization, called Sahbu, then you have heard about some of the things these little girls do to try to earn money for school (prostitution, etc), their only hope of escaping. There are little girls that feel this is their only option! But we can totally help give them hope through organizations like this! There is a contest going on and "Days for Girls" is so close to winning, they are a little behind and they totally need help! If you can donate even just $10, it could mean that this organization will become sponsored by NIKE! That is huge! The PR and the difference that can be made is huge! So PLEASE click on the link and give! Just $10 and it will make a huge difference! Remember Mitch has learned that it only costs $120 to send a child to school for a year and these little girls are selling their bodies for pennies to get to that amount! Surely we can do our best to save these sweet girls!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

"He Will Die On His Feet Before He Will Live On His Knees"

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This last Wednesday we helped the youth put on a super fun Grandparents Dinner, for all of the people over 55 years old in our ward. A member of our bishopric shared a video similar to this one, same narration, some different pictures. I have never watched anything that stirred my heart with so much patriotism.

Today is Veterans Day. I am afraid this is a day that goes by largely unnoticed in a lot of our lives. I hope this video inspires us all to really consider the sacrifices our military, each member individually, have made to make this country what it is! We are a blessed people, and it hasn't come without a price!

I love this great country! I hope this video inspires us all to remember just how blessed we are to have the freedoms we have! Next time we have the opportunity to place our hands over our heart and pledge allegiance to our flag, or sing our national anthem, I hope we remember the people in Fort Henry, their sacrifice and the sacrifice of every single person who has or does serve us in the military, with more gratitude in our hearts!

Chicken Divine....Prepare to taste Heaven!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The other day someone posted a comment on a post I did like YEARS ago on my family blog! It reminded me how simply divine this recipe is! Oh. Have. Mercy! No really though, this is a splurge...for one of those days when calories, and all of that lame kind of stuff, doesn't matter, but having something that tastes so good you can feel your toes tingle...that TOTALLY matters! Wanna knock the socks off of the folks at your next get together? Choose this! I promise it is going to please! I mean, how could it not when it looks like this.....

OH MERCY! Now, let's flashback to the post wherein this meal was prepared so you can get working on your grocery list, shall we? (OH, and keep an eye out for one of my VERY FAVORITE people of all time! Love you Carrie!)

I am coming at you from Ms. Carrie Norris's house in HENDERSON, NV. Right next to the flashing lights of VEGAS!

Since we completely disagree with the "What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas" mantra...we are about to dish it all!

Last night we made dinner for Dan's brother and sister-in-law and her parents. While trying to figure out what to make I remembered a meal that Ryan's aunt had prepared for us one night. She had recently sent me the recipe and it was TO DIE FOR...and from, if you ate it every night...I mean the butter...the cream....OH MY! It is divine! Which is why we thought to change it's formal name of "Butterfly Chicken" to "Chicken Divine" however, I think last night we had a moment where we called it "Dimpled Thighs Chicken" cause, well, lets just get to the recipe! You will see for yourself! For now, call it what you want!

We used Chicken Tenderloins, which worked marvelously! Otherwise, tenderize your chicken breast by beating the heck out of it with a hammer or the bottom of a pan while it is in a ziploc bag...or ask your local butcher to send in through the tenderizing machine once. Yeah, I think that sounds better!

Dredge chicken in a mixture of flour, pepper and salt. The salt and pepper amounts are up to you, but don't be afraid! Add a good amount.

Now, melt A CUBE OF BUTTER (I Know, Right?!) in a pan and brown the chicken. Don't cook it through, we are just browning here. While it is browning squeeze a lemon over the top of it. When the flour mixture gets a bit of brown tinge to it move the chicken into a 9x13 pan.

Now, using your best "Suzie Homemaker" face, saute 1 1/2 lb sliced Baby Bella mushrooms in 2 T butter. NO ONE masters the "Suzie Homemaker" like Carrie! NICE!

I love her A LOT by the way, have I mentioned that?! Well, I do!

When the mushrooms are done spoon them all over the top of the chicken. A note on the mushrooms: You COULD use regular mushrooms, but I promise the flavor of the Portabella is PERFECT in this! AND they are so pretty with their brown outside!

Now, you take a full pint of HEAVY cream and pour it all over the top. Really, make sure it is the HEAVY stuff. There is a BIG difference in the final result. Just make sure that when you do it, you bust out your "Suzie Homemaker"!

Pour it all over! Then use a fork to life the chicken and make sure that the cream gets all around it.

Now grate some parmesan (DO NOT use the store pre-shredded type! By a brick and grate it yourself! You will be glad you did, and REALLY sad if you don't! I promise!) and sprinkle about 1 1/2 c. over the top! Don't even try the powder stuff! You need the REAL stuff for this one!

Now bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 min or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve over noodles or rice or next to a baked potato. Honestly, this stuff was a HIT! It is SO yummy! I mean, how could it not be?! The cream? The Butter? The Cheese?! Yep, "Dimpled Thigh Chicken" it is!

No worries, we also served it with this beautiful salad! Spring Green Mix with onions, bacon crumbles, feta and craisins! DELISH! Carrie also whipped up a fabulous dressing for the salad. It went a little like this:
Yummy salad dressing recipe:

1/2 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 t. minced onion
1/2 t. dry mustard
1/2 c. olive oil
1 t. poppy seeds
1 t. salt

FOR THE CHICKEN DIVINE:

Ingredients:

Chicken, tenerloins or tenderized breasts (about 15-20)

Flour (Enough to coat each tenderloin)

Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste, don't be stingy)

1 Lemon

1 cube + 2 Tbs. Butter

1 1/2 lb. Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

1 pint Heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 c. freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese

ENJOY!

The Good, The Bad & The Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:54:00 +0000

Ok, we have all heard the saying, "The grass is greener on the other side", right?! But we all know that is the way it appears, but not necessarily the way it is. Sometimes it seems that someone else's lot would be easier than our own, other people look better, have more, have it more together, can do more, accomplish more, or ARE better, than us. Sometimes it seems like the only way we know to judge our own accomplishments or experiences in life, is to compare it to someone else's accomplishments and experiences.

