FHE: The Scriptures Testify of Jesus Christ

And I thought I was good at creating object lessons for FHE. Man did my hubby ever show me just how brilliant he is with this one! I love love love it! So powerful! 

The object of the lesson is to teach the importance of ALL of the scriptures. Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants & Pearl of Great Price. Each one adds upon the other, teaching about Jesus Christ, so that we can truly know him and love him. 

SUPPLIES: 

(2) 2x4 boards (or whatever you have that will work)

(5) Long sturdy Nails

Hammer

Sharpees

First, I must apologize for the blinding pictures! Apparently I didn't catch that my camera was on some funky setting, that I really should learn more about. I tried to darken them as much as possible. Hopefully that helped! 

Ryan wrote "Jesus Christ Is:" and then "Bible" in the center of the board. There is a nail representing the bible. This needs to be placed in the center of the top board and hammered through the top and into the bottom board. The bottom board has things written on them, somethings we know are true, others not. "Nice Guy", "Good Friend", "Prophet", "Just a Spirit", "Quick to Anger", "Good Example", "Body-less", "Not a believer in baptism for the dead". 

There are also some half words on there. I will tell you about them in a moment. 

He talked to the kids about the importance of the Bible and how it is an account of the prophecies from before Christs life and then the actual account of his life, along with the organization of his church while he was on the earth. 

Some of the things on the board represent the things that people may believe about him, based on only having the Bible to understand Christ's doctrine and characteristics. 

With only one nail in the boards they move back and forth showing how with just one nail, or source, there are a lot of ways people could change or misinterpret these things. 

He lined up the boards, so they were just off center. 

He asked the kids 

"What is something else we have that teaches us about Jesus Christ". 

This is when a nail was placed, representing the Book of Mormon. The kids helped him hammer this one in. 

Ryan had written, "Savior" "Brother". Part was on the bottom board and part was on the side of the top board. He had also written, "Son of God" on the other corner. He showed the kids that with the Bible we learned that he was these things and with the Book of Mormon, these things are also confirmed. The boards are no longer able to swing and move around. 

With both Books truths are established and confirmed. 

I just love love love this picture! Look how into this lesson my cute kiddos are! They are drinking in every word! I love any opportunity to teach them and allow them the opportunity to develop their own testimonies of the truth of the lesson! 

Jake labeled the "Book of Mormon" nail for us. Then we started to discuss other forms of scripture the Lord has given to us. 

Modern day scripture. Proof that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that same gospel that he set up in the New Testament, with authority from God exists on the earth again today. We have a modern day prophet and God still speaks to His children through them! How great is that?! 

Yet another nail to secure our knowledge and testimony of Jesus Christ. Mallory labeled this one "DandC", or Doctrine and Covenants. 

The "Pearl of Great Price" came next. Accounts from the great prophets Moses & Abraham. An addition to the great books found in the Old Testament! 

And then we threw in a 5th nail to represent "Prophets and Apostles". They speak to us each month through the Ensign, New Era & Friend magazines. Twice a year we get to participate in General Conference, where we receive further instruction and encouragement on how to live a more Christlike life. 

After all the nails were in Ryan flipped the boards over to reveal words written in the corners of the top and bottom boards. "Alive Today". 

Because of the scriptures we can know that Christ truly lives! He lived as an example and set the perfect pattern for our lives. He suffered in Gethsemane for our sins and experienced our sorrows, so that he would know how to succor us in our trials. He died for us on the cross, paying the price required for the great gift of repentance. And then he was resurrected, and lives with God, our Heavenly Father, in the flesh. Because of this resurrection, we all will be resurrected! We all have the opportunity to be sealed to our families so that we can live forever with our families, in His presence. 

"Has A True Church" is written on the other corner. 

In the Bible we are taught about the organization of Christ's church on the earth. Then we are taught about the great apostasy that took place after he was killed. The prophets were killed and the church was taken from the earth. 

In the Book of Mormon we read further about the organization of Christ's church, when after he was resurrected he came to his people in the America's and organized his church here, with Prophets and Apostles, just as it was in Jerusalem. 

In the Doctrine & Covenants we witness the organization of His church once again on the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. We can read his account of that sacred day that he was visited by God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no question in my mind that this event took place, and that we now have the Church of Jesus Christ back on the earth, with direct authority from God and the keys to fulfill all blessings available to all of God's children on the earth, blessings that are bound for all Eternity, if we choose to live worthy of the blessings of the great Atonement! 

Joseph Smith was a prophet, just as Moses and Abraham were prophets! Christ's church is once again on the Earth, and it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I could no sooner deny the truth of those two statements, than I could deny that there is a hand at the end of my arm! Denying does not change the truthfulness of the situation, it only denies us the privileges that are ours if we believe, do our best and put our faith and trust in the Atonement and in God's plan. 

