General Conference Favorites

Pretty sure this will go down as one of everyone's favorites this time:

"It was the Load!"
David A. Bednar



"To my Grandchildren"
Linda S. Reeves

My favorite part is a little bit after 7 minutes:
" . . . . the things that really need to be accomplished in the home are daily scripture study and prayer and weekly family home evening." 
Amen!

I also loved the Sunday morning session talk by Gary Stevenson about the members of the church who were Olympians, as well as Saturday morning Elder Rasband's talk about being with the survivors of the Oklahoma tornado.
Which were your favorites?

Push back the darkness

Nathan took this one on the last scout camping trip . . . with our little camera. . . amazing detail

Today I heard one of the best high council messages in recent memory. The topic was daily scripture study. Two powerful ideas:

1) Would you think it was a good idea to run a marathon each week and not train any other days? Would it be good to get 30 inches of rain in 24 hours to last a season? Assume each person needs 2000 calories per week, should they get all 14,000 on Sunday and none the rest of the days?

2)We live in a world full of darkness. The scriptures bring light. Push back the darkness! Teach your children to love the light.

This week:
Swimming
Band concert
Gymnastics
YW in Excellence
Went to storytime with a friend
Practiced riding a bike
Walked our favorite dog twice
Fed the sister missionaries salmon (Went out on a limb with fish. When I asked them if there was anything they didn't want, they said "Pasta" so I obliged. I think they were OK with it).
Found a paint color
And a dearth of cute & appropriate 12 year old girl clothes at JCPenney
Talked to our 95 year old grandma (& great-grandma) on her b-day to wish her a special day
Taught deacon's quorum lesson (Andrew)
Had choir
Bought 12 cans of Rotel tomatoes b/c I was out and they were $. 49 per can 
Introduced Bryn to my Barre class (I went 2 times this week)
Bought two books (I know, I said no more cookbooks . . . but then this was written and I changed my mind):The Romney Family Table
and the second one is this: Sunday Morning Quilts
Found a new recipe website, I am sorry: Remedialeating.com
(Wanting to try a couple of her Rhubarb idea & two Indian dishes, as well)
Got home from work early on Friday
Worked on the mudroom wall in the garage . . . .pics to come
Hosted my parents for dinner
Picked out the mistake in my latest sewing project so I can proceed
Took Caitlin to the orthodontist
Went to the temple with all the youth from our stake
Started reading the Secret Garden to Diana (best book ever)
Got the brown bananas off the counter
Raked one bag of leaves

Have a great week!

Scoutmaster

Think Nathan's enjoying his new calling?

(He told me how much the boys liked driving through that particular mud puddle).

Flood Update (Saturday Oct 19)

This morning Nathan took Andrew and the other 12-13 year olds to dig in the mud in Berthoud. They went to help a family whose property had been buried under feet of mucky mud.

The owner boards horses . . . well, used to until the flood. His corral was buried under tree branches, weeds, and mud that were swept along. He was able to get all of his animals out successfully, but lost a pair of chickens to the neighbor's dog who was keeping them for him.

The boys worked on clearing out 2-3 feet of mud from this shed. (Nathan estimated it was 15 by 20 feet).

Before--see the waterline?

Outside . . . see all the debris in the mud?

Part of the pile of mud they removed from the shed

It would have taken the family a LONG time to get it done, but the boys and parents who accompanied them were able to clear it out in 3 hours. The owner has been using a front end loader to clean up his property, but because of the small doors to the shed, the only way to clean it out was by hand, with shovels & wheelbarrows. The owner offered them lunch, but they'd brought it with them, so they worked and then came home. He thanked them many times.

Our nephew was visiting our family this weekend, and since he's in that age group he got to go along as well. It was a good experience for them, I think they'll sleep really well tonight.

They've made mention about keeping the cleanup efforts going until the really cold weather is here . . . we had a little snow (only an inch or so) this week, so we'll see. Several people we know have spent their Saturday mornings each week involved in the cleanup efforts.

Nathan said the property was beautiful, even with all the mud. The basement of the house was flooded, with three feet of water, but the main damage was to the barn, corral, and shed closer to the river.


Update: Sunday evening
Today at church they read some numbers about service hours. They said that over 2400 people from our stake have given over 8000 hours of service. 33 unique projects have been undertaken, 18 of them in Berthoud (one of the hardest hit in our stake). Quite a thing.

