Easter

I love Easter.  Everything is so bright and happy.  The flowers are starting to bloom, the grass is turning green again, the trees are putting out their leaves.  Everything is coming to life again after the dead cold of winter.  The sunshine feels warm on my face and the air is fresh with the smell of spring.  But what I love most about Easter is what it means.  I have such a great love for my Savior.  He gave his life for me so that I may live again.  He suffered my sins so that I may repent and be forgiven.  He suffered my pains and my afflictions.  For someone who lives with chronic pain every day, what Jesus did for me impacts my life so greatly.  To know that the pain I feel everyday, he felt.  To have someone with whom I can turn to for comfort when it gets hard to bear.  And to know that this life is just a brief period on my journey.  One day my aches and pains will be gone.  One day my back will be strong and whole.  One day I will be able to run, skip, and jump the way I used to, and it is my Savior who suffered so much to make this possible for me.  Words cannot begin to describe the emotions I feel on Easter Day.

Paper Dolls

Back when I first had the idea for the Value Girls I looked and looked around on the internet for a good paper doll pattern.  My search brought me to a fantastic website www.makingfriends.com. I've added the link below. I love this website, it has so many different kinds of paper doll clothes to choose from. The girls love it when I print off different clothes. They will spend hours coloring, cutting, and dressing up their paper dolls. I owe them a great thanks for their website to make my value girls possible, thank you making friends.
 www.makingfriends.com.

What I want my daughter to know part 8: Virtue

Virtue

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:10)

I will prepare to enter the temple and remain pure and worthy.  My thoughts and actions will be based on high moral standards.

Virtue’s color is Gold, a precious metal that has long been known as a symbol of purity.  When gold is refined, it is pure.  If you are virtuous, you are strong and pure.  It is power and it is strength.  It is all derived by being pure.  Virtue is the power of a pure life.

Virtue is an Olympic Gold Skater.  She wears the Golden Young Women Medallion with the temple.  It is likened unto the Gold Medal the Olympic athletes work and train so hard to obtain.  For it is the best, the prize above all other prizes.  Olympic athletes have to train hard and work hard, they have to focus on their goal of reaching the Gold.  In order to reach the temple, you must remain virtuous.  The Young Womanhood Torch helps to light her way and remind her of the values that will help to keep her on the straight and narrow way. 

My Testimony of Virtue: Virtue is that glorious prize that is sacred and special and that should be saved for that one special man who is worthy to take you to the temple for time and all eternity.  It’s not something to be flaunted about on street corners or in the schools or anyplace else for that matter.  It’s not meant to be degraded and used and thrown out like yesterdays trash.  It’s something to keep very close to you and very guarded until the day when you are sealed for time and all eternity to your eternal companion.  Don’t throw away your virtue on some flashy fashionable fad that leaves very little to the imagination.  Dress modestly, follow the counsel that the prophet has set before you.  Be mindful of what image you are presenting.  Be proud of who you are.  You are a princess of the Most High God.  You are a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves you.  Keep true to your covenants, remain virtuous, and hold fast to the iron rod.  You are priceless.  

What I want my daughter to know part 7: Integrity

Integrity

Till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. (Job 27:5)

I will have the moral courage to make my actions consistent with my knowledge of right and wrong.

Integrity’s color is Purple for it is the royal color.  The dye was very hard to come by in past ages and was costly to produce so only people of royal birth (Kings and Queens) could afford to wear the cloth of this color.  It came to represent royalty.  We are of royal birth....daughters of Heavenly Father.  Someday, if we live worthily, we will be princesses and Queens.  We must have integrity to do that.  If we have integrity, we have all the other values as well.

I placed a mirror in her hand so she could see herself for what she truly is, a daughter of God. I placed CTR on the mirror to remind her to choose the right.  By choosing the right, she will always have the integrity to look herself in the mirror and know who she is and that she is following Jesus.

My Testimony of Integrity: Simply put, integrity is CTR, choose the right.  Always choose the right no matter what anyone else is saying or doing.  Stand up for your beliefs and stand tall for who you are.  Remember you are accountable for your actions.  Choose right and you will never go wrong. Integrity is standing up for who you are and what you believe in at all times, and in all things, and in all places. I love this quote, "Our culture has accepted two huge lies.  The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them.  The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do.  Both are nonsense.  You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate." -Rick Warren.

