President Dieter Uchtdorf - Of Things That Matter Most

''Simplicity is the ultimate Sophistication"

What matters most to you?

One of those days

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up not wanting to get out of bed and you just want to sleep and sleep and sleep?  When you just feel like you are the only person on the face of the earth?  When you're not sure what you can do to actually make yourself feel like you have purpose?  Have you ever had one of those days when you think, "I need to do something new with my life, but what"?  When you would have gone for a long jog around the neighborhood if it wasnt snowing so dang much! When you wish you had something really fun to do or somewhere new to go just to have a change of scenery?  Have you ever had one of those days when you are so ready for spring but winter just keeps hanging on, and you are just sick of it?
Have you ever had one of those days when you dont actually take a shower until about 4:00 in the afternoon and then you feel like your day is finally starting....oh, you havent?
Well, then nevermind:)

Do I want to hear this?

Do you ever think that you wish that you hadn't heard certain things?  For example something not so nice about someone who you really like?  Or something bad that happens to someone you really love?  Well, I sure have.  Recently I had an experience such as this.  I was having such a good day and feeling so happy and up.  And then it happened.  Why?  Why didnt I just get up and walk away?  I should have.  But I didnt.  I listened and then to make matters worse I opened my mouth.  Well, one thing you need to know about me is that when I feel very strong about something and especially when I feel that someone needs to be defended, I cant shut my mouth.  I have to say something. I know, sometimes that is a good thing and sometimes that is a bad thing.  Not sure which this was.  What makes it harder is when it is with people that you love and you dont want to hurt or offend them, but you also want to defend or protect the person who is being talked about. Now, I am not saying that the things that were said were not true....I really didn't know....they could very well had been, however, why did I need to hear this?  Why?  If I was defending anything, I was defending that person's privacy.  Not to mention that it broke my heart as the spirit with which they were spoken about was not good.  It was not in a spirit of concern...instead it was in a spirit of disgust and blame.  This angered me greatly.  So, what would you do?  Would you say something to these people (who were all people you love) or do you keep your mouth shut and not say a thing?  My Man said I should have just gotten up and walked away, but I thought about that too and thought that would have been too obvious.  I dont know, maybe no words, would have spoken louder?  In stead I said how I felt about what was being shared by telling this group of people that it was "none of  their business" and an uncomfortable silence followed.  Right? or Wrong?  

Let it begin -Julie Yardley

I heard this song again today and I wanted to remember the words.  I especially love the last phrase.  Such a beautiful song!

You might think
That no one's been through
What you're going through

And you might think
That nobody's made
The same mistakes as you

You are feeling
The weight of the world on your shoulders
Turn it over

Chorus:
Just have the courage to take one step
Someone's going to be there to help with the rest
To start is the hardest
But it's something that only you can do
Don't carry the burden as the years go by
You don't need that crushing weight in your life
Have faith to pray
For the strength to finally see this through

There's One who knows you perfectly
He can take the hurt away
The healing starts within- just let Him in
And let it begin

You've tried hard
To hide from the past
And to bury it deep

You're overwhelmed
By all of the things
That you know you should be

Just believe
Mistakes of the past don't define you
They refine you
Chorus

We are all in this life together.  None of us is perfect.  We all make mistakes. I am so thankful for Atonement of Jesus Christ. Let's be more loving, more understanding, more forgiving, more Christlike.  That is my message for today!

EFY 2004 - Mindy Glehill - Child of Light + Lyrics / letra

You were made to fly, you were meant to shine, Child of Light!
Have a wonderful Sabbath day!

72 hour food kits

Finally bought all the food for our 72 hour food kits.  For our family of 5 it cost me about $50.  And these kits will last up to a year.

This is how they look when they are all put together. Go HERE to see the demonstration and get the grocery list and menu for these kits. (The wing tip stove that is mentioned in the demonstration was not available at Emergency Essentials when I went there so I got the below stove instead).

I bought this little stand alone stove and 4 of the Heat Cell cans to use for heating up the little 7 oz cans of beanie and weanies and ravioli cans.  The cost of the stove was about $8 and the heat cell's were $3 ea.  They last up to 8 hours.

Here is another view of the stove. You open the top of the can and light it, like a candle. So, make sure you include matches.

We are in charge of a Ward Emergency Preparedness activity tomorrow and my booth will be 72 hour kits.  So, I will finish putting my food kits together as a demonstration.

And I will be done for the year!

Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue

Okay, this is seriously the funniest video! So stinkin' cute!
Enjoy!

What is Happiness...

So, what is happiness?  Well, here are some of the things that make me happy these days!

Happiness is waking up every morning to see the beautiful mountains outside my windows.
Happiness is going to the temple and sitting by a cute little old lady and having her squeeze my hand and wink at me every once in a while.
Happiness is joking with the check out clerk at Walmart...and making him smile!
Happiness is getting my shopping done in less than an hour and just in time to drop Bryce off at his basketball game!
Happiness is having the house to myself on a Saturday afternoon, just for an hour.
Happiness is watching endless episodes of "24" with my kids..for weeks on end.
Happiness is looking outside my window and seeing "My Man" on top of the roof of the house we are building next door.
Happiness is knowing I am loved by 4 very good looking men!
Happiness is being overweight and yet happier than I was when I was 20 or 30 pounds lighter!
Happiness is knowing that I need to start walking again and being glad that I can!
Happiness is eating a chocolate almond hershey bar and not feeling the least bit guilty.
Happiness is getting up every morning at 6:00 to make "My Man's" lunch just because he hates to do it, having prayer before he leaves for work...and then going back to bed if just for 30 more minutes.
Happiness is knowing that my Missionary son will be home in just 5 short months!
Happiness is being fought over by 2 cute teenage boys.
Happiness is watching my boys become men!
Happiness is knowing that my family can be together forever!