It seems that in the world of social media everyone's life takes on a rosy hue. They are always patient. Always serving. Always vacationing. Always the best mom EVER. Always totally put together. And you know what...I don't mind the positive posts! It is like the whole idea behind BillionClicks. When she focused on the number of negative thoughts she had in a day, it seemed she felt more and more negative. However, when she started to count the positive things about her life, she started to realize the influence of positive thinking in her life. Post the positive! I like it! If it's real and you feel it, AWESOME! Being positive does not mean that you are "Fake". Holy smokes, do I ever hate when people say that! The thing is that the responsibility of seeing the reality in things is the readers responsibility! Celebrate happy moments with friends! Just because someone has a happy moment, or 20, are we left to believe that nothing hard ever comes their way?! No! Heavens no!

You know, I had a bit of a realization not to long ago. I have PCOS and Hashimoto Thyroiditis, not a good combo when you intend to be on the lower end of the scale. I workout A LOT and I eat mostly good. I work at it, and yet in the last couple of years I have only lost about 40 lbs, as of right now. It is frustrating to say the least! I would love to have my body reflect how I feel on the inside. I would love to not have to pull up so much weight, while doing pull-ups at CrossFit. :) I would love to not stress about injuring my joints when I run. I would love to wear all the cute outfits I have pinned on Pinterest! :) However, it just hasn't come, and who knows if it will. I just have to keep on going...for sanity reasons! :)

So, the realization came the other day when I was out with my hubby. There was a lady in front of us in line. It was very easy to see that she was a very pretty lady. She was thin and looked great. I caught myself being a bit envious for a moment. Then I noticed something else. I could see it in her face and in the way she was acting. That girl, for as thin and pretty as I thought she was, may as well have been the most overweight person in the whole room. She was insanely uncomfortable in her skin. You could feel it from her. It made me sad for her...then for me. I realized that in a moment of self-pity, I had forgotten all of the good things that I had in my life. I forgot that I had a hubby that thinks I am the shizzle and kids that say I am the "bomb.com", and most importantly, I forgot that I like me! I looked at her lot and thought my life would be so much better if I could just look like that. In all of my shallow forgetfulness, I didn't stop to think of all that I HAD been blessed with and all that this body of mine IS able to do. How quickly I wanted to think that her life is easier than mine because of her appearance. I am a silly silly shallow person sometimes! Oh brother!

We all have weaknesses and struggles! When someone looks like they have it all, or all together, remember that they are going through something too. They may not advertise it, but it is there! And then, in all our understanding, we should be more kind to ourselves! We are doing better than we think we are!

Mayor Bruce Call, my favorite Sunday School teacher, said this a couple of weeks ago in his lesson. I LOVED IT! A little something to remember next time we want to beat ourselves up, as we elevate everyone around us! :)

Dreaming of Gethsemane

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000

When I was in seminary I remember a teacher reading a quote to us. It was about a dream that Orson F. Whitney had about the Savior. I remember it had a huge impact on me. From time to time that dream will cross my mind. It did today. I had to share it with you. As I read it I can almost feel the same desperate desire to be with the Lord. Sometimes a thought, story or quote can be just enough to remind us of our goals and aspirations in this life. They can be just what we need for the little course corrections we need from time to time. This one certainly serves that purpose! Especially when we remember that it all truly is up to us!

Painting by: Del Parson

"One night I dreamed that I was in the Garden of Gethsemane, a witness of the Savior's agony. I stood behind a tree in the foreground, Jesus, with Peter, James and John, came through a little wicket gate at my right. Leaving the three apostles there, after telling them to kneel and pray, He passed over to the other side, where He also knelt and prayed. 'Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.'

As He prayed tears streamed down His face, which was turned toward me. I was so moved at the sight that I wept also, out of pure sympathy with His great sorrow. My whole heart went out to Him. I loved Him with all my soul and longed to be with Him as I longed for nothing else.

Presently He arose and walked to where those apostles were kneeling -- fast asleep! He shook them gently, awoke them, and in a tone of tender reproach, and untinctured by the least show of anger or scolding, asked them if they could not watch with Him one hour.

Returning to His place, He prayed and then went back and found them again sleeping. Again He awoke them, admonished them, and returned and prayed as before. Three times this happened, until I was perfectly familiar with His appearance -- face, form and movements. He was of noble stature and majestic mien, the very God that He was and is, yet as meek and lowly as a little child.

All at once circumstances began to change. Instead of before, it was after the Crucifixion, and the Savior, with those three apostles, now stood together in a group at my left. They were about to depart and ascend into Heaven. I could endure it no longer. I ran from behind the tree, fell at His feet, clasped Him around the knees, and begged Him to take me with Him.

I shall never forget the kind and gentle manner in which He stooped and raised me up and embraced me. It was so vivid, so real that I felt the very warmth of His bosom against which I rested. Then He said, 'No, my son; these have finished their work, and they may go with me; but you must stay and finish yours.' Still I clung to Him. Gazing up into His face--for He was taller than I--I besought Him most earnestly. 'Well, promise me that I will come to You at the last.' He smiled sweetly and tenderly and replied, 'That will depend entirely upon yourself.'" I awoke with a sob in my throat, and it was morning."

Before you go, have a listen to this! This sweet song is the perfect way to sum this up!

"How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day"

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The other day I heard this quote. I absolutely loved it. Something about it motivated the heck out of me! It seriously made me look at the time I have been given, and what I am doing with it, in a different way. It also made me think how every single person in the world has been given the exact same thing...what they have, feel, don't have, don't feel is all based on what they did/do with it. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this one, if you want to share them. This one really is something to ponder on a bit!

Image Source

"How to Live on

Twenty-Four Hours a Day"

"Time is the inexplicable raw material of everything. With it, all is possible; without it, nothing. The supply of time is truly a daily miracle; an affair genuinely astonishing when one examines it.

You wake up in the morning, and your purse is magically filled with twenty-four hours of the unmanufactured tissue of the universe of your life! It is yours. It is the most precious of possessions. No one can take it from you. And no one receives either more or less than you receive.

In the realm of time there is no aristocracy of wealth, and no aristocracy of intellect. Genius is never rewarded by even an extra hour a day. And there is no punishment. Waste your infinitely precious commodity as much as you will, and the supply will never be withheld from you. Moreover, you cannot draw on the future. It is impossible to get into debt! You can only waste the passing moment. You cannot waste tomorrow; it is kept for you. You cannot waste the next hour' it is kept for you.

I have said the affair was a miracle. Is it not?

You have to live on this twenty-four hours of daily time. Out of it you have to spin health, pleasure, money, content, respect, and the salvation of your immortal soul. It's right use, it's most effective use, is a matter of the highest urgency. All depends on that. Your happiness--the elusive prize that you are all clutching for, my friends, depends on that.

