What a Life!

1910: Born in Salt Lake City
1932: Graduates from the University of Utah
1933-35: Serves a full-time mission to the British Isles
1935: Works on the LDS Church's new Radio, Publicity and Mission Literature Committee
1937: Marries Marjorie Pay in the Salt Lake LDS Temple
1937: Called to the Deseret Sunday School Union Board
1956: Called as president of the East Millcreek Stake
1958: Sustained as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve
1961: Ordained an LDS apostle at age 51
1981: Called as a counselor to President Spencer W. Kimball
1982: Called as second counselor to President Kimball
1985: Called as first counselor to President Ezra Taft Benson
1994: Called as first counselor to President Howard W. Hunter
1995: Sustained as president of the LDS Church
1996: First Presidency issues Proclamation on the Family
1996: Becomes first president to visit mainland China
1999: Announces reconstruction of the Nauvoo LDS Temple (dedicated in 2002)
2000: Celebrates his 90th birthday; dedicates the Conference Center
2001: Creates the Perpetual Education Fund
2002: Becomes first president to visit Russia and the Ukraine
2004: Marjorie Pay Hinckley, President Hinckley's wife, dies at age 94
2004: Receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award
2005: Commemorates 10 years with Presidents Monson and Faust as a First Presidency
2005: Celebrates his 95th birthday
2006: Has surgery to remove a cancerous growth in his large intestine
2007: Rededicates renovated Salt Lake tabernacle
2007: Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center dedicated at BYU
2008: Rededicates Utah's renovated state Capitol
2008: He dies at home on Jan. 27

NO Soup for YOU!

My little Shelby has been asking for tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for the past few days. We had left overs from the other day and so tonight, she was going to enjoy the last bit of the spoils.

Just before dinner I had asked her and the rest of the kids to get on their pj's. So Shelby decided to put on her Penguin pj. I didn't realize she had them on until she had brought me one of my belts (nice silky belt) and asked me to tie her feet together so she could "walk like a penguin".

"No problem", was my response...."that would be fun.".

So, she went hopping around the kitchen and the living room like a little penguin...if only real penguins could hop. But hey, it's all part of the imagination, right?

Well, I give her a little shout out that her soup is done. When she cames into the kitchen, I was occupied with making dinner and had no idea that I had let a penguin enter into the area. I didn't know she still had her feet tied.

(you think you know what is going to happen, but you don't)

So, I say "Shelb, take your bowl to the table and get started". As I say that I see her get the bowl off the counter I see that red tomatoey liquid go swirling around and around the bowl all the way to the top..but not one drop escaped. I make a quick comment that maybe it would be wise if I gave a little help this time. So, she agreed and put the bowl back. I guess I turned around and got side tracked in a matter of a second because when I turned again...sure enough that bowl was back in her hands and was taken off for the table. Again, I see the soup go around and around the bowl, and again....not one drop. This time, Luke had enter the kitchen and caught her in the act. He mentioned that maybe it would be wise if Mom helped with the bowl. So, of course this time I was smart. You know...don't turn away from the bowl for a second or it might be gone...type of smart. I go a head and pick up the bowl, with my little Shelby standing right next to me, watching her precious bowl of soup get escorted to the table for her. The problem was...she was standing right in front of me and ...(you still think you know where this is going, but again, it just might surprise you).

So imagine if you will, me (taller than Shelby) holding the bowl at mid-drift area, and my little Shelby right in front of me, with her little penguin feet tied together. I start to move and then it happened...the Penguin has to move...so she hops! And wouldn't you know it, she nailed the bottom of the bowl with her little penguin head and there goes the bowl...flying in the air....first dumping most of the contents on that little head of hers, then splattering on the floor and the cabinets and finally the bowl comes to a graceful landing in the bottom of one of the chairs, clear across the kitchen.

I turned away thinking, I was furious! But when I got the courage to take a peek at the mess I couldn't help but laugh! Poor little Shelby thought I was laughing at her, so she started crying. Plus she is covered in her dinner, and to top it off in her favorite pj's. Little Creed is sitting in his high chair with the best view in the house...pointing at her and laughing as well. I wasn't laughing at her, but the fact that I was the mom and was thinking how wise it would be to carry it for her, then I go and blow it!

Oh, it was funny!

There is a sad part to this story...poor little Penguin ended up eating a burrito...that was the last of the soup.

Yuck overload!

