First Snow...(Kind of)

Click here to go to the video

Kevin has a great time with the first snowfall that he can remember.

Our fourth vlog!

Follow the link below to see our fourth vlog featuring our new dog and her boy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAoTB4YgI9A

Lion Spit and Otter Friends: Our Newest Vlog

First Night with an New Indoor Dog!

Video of this will be included on the 10/19 vlog

 Some of you may remember a blog I wrote a few days ago called "Preparation for a Dog."  Well, it finally happened!  She arrived!

Last night, about 8:45 a.m., our dog arrived.  My parents were on their way to the Provo Missionary Training Center, so they dropped the dog off before they went to stay the night with my grandparents.

Our new dog's name is Dakota.  She was a bit matted and pretty dirty, but we were excited to see her.  Kevin especially was thrilled.  He followed her all around the house as she explored her new environment.  Every time she stopped, he would grab the mats on her back and stand next to her, just holding on, with a huge smile on his face. 

We talked to my family for a while, and then they left.  Grig was supposed to be in bed by 8, (he had to get up at 4) but he stayed up to help me bathe Dakota before we went to bed.  She was pretty dirty.  She's been an outdoor dog her whole life, so a bath was new and different for her.  She'd been washed with a hose before, but never in a tub. 

She did really well!  She stayed in the tub while Grig and I took turns washing and combing her.  We didn't get all the mats out, but we got her clean enough that we felt like we could go to sleep.

I took her out for one last bathroom break, and then we came in to go to bed.  She had a box in the corner of the room with pillows and a blanket that she had slept in on the way down, and I told her to lay in that.  We would see how well she did. 

Surprisingly, after examining the room a little longer in the dark, she went straight to her box and fell asleep.  She was the first one asleep.  After that, Grig followed.  Kevin, on the other hand, was a different story. 

I think he was excited about the dog being in the room because he would not stop growling!  He would suck in his breath in a really funny way, and then let out a really long, prolonged growl.  He did this over and over.  If I gave in and giggled, he would laugh and then keep growling.  It took him probably a half an hour to finally go to sleep. 

Eventually all three were sleeping, and I lay in the dark and listened to their chorus of breathing. 

"Are you happy?" my husband had asked me earlier as I fondled the dog's head.

At that moment, I felt a rush of utter contentment fill me.  Yes, I was happy.

Eventually I fell asleep. 

She was really well behaved all night, though about 3:00 a.m. she began to pace around the room.  Grig got up to see if she needed to go out, but all she really wanted was a drink.  Once she got that, she came back in and fell asleep.  I didn't.  I'm still too excited, I think.

After Grig left this morning for work, Dakota and I had a 2 hour brushing session.  Later, when Grig gets back, we are going to giver her a hair clip.  She seems to be settling pretty well.  I'm sure liking it.  I can't wait for Kevin to wake up.  He's going to be so excited to see that she's still here.

I am.

All clean!

Last night made me wax poetic.  Feel free to read.  You can mock if you want to.  

Night Breathing

The chorus of breathing around me seems

Much better than ever could I dream.

The different tones, the notes, the depth

Each one as different as the rest.

Though sleep eludes, my heart is full.

My thoughts are vibrant and I mull,

About the gift that I've received.

Dear Lord, I thank Thee, my prayers given heed.

Bathed in Light: The Innocence of Children

My sister took this incredible picture of Kevin

There is a doctrine believed by many churches, but it is NOT taught by mine.  This doctrine states that children are born evil and if they were to die unbaptized, they are damned.

Kevin was not born evil.  There is not an evil bone in his body.  My boy was born pure and perfect.  He'd never sinned, nor was he capable of doing so.  He was a beautiful, innocent angel.

All babies are born without sin.  Many churches believe that because of the sins of Adam, children are born with his stain upon them.  However, how does that make any sense?  God only judges me on what I decide to do, not on what my parents did.

I do agree that there were consequences from the fall of Adam.  His and Eve's transgression led us to be capable of sin and to be separated from God.  We became able to sin and die, and both are forms of death.  Sin is a spiritual death, and the actual dying of the body is a physical death. 

Christ however rectified that.

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

I love those versus.  They show that if one man's decision was able to cause an entire people's death, it was only just that one man's decision could save everyone as well.  Adam caused death to occur, so Christ is able to save everyone, if they will only let him.

Christ is called the Savior and Redeemer.  He is called the Savior, because everyone without exception will be saved from physical death.  We believe that every single person who has ever lived will be resurrected, regardless of what kind of person they were.  That's because the decision that everyone would die has no merit on who they were or what they did.  If you are a bad or a good person, you still die.  So, if you are a bad or a good person, Christ will raise you from the dead.  

However, He is called the Redeemer because he also redeems his people.  We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.   In order to redeem a coupon, you must make some kind of action.  You have to take it to the store and use it.  Everyone can be given a coupon, but if it just sits in your home, it never does you any good.  

So it is with Christ's atonement.  Christ's atonement is for everyone without exception.  However, it is our choice whether or not we use it.  God has given us commandments and asked us to do certain things.  The greatest gift that he has given us is the power of choice.  God will NEVER make us do something.  He will ask us and command us, but ultimately it is our decision.  Thus, God will not save us unless we want to be saved.  Our own sins are our choices.  We can be forgiven of our sins and become clean enough to return to the presence of God if we are willing to do all that he has asked us to do. That includes baptism.  

John 3:5

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Baptism is essential to our entering of the kingdom of God.  

So what does that mean for young children?  Does that mean that if they are not baptized, they are damned?

NO.

In the Book of Mormon, we learn this wonderful truth.  A prophet named Moroni had a similar question arise in his day, and this is the answer that he gained from the Lord.

Moroni 8:5-15

 5 For, if I have learned the truth, there have been disputations among you concerning the baptism of your little children.

 6 And now, my son, I desire that ye should labor diligently, that this gross error should be removed from among you; for, for this intent I have written this epistle.

 7 For immediately after I had learned these things of you I inquired of the Lord concerning the matter. And the word of the Lord came to me by the power of the Holy Ghost, saying:

 8 Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.

 9 And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me; wherefore, my beloved son, I know that it is solemn mockery before God, that ye should baptize little children.

 10 Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children.

 11 And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.

 12 But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!

 13 Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell.

 14 Behold I say unto you, that he that supposeth that little children need baptism is in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; for he hath neither faith, hope, nor charity; wherefore, should he be cut off while in the thought, he must go down to hell.

 15 For awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism.

Christ's atonement covers those who are incapable of committing sin. As children become accountable, around the age of 8, then they become responsible for their sins.  Then they are asked to be baptized.  