If one cannot arrange that an income of twenty-four hours a day shall exactly cover all proper items of expenditure, one does muddle one's whole life indefinitely.

We never shall have any more time. We have, and we have always had, all the time there is."

-Arnold Bennett

Playing Mom!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:53:00 +0000

Hey guess what I got to do for a few days last week....

I watched my sisters kids! 2 of these are mine, 4 are not....well, technically. I would kidnap every last one and keep them as my own forever, if I didn't think it would hurt my sisters feelings.

You know what, sometime motherhood is just plain hard. It is good and is filled with lots of amazing moments that make it all worth it, but it is hard! Especially bedtime! Oh heaven help me! Bedtime! My brain and body are begging for relief and it just won't come! Every 2 seconds someone summons me to their bedroom for one more thing they need, or thought they saw, or because of the noise they are producing! Usually with just my 2 kiddos, because of their ages, we say "Head to Bed" and that is that. They disappear and we rarely hear from them until morning. It's a good phase, this one! However, with 3 cousins per room, there was endless giggling (which reminded me of my brother, sister and I growing up and sleeping in the same room on occasion, laughing all night and making my mom seriously frustrated), some fights, a lot of teasing, and a whole lot of NOT SLEEPING! I can say that last weekend gave me a whole new glimpse and understanding why my Mother-in-Law, when my husband was 10, tied him to his bed with a jump rope to get him to stay....he laughed at her the whole time, and made like Houdini and busted out in seconds! With 7 small children, all close in age, it's no wonder she would be willing to try anything! And now it makes for hilarious story telling!

This last weekend I really thought a lot about the rewards and trials of Motherhood. At all it's phases, and with all it's numbers. I have only my 2 to raise. I had expected and wished for more, but I hashed out all of those expectations here. What I expect, and the Lord's plan for my life don't always line up, but I am smart enough to know that His plan is always far better (and almost always harder) than my own, in the grand scheme of things.

I guess the things that I most thought about is how important it is to just try to enjoy the journey. If we are constantly focused on the tasks that are ours, we will burn out and feel like a "slave" or "servant" in our own home. Can I say that I totally believe those are thoughts placed in our minds by the adversary! We all feel them from time to time. A feeling like we are losing our identity or so overrun and under-appreciated. I get it. Those feelings totally affect me from time to time, but I have to remember the source of those kinds of thoughts, let them go, and then remember to spend more time enjoying my role as a Mother! I love playing and laughing with my kids! How the heck do I forget that and get caught up in the task list?! And then worst of all, let my task list affect the way I treat them?! Those items on that list may get checked off the list, and they may not, and the ones that get checked off usually show back up the next day. Some days, that is just the way it goes, but when we have spent the day strengthening our relationship with our kids and building their self worth, we have done what is most important, and we feel better about ourselves, more happy, and we have a greater sense of fulfillment!

I listened to Sheri Dew & Wendy Watson Nelson speak one time about our roles in this life. They taught that we have all been sent to earth with a "to-do" list. This list is full of items that we are expected to complete in this life. It is a list personal to us. Only we are able to complete this list, the way it is supposed to be done. When we are working on this list we feel a sense of joy, peace and fulfillment in our lives. When we are not, we may be busy, but we will not be filled with those same feelings. There will be a lack of peace, joy & fulfillment in our lives.

I love that! It helps me keep myself in check! My children are on my task list! If I am feeling run down, negative or like I don't have purpose or have lost my identity, I try to remember the source of those feelings, then take a good and honest look at what I am missing or what needs to go and make the changes.

In Motherhood, with all of it's crazy phases, it is so important for us to remember that this time we have with small or young children is gone in an instant. Believe me! I swear I was just giving Jake his first bath on his first day home from the hospital....and suddenly he is almost a teenager! Before I know it he will be leaving on his mission! It makes my stomach hurt to even think about it! Will he leave knowing how much I love the heck out of him?! Will he KNOW that because I have shown him through the ways I have treated him?

It is my goal to spend more time playing, baking cookies or letting them figure out how to cook something new, reading stories, cuddling and laughing with my kids, celebrating my victories and letting go of my shortcomings! I prayed long and hard....7 years of my life, for the opportunity to be a mother to the children I have. The fact that I have them is miraculous to me! And that is how I need to look at my role as their mom! I gave everything I had to my Dawson, which sometimes fell dreadfully short, but it was still all I could give, and I know it was enough! That is one of the gifts I have been given, with him now on the other side of the veil. He has let me know, in no uncertain terms, that I did more than enough for him! And now I hope that when my other kids are grown I can feel the same about them!

Alright, now that that is off my chest.....here are a few of our magic moments from this last weekend! Once we found our groove (uh hem, Mallory and her temper and inability to process the madness), it was SO much fun to have a house full of kids! Granted I felt like I was either cooking or cleaning the WHOLE time, but still...We did manage to squeeze some fun moments into the mix, and my kiddos had a BLAST!

The biggest adventure of them all! The little kids riding to church in the back of the topless monster Bronco! Could there be anything more exciting in their lives?!

This is me celebrating my victory! 6 kids all bathed, dressed and done up for church! It may have taken me 3 hours to get through all of them, but we were 15 min which made my hubby happy! I think this made me the hero of the day! Yay for me! :)

Lego parties! These were the moments I loved most! All 6 of them playing together and totally happy! Even Gizmo tried getting in on the fun! A big thank you to the makers of Lego's for making a toy that these kids could play with and be entertained by for HOURS all weekend long!

Alex Boye'.....Wanna Be A Part Of His Next Album?!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ Your Life Uncommon) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Alex Boye'! Do you know him?! Oh you should! He seriously makes my soul happy! I have seen him in concert once, and I am so looking for a time when I can go again! When he sings you can seriously see him pouring his whole soul out into the song! It just makes you so darn happy! He is also a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. How cool is that?!

Alex wants to create an African style album. He needs help to be able to do that. He has set up a site where you can pledge anywhere from $1 - $10,000, all donations coming with a prize from Alex, as a thank you. If he is able to raise $35,000, to make the album, within 30 days, your card will be charged for the amount you pledged. If the pledged amount doesn't hit $35,000, it will not be.

Oh, this would be such a good album! I am sure of it! Alex has such a pure heart and crazy amounts of talent! I am sure that $1, $15 or more would be well spent, if we can help him out in this project!