I started writing this blog entry this morning and just kept getting side tracked on finishing it. This morning it would of went like this...
I got all the kids dressed, diapers changed, breakfast fixed and one off to school. Things seemed pretty under control. I had a thought, maybe it's time for Mama to sit down and have a nice bowl of cereal with Shelby, always my last eater. So, just as my nice thought crossed my mind, I got a bowl, crack the box open and sat down. It's like I had one spoon full in my mouth and the kids came running. I thought to myself, I swear you all just ate, yet here you hover over my shoulder with your mouths wide open for mine.
So, of course the spoon gets passed around the table to all the little chillins. As I sit there I am noticing a child with a green runny nose eating off my spoon, a child with a purple cloud of stank coming from a dirty diaper (that I just changed) eating off my spoon, and a child just about sitting on my head trying to eat off my spoon. I had to do as I try to teach my children "just walk away". At this point in my blog I might of written how grossed out I was, or how bugged I felt that I couldn't finish my breakfast.. BUT..
Tonight I returned home from a late night volleyball game, checked in on all my children sleeping like little angels and realized that it's all so worth it! I have 4 beautiful, amazing, incredibly funny, loving, sweet children and all the stankiness and green snot....is just temporary. They are my life!
-Gotta Love Em

Bucket List

So, last weekend my Lovie and I went to a movie called the "Bucket List". There were so many things in it that touched me about my life. There were questions brought up about Faith, Life, Death and Family. There were two questions that I remember hearing that I have thought about for the past week. These two questions are asked to the Egyptians when they died. This was to determine if they were excepted in to Heaven or not.

1. Did you have Joy in your life?

2. Did you bring Joy to others lives?

I have thought about that. Especially after my Relief Society lesson on Sunday.

The teacher talked about how we feel when we see our kids fighting. The over all answer was "we don't like it, it makes us sad, it hurts so much to see our sweet children, fighting." Then she said "what do you think Heavenly Father feels like when he sees the way we treat each other?" OUCH!

That comment, made me so sad. The world is so unfriendly sometimes, or we seem to notice it more. If only we could all be nice little boys and girls, can you imagine what this earth would be like? Just like HEAVEN! One day we'll see it and won't it be somethin?

Anyhow, that is my goal this year....to recognize Joy more in my life and by doing it...hope that someone will feel it as well.

JOY-ON!

Blurb.com

This is especially for Allison.

With your 1 year Bloggin anniversary upon us..you might want to check this address out. I am totally going to do this with my blog.

What you do is you turn your blog into a book. I just recently published a book about the year 2007. I used different pictures of places, people and things that we had see and visited all last year. It turned out great. I am currently working on a wedding book, since my pictures are still in a small box! OUCH. I did use a different company, but remembered this website that was referred to me by a friend.

Anyhow, come my year date of bloggin....I am going to publish another. This website (Blurp.com) that I am including is cheaper than the one I used for my 2007 book. Which was done through Costco.com and the software is MyPublisher. But I will give them both a shot! Anyhow, check it out. It's pretty neat. It's a little too much fun and I might give up

scrapbooking all together.

Blurb.com

A big P.S. Both of the Softwares are FREE!

Over the weekend I read this book. It is a book that was highly suggested by many of my friends here in the valley of the sun. I had read many posts on many blogs about this book and was not excited about reading it.

I hate to admit it but....it was good.

I was totally convinced, before reading this book, that it was not my style. I knew that the story line would be something that I would not be interested in. Well, I can say that I am not a big vampire lover, in other books, but this book is a good read. I have mixed feelings about reading the second book of the three. My hesitation is, I could hardly put this one down. And other things, like sleep, had to wait. I remember making soup one night...stirring the pot with one had and holding the book in the other.

If you are like me and think that it might not be your story...give the first one a whirl.

I'm sure you won't be disappointed! I never thought I would say that!

P.S. it's really fast reading...so get started!

I want an Apple.

I had a wake up call from mine ownself, the other day. This made me laugh out loud at ME and I wasn't in a laughing mood.

I was on the NOT cordless phone in by bedroom with one of my sisters. All that information in the first sentence is important for this lesson. While on the non-cordless phone a few my little babes were at my ankles wanting this and that and that and this. I told them quite nicely to "wait, I will be done soon". I couldn't stop my conversation for a minute because I was confined to my bedroom, thanks to that dad-gum phone. I mean Heaven forbid that I just put the phone down and see exactly what they need.

So the story continues.

I told them again a little less nice to "wait". And then finally after 3 or 4 times of them, literally pulling on my pants and shirt for an apple (come to find out). I said to them, "I will be right there". I then turned to my sister and with a very aggravated voice said "my kids don't know patience". All I could hear was laughing on the other end of that phone, from my sister. I then realized what I said and how I said it and why I said it and then the laughter came. What a putz I am!

It seems as if I don't know patience very well.

Lesson Learned!