Children are whole and perfect.  They haven't yet learned the difference between good and evil.  When Kevin smiles at me, it is a smile of perfect joy.  There is no deception, no sadness, and no uncertainty.  He is a perfect being.  If he were to die now, he would go straight to heaven, there is no doubt in my mind.  However, as I raise him and teach him what is right and wrong, he will begin to understand.  With that understanding comes a responsibility for his actions. 

There is hope for us all.  We all have the choice to come unto Christ and be redeemed from our sins.  Little children though are bathed in the light of Christ.  They have no need of repentance.  They are already in the arms of God.

So fear not for those children who have died before baptism.  God has made provisions for them, for He loves them so much more than we can possibly understand.  

And, if we live our lives as we should, we'll be able to be reunited with those children when we leave this life.  I know this is true.  I can feel the truth of it with my soul.  I know the Book of Mormon is scripture that works along with the Bible to bring us to truth and salvation.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Why Do We Fear the Homeless?

The situation:

You are walking toward a corner where you know a homeless person is standing.  They are holding a sign.  As you approach, you wonder frantically how you should handle the situation.  Should you just ignore them?  Avert your eyes?  Or should you give them something?  The feelings of dread and uncertainty fill you.  What should you do?

Nine times out of ten, people probably just avert their eyes and keep on walking.  To be honest, I feel really bad doing this, but I often do it too.

Why is it that we are so scared of homeless people?  What is it that makes us avoid them like plague-victims?

I've been thinking about this lately.

The other day, I was walking home from Wal-mart with my baby on my shoulder.  Ahead on the corner, was a man holding a sign that said, "Fallen upon hard times, please help."  I didn't have anything to give him and so I was a little nervous about what he would do or say as I approached.  I was carrying Kevin, and as I approached I was balancing on the curb edge, because there wasn't a sidewalk.

As I approached the man, he said to me, "You have good balance." 

I smiled as him and said, "Thank you."  Then, Kevin waved at him, and we continued on after telling him to have a good day.

I was a little bit surprised.  He was a really nice, funny man.  I think that sometimes we forget that.  I certainly did.   

Grig is really good about wanting to help those in need.  When we were leaving a different Wal-mart another day, there was a lady with a sign that said, "Diabetic, just lost my job."  We had an extra loaf of bread, and so we gave it to her.  She seemed really grateful.

 On my mission in Texas, we often would see homeless people on the highway corners by the stoplights.  If we had extra food, we would offer it to them.  We sure didn't have money.  I, and Grig, have always tried to make it a policy to never give money to homeless people.  If they won't accept food, they're really not that desperate.  I have seen people claiming to be in need of help, that throw food back at people who offered it to them.  They just want money.

Yesterday, my youngest brother and I were walking around a city, and we had to pass a corner where a lady was standing with a sign several times.  Every time, my brother would move to my side as far from the lady as possible.  Then, he expressed fear when we would have to go in that direction.  It set me to thinking about why we have such a fearful stigma.  This is what I decided.

1- They sometimes look dirty or scary  

I think this might be why my brother was so frightened of them.  Their appearance is usually unkempt, and they don't usually look very happy.  There is a good reason for this.  Those who are actually homeless don't have very much access to showers.  However, I have heard of some scammers who apply makeup and old clothes to help instigate the 'pity vibe'.  This is where people feel sorry for them because they look so terrible.   So, this one can cause fear or pity.

2- We're afraid they'll ask us for money or we feel bad, but don't know how to help

This is often the one that I feel the most.  A lot of times, we don't have money to give, or we're afraid that they're scammers or drug-addicts.  Either way, we don't want to give them money if they don't really need it.  That's why food is such a good option.  If they really need it, it's a way you can help without possibly contributing to another problem for them.  It also helps illuminate the ones who aren't really in need of assistance.  

If I don't have food on me, I feel bad about it, and I still want to help.  However, because I have no way to do so, I don't want to look at them or have them focus on me.   Therefore aversion is a common solution.  If I don't look at them, they won't notice me not looking at them.

I think this is the worse thing we can do.  They are still people, and a smile can go a long way.  I try to always tell them to have a good day and smile at them.  However, there is the risk that they will think I'm mocking them, and that worries me too.  Mostly, I just try to treat them as human beings.

3- We are afraid of becoming like them

I think this might be the deep-set reason in most of us.  When we see the people on the street, on some level, we might fear that eventually we'll become like that.  They probably had jobs at one time, families, and everything was probably going great.  Then, suddenly they lost their job, their family broke up, and they're on the street.  It could happen to anyone.  I think sometimes we see the homeless, and we see a future that we don't even want to consider.

And perhaps, that's the real reason they scare us so much. 

So, smile at them.  Give where you can, but be careful.  Try to avoid money.  Serving at a food bank or a similar place is a much better option than handing out money on the street.  Sometimes I wish I could offer them all jobs, but I don't have the means to do so.  Generally, they're very nice people.  If we give them a chance, they can surprise us. 

Preparation for a Dog

Kevin and what will become his new dog

In the year 2000, I got a puppy.  She was an adorable little ball of fluff.  I loved her and trained her to the best of my abilities.  She turned into a pretty good dog, with one or two minor quirks.  She is terrified of thunderstorms, and turns destructive when they are around.  She also was taught by our other dog to run away from home.

This dog of mine grew older with me, but when I had to leave home for college she remained there.  She has been cared for by my younger siblings and they've done a good job.

However, her last caretakers are getting ready to leave on missions, and so Grig and I, after some thought and prayer, have decided to have my ancient 13-year-old dog come and live the rest of her life with us.

She's in really good shape for her age.  She's a border collie/Australian shepherd cross.  We expect her to live a few more years.

Last night, we went out and purchased a dog crate for her to live in.  I'm going to have to crate train her for when we are gone so that she doesn't ruin our apartment.  I'm not expecting too many problems, because I know her, and I know how good of a dog she is.

However, she's never been an inside dog before.  This will be a new and wonderful experience for her.  I think she will especially like not being out in the winter.  She's getting too old for the extreme cold.

The nice thing about bringing an adult dog into our home is that I get a chance to experience having an mature dog before I try to house train a puppy.  My dog is unlikely to chew on the furniture or have accidents in the house.  She has grown up around kids and is a wonderful kid-dog.  She also already has a lot of things, is up-to-date on shots, and comes with dog food.  That will certainly help the expenses. 

