Matriarch University.........A Unique and Educational Experience!

Recently, I have contemplated going back to school.  I love learning and want to become a nurse.  I enjoy caring for others and making their life more comfortable and meaningful.  In all my thoughts and reasonings, the feelings keep coming back to me that it's not my time yet.  I have watched many  friends going back to school and I keep thinking it should be my turn.   It sounds logical to me.  However, the still small voice whispers to me otherwise.

As I was lost in my thoughts recently, it occured to me that I HAVE been going to school.  In fact, before I was married,  I was taking all the prerequisite classes for my major.  After I got married, I continued to go to school.   The classes were different, but I was still learning and being graded on my performance.  Once I had children,  my course of study was somewhat altered.  However, I continued to go to school and to this day, I am still going to school. 

What school am I attending?  Why, it's Matriarch Univerisity!   It's a University with a very unique and educational experience.  My major is Motherhood.   I started classes when I was very young.  When I was 8 years old,  I would wrap up my dolly and put her in the cradle.  I would feed her and change her diaper and got to name her myself.  I call this class Role Model 101 and my campus was my home.  My instructor was my mother, grandmother, aunts, and other women whom I would emmulate.  You were there too!  Just on a different campus! 

I remember one particular experience vividly!  I wanted to wear a bra like my mom.  Well, in Role Model 101, I learned that girls watch their mothers and do as they do.  At 9 years old, I decided to wear one of my mothers' bras to school.  I remember the morning  clearly.  I snuck her bra out of her room and put it on and stuffed it full of toilet paper.  I even remember the shirt I wore.  It was red and had cherries in the middle.  I was so proud of myself that I was going to be just like my mom.  As my older brother and I walked out the door to school, I proudly showed off my new chest.  My brother was horrified and tried to get me to take it off.  He was embarassed to walk with me.  I didn't care.  I just wanted to wear a bra like my mom.  As we got to school, everyone was staring, and rightfully so!  My chest was WAY out of proportion to the rest of my body.  It never occured to me that I looked ridiculous!  It never occured to me that people were probably laughing.  Who thinks about that when they are 9?  Thank goodness for the nuturing love of my 4th grade teacher who helped me understand the error of my ways.  I realized I was going to have to give up the dream of wearing a bra until mother nature took it's natural course.

Although this experience is funny and brings outburts of laughter, I was just doing what I was taught in Role Model 101!  Now, I am the instructor for this course.  I have daughters who do as I do.  They are watching  every move I make, and are emmulating my words and actions.  I have to ask myself often if I am a good instructor?  Am I teaching them what they need to know to face life's challenges?  Am I setting the proper example?  Do I listen with an open heart?  Am I helping them to pass the class so they can one day be good instructors themselves? All these and other questions are necessary to be a good instructor for Role Model 101!

Through the years, I have taken many classes at Matriarch University.  Below are some of the classes I have taken.  There are many I am currenly enrolled in because they are lifelong classes and what I am learning will takes years of experience through trial and error.  Ultimately, the grade for these classes will not be known for quite some time.  I can only hope that my instructor,  Heavenly Father, will be well pleased with my work and that I will pass with flying colors.

Role Model 101- I have learned that this is the prerequisite class to all others.  Where I was once a student, I am now the instructor.  And, having a good instructor is crucial for students. 

Cooking 101-I love to cook and this class came easy for me!  I learned how to create meals, how to make a meal plan and shop accordingly.  I learned how to blend flavors and make delicious food.  I failed many food tests as some dishes didn't turn out so well, but you know what they say....Practice makes perfect!    My homework was to cook for my friends, family and anyone who would let me.  It's a great class and I really enjoyed it.

Organization 101-  Early in my marriage, I decided it was important to be neat and tidy.  In Role Model 101, my instructor taught me by example.  She taught me that cleanliness was next to Godliness.  I applied what I learned from that class to what I was learning in Organization 101.   I learned that I felt better about myself when my home was clean.  I learned how to schedule my laundry days, and learned quick tips to keeping a home clutter free.  Don't get me wrong, there are many times where I have abandoned what I learned.  Sometimes, life gets really busy and playing catch up is difficult.  However, I do remember what I have been taught and can quickly get back on track. 

Charity 101-  It's a life long class with many labs I get to attend.  Once you gain knowledge from class, you get to go to lab and practice what you have been taught.   My lab has many people in it.  They range from family to friends to neighbors to complete strangers.  This class is constantly evolving and I am constantly changing as I attend.    I am learning to be tolerant of others, to be sympathetic and compassionate.  I am learning that true charity is a love of action.  Charity is the pure love of Christ.

Flexibility 101- Since motherhood is my major, being flexibile is a class I needed to take.  It's a class that requires me to use the skills I learned in  Compassion 101. It sometimes requires me on a moments notice to change my schedule or be flexible with the direction my life is going. It requires me to be ready at any time to offer a hug or a kind word to my children or others.  Flexibility is the name and changing is my game!

Humor 101-This is a required class for all those majoring in Motherhood.  By taking this class,  I am learning  to find humor in life.  It sure makes our experiences much more tolerable.  Adversity is a part of our life.  President Deiter F Uchtdorf said "It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop." (General Conference, April 2010).  How do you react to life's experiences?  Finding joy and humor is one way we can cope.  At any given moment, motherhood is going surface a rainbow of emotions.  We will experience emotions of joy, sorrow, frustration, excitement, undescribable love ( like the birth of a child), fear, worry, hope, peace, irritibility (and chocolate does wonders for this!), anger and everything in between.  Learning to use humor to diffuse tough circumstances can prove to be an effective tool.  Try it!  It really works.  I remember one particular experience I had with my third child.  She is a firecracker!  She is creative, witty and bold!  She loves deep and is a very loyal friend and daughter.  Well, she loves sugar wafers with the creme in the middle.  The vanilla ones are her favorite.  If it were up to her, she would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  We made a deal that she could have some after lunch for a treat.  After her lunch one day, she asked me if she could wait out front for her brother to get home from school.  I said yes and out the door she went.  Several minutes went by and  I realized that school wasn't going to end for over 2 hours!   I went outside to check on her and found her sitting on the ledge of one of the windows with a whole bag of wafers.  Her mouth was stuffed full and crumbs were all over her shirt as evidence that she indeed was eating these sugar wafers as fast as she could.  I looked at her and said "What are you doing and where did you get those wafers?"  Astonished and completely surprised to see me standing there, she put her hands on her hips and said "HOW DID THOSE COOKIES GET THERE?"  Nevermind the fact that her mouth was stuffed full, and nevermind the fact that she had crumbs all over her shirt, and nevermind the fact that she had a whole bag of wafers sitting on her lap!  She was in complete denial that she was eating these sugar wafers.   I gave her a good scolding and without her watching, I had such a good chuckle.  Some days if I don't use humor, I could very well have a good cry!  I know you can relate.  That's what so great about us women majoring in Motherhood.  We can share together what we have learned for the good of us all!

Patience 101-This is an evolving class and takes practice every single day.  It requires me to be understanding and flexible (something I learned in Flexibility 101) with my children and those around me.  It requires me to forgive and do hard things.  There is required homework every single day and sometimes I don't do a very good job on my homework.  Thank goodness this is a life long class with a very patient instructor who knows me better than I know myself. 

Prayer 101-This, too, is a life long course!  One that requires me to be the initiator of many conversations.  Through this course, I have learned so much about myself.  This course has allowed me to become a partner with my instructor.  I seem to have the same instructor for many of my courses.  He understands the major of Motherhood.  He has a deep love for all women  and communicates to me when I am on my knees that He loves me and appreciates the hard work I put into my classes.  Prayer 101 is one of those feel good courses.  Every time I attend, I leave feeling stronger, and my desire to pay closer attention to my other classes increases.

