"For of such is the kingdom of heaven"

Eight-year-old Tori surprised Dan and me with a very special note she wrote for us of her own accord during her visit last week. It's such a heart-melter that I had to share it. After all, "if any thing is virtuous, or lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy" it should be passed along in order to make our lives, and maybe even the world, more beautiful.

Christmas Babies! and Christmas Fun

Greg, along with Tori, Juli, and Christian, arrived on Wednesday to celebrate Christmas with us. While Dan and Colin were still working on Thursday, the four of us betook ourselves to the movies to see Tangled. We gave it 5 stars. Then Greg and the munchkins spent a couple of hours at Planet Kid for some active fun after the previous day's looong drive from Denver. Santa surprised us all by coming a day early, on Friday! Hey, but we're all good sports, we just went with it, and enjoyed it to the max. It's been a regular fashion show ever since, what with the cool costumes Aunt Julie and cousin Liz made for the kids. We've got everything from a dinosaur, to a flamenco dancer, a fancy pettiskirted or kimono clad girl, and a fairy, to a super hero apt to show up for meals. Right now, Christian is doing gymnastics for Colin and Macey, while Grandpa, Greg, and the girls, and Jason and Brianna are playing board games in the next room. I'm telling you, these little ones rarely stop moving!

We had a yummy fiesta for dinner today, and I think the star was the appetizer, penguins in the snow, that I asked Brianna and Jason to make. Such cute little guys, and tasty too.

But the biggest surprised of all came from Neil and Penny! Their little twins, due in Feb., but expected to arrive in late January, were born today! I guess they just didn't want to miss Christmas this year. Their little son, McKay Lancaster was born at 4:51PM, weighing in at 4 lb 10 oz. And his sister, McKenna Tecla was born 8 minutes later, and weighed 4 lb. 9 oz. Prayers for a safe delivery were answered, and happy tears of gratitude shed. Dan and I now have 11 grandblessings to love.

It was wonderful to be able to talk to Shane, in faraway Queens New York this morning, too. This old year has been a very happy one, with much happiness expected to come ringing and winging in with the new. Many thanks to a kind Heavenly Father are in order, and to our loving and caring family and friends!

Love Waits

I read a very uplifting email today, and a very uplifting post. Our world needs a lot more uplifts, right? So I'll share a bit of both. The post is by Dr. Terry Hamblin, England's world-renowned CLL expert. Although he's undergoing a very uncomfortable chemo regimen in a second bout with abdominal cancer, he makes time to answer all kinds of questions on the CLLC Friends forum. From his answers there and other ritings, it's obvious that he is a good, caring, thoughtful and intelligent man. I think you'll agree when you read this:
"Last week was a particularly bad week for side effects and they were beginning to get me down. At one point I found myself very angry at the whole situation. I know that anger is part of the experience of most patients with cancer, but I have always been able to approach my illness pretty rationally. My angry thoughts were, "Why has this happened to me?" "What did I ever do to deserve this?" "It's not fair!" "Why does God let this happen to me?" Yesterday's sermon certainly helped me. Like Israel I was facing massive problems. Mine mightn't be nine feet tall like Goliath, but it seemed too big for me to tackle. But whereas to the Israelite army Goliath seemed unfaceable, to David he was an uncircumcised Philistine defying God. David not only had a proper view of Goliath, he had a proper view of God: not a leader who had gone missing, but The LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel. David was also able to look at himself clearly. He knew that he had been anointed secretly by Samuel; he knew he had killed the bear and the lion when protecting his father's sheep; and he knew the hand of God in placing him precisely where he was to do the will of God.
"Instead of complaining of our lot, we need to be aware that God is working his purposes out in us. If we were only given tasks that we could easily accomplish on our own, then we would easily claim the credit. But we are faced with tasks that overwhelm us and frighten us and come close to defeating us. Why? So that we realize that we need the Almighty Lord to accomplish them. When we feel alone and deserted, then we need to turn to God - not blaming him for leaving us, but confessing that it is we who have stopped looking at him. Psalm 10 begins: Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? But it ends: The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.

"The story of David and Goliath is well known. It was not the triumph of a littl'un over a big'un as it is popularly portrayed. It was the triumph over an upstart by the Almighty God who fights evil with good, lawlessness with justice, hate with love and haste with patience. If there is a God, say some, let him wipe out poverty in Africa, sort out the cholera in Haiti, deal with the North Koreans, round up the drug-dealers, punish the pedophiles, stop the people trafficking, and rid the world of prostitution, pornography, murder, robbery, political corruption and fraud. But God looks at robbers and murderers, prostitutes and pedophiles, drug dealers and even politicians and sees people who might be redeemed by the blood of his son, if they only had a second chance. So he waits."

Often, love is called upon to wait. charity, which is the pure love of Christ, is patient, and it suffereth long. God waits for His purposes to be fulfilled. And to be like Him, we must sometimes waitt ... and wait ... and wait, too. My thanks to Dr. Terry for humbly sharing his wise reflections on his blog.
http://mutated-unmuated.blogspot.com/


I'll post the email I mentioned later.

Happiness and Gratitude Abound

My gratitude cup has been filling up more and more of late. It's not overflowing, but it's pretty close. For the last few months, we've had the privilege of seeing our son Colin and a lovely young lady become friends, and then sweethearts, and now, they're engaged to be married. Macey comes from a strong and happy family, and that's what we anticipate they'll create for themselves, too!

Yesterday was the anniversary of the start of Shane's mission. That means we're halfway to the point of being able to hug him and have him with us again! I sent him pictures of our newly decorated home (yes, JoLyn's been here again), and this is how he began this week's letter:
"Wow, geez. It looks like you put work in on that house. Things look a lot different... including different names for everything... almost makes it seem like it is a new house. Well, it may not be a new house, but it is a different one, which I guess does indeed make it a new house. I hope you are enjoying it and avoiding bumping into things since it has all been rearranged. Things have been going really well here. We had transfers earlier this week, and it already feels like that was forever ago. My new companion is Elder Mathusek. He hails from New Jersey. His house is about 30 minutes away from where we are serving here in Queens. He has about five months left in the mission. He is a great guy who is very dedicated to the work and knows how to make friends with the members and investigators. I am looking forward to working with him for the next while."
He gives us some specifics about several families they're teaching , and then he concludes with:
"This week has been really good. I have learned a lot about loving other people and valuing the times I am able to share with others. The mission is an incredibly unique experience that I have been given to help me be happy. I am learning how to love others and how to show it. I am feeling the sweet sensations of sensational sweetness. Things are good here. I am happy. I hope all is well with the family and people are safe and enjoy the things they are doing. Our Heavenly Father still exists and still loves us. The church is still true, and I hope you know I love you, because I do." I'm grateful that I do know that, and I know he knows I/we love him so so much, too.