What is happiness to you?

Lisa's Guacamole'

Got up this morning to make some guacamole' for Mike to take to work.  He said they were going to have a bbq at lunch today.  So,  I thought I would be nice and share my reciepe with all of you...just this once! It's my familiy's favorite!

Lisa's Guacamole'

4 avocado's

1 tomato chopped

1/4 small red, yellow or white onion

lime juice to taste

season salt to taste

garlic salt to taste

a handfull of cilantro chopped

I'm sure lunch was Yummy today at the MPS job site!

Joe Brooks - Superman

Another very cute love song. Stephen turned me on to this one!
I love it! Who is your "Superman"?

Andrea Bocelli - Performed By Elisa - Dancing [Live In Tuscany]

Another favorite romantic love song!  I tell my kids' friend's that this is what I really look like under all of this(as I point to myself head to toe)...and yes this is even how I sound...yes, even the accent.....Enjoy!

Edwin McCain-I Could Not Ask For More(lyrics)

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought I would share one of my favorite Love Songs!  Enjoy!

Beware the "Wink"

Okay, so when I was a little girl my Mom would wink at me to let me know that I was on the right track and I remember how that always made me feel so good.  Then when Mike and I got married he would wink at me every once in a while and I just didnt know how to react when he did this.  It made me feel like a shy little girl again.  So, every once in a while he'll wink at me and I am speechless and he knows it.  It is one of the only times he can catch me speechless.  I usually come up with some smart-alek remark when he flirts with me , but when he winks at me...I have to be honest, I melt.

Well, Stephen has started this winking thing at home with me.  Stephen is a big flirt and  quite a tease so he gets away with all kinds of stuff.  I can just imagine him at school with the girls, he probably goes around winking at them, just to get them to blush.  But he probably really just does it to get them to look at him...such a flirt! 

So, on Sunday both Bryce and Stephen were passing the Sacrament and Stephen just happened to be coming down the aisle where we were sitting.  So, as he is coming down the aisle he looks at me and he winks!  I almost laughed outloud!  He made me blush!  Like I said, when I get winked at I am speechless. 

Beware the "Wink", gets me everytime!

A special Valentines gift

I was so excited to get this cute  LOVE banner in the mail yesterday from my sweet friend Marty Party go HERE to see hers! 

I asked her about how to make one and she said she would send me a kit.  But instead she made me one and sent me a kit too!!  It is soooo cute and I love it! And it looks super cute with my valentine gift cans on my mantel dont you think?

The letters were made with the cricut and the pinwheels (behind letters) out of old books. Edges done with distressed ink pad.

Just in time for Valentines Day!

  Thank you so much Maureen!

MUUAAHHHH!

Love Then and Now

Yesterday I got a random email from an old flame.  It was nice to hear from him although I realized that I was only 18 when I dated him(wait a minute, on second thought I must have been 19 or 20, see how old I am?)  I can not beleive it has been that long ago.  Who was I back then?  Who was he?

It is interesting to me to look back on past loves now that I am the ripe old age of 47.  I often think to myself, "why dont I remember the realtionship I had with that person"?  I feel badly that I dont.  Was it because I was just too young and into myself to remember anyone else or was it because it was just so long ago and I have changed so much that I just can no longer relate?  Just an intersting question.  However, there are a few that although I was very young I will never forget because of the impression they had on this very vulnerable young girl.  Anyway, all I can remember about this young man is that he was cute and fun...knowing me at that age,that is probably all that mattered to me anyway:) 

Then as I think about my Love now, my sweet Valentine, I think, "wow, did I get lucky or what"?  All I can say is that I am sure happy that time has passed and that I let my Father in Heaven lead me to my Valentine instead of falling for what I thought I wanted and needed when I was too young and too immature to really know. 

Thank goodness there is someone who knows me better than I know myself.

Love back then was fun while it lasted.

Love Now will last Forever!

Ludocivo Einaudi - I Giorni

This is our friend Kelsey Hogge.  Last night before she left our home she blessed us with this beautiful song on the piano...the one you are listening to now!

I love that we have so many musically talented frriends and the way each of them bless our lives.  Kelsey is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.  She is a recently returned missionary, one of 3 in her family that were out in the mission field all at the same time.  What a blessing!  She was the first to return.  The Hogges are a very special family to the Nelson's...I am sure you will hear more about them in future postings.

What a beautiful song, isn't it?

Linda Bracelet

Four years ago today we lost my beautiful sister Linda to cancer.  This is a picture of her and her daughter Tamra.  I love to remember her this way and how beautiful and vibrant she was.  This is how I imagine her today.  One of the things she loved to do was to create beautiful things.  She was a very good cook among other things.  Before she died she took up jewelry making and had started a bracelet that now my sister Theresa has completed and sells many of.  Go here to see them and order one for yourself.  Linda was a very unconditonally loving sister and friend.  She had more compassion, love and understanding than any one I know.  I am thankful for the opportunity I had to know her as a sister and friend for so many years.  She left a legacy faith, tenderness, sweetness and love.  Thank you for your great example Linda.

I love you and miss you!