Forgiveness 101-Many students taking this class have a rough time with this!  It's not always easy to take this class. It's required and like many others, is a life-long one.  Like Prayer 101, it requires me to be in constant communication with my instructor.  He is very patient with me when I don't do so well on my homework. He teaches me to give others the benefit of the doubt.  He helps me understand that with the help of His other teacher, my Savior, I can overcome my weaknesses.  I have learned that this class is necessary for me to graduate and be like Him!  We all have need to forgive and be forgiven.  Through this wonderful process, we become closer to those we love.  We learn not to judge, and to be tolerant of others and their weaknesses.  I have learned that I don't have to grade other peoples tests!  I get to cheer them on and help them do well! 

Marriage 101-I love this class!  This is a class I get to take with my husband.  He has a major too.  It's Fatherhood.  With what he is learning, and what I am learning, our children get the best of both worlds.  This class has high's and low's!  This class requires knowledge from all my previous classes to make this one work.  It requires humor and patience and flexibility and organization and prayer and forgiveness!  It also requires creativity, committment, love, honesty,and trust!  It requires constant communication and a desire to stick through the class even when times are tough.  It's a beautiful class that can be wonderful if both husband and wife assume their proper roles.  In the Family: A Proclamation to the World, the roles of parents are outlined in detail.  This document along with many others is the core corriculum for this class.  By strictlyl following it's guidelines, husband and wife will find joy in their journey together.

I know there are many other classes I have not even mentioned.  I know there are ones like First Aid 101 and Music 101 and Religion 101 and Taxi Cab 101.  The list for graduating goes on and on, but all classes are for our experience.  There is no greater joy than having Motherhood as my major.  At times, I feel like I am  falling short in some of my classes.  That's OK!...I .pick up myself up where I left off and practice again tomorrow.  At times, I  feel the beckoning call of the world to put my classes on hold and take a detour.  At times, I  feel like I am failing certain classes. It's during those times that I draw from the knowlege I have learned and try to be patient with myself.    I have also felt  the success of putting more time into them and seeing the outcome. 

Motherhood is a sacred calling.  Do not let thoughts of doubt and fear cloud your mind.  Wipe them away and replace them with confidence and determination.  Be strong and of courage.  Be happy with who you are.  Love yourself and the major of Motherhood that you have chosen.  Celebrate the different classes that others around you are taking.  Lift them and support them.  Enjoy one big study group with others majoring in Motherhood or others interested in this major. 

So, there you have it!  This is the low down on the University I have been attending.  I know that it isn't always the most popular major and doesn't always have the best pay, but it is worth all the time and effort I have put in. 

The Corn Maze.....A Parallel to Real Life

I am sure that there are many things we can parallel to real life such as running marathons and boxes of chocolate (Forrest Gump.....hehe!).  I am going to add surviving through a corn maze to that list.  I say surviving because that's just what I did.  I survived!

Tonight we went through a 15 acre corn maze that was created to celebrate 100 years of scouting.  I am a huge supporter of scouting, so naturally I wanted to go.  We took our family plus 2 of my daughters  friends for her birthday.  We were all excited!  The corn had grown so tall, almost 8 1/2 feet.  So, you can imagine a shorty like myself not being able to see anything but corn...corn...corn!!

When we arrived,  there was a guide to give us specific instructions.  We had to listen very carefully or there might be important information we missed!  There were several mazes in and of itself.  They ranged from very easy mazes that didn't take long;  to very difficult mazes that took 3-4 hours to complete.   We were given a color coded map and a folded card to also find clues to who killed the "farmer"....kind of like a game of Clue where you have to narrow down who killed who with what and where. We split into 3 groups and off we went very confident that we all knew exactly what we were doing and where we were going.  Afterall, it wasn't dark...yet, and we decided to participate in a relatively easy maze that would take about an hour....so we thought!

In our group was my husband, myself and our two youngest children.  My oldest daughter and her friend were together and my oldest son and his friend were together.  Each of us took a different direction and were suppose to end up at the end together.   We could hear the laughter of our other groups as they were so excited to find the clues first.  It was such a fun competition! 

As we started off, we quickly found one of the clues!  We were confident that we would breeze right through the maze. Afterall, my husband was our fearless navigator so we were in good hands right?  Following the map wasn't as easy as it looked.  What seemed the right way to turn sometimes led us to a dead end.  Other times, we found exactly what we were looking for.  The further we got in the maze the more we realized that we couldn't just turn back .  We had to keep pressing forward!  At times, nothing looked familiar and other times I could have sworn we had JUST seen this very row of corn!   Every so often, we could hear our other groups trying to navigate their way.   I could hear them say "Should we go this way or that way?  It all looks the same!"  or "  I know we have been here before, why can't we find our way out?" 

As time went on, it started to get dark.  We realized that we weren't  as prepared as we thought we were.  When we had started, we thought for sure we would be done before it got dark. That was our first mistake!  Second, we did not come prepared just in case it got dark.  Although there were flood lamps high above the corn maze, it only would give light to some parts.  Other parts of the maze were pitch black.  We soon realized how valuable a flashlight would have been to us and started to use the light from our cell phone to direct us.  Then we realized that it was so much easier to navigate in the light.  In the darkness, we felt completely helpless.  My youngest child finally said to me "Mom, you know about Jack the scarecrow don't you?  You KNOW he has a head made from a pumpkin and a body made from sticks right?  You KNOW he is here to scare away the crows from the corn, but I think he is following US!"   I could only imagine what tricks his young mind was playing on him and who gave the scarecrow the name Jack anyways?  I reassured him we were not being followed and that we were safe.  He kept saying that he couldn't see well in the dark and how much easier it was to see where we were walking in the light.

Finally, we realized we were lost.  We could not find our way out the maze.  We could no longer hear our other groups and realized that it had been well over an hour.  Our younger children were tiring quickly and wanted to go home.   I knew they were feeling scared and wrestless.  My husband reassured them that if we stuck together, we would find out way out.  We also knew that if we could find one of the clues that if we needed to, there was an emergency phone number to call and we could give them our location and helpers would come rescue us.  We called our daughter on her phone and told her to find her way out and we would meet her at the entrance.  We were relieved to find out that she had found our son and his friend and they were trying to get out together.

After awhile, we still could not find our way out.  It seemed so simple and the map seemed so clear, but in the dark, we mine as well have been blind.  Then a stroke of luck came.  We could hear our daughter and son and their friends and soon we were reunited.   We were all so happy to be together.  Soon after, we found our way to the end......together!   It was a great feeling.  We felt relieved, happy and also proud of ourselves that we made it to the end.  It was a great experience!  Each one of our groups had a different experience and yet we also experienced many of the same emotions.  We all experienced joy and excitement and yet we also experienced frustration  and fear.  In the end though, we all experienced relief and a sense of accomplishment and it was fabulous to experience the maze all together.

How does this relate to real life?  Well, life is like a corn maze!  Just like at the beginning of the corn maze we were given instructions and a map to help us on our journey, so it is in life!  We have been given the gospel as our map with clues along the way like scriptures, prayer, families and a living prophet to help us on our journey. We are never alone!  However, it was very important that when we were given instructions at the beginning of the maze, that we listened carefully and payed attention.  How many times in life do we think we can bypass certain instructions and still come out on top?  How many times do we block out promptings we receive because we have our eye on the wrong prize?  Do we ever stop and ponder and discuss and have a game plan for our life?  What happens when we don't?  Does our journey through life ever take wrong turns?  You bet!  Do we ever feel lost like our life keeps going in circles and we aren't making progress? 

