For Aunt Jill

Aunt Jill I have been meaning to call you and I have even tried a couple of times the problem is I think about it when your working and then I get busy with the kiddos.   They are all doing great Zeak started wrestling, Jake is doing leather craft and voice and Kaci is in ice skating.   So life is good and busy.   My vinyl Machine is up and running so I am checking in with you remind me how many and give me the correct spellings and I will get them done ASAP  I can ship them or if you are coming up or someone going down we can get them to you.  
I will try to be better at blogging.
Sincerely,
Lisa
If you want to email me so that no one will see your response that is great to my email is
lisa@lisasvinylcreations.com  or you can call me 623-4946

I Know It, I LIVE it, I LOVE IT

This past weekend I had the privilege of taking  Zeak to the Stran Smith Nate Baldwin Roping School.   I was very hesitant at first but knew as a mom no matter how uncomfortable it was I needed to do this.   Wow what an experience I will never forget.   I was inspired in so many ways it is hard to comprehend.  That Sunday I was asked to speak in sacrament meeting so I took my experiences from the roping school and these great men and shared them in my talk.   I don't want Zeak or I  to forget these great lessons so I want them recorded.  

Who inspires you?  What inspires you?  and Who do you inspire?
I want you to think about theses questions throughout my talk!

This weekend I was surrounded by Cowboys.  Which is normal for me but I usually have my family and this weekend it was just Zeak and I.   We were at a roping school with 2 world champions.   This was way out of my comfort zone and way out of Zeak’s comfort zone he usually has his dad there not me, but the lessons I learned were worth it.  I am going to take some of those lessons and share them with you. 

I was asked to use Sister Gibbs talk from Saturday Morning Conference here is a little hint for you.

“I’m a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it.”

Because I have to break things down lets start with who we are?

When I am asked the question who are you it usually starts with my name    Then that I am a wife, mother, and the list goes on from there.   Sad but true I leave out who I really am?  I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father

So Who are you?  

Stran Smith who is a wold champion calf roper told the youth yesterday when I put on this cowboy hat it doesn’t make me a cowboy?   I have to know what this hat represents and live it.   This hat represents more than just roping it represents a way of life and that way of life is what our country was founded on so many years ago.    You be careful with the things you listen to, what you watch, and what you eat.   Because Junk goes in and Junk goes out.   When you put on this hat you represent God, this country and me.   

So lets think about the know part. 

How do I know my name?  Because that is what people have called me my whole life.   Our parents name us at birth and then we go by that our whole life.   This is one of the first things we learn is to recognize our name. How do I know  I am a daughter of God that because  was lucky to be raised by goodly parents who taught me not only my name but the gospel.



So similar to our friends hat I am a baptized member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.   When we are baptized we don’t get a shirt that says we are Mormon but we get another gift the gift of the Holy Ghost and although he is not seen if we choose to let him he is with us always.  teaching us the things we need to know to live like our older brother Jesus Christ.    We now represent Christ and we need to come to know him and live like him.  

The importance of gaining knowledge is an eternal principle. The Prophet Joseph Smith “loved knowledge for its righteous power.”2 He said: “Knowledge is necessary to life and godliness. … Hear, all ye brethren, this grand key: knowledge is the power of God unto salvation.”3

If we want to be good at something we have to learn about it and learn how to be good, 

  This is why Zeak wanted to go to this roping school is to learn from the best so he could be better.  

We come to know who we are by examples and by learning.  This is why we come to church every Sunday and learn from the scriptures and learn from each other. 
So as members of the church who is the best that we need to look to and learn from.   It is our Savior.   And the next two months we have an opportunity to really celebrate his life and teach and learn of him.   Sister Gibbs says As our gospel knowledge increases, we will begin to feel confident in our testimonies and be able to state, “I know it.”
  I challenge you to take this time and season to really come to know who you are and who you represent. 

