Happy Birthday Mom!

Today Mom turns 64. Happy Birthday Mom! We love you so much, and we hope you have an amazing birthday!

Mindy's Answer

Hi. We're back online. I sent a question of the week from my mother in
law's last week, but sent it to the wrong address and then accidentally
erased it when it came back. So I guess we'll forget about that one and
just do one for this week.
I'm still trying to figure out my personal secret for happiness. I am
happy when everything is done, which is never. I'm happy when my kids
are playing happily together. I guess I'm happiest when my family is all
happy and getting along well. Also when I see my kids choosing to do
what's right even when it's hard to.
I'm not sure what the second part of the question means, but I do like to
be alone sometimes. I wouldn't like it all the time, but I do love to
lock myself in the bathroom and take a long bath all alone with a good
book. I enjoy my own company.

Here's our new contact information. I think Jeny sent it around for me
already.

4325 Lenville Rd. #55
Moscow, ID 83843
(208) 882-6128

Question of the Week

What is your personal secret for happiness? What kind of company are you
when you are alone?

Dearest Family:

I offer you a challenge. A challenge with great benefits that will accrue to all those who accept it.

Mom and I have each individually just finished reading a book by the author of "The Peacegiver". The new book is "The Holy Secret" by James L. Ferrell. To me, it is one of the most impactful books I have ever read, short of the scriptures themselves. It is a small, 214 page book that -- as far as the writing style is concerned -- is very readable. However, I predict that it will take you a lot longer time to read it than you think it will because you will read a few pages, then stop and ponder and perhaps even pray before continuing on.

This little book does many things. It answers some particular doctrinal questions that have caused both Mom and me to ask for answers that we were unable to find elsewhere. For instance, why did God give Adam and Eve what appears to be contradictory commandments, i.e. "multiply and replenish the earth", vs. "thou shalt not eat of the tree of knowledge". The answer is here.

Here is the challenge. Get the book and read it individually. Then, read it together as husband and wife and perhaps with some of your older children. Mom and I are now going to read it aloud together. Then, share your thoughts, questions, observations, with the rest of us in the BLOG. I think this could result in a very healthy exchange. Only one rule: thou shalt not share any thoughts, questions, or observations that are critical of any individual or any ethnic group. Keep it as charitable as possible.

I hope you will accept this challenge. I think it will cause all of us to grow much faster than we possibly could any other way. What Bro. Ferrell presents is truly a "Holy Secret".

God bless you all. We love you and pray for the very best of this mortal experience for each of you.

Dad

Holly's Date

I guess my dating life was kind of boring, because I don't have any very memorable dates with a boyfriend or fiance. My most memorable dates are the horrible ones where I was set up by a friend or met someone on the internet. The one that takes the cake is a guy who I met on the internet when I was desperate, and even though his picture was scary I went out with him because his e-mails were very nice. We met for ice cream on our first date, and had some good conversation, so I consented to a second date even though I wasn't attracted to him in any way. The second date was to see Harry Potter. He picked me up for the "early bird" showing (it was at 9:40 in the morning) and on the way to the theater he said, "So, is it okay if we go dutch?" I was floored! First of all, the early showing of a movie costs $3! Second, we were already on the way there. That's usually something you discuss BEFORE the date, right? I went along with it, though, and enjoyed the movie. After he asked where I wanted to go for lunch, and since I knew I was paying for myself I chose Arby's. He took me home after lunch and came in and sat on the couch, even though I didn't invite him. I tried to give him the hint that I was done with the date, but he was clueless. Rather than try to make strained conversation, I started taking apart my DVD player to fix it. He still sat there for probably half an hour before he got bored enough to finally leave. I never went out with him again!

It's A Girl....again!

We had an ultrasound today and it's another girl! The technician was very patient and funny, so even though the baby was not cooperating very well we were able to see almost everything. We are sure it's a girl, though. Now we just have to think of a name! These are pictures of her profile, showing a cute little nose and her lips, and the other one is a foot (it's the white blob on the right of the black space). On my copy of it you can actually see all of the toes and everything. Pretty fun!

Babysitting Co-op

O.k., I guess I took for granted that everyone in the world knows what a babysitting co-op is just because it has been in my life for so long. Here's how it works. You get some friends with close to the same number kids you have and it's nice if they're close to the same age as yours, too. We got together with three other families. We all agreed on a night and time each week that would work for a date night, then rotated a babysitting schedule. So with us and three other families, we only ended up babysitting one night a month for three hours. True, it was 15 kids, but for three free date nights it's TOTALLY worth it. We even had some fun on our babysitting nights. We would do playtime, then a craft or outdoor activity, then a snack, and finish up the night with a movie. It was great!!