One important parallel to life I made as we were going through the maze was the complete contrast of being able to find our way in the light vs. in the dark.  It was a completely different experience.  Where once confidence and excitement were our emotions, they were replaced with uncertaintly and fear once the darkness had set in and we weren't prepared for it.   Isn't that how we feel when we can spiritually see the light?  Don't we feel more confident when we have the light that the gospel brings to help navigate our course through life?  How much more difficult is it when we try to muddle through life in the dark, so to speak!  When you feel spiritually dark, isn't it easy for doubt and fear and frustration to take over where light once was? 

Although it was dark, we made it through as we found sources of light to navigate our course. All was not lost!  Although it was only a small light from a cell phone, it was light nonetheless!  What source of light do we have in our lives to help navigate us in the dark?  It is true...dark times will come.  Are we prepared to meet them when they do or are you going to try and muddle your way through without a plan? 

In the end, it was a joyous reunion as we all found each other and shared our different adventures.  I KNOW it will be like this for us too in the end.  I KNOW we will have wonderful stories to swap with one another about our joys and trials and learning.  What a wonderful feeling to know that we all started together and although our experiences were different, they really were similar in many ways.  We all started out with the same goal in mind, and that was to reach the end of the maze with a job well done.  We all wanted to win and feel satisifed with our efforts.  We all had a game plan and we all ended up together! And yet, our direction that we traveled was different.   What a tremendous experience!  I learned so much and my perspective on life was realigned once again with what is really important.  It's about finding joy in the journey.  It's about learning from our experiences and finding joy in sharing them with others.  It's about failing and picking ourselves up and trying again.  It's about perspective.....its' about real life!

Your TRUE Identity...It's Not Something You Can Google On The Internet!

Have you ever needed to find the definition to a word or research a certain topic ?  Nowadays, we use the Internet for everything.  The world is at our fingertips and we can pretty much learn anything we want from this incredible tool.  Type anything on google and you have a million references to research.   If you wanted to know the definition of a word, you might go to dictionary.com.  If you wanted to learn more about how something was made or how a civilization came to be, you might go to Wikipedia.com.  However, knowing your identity, your TRUE identity,  isn’t something that you can google on the Internet, and you won’t get a Wikipedia answer either. 
Knowing your TRUE identity is the accumulation of thousands of small choices that testify of the ONE, and that ONE thing is who you are. You are a child of God!  You have worth and depth and characteristics just like Him! 

Did you know that Heavenly Father knows you personally--by name?  You may not have heard the Lord call you by name, but He knows each one of you and He knows your name. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said. 'I testify to you that God has known you individually . . . for a long, long time. He has loved you for a long, long time. He not only knows the names of all the stars; He knows your names and all your heartaches and your joys!' ("Remember How Merciful the Lord Hath Been," Ensign, May 2004, 46)."

Have you ever questioned who you REALLY are?  Do outside influences cloud your mind and do you sometimes forget where you came from and why you're here?  How do come to know your true identity? It’s through patterns and habits that over time when exercised with faith and put into action become permanently engraved in your heart. You become like Him in thought, word and deed. You will come to know Him as you serve Him.  Your desire to be like Him increases, and your standards become higher, stronger and your feet are planted firmer in His gospel principles.  And then, YOU are living your true identity. 
How many of us compare ourselves to others?   All too often, we think we must be less of a person if we dont' have the same talents as someone else, or the same home or income or body type.  These are all ploys from Satan.  He uses these gimmicks to lead us down another path and that path is a destructive one.  He has so much to lose and we have so much to gain if we really know who we are. 

Several years ago, I participated in a skit at girls camp helping the young women understand proper texting  etiquette.  I played Politapee, a prudish English woman with an English accent, who was appalled when she went to lunch with a dear friend whose texting etiquette was HORRIBLE.  The audience roared in laughter and our acting skills could have landed us on America's Got Talent....for sure!  My friend, who played the other character wore a mullet wig and kept picking her teeth and talked in this hilarious raspy voice. She wore some psychedelic jumpsuit from the 70's.  She was rough and tough!  I wore a black wig, bright lipstick, a flower in my hair, and a horribly ugly blue dress!  For several hours, we were in character.  It was fun, but after awhile, I was ready to take off the itchy wig and dump the English accent.  I slipped into my tent and something very unexpected and yet so wonderful happened.  I began longing to be myself.  I was tired of playing a character that wasn't me.   I glanced in a mirror that was by my bed and began to weep.  I realized at that moment, how much I loved myself for who I am,  for my weaknesses and my strengths.  More than that, I had a witness given to me that I was indeed a daughter of Heavenly Father and  he deeply loved me.  It was an incredible realization for me.  I didn't want to be Politappe or anybody else for that matter.  I just wanted to be ME!  From this experience, I also had a desire for the young woman to know their true identity.  My sincere desire is for everyone to know who they are and begin living their true identity.  Not the identity the world defines you as, because we all know the standards of the world are constantly changing.  What was popular yesterday is out-dated today when it comes to defining who we are.  

Remember the who, what, when, where and whys of your identity and before you know it, you'll feel better about yourself and in the process others will feel of your light and love and do the same.  You will come to know the God that created you and will desire to more like Him.  What a wonderful merry-go-round of love that continues  if you decide to jump on board and hang on for an incredible ride.

Who-You and I and everyone in between.  You are a child of God.  You are loved and beautiful and talented!  You have the ability to serve and lift others to a higher standard. 
What-Become the change you want to see in others.  Serve, Love, Lift....all these words require us to DO something. 
When-NOW!! Don't sit idly by complaining about who you want to be. Start right now to make changes in your life that will bring you happiness and joy. While you're doing this, no one likes to work alone, grab a friend for the journey!

Where-Everywhere.  Opportunities exist all around us.  Dont' let them pass you by.  Change the way you view life.  One step at a time will lead you where you want to be.  
Why-Because you are AMAZING!  Because you are LOVED!  Because you WILL know your true identity.  I can promise you that!!  As you are patient with your own self, you will find that you have patience for others.  As you love yourself, you will find that you have love for others.  

Visitors....A Stroke of Love Painted Into the Walls of My Home and I am a Better Person Because of their Visits!

As long as I can remember, I have always said unspoken prayers. You know the ones I am talking about? The ones you say in your mind that are said and felt right in your heart. No one around you hears them. Well, at least not out loud anyways. I KNOW Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. I know he listens even to ones that are never spoken out loud. I said one of those very prayers after we moved here.  I longed to see familiar faces and have familiar conversations. Those longings turned into unspoken prayers.

I felt a bit homesick for my life in Vegas. I missed my daily routine that seemed to click for my family! I missed deep friendships that took years to develop. Having deep friendships to me is like having a piece of aged cheese that gets better the longer it sits. Once you bite into it, you realize just how delicious it is and recognize it was so worth the wait!  That's how  friendships are! They take years to develop and one day, you realize JUST how incredible they are! Once the newness of moving wore off, I longed for my dear friends.  Well, all my unspoken prayers started to yield visitors...from near and far!


I love visitors.  I love entertaining and talking and giggling.  I love playing games and listening to stories about their lives.  I love serving them and providing an atmosphere where they enjoy themselves and hopefully they want to return. I cry with them and support them through challenges and rejoice with them over accomplishments and milestones.   I love trying new recipes or making  ones that I know will be a hit!  I love the way I feel when they are here.  Each time they leave, I feel like a better person.  It's like they left a part of their wonderful self  imprinted in my home.  It's like my walls are newly painted with their love! 

Have you ever warned your children to be on their best behavior when visitors come?  I do!  I go through the ritual of making sure I remind my children how we treat one another.  I remind them to step up their kindness and stretch themselves with service.  I remind them to keep their rooms a bit tidier.  I remind them to savor each visitor and learn from them and enjoy being surrounded by those who love them. Is that such a bad thing?  I don't think so!  I think it's important for children to learn what their best behavior is and to have opportunities to show it off.  Hopefully,  their best behavior will become the norm.