Cultivate

So, I make fun little calendars for my family every year. You know the kind that I am referring to. The calendar with fun family pictures or birthdays marked in every month. The past two years I have put quotes from either Pres. Hinckley, Sister Hinckley or just a quote that I love. This year I decided to change it up a little. I rummaged through my brain and came up with 12 words that I would like to work on this year. Every month got a word and I called it my “Monthly Motto”. As I looked at January and what that month means to me, I couldn’t think of a better word than cultivate. Being the first of the year and with all the changes we want to do over the coming 365 days. As I looked this word up in the dictionary the descriptions that I love the most are:

Cultivate
1: to foster the growth of
2: to improve by labor, care, or study : refine
3: Further Encourage

At first I wasn’t sure on how I was going to make this goal work out for me. But it came to me just the other day after I received a call from one of my good friends. She told me of how her heart is broken. Her sister just decided that everything she has been taught and had learned for the past 20+ years is no longer what she believes. Her sister has decided that the LDS church was no longer for her. I thought to myself….I need to cultivate my testimony. I am not safe if I don’t cultivate. “To improve by labor, care or study.” After listening to the First Vision lesson today in Relief Society, I realized it’s all about asking the Lord. I know this is a Primary epiphany, but sometimes things I already know hit me in a different way and all the sudden….TA DA!
*Don’t’ forget to Cultivate!

American Gladiators

I have a friend that says you shouldn't admit that you like this show or even watch it. But I did and I do and I have to share this with you. If you have about 5 minutes to yourself watch this.

The clip is just over 3 minutes. Once the site pulls up scroll to the bottom and click on the "select a episode" you will want the Part 1 of Night 1.

Then click on chapter 5. Once that pulls up click on the middle of the 5th chapter to see the Ladies Eliminator. It's at about the 34 minute mark. That's the part that I thought was pretty darn funny! THis is almost to much work to see this dang thing.

I don't know if this is funny to anyone else, but I was laughing so hard....I was bawling! Luke thought I was a weirdo.

Well, if you happen to cross the clip....enjoy!

P.S. don't try this at home!

I am Half!

Today I had a funny conversation with my 7 year old. She was telling me a little bit about her friend at school named Marisol. The conversations sounded a little something like this:

Lainie: Mom, I don't believe my friend Marisol.

MOm: Why is that?

Lainie: She said that everyone that has brown eyes is Mexican. I have blue eyes and I am half Mexican. So, she can't be right.

Mom (with mouth wide open): Lainie, you think your half Mexican?

Lainie: Yes, I AM HALF Mexican.

Mom (laughing): Lainie, your not Mexican.

Lainie: I am, but just half.

Mom (eyebrows lifted): Birdie, Your mom is not Mexican and your dad isn't either, so your not half or any, you silly girl.

Lainie: (with a high pitch voice):You mean to tell me, I am not half Mexican?

MOm: Nope, why would you think that you are?

Lainie: I know Spanish words and i lived there when I was little.

Mom: Well, there are people like your cousin, Bristol and Adyan that have the darkest brown eyes, and they aren't Mexican. And there are people that have blue eyes that are. So what do you think about that?

Lainie: I knew it...Marisol wasn't right.

I couldn't believe my ears. All this time, she thought because she can speak a few words of Spanish and because we lived in Mexico..that she was magically half Mexican.

I love it, the innocence of a child!

Temple Work

I was reading an article on LDS.org the other day about sharing the gospel. Elder Russell M. Ballard urges us to have conversations about what we believe, even over our blogs. I thought it was strange at first, then I read on! I want to be part of the conversations that are going on about what "I" believe.

Well, read it for yourselves.

So I thought I would share a little about what I experience the other night. I went to the Temple yesterday with my love and had this overwhelming feeling of comfort about the other side. I sat there thinking about one day meeting the lady that I was attending for. Mrs. Peterson from Denmark, I believe! I thought of her sitting there attending with me and then I thought about what if she loves what just happened for her. And what if she can't wait to visit with me about it, one day. I sat there thinking about how close we are to the other side, while attending the Temple. As I was thinking about the people that are waiting to hear or be taught, I got so emotional. I could hardly control my emotions. That has never happened to me. So many times I attend the temple because I know that it's the right thing to do and because we are asked to. But this time, I was there to hear some promptings, to get answers to many of my questions.

The sessions that we were in had 3 or 4 newbies attending, and that took me back to when I first attended. I thought about how I sat on the edge of my chair to be filled with whatever the Lord had in store for me. I tried to do the same thing yesterday. I listened more closely like I was a newbie.

I love going to the Temple. I love that I am closer to Heavenly Father there than anywhere else. I love that I am closer to my family on the other side while being there. I love the way people treat you and look at you, while attending the Temple. I love that you can forget the world and take a step outside your life to be reminded of what is really important. I love that everyone there is striving to become better and work on becoming closer to the Lord.

It's a beautiful thing.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us yahoos!