Know that we know who we are  and who we want to be we have to LIVE IT  this is so much easier said than done.   The scriptures say we must be  “doers of the word, and not hearers only.”5   The Natural man in us sometimes steps in the way.
The amazing part of this knowledge that we have it that even if we make a mistake we can repent and make things right.   I want to share another story from the other World Champion Nate Baldwin he is not only a cowboy but he is a Mormon and served an LDS mission.     He was at a rodeo on a great horse when something went wrong and he ended up being caught in the rope and his horse started running in circles.   He said the first time around he wasn’t scared the second time he thought he was in trouble and the third time he thought he was going to die until someone cut the rope and he was free.     As he was talking the thought came to me this is how sin is the first time we sin we are a little uncomfortable but we are still ok.   The second time we start we are in trouble and the third time we need help.   If we have gained the knowledge we will hopefully remember that someone is there to cut the rope. Although are parents and friends want to cut that rope they can’t they can only give of the knowledge that someone can cut it.   That someone and the only one that can cut that rope and set us free is our Savior.     Living something doesn’t mean we are perfect at it it means we are constantly learning growing and trying.   This takes a lifetime to accomplish.
 I have learned it is just as important for those little everyday sins as for the big major ones.    I need the atonement everyday when I yell at my children or husband, when I didn’t listen to the spirit, when I was in such a hurry to survive my day I forgot to pray and read my scriptures.  The atonement is needed in everyday life and I testify that our Savior is there to cut the rope.  Once we have had the experience of using the atonement we come to LOVE IT! 

As we Learn, and Live the Love just comes.   I know we are all Sons and Daughters of our Heavenly Father, we are all different and unique and we learn different ways this is why we are all here. Lets go back to my questions  Who inspires you?  What inspires you?  and Who do you inspire?  

 Now these World Champion Cowboys inspired me to be better and live better yesterday but they wouldn’t have inspired all of you.   I have other great people in my life that inspire me that are not cowboys.   I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer.   Although scared out of her mind she still remains faithful and strong.   She is a runner and fitness fanatic and she has not let this trial in life change who are what she is.   The day of her first chemo treatment she was at the gym with me what and inspiration she is to me.    In life Heavenly Father sends us tests trials and  a support system to LIVE IT.   
Back to our cowboys friend he won the world at age 38 after heart surgery and many other trials.   When asked are you surprised you won when all the odds were against you?    His reply was No.   He said I have a great support team, I have a wife who is behind me, I have extended family, I have surrounded myself with great people in the cowboy industry  (our return missionary friend.)  And most important I have included my Savior in my support system.   Just like him Heavenly Father has given us a great support system.  Family, friends, a ward family a Prophet and many other great people even some not of our faith.  most importantly  he gave us his only be otton Son.  The Savior loves us all and he teaches us all.  He used parable and have you ever wondered why so many and different parables.   Well it is because he has to teach so many of us and we all learn differently so he used different stories and experiences to teach us all. 

When we know who we how learn who we want to be and Live it we can’t help but LOVE IT because we are content, confident and full of Light and LOVE!  When we have experiences everyday that bears witness that this gospel is true we feel our Heavenly Fathers Love for Us and in return we LOVE HIM.    

Let us all of the confidence to know who we are, live it, and love it that we might be an example to those around us for good and inspire them to come Christ. 

I Love this gospel, I Love being a Mormon and the peace it brings to me and to my family.  I Love my Savior and I am so grateful to have a relationship with him that is constantly growing.  I Love my family my husband, my children, my extended family.  

The Sunshine in my soul!

 I love this photo!  The smile on my face lets you know I am happy!

 And this smile!

 Pizza Sauce

 swimming

 gardening

 Bathing Horses

 Sleep overs in the tent

 Barrel Racing with my kids

 Doctoring calves

The things that bring sunshine to my soul!  And why my house is not picture perfect that's why there is no picture of it! :)   Spending time with my family!   Helping my kids and their friends in the barn.   My milk cow!  Cooking!  My garden and harvesting the produce in it!  Making bottles for babies.   Taking photos of my life.  

