Dear MMB

Friday, October 30, 2009

Dear MMB:

I would really like to get some ideas on what to do- - In my family, we have one spouse who goes to church with their 5 children. The other spouse wants nothing to do with the church. They have been baptized and went while in their youth, however now? They are totally uninterested... How do you raise 5 kids in this type of situation? How do you teach your children about being an eternal family, when we are not one? How do you live the gospel, have FHE and scripture study, and family prayers without ostracizing the non-practicing spouse? What can I do? Please help!

Thanks for all the hard work you put into MMB! It is the highlight of my mornings and I love not having to bookmark blogs anymore!

Thanks,

~Becky

OK Ladies! Lets put our thinking caps on, and offer support to Becky!

Are there any of you out there in similar situations?

How do you handle this?

What suggestions do you have?

What would YOU do and how would you feel?

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Discussion Wednesday - Grocery Shopping

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

So I have a question for all of you.... How much do you spend on groceries? I spend about a million dollars every month. Okay, not really, but it feels like a lot. I just figured it out and I'm averaging about $30 a day on groceries for a family of 6. To break it down even more, that's $5 a day per person. This includes diapers and formula and toilet paper and everything. And while $30 a day doesn't SOUND so bad, that's $840 a month! A MONTH! I'm sure I could do much better.

HELP ME.

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General Conference Discussion- D. Todd Christofferson

Monday, October 26, 2009

This week we will discuss Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk, “Moral Discipline,” I don’t know if you saw this recent devotional by Elder Oaks, but I’ve been thinking a lot about how our society honors wickedness and belittles efforts for righteousness. Morality is the new minority, but Elder Christofferson gives us a call to battle.

“Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard.”

“Societies will struggle in vain to establish the common good until sin is denounced as sin…”

“Moral discipline is learned at home.”

“At a minimum, moral discipline will be of immense help to us as we deal with whatever stresses and challenges may come in a disintegrating society.”

PART ONE: STUDY THE TALK.

Elder Christofferson’s talk was delivered during the Sunday afternoon session of conference. You can read it here, or watch it here or listen to it here.

PART TWO: COME BACK HERE AND JOIN IN ON THE DISCUSSION OF ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. The discussion will be open throughout the week.

He tells a story about President James E. Faust's courage to denounce sin as sin when he was interviewing for a military promotion. Do you have any experiences to share where you, like President Faust, had the chance to speak out for truth even when it was difficult? What blessings came from it?
In the talk we studied last week, Elder Bednar encouraged us to make our choices more consistent with what we know, and Elder Christofferson now encourages us to do the same. It seems that the necessary element to get from knowing to doing is simply "discipline." What are ways that we can draw upon or even find the discipline we need to do what we know is right?
How can we help our children to understand this principle of moral discipline? Elder Christofferson says it is "learned at home," and it may be the only place it is learned. Our own example is imperative, but what are other ideas for helping children to understand the importance of "choosing the right because it is right, even when it is hard"?

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Higher Ground

Monday, October 26, 2009

Summertime usually brings rain in our part of the world. Nearly every day, the clouds build on drafts of warm air, tension increasing exponentially with the heat of the day, until the air is so ponderously pregnant with unreleased moisture that the humidity becomes almost unbearable. Finally, the cumulus clouds burst, accompanied by brief but violent claps of thunder and the occasional lightning-struck power outage. Tension is released, damp heat is eased, and active children take a breather from strenuous outside play time.

I've lived here most of my life, with a brief hiatus from southern mountain living to attend college in Utah, then to accompany my husband to graduate school in Memphis and its requisite internships in east Tennessee, South Carolina and Charlotte, NC. These summer storms were an integral part of my experience growing up, and I missed them when I was gone. Now, I'm disappointed when some natural fluke of circumstance keeps our storms at bay. I need that excuse to sit and snuggle on the couch with my kids, to have a contemplative moment, to listen for an instant to the great evidence of God's love that is rain.

We moved into our house on May 14, just before the daily thundershower ritual gets into full swing. Our house was new, and we had to take care of all the new house things: install blinds, get a lawnmower, put in a mailbox.

Shortly after we moved in, I came home just as one of these wonderful summer storms burst. As I drove up to the mailbox, I noticed some movement on the ground, but attributed it to the swiftly falling raindrops that were quickly soaking the interior of my car, my left arm, and my hair. I reached out to open the mailbox and immediately recoiled from a sight I could not believe.

Our mailman had placed a small adhesive plastic sleeve on the inside of the mailbox door, into which he inserted a small business-card sized piece of paper inscribed with our last name. The plastic sleeve was bulging with hundreds, maybe thousands, of ant eggs. Tiny sugar ants streamed too and from my mailbox, marching up and down the post in perfectly precise military formation.

I left the mail and slammed the door to the mailbox, racing inside, eerily shaken by a bunch of insects a tiny fraction of my size.

Later, after the sun came out and turned the fallen rain into a steamy mist rising from the pavement of my driveway, I decided the ants could not have my mail. I purposefully strode outside, and when I opened the mailbox I nearly accused myself of having an acid trip right there in my driveway, because no evidence remained of either the ants or their eggs.

It took me a moment to realize what had happened: as soon as the storm dried up, they took their babies home and left my mailbox alone. I suddenly understood what they were doing. When it rains a bunch in a short period of time, their home gets flooded. And so they took their most precious and defenseless family members to the highest, driest place they could find: the little plastic sleeve in my mailbox.

That summer, I avoided my mailbox whenever it rained. I knew it would be in use by some pretty fierce mamas. I admired their tenacity from a distance -- it took an awesome group effort to preserve their progeny, but when faced with adversity, they did what they had to to survive.

We heard on the news last night of a woman who was arrested for trying to trade drugs for food. She took her two small children to a local barbecue restaurant, ordered them some peanut butter sandwiches, and then, since she had no money, tried to bribe the cashier with two Xanax pills. My heart nearly broke. She didn't order multiple racks of ribs and whole cherry pies. She ordered peanut butter sandwiches. I mourn for the lost innocence of her little ones -- but I understand what she was doing. If I can't feed them, I'll do what I have to do to help them.

Can you imagine the circumstances that must exist for her to have access to Xanax pills, but not peanut butter and jelly? Some awful combination of poor choices and bad circumstances are depriving her unaccountable children of the life that every kid deserves. I can't decide whether to be sad or angry. Maybe both.

We are all faced with difficult circumstances, especially in this unfavorable economic climate. We may have to do things we never thought we'd have to to take care of our families. I think of those ants carrying their eggs to my mailbox, and I envision my house surrounded by flood waters -- literal and figurative. I hope that I am strong enough to continually find higher ground to protect my babies from the encroaching tide of drowning, devastating filth that seeks to weaken and infiltrate the insulation from the world I seek to establish in my home. I hope I can always find a dry, cozy spot where the warmth and comfort of the Gospel will get us through the toughest of times.