First was a visit from my parents.  They surprised us with a visit.  One day, the doorbell rang and there they were!  We laughed and talked and cried.  I realized where I got my joy of service from as I watched my mother jump right in and help.  She has served others her whole life.  How blessed I am to enjoy the same love she does.  I learned about events my dad had been participating in with his job and watched the bond between my husband and my father deepen.  As they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

Next we were visited by some dear friends from Las Vegas.  Having my girlfriend here visiting with some of her children was a sheer delight!  We chatted for hours and had yummy food from a local Mexican Restaurant.  We caught up on the lives of our wonderful friends and acquaintances in Las Vegas.  We laughed and watched our children play!  I begged her to stay longer.  I enjoyed her company and learned how tender hearted she is and how much she cares about others.  I want to be more like her.  As she left, a stroke of her love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of her visit.

In between visits from far distant friends and family, we were blessed with many weekly visits from cousins who we were getting reacquainted with.  I loved to watch my children learn about their cousins and find similarities amongst each other.  I loved visiting with my sister in-laws and talking about everything and anything.  We were also visited by grandmas and grandpas who live just 30 minutes away.  I loved to watch my children hug them and tell them about their summer activities and their dreams and plans for the future.  As each of these visitors left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

Then we had more wonderful Vegas friends come.  They were passing through on their way to Washington.  We didn't always have the opportunity to spend  much time with them in Vegas together, but now that we lived out of state, it felt different.  We sat and talked about her school and how AMAZING she looked.  She was working so hard to be healthy.  I learned that with determination and dedication we can accomplish anything.  Her personality easily attracts others and she puts you at ease.  She makes you feel important. Our daughters relationships picked right up where they had left off.  I was in awe at how tall her children had become.  We cried as we talked about families and friends.  We had picked up right where we had left off as if no time had hardly passed at all.  I knew we would get another visit from them again as they passed back through Idaho on their way home. And still, when they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit. 

Visitors continued to come.  This time it was because a special friend so willingly accepted  the call of duty.  Girls camp was approaching.  This very special friend did the Lifeline activity in Las Vegas for our girls camp there.  Now, as I am Young Women's President in Blackfoot, I wanted the girls here to have the same wonderful experience I did in Las Vegas.  My special friend took time from her very busy "Especially For Youth" schedule to come and spend a couple days with our girls camp in Idaho.  She came and stayed in my home the first night before we left for camp.  We talked for hours about her family and her mother.  I learned how strong of a woman she is and how she deeply desires for people to really know WHO they are and WHERE they came from!  Her spiritual strength runs very deep and I enjoyed our conversations.  When we were at girls camp, her message to the Young Women changed many lives.  In fact, I bet changed the course that many YW will choose to go because of her strength and testimony of the Lifeline.  I felt so blessed to call her my friend.  When she left a stroke of her love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of her visit.

At the same time my special friend was visiting, we also had a mutual friend and her family here too.  I have known this family for many wonderful years.  She is bold and strong, and straight as an arrow!  I love these qualities about her and her girls too!  They love deeply and serve unconditionally.  I watched her at girls camp (because she came to help with the Lifeline) as she payed close attention to the details of our camp.  That is her personality.  She pays close attention to the details in life.  She remembers conversations and things that you say and blesses your life when she remembers your birthday or gives you something because she heard you say it along time ago.  Having her here helped me to pay closer attention to my family.  To listen closer to the details of their day.  I loved spending time with her. Her family brought laughter and excitement.  When they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

Soon after, my brother and his family visited us for the weekend.  I love having his family here.  His wife is a breath of fresh air.  Her boys are so lovable and I find myself wanting to hug and kiss them even when they don't want me to.  Her youngest son has the curliest locks of hair and I found myself asking him if I could twirl his curls just to hear him speak.  His way of saying thank you was "shanks"!  My sister in law and I would sit up at night having long conversations about kids and marriage and life.  I will always treasure those conversations.  She helped me see my family differently.  She pointed out personalities in each of my family members and helped me connect with them even more than before.  My brother has a gift of gab too!  He loves to talk and share and their visit was delightful.  When they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

Recently, I was contacted by a friend in Las Vegas through Facebook.  I know her daughter from when I was a Youth Camp Leader at girls camp in Las Vegas.  She is now a Sophomore at BYU-Idaho.  I haven't spoken to either of them in years.  She asked if she could come and attend church with us as they were passing through to take their daughter back to college.  We met them at our church and enjoyed warm embraces of our reunion.  Their grandmother was also with them and grew up here in Blackfoot.  What a treat it was to see them and feel of their warm spirit!  Afterward, they came over for a delicious lunch and we chatted for hours.  I learned what is was like growing up on a farm as the grandmother told story after story of what it was like living here and owning a busy farm.  Before I knew it, they had to leave.  When they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

Over this past week, my husband's aunt and uncle have been staying with us.  They have enjoyed attending the state fair and spoiled my children rotten with their love and attention.  I love it and I love them.  I love everything about them.  They are kind and gentle and patient.  I love spending time with our aunt.  She naturally radiates peace.  She has a calming effect on everyone.  I will cherish our long talks.  We played games and decorated for the Autumn season.  She helped me understand what is really important in life.  She treasures every moment.  And our uncle..he is no different.  He loves children.  He loves hearing the chatter and watching the hustle and bustle of our busy family.  I cried when they left.  They are wonderful people.  The kind you think everyone should meet.  When they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

This past week as the Eastern Idaho State Fair has been here and Blackfoot has been visited with thousands upon thousands of visitors.  Blackfoot has played host and fed and entertained all them with carnival rides, delicious food, wonderful music, animals, beautiful quilts, housing and so much more.  I learned that this tiny and quaint town has so much to offer.  I learned that amongst all the old buildings and homes that as each visitor has come and gone,  their love has been painted into the walls of our town and we are better people because of their visit.

Now....as all our visitors have left,  the walls of my home are newly painted with love.  Each visitor brought something different to share.  They left a special piece of their hearts here in our home and we are better people because of their visits.

The Lord truly heard and answered my unspoken prayers in more ways than one.  He helped me see the goodness of others and the goodness of our town.  So, next time you have the opportunity to have a visitor,  take them up on it!  Savor each moment and remember how much your cup runneth over with blessings and love!

Funerals.....A True Celebration of Life!!

Let it be said that funerals are INSPIRING!!  I know, there are many sad parts to a funeral, but for many joyful reasons, funerals are a celebration!  I have played the piano and organ at many funerals in my day; from babies to the elderly and many ages in between.   The circumstances of each death have all been different but the outcome of each funeral is the same....A CELEBRATION OF LIFE!!  Each funeral I have attended has provided new perspective on life!  It helps us celebrate the wonderful qualities of the person being honored.  We see the Plan of Salvation, (the Plan of Happiness) in action as the final chapter on a person's earthly life has ended and the "to be continued" from this life to the next are now being abridged.

I am  grateful for my knowledge of eternal families, that if we are sealed together by the priesthood authority in a Holy Temple of our Heavenly Father, His house, that we can strive to be eternal families...that death is but a glimpse on the grander scheme of things. This knowlege alone gives me comfort that I will be able to see posterity from my family that have already passed on to the other side.  I also long to see those people whose funeral I took part in.  I long to see the mature stature of an infant whose funeral I played at, or our dear sweet cousin, Justin, all grown up, or the youthful beauty of my grandparents or the peaceful face of a young mother whose life was taken too early from this life leaving behind young children to long for her embrace and affection.  