Here is the link: HELP ALEX BOYE'

And here is one of my favorites from him! If you wanna hear what his African sound would be like, here it is! Check it out......

FHE: The Scriptures Testify of Jesus Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 15:14:00 +0000

And I thought I was good at creating object lessons for FHE. Man did my hubby ever show me just how brilliant he is with this one! I love love love it! So powerful!

The object of the lesson is to teach the importance of ALL of the scriptures. Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants & Pearl of Great Price. Each one adds upon the other, teaching about Jesus Christ, so that we can truly know him and love him.

SUPPLIES:

(2) 2x4 boards (or whatever you have that will work)

(5) Long sturdy Nails

Hammer

Sharpees

First, I must apologize for the blinding pictures! Apparently I didn't catch that my camera was on some funky setting, that I really should learn more about. I tried to darken them as much as possible. Hopefully that helped!

Ryan wrote "Jesus Christ Is:" and then "Bible" in the center of the board. There is a nail representing the bible. This needs to be placed in the center of the top board and hammered through the top and into the bottom board. The bottom board has things written on them, somethings we know are true, others not. "Nice Guy", "Good Friend", "Prophet", "Just a Spirit", "Quick to Anger", "Good Example", "Body-less", "Not a believer in baptism for the dead".

There are also some half words on there. I will tell you about them in a moment.

He talked to the kids about the importance of the Bible and how it is an account of the prophecies from before Christs life and then the actual account of his life, along with the organization of his church while he was on the earth.

Some of the things on the board represent the things that people may believe about him, based on only having the Bible to understand Christ's doctrine and characteristics.

With only one nail in the boards they move back and forth showing how with just one nail, or source, there are a lot of ways people could change or misinterpret these things.

He lined up the boards, so they were just off center.

He asked the kids

"What is something else we have that teaches us about Jesus Christ".

This is when a nail was placed, representing the Book of Mormon. The kids helped him hammer this one in.

Ryan had written, "Savior" "Brother". Part was on the bottom board and part was on the side of the top board. He had also written, "Son of God" on the other corner. He showed the kids that with the Bible we learned that he was these things and with the Book of Mormon, these things are also confirmed. The boards are no longer able to swing and move around.

With both Books truths are established and confirmed.

I just love love love this picture! Look how into this lesson my cute kiddos are! They are drinking in every word! I love any opportunity to teach them and allow them the opportunity to develop their own testimonies of the truth of the lesson!

Jake labeled the "Book of Mormon" nail for us. Then we started to discuss other forms of scripture the Lord has given to us.

Modern day scripture. Proof that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that same gospel that he set up in the New Testament, with authority from God exists on the earth again today. We have a modern day prophet and God still speaks to His children through them! How great is that?!

Yet another nail to secure our knowledge and testimony of Jesus Christ. Mallory labeled this one "DandC", or Doctrine and Covenants.

The "Pearl of Great Price" came next. Accounts from the great prophets Moses & Abraham. An addition to the great books found in the Old Testament!

And then we threw in a 5th nail to represent "Prophets and Apostles". They speak to us each month through the Ensign, New Era & Friend magazines. Twice a year we get to participate in General Conference, where we receive further instruction and encouragement on how to live a more Christlike life.

After all the nails were in Ryan flipped the boards over to reveal words written in the corners of the top and bottom boards. "Alive Today".

Because of the scriptures we can know that Christ truly lives! He lived as an example and set the perfect pattern for our lives. He suffered in Gethsemane for our sins and experienced our sorrows, so that he would know how to succor us in our trials. He died for us on the cross, paying the price required for the great gift of repentance. And then he was resurrected, and lives with God, our Heavenly Father, in the flesh. Because of this resurrection, we all will be resurrected! We all have the opportunity to be sealed to our families so that we can live forever with our families, in His presence.

"Has A True Church" is written on the other corner.

In the Bible we are taught about the organization of Christ's church on the earth. Then we are taught about the great apostasy that took place after he was killed. The prophets were killed and the church was taken from the earth.

In the Book of Mormon we read further about the organization of Christ's church, when after he was resurrected he came to his people in the America's and organized his church here, with Prophets and Apostles, just as it was in Jerusalem.

In the Doctrine & Covenants we witness the organization of His church once again on the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. We can read his account of that sacred day that he was visited by God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no question in my mind that this event took place, and that we now have the Church of Jesus Christ back on the earth, with direct authority from God and the keys to fulfill all blessings available to all of God's children on the earth, blessings that are bound for all Eternity, if we choose to live worthy of the blessings of the great Atonement!

Joseph Smith was a prophet, just as Moses and Abraham were prophets! Christ's church is once again on the Earth, and it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I could no sooner deny the truth of those two statements, than I could deny that there is a hand at the end of my arm! Denying does not change the truthfulness of the situation, it only denies us the privileges that are ours if we believe, do our best and put our faith and trust in the Atonement and in God's plan.

This lesson further strengthened my testimony in the value of scripture. All of them. We love the Bible. We treasure it. And we also treasure the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine in Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price & our modern day prophets and apostles. It is the combination of these things that leaves us without doubt that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the World, our only way back to our Father, our Redeemer, our Brother, our Friend and our Advocate!

The Sabbath and The Atonement

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000

My Sister in Law, Jana, shared this quote with me. It is so powerful, and definitely something I wanted to share. It has really made me take a deeper look at the things I am doing on Sundays, and the attitude I am doing them in. How powerful to think about the direct connection between Sabbath observance and the Atonement!

"He Is Risen" by Del Parson

"Our observance or nonobservance of the Sabbath is an unerring measure of our attitude toward the Lord and toward his suffering in Gethsemane, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead. It is a sign of whether we are Christians in very deed, or whether our conversion is so shallow that commemoration of his atoning sacrifice means little or nothing to us."

("The Sabbath Day", Ensign, 1975. Quoted by Elder Earl C. Tingey 2000)

"To Everyone I Know During This Election"

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I'm getting a ~~little~~ LOT tired of all the mean comments people are saying about each other throughout all of the politic-ey stuff right now. That motivated me to make this post:

"WOW! I don't throw my opinion about politics in very often. However, I would like to say that I think the hate being thrown around because of differing opinions is insane...if not a little frightening! I read a post the other day where people were quoted saying they want to kill Ann Romney! What in the world?! We can't let politics rob us of our humanity and respect for others having a different opinion than our own. It divides our country in a frightening way! Each one of us have life experiences and beliefs that lead us to choose one way or the other. We aren't all going to see things the same way. We have to stop using rudeness and put downs to try to convince other people to follow our own way of thinking. Passion about something is good, using that passion as a weapon against someone with different passions than our own, not good. We have to use our passion to enlighten and help others consider a different point of view and then let them choose their own way. Being mean about something is NEVER effective! It makes people defensive and even more closed to seeing things any other way. Man, I can't wait until November gets here, hopefully whatever the outcome is we can go back to treating each other with more kindness!"

