It's been a while!

Yes, it has been a while since I blogged. The problem is that i joined facebook and became addicted! I've worked through my addiction, so now I'm back and life is going to be normal again.
Thanksgiving was a fun weekend. We went to Jake's grandpa's house and had dinner and then went to Jake's mom's house to spend the night. The next day, Jake's sister Keira and I went to do the black friday shopping at 5am. We were die-hards and stayed out until 6pm! I only bought some jammies for the kiddos, but we had such a fabulous time just being together and having a girl's day.

Keilani and Sadie made some turkey napkin holders for our thanksgiving dinner and they turned out so cute. They had fun making them. They always like to do crafts. Keilani decided that some of the turkeys needed some hair. Keilani also made a picture of a turkey at school so we could decorate our house with turkey stuff!

Sadie-silly: Jake asked, "Sadie, why are you eating your cookie. You are supposed to be eating your dinner." She shrugged her shoulders and replied, "He wants to be with his mom and dad." "Where is his mom and dad?" She scrunched up her nose and said, "In my mouth. I just eat a lot of cookies." She had found a bread pan in the cupboard and strategically placed her cookie in the pan and placed it under the table to be reached at her convenience!

Keilani-ism and Sadie Silly

So yesterday Keilani and Sadie were being rather difficult and disobedient during the going to bed ritual of prayers and scriptures. I got so frustrated and I started lecturing them about how important it is to do those things and have respect for Heavenly Father. I said at the end of my speech, "You girls are 5 and 3 years old and you know better than that!" Keilani slowly got a little smirk on her face and said, "I know everything!" Then as my eyes blazed at her, she paused and then said, "but I don't know anything big." I think she knew what I was going to say!

Sadie found a long screwdriver the other day and was playing with it. (This is not our fault, we don't usually allow our children to play with tools!) She told me that she needed it to kill someone. I said, "But, we don't kill people." She replied, "I'm not going to kill you mommy, I'm just going to kill daddy." Then I said, "We don't kill ANYBODY!" And she got a pouty face and said, "But I want to kill people." Sadie is such a sweet girl, but who knows where that came from? A previous post comes to mind when Sadie said that she needed a new mommy and daddy. I think it is all a plot to get rid of us.

Finally responding to "Tagged"

Okay, so here are my 7 interesting things about me. It has taken me a while to figure out what to write, but as I read other's I see that it is typical to not know what to write! So, here goes.

1. I had a terrible fear of heights. I'd be shaking and freeze and not be able to move up or down. I got this crazy notion in my head one day that I would go skydiving and bungee jumping to get over my fear. It was very fun, once I got over being completely terrified and giving into peer pressure. I'm still afraid of heights, but not as bad as I used to be.

2. I only drink water out of plastic cups. Not just any plastic cups, it has to be the hard, clear plastic. It just doesn't taste as good out of any other kind of cup, except for at restaurants. I always drink my water at restaurants in a glass cup. Milk has to be in glass, not plastic. Juice, I'm okay with either plastic or glass, but prefer plastic...any kind of plastic cup.

3. I'm a packrat. I keep things "just in case." I have boxes and boxes of things that are "I might need this someday" boxes. It has been so long since I've looked in them that I have no idea what is even in them anymore. I don't like this about myself and I am working to improve.

4. I am a chocolate fanatic. If it is chocolate (without nuts) I will most likely enjoy it. However, I'm not a huge fan of chocolate flavored things like hard candy, chapstick, perfume, lotions, etc., etc. I would much prefer watermelon or something berry or softly scented flowery. I also do not like to have chocolate things ruined with nuts...any kind of nuts. YUCK!

5. I love music. I have a large repertoire of CD's anywhere from 80's hair bands to current alternative to 30's and 40's swing to Top 40. I like to hear all the different sounds and instruments that make up a song. I like music with a lot going on in the accompaniment. I knew that Jake was my soul mate the first time we listened to a song on the radio that we both liked and made little hand motions at the same part. Aaaahhh. He gets into it just as much as I do. We have a hard time tolerating stupid bands that have no talent and all the songs sound the same with the same 4 chords played through the whole song. Christmas music is the best. If I'm in a bad mood I'll listen to Christmas music (anytime of year) and immediately be in a better mood.