As I mentioned, my amazing, seemingly tireless friened, JoLyn, paid us a long and productive visit just recently. She was here for 10 days, but it went by in a flash. She gave almost the whole house a fun makeover. We love it! Brianna went carpet shopping with us, and we had lunch together at a little favorite bistro of hers. She was so eager to see how everything was shaping up, that we invited her and Jason over for lunch before we were completely finished. I'll show her the changes next week when they're here for Thanksgiving dinner, which she claims, by the way, will be ruined unless we have pumpkin swirl cheesecake on the menu. :)

So, you can see that happiness and gratitude do indeed abound. And we wish a blessed and happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Real by Macey

A Party Like No Other!

I was lucky enough to stumble into a month-long party today, and I'm excited about it! I'd already decided to take a break from blogging, and to tell everyone I'd be away for awhile. But now I'll be away attending party after party after party after party! And you can come too, if you like. I hope you do like!
This has always been a big party month in our family. Dan was born in September, as were three of our seven sons, as well as our first grandson. Happy birthday to Shane on the 3rd, Dan on the 10th, Ethan, Greg, and Jaxon on the 30th! In the words of Marie Antoinette, "Let them eat cake!"

But I've just learned that starting today, there's a huge month-long family proclamation celebration going on all over blog land. You can join the party at Jocelyn Christiansen's blog. Find it at http://beinglds.blogspot.com/2010/09/are-truths-of-family-proclamation-new.html

I confess I don't know how to post the link properly, but I'll ask Colin or Brianna if one of them can do it for me. Until then though, you can probably copy and paste and get there. So long for now. You'll be in my heart and prayers.

Honey Bunches of oxoxo's

Little did either of us know that morning 37 years ago, what our life would be like today. It hasn't been a cake walk; it hasn't always been sweet. But we are changed and we are better for having spendt these years together. And yes, we love and are more grateful for each other than we were way back then. Who knows if there are limits to these feelings. Perhaps they continue to grow throughout the eternities. Stay tuned, and we'll find out. Happy anniversary from Bonnie to Dan.

Miracle, or Lucky Break?

Well, they feel like miracles to me, but I suppose others might call it luckk. I guess the difference is how invested you are in the issue, and how much divine guidance you've sought? I feel extremely grateful to Heavenly Father for what I see as two life-changing blessings, or miracles, I believe He's had a hand in during the last few weeks. One of my beloved sons is at the center of the first huge blessing. Greg was almost persuaded to marry Mae, over-ruling his reservations for lack of hard evidence, focusing on her talents instead. But often, we've learned, warnings precede evidence. Fortunately, the evidence arrived just in time to prevent additional hardship and heartache for him and the children. He found her unconscious on his garage floor, suffering from the unpleasant side effects of huffing propellents. What if she'd managed to keep it hidden until they were married? The kids have had to learn about divorce; thank goodness they've been spared the need to learn any more about addictions! Their mom's brother has unfortunately exposed them to that already. We're so grateful Greg was more than forewarned, he was given proof that this match was not one made in heaven.
The second big blessing is just for me. For four weeks I've had a lot of pain which has made the very act of walking difficult. It started the day after my birthday. What was my body trying to tell me? "Hey, Bonnie, you're getting old!" "Gee thanks, body, I know that. Now be good and work the way you should." My body probably put up some kind of defense, but I couldn't hear it for the pain. Finally, just yesterday, I followed the advice of a few smart people, and started searching for a chiropractor who could help me out. I needed someone who was located pretty close to my home, and I knew I'd feel more comfortable consulting with a woman. I chose someone who met both criteria, and made an appointment for today. This morning I found her website and read the following Q&A there, which sort of calmed my mounting fears.
"Are you going to hurt me? We take great care to provide effective, yet gentle treatments, with your uniquesituation in mind. There are many modern techniques that do not rely on great forceto restore normal joint motion.Do I have to have x-rays? Often x-rays are used to help diagnose Chiropractic conditions. We do not requireevery patient have x-rays before treatment. However, in certain traumatic cases,we may recommend x-rays before you receive treatment. This is for your protection,as we would not want to make your problems worse by incompletely diagnosing yourcondition.Will you rush me in and out? We work with you individually. We listen to your concerns and always try to answeryour questions. We avoid rushing or hurrying to the next patient. We offer lunch,evening and Saturday appointments.How much is this going to cost me? We contract with many major insurance companies and will submit claims for you.We also have payment plans available. We will tell you the cost before we do anything.By combining Chiropractic care with proper home exercises, your treatment time isoften shortened, saving you money.How many times do I have to return? We recommend the treatment program suited to your specific needs. By combining Chiropracticcare with proper, specific home exercises, your treatment and healing times are considerablyshortened. We offer Acute Pain Relief, Corrective Care and Preventive Programs. Thechoice is always up to you.What if I don't get better? We enjoy a good working relationship with many other health care providers in thearea. If you do not respond to our treatment within a reasonable amount of time,we will make referral recommendations to the appropriate specialist."
She understood what was going on very quickly, explained it to me, and showed me what to do to set things right, and said that she is willing to make housecalls. Possibly a past injury (maybe that time I fell down the stairs) damaged my right gluteus medius muscle, causing it to stop doing its job properly, and now some other muscles are working too hard to pick up the slack, becoming angry and inflamed. She taught me a specific exercise to do, and she's coming over Thursday to make certain I'm doing it cdorrectly. Now I can get better, I'll be able to walk on the beach, or just around the block, and I won't have to bug my friends about giving me rides to her office. Both of these blessings have one main recipient, with many others receiving benefits, too, a happy ripple effect.

