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Year of Miracles #19

I read the following entry on another blog this week and was touched. I hope you enjoy it too as this week's small miracle.

The Brown Thread Miracle

"My friend has a company with her sister that sells incredibly soft baby blankets, burpies and wipe cases. They have a booth at Swiss Days this weekend, were running out of time, and I had offered to help sew some of the burp rags, trading my time for a blanket that I said was for Ainsley, but have changed my mind. It’s mine, all mine.

"ANYHOW, Shelley brought over 25 more burp rags yesterday, and they needed to be done by 8 am this morning. The problem - they didn’t bring the matching thread to me with the fabric. I took the rags downstairs and got to work on the ones I could do with thread I had on hand, finishing 3 before my machine started acting up. Not good. I figured that mess out and kept sewing along, until I got to the point that I needed brown thread.

"I looked and looked on my messy sewing table, and found brown thread! But enough to do probably half of the project. I got the machine threaded up and said the same prayer at least 10 times as I stitched along “Heavenly Father, please make this brown thread last until I’m done with this project. Please. After all, it’s not for me, it’s for Shelley. And this is kind of like a service project anyway. Please, please make this brown thread last.”

"Do I think God cared much about that brown thread? Nope, just like I don’t think he cares if any of those pro athletes make their free throws or touchdowns. But I know he cared about me and I know He knew Shelley was stressed, so this was an ok prayer, I decided.

"You know what? The brown thread lasted just long enough to finish the job. I could probably sew out one more burp rag, even. And my 8 am deadline this morning? They were at her house at 6 last night."

Scripture of the Day: D&C 109:21

Police Beat #4

Something to bring a smile to your face today... thanks again to the misadventures of BYU students!

An individual held a sign offering free hugs in the Harold B. Lee Library. When asked by an officer to leave, he declined to leave the area and continued offering free hugs.

BYU police were called out to assist Provo police who had pulled over a man for a traffic offense who did not speak English. Upon arrival of the Spanish-speaking officer, the man realized he was getting a ticket despite the language barrier and was able to speak English fluently.

A student reported a suspicious individual with long gray hair and a beard inside a restricted lab in the Clyde building. Upon arrival, the officer found a mannequin in the reported location.

Two male students were reported trying to capture a duck using a plastic laundry basket at the botany pond at the base of Maeser Hill. The students admitted to trying to catch the duck but said they weren’t stealing the duck, just borrowing it to put it in one of their friend’s rooms as a joke.

Scripture of the Day: John 4:23

Book Review: The Perfect Basket

A month or so ago I picked up a copy of The Perfect Basket (by Diane Phillips). I was shopping at Michael's that day and they happened to have a good sale on the craft books. I have to admit that I am a fan of gift baskets {it is so easy to personalize a gift by using baskets}, so the book looked fun to me. And boy was I right--really right! The Perfect Basket has over 50 different gift basket ideas for every occasion: from camping to getting a new pet to a guest's bedside basket.

And what is nice is that the book outlines three different spending levels for each basket. Phillips tells what to put in a "Basic Basket" (low cost option), what she calls the "More Than" basket (medium level cost), and "The Works" baskets {and boy does she mean the works! One golfers' basket includes round trip airline tickets to a destination golf resort!}

There are also a number of different food basket ideas: "Taste of the Tropics Basket;" "Festival Italiano Basket;" and the "Sweetheart Basket" to name a few. Most of these come with recipes for do-it-yourself -- or should I say bake-it-yourself? -- mixes. For example, the "Sweetheart Basket" comes with this yummy mix for Belgian waffles to put in a decorated canning jar:

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 T. baking powder
1 T. vanilla powder

Then there is the label you can photocopy to include with the jar that reads: "Beat three large egg whites to soft peaks and set aside. In another bowl, combine three egg yolks, 2 T. melted butter, and 1 cup of milk. Whisk in the Belgian Waffle Mix and fold in the egg whites with a wire whisk. Cook according to waffle iron manufacturer's directions."Anyway, I am having fun just looking at the pictures in this book and think I will be making some of the bake-it-yourself mixes to give to my neighbors for Christmas this year. Now all I have to do is decide which recipe... Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies? Cranberry Oat Scones? Too hard to decide!