What I want my daughter to know Part 6: Good Works

Good Works

Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (3 Nephi 12:16)

I will help others and build the kingdom through righteous service.

Good Works color is Yellow which is the color of sunshine.  When we give service it makes us feel warm all over just as the sun makes us feel warm.  We are always blessed by the service we give.

I dressed her in a hat with a sunflower because as the sun rises and follows its path across the sky, the sunflower follows the sun with it’s blossom across the sky.  We should be as the sunflower following the Jesus Christ, doing as he did.  I have her dressed ready to work with shovel in hand, as we should always be ready to work, to help others, to do service. 

My Testimony of Good Works: Serve your fellow mankind, for you will find that your faith increases when you are in the service of others.  Let go of yourself and immerse your whole being into the service of others.  Give of yourself freely.  I am brought to Mosiah 2:17 When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are in the service of your God.  

What I want my daughter to know part 5: Choice & Accountability

Choice and Accountability

Choose you this day whom ye will serve;.... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

I will choose good over evil and will accept responsibility for my decisions.

Choice and Accountability’s color is Orange, the caution of a stoplight.  We too have choices to make and we need to pray to make the correct choices.  We need to use cation in making choices.

Choice is the angel of these two and accountability is the devil.  I made them separate because I wanted to show that there are two choices we can make, good or evil.  And whatever choice we make we are accountable for that choice whether it is good or bad.

My Testimony of Choice and Accountability: It is a wise thing to think about a choice before you make it.  Think about what the end result of your choice might be.  If it will lead to a good end, then it is a good choice.  But if it leads to a bad end, then it leads to a bad choice.  One of my favorite stories that describes this is, “My Turn On Earth.”  It’s about a girl named Barbara and her turn on Earth. 

"A note came down from Heaven which read, “If anyone desire to be first, the same shall be last of all.”  This one too was signed by Jesus.  Well, Barbara began learning in a hurry.  And there were many, many things to learn.  For one thing, she learned that she could choose the things that she did.  After all, that’s what that awful war had been fought about - her right to choose.  She also learned that when she chose the first step on a path she also chose the end of that path.  She learned that telling a lie puts you on a path that leads to nobody ever believing you ever, even when you tell the truth.  “I don’t like the end of that path,” said Barbara.  And she backed up fast."

One of the beautiful things about the values is that they are all linked together.  You can use your knowledge that you have gained to make the right choices and then you will be accountable for the good things that come your way.  Use your knowledge to avoid making wrong choices,being held accountable for wrong choices is hard. 

What I want my daughter to know part 4: Knowledge

Knowledge

Seek learning, even by study and also by faith. (D&C 88:118)

 I will continually seek opportunities for learning and growth

 Knowledge’s color is Green which reminds us of springtime when things are starting to grow.  We too, should keep growing and learning.

I dressed her in a cap and gown with a diploma in her hand showing how important it is to stay in school.  How important it is to learn and grow.  Graduate from high school, go onto college, and broaden your horizons. 

My Testimony of Knowledge:  On the entrance to BYU it says, “The Glory of God is intelligence.”   Knowledge is power.  Learn all you can.  Absorb everything.  The more you know, the broader your world becomes.  When it comes your time to leave this mortal sphere and return home, you can’t take any earthly thing with you, you take your experiences and the knowledge you have gained.  The knowledge you gain here will help you when you reach the other side.  There is a whole world out there with fascinating subjects to read about, and learn about, all you have to do is pick up a book.  You have the knowledge to know why you are here and what you are doing, and what plan it is that Heavenly Father has laid out for us.  Study and grow. because "beauty fades, dumb is forever."            

What I want my daughter to know part 3: Individual Worth

Individual Worth

Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. (D&C 18:10)

I am of infinite worth with my own divine mission, which I will strive to fulfill.

Individual Worth’s color is Red which reminds us of the blood of Christ.  The Savior believed that there wasn’t any price too high to pay for us.  He loved us so much that He willingly paid for us with his blood and His own life.  He bled from every pore for us.  He paid the infinite price.  We are of great worth to the Lord and we should be to ourselves as well.

