FULL MOON

The picture doesn't do it justice really. This moon was SO bright that it didn't look like night.  We were able to stare at it for quite awhile and were just in awe.

LAUNDRY TIP

This is my favorite thing that I have done to make laundry easier. We purchased the wicker laundry baskets when we moved into this house.

But the sacks that are made to go in there are kind of a pain, if you ask me. So, I inside the basket, I put a pop open laundry basket.

I take out the full one,

put in an empty one,

and we are set.

Do you do this too?

OVEREXTENDED

You know you are overextended when a friend has to tell you out in public "Nice shoes." And you still don't get it for 30 more seconds!!! Sigh!

GENTLE REMINDERS

I saw this video again today and just couldn't help but post it. I love, love, love this talk and the message. In times of adversity and trial, we can remember to laugh and keep an eternal perspective.

IT SHOULDN'T BE HARD

It shouldn't be hard to say goodbye. At least in theory.

But I miss Ang. I miss Robyn. And, I miss Sara.

It has been hard to process losing so many loved ones this summer. They aren't dead; they are just many miles away. A few days ago, I came to the realization that it is naive to think that everyone you love will live close to you forever. It's true that people move all the time. And they survive ... I'm sure their friends do as well.

Each day this summer, I've focused on little moments. One day at a time. My heart aches ... some days worse than others. I wonder when I feel so bad, what do they feel like? Do they miss Pocatello and Chubbuck? Do they miss surprise dropbys to say hello? Do they miss family?


In the process of saying goodbye and having a few real good cries, I know that I've made other friends feel bad ... It is not intentional and I love you just as much. Truth be told, I am close to family and friends (shocker, I know). Those who I call my friends, I call family. I would do anything for any of you!

And so, as summer comes to a close, I look forward to wonderful times with all of you. I can't wait to try out Skype and come for visits. I can't wait to get to know all of my Pocatello friends a bit better.

But just a warning. If you decide to move away, it might just be hard for me to say goodbye!

PESPI NOW! TAKE THE CHALLENGE!

In 1983 and 1984, the slogan for Pespi was "PESPI NOW! TAKE THE CHALLENGE!"
Well, Pespi is currently doing a Refresh Challenge.

Pepsi is funding amazing ideas that refresh the world. Dream it, submit it, get enough votes and we'll help make it happen for your community!

Our community of Pocatello is coming together to make a dream that the Fisher family had for their daughter Brooklyn a reality. And you can be a part of making the dream happen.

Everyday through the end of the month (July 31st), click here to vote on the Pepsi Refresh Challenge! Go Pocatello/Chubbuck!!!

JOURNAL TRIVIA

Another girl that was from the stake was running the journaling section. I brought what I could and got amazing help from my Aunt Sondra, my mom for our family history, and Sister Poppleton from my ward (who I am also related to.) Thank you for your help! I doubt that this will be the last time that I do something on journaling.

I typed up the journal trivia to have interactive stuff with the journaling section. It was fun. The answers are in blue.

(BTW ---- I don't know what happened to the spacing issue. Sorry!!!)

When is the best time to start writing in a journal?

As soon as you can start writing.

How often should I write in a journal?

As often as possible, but at least once a week.

Should I use a pen or a pencil to write in a journal?

Just writing is great, but a pencil will fade over time. Pen is the best option.

True or False: I should use the full names of my friends every time I write about them.

The first time that you write about someone, you should include their full name.

True or False: I should write the date on every page of my journal.

True. Pages may fall out or become lost.

True or False: A journal can only be kept with pen and paper.

False. You can use other things such as blogger, video, or even online journaling sites.

Does it matter if I misspell a word when I journal?

It doesn't matter. Infact, it is kind of fun to see how English changes over time.

True or False: The Book of Mormon is a journal.

True. What a blessing in our lives that they kept a journal.

Who has asked us to keep a journal?

The Lord through his Prophets.

Name one reason why it is important for us to keep a journal.

The prophet has asked us to.

So our family has information about us when we pass on.

So that we can see how we dealt with trials in our lives.

So that we can see the hand of God in our life.

