Playing catch up

 Ike turned 12 near the first of March.  It sure came fast.  He was born in this home and it doesn't seem that long ago.  Ike enjoys life.  He likes to work.  He likes to play, especially with the older boys.  He is very excited about YM, scouting, and the temple.

We have made it to 3 temples with Ike to do baptisms.  He seems to love it and has plans to go once a week.  I think that is a great goal.  It sure grounds the middle of the week and give that extra lift.

They also got the stilts out and are going strong.  They have a great time wandering the yard at this new, elevated level.

Speaking of elevated, this little girl has learned to climb trees and ask for her picture to be taken.

 I have loved how much Doodle enjoys being a mom to her new doll and takes great care of her.

Dane got invited to Sadie Hawkins dance.  Another girls choice dance and now gets to figure out a creative way to answer her.

 And here is Peter. . . in boots and shorts, making sure all the fluids are good so I can make a trip up north.  I like having sons.  All these great gentlemen are very good to me.

Grateful:

402 four boys, two of which are now men and two which are practicing.

403 girls and dolls, a gentle glimpse into the future families.

404 60 degrees finally.  It feels so good.

405 new curtains in my kitchen.  It just keeps getting better.

406 Josh is overcoming his pneumonia.

407 calving season is ending

408 We gave away 5 rabbits.  Hoping the feed bill will go down but now the kids want to start breeding.  

409 dinner cleaned up and kitchen looks great.

Chili Relleno Casserole

It turned out a little soupier this time.  Probably should not have used a whole can of green enchilada sauce.

Chili Relleno Casserole

1 can (7 ounces) whole green chilies
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 eggs, separated
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 Tb flour
1 teas baking powder
1/2 teas garlic salt
1/8 teas pepper
1 can (7oz) green chile salsa  (I haven't found such a thing.  I have used green salsa or green enchilada sauce.  I think one time I just forgot and it was still good)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8 inch square baking dish.  Split while chilies and remove seeds.  Open flat and place half in baking dish.  Cover with one cheese, add second half of green chilies and second cheese.  Beat egg whites until stiff.  Combine yolks, milk, flour,baking powder, galic salt, and pepper.  Gently fold egg yold mixture into beaten egg whites.  Pour over chilies and cheese.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Top with green chile salsa and bake another 10 minutes.  Serves 4.

Priorities

Apparently I need to think about priorities.  It is always amazing to me that in one day so many sources speak to me on the same subject.  Today it is priorities.

I began my day with President Henry B. Eyring's talk "Where is the Pavilion?"

Sometimes our insistence on acting according to our own timetable can obscure His will for us.

President Erying teaches me about the need to make sure I am open and willing to listen to the Spirit directing my life.  I need to be living in such a way that I will hear.  I need to choose "first to do the  things that make Him as familiar to us as we are to him".  A big part of that is acting on opportunities to serve others.  In our Laurel class we discussed forgiveness.  Even forgiving can be a service.

The pavilion that seems to be hiding you from God may be fear of man rather than this desire to serve others. The Savior’s only motivation was to help people. Many of you, as I have, have felt fear in approaching someone you have offended or who has hurt you. And yet I have seen the Lord melt hearts time after time, including my own. And so I challenge you to go for the Lord to someone, despite any fear you may have, to extend love and forgiveness. I promise you that as you do, you will feel the love of the Savior for that person and His love for you, But if you go for the Lord to bless others, He will see and reward it. If you do this often enough and long enough, you will feel a change in your very nature through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Not only will you feel closer to Him, but you will also feel more and more that you are becoming like Him.

I want to be like him so that some day I may be comfortable in his presence.

Then my sweet daughter, Emily, blogged about SAM.  There it was again.  I need to remember who I am and why I'm here.  I need to remember the path I want to be on and then make sure that my choices each day will lead me to the end goal of returning to live with my Heavenly Father and Jesus, of being in the Celestial kingdom with my family.  (Nice article today also on the Celestial kingdom and the real people that will be there.)

Though I don't usually use them, today when I received the FHE idea in ldsliving email my thoughts had been on trying to live like Christ.  Obviously that would include proper priorities.  The lesson topic was Priorities. Of course that had to be the lesson for tonight.

When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.  Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.  President Ezra Taft Benson (Ensign, May 1988, 4).

 Again, I am taught that I must put the Lord first in my life.  I must love him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.  Pleasing him first, seeking to know his will for me and making daily decisions with that knowledge and understanding.  The conference talk for this lesson had been President Uchtdorf, Of Regrets and Resolutions.  He says:

Let us resolve to cherish those we love by spending meaningful time with them, doing things together, and cultivating treasured memories.

and 

 Why, then, do we devote so much of our time and energy to things that are so fleeting, so inconsequential, and so superficial? 

and

 Discipleship is the pursuit of holiness and happiness. It is the path to our best and happiest self.

Let us resolve to follow the Savior and work with diligence to become the person we were designed to become. Let us listen to and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. As we do so, Heavenly Father will reveal to us things we never knew about ourselves. He will illuminate the path ahead and open our eyes to see our unknown and perhaps unimagined talents. 

I got to visit with my sister in laws today.  So much of our conversation centered on realizing that God has an individual, tailored plan for each of us with challenges and opportunities. It is so important not to judge others path by our own current experiences.  We simply cannot judge others.  We don't know what they are going through or what the Lord has planned for them.  We CAN know God's will for us.  We can remove the Pavilion.  We can forgive others and ourselves and move forward praying for the enabling power of the atonement.  Maybe it was this talk that got these thoughts started for me.  We discussed President Uchtdorf's talk on The Merciful Obtain Mercy in our YW lesson.

I pray that I may allow and invite the Spirit to have a bigger influence in my every day.

Grateful
396  That when the Spirit has a message for me he sends it from many directions
397 SILs that enjoy being together, good food, and topics that make us want to be better and help others.
398 Spring weather and a bike ride with my children
399 bikes that are all currently working well
400 leftovers that make dinner easy
401 family plans to be together this summer

 

prom

Yesterday was Jr. Prom for my junior.  In our small community it is a big affair.  To Dane it is not but he did participate and had a great time.  The boys made blowguns out of PVC and they had a war shooting small nerf darts and played games. Then they came to our house where all the mom's of the boys had put together a nice dinner.

They then took the girls home to get ready.  This is my handsome son ready for the dance.

 He was the only one wearing a hat and, of course, he had the snake skin boots to tie it all together.

Dane and Kaitlyn

 The promenade seems to be a big deal to those in charge - not to Dane.  He put up with it.  They assign dance partners according to height.  This seems absolutely useless to me.  These young people spend way too much money and time coordinating their attire and I wish they could just promenade with their date that looks so good with them.  The couples met in the middle and came to the top of this small bridge where they were each announced as well as  their parents.  On a screen above and to the right they have baby pictures up.  They then walk back down the steps and to the middle of the floor for another picture op.  Then they all do a choreographed dance, the parents are invited to join in for the next dance.  That is the part I enjoyed.  Steps are always tricky for these girls in big dresses but Dane won approval for his chivalry when he went first and helped the young lade down the steps.

I am happy to say that we did this on a small budget and he was home by midnight.  I am proud of this young man of mine.  He is responsible, honorable, fun, and good.

grateful:
387 chivalry
388 learning to be comfortable in formal situations
389 or at least how to act in those situations
390 plenty of work for my husband
391 our car is out of the shop and working well
392 colds never last forever and I am feeling better
393 good women working together to help their sons
394 simple thank you's at the end of a meal
395 sweet, good young women