~InkMom (as in I'm Not Crazy Mommy, except with a K instead of a C because I don't want to be IncMom) has been happily married to CPod since day one, which was just about 12 years ago. They have three little boys: G-Dog and ConMan are twins (they just turned 4), and Lil' MayDay is 2. She lives in beautiful western North Carolina, and loves it. She says she will never leave because she goes through separation anxiety when she thinks about residing some place outside of those mountains. She is a mom, a musician, a teacher, a bookkeeper, a writer, a housekeeper, a scullery maid, a thinker, a runner, a daughter and a sister . . . but you'll learn all that eventually if she keeps posting and you keep reading. Inkmom blogs at I'm (not) Crazy Mommy

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DVD Winner

Sunday, October 25, 2009

The winner of the Charlie and Lola DVD is commentor number 5,

Neas Nuttiness

Thanks to everyone for playing along, and there are more giveaways coming.

Labels: Review

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Sunday Devotional

Sunday, October 25, 2009

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Famous Family Nights

Saturday, October 24, 2009

MMB was recently sent the book Famous Family Nights by Anne Bradshaw. Can I just tell you that I sat and read the book from cover to cover in one sitting? I did. It is such an easy read, and very uplifting. The thing that I loved the most was that these "Famous People" were just like me. They were people with families who were trying their hardest to be their best.

As I read through the short essays' on FHE , I was delighted to find one by a man I had known as a child—and had great respect for – Stan M. Gardner. I had grown up in the same ward he had chosen to raise his children in, and his wife is a true example of what a Mother in Zion should be like.
Anne's book is unique. She asked well known LDS personalities to write essays on Family Home Evening—a night set aside for the spiritual teaching of the members of your home, typically a Monday. (although my family has always had our family night on Sunday nights.) The essays range in ideas of what to do, why you do it, to how to do it. I particularly liked the essay by Emily Jensen about all the various online helps there are available for us. My other favorite essay was by Josi Kilpack—a well known mystery writer-- who tells of the time she used Family Home Evening to teach the importance of flushing the toilet.

FHE is something that my family has struggled with. We start and stop and start and stop—much like a commuter train. And, at times we barrel through like a freight train. We like to blame the dog as the culprit of our lack of spiritual family nights, but the reality is it is lack of planning.
I loved reading all the stories from the various persons on their family night successes. And frankly, this book gave me hope. I realized that the blessings come when you START the family home evening practice and my children will get something from it. Even though it seems as if they are holding a private contest to see who can be the naughtiest.

Reading this book renewed my desire to try a little harder to be a little better at this inspired practice of Family Night. And, it's OK if we all leave crying, or going to our rooms—because the blessings will come to us from simply trying.

Labels: Review

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Dear MMB: Twitter me this

Friday, October 23, 2009

Dear MMB:

Loved your entry on how to link blog updates with Twitter & Facebook. Brilliant!

Along the same lines, I was wondering if you could write a post on a basic introduction of how to effectively use Twitter? With all the @, #, etc., it can get quite confusing – let alone not missing an update by anyone!

Everybody keeps talking about the awesome-ness of Twitter, but I feel out of the loop – probably because I feel a bit lost on it.

Cheers!
Jo

Well Jo, I have to admit that I am a twitter novice too. I had no idea how to answer your questions, so I asked the veteran, Jane from Seagull Fountain. She let it slip to me recently at a blogging conference we were both attending, that she is a twitter genius. She even made a presenatation at BYU on twitter and social networking. Who better to answer your questions that an expert?

Take it away, Jane.

Ah, Twitter. There are so many skeptics. But think of it this way -- where Facebook is great for connecting with old friends, Twitter is great for making new ones -- both for business-networking-type purposes and for friendship (and you can hook up your accounts so what you say on Twitter automatically goes on your Facebook status update too, or not).

There's a pretty vibrant Mommy Twitter scene (in Utah and around the world), and it's fun to check in for a few minutes here and there during the day and see what's on people's minds. Sometimes when I'm stuck for a word or need a recommendation, I turn to Twitter instead of Google, and the whole old-news thing about (especially stay-at-home-)moms using the Internet for some much-needed adult interaction during the day is doubly true for Twitter.

Twitter makes the world at once bigger and smaller. I met hilarious Charlotte (@latermom) on Twitter because she follows Stephanie (@sahans), who I met on Twitter and then bonded with at the South Jordan Chick-Fil-A and several local blogger events. Anyway, Charlotte (who I haven't met IRL yet) turns out to have been the college roommate of my friend Tara's (@WellRndedWoman) good friend Susan (@bbbforme). Charlotte lives in Maine, Stephanie and I live in Utah, and Tara and Susan live in Arizona. We talk to Natasha (@SomethingGirl) who lives in Canada, and Kirsty (@kirstyt) who lives in Australia.

During General Conference a couple weeks ago, 1400 members around the globe used the hashtag (keyword) #ldsconf to spread faith, doctrine, and good feeling. The church is pretty progressive about asking us to be a presence for good on the internet and in social media. Of course you should only do it if you enjoy it, and you shouldn't neglect your real life, but the friendships you make can become real, whether you meet at a Polynesian-sauce-fueled tweetup, or just dream of someday finding out whether Charlotte's six kids really are as crazy as they sometimes sound.

For some basic how-to's and links to other resources, check out the podcast and post on Twitter that I presented at BYU several months ago.

And to answer your specific questions:

@ = The marker of a Twitter handle. I'm @seagullfountain, so to respond to me or mention me, or to make sure that I see a tweet of yours, you'd include @seagullfountain somewhere in the tweet. If you put @seagullfountain at the very beginning, then only people who follow both you and I will see the tweet; if you put it anywhere else in your message, then everyone following you will see it.

# = The marker (hashtag) for a keyword. You can search Twitter (a search box is now on the Twitter sign-in page) for anything you're interested it. It's a good way to find people to follow. Say, for example you want to follow people who talk about their cats -- search for "cats" or "#cats." The # sign isn't actually necessary for the keyword recognition, but it lets other people know that you're talking about some proper thing (see the @ldsconf example), kind of like a boolean search term.

If you've used Facebook before, Twitter is simple. The most important thing is finding good people to follow and getting them to follow you back. I no longer automatically follow people back if I don't recognize their names, but whenever anyone responds to me (by using the @seagullfountain marker), I check out their profile and almost always start following them back. Twitter is a conversation, and the more you make real conversation, the funner it is.

Good luck, and let me know your handle when you join! (And if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them!)

You can read more from Jane on her wildly famous blog, Seagull Fountain, or follow her witty tweets on Twitter-- @seagullfountain

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We have some Questions... Let's see if you have the answers

Thursday, October 22, 2009

As participants/readers of the MMB:

1) Would you be interested in attending/supporting an MMB version of BlogHer? Meaning, a 2 day conference type meet-n-greet event with sponsors, Key note speakers, break-out classes, food and fine entertainment? (I sounded like a commercial right there...)

2) How much would you be willing to pay for the event? The price of a one day ticket, or a whole package deal? Would you be interested in Hotel rates? When would you like to see it happen? Around General Conference Time? Women's Conference or Pioneer Day? What about National No Diet Day or Chocolate Chip Day? (those are true blue holidays!)

Tell us when you would be inclined to want to attend. (remembering that June/August is off limits--those are when the big dogs play!)

