Best foot forward

Like I know when my body's calling for sleep or crying out for peanut butter (yeah, only that) or carrot sticks or a drink of water... I feel, I know, when I need to get out on a walk. I never don't need to walk – always I do – and plenty of times it's my brain begging for it rather than the regular need to swing my hips and flex my feet. My whole self calls for walking for Every One Of These Reasons below and I have to say these are plenty good reasons; take a look: remedy for a short temper; get the feel of the country; to seek creative ideas; a great adventure; thoughts begin to flow; a blessing for the whole day, etc. Take a look at what we can expect when we  literally put our best foot forward!
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QUOTES ABOUT THE JOYS OF TAKING A WALK

A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. -Paul Dudley White

The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk. -Jacqueline Schiff

There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo. Even a bicycle goes too fast. -Paul Scott Mowrer

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. -Steven Wright

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. -Raymond Inmon

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. -John Muir

Walking is the great adventure, the first meditation, a practice of heartiness and soul primary to humankind. Walking is the exact balance between spirit and humility. -Gary Snyder

Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow. -Henry David Thoreau

The true charm of pedestrianism does not lie in the walking, or in the scenery, but in the talking. The walking is good to time the movement of the tongue by, and to keep the blood and the brain stirred up and active; the scenery and the woodsy smells are good to bear in upon a man an unconscious and unobtrusive charm and solace to eye and soul and sense; but the supreme pleasure comes from the talk. -Mark Twain

Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise. -Carrie Latet

But the beauty is in the walking – we are betrayed by destinations. -Gwyn Thomas

I dream of hiking into my old age. -Marlyn Doan

When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day. -Henry David Thoreau

Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. -Soren Kierkegaard

He has promised

"Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, He is with us. He has promised that this will never change." “I WILL NOT FAIL THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE” October 2013

Seeing ourselves clearly

From President Uchtdorf's talk in the Priesthood Session of General Conference last October comes...

A Parable of Dandelions

Once there was a man who enjoyed taking evening walks around his neighborhood. He particularly looked forward to walking past his neighbor’s house. This neighbor kept his lawn perfectly manicured, flowers always in bloom, the trees healthy and shady. It was obvious that the neighbor made every effort to have a beautiful lawn.

But one day as the man was walking past his neighbor’s house, he noticed in the middle of this beautiful lawn a single, enormous, yellow dandelion weed.

It looked so out of place that it surprised him. Why didn’t his neighbor pull it out? Couldn’t he see it? Didn’t he know that the dandelion could cast seeds that could give root to dozens of additional weeds?

This solitary dandelion bothered him beyond description, and he wanted to do something about it. Should he just pluck it out? Or spray it with weed killer? Perhaps if he went under cover of night, he could remove it secretly.

These thoughts totally occupied his mind as he walked toward his own home. He entered his house without even glancing at his own front yard—which was blanketed with hundreds of yellow dandelions.

Whoa.

President Uchtdorf in the remainder of his talk refers to Beams and Motes and Spiritual Blind Spots. Then, the Examined Life. Finally the Power of Good. When he was young he was impressed by folks who were "educated, accomplished, successful, and applauded by the world," though over the years he said, having rubbed shoulders with competent and intelligent men and women, he's more impressed by "those wonderful and blessed souls who are truly good and without guile." He concludes:

“We must put aside our pride, see beyond our vanity, and in humility ask, 'Lord, is it I?'

And if the Lord’s answer happens to be 'Yes, my son, there are things you must improve, things I can help you to overcome,' I pray that we will accept this answer, humbly acknowledge our sins and shortcomings, and then change our ways by becoming better husbands, better fathers, better sons. May we from this time forward seek with all our might to walk steadfastly in the Savior’s blessed way—

for seeing ourselves clearly is the beginning of wisdom.”

Healthy cookies

My friend Kelsie put me on to these breakfast cookies. She showed me this recipe on her iPad and I asked her to share it. She shared the real thing besides; I ate two of her cookies she'd made the day before standing right in her kitchen!



Not super sweet, the sugar in these comes from... I'll tell you: The same day we walked and talked about them (and I tried two), she put three ripe bananas on my doorstep!



