The Reason for the Season

I thought this slide show was a beautiful remembrance of 'the reason for the season.' I love Christmas....the decorations, the smells, the music, the being together, the excitement, the love, the peace, the wonder..... But sometimes in the 'hustle and bustle' of it all, I am "prone to wander.....prone to leave the God I love." He is the reason and the means of all that I hold dear....as Jonathan says, "Thank you, Jesus."

Fall Blessings, Halloween Ghouls, and Winter Fright!

Winter came knocking at our door this week! David was thrilled that the snow was perfect for a snowman---well a very ghoulish looking snowman! We thought he was quite unique looking with onion eyes, celery nose and leafy mouth! Welcome to Winter!!!!















The Blessings of Fall and Harvest---not to be confused with the Curse of the Canning season---is coming to an end! I think about in mid-September I start praying for a killing frost so I can be done canning and then of course, I'm disappointed that I didn't get everything done that I'd planned. This year I had some wonderful blessings that I wanted to make sure and mention.

• The first was a mother-in-law that canned green beans and pears for me----2 things I despise picking and canning. 96 quarts of beans and 52 quars of pears! Wow!

• The second was some wonderful ladies in the ward that were looking for someone to serve and wanted to can all my applesauce for me---all I had to do was pick the apples, wash bottles and provide lids---well, do you think that I could even get that done? So the kind ladies took pity on me, used their own apples, jars and lids and brought me 48 quarts----for applesauce, that is huge! Now, they did this for MANY different people in the ward, I can't imagine how many hours of service that was. I did get bottles and lids eventually washed and returned to them with LOTS more boxes of apples for them to can, but I was thankful they didn't wait for me or they would have never gotten anything done.

• The third was my kind husband who's ingenious tomato contraption produced picture-perfect tomatoes this year that actually ripened! Wow, this was a new experience! Usually Idaho frosts beats us to them. Also, my Dad provided us with lots of buckets of his tomatoes that added to ours in order to can lots of tomato soup! UMMM! Thank you Jeff and Papa Joe!
  

• The fourth was Joseph and Papa Joe that provided yummy venison to can and add to our food storage! I love canned venison in stew----it's so fast and yummy!

• The fifth was another very busy family in our ward who were wondering if they could have some of our apples to press into apple juice. We happily gave them whatever they could take and they brought us back some very yummy juice! Wow, nothing like that canned stuff in the store! But that's not all, they wanted us to have the great experience of pressing our own apples and so that made time in their very busy day to bring over their in-laws apple press and help us press about 25 more gallons. We had a great time and the rewards were scrumptuous!

As I gaze at all of the bottles lining my shelf, I feel very blessed and safe---what is it about looking at jars of food that you've canned (well---with lots of help, that is!) that makes you feel content and fulfilled? Kind of weird---I know, but it is a great feeling----kind of an "I did that!" feeling.

We also had a great Halloween---here are some of our cute little critters:

Preston High JV Soccer 2008

Soccer Joe's JV season

We have been wanting to post pictures of our amazing Preston High School Soccer player for awhile. But since my camera has had it and most of the time I forget to take pictures because the game gets too exciting anyway, I haven't had anything worth looking at. Fortunately, at the Soccer banquet last week, one of the Soccer mom's gave me a whole disk worth of JV pictures! What a sweetheart! The JV team had a GREAT season---they won 7, tied 5 and lost 2. They were a very fun team to watch and we loved going to their games. And they love playing so much that a few of them have decided to take it indoors and play soccer all winter long. Of course, Joseph can't be left out of that! So I guess we'll get to continue watching our number 2 a little while longer. Congrats, Joseph on a great season!

Suggestions for Strengthening Families

My friend, LuWenn, had this list posted on her website. It is a little daunting, but I thought it was a good reminder, and self-check list to see how I'm doing with my family. I have a very LONG ways to go with these things, so I'm posting them here to remind myself of what my priorities should be. LuWenn said that she got this list from her Area Authority at their last Stake Conference. It was given to him and other General Authorities at a training by one of the Twelve Apostles. Anyway, we always need a list to work on, so here is not just any list but THE LIST of all lists!

The following instructions appear at the top of the list:

Remember that Satan’s focus is everything associated with Family.

Understand and implement each principle on the list before using an exception as an excuse.

