Baptism Day!

The highlight of summer 2011 has been John's Baptism. We are so proud of the good choices he has made in his life. My handsome boys getting ready for the big event.

He was so excited!

And we were glad the whole family could be there. Jessica got home just in time that morning from Girls Camp!

Elders Quorum Party

Since when do Elders Quorum Parties (one of the Mens Groups in our church)

 involve finger licking good BBQ Ribs???

Mouth watering Chocolate Covered Strawberries???

And lots of people???

When my dear sweet husband is in charge!

It was lots of fun and the kids had a blast with the Volleyball and Zim Zam.

Way to go MEN!

Foodstorage Lessons Learned

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints  we are taught to be prepared and especially to have at least a three months food supply on hand.  We think that supply is for when there is a major disaster or we loose our job or something huge happens.

None of those things happened to us (thank goodness), but we have been relying on our storage this last month and a half.  I usually do major grocery shopping every two weeks when we get paid.  But at the beginning of April payday fell right before me and the kids were leaving for Las Vegas, so I didn't do much.  Then when we returned from Las Vegas my plantar fasciitis in my foot was bothering me so much that I couldn't do a lot of walking so I did the bare minimum of shopping.  Then I went to the foot doctor and had to stay off my foot for a week.  Then I was busy, then I got sick for a week and now it is the middle of May and besides a quick trip to the store for a few things here and there we have not done much grocery shopping.  And yet we have survived.  Meals in the freezer came in handy and having so much extra food we use all the time on hand has made all the difference.  The meals have not been gourmet, but we have not gone without.

Thank you to a Prophet who counsels us in the things we need today!

My Yard is Seasonally Challenged

It is Spring and my yard is beginning to bloom all over.

I can't wait for this corner to be in full bloom

It will soon look as pretty as this corner

And I was so excited last Spring to discover this growing in my yard

I had never seen a bleeding heart bush until my mission and I fell in love with them.

Mark does not love them.  He has been known to chop them off and dig them up

But I had saved a few in our last place and I was sad to see them go.

It was a happy day to discover them growing in my new yard.

But what has confused my yard this morning is what was found in the front!

Why would a scarecrow and two Christmas Trees be in the yard in the Spring???

The Scarecrow answer the question for us with his nice note that was tucked in his pocket

It says . . . 

Dear Mark-

I hope you're happy with my new home, I know I sure am!  I've been waiting for someone to notice me for all these months and I can't tell you how pleased I am to know that it was you.  To be honest I've had my eye on you for awhile now too!  Thank you so much for caring enough about me to want a better place for me to live -- that closet was getting really boring.

I know we will be very happy together! 

-- Scarecrow

P.S. I hope you don't mind that I brought my tree friends.  I just can't imagine life without them!

If the real owners (not the kind neighbor who delivered them to our yard) would like them back, please let us know.  We will be happy to return them.  But I can understand why Mr. Scarecrow was tired of the coat closet in the church.

LA Temple Experience

I've received multiple e-mails about the happenings at the LA Temple, but this one really impressed me.  It is amazing to see the hand of the Lord in all things.

This was sent by a person who works at the LA Temple.  What an incredible story!  It is so relieving to hear "our side" of what has been happening the last few weeks...
My dear family, brothers and sisters, friends and leaders:

My heart is overflowing with joy and gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His tender mercies and mighty miracles in our behalf. I just have to share this with you. As most of you know, I am a Temple ordinance worker and work the morning shift in the LA Temple every Saturday. Today, I had the priviledge of translating sister Martz-the new assistant Matron's-message during our devotional.

