First-Time Bowlers and Vegan Cashew Kale Chips

A few days ago my 19-year-old son, on right...

...who is serving a two-year mission for our church, emailed me the following letter. It was so entertaining and useful to me, I thought I would share it with you, unedited. Thanks for listening!...

So, yesterday I was pretty frustrated so my email was lame so I felt bad. So now, while my companion is in the library to do something for his school I am also in the library and i have a little bit of time to write you a slightly better e-mail! How exciting!

Now, i must tell you that one of the most entertaining things I have ever seen in my life is what I saw when i went bowling with a bunch of old mexican men who had never gone bowling before. They would lift the bowilng ball HIGH over their heads and then swing it backwards as far as their arms would stretch and then swing with all their might to throw the ball high into the air and listen to it SMACK the lane like a comet! But some would use both hands and roll it or they would just kind of sit it on the floor and then push it down the lane. But no matter what way they pushed, rolled or threw it they would always, when the ball was curving towards the gutter, LEEEEAAAAAN as far as they could to the direction they wanted the ball to go and they would say "hay'sta hay'sta!" And if they would even hit one pin they would say things like...

"Asi hermanos, asi." It was literally the funniest thing I've ever seen.

But, mother, I must tell you about my branch mission leaders wife... she is vegan and she makes delicious food. I went to their house the other day and she pulled, out of her dehydrator that is the same one you have, a lump of what looked like dry, tangled, seaweed and said "Here, it's a kale chip." So I said thanks and then ate it. And it was wonderful. So i got the recipie for it:

1 bunch organic kale
3/4 C. cashews that have been soaked for at least an hour if possible
1/2 red bell pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 C. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. sea salt

Mix all the ingredients except the kale in a blender (I have a blentec)... take the stem off from the kale and cut it into pieces bigger than bite size because they shrink... then mix the sauce with the kale and put into a dehydrator sheet with the plastic for wet stuff... the kale pieces dont have to be seperated into each individual piece just spread along the sheet as you can (I used 2 sheets)... dehydrate at 110 all night until crispy... they dont stay crispy for more than one day... they can be put back in the dehydrator or eating like that... they are good anyways...

So thats her directions... I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things that you should remember how merciful the lord god hath been unto the children of men in preparing them delicious kale chips. now make some... because they are delicious. Also, if you want to send me a wonderful birthday present you can make some really delicious waffles, try them to make sure they are good and then send me the recipie for them so that i can eat waffles for every meal. How does that sound? Good? good.

So that's pretty much it. My companion is ready to go now so I will say goodbye and apologize for my lame letter yesterday.

OKLOVEYOUBYE!!!

P.S. Tell the kids I love their letters that they send me.

P.P.S. There is a missionary here named Elder Snow (I can't believe I don't remember his first name, I just gave him a blessing today) and he is from El Paso! How wonderful eh?

I Can't Stop Thinking About Male Circumcision...

....so maybe if I get my thoughts down on paper, so to speak, I'll be able to sleep tonight.

(intact Baby Hippo at 3 weeks, dozing on his grandma's shoulder)

I'm going to offend some of you, maybe a lot of you, but I feel compelled to speak on behalf of little boys who can't yet speak for themselves.

My circumcision history: my three oldest boys are circumcised; my four youngest are intact. Looking back, I feel horrible I let myself be so naive about the issue of circumcision. I was young, and not only was I uninformed, I was misinformed.

The official statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against routine circumcision. You can read their statement HERE.

If you are expecting a baby boy, please consider a few things...

Circumcision is the amputation of an important and sensitive organ called the prepuce, which serves many functions. You can read about its purpose at THIS website.

Circumcision is an amputation performed without anesthesia, causing the newborn excruciating pain and psychological suffering. Sometimes newborns even lose consciousness because of the pain, which would be blissful relief. Parents are not allowed into the room to comfort their baby during the circumcision, where the newborn is immobilized on a sterile table, most likely because they would not be able to endure the emotional trauma of hearing their infant's screams. I remember after delivering my third son asking an intern if I could be present to comfort my baby during his circumcision. He nearly laughed me off, as if I had asked him the most ridiculous question. He gave my baby back to me having botched the circumcision, as, being a new intern, he had performed very few. My son had to endure the agonizing pain of having one of the most sensitive parts of his body amputated without anesthesia, but he still looked like an uncircumcised male.

Which brings me to my next point. Many parents argue that their babies need to be cut so they can look like their fathers. This is the same reasoning for continuing female circumcision in many parts of the world. Many of you already are aware of the horrors of female circumcision, so I won't go into it here, but this is not a sound reason to cause your baby such pain during his first hours, days, and weeks of life. If you think about it, a little boy's genitals never looks like his father's. His are much smaller, and hairless, and by the time they may compare in size and development, fathers and sons probably aren't standing in the shower comparing too often.