Do not be overwhelmed, but be persistent and consistent.

Understand the principle “that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.”

So here’s “the list.”

1. Assist sons to earn the “Eagle Scout” and “Duty to God” awards and daughters to earn the “Young Womanhood” award.

2. Eat at least one meal together every day as a family.

3. Kneel together in family prayer night and morning.

4. Teach children the importance of graduating from Seminary and Institute.

5. Help children save for missions and for post high school education.

6. Review frequently and practice consistently the principles taught in The Family.

7. Teach children the principles of thrift and how to avoid unnecessary debt.

8. Attend church as a family and sit together near the front of the chapel.

9. Hold meaningful family home evenings every Monday.

10. Teach children the “Plan of Salvation” with emphasis on the essential nature of “Saving Ordinances.”

11. Hold husband/wife planning sessions weekly to discuss relationship needs, individual children’s needs, and family finances.

12. Arrange schedules so that one parent can spend dedicated time with one child each week.

13. Don’t give children an allowance. Rather, provide them with worthwhile work opportunities, pay them for jobs well done and teach them how to budget their earnings.

14. Search the scriptures daily, both personally and as a family.

15. Hang a picture of the temple in a prominent place in your home. Attend the temple often and express your feelings about the temple to your children.

16. Fill your home with worthy literature and worthy music.

17. Strictly monitor the use of television and Internet for yourselves and your children.

18. Arrive at church 10 minutes early so that you can pause and meditate.

19. Obtain, study, and reflect on patriarchal blessings regularly.

20. Teach children that their individual worth comes from who they are–not from what they have or what they don’t have.

21. Correct children in a firm and timely manner. Focus on the unnacceptable behavior without demeaning the child.

22. Establish your home as a place of peace, security, understanding, quiet communications, and love.

23. Lead out in “giving heed to all the words of the prophet.”

24. Be prepared for temporal emergencies by implementing the guidelines found in the “All is Safely Gathered In” booklets.

25. Teach children to enjoy hard work.

A pretty exhaustive list!! Just thought I'd share!

The Deer Hunt

How do we lift this thing up?

A four-pointer no less!

Joseph got his first deer last Friday----what an experience! He and Papa Joe left about 5:30 a.m. to scout out the perfect place. I guess lots of other people thought it was the perfect place too, because they had lots of company! Joseph said that he got his deer about 11:30 a.m. Well, we didn't see Joseph or Papa Joe until about 8:00 p.m. that night.....so what happened??!!?? Well, of course, there's the story! Dragging the deer back to the truck after it was shot was another story. Joseph kept saying, "I don't know how we did it-----I was totally exahausted, but I wasn't going to let a 70-year-old man beat me! If Papa Joe could do it, then so could I!" We forgot to tell Joseph that Papa Joe's mantra is "If it's not hard, it's not worth doing!" Just kidding! They had a great time and we learned the fine points of bottling venison on Saturday---those 16 quarts of meat are very precious! If you think tomato soup is time consuming----try bottling venison! Anyway, Congrats to Joseph on his first deer---a four-pointer, no less!

Happy Birthday to YOU!!!!!

Happy Birthday---Joseph-15!!!, David-7!!!!, Grandmother????!!!!

We had a great 'combined' birthday party for Joseph, David and Grandmother on Friday. Thanks for coming, Grandmother and Papa Joe! Actually, Grandmother's 'surprise' party was on Saturday, so we included her in our Friday party so she wouldn't 'suspect' that there was going to be another party! Anyway, we had lots of fun---ate Taco Soup, blew out candles on raspberry filled cake and ice cream, popped balloons and opened presents, of course! Everything's better when there's presents.............David's sure of that! We love you Joseph and David and Grandmother! You're the best!

Beautiful Baby Jacob!

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month

As I was looking through some information that was sent to me about Jacob this month from the Infant and Toddler program, I noticed that October is National Down Syndrome Awareness month. So I thought I would post some general information about Down Syndrome FYI and some cute pics of Baby Jacob (aka Beautiful Baby)!

Here are some Myths and Truths about Down Syndrome:

Myth: Down syndrome is a rare genetic disorder.
Truth: Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring genetic condition. One in every 733 live births is a child with Down syndrome, representing approximately 5,000 births per year in the United States alone. Today, more than 400,000 people in the United States have Down syndrome.

