My Favorite Scripture Right Now

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

-John 14:27

Dislocation.

My husband got a new job (finally!), and we've moved to the other side of the state. We've been here for two weeks. In some ways, this move has been fantastic. In other ways, it's been such a struggle for me.

So I thought that blogging about it might help.

We had a six-hour drive, so I over-prepared. Better to have more than The Boy could ever finish than to run out of activities halfway there.

We drove over mountains.

We landed here. My earmuffs have come in handy.

We found this cozy little used bookstore. I'm in love with it.
(This photo is staged. But he was doing the same thing a few minutes before.)

And then...The Boy slipped on some slush and broke his leg. I told him to smile for this photo. The fact that he didn't says a lot about how he felt that day.

But don't worry. We've had such an outpouring of support from family and friends. The Boy cruises around the apartment on his crutches like a pro. And everywhere (I mean everywhere) we take him, people are friendly and ask him what happened.

That's enough for now, I think. I'll post photos of Christmas later (or not--we all know how I am about these blog promises). And if I can find the words, I'll write about the thoughts that have accompanied the events of the last two weeks (or not--we all know that I hate to talk about my mental health).

Umm...let's just say that I'll post again eventually. That's a promise I can stick to.

More Courageous

Pink Sherbet Photography via Compfight cc

"Every reversal can be turned to our benefit and blessing and can make us stronger, more courageous, more godlike." 

-President Ezra Taft Benson

Happy Friday!

Are these not the cutest little printable ghosties you've ever seen?

I'm willing to bet that they are. Visit Ginger & George for the printable.

[image via Ginger & George]

Happy Friday!

We Choose

[photo by c_ambler via Compfight]

"Good experience, bad experience, happy experience, painful experience--it's all for our good, and we can accept it, deal with it, come to terms with it, and learn from it because it is part of why we came here. No experience is so painful that the Savior has not been there before us. We cannot have an experience that will destroy us unless we choose to let it."

-Chieko Okazaki

Happy Friday!

I've probably shared this before, too, but it's worth another post. It is THE best Halloween costume idea I've ever seen.

[image by Auburn Soul Photography]

Happy Friday!

Much Brighter

[image by code poet via Compfight]

"The future will be essentially the same as the past, only much brighter and greatly enlarged."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley, "Look to the Future"

Happy Friday!

[image via Slow Robot]

Happy Friday!

Where Men and Women Grow

[photo by wildpianist via Compfight]

"It is not on the pinnacle of success and ease where men and women grow most. It is often down in the valley of heartache and disappointment and reverses where men and women grow into strong characters."

-President Ezra Taft Benson, quoted by Elder Dallin H. Oaks in "Adversity"

Happy Friday!

I've probably posted this before--it's one of my favorites. Oh, well! 

Happy Friday!

This Way or That Way

[photo by janet isn't real via Compfight]

"So you are the focus of two conflicting patterns trying to influence you in your life, trying to have you go this way or that way. You are the one who makes the decision...On one hand, you have inspiration from the Holy Ghost, and, on the other hand, you have what President Ezra Taft Benson called 'sinspiration' from the angels of the devil. They are with you all of the time."

-Elder Boyd K. Packer, "The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character"

Happy Friday!

[image via We Love to Illustrate]

I know that it's not fall yet, but it's close enough, right? Right!

I don't know if I've ever linked to We Love to Illustrate before, but if not, I should have. I love it. Give 'em a visit--they have lots of free (and adorable) printables by children's illustrators. You're welcome.

All That Appears Wrong

[photo by Grant MacDonald via Compfight]

"Most of the heartache, pain, and suffering we would not choose today. But we did choose. We chose when we could see the complete plan. We chose when we had a clear vision of the Savior's rescue of us. And if our faith and understanding were as clear today as it was when we first made that choice, I believe we would choose again.

"Therefore, perhaps the challenge is to have the kind of faith during the hard times that we exercised when we first chose. The kind of faith that turns questioning and even anger into acknowledging the power, blessings, and hope that can come only from Him who is the source of all power, blessings, and hope. The kind of faith that brings the knowledge and assurances that all that we experience is part of the gospel plan and that for the righteous, all that appears wrong will eventually be made right. The peace and understanding to endure with dignity and clarity of purpose can be the sweet reward. This kind of faith can help us to see the good, even when life's path seems to be layered only with thorns, thistles, and craggy rocks."