Scripture of the Day: Exodus 3:4-5

Fear of God

Just a quick reminder when reading scriptures about reverence that many of them say to "fear the Lord" or "fear God." Of course, what this really means is we should have respect for the Lord and for Heavenly Father. It means that our behavior should be such that we are acting in deference to His will and our thoughts should be grounded in belief and faith. Heavenly Father does not want us to be afraid of him; on the contrary He loves us and wants us to be willing to turn to Him in all things. These concepts need to be explained to kids when reading about "fear God" otherwise they may end up having negative feelings about Heavenly Father that are unwarranted.

Oh, and yesterday I saw this darling way to help teach younger children about how to act reverent. It reminded me of when my husband used a large stuffed monkey to teach reverence to the kids in nursery class. He made the monkey act irreverent and then asked the children to show him how to behave reverently. The kids adored it!

Scripture of the Day: (one of those "fear God" scriptures) Psalms 89:7

Sweatin' It Out

Saturday morning our air conditioning stopped working. Kaput. Nada. Talk about blowing hot air! Most of the day Saturday was fine as our house held in the cool air pretty good. I was grateful for the good insulation we have. But by the night time it was uncomfortably hot. I kept waking up in the night with sweat dripping off my face. So when we woke up at 6:45 am on Sunday morning and it was already 88 degrees in our house, I packed the kids up and took them out to my parent's house. Steve opted to stay home... the heat doesn't seem to bother him as much as it does me. We came back in time to go to church, after which we headed to Steve's mom's house for dinner and a sleep over. Then we were up by 5 am to get back to our house so Steve could catch the bus to work. And it is still hot in here. In fact, it is cooler OUTSIDE right now than it is in here. Patch opened a granola bar for breakfast and said, "This is too melt-y." {Yikes, I hope I don't lose too much food from the pantry!} The fix-it people are supposed to call today to arrange an appointment. Hopefully that means they can arrange the appointment for today and not several days down the road. I would really prefer not to be sweating and driving back and forth from Gilbert/Chandler for that many days. But I will try to be patient and flexible. And think cool thoughts... ice cubes, winter, swimming pools, ice cream, slurpees, the North Pole {yeah, I am desperate}...

Scripture of the Day: D&C 5:24

Update: The fix-it guy came and diagnosed the problem as being low on freon. $119, 2 pounds of freon, and 45 minutes later the thermostat is already below 90 degrees. Looks like I will be able to sleep comfortably in my own sweet beddy-by again tonight! Yeah!

Year of Miracles #18

I wrote earlier this week that our miracle was in regard to Steve's oral surgery for an implant. He came home from the surgery bleeding a lot. The gauze was soaking it up, but after more than five hours of fairly steady bleeding I began to worry. Before I left to take the kids to my parent's house for the evening I called a former home teacher of ours who is a dentist. He did not answer his cell phone, so I left a message on the voice mail explaining the situation and then asking him to call or check on Steve later since I would be gone. When I returned more than three hours later, Steve was sitting at the computer playing a game and the bleeding had pretty much stopped. He told me that our former home teacher had stopped by and brought him some decaffeinated Lipton tea bags to use as a compress. Shortly after beginning use of the tea bags the bleeding slowed and then stopped. Maybe to our former home teacher this wouldn't qualify as a miracle--to him it might be more mundane. A daily occurrence. The simple application of knowledge. But to us his service was a miracle for which we a truly thankful.

Scripture of the Day: 1 Peter 3:8

7 Generation Genealogy Fan Charts

If anyone is interested in an easy, semi-crafty project or gift, I have a stack of 24' x 18' poster-size 7 generation genealogy fan charts for sale at my house. About 8 years ago I had these posters printed up so I could use it as a gift for my sweetheart of a mother-in-law. The minimum number I had to have printed up was 250. I have sold a lot of them at Deseret Book in the past, but then got lazy and have had them just sitting in a box at my house since then. I figure it is probably time to get rid of them.

Here's what the poster looks like filled out (I have one framed in my living room):I included birth, marriage, and death dates on my chart, but that is not absolutely necessary. I know lots of people who just put names or birth and death years. You can fill it out however you want.