Myth: People with Down syndrome have a short life span.
Truth: Life expectancy for individuals with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent years, with the average life expectancy approaching that of peers without Down syndrome.

Myth: Most children with Down syndrome are born to older parents.
Truth: Most children with Down syndrome are born to women younger than 35-years-old simply because younger women have more children. However, the incidence of births of children with Down syndrome increases with the age of the mother.

Myth: People with Down syndrome are severely “retarded.”
Truth: Most people with Down syndrome have IQs that fall in the mild to moderate range of intellectual disability (formerly known as “retardation”). Children with Down syndrome fully participate in public and private educational programs. Educators and researchers are still discovering the full educational potential of people with Down syndrome.

Myth: Most people with Down syndrome are institutionalized.
Truth: Today people with Down syndrome live at home with their families and are active participants in the educational, vocational, social, and recreational activities of the community. They are integrated into the regular education system and take part in sports, camping, music, art programs and all the other activities of their communities. People with Down syndrome are valued members of their families and their communities, contributing to society in a variety of ways.

Myth: Parents will not find community support in bringing up their child with Down syndrome.
Truth: In almost every community of the United States there are parent support groups and other community organizations directly involved in providing services to families of individuals with Down syndrome.

Myth: Children with Down syndrome must be placed in segregated special education programs.
Truth: Children with Down syndrome have been included in regular academic classrooms in schools across the country. In some instances they are integrated into specific courses, while in other situations students are fully included in the regular classroom for all subjects. The current trend in education is for full inclusion in the social and educational life of the community. Increasingly, individuals with Down syndrome graduate from high school with regular diplomas, participate in post-secondary academic and college experiences and, in some cases, receive college degrees.

Myth: Adults with Down syndrome are unemployable.
Truth: Businesses are seeking young adults with Down syndrome for a variety of positions. They are being employed in small- and medium-sized offices: by banks, corporations, nursing homes, hotels and restaurants. They work in the music and entertainment industry, in clerical positions, childcare, the sports field and in the computer industry. People with Down syndrome bring to their jobs enthusiasm, reliability and dedication.

Myth: People with Down syndrome are always happy.
Truth: People with Down syndrome have feelings just like everyone else in the population. They experience the full range of emotions. They respond to positive expressions of friendship and they are hurt and upset by inconsiderate behavior.

Myth: Adults with Down syndrome are unable to form close interpersonal relationships leading to marriage.
Truth: People with Down syndrome date, socialize, form ongoing relationships and marry.

Myth: Down syndrome can never be cured.
Truth: Research on Down syndrome is making great strides in identifying the genes on chromosome 21 that cause the characteristics of Down syndrome. Scientists now feel strongly that it will be possible to improve, correct or prevent many of the problems associated with Down syndrome in the future.

Also here are a few FAQ's about Down Syndrome:

• Down syndrome occurs when an individual has three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome. This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome.
• People with Down syndrome have an increased risk for certain medical conditions such as congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems, Alzheimer's disease, childhood leukemia, and thyroid conditions. Many of these conditions are now treatable, so most people with Down syndrome lead healthy lives.
• A few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm. Every person with Down syndrome is a unique individual and may possess these characteristics to different degrees or not at all.
• Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent decades - from 25 in 1983 to 60 today.
• People with Down syndrome attend school, work, participate in decisions that affect them, and contribute to society in many wonderful ways.
• Here is a link to the National Down Syndrome Society if you want any further information: ndss.org.
  

We love Jacob soooo much and don't know what we'd do without our beautiful baby! He is doing great right now---beginning to sit without support (he loves to sit in his Bumbo chair), starting to play with toys and trying to understand why we want him to eat solids---bleh!!!! Baby food is not very appetizing when you could be snuggled up with Mom and nursing blissfully away in peace! But, we all have to be kicked out of our comfort zone at some point, so we're trying to help Jacob make the best of it. He loves to pull funny faces and send his brothers into gales of laughter and then he looks innocent as if to say-----"what's all the fuss about?" Jacob is a very good baby, but has his likes and dislikes just like everyone else and gets cranky when he gets tired---(I'm sure he gets that from the MALE side of the family!) We love you, Jacob!