Having the foreskin amputated is not only excruciating during the procedure, the recovery process takes many days, if not weeks. Think about a surgical cut you may have had to endure (under anesthesia, of course). How long did it take before you didn't experience pain related to the surgery? When I was given a routine episiotomy, my wound did not completely heal for three weeks. Is this how we want our precious, perfect baby boys to start out their new lives?

I know I have been graphic in this post, but I think it's important to say it how it is when it comes to cutting our boys in their first moments of life. If you are considering circumcision, I beg of you to just please do some research and discover if it's really worth it. And I haven't even brought up the subject of increased sexual satisfaction to both male and female when the penis is left intact. For a plethora of information on this subject, a wonderful site to visit is Peaceful Parenting.

As far as our four uncircumcised sons are concerned, we have never had ONE problem related to having left them intact. We give their foreskins no special care, and they keep them as clean as you can imagine very young boys would, but still, never has there been even one issue between the four of them.

Please don't be afraid to share your thoughts in the comment section. I'd love to get a discussion started regarding this important topic.

For those of you who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and have been suggested to that circumcision is Biblical, please remember the words of Mormon in a letter to his son, Moroni....

In Moroni 8:8 of The Book of Mormon, Christ, following his death and resurrection, is quoted speaking to the people of the western hemisphere, the Nephites and Lamanites. He says, "Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.ʺ

(intact Baby Hippo in his blessing gown at 5 weeks old)

Thanks for listening.

Addendum: I was just introduced to a site call Intact America. There is a convincing video by Dr. Dean Edell at the bottom of the home page that is worth watching. However, I fast-forwarded through the actual circumcision procedure. Go HERE.

Report on the 19-Year-Old Boy's Mission, With Pictures

August 15th marked the 11-month point of the 19-year-old boy's mission. The time has gone so quickly. He said it seemed as though he only gave his farewell talk yesterday. A farewell talk is an inspirational message given to the congregation the Sunday before a young man leaves for his mission.

It's always amazing to listen to a boy give his farewell talk, then listen to him as a returning missionary as he gives his homecoming talk. During the two years they are away from home serving where The Lord has called them, they grow into the men their mothers always knew they could be. They know how to talk to people, they've learned to trust in The Lord's guidance, they've learned the importance of family, and to be grateful for what they have, because they meet so many people who have so little, both temporally and spiritually.

And I've seen the change in my son. He is still the crazy, hilarious boy he always was, but he is SOOOO grown up now. He speaks of praying, and receiving answers to prayers. He asks for advice on helping companions with issues they are dealing with. He glories in the opportunities he has to share the gospel with his fellow man and he strives to keep the commandments to the utmost of his ability in order to have The Spirit with him.

So as part of this post, I have to share an anecdote. When the 19-year-old boy was the 18-year-old boy living at home, he loathed my blogging habit. He said there was something wrong with me because I wanted to take a picture of chocolate milk in a restaurant. (I honestly can't remember why I needed to do that, but I know it was because of the blog.) He did everything he could to avoid getting his picture taken, and he constantly made fun of me for thinking that people cared about my daily life. He also said I could use no stories about or pictures of him unless he was compensated. I ignored him.

But now, let me share with you a little snippet of the last letter he sent....

"So, with the pictures of us walking on the tracks, there are two different ones. In one of them me and my companion have pretty weird posture. Also, I know your probably dying to blog some of them so feel free. You have my permission."

I'm pretty sure he HOPED I would blog them. :)

Okay, so here goes....

I might as well start off with the afore-mentioned photo. I didn't notice any strange posture in either of them, so I posted the one I loved the most, with the back-lighting and the beautiful train track bokeh in the foreground...

Here he is in the mission home car, looking very pensive.... or posing...

I'm so glad he and his companion wear their seatbelts...

He makes lots of faces in the pictures taken of him, but these are my fave faces...

Missionary work can be difficult, and even bring you down sometimes, especially if you're proselyting in the rain every day...

But it can be fun, too, like when you're eating a delicious meal outside with a large extended family...

....consisting of a whole fish with mango salsa, beans, and Spanish rice....

(Yep, that was good...)

...or when you're being carried around by a large Polynesian missionary...

...or even when you're about to fight a bear...

Finding people who are willing to listen to a gospel message isn't a simple task, especially in Antelope...

....but when the missionaries do find someone who is ready to change their life, it is rewarding beyond imagination. Here is an investigator to whom the 19-year-old boy became very attached (on right)...