If you are interested, they are for sale at my house for $10 each. They come with instructions and a practice chart to fill out as well. Feel free to call, stop by, or send an e-mail (see address in side bar)... also, I would be willing to ship them for the additional cost of postage.

Police Beat #3

Something more light-hearted after yesterday's post:

October: A student’s Jeep was stolen between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. while he was at church on Oct. 22. While walking south on 900 E. the student saw two girls driving his jeep heading north. He ran into the road to stop the suspects but they swerved and kept driving. Later a female contacted the University Police and asked if anyone had reported a stolen vehicle. She reported that she was supposed to pick up a Jeep her brother had borrowed and return it to Heber City. The keys would not work in the Jeep so she tried the column and it started. She delivered the Jeep to Heber City but later realized it was not the right vehicle when her brother called to ask why the Jeep was still in the parking lot. The Jeep was returned undamaged and the woman paid for the gas used. No citation was issued.



Around 10 p.m. on Feb. 14, a man on a bike flagged down an officer claiming he was assaulted with water balloons by a vehicle that drove by. The police then found the vehicle, a Blazer, and pulled it over to question the driver and passengers. The four adults and juvenile inside the car said they had already thrown all of the balloons out the window. However, when they were asked to leave the car, more balloons fell out. Police issued warnings and the balloons were confiscated.

The manager of the Cannon Center contacted police after receiving threats from a recently terminated employee. The suspect had threatened to tear all the hair off of the body of a co-worker. Officers spoke with the student and the issue has been resolved.

Sunday, a resident at Wymount Terrace reported flames coming from the bottom of their heater. Officers responded and concluded that it was a normal functioning heater. The matter has been referred to campus safety.

Scripture of the Day: John 13:14

Funeral Scriptures

Ever since I had a blog entry about the funeral of my father-in-law last April I have had a lot of hits from Google searches for funeral scriptures. In an effort to meet this need here are some scriptures that would serve as words of comfort during a funeral. If that is how you found this blog entry, please accept my sincere sorrow for you during this difficult time. I hope these scriptures bring you solace.

Probably the most famous scripture for funerals is :

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalms 23:4)

My other top favorites:

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (John 14:18)

In Him is the sting of death swallowed up. (Mormon 7:5)

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, see also 55, 57)

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelations 21:4)

And a few more to check out:

Psalms 116:15

Matt. 5:4

Romans 8:18, 28, 35, 37-39

2 Corinthians 4:9-10, 14-18

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 18

Revelations 7:13-17

2 Nephi 9:10-11

2 Nephi 10:25

Mosiah 18:9

Alma 11:42-44

This website, by the way, has a list of 250 poems and quotes appropriate for funerals. It even has sample eulogies and writing guidelines to follow.

Crazy Day

Yesterday was a crazy day--I am so glad today is a new day! Steve had to have oral surgery yesterday in preparation for getting an implant. I drove him to his appointment in Tempe then came home to get Sweetie Peach lunch and off to Kindergarten. The back to Tempe to pick up Steve. He wasn't quite ready yet, so I got to read both an entire Time Magazine and Cooking Light before he came out. On the drive home he was bleeding a lot and in a lot of pain, but we got him home okay.

I knew he would need a lot of peace and quiet afterward so I arranged not to take the kids home right after school. The plan was to go visit my parents, but we needed to stay in the neighborhood long enough for Kitty and Patch to have their piano lessons and for me to attend a meeting at the school. Thanks to Amazing Becky for helping pull that feat off!

After my meeting I had 20 minutes before piano lessons were done, so I went home to check on Steve. He was slowly improving, but still in bad shape. I called the dentist to see if this was how a typical recovery goes and got some advice. There was really nothing more I could do for him except keep the kids away. I was worried and didn't want to leave him there alone, but he sent me off. In fact, I gave him a pad of paper and a pen to have him write down anything he needed and all he wrote down was that the water softener was out of salt pellets and I needed to go buy 5 bags.

So I picked up the kids and we went out to my parents' house. Kitty and Patch did their homework. I made some tostadas for dinner. Then they swam while I ran to Lowe's to get the salt. Then at about 8 pm I headed home with the kids, who were given strict instructions not to try and talk to their Dad too much. We found him more improved when we got home (due to this week's Year of Miracles, which I will write about in a later post), so my worry started to subside. I got the kids to bed and took care of a few things for Steve and around the house before hitting the hay myself.