Flood Update (Fri Sept 27)

Last night I received a call asking if I could help clean up houses in Berthoud, a community about 40 minutes southwest of where we live. I said yes and she promised she could find someone to watch Ed, offering to watch him herself.

I ended up making my own arrangements for Ed and drove two other sisters in my ward. We met at the chapel there .. . . such a pretty little town. (My friend Helen's sister lives in Berthoud).

There were about 10 ladies who gathered to help clean two homes. One of the families cancelled, so we all went to one house. The lady in charge, we'll call her "Sister H" is the Relief Society President in the Berthoud Ward. She seemed a little worn out . . . admitted that herself when she asked someone else to say the prayer. She gave a brief introduction to our efforts.

Berthoud lies along the Little Thompson River. There are areas in Berthoud that are unaffected, but those close to the river had a lot of damage. (6 feet of water in the first home Nathan was asked to clean out). Sister H said that FEMA came through but did not stay to offer help in the clean up process. Members of the Berthoud ward went to the lowest lying areas to ask what help was needed. Essentially they told each of these families that if they would choose a day, our stake would supply extra help.

We followed her in our cars so that she could stay longer--because she knew we would probably have varying levels of time availability. She said we also needed to follow her to get to the home, because putting it into a GPS would take us over bridges that were closed. I was sure she was right about that little fact, especially when we went past a "Road Closed" sign.

The family whose home we went to this morning was expecting 3-4 people. But remember, one household cancelled, so all of us showed up. We were more than a little overwhelming. In about two hours, we mopped the main living areas of the home and cleaned everything that touched the floors with a bleach solution. The carpet had been removed earlier we were cleaning tile and cement. They had already mopped before--our purpose was to disinfect with bleach. You would not believe how quickly the mop bucket would be brown & cloudy. It was nice to work together and in a short time we got a lot of work done. It would not have been possible without as many helpers. Laundry was folded, toys were wiped down, dishes washed, and hope renewed.

There were three children there . . . close to the ages of some of my own. I wonder what they've thought & felt the past couple of weeks. They still had their smiles.

I took time to talk to the family. The owner said that his house is normally 17 to 17.5 feet above the river. He said it rose 18 feet & crested 4 times. The crests came when reservoirs were failing. One of the crests was a 2 and 1/2 foot rise that came and went in under an hour. He's owned that property for 30 years . . . so he wasn't there for the 1976 flooding. As we were leaving he was talking about lots of equipment he owned which was now gone.. . . and said, "It's all just stuff."
"The important things, the ones on two legs," he said, gesturing to his grandson nearby, "Are still here and walking, and that's all that matters."

I would have liked to stay a little longer, but we had to get back to get Ed. It was a great experience to be invited into their home to help them for a little while.

There are projects the next 3 weekends helping families in this same area. Saturday morning at 9 am. 

Flood Update (Sun Sept 22)

This week we were asked to help with two projects: cleaning up the yard of a business and volunteering at the Loveland Flood Relief Disaster Center. We were unable to help with the business cleanup because of a prior commitment, but I am scheduled to go to the Disaster Center in a few days.

The stakes surrounding the hardest hit areas are assigned a neighboring stake to help, which I believe I already mentioned. Cheyenne is helping us . . . 75 men from my dad's stake were down yesterday helping in Berthoud . . . . Denver is helping Boulder--it's all very organized. 

Today we had no meetings or commitments and decided to go as a family to see if we could be helpful at the Loveland Flood Disaster Relief Center. It was delightful. We invited a bunch of friends to come and two of our children's friends were able to come with us, and one of the moms.

We worked from around 2 pm until 4:30 pm. Individuals and groups have donated items and the volunteers are working on sorting them to set up a "store" for flood victims who need help. I am not sure what the qualifications process is, but they are invited to take clothing, shoes, hygiene, baby care, and food.

It was impressive. We saw individuals representing FEMA, American Red Cross, Americorps, and individuals and families who wanted to help. I did not take any photos of the "store," but I will say that it is well organized. We did not see many there shopping, but there were a few. One man, who said he's volunteered every day last week said yesterday there were approximately 400 who came through, but he wasn't sure if that was individuals or families.