I'm looking forward to her coming.  Actually that's a bit of an understatement.  I'm STOKED about her coming.  However, I'm also a bit nervous.  I know it's going to be more work for me, but I'm up for it.  Change, in general, always kind of scares me at first.  It doesn't matter what it is, any big change makes me kind of nervous.  Even when I'm looking forward to it.

So, we're finally getting a dog.  It's just one that's already mine.  Isn't life whacked?

And wonderful?

Discipline is Hard

Here's the scenario:

I'm in the living room on my laptop working on videos, and Kevin is happily playing in his bedroom.  He's very independent and will leave me and go in there to play.  Often, when he wants reassurance that I'm still around he'll yell, "Ah?"  To which I usually respond, "Ah."

Very in-depth conversation, I know.

Then, he comes out carrying a toy.  He walks over to where I'm sitting and reaches out for the laptop chord.  He likes to yank it out and try and suck on the end.  We think that's a bad idea.  The idea of putting a plugged-in laptop chord in your mouth seems dangerous for some reason.  So, I quickly block his hand and say, "Stop."

I try very hard to maintain a serious expression.  It is difficult, however, when his face lights up with this huge smile and he starts giggling.

Okay, I'll admit it, he's pretty stinking adorable.  When it does that, it's really hard not to laugh at him.  Especially when he goes for the chord again.  I repeat my reaction, and he repeats the giggling.  Suddenly my discipline is a game.  His game.

I never thought this was going to be the problem.  I imagined that my kids would scream or throw tantrums when I told them to stop doing things.  I didn't imagine that they would find it hilarious.

We try not to say "No."  In my dog training class, the teacher told us that people find it too easy to say no, so dogs learn not to take that word seriously.  He told us instead to say "stop".  It isn't said as often, so when you do say it, they take you more seriously.  I have found it to be the same with children.

My sister the other day said that by accident she had done something really awesome.  When her kids did something wrong, instead of saying "no", she said either "nope" or "no way, jose".  When her kids got to that stage where they start saying no back to their parents, her kids said these two phrases instead.  My sister told me that it was far more difficult to get annoyed with her children when they were defiantly saying "Nope" than if they had been telling her no.

I'm not very good at discipline.  As a studying Student Teacher, that was my most difficult area.  I'm a very forgiving person.  I believe in mercy, so when a kid came up to me and said, "Please, give me another chance?" it was very hard for me to hold firm.  However, I came to realize that kid training is a lot like dog training.  When you set a rule, you need to stick with it, no matter what.  Kids and dogs are always pushing limits.  When you let them get away with something, they think that they outsmarted you and they can continue getting away with it.  They won't learn to respect you and listen to you, because they'll view you as a pushover.

I'm slowly learning to stick to my guns.  It's hard because I want to be nice, but I realize that if I want a well-behaved child who follows my rules, I also have to follow and keep my rules.  No matter what.  Consequences have to exist.  If a rule is kept, there are good consequences.  If a rule is broken, there are negative consequences.

Kids will continue to push my limits, I know this.  School was a good preparation for it.  Kids are always testing and trying to figure out where they get away with something.  It's not malice, it's just the way they are.  We all are constantly trying to test our own boundaries.  However, rules make us feel safe.  Kids who know where the boundaries are, are usually much calmer kids because they feel safe.  It's when they don't know what to expect from moment to moment that kids really begin to misbehave.  

The good news though, is that our consistency is beginning to show results.  Kevin is seldom going for the chord anymore, and he's learning to stay away from the garbage.  Even though it didn't seem like it was getting through to him, he is learning.

Pretty good for a ten month old.

Now, if we could only keep him out of the bathroom.

Our First Video Blog!

Our first video blog (vlog) is up!  Please follow the link below.  If you enjoy it, please like and subscribe to our youtube channel.  We will have a new vlog up every week at noon EST.  Thanks for your support!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhArn3yFgFw

Scary Movies Forget the Most Important Thing

Last night, I had a bad dream.  In my dream, there was a little girl spirit who was evil.  In her life she had murdered four people, including her brother.  She was somewhat safe when she was in the form of a girl, but when she got upset, she would gain all the powers of darkness and attack us.  It was a rather intense dream. 

When I woke up, I was a bit scared, so I began to pray.  That's when the realization hit me.  Why hadn't I done that in the dream?

In horror films, we are so often presented with ghosts and demons, that we don't think about the other side of the coin.  If ghosts and demons are real, doesn't that mean that God is real too? 

As I continued this thought process, I realized that in almost all of the scary movies I had seen that the hero or heroine generally tries to defeat the 'monster' by themselves.  They try to use flesh to overcome their adversary. 

Man is a lot of things, but we are not necessarily light.  We all have both light and darkness to our personalities.  We can only be influenced by dark if we choose to allow darkness into our lives, but the only thing that will truly dispel darkness is light.

Wouldn't horror movies be different if the next time the hero was attacked by an evil spirit, they got down on their knees and prayed for divine protection? 

Part of the reason that scary movies frighten us so much is because they deal with the supernatural, with things that we don't understand and can't fight.  However, we can fight them.  The Adversary only has as much power as we give him.  Light always trumps darkness, and God is stronger than any other power. 

That doesn't mean those powers aren't real.  They are as real as God himself.  However, we have the choice to embrace them or deny them.  If we turn to God, He will give us the power to overcome our trials, tribulations, and temptations.  He will help us when we are frightened and scared. 

One of the most interesting scary movies I've ever watched was The Exorcism of Emily Rose.  It made a lasting impact on my mind.  I haven't seen it since 2005, but I remember that it was a deeply religious movie, and very different from any other film that I had even seen.  Instead of just having shocking and frightening scenes, it delved into the fact that if the Devil is real, then so is God. 

It compared psychosis and epilepsy to demonic possession and posed the question, "Does demonic possession exist, and is it often misdiagnosed as a mental illness?"  I have actually wondered this question myself as I read through the New Testament.  Anyway, in terms of the movie, I think it actually had a very nice, spiritual ending.  It left a good impression on my mind.  I didn't agree with everything that was said, but the intention was good.

In our own lives, we often try to be that hero or heroine that takes on darkness by ourselves.  We think that we are strong enough to stand alone and overcome whatever life can throw at us.  Again I say, the only thing that dispels darkness is light.  The only thing strong enough to overcome the world is our Savior, Jesus Christ.  If we don't turn to him for protection and power, we won't be strong enough to resist the evils of this life. 

These are the thoughts that my dream brought this morning.  I found them interesting, but they also bring up another question.

Do I think too much?  Probably. 