He wrote home about him, and when he said he would probably never see him again, it made me cry. It made him cry, too.

Being a missionary isn't...

The Lord didn't say it would be, but He said it would be worth it...

If you would like to be pen pals with the 19-year-old boy, please leave a comment and I'll get back with you. He loves getting letters, even from people he doesn't know.

Thanks for listening. :)

The Moments That Matter Most

Not only is this video's message one desperately needed, what with today's hectic lifestyles, the music is beautiful and the cinematography is amazing. :) Enjoy...

Entitled to Revelation

We, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, believe that our spirits lived with God before this life and that He is our father. We believe that He sent us to this earth to learn and grow and have experiences that we couldn’t have had otherwise. But most importantly, we believe that He has not left us alone in our sojourn here on this planet. He knows each and every one of us, as His children, in a way that is incomprehensible to us. Because of this, He has provided ways to communicate with us and wants to let us know He is there for us and that He loves us.

First, God has provided us with a blueprint for how to live our lives. He has done this by revealing His word to prophets, prophets like Moses, Abraham, Malachi, John the Revelator, and in modern times, Joseph Smith, Gordon B Hinckley, and currently Thomas S. Monson. These have received and do receive revelation for how God’s church is to be presided over here on earth. They have received and do receive revelation of dangers of we face and how to handle them, and ways we can prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. They taught and continue to teach how we should treat each other in our families and in our communities, how we should treat the poor and even how we should regard our enemies and those who would spitefully use us. God has taught us, through prophets, how to pray, baptize and marry. As we read The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon and other scripture, we can commune with God and learn His plan for us. We can do the same as we listen to and read the words of latter-day prophets.

Second, God has made a plan that each of us, individually, can receive revelation specific to ours needs and the needs of our family, revelation so specific, that when we follow and realize it was the right thing for us, we receive a surer knowledge that God truly does know and love each one of His children. We call this personal revelation.

Personal revelation can come in many forms, but for most of us, it comes as a quiet impression to our minds. We feel a prompting to do something and a comforted feeling as we listen to and do.

Living by personal revelation has shaped many years of my life. Because of promptings that have come to my mind through The Holy Ghost, I …

…home schooled my children for thirteen years,
…married John after knowing him for only eight weeks,
…decided to let God plan our family, and not limit the children we welcome into our home,
…moved to a little farm town in Mexico, there to raise our children,
…have limited the meat our family consumes, and…
…choose to raise our children without a full-time maid, even though we can hire one for only $7 a day.

But God doesn’t only grant us revelation for the big things in life. He knows ALL of our needs, both large and small, and guides us through our day to day living one step at a time. For instance, I was recently prompted to email a friend who just delivered a four-pound baby, a tiny girl who is still too little nurse, and ask if she needed to borrow my breast pump. It was just a fleeting thought, and one that came out of the blue, but as it turned out, the pump was desperately needed and I was able to be a tool in God’s hand and help someone in need in an unexpected way.

Then there was the time recently when I was prompted to confide something personal to a friend (and she to me, as well) and as a result, we were both able to help each other through a difficult time, and our friendship has blossomed in ways that neither of us could have imagined.

Sometimes I receive impressions on how I can improve my family life. While I was washing dishes recently (and I believe that we as women were given repetitive tasks as a way to open our minds to revelation, which thoughts you can read about HERE), disheartened by the messiness of my twins as they eat their meals, I was given an impression on how I could help them improve. I knew it was from God, because it felt so right and I said to myself, “Self, I am going to write that down as soon as a finish doing the dishes, because it’s important, and I don’t want to forget it.” After doing the dishes, I promptly forgot to write it down, then promptly forgot the prompting. I had wanted to share it in this post, and I thought for days on what it might be, but I could not for the life of me remember what it was.

This morning I remembered. As a way of teaching the twins to eat more neatly and politely, I was impressed that I should more often sit with them at the big table, instead of placing them at their little table while I clean up. This way I could observe and teach and prevent the smearing, throwing, smashing and crumbling of almost every meal we give them. This is sound advice from a loving Father in Heaven, which makes perfect sense and feels perfectly right, but somehow I’d never thought of it. It took daily supplications for inspiration on how I can be a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, and church and community member and my prayers were answered in this small, but life-changing way.

Incidentally, I received another revelation today, something about a way I could improve my family life, but because I didn’t write it down immediately, it has flown from my mind. Why can’t I remember to write these impressions down? I don’t know why, but these types of impressions have been coming to me much more often as of late, and I need to act on them. Perhaps I’m being prepared for something.

