Goals

 This picture was from Pinterest under the search "Mormons" and thought it fits for this blog. My goal was to spread my message, my story and my faith. I never even saw this blog reaching so many. I get so excited to see readers from Germany, Australia , Belgium, Italy , China, japan and many more. This of course includes my country of USA. I have the upmost thanks to anyone who has logged in and read. I didn't think I would be so open about my life and faith before. I love it. I love writing and I love seeing this grow. 

Also a link from Pinterest : made me laugh and smile at this creative video. Enjoy! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IGbF24UNlJI&feature=related

Family Strengthening

So I am going to attach a link to a video from my church's website. Unto all the World This is a video on a family from Belgium who suffered a long wait to have a family. They were reminded weekly in church the importance of family, and I just loved seeing their story.


Family Home Evening is a night once a week dedicated to staying in, and learning all about the gospel and well ..one another. You have a lesson , ,music,maybe a talent,family business, scripture, snack, and prayer. Many families put in their own twists. Like the talent portion. The Snarr family from my ward adds this and Andrew and I got to see their youngest play piano. What a beautiful talent from Heavenly Father, and some patience from mom and dad! When learning more about FHE(Family Home Evening) I was a little negative at first. Andrew and I don't have kids. I don't feel like it is considered a family at times. Well when we have missionaries over, friends, or even guests that is a great time to expand our definition of family. Searching on the church website.. LDS.ORG I found a great resource for lessons for FHE. Family Home Evening Lessons  And as always Pinterest has many , many options.  Consistency is key and I know that Andrew and I could strive to do more as a couple regarding FHE. I know once we have our exchange student and Foster kids we will be able to see more of the F..Family in the FHE. But really Andrew and I are a family and so hopeful we can set a goal and make it part of the weekly life.

Boy Scout ready

The Boy Scouts have always been known to be prepared for almost anything. What if a disaster happened today in your town and you needed to be out of the house for a while? Are you and your family ready? Our church (the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ) is one that prides itself on being prepared. We are encouraged to have a food stock pile of non perishables lasting I believe three months out and to have what is called a 72 hour kit. What to keep in them is suggested on many different websites. 

Now what if you need medical info and other resources for first aide? Below is a list of suggestions that I jotted down from our church meeting. 

72 hour kit and these extras 

First aide kit for each member of the family 

CPR mask 

Possible fishing tackle box for a first aide kit? 

Inhaler or epi pen or Benadryl 

Empty bag in bathroom in case of emergency you can dump all of the meds into it

Big freezer bag instead possibly 

Bleeding bad? Use a diaper 

Dust mask 

Duck bill masks 

* adjust it by your family 

Tums 

Migraine medicine 

*rotations of kits 

Peroxide/alcohol swabs 

Ice pack that breaks when needed 

Gloves 

Blankets

Batteries  

Keep all important documents together

Cash in small denominations 

Emergency binder including 

Pens paper 

Money

-Up to day bio with medical info with blood type and current current meds

-Keep it in plastic

Birth certs (copy) 

Priesthood papers(if a member of the LDS church )

Temple sealing (same as above )

Animal information 

Family members numbers list

Allergy page for the family and current meds

Emergency question sheet(this is for those who may have a significant other whose a first responder who may be helping others and this helps you become self reliant  )

List of what's in the 72 hour kit

Phone chargers (possibly)

   

And there you go. Are you ready? We realized we need to get our important paper together and think of the nieces and siblings who often visit us and their important info as well. 

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day to remember those who give the ultimate sacrifice. So many lay down those lives for others. This phrase comes from the bible.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." -

John 15:13

So many men and women protect our freedoms. Many view Memorial Day as a wonderful day off... If one is so lucky to have it off. While typically service men and women never really get days off. Let's think of them always. 

Today our town had a beautiful parade with many service members and our firefighters :) then a service with laying wreaths down, gun salutes, taps,tears and this poem that stick out to me. 

Please Remember Me

                           (By John DiRusso)

     Remember me, America, for I was once your son

     I fought and died at Valley Forge with General Washington.

