KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)

The other day my sweet Avery was playing with some toys I got at a garage sale a couple of years ago.  It has a little crane with a strong magnet on the end of a string, then a truck pulls a trailer that holds a bunch of blocks with large, strong magnets on one side.  Avery had a good time connecting the magnets, then pulling them apart.  He also enjoyed putting the little blocks into the trailer, then dumping them out.  Repeat.

I love classic toys that allow kids to learn and be creative.  Toys have become too darn electronic if you ask me.  Although I am not yet disciplined in keeping the many, many low-quality toys out of my house I believe it's wiser to give kids fewer toys, and make sure the ones they have are worthwhile and foster creativity. Seeing my angel playing so well with this simple toy encourages me to dejunk our toy collections!

After repeatedly insisting, Avery finally flashed me this (below) "smile" - he didn't want to stop his playing to smile for his nagging mother.

I love the post by The Lazy Organizer, entitled What Kind Of Toys Do Children Need?.  

A while back The Lazy Organizer took away more and more of her daughter's toys because she couldn't keep her room tidy.  Eventually she took away almost all of the toys. And her daughter didn't seem to mind one bit.  She just used her imagination and was probably happier because she didn't have so much STUFF to keep track of and put away.  This is a good lesson for most of us!  The story is told in her more detailed words here: Getting Rid of the Clutter.

My Girl

Here's a picture Ashlie and I took of ourselves - just after I got my hair cut. Isn't she beautiful?  I cannot believe how old she's getting.  Ashlie is very mature for an eleven-year-old, and is delightful to have around.  She is helpful, pleasant, and optimistic.  She is talented in many things and never afraid to try new things - a quality I wish I possessed.  I am so proud of her and so glad she is a part of my life! 

 

I cut off about 12 inches, to be donated to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair due to the treatment of illnesses such as Cancer.

Ready for Church

Here are "the boys", ready for Church last Sunday morning.  Can you tell I LOVE argyle vests?  :)

The girls: sisters and friends.

Attitude Adjustment, Anyone?

Last week I turned on the TV in the middle of the day to find something to watch as I sorted papers and organized my filing system.  I excitedly realized it was 11:00, which is when the BYU devotional comes on.  That day it happened to be a talk entitled, "Selective Attitudes and The Happy Life", by Rex and Janet Lee, given at BYU in 1993.  Overall, the talk was mediocre, but there were some very true principles presented.  It seems that right now everyone I know is dealing with something really difficult in their lives and felt that these selections could be of benefit to everyone I know, myself included.

The speaker was recently diagnosed with some kind of illness that caused walking to be difficult and sitting to be painful, through which he was struggling to maintain a positive attitude.  He talked about how he hears two conflicting inner voices (this part is kind of lengthy, but worth reading).

"The first says, on a daily basis:

'Isn't it a shame.  You'll never run another marathon.  To put it bluntly, you have become to the marathon what Bart Simpson is to the Benson Scholarship. You remember all those roughhouse games you used to play with your children, and how many pleasant memories you and they associate with them?  How much of that can you still do?  And how about that week-long hike you took with your son Tom and the other Boy Scouts into the Uintas, and you'd always planned to do the same thing again with the entire family.  Forget it.  And what about Lake Powell?  It will never be the same again.  Cliff jumping and waterskiing are out of the question.  So are the long hikes that include climbing on steep sandstone hills.  Things are really bad.'

"The other voice, which speaks to me with equal regularity, says:

'Things are really good.  You are alive.  You have a job that you love.  Even better, because your central nervous system is unaffected, you can still perform that job.  There are still games you can play with your grandchildren, including many of the same ones you used to play with your children.  And Lake Powell?  There are lots of things you can do there: you can drive the boat, you can ride on the water weenie, you can laugh and joke and play with your children and grandchildren.  And, come to think of it, it isn't all that bad to be the one who stands on the bow of the boat and yells out instructions as to where to put the anchors.  What you now have is a legitimate excuse to pick the cushy jobs and leave the tough ones to someone else.  Moreover, you can still attend BYU plays, concerts, and musicals.  Just never mind those people who'll be saying, 'Who's that weird guy who continues to stand in the middle of performances?' '

Of course, we all have these two inner, conflicting voices every single day of our lives.  We all choose - many times every day - whether to listen to the positive or negative voice.  Of course, few people can be positive all the time, but the point isn't that we become happy to the point of annoyance to everyone around us, only that we try to remain positive about what is good about our situation.  "The grass isn't always greener on the other side" and we should try to see and be grateful for what's good on our side of the fence.  While I'm on this subject, allow em to add that when a person is looking for problems, he or she will find them.  The same is true when a person is looking for the good in other people or circumstances.  Believe me, I've done it both ways many times.