It’s my hope in writing this that I have given you, as well as myself, a reminder that we are all “heirs to the kingdom” and are entitled to communication with our Heavenly Father, who loves us. When you receive an impression on how to raise your children, how to treat your husband, or how to improve your community, write it down, then act on it. We can all change the world for the better as we listen to our Father and live as He wants us to live.

Thanks for listening. :)

P.S. My sister and I are finally getting skinnier!
See how we're doing it HERE! :)

My Fairytale Life

Once upon a time there was a young lady (or so she deemed herself) who had ten children, eight of whom were still at home, including four four years old and younger. She lived in a home her husband had built for her in a tiny farm town in Mexico, in a community of Mexican and American Mormons and Mexican Catholics.

Her children were fun, obedient, smart and cute and her husband was hard-working, brilliant, kind and handsome. He planted gardens all around their home, flower gardens, vegetable gardens, herb gardens and small orchards. Her kids went to church schools, sang in the chorus, played in the band and tackled on the football field.

But though she lived a happy life, it was often a stressful, grueling, lonely life because her husband had to work out of town most weeknights. After cleaning house and doing laundry and driving kids and cooking dinner and helping with homework and bathing kids and putting them to bed and cleaning up again, she would fill her lonely nights with anything she could think of, anything to put off going to bed alone, for she had never liked being alone. She blogged and she read and she watched movies and she talked on the phone to her sister and sometimes she Facebooked.

Then one day something wonderful happened. While attending a pack meeting with her son, she caught sight of two people she had never met. She knew everyone in town, so it was obvious this couple were newcomers. She leaned over and said to her friend, "Who are they?" and her friend thought for a moment, then offered that they were probably the new missionaries who had been expected to move into their community. The young lady looked closer and saw that they had name tags and realized that this, indeed, must be the new missionary couple. When the meeting ended she introduced herself and noticed that the wife had a big, beautiful smile and that the husband was tall and interested in talking to her baby, which was on her hip.

That night she went home and called her husband to see if he thought they should offer their mother-in-law apartment to the new missionary couple as a place to live during their time in their small Mexican farm town. Without hesitation, her husband agreed, because that was the kind of man he was.

The next day the young lady ran the block down to the street to where they were staying and, panting, she said, "We have a place you can stay if you're looking." They immediately came and instantly accepted. The young lady tried to warn them that her house echoed and her kids were little and loud and that there would be almost no instances of peace and quiet until after 9:00 at night... if they were lucky. This didn't phase the missionary couple and they made preparations to move in the next week.

That night the young lady gathered her children 'round her and told them the news. She told them that they would all have to sacrifice and not play in the adjoining playroom when the missionaries were home, and that they would need to go to bed at a more regular time and that they would have to stop yelling at each other as a means to solve their problems. She was speaking mostly to herself. She told them that their sacrifices would be worth it and that they would be blessed for serving some of The Lord's servants.

So Elder and Sister, for those were their names, moved in and the young lady's adventure began.

The young lady knew immediately that she and Sister would be great friends and the more she got to know her, the more she knew she had been right. Sister was intelligent, interesting, giving, kind and liked to talk about relationships, just like the young lady did. She used natural healing and loved to cook healthy meals, just like the young lady did. She was always interested in what the young lady's children had to say and taught them and encouraged them and kept her promises to them.

Sometimes the young lady would feel bad about all the noise her children made, try as she may to keep them quiet, but when she tried to apologize to Elder and Sister for all the incessant crying and screaming and block-throwing and carrying on, Sister said, "Oh no, we LOVE it!" Even though this is a fairy tale, she did, in reality, say that.

Elder was a different story, however. He was large and looming and never smiled and the kids were scared of him. That is until he opened his mouth to talk. He began to tell one of the young lady's small daughters about his life in Canada and began by saying, "When I was a little girl....". They all burst out laughing, more out of shock than anything, and she replied that she thought he was never a little girl, and no one was scared of him anymore after that. He also opened doors very dramatically, thus making anyone who went to visit them began laughing even before they went in.

And thus began a friendship to last the ages. The young lady no longer had only her books and laptop to look forward to in the evening after the children went to bed, but instead, stimulating conversation about child-rearing, marriage, the atonement, prayer, revelation, stories from the scriptures, and showing love to fellow men. During the days, when Elder and Sister weren't studying, or out working, or attending the temple, she and Sister baked together, learned about natural healing when family members were sick, and played each others mentor through varying challenges.

Elder taught her that thinking about problem-solving from way outside the box can have hugely beneficial results. He shared myriad ways he and his wife had helped their children through the trials of life and showed such love and concern for the young lady and especially all of her children. He taught her baby to trust someone outside the family circle, he made the twins laugh, complimented the girls, teased the boys and even helped the young lady's teenage daughter decide she wanted to be the best she could be, because of his and Sister's example.