-Bishop Richard C. Edgley, "For Thy Good"

Happy Friday!

[via 9gag.]

Refueling, Regeneration, Encouragement, Hope

“It would be nice if life were so calm and consistent that we never had occasion to feel discouraged or depleted. If there were no tribulation in our lives, no difficult or taxing circumstances that consumed our spiritual and emotional capital, we would have little need for any restoration to our soul. But life isn’t calm or consistent, and we all face times that drain us of strength. Fatigue is a debilitating fact for all of us. We all get tired. This is why we all need sleep, we all need a break from our routines, we all need a vacation, however brief or inexpensive it might be.

"Certainly this is the reason God ordained a Sabbath. Rabbi Harold S. Kushner has written regarding Exodus 31:17: 'In six days the Lord made heaven and earth and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.' He notes that in Hebrew, the verbs that translate 'rest' and 'refreshed' are shavat, meaning He stopped (from which the word Sabbath comes) and yinafash, meaning literally He got his soul back.

"If God needs rest and refreshing, needs to 'get His soul back' (if only symbolically and as an example for us), then surely we do as well. Every one of us needs refueling, regeneration, encouragement, hope. Fortunately, God has structured life in ways that we can get these if we will.”

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

My Work and My Glory

"For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

-Moses 1:39

Happy Friday!

Boy, have I got some happy stuff for you today. It's not here, though--you'll have to click through to this article: 21 Photos That Will Turn Your Heart to Goo.

I did yoink this first photo from the article, though. Happy Friday!

[original source: reddit]

A Chive Is a Little Thing

I have a tiny garden on my back porch. And in my tiny garden, I have a chive plant. That chive plant has been with me for five years.

But here's the thing...I don't even like to eat chives.

This plant survived our move from Utah to Washington in 2008, and I gave it to my mom then because I knew I wouldn't use it. I forgot all about it. A couple years later, I was out on my mom's porch, and I saw that little chive plant, still thriving. I was so inspired by the plucky little plant; I took it back to my apartment with me. It's been with me ever since.

The next spring, it blossomed. (Okay, it might have blossomed before that. I wouldn't even know.) It had maybe four or five flowers on it. Last spring, it had a dozen flowers. This spring, it looks like this:

This photo was taken about a month ago. I've eaten--and loved--some of the blossoms, and I've clipped some and put them in a vase on our kitchen table, and the plant just keeps blossoming. It's turning yellow now; I think it's outgrown its pot. It may die. I don't have a bigger pot for it; besides that, we'll probably be moving this summer, and it's too big to take with me.

I don't really have a point for telling you all this. Maybe as a symbol of what this summer could be--letting go of some things that have been with me for a while. I heard Julie B. Beck say once that life is a series of losses, but that the important things stay with us. I keep telling myself that. I might lose my chive plant, for example, in the changes that could be happening soon, and I'll feel a little pang about that. But that's nothing compared to what will always stay with me--family, friendships, the gospel. And that makes the losses easier to bear.

Music That Is Dark and Noisy

"When some ugly thought from the nether kingdom tries to get into my mind, I move it out with good music, hymns. That is one of the reasons why you are very, very, very, very, very, very foolish when you like to participate in music that is dark and noisy. Worthy inspiration cannot get through to you where you are. No matter how popular it may be or how much you want to belong, just remember that there are those angels of the devil using you."

-Elder Boyd K. Packer

Don't You Quit

"Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead...You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Happy Friday!

Well, hello!

I've had a SUPER stressful Friday afternoon, so I turned to the internet to find something really different for today's post. Here's what I found:

This is a real animal. It's called a quokka, and it lives in Australia. Quokkas' faces look like they're permanently smiling. Check out this Huffington Post article about them, and have a happy Friday!