Six ingredients, right? Bananas, applesauce, vanilla, cinnamon, almond milk and oats. Raisins makes seven, optional. Well, and I added walnuts and dates. In these healthy bites there is no sugar like I said, nor flour, oil or egg, though you could sweeten them with honey if you want, or maple syrup – I've been online and seen different ways to do these. There's even carrot cake ones out there. With pineapple-yogurt icing. Everybody but me has been making them!



The batter makes a pan-ful, plus. Like, eighteen chunky pieces, more than a mouthful each. Delish!



HEALTHY BREAKFAST OATMEAL COOKIES
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/no-sugar-oatmeal-cookies/

2 cups rolled oats
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir all ingredients in a bowl until evenly mixed; drop by the spoonful onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes.



I ate three standing in my own kitchen!

Good words

Finished "Heaven is Here" this weekend. All in one day really. Another great gift for Christmas from my Jenny!

I couldn't revisit the crash... I'd been aware of it the month it happened in 2008 (link) and caught up with how she was doing after by reading Courtney's blog, her sister's. All these years later it isn't that crash I'm interested in as I read the book... it's Stephanie's own words about the time following.

I've been aware these years later of her triumphant hike to the "Y" one year minus one day to the date of the accident; her appearance on Oprah – I watched that October 7, 2009 –I commented on it on my blog post the next day titling the post "Healing:"

"I watched Oprah's interview with Stephanie and Christian Nielson aired yesterday and was interested in one comment made by the woman who spent a day with Stephanie in her home. She said the energy in Stephanie's home is calm. You have to wonder how that could be with four children under eight and a dog. And Stephanie recovering and herself always in pain. You have to wonder. I don't. Call it good energy, cheerfulness, acceptance, positive mental attitude - it's the spirit."

And Stephanie's pregnancy with new baby Charlotte, Lottie they call her. She'll be three in April. I've been aware all these years later of her good works and great words – she continues blogging and is an inspiration. I wanted to read "Heaven is Here" to figure out how she thrived. Thrives! What she's come through. What she believes.

She noted in the Epilogue this that I do love:

"But even with all that others [family, friends, blog-supporters, God] were willing to offer me, I realized along the way that ultimately nothing they did could make me happy. I felt comforted by family and my faith, but peace was different from happiness. At first I thought stubbornly that the only thing that would make me happy was for my life to look like it did before the accident. But no one could give that to me, and no one else could make me happy. Happiness was my choice, and though it is hard won, I am the only person who can stand in the way of it.

As I gradually accepted my responsibility to choose happiness every day, I rediscovered the beautiful life I had always wanted. I still have to remind myself to choose happiness almost every morning when I wake up in pain, and I expect I will need reminding throughout my life, but the amazing thing is the more I make the choice to see and feel joy, the more joy there is to see and to feel."

I've underlined what seems important here... from all I've seen and heard of her; from what I've read on her blog and her sister's; from now reading her moving, touching and utterly amazing "Heaven is Here."

How beautiful

“How beautiful are the arms which have embraced Christ... the eyes which have gazed upon Christ, the lips which have spoken with Christ, the feet which have followed Christ. How beautiful are the hands which have worked the works of Christ, the feet which treading in His footsteps have gone about doing good, the lips which have spread abroad His name, the lives which have been counted loss for Him.”

– Christina Rosetti, 1880

Christina Rosetti's poetry is wonderful, I love to read it! This ending, below, of her long poem, "Goblin Market," is a bright example:

For there is no friend like a sister
In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands.

Her sentiments above about the Savior touch me. Remind me of the prophecy in Mosiah 15:18, the prophet Abinadi to King Noah and his court: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people.

This paired with Liz Lemon Swindle's gift for depicting the Savior, her wondrous art – and here, clearly His effect upon those who reach for Him, the arms, the eyes, the lips, the hands; the feet that have followed Christ –

How beautiful!

Extensive renovation

"Imagine Yourself A Living House"

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I do believe God wants to make of us each something better than a "decent little cottage," speaking of houses. Speaking of MANSIONS...  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you (John 14: 2)... and,  And I also remember that thou hast said that thou hast prepared a house for man, yea, even among the mansions of thy Father, in which man might have a more excellent hope; (Ether 12:32)...  He wants us to be grand! He wants to make us magnificent, incredibly beautiful.

We wonder why we suffer here... ugh... why God allows suffering in us and our loved ones. To continue the metaphor here "imagine yourself a living house," extensive renovation is His work in us. God is tearing down walls in us causing us (speaking of mansions!) to become the place in which He may dwell.