This lesson further strengthened my testimony in the value of scripture. All of them. We love the Bible. We treasure it. And we also treasure the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine in Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price & our modern day prophets and apostles. It is the combination of these things that leaves us without doubt that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the World, our only way back to our Father, our Redeemer, our Brother, our Friend and our Advocate! 

Letters to English Teachers

The other day Jake came home with a homework assignment for me. His English teacher wanted me to write her a letter about Jake. She wanted to get to know him a little more. She said it was to be in "1 million words or less". LOL! That's a lot of words....even for me! :) Here is what I wrote about my Jake......

Mrs. Otto,

Jake is hands down one of the best, sweetest, smartest kids I know!

Jake is the first child in our family. When he was younger he was ALL OVER THE PLACE! Full of energy and curiosity, it was hard to keep up with him! As he has grown, it has been amazing to see the young man he is becoming.

I would have to say that the event that most contributes to making Jake who he is, was the birth of his twin, and only, siblings. Mallory and Dawson were born when Jake was 5. They were born 3 ½ months early. We lived in Idaho at the time, so Jake lived there with Dad, and Mallory as soon as she was released from the hospital at 3 months. I lived in Utah at Primary Children’s Hospital for 8 months, until Dawson was released. I missed all of Jake’s kindergarten year. That was so hard for both of us!

As soon as the twins were born Jake became a big brother to two kids that required a lot of extra help and therapy. He has always been so sweet and treasures both of them so much!

Dawson and Jake had a particularly strong bond. They shared a room and Jake was constantly playing with or reading to him. Dawson ended up in the hospital almost all of his 4 ½ years. He had over 40 surgeries, including 27 brain surgeries. He couldn’t see much, but he could tell who was around by their energy. It was really something to see. Jake and Dawson were best buddies. Dawson didn’t say much, but he had mastered “Bubba”, which is what he called Jake. Jake was the best helper! He helped with therapies, massages and playing with Dawson. He also loved to push him around in his wheelchair and make him laugh by tickling him or making funny sounds.

Two and a half years ago Dawson’s little body was tired. He had lived 4 ½ years, but that was all he could do. He passed away, with Jake by his side, on January 5, 2010. This was obviously a very life changing event for Jake. He misses Dawson so much, but he knows Dawson watches over him all of the time now, and that they will be together again! It has been amazing to see Jake experience things that have changed his life so much. He has the insight and spirituality of a 40 year old. He is such an amazing kid!

Jake’s mission in caring for a sibling with special needs has not ended. Mallory has residual brain damage from her early birth, but she is, with much thanks to Jake, really making miraculous advancements! She is in 1^st grade this year. She reads like a 4^th grader, but struggles a bit socially. Jake is constantly including her in everything he does. When he has friends over, they know that Jake will make sure she is included in whatever they are doing. They are the best of friends! His patience and love for teaching her things and playing with her speaks a lot about the kid that he is! It is really something amazing to watch!

Jake is very smart! He has an amazing ability to learn and absorb things he is taught. He does have a tendency to worry a bit much about perfection, but it really is him trying to do his very best.

One thing that would be great this year is to really push him on his creativity. He is a creative story teller. We really had a great experience with his 6^th grade teacher bringing that out in him. I would love to see that taken even further!

Thank you so much for everything Mrs. Otto! Jake is thrilled to have you as his teacher! He tells me how nice you are and that he really likes it at Lincoln Academy! We look forward to a lot of good changes over the next few years! Please forgive me for coming painfully short of 1 million words! J However, perhaps a couple of pictures will make up the difference!

Thanks for everything!

Amy Lindstrom

The picture above was included, along with this one.......

Back To School.....for the Old Man!

Oh, does this picture ever make me laugh! 

Since March my hubby has been voluntarily out of a job. I'm not going to lie, I have enjoyed the livin' day lights out of it! There is not another soul on earth that I would rather spend every second with! I never get tired of him and we always find something fun to do! It has been awesome, to say the least. And now, it is time to get on with it, I suppose.

Ryan has done Heating & Air Conditioning his whole life. His Dad started a company when Ry was young, and so he started learning the trade early on. After we got married he became the Residential Manager in the company. However, he still struggled. He didn't have a passion for what he was doing for work, and since that is where you spend such a huge chunk of time, it's kind of important to be happy with it....at least that is how we felt. So, he decided to move on, which resulted in the offer to run the Harris-Dudley branch in Sun Valley, ID.

Back again! Out of one, and right back into another. However, neither of us can deny that this was the right move for us. The Lord wanted us in Idaho and that is right where we went. Every person, every experience, especially having the twins while we were there...it all was just as it should have been. We met friends that had a profound impact on our lives, friends that we will love forever! Ry ended up becoming an equal partner in the ownership of that company. They had a good company! They were successful! One of the best...if not the best in the Valley. Ryan was designing systems for 18,000 sq. ft. homes and doing work for Tom Hanks, Arnold Schwarzenegger and other uppity ups. He was providing well for our family and we were able to do whatever was required to take care of Dawson's needs. Including taking the time off work or working from his home office so he could care for Jake & Mal while Daws and I stayed in the hospital. All seemed just right.....except it wasn't.

