Home Economics Education

I know, I know. Just hearing those words probably conjures up some sort of impression of a "Susie homemaker" or an easy college major. Not so. It was way harder than let's say......umm, oh, maybe an English major.

Even this picture of a Home Economics class in 1911 doesn't do much to dispel the stereotype (although it is kind of funny.) After all, how much training does a person need to run a home, cook, clean and tend children? It's easy, right? Certainly not very hard or demanding, correct?

I recently had to defend the rigor of my major to one of my very own children! But considering the majors they have chosen, mine does look kind of light weight comparatively speaking. I decided it was time to educate and share something you may not have known about the best college major out there :)

It was my major of choice and I loved it! I never vacillated or changed my major the entire time I was in college. After taking many cooking and sewing classes in High School from Mrs. Woodward, I decided that I would major in HEE. I started out my freshman year at BYU taking the required classes and I didn't deviate at all. Here is the training and education I got in the process:

• 9 credit hours of Chemistry in preparation for the food science classes (organic and inorganic chemistry) teaching why good nutrition matters chemically to our bodies

a major that consisted of four minors in:

• 13 credit hours in Child Development & Family Relations - classes in child development, achieving success in marriage, family relationships, early childhood education
  
• 12 credits in Clothing and Textiles - classes in flat pattern design and construction, general textiles, selection and care of clothing, tailoring (I made a coat and two wool suits that I took on my mission and I still have them) & children's clothing
  
• 12 credits in Food Science and Nutrition - classes in basic human nutrition, meal management, and the science of food (no food prep classes were included, sadly)
  
• 12 credits in Family Resource Management - classes in household equipment, principles of home management, family money management and family residence management and entertaining (do any of you remember when I lived in the "management house" the semester we got engaged and we had our families meet there for the first time?)

I also had classes in interior design & home health care and nursing for my major, along with 28 credits of secondary education (including student teaching at Lakeridge junior high and Orem High school) learning how to teach the information I learned in the classes above.

In my general education classes I took: Art history, English composition and reading, voice diction and interpretation, American Heritage, Animal Biology, English exposition and writing, microbiology, political science - current affairs, 11 credits of Spanish, 12 credits of religion, and my four PE classes were team handball, tennis, bowling and an ill-fated skiing class (but I did get B+ in it, even if I did break my leg. My teacher really should have given me an A, considering....)

I received a wonderful and useful education. In fact, I think I use the knowledge, practices and information I gained through my education every day of my life. I value my training for it's practical application, as well as knowing that I could support myself and my family some day if I ever needed to do that because of my teaching credentials. Higher education produces so many positive results and applications for life. My education in Home Economics is something I highly value. The major still exists, but now it is called Family and Consumer Sciences and the class load has been cut down dramatically, so that a students can now complete it in four years instead of five. I truly believe that the major helps teach and train people to improve their lives, the lives of their families, and their communities. It's a major that has valuable daily application in keeping families strong, functioning and contributing to society.

Happy Day! Dave was born!

24 years ago today, our son V IV was born. (That's Vernon the 4th to the uninitiated.) After having two daughters, V III was thrilled to have a son. With two older sisters to help take care of him, he was always being held and loved.
Dave was named after Rick's dear friend David C. who was a missionary friend and a early college friend to both of us. Little David was born with a heart murmur and we immediately had to take him to Primary Children's hospital to have his heart tested. After some tests, we were told that our little son would be fine and that his heart defect would heal with time. That has certainly been the case.

Dave was a DARLING baby and we loved having him in our home. He did cry A LOT when he was young and suffered from colic and ear aches. He finally got tubes put in his ears and he was a lot happier after that. Once he stopped crying and was out of pain (what ever was causing it) he turned into the best little baby there ever was.

Dave loved to play and play and play. He could make the coolest little boy noises and that ability was purely innate, since he didn't have older brothers to teach him how to make bomb noises, machine guns, and other assorted boy sounds. He was a pro at making sounds of every variety.