She started like this "The prophet Joseph Smith said that no unhallowed hand would be able to stop this Work from progressing. These past few weeks when mobs have combined and armies have gathered against the saints, the Lord has protected His house". She went on to say that those, like her, who were inside the Temple when mobs were surrounding it, did not realize how scary and terrifying this looked on TV to the rest of us, because inside the House of the Lord all was calm and there was peace abundant. After Proposition 8 passed, the Temple began receiving threatening calls and mail from those opposing it. They were warned that more than 5000 people would come to the Temple and burn it to the ground, and stop Its work. The first Thursday when the mob came, the new LA Temple President called the Salt Lake City Temple Offices for instructions. He was instructed to call the local police and to insure the safety of those attending the Temple by closing the gates. The assistant Matron said today, that it was a tender mercy from the Lord that the mob chose that Thursday to come since they had only one person coming to receive his own endowment that day, which he received in time to leave before trouble started. The LAPD and the FBI responded quickly to the Temple Presidency's summons and patroled the grounds and kept the mob from entering the same. Most of them had never been there before and expressed their surprise at how beautiful and peaceful all around was. They were invited to come back during the Christmas season to see the lights and they promised they would.

On Thursday, November 13th, sister Campbell, a secretary in the Temple, was opening the mail and upon opening a large manila envelope found inside a smaller one. When she opened this one, a white powder flew all around her desk. She thought this could be related to the demonstrators and feared the worst-ANTRAX. She contacted the President, who in turn called the Salt Lake City Temple office again for instructions. The FBI, the LAPD, and even the SWAT teams were once again in the grounds to investigate, and the Temple once again had to close from around 11:30 AM to 5PM. They closed the gates and were instructed to keep all the people there wherever they were found at the time. Those in the parking lot had to remain in the parking lot. Those entering the Temple had to remain in the first floor and those already upstairs were taken to the Celestial Room.

Then, the miracles began to happen: A brother serving as a recorder that day is a Microbiologist by profession and used to deal with hazardous substances every day. He was the first to say the white powder in the envelope was only talc, and put every one at ease. Then the sister coordinator upstairs was impressed to call upstairs to the sealing area, and said "They said we can't go down but no one said we can't go up, and I have many people in the Celestial room with their ceremonial clothes on ready to work. Could they do some sealings?" As it happened, there were four sealers present that day and they ran four sealing sessions non stop while the Temple was closed.

Downstairs, someone else thought to invite those in the Lobby to do some initiatories, which they promptly did for all those hours too, brothers and sisters alike. Among those waiting in the parking lot there was a large group of young men and women with their leaders who had come to do Baptisms for the dead, and who waited patiently all those hours and decided when the Temple was reopened to go ahead and fulfill their assignment instead of driving back home.

The Temple reopened in time for the 5:30 PM session. The next day when recording the ordinances, they discovered that they had performed 2000 sacred ordinances on Thursday, only one less than the day before when three stakes had been visiting the Temple. Once again the assistant matron reminded us of the words of the prophet Joseph Smith, "No unhallowed hand can stop the Work from progressing...". But, this is not all, a prophecy was fulfilled also. When the new LA Temple President was set apart by President Uchdorft of the First Presidency, he received a blessing and these words were pronounced: " The time has come for the LA Temple to come out of obscurity and become an Ensign for Righteousness to the world under your presidency."

The pictures of the Temple have been shown on TV, newspapers and the internet, not only in this country but worldwide. People of other faiths have called and sent letters to the Temple thanking the Church for defending marriage and protecting the family, and commenting how impressed they are by how beautiful and majestic the Temple looks . One minister of an African American church, who by his own admission had harbored ill feelings against the mormons before said " I am impressed by your integrity and Christ like behavior, and even if I am not ready to consider you my brothers and sisters in Christ, we can be first cousins!". I asked the assistant matron if I could share her comments and she said to go ahead. I can only add my own testimony that I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has the power and authority of God on earth. God Lives and Jesus, His only Begotten Son and our Savior is coming soon to redeem His people. I am grateful to know this and I pray we stand firm, steadfast and immobile while the prophecies of the signs before His Coming are fulfilled. "Be not afraid, only believe" He has said, and also " What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." I testify that this is true and testify it in the Holy Name of Whom I strive to serve, even Jesus Christ. Be faithful and safe is my humble prayer. Your sister in Christ, Patricia H. Arnazzi

Lesson Learned

I've been meaning to write this ever since it happened, but I finally have a moment I can think and write.  Saturday morning our Stake (A group of congregations or wards, generally about three thousand to five thousand members in five to ten congregations in the LDS Church.) had an Activity Day for all the 8 - 11 year old girls.  So I took my girls along with several of the neighbor girls over to the Stake Center and figured I would just stay since technincally they haven't released me yet as Activity Day Leader. 