Should I record my testimony in my journal?

Absolutely! Don't you want your family to know that you have a testimony of the gospel?

True or False: I should write in my journal only when I am happy.

False. Writing at different times is good for us and can even be used as therapy.

True or False: The pioneers kept journals.

True. We are also lucky for so many to have kept journals. We know about their struggles, but also the fun times when they sang and danced around the campfire even when there was little to be grateful for.

I should keep a journal for: myself, future generations, or both?

Both!

Should you read what you have written in the past? Why or why not?

It's always good to look back and see how much you have grown and what was important to you as a child, etc.

My life isn’t very exciting, and I’m not a very good writer. Do I still need to keep a journal?

Yes. We may not think we are not important, but everyone is important and your future generations will thank you for keeping a journal!

How many days does it take to create a habit?

14 21 30

21

Who said this?

I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.

He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.”

Thomas S. Monson Dallin H. Oaks Henry B. Eyering

Henry B. Eyering

Who wrote this scripture?

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Nephi Lehi Moroni

Nephi

Who said this?

Get a notebook, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important event.

Ezra Taft Benson Brigham Young Spencer W. Kimball

Spencer W. Kimball

His journal was 33 black binders on the shelves of his personal study when he was called to be President of the Church in 1973. Since then, he has counseled members of the Church to keep personal journals. Who is this prophet?

Spencer W. Kimball Howard W. Hunter Ezra Taft Benson

Spencer W. Kimball

In the Book of Mormon, when do we first read about writing in a journal?

Enos 1^st Nephi Words of Mormon

1st Nephi

A journal is ____________________________.

a. a continuing record of meaningful experiences that affect our lives.

b. an account of day to day events.

c. a record of current transactions.

d. all of the above

all of the above

First known use of the word journal was in the

14^th century 15^th century 16^th century

15th century

What is the difference between a diary and a journal?

A diary is a report of what happened during the day. A journal is about examining your life. Journals lead to insight, growth, and sometimes, achieving a goal.

A FIRST FOR EVERYTHING

Oops! Wow! I've never done that before!

GOD'S PHARMACY

I took this from an email. It's too cute not to share!!!

It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish..... all before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...

God left us great clues as to what foods help what part of our body! God's Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye.... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.


A tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys...

Celery, bok choy, rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, eggplant and pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

A working companion, garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.



So tonight in your prayers, you can also thank God for the wonderful foods he has given us to help heal and protect our bodies!

467 DAYS

467 days OR 1 year, 3 months, and 12 days.

That is how many days it has taken us to pay off our consumer debt.


If you haven't ever checked Dave Ramsey's principles out, I highly encourage you to do it now! His program has changed our lives and the way that we think about money.

Not only do I need to thank Dave Ramsey, I need to thank my friend, Megan. She was the one that introduced us. I remember her recommending his class to us, Financial Peace University. She shared with us a DVD that was a preview of what the class offers. She was so excited about it, that I took the DVD and put it in the computer. Brandon and I sat and watched. That was November 2009.

We were on board and wanted to start right away, but didn't know exactly how. December 2009, we had an extra pay check coming in. For us, it all started December 27th, 2009 with baby step 1.

Baby step #1 - 1,000 dollars to start an emergency fund
We did this by selling our big screen TV and other items that we didn't mind parting with. And instead of blowing that extra paycheck, we made it start working with us.

Baby step #2 - Pay off all debt by using the debt snowball
We have paid off everything except our house, 2nd mortgage, and student loans. The debt snowball is different than everyone else's debt payment plan.

We have deviated a little bit throughout these days. We bought our Dave truck and also have paid for a bunch of medical, including 2 surgeries and a surgical procedure.

So, technically, we are not debt free, but today, 467 later, we have made baby steps to having an emergency fund and have paid off 'stupid with a bunch of zeros'! And it feels great!

My challenge to you is to watch this video. It is 24 minutes long. I promise that it will be worth your time. So, if you can't commit to 24 minutes, watch at least 14 minutes of it. Dave is a great motivational speaker ... it is quite entertaining.