6. I'm a cluttery person. I think this stems from my packrat nature. Things just always seem to pile up and then I get overwhelmed and don't know where to start to take care of it. Then I just get to the point where I just think it would be easier if my house burned down and I could start over again. My goal is to be clutter free before next Christmas. That is probably how long it will take! Hopefully not.

7. My dream is to have 20 acres with a big house with a twisty slide from the bedrooms to a ginormous playroom that is a replica of Swiss Family Robinson complete with tree houses, suspension bridge, swinging vines and a pond (swimming pool) with a big rock slide going down into the pool. I also have always wanted one of those little trains like Ricky Schroeder had on Silver Spoons that you can just go anywhere in the house on the train. And I would need an indoor raquetball court and a softball field out in the yard.

Those are my 7. And everyone that I know that blogs has been tagged already, so I will not tag anyone else.

Insights and blessings

I'm really glad I went to church today. I know I should feel enlightened every time I go to church, but sometimes I just don't feel it. Today I felt it. First of all, it was the primary program which was just fabulous. It was well written, well done, and the spirit was strong. Then in the sunday school lesson, the teacher said something to the effect of we ask God why we have to go through certain trials even when we feel like we are doing all that we are supposed to be doing. She said that it could be that we are not at the point that God wants us to be. In relief society the lesson was about staying steadfast through our trials. It talked about Joseph Smith and when he was ripped from his bed in the middle of the night and was dragged out in the street and tarred and feathered. Then his son died because of being exposed to the cold that night. All of a sudden, my trials didn't seem so bad. I thought, I still have a home to live in, my children are healthy, I don't have to live in fear that my husband will be dragged from our bed and beaten, I have family and friends who care, and I am not forced to walk thousands of miles in knee deep snow and ice pulling hand carts burying my husband and children along the way. Then I started thinking about how Jesus Christ has already endured all of our trials and knows exactly what we go through each day. What a comfort that brings to have that knowledge. I'm so glad to know that I am a child of God and the primary children did such a great job today sharing that message. I'm so glad to have the gospel in my life!

Keilani-ism: On Halloween day. She said, "Daddy, it's raining!" Jake said, "It always rains on Halloween." Keilani replied, "That's because Jesus wants it that way."
Another day I was getting dinner on the table and I asked Keilani what she wanted to drink. She smiled and replied, "Surprise me!"

Sadie Silly: This morning the girls were taking a bath and I went to the door to get them washed up. Just as I got to the door I heard the lock turn to locked position. I knocked on the door and said, "Please open the door." Sadie replied in a sweet little voice, "Is somebody there?" I said "Yes, open the door!" Once again, she repeated, "Is somebody there?" I said, "Yes, and please unlock the door." Sadie and Keilani replied, "We just can't do that right now."
Also this morning Sadie was passing out stickers. She asked Jake if he wanted one. He said, No. She said, "But it has Ariel on it. Do you like Ariel?" He said, No. Then she said, "But it's a circle. Do you like circles?" He said, Yes. She said, "Okay, here ya go." Then stuck the sticker on his hand.

Clone of Cinnabon

I decided to post this recipe on my blog instead of trying to remember who all wanted it! So, for you cinnamon roll lovers, this is a good one!

CINNAMON ROLLS

1 Cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temp
1/3 cup margarine melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tsp yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tbls ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle; press start.
After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Ready in: 3 hours Yields: 12 servings

These are super yummy! They take a long time so wake up early if you want them for breakfast! Try them out and enjoy!

Song Dedication

This first song on our blog is dedicated to all of you blog stalkers out there. And you know you know who you are!!

The Sadie Silly that beats ALL!!

Sadie. Oh sweet little innocent Sadie. But is she? I would venture to say, looks can be deceiving!

So, here's how the story goes. About 3 weeks ago, Jake's wallet disappeared. He claimed he had left it on the kitchen counter. So, we quickly dismissed the possibility that it could be outside of the house. Our first thought was to ask Sadie, "Where's daddy's wallet?" Her answer was, "In the closet." So, we proceeded to go through her closet, her room, and every other closet in the house. Over the course of 3 weeks, we have ripped the house apart, going through bedrooms, playrooms, purses, toy closets, toy boxes, pockets, you name it we went through it. No wallet to be found anywhere. Meantime, constantly asking Sadie day after day "Where's daddy's wallet?" Each day it drifted further and further from her memory until she had no idea where it was. Today, we finally gave up hope of ever finding it and determined that our home must be a black hole where things just disappear. Jake was going to go and cancel all of his cards and go get a new driver's license.
Later this afternoon, as I was looking for some frosting in the back of my pantry cupboard I was moving things around and found this. So, of course we called Sadie over to have a look. Jake said, "Sadie, look in here." She grabbed the wallet and with some excitement said, "Aahh, your wallet!!" Then Jake asked her if she put it there. She said, "No, Keinani did." Then she said, "Aaahh, and I found it for you!" Oh Sadie! What a crazy and fabulously funny girl she is. I laughed for a good while after that one!

