The Lord Cannot Acomplish his great work without his Daughters.

At the General R.S. conference Saturday night President Uchtdorf made a wonderful point that not every persons (woman's) creative talents lie within an artistic realm. You dont have to be good with a paintbrush or clay to be creative. I love the way he said that our Father in Heaven is the the most imaginative creative person there is, and we being his children are naturally creative in ways of our own.

I was taking notes anyway, So after hearing this I had an idea to just quickly write down what I thought are some of the beautiful creative talents of some of the most important women in my life. I was scribbling really fast so I wouldn't lose my thoughts, so if these seem incomplete, sorry, we can expound upon them later.

My sister Lissa's creative talent is as a compassionate service leader and friend. She is always very observant to others in need and trying to help them out, even if its an inconvenience to her.


My Mother's creative talent is knowledge. She is VERY well read and knowledgeable about anything I need to ask her about. Its a rare thing to encounter something that mom hasn't seen, done, or read about. You can turn to her for anything!


My Mommy-in-law Angel, has the WONDERFUL gift of diligence. She does not give up on any goal, journey, project, faith, or child. Any time I have ever seen her with a dilemma she always sticks it out, and keeps others faith up while she's at it.



Jessica is the epiphany of friendship. She is always there to turn to, to depend on, and to love. When I was in a new ward she was the first person to reach out with love and friendship. Her love is based around the Lord, and so she shares it with all who meet her. She can also make me laugh on the cloudiest of days.



Emily has a gift of independence. When I was pregnant for the first time, Tim and I lived a million miles away from any family. ( That is an exaggeration but it felt like it! )
I was alone but for Tim, and this wonderful woman who lived next door. Through her example, love and friendship I was able to see that I can take care of myself and my family.


My mother found my scribblings. Then I saw later she had added to it.
I seriously debated putting this in here. But I didn't want to get comments saying I
should have.

"I think Rebekah's creative gifts are: Patience with children, enthusiasm in educating children, making her home beautiful, cooking, fashion, (WHAT?!?!? Mom, I'm wearing clothes from goodwill! Whatever,) motivating others, scheduling/organizing." ~Gail Spaulding

Bagdad!

My Little brother Philip is in Bagdad right now. I dont need to say much more than that, you all understand.
Well when I was IM-ing him this morning I told him to go look at my blog so he could see the page I posted of Mae's school work. I didn't think about it but the little tracer gadget I added to the side of the page made note that he had visited the page. I just saw it and got all tingly inside! I love seeing that he was there and was okay and well.
I cant wait to see him at Thanksgiving! This is a hard subject for me to write about so I may not do it often. But it just made my day to see that Philip had seen Mae's school work, a part of her day, it just made it seem like he was closer.

My Sense of Humor

te-he-he. Love Becka:)

Perspective

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah, "said the son.
"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered:
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added ,"Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."
Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.
Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!
Life is too short and friends are too few.
I want all of my friends and family to know how much I love and appreciate them! Thanks for all you do for our family and for being true friends~
I'm hoping this blog will only keep all of us even closer~

Southern Friends

FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Always bring the food.

FRIENDS: Will say "hello".
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss.

FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Call your parents Momma and Daddy

FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Cry with you.

FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing, sharing ,& helping with the dishes.

FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds' back-ends that left you.

FRIENDS: Are for a while.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Are for life.

FRIENDS: Might ignore this.
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Will forward this to all their Southern Friends!
(Remember, being Southern has less to do with where you were born and more to do with how you were raised)

Witty

I'm not feeling it today.

Mae asks me questions I don't know the answers to and when I answer to the best of my knowledge, she looks at me like I have lizards coming out of my ears.

Liza wont tell me what a cow says, but she'll sing "Jesus want me for a Sunbeam", Maybe if cows sang she would pick it up better.