READ MY BLOG

Okay, I just thought that I would let everyone know that I have posted 11 blog posts today! I have post dated them, so if you want to start where I left off, start in January (the 17th) with a breakthrough.

YOU ARE HERE BY SUMMONED

I had an opportunity to serve on jury duty the beginning of October. I've had to call in before, but I have never had to go. So, on Tuesday, October 12th, I headed for the Courthouse.

Little did I know that I would be there for 5 1/2 hours. They called 300 jurors to be at the courthouse that day. They had us watch a short video and then called 36 prospective jurors up into both the juror box and seats that had been set up below. Once the questions started, I knew two things.

#1 - This was not an ordinary, easy trial --- it was a criminal trial.
#2 - We were going to be there for a long time.

They asked a lot of questions, such as "Have you ever been charged with a DUI?" I was SHOCKED at how many people raised their hand. Out of the 36, I'm sure that at least 8 raised their hand. (No, I'm not over exaggerating.) A few of the questions, both the prosecution (state of Idaho) and the defense (Cody McDermott-Reid) AND the judge, juror, etc. went into the judge's chambers because of privacy. I have to say that this was very interesting.



At 11:30, the judge stated that normally we would have taken a break by now, but he really wanted to get a jury seated so that the trial could begin after lunch.

At 1:30, we were free to leave the court room. I had a friend who served on the jury to tell me that the verdict was a hung jury. I was grateful that I didn't have to see crime scene photos and sit through 4 days of court just to have it end in a hung jury.

Here is the original story in the Idaho State Journal:

Posted: Thursday, January 28, 2010 12:20 am | Updated: 12:18 am, Thu Jan 28, 2010.

By Journal Staff

POCATELLO — The driver of a vehicle that failed to negotiate a turn on McKinley Avenue late Tuesday has been charged with felony vehicular homicide after the death of a passenger.

Cody McDermott-Reid, 22, of Idaho Falls, is being charged in the death of Angie Large, 24, of Idaho Falls. McDermott-Reid is alleged to have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident.

McDermott-Reid’s northbound vehicle rolled after it failed to make the corner where McKinley turns sharply at the Z Street intersection to cross the railroad tracks. The vehicle came to rest approximately 100 yards north of the intersection next to the train tracks.

Large, a passenger in the front seat, was thrown from the vehicle and was pinned underneath it when responders arrived. She died at the scene.

Another woman was extricated from the vehicle and transported to Portneuf Medical Center with what were believed to be multiple fractures to her pelvis, but an on-scene responder indicated her injuries did not appear life-threatening.

A train was stopped on the tracks north of the scene, but was not involved in the accident as previously reported in the Journal.

McDermott-Reid was treated for his injuries and booked into the Bannock County Jail. He was arraigned via video link Wednesday afternoon in magistrate court, and his bond was set at $100,000.

STITCHES

So the picture is a little fuzzy, but I have to tell you the best story. Yes, I've been married for 10 years. Yes, I know how to sew and even have a sewing machine to use to sew paper (LOL). But ask me if I have ever mended a single item in the 10 + years that we've been married. The answer: "NO!" until Friday night. Kate's coat (hand me down from Faith) needed fixing. The mitten which is attached to the coat (have I mentioned how much great it is to have mitten already attached? I highly recommend it) was ripped off. It has been sitting in the bottom of the coat closet for a month. Friday night, I retrieved it from the closet, grab black thread and a needle (I know but it was between black and white, so I opted for black), and proceeded to mend her coat. What did Brandon say? "Are you feeling okay?" I said yes, and that it was about time to fix something instead of throw it away.
The verdict. It wasn't too bad. It took about 5 minutes and you wouldn't know unless you looked too close. I will definitely try it again sometime!!! There is a first time for everything I guess! LOL!

a new camera

We recently bought a new camera, which means a few things.

1. The pictures are great, then fuzzy. I need to read the manual.

2. I don't know how to get them on the computer.

3. If I do manage to get them on the computer, I can't find where on the computer they are to get them uploaded on my blog.

4. And then there are mega posts. I have posted 4 different posts today (excluding this one), so go ahead and read backwards!

