Stake Conference

I think the adult session of Stake Conference is my favorite.  Last night, our stake was blessed to have Elder Snow visit.  Some favorite highlights from last night's talks:

The Stake Relief Society President spoke on the Atonement.  My favorite part was, "All that is unfair in life will be made right thru the Atonement."   She quoted Mosiah 24:15

And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

A member of the Stake Presidency talked about how sacrifice is an eternal principle but we are not to sacrifice our families or employment for our callings.  Our first calling is to our spouse and then to our children.  He said we need to focus more on our families and use the church to help support our families.

The mission president spoke about how the church has received 14,000 new applications for new missionaries since the age change just last month.  He urged members to consider allowing the missionaries to come live in their homes.  I am assuming that's not an option for our family since I have a teenage daughter.  But I'm sure Mario and I would be willing when our children are all grown.

The mission president's wife spoke about making sure others know that we have a testimony of Christ. Do our children know that we are certain by our countenance, by the things we say, etc?

Elder Snow was awesome.  He spoke for a few minutes and then opened the meeting up to questions.  He didn't put any stipulations on the questions.  Most people asked about the new missionary age.  One mother asked Elder Snow for advice on raising kids today.  I can't remember what prophet he quoted but he said if we will do these 4 things, we have a greater chance of having our children make good decisions.  But  every child has his/her free agency, these 4 things just help increase the chances.
1.  Family Prayer
2.  Family Home Evening
3.  Family Scripture Study
4.  Worthwhile Family Activities

Elder Snow shared in President Hinckley and President Monson's optimism for the future.  He said, "We already know who's team wins and the best is yet to come."  He reminded us of Good-Better-Best and to keep our lives in balance.

Mario and I wanted to go out for ice cream after the conference, but a thunderstorm was developing so we decided to head home instead.  Erin surprised us with a very clean house and Eric had played with the twins until bedtime.  What great big kids I have!  The younger ones aren't too bad either!

Now we get to enjoy Stake Conference today at 10.  But there's a small possibility of snow this morning so my boys are already outside enjoying using their sled on the deck that is covered in ice.  I may have a hard time getting them in church clothes in an hour if it really does start snowing.  Can you tell we just came from Arizona?  I am looking forward to spring already!  But yesterday was in the 70's and absolutely beautiful.

Election

Well, I am extremely sad to see that there will be no Mormon in the White House this January.  We not only lost the presidential election, but the liberals were able to advance their social agendas this year.  Eric and Zachary have taken a keen interest in the election and have been following along.  Eric has always liked politics, economics, etc so that isn't surprising.  I enjoy watching election coverage with him.  He pretty much knows as much or maybe more than I do.    So he doesn't ask many questions.  Zach, on the other hand, is brand new to politics and so trying to explain the electoral college to an 8 year-old has been a challenge.  I had to run kids back and forth to activities last night and I was getting aggravated that I couldn't just sit down and watch the election coverage.  When I finally did sit down, I got irritated with Zach for asking a question about the election every two seconds.  Mario took notice and instead of telling me how wrong I was, (which is what I deserved) he took the boys aside and played a game with them.  Zach didn't want to go to bed last night without knowing who won.  But of course, we thought it would be a really long night and we wouldn't know until possibly the next day.  So I made him go to bed.  Mario, Eric, and I went to bed at 10 pm when it was looking pretty dismal for Romney.  Within 20 minutes of climbing into bed, I got texts from both my brothers telling me it was over.   First question from Zach this morning was, "Who won?"  He was so disappointed with my response. But a few minutes later he told me that he would be the first Mormon President.  Who knows...I have never met a kid that is a harder worker and gives more service to his family.  He'd make a great president one day....and he's Hispanic.  I'm thinking it's going to take a minority to win back the White House in the future.

As I reflect this morning on what this election means, it makes me really sad.  Not sad for me, but for my 4 children.  I already know where I stand with social and economic issues.  But for them, if they hold the same values as Mario and I, they will probably live most of their lives in the minority.  Our country has gone so far to the left, that I just don't see it ever turning around.  Maybe that's pessimistic of me, but I just don't see these social issues moving towards the right ever again.  I guess I really shouldn't be surprised with the election results.  I think our church leaders have been preparing us for these days for a long time.  When I reflect on statements they've made in the past (like Family Proclamation),  it just strengthens my testimony.  They really are inspired.  For me right now, I am grateful to live in a conservative state.  All 3 of the kids' schools voted for Romney and not by a slight margin, by a landslide.  So I know that there are kids out there that have the same values as my kids right now.  I also know that as long as my kids stay faithful in the church, they will always have friends with the same values.  So that brings me great comfort on this gloomy day.

Halloween, Teeth, Driving, and Showers

It's been a busy week. It started with a trip to orthodontist for Nate. He has a small mouth so we knew he'd need braces. Turns out he has cross bite, overbite, and crowding. They wanted to start treating him immediately. Fortunately his cub master is an ortho for the military and he assured us there is no rush to get him started. He's only 8. But we will have some baby teeth extracted to make some room for adult teeth to come in properly.

