Happy Easter!

I hope all of you know how grateful I am for the gift of the atonement and for Elder Holland's eloquent message.

Remember the sunshine?

Remember back a couple of weeks ago when the sun came out and you could wear flip flops and short sleeves and work in your yard? I have evidence that it actually happened! I did work in my yard and I had two grandsons help me out. Here is the proof....

Millie Mae

What more can I say than these are cheeks worth kissing and squeezing! What a cutie!!!

My kitchen -- before and after

Over the past two, almost three years, we have been upgrading our home. We started by knocking out walls and creating a bigger living area to accomodate our growing family. We wanted to finish out the kitchen with granite but we had other things come up -- like a wedding, a new furnace, etc. Well, we finally were able to do the granite. This is a close-up picture of what it looks like. It is called Butterfly Blue and has lots of black, blue, green and purple-browns in it. I love it!

We had to replace our range and I mentioned that I wasn't a fan of putting a white range in again because stainless steel would look so much better. But I didn't anticipate that would happen. David happened to agree, so I jumped on it and we found some great on-line deals for our new stainless appliances. Thanks sweetheart for working so hard to make it all possible and for being my very own installation man! I've got a bit more painting to do but that won't happen until we open the paint cans and start the basement. No use making two messes...

BEFORE


AFTER

Draper Temple Dedication

Yesterday, David and I had the privilege of attending the Draper Temple dedication inside the temple. It was a long day of sitting, but every single minute of that sitting was worth it. We left our home at 1:30 p.m. and headed up to our assigned stake center where we caught a bus to the temple. We boarded the bus at 2:00 p.m. and took a six minute ride to the temple grounds. Upon arriving we were ushered into another stake center that is adjacent to the temple. There we sat for about an hour fifteen minutes. We spent the time doing our Book of Mormon reading and rereading D&C 109 (dedication prayer of the Kirtland Temple). About 3:15 p.m. the ushers began to direct us to one of the tunnels leading to the temple. We had been sitting in the very back of a very large stake center. Our group was directed to what was known as the baptismal tunnel which meant we went through the temple door by the font. There was more sitting and waiting in the tunnel until it was our turn to enter. We followed our usher down hallways and up stairs until we arrived at the chapel. David and I began filling a new row which placed me right on the end next to the aisle (the seat my kids used to fight over in church). After sitting my mind was filled with the reality of where I was and what was about to take place. My eyes started to burn and I knew tears were close to falling. I was in a House of God with His Prophet and some of His apostles. I knew that the Savior had walked the hallways of the temple and had accepted it for dedication. I was so grateful to be there but I felt so unworthy.

After a few moments, our usher explained what to expect next. She said that the chapel was the room the President Monson and others would pass through before the dedication and then again afterwards. It was hard to contain any of the moisture filling my eyes. I tried to read to distract my mind. I knew if I started crying now, it would be a couple of hours before I stopped.

Shortly before 4:30 p.m., President Monson entered the chapel from the back. He was accompanied by his daughter, President and Sister Eyring, Elder Scott, Elder Anderson of the Seventy and Brother Fitzgerald, a counselor to the temple president and their wives. We all stood in reverence. President Monson stopped to greet the children near the aisles and to shake hands. Then they entered the Celestial Room. The meeting was incredible! Some of the comments that impressed me were – pay attention to the artwork throughout the temple and the spirit that it conveys. Be diligent and come to the temple more often. We don’t face the difficulties that some do to get to the temple (money, distance) so we need to go more often. If I keep my covenants, my family will be together forever. A belief in the Savior is what matters most. Those sisters that I am doing proxy work for may be involved with teaching my ancestors the gospel. Bear your testimony to the person whose work you are doing. Then President Monson offered a beautiful dedicatory prayer and we participated in the Hosanna Shout. I loved every second of it. Towards the end of the meeting, the chapel felt very full and crowded. I knew that worthy spirits were there celebrating the dedication knowing that their work would soon be done.

Soon President Monson and the others entered into the chapel again. We stood again. He greeted the children and as he came to my row I put my hand out. The Prophet of God kindly shook my hand. He then reached out to David and shook his hand and then on to a darling teenage girl sitting next to David. The handshake was firm but gentle. It was a moment I want never to forget. But it wasn’t just the handshake, it was the incredible spirit that filled the room. I also had the chance to shake Elder Scott’s hand. President Eyring was holding the hand of his wife which I didn’t want to disrupt.