Teach Your Children in Such a Way

"The future of this kingdom will rest on our offspring; and its power and ultimate triumph, on their education and proper training. If we wish to sway a proper influence over our families, we must show them good examples as well as give them good precepts. We should be able to say, do as I do, as well as to say, do as I say. Strive to teach your children in such a way, both by example and precept, that they will unhesitatingly follow in your footsteps and become as valiant for the truth as you have been."

-President Lorenzo Snow

Happy Friday!

Whew, I am late today! Let's make this quick, shall we?

[from Zulily]

Happy Friday!

So, about that sourdough...

Erm...yes. About that.

Heh heh.

Okay, here's the thing. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I'd made sourdough bread. I had made one loaf, and that turned out okay...kind of. I figured that there was nowhere to go but up, and that my future sourdough loaves would get progressively better.

And then the universe said, "BAHAHAHA, not so fast."

Between then and now, here's how the sourdough thing has gone. (And it was a months-long struggle to begin with, thankyouverymuch.)

• I tried two other bread recipes. Each batch turned out more doorstop-like than the last. I considered starting a brick-making business.

• The sourdough experts say to do easier recipes, like muffins and pancakes, before trying to make bread. Fine. So I made muffins, and they were shockingly soft and delicious.
  



You're totally drooling right now.



• A third bread recipe rose properly, and looked nice and pretty, but man was it sour.
  

Deceptively innocent looking.

• And then, I checked on my sourdough starter and saw...*gulp*...that it was moldy. Mold = sourdough death. I poured all of it down the drain. And I cried a little. And I did everything possible to not touch the mold left in the jar. [By the way, please donate to the Moldophobics of America Fund. Mold-o-phobia is a serious and debilitating condition.]

Annnnd...that was last night. I'm not sure where to go from here, sourdough-wise. I'm still a little bit in shock. It seems silly to give up on a project that I've been working on for months. Hrm. We'll see.

So maybe you'll hear more about sourdough from me one day. Or...maybe you'll hear more about my brick-and-doorstop business. Only time will tell.

Parents Must Have the Courage

"Parents must have the courage to filter or monitor Internet access, television, movies, and music. Parents must have the courage to say no, defend truth, and bear powerful testimony. Your children need to know that you have faith in the Savior, love your Heavenly Father, and sustain the leaders of the Church. Spiritual maturity must flourish in our homes...[T]he moral issues of our day must be addressed in the family."

-Elder Quentin L. Cook

Happy Friday!

This video makes me giggle, and the song makes me want to dance. So that's like a double-shot of happy, right?

Bonus points if you can spot Weird Al in the video.


Happy Friday!

Light Will Burst upon Them

"Every man and woman who serves the Lord, no matter how faithful they may be, have their dark hours; but if they have lived faithfully, light will burst upon them and relief will be furnished."

-President Lorenzo Snow

Happy Friday!

So, how's your Friday going? Good? Not?

I really like this thought:

[from The Happiness Project]

Do you think that's true? I don't think it means to be fake; I think it's the same principle that works when serving other people makes you and the other person feel happier. A little boost of happiness all around!

By the way, if you haven't read The Happiness Project, you totally should. There's a Happiness Project website, too.

Happy Friday!

Stuff I Should Do...But Don't.

I was going to write a post about the sourdough bread I made this week. And I probably still will, some time.

But I know that there's a tendency in the blog universe for women to look at each other's blogs and say, "Wow, she homeschools, she makes her own bread, she reads a lot, she does genealogy, she grows vegetables...I could never do all that. What's wrong with me?"

So before I write that bread post, I just want to say: there's nothing wrong with you. Or, if there is, there's just as much wrong with me. None of us is perfect, right? And I want to point out a few things that I should do, but I don't, and it seems like every other mother in the world does.

I don't...

• clean my house very often or very well. I'm serious. If the laundry gets done and we have enough dishes to eat off of, that's a good day for me. I'm trying to get back into some FlyLady routines, and they've helped a little, so we'll see how that goes. 

This is what my kitchen table looks like almost all the time. Except for when we know someone is coming over.

• take amazing photographs. (See evidence above.) I wish I did, but I don't have the time or inclination to learn. Once in awhile, one will show up on my camera by accident. Isaac insists that those are the ones he takes.
  