3) If you have a business would you be interested in participating? Either by being one of our sponsors OR where you could have a booth, hand out samples of your product etc on our "live blogging floor"?

4) What type of "Break-out" classes would you be interested in attending? Blog design? Blogging 101? Photography classes or writing classes? Tell us what you would like to learn.

Please leave your comments, suggestions and all hail praises in our comments! We want to hear what you want, and what you would enjoy! Then, we will try and make it happen.

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Discussion Wednesday - Switching Gears

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

A big chunk of WHO I AM comes down to one little thing.

I'm a Mormon.

And I know that not everyone who reads my blog IS (Mormon, that is.)

So I use language and references that, as someone raised in an LDS home, would know.

Without bothering to explain it for everyone else.

I just don't have the time to do it, ya' know?

But sometimes, I think I'm coming awfully close to misrepresenting who we are as a whole.

I mean, I'm not particularly tactful, in real life, or on the blog.

And I have a wicked sense of humor.

So when I have to switch gears from snarky/funny to spiritual/religious, I have a hard time.

When is it appropriate to show that softer side?

Labels: discussion wednesday

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But If Not . . .

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Recently, I have been watching someone I love go through a very difficult thing. My heart aches for her, as we sit and talk, and run the "what if's" over as she struggles to make sense of her new reality.

As this trial for my loved one has unfolded, I have found myself reflecting on one of my favorite stories from the Old Testament, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

I love this story because of three little words...

But if not...

The Three Amigos, as I lovingly call them (please don't thrust me down to hell for that one...) refuse to bow down to the King's idols. The King is angry, and tells his servants to make his fiery furnace seven times hotter than usual so he can burn these guys alive. The King mocks them, and says that if they didn't fall down and worship his idol properly, he would thrust them into the fiery furnace and they would burn to death. And really, who did they think would deliver them? Not their silly God. He, their King, was the one with all the power.

I love this next part...

My Three heroes say: " If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to ^adeliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king" "But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not ^aserve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up"

But if not...

Essentially they were saying that they know that God could deliver them from the Kings hands, but if not, they would never stop believing in their God, and they would never turn their hearts from Him.

At various times we are all thrown into "the fiery furnace" with things we wish the Lord would take away. Things that we would rather not have to deal with or even experience. Sometimes we can pray and pray and pray, and nothing seems to change. That fiery furnace, so to speak is still there. Our trials do not go away...

Some would find themselves wondering where God is? Why is he not answering my righteous desire? That's where the whole but if not business happens.

Sometimes we have to do hard things. We can go to church, read our scriptures, pray, and those hard things are still there, every morning waiting for us. No matter what we do, they just wont go away and we are still in that furnace.

That is when we turn to the but if not phrase... "Lord, I need you take this trial from me. I can't do this anymore. But if not, I will still be true and faithful to you." It's how we react in the but if not part of our lives that the Lord is interested in seeing. And I think, that's the hardest one to give.

I mean, who doesn't want to have their trials removed? I know I do. But if not, I will stand firm. It will be hard but I will not waiver. I know, just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego did, that the Lord is perfectly capable of delivering us from our own personal "fiery furnaces". However, sometimes he doesn't. And the whole but if not part means that even if my crappy stuff is still here in the morning, I will be steadfast and immovable in my commitment to Christ.

Sometimes our faith is pushed to the very edge, and we have to rely on that but if not principal. We have to trust that even though things aren't turning out the way we want them to, God is still in control and aware of us. We know that Heavenly Father will not try us beyond what we can handle, and further, we know that these trials are what make us not only a better person, but also take us one step closer to being more like Him.

We have to have faith that God will deliver us from the trials of teenagers going astray... but if not...

We have to have faith that God will deliver us from the trials of sick children... but if not...

We have to have faith that God will help us sell our home... but if not...

We have to have faith that God will deliver us from a wayward spouse or a difficult marriage... but if not...

We have to have faith that God will deliver us from the trial of not being able to have children... But if not... We will still believe in God and we will still press forward in Faith.

That is the test that God has sent us here to perform. He wants to see what will happen when we are faced with that but if not part of our faith.

How are you doing?

You can read more posts by motherboard on her blog Crazyland: Tales from the Motherboard.

*Are you interested in guest posting on MMB?
email us at mmbguestpost@gmail.com with your submissions.*

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General Conference Discussion

Monday, October 19, 2009

In an effort to focus on our shared doctrine and faith and to encourage each other in our efforts to live what we believe, we have started a new weekly feature here on the MMB. Each Monday we will invite you to study one of the most recent General Conference talks and participate in a discussion about applying the counsel in our lives. Here's how it works:

PART ONE: READ, WATCH OR LISTEN TO THE ASSIGNED GENERAL CONFERENCE TALK (THIS WEEK IT'S ELDER BEDNAR'S). You can find it here:

To read “More Diligent and Concerned at Home”

To watch or listen to “More Diligent and Concerned at Home”

Elder David A. Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave this talk, “More Diligent and Concerned at Home,” during the Saturday morning session of the October 2009 General Conference. He emphasized three important keys to achieving eternal goals in our families:

Express love— and show it.
Bear testimony— and live it.
Be consistent.

PART TWO: COME BACK HERE AND JOIN IN ON THE DISCUSSION OF ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. The discussion will be open throughout the week.

When Elder Bednar encourages us to express love and bear testimony to our families, he acknowledges that we might feel "unsure, awkward, or even perhaps a bit embarrassed." What ideas do you have that are ways to overcome those feelings and "both create and look for opportunities" to express love and bear testimony?
Several times in this talk, Elder Bednar encourages us to "consistently do more of what we know is right and become better." It is often easy to recognize the gap between what we know and what we do, and then feel guilty or discouraged and do nothing about it. What can you do to close that gap and move intentionally and hopefully towards living with more integrity?
Elder Bednar said: "Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable, But . . . [they] can lead to significant spiritual results." Do you have an experience or testimony to share about how the "seemingly small things" have made a positive difference in your home or family?

This feature is run by our newest, permanent feature writer-- Stephanie from Diapers and Divinity

Stephanie is a mom to three young children that have almost completely consumed her brain. With what is left of it, she likes to blog at Diapers and Divinity, study the gospel, and plan fantasy vacations that she never takes. She and her family live in the great white north part of the country, where her husband is attending law school and working full time. Stephanie is switching to first person now because that was getting awkward. I've had a full life with many great opportunities like education, mission, travel, and cool jobs, but I'm learning that this stage of life where I am now (which sometimes mistakenly feels a little bit like a plateau), will be the time that I look back on as the years of my greatest influence. And that's the faith that keeps me ticking. Chocolate and naps help too.

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My Spiritual Track

Monday, October 19, 2009

A few months ago, I wrote an article about religion. It consisted on interviews I had with several people of different faiths. I interviewed a Messianic Jewish woman, a Catholic, a Protestant, and a Mormon. Each person I interviewed held a contentment in their respected religion. Upon completion of the article, I prayed I would have the same contentment. I held a longing for a peace about religion and struggled with which one of the two were greater, a relationship with our Heavenly Father or religion?