Our Week in Eden

There were plenty of fun activities, and good eats, even a restaurant called Eats of Eden that I missed out on this time and would like to go back for, but the highlight of the trip was, tada, spending time with nine very special sweet and lively Washburn children that we don't get to see very often. Colin has promised he'll post some pictures of them (soon). The three of us, Dan, Colin, and I, shared a cabin with Greg's and Neil's families. Of the three cabins we've rented thusfar, this was my favorite by a longshot. It was modern and well furnished and in good repair, with a wonderful deck surrounded by scrub oaks and wildflowers, which were not only attractive to us but to various welcome winged creatures. I heard my first hummingbird ever out on the deck. And there were butterflies and bees too. We spied a few hornets that we made sure to steer clear of. I think they were making a home for themselves in the ski lift swing on the deck, so when the sun woke them up for the day, we vacated the swing until sunset. I spent a few happy hours there reading Miss Hickory, my favorite book from my childhood, to Tori, who is a very good listener and observer of nature. I sent Little House in the Big Woods on CD to Tori, Juli, and Christian so they could enjoy it during their long drive from Denver to Eden/Liberty, Utah and back.. Dan and I listened to The Hunger Games while there. I think it's the first book we've ever read together. Colin heard little snatches of it and is reading it now too. The protagonist is a very strong and competent 16-year-old girl. I asked Dan if he knew girls could be so strong, and he replied, "Yes, .... in a book." From now on, I'll be packing a good book to take along on vacation. We've found that it's important to have some quiet time interspersed with the busy, active times.
Greg brought along his girlfriend, Mae, and we appreciated the cooking and cleaning she did! I told her she made it seem like we'd hired a caterer for the reunion. It's clear she's a very talented and capable young woman, but we pray they will take their time before making any serious long-term plans. Once bitten, twice shy, and we know they've both sustained more than one set of toothmarks. OUCH! Guard your hearts, my friends, guard your hearts! I certainly shall. Greg's little ones buzzed about Mae like bees around clover. She seemed to dote on them, putting the girls' hair in French braids and giving Christian his favorite do, a Mohawk. So cute. ( pictures, Colin, pictures!)

Tuesday: Hike to a waterfall; a wiener roast and smores in North Fork Park; swimming in Pineview reservoir.

Wednesday: We met up with Kimball's and Ethan's families for exploring and picnicking at the cool dinosaur park in Ogden. Then we all went back to the cabin for a baby shower for Neil and Penny, and a pulled pork dinner prepared by Mae, followed by a high-spirited talent show!

Thursday: A visit to Carver's Cove Petting Farm for Greg's gang, and a trip to Les Schwab for a brake job on our car for Dan and me. Can you guess who had more fun.

Friday: Ethan and Missy invited us to meet them at a park in Kaysville for a yummy hamburger and fruit picnic, and lots of cousin time on the playground.

Saturday: Kaden's baptism! A luncheon in Jessica's brother's backyard. Then it was time for a few last pictures and saying goodbye all around.





Afterward, we had nice visits with Alan and Linda Washburn, and Julie and Lonnie Baird, including Liz and Amy and their cute little girls, also Joe, Shonn, Zach and Caleb; and Seth even took a little time to favor us with some banjo picking. And we finally got our paws on one of the famous In and Out Burgers. Colin was a huge help in cleaning the cabin and packing up for the trip home. Once back in Boise, we met Ethan and Missy and family at the cemetery and had a family prayer at Jordan's grave. It was our way of including him in our week of family togetherness. Our missionary, Shane, was remembered in our prayers. We are so grateful all went well, everyone stayed safe, and that most of us would even like to reunite again next year. Now that's what I call a success!

We Have Enjoyed Many Things, and Hope to Be Able to Enjoy All Things This Week

For openers, my birthday was great, made so by kind and caring friends. I won't mention everything, but Erin and Cindy brought a lime cheesecake; Ali and Pam brought balloons and the best chocolate pie I have ever inhaled, um tasted; Kylie and Marie brought flowers, lotion, and candy, Karen helped me with important pre-trip errands, as did JoLyn from afar; Jamie made a cute shirt and shorts set for me; and Gail and Hank left my check for their carpet cleaning job on my counter with "happy birthday Bonnie" written on it! I was spoiled royally! Then Dan, a man of uncommon good sense, let me choose my own gift, a Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker, which will keep the party going year round if we let it. So far I've made strawberry ice cream and Nutella gelato, with coconut, peach, lemon custard, and many more to follow. Next, a friend, Joan, asked me if I'd like to walk with her several mornings a week, and I quickly agreed. I've been praying for someone to walk with for awhile now. On one of said walks, she asked if I'd like to attend the temple with her the next morning. Yes! Another prayer answered. She goes most Saturday mornings at six AM, just perfect for me. I was glad to be able to go before our family reunion begins this week. Bummer news though, I may be forced to give up the walks. My left hip is killing me. Blind AND lame is a bit much, don't you think? I hate going to doctors more than anyone I know. Well, maybe make that second to Dan. But this is pretty nearly insufferable, and will make things difficult for me when I'm tramping ( more like limping) around with the grandchildren.. I'm praying it resolves without medical intervention.

Thanks to Colin, we also had the pleasure of meeting some nice young people last weekend. A former missionary companion of Colin's, his wife, and his brother stayed with us for a couple of nights. They were like comedians, had me laughing almost every time they opened their mouths. Good luck to you Mikey and Kim, and Joey Geurts! You are so cool! The first locking and break dancers I've ever met.

Marie and I had a little party for our Primary class last Thursday. We linked a good assortment of party games with stories from the Old Testamant, and served our idea of bible era foods - grape juice, homemade round loaves of bread, honey butter, cheese and olives, honey almonds, and, fruit kebabs. With that over, we are now bound for a whole lot of family fun, a baby shower, and a baptism in Utah. Neil and Penny are expecting twins next February! And Kade just turned eight! Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll see ya soon.

RHS 10 Year Class Reunion

The Royal High School class of 2000 is holding a reunion today. Jared Sprague, a friend and classmate of Jordan's, put together this memorial for him. Thank you, Jared.

Reliving the Fourth

My patriotic spirits ran especially high in July of 2006. I was reading David McCullough's excellent book about our founding father, John Adams, and as far as I knew, all was well in my little corner of the world. On the evening of the Fourth, I settled into my new patio swing, determined to finish the book before the dawn's early light. Colin and Shane were out with their friends, Dan was tinkering around on the computer in the family room, and Jordan was out in the game room, the pleasant sound of his music occasionally drifting through the open sliding glass door to my appreciative ears. From time to time, he'd wander out onto the patio and sit beside me on the swing for awhile, describing the colors of the distant neighborhood fireworks we heard going off all around us, or just talking. The night was beautiful, quiet now, peaceful and still. The air was warm, perfectly comfortable, a deep sense of contentment surrounded me, and I felt no need for sleep.. So on the patio I stayed, all night. At sunrise, Jordan came out for another chat, describing the shyest shades of pink, peache, and violet, transforming into bright bold stripes and swirls of red, orange, and [purple. This is a gift I will always treasure. It was the last Fourth of July I was ever able to spend with my son Jordan, and in a few weeks, he would be leaving to begin his life with Brianna in China. He felt he had to keep it a secret from us, afraid we would somehow prevent him from going. His unexpected departure, though hard to bear at the time, turned out to be a very good move, a blessing, for all concerned. For Jordan, because he made many friends there and got to learn about another culture, and most of all, because he and Brianna were married and had almost a year and a half of living on their own together there. I have never seen a young couple who were so in love as they were, and who enjoyed each other's company so much. Their marriage also made it possible for Brianna to become a legal resident of this country, and she says she greatly prefers living here to living in China. She was an angel of mercy to him during his last five months upon this earth. Whether He gets credit for it or not, I believe Heavenly Father's hand was in the details. After Jordan was taken from us, it was an immense comfort to be able to assist her as she gradually regained her footing and made her way along a new path. We cried together, we laughed together, in a way we were even sort of reborn together. In many ways, we are no longer the people we were on that July Fourth. The question is, are we better than we were then? I hope so, but ulltimately, I await my Father's judgment on that matter.

