Words of Living Prophets

The prophet of the Restoration: Joseph Smith, Jr.

Our prophet today: Thomas S. Monson

I am looking forward to General Conference this coming weekend more than in any time in the past. I have a firm testimony that the true and complete Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith, including the priesthood of God. Living prophets are on the earth once more who speak to Him and receive guidance for us today. Now, I need to listen to what Heavenly Father is telling me through His ordained servants. I am trying to prepare myself to understand those things. We are so excited to take Todd with us again. He is such a great young man and it will be fun to discuss impressions and feelings he experiences while with us. It is such a treat for Greg and me to get to take grandkids with us to General Conference. Next spring it will be Kate's turn and then Morgan's in the fall.

I am grateful that temple ordinances, an innate part of Christ's true church always, were also restored. I am realizing more than ever that temple worship is at the core of the gospel and that I have responsibilities as a member today to perform saving ordinances...particularly for my own ancestors who have passed on that we may be eternally welded together as families. I am at a time in my life that this should take a high priority! Another message I am hearing and cannot ignore is our responsibility and privilege to share this restored gospel with others. I am trying to develop faith that Heavenly Father will put interested people in my way when He can trust that I won't overlook them. I need to start praying in faith for those opportunities. I don't know why it should be so hard because the gospel and its teachings are the sole reason my life is so joyful!

I want to rid my life of anything that is not Christlike and spend my time serving Him in any way I can. There are so many things to do with my time that are worthwhile, fun, even exciting that are in some way serving my Savior. He has blessed me beyond words and I owe Him so much more than I have been giving. I am doing a little better...and I WILL do even better...I promise...and I will report my progress now and from time to time.

Some progress made thus far:

Greg and I had the opportunity to attend the temple last Saturday morning and with the help of Cindy and DJ did proxy baptisms for 11 of Greg's ancestors. Greg and I then did the sealings which bound them to their parents. I have gone to the temple all my life but New Family Search has made it possible for even technology infants like us to prepare names for the temple. I now understand what our prophets have tried to tell us for years. We felt these ancestors presence and knew that at least some had accepted those ordinances done in their behalf. I am also working on my line and am finding great joy in this work! It is rather addicting!

I caught the "food canning, drying, preservation of any kind" bug!!! I have been working this year on living more providently and we were blessed with an unbelievable garden this year in spite of several big hailstorms in June. I have dried tomatoes, zuccini, golden rod squash, peaches, bananas, and apples thus far. I have bottled peaches, and spaghetti sauce, and am doing applesauce today. I used to do all of this while on the ranch but took a 22-year hiatus and I shouldn't have! I am enjoying it so much! We have given garden produce galore to neighbors and friends and I commented to Greg that it is like the loaves and the fishes...it multiplies upon sharing it! We have onions in abundance and several banana squash to both give away and put away for the winter. The only thing we didn't plant this year that we wished we had was red potatoes. But we are making room and plans for that next year. We have been composting this year as well and that has been so fun! We are excited to dig all our wonderful decomposed lawn clippings, etc. into our garden areas this fall. Some dirty pine trees are being removed from our berm today so that we can beautify that area in the front between us and our neighbors and we are digging our flower beds wider in the back yard to make more room for produce next year. This is all fun and exciting! ...certainly not what the world tells us that fun is...but the "joy" kind of fun! I LOVE life!

I have thoroughly enjoyed spending more time with our kids, their spouses, our grandchildren and our parents this year. There is NO greater joy than that! Families can be together forever, but we have to do our part! Our family motto is : "Ordinances received, covenants made; it's the Kingdom of Heaven or nothing!" Eternity will only be heavenly if ALL of us are there together! We love them all so much! Our prayers every day are that we will all remember who we are and do those things that will allow us to be a "forever family".

Julie's Giving Garden Gives In Many Ways!

Gifts from Julie and Stanton's garden upon return from Yellowstone vacation!

2 1/2 laundry baskets full of fresh picked corn yields:

28 Quarts of Corn

Green peppers and zucchini from garden yields chopped and frozen peppers and
shredded zucchini for quick & easy cooking in the fall and winter!

This foam project mess (and it got MUCH worse) yielded :
(See below)

these darling pictures!
Shredded zucchini yields cookies for the neighbors.


A cute face and sweet disposition yields MANY hugs and kisses from Grandma!

Thinking "outside the phase 10 box" yields a teepee, a picture frame, a face, and a stop sign.
There is more than one way to play cards!