I totally believe that each of us was sent to the earth with a "To-Do" list, of sorts. We have missions to perform, things that only we can do. When we are living our lives in a way that fulfills those purposes, then we experience joy and fulfillment. We have peace. When we are not, we may be busy, but we will still feel a lack of joy, peace and fulfillment in our lives. 

Ryan was experiencing just that. The lack! Ry has never been one to define success by money or position. Success comes for him through feeling. Feelings of fulfillment, joy, peace....all of those feelings only come when we are living our lives inline with what our spirit knows we have been sent to do.

After Dawson died the feeling of that part of our lives coming to an end started becoming stronger and stronger. We didn't know what would happen next, but we knew the Lord's will would be done. Ry worked hard. The area we lived in started to feel the weight of the economy in the area suddenly taking a nose dive. Remember when we lived in our RV? We were trying to find a way to heal our hearts by having an adventure together. The Lord knew that this was a step in helping us financially for our next big move, the one we didn't see coming, but we could feel something was going to change. And change it did! With 10 days notice Ry and his partners decided that they weren't willing to go into a hole trying to save the company. We were even more anxious to move to the next step in our lives, and suddenly the opportunity was in front of our faces. The down fall was that we only had 10 days to pack up and move back to Utah. We barely had a chance to say goodbye to the friends we loved so much!

Once we got to Utah, we tried to find the next step for us. Was this the window to getting Ryan out of HVAC and on to his place in this world. Well....not yet!

Ry was asked to start a solar division for a friends company, and so he did that until we could sort out what to do next. We just kept feeling that there was purpose in the timing. And there was. He had a job, we found the house that was the right fit for us, and we were able to buy it. Then Ryan was givin the opportunity to go work in North Dakota for my sis-in-laws Dad. One week gone, 3 weeks home. January-March. It was a sweet arrangement. Then March came. We had enough in savings to take a step back, live on it, and sort out our next steps.

The last several months have been a lesson in faith for us. Each week we went to the temple, prayed constantly and sought the Lords will in our lives. We felt that was the best way to help us find the right path and opportunities. All along, every time a job was offered or a little stress was felt, we were met with a reassuring, "not yet, just be still". Occasionally we would have a strong feeling to do something, like build a music studio in our garage. We don't know why for sure, other than it gives Ryan a place to record, write & play music and for me to sing at the top of my lungs without disturbing a soul....and I like that! :) When we would start to worry, we would go to the temple and again, "not yet, just be still".

And then it came.....SCHOOL! Ryan had a career planned for him, since he was 11! He knows all there is to know about the industry. College wasn't something he chose to do. It is something he regrets so terribly. Not anymore! As of yesterday, Ryan started attending his first classes at UVU, with hopes to quickly transfer to BYU. We feel very good about him getting a degree in Mechanical Engineering, as of right now. He is wicked smart and totally could do anything he ever wanted to do. For now, this feels good, and we feel that as he starts in that direction either other doorways will open, or this will remain confirmed.

And so it starts! Ryan, Jake & Mal in school. Ryan at nights, for now, so he can find something to do, or start a business that will provide for our family in the meantime. Funny thing is that just the other day I felt a strong prompting to start school this January! Can you imagine?! 2 College Students with 2 kids in school! I laugh when I think about it, but it makes me excited to think about what lessons we all, and most importantly our kids, will learn through this experience! Certainly college will play a huge roll in their lives!

But beyond all of that I have to say, I have 100% respect and admiration for Ryan! He has my complete support, come what may! How could I not support him?! He is a 38 year old man, willing to walk away from a comfortable living to pursue his mission and purpose. Not everyone's mission is directly related to what they do for a living. Ryan's is. We know this, because of his Patriarchal Blessing...and from what we feel! I have mad respect for his willingness to sacrifice and become the OLD MAN on campus! THAT is living with Eternal Perspective! THAT is LifeUncommon! And I love him for it! We may be starving college students, and life might get a little crazy, but it will be yet another adventure under the belt of the Lindstrom Family! No doubt about it! 

So buckle up my friends! You are along for this ride! Wouldn't it be interesting to be able to flash forward 10 years to see what your life looks like?! Well, it would, but since it can't happen, we are just going to trust and enjoy it as much as possible!

DON'T BE AFRAID TO GET A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE IN ORDER TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS! THE REWARDS WILL BE PRICELESS! 

HIS First

This last Sunday I had such an interesting impression during the Sacrament.

Jake was about to pass the Sacrament for his first time. This is a BIG DEAL! He has really been so worried about it. Worried that he wouldn't know where to go, worried that he would mess up or get confused....just a whole lot of worry. We had promised him that we would all be praying hard for him. So, he summoned the courage and took his place.

