Let Him In!

Today I am grateful for the way the day began.  Just as we were waking up Blaine grabbed the laptop next to the bed and found a song on YouTube that was sung at our ward Christmas party.  It was written by Michael McLean and is Called "Let Him In."  It is sung from the persona of the Inn Keeper in the Nativity or First Christmas story. He laments the fact that he did not let Mary and Joseph into the inn, but then he discovers that even though he turned them away the Savior still loves him and will be there for him as long as he will let Christ into his heart!  This song is a beautiful reminder to let the Savior into our lives, especially when we don't think we have room for Him.  This song is a great carry over from the lessons we were taught yesterday about making Christ the center of our Christmas and our lives.  Here is the link to the video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3f6SXPYDAU  He loves us so much, but we will never fully experience His divine love until we let Him into our hearts!  I am so glad that Blaine shared this with me this morning... It really set the tone for the rest of the day!

Luke 2:7

Turn off the "No Vacancy" sign in your heart and let Him in!

I am also grateful that I was able to spend some quality time with Blaine throughout the day.  We ran some errands together and then we went to drop a thank you gift off to Carmen Snow for helping Blaine and his High Priest Group Leadership with their Family History activity at the Covington Home.  Carmen wasn't home so we dropped her gift off next door to her parents' home - Grant and Grace Iverson.  What a treat that was to visit with them.  Grant is a 90 year old WWII Vet. Blaine asked him to share some of his experiences.  Boy his mind was sharp.  He took us way back to the war and his journeys with the Navy.  He started in San Francisco and soon found himself on the way to New Guinea and everywhere in between.  He talked about the horrific things that he witnessed and also the fun and exciting experiences he had.  We were amazed at the detail he included in his stories and we even were shown some pictures.  Both he and grace were so kind and they really lit up when they shared their memories.  It was such a sweet and tender visit.  We should all be forever grateful for these wonderful men and women who served our country during this crucial era in history.  We owe them so much!  I thought it very fitting that when Blaine and I returned home we turned on the TV and caught the ending of "A Few Good Men."  One of the all-time great movies - Powerful!  After dinner Blaine and I went and exercised and then we did the dishes together.  I made Ty his favorite night-time snack of Orange Julius and sent him to bed.  I did some laundry and then it was time to blog, and guess what?  I'm listening to "Let Him In."

Let Him in, let Him in, let the peace on earth begin... Let Him in, let Him in, let the joy and hope begin!  Let Him In!

Today's Ponderize Verse:

1 Nephi 21:23

...and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

Super Sunday!

I absolutely love Sundays, especially those when I have all of my boys home.  Today was one of those Sundays.  It was such a treat because for Sacrament meeting today we were able to go to the Washington 3rd Ward and listen to Dallin speak with Brother Lang the high councilman that he has been assigned to.  We are learning that Dallin is a very gifted speaker.  He always gives excellent talks and does it so easily.  He never uses any notes, and his message is always powerful, real, and concise.  He quotes scriptures that he has memorized, shares personal stories, and quotes the prophets and apostles.  He has a strong testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and his love for the Savior is evident in the words that he shares and the Spirit which accompanies them.

My Handsome Son Dallin!

Today I was especially grateful for Dallin's talk.  He talked on the importance of having Christ in our Christmas by making time for Him.  He shared experiences from his mission of how he learned to place Christ at the center of his Christmas by serving others.  His first Christmas in Sweden he and his companion spent 5-6 hours doing service for a sister in their ward who was a widow and also a recent convert.  They shoveled snow, hung Christmas lights, washed dishes, and tidied up her home. She fixed them a Christmas meal of mashed potatoes and the equivalent of hamburger helper.  He said that this particular Christmas was not the typical Christmas that he was accustomed too, but it was the best Christmas he had experienced up to that point in his life.  The next Christmas in the mission field he and his companion set a goal leading up to December that they would find a way to serve a ward member in their area every day in the month of December.  He testified of how this service added tremendously to the Spirit of Christmas that he felt and how much he missed being a missionary.  He then challenged the congregation to find ways to put Christ back into their Christmas by serving those around them even if they were a complete stranger.  In closing he shared some counsel from President Monson from this month's Ensign:

In our busy lives, with ever so many other things competing for our attention, it is essential that we make a conscious, committed effort to bring Christ into our lives and into our homes. And it is vital that we, like the Wise Men from the East, remain fixed upon His star and “come to worship him.”