• get out much. We have one car, and Isaac takes it to work. He does some of the errands, and I do the rest on Saturdays. The Boy and I do get out to see friends sometimes, but we don't go out every day.
  
• have more than one child. This is not by choice, but there it is. Maybe someday.

I'm not trying to throw a pity party or anything. I'm okay with where I am. But if you find yourself thinking I've got it all together, don't worry--I don't, and I probably never will.

If you do want to homeschool, or make bread, or find good books to read, or whatever, and you think I could help you with that, then feel free to ask! I'm happy to help. Just don't ask me anything about cleaning. Or sports. I'm really bad at sports.

Happy Friday!

Dang, it's Friday again already! How was your week? Mine was busy, I guess...school for me and The Boy, writing a lot (not here, obviously), and trying to get our house decluttered and a few other projects finished before (maybe) moving when Isaac finds a job.

But. It's Friday. And you know what makes me happy?

Bubbles, that's what! Go outside and blow some bubbles today, okay?

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

I usually post jokes here on Fridays. But not today! This is the happiest thing I've seen all week. Watch it. You might feel happier, too.




And here's the latest blog post from the girl in the video, Al Fox: "Tattooed Mormon."

I love this part: "This- what we’re a part of- is real. What you do does make a difference. His ways- His promises- are worth it. And how grateful I am that I decided to keep going. How grateful I am that I made the decision to trust. The decision to have faith. How grateful I am for the decision to choose God. I do not have words adequate enough to express my gratitude I have for how I feel. For who I have become. For what my life is today. It would not be have I not made those decisions. 

Choose. Choose Daily. Choose God."

Happy Friday!

The Boy's Other Future

Yesterday, I wrote on Pie for Breakfast about how The Boy may grow up to be as nerdy as his father, in a soldering-iron-and-goggles kind of way.

But I have to admit that there's another possible future for The Boy:

Taking after Isaac still, but in a very different way.

Or...maybe he'll grow up to be an underwater basket weaver. Who knows?

He Lives!

I just can't find anything better to express my feelings about Easter than this painting and video that I've posted on Easters past.

This video is beautiful:



And I love this painting of Peter and John running to the tomb.

The artist, Liz Lemon Swindle, said about this painting:

"When Mary came to the tomb, she found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. She ran to the disciples crying, "They have taken away the Lord…and we know not where they have laid him" (John 20:2). Peter and John immediately ran to the tomb.

"What did they think as they ran? Were they simply curious to see for themselves? Did they fear, like Mary, that their enemies had stolen the body? Or did they remember His promise, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"?

"The decision that faced Peter and John that Sunday morning is the same decision that faces each one of us today. Will we doubt? Will we hope? Or will we know that He lives? I know that He lives."

I know, too, that He lives. Happy Easter!

Happy Friday!

This picture just makes me laugh. I have no idea what's going on here, but I figured that it's a good one for the Friday before Easter.

[via The Graphics Fairy]

Happy Friday!

Pepperoni!

Last week was a very, very good week. Isaac finished up his two-year program at the local technical college, and The Boy finished kindergarten. (If you're interested, you can find more info on the home-kindergarten thing on one of my other blogs, Pie for Breakfast.)

So we had ourselves a little homemade-pizza party.



Whole-wheat pizza, anyone?


Pepperoni always gets a thumbs up from The Boy. Pizza was accompanied by Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and we followed up with some ice cream. We know how to party.

Now, we're on to a new job and first grade. And I'm totally not freaking out about it. Nope. Not at all.

The Beginning of a Christian Life

"So we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do...The Crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a Christian life, not the end of it."

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "The First Great Commandment"

What We Saw Last Night--Savior of the World

Our local stake is putting on a production of Savior of the World this week and next. Isaac, The Boy, and I went to see it last night.

The performance itself was kind of a mixed bag--that was to be expected, I guess, with such a wide variety of experience in our little community. Some of the show was great--breathtaking, even, especially in the second act--and some of it was a little rough.

