Monday, January 27, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Two Birthdays
One of my favorite quotations is from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He said,
First and foremost, Mom served her family. As a little girl growing up in Iowa, Mom served us through hard work! She gardened and canned fruit and vegetables. My brother Scott thought she was amazing when she magically made pickles out of cucumbers.
She and a friend even had a small business creating and selling wooden crafts. They made family tree plaques with curving branches carefully cut with a jigsaw. The trees were stained and the apples carefully painted and then labelled with the names of family members. My mom always had lovely printing and handwriting (and lamented over my poor penmanship) and she must have written thousands of names on those tiny, wooden apples. I also remember her making and selling plaques for teacher gifts; the bright crayon boxes spilled out crayons with student names instead of colors.
Mom never considered herself a seamstress, but when I was young she made most of my clothes, from my underwear to my dresses. As her family grew, her sewing was generally limited to curtains and Halloween costumes. But when her children left home, she took up quilting and machine embroidery. We still love snuggling under her quilts, sleeping on her pillowcases and drying off with a personalized towel she embroidered.
Mom was very dedicated in her church service. She always had a calling and she often served in leadership positions. She was Relief Society President at least twice, and she was always a faithful visiting teacher. Even after her children were grown, Mom served in the Primary and Young Women organizations. Some women have a "been there, done that" attitude as they get older, but Mom never did. She loved going to Girls' Camp and told us she was scolded (as a leader) for staying up too late and giggling too loudly. Before she had her first knee replacement, she knew she needed to be released as a Primary teacher, but she loved those little eight year-olds and was so sad not to teach them every week.
I am grateful that today was a holiday, so we had time to celebrate Mom's birthday. Marianne and I went out for lunch at Extraordinary Desserts. Mom definitely would have approved! We also visited the cemetery and put new flowers on her headstone. Later, we got together with my sister's family to sing "Happy Birthday" to Mom and play Phase 10, one of her favorite card games.
Happy Birthday Mom! I miss you every day, but I know that we both have important work to do before the day comes for us to be reunited. Love you with all my heart!
"Everyone has the power for greatness, not fame but for greatness, because greatness is determined by service. "Since we are celebrating his birthday today, it seems fitting to share this quote. But today is another, even more important (at least to me) birthday! My sweet mom was born 72 years ago. Mom truly was a great woman and she lived a lived full of service to others.
First and foremost, Mom served her family. As a little girl growing up in Iowa, Mom served us through hard work! She gardened and canned fruit and vegetables. My brother Scott thought she was amazing when she magically made pickles out of cucumbers.
She and a friend even had a small business creating and selling wooden crafts. They made family tree plaques with curving branches carefully cut with a jigsaw. The trees were stained and the apples carefully painted and then labelled with the names of family members. My mom always had lovely printing and handwriting (and lamented over my poor penmanship) and she must have written thousands of names on those tiny, wooden apples. I also remember her making and selling plaques for teacher gifts; the bright crayon boxes spilled out crayons with student names instead of colors.
Mom never considered herself a seamstress, but when I was young she made most of my clothes, from my underwear to my dresses. As her family grew, her sewing was generally limited to curtains and Halloween costumes. But when her children left home, she took up quilting and machine embroidery. We still love snuggling under her quilts, sleeping on her pillowcases and drying off with a personalized towel she embroidered.
Mom was very dedicated in her church service. She always had a calling and she often served in leadership positions. She was Relief Society President at least twice, and she was always a faithful visiting teacher. Even after her children were grown, Mom served in the Primary and Young Women organizations. Some women have a "been there, done that" attitude as they get older, but Mom never did. She loved going to Girls' Camp and told us she was scolded (as a leader) for staying up too late and giggling too loudly. Before she had her first knee replacement, she knew she needed to be released as a Primary teacher, but she loved those little eight year-olds and was so sad not to teach them every week.