See those yellow vests? Left from those people is the "receiving dock" where families dropped off donations.

After the volunteer crowd died down a bit . . . the "store" is on the other side of the curtains

Labeling boxes to sort clothing donations

Transporting sorted clothing to another area for temporary storage until the "store" needs re-stocked

I teach Sunday School and today the lesson was on rescuing the Martin & Willie handcart companies. We had lots of talk about reaching out in service--to the handcart pioneers & flood victims. One lady, who'd been to the disaster center earlier in the week said, "Not all the people wearing 'Mormon Helping Hands' vests are members, so it gives you a great opportunity to talk about that if they aren't."
I tried that trick, I approached a man who'd been working near us and asked if he was Mormon. He said he was not, but did not seem bothered to wear it . . . . which is great. We welcome visitors.

During our regular church meetings today, we were told that the LDS church sent 3 semi's full of supplies to this disaster relief center. Our stake president worked as a liaison with the City of Loveland and the Church to find out what was needed. And then, it came.

Being close to those flood waters but not affected by them will give our family many opportunities to serve. It will bring us closer to our neighbors and help us remember what's truly important.
Today's service will be a happy memory for our family--there are many days ahead to serve & we are grateful to be a part of it.

Fort Collins, Colorado Temple Groundbreaking

From my point of view:

Yesterday was the groundbreaking. My dad and mom had been invited a few weeks ago by their stake president. For the past month, in our Sacrament meetings they've read a letter asking us to attend at our stake center, where it would be broadcast via satellite. They said there are currently 12 stakes in our temple district, (and predicted that number may increase by the time it is built). That would be too many to attend, so it was made available by satellite for the majority. FYI, the temple district spans Northern Colorado , Southeast WY, and SW Nebraska, from Boulder to the Southwest, and Casper, WY, to the Northwest, my hometown.

At 8:30 am yesterday, our home teacher, who is a member of our stake presidency called.
I answered.
"How would you like to go to the temple site this morning for the groundbreaking?" he asked.
I began crying and said that we'd love to.
Several families we know received phone calls like this. Initially the plan was to keep the numbers lower, but in the 12 hours preceding the event, Elder George F. Rhodes, who is an Area Authority Seventy, asked that a few more families be invited to attend.

We arrived around 9:30 am, with the program scheduled to begin at 10.

The scene as we approached.

There were many seats, but they were filled, we stood at the back, on the right.

From my point of view. Our church building is north of the site, across the street.

The program

Ronald. A Rasband speaking. Later, he dedicated the land for temple construction.

I did not record the ceremony, or even take notes, but Elder Rasband did read this quote,
“Every foundation stone that is laid for a Temple, and every Temple completed according to the order the Lord has revealed for his holy Priesthood, lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness.”
—President George Q. Cannon (from lds.org).

This temple is a unique design, and will be equal in size to the Denver Temple. It is in line to be the 155th operating temple, but that is subject to change based on how quickly the construction on it and others progresses. It is expected to be complete in 2015 or 2016. (As of the groundbreaking date, there are 141 in operation worldwide).

He offered a prayer of dedication--dedicating the land for building. What impressed me about it was that it included praying for the safety of those who would work there. 

This video (20 seconds long), is the closing hymn.

After the closing prayer, which was given by the stake president, Millard Smathers, from Casper, WY (my hometown), many groups were invited to come dig into the soil. The Coloradoan published a great photo of civic and community leaders on their website, listed below. They also interviewed Nathan as we were getting ready to leave. It is not a long story, but he did get his name in the Coloradoan article mentioned below.

My parents, who in 1968 drove from Washington, D.C. to Logan UT, to be married in the temple.

Our family

It is hard to describe the emotions I felt, but here's my attempt.
I felt grateful to be invited.
I wished that more of my close friends could see it in person, yet I understand the reasoning behind keeping it small.
I feel happy that the temple will be so close, and excited that we will be able to share it with members of the community when it is completed and open during the open house.
I feel enthusiasm that my children will be able to see it built from the ground up.
I feel proud to be an American, where religious freedom allows us to worship in the temple.