While I was praying for him, and thinking about how much I love this little man of mine. I suddenly had a very strong impression about my role as his mother, and Ryan's role as his father. These roles are a privilege and a calling.

Our children each come to this world with a specific purpose and mission to fulfill and the Lord is entrusting us, his children, to guide these little ones through their lives. He knows us all personally, and so He knows the order in which we should come to this Earth. We were chosen to come before our children, because  the Lord knew that we would be able to give our children what they would need to meet the requirements of their lives. The interesting thing about this feeling was the sense of being a secondary parent, for lack of a better term. Sometimes I think I look at my kids as being totally mine, but they are not. They are His first! He loves them infinitely! He knows their spirits and their potential and their weaknesses, because He, our Father in Heaven, is literally our Father! Likewise, He knows us, our potential and our weaknesses, because He is our Father as well! His love for my children, and His trust in me, as well as His gratitude for the work I am trying to do with my kids, was so profound today! I know where I fall short, and so does He. I think that is why He sent this loving reminder to me today.

Perspective always seems to do a world of good! I can't help but feel a desire to do a little better, be a bit more patient, pray a little more on their behalf, knowing that the Lord will guide me in this role, when I think of my children as His children first!

To You From Us

Gotta love the inspiration you can find on Pinterest! 

Here is a Valentine for you from Jake.......

And Mal!

Cutest darn things I have ever seen! 

HAPPY V-DAY! 

Grateful Kids Are Happier Kids

I love when my hubby sends me great articles like this: 

GRATEFUL KIDS ARE HAPPIER 

(you should totally take a sec and read it, too!)

{Image Source}

"We know that grateful kids are happier [and] more satisfied with their lives," explains Hoftra University psychology assistant professor Jeffrey Froh in an article this week in The Washington Post. "They report better relationships with friends and family, higher GPAs, less materialism, less envy and less depression, along with a desire to connect to their community and to want to give back."

That's not all. It's also believed to boost immune systems and lower blood pressure over time. In a Temple Univeristy study, patients with hypertension lowered their blood pressure just by calling a "gratitude" hotline everyday. If it's that effective on adults with health problems, imagine what announcing the good things in life at early age can do. 

In a study of early adolescents, Froh found that kids who journaled daily about their good fortune, over a period of two weeks, were less prone to depression and more satisfied with their lives overall. And that optimism and satisfaction made them more likely to take care of themselves physically in the long-term."

Gratitude is a powerful powerful thing, my friends! I am so glad I read this article! It reminds me both the importance of  putting more focus on it within my own life AND the importance of teaching my children the importance of developing an attitude of gratitude. How powerful would it be to live our lives focusing on all that we have to be grateful for, instead of all that we lack?! Of course we would be more satisfied and happy. 


This whole article has inspired me to start a new tradition in my family. Each night at family dinner we are going to go around the table and list one thing that we are grateful for that day. I will encourage the kids not to repeat, if they can help it. I hope that doing this will help all of us  become more mindful of all they have to be grateful for, and that it will help bring us closer as a family! 


Thanks for the awesome article Ry!  

2 Years Ago Today......

Two years ago today our little man finished his mission here on earth. His mission was abnormally difficult. He suffered more than most and more than I am sure we know. His life's purpose was to remind each one of us, and the hundreds of thousands that have read about him, that God lives, that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is vital to each one of us, both in it's power to wash away our sins and in it's ability to lift our burdens and comfort our weary hearts. Families are forever. Temples, and the sacred and beautiful ordinances performed there are vital to the eternal nature of our lives. 

The list could go on and on! 

Today I am grateful that our son came to our family. I am grateful for the 4 1/2 years we had with him. I know it was meant to be much less, however, our noble boy chose to stay for us. 

I have had Jake on my mind a lot. How difficult this has to have been for him. His faith is remarkable! He trusts the Lord. He misses his brother, and while he doesn't have an adults ability to try to wrap his mind around the purposes in all of this, he trusts and he seeks the Lord for comfort. He inspires me! I am so proud of him! 

Mallory speaks of "Dawsy" all of the time. She writes him letters and draws him pictures. In random moments she comes for a cuddle and expresses her love for Dawson and how much she misses him. I ask her things that she remembers about him all of the time. I desperately do not want her to forget, although, I know she will over time, I hope she holds on to enough to keep the close bond she feels with him now. 

Ryan is not as open about his grieving as we are. I respect that. He loves Dawson so deeply and I know he misses him so much. He grieves and processes much on his own. There are moments when I catch him with puffy eyes after a good cry, mostly after we watch a video of Dawson, and I love him all the more because of it. He is such a good man. His faith strengthens ours. I am eternally grateful for the way he lives his life. It is important to him to live close to the Lord so that he may be worthy to use the sacred priesthood power that blesses our family. At his hands, and through the power of the Lord, through that sacred priesthood, miracles were realized and strength given to each one of us. I wonder how I will ever express adequately how much I love and appreciate him for the way he loves us and sets such an example. He is the greatest blessing in my life! I remind him of that daily! 

