"Grandpa doesn't lie!"

When my boys were very young they had several opportunities to spend whole days with their grandfather, my dad.

One night, as I was putting them to bed, Clay told me that he was too scared to sleep. I asked what he was afraid of and he said "Monsters." I assured him that monsters weren't real. "They are real!" Clay insisted. "Why do you think they are real?" I inquired. "Grandpa told me they're real and Grandpa doesn't lie!"

I was sure Clay must have misunderstood my dad. I told him we would call Grandpa and Grandpa would tell him that monsters weren't real.

I spoke with my dad first, asking him what he had said to Clay about monsters. He chuckled, a little embarrassed, and said that Clay had brought up the subject. "So I told him I had caught all the monsters and buried them in my back yard."

Clay's reasoning: if Grandpa said he had caught a monster, then monsters are real!

We never know what things we say to children will stick with them and change their lives. Hopefully the things we say will build their self esteem and strengthen their testimonies. Or, at least make a good story!

TMI or Teaching Sunbeams

Have you ever received too much information? Been told stuff you never wanted to hear? That is the life of the Sunbeam teacher!

When talking about loving families one week I was told by a 3 year old that her mom doesn't love her! Mom had left her home alone once and beats her every day. Well, Mom happens to be my best friend so I asked her about her daughter's accusations. Turns out the young lady wouldn't put on her shoes to go with mom, so mom went out to the car without her but didn't go anywhere. And beating her? No, but she does get swats on the bottom now and then.

One young lady was learning the difference between girls and boys at home. She chose to inform me that her daddy has a (ding a ling)! Didn't want to think about that!

A little boy came to visit me at my house and started wandering around. He found my husband lying on the bed. The boy climbed up next to Jeff and said "Hi Jeff! I'm Tigger" and immediately jumped dead center onto Jeff causing Jeff's head and feet to fly up and meet over the child!

These little kids are absolutely priceless! They are so full of love. They give away hugs and kisses freely. They get so excited when they see me, big smiles and waves are thrown my way.

The rewards for teaching these little ones are legion. Besides the smiles, hugs and kisses there is the feedback from their parents. One child was so excited to go home and teach his family how to pray with his prayer puppet. I remember one grandmother in the ward who had a grandson in my class telling me she hated me with a smile on her face. She told me that I was all her grandson could talk about and that he liked me better than her!

In Sacrament meeting, even now when 3 years have passed since I taught them, I will hear a not so quiet whispering voice say "There's my teacher!"

"...she never misses church..."

Last year my son, Chad, was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting on Mother's Day with several other youth in our ward. I was excited to hear what he would come up with, half dreading a comical story that would have the ward laughing AT me, instead of WITH me.

I don't remember most of what Chad said that day. But I do remember him calling me a good example because "... she never misses church if she can help it." Instant tears came to my eyes. Chad had noticed that even though I was in pain most days, I still went to church. He knew I had a strong testimony because I didn't let the pain keep me home. He knows the Gospel is important to me and that I would suffer to attend the meetings.

I knew that day that all the pain I had ever suffered or ever would was worth it because my son knew I had testimony! And that my testimony and example had helped strengthen his testimony.

The thing I am most proud of in this world? The testimonies of my children!

Guilty Pleasures

Have you ever wanted to give yourself a time-out? I have! And this summer, with school out and me not having to work, I gave myself a 3 month time out!

What did I do with this time? I discovered Facebook! I actually got a Facebook account last Novemeber but didn't know what to do with it, other than see what my kids were doing on their accounts. Then I had a couple of friends find me and become my friends and I started seeing what they were doing on their accounts. Soon, with some tutelage from my kids, I was becoming more and more involved.

At the beginning of the summer I was sending and receiving pieces of flair, plants, bumper stickers and messages. I set up farms and houses, became a pirate and a sorority sister, I collected water globes and temple pictures, and started kidnapping friends. I took tests to show that I am (or in some cases am not) who I say I am! I marked a map with all the places I've been and sent hugs and bracelet charms to my friends.

Then I ran into a problem. Alot of these games required a certain number of your friends to play also for you to receive certain privileges. Well, I didn't have enough friends on any of them! Many people were letting complete strangers on to their accounts! I couldn't see doing that, letting a stranger see my personal info and reading my daily posts. What was I to do? Recruiting wasn't working, strangers were not an option. My solution? I used my 'extra' email accounts to set up 'extra' facebook accounts so I would have more friends to add to my favorite games! Devious, aren't I?