My cousins hubby then linked to this article, which motivated me to post all of this here. I think it is so important for people to read. It is short and to the point, but it is really the absolute best way to state the effect all of the negativity can have on relationship. Click, Read and Share! (Thanks Tom!)

"TO EVERYONE I KNOW DURING THIS ELECTION"

Dairy Free Caramels, Caramel Sauce & Milk Duds! OH YEAH!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:00:00 +0000

HOLY SMOKES I DID IT!!

My hubby is allergic to dairy. I have mentioned this before. Well, I am a soul that enjoys a good challenge, so while boasting about my abilities to figure out non-dairy recipes for things that my hubby used to love my son offered up this challenge: "Mom, I will not believe that you are the master of all things non-dairy (Ok, maybe not his exact words, but close) until you can figure out a way to make dairy free Milk Duds!"

This little turkey! Surely he thought of the most milky pleasure my husband had ever indulged in and tossed it out to me as an impossibility....but alas young one, don't you know that your mother thrives when faced with such a challenge?!

Jakob, Ladies and Gentlemen, my dear previously Milk Dud deprived husband....allow me to introduce to you not one, but THREE heavenly creations! I give you......

DAIRY FREE HEAVENLY CARAMEL SAUCE,

DAIRY FREE HEAVENLY CARAMELS

and

DAIRY FREE MILK DUDS

All divine! Caramel as good as the original milky version...with just the slightest coconut flavor to push it over the edge of amazing! ENJOY!

(and now I shall go and find my humility once again! I let this one get to my head a little!)

Alright, before we get too far into this, please make sure you have an accurately working candy thermometer, wax paper and I highly suggest parchment paper....cause it is amazing!

The ingredients you will need for the caramel portion are:

*1 cup Dairy Free Butter - Unsalted. (I used Best Life Butter)

*1 cup Light Corn Syrup

*14 oz of full fat Coconut Milk (I like Taste of Thai best)

*2 1/4 cup Brown Sugar

*1 tsp. Vanilla

You will also need around 1 hour cooking time, plus time for wrapping caramels. This recipe should make about 50 caramels, depending on size.

Alrighty! Let's get started!

Cut butter into smaller, even sized pieces, so it melts evenly. Melt over low heat.

Carefully add sugar to the center of the pan. You don't want the sugar to crystallize on the side of the pan, or your caramel will turn out grainy. Not good. Just stir it in until it is well mixed, like this.....

Now stir in your Corn Syrup.

Then your Coconut Milk. (Coconut will separate if refrigerated. That is great for recipes where you want to make a whipping cream out of Coconut Milk, or if you need the solids. For this, I just pull a can off the pantry of the shelf, shake it to be sure the solids and milk/water are combined and use it all.)

Cook and stir on medium heat. After one minute at medium, raise the temp to medium high until it starts to boil. You are only gradually raising the heat because you don't want to "shock" the candy.
Continue stirring. As you stir and as it comes closer to boiling the milk and butter will begin to blend. It should be blended or close to once it starts boiling. Be sure to keep with the stirring! It will get there!

Once it starts to boil clip your candy thermometer onto the side of your pan. MAKE SURE the thermometer isn't touching the bottom of your pan.
Reduce your heat to medium, and adjust as necessary to keep an even rolling boil.
KEEP STIRRING! If you don't stir your caramel enough the butter will separate and you will end up with a greasy batch of caramel! Caramel takes a lot of time and a lot of work, but it is SO worth it in the end!

Temperature does not raise at a steady rate! Watch carefully!
When your thermometer reaches 230-233 degrees if want to pull any caramel out for caramel dip or sauce for ice-cream, apple crisp, or whatever, this would be the time to do it.
At 234-240 degrees, caramel is ready for apples, if you want to go that route....or any other sort of thing you might want to dip for a caramel coating.

When the thermometer reaches 244 degrees (which will take about 30-45 min or so, from the start), remove the caramel from heat.
Stir in Vanilla.

Pour Caramel onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Non-Dairy butter separates different from normal butter. This caused a different look to my caramel when I poured it out. No worries! It evened out and looked and tasted fantastic!
Cool for several hours!

Once it is cooled you can use a knife, scissors, pizza cutter or whatever you fancy, to cut the caramels into pieces. Wrap in wax paper.

AS FOR THE MILK DUDS......

Oh thank heavens for Ghiradelli semi- sweet chocolate chips! They are dairy free....did you know? Yes, they are semi sweet, so you don't get the same milk chocolate sweetness, but for a man deprived of all things chocolate until the discovery of these treasures, it was manna from heaven! Besides, the sweetness of the caramel counters the semi sweetness of the chocolate! They are delish!
I melted a bag of these chips in a bowl in the microwave. Remember to melt for 30 seconds and stir, then melt and stir, until they are totally melted.
I dropped each piece into the chocolate and picked it back up using 2 spoons. If you can find a better way, go for it! Just be sure to work fast! The caramels will melt in the hot chocolate and the chocolate will gradually get harder.
Place each piece on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in the fridge to harden the chocolate.

ENJOY!

Letters to English Teachers

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The other day Jake came home with a homework assignment for me. His English teacher wanted me to write her a letter about Jake. She wanted to get to know him a little more. She said it was to be in "1 million words or less". LOL! That's a lot of words....even for me! :) Here is what I wrote about my Jake......

Mrs. Otto,

Jake is hands down one of the best, sweetest, smartest kids I know!

Jake is the first child in our family. When he was younger he was ALL OVER THE PLACE! Full of energy and curiosity, it was hard to keep up with him! As he has grown, it has been amazing to see the young man he is becoming.

I would have to say that the event that most contributes to making Jake who he is, was the birth of his twin, and only, siblings. Mallory and Dawson were born when Jake was 5. They were born 3 ½ months early. We lived in Idaho at the time, so Jake lived there with Dad, and Mallory as soon as she was released from the hospital at 3 months. I lived in Utah at Primary Children’s Hospital for 8 months, until Dawson was released. I missed all of Jake’s kindergarten year. That was so hard for both of us!

