CHS PROM NIGHT

Here's a few photos from Mariah's junior prom. Her escort was Derrick Moody, a very nice young man who graduated last year from Cokeville High school.

Beau Petersen and Mariah were the Junior Class Attendants to the prom king and queen.
The promenade was a masquerade. Mariah's mask was awesome.
We had a pre-prom photo shoot at the house, too. Mariah found the perfect dress for her, with a small adjustment made by her Aunt Sandra.
Her gloves and earrings and shoes were just the right touches to complement the dress.
I don't often get to look down at Mariah anymore. But this was a nice angle for a look at the skirt.
Now that is one "POOFY" dress!
It took more than "bibbidi bobbidy boo" to get this Cinderella ready for the ball. But it was a magical evening for our youngest daughter.

"These Two Commandments...."

" Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40

I don't know how many times in my life that I've heard or read these words. But today, as I pondered them, I realized that I could base all my plans and choices on these two commandments alone. I could use them in my daily personal evaluation of progress. If I believe Christ, and I do, then I must believe what he has said. And many times He repeated that loving God and loving thy neighbor "as thyself" are the sum of the gospel.

So I've decided to begin each day asking myself three questions: What can I do today to increase my love of God? What can I do today to show love for a "neighbor"? What can I do today to improve myself (so I love myself) ? At the end of the day, I will account to myself on the completion of those goals.

It's simple. It's daily. It's in line with my belief. It's measurable. I like it.

The Creation

I taught a Relief Society lesson today about The Creation........like the creation of the world and all that is upon it (as well as other "worlds without number", but that part is for another discussion). It was a wonderful, humbling, eye-opening opportunity to first recognize the power of God, then marvel at His wisdom and ability and thoroughness, and finally to gratefully acknowledge that He did it all for me and you.

Have you ever thought about the miracle of life? Not just human life, but all life---grass, shrubs, trees, fish, birds, animals, insects, even the earth itself. Each little detail that allows a species to not only exist, but to adapt and thrive and "fill the measure of it's creation", to reproduce it's own kind and "find joy there in."

I pondered on the way all things on the earth are inter-related, how often one species relies on another to survive. I searched through a plethora of photographs and videos of our world, recognizing the diversity of God's creations and the beauty in each. I delighted in the blessing of living life here in this wonderful place we call home.

I believe that Jesus Christ created the world under the direction of God the Father by the power of the holy priesthood he held. I believe earth was created to open the way for all of us, His children, to have life in physical bodies like His and form families and become like Him. I believe it was created in six periods of time (days, if you will), each in an organized order allowing the next to be possible. And I believe that after creating man and woman, his greatest creation, God rested knowing we could now follow His plan for us.

I am so thankful for life. I am thankful for the earth and all that is in it. I am thankful for a knowledge of God's love for me and recognize it in the world around me.

Take a few minutes to view the video presentation in the link below. Relax and bask in the majesty of this earth that is our home:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHIfRLNYUGw&feature=related

Making Memories

Over the past few weeks I've had Sarah's boys over regularly to play, giving her a chance to nap and regroup after the birth of her new baby girl. It's been fun.

One day I had just Gavin while Jaxon and Nathan were at school. Gavin is two and a half. He doesn't say much, but has found many other ways to communicate his wants and needs. His latest obsession is to play games with me...dominoes, yahtzee, jenga, etc. So this day, he ran in, shed his boots and coat, stole a candy from the office desk and headed for the game shelf, pointing out the one he wanted.

We play most games with widely modified rules and often abandon the actual game for building forts or towers with the game pieces. Gavin has quite a sense of fair play, always insisting that I take my turn. He is beginning to understand my requirement that one game be put away before another is pulled out.

Anyway, we spent nearly an hour playing a variety of games before opting to read books. This is another favorite at my house. I recently moved the children's books to a lower shelf next to the grankids' toys. Now the kids can more easily see what is there and pick out the ones they want. Gavin chose four or five "Critter" books. He climbed up next to me on the couch and we read them all.

The next thing on his mind was food. Opting for strawberry milk and cheese and crackers, Gavin was contented at the kitchen island for a long time. He likes to put his own flavoring in the milk and stir it up. He also prefers to lick off the squeeze cheese before eating the cracker.

After the snack we played air hockey, cheering every time the puck went into the goal. It never matters whose side. Then it was Gavin's version of billiards, that involves putting all the balls up onto the table and into the holes and watching them come out again.....repeated over and over and over again. It's a very loud game!