Tim has disappeared off the planet and has been replaced by this snoring, lumpy, thing in bed all day, who leaves at night to fight the dragons but before he leaves, he leaves trails of mess through the castle. When I awaken in the morning I find a path of laundry, tools, school stuff, and food preparations that leads me to the door. This must be his way of letting me know he's still around.


My parents laugh at me.
Seriously, my dad will watch me talk to my kids and chuckle. I'm sure he's thinking, "oh sweet revenge."
Well I got news for ya daddy-o, I'm going to the R.S. General Broadcast tonight, and your babysitting. And all that the kids have eaten today includes SUGAR! HA-HA!!!!
Have fun with that one.

My vocabulary only consists of, Sit Down!, Get that out of your mouth!, Stop Yelling!, Be nice!, Watch where your going!, Don't torture your sister!, QUIET, Daddy is sleeping!, Pee-Pee goes IN the Potty!, You dumped out the boxes of toys then you can pick them up!, No we cannot have pop-sicles for lunch.

So to all the teachers throughout the years who insisted I needed an extensive understanding of vocabulary, (SO that someday I may be considered a superior figure able to understand all that is being thrown at her,)
"If you can stay sane doing what I do every day, you weren't sane to start out with."

THE HOMEMAKER HAS THE ULTIMATE CAREER. ALL OTHER CAREERS EXIST TO SUPPORT THIS ULTIMATE CAREER. C.S. LEWIS

I love to see the temple,....

Here's a few of my favorites, I've been to a few, the others I have yet to go through. But I love them all, and I get such a feeling of peace just looking at them.

Why So Serious?.....

Tim didn't think it was such a big deal that they ruined three sticks of lipstick until I showed him the Mary Kay catalog and the price of just one tube in the store, then he flipped out that they played with about 50.00 worth of make-up! ha-ha. evil mommy laugh, ha-ha. Well I just pacify myself by saying, it will never end, they will be snitching my make-up all through the teen-age years!

Niece, Niece!

You just gotta love her, she doesn't look anything like her cousins (my kids). She has her own beauty, we call her princess Tiger Lily from Peter Pan. I cant decide if she looks like a Indian baby or not because she gets these funny expressions on her face that look so much like my sister its scary! I babysat her yesterday so I was thinking about her, but I love ALL my nieces and nephews!

Too much

This last week was so entertaining! First Tim got two exams back with grades of over 100 each! All I have to say is Rock On Babe!
Then I put a outfit I love on Liza and the dress didn't reach her knees! The kid is too tall! SO I had to go into my BOXES of clothes saved up from Mae, which lead to me going through all the girls clothes picking out the ones the they've grown out of, and pulling out the ones that fit or will fit this fall/winter. All the clothes they have been given and I've saved up, have reached an insurmountable number! Its amazing, I don't think I know of any other kids with this much clothes. I cant fit it all in their closet and dresser. Now don't get me wrong, I do purge! I give a ton to goodwill all the time. It just amazes me how all this has accumulated.
Well the last thing I was going to make note about is that yesterday we went to the park and had a blast. You would think going to the park is such a monotomous thing but we have a great time, one day the'll get sick of it and I'll have to spend money on thier entertainment. But for now we can go color on the sidewalk and make a day of it. I'm thouroly enjoying it while it lasts. I didn't get any pictures because I had my niece yesterday as well, and when your chasing a 17 month old with a 4 month old on your hip it's kinda hard to take pictures. Come to think of it it was hard to do anything! I about bursted out laughing at a couple of guys sitting there on the grass looking at me apologeticly, I heard them say "She's got her hands full."
HA! They don't know nothin'!!!

Because I feel like it!

I'm so supremely bored. I haven't stopped working and running around since my feet hit the floor at seven this morning. Now I'm trying to wind down before I crash. The best way in the world to do that is to read my best friend Jessica's blog(s). Never fails that I laugh so hard I have to change my britches! She has the best sense of humor and the most fun sweetest spirit! At the bottom of the page is a commercial she and I used to laugh at a year ago when I lived in Wyoming.

School Days!