As soon as the twins were born Jake became a big brother to two kids that required a lot of extra help and therapy. He has always been so sweet and treasures both of them so much!

Dawson and Jake had a particularly strong bond. They shared a room and Jake was constantly playing with or reading to him. Dawson ended up in the hospital almost all of his 4 ½ years. He had over 40 surgeries, including 27 brain surgeries. He couldn’t see much, but he could tell who was around by their energy. It was really something to see. Jake and Dawson were best buddies. Dawson didn’t say much, but he had mastered “Bubba”, which is what he called Jake. Jake was the best helper! He helped with therapies, massages and playing with Dawson. He also loved to push him around in his wheelchair and make him laugh by tickling him or making funny sounds.

Two and a half years ago Dawson’s little body was tired. He had lived 4 ½ years, but that was all he could do. He passed away, with Jake by his side, on January 5, 2010. This was obviously a very life changing event for Jake. He misses Dawson so much, but he knows Dawson watches over him all of the time now, and that they will be together again! It has been amazing to see Jake experience things that have changed his life so much. He has the insight and spirituality of a 40 year old. He is such an amazing kid!

Jake’s mission in caring for a sibling with special needs has not ended. Mallory has residual brain damage from her early birth, but she is, with much thanks to Jake, really making miraculous advancements! She is in 1^st grade this year. She reads like a 4^th grader, but struggles a bit socially. Jake is constantly including her in everything he does. When he has friends over, they know that Jake will make sure she is included in whatever they are doing. They are the best of friends! His patience and love for teaching her things and playing with her speaks a lot about the kid that he is! It is really something amazing to watch!

Jake is very smart! He has an amazing ability to learn and absorb things he is taught. He does have a tendency to worry a bit much about perfection, but it really is him trying to do his very best.

One thing that would be great this year is to really push him on his creativity. He is a creative story teller. We really had a great experience with his 6^th grade teacher bringing that out in him. I would love to see that taken even further!

Thank you so much for everything Mrs. Otto! Jake is thrilled to have you as his teacher! He tells me how nice you are and that he really likes it at Lincoln Academy! We look forward to a lot of good changes over the next few years! Please forgive me for coming painfully short of 1 million words! J However, perhaps a couple of pictures will make up the difference!

Thanks for everything!

Amy Lindstrom

The picture above was included, along with this one.......

FACE LIFT!!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:21:00 +0000

YOU LIKE?!

Oh, I think I am in love! So clean! So fresh! So simple! It needed to happen! And I am glad it did!
Not all of the links are totally done or working. There are only so many hours in a day! However, they will be soon enough, my pretties!

So, why don't ya take a sec and help a girl out. See the button link to the right? ---------->

Click on it....when you are done reading this, of course!

Then, I will give you each a million bucks if you share it, or update your old one with it. A million bucks! Ok, not really! Please refer to yesterday's post about us being starving college students now. Shoot! I wish I could, but how 'bout instead I just give you all my love and gratitude! That's better anyway, right?! Right?!

If you see something that needs a little tweeking, don't be afraid to shoot me a message and tell me so. I am in the fixin' mood! Who knew the behind the scenes of this thing was such a tangled mess?! Sheesh! I guess that is what happens when you start blogging back when you had to fix everything through html....and you don't know html, but you can fake it a little here and there! Life is so much easier nowadays in blogger land, and I am thankful for that! :)

Back To School.....for the Old Man!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Oh, does this picture ever make me laugh!

Since March my hubby has been voluntarily out of a job. I'm not going to lie, I have enjoyed the livin' day lights out of it! There is not another soul on earth that I would rather spend every second with! I never get tired of him and we always find something fun to do! It has been awesome, to say the least. And now, it is time to get on with it, I suppose.

Ryan has done Heating & Air Conditioning his whole life. His Dad started a company when Ry was young, and so he started learning the trade early on. After we got married he became the Residential Manager in the company. However, he still struggled. He didn't have a passion for what he was doing for work, and since that is where you spend such a huge chunk of time, it's kind of important to be happy with it....at least that is how we felt. So, he decided to move on, which resulted in the offer to run the Harris-Dudley branch in Sun Valley, ID.

Back again! Out of one, and right back into another. However, neither of us can deny that this was the right move for us. The Lord wanted us in Idaho and that is right where we went. Every person, every experience, especially having the twins while we were there...it all was just as it should have been. We met friends that had a profound impact on our lives, friends that we will love forever! Ry ended up becoming an equal partner in the ownership of that company. They had a good company! They were successful! One of the best...if not the best in the Valley. Ryan was designing systems for 18,000 sq. ft. homes and doing work for Tom Hanks, Arnold Schwarzenegger and other uppity ups. He was providing well for our family and we were able to do whatever was required to take care of Dawson's needs. Including taking the time off work or working from his home office so he could care for Jake & Mal while Daws and I stayed in the hospital. All seemed just right.....except it wasn't.

I totally believe that each of us was sent to the earth with a "To-Do" list, of sorts. We have missions to perform, things that only we can do. When we are living our lives in a way that fulfills those purposes, then we experience joy and fulfillment. We have peace. When we are not, we may be busy, but we will still feel a lack of joy, peace and fulfillment in our lives.

Ryan was experiencing just that. The lack! Ry has never been one to define success by money or position. Success comes for him through feeling. Feelings of fulfillment, joy, peace....all of those feelings only come when we are living our lives inline with what our spirit knows we have been sent to do.

After Dawson died the feeling of that part of our lives coming to an end started becoming stronger and stronger. We didn't know what would happen next, but we knew the Lord's will would be done. Ry worked hard. The area we lived in started to feel the weight of the economy in the area suddenly taking a nose dive. Remember when we lived in our RV? We were trying to find a way to heal our hearts by having an adventure together. The Lord knew that this was a step in helping us financially for our next big move, the one we didn't see coming, but we could feel something was going to change. And change it did! With 10 days notice Ry and his partners decided that they weren't willing to go into a hole trying to save the company. We were even more anxious to move to the next step in our lives, and suddenly the opportunity was in front of our faces. The down fall was that we only had 10 days to pack up and move back to Utah. We barely had a chance to say goodbye to the friends we loved so much!

Once we got to Utah, we tried to find the next step for us. Was this the window to getting Ryan out of HVAC and on to his place in this world. Well....not yet!