Is it an unusual thought? I posted recently about me "making room for Him," the Christ-child; Christ; the very Savior of the world... so to me this isn't unusual imagining our Father in Heaven and his Son Jesus Christ passionate about making of us abodes, houses, homes, mansions, temples, in which they will dwell. Perhaps we may say God is rebuilding us to something worthy of His name.

And His glory.

And it's real work. And it looks different from my end (feels different) than I imagined. I'm the one experiencing the tearing down processes. I feel it lately. I pray about it in my prayers, asking for a willing heart and steady constitution to bear it. I need lots of rearranging.

I'm in God's hands.

How lucky I am

Thirteenth anniversary today! I posted this last year:

You're gonna laugh. You're gonna laugh! For our twelfth anniversary Kent's taking me to see "Frozen." At the movies. We'll eat popcorn and hold hands! Not in that order. Our marriage is strong - it's a wonderful realization to wake up to every morning... and especially this. We're happy.

That post was titled "TODAY."

Today, a year later, it's that and more. Speaking of more, I gave Kent for Christmas a key chain inscribed I love you more. He he! ('Cept when I do say that he comes back with I love you MOST. Eh, always the one-up!)

For sure one of the things I like best about my life is who I share it with.

True beauty

People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassions, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” Quotes by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

CAREGIVER TIPS:

REMEMBERING TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

I can't help it... I need to be reminded.

Exercise when I'm feeling tired or overwhelmed. Exercise releases endorphins that DO make me feel better.

Eat well... that boosts energy! (And endurance.) Drinking water keeps me hydrated and flushes toxins.

You've heard me say it too many times: Drink. Water.

Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day keeps my body, mind and energy "on schedule."

There's huge relief in talking to family or friends. I talk while I walk! Or quiet myself with pondering or reading. One or the other, either; or both. And pray.

Connecting with people is super important. See friends, get out with them, romp with grand kids!

A funny movie, funny stories, remembering happy times; ridiculousness, even... Humor. Changes. Brain. Chemistry! I've read that laughter relaxes the "stress response" (stress hormones in the bloodstream) that creeps up on us, making it easier to face a demanding routine.

And keep the faith! A too-often used term but appropriate here. I "head for steady" with powerful faith.

By now I'm sure of the rewards of care giving. Because mom and dad are here we have the chance to enjoy them differently than we would if they were in assisted living or a nursing home... to continue with bonds of love and gathering from their wisdom.

That aside, constancy with them can feel stressful. I'm determined to hold onto the vigor, attitude and stamina needed to be their caregiver. The job description won't change so what's left for me is posts like this I can come back to in a heartbeat, re-read on a day, any day, to remind me (in part) what to choose to make our lives together here work.

Stockdale Paradox

Heard this ↑ referred to at Sacrament meeting in a great talk on FAITH. Came home and looked it up:

The Stockdale Paradox, also The Stockdale Principle:

Retain faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of difficulties.

AND, at the same time

Confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

Admiral Jim Stockdale was the highest-ranking U.S. military officer in a prisoner-of-war camp in Hanoi during the Vietnam war. During his eight years in captivity he was tortured over twenty times and never given a hint as to when he would be released. In the prison, he dutifully led the other prisoners, secretly creating codes of communication and working for the highest possible survival rate. When Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, asked Stockdale how he managed to survive, he replied: "I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade."

In other words, just hoping you will survive is not enough; you have to actually do the hard stuff in order to get there. So, the Stockdale Paradox is the necessity of having both faith and discipline—both the optimism that you will succeed and the realistic determination to do what needs to be done. It’s a paradox because optimism—something essential to your success—can be your undoing if applied in excess or without realism.

From the book:

"Who didn't make it out?"

"Oh that's easy," he said. "The optimists."

"The optimists? I don't understand," I said, now completely confused.

"The optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.”

Another long pause and more walking. Then he turned to me and said, “This is the important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can not afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”

To this day I carry the mental image of Stockdale admonishing the optimists: “We’re not getting out by Christmas; deal with it!”

“Life is unfair--sometimes to our advantage, sometimes to our disadvantage. We will all experience disappointments and crushing events somewhere along the way, setbacks for which there is no “reason,” no one to blame… What separates people, Stockdale taught me, is not the presence or absence of difficulty, but how they deal with the inevitable difficulties of life."

