Attitude of Gratitude

3 Really Good Reason's to be grateful in life...

Reason #1: Being Grateful Makes You Happier and Healthier

I love the song “Count Your Blessings” (Hymns, no. 241). But did you know that literally counting your blessings increases your emotional health? Researchers had one group of students write for 20 minutes each day about things they were grateful for, a second about things they were angry about, and a third about random topics like the color of their shoes. Guess which group was happiest at the end of the experiment? The ones who wrote about things they were grateful for of course!
Even more interesting is that those who wrote about the things they were grateful for were less likely to be sick throughout the semester.  (See Chad M. Burton and Laura A. King, “The health benefits of writing about intensely positive experiences,” Journal of Research in Personality 38, no. 2 (2004): 150–63.)

Reason #2: Being Grateful Helps You See More Blessings

The Lord said,   “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more” (D&C 78:19).

 For the Strength of Youth says, “Live with a spirit of thanksgiving and you will have greater happiness and satisfaction in life” ([2001], 6).
 As Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “The more often we see the things around us—even the beautiful and wonderful things—the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds—even those we love. Because we see things so often, we see them less and less” (“Live in Thanksgiving Daily,” 11).

* When was the last time you noticed the blue sky? The beautiful clouds? The way it feels when warm sun touches your skin?  The mountains in the background? The many kinds of different colored flowers?  The tree in your front yard, or in your back?  A lady bug? The twinkle in your child's eye? The way they look at you right after giving you a hug?  When was the last time you looked at your child in their eyes when you told them "I love you"? 
There are so many beautiful things to be grateful for. As we stop and take time to look around and notice all the beautiful things we take for granted we will FOR SURE remember the blessings given to us by Heavenly Father,  because there are so many!  And as we practice noticing these small and precious things, we will open our eyes more easily and more regularly.  And our hearts will be full of gratitude for the bounteous blessings we each have. 

Reason #3: There Are Sad Consequences of Ingratitude

When people are not grateful they tend to complain, and that isn’t good for anyone. For example, even though the Lord had delivered the Israelites from slavery and given them manna to eat, they were not grateful. Notice what happens:
 “And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it” (Numbers 11:1).
So the Lord hears when we complain, and He does not like it.

Doctrine and Covenants 59:21 says, “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.”

“Someone has said that feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”  *President Monson 

Something amazing about being grateful is that it’s in our control. We might not be able to live where we want, or have the money we would like, or have the body we want. or house, or what ever it is that we wish we had.... But we can control whether we have a grateful attitude.
Great blessings are promised to those who are grateful.

 Take a Gratitude Challenge

We always talk about counting our blessings—let’s do it! Write a list of 100 things you are thankful for.  Some might think that is too many. If that is the case, try this:

• Write 10 living people you are grateful for.
• Write 10 people who have died you are grateful for.
• Write 10 physical abilities you are grateful for.
• Write 10 material possessions you are grateful for.
• Write 10 things about nature you are grateful for.
• Write 10 things about today you are grateful for.
• Write 10 places on earth you are grateful for.
• Write 10 modern-day inventions you are 
grateful for.
• Write 10 foods you are grateful for.
• Write 10 things about the gospel you are grateful for.

When we make a list like this, we discover that a list of 100 doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of all the things God has given us.

 "The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life. Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!"       *President Joseph F. Smith

Lets have an attitude of gratitude!

Why we aught to SMILE more

Smiling Gives you a Better Life

Smiling Helps You Stay Positive

Go ahead and smile right now. Now, try to think of something without losing the smile. It’s not easy. When we smile we are sending ourselves the message that ‘life is good!’ Smiling helps us to stay positive, confident and it reduces depression, stress and worrying.

Smiling Makes You More Attractive
We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is making them so happy. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away — but a smile draws them in.

Smiling is Contagious

When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the mood of others and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile more and you will draw people to you.
Next time you go somewhere try smiling to everyone who looks at you.  Count how many of them can't help but to smile right back.  You'll be surprised!

Smiling Relieves Stress

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. Your stress should be reduced and you’ll be better able to take action.