I was no stranger to religion. I was raised Catholic and Baptist, (my father was Catholic, my mother Baptist) and for five years I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. After leaving the Witnesses, I spent four years trying to find the 'right' religion.

"Religion is man-made and not instituted by God," I told myself. I thought by visiting several churches and reading my Bible, I could teach my children what they needed to know. I wanted them to have a spiritual foundation, but I found it was more difficult not having a solid foundation of my own.

I briefly went back to the Catholic Church, finding some solitude of peace when I attended Mass. I still needed more scriptural knowledge, so my search for a home church continued. I found a little log cabin of a church that reminded me of the church I attended with my grandmother in Alabama. It was non-denominational, yet leaned towards Pentecostal. During the praise session, I was often moved to tears. I found myself wanting to gravitate towards others Christians, but something was still very much lacking in my soul.

Throughout my years, I have known and befriended a good amount of LDS people and used to joke that they were in my 'LDS Collection' of friends. It never seemed to fail that when I met someone I really liked and asked what church they attended, they'd tell me they were LDS.

I had the missionaries over to my house a few times over the years, but nothing they said ever resonated with me. I wasn't truly listening to what they had to say, because my mind (and heart) was completely closed to the notion of learning about Mormonism.

In March 2009, I had a strange and interesting dream. The dream haunted me and it was weeks before I told anyone the contents. In my dream, I was panicked because I was late arriving to something very important. I remember walking into a changing room and changing into a white jumpsuit. I remember going into a baptismal font and being baptized. Instead of feeling good about the baptism, I felt dread and overwhelming sadness. I remember in my dream looking out towards the people watching the baptism. All were smiling, but they were all strangers. My husband and my children were not in attendance. This dread caused me to question my decision. In my dream, a voice said to me that I would never have peace if I couldn't accept the gift and be happy. I needed to stop concentrating on the people who weren't there…but be joyous for GOD was there! I distinctly remember a tall man in the baptismal font motioning for me to walk towards him. I remember his smile and the way I felt when he baptized me. I can still hear the sound of the Spirit telling me I was not alone.

The dream was compelling and distorted, but the message was clear. However, I discounted the notion of joining the Mormon Church and took the dream to mean that I had to rely on God and not myself.

I spent the next few months devouring books about Jesus Christ and our Creator. I read my Bible and starting to work on the article about religion. While sitting at my kitchen table with my Bible opened, I asked God for direction. I remember seeing the letters: L D S in my mind and thought to myself that I never have given them a fair chance. I didn't really have anything to lose, nor did I believe my life would change so dramatically.

The two missionaries, Elder Bailey and Elder Bjorkman entered my home and it was as if I knew them both my entire life. There were no awkward silences between the three of us. I had made a promise to myself that I would be open to being taught, so I had already read The Book of Mormon and given up coffee…just to see if I could.

There were many instances during my study with Elder Bjorkman and Elder Bailey where I felt the Spirit. The most poignant moment was during my baptismal interview in which I had a sudden feeling of angst come over me. After a few seconds, a calming peace ran through my body and the words, "This is the beginning of your life, stay firm,"ran through my head.

The days before my baptism were difficult. My husband refused to allow my children to attend church and wouldn't allow the children to attend the baptism. He also chose not to attend.

As I walked down the baptismal font and I saw Elder Bjorkman, I realized all those times in which he looked familiar made sense. I remembered in my dream the person who had baptized me and it was him! When I asked him to baptize me, I didn't think anything of it…other than it just seemed right. I can't even articulate into words what that moment was like. It was a missing piece to a puzzle that finally came together to make perfect sense. I will never forget it as long as I live.

I've realized religion is not greater than the relationship we have with our Heavenly Father, but the right religion enhances our relationship. Opening my heart to the whispers of the Holy Spirit has given me what I always wanted: Contentment. While it hasn't been easy since my baptism, my world is chaotic and filled with adversity; there is still a peace and overwhelming contentment that never leaves me.

And it is with that...I know I'm on the right spiritual track.

Jaime Chase is a wife, mother of four and lives in Anchorage, Alaska. She is a writer and public speaker. She is currently studying to receive her Bachelor's Degree in Religion and Philosophy. She currently writes on her blog, Chase N Kids, and is working on her second book, a memoir about her life and religion.

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Sunday Devotional

Sunday, October 18, 2009

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Charlie and Lola vol. 9:What Can I Wear for Halloween?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Of all the cartoons geared towards kids today, Charlie and Lola is probably the best, most kid-friendly and age appropriate of them all. Lola is a your standard little sister, full of imagination, curiousity, and good intentions, while Charlie is the understanding and encouraging big brother.

In the latest DVD release, Charlie and Lola are getting ready for their school's Halloween party. They've been growing a pumpking for, according to Lola, "months and months and even years!" But there's an unfortunate accident before the party, and now Lola is pumpkin-less and she still doesn't have a costume!

There are nine episodes on this DVD, including the double-length Autumn special, Everything is Different and Not the Same.

We have a copy of Charlie and Lola vol 9: What Can I Wear for Halloween? to giveaway!

To enter:

*Leave a comment telling us what you or your kids are going to be for Halloween.

*Subscribe to MMB, the Review Blog.

*Tweet this giveaway with our twitter name @MormonMommyBlog or copy and paste the tweet below

Charlie and Lola DVD Giveaway @MormonMommyBlog http://bit.ly/equQJ

Giveaway will close October 20, 2009 at 9:00 pm EST.

Good Luck!

Labels: Review

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Discussion Wednesday - Candy

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

I love Halloween.

I don't love passing out candy.

I love trick or treating.

I love having my kids march up to your house and shout

"Twick or Tweat!"

at the top of their lungs.

But I turn off all the lights at my own house, shut the curtains, and have the TV on as low as possible.

Hypocritical? Yes.

Wrong? Maybe.

How do you do handle trick or treaters?

Labels: discussion wednesday

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Guilt: The Motherload

Monday, October 12, 2009

I consider myself a practical woman. I don’t expect to be an all-encompassing superhero. I scoff at the idea of quilting my own bedding, growing and canning my own vegetables, keeping my home in magazine-ready condition, scrap-booking in any form that includes more than sliding photos into plastic pockets, making recipes with more than four or five ingredients, and teaching all my children to play classical musical instruments. Now I don’t scoff at most of these endeavors individually; in fact, I’ve dabbled in some of them and tried to learn new things. But the concept that I should be doing all of them (or even several of them) in my life in order to be a “whole” woman is absolutely preposterous. Holding yourself to a standard like that is emotional suicide.

However, I have a firm testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I want to be the best person I can be. Sometimes I look at my world, and the acquaintances I have, and other people near and far that I know and love, and I have a thousand ideas of things I wish I could do to help them– to do good deeds, to better fulfill my own responsibilities, callings, and commitments, to be a servant in the Christian sense, and to make the world a better place. And then I have days where feeding my children and picking up one room and restocking the toilet paper in all the bathrooms is all I get done. A lot of days are like that. But in the back of my mind is a long to-do list of things to be and deeds to carry out. And once they sit on that list for a while, they start to feel heavy to me. They gnaw at me. They turn into a feeling. They become guilt.