Repeat daily

I haven't blogged for a long time. I've felt busy lately and majorly preoccupied. Gotten behind now a week with this daily writing I love, and can't make my way back.

Just now I thought about my empty blog posts reading from "The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" (Jenny gave it to me for Christmas, thanks Jen!) where newly-married Ree Drummond summarizes her life as a rancher's wife:

I was just beginning to wrap my mind around the way daily life unfolded here: wake up early, get your work done, eat, relax, and go to bed. Repeat daily.

I'm caught by the repeat daily part. And the get up early.

And get your work done.

Gosh, and eat. And eat. And eat! Three Xs a day like clockwork.

(Repeat daily.)

When it's time to relax I'm ready to go to bed. And it's usually time, hey-hey.

Blogging only just gets fitted in in the early morning or when I'm relaxing... or gets forgotten. (Not forgotten, bleh: I'm blogging in my head all day! Just not making it to the computer. Then where does it go? [link]) It gets...

Put off.

And though I'm not a regular finisher as is, say, the-one-I-know-well-live-with, I don't do "put off." Not necessarily... like for a whole week, say. If I repeated that daily I'd never comb my hair, exercise, read good books, say my prayers, kiss on the lips, etc. The important stuff. (Don't forget scripture reading.) And to me blogging is important stuff. 'S gotta be right up there with wake up early.To do it I've got to, yeah, wake up earlier I guess.

Zoodles

Yes!

Part of journal entry for this day: I made Zoodle Pad Tai – and what are zoodles? They are zucchini spiral-sliced into curly “noodles” with my new spiral-slicer I got from Kent for Christmas. January 19th, and it’s the first time to unpack it and figure out by the instructions and diagrams how to use it to slice (curly-shred or -chunk or straight-slice) vegetables. While he sat at the bar and cracked nuts to munch this mid-morning, I got my instructions out of the box and placed them in front of Kent and asked his help in getting me used to how my new gismo worked. We figured it out together… and I took the two zucchini from my crisper and shredded them into spiral slices called zoodles!

I pan-fried these; also pan-fried the red pepper I stripped, the green onions I julienned and the garlic I diced. Also pan-fried the bits of rotisserie chicken I grabbed from the freezer (they’re cooked already but needed to be seared to leave enticing bits of chicken in the bottom of the fry-pan for when the final stir-fry happened!). Using olive oil these veggies and meats were ready to be blended with the pad tai sauce I made with rice vinegar, fish sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, chili-garlic sauce and cayenne in a stir-fry – only after I scrambled two eggs toward the side of the pan, now over the center of the heat, to complete the dish. Sauced, this dish was garnished on my plate with cilantro I diced and a handful of salted peanuts. Oh. My. Goodness! Good!

Zucchini Pad Thai Noodles "Zoodles"

http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/zucchini-noodle-pad-thai-recipe/

Yield: Serves 2

Total Time: 30 Minutes

The best part about this Zucchini Pasta Pad Thai is that you can add what ever protein you want. We like to have our zucchini noodle a little on the crunchy side, so we like to cook the zucchini first, then let the water drain from the noodles before serving. The water that's released from the noodles won't water down any sauce or flavor in the zoodle recipe.

Ingredients:

For the Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai:

• about 2 medium zucchini
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) olive oil (divided)
• 1/2 pound (225g) peeled and de-veined shrimp (or what ever protein you prefer)
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
• 3 green onions, sliced in 1" pieces
• 1 large egg
• about 2 cups (480ml) bean sprouts
• 1/3 cup (80ml) roasted peanuts
• cilantro (optional)

For the Sauce:

• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) fish sauce (or more to taste)
• 3 Tablespoons (45ml) ketchup
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (or more to taste)

Directions:

1. Make the Sauce: in a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients (vinegar, fish sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and chili garlic sauce), set aside.
2. Cut the zucchini into noodles or long pasta by using a vegetable spiralizer tool or tools mentioned in our post write up.
3. Heat a large pan on medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil (reserve the other half for later). Then add zucchini noodles and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the zucchini noodles are tender. Don't overcook the noodles. The zucchini noodles should be slightly crunchy with a tender bite. 
4. Let the noodles rest for about 3 minutes to allow all the moisture to release. Remove the noodles from the pan and drain the excess water.
5. Carefully wipe the same pan remove the excess water, then re-heat the pan on medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil and garlic. Cook the garlic until soft and translucent, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook until shrimp is tender and becomes pink, 3-4 minutes.
6. Add the bell peppers and green onions. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until tender. Add the egg and stir in with the vegetables until the egg is cooked.
7. Add the zucchini noodles back into the same pan, then add the sauce. Cook for about 1 more minute or until the zucchini noodles are heated through. Then stir in the bean sprouts.
8. Serve the warm zucchini pad thai noodles with roasted peanuts and cilantro.