This Fourth finds me again reading a book about the Revolutionary War. It's called Stories of Georgia, and it's by Joel Chandler Harris, bettr known for his Uncle Remus stories. Last year we were in Denver, having dinner and doing fireworks with Greg and his three little kittens, and Penny and Neil. Two years ago, Brianna and I went walking through the neighborhood just to have something to do. It was a dark time despite the rockets' red glare. The year before that, Dan and Shane and I drove the 10 or 15 miles to Eagle Island State Park and watched the big fireworks display out there. We talked about bringing Jordan and Brianna there with us next summer. At that time, the summer of 2007, they were already applying for a visa for Brianna, and looking to enroll at Boise State University in the fall of 2008. Just goes to show, you never know what the next year will bring. So, make sure to have a happy Independence Day this year, July 4th, 2010, and let your children, well everyone in your family, know how much you love them!

Welcome Aboard

Aw, who needs pictures anyway? Seems I'm not a very good photographer, so we'll just proceed without them. For starters, Dan and I flew to Seattle, then met up with a group of folks rounded up by Julie and Lonnie for an unforgettable Alaskan adventure, then traveled by chartered bus to a port in Vancouver B.C. for embarcation. No dragging our luggage along with us from bus to ship, the cruise line takes care of all that for the pasengers, delivering it right to our stateroom. With 1 crew member for every 3 passengers, the service is outstanding. Fresh towels daily, chocolates and a list of the next day's activities left for us nightly, and a very polite and friendly room steward assigned to look after us for the entire week, left no doubt that we weren't in Boise anymore. We were realy and truly sailing on a luxury ocean liner, complete with 5 or 6 formal dining rooms, a casual buffet, several swimming pools and other sports and fitness facilities, spa, casino, night clubs, theater, shops, entertainers, and a naturalist to educate us and point out the wildlife we'd be encountering throughout our journey. We particularly enjoyed learning from him about humpback whales, orcas, sea otters, seals, sea lions, puffins and other birds, bears, and glaciers too. We've always been drawn to nature shows on the Discovery and National Geographic channels, but to actually be there in person to see and hear it firsthand is more of a thrill than we had even expected. Think about this: a sailing university! What a concept. I bet we'd see more kids enrolling in college and staying on board long enough to earn a degree if such a program existed. Several of us were brainstorming ideas on careers we could pursue in order to sail the world as we earned our daily bread. Pretty cushy work place that would be.
We picked up a few mementos in Ketchikan, our first port of call, which we were told is usually very rainy. But on the day we were there the skies were clear and the temperature was mild. We were eager for our second port of call in Juneau, where we visited with Dan's brother Robyn and his wife Candy and family for a couple of hours. Neither of us knew the other was booking a cruise to Alaska at the time we were making our plans back in March. We only found out in May, and made arrangements then to meet in Juneau. We ran into them again briefly the following day at our third port of call in Skagway. Dan and I thought our fare of $226 for the two of us on the Yukon Railroad to White Pass was almost as steep as the terrain we traversed, but when we considered that Rob shelled out over a thousand dollars for the same trip for his family, we felt we hadn't done too badly after all. It really was a blessing to have two of my sisters, Jenny and Julie, and brother-in-law Lonnie aboard the ship with us, and then to be able to see Robyn and Candy, too, was just that much more frosting on the big old blessing cake.

I especially delighted in our two days in Glacier Bay and College Fjord. The diversity of the Lord's creations upon this planet is astounding.. I want to know more, to hear more, to feel more, and that means I have to travel more. And Dan wants to, too! He definitely didn't expect to enjoy this trip as much as he did. But on the second day, when he started talking about ways we could tighten our belts and increase our savings so that we could take another cruise to Alaska, I knew he was hooked. Going on to Anchorage, and hurriedly taking in a few of its offerings like the tram at the Alyeska ski resort, the Wildlife Conservancy, the Native Heritage center, the downtown open air market where we found our best souvenir, a reindeer pelt, and listening to our chartered bus driver's descriptions of life in the Last Frontier,, the forget-me-not state, further convinced us to start planning a return trip to the wild and beautiful land of Alaska right away. Hey friends, pinch those pennies and come with us. You know it's true: The more the merrier.

Glacier Bay Holiday

Dan and I, along with Jenny, Julie and Lonnie, and the rest of our group had a wonderful, wonderful time in Alaska last week. I'm waiting for help with pictures of our trip before I post much about it, but I don't have to wait to share this video of a calving glacier in Glacier Bay. It was shot a couple of weeks before our arrival,, but Julie told me it looks exactly like the ones we saw from our ship in the same place on June 10th. Depending on their size, the huge chunks of ice sound like either gunshots or thunder as they break away from the main glacier. Listening to the excitement of the crowd gathered on deck to witness the calving reminded me of a Fourth of July fireworks show. Only this time it was an awesome iceworks display.

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Y'all Be Good Now

And if you are really really good, I'll bring you back a treat. Dan and I head out tomorrow for a fun vacation, leaving Colin and a couple of his friends to hold down the fort in our absence. Heigh ho, we're ready to go!

