Thursday, April 30, 2009

UP ON THE ROOF



We’re in the midst of a HUGE re-roofing project. It needed it and was going to get done this summer regardless, but...

The insurance company, who just happened to be doing audits, decided to pick us. So, they drove by incognito, made their assessment, and then informed us via telephone and mail that it needed to be completed by a specific date in May. Ahhh! And in the rainy season, nonetheless! What are they thinking?!

So, to the mortgage company we go to secure our loan. Fast forward several weeks (the mortgage company is extremely slow); the inspector finally makes it over to check out the house to ok us for the loan. But...before he would give us the go-ahead, we had to have the roof done! Huh? Go figure!

What does that mean? It means a $450 non-refundable inspector fee (regardless of whether we get the loan or not) and hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket spent for roofing materials. Hmmm...

While the sun still shown...







So, DH took the week off to get the roof done...

So that the inspector could in turn come back to RE-INSPECT the roof...

So that we could in turn be ok’d to get the loan...

To do the roof...

Which by then...

Will already be done. :/



Well, as Murphy would have it...

Down came the rain and washed the roofing job out! Leaks in the north room...Leaks in the south room...Leaks in the attic...

Leaks, leaks, leaks!



Half a roof done and a baggy on the other half while we wait out the storms. Who woulda thunk? One must laugh...

Well, at least we should try...;)

Actually, all in all, we feel pretty blessed, as there have been a lot more storms around us than there have been here in our area.

And...it’s supposed to be nice this Saturday, so hopefully the boys can get it finished.

Takin' a break on the roof with nutritious and yummy green smoothies...



On another yummy note, today I had lunch with Mom, Dad, and Gramma...



Good laughs…



Good conversation…



Good times…



Isn't family grand... :0)

Friday, April 17, 2009

COOKIES AND RASPBERRY HOT COCOA



My little people were over for a few hours this afternoon... :0)

Little Adrien...



And Mr. Julian...



We HAD to go through the Easter basket that they missed last Sunday...

And, of course, we HAD to bake Easter cookies…



And…we HAD to have Raspberry Hot Cocoa to dip our cookies into...





Cookies ARE so good, you know...



It’s hard to believe that Mr. Julian has already lost his first tooth!

My, he seems too young to me!



We HAD to help Namma with the laundry…

To play a game of come-and-catch me…

And, of course, we HAD to play hide-and-seek…



What my life would be without these little people...

Well...

I Just...Don’t...Know.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

HELP WANTED



I am having quite a dilemma—really...several rolled into one larger one...

This goes on throughout life, but at the moment it is quite deep...

I feel as if I am sinking deeper and deeper by the day under this great heavy burden...



I am so weak…I’m not sure why...

Other than I just am.

So...

I pray that the Lord will strengthen me—even strengthen me to WANT to be strengthened!



I look to the want ads for help…



Under the title "Help"...



This is what I find…

Seven ads for Help...

The Lords number...



Isaiah 41:10, 13

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Psalms 119:173

Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

Psalms 40:13

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.

Psalms 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalms 60:11

Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

Psalms 121:1-2

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

Isaiah 50:7

For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.


The only two requirements asked are...

FAITH...



And a SICKLE...

Doctrine and Covenants 31:5

Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is wothy of his hire. Wherefore, your family shall live.

Doctrine and Covenants 33:7

“…wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength.




James 2:20

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.


May we all have the strength to pray for strength that we may strengthened.

MY LETTER TO HARDEES



Here is a letter I wrote to Hardees just now regarding their utterly disgusting advertisement on TV.


I am absolutely appalled by your commercial of porn. Yes, porn! The “lady” sensuously eating your burger like it was a you-know-what and trying to induce you-know-what kinds of feelings in men. I sat there, as my husband was watching TV, and looked at that commercial in utter disgust. Is your food so bad that you have to debase yourselves down to the level of pornography in order to get business? Wouldn’t you rather have a wholesome ad that brings in whole families, thereby achieving a bigger bottom line for you, than those one-person “man” visits because they were titillated by your ads? I’ll think twice before visiting Hardees again—by myself, with my husband, with my grandchildren…now THAT would bring in more money, especially with the kids’ meals and toys that I like to buy them.

Sign me,

VERY disgusted


P.S. Wasn't it you who also had the ad...yes, I think it was, with the woman and the fire station, hose, etc.?


