The Reason for the Season

In church today we were encouraged to read this together with our families as we carry on with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, that we might remember the reason we celebrate Christmas.

To Celebrate the birth, life and ministry of our Savior Jesus Christ

 

The Living Christ

 

The following testimony was dated January 1, 2000, and signed by the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

 “As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

“He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. ‘All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made’ (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He ‘went about doing good’ (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to , and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

“He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

“We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.

“He rose from the grave to ‘become the firstfruits of them that slept’ (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among his ‘other sheep’ (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised ‘dispensation of the fulness of times’ (Ephesians 1:10).

“Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: ‘His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

“‘I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father’ (D&C 110:3–4).

“Of Him the Prophet also declared: ‘And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

“‘For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

“‘That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God’ (D&C 76:22–24).

“We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—‘built upon the foundation of … apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone’ (Ephesians 2:20).

“We testify that He will someday return to earth. ‘And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall it together’ (Isaiah 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.

“We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son” (Ensign,Apr. 2000, 2–3).

Which one will you be?

Which Virgin?

 

 

A parable the Savior told to His disciples long ago

Of wise and also foolish ways, of signs and saints in latter-days.

The things He saw, we too can see, when next He comes to you and me.

 

Ten virgins bearing lamps alight awaited the bridegroom through the night.

Invited, honored guests they came, some wise-some foolish, not the same.

Those who have eyes will surely see, they're much the same as you and me.

 

The first bears palms for homage true, an olive branch, a lily, too.

Her voice speaks peace; she's humble, meek; she often turns the other cheek.

So pure in heart, oh, could it be-that this first virgin could be me?

 

The second, gowned in burial white, seems searching for a heavenly sight.

The sacrament-her gift of love; the wheat and water decreed above.

Her repentant heart we all can see; perhaps this virgin could be me.

 

Tall and fair with scrolls and lyre, the fourth seeks truth and knowledge power.

She sets her goals on talents bright, keeping eternity in sight.

She'll reach her goals and grow to be the kind of virgin I would be.

 

But wait, more wise than many others, the fifth gives charity to her brothers.

Quietly, gently, her fruits are shared with all who need her loving care.

Even the foolishes' needs she sees' oh, that this virgin might be me.

 

The sixth in proud and rich array lacks for naught along life's way.

The treasures of the earth she brings; 'tis more to earth than heav'n she clings.

In her I see a part of me; is this the virgin I will be?

 

The seventh is surely pleasure's child, in dress and pose, not meek or mild.

It's time for eat and drink and fun; there's ample time ere the bridegroom comes.

Her foolishness she cannot see; do others see that part of me?

 

The eighth has much to overcome-addiction and excess have quite undone.

That temple holy her soul once was, now all eroded for sins' own cause.

If I'm not careful as can be, this foolish virgin will be me.

 

The virgin nine who loves the dark, in secret seeks to leave her mark.

Drawing others from the light, she sees all things with Satan's sight.

Her foolishness is sad to see; don't let her be a part of me.

 

Should I become a virgin ten, with power over the acts of men.

A troubled conscience I might know, as through the busy world I go.

All ego and dishonesty is what the world expects of me.

 

Am I more foolish or more wise?  am I living in disguise?

Do I gather oil ever bright, to keep my gospel flame alight?

When the bridegroom comes, I pray He'll see one wise virgin will be me.

 

Photo ~Gayla Price Larson

Poem ~Barbara G. Dykstra

 

This poem and picture were shared in Young Women's today!  I had never heard it before and loved it.  I thought I would share it.  It really puts the parable of the ten virgins into a different perspective.  Happy Sabbath!!

Where did Summer go?... Here it is via my i-phone

I feel like I just finished one of the busiest summers I have ever had.

There was no time from blogging.

So here is my summer in a nutshell via my iphone!

 

 

Hiking Ensign Peak with the Young Women.

This was such a fun time. 

I have lived in Utah my entire life and never made this hike before.

It's not very far, but it's steep!

The view...Totally worth it!

 

 

Memorial Day weekend at the Grandparents!

It's always fun to gather together with my family for a weekend.

The kids enjoyed 4-wheeling and hanging with cousins.

It was Kyle's first trip to the grandparents...

It's always as crowd, but I think he survived it, and enjoyed the laughter.

 Sometime in June I think...;)

Our family made a trip to Palisades State Park with the Fireman.

It was a great time, as usual.

Kayaking, swimming and visiting with family and friends.

On the way home we made a detour to Cove Fort Historic site.

Kyle had never been there before and we thought it would be fun.