I am grateful that today was a holiday, so we had time to celebrate Mom's birthday. Marianne and I went out for lunch at Extraordinary Desserts. Mom definitely would have approved! We also visited the cemetery and put new flowers on her headstone. Later, we got together with my sister's family to sing "Happy Birthday" to Mom and play Phase 10, one of her favorite card games.
Happy Birthday Mom! I miss you every day, but I know that we both have important work to do before the day comes for us to be reunited. Love you with all my heart!
Monday, December 23, 2013
Happy Birthday, Brother Joseph!
A few weeks ago in Relief Society we had a lesson about the prophet, Joseph Smith. The teacher invited us to share our favorite stories about Joseph Smith, but time was short and I didn't have a chance to share mine. Today, on the 208th anniversary of Joseph Smith's birth, I want to share one of my favorites.
When the Saints were living in Nauvoo, Joseph Smith was the mayor. One day a black man named Anthony was brought before the mayor and charged with selling liquor on the Sabbath. Anthony begged for leniency, explaining that he needed to year money to buy the freedom of his child who was a slave in another state. Joseph Smith told Anthony that justice must be served and that he would have to pay the fine. The following day, the prophet brought a fine horse to Anthony and told him to sell the horse and use the money to free his child.
This story has always stood out to me as the perfect balance of justice and mercy. I think it is a beautiful example of the wisdom of Joseph Smith and his ability to walk in the footsteps of his Savior, Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas!
When the Saints were living in Nauvoo, Joseph Smith was the mayor. One day a black man named Anthony was brought before the mayor and charged with selling liquor on the Sabbath. Anthony begged for leniency, explaining that he needed to year money to buy the freedom of his child who was a slave in another state. Joseph Smith told Anthony that justice must be served and that he would have to pay the fine. The following day, the prophet brought a fine horse to Anthony and told him to sell the horse and use the money to free his child.
This story has always stood out to me as the perfect balance of justice and mercy. I think it is a beautiful example of the wisdom of Joseph Smith and his ability to walk in the footsteps of his Savior, Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 20, 2013
I Have a Present for You
Yes, I really truly do! It is the season of giving and I want to share!
If you've read my blog for awhile, you know that I'm committed to helping families prevent and heal from addiction, especially pornography addiction. To further this effort, I have an awesome book to share with you. Email me at ToHappyHartz (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will send you a copy along with a bookmark I made that highlights some of my favorite passages. Click HERE to read a post I wrote about the book, He Restoreth My Soul, a few years ago.
Bonus #2: THIS post helps you teach your kids exactly what to do if they accidentally encounter pornography.
Bonus #3: THIS post has a link to a resource book for LDS families that you can download for free!
Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy these gifts. They are some of the most important things you can give your family.
If you've read my blog for awhile, you know that I'm committed to helping families prevent and heal from addiction, especially pornography addiction. To further this effort, I have an awesome book to share with you. Email me at ToHappyHartz (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will send you a copy along with a bookmark I made that highlights some of my favorite passages. Click HERE to read a post I wrote about the book, He Restoreth My Soul, a few years ago.
Bonus #2: THIS post helps you teach your kids exactly what to do if they accidentally encounter pornography.
Bonus #3: THIS post has a link to a resource book for LDS families that you can download for free!
Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy these gifts. They are some of the most important things you can give your family.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Black Bean Soup
I just tried a new recipe that we all really liked. It's pretty quick and easy too! Here's my version:
2 onions chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup carrots (or red bell pepper) chopped
1 cup salsa
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 cans black beans (undrained)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbl lemon juice
2 1/2 Tbl cornstarch
parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
In a large soup pot mix veggies, salsa and broth. Heat to boiling and simmer for 10 minutes. Add one can of beans, salt and cumin and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with immersion blender. Add the rest of the beans and lemon juice to soup. Combine cornstarch with 3 Tbl water, then add to soup. Stir soup and cook till thickened a bit.
Garnish with a little parmesan cheese if desired.