Fashion is Stupid

When I was a kid, I was one of the most awkward things you will ever see.  I had huge glasses that covered half my face, and they were as thick as coke bottles.  I always, except maybe on school picture day, wore my hair in a pony tail.  I wore sweat pants to school, usually of the hot pink or hot orange variety, and I loved baggy t-shirts (that usually clashed with the pants.) 

When I got to Junior High, my father told me that I couldn't wear sweat pants to school anymore.  I was a bit upset.  They were really comfortable!  However, I honored my father's wishes, and to my surprise discovered that jeans could be quite comfortable too, if you could find a pair that actually fit.  I still wore t-shirts, but it's much harder to clash with jeans.  In my eighth grade year, I received contacts, and suddenly I didn't look so bad. 

I've really never cared about fashion.  If someone asked me what the popular trend in clothing is right now, I'd tell you that I really couldn't care.  I'm now in my mid-20's.  I still wear my hair in a ponytail nearly every day.  Due to my c-section, I still have to wear comfortable, stretchy pants because I can't fit into my jeans.  I still prefer t-shirts, and I don't really care if they make me look like a huge pillow.  My personal appearance has never really mattered to me.

However, I do try to make more of an effort to look nice.  I have a friend from South Africa who changed the way that I take care of myself.  She is a really good friend, and she as we were getting to know each other, I realized that she loved me even though I didn't try to look nice.  She, of course, is always gorgeous and wears adorable clothes that accentuate her beauty.  She loved me first, and because of that, I listened to her suggestions.  Just before I roomed with her, I made the decision to get bangs, which made me look less like a boy.  She taught me how to style them so that they looked decent. 

We would go on shopping trips, and she would help me find clothing that was comfortable and cute!  While we were rooming together, I ended up getting my ears pierced.  She helped me feel beautiful, and I did like it.

However, while she was teaching me the finer points of dressing myself, she was also teaching me something else.  She taught me that it still doesn't matter what the current trends are.  She wore what she wanted to wear.  She wore things that made her look good, and she had her own style.  She taught me that cute clothes are always cute, and you don't have to follow fashion in order to be beautiful and feel good about yourself. 

Fashion is always changing.  If you were to try to keep up, you'd bankrupt yourself.  Things that are fashionable don't look good with every body type.  Not everyone, in fact, very few people, look good in a bikini.  Find fashions that work for you.  I don't dress up very often still, but at least I know how to now. 

For me, it's best if the belly fabric is loose.  If it's too tight, it accentuates the wrong kinds of...rolls.  Ruffles don't hurt, and my friend told me to stay away from collared shirts.  My shoulders are too broad for them. 

The other thing that my friend taught me is don't dress up for other people.  Dress up to look good for yourself.  When you look good, you feel good.  She was right.  However, I don't mind looking good for my husband too.  My wonderful husband loves me regardless of what I'm wearing, and I'm grateful for that.  However, he does like it if I occasionally dress up. 

Basically, I guess I'm saying, don't follow fashion.  Things that they are trying to sell you are generally overpriced and don't always go well with different body types.  Find a style that works for you and stick with it.  Cheaper is better.  If it's on sale and it's cute, why not buy it if you have the money?  There are tons of cute clothes that aren't super expensive.  The fashion industry is just out to take your money.  That's why they change fashions so often. 

Heaven forbid we actually wear the same clothes more than once in our lives.

I've never understood fashion, and I probably never will, but thanks to my good friend I at least can make myself look good while staying within our budget.

Fashion is stupid, being beautiful isn't.  Be pretty for you, choose clothes that you like, and find your own style.  We're all unique, why not show it with our clothing?

Crazy Weight Loss Program! I Lost 10 lbs in a Month!

You're not going to believe this.  I didn't, when I heard about it, but this is a true story.  On my new weight loss program, I've lost over ten pounds in one month!  It's the simplest thing I've ever tried, and it works!

My career as a model had been going downhill.  My agent told me that if I didn't lose weight, I was going to only be used for commercials as Bertha the Blue Whale.  I found it very frustrating, and I was having a hard time feeling my inner beauty.

And don't mention those beach parties!  I just didn't feel comfortable strutting my stuff when other people were around.  Sure, if it was a rainy day and everyone else was inside, I didn't mind going out in my bathing suit, but I just couldn't handle it when others were watching.

Finally, though, I found a weight loss program that works for me!  I had heard about it on television, but I didn't believe it would really work.  A friend of mine was going through it, and she told me that if I would give it a try, I would really see results.

They call it the Starving College Student Plan (SCSP).  It's so simple.  Here's how it works:

You don't make very much money and you have a tight budget for groceries.

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Wrong!  I tried it and I saw crazy results!  Grig and I were on such a tight budget that we didn't have money to go out to eat.  It was hard at times, and I really missed fast food, but I can't deny the results. 

Also, we suddenly had to eat more vegetables because we had family who had their own gardens and were giving us free fruits and vegetables.  Our diets improved by 100%.  With all the fresh food and lack of high fat, I found myself feeling better than ever before!  We also began to use our meat sparingly because we couldn't afford to buy it very often either. 

On the SCSP, I didn't see instant results, but as I kept at it, I have begun to lose weight! 

The best part?  You don't even have to be a college student to use this plan.  Simply eat more fruits and vegetables, eat out less often, and eat meat sparingly. 

Oh, yeah.  I forgot one last part.  We also have been trying to exercise more.  A walk here, a jog there, it's not much but it sure adds up!

A healthy diet and a little exercise go a long way.  The SCSP worked for me, and it can work for you too!  Call this number to begin your free trial:

(555) Tnk-Ifny

And yes, I do think I'm hilarious.

(As a side note, I haven't lost as much weight on this plan as I did the Nine-Month-and-a-Baby-Plan (NMAABP), but that plan doesn't work for everyone, so I recommend this one instead.  Though, you do get to lose all the weight in one day, the SCSP doesn't requires you to gain a bunch of weight first before you can lose it.  Plus, those stretch marks are torture!)

:)

Early to Bed, Early to Rise...Actually Isn't So Bad

Me, as a night-owl.

 Anyone who has ever lived with me can tell you, I'm not really a morning person.

When I was a kid, my siblings never wanted to be the one to come wake me up.  If someone disturbed my sleep (unless it was Dad or Mom) I was wrath unleashed!  I come up swinging, something I'm not very proud of.  Really, no one should have had to wake me up.  I should have been able to do it on my own.  The problem is that when I do sleep, I'm a very deep sleeper.

I've never really needed that much sleep.  When I was a baby, my parents would tell me stories about how I would only take one nap a day, and a very short, trying nap at that.  My mom likes to tell me about how she would walk around for over an hour trying to get me to fall asleep.  Finally, I would drift off.  She would try to lay me down, and I would wake up re-energized!  My short nap was sufficient.  At least I slept well at night.