I have now attended four temple dedications – Bountiful, Winter Quarters, Palmyra and Draper. I have always prayed beforehand for a special spiritual moment. This moment topped them all. I am so grateful for temple blessings and to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am looking forward to Wednesday evening when we return to do our first endowment session in the Lord’s newest temple.

I called my two oldest grandchildren first and told them about what had happened. Eric’s comment was, “You shook his hand for real?” I asked them to share it with their families. I hope my experience will add to the beginnings of their testimonies of a living prophet.

And the answer is....

I thought (with the vast amount of people that read my blog) I would have more guesses on what removes red fingernail polish from polyester/nylon Baby Gap pants. Oh well, the answer is....


Yes, bug spray. It works. You saw the result. Buy some next time you are at the grocery store and keep it in your laundry room. I wonder what else it is good for besides repelling bugs.

Bad Grandma. Bad. Bad. Bad Grandma.

For all you young moms that hate childproofing your home, be warned that you never outgrow it. As soon as you think you are done, there are grandkids. Let me tell you my story. Audrey and Eliza were over the other day. I was on my way home from my Institute class while a favorite aunt was hanging with them until I arrived. When I got home, I found out that Eliza (22 months old) had found my YW pedicure basket under the sink in the spare bathroom. Not only did she find it but she was able to open three, yes count them, three bottles of nail polish. Never underestimate Eliza! I had a small dab of red polish on my bathroom rug but Eliza had part of a bottle on her darling Baby Gap pants. See first photo for evidence of most of the spill. It did continue down to the hem.

I knew I had to do something to repair the damage since it was my fault. Thank goodness for google! I found the solution. After 25 minutes of scrubbing her pants with a toothbrush they were as good as new. See second photo.

I'm not going to post my solution. I am wondering if anyone can guess what I used to get out red fingernail polish. No fair googling the answer. And, Matt and Carly, you are exempt from guessing. I will post the answer in a couple of days. Good luck!

The grand total is....

On Friday night, we attended the annual Festival of Trees celebration dinner. This is when all the board members gather at the hospital with their companions and hear the grand total raised through our efforts in behalf of children in need. This year was a tough year for Festival just as it has been for everyone else. But the community still came through and did what they could to support us. Large ticket item sales were down but shops were up. We set a record for the Expo Center with our gate. Over 90,000 people attended our four day event. So, are you ready for the grand total? It was $1,495,840.74.

And, the answer to the question is, "yes." We are already working on this year's Festival of Trees. I have been asked to chair the Aisle of Wreaths. This will be a whole new learning experience for me. I'm excited about the possibilities.

For my friends and family that are always there, thank you for your generous support. I couldn't do it without you. And I really mean that! For those that haven't participated yet, plan on it for this year. It's the best way to start the Christmas season.

I Believe in Christ

I think it is time to put into writing my love for this hymn. Once upon a time, about 24 years ago I was a Relief Society President serving in the Union 20th Ward. When I was first called I was pregnant with Erica. Somehow, with the Lord's help and fabulous counselors, I was able to fulfill the calling. Over a year into the calling, David was put into the bishopric. That brought my concern level to an all time high. The day he was sustained, I remember sitting in the audience by myself with five children, looking up on the stand at my husband with much pride and gratitude for his worthiness. During the meeting we sang a hymn from the then new hymnbook entitled "I Believe in Christ." As we sang the words in the fourth verse, "I believe in Christ, so come what may, with Him I will stand on that great day; When on the earth He comes again to rule among the sons of men" I knew all would be well because I did believe in Christ. The Savior was going to be there by my side helping me with His work. This is when I first fell in love with this hymn.

A few years went by and we moved into a new home. One year after moving in, David was called to be the bishop. My concern level was now on red alert. I didn't know if I had what it would take to be a mother and the wife of the bishop. I remember thinking that if I could only relive my first experience with the hymn I would know Heavenly Father had faith in me. I was teaching Primary at the time. On our way to sharing time we passed by the Relief Society room. The room was filled with angels singing "I Believe in Christ." I stood outside in the hall and wept. It was a tender mercy from a loving Heavenly Father.

There have been other critical times in my life that I have prayed to hear the words of this song and Heavenly Father has answered my prayers. Some were during turbulant teenage years. Some where during personal struggles. The last critical time was when I knew I was being let go from my Young Woman's calling. Today we sang it in Sacrament Meeting as the closing song. Even though we were already five minutes late, the chorister led us in all four verses.

My children know that this hymn is to be sung by the congregation at my funeral. I would like it to be sung with joyful enthusiasm. I think I will have a note put on the funeral program stating such.