Today should be better, thank heaven!

Scripture of the Day: 3 Nephi 14:12

I Win Again!

I need to go out and buy a lottery ticket or something because today I won another book on The Well-Rounded Woman (thanks Tara :-)! This time the book is The One-Armed Cook, a recipe book written by Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Catherine Fliegel. I am really looking forward to reading through it and finding new recipes/kitchen helps.


By the way, yesterday I finished reading Freshman for President, the first book I won (see this post from a few weeks ago). And I have to say it was a fun read! What I really liked was that the author (Ally Condie) used bulleted lists, blog entries, text messages, and other unusual methods of progressing the story line. It made the read go faster and it seemed funner to read. This would be a great book for young teens--the story line is clean and solid (although there are some serious issues involved). Since it is an election year, Freshman for President would make a fun fall read for any family. The book even has a website set up for teenagers to vote for their pick in the election (see link for book above).

Yea for me!

Choose the Right Way

I have been thinking a lot lately about how living the Gospel is so very individual. Each of us has our own unique personality and character traits, so it makes sense that we each need to learn to live the Gospel in our own way. For some this takes longer than others. I remember hearing a cousin lament that one of her daughters seemed less spiritually inclined than her other children. But in later years this daughter learned to live and love the Gospel in her own time and way. I don't think there are many ways to go wrong in living the Gospel as long as we are willing to try. For example, I love the comment by Shari Dew in her book God Wants a Powerful People:

"I remember a time in my twenties when I was desperate for guidance on a crucial decision. I had fasted and prayed and been to the temple many times, but the answer wasn’t clear. In frustration, I told a friend that I just couldn’t get an answer. His simple response took me by surprise: 'Have you asked the Lord to teach you how He communicates with you?' I hadn’t, but I began that day to pray that He would."

Here Sister Dew showed willingness to continue to try, even though her situation was difficult. As we grow and learn in life we just need to keep trying and applying those things that we learn. The same thing is true with prayer, fasting, and studying the scriptures. Over the years I have found that different strategies for living the commandments work for me in different times of my life. What worked for me as a young woman did not work for me as a young mother. The same will be true for later stages of my life, I am guessing. But I am willing to recognize that and accept that the Lord is understanding of it as well. Once when I was sick on my mission I was feeling guilty for not being out proselyting and my companion said, "The Lord is not up in heaven disappointed in you because you are not out working. He knows you are sick. He knows you don't feel well. He loves you and wants you to do what it takes to get better so you can get back to work." Sometimes I still have to remember that.

I also recently read a great blog entry that goes along with this train of thought. It was posted on By Common Consent--and I was touched by this part of the author's experience:

"When did praying become so hard? The list of things to be grateful for and people worth blessing is so long, I become overwhelmed. And anyway, a prayer is not a list. It’s supposed to be a conversation. But there seem to be so many rules for this conversation, I don’t know how to have it. Plus, there’s that part about me seeming to be the only one talking. That’s a problem for me, especially since I’m not gifted in that way. On a good day I can hold up my end of a conversation, but even on a good day I can’t get a response from a tree or a block of concrete, and I can’t get a response from God, either. I don’t blame God. God is blameless by definition, so obviously if He’s not talking back, I must be praying up the wrong Tree, as it were. I must be asking for things I shouldn’t ask for. I must believe that He’s not really there. I must not want to hear what He has to say.

"If only it were as simple as just thinking my own thoughts. And that’s when it hit me. It is that simple. I’ve always known that I’m not a burning-in-the-bosom type of gal. I used to joke about my flame-retardant bosom. The only reason I don’t say that anymore is that I’ve stopped thinking that this is necessarily a shortcoming. I realize that the Holy Ghost speaks more to my mind than my heart. I suppose, though, that I’ve never realized that I can talk to God without necessarily organizing my thoughts into neat prayerbites. I’ve been taught to pour out my heart to God, but nobody told me I could do a brain dump on Him. If I don’t format my prayer properly, will God still know I’m talking to Him? I’m sure He must. Will He acknowledge me? Maybe he has been all along."