As I grew older, it was literally impossible for me to over-sleep.  I remember coming upstairs crying on numerous occasions because I had been laying in bed for hours and I just couldn't fall alseep.  That, along with several other factors, convinced me that it was better to just stay up reading.  I began to get less sleep, and then falling asleep became much easier.  I also became more of a night-owl.  It only got worse in college.

In my first two years of college, I averaged four hours of sleep a night.  Crazy, huh?  That means sometimes I got around two and sometimes around six.  I actually did quite well on that, except for the occasional class that I slept through.

During my mission, I got on a better schedule.  As a missionary, you are required to go to bed at 10:30 p.m. and wake up at 6:30 a.m.  I would go to bed, but I couldn't always fall asleep.  Sometimes I'd lay there for a few hours before I'd drift off.  Even exhausted from working all day, sleep sometimes is a challenge.

When I finished my mission, I got right back to my old sleep schedule.  In college for a while, I was the last one to sleep and the first one awake.  My attempts to help myself go to sleep earlier included always having a 7:45 a.m. class.  That way, I would usually go to bed at least by 2:00 a.m.

With my first year of marriage, things were slightly better.  Unfortunately, Grig is also a night-owl, and often we would stay up late together.  Sometimes, on a really bad night, we would fall asleep around 4:00 a.m.  However, we tried to set goals to go bed by midnight.

After we had Kevin, we did begin to go to bed around midnight.  Kevin however, also seems to require a little less sleep than most babies (but not as little as me, thank goodness).  He's always been a good night sleeper, but he would stay up until midnight with us,and then wake up around 8:30.  It worked for a while.

Then, Grig got a new job.  His job begins at either 4 or 5:00 in the morning.  That means I have to wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. in order to make him breakfast.  (This is an entirely voluntary thing.  Grig has told me on numerous occasions that I don't actually have to do that, but I like being able to see him in the morning, and it helps him get to work on time if I help make breakfast and lunch.) 

We are now going to bed anytime from 8-9:30.  That's the earliest I've ever gone to bed in my life.  We consistently go to bed early and wake up early.  Strangely, I'm beginning to realize that I like it.

All my life, I thought people were crazy for getting up this early.  Right now, it's 4:27 a.m. and I'm blogging.  Kevin is asleep and I'm all alone.  It's quiet outside and even the crickets are sleeping.  I have time to think and relax before the day begins.

Occasionally, I go back to bed after Grig leaves, but usually I try to stay up and I'm finding that I enjoy waking up early more each morning.  Sometimes on weekends, when Grig doesn't have work, he and I revert to our old habits.

However, we are both finding that Early to Bed and Early to Rise really isn't such a bad thing after all.

Go figure.

Puppies vs. Babies

Which is Better?

Lately, I've really been wanting to get a puppy.  

Really, like, a lot. 

However, though our housing situation would allow it, we currently we can't afford one.  Since puppies have been on my mind so much, I've been thinking about when I first gave birth to Kevin.  Afterward, my dad, who knows how much I like dogs, kept asking me the same question over and over.

"Isn't he much better than a puppy?"

Okay.  Obviously the answer is yes.  However for those of you who've never had a baby, I would like to tell you my reasons why.  Those of you who have had children, let me know your thoughts on the matter.

When I was in High School, one summer I decided to breed my dog and raise a litter of puppies.  It was a really good experience, and I really enjoyed it.  However, comparing that experience to my current situation of being a mother brings up some interesting differences and similarities. 

Yes, I did draw these pictures.

Newborns:

 

 

A Short Thought on Poop

Let's face it.  Newborn animals of any variety aren't very cute.  They come out all slimy and wrinkly, and generally have very little hair.  Newborn puppies are fairly easy for humans to take care of.  We just let the mom handle it.  However, newborn puppies are incapable of defecating on their own.  In order to keep the puppies alive and healthy, the mother dog has to lick them to stimulate their bowel movements.  Then, to add to that, she eats the puppy poo so that the smell won't attract predators.  As nasty as that seems to us, to a dog it's a natural part of being a mother. 

I'm really glad we don't have to do that.  A lot of people will complain about changing diapers, but after watching how animals take care of their babies' poop, diapers don't seem so bad.  Babies are also able to poop on their own as soon as they are born, which is an advantage in the evolutionary side of things.   Babies diapers are also not very stinky when they are newborns.  You have to change them pretty frequently, but it really isn't that much trouble and you get used to it quickly.  

Nursing

Nursing puppies is quite easy as well, if you're the human.  The mother dog usually does all the work again.  There is the rare situation when a human has to take over, and then it can be a major pain!  You have to get up and bottle feed the pups every two hours.  That can really cut into your sleep schedule.  Luckily, my dog Dakota was a fantastic mom.  She took great care of her pups.  She ended up having eight of them, and all of them survived until they went to their new homes.  Can you imagine having eight babies at one time?  I can't.  One is plenty thank you, and I'm still learning how to deal with one.

When someone first handed Kevin to me, I looked down and thought, "What do I do with this?" 

Don't get me wrong.  I've been around babies my entire life.  I have six younger siblings and I spent a lot of my teenaged years babysitting my siblings and other children.  I'm no novice when it comes to taking care of babies.  However, none of that even remotely prepared me for nursing my own baby.  It doesn't come entirely naturally.  However, once you and the baby figure it out, it is a rather peaceful thing.  There is a connection you feel with that baby that is unlike any other relationship I've ever had.  

When my dog had puppies, I felt proud and I loved them.  I took good care of them and I wanted them to have good homes.  However, the bond I have with my baby isn't even close to the same.  Grig and I made Kevin (with a lot of help from Heavenly Father).  He is our baby.  He is part of us and we are part of him.  I've loved my dogs, but the love I feel for Kevin transcends that love and makes it look trivial.  

Nursing has nurtured that bond as well.  I love putting him down for a nap and feeling connected to him.  Puppy-love just doesn't come close.

Infants:

Development

Babies change fast.  Even now, nine-months after Kevin was born, I can't believe how fast time has gone.  Everyday it seems like he learns something new.  He's already walking and running, and I some days I miss the little baby who would just lay on my chest.  Kevin only does that if he is asleep now or very, very tired.  Otherwise, he is constantly moving.  It's been a real treat to watch Kevin grow and learn.  We love showing him new things.  We really enjoy watching him try to understand this new world around him.  