Here are some relevant links:

Official Site: Fort Collins Colorado Temple

Coloradoan article on the Groundbreaking

More information from LDS church about temples

You Tube video with a 3D view of Fort Collins, CO Temple design


(Over the next two years as the building progresses, I will continue to post updates. If you want to see all of them, click on "a temple in our city" in the label cloud at the right).

Temple groundbreaking announced

August 24, 2013 at 10 am.
Invited guests only. Broadcast to stake centers for all the stakes involved.

In other news, my home stake, Casper, WY, will be moving from the Billings, MT temple to Fort Collins.
So excited to see long time friends there!

Peace on earth

Is it possible? I say YES--I found it here in my town.

Peace on earth--this is my wish for my children for the rest of their lives . . . . its been on my mind for the last 10 days or so. 
This is the answer and it came during Sacrament meeting last Sunday . . . .
The Power of Peace 2004 December Ensign, James E. Faust.

Merry Christmas!

December how many?

 One posed in the elf hat.

This is the face we get when we ask him to SMILE.
Clenching his teeth.
Awesome.

 Seven snowflakes hung. Above seven mugs (left by someone on our doorstep).

 One gingerbread man was photographed (and then eaten . . . . Elmer's glue and all).

 One expander was placed and many photos were taken. (By the one behind them--ie, her).

Four braces on the bottom, more will follow on the top.

One very sore mouth.

Two stayed home from church with one sick tummy.

A community choir tour to two nursing homes and one Hotel lobby. While this was the most beautiful it was Bryn's least favorite performance.

One pastel art brought home from middle school. (And quickly photographed and thrown away before pastels got everywhere. Maybe I'm too stressed about messy . . . . Nathan didn't get to see it in person.)

 Two nativities placed on the piano--one favorite.

And the magic of family prayer by the lit tree . . . . Love this most of all. It's so pretty with all the other lights in the house turned off. I remember doing this as a girl and loving it--I want them to have it, too.

One great idea found . . . .
About halfway through the month I found this Christmas planning guide, which I love and recommend to you if you are interested in changing your holiday experience. What I like best is that it focuses on what you want to feel and want your family to feel, and to plan experiences to provide those opportunities. Some things I want to feel and have my children feel:
the joy of giving to each other, 
the joy of receiving, 
to experience Christmas music
to spend time with friends and family
to connect with friends and family who are far away
to prepare earlier so there is less to do when the kids are out of school
and more. I will use it in the future--I like the thought process and the decision making process spelled out for me--I am easily overwhelmed when faced with too many options.

This year we had our children draw names for each other and they've gone on individual shopping trips to get the gifts. I've loved watching them work (and sacrifice) to do something thoughtful for someone else. It's been a special experience, which will be complete as they open them on Tuesday.


Peace on earth--this is my wish for my children for the rest of their lives . . . . its been on my mind for the last 10 days or so. 
This is the answer and it came during Sacrament meeting today . . . . The Power of Peace 2004 December Ensign, James E. Faust.

Merry Christmas!

He shook their hands

Today we had stake conference with Elder D. Todd Christofferson. As we were leaving for church, Nate said that the kids were hoping to get to shake his hand. We both realized it would likely not happen.

Our stake is so big that we have to meet in two sessions. A big deal is made about us leaving quickly, in time for the next group to have time to park and get in. During his message this morning, Elder Christofferson announced that he'd like to shake the hands of all the children who would like to. Of course, I started crying. He recognized that this might cause problems with the turnover, but said that he was going to do it anyway. He invited children to walk up on the right of the stand and exit on the left.

We sent them up--they got split up, but Andrew took Edwin, and the girls stayed together. They shook hands and then we left quickly. It was very touching that he made time to do it. We learned that he lived in Fort Collins when he was ages 2-3. He said we are very lucky to have a temple built within our boundaries. He said he didn't know what we'd done to deserve a temple--he said he's not even that lucky.

Last night the adult session was at the same time as a pretty big Denver Broncos football game. We filled the Stake center anyway--all the way to the stage. He said, "I was told that tonight I would have to compete with a football game. It looks like I won."

He said it would take approximately two years from the groundbreaking to completion of the temple. He invited us to consider what we could do in that time to be ready. He quoted 3 Nephi 9:19-20 "And ye shall offer up unto me ^ano more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

 20 And ye shall offer for a ^asacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I ^bbaptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not."

A great conference, and good things to come!