When she realized prayer for her was most comfortable as a "brain dump" than as an organized thought process, then she found something that worked for her. I guess what I am trying to say in this blog entry is that we each need to keep trying. If something doesn't work for you or your family, keep trying. Keep experimenting. And enjoy the variety you experience along the way. Eventually you will find what works for you.

Scripture of the Day: 1 Samuel 12:24

Year of Miracles #17

I love it when I do something that (surprisingly) turns out to be an act of service that someone really needed--it doesn't happen all that often, but I like when it happens. That was the miracle that happened this week. I mentioned in an earlier post that we had a back-to-school breakfast bash on our driveway the first day of school. To be honest, I debated for about a week if I should do it. The first day of school can be hectic, and some people are not morning people like I am. But the Saturday before Kitty and Sweetie Peach were bored, so to keep them busy I had them decorate and deliver the invitations to the breakfast. As expected, many of those who were invited couldn't make it... but some showed up. And then Amazing Becky showed up and said how glad she was that we were having it because they had just returned home from a trip and she didn't have her fridge stocked yet. So, although I didn't anticipate the breakfast being an act of service, I was happy to learn it turned out that way. And that made it all the more worthwhile!

Scripture of the Day: Deuteronomy 10:12

Don't forget to vote in the blog vs. journal poll in the sidebar! Your opinion is needed!

Police Beat #2

Oh, those naughty BYU students...

October 27: A male individual was reported yelling in the Eyring Science Center. When the officers arrived, they discovered he was actually singing along to music playing on his iPod.

July 31. A parking officer reported an open container of alcohol in a vehicle near the Harris Fine Arts Center. Upon investigation, police determined the container in question was in fact an empty bottle of maple syrup.

February 8. A suspicious red vehicle was reported in a parking lot near LaVell Edwards Stadium. Upon being questioned the couple sitting in the car claimed that they were just studying.

November 24. Thirty-one vehicles parked at Wymount Terrace were reported vandalized. University of Utah logos and other slogans had been painted on the windows with red, pink and white window paint. There was no damage, as the paint was water-soluble.

Oh, and check out this new blogsite from my friend Wendi... hope you're hungry!

Scripture of the Day: Deuteronomy 10:12

Is it a blog? Is it a Journal? Is it both?

At the beginning of the year I set a resolution to write in my journal at least once a week. I guess I should tell you first, that I dislike writing in my journal. A LOT! So after I started this blog last March I decided that I would count this as my journaling as far as the goal was considered. Is that cheating? I personally don't think so because I do include a lot of information that is happening in my personal life here on my blog. But then I have to admit I have not written in my personal journal even once since I started blogging. So what is your opinion on the matter? Leave a comment or simply vote in the poll question in my sidebar (below the picture of my book). I am anxiously awaiting your feedback!

Scripture of the Day: Article of Faith 12

How Corny Am I?

So last week my good friend Penny told me she had seen my book advertised in the Seagull Book & Tape flier (at 10% off no less). I couldn't resist! Today I went down there and had one of the clerks take my picture by it! I also asked for a copy of the flier to put in my journal. In all honesty they were so nice to me down there. When the manager found out I was the author she asked me to sign some of them and then put some stickers on the covers of the copies I signed to tell customers about the signatures. She also asked me all about putting the book together and how I got my ideas. I have to say that I had not been to Seagull for several years, but the store has really improved. They had more merchandise and lots of employees willing to help. So head on down to Seagull if you are near the temple and pick up a copy of my book or the CD--you will love it in there.

Scripture of the Day: Proverbs 3:9

More Reverence Help

I noticed today that the current month's Friend magazine has a cute reverence booklet kids can put together. The booklet is called, "I Can be Reverent," and is 12 pages long. It is a little poem that tells how to act reverently, and the illustrations are darling. You can access the article here to print it out.

Then there is an article from a previous issue of the Friend that is taken from a talk given by President Thomas S. Monson, entitled "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice." In it he tells a good story that is about reverence and how reverence is a sign of love toward our Heavenly Father. You can access this article here.

Also, if you are interested in coming up with a list of reverent Sunday activities for your children to help them keep the Sabbath day holy, there is a great list in this article by Virginia Pearce (President Hinckley's daughter) and Kathleen Barnes.