I just read an article that really hit home my average day goes like this!   I get up get my kids out of bed and doing the chores outside.   I then make breakfast for everyone.  Most (not everyday) days I try to have a warm home cooked breakfast.   I ship the kids out the door.  Then who know what happens for the next few hours until everyone gets home that is still a work in progress.   At 3 we work on homework, shuttle kids to various activities, most days we end up with a trailer load of horses and a chute full of cattle that take a good 2-3 hours of my time.   I am backing trailers which I am getting pretty good at if I do say so myself.   Saddling horses, loading chutes, sometimes I even get to ride!   Then we rush home and do chores in the dark,  doctor horses, milk the cow and I begin dinner.   By this time I am having serious guilt because it is after 10pm and my children need to be in bed so we hurry and have scripture study and prayer and ship them off to bed.   What I hope my children will know and remember is that their mom loved them.   She took time to help them develop skills that would help them survive and live life to the fullest.   Sometimes it was more stressful than other but we were together and we were learning and growing.   I hope they will remember the practices, the meals, and the homework, and also the special times when I would swim with them, read books, and take them to different events.  I want my kids to know I love them and that all of this does and can bring sunshine to my soul!

All Around Cowboy

Sept 28 & 29th were so fun!   We had our last Junior High Rodeo for this year in Toole.   Zeak and Jake both had amazing rodeos.   Zeak and Hadley Holmes hadn't got together to practice so Dan and Zeak stayed home and I drove Jake to Toole and got him ready to rodeo.   We thought we had it planned out for Dan to make it in time to rope!  Plans did work out but Lex was Jake's back up heeling partner.   Jake caught both steers, one of his breakaway calves, had 2 nice barrel runs, and a 21 second pole run.   He won $100.00 back.  

Zeak did so awesome I am so proud of him.   He has practiced hard roping the dummies and roping up to Neilson's.   Rhett has been so good to help Zeak improve.  The other night Rhett loaded the bull and two huge steers for Zeak to chute dog.  We gave Zeak a really hard time because he couldn't do it and he was getting mucked out!   Lex got in to show him how it was done!  Long story short we all had to apologize and tell Zeak maybe they were a little tough to throw.   I decided tough practice makes for tough rodeos.   Zeak threw both of his chute doggin' steers winning the chute doggin on Saturday with his fasted time of 2.81,  it was so funny to watch he had to carry his steer across the line to throw him.    In the tie down roping we had some long times but he got points and caught both days.   Goats he had two really good times and earned more points.   In the Ribbon roping we placed the first day and had some tough luck the second day we were  long on our time.    Team Roping was the event of the weekend.  He was so awesome.  Normally Zeak struggles with slow cattle and that was our draw for both days.   The first steer was super slow coming out of the chute.   Dan, Zeak, and Hadley made a game plan for both days and it worked.   They won the rodeo both days.   With two 1st and placing in the other two events Zeak had enough points to win the All Around Saturday and tied for Reserve All Around on Friday.   The things we learned were to watch your cattle,  have a game plan,  and then execute the game plane.   With lots of dedicated  practice, prayers, and hard work we had a very successful weekend.   Zeak built some confidence in himself and his horses and he has a game plan of where he needs to improve.   His total winning for the weekend were $324.00.   Guess we have enough money for the next rodeo.   

Kaci's Gold Buckle

This post is kind of ironic.  My little girl decided this spring to be a cowgirl.   She figures she doesn't really have to practice because her brothers will keep her horses rode for her so all she has to do is get on and look pretty.    This kind of makes me laugh because she is right since her brothers need the horses and she has shown no interest until now that's all she had to do to win her first buckle.   The ironic part is her brothers were both older and worked a lot harder and waited a lot longer to win their first buckles.  We started going to Mount Pleasant to the barrel races every other Monday.  The first time I signed her up she wasn't very happy I helped her the first time on M&M which really made her nervous but she did great and Kendra Seager ( the lady in charge) made a really big deal about her doing so well gave her her $2.00 and then told her if she came 6 times she could win a buckle.   So each week we went back and Kendra would tell Kaci to try doing it her self this time and then trot the next time.  Each time Kaci improved and the minute she was done she would run to Kendra to get her money.   This made me smile.  By the end Kaci was loping in the warm up area with the other kids and she was so excited to get her buckle.   The series ended in May but because of scheduling we had to wait until Aug to get the buckle.   Kaci was so excited and that night she actually loped around the barrles.   She slept with and wore her buckle for two weeks.    I think that is the purpose of life as a mom and mom to so many others.  Seek the good in them and encourage them to do better each time.  Line Upon Line. Precept on Precept until you win the Gold Buckle.