All too soon it was time to go home. On went the boots and coat. There was a quiet hand in the candy dish and a big smile flashed my way as he headed out the door.

Our visit was over, but I'm amazed how often the memories of those simple moments together have come to my mind and brought a smile to my face. Childhood doesn't last very long, but those memories will be mine forever.

KEEP SMILING!

Keep smiling! The luscious plum forgot to--and became a wrinkled prune.

Our Duty to God--In the Home

(An outline of a talk I gave today at our Ward Conference)

Our Duty to God begins in the home. "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" states: Husband and wife have solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Chldren are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens whereer they live. Husbands and wives--mothers and fathers--will be held accountable before God for the sicharge of these obligations.

15 essential elements of successful families:


1--Love: God for us/us for God, husband/wife, parent/child, others, God's creations
Love is a verb. simple daily acts of kindness and respect

2--Leadership: parents united, by persuasion and righteous example, children practice

3--Liberty: agency, accountability, start with small things

4--Learning: divine nature, God's plan, communication, personal relationships, social skills, provident living/homemaking, reading/writing/math
Elder Bednar in Feb Ensign: "learn to love learning"
FHE, family prayer and scripture study, personal study, practice,
example and conversation
learn where to seek learning: prayer, personal revelation, scriptures
"out of the best books", schools and community resources

5--Literacy: reading and writing (aside from spiritual knowledge) most valuable,
home libraries should begin with scriptures, personal journals, family histories

6--Listen: to each other, words of prophets, music, The Spirit

7--Language: spoken and written, avoid foul language, encourage conversation

8--Labor: WORK, daily chores, projects, jobs, "life is work, but rewards are great"

9--Lessons: from daily life, likening the scriptures, dinner table sharing

10--Limits: laws of the land, home rules, standards, discipline and obedience,
No Limits on Dreams

11--Laugh: A LOT! cheerfulness, happiness, "Men are that they might have joy"

12--Leave out: anger, criticism, "the world". "I am safe in my home"

13--Lift: encouragement, enthusiasm, believe in each other, support and help

14--Loyalty: family ties bind us, defend each other, be best friends

15--Live: D & C 42:45 "...live together in love". continue family ties & relationships

Satan is doubling his efforts and so must we.

As we foster Love in our families, Led by united parents, Learning Lessons with our skills in Literacy and Language, Laboring together, Listening to, Laughing with and Loyally Lifting each other, we will Leave Out "the world" and make choices that bring Liberty withing the Limits the Lord has set. With this preparation in our family life, we (parents and children) can go out into the world and "not fear". We will understand our personal worth and divine potential; our confidence will "wax strong." We will have the desire and ability to "go and do as the Lord has commanded," Living to the fullest this wonderful life that our Father in Heaven has given us, fulfilling our duty here on earth, and returning to Him with honor.

Waiting

We're all experienced at waiting. We wait for dinner to be ready, school to get over, the baby to be born. We wait for getting a drivers license, going on a first date, graduating from high school. We wait to be thinner or older or richer. We wait at the doctor's office or the gas station or the motor vehicle registration office. We wait.

We wait for something that may happen, but might not happen. We wait for things that are good and things that are not so good. We wait for a push or a pull in one direction or another. We wait for an idea or plan, encouragement or warning. We wait to be smarter or stronger. We wait until we have the right job or the kids are grown or we've retired. We wait.

The problem with waiting is that while waiting we go nowhere, help no one, reach for little and accomplish less. We feel no peace or joy. We just wait.

"God is...experienced at waiting. When we're struggling through problems here on earth, trying to cope with the trials that block our way home, He longingly waits for us to turn to Him. He watches our stories unfold and waits for us to acknowledge His plan for our lives." (Barbara Johnson)

One blessing in my life is an understanding of God's plan for me. I know who I am and where I'm going. I have learned to confidently step ahead on the path He has set forth for me. I don't need to wait for the walls in my way to be moved; I seek His help and climb over them. I don't need to wait for courage when I feel fear; I seek His help and conquer the foe. I don't need to wait around for someone to push me along; I seek His strength to increase my own.

Of course, I'm nowhere near perfect and occasionally I find myself waiting when I should be moving along. Sometimes I doubt and question and wait when I should be trusting and believing and moving down the path. But I am learning. I am waiting less and seeking Him more.

I don't want God to wait on me. I find much more joy and peace in running to Him as I try to follow the path that will lead me to an eternal home with Him.

You should try it. Don't wait.