I want to make it clear that intellectually I know that’s not right. I know that my work with my family is the most important work I can do. But I struggle sometimes with realistic expectations about what else I should be accomplishing. It’s difficult to gauge how much of that is my own wishful thinking, how much of it is inspired direction from the Lord, and how much of it is simply my fears about what someone else might expect of me or how I might be judged by others. During my daily devotional time on Saturday (otherwise knows as a shower), I thought about this question and the thought that occurred to me and sort of clarified this issue for me is that the Lord does not expect more from me than what I have already covenanted with him– my simple promises that I made at baptism and when I renew those promises while taking the Sacrament or worshiping in the temple. He doesn’t hold me to a standard higher than that. I felt like this was a right answer and I had it on my mind most of the day.

That night, I attended a fireside by Sister Julie Beck, the General Relief Society President. She was in town doing some training and invited all the local women to come and meet with her in the evening. I love Sister Beck; her messages have inspired me on several occasions. She shared her testimony at the beginning of the meeting and then opened up the rest of the meeting for questions and answers. Even though I felt like I had received an answer to my question that morning in the shower, I kept feeling prompted to ask my question out loud. So toward the end of the meeting, I barely raised my hand in front of my chest, her eyes fixed on me and she called on me. My best guess is that there were an excess of 2,000 women in attendance. An usher wriggled his way through the crowd and brought me the microphone.

“You’ve touched on this a little bit in some of your other answers, how we go to church and read scriptures and learn so many things we can do, and sometimes it’s overwhelming. I would like your insight on the role of guilt in an LDS woman’s life. I know there is good guilt and bad guilt, but what role should guilt play and what role should it not play?”

I want to share some of her answers. Part of it was in direct response to my question, and part of it came up throughout the rest of the meeting, but they all gave me greater clarity and direction, and feeling the Spirit as she shared these things confirmed for me that God was behind this advice.

Any thought that tells you “You are not good enough” is from Satan. If the thought tells you “You can do better, and I’ll help you,” it is from Heavenly Father.
There will never be enough of you to do all your heart wants to do.
Pray, eliminate your distractions, and follow the Spirit.
We impose things on ourselves that the Lord would never impose.
Be an example of joyful gospel living.
Beg for miracles every morning. Recognize and give thanks for them every night.
Navigate this experience you’ve been given with dignity, faith, hope and charity.
She recommended a three-column to-do list every day: #1) The essentials (short list of things that are eternally important: Pray, read scriptures, maybe some days the list will include temple or service or family time), #2) Should do (feed children, clean clothes, go to work, etc.), #3) Nice to do (wish list). Whatever you do, make sure the essentials happen, and work hard on your should list, and you’ll be surprised how often you get around to things on your “nice to do” list. She also said that women cannot work all three shifts in a day. We can do one well, one pretty well, and we need one shift to rest and take care of ourselves. She recommended deciding which shift was the most important time of the day when we need to be at our very best (for her it was the afternoon into the evening when kids came home from school and prepared for bed, etc.), and then use the other shifts to help us prepare for and get ready for the important shift (maybe prepare dinner in the morning, rest well at night, etc.).
Women are leaders. “Influence is ultimate leadership.”

Anyway, I walked away from that meeting with a greater understanding of how much good simply doing the essentials in our life can do, and does do. When we do them, we ARE changing the world for good. I also sensed that God is much more proud of what we ARE doing than he is worried about what we’re NOT doing. And I also learned (again) that I need to pray harder and more sincerely to get specific direction each day, and to let the Spirit help me navigate my priorities. I felt the confirmation that He will help me with that if I give him the opportunity. And I learned to give myself permission to ignore the guilt and embrace the important accomplishment of simple obedience. Guilt is totally overrated.

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Sunday Devotional

Sunday, October 11, 2009

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Latter Daily Art

Friday, October 09, 2009

Latter Daily Art is a new website dedicated to showcasing the emerging talent of LDS artists.

Every day, they offer ONE new piece of art for purchase at a deeply discounted rate. The only catch? You have to buy it that day. The art is for sale for one day only, hence the name, Latter DAILY Art.

They also sponsor a monthly LDS art contest. If you want the world to see your artwork or photography, you can submit your piece to the site. What do you get if you win? $300 and a chance to sell your piece on the site.

This month's winner is David Habben II of Habben Ink Illustration. One of David's paintings, title "Yesterday, Today, and Forever", was featured on the inside cover of the August 2009 Ensign.

His new work, which won the September Latter Daily Art Contest, titled "To Guide Us In These Latter Days", depicts a young Joseph Smith in the act of prayer.

In his uplifted hand are two rings, symbolizing the eternal possibility of marriage and families. On his lap is an open book, where on one side a hole represents the incomplete teachings he saw in his day. The opposite side of the book contrasts this by showing a page being sewn back together to solidify the doctrine. To his left are two keys, representing the "keys of the priesthood", central to the restoration of the gospel. Finally, his clothing is full of feathers. These serve two meanings: First, they are a foreshadowing of the persecution he would receive in the form of tar and feathers, from those who opposed his role as a prophet. Second, the usage of feathers and birds is common in early civilizations to demonstrate prayer or a connection to divinity.

You should definitely check out Latter Daily Art. Browse the gallery or submit one of your own pieces. They have a great thing going over there, and we should do our part to help support the talent that these artists have.

Labels: Review

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Ride for the children

Friday, October 09, 2009

Come join “Ride for the Children” on October 10^th 2009 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at This is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ride for the Children will benefit World Peace Parents Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity.

Ride for the Children is a Bikers Family Festival! That’s right…a family festival for bikers of all ages, sizes and shapes. Here is what you will enjoy:

Unique biking events for all ages.
A bike parade
A family bike ride in, through and around the Heritage Park Pioneer Village.
Competitive bike races
A biking treasure hunt
Giant blow up jumping castles and slides.
Live music and Entertainment
Food and drink provided by Red Robin
A benefit raffle.
Heritage Park train ride
A tricycle obstacle course for the little ones (under age four)
Four hours of action-packed family fun with or without your favorite bike. For the serious cyclist this is a time to share the love of biking with your family.

Admission only $5 for parking; Entry fees for access to all biking contests is $8. Enjoy the train ride and carnival blow ups all day for $10. Entertainment is included in your admission. Food sold per item. Children under 3 are free.

Please come and spend time having fun with family and friends, get a tax deduction, and help in the effort to empower The Family at our “Ride for the Children” event!

For more information visit our website at http://www.beginwiththechildren.com

“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children [and] we must become the change we want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

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Hands On Social Media/Small Business

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Kirtsy and Microsoft Office Live have come together this October and November to offer Hands on Social Media/Small Business Classes here in Utah.

All 100 individual events will happen between October 5 and November 20, in 20 cities across the United States and Canada.

The hands-on sessions will offer practical advice, direct instruction, and application tips for free online and social media solutions to help small businesses and entrepreneurs.