Finally, this great website offers tips to adults to help them teach reverence. The tips are taken from two different Ensign articles.

Hope these tips are helpful!

Scripture of the Day: John 14:15

Back to School 2008

The kids are all gone and the house to so quiet it is either heavenly or strange. It will only be that way for three hours today, so I think I will say strange now, but heavenly after they are all home ;). Here is how our back to school day has gone so far:

Kitty was up and dressed (including shoes!) by 6 am. Guess she was a little excited for the new school year!

We started with a neighborhood back-to-school breakfast on our driveway. Thanks to all the neighbors who supported us! We had a good spread of everything from yogurt and bagels to fruit and a few powdered donuts.

Then at 8 am is was time for the kids to get off to their carpool to get to school. So Sweetie Peach and I stayed home to clean up the breakfast while the others headed off with their backpacks full of new pencils, pads of paper, and a lot more.

At noon it was time for Sweetie Peach to head off to half day kindergarten. She was very excited to attend her class, which it turns out is mostly girls (like 15 girls and only 5 boys... hmmm... are moms of boys more likely to put them in full day kindergarten? maybe...). Here is Sweetie Peach with her teacher and a soon to be new friend/classmate.

So here I sit in the quiet thinking I should get my work done, but would rather just bask in the solitude. I have wanted another baby for a long time, but maybe I will be converted to not have one by this new schedule.

Hope your day is going well!

Update: The peace and quiet only lasted about an hour and a half before I got a call from the school that Patch had thrown up all over himself while sitting at his desk. Poor guy! It may take a while to live that down.

Scripture of the Day: Exodus 20:12

Year of Miracles #16

Yesterday at the grocery store I ran into a ward member and she related the following miracle that happened recently in her family. Her son and his family were out camping in June and while there he fell into the camp fire and burned his hand. He had second and third degree burns on his palm with the worst of it on the bottom portion of his middle fingers. His family rushed him to the nearby hospital, a small regional health center that by no means specialized in burns. The family called to ask for prayers that he would get the care he needed and his name was put on the prayer roll at the temple. The hospital he was getting care at called down to the Maricopa County Hospital Burn Unit (best here in the state) to get advice and were told that they had already done all that could be done for him. Now, two months later, he is almost completely healed and has no apparent permanent damage to his hand.

Thanks to Roberta for giving me permission to share this miracle!

Scripture of the Day: 2 Chronicles 6:19

And The Winner IS...

Jamie!

Results were determined by using random.org.
Thanks everyone for participating!

Scripture of the Day: Isaiah 17:7

Police Beat

I have decided to start a new weekly post with quotes from the BYU newspaper (The Daily Universe) column "Police Beat." Some of the "crimes" that happen at BYU are very worthy of mentioning--even if it strictly for enjoyment sake. So here goes:

February 11. A female Wymount resident received a suspicious phone call in her home at 1:30 p.m. The male caller claimed to be from the psychology department and said he could try to help her relax. He got her to turn off the lights and lay down on her bed. The phone call ended when the girl’s cell phone battery died. BYU Police told her she should notify her phone company next time she receives a call so that they can trace it.

March 26. The mother of a BYU student called the police when she suspected that her daughter’s roommate stole her butter knife. The mother later called to drop the charges.

March 29. A group of adolescent females called BYU police when an elderly female accosted and threatened them in the bathroom. The girls all went to use the restrooms at the same time and the woman was upset that there was no open stall. Police were not able to locate the elderly female.

Scripture of the Day: Psalms 119:15

Chicken Salad Recipe

I have to admit that I love chicken salad sandwiches! I have been staying away from them until fairly recently when I found a yummy, healthy version on Hungry Girl. So here is the recipe (with a few suggested adaptations) for you to enjoy:

1 Cup diced chicken breast (sometimes I use canned, but the best is lemon grilled chicken breast)
1/3 c. apple (diced)
1/3 c. red seedless grapes (I prefer them quartered)
1/3 c. diced cucumber (diced celery works just as great)
1/4 c. plain fat free yogurt (Greek style is best)
2 T. fat free mayo (I am a Miracle Whip kinda gal)
1 packet sweetener (i.e. Splenda)
lemon pepper to taste

Just mix it all together and enjoy--it makes about 4 generous sandwiches. I prefer to eat it on the Western Bagel Alternative bagel (the 1 point bagel for all you fellow Weight Watchers followers)--although that croissant in the picture I found looks pretty yummy too.