 What would summer be without fresh fruits and veggies from the garden!

This is something I always miss when fall comes.

The picture in the lower right hand corner was my first red tomato of the season!

 Later in June we took a family vacation to Yellowstone.

After going last year, we just had to make a return trip to see the shows at the Playmill!

I think we have become addicts!

It was fun to spend a few days in the park seeing all the familiar sights.

 This summer was a summer full of projects!

It's amazing the projects it takes to have a wedding.

Linc decided we needed a new deck.

This project literally took the ENTIRE summer!

Mostly because he had to work on it when he had a spare moment...

which wasn't often, he traveled for work a lot this summer.

A new back deck needed a new back door to go with it as well.
Grandpa Pack spent a day helping out with the stairs and door.
Neighbor D. Griffiths saved the day late in the game by helping with the railing.
It truly does take a village! ;)

 Here it is looking finished!

It turned out great and I love it!

 A little July 4th celebration!

We met up with our firework fav's the Perkins!

It was fun and loud as usual.

I swear the show gets better and better every year!

 Girls Camp at the Spruces!

A picture is worth a thousand words...

It was a really fun time.

These girls are crazy and I love them!

One morning I woke to find all 8 of them stuffed like sardines in one 5 man tent!

They love each other! :)

July 24th Holiday at the grandparents.

This is tradition for my family.

We always spend the weekend of the 24th in Indianola.

It's rodeo time and we love our small town rodeo!

The kids really like to cowboy up and make a showing!

Plus....Funnel Cake and other Rodeo food!

Yum!

We also celebrated Kyle's birthday at the grandparents.

Bailee made him breakfast and his birthday cake.

 Brooklyn celebrated her 14th birthday!

I can't believe how fast she is growing!

I'm so glad to have her around...she is the only thing keeping me from being an empty nester,

which I am NOT ready for!

She had a great time celebrating with friends.

Daddy also surprised her by decorating her door!

 Bridal showers!

So fun!

I have more pictures...but limited myself here.

She had two showers, one hosted by my family and one hosted by the DeYoungs!

They were both a lot of fun and got is into the wedding spirit!

 Bailee and her mommy and mommy in law!

 Summer also brought moving time for Bailee.

She really moved out along time ago for college, but her room has remained intact...

until now. :(

It's finally time to pack up all her belongings and make her permanent home somewhere else.

We also started another wedding project of building some shelves for backdrops.

 They turned out so cute! 

Linc built them,

I painted them,

Kyle and I wallpapered them!

Bailee and Brooklyn also cut tons and tons of fabric for tassels for the wedding.

 I spent A LOT of time in the yard!

It needed beatification before the wedding!

I have never loved my yard so much.

I also spent a lot of time in fabric stores...

looking for fabric for tassels,

fabric for skirts,

lace for tables.

It was endless!

Sweets candy shop was also a wedding shopping stop. 

 I ironed and ironed!

Really...I pressed 11 round table cloths and

2 banquet table cloths. 

I will say this... I watched myself a few Hallmark movies in the process.

Bailee, Kyle and I decorated jars...

addressed wedding invites,

shopped for candlesticks, which Kyle painted.

And, Bailee and I may have taken a shopping break or two for sustenance.

We had a bridal shoot and...
 THEN WE HAD A WEDDING!!!

It was fantastic and a super great day!

But.....

It deserves a blog post of it's own!

Coming soon....

 

And finally, I attended my first college football game!

I know...

Better late than never!

I really went for the Band.

Out new Son Kyle plays in the Weber State marching band.

It was lot of fun and he rocked it!

It was also a summer full of weekly emails from this boy..

Elder Paxman!

I love Mondays! 

I am always excited to hear how my missionary son is doing,

how he is growing and how the work of the lord is progressing.

 

That's a summer wrap!!

It was a crazy busy summer.

And We loved every minute!

We truly are blessed, our family is growing and we're healthy and happy!

 



She's a BIG girl now!

My first born is officially an adult!

She's a big girl now, today she turned 21!

I can't believe how fast the time has flown.

We started here...

 

And now she's here...

She was beautiful in the beginning and she has grown even more beautiful every day.

Not only is she beautiful on the outside, but she's beautiful on the inside too.

We are so proud of the young woman she has become.

I really could have scanned and scanned

there were so many fun cute pictures of her over the years I would have loved to post...

But, I restrained myself and chose just a few.

So...pardon the grainy and sometimes off color, these pictures were before the digital age.

 

He was a proud papa then and he still is today.

 Look at those chubby cheeks.



 

She loved her tubby time from day one.