I am gratefyl for my gift of music.  I love sharing it with others and watching them feel the calmness and peace that comes from beautiful music.   There is no quicker way to feel the warmth of the Holy Ghost than through inspirational music. It's no wonder that people have an abundance of music at funerals.  It sets the tone and adds love and bonds those who are in attendance together.  The spirit testifies of our Heavenly Father's plan and all those who are in attendance partake. 

It's been quite some time since I have played at a funeral.  I had fogotten the tender feelings that exist until today.  All the tender feelings that are felt at a funeral were renewed today as I got to learn about Bernice. I never met Bernice before.  She was 95 years old and lived a wonderful life with the attitude of "enduring to the end with joy as your companion".  Interestingly enough, she had a poodle she named Princess who has been her companion for many many years.  Princess died of unknown causes 2 days after Bernice died.  I tend to believe it's because she was broken-hearted.  Bernice was so good to her, that cute Princess saw no reason to continue.  For 45 minutes, I listened as Bernice's life was outlined and unveiled to the audience.  Although most everyone there kenw her, but I didn't......until today.  As I sat at that piano and accompanied the violinist, I could feel the gratitude of Bernice.....almost like she was thanking me for playing at funeral to bring closure and peace to her dear family she left behind.   Before long, I felt like Bernice and I had been friends.  If I had lived in Blackfoot, ID long enough to know her, I am CERTAIN we would have been friends.  Her life was amazing and any words I write could do her no justice.  Let's just say, she was truly one in a million.  I hope one day I can be like Bernice!!

I cried as the spirit bore witness to me over and over again of the goodness of this woman.  She had touched so many lives and yet the room wasn't full...but the hearts of those in attendance were.  Being a part of Bernice's funeral gave me new perspective on life today.  It helped me to see the end from the beginning and started me thinking where I am at in my own life.  It has been said before that we should think of what we want said at our own funeral and live our lives backwards.  Until today, I envisioned all my friends  and collegues and family there and for whatever reason, I pictured friends reading words about me....until today!  It hit me so sharp today that it's MY family...MY children and MY grandchildren that would be reading MY life history.  It became so clear to me that the MOST important work I can do is that of being a successful wife and mother in my own home.  As the years pass, my children will grow up.....I only have a short period of time with them to teach them and love them  compared to the amount of time they will be spending outside my home.

What kinds of things do I want MY family to say?  What can I do TODAY to be a better mother and wife to prepare MY children for their future homes?  I started thinking of the "Am I's?"...Am I patient enough?  Am I showing more love and less criticism?  Am I preparing them to meet the challenges that surely this life will bring?  Am I taking the time to tell them each individually I LOVE YOU?  Am I teaching them to whistle while you work and to look for the needs of those around you?  Am I teaching them compassion by giving them the benefit of the doubt?  Am I freely forgiving so they can freely forgive others? Am I living what I believe so they have an example of how to establish their own solid foundation?

All these questions and more have flooded my mind.  I have much work to do as a mother and feel so grateful for the words "I'm sorry" as on many occassions I have had to ask my children for their forgiveness.
Attending Bernice's funeral today gave me more determination to use this life, which is a probationary state (Alma 12:24) to be a better person.  It starts in the walls of our own homes and is spread to those around us.

Today I will.....love more, compliment more, hug more,  serve more, show more compassion, make better use of my time, and the fruits of my labor today will be seen in all my tomorrows!!   Life is like a delicate flower being tossed in the wind.  Although it might wilt and be carried  away, the seeds that it spreads will far surpass today.

Laughter...it's better than any prescription medicine...REALLY...it is!!

I've always wondered if there is really any scientific evidence that supports whether or not laughter is good for the body. Does it really have positive effects on us? I wanted to know, so I did some research on it.

Before I give the real answer of whether laughter truly is good for you, I think a better questions is, are YOU laughing enough? Do we leave room in our life for a lighter side? Do we ALLOW ourselves the opportunity to laugh?

Remember the movie Patch Adams? It was a movie about a real life doctor who still practices today and uses laughter as healing. He's quite correct in using laughter as a healing therapy, because it is one of the most healing activities you can engage in.

There are funny things around us that happen every day. I think we can sometimes get so hyper-focused on routine or the tasks at hand, that we forget that comical things do happen. Are you so tense, so uptight that you miss funny things that your kids do? Or the funny things that YOU do?

We have a comedian in our family. It's my youngest. He doesn't even recognize how funny he is which makes what he does even funnier. I love the innocense of childhood, and especially how they see things. For example, we have these CD's that my boys listen to at night when they go to bed. It's called Grandma Ginger Stories. My youngest especially likes them and his facial expressions tell it all. I have listened to Grandma Ginger's CD's and I also love them. The stories she tells ALWAYS have a moral, and they are REAL stories and ones that we can relate too. One story in particular ends with her telling the children that it's OK to ask your parents "why?" and that parents should tell their children a real answer...not just a "because I said so", but an answer that their brain can really wrap around and understand.

The other day, my youngest and I were driving in the car. He was asking me "the why question" about something, and I didn't answer him with the answer he wanted. I think I said "because or I'm not sure". He proceeded to tell me in a VERY matter of fact response, "Well, Grandma Ginger says that kids should ask their parents why and you should tell us!" I bust out laughing and listened closer to what he was asking and gave him the real answer. I had such a good laugh over his innocence and also learned how smart he is.

Another such incidence happened with my youngest again as we were having dinner. We were all talking about school and he proceeded to tell us how smart he was. My husband asked him "What is 2+3?" Without even missing a beat, he says "Oh, that's easy! Scott, will you tell dad what 2+3 is?" We bust out laughing to the point where our guts hurt.

You know the kind of laugh I am talking about? The one that give you a good ab workout. The one that leaves you crying and wanting more! I love those kinds of laughs.

He also likes to make up his own jokes! I think every child tries this at one point in their childhood. I love how their brains are working and they are using problem solving skills to create jokes! Most times, his jokes aren't funny and sometimes he will let us know he is displeased when he says "Hey! How come noone is laughting at my jokes?" That statement alone makes us giggle and then he feels satisfied that he accomplished what he set out to do...and that is to make us laugh.

There was a point in my adult life where it was hard for me to laugh. I'm not sure why, but I remember the day it finally hit me that I didn't laugh enough. I was watching others around me laugh at cute things and was thinking to myself "that was relatively funny, why aren't I laughing?". It helped me explore what was going on in my life that kept me from recognizing situations and experiences that were funny. I realized that I needed to relax more, not be so uptight, and most importantly....to laugh AT MYSELF!!

We all do funny and ridiculous things and it's OK to laugh at ourselves. In fact, the more I laughed at the silly things I did, the result was.....I started to laugh more.

One such experience has happened to me TWICE and was extremely embarassing...probably more for those that had to be the poor witnesses to my "pants on the ground, pants on the ground, looking like a fool with your pants on the ground" experiences! Those of you who watch American Idol know exactly what I am talking about!

Both experiences with my pants on the ground actually came in the form of wearing a skirt. Everyone knows I LOVE wearng skirts and the stretchy waste ones are my favorite. I was at a church activity holding my youngest(when he was a baby) in the back of the cultural hall! I was talking to a gentleman who was also holding his baby. My daughter came up and started tugging on my skirt to ask me something. Obviously, I did not respond in a quick enough manner for her, and there went the HUGE TUG and DOWN WENT MY SKIRT!....TO THE FLOOR in fact! I am sure my face became synonomous with my hair! At that point, I had two choices. Do I drop my baby and pick up my skirt, or do I non-chalantly try to use one hand to hold my baby and the other hand to gracefully try to pull up my skirt? Well, there was no grace involved! I held on to my baby and fumbled to pick up my skirt which was not going up as easy as it went down! Nevertheless, I did it! At this point, I was mordified and I quickly slipped out the door and tried to mentally recover. Now you are probably thinking, "What about the poor gentleman that was standing there?" I am positive that this gentleman who witnessed the whole scene was embarassed and would have probably helped me out, but thought otherwise. How would it look to anyone who happened to glance back at us? Enough said!! Needless to say, I am very proud of myself. I sat outside the door and just laughed. I am sure I was plotting against my daughter as well, but the point is....I LAUGHED!!