Down through the generations of time, the message from Jesus has been the same. To Peter and Andrew by the shores of Galilee, He said, “Follow me.” To Philip came the call, “Follow me.” To the Levite who sat at receipt of customs came the instruction, “Follow me.” And to you and to me, if we but listen, will come that same beckoning invitation: “Follow me.”

As we follow in His footsteps today and as we emulate His example, we will have opportunities to bless the lives of others. Jesus invites us to give of ourselves: “Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.”

Is there someone for whom you should provide service this Christmas? Is there one who awaits your visit?

Dallin's words really touched my heart and I resolved to do all that I can to help facilitate the kind of Christmas season that will invite Christ into every moment of it.  Thank you Dallin for this beautiful reminder to take the time to make Christ the center of our Christmas and the center of our lives!

Another thing that I am grateful for today is Sunday dinner.  Sunday dinner has always been a big deal to me.  It is my favorite meal of the week.  This all started with my sweet Grandma Gillins. Without fail she would prepare a Sunday dinner that was not only huge but delicious as well. Nearly every Sunday as I was growing-up we hopped in the car and headed to Minersville after our church services. There would be times when we would fit all ten of us in the car to make the 20 minute drive. Seat belts weren't required back then and we were sometimes stacked three deep depending on what vehicle we were driving.  We were never disappointed with the dinner.  My Grandmother was an amazing cook! Today I cooked a meal similar to the ones she would prepare, and every Sunday I try to do the same.  Today's menu included:  Honey Glazed Ham, what we call Cheesy or Funeral potatoes, green salad, corn, a roll, and homemade banana cream pie for dessert.  What made the meal even better though was that we were all there.  I love sitting around the dinner table and listening to everyone talk about what's going on in their lives.  I am so grateful for this tradition! Thank you Grandma Gillins!

Amen...!

And finally, I am grateful for Family Home Evening.  We have ours on Sunday nights because that is when we can all get together.  We have been having Carter teach our lessons the past several weeks so he can better prepare for his mission.  He should have his call sometime this week - we are so excited.  He gave another awesome lesson.  He carried-on Dallin's theme of making Christ the center of our Christmas this year.  He showed a video and also accompanied us on the piano as we sang a hymn.  He shared his testimony of the importance of the things that he taught and then he had us all share our own thoughts.  Carter is going to be an incredible missionary!  I love the feeling in our home when Family Home Evening has ended and we are all preparing for bed.  There is so much love!  I will always be grateful for this inspired program of Family Home Evening.  We have been blessed in countless ways every time we have had it!

I love my family!

Today's Ponderize Verse:

O that thou hadst hearkened unto my commandments - then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

My Desert Solace!

Today I am grateful for two things:  Cooking and Walking.  When I say cooking, I mean that I am grateful that I know how to cook.  I have been cooking since I was just a young girl, and I have always loved it.  I have many people to thank for this including:  My mom, my grandmother, and my home economics teacher Becky Low.  My favorite thing to cook is Christmas candy.  Every year I make a lot of candy.  I like to make carmels, almond joys, carmel suckers, turtles, and pecan brittle. Today I spent most of the day making six batches of pecan brittle.  It is my grandmother's recipe and she taught me how to make it.  I remember standing with her next to the stove and watching her stirring all the ingredients in cast iron pan.  She told me that when it turns the color of a brown paper bag then it is ready to pour over the pecans.  I thought of her as I melted the butter, stirred in the sugar, water and light corn syrup, and watched it bubble until sure enough it was the color of a brown paper bag.  I also used a cast iron pan to cook it, and then I stored the brittle in an ice cream bucket just like she did.  I was so close to my grandma Gillins, and I really miss her.  It turned out delicious just like hers!  Thanks Grandma!

Pecan Brittle... Yummy!

The second thing I am grateful for today was being able to go for a walk in such a beautiful place. Today it was definitely my desert solace.  There is nothing better than a brisk walk just before sundown to work the stress out of my mind and body.  I try to go just about everyday, and today was exceptionally beautiful!  It was also a much needed walk.  The holidays are wonderful - it is my favorite time of the year, but at times the stress of it all sets in and I need some alone time to unwind. I even jogged part of the time because I had a pie in the oven and I didn't want it to overcook.  Even jogging felt great today.  The temperature was perfect, and the landscape breathtaking!  Thank you Heavenly Father for this beautiful world that you have given to us to enjoy!

That is Pine Valley Mountain in the distance.

My Trail....

Just me and the red dirt!

The sun was just starting to go down as I turned around and headed for home.