Elder and Sister experienced joy and heartache with the young lady and her family. They watched as her baby, who was about the size of a baby hippo, and sometimes even referred to as such, learned to walk and talk and wave good-bye. And they cried and brought food as the young lady's husband went through the grieving process after suddenly losing his mother.

The young lady watched Elder and Sister serve and learn and study and love and learned from their example. And every day, when they taught her something new, she wrote it down, so she wouldn't forget it. In the evening after things settled she looked for the light on down the hall to their adjoining apartment and sometimes took down a pastry or confection or sometimes went empty-handed, but was pleasantly surprised when there was a pie or rolls made especially for her and her family. She would share her day with Elder and Sister and they would share theirs with her, and edified her every evening. She always had that to look forward to. She knew that they would be transferred to another location one day, but she tried to push that eventuality very far to the back of her mind.

One day the young lady was asked to take a trip with the high school chorus, as she was their pianist and because Elder and Sister often traveled to the same city, she asked if they would go with her. She and Sister traveled together and never grew weary of talking about life and the gospel and anecdotes from each other's past. But after breakfast one day, Elder received a call from the mission president asking them to meet him in his office. After he hung up the phone, they all stared at each other and they all knew what it meant.

The young lady went home from the trip with butterflies in her stomach, then, after waiting many hours, received a call that Elder and Sister were being transferred.... in four days.

The young lady tried to put on a cheerful face, for why be despondent during her last days together with Elder and Sister, but too soon the day finally came for good-byes. Pictures were taken, and sentiments and hugs were exchanged, but just as the young lady was about to start weeping as she stood at the driver's side of the van, saying her last good-bye, one of her twins threw a cow bone at the puppy she was holding, so she had to put him in time out as she waved good-bye as Elder and Sister drove away.

She went back inside with a sinking feeling knowing that she would not see Elder and Sister for a long, long time, but as she walked through their empty apartment, she smiled. She thought of what her father had taught her, that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. She thought of all the wonderful memories she would always have, of all the things Elder and Sister had taught her, of the fact that she hardly ever yelled at her kids anymore, and she wept tears of gratitude that she had had them in her life.

She went outside with her three babies and watched them pick the sweet peas her husband had planted, then bring them inside and enjoy their goodness and she knew that even though her friends were gone and that she would have an adjustment to make, she had a happy, fulfilling life, one that was better from knowing them and she thanked God for her many blessings.

And the young lady and her husband and her ten children lived happily ever after.

THE END

P.S. My sister and I are finally getting skinnier!
See how we're doing it HERE! :)

My Busy, Hectic, So Good, Wonderful Day

Lately, doing service has given me something similar to a drug-induced high. Not that I would know what that's like, except for the time I took Tylenol 3 after having my wisdom teeth removed.

Anyways, it's 9:16, and my day is just about over, but up until maybe six minutes ago, it worked out that I was able to do things for others from sun-up on, and just like Jesus says, to paraphrase, it feels so good.

And just for visual stimulation in this post, here's one person I was able to serve, who is the cutest thing ever, and not even mine, but I love her so much, and even more so when I serve her, I think because I have opportunity to serve her...

So here's how my day went.....

6:15 Wake up to Baby Hippo climbing on top of me. Nurse said Hippo.

6:45 Have scripture study with the four oldest kids

7:something: Take 11-year-old boy to band

7:something else: Take 15- and 16-year-olds to school, along with one of their friends

7:50 Take a shower and blow-dry hair

8:something: Take 9-year-old girl to school (P.S. Each school trip includes loading the 4 four and under into the 15-passenger van.)

9:00 Apply make-up, do laundry, and get the 4-year-old boy ready for school

9:something: Take 4-year-old boy to school

9:45 Host "Happiness" School. It's pretty much the same as joy school, but since our boys didn't know what joy meant, we started calling it "Happiness" school and it stuck. This was one of my favorite parts of the day because one of the moms stayed and visited and we had an excellent talk. The time went by entirely too fast. This friend also offered to pick up the 4- through 11-year-olds at school and feed them lunch as I had a chorus practice at the high school.

