Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Wordless Wednesday: To Travel





I am pleased to list this post @ 5 Minute For Mom's "Wordless Wednesday".

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Please join us RIGHT NOW for the "Questions About Mormonism" Live Chat! (Not...It's over, but come next week!)

Welcome to the weekly "Questions About Mormonism" Live Chat. Thank you so much for being here. If you'd like to participate, just click on the "COMMENTS" link below this post and leave your comment in the box in the new window. I'll be sitting right here by my computer to answer! Please feel free to join in, even if you've been a "lurker" previously! (For all previous chats, please click HERE.)

For inspiration this morning, I have posted the following artistic rendition of The Savior and His mother entitled "Mother" by Liz Lemon Swindle...



If you are unfamiliar with our beliefs, I have also included our "Thirteen Articles of Faith" as follows...

1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first,Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

-Joseph Smith

Please uphold the following guidelines while participating in this chat:

1. This chat should be positive and uplifting, gentle and kind, so as to invite The Spirit of The Lord. We are all trying to emmulate the life of Christ and let's demonstrate that here today.

2. Please refrain from criticizing others beliefs, religions or religious leaders. This can cause contention and ..."fools lips enter into contention." Proverbs 18:6.

3. Name-calling, sarasm, insulting, and slander have no place here and will cause the offending participant to be banned from the discussion.

4. If a comment takes away from the spirit of the meeting, I, as the blog author, reserve the right to delete it.

Thank you for your visit today!

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Sunday, September 27, 2009

The 14-Year-Old Girl Sews an Eclectic Book Bag and The Winner of The Gourmet Food Storage Package!

Welcome to the 60th weekly edition of...


Thank you for joining us! If you're new to this carnival and would like to enter your post, please check HERE for the rules and regs.

Before we get started with the "YOURS", "MINE", and "OURS" sections of Homemaker Monday, let me announce which lucky reader won the Gourmet Food Storage package. This is so fun! Okay, I'm going to random.org right now....

...and the winner is....

Christine over at "The Real Life Home"! Christine, just email me your mailing address and The Food Storage Depot will send your gourmet bread mix right out. My email address is mom2my9 [at] gmail [dot] com. Congratulations!

YOURS: This week's "YOURS" had to go to Katie over at Kitchen Stewardship for her post about abortion.



While this may not seem like a homemaking topic, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that life is what makes our homes. Without life, without our families, even if we are only a family of one, there is no home.

As I've debated with my sister when it came to who I would vote for president, I have always told her that the most important platform to me was abortion. Health care, education, national security are all important, but what about the millions of children who are dying at their own mother's hands every year? To me, nothing surpasses the importance of choosing leaders who share my belief about abortion.

Please go over to Kitchen Stewardship and read what you can do to help stop this abomination. She's HERE. Thank you so much, Katie, for your dedication to the things in life which are so important. You are making the world a better place!

MINE: The 14-year-old girl is amazing and awe-inspiring to me. But then, I'm partial. I (okay, and God, oh, and my husband) created her, so I kinda like her. It's just that she's probably a better seamtress than I, as I've never sewed something this complicated, that I know of.

Here's how her eclectic book bag turned out...



I love that she picked out fabric that shows her varied interests, such as music and basketball. And I love the cute little buttons she interspersed around that outside flap...



I love this side pocket, for a cell phone, if she ever gets one...



I am astounded by the straight seams on the inside zipper compartments...



...but I think my favorite part is the lining she used for the inside zipper compartments...



...and the piping...unbelievable, as piping is not a easy thing to sew...



This is what she looks like every day when she goes to school.



It's been over 7 weeks since school has started and the bag is still going strong. Good job, 14-year-old girl! Now can you make me one?

Post addendum....The 14-year-old girl wants me to let you know that she is selling these bags for the low price of $29.99! Just leave a comment if you would like to order one!

OURS: Okay, now it's your turn! I can't wait to read all of your great homemaking advice. If it's your first time here, don't be afraid to search your archives and enter in your homemaking post, whether it's a recipe, a tip, of your feelings about homemaking or motherhood. Thank you to all who joined us today and I hope you have a great Homemaker Monday!



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A Memory: An 8-Year-Old Boy's Questions About His Father's Suicide, by a Fireplace

The following is probably one of my most tender, yet heart-wrenching memories during the days that immediately followed my first husband’s suicide. I was torn as to whether or not I should write it here, but because I have been wanting to record this event since it occurred, and I have this forum in which to do it, I thought perhaps it might not only help me, but someone else who has experienced loss as well...