This is a drawing that Mae did after we studied the difference between photographic pictures and illustrated pictures. She made her bed then she took the picture. After I had printed it she drew what she saw from the photo. My favorite part is how she was able to see the difference in the sizes of the animals, the bear is noticeably bigger than the Snow White and Cinderella dolls. Then Nemo also takes on a size of his own.

I cant WAIT for my third! :)

So funny and so so so so true!!!

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THE BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN

Your Clothes:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as
soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.

2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as
long as possible.

3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular
clothes.

______________________________________________________

Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.

2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember
that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.

3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

______________________________________________________

The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.

2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.

3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

______________________________________________________

Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress - a whimper,a frown--you pick up the baby.

2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.

3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.
__________________________________________________

Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.

2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.

3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

______________________________________________________

Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.

2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.

3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.


______________________________________________________

Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.

2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.

3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.
_____________________________________________________

Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.

2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.

3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.


______________________________________________________

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.

2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.

3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.
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Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.

2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.

3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!
______________________________________________________

Tell You Later How It Turns Out,...

Okay so my DEAR MOTHER who I love very much wants to have a Discovery Toys party, but her house is under renovations, so she asks me to have it at my house. No biggie! I told her I'd love to do it.
Okay exactly one week before the big sha-bang, Mae & Liza find my big bag of Nail Polish and dumping out more than 20 bottles of RED, BLUE, PURPLE, WHITE, PINK, BROWN, GLITTER, ClEAR, PAINTTTTTT! THEY DECORATE THE COUCH, THE WALLS, THE CARPET, THEIR CLOTHES, THE KITCHEN CHAIRS, LAST BUT NOT LEAST THEMSELVES, (CLOTHES INCLUDED)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guys, this is PAINT. It will not come off! Some of that nail polish I haven't used since I was 16! I tried everything. Usually when the take crayon to the walls, magic eraser works great, but not on paint.

Okay I get over it, I flip the couch cushion over, put a rug down, hide my chairs up in the office, and tell anyone that comes over the baby dolls were in head-on collision with a G.I. Joe tanker loaded with explosives. (Considering the Candy Apple red Polish on the dolls it not hard to imagine.)
My luck has run out, two days before the part-y, they get ahold of a BLACK SHARPIE MARKER! My living room is dammed to h---. I was able to clean everything they got ahold of BUT the couch cushion that CANNOT be turned over looks as if it took a trip to NY and was graffiti-ed.
I have no money for a slip-cover to put over it, I'm not Martha Stewart and cant think of anything to do about it. And I probably have a TON of my Mom's OLDER friends coming tomorrow, to see how Gail's daughter keeps house,.....

My conclusion to this horror story will come later.

Memory Lane

I Love My Memories!

Okay so today I had this strong urge to find this one specific photo that was taken in front of the movie theatre in Laramie Wyo. in the middle of a snowstorm. It was such a fun memory, there was already a huge amount of snow on the ground, and the snow was gently but steadily falling. Tim and I were poor newlyweds, but we needed to get out of the house so we slipped and slided to the theatre. I was still really unsure about the ice on the roads, (not having ever lived in a place where you had to worry about that,) but Tim was/is a very confident driver. So we arrived safely but didn't want to go in just yet because the snow falling was so peaceful it reminded us of certain Lord Byron, or Robert Frost writings!
You may think us crazy but if you've ever lived in Wyoming you'd know that strong winds are accepted as normal! If the wind were to just stop while you were walking you'd find yourself walking sideways, then you'd most likely fall.
So to have a peaceful snow fall was something lovely to experience. Being the avid photographer I got a few shots.
Back to this morning, I dug through every dag-gum picture in this house and I cant find it!!!! But along the way I found A TON of pictures that I'd forgotten about that certain members of my family would KILL me if I posted. (I've got Cindy in a stocking cap looking like a hobo, holding a fairy wand, its too good!) But I did select a few really good ones to scan and post on my facebook etc.
I realized that those pictures mean alot to me and bring back great memories, but the friendship's behind them are even more precious.
I also realized I DO NOT have enough pictures of Jessica or Emily!!!! So watch out girls! I'm going to go on vacation next summer to visit you JUST TO TAKE YOUR PICTURES!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!