Here are some more quotes from the talk referenced above:

"Each of us comes to this existence with a certain set of circumstances with which we deal.  Some of you are smarter than the rest of us, some more healthy or witty or coordinated or artistic.  Most of the differences are largely outside of our control.  But we do control what we accomplish with what we have been given and, even more important, the attitude we have about the circumstances with which we came into life.  At stake is nothing less significant than the difference between happiness and self-pity."

"The nature of challenges, as well as their magnitude, will vary from person to person, but there is not a person anywhere for whom selective attitude would not affect the quality of life.  And it is equally true that for every one of us the job is easier if there is someone who can help us."

"Just as we seek out people who have successfully met challenges similar to ours and find comfort in following their example, we need to seek and follow Christ as our example in all things.  When our challenges seem overwhelming, when our choices seem to be taken away, when we don't know where to turn, the one thing we have left to do is to follow Christ's example of selective attitude.  As he told us, 'In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world' (John 16:33). "

"Selective attitudes - particularly when combined with the truths of the restored gospel - affect the quality of life itself."

These selections may or may not seem insightful to you, but I appreciated hearing these reminders again this week and I will try to be a little more positive when facing the challenges that life has for me because I truly believe that a positive attitude makes all the difference. 

God's Love for Each of Us

Today in Relief Society at church we discussed a talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf entitled "The God of Love".  I loved the following section of his talk and wanted to share it with all of you (italics added) because no matter our circumstances we can use the loving reminders contained herein.

"Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.

"God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely.

"He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.
What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us."

Source: Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God", Ensign, Nov. 2009, 21-24.

Baby Potato

This is my little couch potato:

 

He has discovered the joys of watching television.  Not just any show, mind you, but The Backyardigans. (The Backyardigans is one of my favorite kids shows.)  Periodically throughout the day he points at the chair pictured above and grunts.  When I sit him in his chair he points at the TV and grunts again.  If I put The Backyardigans on, he smiles at me gratefully.  If I put something else on (pretty much anything else) he continues to point at the TV and grunt, more vehemently.  Today when he sat down on the chair he sort of "danced" and made a sing-song sound and I think he was trying to tell me he wanted The Backyardigans.  I turned it on and he rewarded me with his super cute "you're the best mom ever" smile.

 

Avery loves the tag on his blanket.  He's liked it as long as he's been able to manipulate things with his hands.  Even when he was very small, he would play with the tags on his toys as much as the toys themselves.  Playing with his tag is comforting to him and he always wants it when he goes to sleep or when he's tired or when he's watching TV or walking around or.... My favorite is when he drags his entire blanket behind him by the tag. It was a couple of months ago that I saw him for the first time deliberately searching for his tag by running his hands across the blanket edges.  So cute!

Aren't baby hands beautiful?

Should I un-couch his potato?  I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet!

Hygiene for Haitiians

 

 My mother-in-law had the wonderful idea of doing a family service project.  Together we made 25 hygiene kits for the people in Haiti.  It may not seem like a large number, but every little bit helps, right?  Instead of buying individual hand towels (two per kit), my mother-in-law had another great idea - to buy regular-sized bath towels, then cut them down to make several hand towels.  She's a thinker!

  

 Ashlie and Olivia and their cousins, Megan and Nick, assembling kits.

 

The kids found a job for Avery - he got to throw away the toothpaste boxes, so he was involved.  For some reason, the toothpaste is supposed to be taken out of the boxes before the kits are assembled. 

If you are interested in donating hygiene kits, click here for more information.

Beautiful Bountiful Temple

At first glance this may just look like another picture of the Bountiful temple.  However, it's interesting because behind the right side of the temple there is a mountain, which cannot be seen because the fog or inversion or something was so thick.  I happened to have my camera sitting on my front seat, so I snapped a picture.