This is the family I was born into (photo taken 14 months ago)…


This is what I will call my family members…


On a chilly fall morning, as I had just returned from taking the 15-year-old girl to the bus stop, I had found my husband’s body a little before 7 o’ clock AM. A few details about that are HERE, so I won’t repeat them in this post. That day, my three sisters, my brother and my husband’s father arrived into town after having found out what had happened. At the time, my husband, myself and our six children had been living with my parents in their home, as a result of the events that lead up to my husband’s suicide. I know that statement is ambiguous, but I cannot give more details about why he committed suicide than that.

As each of my family members arrived into town, they placed their belongings in any room that would hold them, or by the particular sofa on which they would sleep. I really don’t remember too much of what happened that day. There were visits from military officials, tray after disposable tray of food brought from compassionate friends and church members, trips to the store, for I don’t remember what. As the evening fell and the last of the visitors departed, we began making preparations for bed. My husband and I had been sleeping in what my mother calls the “jungle” room, as it is decorated with palm fronds, pineapples and neutral and moss green linens and wall paper. This night, however, I knew there was no way I could sleep alone in my bed. I had a terrible fear that I would wake up in the middle of the night, forget my husband was dead, then be shocked into a spiral of incomprehensible pain once the realization struck again.

So, we moved a queen-sized air mattress into the living room, by the fireplace. There are two sofas in my mother’s living room, each of which would be occupied for the night by one of my siblings. We all stayed up talking, even the kids, until late into the night. As our conversation dwindled down, it became clear that none of my other family members wanted to sleep in their usual rooms either. No one, except my father, who spent most of the next two weeks in his bedroom, I believe because he couldn’t stop crying and was embarrassed, made a move to go to bed, not even my mother. And I didn’t want to ask my kids to leave. So we got out more air mattresses, thick blankets and pillows and made room for every single person in my family to sleep together in my mother’s living room. I even moved the 2-year-old girl’s playpen in so she could be with us.

We finally turned off the lamps, placed a few thick logs into the fireplace, and quieted. A few minutes later, in the dark, with only the glow of the fire penetrating the night, I saw the form of the 8-year-old boy sit up. The 8-year-old boy is currently the 13-year-old boy, but for the purposes of this post, I will call him the 8-year-old boy. Here is a photo of him last year in Mazatlan when he was the 12-year-old boy…

(photo not available)

“Mom?” he whispered, trying not to wake those who, obvious by the sound of their breathing, were already asleep.

“Yes, Son?”

He hesitated, then continued. “Mom, did Dad know that there was poison gas in his truck?”

That morning, as my father, my brother and I had stood in the street, a few feet away from my husband’s lifeless, sheet-covered body, police detectives slowly walking around with clipboards, EMTs rolling up defibrillator cords and zipping up black leather bags, the entire block having been cordoned off by police tape, I had had time to think. I had decided that there would be no secrets, that I would tell the children the truth of what their father had done. Lies were what had contributed to his suicide and lies would play no part in explaining to the kids what had happened. My father, however, had felt differently. While we stood in the street, he had pleaded with me that I not tell them that he had taken his own life, but that I should tell them it was an accident. I denied his pleas, saying that truth would prevail in all that happened from here on out and that I would absolutely not live a lie for the rest of my life. As I turned to walk away, my father grabbed my arm to turn me back to him and with tears in his red eyes, begged me again to withhold the truth from them, suggesting a story I could use. I could say that their father had not been able to sleep that night, so he went out to his truck to read a book, so as not to wake me and the baby. He had gotten cold, as it was November, so he had lit two charcoal grills in the bed of his campered pick-up truck, which opened up to the cab, to keep himself warm. He had then become tired, fallen asleep, and was overcome by the fumes, dying quietly in his sleep.

I was amazed at the speed and ease with which my father had fabricated this somewhat believable story. But how could I tell this to my children, and maintain it for the rest of their lives? Impossible. I gently pulled my arm out of his grip and restated that I would be telling the kids the truth.

I asked the 8-year-old boy to come sit next to me on the air mattress. Pausing for a moment to pull my thoughts together, and saying a brief prayer, I answered. “Yes, 8-year-old boy, he did know there was poison gas in the truck.”

He thought for a moment, then asked, “Well, then why didn’t he get out of the truck?”

After pausing to make sure this was right, I answered, “Because he wanted to die.”

My natural voice is low and mellow, and in soft tones I went on to explain that he had been very, very sad and that he wanted to die so he wouldn’t be sad anymore. I said that his mind was sick and he couldn’t think right. I explained how we all wished he had not done this, that we were all so sad and that Heavenly Father was sad, too, and that we all wished he would have talked to someone about why he was sad so we could have helped him. I reminded him that his dad loved him very much, as he had said in the good-bye letters he had written to each individual child. I said that we would see him again one day, and even though it seemed really far away, that was something we could look forward to.