“The ‘hands-on’ sessions started as things often do, with neighbors and friends asking each other for help and advice on something new,” said Gabrielle Blair, one of the founders of Kirtsy. “Women often get together to compare notes. And there are a lot of us who want to talk right now about how social media and online applications can simplify our lives and enhance our small business pursuits.”

After hosting 10 Hands-On Social Media sessions with Microsoft Office Live in June, Kirtsy received a fleet of requests to host more of these informal, intimate gatherings across the US and Canada. At the events, attendees cover popular platforms and get hands-on direction setting up accounts and applying them to their lives.

The Fall Kirtsy “Hands on Social Business” sessions will be held in the following cities: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Charlotte, Boston, Denver, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Washington DC, Columbus, Seattle, Portland, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Miami and Toronto.

Each session is free and open to the public.

Classes in Utah:

Tuesday, October 6th, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Location: Co-Work Utah
383 N. State Street Orem, Utah 84057
(801) 717-7057
Click here to Register for this Event
treats by Dippidee

Tuesday, October 13th, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Location: Beta Loft
357 W 200 S Suite 201 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
(801) 529-8479
Click here to Register for this Event
treats by Mini's Cupcakes

Tuesday, November 3rd, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Location: To be Announced (check the here for updates Hands On Social Media/Small Business)
address to be announced
(801)000-0000
Click here to Register for this Event
Treats by Cupcake Chic

Tuesday, November 9th, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Location: Beta Loft
357 W 200 S Suite 201 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
(801) 529-8479
Click here to Register for this Event
Treats by Les Madeleines

Tuesday, November 16th, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Location: To be Announced (check the here for updates Hands On Social Media/Small Business)
address to be announced
(801)000-0000
Click here to Register for this Event
Treats by The Sweet Tooth Fairy

Labels: Review

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Life is a Delicate Balancing Act

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Balance: \ˈba-lən(t)s\ noun- an aesthetically pleasing integration of elements; mental and emotional steadiness; a state of equilibrium.

*****

Life is a balancing act. I know that, you know that, we all know that. But knowing is completely different from doing. I KNOW I should prioritize. I KNOW I should do A and B before I get to C, but most days, I just want C.

I have two kinds of days. I have days when I'm completely overwhelmed with all I have to do; and I have days when I'm underwhelmed and feel like there's nothing to do. (and trust me, while the latter sounds nice in theory, it's really not)

My everyday life is pretty busy. I have certain obligations that I have to take care of. (obligations=children) but I struggle with feelings of guilt, and depression, and confidence. There's no way I can do everything that is expected of me. And if I were to give into the world's view of a perfect mom, I'd have even more things to feel guilty about.

Balancing "life" is something I struggle with. I have a constant internal debate about whether or not I'm spending enough time with my kids. Am I spending enough time on my husband? Am I spending enough time on me? Am I spending too much time on me? Is my house clean enough, are my children nice enough, are they happy enough?

The debate is endless. I have a hard time achieving the balance that my life needs. I have days when I'm completely overwhelmed with all I have to do. Doctor's appointments, dental appointments, playdates... and I don't foresee it getting LESS busy as my kids get older. No, I think it's going to get busiER. Oh my life, school buses? school events? PTA? GAH! what's a woman to do?

So I've been trying to get together a game plan of how I'm going to balance life. My list? long. giant. horrendous. enormous. HUGE.

And I've gone over and over it. I've edited it. I've taken out "extras" and edited out the unnecessary things. But it's still approximately 87 miles long. and I struggle.

I struggle with the guilt of spending time on the computer instead of outside with my children. I struggle with the guilt of cleaning the house instead of taking them to the park. I worry that I don't put them first, but then I think, of course I put them first! But that little voice in the back of my head says, "really? you think so?"

I believe that there are a top three when it comes to priorities. Me, my family, and the Lord. I have obligations to all these people. So, how do I make the time? Where does the balance come in? I firmly believe that if I put the Lord first, that everything else will be taken care of.

So, why haven't I been doing it? Why haven't I been putting Him first?

I know I should read the scriptures everyday. I know that we should have family scripture study time. I should be teaching my children how to be like Jesus by example, not just with words. And if I'm the example, how well am I doing?

I admit, we don't get family scripture time in every day. Sometimes, it's all we can do to make it to church on Sunday. We have Family Home Evening every week. We have family prayer, but in this day and age, is it enough?

(It's now time for the cheesy cliched analogy...) I can't stand still. When I think I have everything under control, when I start getting too sure of myself, that's when life knocks me on my rear. I need to remember to keep moving forward. To keep striving for balance. I'll never have it if I am just complacent.

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Thanksgiving Point Emporium Party Celebrates Women

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Ya-Ya Sisterhood Gathering to Provide the Ultimate Girl’s Night Out

LEHI, Utah – (Oct. 8, 2009) – Palm readers, decorative hats and one-of-a-kind holiday items are highlights of Thanksgiving Point’s annual Ya-Ya Sisterhood Party at the Emporium on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. B98.7’s radio host Erin will join Countess Feistypants and Viscountess Crazy-like-a-fox to host the girls extravaganza.
The party will feature decadent outfits, tasty treats, eclectic shopping and an all-out celebration of women. Guests are encouraged to don their most over-the-top finery and baubles. The fancy dresses, gaudy jewelry and feather boas should also be accompanied by extravagant headdresses – and no headdress is too grand or outrageous.
With free tastings provided by Thanksgiving Point’s Harvest Restaurant, guest can munch while they shop Emporium’s boutique selection of home goods, furniture and gifts, including 45 percent off fall and Halloween décor plus 20 percent off holiday décor for the event only. The Mistress of Names will also bestow each guest with an official Ya-Ya name meant to honor the woman’s uniqueness.
The Ya-Ya Sisterhood party is free. For more information, visit www.thanksgivingpoint.com, or call (801) 768-4900.

About Thanksgiving Point

Created in 1996 by Alan and Karen Ashton, Thanksgiving Point is the cultural gathering place for the community, promoting the renewal of mind and spirit in a beautiful and family-friendly setting. Thanksgiving Point is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing guests with a one-of-a-kind, hands-on opportunity for discovery and an entertaining educational experience in a variety of arts and sciences. Thanksgiving Point is located just off I-15 at the Point of the Mountain. For more information call (801) 768-2300 or visit www.thanksgivingpoint.org.

Labels: Review

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Discussion Wednesday - Eating Habits

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

How do you feed yourself and your family?

Do you try to have mainly vegetables?

Or do you have meat at every meal?

Do you have a garden?

If not, how much do you spend on produce?

Are you trying to instill good eating habits in your children?

Or even in yourself?

Do you make everything from scratch?

Or do you specialize in faux-made dinners?

How do you feed your family?

Labels: discussion wednesday

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Laptops for Flat Tops: A Contest for Military Families

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Leading e-tailer is hosting final contest giving military families a chance to win laptops and Webcams to communicate with loved ones serving overseas

INDIANAPOLIS – (October 5, 2009) – AllAmericanDirect.com, a leading e-commerce provider of consumer goods and services, today announces the company’s fourth and final Laptops for Flat Tops contest, which will award one laptop with an embedded Webcam (for the family) and an additional Webcam (for the soldier) to two families who have an immediate family member serving in any branch of the U.S. military overseas.