My Brother's War with CLL

It was intense. He was diagnosed when he was still in his twenties. He fought long and hard because he had so much of life ahead of him. His fighting spirit was certainly not transmitted to me. I couldn't endure what he went through. He died 8 years ago today. His daughter, Lisa, wrote the following account.
Little Lovables

A Week's Worth

Friday: Annual PCP appointment. All good except white blood count. Apparently am out of remission. Darn. Just means closer monitoring for now. Normal range roughly 4.5 - 10.5 or so. My WBC was 16.2. Didn't need treatment before till it was around 60-70. All is calm, all is bright.
Saturday: Rain rain rain.
Sunday: Rick and JoLyn arrived. One of Shane's good friends, Stewart Wayment, soon to depart for his mission in Peru, unexpectedly arrived and was happily welcomed.
Monday: JoLyn's legendary organizing skills were put to good use in Brianna's vacated bedroom. Then Dan and Rick went exploring while JoLyn and I shopped up a whirlwind. Ready for the Alaskan cruise, with brand-new luggage even. JoLyn improved my recent haircut. Mammogram at four o'clock.
Tuesday: Funny call from Greg, describing many fun and hilarious activities with the kids meeting his talented girlfriend, Mae, for the first time. She's a singer-songwriter, guitar-playing, seamstress, cake decorating wonder!
Wednesday: Lovely sterling silver necklace Mother's Day gift arrives in the mail from The Vintage Pearl, hand-stamped with the names of my favorite seven sons. Also Neil's birthday.
Thursday: Lively book club tonight.

Young Joseph

When JoLyn and Lisa were shopping in TriCities a few weeks ago, they came upon a picture of Shane in the LDS bookstore. It's called "I Saw a Light" and the artist is John McNaughton. JoLyn bought it, knowing I would want it, and added it to my tab. She showed it to Rick and asked him who it looked like. "Shane Washburn," was his immediate reply. I phoned my trusty describer, Julie, and asked her to find it online and let me know if she agreed with them. She did and she did. Julie then located another picture by the same artist called "Let Him Ask of God." I now have that one waiting for me at our local bookstore. They're both perfect for a room we'll be redecorating in a sort of early New York/Joseph Smith era theme over the next few months. It's so awesome that the Joseph of the pictures looks like our very own Shane, whose middle name is Joseph, and who's serving a mission in New York at this very time, and, who just completed his first six months in the mission field!

To celebrate, I'll copy and paste part of an email he sent on May 3rd, wherein he shared a persona linsight with us. I consider it a great blessing when we get to learn from our children. He wrote:
My companion has a saying he likes to say every once in a while which is, "You are who you want to be." I suppose much of the
time, I get stuck in a pattern of thought that if I live and float and try to make
good decisions with the things that are presented to me, then things will work out
and I will be good, and good things will happen, and I will float slowly down a river
of goodness. But I have been realizing more and more that what my companion says
is completely true. If we want to become something, we have to work so we can achieve it.
I forget where, but I read a scripture that said that all the blessings we get, and
everything we attain to depends on our efforts. It basically said that we are what
we choose to be through our actions and efforts. My Branch President also told me
that if a person is thirsty, he buys water and drinks the water. If you want a baptism,
or if you want to achieve some characteristic, you go and you start the steps
to develop that particular attribute you want. The "go-gettiveness" is what separates
the awesome people from the good/all right people. There are tons of people that have
the same knowledge, but unless they act, they learn nothing. Elder Crump was telling
me about one of his brothers who returned from his mission. Before the mission he
was kind of lazy and didn't really have anything he was good at. After the mission
he came back, and whenever he saw something he thought was cool he would plan to
start learning how to do the cool stuff, like learning to use a yo-yo
or playing guitar. He acted on all the things he wanted to and as he acted on those
impulses he gained the knowledge to do those things and he developed more talents.
If you want something, you go and you do it. If repentance is making a change in
ourselves, and we are not supposed to procrastinate the day of our repentance, we
learn that we need to, as soon as we see something we would like to change, to start
working on it immediately. If we have a hobby we want to do, or a relationship
we want to build, or a career we want to pursue, the only way to achieve those things
is to seek for them and to act.

I think our youngest is growing up into a fine young man. Which reminds me, Neil used to have a nickname for Colin or Shane when they were small fry. He called whoever it was young Jonah. I think Greg got in on that too. They liked to play with and sometimes even tease their little brothers back in the day. Whether we call him young Jonah, or young Joseph, this stalwart young man is a youngster no more.

Thumbs Up

Thumbs up for my 2010 Mother's Day! Roses and lilies, a yummy steak dinner, phone calls from some very special men, extraordinarily pretty cards, and a surprise gift still on its way. What a great big bouquet of blessings. Thank you, dear family.

Thumbs up on the creative writing skills of Shannon Hale! I enjoyed Princess Academy and plan to read The Goose Girl this summer. But, well, I can't recommend her book, The Actor and the Housewife. When a character has to wrestle that much with whether she's being faithful and true to her husband, the answer in my mind is a resounding no, no, no! Becky Jack, the Mormon housewife, is portrayed as having such a big, big heart and enlightened mind that she can love her husband completely and still talk on the phone almost every day at times, and sometimes all night, go on vacations, and be huggy-wuggy with her "best friend" Felix, the fabulously rich, talented, and handsome actor. He was sort of like a fairy godmother. Need any little old thing? Well, call Felix, or maybe that should be Fixix. Parts of the story were fun, but a lot of it seemed to be a creepy rationalization for emotional adultery at the very least, and maybe much, much more. Although if anyone suggested such a thing in the book, it was only because they were narrow-minded and judgmental. Sorry, this one's a thums down. Anyone else read it? What'd you think? It has mixed reviews on amazon.com, with 4 and 5 star ratings making up a little over 50% of them. Our book club discussion on this one is sure to be lively. Nice clip of Shannon Hale here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gppPUxebM18

And last, thumbs up on a few quotes from a great wife and mother, Marjorie Pay Hinckley!

"Be a Mother who is committed to loving her children into standing on higher ground than the environment surrounding them. Mother's are endowed with a love that is unlike any other love on the face of the earth."

"The family is eternal. Love must be nurtured. It must be spoken. We must put away our pride, our haughtiness, our shyness, our misunderstandings, and with humility say, "I love you. Is there something I can do to help you?" You can never be completely happy under any other circumstances."

"We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are."

"Home is where you are loved the most and act the worst."

"Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

"The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days, waiting for better ones ahead."

"We are all in this together. We need each other. Oh, how we need each other. Those of us who are old need you who are young, and hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old... We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other. These friendships are a necessary source of sustenance. We need to renew our faith every day. We need to lock arms and help build the kingdom so that it will roll forth and fill the whole earth."

"As we got closer to marriage, I felt completely confident that Gordon loved me. But I also knew somehow that I would never come first with him. I knew I was going to be second in his life and that the Lord was going to be first. And that was okay. It seemed to me that if you understood the gospel and the purpose of our being here, you would want a husband who put the Lord first."

"The grand and the simple. They are equally wonderful."

"There are some years in our lives that we would not want to live again. But even these years will pass away, and the lessons learned will be a future blessing."