Today I can almost feel the soft puffy palms of Dawson's hands and his chubby little fingers, one of my favorite things about him. I remember once lying next to him on my bed studying his features and feeling my heart break over the thought of ever living without them. It felt impossible. Still does sometimes. Oh, to feel him press his body against my shoulder, trying to get just a little closer to me, feeling his contentment as he said "ma ma" over and over, with his little face turned into my neck. I can almost feel his lips moving on my neck and the hardness of his cheeks against my shoulder when he smiled so big, so proud of himself for mastering such a big word. I sit in church most weeks and think what I would give to lean over and unbuckle his seat belt on his fluorescent green wheelchair and lift him out so that he can snuggle with me. I can almost feel his abnormally flat back on my fingertips as I scratched it and tickled his little ribs. I can almost feel his bony little hiney on my forearm. 

These, and so much more, are the things I miss on a daily basis. Today in particular. It's funny how sometimes I can truly almost feel him. Oh, to have just 20 more seconds, but it wouldn't be enough! 

These moments are the moments I am SO grateful to KNOW that I will see me sweet boy again! I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the gift of the Resurrection. One day my 4 1/2 year old boy will rise in his perfect little white suit, and we will continue where we left off....just without all the pain, and with a whole lot of walking and running around! What a blessing! 

D, thanks for the gift of your life! So many love you and honor you today! You are a gift to many and we love you so very much! Thanks for the moments when you reach through the veil to let us know you are always with us! Above all, thank you for teaching us to have an Eternal Perspective! You are ours for Eternity. Nothing this world has to offer will ever be more appealing than that! We love you Bubba! See you soon! 

(Want to honor Dawson with us today? Check out yesterday's post to find out what we will be doing today and what you can do to join in and share the love!)

Tomorrow is "Dawsons Day"

Tomorrow is a special day for our family. A day that would normally be a difficult one for us, however, because of a dear and wonderful friend, it will be a day of sharing....a day to honor our little Dawson and his life on the 2 year anniversary of his death.

My friend Maryon came up with with the concept of "Dawson's Day" last year. Since we were not living close to each other she decided that instead of bringing flowers to me she was going to take flowers to a mother in the hospital with her child, with a tag attached that gave the parents a way to learn more about our little man.

She challenged others to join, and they did! All day last year I received emails, texts and calls from people participating. They could feel Dawson's love as they walked through the halls of the hospital on the way to make the day for a person they had never met, but who they knew would need a little pick-me-up. What a gift to our family! What a tribute to Dawson!

This year Maryon and her Young Women group in Arizona, whom I spoke to in a fireside not to long ago, will be getting together in the evening to deliver flowers for Dawson's Day. I am so glad that these girls have had the opportunity to get to know him a bit before this activity. I am sure he will let them all know what this means to him!

Maryon and I want to challenge others to join with us and continue this tradition this year. Tomorrow will be 2 years from the day Dawson passed away. Our family will be out delivering flowers, most likely at Primary Childrens Hospital. Will you join us? Go to your local hospital and find a family that could use a little love to brighten their day. Maryon made this tag to print and attach to the flowers:

Feel free to click on the picture and then right click and save to your computer and print as many as you would like! And please feel free to share this challenge with friends and family! They don't need to know our family to participate. It is simply a day to reach out and lift someone up by sharing a little love and all the  Hope and Faith that Dawson's story has to offer. 

Then please let me know how it goes. You can email me or leave messages here. Whichever. Just please share your experience with me. It really helps us get through such a hard day with a whole lot of gratitude and love! 

If you have any questions, please let me know! I can't wait to hear how it goes for you! 

(Oh, and on a side note, this spring, when it warms a little, we will be doing a little extra something for Dawson's Day, which may continue as a tradition. We will be doing a 5K run, 1 mile walk. It will include silent auctions, music and much more. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Fish Family this year! Watch for more details, they will be coming soon!) 

FHE {Losing Ourselves In the Service of Others}

I have been trying to think of ways to help my kids understand the importance of opening their eyes to the needs of others, and developing the ability to focus on ways they can recognize things they can do to serve others. This little object lesson popped into my head one day. I think the message was received! :) 

We did this lesson with cousins and enlisted the help of aunts and uncles, just for a bit of added fun. 

OBJECT LESSON: 

• Roll a piece of paper starting at the corner. Form a funnel with a dime sized hole in the end. Cut off the tops so that the wider opening is all the same length. Tape paper so that the funnel will stay wrapped. Make enough so that each child has two. 
• Have the children hold their funnels up to their eyes. These are their new glasses. 

• Give the kids an exact course to follow. I told the boys to walk from where they were standing to the Christmas tree. It isn't easy to see through such a small hole. They can only see what is directly in front of them. Make the course obstacle free and in a straight line. Tell them to walk slow and be careful. 