However, as fast as babies grow, it's nothing compared to puppies.  At nine months, a puppy would be almost fully grown and well into his teenage months.  He would be awkward, gangly, and pushing his limits.  They are still cute, but sometimes by that point the cuteness is wearing off a bit.  Between eight and eighteen months is when the majority of puppies are given to shelters.  After that, they mature more and people can handle them again.  Before that, they are cute enough to get away with stuff.  Puppies are only puppies for a short time, and then they become dogs.  I think they're still cute, but a lot of people love that puppy stage and really miss it when it is gone.  

That's probably why so many people get tiny dogs.  They can keep pretending they are babies.  The problem is a tiny dog is still a dog.  If you treat a dog like a baby, they never learn discipline and think that they are in charge.  This causes a lot of bad behaviors that go unchecked because the dog is 'cute.' 

Which is why a great many people don't like small dogs.  They often get away with everything because they're not a threat to people.  

Babies remain as babies for quite a while.  We have more time to teach them the things they need to know before they are considered adults.  Children and puppies take a great deal of patience, perseverance, discipline, and love.  However, dogs will never reach the development level of a human.  They will never be able to have deep conversations with us.  Children eventually will. 

Chewing

Kevin still has no teeth.  His cousin, who is a week younger, has four or five.  She actually has been known to leave little teeth marks in the furniture.  Babies in general however, don't chew on things nearly as much as puppies.  

I've never heard of someone coming home from work to find that their child had eaten their favorite shoe or hat.  Though someone in my family used to chew the fingers and toes off of our barbies, we never found the entire barbie digested.  

Puppies, however, will chew on everything.  Furniture, clothing, toys; you name it, they've eaten it.  That's one nice thing that you don't have to worry about as much when it comes to babies.

A Little More on Poop

When my dog had her puppies, at first it was easy to clean after them.  She took care of most of that.  Then, as they grew and developed, they began to defecate on their own.  Soon, I was the one who had to pick up after eight growing puppies.  It was a full-time job.  

Again, I'll take diapers over that any day.  Both baby poop and dog poop however gets stinkier as the owners get older.  That's part of life.

  Longevity

I think this will be the last thing I'll address in this blog.  Puppies are cute.  They take a lot of work, but when you take the time, it pays off into a wonderful dog.  However, the oldest living dog only lived to 29 and 1/2 years old.  That's pretty old for a dog.  However, for a beloved family member, that's not that long at all.  

Children (hopefully) will be around the rest of our lives and beyond.  They don't just bring joy and heartache, they also are the future of our families.  They pass on stories of us, our teachings, and our experiences.  They also bring grandchildren.  

Dogs bring happiness for a lifetime, but children bring happiness for an eternity.  They can continue to bring joy to others after we are gone.  

So, yes, Dad.  Children are better than puppies. 

At this point, my experience with having my own children has caught up with the present.  I could speculate on what will happen in the future, but until I go through those stages myself, I'll let other people tell me what it's like.  I've raised a puppy to adulthood, but I'm still on my first kid.  Eventually, Kevin will have a few puppies to grow up with him.  Every kid needs a dog.  It's an earth-rule.   

Hopefully Kevin will turn out well.  We'll do our best, and that's all we can do.  The rest is up to him.

Giving Blood and Saving Snails

Yesterday was an interesting day.

It started off with Kevin and I going with my aunt to play floor hockey.  I am trying to exercise more this week, so her invitation to accompany her was very welcome.  At first, Kevin did just fine.  Two of my aunt's kids were there, so I thought he would be enjoying himself while we played.  He usually is a very happy kid, especially when there are other kids around.

Unfortunately, someone brought Bambi, and soon all the kids were watching it...all the kids, that is, except Kevin.  He doesn't really appreciate tv.  We'd only played a few minutes when Kevin began to cry.  The fact the other kids abandoned him was probably compounded by the small amount of sleep that he had been allowing himself the last few days.  We're not sure exactly what's been going on, but I've been pretty tired.

Anyway, Kevin began to cry.  I tried to distract him, but it didn't work.  So finally, I said, "Come play with me."  I hoisted him into my left arm, and put the hockey stick in my right arm.  Luckily, I'm pretty strong, so I could still hit the ball pretty well.  Kevin and I played goalie and we played hard.  He seemed to enjoy it, except when everyone was running toward us, and he'd let out this little terrified shriek.  I'm not sure if it was fear or excitement, but when I looked at him, he looked fine.

We played that way for a while, and then they turned off Bambi so the other kids would play with him.  Again, he was distracted for a few minutes while I began to play harder.  One of the women said, "Oh, you're a runner," as I charged after the ball.  The distractions only worked for a moment though.  Kevin began to wail again.  He was tired and hungry, and every time he heard the sticks hit the floor, he knew he was missing out on fun.  So, I fed him, and then he ended up playing goalie with me again.  I got a pretty good workout.  I'm kind of sore today.  I've still got it though.  Half-way through my aunt told me that I frightened her.  Especially when I was holding the baby.

Heh.

Then, after Grig got home from work, we went and donated blood.  I always do really well with it.  I've got good veins and a great constitution.  I was a little worried because I'm still nursing Kevin, but I did just fine.  Kevin sure enjoyed himself.  He got the sugary treats and attention as he walked around the place.  Every time we go out, people ask, "How old is he?"   When we tell them 9 months, they usually say, "Wow!  He's doing really well."

We know.  It's because he's batman.

Anywho.

Then, we had to go drop off the car at Havelock's workplace.  He would then drive it home at 10:30 p.m. after he got done with his job.  Grig, Kevin, and I took the bus.  (Havelock would take it, but it stops its route at 8:30).  The bus was kind of fun, but the combination of donating blood and driving home took way long.  We didn't get home until 7:15.  We still had to eat, shower, send an important e-mail, and save a snail.  Not necessarily in that order.  Grig was supposed to get up at 2:50 a.m. this morning.  We didn't get to bed until 10:30 p.m.  It's going to be a long day for my poor husband. 

The snail was quite grateful, though.  And hungry.  It ate quite a bit of Swiss chard.

On a final note, I'm sorry for those of you who are waiting for out next video.  I know it's three days late.  It's been kind of crazy.  It's almost ready, I'm just waiting for some voice-acting from Grig.

Also, I have a question for my readers.  I'm thinking about blogging Monday through Friday, and putting up a vlog (video blog) on Saturday.  Would anyone be interested in us doing that?  I think it might be kind of fun, though more work for me.

Please let me know your thoughts.

TTFN.  Ta-ta for now.

Are Things Ever 'Just Right'?

 

Everyone knows the story of Goldilocks and the three bears.  One bowl of porridge was too hot, one was too cold, and one was just right.