The bottom line is this.....I believe in Christ, so come what may.

Who reads my blog?

I thought it would be interesting to put a counter on my blog just for the heck of it. So I did last week. I just checked it and I have 48 hits. Who is reading my blog? I only have five children, a few friends and some family members that know the address. I know it doesn't add up to 48. So, I ask again, who is reading my blog? Leave a comment if you are so inclined. Through reading my entries I hope you have an understanding of how much I love my family and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Have a great day and continue reading....

My Testimony of Families

I was asked by the Relief Society to comment on this month's Visiting Teaching message for their newsletter. I thought I would post it in hopes that it gives peace to others facing struggles with their families.

Being a mother is the most difficult job on the earth. It is also the most rewarding job on the earth. And I know that as we come closer to the Second Coming, mothering is going to become even harder. The great thing about this hard job is that Heavenly Father has given us easy guidelines to help us be successful. I have reared five children and now have almost eleven grandchildren. It hasn’t been easy. If you have lived in the ward long enough, you will know there were some scary times for me as a mother. But I have been very blessed to have my wandering children wander back home before I anticipated that they might return. I take no credit for their return but I do feel strongly that we were blessed as a family because we made the choice to incorporate the following in our routine -- We read as a family each morning from the Book of Mormon and followed up with a family prayer. We knelt in prayer as a family at the end of each day. We held Family Home Evening. We served together. We worked together. We played together. We went to church together. The key word is “together.” The willingness level often left something to be desired, but we were together as a family.

There were times that I wondered if my children would return but I knew that I would be blessed through my desire to be obedient. I clung to this doctrine taught by Joseph Smith “....the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal to a loving and forgiving father’s heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold onto the with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God” (CR, 4-29, p.110).

Serving as a Sealing Room Host in the Draper Temple this past month reinforced my love for Heavenly Father’s divine plan for families. Now I look forward to supporting my children in their role as parents. I anticipate they will have some tough times but I know they will be blessed if they make the choice to follow Heavenly Father’s guidelines. I am grateful for the Atonement. I am grateful our Savior makes up the difference after all we can do. I have seen His hand in my life and in the lives of my children. I am grateful to be a wife, a mother, and a grandmother!

Pama and Papa and Ten

If you know me, you know I love being around my family....it is the best place to be! At our last family gathering we attempted to take a picture with Pama and Papa and all our grandchildren. It was fun for us. Some of the kids didn't mind and some of them hated it. You can pretty much determine their personality types by the way they responded to my request for a photo. But we're all together on one couch for one minute and I have a memory I won't soon forget.

New mommies with new babies

We had a family dinner last Sunday at Clay and Jen's home. Here are the newest additions to our family. They are three weeks apart and I'm sure they will become great friends as they grow up together.

New Calling

What could be as good as working with 20 plus teenage girls? How about ten -- nine and ten year old girls in Primary? But I have to admit I'm a bit selfish. I wish I had them for Activity Days and that I taught every Sunday. I'm so excited to get to know them and fill my life with again with girls and giggles.

Draper Utah Temple Openhouse Assignments

Our turn to help with the temple openhouse is over and done. It was a remarkable opportunity. David spent his two shifts directing traffic into one of the four stake centers used for the starting point of the tour. Gratefully the weather held. It was cold and windy part of the time but it never rained or snowed on him. My first shift was to help in the reception area with the food (cookies and water). I was on the early shift -- starting at 7:00 a.m. Tours began at 8:30 a.m. We stocked shelves and filled trays and then sat on the stage, behind the curtain, for most of the rest of three hours. There wasn't alot of cookie traffic that early in the morning. My second shift was what I affectionately call, "Tour Guide Barbie." I rode on a bus that took 55 people to the temple. During the six minute ride I read a prepared script about temple work and the new temple. It took about 25-30 minutes for a round trip from stake center to temple and back. I probably did eight trips. It was much more interactive and interesting. I did learn not to wear a broomstick skirt on windy days.
After bus and parking lot duty we spent a couple more hours inside the temple helping visitors enter and leave the sealing rooms. I loved watching their faces as they came out.


Our very very favorite assignment was being Sealing Room Hosts. David and I did this together. We had about three minutes per group to explain the purpose for sealing rooms in the temples. David spoke of the sealing power given to Peter by the Savior. I followed by sharing what being sealed to my sweetheart and my family meant to us. We then invited them to look in the mirrors for a glimpse of eternity. We figured we were able to share our feelings about eternal families to over 800 people. I love the temple! I get to be with my family forever!