Ry was asked to start a solar division for a friends company, and so he did that until we could sort out what to do next. We just kept feeling that there was purpose in the timing. And there was. He had a job, we found the house that was the right fit for us, and we were able to buy it. Then Ryan was givin the opportunity to go work in North Dakota for my sis-in-laws Dad. One week gone, 3 weeks home. January-March. It was a sweet arrangement. Then March came. We had enough in savings to take a step back, live on it, and sort out our next steps.

The last several months have been a lesson in faith for us. Each week we went to the temple, prayed constantly and sought the Lords will in our lives. We felt that was the best way to help us find the right path and opportunities. All along, every time a job was offered or a little stress was felt, we were met with a reassuring, "not yet, just be still". Occasionally we would have a strong feeling to do something, like build a music studio in our garage. We don't know why for sure, other than it gives Ryan a place to record, write & play music and for me to sing at the top of my lungs without disturbing a soul....and I like that! :) When we would start to worry, we would go to the temple and again, "not yet, just be still".

And then it came.....SCHOOL! Ryan had a career planned for him, since he was 11! He knows all there is to know about the industry. College wasn't something he chose to do. It is something he regrets so terribly. Not anymore! As of yesterday, Ryan started attending his first classes at UVU, with hopes to quickly transfer to BYU. We feel very good about him getting a degree in Mechanical Engineering, as of right now. He is wicked smart and totally could do anything he ever wanted to do. For now, this feels good, and we feel that as he starts in that direction either other doorways will open, or this will remain confirmed.

And so it starts! Ryan, Jake & Mal in school. Ryan at nights, for now, so he can find something to do, or start a business that will provide for our family in the meantime. Funny thing is that just the other day I felt a strong prompting to start school this January! Can you imagine?! 2 College Students with 2 kids in school! I laugh when I think about it, but it makes me excited to think about what lessons we all, and most importantly our kids, will learn through this experience! Certainly college will play a huge roll in their lives!

But beyond all of that I have to say, I have 100% respect and admiration for Ryan! He has my complete support, come what may! How could I not support him?! He is a 38 year old man, willing to walk away from a comfortable living to pursue his mission and purpose. Not everyone's mission is directly related to what they do for a living. Ryan's is. We know this, because of his Patriarchal Blessing...and from what we feel! I have mad respect for his willingness to sacrifice and become the OLD MAN on campus! THAT is living with Eternal Perspective! THAT is LifeUncommon! And I love him for it! We may be starving college students, and life might get a little crazy, but it will be yet another adventure under the belt of the Lindstrom Family! No doubt about it!

So buckle up my friends! You are along for this ride! Wouldn't it be interesting to be able to flash forward 10 years to see what your life looks like?! Well, it would, but since it can't happen, we are just going to trust and enjoy it as much as possible!

DON'T BE AFRAID TO GET A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE IN ORDER TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS! THE REWARDS WILL BE PRICELESS!

It Is Time For My Return.....

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Have you missed me?! :)

Maybe not.

Man, I have had a lot on my mind lately. A few months ago, when I went on hiatus, I felt like I was in a slump. Blogging slump, life slump, etc. Since this blog is a lot about the little thoughts running through my mind, with a blah sort of mind, it was getting hard to find the drive to sit and blog. I needed a change. So change we did. Over the last few months I tried to decide if I was going to come back to blogging or not. But guess what.....I MISSED IT! So, over the last couple of weeks as ideas for posts have finally started running through my head again, I decided that now was the time! I'M BACK!

We started blogging over 7 years ago, when our twins were born. All of that went down on the now named "Our Life Uncommon" blog. (Link Above) I don't think there will be a moment in my life when I am not grateful that we did that! Personal moments were shared, some were not, but as I read back through those posts I am reminded of both and the blessings that came to our family through that entire chapter of our lives. Priceless pictures and moments with Dawson, pictures and moments that remind us of the miracle that Mallory is. Pictures and moments that remind me just how strong and great our Jake's spirit is, to be able to endure such things as such a young boy, and then, pictures and moments of Ry and I enjoying, enduring, being strengthened through and basking in every experience we feel privileged to have been given! Blogs are a wonderful thing!

Over the last couple of weeks I have thought about the origination of this blog. The idea was based on feelings I had in connection with what I had personally learned being Dawson's mom. I had experienced something that forever changed my perspective, and I wanted others to feel the same hope. Weeks before Dawson died this blog was launched. I remember an article in the Magic Valley Times News about our family came out just after the blog launched. I remember feeling so overwhelmed and proud of Dawson and the impact he was having on so many lives because of the sacrifice he was making. I won't go into too much personal detail here, but I had a very special experience with him that left me without doubt that this blog was very much something that he intended for me to do. Having this blog as a venting place for me to express and grow by the things that inspire me, by internalizing the things I am learning all of the time, or because of the countless emails and endless love and support I have received from all of you....world wide, which is incredibly humbling....these are things that have been a blessing in my life. Months ago I received an email from a reader in Ukraine. She stumbled upon this blog while looking for a craft to do. She sent me an email expressing her testimony to me about how the Lord answered her prayers through a post I had done, and shared some feelings about it. I was overwhelmed by it. How else would I, little ole Amy, have the opportunity to share my testimony and passion with this woman in Ukraine?! The internet is an amazing thing! So many times since then I have received emails from people whose lives have been touched by Dawson's. It is simply amazing to me! As I have thought about this over the last little while, I couldn't help but think that the part about this blog that I am most grateful for would have to be the opportunity I have to be able to show my gratitude to the Lord for all He has given me...and for the amazing gift of being Jake, Dawson & Mallory's mom and Ryan's wife! If He asks me to bare my testimony and take opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others, then I will, with all of the energy of my soul! I have a fire in my gut to help others find hope through gaining an eternal perspective, and I guess that is what YourLifeUncommon is all about! It is about us living according to Eternal Perspective! We make different choices and follow different paths, we live far outside of the "normal" box society would like us to live within, when we live with Eternity in mind! THIS is exactly what brought me back! The fire I feel about this needs an outlet....plus, there is a whole lot of craziness going on in the Lindstrom home that needs expression! :)

What I feel is that I am back to living with purpose....plus, it seems that I do a lot more fun things when I have somewhere to blog about it! :)

So, big changes lie in store for our family! Going back to school...not for just the kids, and a whole lot of craziness! It should be a lot of fun! I will, on occasion, continue to post on "Our Life Uncommon", but I think that a lot of our family activities and goings on will make there home here on this blog! And perhaps tomorrow I shall start by telling you about the changes in our family, which included a sort of retirement and now a "Back To School" 38 yr old....and soon to be 35 yr old! We might be totally insane! :)

Anyway, it's good to be back! And if you hung on through this post....THANKS and if you hung on through my months of MIA.....BLESS YOU! I hope that you enjoy the changes ahead! :) Love you all!