However, in life, it seems that things are never 'just right'.  How many days of the year do we go outside and say, "Ah, the weather is just right today!"?  A few maybe, but not very many.

When I worked at a gas station, the most common complaint I would hear from people who were coming in during the summer was: "It's too hot!"  A few months later, during the winter people would come in and complain that it was now "Too cold!"  Very rarely did anyone say, "Ah, the weather is just right today.  I'm so glad that I went outside!"

I'm not exempt from this attitude either.  When we moved into our new apartment on the second floor, we found out that we didn't have air conditioning.  Luckily for us, heat rises, so it has been a very hot summer.  We bought a few fans and our bedroom has been livable, but it has been difficult.  Often our apartment is too hot, and we are constantly wishing that the fall months will come quickly.

However, just this week the weather took a turn for the cooler, and though I'm enjoying being outside in the cool weather, our bedroom has become too cold!  We've had to turn off the fan for fear of being frozen out!  Suddenly, I'm remembering why I like summer so much more than winter.  I HATE being cold!

I too often find myself saying things like: "When this happens, we'll be happy."  "When we graduate, things will be better."  "When we get a full-time job, things will be easier."

That isn't usually the case though.  When we do get those things, they usually come with their own version of trials, and things are equally, if not more, difficult.

A while ago, one of our leaders gave a talk that was called, "Finding Joy in the Journey."  Click on the link to read it, I'd highly recommend it.  It addressed the fact that we need to be happy wherever we are, and find things that are 'just right' right now.

So, here goes my list of 'just rights':

Right now, my husband's job is just right for us.
Right now, my baby is just the right age.
Right now, we have just hte right number of kids.
Right now, we have just the right number of pets.
Right now, we are living in just the right place.
Right now, we have just the right amount of money.
Right now, we are just right in our marriage.
Right now, I am just right in my relationship with our Lord.

That doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement in these things, but I know that as we are trying our best, we can enjoy where we are, even as we improve.

Take time out of your day.  Enjoy the little things.  Look around for small tender mercies from the Lord.  Admire the beauty of the clouds.  Enjoy having kids that mess up your house.  Enjoy having people to eat with that make dirty dishes.  Enjoy being loved by your family and friends.

Yes, things will change in time, but when they do, we can always find more things that are 'just right' with our lives.  As we do, we'll be happier now and less stressed about the future. 



What are some things in your life that are 'just right'?

A Little Poverty Never Hurt Anyone

Being poor isn't much fun.  When Grig and I moved recently, we were doing pretty well financially.  However, previous to this move, we had been blessed with an apartment that was owned by loving family, and they didn't require us to pay rent.

Thanks to their generosity, we had been able to save up a bit of money, and had reduced our college debt by quite a bit.  Before we moved we weren't rich, but we weren't really poor either.  We'd been able to pay all of our baby bills (which were pretty substantial considering that I had a c-section).

Since we've moved, however, we've joined the world of the grown ups.  Our money that we saved was mostly spent in those first few weeks when Grig wasn't working as many hours and he was signed up through a temp agency.  For a while, we didn't even know for sure that he was going to get the job full-time.  However, we had faith.  We knew this is where we were supposed to be.

We had decided to get a three bedroom apartment so that Grig's brother Havelock could come and stay with us.  It was decided that once he arrived and found a job, he would be able to help with the rent a bit.  The rent is a decent price for a three bedroom apartment, but it is still quite a bit of our income.  However, he couldn't find a job for a few weeks, so we've had to pay the rent on our own.  (As a side note, he found a job, and he starts today!) 

We've had to become very careful on how we deal with our money.  I created a budgeting system on Excel that works great for us, but with all of the finances we've had and a few surprise bills, our money nearly disappeared.  We couldn't buy groceries because we didn't have money for it.  We didn't have any furniture when we moved, and though we were able to buy a bed, we couldn't buy anything else.  We have been dirt poor, and it hasn't hurt us at all.

We've learned so many wonderful things because of it.  We budgeted our money before this, but never with the same caution that we do now.  We only buy what we absolutely NEED, and we're still working on discerning what groceries can wait until we have money.  We have given up a lot of things that we wanted for a later time when we can afford them.  Neither Grig nor I have credit cards, and aside from a (comparatively) small college debt that we are working on, we don't plan on ever going into debt.  We only want to buy things that we have saved up for and can afford. 

We've also been so blessed!  Every piece of furniture that we've really needed, someone has given us.  When we started, we had a tiny end table, a rocking chair, a lawn chair, a desk, and entertainment center (with no t.v.), a book shelf, a bed, and a tote that we use for a desk.  We didn't have a couch, a bed for Havelock, a table, or a microwave.  As the weeks have gone by and we've been trying to stay within our means, others have stepped in and given us furniture.  We've been so grateful as we've learned to rely on the Lord and on friends and family.

We've had enough, but no more.  As Havelock starts his new job and Grig continues to work, we should be able to begin saving again, and move past the poverty line.  It's been tough, but really, it's been okay.

A little poverty never hurt anyone.  It's only made us stronger as we've come closer to each other and to the Lord.

Are There Any Original Endings Left?

When I was going to college, I took a fiction writing class.  It was a lot of fun and I really enjoy writing, so it was kind of a treat.  At the time, I was considering changing my major to become an English major and so I was experimenting to see how I liked those kind of classes.

We would all write short stories and then we would take turns as a class reading each person's story and analyzing it.  You weren't allowed to talk when your story was being analyzed, but you could listen and see people's reaction to your story.  

I learned a lot in that class.  However, one thing sticks out in my memory.

At the class's beginning, everyone's stories were completely different.  Some weren't very well-written, true, but they were creative and original.  However, as the class progressed, I began to see something very interesting happen.  Trying to get a reaction out of their audience, characters in the stories began to die. It was a slow thing at first.  A character death here, someone's reaction to it there, but it spread through the class like a plague.

After two-thirds of the semester was over, everyone's stories were ending in death.  It was an incredible change.  Soon, it was a surprise if someone's story didn't end with someone dying.  Reading back on some of those short stories that I wrote during that time, I was a little surprised by how dark they were.  I don't think I would even think about writing some of them now.  

Finally, at one point, I wrote a story just to stir things up.  Out of all the stories I wrote that year, this one wasn't my favorite, but my teacher LOVED it.

Here's the story:

******

 The Truth About Age

    The old woman hobbles slowly down the path, a bag in one hand, a cane in the other.  Her legs are bowed and she is bent nearly double with pain as she makes her way to a small gate.  Her wrinkled face is creased with sadness and she stumbles now and again against rocks on the uneven path.  

