prepare to be inspired

General Conference begins on Saturday.  Each spring and fall I look forward to these 2 days of inspiration and guidance given with love through the Lord's chosen leaders.  I have now found a great post on ways we can each prepare to get the most from this special experience.  Please visit this blog.  I know it is late notice but we just do the best we can and just think how prepared we can be in April when we do this again.  I'm so grateful for living prophets today guiding the church of Jesus Christ.

This post has some fun stuff too

Proclamation blog posts

I really enjoyed the focus on the family proclamation this last week.  A couple of my favorite/memorable posts were these two: Alex Boye and Tarzan and Forgiveness.  I am so very grateful to know of the plan of happiness given to us by our loving Heavenly Father.  Family is so important.  We must do every thing to strengthen family relationships and build on the firm foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are finishing up our memorization of The Living Christ testimony from the apostles.  It has been a very good experience to spend time with the words found in this document and have them put in the minds of our family.  It has been a year long project.   I am hoping to move on to The Family, a proclamation to the World next.    There is so much in the words of our modern day prophets and apostles.

I so very much enjoyed the General Relief Society Meeting.  When people live righteously, seek to do the Lord's work, and then share with me I feel inspired, fed by the spirit, and ready to do more and to be more.  When we seek we find.  The Lord is good.

Over the river and through the woods to visit the grandchildren

Look who I spent a few days with. . . 

My 3 Grandchildren!

It was sure fun to take pictures with these sweet babes.

 We also found a few projects to keep the men busy.  Natalie lives in a log cabin.  It wasn't obvious before. In adding board and batten to her kitchen we decided to widen the doorway.  We found a very solid wall built a long time ago when it was a one room log cabin.  The chimney is next to the door way.  We also uncovered that to expose some beautiful brickwork.  This remodel was done with the help of a chain saw (and provided some additional firewood).

Unfortunately that was the last picture I got of the project.  I'll be waiting on pictures from Natalie as she is finishing up the painting.  It is amazing what a difference this project is making in the feel of her home.

 Then there was horse back riding and a small cattle push.  

 Tall One enjoying a cowboy slouch.  I guess he forgot his very big belt buckle that encourages sitting up straighter. 

 Sunshine's first time riding alone out in the open.  He and Ike tried riding double the day before and were thrown from this horse.  I have to admire Sunshine's willingness to get back on and do it all himself.

 Love the usefulness of bailing twine.  It keeps the hat on when a big wind comes up.

 Doodle with Dad did not get a long enough ride.  We will do better next time.  Maybe wear jeans and boots rather than a skirt and bare feet.

Those of us that stayed behind played outside and made cookies.  Of course, we got more pictures.

 Playing with the hat eventually led to teaching J how to have a grass fight.

 This reminds me of classic cowboy pictures that always have the big blue sky with clouds floating by.

 Aunt Doodle enjoying little T.

 Now that they have babies sleep on their backs they are not as good at tummy time.  In fact, they just don't enjoy it much at all.

Granny saved them from the grass and their tummies.

 I think this smolder will be seen in year to come as little Nell communicates her doubts about what you are doing, saying, or thinking.

 but she is truly always a princess.

 but maybe not a cowgirl . . . yet.

 J bringing flowers to his mama, teaching her how to wear them

 and Aunt Doodle assists.

Uncle Sunshine and T

  Brother/sister time.

Thank you for a wonderful time in a beautiful place, again.  We love visiting you and your homes.  Thank you for many great meals, comfortable places to sleep and the best company I could ever ask for.

gold in the garden

The corn has done great this year, again.  And this year it tastes pretty good.  We are enjoying lots of corn at nearly every meal.  Mr. O. I think could eat just corn.  One a day is enough for me.  We did get some frozen, some given away, and some shared with the chickens.

 We freeze the corn by first shucking corn fresh picked that day.  That is the boys job and I prefer they do it outside near the compost pile.  They like working outside best anyway.  Then it is dropped in boiling water for blanching.  Once the water is back up to boiling, the corn is blanched.  Remove and put in cold water.  (over cooked corn never tastes good)

 Then we cut it off the cob.  I like a sharp serrated knife.  Be careful not to cut too deep or you get part of the cob.  It will taste tough.  If you don't want to do all the corn invite all the children and their friends in for a snack.

 Bag in freezer bags with amounts that will serve your family or meet the needs of a favorite recipe, date, and freeze.  Easy peasy.

BBQ and Work

Although this is good work it is not what I am talking about.

