Winter Wonderland

I love the first snowfall of the year because there's a feeling of excitement knowing that skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, snowboarding, and other "snow" activities can take place. There are many times during the season that capture the beauty of the creation in various ways. One of those times is right after a snowstorm when everything in sight is covered in snow, edged by ice crystals. The sparkling prisms of the snowflakes creating a dazzling winter wonderland is simply a marvel and I hope I see more days like these before this year's winter is over.

Raindrops On Roses

It's funny how favorite things can be pretty much anything. Some of my many favorite things include winnebagos, "scuba diving" in the scriptures, a ripe, juicy, sweet and slightly tangy mango, and seeing the Lord's hand in everyday living. However, three of my most favorite things are more than things. They are my pride and joy, my world, my life: MY KIDS.


Each one since birth, has god-given uniqueness, gifts, and talents that we have been able to discover and build upon. I am so grateful our children DON'T come with instruction manuals. They are individual children of a Heavenly Father who has blessed us with the opportunity to raise and teach to become the best they can, to understand their potential, importance, and role in society, but as a son or daughter of a king.

What's in a name?

There are a few things in this world that society, as a whole, can agree upon and one of those things is having a name. Everything has a name. Even objects have a name...fish, dog, cat, that electrical thingy that goes bzzzzz...everything has a name. In this case, I am going to refer to us humans.

What is the signifcance, if any, in your name? Anyway, yesterday morning as I was driving the boys to school, somehow a conversation topic turned to names when I hear, "Hey Mom, let's change my name to Lightning! Lightning would be cool because I could be fast and loud like lightning." Needless to say we had a good little laugh while I'm thinking, "Lightning? You want to change your name to lightning?" That'd be like going from being known as Paul David Hewson to Bono. In the end, the conversation drifted off to something else, and Lightning has been dropped altogether.

Well, I guess we could call him "L" or "Light" or something like that.

The Little House on the Prairie kind of life

One of my many favorite childhood stories was that of the "Little House on the Prairie." I enjoyed and still do enjoy reading about the many adventures of the Ingalls family and realizing that the essence of the novels focused on the family. There was a necessity for each member "do his or her own part" and enjoy in the times spent with each other, utilizing the imagination, being resourceful, Everyone was involved and yes, it was hard work, but what isn't work? Work is a way of life. Being alive takes work. Keeping a house clean is work. Improving one's self is work.

Whatever it is, the strength of the family relies on the togetherness of each member when the electronics, busy schedules, etc. are taken away and just the "good" things are emphasized and enjoyed. My Little House on the Prairie kind of life is still possible when made a priority. It doesn't mean reverting to candles and kerosene by any means, but it does mean "unplug and simplify" to enjoy. And as Henry David Thoreau once said, "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand..."

Halloween Fun

Traditions are so awesome.