Scripture of the Day: D&C 107:4

PS: Don't forget to register for the contest (see post below) to win Adventures with the Word of God on CD--you have until Friday morning!

Do It Yourself Study Guide

Did you know you can print the seminary scripture study guides from .pdf files on the Internet for free? These are a great resource for families! The Book of Mormon seminary study guide is over 200 pages and has a great introduction to help students learn how to read the scriptures and get the most out of them. Why not use these study guides in the home for family scripture study time? It would be a handy guide for couples study time and/or personal study time too! Even if your teens have been through the seminary program and have worked through the study guides, repeating them could only help them to learn more and retain valuable knowledge. Although my kids are a bit too young to use these, when my son hits eighth grade I think I will start using it. Then when he starts seminary in ninth grade he will be better prepared.

Scripture of the Day: D&C 76:92-93

Back to School Prep Time

School begins in one week and so we are prepping this week. Last Friday we went and bought their school list supplies and backpacks. We will not be buying new lunch boxes this year -- we alternate buying backpacks and lunch boxes on an annual basis. Today I need to turn in the school registration forms I was supposed to return more than a week ago. My illness got me way behind in that! But before I drop the forms off Sweetie Peach and Patch both need an immunization shot. So we will be heading out soon to a free shot clinic to get that taken care of. Later this week we will be buying more school clothes and then on Saturday Mimi (my mom) will be taking them to buy new school shoes. Sometime during the week we need to get haircuts as well. And on Thursday afternoon we will head to the school for the Meet the Teacher event. Always a lot to do for the beginning of the school year, but I have to admit it is a lot of fun! Can't wait for next week!

Scripture of the Day: Leviticus 19:30

PS: If you have not signed up for the contest to win a CD of my book, you have until Friday morning. To sign up, leave a comment on the "I'm a Winner & a Contest" post below.

Year of Miracles #15

This week my miracle was a small coincidence. A month back I borrowed some extra strong antibacterial ointment from a friend and ward member {thanks Jen!}. I have been meaning to return it for a few weeks now, but haven't got around to doing so for a number of reasons--not the least of which might just be laziness :-). Well, today during family cleaning hour Kitty was assigned to clean the windows and mirrors. She dragged a chair to reach the outside part of the back door window, and in the process part of the foot of the chair came off. Think exposed nail. Of course in the process of getting on or off the chair she somehow stepped on it. I heard her crying and found a lot of blood coming out of the hole on her foot. Luckily the nail was quite clean from having been in the leg of the chair, and from Kitty's report it did not go in very far. We are guessing she most likely does not need a tetanus, but I was really grateful we still had the ointment on hand to put on it! Still, I will be returning the ointment today (now that I really no longer need it).

Scripture of the Day: Mark 12:6

I'm A Winner! & a Contest

Today I won a FREE book for having left a comment on this blog site! It is a copy of an LDS fiction book called Freshman for President by Allyson B. Condie. Here is a review of it and a plot summary:

"Its timeliness in an election year will make it a great choice for teachers looking for ways to excite their students about the American electoral process."
--Forward Magazine

Fifteen- year- old Milo J. Wright and his best friend, Eden, are crazy to even consider participating in the election for President of the United States of America, aren't they? Never mind that Milo is twenty years too young. Never mind the fact that he'll have to balance the election with school, his lawn- mowing job, soccer practice, and trying to understand girls. There are times in life when you just have to go for something, no matter how impossible. Readers will discover that everyone, no matter what age, has something valuable to say.

It looks great and I can't wait to read it!

Being a winner and all has put me in such a great mood that I have decided to hold a contest of my own! Those who leave a comment to this blog entry will be eligible to win a free CD copy of my book Adventures with the Word of God. I will randomly pick a winner on Friday, August 8 and will post the winner's name on my blog. Then they can e-mail me an address as to where they want me to send the CD. Good luck!