 We have lived in our home for 11 years.  Sorry to say we do not know our neighbors very well.  I am finally making a little more effort.  We planned a street bbq inviting people from both sides of the street just the length of our block.  Everyone thought it was a great idea though we only got 3 of the families (and one of those is our own grandparents) it was still a lot of fun.

One of the neighbors likes to do some photography.  He brought his camera over and taught us how to do jumping pictures.  We did an amazing job (or he did ;-)).  It was a really fun way to take pictures.  This was fun that did take some work, some planning, and a willing heart.

Events sound like fun and I often think I should plan more but when I do I worry, I dread, and I can't wait until it is over.  Well it is over and it wasn't bad. I think there were a few awkward silences but for the most part we had a nice time and will be happy to get together again.  For me, the internal battle and getting out of my comfort zone was work.

The next night, after spending the day on the mountain getting firewood (more work), we got to go to a concert that premiered "The Work".  It is a Nashville Tribute to the missionaries and it was a lot of fun.  It occurs to me that when we say 'the work' in an lds community we understand that this work is the work of bring souls unto Christ.  The formal version being missionaries working full time testifying of Jesus Christ and his gospel restored.

I have two full time missionaries, giving all they have to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This music touched me and blessed my day as I celebrate the joy that sharing the gospel, sharing the love of God with others brings all of us.  I have their cds The Trek and Joseph Smith and we have enjoyed them as a whole family.  Good music performed by professionals who do this as a loved hobby, a way to testify of the gospel of Jesus Christ and share those things that are most important to them.  Please support them and the good things they are doing.

Celebrate Family

This seems to be a new September tradition where several bloggers focus on The Family: A Proclamation to the World and blog different posts that help us understand this amazing document and strengthen our families.  I'm enjoying the posts and hope you do too.  Just click on the button on my side bar and follow the various links (there are 4 blogs total to visit each day), let it sink into you and bless your family too.

like wisdom

At 5 yo Doodle continues to teach me and make me think.  We were reading a children's book about Joseph Smith.  When Joseph didn't know which church to join he was reading in the Bible in James 1:5 where it says "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him."  Which led to Joseph going into the woods to pray.  As we got to that part Doodle said "I know that scripture and proceeded to quote a part of it.  She said, "If any of you like wisdom, let him ask of God".  I told her she had done well and I proceed to smile and ponder the need to like wisdom and to ask God for that wisdom.

To me wisdom is not just understanding or knowledge.  We gain knowledge by study, then we apply faith that we might have wisdom.  Wisdom is knowing how to use that knowledge--to understand, to discern truth, then to be able to act on it.  When we obtain wisdom we can then go, be, and do the Lord's will for us.  Because I like and lack wisdom, I will ask God, who gives freely and blesses me daily.  He loves me where I am and helps me to become what he would have me be.

Headed back to school

. . . or actually back to routines for learning and fun.  I have spent this week worrying, reading, researching, and planning our new school year.  I should have done it all summer but there was no schedule--so nothing happened like I thought it would.   I am following some great ideas on Ambleside Online and Milestone Academy.  I am feeling really good about short lessons every day and using living books.  Then the fun sets in as we enjoy time outdoors with our nature notebooks.  I keep in the back of my mind the headgates ideas.  I have continued to feel really good about the choices we have made in simplifying our home and play.  There are many things I am still sorting out but so far I don't miss the things we have eliminated.

My plan is for Sunshine and Doodle to both do Year 1 and Ike to do Year 3.  If they happen to need more challenge, we will adjust.

(My efforts at school pictures and playing with picasa editing.  It has been fun to see looks and colors change but I really don't know what I am doing.  I do know I need more practice.  Do you have a favorite effect on Picasa? or any pointers for that matter. I do know that school pictures with the photographer sure get pricey.)

Our schedule for this year looks like this
5:15 my personal time
6:15 exercise
6:45 wake kids from morning routine (make bed, prayer, get dressed, tidy room, hair and teeth)
7:00 family devotional
7:30 breakfast, get Tall One out the door for seminary
8:00 piano practice and kitchen clean up, feed the animals
8:30 family work (cleaning, garden, house projects)
9:30 school time
12:00 lunch and clean up
1:00 family reading
2:00 free time within set parameters.
4:30 prepare dinner
5:30 dinner
6:30 evening routine, prepare for tomorrow
7:30 bed time for kids, my study time, husband time, wind down time (or catch up).

Now that it is written down I will work on implementation.