Heidi

Heidi's Favorite Date

My favorite color--any jewel tone. My favorite flower--anything, just like mom. If it smells good, all the better. My favorite activity--reading while soaking in a bubble bath.

My most memorable date is also when I got engaged. It was March in Rexburg and there was probably still a foot of snow on the ground. Jason took me to a nearby park and fixed a candlelight barbecue dinner. The steaks wouldn't cook because it was too cold outside, so we just ate everything else while we shivered. Then he went to the car and came back with fire and ice roses, my favorite, and knelt in the snow to propose.

We've had lots of memorable dates since. In Virginia, our friends surprised us with a candlelight dinner in the park, this time in the summer. Last Christmas after I dropped the kids off at our babysitting co-op, I got home to a surprise date that Jason had prepared. He had a bubble bath all ready for me and while I was soaking and listening to the Christmas music he turned on for me, he was fixing me a great dinner. To all those with young kids, I highly recommend getting a babysitting co-op together! We did it for the last four years in Virginia and had SO much fun with our dates. We played Frisbee golf, racquetball, tennis, went to movies, dinner, played games with friends, and sometimes just went to Wal-Mart to see how it felt to go there without kids. It was great!

Mom's Answers

I'm getting behind on the questions too. I like yellow because it's so happy. It depends on what it's for. I love all the green back east (trees, and grasses, and bushes) I couldn't possibly decide what is my favorite flower. I guess it depends on what's blooming at the moment. I do love the great begonias, camelias, magnolias, lilacs--I just love them all. I guess my favorite date was when we got engaged. We drove up a canyon in Salt Lake to Log Haven Inn. After dinner he wanted to go outside to see the ice lit up. It was beautiful, but very cold. He slipped on the ring and I said "Is it real". Then we went home to show it to my mom and dad and his mom and dad and went over to Aunt Nyta's then we went to a dance at the Y. That was the beginning of our family and I love you all so much.

I Swear I Didn't Forget

I have been thinking about it for two days. I even posted stuff yesterday, and I don't know why I didn't post this, but here it goes....Happy Anniversary to Matt and Amanda, it has been 7 or 8 years, again....no one has informed me. Anyway, happy anniversary! We hope it was a great one!

Teresa's Best Date

My best date was when Keith and I went to Devil's Den State park. We went up there for his birthday and stayed for 3 days. We got to stay in an old cabin and hike everyday. It was so nice to be able to enjoy all that outdoors without having to worry about the kids wandering off or getting hurt. We saw hibernating bats, which was a first for me. It was the best date ever because it was so nice and quiet and relaxing!

Mindy's Date Memory

Jason was really the only one I dated, and he was pretty creative. One
time he got his '48 Pontiac Silver Streak running and picked me up for a
dance in that. It was a neat car, but needed a lot of work and he worked
hard to get it going for that date. Another time he had me help him make
some tin foil dinners "for a friend" and we took them to a campsite,
where we were supposed to leave them for the friend as a surprise for his
date. Well, I was the friend, and we stayed there and cooked our foil
dinners in a fire. That was fun.

The most memorable date was early in our relationship. He called me one
night before Christmas and asked if I'd help his family decorate the
Christmas tree. I said sure, and he said his brother would pick me up.
Apparently he was at work. So I'd met his brother once, and his mom
once, but that was my introduction to the rest of the family. On the way
to their house I was talking to Mark and told him I thought it was very
weird to be going when Jason wouldn't even be there. Mark replied that
Jason had a habit of inviting whatever girl he was dating at the time to
family events. Even better, I got Jason's bag of ornaments to put on the
tree since he wasn't there to do it. Jason finally showed up about an
hour into the date, and we had banana cookies and hot chocolate by the
fire.

Question of the Week!

Tell about a special date you had with a boy/ girl friend, fiance.

Nickell's Answers

So I am really really late on these and I have no excuse! Last week was pretty uneventful except for that Kade started smiling at me a lot! I absolutely love his little gummy grin! Anyway, here are my answers.

Color: Red, to decorate with. Black or white to wear.
Flower: Any Orchid or Lily
Activity/Hobby: Photography, tennis, most outdoor activities such as hiking, camping etc. Playing games and watching movies are both a love of mine also!

I, like Amy, only had roommates for 4 months. Luckily though I was blessed with GREAT roommates. They were all so nice. Except one, she didn't seem to have respect for other people's property. I had a white rug, with an emphasis on HAD! Anyway, she was only there for a month and then got married.