Another similar experience happened just about 6 months ago. I again was wearing a stretchy waste skirt and we were at church. I went to check on the nursery age children and squated down to talk with one of them. The heel of my high heels got stuck on my skirt and when I quickly stood up...you guessed it...DOWN WENT MY SKIRT....TO THE FLOOR...AGAIN! This time, there was no baby to worry about dropping, so I quickly (with no grace involved) picked up my skirt and looked around. There were several other women and men in the room, and I just started laughing. It diffused the sitaution tremendously! In fact, WE ALL LAUGHED...and it was the belly laugh that left us all crying and wanting more! I bet you are wondering why I still wear stretchy wasted skirts? Well, my answer is simply this....I don't like tight things on my waste, and even though the odds are stacked against me that my skirt WILL eventually be tugged to the floor once again, I am willing to take that chance!

Now, to decide whether or not laughing truly is good for the body. The answer is a resounding YES!! WebMD reports that "We change physiologically when we laugh. We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues. People who believe in the benefits of laughter say it can be like a mild workout -- and may offer some of the same advantages as a workout. The effects of laughter and exercise are very similar. Combining laughter and movement, like waving your arms, is a great way to boost your heart rate."

One pioneer in laughter research, William Fry, claimed it took ten minutes on a rowing machine for his heart rate to reach the level it would after just one minute of hearty laughter. Laughing also boosts circulation, so at the same time that you're distributing oxygen around your body, you're boosting the circulation of your blood; you're exercising abdominal muscles; you're exercising the muscles of your face; and you're enhancing the flexibility of various joints throughout your body. So it's a bit of physical exercise and healthful body movement as well.

The harder you laugh, the greater this effect. If you can find a way to put yourself into a state of rolling, outrageous laughter, you're going to get a fantastic physical workout from it. In fact, the next day, you may even find your stomach muscles are sore. Have you ever laughed so hard that your stomach hurt and your facial muscles were exhausted? That's some serious exercise, and it's the kind of exercise in which we should all engage on a regular basis."

So, go ahead...LAUGH! Let it all out! Go enjoy a good episode of Candid Camera or America's Funniest Home Videos!! Take time to find the lighter side of life. We all know what stress does to the body. It leads to depression, weight gain, heart attacks, and slew of other illnesses that make life so much less enjoyable. We can't avoid stress, but we can learn to better cope with it and counteract it with a good laugh.

Daily Challenge: Find something today that makes you laugh. Think of a funny experience you have had, get a good laugh from mine, and let out that healthy belly laugh that makes you cry and wanting more and you'll also enjoy the health benefits as well.

Heroes....They aren't just TV Icons in tight red suits...It's YOU and ME!!

When I was growing up, I had a crush on the Greatest American Hero. C'mon, I know there are those of you out that loved this show like I did.  Remember the lyrics to the theme song? Believe it or not, I'm walking on air. I never thought I could feel so free-e-e. Flying away on a wing and a prayer. Who could it be? Believe it or not it's just me. I don't really know why I had such a crush on him, but I did; those curly blonde locks and tight super-hero suit. Focus, focus!  Oddly enough, he actually reminds me of my husband minus the tight suit, of course. They really do look alike.  The show was great!   He was always helping others and every episode ended in triumph.   The show wasn't on TV for very long, but long enough to have an impact on what I viewed a person capable of doing.
I once tried to fly like my Greatest American Hero. In my mind, I KNEW I could fly. Failure to this attempt was not an option. However, gravity had other plans for me. I wrapped my favorite blanket around me, climbed to the top bunk of my brother's bunk bed and off I jumped convinced that I would make it to the other side of the room and actually FLY! After hitting the ground, having the wind knocked out of me and every part of my body feeling like it was displaced,  I decided that wasn't such a great idea!   Even though I couldn't fly, I knew I was capable of doing great things.

I love heroes.  They exist all around us, and unless you are the Greatest American Hero, they aren't lurking around in red tight suits with curly blonde locks.  They are ordinary people like you and me.  Do you have a hero?  Do you have someone who you think about often and try to pattern your life after them?  Do you ever desire to take one of their most fantastic qualities and make it your own by faking it till making it? (except flying...do NOT try this at home!)
What kind of hero are you to someone else?  Do you live your life in a way that exemplifies who you REALLY are and what you stand for?  The world needs heroes.  We all need someone we look to that catapults us to a higher and better YOU!! 

Heroes aren't afraid to stand out, to voice what is right, to stretch themselves and be better!  Too much today, we find that people have two best friends...justification and procrastination.  They are always together, they never part, and where you find one, you will always find the other.  Heroes break up that partnership and introduces new ones like accountability and determination  or humility and endurance. 

I think there is a tendancy to have the "doom and gloom attitude" as the morals and values of society worsen and deteroriate.   Some may think that  looking for the good in people is a thing of the past.  I am here to tell you...IT's NOT!!   Looking for the good in others will help us realize and see that everyone has a bit of hero in them. 

I like to meet people and focus on their positive qualities; then take something magnificant that I see in them and try to make ME a better person.  Sometimes, like a pair of new shoes that have to be broken in, adopting a new quality doesn't feel so great.  It feels awkward and uncomfortable.  It's easy to want to stay in our own comfort zone, look at others and desire to be better, but continue to live in our comfortable bubbles.  

I say it's time to put on the "rose colored glasses", and find the good in all. By putting on the rose colored glasses, we allow ourselves not to see or focus on every fault and every mistake that one makes, but through this rosey shade, we are willing to overlook their follies knowing that it really isn't up to us to judge. It doesn't take away the importance of not lowering our standards, but by doing this, we realize that the world, although at times is scary and dreary, still has so much good to offer.  It takes a good person to have a desire to be positive, but it takes an even greater person to put that desire into action.  What kind of person are you?  Do you think the kind thought "Wow, I sure love this about that person", and never actually speak it outloud or are you the kind of person that actually speaks the thought "WOW, I sure love this about YOU!" making the receiver of your kind compliment feel better about themselves and doing your part to keep positiveness in our world. 

You and I are the heroes of the world.  If just ONE person TODAY decided to be just a little bit better, than each day we would see more kindness, more service, more acts of charity, and love.  Selfishness would decrease and be replaced with self-LESSness!  Sadness woudl decrease and be replaced with genuine SMILES!  Is there going to be heartache?  YES!  Are bad things going to happen  to innocent and wonderful people?  YES!!  Life is opposition.  Without it, there would be no growth.  We have to experience opposites to know the good from the bad.   From this understanding, now we can CHOOSE how we are going to live and how we are going to react to each experience that crosses our path.  Knowing that everything in this life has it's opposite, what are you going to focus on?  What kind of choices are you going to make?  What thoughts are you going to think? 

What kind of thoughts fill your mind and are there any that need to be be re-evaluated for the positive?  If you are a pessimist, you CAN be an optimist!  That is a hero quality.  If you are negative, you CAN be positive!  That is a hero quality.  If you are selfish, you CAN share with others your time and talents!  That is a hero quality.

Think today why you have the heroes you do.  Is it because they make you feel better about yourself?  Is it because they bring out your best?  If you don't have a hero....become one to someone else by the way you treat them, the morals and values you stand for and are preserving!  Heroes really aren't figures of the past; they aren't made up characters that kids see on the front of a ceral box.....It's YOU and ME! You can make a difference in the world today. I love the words to one of my favorite songs: Have I done any good?