To my fellow bloggers,

If any of you would like to comment on this smut that is part of the reason of the down turn of America, go to this link, and take 5 minutes to let them know your thoughts.

http://www.hardees.com/contact/

If that link doesn't work, go to http://www.hardees.com and click on the tiny "Contact" link at the bottom of their TV screen.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

SMALL BLESSINGS AND GIANT



There are so many little blessings in life...They are there everyday...

Sometimes they’re just more visible...

Or perhaps laid upon our path for us to freely partake…

Small ones...Like a little bouquet of flowers left tucked into a car door from a sweetheart, to make me happy…



Like Hyacinth in bloom…



Or an Easter basket...



Children…



Our Savior Jesus Christ…



Temples upon the Earth…



The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times…



A son who is worthy...And today...

Received the Melchizedek Priesthood...



To bless and carry out the work of the Lord...



And...the most greatest blessing of all...A chance for all of us to RETURN...



WITH...



HONOR



To our Father in Heaven...Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

GIVE-AWAY SITE



A HUGE thank you goes out to Crafting on the Court and A Giveaway a Day! I was the lucky winter of a hand-crafted hat. Please check out these sites. :0)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

THANK YOU SARAH!



I want to say a huge, THANK YOU to Sarah from Romantic History! She was so generous to send me—free of charge—a beautiful springtime peasant blouse. Please visit her blog and see a picture of it and the other wonderful things that she has!

Since I have been in blog land (something I never thought I would want to do), I have met so many wonderful women—women across the land who have strong desires to teach their children, love their families, and live for what is right. You all boost me up!

And, you’re one of those women, Sarah! Thank you for you generosity!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

HEALTH & FOURTEEN-GRAIN CEREAL



There is much talk of health and a search for the cure…of cancer, and Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis, and…

Dr. Oz was on Oprah talking of the positive possibilities of living up to 150 years old. I have no desire to live that long, but living in such a way that will enhance the body—the very cells of the body—is something that is so appealing to me. Our bodies, a gift from our Heavenly Father, are so amazing and are very capable of healing themselves if we give them the right nutrients! We are now able to grow organs and body parts from our own cells. Hyperbaric chambers, calorie restriction (much better than it sounds), and other ways of enhancing our bodies were discussed on the show.



David Murdock, and 85-year-old gentleman, was also interviewed. He doesn’t take any pills—even aspirin. He eats mainly or all fruits and vegetables. The whole show was astounding in what and how we can and should treat these wonderful temples, which God gave us.

I have so very far to go…so very far. Nonetheless, it is a passion of mine to do so, and I am gaining if every so slowly.

For dinner tonight, I made a recipe which I have had for years. It is a 14-grain cereal. Because grains are so very important and other substances so very harmful we, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, were given what is called the Word of Wisdom.



“As a consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in their meetings, the Prophet was led to ponder upon the matter; consequently he inquired of the Lord concerning it. This revelation, known as the Word of Wisdom, was the result.”


The Word of Wisdom talks about avoiding strong drink and alcohol. Following are some of the verses, which speak of the foods that we should eat.



10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
14 All agrain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
16 All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—
16 All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—
18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.


This speaks of grains—wonderful grains…

BARLEY





RYE





SUNFLOWER SEEDS





ALFALFA





SESAME





LENTILS





MUNG BEANS





MILLET





BUCKWHEAT




FLAX





BROWN RICE





OATS





WHEAT





ALMONDS





Though I didn’t have all of the grains needed—another trip to the health food store is in order—I used what grains I had to make my cereal.

FOURTEEN-GRAIN CEREAL FORMULA

1 c. of each of the following grains and seeds:

Barley
Rye
Sunflower seeds
Alfalfa seeds
Sesame seeds
Lentils
Mung beans
Millet
Buckwheat
Flax seed
Brown rice
Oats
Wheat
Almonds





1 c. filtered pure water



Mix all together except almonds and water.

Blend ½ c. grain mixture on high speed for several seconds.



Add this mixture to water in cast iron, stainless steel, or glass sauce pan (do not use aluminum). Add 8 almonds.



Heat and stir until mixture comes to a boil.

Turn heat down to simmer, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.





Serve with milk or cream...



And brown sugar...



Raw honey and fruit may be added if desired...



Yield: Two servings

Store grain mixture in cool place. I freeze mine.





Mmmm, Mmmm, Good!