Alex & Grandpa Playin' Pool

Alex loves to play pool at his Grandma and Grandpa Jackson's house.  Lucky for him, they are always willing to go downstairs and play with him when we are over. 

 

  

Alex has an innate aptitude to all kinds of sports.  He has done well at pretty much every sport he has tried, pool included. 

How do I know?

As a continuation from last week, I am posting more about how to find out if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (or any principle of the gospel) is true.  The following is from a talk entitled "The Power of Personal Testimony", by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 



"We all know that it is easier to talk about a testimony than to acquire one. The process to receive one is based on the law of the harvest: 'For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap' (Galatians 6:7). No good thing comes without effort and sacrifice. If we have to work hard to obtain a testimony, it will make us and our testimony even stronger. And if we share our testimony, it will grow.

"A testimony is a most precious possession because it is not acquired by logic or reason alone, it cannot be purchased with earthly possessions, and it cannot be given as a present or inherited from our ancestors. We cannot depend on the testimonies of other people. We need to know for ourselves. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, 'Every Latter-day Saint has the responsibility to know for himself or herself with a certainty beyond doubt that Jesus is the resurrected, living Son of the living God' ("Fear Not to Do Good," Ensign, May 1983, 80).

"The source of this sure knowledge and firm conviction is divine revelation, 'for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy' (Revelation 19:10).

"We receive this testimony when the Holy Spirit speaks to the spirit within us. We will receive a calm and unwavering certainty that will be the source of our testimony and conviction irrespective of our culture, race, language, or socioeconomic background. These promptings of the Spirit, rather than human logic alone, will be the true foundation upon which our testimony will be built.

"The core of this testimony will always be the faith in and the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His divine mission, who in the scriptures says of Himself, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6).

"So how do we receive a personal testimony rooted in the witness of the Holy Ghost? The pattern is outlined in the scriptures:

"First: Desire to believe. The Book of Mormon encourages us: "If [you] will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, . . . even if [you] can no more than desire to believe" (Alma 32:27).

"Some may say, 'I cannot believe; I am not a religious person.' Just consider, God promises us divine help even if we have only a desire to believe, but it has to be a true and not a pretended desire.

"Second: Search the scriptures. Have questions; study them out; search in the scriptures for answers. Again, the Book of Mormon has good advice for us: 'If [you] give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart' through diligent study of the word of God, the good seed 'will begin to swell within your breasts' if you will not resist with unbelief. This good seed will 'enlarge [your] soul' and 'enlighten [your] understanding' (Alma 32:28).

"Third: Do the will of God; keep the commandments. It is not enough to enter into a scholarly debate if we want to know for ourselves that the kingdom of God has been restored upon the earth. Casual study is also not enough. We have to get in on the action ourselves, and that means learning and then doing God's will.
We need to come to Christ and follow His teachings. The Savior taught: 'My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself' (John 7:16–17; emphasis added). And He said, 'If ye love me, keep my commandments' (John 14:15).

"Fourth: Ponder, fast, and pray. To receive knowledge from the Holy Ghost, we must ask Heavenly Father for it. We must trust that God loves us and that He will help us to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The Book of Mormon reminds us:  'When [you] . . . read these things, . . . remember how merciful the Lord [has] been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that [you] shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts'.

"'. . . Ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are . . . true; and if [you] . . . ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost' (Moroni 10:3–4).

"And the prophet Alma said: 'I testify unto you that I do know that these things . . . are true. And how do [you] suppose that I know of their surety?  . . . Behold, I have fasted and prayed . . . that I might know these things of myself. And . . . the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation" (Alma 5:45–46).

"My dear brothers and sisters, Alma received his witness by fasting and prayer more than 2,000 years ago, and we may have the same sacred experience today."

Allow me to add my personal testimony to President Uchtdorf's: I have studied the principles of the gospel, I have read the Book of Mormon, pondered and prayed about it, and know that the gospel is true.  I know that President Thomas S. Monson is a living Prophet of God and that he receives revelation from God to know how to direct the Church and its members.  There are parts of the gospel I don't understand completely, but every principle I have studied out, practiced and prayed about, I know to be true principles of God.  Each person can have his or her own knowledge of the truthfulness of the gospel.  If you want to know (you have a sincere desire), it is as simple as following the steps outlined above:   Search the scriptures, keep the commandments, then ponder, fast and pray.