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad., or made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone's burdens been lighter today, because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

Then wake up, and do something more than dream of your mansions above
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

Just remember being a hero is awesome....it's YOU!! 
Helping
Elevating
Remembering
Others

"I'm Gonna Pound Your Face!"....Nicely...Of Course!

So this morning,  I am reminded of an experience I had just before we moved to Idaho.  I remember the experience because at the present moment, I am having a brain fart in what it means  to be a lady and was not keeping my wits about me with the man we rent our home from.  That's another story, and to protect the not- so- innocent, it will not be told!

The experience in Las Vegas is quite comical now, but at the time it was very scary.  I had recently been shopping with a dear friend.  We had gone to an older part of town, where I lived for the first 10 years of my marriage.  During that 10 years, it was in great shape. Buildings were not run down and there was not near the homeless crowd that there is now.  Well, my girlfriend  and I were shopping for Christmas Jammies for our children.  It was delightful and we had a wonderful time.  I am grateful that I was able to spend such quality time with her before I moved.  Once I got the jammies home, I realized they were too small for my youngest son and I needed to take them back.  Well, I also had a slew of other things to return to different stores, Target being one of these stores.  I ventured out a couple days later early in the morning after I dropped kids off at school and preschool.  I love shopping early when the crowds are small and I can get in and out in record time...hehe!

The Target parking lot was pretty scarce and that excited me.  I knew I would be in and out fast!  As I got out of my car, I turned to walk and right behind me (literally, within  maybe 1 feet) stood a woman who obviously was homeless.  She had a small back pack on, she was dirty, and her most prized possession, you could tell, was a cabbage patch baby as dirty as she was.  She carried this baby right on her hip like we would to our babies if we were chatting on the phone or something.  She startled me and to let you know how I can be when I get scared.....ANGRY!   When my kids try and scare me, or I become startled, I turn into a lioness protecting her young....even though it is usually my young (children, that is) trying to pull a prank!  I don't know why I react that way, I just do.  It's something I can't control...it just happens.

Well, abruptly, I said to her "What do you need"?  She asked me if I had some money to spare her and could I cut a girl a break!  I told her I had no money but I had lots of change with quarters in my car she could have.  That just irritated her and I told her I was sorry.  She then asked "Well, I see you have a bag here, do you have a return"?  I was shocked that she was being so forward but answered "Yes"  and she asked me if she could wait outside and if I would give her some of my money from the return.  I explained that it was going back on my debit card and offered her all my change in my car again.  That really irritated her and I started to walk away.

I immediately felt someone tug on my purse!  I turned around as I was still walking and told her to let go.  As I started walking again, she grabbed my purse again.  Now, you are probably thinking, "Didn't anyone see this?"  "Didn't anyone come to help"?  I am here to tell you that noone was around.  If they were, I was so focused on what was going on, that I did not notice anyone.  I didn't even think to call out for help.  I guess my stubborn "I can do this MYSELF" attitude came shining through....hmmmmm....now I know where my oldest get's her same thinking from...HER MOM!!

 Have you ever had that feeling of adrenaline hit you so hard you could TRULY move a car, or even hurt someone if you needed to defend yourself.......or die trying?   Well, that happened to me.  I felt this surge of energy/anger and I turned around and shook my fist in her face and loudly growled "I'M GOING TO POUND YOUR FACE"!!!!!!  I know, I know......shocking isn't it?  This tiny red head going to pound someone in the face?  Seriously though, I could have done it, and I must of had  a pretty scary look on my face, because she backed away and left me alone.  By this time, I was close to the entrance of Target.  I scurried inside and told the Security Guard about this lady.  He asked me "Doe she have a cabbage patch baby with her"?  I said yes and he told me they have had problems with her before.

I finished my return and asked the Security Guard to watch me walk to my car.  He did and I arrived there safely.   I got in my car and the let down of what just happened hit me.  I started bawling like a baby.  The tears just kept coming as I realized that I could have really hit her and probably hurt her.  Now, I have NEVER been in a fight in my life.  I was drug to the ground one time by a girl who was upset with me in the 7th grade that I could run faster than her, but that's beside the point!    I tried to call my husband, and he was not answering his phones and so I counted my blessings of being OK and drove home. Here's the funny part in all this.  During the whole incident, I was worried about hitting a homeless woman and going to jail wearing a skirt!  I could just see the headlines in the newspaper "Petite Woman in a skirt goes to Jail for pounding a homeless woman in the face"!!  I have seen reality shows, I KNOW that jail is a place I DON'T ever want to be.  I just kept thinking, "I am going to jail for hitting a homeless woman!  I don't belong there, I don't want to be there, let alone wearing a skirt...I would be such an easy target in that scary place!"

That evening, I relayed the story to my family.  As I came to the part where I growled at her that I was going to pound her in the face, my family burst out in laughter.  They could not imagine their mother saying that to someone else, but Oh Yes......I DID!!  My husband kept saying "Say that again, come again, how did that go?" and we all got a good belly laugh about it.  It helped ease the fear I felt to talk about it, and was glad they got such a kick out of it. 

I truly have sympathy for the homeless.  There is a story behind every pair of eyes!  I am sure if we knew their story, we would  be heart broken.  I believe that living on the streets long enough can callus one's soul and they don't always comprehend exactly what they are doing.

Although now comical, the reality is, I wish my situation could have been different.  What if she had just taken my change, and I could have wished her a Merry Christmas and given her a smile and a hug?  What if my embrace was exactly what she needed that day?  I will never know.  I am grateful that I walked away safe and sound as it could have turned out much worse.  We all have guardian angels, and mine were with me that day there is no doubt.

So, I learned a couple things from this experience:

1.WEARING A SKIRT MAY GIVE OFF THE APPEARANCE OF AN EASY TARGET-I love wearing skirts and I prefer wearing them over jeans.  However, in certain situations I guess I could come across as vulnerable and as easy target....and it doesn't help that I always have a flower in my hair...Yikes...maybe I better re-think my entire wardrobe....nah!!

2. WE ALL HAVE GUARDIAN ANGELS....WHOSE WILL YOU BE TODAY? For whatever reason, my life was spared from danger and I was blessed.  What kind of guardian angel are you and I to those in need?  Our world is in much need of guardian angels like you and I watching over each other.  There are many who carry burdens that they can scarcely withstand, and it is within the capacity of each one of us to lift those burdens, to ease the heartache that others feel through our sincere and Christ-like service.

Daily Challenge:  Pay closer attention to those around you.  Pick up on silent ques that are given and listen more intently to what others are "really" trying to say.  You may not have wings, but you have the ability to lift and carry....Go do something nice for someone else today!

My Toothless DMV Wonder Worker.....

I guess when you move to a new state, you have to take a written test to get your new driver's license for that state.  I sure wish someone had warned me.  Coming from Las Vegas, the DMV is PACKED!  It's so packed, in fact, that you have to take a number and wait a good hour or so before your number is called. Then, forget it if you forgot some paperwork or if the gal behind the counter has had a bad day...because you will leave there having a bad day too!   Well, things in Blackfoot are a bit different and for that, I am very grateful. 

Have you ever had an image of what you thought something was going to look like?  Maybe after talking to someone on the phone you have never met and you get a mental image of what you think they look like and when you finally meet them, they look NOTHING like what you thought?  Well, that's what it was like for me and the Idaho DMV!  In my mind, I thought the lines would be long, people would be grumpy, and I would be waiting forever......WRONG!  It was such a better experience than I had expected. 

