COME WHAT MAY, and LOVE IT!

One of THE best talks I have ever heard was delivered by JOSEPH B. WIRTHLIN just a couple of months ago. He is an apostle just like in the days of the Savior's time. He passed away last night, and I instantly thought of this talk . . .if you want to read the whole thing which contains hilarious stories, you can go to lds.org and click on general conference talks Saturday morning for October 2008. Here are a couple of my favorite thoughts from this talk:

The way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.

I have learned a few things that have helped me through times of testing and trial. I would like to share them with you: . . .The first thing we can do is learn to LAUGH. . . .The second thing we can do is seek for the ETERNAL. . . The third thing we can do is undertand the principle of COMPENSATION. . .The fourth thing we can do is put our TRUST in our HEAVENLY FATHER and HIS SON.


I hope you will take time to read the stories that go along with his talk. It was a classic! Hope all is well with each and every one of you. Much Love!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Tulips
Holidays
A bungalow house
Nieces
Kitchenware
Super sweet primary students
Grandmas and grandpas
Ice cream
Very dear munchkins
Icicles
Nephews, great ones too!
Guitar playing husband
Siblings

Do you remember doing these poems in grade school? I do! HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

TWO SHOWERS AND A CRAFT FAIR

So nothing much new here. We did have a shower for Stacie (Rob's fiancee) and went to Traci's shower! The craft fair at Bonneville (shout out to Jessie) was marginal. Nothing new.

So, I'm glad you all have exciting lives that you blog about. That is it!

Much love!

Shout out to our friend Rob Rogers!

Our friend, Rob, writes for a newspaper in Redding, California. We love Rob and his wife, Urpy (I mean Becky). They have three beautiful little girls who are 7,6,and 2. Rob is pretty cool if we do say so ourselves, not to brag about having a cool friend! So Rob wrote about the individual preferences the girls have to torture each other, commonly known as sibling rivalry. We all did it! You know the attitude; I can beat up my brother but don't you dare!

Rob and Urpy are responsible parents (how could you be cool if you weren't). Anyway, the response from the readers was scary! So to make you feel better or worse, we are going to share a couple of incidents at the expense of our children:) Sorry Bugs and Buddy.

Larkin in general was pretty good with David. However, she had a bad habit of flinging things. . . shoes, pencils, pens, whatever was handy. David has a really pretty scar right by his eye from a projectile thrown by his sibling. I do believe that was the last time she threw anything at him. However, she did launch a shoe that caused a lot of damage to a guitar (that was an expensive lesson for her). It SCARED her bad enough to cure her!

David lived to "torture" Larkin. He soon found that he could inflict pain and receive the laughter which occurs when she is in pain. He also had a bad habit of slamming doors. . .with or without fingers in them. So I had David put his hand in the door jam, and you guessed it! SLAMMED the door, not. But they both thought I was going to. . .and it SCARED him enough to not do it anymore. The same tactic worked to cure him of his biting. . .actually I think Larkin finally bit him back (without any punishment).

We guess the moral of the story is all kids have some form of pushing buttons on their siblings. However, for the record, Larkin and David were best friends. Yes, he still gives her "dead arms" and she laughs. Maybe she laughs because she knows that is the reaction he wants. . .

Simplify. . .

Last night my bedtime reading material (doesn't everyone read to unwind?) was the conference edition of the Ensign which came in the mail! Frankie had told me about Dieter Uchtdorf's message in the priesthood session and suggested I read it. He has never led me astray thus far so I dove right in!

I suppose the caption sums up his talk, "Every priesthood holder stands at a unique place and has an important task that only he can perform." This could be said of all, he was just speaking in a priesthood session. I really doubt sometimes my importance in the BIG picture. However, my small little contribution CAN only be done by me. I really do try to do what is right and be a help to those around me. Anyway. . .

I jumped right into a talk I remembered by L. Tom Perry, his caption, "In our search to obtain relief from the stresses of life, may we earnestly seek ways to simplify our lives." He talks about Thoreau's experiences at Walden Pond. Thoreau determined we need four basic things: food, shelter, clothing and fuel. Sometimes we complicate life, don't we? I am grateful for the blessings of these four items in my life. My favorite quote from this talk was William Bradford,

"In righteousness there is great simplicity.

In every case that confronts us in life

there is either a right way or a wrong way to proceed.

If we choose the right way, we are sustained in our actions

by the principles of righteousness, in the which there is power from the heavens.

If we choose the wrong way and act on that choice,

there is no such heavenly promise or power,

and we are along and are destined to fail."

Okay, I need all the help I can get, I hope that I choose mostly right ways. . .

Well, I have stalled as long as possible. I accidentally erased my quicken data and now must recreate some of it. . . AAGH! I am wondering if I must recreate it all. . .nope don't think so. Procrastination is my middle name, but alas I must begin. . .

TRIAL AND ERROR

I realize that I am going to learn many things about this blog by trial and error. . .as is true in life! Today I am trying out how to put a title on the blog. You are all so clever at coming up with catchy titles. . . props to you all!

Good news for the day: At 3:00am we received an automated call alerting us to a missing 8 year old girl. She left her house around 9:30 pm without shoes and it was cold last night. They found her walking down her street toward her house at 3:37 am! No details other than a little girl was found.

Let's see if the title worked!

So today at the store (yes I got to work with Frankie ALL day. . .it was my lucky day!), a lady called inquiring for her "brother" if he could exchange an insulated bib for the correct size. He did not have a receipt, mmm that is the first red flag! Did he remember how he paid, I can look up credit/debit card transactions? Nope, hmmm second red flag! What type and size is it? An R38 size 44x36 and he needs a 44x30. Hmmm third red flag. . .they don't make that size in this bib! Fourth red flag, I am sure those of you wear a 36" inseam in a pant would never mistakingly purchase a 30" inseam pant. . .it works both ways. The fifth red flag was that a man had already made a run at returning an identical size of bibs (but in a style that size is made in) last week!!! I smell a rat!!!!

Why does this bother me? Because his work purchased them and Frankie talked to them more than once about sizing, but they were macho and new much more than we possibly could. Consequently, there is a man in bibs which are 6" TOO long and quite honestly 2 sizes too big around! Maybe next time he will listen?

Much love!

I am not sure if I will be able to post this. . .so we'll keep it short and sweet. With the transition into "empty nesters" in full swing, I find myself reading my family members' blogs more often. So this is a shout out to all of you who entertain us with your witty stories and informative blogs! Well, I will leave you with one short story and then we will see if I can figure out the way to post this!

Picture a VERY excited 5 year old going to lunch (yes at Subway) for her birthday. She is surrounded by her mom, dad, 3 year old sister, and baby brother. Talking loudly she exclaims, "This is the best birthday lunch ever!" Every comment is made loud and for ALL to hear. She definitely wants all the attention. Then she softens her voices, looks up at her dad, and simply states, "The best birthday present ever is that my daddy loves my mommy." I did not make this story up. Yes, I did fight back the tears and thought what a good mommy and daddy she must have.

Much love!