Smiling Boosts Your Immune System

Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure

When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes and take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

Smiling Releases powerful chemicals in our bodies

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural painkillers and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger

The muscles we use to smile lift the face — making a person appear younger. Don’t go for a facelift, just try smiling your way through the day to look younger and feel better.

Smiling Makes You Seem Successful

Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.

                                                                   

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"If you chance to meet a frown, do not let is stay. Quickly turn in upside down and smile that frown away.  No one likes a frowny face, change it for a smile.  Make the world a better place by smiling all the while."  

Gingerbread House Fun

 

When I was little I always wanted to make a gingerbread house.  We never did, though.  Now being an adult, and having 6 kids, I can totally see why. Growing up in a household with 10 children must have been so overwhelming around holidays like Christmas.  I can only imagine what it would have been like trying to do gingerbread houses with 10 kids, all the candy, the chaos, the frosting, and building.  Not to mention the fighting and bickering about how it's not fair that this person got to do this, and that person got to do that... 
Well, sometimes it's good to go without all the things we wanted as kids.  Cause then we get to grow up and do it when we're adults.  And it's super fun to act out childhood dreams. 
And so I did.  Is it everything I hoped it would be?  YES. It is everything I hoped it would be.  Gingerbread house making is so much fun.  I love it. It's one of my favorite things to do, especially with my kids.  This year I am attempting to make 8 houses from scratch. Everyone will have their own house to decorate.   This year everyone will have their own house to decorate.  You can imagine the excitement. 

Here is a simple recipe that seems to work for me.  I'm sure there are better ones out there.  Someday I'll have to try some different ones.  But this one is pretty easy and it smells SO  yummy through out the house while it's baking!!!  Also, here is an easy template too.  I usually try and keep the houses pretty simple too.  But one of these days I'll have to try and make a super fancy house... the ones that are like 3 feet tall and with windows everywhere with lights inside........   someday......

For now, bring on the festive fun, baby.  We are about to have the time of our Christmas life!


Gingerbread 

[perfect for cutout cookies or gingerbread houses]

Recipe by: Fancy Nancy

5 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. molasses
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract


Directions: Begin by sifting together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into a large bowl. Set aside. Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla, & almond extract. Add the molasses. Stir until all those ingredients are well combined.

Next, slowly begin adding the flour mixture. Mix until the flour is completely incorporated and thick dough has formed. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out the chilled dough onto a floured surface, about a 1/4 inch thick using a floured rolling pin. Cut the dough using gingerbread house template or desired cookie cutters. Place cutouts on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or tin foil. Bake for about 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes then carefully move to a cooling rack. Decorate as desired.

***If your cookies are cracking or the shapes are not turning out when you bake them, you may not be rolling your dough thin enough.

***For a crisp cookie [perfect for building] bake the full 15 minutes. If you want a cookie that is a little softer, reduce baking time to about 12 minutes.



Fall Family Photo's

These are some of the newest family photo's. I love them.  I love my family.  We are SO not normal. And I LOVE it!

I love my girls!

 

 

  I love this one the most because Zach made our "serious" picture hilarious!

 





Families are Forever

Fall * 2014





 

Colbie Caillat - Try

This is an awesome video.

Monday Night - Family Night

   When I was little my favorite day in the week was always Monday.  I have so many wonderful memories of fun family lessons about Jesus, prayer, and being nice. My dad loved using those felt stories to tell us stories from the Bible and Book of Mormon. And don't even get me started on those  projector film strip stories.

We had spotlights where a different one of us were chosen each week. Everyone had to give a  compliment to the person being spot-lighted... and believe me, when you grow up with 10 kids, being complimented by all your siblings is a HUGE deal. And when it was my turn to be spotlighted I felt like the most important and loved person on earth.

  Sometimes we had talent shows where one of us got to show off a new talent. I remember my big brother once playing the recorder. He played a song he learned from school that week.  I was so jealous because I wished I could play too.  

 

   

  And then there was the Family Night Treat.  My mom made the best desserts. Mostly they were pudding treats in those special fancy Tupperware dishes from the 70's - always with whipped cream on the top.  I have the best memories of layered Jell-O in rainbow colors, and puddings of every flavor. Banana pudding was always my favorite!

 

Man, I loved those evenings with my family.  It was the most special night of the week. And I looked forward to it every week.