Fortunately, Jake didn't have time to cancel his cards yet and get a new license! However, he did find some extra cards in his wallet that Sadie found in the garbage and put in. Aaahhh. These are the days of our lives!

We need work!

We are realizing that with the economy the way it is it is having an effect on us and our business. We are asking for help from anyone who wants to give it. We have expanded our business to do roof cleaning, gutter cleaning, window cleaning and moss treatment. There is no soliciting in Sudden Valley, which is one of the places that need it the most. So, if you are ever out talking to your neighbors about those moss problems or pesky leaves clogging your gutter, drop our name...Alpine Roofing. We service all of Whatcom, Island and Skagit county, and may even consider Snohomish county also. We also repair roofs and replace them as well. Also, if anyone knows of anyone that needs painting done, interior or exterior, maybe if you wouldn't mind putting a good word in for us that would be awesome! Marriott Homes Painting is the name of that business. Jake can be reached for either business at 398-8500 or email at marriotthomesllc@yahoo.com. Thanks everyone!

Sadie silly: Sadie and Keilani were talking at the breakfast table and Sadie said, "We need a new mommy and daddy. We don't need this kind of mommy and daddy anymore. We just need a new mommy and daddy." Boy did that ever make us as parents feel like a million bucks!
Later that day, Jake sneezed very loudly and Sadie laughed and said, "that was a BIG bless you!"

Keilani-ism: I was chopping onions to put in our dinner tonight which caused my eyes to burn and tear up. Keilani was sitting at the table coloring. A few minutes after I was done chopping and my eyes had calmed a bit, Keilani said, "My eyes hurt too much when I color." I guess the vapors had mosied over to her and were effecting her eyes too. I then explained that it was not the coloring that was doing it to her, it was the onions.

The Pumpkin Patch

We went to the Biringer Farms Pumpkin Patch down in Marysville last Saturday with Jake's sister Keira and her husband Jason. We had a great time, yet it was also sad since the farm has lost their lease on the land and will be moving to a new location without the pumpkins. We've been going as a tradition every year with Keira and Jason and some other friends since Keilani was a baby. We all dress up in costumes and pick out our pumpkins and do all the fun stuff they have to offer. The girls got their faces painted. Keilani had a green Pegasus and Sadie had, of course, and orange Dolphin. Pictures: Keira and Jason showing off their costumes with the girls. Jake was part of the entertainment by giving the girls wheelbarrel rides, which they LOVED!!! Keilani found just the right pumpkin. The rule is if you can pick it up you can keep it! After many struggles, she finally picked it up! Sadie enjoying a tootsie pop that a lady gave her at the entrance of the patch. Typical sight for Sadie...she is a candy-aholic!

There was a few little playgrounds for the kids to play. At one of them there was these cute little twin boys that were 4 years old. I was dressed like a witch and was standing by the ladder of the slide watching Sadie. One of the little boys said, "Hi witch! I need a Hi-Five!" So I gave him one and his brother needed one too. This happened a few times and then after about the 4th time of Hi-fivin' the same boy said, "Hi witch! I love you!" and gave me a great big hug. It was so funny! Another funny thing that happened was Keira was dressed like a bavarian bar maid and this Japanese family came into the patch and thought she was one of the workers and got their whole family together to have a picture with her. Then at the playground another family came and their little girl wanted a picture with her. Keira was famous for a day!

After the patch, we went to Keira and Jason's house for dinner and they gave the girls a huge bucket of candy and surprises. The girls were THRILLED to say the least! The day was great, so Thank you to Keira and Jason for making our pumpkin patch experience so fun!!

Photos

Another day in the life of...