Saturday, we attended the ward Halloween party. It was a lot of fun and they even had a band made up of members of the ward that have been playing together like 20 years. They keep getting stationed together. I was handing out Halloween candy when a box of milk duds tempted me. I haven't had one in years. I don't normally eat sticky candy but they looked good. One bite down and I knew something was wrong. Pulled out the candy and thought saw what looked like a tooth. I freaked out until I realized it was a crown and not a whole tooth. So I had to go all weekend trying to keep the crown in temporarily until the dentist could cement it back in. While cementing that crown, he noticed I had a crack in a really old filling and said that I needed a crown for that tooth also. I feel like I get a crown a year.

Monday, Eric and I started officially volunteering at the hospital. I work 8-noon and Eric works 4-7 pm with the other teens. Probably the youngest volunteer in my shift, besides me, is about 70. Most seem to have lost their spouses and looking for a way to pass the time. I am only in training so I don't know where I will be permanently assigned yet. But I worked the desk out front of surgery. We are the liaison between the nurses and the patients' family. I sat in a chair for 4 hours. I can see why some elderly enjoy sitting for so long, but I need a more active job. The coordinator said she'll probably put me down at the welcome center. Eric liked it but said he will have to interact and visit with patients and that makes him a little uncomfortable. I guess it will prepare him for a mission.

In Erin news, she cracked me up last night. We all went to bed around 9. About 10:30, I heard her go in the bathroom. Then I heard her in the shower. I waited a long time for the shower to stop and then went and knocked on the door to see why she was up and showered. She told me she was getting ready for school. I told her the time and she thought I was losing my mind. But then she realized that it was true, she felt like she had only an hour's worth of sleep. Poor girl. This morning she apologized for waking me last night. She's not sure if she dreamt her alarm went off or she was sleepwalking.

Living in Nebraska has some benefits when you are 15. Eric was able to get a school permit which allows him to drive back and forth to school. Today he found out the permit allows him to drive to seminary too. So my life got a lot easier. Mario was driving the truck everyday to work but now Eric takes it to school. So Mario is on the lookout for another truck.

I'm trying desperately to think of a good Zach story since I mentioned the rest of the kids in this blog. But I'm having a hard time thinking up anything at the moment. All I can think of is how frustrated he gets with Nathan sometimes for worrying about him so much. Zach is a risk taker and Nate is not normally. So Zach petting a dog that he was once told bites, freaks Nate out. Now that I think about it, I guess it should freak me out too. I adore Zach. He has such a kind heart.

Looks like Mario will get a break from our Nebraska winter and head to Florida fora couple days after Christmas. His brother, Alex is getting married in the Orlando Temple. If its below freezing while he's gone, I will never let him live it down that he left us here in Nebraska to freeze. Seriously,that is exciting news for Alex.

Best news of the week, I ran 2.5 miles straight on my treadmill. I'm making progress. I love putting my headphones on and singing my heart out while running. My family only wishes I knew how to sing.

Stake Relief Society Conference

Our Stake had a Relief Society Conference yesterday.  There were 9 classes to choose from and we could only pick 3 to attend.  I wish that I could have attended at least 6 of them, but the 3 I chose were Parenting Teens, The Lord Looks on the Heart, and Building Strong Boys.

I noticed a few sisters in the Parenting Teens class that don't even have teens yet.  After that class, they were probably wishing they didn't attend it.  I think the teacher and the discussions probably made them have nightmares last night.  I think back to my teen years, and I thought they were hard.  I can honestly say that I don't think what I faced then was anything compared to what these teens are facing now.  I think of myself as a very controlling person but I have come to realize that unfortunately, it is not God's plan for me to control my children.  We have each been given our free agency and we must use it.  How grateful I am to have taught my teens correct principles.  Now it is time for them to govern themselves.  Of course, Mario and I are responsible for setting up rules and guidelines, especially when it comes to things they do in our own home.  Our home is a haven, we will not allow the filth of the world to enter.  If they want to find filth, they will have to go out into the world to find it.  I'm grateful for the class on teens.  It reminded me that I think I am on the right path.  Love my children unconditionally, teach them the gospel, and pray a lot for them.

The second class I attended was taught by one of my best friends here, Lucretia Hall.  It was about not judging others.  She was the perfect person to teach this class.  She didn't tell the story in the class, but she has told me the story about how her husband's first wife and her are very good friends.  Joe, her husband, was married to a woman for a few years and they had two young boys.  The wife just left him one day with the boys.  He then married Lucretia and she has raised the boys ever since.  But Lucretia befriended Joe's first wife right away because she knew that would be best for those boys.  She has even invited her to stay at their home on Christmas Eve so she would be there for the boys on Christmas morning.  I just can't think of a more Christlike person.  She told some stories in the class that helped shape how she is today.  I have found more than once, that when I have judged someone for something, me or my family member has ended up doing the exact same thing that I once judged them for.  So I am more careful about judging others now for that very reason.  Heavenly Father has a way of humbling us.  Another thing I have noticed is that occasionally I have judged someone poorly and then ended up very good friends with them afterwards.

