Testimony

Today I am grateful for so much.   I need to record my many blessings.  
1.  Thankful for fun dinner dates with my husband and friends
2.  That we have late church and I can sleep in because of the late dinner date.
3.  The internet that allows me to find Choir music for Easter Sunday
4.  A ward organist so I am not singing a Capella.
5.  All of the worthy priesthood holders on my side and Dan's side of our families.
6.  Flowers especially the Forget Me Not
7.  technology that keeps communication and learning open long distance.

Today was a good day and even though there were trying situations tonight made it all worth it.   I love Grandma Janice and her ability to uplift and strengthen me.  When I grow up I want to be just like her.  I love and miss her and grandpa every day.  Just grateful I can still communicate with her and have the means to do so.   

 I witnessed a baby blessing that was so different from last weeks baby blessing of Hayden, I was so humbled and grateful for the wonderful blessing of honorable worthy priesthood holders on both sides of our families.  There is power in the priesthood.   I am so grateful that is surrounds me and my family.   I have much to be grateful on this beautiful Spring fast Sunday. 

My testimony is that the power of the priesthood is so amazing and I am grateful for its blessing in my life.   I am grateful for our Savior who lived and died for us.   For the love of our Savior and our Father in Heaven.   The knowledge I have of this beautiful plan that if I choose to follow will bring me peace and joy beyond my earthy comprehension.  In the Name of Jesus Christ Amen.

BirthWEEK

A Long time ago I started having Birthweeks instead of Birthdays.   This year was no exception.  Sunday March 11, Madison and I celebrated at Grandpa and Grandma Woodlands,   Madison requested crab legs and much to everyone's surprise we got them.   We also had shrimp, and salmon.  Susan made me a purse out of fabric it is adorable.   Thursday night Tina and her family stopped by with a little birthday wish since we would be gone on my birthday.   Then on Friday the 16th which is the actual day of my birth we had a rodeo in Tooele so we were on the rode.   My mom and dad drove up to spend the day with us and support the boys.   My mom gave me an adorable apron and necklace and my favorite oatmeal cake with german chocolate frosting.    The rodeo went way late much to my husbands dismay he got balloons, cake, and ice cream with a card for a one day shopping trip with him.     He planned on having a little get together after the rodeo but time and weather were not conducive to his plans.   He tried and then was frustrated that things did not work out.   I spent the night at Becky and Trevor's.   Brinley and Rylon got to spend Friday and Saturday with us it was a lot of fun.   They are adorable and I could steal them if their mom and dad would let them.   The next day was just as long as the day before we did sneak in some cake and ice cream just not enough for the amount he bought so I sent it Tues night for the Young Men to finish up.   I am really trying to stay away from the sugars I know they make me sick and so I am trying to be good.   Sunday I got another gift from Susan because we didn't make it home for the party with Madison and Kathryn.    Sunday was not a celebration for me but non the less we had a celebration for Hayden's blessing.   Monday night my sister Brenda did dinner and a cake for me.   She has really developed a cake decorating talent.    She did my cake in my favorite color purple and I would say it is the fanciest cake she has done to date.   It was vanilla with a Orange Butter Cream frosting.   It was really good.   I feel bad that I didn't clue in that she was having a surprise party and invited my brother and his girl friend and my mom and dad up for dinner.  By Monday night I was partied out.   I might have to cut back on so many birthday parties and cakes it wears a girl out.   


PS.   I had to add a little side note.   See the cast on Madison's arm.  Ya this is a story that needs to be told so I am copy and pasting from her moms blog.  in February Madison got her first broken arm. She went with her Aunt Uncle and Cousins ice skating and fell on the Ice:( Lisa called a warned me of what had happened, but felt like she was OK. Madison can be way dramatic so you never know if she is really hurt or not:) So we decided to not say anything about it unless she brought it up. The first thing out of her mouth with tears was I really hurt my arm. Brett and I looked at it. It didn't seem swollen and she could move it etc. But she said it really hurt. So we being the great parents we are sent her to get in the bath and soak it in hot water and move it around a little and with Motrin it would be better by morning:) Not the way it panned out. Since Hayden was born she liked to go get him out of bed and snuggle with him while I got ready. She went to pick him up and couldn't. And she tried to hold on to her water bottle and couldn't squeeze her hand to hold it. So off to the Dr. we go. He comes in and looks at it moves it around and says I don't think it's broken but lets do an x-ray anyway to make sure. I was feeling kind of silly taking her in, but I thought it would relieve some drama from her knowing it wasn't broken. Sure enough he came back and said I was wrong it is broken. What????? Madison immediately started to cry as if that meant they would have to cut her arm off:) I am telling you DRAMA!!! We took her to another room and he put a soft cast on it to wear for a week and then we went back for the pink hard cast for 6 weeks. Aunt Lisa was surprised to hear it was broken and felt bad that she thought she was fine:) SO DID I. So Lisa wasn't alone on that one:) We are so glad that experience is over. Just to tell you how dramatic she can get we took her brother to the ER for stitches and when we walked in they rushed to her to see what was wrong. We had to say it's not her it's her brother:)