 Yes, there were times when she wasn't always dolled up

she didn't always wear ruffles, pink, high heels and make-up.

She could sport about anything and look adorable.

 

Don't mess with this girl.

 

I had to throw in a picture with her holding her best friend ever..

Barney.

This girl loved Barney.

She sang with him,

danced with him and

slept with him.

He went everywhere with her.

 

It has been a wonderful 21 years.

Raising her has been a blessing I will be forever grateful for.

We have loved watching her sing and dance her way through life with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.

I have loved the midnight phone calls that started with

"Do I have a story for you?"

Every minute being your mother has been wonderful.

 

We have watched her grow both physically, mentally and spiritually.

Each step has been fun and a blessing to be a part of.

Now she starts a new phase in life. Eternal Marriage and her own family.

I can't wait to watch and support this phase too.

 

Thank you for being my daughter and my friend!!

For being and bringing so much joy

I LOVE YOU!

 

Happy Birthday Bailee Boo!

 

The Weekend via my I-phone

Friday evening it was off to my parents for a relaxing weekend with family.

I love going to my parents house.

It's like getting a mountain experience with all the comforts of home.

 

Brooklyn, Bailee, Kyle and I went.  Linc wasn't able to go, he had work this weekend.

It was Kyle's first time visiting the Grandparents house...

hopefully it didn't scare him away.

We are a family who likes to laugh and tease.

I love it!

 

There were times I laughed so hard  my stomach hurt and I had tears in my eyes.

Laughter is the best.

 

We rode the 4-wheelers

The kids visited Blackhawk camp.

 

Blackhawk camp is a tradition started by Grandpa so long ago I can't even remember.

My parents own a lot of property and on the property is a very big hill or small mountain,

up in the trees is a mock Indian camp called Blackhawk.

The story goes that in the night the Ghosts of the Indian's come back to the camp and visit. 

 They sometimes leave gifts for the kids to find.

My dad has hung beads in the trees and there are arrowheads and pieces of flint scattered about.

I think even a fire ring and maybe even an animal skull???..

I haven't been there in years...Maybe next time I will go with the kids.

Anyway since the kids were littles they have been going there to find treasures left by the Ghosts of Indians.  Once the kids got older we told them not to expect Blackhawk to leave gifts for them anymore.  But, that doesn't stop them from making the short hike up the mountain into the trees.

And surprise to us all they came back bearing gifts.  They were each left a beaded necklace.  It's actually really cool looking and they all were wearing them. I wish I had thought to take a picture.

 

We played games

We ate good food, we are always fed well at grandmas.

We went to church, which was more crowded than usual from all the people who have summer property and cabins they visit.

We spent quality family time, and we probably stayed up too late.

 

But as always it was a blast.

 

Next time I need to take my big camera, it just takes better pictures.

 

Brooklyn, Nash, Nick, Chase, Kyle and Bailee after a 4-wheeler ride. These photos were taken from the deck looking down. 

 Bailee and Kyle

 Sunday lunch of Tacos in a bag.  This was a really yummy fun idea.

You take a small Doritos bag and smash it up before opening.  Then you slit it open down the side and add your taco meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, olives, sour cream or Ranch and stir it all up and then eat it right out of the bag.  It was delicious and fun. 

It would have been really good with a Diet Coke...But, I resisted and had water.

I'm still Diet Coke free since April 1st.  The last Diet Coke I had was Easter weekend at this exact table. :)

It's fun to have dinner with this many people.  There is always a lot of fun conversation.

 Brooklyn, Uncle Marty and Nick.

Brooklyn managed to talk Uncle Marty into a game of Farkle on the ipad.  This wasn't too hard as Uncle Marty is always up for some fun.

 Grandpa, Brooklyn, Uncle Marty and Nick

 

It was a great weekend that ended too soon.  Me and the kids had to come home on Sunday evening because the engaged couple had work.  We are just grateful we had some time to go.

I can't wait until the 24th of July holiday. 

Back to Grandpa and Grandma's for the rodeo and some more family time.

There will probably be double the fun as more of the family will be there.

I can't wait!

"Fatsy", "Little Boy", "Little Man"..Ceasar

I document almost all family, personal happenings and milestones on this blog.  So it only seemed right that I would somehow document the passing of our sweet little puppy.

I know some people may say it's crazy to mourn the loss of a family pet, but Ceasar really was a part of our family.  We bought Ceasar when Brooklyn was just turning four.  He was the cutest little thing, about the size of a tiny kitten, but a bouncy puppy.  Ever since we brought him home he has really been my shadow.