"The thing about growing old is that when you wake up with a new pain, you can just about count on it becoming a permanent part of your life!"

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed some-one's garden.

I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

"Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, "We are here in mortality, and the only way to go is through; there isn't any around!" I would add, the only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache."

"Think about your particular assignment at this time in your life. It may be to get an education, it may be to rear children, it may be to be a grandparent, it may be to care for an relieve the suffering of someone you love, it may be to do a job in the most excellent way possible, it may be to support someone who has a difficult assignment of their own. Our assignments are varied and they change from time to time. Don't take them lightly. Give them your full heart and energy. Do them with enthusiasm. Do whatever you have to do this week with your whole heart and soul. To do less than this will leave you with an empty feeling."

"I know it is hard for you young mothers to believe that almost before you can turn around the children will be gone and you will be alone with your husband. You had better be sure you are developing the kind of love and friendship that will be delightful and enduring. Let the children learn from your attitude that he is important. Encourage him. Be kind. It is a rough world, and he, like everyone else, is fighting to survive. Be cheerful. Don't be a whiner."

"With intellectual curiosity the world will always be full of magic and wonder."

The Thoughts in My Head Go Round and Round

Round and round,
Round and round....
It doesn't take much to get me singing, and that sounds like a fine song title to me. :) It's true though, a lot's been going on around here, mostly in the windmills of my mind.
First up, Primary. I'm still loving it. I love the children, love the leaders and Marie, my co-teacher, and I love looking for ways to keep the children engaged with the lessons. I'm not so hot with visual aids, and since Brianna's been gone there's been a real dearth of them in our class. But on Saturday, Julie sent me a link for an Old Testament era man, and Dan and Colin printed, colored, and glued them onto craft sticks so that we could have Joseph and his 11 brothers there with us on Sunday. The brothers had to do a repentance dance after they sold Joseph to the merchant men and lied to their Father concerning his whereabouts. I resisted the urge to use music from the Dreamcoat, and found a more appropriate Janice Kapp Perry song instead. When in doubt leave it out, I always say. But we're talking about getting together to watch the Dreamcoat DVD, Marie, Ally, Madison, Marinda, Nate, Doug, Andrew, Makhyla, and I. The BSU LDS Institute is putting on The Ark in a few weeks, so perhaps we'll encourage our class to go to that too. I saw it years ago in UT, with Kimball and Jessica (and Michael McLean), and it was wonderful! I'm looking forward to seeing it again, this time with Dan, who is not looking forward to seeing it in the slightest. ;) A good friend with a great voice, Evan Darrington, who graduated with Shane, is in it, and I love to hear him sing.
Second, most everyone's heard of the law of the harvest, right? But what about the law of recompense? I just learned of it today during my scripture time. I was studying Mosiah 19 with the help of http://www.gospeldoctrine.comm/, when I came across this:
( The greatest difference between the death of Abinadi and the death of Noah can be found in the following scripture, those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them; and they that die not in me, wo unto them, for their death is bitter (DC 42:46-7). Thus, the justice of God renders Noah his due reward. “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him (Proverbs 26:27). God has promised to ‘recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man’ (D&C 1:10). ‘I will visit upon you the evil of your doings’ (Jeremiah 23:2), he promised; ‘and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations' (Ezekiel 7:3). ‘It is a righteous thing with God,' Paul wrote, ‘to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you’ (2 Thessalonians1:6). Kings and kingdoms, the great and the small, all are subject to the law of recompense by a just God who either in this life or the world to come balances all accounts (see Jeremiah 25:14; Jeremiah 50:29; Ezekiel 7:9).” (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 2, p. 268)

I'm 58 years old, and I keep learning new things all the time! I looked up other scriptures on the term "recompense", and I've about decided that the law of the harvest and the law of recompense are the same law. When Shane and I opined about it in today's missionary emails, he wrote that it was a "comfortingly threatening" law. Good description, Shanestar!

Third, books, books, and more books. I just finished Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy. I enjoyed it, but probably won't recommend it to either of the book clubs. I like cooking, and I come from Irish stock, so it was fun to read about Irish caterers. the ending was great, the plot was a hearty stew of likeable folks, but overall, it was just ok for me. Another book I thought I'd loathe was More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon. It's a ghost story, of all things. I don't like ghosts or vampires, no matter how popular they become, so it was a surprise to end up really enjoying this book, a cautionary tale if I've ever met one. One passage struck me especially, the one where a young, headstrong girl, Claris, announces her engagement, and refuses to let her parents discuss any of their concerns with her. Usually, in fiction and in our imagination, true love wins the day. But not in this case. Not in this case at all! Next up on my reading list is The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. And no, it's not a new career field I'm considering. If I find anything objectionable in it, I won't even bother to finish it. But Shane did say that it sounds like a good choice, what with my stash of guns and past shooting classes. :)

Wayne Dyer Is Wrong About CLL

I just paid a visit to the CLL Christian Friends site I belong to, and Randy, a fellow CLLer, posted the following comment today. He found it in Parade magazine.
Dr. Wayne Dyer's Diagnosis
Q How is motivational guru Dr. Wayne Dyer doing since being diagnosed with cancer?--Joe De Laigle, Newport News, Va.
A "I don't think of it as cancer," Dyer, 69, says. "It's chronic lymphocytic leukemia, not life-threatening, and it's been a great blessing in my life. We're all infinite spiritual beings having a temporary human experience. Find that within yourself."
What an idiot.
*end of Randy's post*

I know that there are indolent forms of CLL, ones that never progress to become symptomatic. But I saw my own father and brother lose their lives to CLL, as well as many of my CLL friends on the aforementioned forum. So while I hope Mr. Dyer's CLL remains inactive, I know that not everyone is so fortunate. That is all.
Note: For up-to-date, accurate information on CLL, visit
http://clltopics.org/index.php

The Winds of Change

I feel the winds of change blowing my way. And they feel good! This time last year our youngest was a month away from high school graduation. Now he's on a mission, and doing so great. I remember feeling sad as we walked across the parking lot to Shane's graduation a year ago, and Dan saying that we just needed to plan things for us to do together, and shift our focus just a little bit. And so we have. We've gone out together more during this past year than the previous few years combined. We're going on a little business trip this weekend, on an Alaskan cruise in June, and we're spending a week with several of our sons and their families in a cabin in Eden, UT, in July. If all goes well, we'll see the other sons and their fams, too, while we're looking for adventure in the Beehive state.. I want to go to Pine View Reservoir, and Goblin Valley, and lots more while we're there. Suggestions welcome! Ah, but just to be in Eden sounds blissful. My friend told me about a cool dinosaur park near Ogden, and my sister mentioned a fun museum for kids near there, too, the Treehouse Museum, I think.