Good-bye Stress!

My Ponderize Verse for Today:

1 Nephi 19:9

And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it.  Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

An Unplanned Date Night!

Today I am grateful for a wonderful unplanned date night!  It was an average, ordinary day in December.  It rained most of the day, and I spent a good portion of the day doing research and writing.  I did manage to do some house cleaning, and my mom and Raymond stopped by to visit for a few minutes, but other than running Ty to and fro I didn't really get outside the house to do anything.  By 5:30 pm I was starting to go a little stir crazy so I told Blaine that it was Friday night and we needed to out to dinner or something.  He said "let's go" so we hopped in the car and drove aimlessly to find something to eat.  We couldn't agree on where to stop, and just when tension was starting to build, and we were about to go home and eat chili, we drove past the St. George Tabernacle. We could see people heading inside and could hear music coming from inside.  We remembered that there was a Christmas Choir concert tonight so we decided to go in.  Thankfully we were there quite early so we managed to get a good seat.

Boy are we glad we showed up there!  It was the Southern Utah Heritage Choir's annual Christmas Concert titled "Star of Bethlehem."  It was amazing.  They were definitely Mormon Tabernacle Choir quality!  The choir sang several songs intermixed with two cello performances, two different performances by the "Dixie Strings" a youth violinist group, and two solo performances: one by a baritone and the other by a tenor.  Our two favorite numbers were the tenor's performance of "O' Holy Night" and the Choir's finale song of "Angels We Have Heard On High."  Our spirits soared and our hearts filled with Christmas Cheer!  Afterward we headed to Chili's for dinner. Steak for Blaine and grilled chicken for me.

Inside the Beautiful Tabernacle!

The St. George Tabernacle is a historic building that was built even before the St. George Temple was completed.  It is a beautiful building and much of it's original architecture and interior have been preserved.  Something that is special to us about the tabernacle and the temple both is that Blaine's great grandfather David Milne did the interior work and painting for them.  We thought about him tonight as we sat in the tabernacle surrounded by it's historic beauty, and then we remembered the painting of the "All Seeing Eye" that is situated high on the wall directly behind the podium.

The "All-Seeing Eye" of the Lord by David Milne

David Milne was originally from Scotland.  He and his family were well-known painters. While he was buying painting supplies for his father in England he met Mormon missionaries and joined the church. After returning to Scotland he determined that he wanted to join with the saints in Utah. However, he made stops in New Zealand and Australia for several years en route.  When he finally made it to Salt Lake City he went right in to meet Brigham Young.  President Young said, "David, you had to go all around the world to get here."  He then sent David and his family to the Mormon settlement in St. George to help build the temple.  David Milne ended up with three wives.  Blaine's family is from the second wife Ann Catherine Jarvis.  David and Ann had nine children.  Athole was one of their sons.  Athole is Blaine's grandpa, and it is his home that we are currently living in.  We also somehow ended up with David Milne's 1869 Bible.  I sent it back east last year and had it restored for Blaine for his birthday.  It is a precious treasure!

David Milne 1832-1895

Today's Ponderize Verse:

1 Nephi 18:21

...And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and there was a great calm.

Courage and Forgiveness

Today was another average December day - house cleaning, laundry, errand running, Christmas card ordering (finally), Christmas shopping, exercising, meal fixing, dish washing, and book research and writing.  Amongst the business I found myself feeling anxious and worrying about our future.  I had to stop and remember to thank Heavenly Father for being in control, for having a plan for us, and for His ways being much higher than our ways.  I am always telling Blaine that it does absolutely no good to worry about things, in fact, it makes things worse.  That never works though because then he starts worrying that I'm not worried - He thinks it's because I don't care.  I just can't win with him!

Anyhow, as I was doing some research on forgiveness for the book I am writing I revisited a talk given by President Faust in the April 2007 General Conference.  It is titled "The Healing Power of Forgiveness."  In the process of doing this I also came across an article published in the Friend magazine written by President Faust. It is titled:  "Courage in a Cornfield."  I was so excited because this talk is written about my great, great, great grandmother Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner (how grateful I am for the wonderful heritage that I have).  As I read both of these talks my heart filled with gratitude as I reflected upon the powerful lessons that they teach.  I admire anyone who has the courage to act valiantly in the face of fear and adversity, and I know first-hand the tremendous amount of courage it takes to forgive those who have hurt us - especially those closest to us.  The Lord will always reward you when you act in courage to forgive others.  I am so grateful for the miracle and gift of forgiveness!  Fresh courage take and forgive!