• When they arrived at their destination they were pleased with their ability to easily perform the task.  This is when I had them remove their "glasses" and turn back to look at the path they had just followed. As they turned they could see a few things they missed a long their path. 

• Without knowing they passed Aunt Anna who was struggling to keep young Chloe entertained. Perhaps she is like a young mother in church with young children and full hands. 

• They also passed little Mallory. Her backpack had fallen and all of her things were scattered. She was trying to put them back in all by herself. 

• They passed Brigham. He had fallen down and his leg was hurt. 

• They also passed by Uncle Kevin....who needed a refill on his drink! (Pictured above) Oh Kevin! :) 

Had they noticed any of these things as they passed? Or were they totally focused on their own path/needs/course? 

• I explained to them that these glasses were a representation of living our lives focusing only on ourselves. When we can only see our needs it makes us blind to all of the things we can be doing to help others. Simply opening a door for Anna, or sitting with her during sacrament meeting to help keep her young children quiet so she can listen, stopping to help Mallory refill her bag, making sure Briggy is OK, or even refilling Uncle Kevin's drink...all of these things would only take a little time, but they would all make a big difference. 

LESSON:

President Monson said, 

"Unless we lose ourselves in the service of others, there is little purpose to our own lives."

• We discussed how important that is. That means that if the end goal was to make it to the tree, making it to the tree had very little purpose, IF we failed to notice those along the path that we could have helped, so that they could continue on the path to their goal, as well. That is a really big statement. I hoped that it would impact their minds, as it did mine. 

We Read Luke 9:24 & discussed what it meant. 

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life, for my sake, the same shall save it."

We read and discussed the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. We talked about the first 2 people to pass and how they were wearing their "Selfish Glasses". Perhaps they were "too busy" or had something they had to hurry and get to. Those are both probably the most common excuses we give for not serving others. Again, there is little purpose in all of the things we accomplish, unless we are willing to serve others along the way. We talked about how the Good Samaritan did more than just what was necessary by leaving money for the man to be cared for and then asking them to let him know if it cost more than what he gave so that he could give them what was required when he came back through.

I told them about a special experience that happened to me recently:

I told them how I have the opportunity to travel to a lot of different places to speak about Dawson. I have spoke to the youth, the youth and their parents, entire wards, groups of women, groups of adults, small groups and large groups. When Dawson passed away it was something that I knew the Lord would want me to do. His story and his special life and all of the miracles that were a part of it were meant to be shared with many people.

I told them that when I am asked to speak I go, no matter how far away, and I would never ask the ward to pay any of my expenses. I have always felt that the Lord would provide a way for me to go.

I recently went to speak in Southern Arizona. Our budget was a little tight when it was time to go. I withdrew $200, which is exactly how much the trip would cost, from my grocery budget and trusted that the Lord would help us stretch the rest to meet our needs.

The spirit was so strong at the fireside. I knew that the message the Lord wanted to share with this group was received. It was such a great experience.

As we pulled back into my friends driveway we noticed another car pulling up. A man got out of his car and walked over to me. He handed me an envelope, told me thank you, gave me a hug and then left. Later I sat in my room at my friends home and opened that envelope, thinking I would find a note. In the envelope was $200, the exact amount it would cost for my trip. To me this was a message from Heavenly Father. He wanted me to be sure that He was constantly aware of every little need and that He would work through His faithful and willing children to fill those needs, as long as we are willing to continue with faith.

We talked about how the man certainly could have used so much money, but he was a man that listened to the promptings of the spirit and was willing to watch for ways he could help others along his path. This man set an example for me that day! I was blessed by his faithfulness, both financially, and more importantly, spiritually.

We closed with a poem President Monson quoted in his talk "What Have I Done For Someone Today?" in October 2009 General Conference:

I have wept in the night 
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody's need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind. 

GUESS WHAT I MADE?!

I love Pinterest! Have I told you that lately? Well, I do! 

The other day we had a party in the Lindstrom Fam and I was in charge of a treat! I started to look through some of the things I had "pinned" to my "Yum" board and found a picture of these. So, I jotted down a quick grocery list (large & small marshmallows, green, red, blue & yellow sprinkles & food coloring, green & red jelly beans, black licorice pieces, black frosting & orange jellies) and headed to the store! 

Look what I created.......

In the Lindstrom Fam there is way more than one fan of the Angry Birds! These were a hit! 

And to really seal the deal, I cracked out a few of these......

Minions Cupcakes! Again from a picture on Pinterest! 

I used the left over licorice pieces for hair, black frosting for the eyes & smarties for the glasses, and half of a twinkie and some blue frosting for the base! How fun is that?! 

Man alive were they ever fun....and surprisingly easy, to make! 

What a Lovely Sight To See!

First the sound of the buzzer. Then the sound of running little feet. Then I walk around the corner to find this......

We are getting settled and back in to our regular routine!

Can I get a HALLELUJAH?!

Our "MOTHERBOARD" has returned and that means life is good!