11:45 Start a lunch of mac 'n' cheese for the twins and teenagers who would be arriving home later

12:00 Greet the babysitter at the door, give her instructions on how to finish up the mac 'n' cheese, hope she understood my broken Spanish, then head to the high school for the chorus rehearsal

12:20 Accompany the chorus on the piano

1:00 Return home, relieve the babysitter, go pick up the kids at afore-mentioned friend's house, remembering to bring her a package of cream cheese for her cinnamon rolls

1:40 Take teenagers back to school for quartet practice

1:50 Return home to do laundry and various housework

3:05 Wake up Baby Hippo before picking up kids from school, then realize that today was not early release day, so rock with Baby Hippo until he wanted to get down and play

3:25 Drive to school to pick up 9- and 11-year-olds

4:00 Encourage kids to fix their after-school snacks, then clean their parts of the kitchen

4:30 Greet the babysitter at the door again, then head out for another music group practice

5:45 While playing the keyboard at practice, begin wondering if afore-mentioned friend will be bringing her four kids over for me to babysit while she and her husband attend the temple, as per my invitation (P.S. This would be the first time they would leave the 5-month-old baby....ever), then remember that I have a piano recital to attend to support one of my piano students, oh, and the 15-year-old boy, who never mentioned it to me, hoping that I would forget

6:00 Return home to start dinner while 11-year-old boy cares for Baby Hippo, 15-year-old boy plays basketball with the twins and 4-year-old, and 9-year-old girl helps in the kitchen

6:15 Receive call from afore-mentioned friend that she and her husband would indeed be dropping off their kids in ten minutes

6:20 Make blender pancakes while a friend who stopped by to talk to the 16-year-old girl about a musical performance helps the 9-year-old girl with long division while holding the 4-year-old boy on his shoulders....while he waits for my neighbor to return home to speak with her. Thank you, K___!

6:45 Stuff down 2 pancakes, then receive afore-mentioned friend's kids, which friend says that the baby will probably cry all night

7:00 Assign oldest of afore-mentioned friend's children to keep on eye on her siblings and the 4-year-old boy outside in the play house, then encourage the 16-, 15-, 11-, and 9-year-olds to clean their parts of the kitchen

7:10 Take twins, Baby Hippo, and friend's baby into bathroom, then bathe them

7:20 Ask 9-year-old girl to finish bathing twins, ask 11-year-old boy to watch friend's baby outside in her seat while he jumps on the trampoline, then dry Baby Hippo off, lotion him up, get him dressed for bed, nurse him, read him scriptures in a soft, low, soothing voice (By the way, I've been told that I have a very soothing voice, which is good at putting people to sleep. I don't know if that is a compliment, but it comes in handy when putting a baby to bed.)

7:30 Check on 11-year-old boy caring for friend's baby and let him know that I'll be ten more minutes getting the twins to bed

7:35 Get twins out of the bath, into their sleepers, cuddle with them under the covers while we read one column of The Book of Mormon, then Who is My Mommy?, then Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?, then bribe them to race to their beds with gummy bear vitamins, then tuck them in, then hold their hands while we say a prayer, then let them kiss my hands, then say good night

7:50 Yell across the house to the 15-year-old boy that I hope he has his church clothes on because it's time to go to the recital. He did.

7:55 Put a movie on for remaining children, then grab friend's baby and 15-year-old boy and head to said recital

8:00 Listen to recital while rocking friend's baby, listening, completely in awe of the fact that my student performed a piece which originally seemed far beyond his capabilities to play, but with diligent practice he successfully learned it and it was beautiful. You can listen to one version HERE.

8:45 Return home to the kids still watching the movie, then ask the 16-year-old girl to sing Pie Jesu while I accompany her, just for fun, as my friend's baby listens in her seat

9:00 Take friend's baby out of her seat and outside for some fresh air just as her parents drive up, then explain to them that she never cried once and give them every detail of what we did and how good she was

9:20 Receive a call from John (he's out of town) and tell him about my day, then knock on next-door neighbor's door to tell them about my day also and ask them if they want to hear the 16-year-old girl and me perform Pie Jesu. They say yes.

9:22 Perform Pie Jesus

9:40 Play cards with said neighbors while having a discussion about the Atonement, personal revelation and husbands washing dishes

10:45 Blog my busy, hectic, so good, wonderful day

11:20 Pick up and nurse Baby Hippo back to sleep

11:45 Pick up and rock Baby Hippo back to sleep

11:55 Hope Baby Hippo will stay asleep

12:09 Publish blog post

Thanks for listening!

P.S. I'm finally getting skinnier!
See how I'm doing it HERE! :)

Appreciating Tender Mercies

Sometimes God just seems to say to me, "I love you, and you're doing a great job, and here's what you get for it.....", followed by a tender mercy, a blessing specialized for my personal needs at the time. Some might deem these moments as coincidences, but not me, because I prayed for them, or John or my mom or my sister prayed for them for me, and God granted them to me in the form of blessings He had waiting for me, but was just waiting for me to ask.