Fast Forward 30 years later...

 

Well, Family Night's must be super important because  we are still counseled by our church leaders and our dear prophet, Thomas S. Monson, have them.

My husband and I haven't been perfect at it, but we have tried to do Family Night's since we've started having kids 16 years ago.  All the kids look forward to then just like I did when I was little.  And of course I have to add in the spotlights and the "share your talent" time.

Here is some of what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has to say about these special, special nights:

 

Family Home Evening
A Heaven-Inspired Program

 

The Responsibility of Parents

In the home, parents and children learn together to apply the gospel’s teachings to their lives. You teach your children all day, every day, whether you realize it or not. They pick up your habits, your prejudices, and your values from what you do as well as from what you say. The Lord has called you to be a parent, and he knows you can do it. You are part of his plan for his children.

Don’t expect perfection from your children or from yourself all at once. Strive with your children to improve your lives little by little, step by step, line upon line each day.

 

What makes family home evening successful?

 
1. Start and end with prayer. This invites the Spirit, increases love, and teaches your family how to pray.



2. Learn from the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets to help your family live the gospel.

3. Add music, such as hymns and Primary songs, to create an atmosphere of love, peace, and joy.

4. Make it fun by playing games, acting out scripture stories, and making treats. Keep the atmosphere light and loving

5. Be consistent. Monday nights are set aside by the Church for family home evening. If that doesn’t work, find a night that does.

6. Add variety. Help a neighbor in need, hold a lesson at the park, or go for a walk as a family.

"We cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program. It can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family, helping him or her to withstand the temptations which are everywhere. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest.”  

-Thomas S. Monson

 

Families are meant to be together Forever!

It's GREAT to be 8

              

I feel so blessed and grateful and happy and excited and lucky! My babies, Mary and Jacob got baptized.  The last of our 6 children turned 8 and it was a very good day when my husband baptized them.  It's hard to explain the joy I 've felt as I have watched my husband over the years bless our babies as they have come. And then to watch him baptize each one as they've turned 8.  I can't help but to feel a little sad that there are no more after Jacob and Mary, but life has been good to us and I love my family.  The twins are so happy to be 8.  They have been looking forward to getting baptized for a long time, and when the day finally came it was so cute to watch them giggle and fidget on their special day.  They were so happy and felt so special. And it was such a privilege to watch them and be their mother and have them in my life.  I am so grateful for both of them. And I am so grateful that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  It's day's like this that make the vision of Eternity so real and I look forward to Forever with the people I love most in the world. And that is my husband and my children!

Re-Post: ADHD Brain

This is a post I found that was so wonderful I had to repost it.  I recently have discovered that I have lived with ADHD my whole life and never knew it. I just figured that I was different from other people and have learned to cope over the years. Although - sometimes coping means that by some miracle I got through that day and made it to the next.  Anyway, learning all about dyslexia and ADHD has been a HUGE eye opener and has will help guide me to find ways to help me and some of my children with the difficult times.......  

 

Like Sitting in a Room With Thousands of TVs: Inside the ADHD Brain

By Lisa Aro

Published May 2, 2014

       

Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes is easy — just pull them on and tie the laces. But putting yourself in someone else’s brain? That’s beyond difficult, especially when that brain is moving in a million different directions at once.
I often wonder what people think it’s like to have ADHD. Do they think it’s like losing a train of thought? Or having too many meetings crammed into one afternoon? While I can’t speak for other people with the disorder, I can speak for my husband and our five ADHD children. ADHD affects every aspect of their lives from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep. There is a simple reason for that: It’s the way their brains are wired, so it affects how they take-in, process, and retrieve information about — literally — the whole world. One of the most helpful things for me over the many years spent parenting, teaching, and raising my family has been learning how their brains work.
Once we were talking about social expectations and boundaries for one of my daughters’ graduations when my son announced that I had ADHD by proxy. I didn’t understand at first but then he went on to say that I had come to understand their experience and way of thinking so well that it was like my DNA had changed and I had become an honorary ADHDer. That may be one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received. It’s certainly been a great gift to see through their eyes and learn more about the ways they experience the world. Here are just four of many things I’ve come to understand about their beautifully complex minds:

