24

Not 24 hours, but 24 years!
That’s how long Riley has been alive! I was just thinking about the age of 24, and it hit me that I was 24 when I had Riley! wow!
Happy Birthday, my first born!
I’m very proud of you. I am so pleased you are serving our country. I am also grateful for the things you are learning that will help you be the best you can be.
I’m glad you were born!

Sunday Best!!

2 Nephi 31:19-20

19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope , and a love of God and of all men, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
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It is not enough to have found the way to a life focused on following Christ’s teachings to the strait and narrow path. We must press forward, continuing to focus and follow Christ in all we do. When we make mistakes, we repent and get busy. We press forward with a steadfastness in Christ.
Steadfast means: fixed or steady,
firmly loyal or constant.
I once heard a teacher give an example of direction, by showing us a picture of a person on a set of stairs. Up the stairs is God and forever with Him. Down the stairs is hell. He said we are all at different places on the stairs. Some are higher up the stairway, maybe they have lived longer or they have spent more time learning about and living a life close to God and His teachings. What matters, and what is most important, is the direction we are facing. If we are facing upstairs toward God and we stay facing that direction, that is steady and loyal. If we are facing the wrong direction, we can turn around and start up the stairs. We are not stuck in the wrong direction. We need to have a hope that Jesus will help us along, He already paid the price for our sins. We can continue learning about Him in the scriptures, and see what else He can teach us. Then, endure to the end.
To endure means:
 to bear with patience, to remain firm.
The Father has promised us eternal life, with Him. What a wonderful thought. He is a loving Father, He is aware of us, He wants us back. All we have to do is be willing to come back to Him. I will keep myself facing up, on the stairway. Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): Where are they?

Part of
Family History
is
Family Present!
We all have loved ones! Some live near, some live far away. The challenge in this day and age is to stay connected, to talk to each other, about each other. Stay in touch! One really fun activity you can do as a family to keep your family aware and thinking about those you love is, to place little reminders around your home and yard.
I saw a wonderful project in the
 Family Fun
magazine you can find it here!
You could make one of these Family Signposts to put either in your yard or in your home. It doesn’t have to be made exactly like the one Family Fun made. It’s just a reminder of
your relatives far and wide. It would be fun to know which direction from your home, your relatives live and how far from your home they live. 
Next, you could write each of them a letter or email with a fun spotlight questionare,
like this one (I found it at ldsactivitydayideas.blogspot.com).

Howzit! Elder Flexy!

Well, we finally got a letter from our Elder!! I was really needing to hear from him! But I’m all better now. He has been gone for a week and a half. His letter wasn’t very long, but he gave us the basic’s.

He say’s:
 “The spirit is so strong! The first day was way long, but I’m learning to like it. We have an elder in our resident hall that is 7 feet tall!!! Crazy huh? I’m learning how to preach God’s word and it is amazing. My third day out, one of the teachers picked me and had me do a forty-five minute lesson with an elder. I didn’t know it was intense, but we did great!! My companion is Elder Fisher. He is a bawler (Flexy says this alot, I think this means he’s a really great guy), he always has the spirit and teaches well. My scriptures look like a rainbow, they’re getting marked up so well. Our sisters are angels. They are definately our superiors. Anyway, better get studying! Love, Elder (Flexy)”
What a great letter! I can tell he’s loving it and being busy is awesome. What a blessing to have our son serving.

Our Home!

We have lived in our wonderful home for 13 1/2 years. It is a great house with a great back yard. I have loved raising my family here. With that said, it is amazing how much work goes into this house. Some people remodel every other year like clockwork. I wish we could, but we usually are just trying to keep up with the maintenance of our home. Nevermind remodeling! One day, my hubby came up the stairs, sweat dripping off his brow, and said,”We live in the project.” I laughed and laughed. What he meant was the whole thing is one big project. I’ve heard it said, that it takes a whole year to paint the Golden Gate Bridge. After a year they start all over. It is never done. That story made me feel a little better. I did a google search and found out, they don’t paint it every year. It is in a constant state of maintenance, just like our house. They do have 17 ironworkers and 38 painters, who do the job. At our home, people keep leaving. Me and my darlin and the girls are all that’s left. We will probably always live in the project.

Sunday Best!!