These are a few of the things I'll be thinking of while I weed my already too weedy garden. I can hardly believe how quickly the weeds take off and get away from me every year! But I am ready to do battle, starting today. Dan and I couldn't resist buying a few beddding plants on Saturday, just basil and tomatoes, but others will soon follow. Brianna invited the three of us over for dinner recently, and it was a sweet experience to have her show me around her new little home. She showed me every room, every picture on the wall, made tea for us after dinner in her authentic Chinese tea service. She and Jason joined forces to serve up a very tasty meal, and it was altogether a very peaceful and pleasant evening....except when the cat jumped up on the table in front of me. Yuck, cats in the kitchen!

I used to be a huge fan of cats. I remember thinking my Daddy was meaner than mean when he spirited some new kittens away from us when we were children. But my adult years convinced me he was right! Not for everyone, surely, but for me, a person who can't detect and thus prevent some of their wily ways. I know Neil and Penny have a lot of fun with their cats, and it's cute to hear Neil describe their antics. Oh, but I recall a cat poking his head into a bowl of food I was feeding Kimball when he was a baby, and I was appalled. It was peas and carrots, for goodness sake, nothing a cat should be remotely interested in. On another occasion, my busy mother-in-law was thawing some steaks on her kitchen counter, and I heard one of her cats jump up on the counter to help itself to a gourmet meal. The splat the steak made on the kitchen floor when it jumped back down still makes me shudder. Forget those sneaky cats though, the winds of change are ruffling the pages on another book, and rustling the weeds in my would-be garden. Which to choose? I'll postpone the choice for one more moment while I thank JoLyn and Lisa for helping to update my wardrobe last week. JoLyn shopped for me in WA, and Lisa brought her findings bby on her way to UT. Then she waited while I had my own little fashion show, all the while supplying good descriptions and recommendations. I ended up keeping 9 of the 15 items JoLyn selected for me to try on.. Thanks for making my life easier and more fun, and giving me a taste of the Royal treatment again! I miss you guys so much! We like Boise a lot, but it's not quite Royal City. I guess it's another of those changes I'm talking about.

Happy Transplant Day to Terry!

Dear Terry and Elaine,
We're following your transplant story from your blog, and our love and prayers are constantly with you. What a wonderful day this is! Some call it a new birthday, the first day of a life without CLL/SLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia / small cell lymphocytic lymphoma). Kudos to both of you, a caring and courageous couple, who've spent your days doing good to so many. May all the good come back to you now, a hundred times over!
Love,
The Washburn Family

More Angels

That's how I feel about those who show up for book club, after I've spent the afternoon slaving over straightening up and setting up for the event. At one point, I thought to myself, "I am never doing this again!" But to my profound relief, everything went fabulously, and I know I'll be happy to take my turn at hosting again ... in a few more months.

I jumped on the candy buffet bandwagon, although admittedly mine was a mini version of the grand spreads found at wedding receptions. We had dried blueberries and cherries for a little healthier choice, lemon heads, peach rings and Ttwizzlers for sugarsugar, peanuts and chocolate-covered almonds for the nuts among us, chocolate-covered pomegranantes for the sophisticated (like me), and gummi frogs were the piece de resistance. Only readers of the book, Dark Angel, will know why frogs were given this honor.

Book clubs seem to be proliferating lately. Why do you think that is? I think it's because of the surprising insights we gain from fellow readers. someone invariably picks up things we overlooked entirely, or interprets events in a way we hadn't considered, adding to our appreciation of the author and the story, and of one another. There's also the unforseen turns discussions take that make every gathering unique. It wasn't much of a surprise that this book led us to discuss our personal feelings on polygamy, whether we felt we would participate in it, etc., but no one expected to receive advice on whether to pay the extra fee for an expedited passsport, or to discuss the question of one's post-resurrection gender. At book club, you never know what you'll eat, hear, say, or learn. So far for me, it's all been good.

Dark Angel

I belong to two book clubs, both quite different from one another, and both a pleasure to be part of. One is made up of women of a similar age, and of course that's somewhat of a unifying factor. The second one just formed a few months ago. Most of the women are quite a bit younger than I am, and they really know how to carry on a lively discussion. .Staci, who told us she reads about a book a day, recently revealed to us, upon close questioning, that she earned two bachelor's degrees, one in psychology and one in history. She recommended Dark Angel by Robert Kirby, a book I'd never heard of, for this month's read. And what a wild read it is! Amid all the cussin'', shootin', lyin' and spyin, and downright irreverent humor, Kirby spins an engaging story that teaches a powerful lesson about the worth of every soul. He lays open the hearts and motivations of the characters to us, exposing them as they really are. Some of them are good, some are silly, some are confused and hurting, angry and vengeful, cruel and evil, and others are full of love and integrity. Wouldn't it come in handy to be able to get a peek into someone's heart in real life at times? What was even more fascinating than that though, was the way it made me look into my own heart. I caught glimpses of myself at various stages of my life in several of the characters. How the author managed to do that, I cannot even guess. I gained insight into myself as a child, as a mother with a young family, then a woman with teens, and beyond, right up to the present. I have to wait till Thursday night to find out if the others experienced anything like this. Were they only entertained, or did they learn something about what makes us who and what we are? I can't remember taking a book so personally before. Maybe it just came along at the right time for me. The craziest thing of all is that I feel a little more like I imagine Heavenly Father must feel when He looks down upon His Children. He sees what is really happening, and why it's happening that way. He sees the whole story. We never do. We're in the dark so much of the time. Actions that look meaningless and pointless to us, He understands completely. He knows the right and the wrong of every situation. Probably never even intending to, Mr. Robert Kirby's book left me with a strong message that my Father KNOWS. He knows it all! And I absolutely love knowing that.

Wherein I Interview Prophets

Ok, it's easy to tell brevity hasn't been my forte in sharing conference highlights thusfar. But wait till you see this! They're not even highlights, they're sparks. I ask a question, and then let a prophet reply!
Q: Elder Packer, there's much to worry about in the world right now. Is there cause for hope?
A: "We can and in due time certainly will influence all of humanity. It will be known who we are and why we are. It might seem hopeless; it is monumentally difficult; but it is not only possible but certain that we will win the battle against Satan."