They had 4 outdoor activities set up for the girls.  I was asked to help with the 'Blind Ball Retrieval' game.  The girls were divided into two groups and one girl was blindfolded.  Then the other girls in her group had to direct her to where the ball was in the field and direct her to put it in the basket and then the next girl would go.  I was in the field and would throw the ball out once the girl was blindfolded.  As I stood there it was interesting to hear the girls try to direct the one blindfolded.  Sometimes she would follow directions exactly as she was told and sometimes the girl did what she thought the girls meant, even though it wasn't what they wanted her to do.  Often the girl would get close to me without ever knowing I was there.  At first it was really hard for me not to help her out especially when she was way off track.  And sometimes the girl would be right over the ball and had no idea where it was.  I wanted so much to reach out and help her or give her some direction, but I had to just stand there and watch her struggle.

As I stood there I started thinking about our Heavenly Father and how this must be how He feels.  So often in our lives we are wandering around blindly and He is right there, if we would just ask.  But if we don't ask He has to stand there and watch us struggle.  He wants to help us so much.  And sometimes we ask and think we know the answer we want to hear and we go in that direction when really He meant for us to do something else.  At that moment in time, standing in the hot sun in the middle of the grassy field I felt my Heavenly Father's love for me so strongly.

I know these activities were put together for the girls to learn something and to be together, but it was me that walked away with a new understanding.  Thank you!

Leaving Primary, Boo Hoo

I never thought I say that I'm sad to be leaving Primary (children's group in my church) but it has happened.  I was always afraid of Primary callings.  In fact the one time I remember telling someone 'no' was when I was asked to substitute for one of my kids classes.  I had no idea how you could fill the time and keep the kids involved.  I've never been a get down on the ground and play with the kids kind of mom. 

After about six years of some pretty tough and responsible callings I was excited to be moving into a new ward where no one knew what we could and could not do.  When the Primary President was the first one to stop by our house and meet me I got a little worried.  And a few weeks later Mark and I were both called to teach the Sunbeams (3 year olds).  I quickly learned that is the best spot in Primary.  Between snacks, bathroom breaks, coloring time and drinking foutain breaks the time went really fast.  And I figured since Primary wasn't really my thing I'd be in there for years to come until I learned what I should really be doing!  So I just decided I'd like it.

I got a little more worried when they switched me to teach the 8 & 9 year old class (Ashley's group).  Mark taught the 10 & 11 year old boys for a few months before being called as a Counselor in the Elder's Quroum.  But after a few weeks I started getting the hang of how to teach the kids and fill the time.  For the most part they have been really good.  A week ago I wrapped up my lesson and it went so well.  The kids were great and I felt like they really learned.  And I've loved having a reason to study the Book of Mormon better and getting to know those stories better.

And along with teaching Primary I've had the chance to do Activity Days with the 8 - 11 year old girls during the week twice a month.  Both Jessica and Ashley were in the group and they have loved helping get things ready. 

So I was shocked when after class last Sunday Mark said a Bishopric member wanted to talk with us.  I had no clue why.  I thought it was odd they wanted to see us in person if they were only going to ask us to talk or something.  They really didn't want to add a third calling to my plate, did they???  And Mark would not get pulled out of the Elder's Quroum??? 

Nope, I'm back in Relief Society and this time as the Education Counselor.  I'm excited to be able to get to know more sisters in the ward, but I can honestly say I'm sad to be leaving Primary.  It didn't help that my girls had tears in their eyes when they found out I wouldn't be teaching them anymore.  And my co-teacher said she was really sad when they announced the new changes on Sunday too.  I'm so glad I've had almost a year in Primary to discover it isn't the big bad experience I thought it would be.  I feel like a traitor to be leaving them.  But I guess that is what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is all about -- changes, serving and growing.