I dressed her in a snowsuit for winter because that is when snowflakes fall and as we all know, there are no two snowflakes alike just as there are no two of us alike.  We all have our own individuality and are all of infinite worth to our Heavenly Father

My Testimony of Individual Worth:  You are an individual, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know who you are, and they know you by name.  They know your sorrows, your hurts, your joys, your laughter, your wants, and your needs.  They hear and listen to your prayers.  You alone are worth more than money can buy.  You are unique, and special.  Take joy in that.  I have a quote that I think cute and fits quite well:  God thinks you are wonderful.  If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it.  If he had a fridge, your picture would be on it.  He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.  Whenever you want to talk, He’ll listen.  He can live anywhere in the Universe, and he chose your heart.  Face it friend, He’s crazy about you. 

What I want my daughter to know part 2: Divine Nature

Divine Nature 

Be partakers of the divine nature.Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (2 Peter 1:4-7)


I have inherited divine qualities, which I will strive to develop.

Divine Nature’s color is Blue which reminds us of the sky, heaven and where we came from. We are of divine parents.

I dressed her as a princess because she is a royal daughter of a loving Heavenly Father. She has a scepter in her hand as a symbol of the power she possesses as a part of her Divine Nature.

My Testimony of Divine Nature: You are a beautiful daughter of a Heavenly Father. You have divine qualities which are; you were created in the image of God, you are a beloved spirit daughter of Heavenly Parents, you are the heir of eternal life, and Jesus Christ gave his life for you. Stand up and be proud of the beautiful daughter of God that you are.

What I want my daughter to know part 1: Faith

Several years ago I had the amazing opportunity of being a Young Women leader.  I love the Young Women program and even more I love the Young Women’s Theme.  I love what it teaches our Young Women.  It is so sad to me that this world today is so focused on the outward appearance that we forget what is most important, the inward appearance.  I love that Young Women’s teaches our girls that.  I want my daughter and my step-daughters to grow up knowing who they are and where they come from.  I don’t want them to think that their self-worth is tied to their outward appearance.  It saddens me to know that there will be women out there who will try to teach the girls that they only have value through the outward appearances.    I realize that I have to do everything I can to teach these precious daughters of God that they are Daughters of a King. I love that they do have many amazing women in their lives that are shining examples of valiant and radiant women; their grandmothers, their aunts, and me. When I was in the Young Women’s as a leader I came up with what I came to call the “value girls”.  They were paper dolls I made to reflect each value.  I hope that they can inspire Young Women everywhere to realize who they really and truly are……. Daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves them.

Faith

Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. (Alma 32:21)

I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father, who loves me. I have faith in His eternal plan, which centers on Jesus Christ, my Savior.

Faith’s color is White which stands for purity.

I dressed her in a dress with hearts because faith comes from the heart and it is felt in the heart. She has a seed packet in her hand because faith is like a seed.

My Testimony of Faith:  Faith is often referred to as a seed, that when planted it will grow.  When you plant a seed, you can't just plant it, walk away and expect it to live and grow.  It needs work and care.  It needs watered and nourished.  Weeds have to be plucked from around it.  Faith is like that seed, it has to be worked on, nurtured, and fed or it cannot grow.  Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the Gospel. You must always work on your Faith to keep a strong testimony growing.

How we met

For those of you who know me well, you will find this entertaining but not all that surprising.  Nathan and I met at a Star Trek party.  Groups of people who love Star Trek will organize themselves together into a “Star Ship”.  We just both happened to be invited to a Star Trek Family Feud activity put on by the USS Kelly in Salt Lake.  My friend and I had arrived earlier in the evening and I was about mingling with people and chatting.  I didn't really notice Nathan walking in but he joined in the conversation I was having with someone else.  I literally did a double take and lost my train of thought.  That’s just how staggeringly handsome he is.   We ended up chatting the rest of the evening and had a great time.   Nathan says I have to mention that he wasn't there because he likes Star Trek but because he had a free evening and wanted to mingle with friends.  Over the course of the next few days we sent a few text messages back and forth.  We talked mostly about our kids and things like that.  We decided over the next few weeks that we should get our kids together for a play date.  He, being a newly single dad, didn't know many people with whom his kids could play with.  The kids hit it off great and had fun playing together.  Nathan and I enjoyed being able to have adult conversation.  It’s hard to find that when you are a single parent.  Over the course of the next year and three months we enjoyed being friends and having our kids get together to play.  Then there was the fateful day in June 2011.  Neither of us had our kids that evening.  I was living in Ogden, Nathan living in Bountiful.  We decided that since neither of us had anything going on that we should go to the temple.  I rode Frontrunner down to Bountiful and we went to the Salt Lake Temple to do Sealings.  You could literally cut the tension in the room, not a bad tension either…..the good kind of tension.  There was a young newlywed couple there doing Sealings as well.  The lady kept giving me these “knowing” looks.  Afterwards, we went down to the cafeteria for some dinner and dessert.  It was there that Nathan knocked my socks off by announcing that he was interested in me and more than on a friend level.  I was a bit stunned because I was feeling the exact same way and  up until that point wasn't sure if he felt the way I did.  We walked around temple square for a while all the time I was working up the courage to tell him how I felt.  I did and we decided that we should try dating.  He drove me back to the Frontrunner station where we had our magical first kiss.  We chatted on the phone during my ride back to Ogden.  By the end of the next day we were engaged.  Hey, we already had known each other for over a year, why wait?  In August of 2011 we were married.