It was in the Salsa and the Raspberries

The last few months have been a struggle for me.   No major problems or sicknesses, just huge change!  With all of my children in school and some unfortunate relationship fall outs that have left me having very negative feelings about myself.   I have found myself very alone much of the time.   I DON'T like being alone!  I have shed more tears than I can count and that is not in my nature.   I get up every morning and put on my brave face feed my children give them hugs and kisses and send them out the door.   As the door closes I feel lost, overwhelmed, and feel like I am sinking barely treading water.   I am use to being consumed with people and  phone calls and now I sit in complete silence.   Feelings of doubt creep in and then I curl up and sleep or cry my eyeballs out.   My sweet husband has been in tune and caught on to my struggle.  The other day when leaving for work he asked me what was on my agenda today?  I told him I needed to make salsa with the tomatoes he said I will have Mike's wife call you with the recipe she uses.   Forgetting about the conversation with my  husband I did the morning usual and then was trying to motivate myself to get the salsa going, when the phone rang.   It was Mike's wife.   I am quite certain that this phone call was inspired and a gentle reminder from my Father in Heaven that I am a good person and I do have a good heart.  I am human and therefore imperfect and make mistakes daily.  Our conversation went from tomatoes and peppers to Zucchini soup and then to Mother hood and the gospel.    She had a similar feeling of always treading water and  barely keeping her head above to avoid drowning.     After a long much needed conversation I found the motivation to move forward with my day and accomplish not only the salsa but the raspberry jam as well.   When we went to hang up she said,  "I hope you don't think this is corny but thanks for the mini devotional today it is what I needed!"   I thanked her and told her I was certain it was not corny but inspired.   When I hung up the phone tears spilled from my heart but this time they were a cleansing kind of tear.   While picking the raspberries I was reviewing our conversation and thinking about how many women in our society feel this same feeling of just keep their heads above water.   What can I do to make a difference in my life and in the life of my family and overcome these feelings.  A thought came to my mind and I ran to the house for my camera.   I needed to take a photo of my raspberries.   They are something that bring great joy to my life and also to the life of my family.   They are very small and very simple but they bring joy.   We love to eat them right off the bushes.   Throughout the year we eat them on our homemade rolls, our scones, homemade bread, and our famous best mom ever pancakes.  Then I decided when I have this depressed overwhelming feeling I just need to grab my camera Seek for the Good in my life, take a photo and blog about how it!  My Life is Good if I will just Seek for IT!

 The tomatoes that brought forth 36 pints and 8 quarts of pizza sauce 8 quarts of stewed tomatoes and 36 pints of salsa.

The raspberries that made homemade ice cream, and 12 pints of raspberry jam for us to enjoy all year long.   Their small red beauty contrast the large green leafs that protect and shade them from the harmful world around them.     I look at them and I see myself very small and fragile with much good to give.   I need the protection and security of a loving Heavenly Father to protect me from the world around me.   Because of these small beautiful berries I will continue to seek the good around me and help others see that good as well. 

Cosmo Club

Grandma Lou gave us an early Christmas present she bought passes for the kids to be in the Cosmo Kids Club so Saturday we went to our first BYU game as a family.   The game was a good one against Wyoming.   Zeak and Dan Loved it!   I don't mind football especially if it is an intense game.  Kaci was bored out of her mind but was easily bribed with an ice skating trip and saved by Taylei who would run her to get a treat or the bathroom.   Jake didn't say much but he didn't complain so that is a good sign.   After the game  the kids were able to go down on the field and get their pictures taken with Cosmo.   That was Kaci's favorite part she loved Cosmo.   After the game we went to Wingers with the Williams and then ice skating.  Dan was feeling pretty sick so he stayed in the truck.  Kaci was in heaven and Taylei and Keanna were having a blast skating with her and trying new tricks.   So you could say we had a very successful Saturday spending time with family and friends creating memories.