Kansas City With Friends 2014

I Appreciate the Small and Simple Things In Life

When I was a young girl growing up on a small farm in Idaho, finances were tight. My parents had four children in four years and then one every other year until all nine children were born. I am the third of nine. As I think back on those years, I didn't know then how the struggles at such a young age were actually strengthening me and preparing me to appreciate the small things in life.

Saturday my sons Nathan, Grant and I watched the movie “Karate Kid.” As I was watching it with them, I started to think of the great principle taught. In the movie a young boy named Daniel wanted to learn karate. He asked an old man named Mr. Miyagi to teach him. Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel if he is going to train him, he needs to do whatever he tells him, no questions asked. First Mr. Miyagi has Daniel wash and wax a whole line of cars, all in a particularly unnatural motion using both hands. Wax on right hand, wax off, left hand.

Then he is told to sand a large walkway, paint a huge fence, and finally paint an entire house.  Each new task given, Daniel was told to do the chores in an unusual way.  Finally, when he was almost done with the house, Daniel gets angry.  He thinks he is being taken advantage of as slave labor.  Mr. Miyagi then proceeds to show Daniel all his hard work has actually strengthened him and trained him.  He instinctively is able to do karate because his muscles have been taught the correct movements.

I think growing up with very little has done the same for me.  I was taught, through lots of hard times, how to become stronger.  Even though I am stronger, I have still never forgotten what it felt like to want.  As a very young child, we rarely used the heat in our rented farm house because it cost too much money. We would cut down old trees in the woods or on the farm, haul the wood back to the house, stack it, chop it and heat the house with a wood burning stove.  Just getting the house warm was a lot of work.  

I remember on very rare occasions my mom would turn on the heat in the morning, just until a fire could be built.  We had one floor heat vent in the house.  To me, there was nothing better in the entire universe than standing on that heat vent in my night gown and letting the heat cover my entire body.  My nightgown would balloon out and dance around and the joy from this was immeasurable.  There was only one problem, I also had two other sisters and two brothers who wanted a turn on the same heat vent and the heat would only be on for about 10 minutes, so we would each get about 30 seconds and then it would be time to rotate.

This is the house I grew up in.  It has been renovated, updated and moved onto a new foundation, but it still brings back many memories.

I can remember thinking, when I grow up I want a house with lots of floor heat vents, and I want to sit on the heater until the inside of my soul is warmed up.  To me, that would be an example of pure joy.  Now, all these years later, I still remember the wish of my young childish desire.  I do have a house with a lot of floor heat vents, and I still do not take for granted the absolute joy of sitting on them on a cold brisk morning. Throwing a blanket over me to help direct the heat now takes the place of the nightgown, but the joy is still the same.  I don’t think there will ever come a time in my life that I will not appreciate simple basic things and heat in my house on a cold winters’ day is at the top of my list.

Who’s with me?  Is there anything in the world better than a blanket and a floor heat vent?

The weather outside is cold. 

This picture was taken today out my back window.  BURR!

Dear Santa

Get Wrinkles out of clothes in 5 Minutes- No Iron Required

Great Idea

Joke of the Day

Quote of the Day

No Soliciting Unless...

I have noticed that it is becoming popular to see signs outside of many doors with No Soliciting notices on them.  This has been a trend for many, many years, but more recently I have seen signs with an amendment to the no soliciting sign.  I have seen a lot of different versions of these, but most of them have something that indicates that if you are selling girls scout cookies, you can ring the bell but not if you want to talk about Christ.

In my church we talk a lot about Christ and if you want to come up to my door or write a post on my blog, and talk to me about the Savior, I welcome you with open arms day or night.  In the Book of Mormon there is a scripture that explains why.  It is in 2 Nephi 25:26, it says, 

“And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

I know a lot of my friends who are not of my faith often wonder why we spend so much time trying to share our beliefs with others.  There is an article that explains it so well, called “Come and See,”  If you read this article or watch the video, it will explain why my “No Soliciting Sign” has an exemption to anyone who wants to talk about the Savior. www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/come-and-see?lang=eng&media=video#watch=video.

I Have The Best Sister In The World - Humor

I Wonder If My Sister Would Say The Same About Me?

Joke of the Day

Doughnut Tire Swing!

How to Make a Doughnut Tire Swing

Get an old truck tire and scrub it with soapy water.Let Dry Completely

Drill some large holes all around one side of the tire.The hole side will be on the back side of the swing.
The holes will keep water from collecting inside the tire.