Well today I decided to be ambitious and bake something. I decided to try to make it healthy, which I have now come to the conclusion that I really didn't want "healthy" today. So I tried to make healthy cinnamon rolls. BAD IDEA!!! What was I thinking? I used the white beans instead of butter for the dough, used honey instead of sugar, ground up oats for flour, and used Sucanat instead of brown sugar for the inside. Yeah...it was gross! I probably won't try that again. They were heavy as rocks and somewhat crunchy. Some things are better left to their original recipe of fatness!

Tonight I went to Young Women's and taught the girls a few different techniques for cookie decorating. It was good fun. It made me realize how much I miss being with them all the time! They are such an awesome group of girls and have such strong spirits.

Now for the moment you have been waiting for:

Sadie silly (which isn't very silly this time): Sadie went to work with Jake yesterday and at one point she waited in the car for him at a job site for a few minutes. When he got back in the car she said, "Daddy, I sang I Love To See The Temple ALL by myself! It makes me feel better when I sing it. The spirit feels really soft." That is Sadie's favorite song. We sing it every week in FHE.

Keilani-ism: On Monday, Jake was taking Keilani to school when an ambulence drove by with it's siren going. Jake explained to her that somebody is probably hurt and the ambulence goes to pick people up when we call 911. Then he asked her what she should do if someone gets hurt at our house. She replied, "First we say a prayer, because that's what Grandma Johnsen would do, then we call 911." Although we have our ups and downs, she has taught us a lot about what priorities need to be. When she was 3, we were talking about faith and we asked her if she knew what faith was. She said "No." So it was a perfect teaching opportunity for us and we thought we would use an example. We asked, "Have you seen Jesus before?" To our surprise, she said "Yes." We asked her what he looked like. She kind of laughed and in a "duh" voice she said, "He looks like Jesus!" Then we asked her if he said anything to her. She said that he did. So we asked her what he said. Her reply was, "Jesus told me that God is forever, we need to have faith, and that we need to pray to him everyday." We asked her if he said that before she came to earth or if it was when she was a baby. She tapped her forehead with her finger and smiled and said, "I don't know. My brain won't let me talk anymore." You can imagine our wonderment because she doesn't really make things up unless she states beforehand that something is pretend. Sometimes with kids I think the veil is thinner than we think it is.

Out of the mouth of Babes

Keilani-ism: (This is when Jake was washing her hair this morning in the bathtub) "Ouch! You're hurting my forehead...(long pause then smile)...AND you're hurting my five-head too!"
She thought she was really funny...she was laughing at herself pretty hard!
Then later as we were heading down to the car to go to church she came to the amazing realization of her own body control. She said, "When I don't want to walk I just stop. Then when I want to walk again, I start walking." WOW! Isn't she smart?! Heehee!

Sadie-silly: Tonight's dinner was steak, rice and veggies. It was difficult to get the girls to eat all of their dinner. Needless to say there was talk of going to bed early. After Sadie finished, she got her reward of a piece of her halloween candy. Jake asked her to go brush her teeth and get her jammies on. Her reply was, "But I'm not whining or crying or kicking anybody or hitting anybody, I'm just being happy!" In her mind, she didn't think she needed to get ready for bed, despite the fact that it took both of them FOREVER to eat so it was the usual bedtime anyway. As she was getting ready for bed, we spotted something weird and crusty on her leg. I asked, "Sadie what's that on your leg?" Her non-chalant reply, "Just squished rice."

Comforted

So, I've been a little stressed lately to say the least. It seems that one thing after another is putting a cramp in my style and I'm not sure how to cope. It's probably that I am a bit overtired from staying up too late watching episodes of THE OFFICE and HEROES. Regardless, I've come to realize that things are not always going to go the way I want them to and that I need to rely more on the Lord. I was reading my scriptures last night after feeling helpless and hopeless and I just turned to my bookmark where I have been reading. 3 Nephi 13. When I read the last few verses it just hit me like lightning.
It says, "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field...even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith. Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself..."
It just made me realize that God knows what we need and what we are going through and if we just have faith and put the kingdom of God first then things will work out. I always seem to stress about what I have no control over and what's going to happen in the future. As I look back, everything always does work out in the end, so why do I stress myself about it? I wish I could take a jump into the future just to see how things are going to pan out so I don't have to stress about it. Then again, maybe I would stress more!
I think bottom line is, I need more girl's nights or days, dates with Jake, or maybe just "a vacation from my problems!"(quote from Bob on What About Bob?).