1. No Such Thing As a Filter

While a “normal” or neurotypical person has a “gatekeeper” that controls input by filtering out unimportant information, the ADHD brain has none. It takes everything in. Think about how overwhelming it would be if all your senses brought in everything around you, nothing was sorted, and everything was labeled “important.” Once I started to see my ADHDers experiences in those terms it became easy to see why they often held on to the wrong information or didn’t register the right information.
One of our daughters described it this way: “I feel like I’m sitting in a room with thousands of televisions all playing different movies and shows. My mind jumps from one screen to another not knowing which I should be watching, unable to just focus on one of them.”
Tips and tricks: Our ADHDers have learned to separate and break things down so they can focus in on one thing. One daughter compared it to sorting a bag of M&Ms into separate colors. She sorts the thoughts and incoming stimuli so she can zero-in and hyper-focus on one thing at a time.

2. Overstimulated and Overwhelmed

As you can imagine, without being able to filter information, an ADHDer is constantly bombarded by stimuli.
It all builds up quickly. In my experience, being overstimulated turns to frustration. In our house we see two reactions to being overstimulated: those who who act out, and those who turn inward. ADHDers who act outwardly on their frustration become loud, boisterous, even angry or violent. The ones who turn that frustration inward become anxious, high strung, upset and look like they’re shutting down or about to implode.
Regardless, when a person with ADHD is overstimulated, they need to clear the slate. It’s like pushing a reset button. The reset button is unique to the individual. What works for one may not work for another.
Tips and tricks: Take a break. We’ve found that getting away from the stimulus is critical. Find a quiet place to sit for a few minutes. Engaging fidgets can help keep a situation from becoming overwhelming. For instance, our kids draw, count, write, drum fingers or bounce their knees to find a calm balance.

3. I Forgot — No, Seriously

Problems accessing, retrieving, and using memory is one of the biggest frustrations I see in my ADHDers. Sometimes I forget how hard it is for them because I’m focused on my own frustration at having to repeat instructions and refocus them over and over. I’ve seen the fallout from this trait in some interesting ways. For example, while impulsiveness is partially to blame for ADHDers blurting out information or speaking out of turn, it isn’t the only reason. Mine will apologize for blurting and frequently add, “If I don’t say it right now I’ll forget.” There’s a pleading in their voices that speaks to the seriousness of forgetting for them. We’ve seen this fear in messy bedrooms where everything has to be in plain sight for fear of losing it. We’ve also seen it in hoarding-esque behaviors because they are afraid to get rid of anything for fear of forgetting the memories associated with those items.
Tips and tricks: To help our kids remember things, we use checklists, sticky notes, and email or texts. Be specific. Generalizing doesn’t help. For organization, we’ve used clear bins and shallow shelves so everything can be visible. Creating a scrapbook with pictures and smaller items can help preserve memories for years (and even generations) to come.

4. Too Many Thoughts to Think

One of my sons has been high strung and intense since he was very young. One night he looked so overwhelmed, like he was about to burst. I casually asked, “What’s wrong, are you swimming in your own thoughts?” His answer was desperate and profound: “I’m not swimming. I have so many thoughts there’s no room to move or swim.”
He’s not alone in his experience. Most ADHDers I talk to live every waking minute of their day in this same state. My husband describes it as an array. The mention of one word or thought opens up thousands more, going out in all directions.
Tips and tricks: All those ideas and thoughts need to go somewhere outside of their heads. Keeping a journal or accordion folder for ideas allows them to be written down and pursued later. We tell our kids to keep the writing brief, just enough to remember the idea so they don’t get distracted by writing it down.
Living life with ADHD is really no different than learning to live life with any other medical condition. It just takes time to find those coping mechanisms that work. While life is never going to be perfect or easy, it can become manageable.

Standing tall for Liberty

I love the Statue of Liberty and all the it represents and stands for. Our kids aren't taught the true meaning behind all that it represents, so I want to on my blog. These are the types of things that we should know and remember. 

 

Symbols of Liberty:

Torch : The torch is the strongest symbol that Bartholdi incorporated into the Statue. In fact the Statue's real name reflects its true meaning: "Liberty Enlightening the World".