Things I Love.

I just need to write, what I really need is to vent but I don't what people to get the impression that all I do is complain. So I'm going to sidetrack my mind for a bit and go another route.





I love my life.

My parents feel bad that they couldn't give me more as a child, but I'm completely happy with what I had. But I can see where they are coming from when I can't do things for my own children that I'd like. I grew up in the hot, sticky south, where you played in the sprinkler in the heat of the day, swung in the tree swing in the cool breeze at dusk, and ran barefoot catching firefly's after dark.

We were lower middle class, but I didn't know that. I had a big yard, a puppy, siblings, and my books. I didn't want for much else. I also had an extra freedom not many other kids can brag about, I was home schooled. My schoolwork was done in the morning, then I was free to roam. I flourished in the knowledge that my friends were jealous that I got to do all my work in my p.j.'s!

LLLUUCKY! And yes I had alot of friends thanks to a big religious social network.

Coincidentally, I met my husband at a home school get together in the fifth grade. We didn't talk to each other, mainly because I thought he was a big dork. But the fact that we met and fell in love again in high school then didn't make the connection to the fifth grade incident until after our third year of marriage is hilarious!!! It goes to show you never know who your gonna meet!



I love my faith.

I have lived my religion and faith my entire life. Sure there have been times that I've faltered and not held firm to the values instilled in me. But I'm happy to say I came back to the straight and narrow path set before me by a loving Heavenly Father. I'm a member of the LDS church. And the Book of Mormon and the guidance of my latter day prophet are the only things that get my through some of life's trials. I would be completely lost without the Lord. Trying to live righteously is second nature to me, but we all have those times of discouragement. So it always helps to remember my testimony. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon is a true product in result of that visit. Stemming from that I have a wonderful husband who holds the priesthood in our home, and I was able to be sealed for time and all eternity to him.



I'm so in love with him!

I wont go on too long about Tim, because I could bore you with all the thing s that I think are awesome but you'd get sick of hearing about.

Tim and I met (officially) when he was 16 and I was 15. We were at a New years dance, and he thought he was the hottest stuff there. I wasn't of that opinion. I thought his friend was much more appealing. So my friends and I graced them with our presence so I could get to know his friend. Needless to say, I didn't make much progress with Tim's friend, (he was interested in MY friend). A month later I was at another dance keeping an eye out for "the friend" but he never showed up. Then I saw Tim tall and lean, walking with purpose across the gym floor towards the door. He had his head down, trouble in his eyes, impulsively, I stopped dancing with my friends, and shouted, "HEY! Hey You! ( I had forgotten his name, )" He looked up with a confused look on his face, and I smiled really big and said, "SMILE!" He gave me a cute half grin, and kept walking for the door, maybe a little slower now.

I found out later that he was upset because his mother had forced him to go to the dance and once he'd gotten there and his friend wasn't there he was determined to leave. But after my demand of him to smile he walked out into the hallway and instead of leaving got a drink from the water fountain, then, plucked up the courage to go find the girl with the smile.

Sure I saw him later sitting by himself watching me dance with my friends. But if he wanted to dance then he must be a gentleman and ask. I was talking to a friend when her eyes got big and she stopped talking, I looked behind me and he was looking down at me with a grin. Somehow he got me to dance with him, and I honestly don't know what we talked about. But the fact that the conversation flowed so freely was a big turn on!

We were in such a in depth conversation that when the song ended we didn't want to stop talking, so we ended up dancing every dance after that, Literally.

He's still dancing and talking to me to this very day.

Eleven years later, He still brightens up and smiles when I demand it of him too.



That was just our first meeting, I have better stories, funnier too. But that will have to wait, I think I've got a baby fussing in the other room. Later Lovies! ~Me