Tagged

Why do I keep getting tagged and what am I supposed to do again? I need help!

OKAY ALREADY!!!!!

Apparently I am not updating my blog quick enough for some! So, for those of you who can't go longer than 2 days between updates, I will do my best to keep up to the expectation of being a "true blogger." I will not guarantee anything, however I will TRY! Well, here is my post to catch you up on my every little detail since last week. So I hope you are in a comfortable seat!

Last friday was my mom's birthday, so of course I decorated a cake for her. Then we headed down to my brother's house to celebrate. We also were celebrating Sadie's birthday. I know this may come as a shock to some of you, but...I ate FISH! Not just any fish, fresh salmon. I usually try and stay away from any seafaring creature. I'm usually not a fish eater or enjoyer, so I was a little leary to try the salmon. To my surprise it was actually tasty! I'm one of those people who always tastes the fishyness in fish no matter how many people tell me, "Oh, just try this fish. It doesn't taste fishy at all." I was shocked to realize that this fish that I ate, really didn't taste like fish. I'm not going to become a huge seafood fan just because of this one experience, but I am proud of myself for at least having the courage to venture out of my comfort zone and trying it.

So, when it was time for cake, my sister-in-law put on 2 trick candles along with the regular ones. I wish you could've have seen Sadie's face when the candles re-lit by themselves. It was a look of shock and disbelief and shear confusion. It was AWESOME!!! I think my neice took pictures so hopefully I can get some of those from her and share them.

Saturday we had company come into town. John and Karina Calderwood with their baby girl Kelsey. It was great to see John again and to meet his wife and baby. Jake was helping our chiropractor move for half the day so the house cleaning was left for me, which was AWESOME since I had made homemade rolls and a birthday cake and frosting on friday and didn't have time to clean all of it up. Needless to say, I spent about 2 1/2 hours cleaning my kitchen and cutting the greasiness from the frosting off of my counters and floor.

Today something fun happened. I was driving home from town and I heard on the radio that 104.3 was down at Sehome Haggen's doing a food drive. They said that you could go and donate or donate in the name of your business and they would put a plug in for you on the radio. So, I called up Jake and told him about it. It just so happened that he was in the area and decided to stop by. Not five minutes later I hear on the radio my name mentioned and it went something like this. "Thanks to Becky who called up Jake to come down here and donate some food. He is going into Haggen right now and buying some stuff to donate. She told him I'd put a plug in for their business so here goes...Marriott Homes Painting and Alpine Roofing are their businesses and thank you Jake and Becky for donating." I felt my cheeks flush a little bit when they were talking about us on the radio. I guess I was a little embarrassed. It was for a good cause, but I guess I didn't really figure they would say the whole scenario! Anyway, it's my claim to fame I guess!

Alright, here is the Keilani-ism:
"Mom, let's play Don't Eat Pete with marshmallows." "No, you just had a cookie. You've had enough sugar today." "But, I'm still hungry for sugar!"

And a Sadie-silly:
"Mommy, my belly button is turning brown." "Is that a good thing?" "My belly button turns brown and that makes me happy!"
And another,
"Mommy, I'm going to whisper nicely in your ear and it's not going to be potty words."

A Sadie silly

Jake took Sadie with him tonight and he had to stop at Costco for a bit. They each got a slice of pizza and Sadie ate her entire piece except for the crust. She said, "I ate ALL of my pizza...AND...I made a rainbow!" (rainbow referring to her crust in the shape of an arc!) What an imagination!
This next Sadie silly is not for the faint of heart. She had to go to the bathroom so they stopped at a Texaco. As with any public bathroom she was vocalizing her ability to make lots of noise. She had to go #2 and with the first push she said, "My poop is stuck in my bum." Then when it fell into the toilet she said, "that was a little Sadie poop!" Then she had a bigger one and said, "here comes a mommy poop and it's swimming." Then her final push she said, "here comes a daddy poop!" Then she said, "now their all swimming together!" Which one of you out there influenced this one, hmm? Was it Julia? It certainly did not come from either of us!

Funny Keilani-ism

Today Keilani had to go with me to Activity days. When we got there she said, "Is this where the activity is fer the girls?" Then she started laughing and said, "I said fer...fer is on animals! It's FOR!" Funny how her mind works!