2 onions chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup carrots (or red bell pepper) chopped
1 cup salsa
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 cans black beans (undrained)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbl lemon juice
2 1/2 Tbl cornstarch
parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
In a large soup pot mix veggies, salsa and broth. Heat to boiling and simmer for 10 minutes. Add one can of beans, salt and cumin and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with immersion blender. Add the rest of the beans and lemon juice to soup. Combine cornstarch with 3 Tbl water, then add to soup. Stir soup and cook till thickened a bit.
Garnish with a little parmesan cheese if desired.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
A Gift I'll Always Remember
I'm usually pretty strict about Christmas presents. Sometimes I let the kids choose their own gifts, especially when it comes to clothes, but I always take them home and wrap them up. They don't get to open presents early, except for one gift on Christmas eve. I choose the present to be opened and somehow it always turns out to be pajamas!
Fortunately, Marianne is not such a stickler. In fact, she gave me one of my Christmas presents early. She asked me to reserve Monday night and told me I would be receiving a gift. After I put Lavender to bed, I came downstairs to find Marianne's music stand set up in the living room. A few minutes later, her flute teacher, Cheryl, arrived and the two of them gave me the most wonderful gift. I was feeling generous, so I shared my gift with John and the boys.
All four of us were treated to a beautiful Christmas mini-concert. Marianne and Cheryl played some lovely duets including:
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
The First Noel
What Child Is This
We Three Kings
Home for the Holidays
The music was so beautiful and it was such a pretty scene with them playing next to the Christmas tree while the lights reflected in their gleaming flutes. It really was a dream come true to hear my daughter play the songs of Christmas so beautifully. I am grateful she has such a kind and thoughtful teacher. Thank you Marianne and Cheryl for one of the best gifts I've ever received!
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Fortunately, Marianne is not such a stickler. In fact, she gave me one of my Christmas presents early. She asked me to reserve Monday night and told me I would be receiving a gift. After I put Lavender to bed, I came downstairs to find Marianne's music stand set up in the living room. A few minutes later, her flute teacher, Cheryl, arrived and the two of them gave me the most wonderful gift. I was feeling generous, so I shared my gift with John and the boys.
All four of us were treated to a beautiful Christmas mini-concert. Marianne and Cheryl played some lovely duets including:
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
The First Noel
What Child Is This
We Three Kings
Home for the Holidays
The music was so beautiful and it was such a pretty scene with them playing next to the Christmas tree while the lights reflected in their gleaming flutes. It really was a dream come true to hear my daughter play the songs of Christmas so beautifully. I am grateful she has such a kind and thoughtful teacher. Thank you Marianne and Cheryl for one of the best gifts I've ever received!
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Monday, December 16, 2013
How to Make Your Christmas Merry!
My mother and mother-in-law both loved Christmas. They loved decorating, baking, serving and celebrating. I am following in their footsteps and Christmas is my favorite time of year. But I know that not everyone feels that way. Christmas can be stressful and exhausting. In fact, a friend of mine recently confessed in Relief Society that she has always hated Christmas. I often hear women bemoan all the things they "have to do" at Christmas time. It makes me sad that the season to celebrate Christ's birthday makes so many of us want to throw in the towel.
So here is my secret for making Christmas "the most wonderful time of the year." Are you ready? Here it is:
Do the things you love, and eliminate (or drastically reduce) the rest.
If (like me) you love writing a family newsletter and sending Christmas cards to everyone you've ever known, then do it! But if you shudder at the thought of signing, stamping, licking and addressing, move on and don't feel guilty! Sure, you may decide to send a card to your grandma, but don't worry about sending cards out, even to the people who send you one every year. Work together with your family to make space for your cherished traditions, but don't feel pressured to stay up all night making gifts for everyone in your neighborhood! Learn to say no and don't make anything more complicated than it needs to be. For most of us, Christmas is a lot of work. Just make sure you're doing the work that brings you peace and joy. That's what Christmas is all about!
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| If you love decorating the tree in heels, go for it! |
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| May you feel's the Savior's peace and joy this Christmas! |
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