I have spent the entire summer playing Facebook games! Then I found I couldn't just 'waste' my extra accounts, I had to tend all the farms and pets, and earn points on all the games! I feel a bit guilty wasting so much time, but I needed it! So maybe it wasn't wasted time. Mentally I needed a break and physically I needed to rest and this worked out perfectly for me.

A guilty pleasure? Yes! One I feel I've earned over the last 20 years...

I love to see the Temple

Temples have been a huge theme in all of my church meetings lately. As a high council member, my husband will be giving a talk on temples in 2 weeks, a subject assigned by the stake president. The lesson I will be presenting in Relief Society this week is on temple work, as was the lesson 2 weeks ago and the one next week. One of my nieces posted pictures of the Dallas temple on her facebook page and another niece had as her status that she loves to attend the temple. Jeff and I were able to attend a session this week in the Bountiful temple.


How blessed we are to have a plan set out by our Heavenly Father that allows us to be sealed together as families forever! While 'farming' on facebook yesterday I worked for a lady who was from upstate NY. I mentioned that my son was in that area and she asked why. I told her that he was a volunteer missionary. She asked "lds?" "Yes!" I replied. "r u lds? most people who aren't say mormon." "lol," was her answer. "no, but my mom is very active." Not wanting to be obnoxious but wanting to do a little missionary work I said "It's comforting to me to know that I can be with my family forever." "Funny you should say that. My 5 year old came home from school today and said he was afraid to die." I advised her to teach him how much God loves him so he wouldn't dwell on the scariness. She said they had talked about that, and that she had been thinking a lot lately about religion. I am positive that the Holy Ghost gave me the words to say to her. I hope that between my small effort and the influence of her mother that this sister will search out the truth and accept the Gospel.

I may even be able to follow up on this because she added me to her buddy list!

Pain Days

Some times I can't do the things I need or want to do. I call these my pain days. You see, every disc in my spine has some kind of damage, some more, some less, most causing pain! I don't like to take too many pain pills so most of the time I suffer through it. Working 6 hours a day will often wipe me out so that when I get home all I can do is lie on my bed. Dinner? Something out of the freezer! It's a trade off I guess... I work for extra money which I spend on frozen food because I can't cook because I work!

Then there is the problem of attending school and sporting events my children are involved in. After work I don't feel like sitting any longer. Yet, what can you miss? Football games? Concerts? Award ceremonies? Even when the kids say its okay for me to miss their event, I will still feel terrible for skipping. So I attend most of them, though the pain makes it so that I can't enjoy the event. It's what mothers do right? Sacrifice for the little darlings who forget to feed the cat and won't keep their room clean! lol

The worst though is the feeling of neglecting my church calling. Until recently I was a counselor in the Young Women's program. Most of the time I didn't feel up to going to the activities on week nights. My dilemma? Do I go in so much pain that I can't concentrate on what's happening and can't physically help, or do I take a pain pill which makes me so loopy that I can't concentrate on what's happening and shouldn't physically help!?! Half the time I would just stay home, grateful for an understanding president.

The Beginning

Hi! I am a Mormon mom! I grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and have a strong testimony of Jesus Christ. I would like to share my thoughts, feelings, activities and testimony with you. I have a husband, Jeff and three kids. Clay is 19 and is serving a mission. Chad just turned 18 and is away from home at college. Kelsey, 14, is a freshman in high school.

As a mother of young kids, I couldn't wait until the day they would be gone and I wouldn't have to drive someone somewhere, or follow up on homework, and my house would be quieter, I could choose the music that I listened to, and no one would say "I'm not eating that!"

We took Clay to the Provo missionary training center on March 4th, 2009. I have always been sure that he would serve a mission, and I knew I would miss him, but the reality of having him gone I was not prepared for! Tears would pop up in my eyes without warning. I missed him!

Six months later we took Chad to college. We helped him set up his room in an apartment with 4 of his friends and one stranger. The next 3 weeks were very quiet at home. Kelsey spent a lot of time saying how much she missed her brothers and how bored she was! We don't get to communicate with Clay except through emails and letters, but with Chad we can text and call whenever we want to. However, I still missed him.

Every noise I hear outside or inside my house, my first thought is "is it Clay or Chad?" then I realize it can't be either one! It's a very strange feeling. But I finally realized I'm not missing them as much as I miss knowing what they are doing! Does that make sense? I want to know what's happening, where they go, if they are happy, what they are eating and every detail of their days! Is that different from missing them? I don't want them to leave what they are doing to come home; I want them to have these wonderful experiences! But they are boys and neither one will write the details of their days!

I sure wish I had a crystal ball so I could watch them!