Doctrine and Covenants 78:19
And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.
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In Luke 17:12-19 Jesus heals the ten lepers. He heals all ten, but only one returns to say thank you. Jesus questions, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” Well, they got what they wanted and forgot how they got it. They might also be the type to blame God when things aren’t going quite right. I really don’t ever want to be like that. I know I’m not perfect and I do make mistakes, but I believe it is very important to be thankful.
Years ago I learned about receiving all things with thankfulness. I couldn’t comprehend at the time, how a person could be thankful for something bad that happened to them. But since then, I have tried to acknowledge the blessings that have come to me, because of the hard things that I have been though in life. When I think about the pain, I realize it has made me more compassionate. When I think about how others treated me, I realize I am more conscientious about treating others right. I remember how it felt to be sad, because someone was unkind to me.  I am thankful for all things in my life, blessings and challenges.
 I am a better person for it.
Receive all things with thankfulness. And don’t forget to say Thank you, when you have been blessed!
Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy 

Howzit! Elder Flexy!

Our darling Elder!
We dropped Alex off at the MTC this afternoon. We stopped for lunch on the way.
He was so excited!
I have done pretty good at not crying, two years is a long time! But, I only feel sad when I think about me. (So I won’t think about me!)  I asked Alex if he was sad at all. He said “No, I’ll be right back. I’m just going to be gone for a couple of minutes.” It’s true! Time flies! When I do think about him, I can’t help but feel excited. He is going to have many great experiences that will bless his life. I also feel so happy for the people in South Africa, who will meet and know him. He is such a wonderful young man. With a heart of gold.
I looked up common phrases in South Africa, and “Howzit” is one of them it means: – A common greeting which can mean ‘How are you?’. ‘How are things?’, ‘What’s up!’ and so on!
I will keep you all posted as to how he is doing and what he tells us in his letters home. I’ll call the posts: Howzit! Elder Flexy!

Sunday Best!!

Happy 4th of July!!
I feel such gratitude and appreciation for this free land of America. I am so grateful for those who sacrificed so much, sometimes everything, so we can now enjoy the things we so often take for granted. Our family has traveled to many significant  historical sites in American history, an experience I wish all Americans could have.
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I went on a field trip with my son Alex when he was in 4th grade to the Utah State Capital. One of the original copies of the “Declaration of Independance” was being displayed there and traveling the country. It was wonderful to see it. Another treat was to see the original painting by Arnold Friberg, “Prayer at Valley Forge”. It was also on display at the capital. Wow! What a beautiful painting. As we came out of the room it was being displayed in, I saw a man talking to people. I said to my son’s teacher, “I think that is Arnold Friberg!” So we went over to where he was, and just listened. It was him! He was explaining his feelings about the way George Washington’s hands appear in the painting. He said that when he painted it, it was more traditional to paint the hands with the palms together and the hands flat. He wanted to help those viewing the painting to feel the urgency and need for help from God that George Washington must have felt. So he painted the hands clench with the fingers interlocked. It worked, I felt that urgency! I wanted to tell General Washington as I looked at the painting, “It will be okay!! What you’re doing now, will work!We do become the land you dream of. Thank you for loving God and fighting for our freedom!”
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Well, Arnold Friberg died this last week. But what a gift he has given to all. You can read about him here!
Thank you Arnold Friberg! Thank you for your life of giving and your faith in God.
Hope your Sunday, July 4th 2010, was the best!!!
Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): The Love Boat!

Long before there was ever a show called
“Love Boat”,
 there was a real love boat. When my husbands ancestor left Norway to come to America she met and fell in love with her husband. They had a common goal, to come to Utah and join the members of their newly found religion. She married him on the William Tabscot. The ship that was bringing them to America. They were one of many couples who “tied the knot” on the ship. They continued their journey once here in America, across the plains. They ended up in the Bear Lake Valley. In a town called Montpelier, Idaho. They loved each other all their lives and were happy. Now that’s a LOVE boat.
Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Favorite TV/Movie Quotes! Napoleon Dynamite!

Napoleon Dynamite: Stay home and
eat all the freakin’ chips, Kip.
Kip: Napoleon, you’re just jealous because
 I’ve been chatting online with babes all day.
Besides, we both know that
I’m training to be a cage fighter.
Napoleon Dynamite: Since when, Kip?
You have the worst reflexes of all time.
Kip: Try and hit me, Napoleon.
Napoleon Dynamite: What?
Kip: I said come down here and see what
happens if you try and hit me.
Napoleon grabs Kip around the neck.

Kip: Stop Napoleon! I think you’re bruising my neck meat!!

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“Gosh”-You should hear my teeny bopper quote this!!! 
FUNNY!
A classic!