Here are excerpts from both talks:

Courage in a Cornfield

Mary and Caroline Rollins

President Faust shares a true story of heroism and divine protection that can guide us today.

The light shining in your faces comes from the Lord. This same light led the way for 15-year-old Mary Elizabeth Rollins and her 13-year-old sister, Caroline, on a dark day in Independence, Missouri.

It was 1833, and an angry mob roared through the streets of Independence, wreaking havoc. In their path was the home of Brother William W. Phelps, where the printing press was kept. He had been printing revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith. The mob demolished the printing press and threw the wreckage into the street. However, they stacked up the printed pages in the yard so they could burn them later.

Mary Elizabeth and Caroline had been hiding by the fence, frightened spectators to all this destruction. Even though Mary Elizabeth was terrified, her eye was fixed on those precious pages. She and her sister ran out from their hiding place, gathered up the scriptures, and bolted. Some members of the mob saw them and ordered them to stop. But the brave girls ran into a large cornfield, where they dropped breathlessly to the ground. They carefully laid the pages of revelations between the tall rows of corn and then covered the pages by lying on them. The mobsters looked and looked for the girls, coming quite close at times, but never did find them. Eventually they gave up their search.

I believe the light of the Lord directed Mary Elizabeth and Caroline as to what to do and where to go for safety. That light shines for you, and it will guide you as it did the Rollins girls. It will keep you safe even when danger lurks.

My dear young friends, you can stand apart from evil, just as the Rollins sisters did, if you will develop your own testimony of the Savior. As you do so, you will grow in spiritual strength.

Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner

The Healing Power of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.

Most of us need time to work through pain and loss. We can find all manner of reasons for postponing forgiveness. One of these reasons is waiting for the wrongdoers to repent before we forgive them. Yet such a delay causes us to forfeit the peace and happiness that could be ours. The folly of rehashing long-past hurts does not bring happiness.

Some hold grudges for a lifetime, unaware that courageously forgiving those who have wronged us is wholesome and therapeutic.

If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being. Some recent studies show that people who are taught to forgive become “less angry, more hopeful, less depressed, less anxious and less stressed,” which leads to greater physical well-being.  Another of these studies concludes “that forgiveness … is a liberating gift [that] people can give to themselves.” 

Today's verses to ponderize:

1 Nephi 17:2, 13

...and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.

And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.

Christmas Trees and Tithing blessings

Today I am grateful for the Christmas Tree date that Blaine and I had; it was so much fun!  We purchased a tree permit last week and today we finally got around to getting a fresh cut tree.  We headed up to Pine Valley Mountain this morning and once there realized that there were only two types of trees we could choose from:  Junipers and Pinion Pines.  To me, Junipers are not Christmas trees!  Typically I think of a balsam tree as the traditional Christmas tree, but today a pinion pine would have to do.  I love the smell of pinion, and as soon as I got a whiff of one a flood of memories filled my mind.  I instantly remembered that my dad's favorite Christmas tree was the pinion pine.  He used to cut and sale Christmas trees.  Growing up we always had a fresh tree, but it was usually a balsam because that was the kind my mom liked, and they didn't seem as messy.  But there were a few Christmases that we had two trees and one would be a pinion.  I also remembered the smell of my dad's clothes after he came home from a day of cutting a load of pinion out west.  This was a happy smell because it meant that Christmas was coming soon and I have always loved Christmas!!!  Blaine and I found a cute little pinion pine.  They are usually very fat and full, but we managed to find one that was a little more sparse.  Remember that we are in the old adobe house and there is very little room for a tree. Blaine in all his manly skill had that tree cut in about five seconds flat (chain saws are awesome). After we loaded the tree we headed back down the road and stopped at Veyo Pies for lunch.  We each had a delicious BBQ sandwich.  His was brisket and mine was pork - yummy!  We are both trying to shed a few pounds, so we skipped the pie.  It was so tempting because Veyo Pies are delicious and they looked so inviting.  We got out quick to avoid the temptation.  We headed right home and Blaine made a tree stand.  We brought the tree in the house and we could instantly smell it.  It smells like Christmas to me.  I had the decorations on in no time.  It actually turned out quite cute.  What a fun date I had with Blaine.  Maybe from here on out this will have to be our little Christmas tradition!

Man and Machine

There's the one!

Just like my dad used to do it!

The finished product!