As I softly spoke these words, the only sounds we could hear were the crackling of the fireplace, the deep breathing of those who were already asleep, and the quiet cries and sobs of my mother, my sister with the 4 kids and my sister with the Ph.D. as they listened to our conversation.

The 8-year-old boy did not have any more questions at that time, but as understanding began to sink in, he began to cry softly also. I held him tight, and rubbed his hair until he was comforted and wanted to go to sleep. He walked the few feet back to the couch and in a few minutes, I could hear his deep breathing as well.

My family and I slept this way for the next two nights, all of us in the living room, falling asleep to the sound of the crackling fire. Eventually, I did sleep in my own bed, but not without the company of the sister with the Ph.D. until she had to fly back to California. Along with The Lord, my family was my rock and I never would have gotten through this ordeal without them by my side. Most of them will probably not read this, but for those who do, please know that I will NEVER, EVER forget how you were there for me. I love you guys.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Never a Still Moment (Thing One and Thing Two)













Okay, so perhaps Thing 2 will be still for a moment...







It's time for a nap now...



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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

WW: What's a 14-Year-Old Girl to do During a Mexican Slumber Party Black-Out?

Make pizza from scratch by candle light!





I am pleased to list this post at 5 Minutes For Mom's Wordless Wednesday.

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Please join us RIGHT NOW for the "Questions About Mormonism" Live Chat! (Never mind..it's over, but come next week!)

Welcome to this week's "Questions About Mormonism" Live Chat! Thank you so much for being here. If you have ever had a question about Mormon beliefs, lifestyle or doctrine, now's the time to ask someone who has lived it for 17 years. Just ask your question in the "COMMENTS" section below this post and I will be online LIVE to answer it. I will answer questions in the order in which they are received, but if I don't get to your question before the chat is over at 11:45 MST, please feel free to copy and paste it in the lavender Blog Frog widget on my upper right side bar by clicking the forum thread entitled "Questions About Mormonism 9/22".

If you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please feel free to join in the discussion and share your experiences as well! The more the merrier!

If you don't know much about Mormon beliefs, why don't you take a moment to watch this 2-minute video, featuring a message about hope, by a member of the presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf....





Please uphold the following guidelines while participating in this chat:

1. This chat should be positive and uplifting, gentle and kind, so as to invite The Spirit of The Lord. We are all trying to emmulate the life of Christ and let's demonstrate that here today.

2. Please refrain from criticizing others beliefs, religions or religious leaders. This can cause contention and ..."fools lips enter into contention." Proverbs 18:6.

3. Name-calling, sarasm, insulting, and slander have no place here and will cause the offending participant to be banned from the discussion.

4. If a comment takes away from the spirit of the meeting, I, as the blog author, reserve the right to delete it.

The following is one of my favorite artistic depictions of Christ's suffering in The Garden of Gethsemane by J. Kirk Richards...



Luke 22:40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into atemptation.
41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Again, thank you for being here and I look forward to opening doors of understanding one with another. :)

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Monday, September 21, 2009

Homemaker Monday: A Food Storage Give-Away!

Welcome to the 60th weekly edition of...


Thank you for joining us! If you're new to this carnival and would like to enter your post, please check HERE for the rules and regs.

MINE: For this week's Homemaker Monday, what could be better than a give-away? And as far as homemaking is concerned, what could be better than giving away nearly $40 worth of Gourmet Food Storage guaranteed to last up to 7 YEARS!

Yes, the Food Storage Depot, a gourmet food storage company, has teamed up with 11th Heaven to give away a HUGE bag of gourmet bread mix. It's called "Aunt Kate's Quality Roll Mix" and THIS is what you can easily make with it...



Indeed, trick your family and friends into thinking you slaved in the kitchen for hours to make these delectable cinnamon rolls and other amazing recipes. You are going to LOVE this! OR save it for that special someone for the upcoming HOLIDAY SEASON!!

Here's how to enter....

Create a link by copying and pasting the following HTML code into a blog post and publishing it, then leave me a comment here to let me know you did...




(If you're not sure how to copy and paste, just right click the above box and click "Select All", then right click the highlighted text and click "Copy", then to go where you write your blog posts, go to the body of the post, right click there and hit "Paste".)

This is what your post will look like...

"11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven is giving away nearly $40 worth of gourmet bread mix! It will seem like your spent HOURS in the kitchen making treats like this...



...but it only takes minutes! To enter, click HERE!"

(You can change the wording any way you like.)

There, couldn't be easier, right? The contest goes until midnight MST, September 27th and I will announce the winner at next Homemaker Monday, so come back here to see how you did! Good luck!

OURS: Okay, here's MckLinky! I can't wait to see what all of you wonderful homemakers have for us today. Thank you for joining us!



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