A planned trip down to Julie's worked out doubly well when Greg left on a business trip to Greeley and Julie's corn all ripened at the same time. I left yesterday morning and came home tonight tired but happy to have had the time with my beautiful youngest daughter, her husband and four darling kids. Though we worked our buns off ( I only wish that were possible!), we accomplished a great deal and I had a wonderful time in the process. I am increasingly in awe of the overwhelming job it is to be a stay-at-home mom and the nurturer of these amazing, but very demanding little people. It takes a boatload of fortitude to get up every morning and face the day with so many responsibilities and demands on your every minute and several little people spouting "MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM" a thousand times a day (that is probably not too much of an exaggeration). I know I did it many years ago but my daughters (which includes my daughter-in-law) seem to do it a little better than I remember doing it. They all have their "moments" and freely admit them but I am truly in awe of the marvelous wives and mothers they are. I don't beat myself up over the fact that I should have done better, however, because in spite of my failings they have grown into remarkable adults! I hope it is okay to take just a little credit for that! But believe me, I am acutely aware who it is that "makes up the difference" and I will ever be in His debt.

Harvesting, Eating, Enjoying, Sharing!

What I picked this morning. By the way, I LOVE the scallop (pattypan) squash...something new we tried this year. It is great stuffed or just sliced and sauteed.

The cucumber patch in the southwest corner of the yard.

Herb Garden with Cilantro, Parsley, Chives, Oregano, Basil, Lemon Basil...also Green Pepper Plants and a few more onions. The herbs are an experiment this year. It has been fun to cook with them this summer.

Summer Squash patch and Walla Walla Onions in our back yard to the right of the patio

Notice the HUGE winter squash plant!
We do have a number of banana squash growing on it as evidenced above.

Our garden to the south of the house with (l to r) green beans, sweet spanish onions,
insanely huge tomato plants, more onions, carrots. Peas were on the right earlier in the summer
but they are harvested (see previous posts) and pulled out.

It is so fun to raise a garden. We love it more every year and really love sharing with our neighbors and friends as very few raise a garden anymore. I have enjoyed being home and able to give the yard, garden and flowers more attention. Greg has pretty much taken care of the mowing, fertilizing, and grub control (an ongoing battle) and is so much help when he has time. The yard is something we both enjoy and like to do together.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. Greg picked our first ripe tomato this afternoon! Hope that is a sign of good things to come. There is nothing like the taste of freshly picked vegetables. This time of year we are quite happy with an all veggie meal...sure cheapens up the grocery bill!

Garden 2008!

I wish I'd have thought to take a picture of the garden when it was at it's prettiest, but you know me...a day late and a dollar short most of the time! This was taken the first part of September just at the end of the bean season. We had absolutely wonderful green beans this summer and nary a one went to waste! Greg and I would get up early in the morning and pick the beans and then set chairs out by the garden and snap them on the spot. It's so great to just chuck the little snapped-off ends right back into the garden! Greg has been the most amazing yard and garden tender this summer! He's always been good, but just extra wonderful this summer and how I appreciated it! I helped but he did the lions share of the work and allowed me to enjoy summer in spite of the heat that about kills me! It was such a joy to sit out on the patio or just look out the sliding door and see a beautifully manicured green lawn, and flowers or vegetables growing in all the beds. We had absolutely great zucchini and yellow summer squash, beautiful cucumbers, big tomatoes (though slow to ripen) and tons of beautiful red potatoes in addition to the abundant crop of beans. We also have some beautiful, sweet, big onions! Just not enough of them as so many of them killed out in the spring rains that came and didn't let up for a couple of weeks. I am not, however, complaining about the rain! Let that be said! All in all, it has been a crazy, fast and fun summer! Oh, I almost forgot to mention that we had an infestation of grubs in our lawn this summer that could have killed it out if it weren't for our good neighbor, Kreigh Perkes, who told us what was happening. I promptly went to CAL Ranch and bought the grub killer and grub control and Greg went to work treating the lawn. Do you remember the dandelion destroying "mission" Dad went on years ago? Well, he went after the grubs with the same fervor and they didn't have a chance! Within a month, the lawn was looking gorgeous again...actually better that it has looked for a couple of years. Word to the wise, if you see yellow patches on your lawn in spite of watering regularly, you've probably got grubs! Anyway, thanks to my "green-thumb" husband for all he does to keep my life sane!