The third class was on Building Strong Boys.  This class was taught by a husband and a wife and was very good.  The wife said that several years ago she attended a RS parenting class and the teacher was talking about the joy of motherhood.  She was not feeling the joy and she wondered why.  Instead of trying to change her kids so she could find joy, she had to change herself.  She asked herself, what am I doing wrong that I am not feeling the joy.  She talked about how she felt her kids were sometimes interfering with her hobbies, work, etc.  She decided right then that she had to put her whole heart and soul into raising her children. It is our season to be a mother and we need to focus on being the best mom we can be.  Our time with our young children is short, take advantage and submit ourselves fully to motherhood.  She talked about how are children are a reflection of us, if we gossip, etc, don't be surprised when our children do the same.  Mario and I have noticed that we have been too critical of some of the leaders and programs, especially in Tucson.  Now we here the same criticisms coming out of Eric's mouth occasionally.  It is a humbling experience to sit down with a child and explain that what we did was wrong and we had to repent.

This class talked about the war on boys.  To often tv shows and movies portray men as weak.  Is that the message we want sent to our sons?  One person in the class thought that the church has spiritual programs in place for the Young Women, but not enough for the boys.  The teachers and I didn't agree with that statement.  I think that Scouts helps our young boys turn into men.  It makes them self-reliant, strong leaders.  I have seen the benefits of Eric doing his Eagle Project.  I feel the Lord puts in strong male leaders with strong testimonies for these young men.  They have devotionals by the campfires.  They have the Duty to God program.  How thankful I am for these leaders and these programs in raising my boys (and daughter.)

I am grateful for Relief Society leaders and for all the efforts they make to help us as sisters endure to the end.  

Treadmill

Mario bought me a treadmill just after the twins were born. So it's almost 9 years old. Over the last year, it would start shutting off in the middle of our runs. I wanted to trash it before moving this summer but Mario insisted we keep it. I finally got around to researching what I needed to do to fix it. Turns out, we were supposed to lubricate the belt every 6 months. I found nothing about this in the instruction manual. I bought some lubricant and applied it last night.

My friends all wimped out on our morning walk around the lake this morning. So I decided it was a good time to see if the lubrication would really solve my problem with the motor shutting off. I ran two miles straight. To most people, that is nothing. But I haven't run two miles straight in at least 2.5 years due to my knee and hip injuries. So I'm pretty excited to get back to running and I pretty excited that Mario didn't let me throw the treadmill away. I'm going to need it through this Nebraska winter! For $15, I think I fixed our treadmill. Hurray!


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Zachary's Breakfast in Bed

Every once in awhile, Zach will surprise be with breakfast in bed. Now that he can cook scrambled eggs on his own, it is usually eggs with toast and some fruit. He even remembers to bring me a drink. Today he let Nate help so Nate buttered the toast. Zach shows his love for me by doing service. He is not an overly affectionate child. In fact, the only time he gives hugs willingly is at bedtime. Nate is the opposite, he loves giving hugs but usually doesn't go out of his way to do extra chores for me.

After breakfast in bed, Zach joined me for my run/walk around the lake. It is just over 3 miles and with the help of more physical therapy, I've started running some of it. The most I have run so far is 1.5 miles in a row so I have a long way to go until I can run like I did before all my injuries. But I'm getting there, slowly. I enjoyed my time with Zach. He enjoyed climbing the wall that Lucretia and I enjoy climbing occasionally during our weekday morning walks around the lake.


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Gladys Knight

Our stake was fortunate enough to be invited to see Gladys Knight and her choir-Saints Unified Voices.  The concert was held at the West Omaha Stake.  It was a packed house and you had to get (free) tickets in advance if you wanted to attend.

It was an amazing concert.  I had never heard anything like it in a Mormon church before.  When I was a teenager, I attended a Pentecostal church on a weeknight with a friend once.  The music portion reminded me of that church meeting.  There was a keyboard and a bass guitar accompanying the singers.  Most of the singers were white, but if you closed your eyes, it almost sounded like an African American choir (I wasn't the only one that thought that, even her husband thinks so.)  I had never heard "I am Child of God" sang so interestingly.   I didn't know what to expect but I guess I had it in my mind that it would be Mormon Tabernacle Choir"ish".  It was nothing like the Tab.  Eric is thinking he may want to convert to Baptist or Pentecostal because he thought the music made the meeting much more entertaining.  Not really, but he does wish our ward choir sang a little more like Sister Knight's Choir.

Gladys Knight's husband shared his testimony and then she got up to share hers as well.  She spent over 30 minutes bearing her testimony of the Restored Gospel.  It was amazing!  She touched so many people.  The missionaries were handed a lot of referral cards from the investigators attending the concert.  loved it and I admire Gladys Knight for all her missionary work she is doing.