Our old car!

So one day a few weeks ago, Jake took Keilani and Sadie to the mall. In driving around trying to find a parking spot, they came across our old blue acura integra. There was an open spot next to it so they had to park there and get a picture. Unfortunately, Sadie had to go to the bathroom really bad and it is portrayed quite clearly in the picture! Dad had to get some pictures before she could go to the bathroom! She can hold it for a long time, but she literally "holds it!"

We've joined the realm of bloggers!

So, we have finally decided to enter into the blogging world. We've had a busy week this past week. Sadie celebrated her 3rd birthday on the 3rd of October. She had lots of friends come to her birthday party and it got a little crazy! We played a pin the bracelet on Dora game and a pass the baby doll around the circle game. The rules for the circle game are everyone sits in a circle, the music starts and they start passing the baby doll around. When the music stops, then the person holding the babydoll is out and they get a treat bag. Eventually, all of the kids got a little treat bag, but Sadie didn't quite understand that she would get one too. She started to cry when the first person got out and they got a treat bag. She is so addicted to candy! She refused to play the game after that. After the game we opened presents and then had cake. Thank you to all who came. She had fun and so did we. It was also nice to see those who we don't get to see very often. Keilani got to stay home from school to be with Sadie on her special day.

It is tradition that we take the birthday girl out for dinner and Sadie chose to go to The Old Country Buffet. Works well for us because they get to choose their own food and if they don't eat it, they can choose something different! However, they did eat all of their food and even got to have dessert. After dinner, we went and played at the mall playland for a while and the girls got alot of their suger high out of them by running around and jumping off of things. Jake did some running around with them, but he was running on all fours! He could run about as fast as the girls. It was super funny to watch.

Yesterday and today we were able to enjoy listening/watching General Conference. It was such an inspiring conference and we feel that it is what we needed to hear. Something that stood out to me (Jake) was Elder Uchtdorf's talk at the Priesthood session. He told a story about moving a grand piano with the Elder's quorum. After several attempts to move the piano unsuccessfully, a man came in and said, "Get close together, stand where you are and lift." He likened this to our positions in the church where we can contribute in whatever calling or capacity we are in. I think that outside the church too we all have the ability to make a difference in the world. Whatever position we happen to be in, whether it is in or out of the lime-light, we can make a huge difference.

We also enjoyed Elder Christoferson's talk about how it is not enough for us to be just a little less wicked than the world, we must be men/women of God. In the biography of President Monson yesterday between sessions, we were impressed when he said that "if the Lord has an errand to be run, I want Him to know that Tom Monson is his man." We hope that we can live up to that motto. There is a lot of hurt in the world that can be fixed with a small effort on our part. A great effort can move mountains. I feel that what I have gotten from this conference is a renewed strength to go where He wants me to go and to do what He wants me to do. In essence to take care of each other wherever and whenever we can. It is a wonderful feeling to know that we have a prophet of God and apostles here on the earth to help us to keep our feet pointed in the right direction. We are never alone.

We have also been reflecting alot on the problems of the world and that opposing candidates have different views on how to fix each individual problem. There are thousands of other views on the same problems also. Everyone means well, but I have come to realize that the only true solution to the poverty, energy crisis, hunger, war, terrorism, economic, etc., can all be resolved through spreading the gospel with more power and energy than before. I see how the gospel can change people's lives. If world governments were to collectively pray every morning to our Heavenly Father about the world's problems they would receive answers on which steps to take. The heart has to be changed before problems can be changed themselves. Some may argue, but each one of these problems stem from pride, selfishness, and lack of charity.

On a lighter note, today between sessions of conference we took Keilani and Sadie on a little walk through the Stimson Nature Reserve. What a beautiful place. We saw several different kinds of plants, trees, mushrooms, fungus, etc., and were able to teach them a little bit about each. The girls were very excited to learn new things and to see the wildlife (deer, woodpecker, squirrel, slug). We hope to start a new tradition in watching shows and going places to teach them more about the world we live in and help them develop a love for nature and all of God's creations. We watched a few clips from the Planet Earth movies tonight before they went to bed. They loved watching all of the different creatures in their habitats and asked alot of questions. They laughed at some of the funny looking lizards and lemurs and monkeys.