    As she reaches the gate, she slowly lifts her weary head only to find a young man there.  He smiles gently and opens the gate for her.

    “Would you like me to take your bag?” he asks kindly.

    The old woman, surprised, is silent for a moment and then speaks in a voice worn with age, “I would be most grateful, young man.”

    He quickly takes her bag and extends an arm.  The age-old sadness begins to slip from her face as she gratefully takes the proffered hand.  Slowly, sorrowful wrinkles begin to transform into gentle laugh lines.  

    They walk in silence for several minutes.  Once they reach her destination, the young man graciously hold open the door.

    He nods his head to her slightly as she takes her bag back and he gently smiles a final time.

    “Have a good day,” he says, and disappears down the street.

    The woman, no longer bent with age, continues to smile as she walks into the store.  Energy seems to fill her small frame and she glides more quickly, only using her cane slightly.  Time slowly fades, and wrinkles are made smooth. 

******

It was a very positive and uplifting story.  I was trying to convey the message that as we help those around us, they can feel younger.  It was very different from the suicide and other depressing stories that we all were turning out at that point.  It was interesting to me to see the positive reaction to my story.  As humans, sometimes we're so busy trying to get an emotional reaction and trying to be stunning that we don't realize that we're stopped being stunning and have become the same.

When The Ring came out, most horror movies had happy endings, or at least resolutions.  However, since then, most scary movies seem to just be getting darker and creepier without resolution.  At the time, it was original, now my siblings don't even think its all that scary.

When Tolkien wrote Lord of the Rings, fantasy wasn't even a genre.  There was simply fiction and nonfiction. When The Hobbit came out, these stories were still being called Fairy Tales.  Now it seems that you can find elements of Tolkien's books in nearly every fantasy.

I enjoy it when books surprise me.  However, as I work at writing my own stories I wonder if they're too predictable.  Do my stories have events in it that are just intended for 'shock-value'?  Or do they have surprises that are surprising because we really couldn't see them coming?  The best authors even include clues, but the readers mind either misses those clues or assumes that they are leading to something else.

In our own lives, do we follow the crowd?  Are we inclined to do things for the shock value?  Or are we going to do uplifting and positive things that will surprise others because they are different from the way society is doing things.  Like the young man in my story, are we helping others to throw off their troubles or are we causing them more pain?

Are there any original endings left?  Yes.  However, it is up to each of us to find our own.  I can't live my life the same as any other person, and I shouldn't try.  I'm someone different.  I want to do what's right, and that means I have to find my own path.  Each of us has a completely different story from everyone else.  We have different backgrounds, different motivations, and different goals.  As we discover that story, we can choose whether we are a good or bad influence in the lives of those around us.  We can choose how we affect their stories.

And at the end, everyone will have their own original ending.  However, what happens and whose with us when the time comes is really up to each of us. 

Having the Missionaries Over for Dinner and My Meatloaf Recipe

Every time I add a picture that is not mine, I accompany it with a link to the original image.  Click on the picture to go there.

 Last night was an exciting night!  On Sunday, they passed around a sign-up sheet for anyone that wanted to feed the missionaries.  I was really excited.  It is my first time ever feeding them as a married couple.

When I was on my mission, I loved eating at members' homes.  They usually cooked us really extravagant dinners, because for them, it was a special occasion to feed the missionaries.  Unfortunately for the missionaries, when it is a special occasion every night, it becomes really difficult not to gain weight.  However, the food was always good, regardless of what culture it originated from, and in Texas there is a lot of different cultural backgrounds.  Sometimes people would take us out to eat as well, and that was a nice treat.

So, after I picked up the Sister Missionaries, I told them the ground-rules.

1- Don't eat anything you don't like

2- If you get full, don't feel the need to finish your food, we can doggie-bag it for you

That was basically it.  I just remember too many nights when I left stuffed to the gills, and spent the rest of the evening trying to walk off the delicious food.  One time we had salad for dinner, and that was a rare treat!

We ended up having rice with cream of mushroom gravy and meatloaf.  It is my own special recipe.  I think it's probably the best meatloaf I've ever eaten too.  The missionaries seemed to enjoy it.  In fact, the newer sister was being really polite, and cleaning up the dishes.  However, when I told them that there was another pan of meatloaf, she got really interested, and though she kept trying to tell me it was okay, I could tell that she wanted some more.  

So, I got her a paper plate (so that she wouldn't feel guilty about dirtying another one) and she happily ate some more.  

Here's my recipe for meatloaf, if you're interested.  The problem is, I kind of eye-ball stuff, so this is just a basic guideline.  I tried to write down the measurements based upon how much I put in, and it seems to turn out okay.  This is enough for one bread-pan.

Emma Tank's Meat Loaf Recipe: 

1 1/2 pounds of hamburger

1 cup oatmeal

¼ cup corn

1 cup chopped onion

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 tsp garlic salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ cup barbeque sauce (or ketchup)

Topping:

¾ cup ketchup (or combo barbeque sauce and ketchup)

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Spray the bread pan with non-stick spray.  Put meatloaf in pan, press down to fill all edges.  Combine topping, pour on top of meatloaf.  Cover all surfaces.  Cook at 375 for 1 hour 25 minutes.

It turns out really good and moist.  Personally, I think the corn adds a lot. 

Anyway, it was a really nice evening.  Kevin showed off his walking, and while they shared a spiritual thought he kept walking back and forth between them.  He really liked them.  Afterward, they were going to walk to another appointment, but it cancelled, so I drove them to another place to do some service.  They seem like very good missionaries.  One was from Tonga and the other was from Wyoming. 

Having them over, reminded me a lot of my mission and how much I loved being a missionary for my Savior.  I have had very strong spiritual experiences since my mission, but there is no other calling in life like being a full-time missionary.  When you sacrifice everything in your life for an 18-month to a 2-year mission, the Lord blesses you in turn.  I can't explain how much I grew over that period of time.  I learned a lot about myself and how much the Lord loves every one of his children.  It doesn't matter where you live or what you are doing.  The Lord loves you.

One of my favorite sayings goes like this:

The Lord loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay that way.  

The Lord constantly is requiring us to grow and change for the better.  If I allowed my own son to only stay in kindergarten his whole life, he certainly would not grow into the man I know he is supposed to become.  The older grades may be tougher, and he may suffer because he has to learn harder things, but in the end Kevin will be better for it.  

I know the gospel is true and Christ is my Savior.  I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's church on Earth and He has set it up.  It is not a church of men, but of God.  

We pray for you, and keep you in our hearts.