As I sat down to write in the blog this evening I thought about the symbolism of the Christmas tree.  I know that I have looked it up before, but I wanted to be clear on exactly where the tradition came from.  Here is what I found:

The Christmas tree has become a symbol of the spirit of Christmas in many countries and many, if not all, our homes. What led Christians to adopt this custom?
The first mention in history of fir trees used in Christmas celebrations was in 12th century Germany. A fir tree was used in mystery plays as the so-called "paradise" tree. These dramas were held outside during the Advent and Christmas seasons and the fir tree symbolized the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. The evergreen fir tree is a sign of hope throughout the winter season--hope in the promise that the rest of nature too will awaken to new life in the coming spring. The message of this symbolism was simple: through Jesus Christ we too have hope for everlasting life. Indeed, Jesus Christ has become our tree of life--the paradise tree. As such the evergreen Christmas tree reminds us that even though our earthly season must come to an end, yet we will live through the grace of our Lord Jesus.
The use of the indoor Christmas tree began early in the 17th century, in Strasbourg, (which at that time belonged to Germany, but is now France) spreading from there throughout Germany and then into northern Europe. In 1841, Albert the German-born husband of Queen Victoria, first introduced the Christmas tree custom to Great Britain. He had the first decorated Christmas tree set up in Windsor Castle in 1841. The first Christmas trees in the New World were introduced by Hessian soldiers in 1776. Later German immigrants brought the tradition into wider use in the US. The custom of decorating a community tree began in the early 1900's and is a popular custom in the US today.

What is the symbolism of the Christmas tree today? Well first of all, the fir tree is an evergreen--it does not die or fade away or lose its needles in the winter. In this sense it has soon come to represent the immortality of the resurrected Christ.

The lights in the Christmas tree also have a deeper meaning. Originally the lights used were candles, of course. The candles too were meant to symbolize Christ, specifically his self-giving love and gift of life to us. As many of us know, the candle provides light and warmth as it consumes its own substance, the wax. So, too, did Jesus give of his own substance--his life--so that we might find divine light. And when we have found divine light for ourselves, we too are enabled through the power of the Holy Spirit to give of ourselves to others. After all, Christmas is the feast of love, where we share gifts with each other as Christ shared the gift of life with us.

I thought this was really beautiful and it reminded me of one of my favorite Christmas tree stories. Blaine and I were living in Cedar City, UT while he was finishing his Dental prerequisites at Southern Utah University.  It was getting close to Christmas and Blaine and I had been helping my dad run a Christmas tree lot in downtown Cedar City.  We were poor college students trying to earn a little extra money to buy some Christmas gifts, but more importantly, pay some bills and also Blaine's upcoming tuition.  He had been blessed to not have to take out any student loans up to this point and we really wanted to try and avoid it.  As the days drew nearer to Christmas we realized we were going to fall short of making his tuition payment and we were trying to determine what to do.  We thought of asking his dad for help but we didn't feel right about that either so we determined to say our prayers and ask the Lord for guidance.  We also decided to pay our tithing.  Without paying our tithing we would have just enough to pay the tuition, but nothing else.  We really tried to justify not paying our tithing by reasoning that the Lord would understand our plight, but we just couldn't feel right about it.  We paid our tithing in hopes that by doing so it would allow the Lord to open doors that were unseen.

Well, a few days passed after we handed the Bishop our check and there was no answer in sight as to what we were going to do. But one day on the tree lot that all changed.  Blaine and I were both there and a woman that I recognized as being from Beaver (where I grew up) came to purchase a tree.  She had lived in Cedar City for several years and spent some time visiting with us to catch up on what was happening in our lives.  We told her that Blaine was applying for dental school and that he was currently a student at SUU.  We didn't say much more than that and didn't really think anything more about visiting with her after she bought a tree and left.  However, a few days later she returned and told us of an experience she had had the day before.  Unknown to us she worked in the financial aid department at SUU. She said that she was in charge of awarding scholarship monies that had been donated through private persons to students whom she felt needed it.  She had one particular family who had donated money specifically to help students who were married and preparing for post graduate education programs.  She said our names came immediately to mind and felt like the Spirit was really prompting her to do this.  We were shocked when she told us this, and then we told her our story about not having enough to pay tuition if we chose to pay our tithing, but we decided to act in faith and pay it anyway.  Tears welled-up in all our eyes knowing we had just witnessed a miracle. The story gets even better.  Later that afternoon she returned to her office at work and told her boss the story.  He couldn't believe it, and what was even more awesome was that he was Blaine's bishop just before we got married.  A few days after that Blaine received a phone call from him and he asked Blaine if he could share this story in Stake Conference.  This experience laid a strong foundation for paying tithing in our young married lives.  We have always paid our tithing ever since, and indeed the Lord has blessed us!