Recipe Source: WhiteOnRiceCouple.com.

The most joyous to the soul

I did teach today, my Gospel Doctrine class. Going "further up and further in" to the preparation beforehand (as happens in a burst at the end) on the account of the birth of the Son of God, I read 1 Nephi 11 through verse 23, the vision the Spirit of God showed Nephi to confirm the identical vision given to his father of the tree of life.

What Nephi had wanted was the interpretation of the tree of life his father had envisioned and described to him...

and in receiving his own vision the Spirit of the Lord, talking with Nephi as a man talks with another (then an angel, following), showed Nephi the vision of a virgin bearing a child.

I pondered some time these images:

the tree, of which Nephi reported...

8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow. 9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.

and the virgin with her child:

13 ...I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white. 15 ...A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

And (again, deeply pondering for my lesson) I wondered at this next question of the angel:

16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?

The condescension of God?

Here's what I know: The Father of us all condescended (committed, offered, relented) to send his Firstborn Son in the Spirit who would be the only begotten of the Father in the flesh; the Son himself condescended (from before the foundation of this world, then in the meridian of time here) to enter the world in the same way all human beings are born to earth; to pass below heaven and earth and into hell in an atoning sacrifice, be lifted up on the cross after (thus give his life; it was not taken), that men, as He had been lifted up, might be lifted to the Father (and exaltation!) if they would be obedient to His ways and commandments.

The angel answered his own question with these words to Nephi:

18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. 19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! 20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. 21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!

Then the angel asked: Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw? Now the two images are drawn together for Nephi (and for me!).

22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, (Nat: in my mind now the condescension of the Father and the Son that the Son should be born) which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men (Nat: the very Son of God himself upon the earth giving of himself to the Father's children, shedding Himself abroad); wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

Our lesson focused on the responses of those who witnessed the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem and roundabout, culminating in "How do I respond to the account of the Savior's birth?" Look! I love this response by the angel after Nephi's glad declaration...

(And this is the point):

23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.

Listen

The Voice That Speaks Inside

“There is a voice inside of you
That whispers all day long,
“I feel this is right for me,
I know that this is wrong.”
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend
Or wise man can decide
What’s right for you – just listen to
The voice that speaks inside.”

―Shel Silverstein

Can I just say...

... some days I cry.

Again to the park...

... with the grans! Bright and sunny this day, a bit of snow and ice around, and darn cold... perfect for a walk, a "fur piece" and what I called out to Joseph would be an expenditure of energy. Spell expenditure, I said. He did. He's a speller. It captured his attention and his imagination and let me know how smart he is.



The other two kids, they just wanna run on days like this. Andrew...



... and Ellie-belle.



Joseph. Glad to see him smilin'. He's going to be ten in a few weeks, right at that age where this is kid stuff. I love to be with him.



Hi baby girl!



And baby James.



No one left behind.

No matter what

What is your response to the account of the Savior's birth?

I'm preparing to teach again. Last week after the teacher's great lesson I gave the class a blurb about our lesson coming this Sunday. I asked each to consider:

What is YOUR response to the account of the Savior's birth?

I'm hoping all of this week the class members will be thinking about their answer. I have been; I've had it on my mind every day for weeks preparing this subject to teach, the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. What's coming up for me is: Am I making room for him? What gifts do I bring him? What is my commitment to the Son of God?

The song "What Shall We Give to the Babe in the Manger?" sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at Christmas has been thrumming in me for days:

"What shall we give to the babe in the manger,
What shall we offer the child in the stall?
Incense and spices and gold we've got plenty,
Are these the gifts for the king of us all?

"What shall we give to the boy in the temple,
What shall we offer the man by the sea?
Palms at his feet and hosannas uprising,
Are these for him who will carry the tree?