Love you all! Hope summer is going well!

Update - Miss Kate & Facebook/Email

Just wanted to let everyone know that Brandon helped fix my facebook and email. Again, I will not send anything with attachments for awhile . . . Hopefully everything is back to normal on the technology front. YEAH!!!


Miss Kate had an appointment with another doctor in Utah who listened to us and decided to do a sinus x-ray. As it turns out, where the x-ray should be dark, it is a 'snow blizzard' which means her sinuses are completely blocked full of infection. Her tubes are pushed to an angle and her throat looks bad because of all the drainage. His recommendation:
1 - to clean out her sinuses and widen one of the holes on each side
2 - to do a revision adenoidectomy if needed (adenoids can grow back, especially when taken out so young)
3 - replace the tubes

I know what you are thinking. WHAT? Replace the tubes? These were just put in in March. The problem with the tubes are because of all of the pressure from her sinuses, the are at an angle and pushing out. The maximum they will last is another two months. So, unless we want to do surgery another month after this surgery, the best option is to do it all at the same time.



While she continues to improve, I trust my instincts as a mother to fight for our baby girl for the best health. She is so much fun and has very little fear. Here she is on our headboard! So, please keep us in your prayers,

A Name Game!

It's a NAME GAME!

Three great friends are having babies this summer. One was hoping for a boy, but is having a girl. The second in line is having a boy but was hoping to have a girl. The third is finding out next month!


The second friend, Angela, (having a boy but was expecting the girl) has absolutely NO idea what to name their child. For the record, they have three beautiful (and I mean BEAUTIFUL) children, Sierra (5), Robbie (3), and Bridger (2).


So, what's in a name, you ask? Well, for me:

First, it has to flow just right. I practice yelling the full names just to see how it sounds.

You have to make sure that the initials don't spell anything bad. There are a lot of bad 3 letter words out there!

Then, you have to go to the Social Security website and see how popular the name was the year before. Statistics say that if you name your child a name in the top ten, there will be at least three other children in every class with their name.

Finally, there are websites that let you know what other parent's might think about that name. Is it well liked? What do others think about when they hear the name? What will the kids tease them about their name?


SO, it has become a personal mission to find a BOY name for Angela. Will you help me? Remember the other names (all 2 syllables) Sierra, Robbie, Bridger. The last name is Warth. Please send me as many suggestions as possible. She can't wait to hear all of our great ideas. I know it's not a contest, but I am wanting to win this one!

THE BIGGEST LOSER

So, most of you should know that I really, really like TV. It's almost a hobby I would say. In particular, I love watching reality. Why, you ask? I'm not sure the exact reason, but I suppose it is the thrill and spontaneousness (if that's a word) of watching real people do real things.

For those of you who do not watch The Biggest Loser, you have to try one episode. This is one of my favorite shows and this season is no exception. The players this season are so kind, genuine, and friendly with their own teammates and the other side. It's hard not to like them . . . never before has The Biggest Loser had this high quality of contestants on the show. This week, among the many highlights, Ron has a bad knee and everyone on both teams trying to help him up and down the mountain; the gym is closed to all but 2 teams (pink and brown); and then there are the players in the mud. It started out as mud wrestling but ended up with them playing in the mud. Honestly, I was laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face.
To me, this show is about inspiring all of us to do something difficult by looking inside ourselves for the strength and courage to make it happen.

crazy 4 vinyl

It's funny, 'cause I haven't really been into vinyl. We ordered some for Faith's gift of love for Christmas. The rest is really history because I can't believe how addictive this stuff is. Anyhow, for .04 cents a square inch you can spruce up and update your home. Here is a few things that we have done:


This one is the one Faith received for Christmas. The colors are a bit off in the picture. Her wall is pink, the block letters say "Child of God" are in cream, and "Remember who you are" is in black over the top. We put it up the day after Christmas.


We thought that this saying was 'fitting' for our boy!


This one is for Kate. It sits over her crib and I really think that if she could talk, she would like it!


This one is over our front door and has a really big impact (on me at least!)

If you haven't already, you should check out www.crazy4vinyl.com