Money, Money, Money...

Well it is the last day of 2009... What a year it has been too! Recovered and rebuilt from the Ike flood, put our Illinois house on the market (didn't sell), rented our house (for way less than it is costing us), moved to Nevada, lived in the RV during July in Vegas with 4 teens a dog and 2 cats, bought a new house without seeing it, said goodbye to Jon for 3 months, moved into new house, registered kids for high school, cleaned, painted, tore out and redid carpet, doorknobs and fixtures, welcomed Jon home to a new house, visited with lots of family, traveled to California many times (we all LOVE being so close!!), said good-bye to Alec, and almost had to say good-bye to Tosca. All of it demanding MORE MONEY! Through it all we have made lots of friends, gotten to know our extended family better, strengthened our own family (and our testimonies) and gained a missionary! It has been hard to not focus on the financial aspect of this past year. We have had so much "forced" spending and the debt piling higher. But, when I sit and really think about the past year, I don't feel the financial burden, I think about how grateful I am to have all the blessings in my life that I do! I have my faith, my amazing husband, my incredible kids, my crazy and entertaining pets, a GREAT house (make that 2 GREAT houses... anyone want to buy the one in Illinois???), so many wonderful friends that I have come to love dearly, and enough food to keep me from losing weight (I do love food...). What more could I want? OK, maybe a family vacation to Hawaii to see Grandpa Cliff (we miss him soooooo much!!)... alas...that would take MONEY, MONEY, MONEY... oh well...

2 more days till Christmas!!!

AAAAAAAAA! Gotta get busy! Just got another letter from Alec. He wants a camera after all... back to BestBuy I go! Oh, and he wants Pringles, lots of Pringles! I have most of the wrapping done, still need to go grocery shopping and put Alec's "New Years" box together!

The power of music...

Today I listened to and sung amazing music! Christmas songs sung by a choir, a congregation, played on a piano, an organ, and by 5 lovely and talented young ladies and their violins(Kimmee was one of them). What an impact music can have on the mind and spirit. Positive, uplifting music brings feelings of happiness, peace, and strength. It invites the Spirit of the Lord into our hearts. It turns one's thought toward compassion and charity. By simply immersing myself in three hours of Christmas music, I have felt uplifted and inspired to reach out to others so they too can feel this kind of joy! I do love the power of music!

Be the Answer!

“Disciples of Christ throughout all ages of the world have been distinguished by their compassion. … In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Stupid cat!

Jakey seems to be missing Alec so much he has taken to licking his old bed...

It's Christmas Time!

We decorated the tree tonight for Family Night. It looks pertyful!

I even did a little shopping today :) Fun! Fun!

Time to make cookies, pound cakes, cocoa mixes, wassail, and all things that make the house smell wonderful.

Now I just need to get our cards out...SOON. Hopefully I will get them done this year (for a change).  If you don't get one, we probably don't have your address, so email it to us at werldsru@cox.net .

Faith to Move Mountains

I came up with a little parable during Sunday School (our lesson was on "faith"):


A farmer lived at the base of a large mountain, his land was very fertile but was blocked from the sun during most of the day by the mountain. The lack of sun limited his crops and growing seasons. He knew if the mountain wasn't there, he would be able to grow much more and be prosperous. He decided to exercise his faith, and prayed for the Lord to remove the mountain. The Lord heard his prayer, but did not move the mountain. He could have, but he knew if the mountain was moved, the land below would not receive the water needed to make the land so fertile. That water came from the great storms that gathered on the mountain. Without this water, the valley would become a desert. So the Lord blessed the farmer with the continued nourishment his crops needed. The farmer was grateful to the Lord for the bountiful crops he did receive.

The story made more sense in my head then it does in print I think... but I wondered, am I a grateful farmer that has enough faith to know that the Lord always answers my prayers, even if I don't see it? Or am I a farmer that keeps asking and sits and wonders how long it will be before the Lord give me what I have decided is best for me? I'd like to think I am the first...

Cheese with that whine???

Today we (Kimmee, Caiti, and I) sat on a "side bench" in church.  Alec is in the MTC, Jon had to work, and Bryan was on the stand.  We usually take up half a "middle bench", when we did foster care, we took up the whole thing!  It seemed a bit lonely, but the spirit was just as strong as in the middle of the chapel.  I'm ok with change.  This feeling of "loss" will take time to work through, it's a tough one.  Spent the 3 hours at church trying to smile and look like "it's all good", cause it is... just different and a little wetter in the eye area.