Q: Hurray! How do you recommend we proceed?
A: "While the priesthood is presently all over the world, we call on every elder and high priest, every holder of the priesthood to stand, like Gideon’s small but powerful force of 300, in his own place. We now must awaken in every elder and high priest, in every quorum and group, and in the father of every home the power of the priesthood of the Almighty. We need everyone. The tired or worn out or lazy and even those who are bound down with guilt must be restored through repentance and forgiveness. Too many of our priesthood brethren are living below their privileges and the Lord’s expectations. We must go forward, confident of the supernal power of the priesthood. It is a source of strength and encouragement to know who we are and what we have and what we must do in the work of the Almighty."

Q: Thank you, Elder Packer. Your words are of value to men and women alike.
Now, Elder Eyring, you told us about a time when your little son was lost, and how grateful you were for those who rescued him then, and later in life too. So teaching and rescuing children is what we should all be doing?
A: "Our most important and powerful assignments are in the family. They are important because the family has the opportunity at the start of a child’s life to put feet firmly on the path home. Parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles are made more powerful guides and rescuers by the bonds of love that are the very nature of a family."
Q: Are there others who can help in the teaching of our children?
A: "The family has an advantage in the first eight years of a child’s life. In those protected years, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Satan’s use of the mists of darkness to hide the path to return home is blocked. In those precious years the Lord helps families by calling Primary workers to help strengthen children spiritually."
Q: Thank you for showing us how even more rescuers are placed along the path to guide and protect the rising generation. What are our chances for success?
A: "I promise each of you, as you follow inspired direction in this, the true Church of Jesus Christ, that our youth and we who help and love them can be delivered safely to our home with Heavenly Father and the Savior to live in families and in joy forever. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
Q: Amen! That's a promise I hope to see fulfilled!
Elder Ballard, you spoke in great detail to mothers and daughters. I know your words are true, because I have a great mom who taught her five daughters (and two sons) by word and example. And happily, after a few bumps along the way, all of us remain faithful to them. By the way, her birthday is tomorrow, April 10th, although she's no longer with us. Would you care to add anything more about the family in general?
A: "I conclude my counsel with this prophetic summary from President Joseph F. Smith: “Our [family] associations are not exclusively intended for this life, for time, as we distinguish it from eternity. We live for time and for eternity. We form associations and relations for time and all eternity. . . . Who are there besides the Latter-daySaints who contemplate the thought that beyond the grave we will continue in the family organization? the father, the mother, the children recognizing each other. . . ? this family organization being a unit in the great and perfect organization of God’s work, and all destined to continue throughout time and eternity?”
Q: Actually, I know others besides the LDS who believe in continued family life, but they don't understand that it can't happen without faithful obedience, and making and keeping temple covenants. Even some members don't seem to understand that parents are parents forever, and an eternal family is made up of many generations, not just their immediate family. Don't they realize their children will grow up and have their own families too, and they will still be a part of the whole? I don't know how it works, this thing called exaltation, but I will trust that it does work, and that Father will show us how in His own due time. I do have a theory or two though. Ask me later. But now, let's get back to our interview.
Elder Bednar, I believe you have some inspired teaching to help us with our families?
A: "I pray for the guidance of the Holy Ghost as I describe a spiritual early warning system that can help parents in Zion to be watchful and discerning concerning their children. This early warning system applies to children of all ages and contains three basic components: (1) reading and talking about the Book of Mormon with your children, (2) bearing testimony of gospel truths spontaneously with your children, and (3) inviting children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon. Parents who do these things faithfully will be blessed to recognize early signals of spiritual growth in or challenges with their children and be better prepared to receive inspiration to strengthen and help those children."
Q: I'm not sure I understand. Can you elaborate a little more?
A: "As parents and gospel instructors, you and I are not in the business of distributing fish; rather, our work is to help our children learn “to fish” and to become spiritually steadfast. This vital objective is best accomplished as we encourage our children to act in accordance with correct principles —as we help them to learn by doing. “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God” (John 7:17). Such learning requires spiritual, mental, and physical exertion and not just passive reception. Inviting children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon builds on reading and talking about the Book of Mormon and bearing testimony spontaneously in the home.
Imagine, for example, a family home evening in which children are invited and expected to come prepared to ask questions about what they are reading and learning in the Book of Mormon —or about an issue that recently was emphasized in a gospel discussion or spontaneous testimony in the home. And imagine further that the children ask questions the parents are not prepared adequately to answer. Some parents might be apprehensive about such an unstructured approach to home evening. But the best family home evenings are not necessarily the product of preprepared, purchased, or downloaded packets of outlines and visual aids. What a glorious opportunity for family members to search the scriptures together and to be tutored by the Holy Ghost."

Q: Thank you, Elder Bednar. I hope I'm able to talk with a few more apostles later. But I think I've probably overstayed my welcome. Now it's time to bake banana nut bread. Dan requested it this morning, and I think I should have some ready and waiting for him when he comes home. Don't you? Mmmmmmm

Boy Do I Ever Need Marshmallows!

In the 1960s, a professor at Stanford University began a modest experiment testing the willpower of four-year-old children. He placed before them a large marshmallow and then told them they could eat it right away or, if they waited for 15 minutes, they could have two marshmallows. He then left the children alone and watched what happened behind a two-way mirror. Some of the children ate the marshmallow immediately; some could wait only a few minutes before giving in to temptation. Only 30 percent were able to wait. It was a mildly interesting experiment, and the professor moved on to other areas of research, for, in his own words, “there are only so many things you can do with kids trying not to eat marshmallows.” But as time went on, he kept track of the children and began to notice an interesting correlation: the children who could not wait struggled later in life and had more behavioral problems, while those who waited tended to be more positive and better motivated, have higher grades and incomes, and have healthier relationships. What started as a simple experiment with children and marshmallows became a landmark study suggesting that the ability to wait — to be patient— was a key character trait that might predict later success in life.
Me: Do you think as a 4-year-old, you would have waited the 15 minutes? For a marshmallow, I think I would have. But if it had been chocolate, I'm not nearly so sure. Chocolate and marshmalows aside, what I really need is a big portion of patience. And Elder Uchtdorf has some welcome help for me. Here's a little bit more of it:
patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace. ...
Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well! Impatience, on the other hand, is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all-too-prevalent condition called “center of the universe” syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role. ...
I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain. Brigham Young taught that when something came up which he could not comprehend fully, he would pray to the Lord, “Give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself.”5 And then Brigham would continue to pray until he could comprehend it. We must learn that in the Lord’s plan, our understanding comes “line upon line, precept upon precept.” In short, knowledge and understanding come at the price of patience. Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can’t see the Lord’s hand in our lives until long after trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity, understanding, and happiness. ...
And again, there's much more. If you could use more patience in your life, read more about it here:
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1207-20,00.html