TODAYS PHOTO

poolside-yes, it is November 29th!!

WHY DO I HAVE TO GO TO CHURCH!?!??!
(can you hear the whine?)


The minister gave out his text and droned along
monotonously through an argument that was
so prosy that many a head by and by began to
nod - and yet it was an argument that dealt
in limitless fire and brimstone and thinned
the predestined elect down to a company so
small as to be hardly worth the saving.
from: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by: Mark Twain

For 32 years now-I've been going to Church-with nary a Sunday missed.
I put on a dress (ugh),put on makeup, and braced myself for the frigid temps of universally cold buildings. Sunday after Sunday I have coddled, preached, nudged, bribed, and even threatened our children to do the same. Sometimes I ask myself WHY!!!??? Why go to all this trouble. Why expend all this energy on quiet, early mornings, week in and week out?
Of course there are many, many reasons for my behavior. There really are too many to count. But this Sunday I find myself focusing on just one of those bountiful reasons.(maybemore like 2or3 when all is said and done.)
My hero-Sheri Dew- once said- "The best way to strengthen our personal testimonies and protect ourselves from evil is to seek to have as many experiences with the Lord as possible."
What better induction than in our beautiful chapels each Sunday? And more specifically, in our sacrament meetings?? Here-week after week we listen to the sacrament prayer, where the Master invites us to take upon us His name so that we will hopefully never forget whose we are!! WE ARE HIS CHILDREN!! The best benifit of going to church and of partaking of the sacrament is to seek and receive the blessing of his Spirit to be with us. And his Spirit is not sent to us to belittle us or to condemn us. Just like the Savior himself did not come to knock us down or condemn us. The Spirit is ours to LIFT us!! To LIGHTEN in every way!!
I go to Church to seek his Spirit-to be spiritually fed and rejuvenated. Because, as Truman Madsen wrote- "The gifts and fruits of the Spirit engulf all our deepest needs, whatever our present desires: insights, flashes of guidance, energy, all the virtues that center around Christ, and through them, all the fire that purifies our feelings and our aspirations. Yes, we come to the sacrament to renew covenants, but we also come to be renewed-- to be renewed with divine infusion--and then we increase in our strength to honor covenants with Him and with each other."
AMEN!!
WHAT I KNOW:
Tom Sawyer appeared to be uncomfortable at church. I am not.
And my children don't seem to be uncomfortable either. (bless them) Dear Tom needed to come to church with us!!
I will also try even harder to get the most that I can from my Sunday worship!!

HAVE A BLESSED SABBATH EVERYONE!!!

VERY RANDOM PICS OF FAMILY TOGETHERNESS

"Any woodsmen can tell you that in a broken and sundred nest,
one can hardly find more than precious few whole eggs. So it
is with family.
-Thomas Jefferson

FORGIVE ME PLEASE!!!

This is my beautiful niece Ali. And Im here to plead for her forgiveness. November 8th, has come and gone; and it turns out its a very important date to remember. Ali was born on that day, a few years ago. And my 2nd grandson was also born on that date, just 3 weeks ago!!! And somehow I spaced it for Ali!! I love her and want her to know how fun its been to have her here along with her family for the Thanksgiving holiday.
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALI!!!!!!!!

TODAYS PHOTO (wet rocks!)

Have a Generous Weekend!!

RED MOUNTAIN TRAIL TODAY

"Ls" Book of the Week...or My Indulgence!

"Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult
to eradicate from the heart whose soul has never
been loosened or fertilized by education; they
grow there firm as weeds among stones."
From: Jane Eyre
by: Charlotte Bronte

I was remembering this book as a small child. It was first printed as a small, palm-sized book, easy for a child to handle. Im also remembering the vivid, simple pictures using primary colors. There were greens and purples and reds and blue and of course that bright yellow ring of butter around the base of the palm tree!!
The other completely random thing I recall when Im thinking about this book-is that somehow, for some unknown reason, I associate this book with my cousin Ann!! And even stranger still, I associate it to her home in upstate New York!! How can this be? Is it even real?? We were so young at this time in our lives!! How does a brain latch on to such a completely random memory?? I dont recollect ANYTHING else about their home in New York...just reading or having Little Black Sambo read to us!! I think this boarders on the bizarre!!!
And the reason Im calling this book "my indulgence" is this...I stumbled upon the newer version at the library not to long ago. I was instantly charmed,and won over, and had to have a copy of my own!!! This newer version has the same exact words of the original story that was published in 1899, but its new and improved by its illustrations!! Thank heavens Christopher Bing got a hold of the story. He has 'tweaked' it to where we still enjoy the same clever, joyful boy who outwits a handful of tigers,but we arent subjected to the picaninny racist images which I suppose were commonly seen in the early half of the 20th century. Christopher Bings improvements are beautiful, as is the plain simple story!! Sambo can be any little boys hero!!!

Lest We Forget!!!

Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public Thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness;
Now therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the twenty-sixth day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for his kind care and protection of the people of this country, previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interposition's of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union and plenty, which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors, which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And ALSO that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the peoples, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us) and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York, the third day of October, 1789

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Flora and Fauna

How about this gorgeous specimen of a yucca!!! Did you know that the yucca is part of the lily family?!! (I learn something new every day) Around these parts we know it as Spanish Bayonet or Spanish Dagger.
The Paiutes dried the fruit from this plant for their use in the winter. And the fibers in the 'leaves' were used for all sort of ingenuitive projects, like for the making of sandals and rope and cloth. The waxy, beautiful white flowers (that bloom in the spring) could be eaten and the black seeds were ground up to make flour. The roots were used to make soap!!!
Some reports claim that Native Americans washed their hair with yucca to fight dandruff and hair loss. Among the other maladies this yucca has been used to treat are headaches, bleeding, gonorrhea, arthritis and rheumatism. Also used as a natural deodorizer. Used in pet deodorizers.
Isnt the desert a wonder?

ARE WE PREPARING IN EVERY WAY?

For my 20 min,3 day a week drive to my hikes in the mornings, I click on talk radio and listen to my beloved Glenn Beck. Though he's become a real downer of late, I still tune in to see whats causing blood to shoot out of his eyes.
Like everywhere else, topics swirl around the crisis with the economy. Its affecting people all around us. Its affecting us too.
What am I doing:
-turning down the heat a notch or two.
-shopping even less than previously.
-pancakes and french toast for dinner is ok
-hunker down and save where I can
-food storage
-my frugality is looking pretty darn wise right now.
What I Know:
I unfortunately believe as Glenn Beck does;something is astir-I acknowledge it-but I will not live in fear and I'll try hard not to sulk. There are still too many wonderful blessings in my life. Heavenly Father is good to me everyday!!
It can be kindnesses that get us through tough times.
What random acts of kindness have you experienced of late?

Kindness
from-Naomi Nye
"Before you know what kindness really is,
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.

(what do ya think?)

image from ffffound

Just Thought You'd Like to Know.....

"You'd find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair," said Anne reproachfully. "People who haven't red hair don't know what trouble is."
from: Anne of Green Gables

My dear cousin Lynley, who has been staying with us for several months now, is ANYTHING but trouble!! Its been a joy and a delight having another female in the house. And this female doesnt mind grocery shopping!! There is NO trouble in a woman who will jump at the chance to go shopping for me!! NO trouble at all. Plus...you may have been noticing all the many nice comments she leaves for me on this blog!! Bless her heart, and that she continues to enjoy the adventure that it is to live in Southern Utah!! (PS-there are many, more things about this darling lady that can and should be listed about her many fine qualities, but time prevents me from continuing.)

(thanks chelsea for the fun picture!)

TODAYS PHOTO

grandma stephenson asked us to take a picture of her 'buffet of missionaries' that she displays so proudly--as she should-for future record. Never has there been a time that they have had this many progenitors out serving the Lord at one time!!! We love going to grandmas house and gazing at these beautiful faces that sit in such close proximity to one another, that are in reality, scattered throughout the world. (stately stephen has since returned!!)

Happy Birthday Kimball!!!

The belief that youth is the happiest time of life is founded on a fallacy.

The happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts....

As we advance in years we really grow happier, if we live intelligently....

To say that youth is happier than maturity is like saying

that the view from the bottom of the tower is better than the view from

the top. As we ascend, the range of our view widens immensely;

the horizon is pushed farther away. Finally as we reach the summit

it is as if we had the world at our feet.

--William Lyon Phelps

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BROTHER-IN-LAW!

BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY

Do you know that your bodies are made of some of the same

substances that are found in the sun and the other stars?

You are a sample of the great Universe. So do not let little

things trouble you but think and act as if you were a part of a

bigger world than the little earth upon which you live.

-Edwin B. Frost

click on image to see me sitting atop Observation Point there on the right :)

My talented daughter-in-laws are at it again!!
Chelsea is making every effort to become a
full on photographer...and it looks like she's well
on her way to doing so!!!
And look what Natalie (and Joe) has 'created!!!'

I sat a Chelsea's computer the other night as she
scrolled through dozens and dozens of gorgeous
pictures of my newest grandson. The ones I like the
best are ones that we haven't seen yet....I guess
she'll be posting them soon....here. I cant wait
to see them!! (they are pics of Natalie and Logan
together.)

Bond......James Bond....