Popcorn

I promise that tomorrow's post will be all about how Nathan and I met, but I realized that I forgot to mention the other member of our family, Popcorn.  I love cats, I love everything about them.  I got Popcorn when she was a kitten, back then she was mostly white with a little bit of brown and so fluffy that she looked like a little ball of Popcorn, hence her name.  I'm not sure what breed of cat she is.  She resembles a Siamese but she also is cross eyed which is a trait of the Balinese cat.  She's a funny little thing.  I love this picture because she sits like this all the time, and it makes her look like she's a drunken bum.  She frequently will just flop on her back and sprawl herself out.  And watching her chase dust balls is hilarious.  She is my little shadow and follows me from room to room.  She's as bad as any child with the paws under the bathroom door.  She keeps me plenty company when all of the kids are off to school and the house is dead quiet.

Me

I really like this picture of me, it looks like I'm a queen sitting atop her noble steed.  I've had a request for the story of how Nathan and I met and fell in love, that story will come tomorrow.  For today, I'm going to introduce myself.  I'm going to turn 40 this year and not too sure how to feel about that.  I've faced some staggering medical challenges over the past ten years.  I've had seven surgeries to correct a nasty curve in my spine.  It's been a difficult challenge but I have learned a lot.  I've learned that life is about the can do's and not the can't do's.  I've learned to be a better optimist and look for the silver lining in every situation.  I've learned a great deal about faith and enduring to the end.  I've learned to put my trust in my Heavenly Father and know that he won't give me more than I can bear. I've learned to not let my challenges get me down and stop me from being a happy bright person.  I've learned a great deal about who I really am.  I owe a great deal of that to an amazing woman named, Carol Tuttle.  The book that changed me is called, "It's Just My Nature".  I learned that I am a bright, happy, and animated Type 1.  Life has taken on a whole new look and meaning for me and I couldn't be happier.

Nathan

This is Nathan, the "bread winner" for our home.  Nathan is a Chemical Engineer and is working for a company called, Enefit American Oil.  He's working on building an oil and gas refinery out in Vernal, Utah.  Nathan has a great sense of humor.  He's a great dad and a wonderful husband.

Indy

This is the ours of our 'yours, mine, and ours' family.  My due date is June 13th and I am now over half way done with the pregnancy.  We are having a little boy.  All of the kids are very excited for this new little brother they will have to play with.  I've nicknamed him Indy for the time being simply because it's like having a race car in my belly when he moves.  I love it!!  It's my favorite part of being pregnant.  The kids all think it's great to put their hand on my belly and feel him move.  Spider Monkey loves it when he sits in my lap and Indy 'kicks his butt'.

Tiger Lily

Here is Tiger Lily.  Tiger Lily is my step-daughter and my husbands youngest child.  Tiger Lily started Kindergarten this year and loves it, but then I've never met a kid who didn't like Kindergarten.  Tiger Lily comes by her nickname in part because her personality reminds us of Princess Tiger Lily in Peter Pan.  She's sneaky and clever, but bold and brave, like her namesake.  Also in part because she's a beautiful little flower but has the personality of a Tiger, she's very playful and attacks life with the ferociousness of a tiger.

Firecracker

Introducing Firecracker.  Firecracker is my step-daughter and my husband's middle child.  Firecracker is a lot like Live Wire and frankly their nicknames could almost be interchangeable.  Firecracker is always on the move and full of energy.  She loves to twirl and dance around the room and has the sweetest disposition.  She is our little chatter bug and loves to tell stories that come right out of her imagination.  Firecracker is our hardest worker.  She always does her chores without being asked.  She faces challenges head on with a fierce determination.  She sees the world differently from the rest of the children, with a seriousness and focus more like a grownup than a child. Yet she is full of a joy that just bursts out of her as she jumps and bounds her way through life.  Firecracker will also be turning eight this year and getting baptized.  She too is very excited for this.