     I was there at Gettysburg on that tragic, tragic day

     When brother fought against brother--the blue against the 

           gray.

     I rode with Teddy Roosevelt on the charge up San Juan Hill

     Some came back to fight again--but I just lie there still.

     I went to France with A.E.F. to bring the peace to you

     I was twenty-one and full of fun--I never saw twenty-two.

     I'm still here at Pearl Harbor since that Decenber seventh 

           day of infamy

     Lying silently with my shipmates on the U.S.S. Arizona at the 

           bottom of the sea.

     D-Day June 6TH 1994, we hit the beaches of Normandy

     And we fought uphill every inch of the way

     We routed the Germans and hurled them back but what a 

           terrible price we had to pay.

     I served on a U.S. submarine, the bravest of the brave

     Until a German depth charge gave us a watery grave.

     I bombed the Ploesti oil fileds, they blew with one big roar

     But in the attack we were hit with flack--I'll never bomb 

           anymore.

     In Korea I heard the C.O. shout ``we'll make it--I'm sure we 

           will''

     I lost my life to try and take a spot called Pork Chop Hill.

     Vietnam! Vietnam! When will we ever learn

     I'm one of sixty thousand who never will return.

     I left my town, my wife, my kids, my home so cozy and warm

     I was killed in a SCUD attack in a war called--Desert Storm!

     And so in my eternity my thoughts are all for thee

     I'll never forget my America--I pray she remembers me.

                         

This is why I am so glad my degree is in history. To learn about these stories and heroes. I am thankful you all lived and gave up your time and lives. 

COMMENTS/Changes

I have made a few changes to the blog. Updated background and hopefull made it easier to see. I for some reaosn had some errors with those who wanted to comment...Anyone can now comment. So please leave me some advice, messages, questions, or well anything!!

The Ultimate Sacrifice

So I wanted to focus on scripture today and it struck me while reading. Two verses into my daily reading and there it is…Mosiah 23 verse 10 “ Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of truth.”  Many of my prayers have been answered, and even my prayers for others.  I used to honestly not pay much attention when I was in a bad situation and someone would say “ I will keep you in my prayers.” I just was cynical and thought “Ok what will that really do.” But now I see the importance daily. Not only for me but for those I know, and those I do not know. I see it as an honor now that someone tells me they will keep me in their prayers….and not just because I am a Mormon, but because I see the value in prayer, and thanking the Heavenly Father for all he has done for me.  I mean I have to pray and thank him daily for my life, seeing how I could have it much worse.

Alma 7:11-12 “And he shall go forth,  suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death which bin d his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, and his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

“ Thus, the Savior has suffered not just for our sins and iniquities –but also for our physical pains and anguish, our weaknesses and shortcomings, our fears and frustrations, our disappointments and discouragement, our regrets and remorse, our despair and desperation, the injustices and inequities we experience, and the emotional distresses that beset us. There is no physical pain,  no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first.  IN a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor , heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power. Indeed, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.” –Elder David A Bednar (Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease) Shared on facebook via Sister Amy Newson.      This is incredibly powerful and humbling all at the same time. Do we really ever stop and think just how much Jesus has done for us? He literally bled from every single pore. He gave his life for everyone. Whether or not we believe in him or will one day will come to. This is so beautiful. I honestly do not know anyone else who would even think of going through an ounce of what he did for us.  

 

Well after healing comes forgiveness

So Saturday two of the elders(Elder Houskeeper and Elder Anderson) helped my mom clean up and organize her basement. Turns out it turned into putting most of the stuff into my car!  So on the way home we started talking about family and forgiveness. I started to make negative remarks and soon realized I was only hurting myself because forgiveness is for you as it is for the other person. So then Sunday morning we had two guest speakers at church discussing... FORGIVENESS. So again I took out my phone and started to write down some quotes and thoughts. 

Here they are:

Forgiveness doesn't always mean forgetting. 

Reflect on why you are trying to hold yourself to a higher standard. It's okay to forgive yourself! 

Welcome imperfections. All human being are imperfect. We are human. 