This little Miss is IN LOVE with doing her own laundry and I am in love with the site of her doing it all, right down to the hanging, folding and putting away!

I LOVE JOB CHARTS!!

By the way, you should head over to OurLifeUncommon, that is if you would like a tour of our new digs!

FAMILY YAHTZEE! Super Fun Christmas Gift Idea!

Can you believe that it is time to start really thinking about Christmas?! Where does the time go?!

As I was thinking about the gifts I would be giving this year it made me think of one of the favorites we gave last year. It was SO fun to make them and SO fun to see the reactions of those we gave them to! This was actually SUPER easy to make and totally easy on the wallet! I mean, I would say they were under $5 each! I made 10 or so! If you are looking for something super fun and original, you should totally try these out!

FAMILY YAHTZEE

This was the version we gave to Jake & Mallory. We called it "Daw-tzee". How fun is that?!

You will have to pardon the box on this set. I was on the tail end of paper and the front got a little scrappy.

Let me give you the break down......

My friend Maryon grabbed us a couple of lengths of 2x2 boards.

Technically, they measure 1 1/2x1 1/2. They were about 8 feet long. You can get a LOT of blocks out of one of those puppies and each board was like $1 - $2! Awesome!

Now for the cutting......

MyR's hubby has a fabulous saw that he agreed to let us use. Brave Man!

MyR first measured and drew lines every 1 1/2 inches for the length of the board. Once that was done, it was time to start cutting.

Now, if we only knew where the ON button was for this thing!

HAHAHA! We found it! After a little searching and then trying to push the handle down to see if we were missing something, we found out that THAT was the key to turning it on. The saw RIPPED into action!

See that look on MyR's face?

The only reason why I even got this pictures was because I was holding my camera up to be ready for the first cut. When that baby screamed into action, I jumped so stinking high! My finger hit the button and CLICK! I caught a picture of MyR that will FOREVER make me shake with laughter! I think it kind of freaked her out! Hahaha! Look at her neck! Oh my! LOVE IT!

Once we had it figured out, we cracked right through the boards. At the end we had over 100 blocks cut! SHEESH!

Just a note...When you get to the last couple squares of a board....SKIP THEM! Just toss the remainder! We tried to use every inch of that board and when we tried to cut the very last part something crazy happened and a block launched out of the saw and across the garage. I am SO glad no one was in the way. Perhaps all of this is why MyR's hubby was a little nervous about us using the tools! :)

After the blocks were cut, it was time for sanding. We held up a circular sander and held the on button while holding the blocks to the paper. It made quick work of each block. However, by the end, our hands were numb from all the shaking and our minds were jello from the tedious-ness of it all! :) Next time I don't think we will try to tackle so much all at one time! :)

After the sanding the blocks were painted, paper modge-podged on & picture applied, I modged podged the whole thing to give is a finished look.

As for the pictures, there are 6 pictures on each one of the blocks/dice. Find the pictures you want, add the numbers 1-6 to the bottom of each of the pictures & shrink to 1 inch. Maryon used Microsoft Publisher to do this. It worked perfectly. I have also done the same with the Microsoft Photo editor since then. You will have to know how many pixels are in an inch, and maybe do a little experimenting.

Maryon packed the pictures (5 copies of each picture, 1 for each of the dice) into a 4x6 size photo (fits 24 pictures each) then uploaded them to the nearest photo store and had them printed. 54 cents for every 24 pictures....Great!

We used a corner rounder on our pictures and the paper underneath, just helped to clean them up a bit!

For the boxes, I picked up a few unfinished wood jewelry boxes at the craft store. I painted them and modge-podged paper to match the dice. Then I made a title image for the game that included all the pictures on the dice. I modge podged this to the top and then gave it all a couple more coats to seal it.

The boxes were $3 each. Maryon found a lot of tins, the perfect size for the dice to fit in, at a thrift store for like 50 cents each! She spray painted them and they turned out awesome! Do whatever works for you!

Then we made the scorecard. It matches a "Yahtzee" scorecard almost exactly. The rules are all the same. The dice are just a bit bigger and a whole lot more fun! :)

When I printed the cards I chose the option of printing 4 per page. I cut them into individual small sheets that would fit in the box. Then after I gave the gift I emailed a copy of the file I had made with the specific scorecard so that they could print extras, as needed.

Really, such a fun gift to give and receive! We did a Grand kids set for my in-laws. 5 of their children had children at the time. Each little family had a side and the 6th side went to a picture of Grandma & Grandpa. I think I called the set, "Lindstrom Grands Yahtzee" or something like that. Another set was for my parents. They have 7 kids. We put a family picture for each of the children and their families. The last 2 kids aren't married yet, so we put a picture of them together on the last side. We also did individual families and found fun pictures of each family member or different combinations of family members. I did a set for my younger sister. A picture of each of her closest friends on each side.

Gathering the pictures can be the hardest part. I emailed and asked siblings, for the gifts for parents, and used a lot of Facebook or blog pictures. Thank goodness for those.