This contest arrives on the heels of three successful Laptops for Flattops contests, which provided multiple military families the opportunity to more intimately connect with their loved ones. The popular contest re-launches on Monday, October 5 to provide a final opportunity for two more deserving military families.

Kara Rowbury of Fort Riley, Kan. was one of two winners during the company’s third contest. Upon her husband’s most recent deployment to Afghanistan, Mrs. Rowbury’s two children were informed their dad would only have access to a phone once a week. Mrs. Rowbury received news of her family’s win the night of her son, Xavier’s eleventh birthday.

“As he was blowing out the candles he wished that he could talk to his dad more often,” said Mrs. Rowbury. “That very evening I checked my e-mail and saw that we had won this contest! This was my son’s wish come true.”

To enter, all participants need to do is visit http://www.allamericandirect.com/military?cid=400604 and submit a short written description in their own words of why their family deserves to win, and how a laptop can improve their lives and communication with their loved one serving overseas. Families must be able to verify their loved one’s military enlistment. Anyone who knows of a deserving military family may submit an entry on their behalf.

“The stories that we have heard from the families of our military men and women have touched and inspired us,” said Mike Mountford, CEO of AllAmericanDirect.com. “I am speaking on behalf of my team, here at AllAmericanDirect.com, when I say we are truly grateful for the sacrifices that these men, women and their families have made to serve our country. We hope this final, small gesture will be seen as a tribute to those who have sacrificed so much for all of us.”

Entries for the contest can be submitted as early as 12:00 AM EDT (24:00 GMT) on Monday, October 5 via http://www.allamericandirect.com/military?cid=400604. The contest closes at 11:59 PM EDT (15:59 GMT) on Friday, November 13. Winners of the contest will be announced on Monday, November 30.

Judging will be done by a panel of three judges including: Col. (Ret.) Dale A. Kissinger, partner at MilitaryAvenue.com and a colonel (retired) in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Scott Davis, an Air Force veteran of Operation Desert Storm and father of Army PFC Sean Davis, who is stationed in Vicenza, Italy, and is preparing for his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, and Ms. Jenna Richards, the sister of Capt. Phillip Richards and his wife Capt. Michelle Richards who are active in the Army’s 82^nd Airborne Division and were deployed in September 2009 to Iraq for their second tour of duty.

Further information on AllAmericanDirect.com’s products and services is available online at http://www.allamericandirect.com/?cid=40060.

Labels: Review

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Lucy

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Shawni Eyre Pothier is the mother of five children between the ages of eleven and two. She received a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and is an accomplished writer, speaker and presenter. Shawni is also in demand as a photographer specializing in images of children and families. You can read more from Shawni on her blog Life

Nothing can really prepare you to get a phone call from the geneticist telling you that your child has a really rare syndrome that will change her life, and that of your family's forever...even if you and your husband already knew it in your hearts.

And as much as we kind of knew it was coming, I do wish the geneticist would have at least told me to sit down, or find a quiet place...I mean, she MUST have been able to hear the chaos going on around me on a Friday afternoon when my house was filled with the whole neighborhood.

I'll never quite forget standing there folding laundry trying to squelch the tears that were burning to come out amidst my kids and their friends asking intermittently for a snack, help with their roller blades, wanting a drink, etc. I know kids have an automatic button that tells them they need to start talking to an adult the second she gets on the phone and not give up (at least mine do), and usually I can multi-task. But not that Friday. Not while I felt like my whole world was suddenly swimming around me.

Our two-year-old, Lucy, has worried us from the time she was nine weeks old and was still not smiling. I mean, we have four older children who went through all the steps: smiling, gurgling, cooing, laughing…but not Lu. Lucy was serious. She was slow to crawl. And she had no intention of walking until she neared her second birthday. There was no doubt about it: something was different.

So, after myriads of doctor appointments, unanswered questions, and mixed emotions, we finally found a geneticist who could help. She suspected a couple different syndromes…the tests were conducted, and our answer came in that dreaded phone call on that Friday afternoon.

Lucy has a syndrome called "Bardet-Biedl." It's extremely rare, and we are just coming to grips with the fact that we can't go in and sit down with the geneticist and get a concrete run-down of all the things that will change in life. It's different for every child. But most of the children diagnosed have health problems, are overweight all their lives, and the most heartbreaking thing for us is that the majority of these kids lose their vision. Most of them become legally blind by the time they are teenagers, sometimes as early as age eight or nine.

The geneticist had brought up a few different possibilities before this one. Each one she mentioned before I mentally checked it off my list right after I heard the symptoms. I knew Lucy didn't' have them. But when she mentioned this one we started to worry. It matched Lucy.

I never looked it up. I felt that the more I pushed it away, the more likely it would be that it would just disappear. I didn't want to know the symptoms. I didn't want it to become reality. To me it felt like it just couldn't happen to Lucy if we didn't know anything about it.

But Dave knew we definitely needed to test her for it. He had a bad feeling about it right from the start. And as much as I tried to bounce that bad feeling off of me, it gradually seeped in, little by little.

One early morning Dave came back into our room completely ashen-faced after he had checked on Lucy who had been crying. The sun still wasn't up and it was still pretty dim in Lucy's room. He claimed she couldn't see him. (Night vision is the first thing to go with Bardet-Biedl.) I rolled over and sleepily told him he was just too worried about the whole thing...he must be reading into things. Lucy is just too stubborn. She just didn't want to look at him.

But two weeks later on another early morning the same thing happened to me. The exact same thing. And the worry started seeping deeper. By that afternoon, though, I was telling myself the same thing I told Dave. Lucy's just so stubborn. She just didn't want to look at me. She must have just been tired. Surely she was just in a funny mood.

The next week we were at Dave's brother's house. We were gathering the kids to head home that night and when I came out Dave and Max were talking to Lu in the shadow of our car. When I got closer Max told me Lucy couldn't see. I smiled and told him sure she could. But I knew he was right as soon as I looked at her. She was looking through us. She looked just like a blind person. She reached to show us where our noses were when we asked but she missed...by a long shot. Her eyes were just as beautiful as ever...but they couldn't see us. They couldn't see a thing.

The ride home was slow motion. It was like Dave and I were sitting in a bubble in the front seat. We didn't talk...just sat with tears in our eyes thinking what this meant. It was like the commotion and noise of all the kids in the back turned swirly and far away...and completely muted as we sat thinking about Lu.

So, Lucy fit into what this syndrome outlined. Now we just had to wait for the geneticist to tell us what we already knew.

Though we don't know so much of what we will eventually learn about this syndrome, we do know with all our hearts that we adore this child. Each of us in our family could absolutely eat her up. She is so endearing and her smile (that was slow to come when she was little) melts our hearts every time she throws it at us...which is a lot. And we're so grateful for that. We're so grateful that although she may learn things a little slowly, she'll still have her mental capacities. We're so grateful she can walk and she can breathe easily and she can throw out hugs and kisses like nobody's business. We are so thankful that only one in five of our kids has to deal with this (apparently each of them had a 30% chance to have this syndrome with us as their parents). Although this has hit us hard, we know it could be something much, much worse, and we are so thankful that it’s not.