It also help keep mosquito's from nesting in your swing.

Paint the side of the tire that has the holes the color you want your doughnut to be.

We chose a golden yellow. Let Dry.

Flip tire over and paint the"glazed" frosting color.
We liked chocolate brown.
Paint it wavy to look like it's dripping down in the edges.
Once the"chocolate"color is dry, add sprinkles with a small sponge brush.
Use all different colors.
Once that is dry, spray with a clear coat of polyurethane spray paint.
This helps keep paint from peeling.

Now your tire swing is ready to hang.
We will give hanging instructions soon.

Guest Post by Christie Call

Joke of the Day

The thing I love most about children, is their absolute innocence. There are so many times when you misjudge, or get frustrated with a child, when really, they are not trying to be bad. A lot of our trials with children really stem from communication and understanding. At times it would do us all good to slow down and try to remember what life would be like if we didn't know everything we think we know.

I have a great friend who has a child that puts everything in her mouth. I'll call her Lizzy, (names have been changed). We were getting in an elevator and little two year old Lizzy saw some food on the ground and before you could blink an eye, she had it in her mouth. I'm not sure if it was a piece of chicken nugget, or dog food. Either way, to this little girl, it looked as good as anything else she might be asked to eat.

Later on in the evening, she was lucky enough to find some already chewed gum on the ground. In her mind, she figured it looked delicious and interesting so she popped it in her mouth. After her mom told her to spit it out, five minutes later she spotted a discarded cigarette. She felt the need to pick it up and taste it too. This is when my sweet friend recognized the need to stop everything, and get down and look into her sweet child's eyes and explain in detail, on a level she could understand without confusion, why we don't pick everything up and put it in our mouth. What a great teaching opportunity and parenting moment.

Had she punished this little girl at this time, she still would have missed a wonderful teaching opportunity. This same day I witnessed a parent on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. I was standing in line at a store when a father and son who appeared to be about the same age, around two years old, came in. As soon as they entered the store the oxygen in the room seemed to get sucked out. The father was yelling and screaming and calling the poor little guy names. At one point, his phone rang and he talked the same way to who ever was on the other end of the line. I looked at this little boy and he seemed to be mentally crushed and broken. I just wanted to scoop him up in my arms. From my perspective this little guy was expected to follow a set of instructions far beyond his capacity to understand. In the end both the child and the parent were left angry. Neither one was satisfied with the outcome.

I look to the bible for help whenever I wonder how to handle the raising of a child. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6). I know at times we need to chasten our children.

President Boyd K. Packer has observed that when a person in a position to correct another fails to do so, he is thinking of himself. Remember that reproof should be timely, with sharpness or clarity... and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy.

I love it when I see a parent who does this in such a wonderful manner.

Producers' Message with Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty TEASER - MUST ...

Quote of the Day

Quicksand Humor

How to Open A Can Without a Can Opener-No Tools Needed

Opening a can with no can opener or tools sounds impossible.  It's not, and just in case the Apocalypse happens, you are going to want to know how to do this.

It is possible to open a can without using a can opener or any tools.  Watch the video to see how.

The Zombie Apocalypse Response Team

Don't Get Me Wrong

You Know Who You Are:)

Downton Abbey Photo Bomb

Do You See What Is Wrong With This Picture?

Scroll Down For The Answer...

Joke of the Day - Re: Mini Van Humor

Bagpipes - Quote of the Day

We All Have Oblivious People In Our Lives

Quote of the Day

The soul always knows what to do to heal itself.  The challenge is to silence the mind."  Caronline Myss

Future DIY Projects

This summer I have taken a break from DIY projects.  My second son is preparing to serve a full time mission for our church and it has taken all my efforts to help him get the necessary shopping and planning done.  He will be leaving in a few weeks and my other boys will be going back to school so I will be starting up on DIY projects around the house.  Now I just have to narrow down what to take on first.  I have a limited budget and the outdoor projects have to be done before the snow flies, which in Nebraska can be as soon as October.  I would love to have your opinion.  Should I take on the lousy kitchen counter-tops, refinish my table, or do an outside project?  I have to decide whether I am going to do home upgrades, or fun recipes as my next obsession.  Let me know what you prefer:)

Here are some things I found on Pinterest that interest me...