Instead of going and standing in a long line, with mainly a bunch of estrogen charged girls, to see what I deemed a weak representation of sexy vampires...my Builder took me to see MY favorite action hero, James Bond!!!
And now Im going to take a moment to vent:
Where did my charismatic, charming, witty, sexy, James go???
Why do we now have a handsome robot as our James???...I am going to give Hollywood the benefit of the doubt-in hopes that it was the point of this particular movie, to have James be a lifeless and robotic fighting machine. After all he was out for revenge and solace.
Maybe in his next movie the James that I've grown to know and love will return??!!
Also, where did all the great music go, that Bond movies are so notorious for ?? The wonderful, catchy theme music...gone... though I guess it was saved for the closing credits!! tisk, tisk!!!!The opening tune left me feeling disappointed too.
What didnt disappoint:
*The action scenes!! Oh MY!! Hold on to your hat or the arm of your man!!(How does Hollywood do that??)
*The beautiful cars!!! May I have one please!!?!
*The spectacular scenery!! Ahhh Italy!!! OOhhh...the Carribean!!!
*Blue eyes to die for...and many a Bond girl does just that!!
By the way--how many punches, and hits with a steal pipe can one beautiful man take without permanent damage ensuing?? Come on!!!
Of course the fight scenes were all over the top-but thats what one would expect in a James Bond flick, right??
So yes, Overall, I was a little disappointed in Quantum of Solace. I want Sean Connery charisma again. I'll give Daniel Craig one more shot-and if he doesnt gain a personality and woo me, I will choose to stay home forever more.

TODAYS PHOTO

I got a new toy today!! A new hiking toy!! We hiking guides have been watching the guests use this high tech toy for some time now...and I guess its our time to learn how they work and make them work for us! (this way we can also be more helpful when guests have questions about how they work.) I wore this 'watch' this morning for the first time, and learned that I get my heart rate up to the 150-160 range as I hike up that darn stop sign hill!! And....drum roll please.... I burn 1200 calories in those 2 and a half hours Im out there with the guests!!! Thats a REALLY good thing!! This knowledge makes me extremely happy. Im going to be wearing this fancy gadget for a long time coming!!
What I know:
Looking at my skin in this picture makes it clear that my Mommy was right and I should have wore sunscreen!! Or...maybe Im just getting OLD! I see the look of leather in that hairy arm!! Age spots, and wrinkles too!! eh gads its tough getting old and looking it directly in the face-or arm.

Happy Birthday Ann!!!

What greater gift dost thou bestow,

What great goodness can we know

Than Christlike friends, whose gentle ways

Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

-hymn #293

Happy Birthday dear cousin!!

MAY YOU HAVE A SPUD LOV'IN WEEKEND

TODAYS PHOTO

ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY!!!

"im not a prince and I dont live in a castle. But I have one hundred
and sixty acres, a little log house, and dreams of my own. I need a
wife who will work by my side, through thick and thin, sweat and joy,
and be glad for good food and great company. Will you Fanny?"
From: Fanny's Dream
by: Caralyn Buehner

"To marry is to form an equal partnership, tied together by the tenuous bonds of emotion and love. It is at once the most fragile of relationships and the strongest. Fragile because it requires exactly the right mix of freedom and inter-dependence, of caring and of sharing, of being together and of being alone. But it is strong because it involves the unseen forces of something we call love - mutual devotion, concern for the happiness of the other, and joy in each other's company. For there is no stronger force involving human relationships than this silent bond love.

Remember that this wedding day was only a symbol, a celebration, a public recognition of what already exists in the silent places of your hearts. It is your marriage and not something created by the state or the Church - it is yours to make real, yours to live. Nothing more can be said to make it anything more than what already exists in your hearts. Remember also that marriage is a shared relationship, not a matter of possession. It is a means of showing your commitment to one another, not a blind surrendering of personality. It is not an excuse to become limited in your outlook; it is an opportunity for mutual growth."

A good reminder to us all!! Thank you for finding one another, and for loving one another so well!! May you always find happiness in each others company!!
We LOve you guys and your 'little man' too!!!

"L's" Book of the Week

"Its strange indeed how memories can lie dormant
in a man's mind for so many years. Yet those
memories can be awakened and brought forth
fresh and new, just by something you've seen,
or something you've heard, or the sight of an
old familiar face.
From: Where the Red Fern Grows
by: Wilson Rawls

I bought this little book at the DI the other day. I did it strictly for sentimental reasons. I remember this book when I was a wee tot!! Its strange how familiar a book can be, even after so much TIME has gone by!! This copy, from the thrift store, is terribly battered and is missing the clock hands that adorned the front cover. But I only paid 25cents for it...so Im not feeling too bad about its faults. Maybe some TIME I will find a premo copy of this book and be able to help Big L and Little L to learn to tell time!!!???

"The book of nature is like a page written over or printed upon with different-sized
characters and in many different languages, interlined and crosslined, and with a
great variety of marginal notes and references. There is coarse print and fine print; there are abscure signs and hieroglyphics. We all read the large type more or less appreciatively, but only the students and lovers of nature read the fine lines and the footnotes. It is a book which he reads best who goes most slowly or even tarries long by the way."
From: The Art of Seeing Things
by: John Burroughs