Mondays

Fall is in the air! These last couple of months I have been canning like crazy. I've canned jams, peaches, pears, applesauce, apple butter, pickles and yesterday got to pick some grapes for grape juice. The only thing I did not get done that I really wanted to was salsa. But I know that next year will be a better year for the garden. At least I hope so! It has been especially fun because Toshia and I have been sharing the work load and working together. We have been spending Mondays together trying to get this all done. And in between we've been doing a little crafting! These Mondays have been the highlight of my week since school started. I have enjoyed the little babies being under foot - I guess because I am not stressed about being the "mom" of them. Being the grandma is much more relaxing! Then I am loving the chaos of things that start around 2:30 in the afternoon as everyone arrives home from school. They each come in a few minuets apart and then things don't settle down until everyone is snuggled tightly in bed. Mondays are an exhausting day but I would not trade them for any other day of the week right now. We've decided to keep this little tradition going during the school year. There are plenty of crafting things to keep us busy. I am so lucky to have her so close. I am going to enjoy these moments because you never know when things in her life might change and she might not live so close. But you can know that if I have anything to say about it all my children are going to stay close and we all are going to grow old together!

Grandkids!

I LOVE being a grandma!

10-10-10

I was on my way up to bed when the thought occurred to me that I had better write a little something on this historic never to happen again for another hundred years day! 10-10-10 just has a certain ring to it that calls out to me for some reason. Conference was last weekend and was so wonderful! What a blessing it has been to travel to Utah for the last 10 years to hear it in person. (We have traveled there many times before but with breaks in between.) There is something about hearing the music live in the conference center that just brings chills to my spirit. I LOVE it! So in honor of 10-10-10 I thought I would list my top 10 favorite conference treasures.

1. President Monson announcing 5 new temples!

2. Sis. Wixom taught us to take our children by the hand and lead them - lead them to scripture reading, prayer, and family home evening!

3. Elder Costa taught that a prophet tells us what we need to know not what we want to hear. Prophetic priorities are God's priorities!

4. The Tabernacle Choir singing "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus"!

5. Pres. Uchtdorf wisdom as he counseled to proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances! Do all things in wisdom and order!

6. Elder Hales teaching us that if we use our agency in righteousness we will become closer to God!

7. Elder Scott taught that faith is not obtained during times of great adversity, that's when it is utilized, needed strength is drawn from it at that time!

8. Boyd K Packer as he made a remarkable statement that "moral standards can't be changed by battle or by ballot", he went on to say that you can not vote to change moral values and standards set by God - changing marriage or moral constants by a vote of the people is as feeble as thinking you can change other laws of God such as gravity!

9. Pres. Monson reminded us that an attitude of gratitude helps us recognize our blessings. Pride brings selfishness, humbleness brings an attitude of gratitude!

10. Music and the Spoken Word - it was so beautiful Sunday morning and the message sung through the music just touched my heart!

It was hard to pick just 10 things because so many things touched my heart - I love that we have a living prophet on the earth today with 12 apostles by his side and his two councilors! How thankful I am to live in this time and at this place so I can hear their words! I have made a resolve to "ameliorate" (improve) over this next six months!