That's not to say that God doesn't love us when he gives us challenges. In fact, I believe it's quite the opposite. He gives us challenges to help refine us, empower us, humble us and help us to be more compassionate and empathetic. But that's the hard part.

Sometimes He just wants to give us a break. So look what he did for me recently in the middle of the afternoon, something that hasn't happened since last year....

I had just put Baby Hippo to sleep, had put THIS MOVIE on for the kids and was getting ready to play the piano for the local high school choir when I looked over to see that all of the little ones at home had quietly fallen asleep in the living area of the kitchen. I just stood there, staring at them in awe, wondering what I could have done to be so lucky. Then I realized that this was a gift from God, one that I could and should take advantage of, so I did. As I stood gazing at the angels (because all kids look like angels when they're sleeping), I decided that I would use this free gift of time to do something that wouldn't be undone in an hour, or a day or even a week. I wasn't going to fold clothes, or wash dishes, or make my bed, or sweep the floor. I was going to do something that would last. I could organize a closet, cut out a pattern for an apron, rearrange the living room or hang up pictures. Or I could blog. So I took pictures (although I dared not go into Baby Hippo's room to snap his photo as I was worried the shutter would wake him up, thus ruining my tender mercy), I edited, I admired my beautiful children, and now I'm sharing them with you. This isn't going to be undone and I feel blessed that I could record this moment as a tender mercy for years to come.

What tender mercies have you received lately? I would really like to know.

Thanks for listening. :)

P.S. My sister and I are finally getting skinnier!
See how we're doing it HERE! :)

My Missionary Son's Plea for Advice!

For years my oldest son, this boy....

....shunned and mocked my blog. He would never let me take pictures of him to post. I always had to take them on the sly. He would tell me that I could only blog about his anecdotes if I paid him. I did anyway, and never paid him a dime.

So you can imagine my feeling of surprise and smugness when he sent the following letter, but then as I continued to read, my feelings of concern and compassion. Here goes...

"Mom, I need you to blog about something for me. Sometimes when I open my mouth too wide it gets stuck open and it's hard to close. This has been going on for about 2 years but it hasn't really bothered me until about 3 days ago when it got stuck open for about 3 minutes. Since then, it's happened twice. I felt helpless and horrible. On your blog, I need you to ask your readers for suggestions as to how to fix the problem or just how to get your mouth closed again when it DOES happen. Or maybe you have a better idea for how to get suggestions."

The best Facebook comment so far was this....

"Tell him not to take the scripture about "opening your mouth" so seriously. Also, most dentists can diagnose if it's a problem with one or both TMJ's and recommend treatment options. Tell him to stop stressing out so much and just enjoy the journey."

Any advice? Mine is to go see a dentist! Thanks for listening!

P.S. My sister and I are finally getting skinnier!
See how we're doing it HERE! :)

Images of Lunch Between Mormon Conference Sessions....

To view the conference sessions, go HERE.

P.S. My sister and I are finally getting skinnier!
See how we're doing it HERE! :)

I Heart Mormon Funerals

As a volunteer organist for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it has been my privilege and honor to have attended scores of Mormon funerals over the years, both of those I didn’t know personally, and those I did, including those of my first husband and father. There is never a funeral that I attend that I don’t leave feeling a powerful resolve to improve my life and I feel fortunate that I am able to attend so many funerals. Although they are sad occasions, sometimes even tragic, I look forward to the services and am always uplifted.

Here is the time line of an average Mormon funeral….

Usually in the morning, before the funeral, there is a viewing of the body in a special room in the church. The open casket is placed near one wall of the room and there are chairs set up around the walls for those who would like to sit and visit. There is a large space for standing and gathering in the middle of the room. Sometimes there are row of chairs set up, facing the casket. At some point, either before or after the public viewing, there is a private family viewing of the body and a family prayer is said on behalf of the deceased.

Before the casket is closed, final religious garments are placed on the body, then the casket is transported to the chapel, via pall bearers who are usually young men related to the deceased.

As the casket is brought in, the congregation stands while reverent music is played on the organ. As the organist, I’ll have usually asked if the deceased had a few favorite hymns, and these I will play during this time.

Once the casket is set up in the front of the chapel, the congregation is asked to be seated and the funeral begins with an opening hymn, chosen by the family, and a prayer.