If you are interested in making this fun game and you have any questions, please let me know! I will totally help you! Your friends and family will LOVE these! The only problem we have now is finding a way to top this! :)

{MESSY PARTY} Sending Summer Out With A Bang

{If you would like to see any of the images enlarged, click on them. Especially the collages! There is a lot of goodness there that you DON'T want to miss!}

 

A while ago my friend Brooke posted on her blog about going to a "Messy Party". Bubbles, body painting and lots of fun and then a clean up on the water slide. The idea was GENIUS to me! I LOVED the concept. I wanted to have one!

And so it started.

The ideas got bigger and messier as time went on. This Summer has been the funnest Summer we have ever had and we wanted to send it out with a bang! Pretty soon the date was set, the invitations were sent, over 75 people were on the "Going To Be There" list and we were on our way to the park with over 12 gallons of pudding, 50 pies, 20 gallons of paint, about 10 gallons of cooked spaghetti noodles & a whole lot of fun in mind!

First Stop.......Duck, Duck, Goose with a floury twist.

As the kids started coming we sat them down and had them play "Duck, Duck, Goose". The messy came in when my sister Lisa & I supplied them with a cup of water and a cup of flour to dump over the "goose's" head!

This KILLS me! This is my little brother Parker. Apparently he was nervous about the girl walking past him. He must have been SURE that she would get him, although it looks like she was just going to walk on by.

Hahaha! His worries were dead on! She made a quick turn and soaked him!

Next up.....Hands Free Chocolate Pie eating contest!

My son Jake and I make the PERFECT pair! I have ALWAYS wanted to "pie" someone in the face and he has always wanted to be pied!

We both sort of loved it.....A LOT!

As you can see....this was a TOTAL hit with all the kids!

Even Master Calvin got in on the action!

Now, on to the Battle of the Painted Spagetti!

Four 5-gallon buckets were filled with water & enough flour to make it nice and thick, then a TON of food coloring. We topped that lovely mixture off with as many Spagetti noodles as we could get our hands on. This was definately a fave of mine. You should have seen the colors flying when this mess started! AWESOME!

Oh, and where is the princess in all of this?

Well, she was about as dirty as she cared to get at the moment. See that bit of chocolate on her cheek that is causing her mild irritation? Yeah...she doesn't love messy. Never really has. Poor thing.

Now for the Slip N Slide.....

You didn't think we would use water, did you?!

Oh no! We came prepared with buckets of pudding!

AWESOME!

Can I just say that my hubby ROCKS! He made this a blast for the kiddos! Splatting a bowl full of pudding on a head here and there and keeping the slide nice and slick. Messy is NOT his thing and he was totally behind me on this whole idea! What a guy! Man, I like him!

By now these kids were good and messy and in serious need of a hosing off! But I am pretty sure they were loving every second of it! 

And so it was time for our GRAND FINALE! Did I tell you I started dreaming really big with this whole idea? Well, I meant it! And thanks to a few connections, meaning the two guys in this picture.........

My little brother Kyle (on the right) just happens to be a Fireman/Paramedic in Pleasant Grove and my friend Brian just happens to be his Captain. So, I called them up, told them my idea and this is how they responded......

The ladder was raised 105 feet in the air. Brian was perched...and clipped in, thank you very much, and ready to give these kids about 1,000 gallons of water per minute, for as long as they could handle it!

Can I just say, the view from where I was standing, looking out over the valley was AWESOME! I can only imagine how it looked from 105 ft. above where we were! Maybe next time I will have to see if they will let me check it out! ;)

AMAZING! This was seriously the thing that pushed this party right over the edge! The kids loved every second of it!

I could not possibly thank my little brother, Brian and their team enough for entertaining the crazy thoughts in my head! They were AWESOME!

The obvious choice for a treat to top the day off (as if all the pudding and pie wasn't enough) was

DIRT DESSERT!

Now, this is the point where Mallory thinks that she is FAR too dirty to be anywhere near comfortable (mind you, she was the least messy of all the kids that participated), so what does she do?

 

OH MY!  

This child of mine has NO concept of modesty. As soon as the majority of the kids were gone she figured it was over and she was out of that dirty suit and asking Aunt Lisa for a spray down, lickety split!

Luckily we found some shorts and covered up her hiney!

But Aunt Lisa couldn't get over her little "plumbers crack". Such a funny little girl with all the innocence in the world to make her think that running around naked is A-OK. We are going to have to keep work on that one!

Honestly, this was the funnest party! We all had a blast! A big thanks to all of you that helped me pull this off, especially my Ryan. He spent a lot of time raking spaghetti noodles out of that grass and cleaning up after the mess and not once did he ever curse me! In fact, he actually likes me even more, I think! He is the best! Like E V E R :) Thanks Babe!

I absolutely can't wait until next Summer! We are SO doing this again!!

{PGFD....you're in, right?!}