After FAILING the written test last week, (don't ask....I was completely embarrassed.  The clerk reassured me that it happens often, but I know she was just trying to make me feel better.  Well, it didn't work!  I should have just bribed her with $20 or something and maybe I wouldn't have had to wait a week to take it again....JUST KIDDING!)......I took the booklet home and studied.  I have been fearing this silly test for A WHOLE WEEK!!  You would have thought that if I didn't pass, someone was going to sacrifice my first born or something.  I was that scared. 

I decided today was the day, so I went in and took the test.  This time, I felt smarter and more prepared.  I skipped the questions that I didn't understand and then had time to think them through.  I passed with only missing 4 (and you could only miss 7),  but I left feeling like I had just one the Nobel Prize!!  Then it was on to the "registering my suburban" portion.

I went to that part of the building, which really was only like 20 steps from where I got my drivers license.  The line had 2 people in front of me....THAT'S RIGHT.....2 People!!  It was awesome!  When it was my turn, the gal behind the counter looked a bit grumpy!  I thought, alright....charm time!  So, I started out with a compliment.  After all, she was wearing a darling necklace.  I told her I liked her necklace and that seemed to break the ice....until she smiled!!  AHHHH....she was missing most of the teeth in her mouth and I couldn't help but stare.  It was like my eyes were glued to her mouth and it was VERY obvious!  I just couldn't stop staring.  Well, I had to stop staring or she was going to be upset.  However, she  melted my heart and was very knowledgeable about the DMV, in fact, I left there feeling like I could explain anything about the DMV to anyone.  She was just so darling.  People like her are the reason I love this cute town.  She may not have been a picture of beauty, although I did love her necklace, but her inner beauty that she had really did shine through. 

So, it's OK to be jealous that I only had to wait about 5 minutes in line and that my whole experience at the DMV from taking my drivers test to registering my suburban only took about 30 minutes.  Where else can you that happen to you AND meet the cutest toothless DMV Worker Ever? 

Friends.......Love Em' and Never Leave Them

I had the most wonderful conversation with a dashing lady this morning.  I have decided that we are kindred spirits and we are just getting introduced to each other later in life!  She is vibrant, lovely, humble and very kind.  It got me to thinking how much friends are such an important part of our lives.

I know for me, my friends are what keep me sane during the insane moments.  You too?  The help us to be reflective, observant, wild and crazy (at times..hehe), uplifting, encouraging....all these wonderful things are what friends help us to be.

I would say, besides our family, friends are probably one of the most cherished commodities.  I would even venture to say that at times, they might even be more cherished than our family...(if you have teenagers, you know exactly what I mean!)

I love the blossoming process of a new friendship.  It takes both people to leave their comfort zone and go out on a limb!  It can be exciting, thrilling and scary all at the same time.  Will this new friend like me?  Will she accept me and all my quirks and faults?  Will she be loyal, yet honest when need be?  All of these thoughts go through my own head as I am in a new and budding friendship.

With each new friendship, we have the opportunity to learn from that person, to emulate and pull from their strong points; to help ourselves be a better person.  It's a two way process and one that if properly nourished will bring joy and satisfaction to both people.

Enjoy your friends!  Tell them how important they are in your life.  Sometimes our friends may not hear kind and positive things enough in their own homes, and as their friend, we may be just that ONE person who makes all the difference.

Daily Challenge:  Meet someone new.  Take a chance, and give a compliment.  You will make their day and bring joy to your own.

Friendsip Quotes:
When it hurts to look back and your scared to look ahead you can look beside you and your best friend will be there.~Maggie Lee

True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice.~ Samuel Johnston

Be Thou an Example of The Believers

 Recently, Chris. Lauren and I were asked to give talks in our new ward.  It was a great experience.  I learned so much from studying about what it means to "Be Thou an Example of The Believers". 

I have come to the conclusion that being an example radiates from our very being.  It's who we are, what we believe in, and how we act.   There is good in everyone.  Even though our beliefs may differ, we all radiate something......What is it that you radiate?  What conviction shows forth from you that says "I AM AN EXAMPLE"?  I believe that our own heritage is rich with examples of those that sacrificed and paved the way and were true examples of the believers. 

My Grandma Wardle is one of those people!  She was as cute as can be.  She was a pretty as a Georgia peach and that is where she grew up.  She was a true southern belle and very petite. She had a southern drawl in her voice that never left her.  She used to say "Tamara Joy" with the cutest southern accent and it would melt my heart.  She used phrases like "Oh, fiddly dee" and "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream"!   She had a sweet sound to her voice that drew you right in like a good book. Her warm embraces felt like rays of sunshine on a warm Spring day.  

When Grandma would come to visit, her and Grandpa would stay in my room since I had a trundle bed.  I never minded giving up my room because when Grandma left, her sweet scent was always left on my pillow.  I never wanted to wash my pillowcase and her sweet scent seemed to linger forever!  She would also leave a cute note saying "Thank you" and sometimes even left a dollar.  I felt so rich, but it wasn't the money that made me rich, it was the feeling Grandma left in your room.  She was pure and sweet to the core.  You felt like a piece of heaven had just been there. 

Grandma always tried to better herself and knew the scriptures like the back of her hand.  She had notes all over the margins and inserts throughout her scriptures.  You could tell she studied often.   She had pictures of Christ throughout her house and loved to learn Spanish.  Can you imagine this cute Georgia Grandma speaking Spanish to you with a southern accent?  We would just giggle when grandma would say "Como tu te llamas" in her cute southern way.   

When we would visit grandma in the summertime, there was never a dull moment.  She always treated us to a fun outing and it was just peaceful to be in here presence.  One particular Summer, I lived there between my junior and senior year of high school.  My grandparents rented a piano for me so I could keep up on my music studies.  They made me feel so wonderful and would showcase me to their friends as if I were some kind of prize possession....and indeed I was.  I was their most prize possession, and although there were many cousins, when you were with them, they made you feel as if you were the most important person on earth.  Grandma would take me walking with her every morning to the Rex Center.  While we would walk, we would talk about life and she would share her testimony of her beliefs and convictions.  The love she had for me, was apparent.  It wasn't just a feeling...it was real..tangible, just like she was!  Someday, I want to be that kind of grandma. 

Grandma lived what she believed and you knew it.  She talked often of choosing the right, being obedient, keeping the commandments and honoring my parents.  When I wasn't visiting grandma, I was receiving letters of love and concern in the mail.  She always sent pictures of herself in front of flowers...Oh, how grandma loved flowers!  Her favorite were dogwoods and I have many pictures of grandma infront of them.  She just seemed to know what it was that I needed at certain times in my life.  She once sent me a copy of a talk by President Benson entitled "Beware of Pride".  At the time, I brushed it aside, but years later, that talk became  a profound tool in my journey of becoming a better person and to this day remains a very special talk to me.  How did she know? It's like she could see into the future and KNEW that at some point, I would really need this talk. 

As grandma got older and I was married, I watched her even more.  I started to long for some of her traits to be mine, and I adopted many of them and faked it till  I made it.  Grandma radiated love.  She radiated care, and mutual respect and fashion.  My cousins and I would brag to our friends and be so proud that we had the hippest grandma on earth.  And truly...... she was.   

When grandma passed away, I was heart-broken.  I piece of heaven had now returned to heaven.  She loved music and good books and good company and good food and everything good.  She represented to me what the phrase "Charity Never Faitleth" truly means.  Many times since her death, I have felt her presence and have pondered the question "Would my grandma be proud of what I am doing?"  

We all need an example of the believer to have as a steady example of who we to be like.  Christ was the ultimate example of charity, pure love, humility....and those are just some of the trails that grandma possessed.  Who is it in your life that you emulate, that you desire to be more like?  What in your life needs some fine tuning so you can be a better example of the believer?   

Daily Challenge:  Make a list of those qualities that you love about yourself and those that need some fine tuning...choose one and work on it for the week and don't forget to smile!!