Mona's Got Talent

Today was the talent show at Mona Elementary.     I know the teachers have been wondering about the value of such an activity.   They have been crazy with testing and science fair.  Not to mention their everyday curriculum.   So to add in a talent show seems such a waste of limited time.   I'm not even a teacher and yesterday when I was helping in the classrooms I thought wow this is just to much.   Today I had a different perspective on the whole thing.   I watched in amazement as these children with confidence (some more than others) got up on stage in front of their peers and performed their talent.   From the bottom photo you can see a large number of brave kids.   You should know this is only half of them this is only grades K-3   The pmK, 4-6 were in the afternoon and they had just as many kids.    I thought of myself and when I was young.   I remember singing in church and primary.   I remember singing in a Stake Primary meeting once.  Now I am the ward choirmaster and you can't hear me sing.    I don't stand up with much confidence.   So why is this that most adults hide our talents and loose confidence?   Why don't we want to share our gifts with those around us?   I'm  not sure of the answer and I am going to ponder this and fix it.   So if anyone has any feedback for me please share.   In the mean time I will be a proud mom of Kaci and Jake.   Kaci made up her own roller blade routine to Love Story.   Included in her routine were one foot glides, swizzles, and fishies.   Jake sang to Love Story, our Karaoke version wouldn't work so he got to sing with Taylor he did a great job.   Next year we will have to convince his dad to accompany him on the guitar.     My favorite part was watching the older kids cheer and lift each other up.   What a fun inspiring day.

My Pot of Gold

Today I received a txt from a friend that had a list of all the things she was thankful for.   Then Kaci brought home a punch of Lucky St Patrick's Day things.   Suddenly I knew I had to blog about my favorite Holiday.   St Paterick's Day.  So what is this silly holiday and why do I love it so much.   Funny that I love it and don't even know or maybe remember its meaning and history.

Saint Patrick's Day^] is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early seventeenth century, and has gradually become a celebration of Irish culture in general.

The day is generally characterized by the attendance of church services, wearing of green attire and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating, and drinking alcohol, which is often proscribed during the rest of the season.

The last part strikes me as funny church services but then we lift all rules after the service?  Kinda crazy but I guess tradition is tradition and its ok because we went to church first?

  So why Shamrocks and the color green.  According to legend, Saint Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish people.  So what is Holy Trinity it is the belief of God being three divine persons, God, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.   They just have a different view on God being all three. 

Not far off what I believe.   Just that I believe they are separate personages.   I believe the Father and the Son are two personages with their own body and spirits.  We believe in the Holy Ghost.  

First Article of Faith.

 1 We ^abelieve in ^bGod, the Eternal Father, and in His ^cSon, Jesus Christ, and in the ^dHoly Ghost.

Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew.^[13] Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.^[14] Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day.^[15][16] In the 1798 rebellion, to make a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention.^[13] The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from a song of the same name.

Today even though most people int he United States observe St Patrick's Day it is not an official holiday.   In the US it is not typically observed with church services rather lots of food and alcohol.  

Now that you have had my history lesson for the day I guess I should explain my love of the Holiday.   I was born on March 16th for the longest time I wished I would have been born on St Patrick's Day.   I really have no idea why other than, maybe in my simple childlike mind that would have made me more special to have my birthday on such a unique holiday.    My wonderful mom must have sensed my lack of self worth and confidence because at the age of 12 she made a big deal of my birthday being the day before St Patrick's day and gave me my very own shamrock plant.   From that year on she gave me something green to let me know how special and important I was.   So for that reason alone I have developed a love of this holiday.   Now 36 years later I have come to learn how special I am.   First,  I am a daughter of a King a Heavenly Father who loves me and wants what is best for me.    Second,  I am a daughter of earthy parents who love me and have taught me what is right.   Third, I am a Wife to an imperfect most wonderful Husband in the world.   Fourth, I am a Mother to three amazing children who teach and love me every day.   Fifth,  I am a Friend to so many amazing people.    The list could go on and on today.   My heart is very full and I am so very blessed.   Because of this in a few days I will not go searching for a pot of gold.    As you can see my pot is already pretty full of GOLD!   

Venting

So there are no photos with this post and it is a total contradiction to my last post.   We women are allowed and even expected to contradict ourselves right?  So I'm ok and total human in doing so right?  Technology is not great or wonderful.   Although it may save my husband plenty of time and give him a chance to do things he loves today it is causing me serious heartburn.  I am extremely frustrated and don't understand how I am expected to accomplish anything when there is a huge learning curve in front of me.   I had this brilliant plan to De-junk my life and mostly my house.   So I came up with the idea of getting rid of the desk and table in my office and moving Dan's office upstairs.   Seems reasonable, responsible, and even logical right?   WRONG, in so doing I crashed the mother board on my computer and have lost everything.   Our technology  (that I was completely comfortable and capable of running) is out of date and so nothing transfers and nothing works anymore.    Not to mention, Dan is having a crisis in his own business at this time in which I am left to figure it out without the comfort and safety of my old computer systems.   So I took a break,  came back to the comforts of my Mac which died a few months ago and decided to blog.   When my Mac crashed a few months ago it was easy I just took my old mac in they transferred everything over and walla it is my same format and info just a new case.    One more reason I love my Mac.   So I'm going to take a deep breath and hope for the best.