He has always followed me around from room to room constantly under my feet. A true lap dog.  If I was sitting he wanted to be on my lap. :)

He had such a ferocious little growl, it would make you laugh.

He liked to herd Brooklyn.

If I would raise my voice to the kids at all, he would join right in, telling them what to do with a bark.

He would chase them until they jumped up on something higher than he could reach.

It used to make us laugh that this dog who weighed less than 5 pounds and was barely taller than their ankles could chase and corner them so successfully. He even had a few tricks up his sleeve.  He would sit, sit up high (like a prairie dog), stand high, wave with both paws, shake, and a trick we called "leave it".  Although, in his geriatric years (as the vet called him) he was less likely to be able to do some of these.  He has had bad hips and knees for about the last two years, but still always greeted everyone with the, I'm so happy to see you I'm not just ganna wag my tail but give you the whole body shake.

He and the Cat had a true love hate relationship.  The cat loved to tease and torment him and he loved to bark and chase her around.

He has traveled with us to Lake Powell, Yellowstone, St. George, Las Vegas, Mount Rushmore and many many camping trips to all kinds of places. 

We will miss him.

2010

 2011

 2012 

April 19, 2013

 Nap time

2003-2013

Uplifted and Edified

Today I listened and watched the first two sessions of the 183rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It was a glorious four hours.  What a blessing it is for me, a member of the church to feel the spirit and receive instruction, guidance and inspiration from living prophets on the earth today!  There were many talks that I really enjoyed.  Sister Dalton, was one, what a great example to the Young Women and Women of the church.  I personally am so grateful for her service and dedication to the Young Women's program.

I also really enjoyed folding laundry and watching the programs in the middle of the two sessions.  If you missed them, you should really watch.  I really enjoyed The Tie: Be Thou an Example.

I was really touched to hear the statistics of the church.  14 million plus members of the Church!  Two more temples announced.  60,000 plus current full time missionaries, with 20,000 called but have not yet entered the mission field and another 6,000 with their papers in process.  That means soon we will have around 90,000 full time missionaries!!  That truly is an Army, God's Army.
D&C 6:2 "A great and marvelous work is about to come forth unto the children of men."  This scripture has always been a favorite, and it just echo's in my mind even more now.  The church is growing, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in it's fullness, it's here on the earth today, it is true, I'm blessed to be apart of it and I love it!

I can't wait for tomorrow!  You can read or watch for yourself here !!

Facelift

Life is all about change,
I feel like my life has been full of changes this year.
All of them good, but change none the less.
I am a creature of habit by nature so change is always a little stressful
and emotional.

That being said,
I felt like it was time my blog underwent a change as well.
~sigh~
It was a process that took way more time than I wanted...
I think I like it!

Happy Easter weekend!!

The Best Two Years

Today we dropped Elder Paxman off at the Mission Training Center in Provo.

It was a good day.

Yesterday we spent quality family time and went out to dinner at Ruby River, Ben's choice.

We then went to the Stake President's office to see Benjamin set apart as a full time missionary.

It was a wonderful experience for all of us.

He was given a really powerful blessing.

I didn't know what to expect as this is our first missionary, but I really enjoyed our time there.  The Stake President really took time to visit, offer good advice and share insight for Benjamin.

This photo is of my kids before dinner.

 Here we all are after the setting apart.

 We then came home and a really thoughtful friend Julie Nokes brought us homemade dessert.

Chocolate Mint Brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

It was such a nice thing for her to do and we loved it!

This morning we went to Kneaders for bottomless French Toast.  Delicious!

Then home to finish packing.  I really wanted the packing done a few days ago.  Linc insisted that we just put it all on Bailee's bed and pack on Wednesday morning.  I couldn't figure out his thinking.  But, this morning it all made perfect sense.  Elder Paxman didn't have to report to the MTC until 1:45.  Dad's thinking was that packing this morning would keep us all busy and keep our minds occupied.  It worked!  We really just enjoyed each other, with no time to sit, think, and worry.

Elder Paxman before leaving home.

 Elder Paxman's nerves definitely started increasing the closer we got to Provo.  So did mine for that matter.   Upon arriving we saw the neatest sight.  Hundreds of missionaries lining the curb of the MTC waiting to greet the new incoming missionaries.  To get the full story see Elder Paxman's mission blog.

 We shared some quick hugs and some "I Love Yous" and that was it.

 Then he turned and walked away without looking back.

It has been an emotional day.

I am so glad he has chosen to serve the lord in this way.

I know his life will be blessed as he blesses the lives of those he serves.

The Lord is hastening his work and Elder Paxman gets to be a part of it.