Dave and I are determined to become experts on Bardet-Biedl and to learn everything we possibly can and to help Lucy progress in every way she can. I have loved watching Dave come home each night and work with her on various things. I have loved watching the kids work with her, hearing them pray for her (their bowed heads sometimes coming up with teary eyes), listening to them talk about her.

One thing's for sure: we couldn't be more thankful to have this little girl in our family. We feel like we have been blessed and prepared each step of the way. And we feel like she makes our family whole in so many ways.

Love you Lu.

Shawni and her mother, Linda Eyre, wrote a book on motherhood shortly before Lucy was diagnosed with her syndrome. In honor of Lucy and the wonderful resources they have found that support children that deal with issues of vision loss, Linda and Shawni have decided to donate a portion of the book proceeds to the Foundation for Fighting Blindness and to the Foundation for Blind Children…wonderful organizations that help hundreds of thousands of individuals with vision problems. For more information please click here.

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September Giveaway Winners!

Monday, October 05, 2009

Well, a great big THANK YOU to all our wonderful sponsors for participating in the September giveaway! Now, on to the real business.

Thanksgiving Point Family 4 Pack
The Demille Family

Handipoints Premium Membership
Terresa of The Chocolate Chip Waffle

Sugarhouse Ink
Wonder Woman of A*May*Zing

Shapely Secrets
Mormon Hermit Mom of A Hermit Mom's Cave
Lourie of CA Girl

Smelly Washer
Photina of One Guy in a House of Girls

Envirosax Winners
Kimmie Jean of A Walk in the Park
Sheila of Life with the Rich's
Launi of Gracious Rain
Leslie Gosney of Rants, Raves, and Pet Peeves

Bringing Up Minds
Tracy of A Blissful Life
Lara of Overstuffed
Jillene of Jillene's Journal

Piggy Paint
Jen of My Chaotic Peace

Inspire Your Walls
Untypically Julia of Color Me UnTypical
Sweet Em of Starting Small

Mystery Dinner Scripts
Jessica of The McAuliffe Bunch

If you are one of the winners listed above, YOU HAVE 72 HOURS TO CONTACT US. Email us at mormonmommyblogs@gmail.com, with your name, the item you have won, your mailing address, and a contact phone number. If we do not hear from you within 72 hours, your prize will be awarded to somebody else.

Thanks!

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Sunday Devotional

Sunday, October 04, 2009

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No. 1 Major Way Blogging Has Changed Me

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Shorty whose blog Securityville is our newest MMB member lives in North Texas with her husband and eleven year old son. They have two dogs, a Doberman named Axel, and a Chihuahua named Sushi, that are their adopted children. Shorty works outside of the home as a Human Resource and Office Manager for a manufacturing company, and is an avid quilter and crocheter. Every night--and day-- she thanks God for all the blessings he's given her in this life, because there are just too many to count. Head on over and welcome Shorty to the wonderful world that is MMB.

Before last year I didn't have a lot of knowledge about the Mormon faith. I knew that young men were sent on missions and a few of them have knocked on my door over the years asking to share their Book of Mormon with me. I had heard they tended to have large families. Then there was the stuff on the news... but that's not what my message is about today. Members of every faith have made the news from time to time, right?

Basically, Latter-Day Saint followers had been a mystery to me. But, last year that I began to learn about Mormon mommies through their blogs. And, I really admired what I was learning. I have come to have a very deep respect for some of these women, and I am grateful for the lessons they teach so naturally. Please note that I'm not referring to the "fundamentalists" (or FLDS) who've made the news, I'm referring to LDS women, women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And you will find links about their faith on each of their blogs.

The blogs that I referenced are all written by Mormon mommies. Each woman writes regularly about her child or children, her extended family, her faith and her husband. Each woman professes not only a deep love of family and Jesus, but of a passionate love for her husband. Of being enamored and totally in love with her husband. I enjoyed reading about that so much, and still want to read about it. I'm not a fan of the typical bash your husband kind of narrative. That mindset is too easy to fall into, as most negative paths can be. And, I'm not saying I don't feel inspiration and teaching from other Christian bloggers, I'm just telling you how my life began to change once I started blogging, and a lot of that change came from reading these blogs regularly.

You see, I come from a very cynical background. I've experienced divorce, my own first marriage and my parents marriage, and I became quite jaded about trust because of it. I'm currently immersed in my second marriage to a wonderful man whom I adore, however I used to habitually find myself thinking divisive thoughts when things wouldn't go the way I thought they should. I found myself shutting down emotionally and trying to get through life as an empowered woman, still married but with an "I can do this on my own" kind of mentality. By reading the thoughts and descriptions of these Mormon women I was reminded of my vows. To cherish my husband, to respect and love him until death do us part. And beyond. (After all, marriage is a 'together' thing, not a period of independence.) I began thinking that I didn't marry my husband with the intention of always being in agreement. I married him because of our intense connection to each other and the unwavering love we both felt for each other before we got married. I was reminded that we vowed to stick it out forever and that requires thoughts of unity. And, that's what I truly, truly want and am fully committed to making happen. I have acquired such a deeper understanding of marriage in the last year, and I'm so thankful for this.

I've also learned a deeper understanding of what it means to be a parent. Don't get me wrong, my son was brought to life through a totally planned out pregnancy. I stayed at home with him until he was a toddler, then I went back to work because I had to. But it wasn't long before I realized that I really liked being a working mom. So, that's what I've done ever since and now he's eleven years old. Sure, I've had "the guilties" over and over again because I'm not always available to help in my son's classrooms or volunteer very often at his school, but I try to make up for it in other ways. My point here is that these ladies showed me how they cherish, respect and love their children every day. Granted, that's something I've always done, too, because I've always adored being The Little Guy's mommy, however I've tweaked my focus after reading about their interactions. I try to do more each and every week to interact with him on a deeper level, which helps us to connect more often despite the rush of the proverbial rat race we go through each week.

I've simplified some things and expanded on other things. I'm enjoying my faith and activities in the Episcopal Church again after keeping my distance for over ten years. Hubby, The Little Guy and me all make more things together and on our own. We play board games more together. We sit and have a homemade cherry limeade on the back porch and talk about whatever pops into our heads. We bake more. These ladies reminded me its OK to slow down and just let life happen. Just enjoy my son and husband in a seemingly inactive moment and revel in this gift of life from God. This is something that I've always felt like I do, but in the past year I've made sure to do it even more. To be even more aware. To be even more thankful.

Sure, I'm still in the rat race every day. Sure, I still get caught up in chores and duties and let too much time slip past me sometimes. But, I know how to come back into my true reality faster now. And, seriously... I attribute these things, this deeper understanding of faith, marriage and motherhood, to the leadership of these women. I see God working through them. And, I've been blessed more times than I can count. AND, it all happened by venturing outside of what I was familiar with. We can all learn so much from each other if we try.

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