Admiration

Me, Shellie Memmott, Vanessa Durbin, Grandma Janice, Ange Durbin

Hilary Weeks and Me

 March first I was invited to attend a house concert.   Have you ever heard of them?   Me neither so don't feel bad.   Lucky for me Natashia Dansie not only heard of a house concerts but had a strong desire to hold one.   So I was invited to go.   Natashia knows I am a Time Out For Women fan and Hilary is one of the presenters.    I have a great love and inspiration for this women for lots of reasons but the biggest reason is she has been given a gift and she consecrates that gift to the Lord.   She writes and sings music that uplifts the soul and makes you want to be a better person and push through our trials.    Then instead of hiding that gift and talent under a bushel she shares it with the world.   She shares her testimony of  Christ through her music.   On my way over to Nephi that night it was snowing and the car was quiet.   I took the 15 min drive to ponder and review my life.   This year I have made many life changing steps for the better.   One thing that I have not changed but have become aware of is the negativity surrounding me.   Some I create myself and then some is just generated from the people and circumstances around me.    I had determined that somehow I would change that.   As we shared the evening Hilary encouraged anyone to share their testimony or thoughts and feelings with us.  A gentlemen that was there with his wife.   (No doubt earning brownie points)  Commented on a study he had heard about negative thoughts. 

Parents can purposefully make a change in their speech habits,
according to Mimi Doe, author of 10 Principles for Spiritual
Parenting. 'If you use negative words - catch yourself. Count how many
times you say don't to your children. One study estimates that the
average child hears the word no or don't over 148,000 times while
growing up, compared with just a few thousand yes messages,' she says.

Doe adds that negative words can push the spirit out of any situation.
'Of course we need to use firm words at times and alert our child to
emergencies and dangers, but the habitual no's begin to eat away at a
child's spirit. Moms (and dads) should say yes as much as possible,
without compromising your limits. We often snap a no out of habit,'
she says."

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=516517 
Here is a link with some very insightful and alarming information.  That we talked about for a few minutes.    After the concert which was so amazing I bought a clicker.   Hilary had done an experiment to see just how many negative thoughts she had a day.   By the end of the week she was emotionally and physically drained with no other logical reason she decided that is was because she had focused on the negative instead of the positive.   So the next week she focused on the positive.    By doing this  she was able to run further than normal and accomplish more than normal.
http://hilaryweeks.com/blog/?category_name=power-of-thoughts
You can read her blog for the details.  I was not going to buy a clicker that was a silly waste of money in my opinion.   Then I started talking with Grandma Janice and we decided that was exactly what we needed to do.   Buy the clicker so we could become more aware of the positive things around us.   So we all went home with our clickers and a resolve to do better and be better.   The more I have thought about this the more I know it is true and something very powerful that affects not only us but those around us especially our children.   So I am going to be a more positive person.   I am going to say yes more to my children in hopes that they will have confidence and the self esteem to become who our Heavenly Father wants them to become.

http://www.billionclicks.org/

Here is the link to Hilary Website on a billion clicks it is awesome

Trunk full of Treasures and Memories

My Great Great Great Grandparents Joseph Price Jones and Jane Hughes Parry. 

Grandpa Job Jones Miller DeNora Fae Lamont my grandpa's sister Larae, then my grandpa's brother Thomas and his wife Linda.

The New Testament published in 1880

Home of my great great grandparents Thomas and Margaret Jones.

Great Grandma Janie Jones and her brother Thomas

The last year I have been very drawn to my genealogy and where I came from or who I came from.    This top photo is of My Great Great Great Grandparents Joseph Price Jones and Jane Hughes Parry.    The photo on the bottom is my Grandpa Job Jones Miller DeNora Fae Lamont my grandpa's sister Larae, then my grandpa's brother Thomas and his wife Linda.    I had the honor and privilege of spending the day with them last Friday.     My mom and dad were there as well.   Uncle Thomas has 8 binders worth of pedigree charts that he had gone through and so he made copies for my grandpa and his sister.    We put them in sheet protectors and binders for them.   I was not interested as much in those, I can get online and see that.   I was interested in the photos and stories.   So when we were done Uncle Thomas pulled out a trunk full of photos and memories.   His house was full of antiques and treasures from my great great grandmas house.    As he pulled each photo out I had to take pictures.    I was so excited to have these treasures and now I want to know these people and their story.    My grandpa and his siblings shared stories and memories of their childhood which I tried to record.  I want to know my ancestors and I want my children to know them.   I firmly believe we will need their examples of courage and strength to make it in these latter days.     When I get to heaven I want to be able to recognize them and know them already.