Crown: The statue wears a crown with seven spikes. This represents the 7 seas and 7 continents of the world, re-enforcing the universal concept of liberty.

Tablet: The Statue holds a tablet in her left hand. It is a book of law based on the founding principles of this
nation, a nation based on law.

Writing on the Tablet: The Statue's tablet contains writing on it. This was one of the last changes that Bartholdi made to the Statue. It was originally left blank. Bartholdi placed the date of America's independence on the tablet ( JULY IV MDCCLXXVI ). They are in roman numerals which are symbolic of law.

Windows of the crown: ( 25 ) Represent the heaven's rays of light that shine over the 7 seas and continents.

Shape of the Tablet: Do you know what the tablet's shape is called? It is a keystone. In architecture, a keystone is the stone which keeps the others together. Without it everything would fall apart. The keystone of this nation is the fact that it is based on law. Without law, freedom and democracy would not prevail.

Sandals: The Statue of Liberty actually wears sandals. She is also not standing still. Even though the Statue stands on a pedestal, she is actually walking ahead moving forward. This goddess is lighting the path to freedom through peace, not violence. Her footwear also suggests her stature as a free person.

Robe: The Statue of Liberty wears a free-flowing robe or stola, which powerfully refers to the Roman influence of the goddess "Libertas", which was worshipped by freed slaves.

Broken Chains: Located at the Statue's feet symbolize the freedom that Lady Liberty has. It demonstrates that the Statue is free from slavery and bondage.

Shields: Richard Morris Hunt made some representations in his pedestal design as well. He placed shields on each side of the pedestal symbolizing the states in the Union.

Granite Brick: There are 13 layers of granite that comprise the body of the pedestal. The 13 colonies formed America in 1776.

Liberty Enlightening the World

The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.*
Poet Emma Lazarus' sonnet "The New Colossus", written in 1883 for an auction to raise funds for the Statue's pedestal and later engraved on a bronze plaque placed in that very pedestal, best expresses the impact the Statue of Liberty continues to have on people across America and throughout the world:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

*Text courtesy of the National Park Service 

Standing Up 4 Freedom!

 

Utah Constitution

 

Preamble

 Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we, the people of Utah, in order to secure and perpetuate the principles of free government, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION.

 

 

Utah Constitutional Amendment 3

Utah Constitutional Amendment 3 is an amendment to the Utah state constitution that sought to define marriage as a union exclusively between a man and woman. It passed in the November 2, 2004 election, as did similar amendments in ten other states.

The amendment, which added Article 1, Section 29 to the Utah Constitution, reads:

1. Marriage consists only of the legal union between a man and a woman.
2. No other domestic union, however denominated, may be recognized as a marriage or given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect.

 

 My daughter and went to the Capitol building and joined the rally of Families against gay marriage.  It felt great to stand up with same-minded people and listen to speeches about OUR rights and our constitution and why it SHOULDN'T change.  I love our country and we need to take a stand for our beliefs! I'm so glad I did!

  

Oh, the Joys!

Look how much fun learning at home is.  Mary wrote a story about a little monster who wanted to make friends. So she decided to do something about it and in the end because she got brave she made new friends.  It was a really cute story.
 Mary wanted to make her story come true so I cut out pieces of felt to match the drawing. Then, we had a first lesson on sewing.  And in about a weeks time with many hours devoted to hand stitching,  Mary's little monster came to life. I love these times of creativity and learning.  And I love seeing my children feel that sense of confidence and accomplishment after working so hard on something of their own creation.  I love it. I love it. I love it!

I love this message from Pres. Monson.  It's such a good reminder that a perfect home environment doesn't mean that the laundry is always done. I happen to be one of those moms that can't get it all done. My home isn't ever in perfect condition. There is always a mess somewhere.  Before I had kids I was a perfectionist in how I kept things. Everything had it's spot, and everything was always squeaky clean.  I even hung my clothes in color code.
 But, as the children came my ability to keep things so neat slowly disappeared. While it bothers me, I have to remember that my children have always been happy kids. And I am always trying.  And I know that we are choosing the right and doing what's right.  And that brings peace to my heart.
Even when I'm staring at my piles and piles thinking, "Will it ever end?"

A child with Down Syndrome is a blessing!