"What shall we give to the lamb who was offered,
Rising the third day and shedding his love?
Tears for his mercy we’ll weep at the manger,
Bathing the infant come down from above."

And remembrances of the post I did on Christmas Day, "Watch the Manger" with C.S. Lewis' poem about the stable animals which I almost can quote! In which I summarized that his words call on us to "see a glory," "see my Savior," and "watch the manger." (link)

My lesson won't be a Christmas lesson. No. It will wonder (as I've wondered) "why did Jesus come to earth?" Am I making room for Him in me always, and am I offering all I can? And linger hopefully on am I committed to the Son of God! Typified by the Christ child "increas[ing] in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man," I wonder what are some specific things I can do to grow intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially?

These are great thought questions. Sunday School is made of these!

Life is too.

Reminder

Of course

Sat in my chair under my blanket the other night and chortled. Chuckled. Guffawed!

(Finding things to make me happy in January...)

Over one of my Christmas presents, hah! "The Complete Tales of Winnie The Pooh."

Chapter One...

In Which we are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh



and Some Bees, and the Stories Begin.

"Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, about last Friday..."

(Sigh.)

And Two...

(Should'a seen me trying to snap a close-up holding this big book on my lap. I needed three hands!)

In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets Into a Tight Place.

"So he started to climb out of the hole. He pulled with his front paws, and pushed with his back paws, and in a little while his nose was out in the open again. . . and then his ears . . . and then his front paws . . . and then his shoulders . . . and then--

"Oh, help!" said Pooh." I'd better go back."

"Oh, bother!" said Pooh."I shall have to go on."

"I can't do either!" said Pooh. "Oh, help and bother!"
-----

Please, yes, and happy face! He makes me laugh. He does. Winnie, and A.A. Milne of course.

Learn and grow

Five Tough Truths Happy People Aren't Afraid to Face

Angel Chernoff (link)

1. If you want the benefits of something in life you have to also want the costs. Instead of thinking about what you want, first consider: What are you willing to give up to get it?
2. A comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there. The biggest dream killer isn't a lack of opportunity or talent, it’s the addiction we have to our comfort zone. Those who go far in life understand that uncertainty will never quite go away when they are doing great things. They are prepared to walk beside it everyday for as long as it takes to get to where they want to go.

3. If you want to see what’s holding you back look in the mirror. It’s you… and only YOU 99% of the time. There are a lot of things that are going to get in your way in life, don’t let yourself be one of them.
4. You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren't busy denying them. Life is a “practice” not a “perfection.” Live fully!
5. People will love you, and people will dislike you. And most of the time, it will have nothing to do with you. How others treat you is their deal; how you respond is yours. Love them. Be kind because it’s who you are, not because they have to earn it.

It’s okay to feel confused, frustrated and even lost – happy people experience all these emotions too. Find a way to be happy regardless of what life hands you. You may not be able to control it, but you can learn and grow from it. Be grateful for every experience, every challenge, and every surprise that you’re blessed with.

Playin' around

Yesterday I got to a neighborhood park with my grandkids.



We played in the snow then ran timed relays in the grass til I was gasping and begging to stop. I'm no good at this but we had waaay fun!



The boys swarmed the playground, and Ellie. Heh, one of us beat the others to the slide and came down fast! Made'ya la-augh! (Made Amy laugh!)



Andrew and Ellie are climbers. Joseph took off with a mechanical pencil and Post-it note packet to draw a flip book at the picnic tables...



and the little kids continued to climb and slide and balance and bounce. Both these kids shouted watch me, Nana a dozen times. Ellie called take a pi-ture, Nana! Cheeeeeese!



Drew, (uh...) the Darer!



Seven-almost-eight-months-old James never left the stroller this day, nope. Children with no teeth should never be let loose on the public. (Wha?) Where Amy

• strolled him 
• parked him
• sat down beside him...

he stayed! While the big kids played.



Hi my Joseph! You're back!



Monkey!.!.!.

I was tired. I was pooped. Used up. Though it was sunny and we were having a good time. A blast, actually.. I jiggled the chained slats in the play-bridge I was on... jiggled them lots and the boys and Ellie came on board bouncing and letting loose like it was a trampoline! Here's the video Amy (ugh) shot while I worked out...

Fun and done!