Spider Monkey

This here is my little Spider Monkey.  He is my youngest.  He will be turning eight this year and getting baptized.  He is very excited for that.  Spider Monkey gets his nickname in two parts.  Spider because he's all about bugs, he calls them his "buddies".  He loves any and all kinds of bugs and collects them during the summer.  Grasshoppers are his favorite.  He's taken naps with them, baths with them, he takes them on car rides.....he LOVES grasshoppers.  Monkey because he's always climbing something.  During the spring, summer, and fall you will find him somewhere up a tree or climbing something.  He is so small and light that he can go most places the rest of us can only dream of.  Spider Monkey is small and wiry, but he packs a big personality in that small body.  He says some of the funniest stuff that will have you laughing for hours.  He's my biggest cuddle bug, always up for a snuggle.  Spider Monkey's favorite person in the whole world is his grandpa, he loves his grandpa and gets so excited when he knows he is going to see him.  And it makes for great incentive, he'll get his chores done in  no time flat if he knows grandpa is coming to see him.

Lion Heart

This is Lion Heart.  He is my step-son, my husband's oldest child. Lion Heart is a very smart and bright child.  He is very clever and talking in code doesn't work around him, he'll figure out quickly what's going on.  Lion Heart is a very fast reader and has a love for reading.  He has a way with words and loves to come up with his own clever puns.  He likes to joke around and be funny.  Lion Heart looks out for his siblings and will go to them and comfort them when they are hurt or feeling down.  Lion Heart also happens to be our resident celebrity.  When he was a baby, he was in the Joseph Smith movie.  From an early age, he has been intense in every way. When you are alone with him, you catch glimpses of maturity and depth in his eyes that astound you. He earned his nickname because he reminds you of a lion - ferocious in attack, but quite ready to relax and read a book anytime.

Live Wire

Introducing, Live Wire.  Live Wire is my second child.  Her nickname fits her so perfectly because she's just that, a Live Wire.  She has so much energy and snap, crackle, and pop to her personality.  She's an inquisitive little girl. Just look at that face of hers and you can tell she's a bubbly little thing.  Live Wire is a very creative girl.  She loves to be crafty and doing art things.  She is my "mother hen".  She's always willing to help her siblings out and loves to get involved with helping to fix dinner.  She'll be my biggest help when the baby is born.  Live Wire likes to be involved in every aspect of daily life and is a huge social butterfly.  Of all my children, I think Live Wire is a Type 1 like me.  

Space Man Spiff

This is Space Man Spiff.  Space man Spiff is my oldest son.  Ladies let me tell you about this boy's hair, it is so thick and grows so fast.  He's got the kind of hair that makes most girls jealous.  And those blue eyes of his, crystal clear light blue eyes.  In about six and a half months he will officially be a teen.  Space Man Spiff is my calm cool and collected child.  He's always willing to help me out.  He's got a fun sense of humor.  He loves video games and Star Wars and has started to develop a love for reading.  Space Man Spiff got his nickname because he has an imagination a lot like Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes.  We decided that Space Man Spiff was the more fitting than Calvin for his nickname because he does many space adventures when he goes into his imagination.

Our mixed family.

I've been toying with the idea of starting a blog.  Don't know how well I'll do, but I'm going to give it a shot.  This is our family, it's a diverse family.  We joke around about the t.v. series and movies we can fit in.  "Brady Bunch" for one, soon to be "your's mine and ours".  We still have to do "Eight is Enough" and "Cheaper by the Dozen".  Both Nathan and I came into the marriage with three kids each.    So, to introduce our diverse family (nicknames are going to be used)...  The little girl in the front is Nathan's youngest, we shall call her "Tiger Lilly".  The little girl behind her is my only daughter and second child.  We shall call her, "Live Wire".  The tall dark, haired boy in the back with the glasses is my oldest son, we shall call him, "Space Man Spiff".  The little boy down on the front is my youngest son.  We shall call him, "Spider Monkey".  The little girl getting squished in the middle is Nathan's middle girl.  We shall call her, "Firecracker".  The boy out there on the end is Nathan's son and eldest child.  We shall call him, "Lion Heart".  We have one on the way in June and for the time being I will call him, "Indy."