FHE: "Doing Our Dailies" Teaching the effects of daily scripture study & prayers

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This lesson popped into my head a few Sunday's ago. I was sitting next to my husband in church thinking about the way I feel in my Sunday School class. We have an incredibly wise and amazing Sunday school teacher. I told my husband that I feel like a dried out, thirsty sponge, in his class. I feel myself trying to take in every little bit of information, like it is water filling me up. Then I started to think about sponges a little more and this lesson came together. Please feel free to adapt it, along with any other FHE lesson on this blog, to fit the needs of your family!

I placed an old dried out sponge on a plate and had everyone feel it. It was not pliable. It was hard and rigid.

We talked about and compared this to the scripture stories that talk about people being hard-hearted, or stiff-necked, and discussed how this happens when we aren't living our lives close to the spirit, following the prophet & keeping the commandments.

We talked about how "doing our dailies" (Daily scripture study, serve others & prayer, etc), is what keeps us from becoming hard like this sponge.

I also told them about how sometimes a sponge can become so hard that it requires a lot of wringing over and over to get it to let the water in, and sometimes that can be like trials that happen in our lives that can be used to remind us to turn to the Lord in all things.

We poured water on the sponge little by little. Explaining that it was like each time we say our prayers, read scriptures or do an act of kindness. Those actions change us.

They make us softer and more teachable.

And when we continue to do these things each day, like a sponge that has pressure applied, we "ooze" those things that we have filled our selves with. We talked about the prodding being like missionary work or being asked questions by others about our faith. When our sponge was moist, but not full, nothing came out. We lacked the conviction in our testimony, or the knowledge, to teach. However, when we have "done our dailies" consistently, our testimony flows easily.

Then we talked about how adding things to our dailies like going to the temple frequently, serving and looking for more opportunities to serve, being quick to forgive and kind to everyone, paying our tithing and fast offerings, etc, what we have put in cannot be contained. Everything we do or say is a reflection of our beliefs and conviction of the reality of our Savior Jesus Christ. It "oozes" from us, in our actions and words.

THIS is the best place to be!

We brought another hard sponge into the mix and talked about how it could represent our friends, or people we meet or associate with.

When we consistently, everyday, participate in scripture study and be sure to say prayers, serve, etc. In other words, when we fill our lives with the things of the Lord, our testimony cannot help but affect the people around us!

As our testimony "oozes" the people around us begin to feel of the Lords love for them, through us, if we listen to the spirit!

When we do everything that we can, each day, to fill our lives and minds with the spirit, the Lord can use us as instruments to reach out to our brothers and sisters around us and we can help bring them back to Him!

HIS First

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This last Sunday I had such an interesting impression during the Sacrament.

Jake was about to pass the Sacrament for his first time. This is a BIG DEAL! He has really been so worried about it. Worried that he wouldn't know where to go, worried that he would mess up or get confused....just a whole lot of worry. We had promised him that we would all be praying hard for him. So, he summoned the courage and took his place.

While I was praying for him, and thinking about how much I love this little man of mine. I suddenly had a very strong impression about my role as his mother, and Ryan's role as his father. These roles are a privilege and a calling.

Our children each come to this world with a specific purpose and mission to fulfill and the Lord is entrusting us, his children, to guide these little ones through their lives. He knows us all personally, and so He knows the order in which we should come to this Earth. We were chosen to come before our children, because the Lord knew that we would be able to give our children what they would need to meet the requirements of their lives. The interesting thing about this feeling was the sense of being a secondary parent, for lack of a better term. Sometimes I think I look at my kids as being totally mine, but they are not. They are His first! He loves them infinitely! He knows their spirits and their potential and their weaknesses, because He, our Father in Heaven, is literally our Father! Likewise, He knows us, our potential and our weaknesses, because He is our Father as well! His love for my children, and His trust in me, as well as His gratitude for the work I am trying to do with my kids, was so profound today! I know where I fall short, and so does He. I think that is why He sent this loving reminder to me today.

Perspective always seems to do a world of good! I can't help but feel a desire to do a little better, be a bit more patient, pray a little more on their behalf, knowing that the Lord will guide me in this role, when I think of my children as His children first!

FHE: Flying High by Keeping the Commandments

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This was SUCH a fun FHE! I heard this analogy once a long time ago and thought an object lesson was definitely in order! This lesson carries such a HUGE impact and really helps the kids understand the role rules and commandments play in our lives!

To start, we gathered the children around as we flew one kite.

We asked, "What are some of the commandments or rules in the gospel?" They listed some and we added here and there.

Then we asked, "What are some of the rules in our home?" They listed and we helped again.

Then we asked what the kids thought would happen if we were to cut the string on the kite. They all responded, "It will fly away!"

Then we cut the string, with plenty of gasps from the kids. The kite immediately plummeted to the ground!

We then talked about how the rules and commandments are a lot like the string of the kite. We may feel, at times, that they are holding us down, or restricting us. However, they are actually what holds us up and gives us the ability to accomplish the things we want to do in life.

We then discussed a few of our commandments, and/or rules, and how they might help us.

For Example:

Word of Wisdom = A life free of addiction. Helps us have a healthy body, smart mind, etc.

Law of Chastity = Protects us from disease, prevents teenage pregnancy, unnecessary heartache, etc.

Being Honest = Helps protect us from stress and troubles that come in relationships or with the law.

Daily Chores = Keeps our home clean and helps us have order and be able to feel the spirit in our home.

Speak Kindly = Helps us have stronger happier relationships.

.....and so on.

We brought up rules in our home or certain commandments and asked the kids to come up with a reason why they would be good for us. Having them come up with them really helps them learn to think this way about these things in their lives. It helped us all to see how important these guidelines are in helping us live a fuller life, and actually showed us how freeing rules and commandments can be!

We talked about.....

DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 82:10

"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."

When we follow the rules the Lord has set for us He is "bound" to keep the promises He has made. He has promised to give us ALL that He has! And He will!

Then, of course, we ended the night with the activity of a whole lot of kite flying! Kite Flying with a whole new perspective!