Let go of others expectations of you. 

Stop being a people pleaser. For every person that has been hard on you remember someone has been hard on them. 

Take this moment to remember where you come from and why you don't want to go back. 

Meditation

Remind yourself you are a valued and beautiful self

Diary

Start a journey on paper

Seek therapy 

Faith-draw strength 

See forgiveness as a journey rather than a destination 

Value yourself

Don't let your past haunt you forever

Enjoy positive experiences

Be grateful for what you have

Look for good in life everyday 

Apologize only when the negative outlook has changed. 

Start the journey and look forward.

Think of the great future 

I want to make sure I "let it go" like the popular new Disney movie Frozen says. I want to be sure to go to Temple with all the love in my heart and no negative thoughts. Can we all say the same? What about just positive days? 

Healing

Just when I think I have been doing well a movie story line takes me back to the worst day. The movie is Return to Zero and was a lifetime more (of course) I never would have watched but my support loss group Face to Facw had a viewing "party" and I decided to at least record it and watch it in the privacy of my own home. I was a wreck the first half. Poor Andrew is seeing me ball and ask why I am watching it. The story line is about a married couple who has a stillbirth. The struggles, the real every day life thoughts. I soon was on my pone taking notes. 

Return to zero 

People will avoid you and treat you like you are diseased.

People wanting to hug you and tell you it will be ok. 

Huge difference between still birth and miscarriage 

It's not just the loss of a baby it's the loss of a possibility of what could have been. 

These all really stuck out. There was one character who went up to the grieving mother and shared Gods plan. Of course this is NOT what you want to hear in the first few weeks. I know I was there. 

What really helped lead this blog post was a missionary from my ward posting about her brother that passed away a year ago. She has hope to see him again because we believe that we will be united one day. The most beautiful thing I was told was that I will be his mom eternally.  These feelings help mend the hole but I don't think for me it will ever be fully closed. And here some of you are think my goodness she keeps going on and on about her one loss. Well sadly my number has gone up. It's not what any woman should have to go through. I pray for the strength to heal. The strength to know I am still so loved. 

Milestone achieved!

Not only is this blog thing taken off but so is our family through fostering! We have just completed our long weeks of classes and invasive questions to be foster parents. The program we are going through provides many different types but we will start with respite. This is a little different then the average foster care programs where kids are removed for a time from the parents. This is a program where parents are unable to get the help they need and call Hillside to arrange weekends where kids go with skilled and trained foster parents. The kids have to agree to this program as well! This is so different then the normal cases of foster care. This may be a lot tougher on us as well. Saying goodbye after just a weekend with them. However it gives a chance to build a relationship with the parents and help them as well when they get to the whits end point. Andrew and I are so excited to start this. And sooner then we think our house will be full! We also have our next exchange student coming in the middle of August! Our house will be so busy and we will just thank our Heavely Father so much for all of the blessings! 

#itwasMom

So another type of movement that our church wanted to put out was the #itwasmom recognition. Ovcudously I am a day late on this intended list but I had spent yesterday with my mom and just enjoyed some beautiful moments together.

My mom started off the day with a sweet text wishing me a happy Mother's Day. Later at her home she brought me outside and we shared a beautiful moment together. I just love my mom for so many reasons. She is so compassionate and caring. 

These traits were in her from day one with me. She chose to have me and try to be with my biological father because she wanted the best for me. When she discovered he did not in fact ever grow up or want this responsibility she knew what she had to do. He was more into his drugs then being a father. She divorced him and went it alone. I had a great papa and nana who helped fill in and guide me as well...but honestly it was mom who in fact gave up so much. She worked many different jobs and tried to always make sure my one brother and I were taken care of. 

She went through the worst marriages of her life because she was hopeful to have the perfect family and have two parents when all we really needed was just her. She is perfect for us. Many may have judged her and still may for how she raised us, but she is making a difference in our lives. 

So mom thank you so much for all that you have done and continue to do. Thank you for being so happy to tell people about me, my blog and my faith. This is a beautiful thing. I will always love you.