The bishop of the ward (Mormon congregation where the deceased attended) introduces the speakers and musical numbers, then the first eulogy or life sketch is given. This is usually done by a very close member of the family to the deceased, such as a son or daughter. In some cases, even a spouse of the deceased will give the eulogy, or the parents of a deceased child, but this is not always the case. These life sketches are always tasteful, personal, and often humorous. It is not unusual for Mormon funeral attendees to smile and laugh as anecdotes of the deceased’s life are shared. At my father’s funeral, for instance, where I gave the primary eulogy, I remember seeing my mother laughing so hard she was crying as I told of my father’s top ten life rules. They're HERE if you want to see.

I am always completely inspired by listening to the eulogies of the dead. The best parts of their lives are brought out and I always find myself wanting to live up to my potential so I can be worthy of such a description. For instance, I recently attended a funeral of a man who passed on in his nineties. As his son shared parts of his life, his mother’s values were also elaborated upon and I remember him saying something that has stuck with me. Most of the women here in Mexico have full-time maids, a practice I haven’t adopted, but this son told that his mother never did, that she “did her own work”. He said it with such pride, that I wondered if my children would feel the same about me, even though they somewhat resent the fact that they have to help with all of the housework now. Perhaps it just gave me the encouragement to continue on this path even though it’s not the easy one.

Then there was the funeral of a beloved lady who was also in her nineties who passed away a few weeks ago. Three of her children spoke, and they all mentioned how she always had a pot of soup on the stove, for family and friends alike, and usually had a chocolate cake on the counter. I have thought of this every time I’ve made a pot of beans since, and honestly, I think I’ve made a few more treats than before, too, just to have something tasty when the kids bring friends over.

After the primary eulogy is given, there are sometimes one or two more life sketches, one or more musical numbers, often sang by family members, especially groups of children, such as the deceased grand/great-grandchildren, then a talk on the plan of salvation is given by a member of the ward bishopric, or another member of the ward chosen by the family.

To end the funeral, the bishop closes the meeting with another hymn chosen by the family and a prayer. The congregation is then asked to rise, and the organist plays an appropriate piece as the casket is removed by the pall bearers, such as God Be With You Till We Meet Again.

Once the casket is wheeled or carried out the door, the congregation is excused to leave and the casket is lifted into the hearse. Here in our town, the hearse is an available SVU. The funeral procession then makes its way to the cemetery, where the family gathers under a canopy and others stand behind. Another prayer is said and the grave is dedicated, usually by the Bishop or a member of the family. At this point the casket is either lowered into the ground, as we chose to have it done in our family, or it is left for the cemetery workers to lower in later, and the funeral is over.

The family members then drive back to the church, where members of the Relief Society, the women’s organization in our church, will have prepared a meal for the family. This is always a special time where love abounds and family members can begin the process of moving forward.

Mormon funerals are completely personal, and almost everything is done by family or close friends. My mother-in-law's funeral yesterday was no exception. It was probably one of the best services I have ever attended. Scores of friends and family filed into the viewing room and greeted and hugged us. There were little girls spinning in their dresses in the middle of the room, and curious boys peeking above the edge of the casket to get a last look at Grandma. She would have loved to see the children doing what children do. There were tears, especially during the excruciating moment immediately before the casket was closed, but there were also smiles, and laughter, and warm embraces upon meeting people we hadn’t seen in years.

During the service the congregation was favored to hear three of my mother-in-law’s sons speak, the first of whom was John. They are all terrific public speakers and their talks reflected not only events in my mother-in-law’s life, but feelings and emotions and the effect she had had in their lives. One woman even said that as my husband spoke, it was as if he was showing us all his soul. We laughed, even Dad, and we cried, especially Dad, as we remembered all the wonderful things about a woman who has had such a huge effect on all of our lives.

The services were closed with the singing of this song, which John said was the best part of the day...



I can’t describe how the grave-side service went because I was nursing Baby Hippo in the car, but there was a good feeling there and family pictures were taken with the flower-covered casket.

We returned to the church for the family meal where we were all able to relax and began to recover from four grueling days of preparations. Our family had the fortune of sitting with the missionary couple who are staying in our home, and my mother and I had a wonderful time talking to the wife as her husband tried to keep the food the twins and Baby Hippo were eating contained to their plates, or at least to our table.

I came home from attending my mother-in-law’s funeral with a firm resolve to improve my life. I want to be a friend to all, to remember everyone’s birthday in town, to plan my day out the night before, and to be positive and happy, even if life is treating me unfairly. Thank you, Mom, for a life well lived. In the six short years I knew you, you had a huge impact in my life, more than you ever knew, I think, especially when it comes to homemaking and organization, and you are sorely missed.

Thanks for listening.

P.S. My sister and I are finally getting skinnier!
See how we're doing it HERE! :)

Images From a Mormon JV Football Team

Which photo is your fave?

PSSST! To find great deals on fun stuff to do in your area, go HERE!