But here was the interesting thing: regardless of the quality of the acting, the singing, the dancing, or the script, the feeling in the room was undeniable. It was a feeling that didn't come from any of those things--it came from a perfect God working through imperfect people. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and I felt that so clearly last night.

I'm glad we went.  It was a beautiful way to start the Easter season.

(Have I mentioned that I love Easter? I do.)

**For those of you who are local and would like to see Savior of the World--tickets are sold out, but admission is free, and walk-ins are welcome. Walk-ins will be seated a few minutes before the performance starts. Click here for more information on when and where.

Worrying, Wondering, and Weeping

[image via lds.org]

"He is blessing you and He will bless you, even--no, especially--when your days and your nights may be the most challenging...Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, 'Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.' And it will make your children whole, as well."

-Jeffrey R. Holland, "Because She Is a Mother"

Happy Friday!

Have you seen Kid History or Kid Snippets on YouTube? Each video is acted out by adults, but voiced by interviews with their kids. Funny stuff. (And clean, which is always appreciated.)

This is my favorite of the Kid Snippets. (That is, of the ones I've seen. There are a bajillion others that I might maybe okay-probably-will-never have time to watch someday.)  Watch, laugh, and have a happy Friday!

Winnie the Pooh, and The Boy, Too

The Boy and I just finished our latest read-aloud books: Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. We watched the old Pooh cartoons, too. He loved all of it. So much that this is what bedtime looks like:

For the past few nights--every night--he's had his Winnie the Pooh baby quilt, his uncle's old Pooh, and a not-quite-authentic Owl, Rabbit, Piglet, and Tigger. I asked him whether that makes him Christopher Robin, but he thought that was silly.

And yes, I've now heard every Pooh (i.e., poo) joke that a six-year-old boy can dream up. Several times. For weeks.

Happy Friday!

Okay, so I like Bohemian Rhapsody. But I love, love, love the Muppets' version of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Animal's part gets me every time. Oh, and the Swedish Chef. And Beaker. And Kermit.
But not Miss Piggy. I've never been a Miss Piggy fan.
Happy Friday, everyone!

This post is way too corny.

[If I weren't so lazy, I would've taken a photo of my
actual tortilla press. Alas, I am lazy.]

I have always hated corn tortillas.

Or, I guess I should say that I had always hated corn tortillas...until I bought a cheap tortilla press and some masa*, and made some of my own.

(Why would someone who hates corn tortillas decide to make some herself? I can't really say. But it was a good decision.)

Turns out that homemade corn tortillas taste amazing. Plus, have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a package of tortillas from the grocery store? It's not terribly long, but there are several preservatives listed (and food dye and thickeners, in some cases). As for the homemade tortillas, I use 100 Days of Real Food's recipe, which contains three ingredients--and that's including water.

Now, I'm not saying that I think you're a bad person if you eat store-bought corn tortillas. I'm not even saying that I'll never eat a store-bought tortilla again. I'm just saying that I loooooooove corn tortillas now, and the three-ingredient thing makes me happy.

Also? Squashing a ball of tortilla dough in a tortilla press is kind of fun.

*Masa is Mexican corn flour--or it can also mean the dough made from the flour. Unlike American cornmeal, masa is whole grain.

Happy Friday!

[image via]

Today, not one bother shall be given. Happy Friday!

Cars Capture the Castle

The Boy's toy castle has been overrun with...

LEGO cars, of course. What did you expect?

Purposefully Living

[Faith, by Liz Lemon Swindle]

"I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished. 

"I can't see it.

"Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Happy Friday!

Hey, guys! This made me giggle:

[via I Can Has Cheezburger]

Happy Friday!

A Little Bit of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was busy. Here are a couple of V-Day highlights. (Excuse the photo quality, blah blah blah. It was night time, I had my flash on, and a not-so-good photo is better than no photo at all, as far as memory preservation goes.)

Anyway. The Boy made valentines for his grandparents. We started out with the embroidered card tutorial I blogged about earlier, and we ended up with this:

And the cookies. Oh my heck. Delicious.

I used cherry juice in the frosting. Pink, cherry-flavored frosting is better than red dye #40 any day--and especially on Valentine's Day.