Today's Ponderize verse:

1 Nephi 16:29:

...And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.

A Day Filled With Gratitude!

It has been a seemingly normal day, however, I have so many things that happened today that I am grateful for.  That is the amazing thing about deciding to write on this blog every night - I take more notice of the simple things that occur each day that cause me to feel gratitude and in turn experience joy! So what might have been considered an average day in the past has been transformed into a GREAT day!  Remember that "gratitude is the beginning of greatness!"

The day started with being able to spend some quality time with Blaine talking about our lives - reviewing the past and anticipating what the future might hold.  We lamented over a few things and the conversation turned somewhat depressing.  But then, gratitude saved the day again!  He read my blog post from last night and it completely lifted his spirits, and he too could now see the greatness of the Lord and His hand in every aspect of our lives.  I'm telling you the truth when I say that this gratitude stuff really does work!  I am grateful for the precious time we were able to spend together this morning.

Early in the afternoon my visiting teachers came by to visit.  We had an uplifting conversation.  I have always been so grateful for visiting teachers and grateful to be a visiting teacher.  I know there are many blessings that come through this truly inspired program of the Relief Society.  I really enjoy doing my visiting teaching.  I am certainly not perfect at it, but I do manage to do it every month, but lately it has been in the form of showing up on their doorstep the last day of the month with some form of treat or gift and a note card.  I have promised them that I would treat them to a Christmas luncheon this month so I had better get with it!

It's a privilege to be the Lord's Hands!

I do it just like Molly... Notice how she has the last day of the month circled!

Later this afternoon Blaine and I drove to Cedar City and ate at the Pizza Factory for a late lunch.  I will always be grateful for the Pizza Factory.  I worked there during college and made so many great friends and memories there.  I am even more grateful for it because Dallin and Carter are now both working there and loving it!  While we were eating we ran into some relatives of mine from Beaver - Richard and Janet Oakden.  Richard is my cousin through the Robinson line.  Janet told me of a scrapbook she has made on the Robinson line and offered me a copy of it.  I was so excited.  I will have to make sure I take her up on it!  There is another thing I am very grateful for - people who take the time to do family history so that others can be blessed by it!  I am excited to get to know the Robinson clan a little bit better.

Blaine and I then went to Ty's basketball game at Canyon View High School.  His team won.  Ty didn't get to play too much because he has been having trouble with his hip.  We have been working on getting it better, but nothing seems to be working.  Back to Kris Hansen tomorrow for another adjustment, and I am going to make sure that Blaine and Dallin give him a blessing this weekend. That's definitely another thing I am grateful for - priesthood blessings given by worthy priesthood holders. Dallin and Carter joined us at the games and we enjoyed the rest of the evening with them.

There's my handsome baby boy - Ty Adams Milne!

Carter told us about his voice final.  He had to sing two songs for his final that he memorized.  One was even in Italian.  I am so grateful that Carter has had the courage to discover one of his hidden talents.  He really can sing.  His music teacher told him that he has a very pure and rich voice.  That made him feel really great!  Good-luck with the rest of your finals Carter!  Hey, try expressing gratitude for your opportunity to take final exams and I guarantee the result will be "greatness!"

During half time of Ty's game the principal from Piedre Vista High School in Farmington New Mexico called me and invited me for an interview.  I applied for a teaching position there.  I was quite surprised to actually get the invite because I am not a certified teacher, but he said we can fix that through an alternative licensing program, but he really needs to get the position filled and I have a lot of good credentials that will work for now.  If I get the job I will be teaching family and consumer science classes.  Wow!  I couldn't believe it.  I would really love the opportunity to do this. He and a panel of five other people will interview me via Skype either on Friday or Monday.  I am so grateful for this opportunity to at least interview!  Back when I was in high school this same class was called home economics and it was my favorite class.  I even served on the Utah FHA board as a peer educator.  I am grateful for unexpected opportunities that come my way!

I'll keep you posted on how this one turns out!

Lastly, I am just so grateful to have spent some quality time with my family.  I am so proud of my three sons.  They are each doing so well.  The Lord has really blessed me with three special boys and a husband that is not only handsome, but absolutely "all-world!"

Today's Ponderize Verses:

1 Nephi 15:23, 24

"And they said unto me:  What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?

     And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."