Dave loved to play with stuffed animals, but his favorite toy was his rocking horse. He rode that thing around the world a couple of times, wearing his cowboy hat and cowboy boots.

Dave had some crazy hair. His cowlicks were second to none. His hair was very blond and was hard to comb because it would just stick straight up. Little did we know that it would turn VERY curly as he grew older and turn a nice dark brown color. Dave also had the cutest smile as shown in the photo and the most adorable blue eyes. He was such a sweet little boy and never gave us any trouble.

It was fun to have a little boy in the house. We bought him all the regular little boy things and he immediately took to sports of every variety. He had instant playmates in his older sisters and they all enjoyed playing Legos by the hour.

Dave had a ton of little playmates in the neighborhood. It seems like our home was a magnet for little boys. We'd have herds of them over for hours and hours of playing. With a big park nearby, they enjoyed many hours playing in the sand, swinging and swimming in the pool.

Dave attended OHS pre-school with Mrs. Pella as the teacher. He started Kindergarten at the same school that his sisters attended. He immediately showed that he would be a great student and he learned to read and do math especially well. He played soccer, tee-ball, basketball and rode his bike, roller blades and enjoyed all sorts of games with his friends in the park.

Dave has turned out to be a wonderful man. It's been a pleasure to watch him grow up through the years and make good choices throughout his life. We love him dearly and in some ways, he is a carbon copy of his father, V III. Here are a few more highlights of V IV:

• He attended OES (he especially loved his 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Peterson) and then went to the Cherry Hill - ALL program for 5 & 6 grades
• He took piano lessons from Mrs. Butterfield and made decent progress. He's since taken a piano class at BYU and said he wished he would have kept with it as a kid
• Power Rangers and Ghost Busters were some of his favorite toys, along with Legos
• He shared a room with Andy until we moved to our current house, and then he got his own room but had to share a bathroom with Claire.
• He started working at Timp Bookstore when he was 15 years old, wrapping Christmas gifts
• He received his Eagle Scout award when he was 14
• He played football through 9th grade and improved a lot each year
• He started running cross country when he went to high school and kept it up all three years and did very well. He received the academic all-state award his senior year in cross country.
• He went to Boys State and represented his school well
• He graduated from High School with a 4.0 and gave the valedictory address. He got a 33 on the ACT test.
• He received enough AP credit from the classes he took in HS, to start college as a sophomore. He will graduate from BYU in seven semesters this December with a degree in Economics. He could have gone to any university he wanted to, but he chose BYU.
• He was the Sterling Scholar in the Social Sciences at his HS and went all the way to state with his formidable portfolio of academic accomplishments
• He received an academic scholarship to BYU and also received the Robert C. Byrd scholarship for four years
• He graduated from seminary
• He's been on the Wyoming pioneer trek twice, once as a kid, once as a leader after his mission
• He served his mission in the Portugal, Lisbon mission and had a marvelous experience. He was an AP in his final months. He also got to serve on the Azores islands for about six months.
• He met some wonderful young men his freshman year in college and they became fast friends all through college. They were roommates for about three years.
• He worked at the Museum of Art as a security guard while he was a college student and also on the grounds crew mowing lawns. He is now a TA for Econ 110.
  
• He is an avid BYU fan and turns into a different, loud and aggressive person on game day
• He met his current wife Courtney in their student ward. They dated for a year and got married last May in the SLC LDS temple. We love having Courtney in our family. She is a perfect partner for Dave.
• Dave has always been an honorable priesthood holder and fulfilled his responsibilities and callings, being a HT comp to Rick for many years.
• Dave is a kind and gentle man who has a big heart and who is dependable without fail.

We love our little boy Dave and look forward to the future, for we know he will be successful in whatever he puts his mind to accomplish. Happy 24th birthday dear son.

Hair Make Overs

My long time hair dresser Kirby Smith came to our ladies group meeting (we call it the Dust Busters group) last month and did a couple of make-overs of two of our friends. Jil and Marlene volunteered to have Kirby work on them at his salon during the day and then they came the night of the meeting with their new looks. They looked great! It was fun to see them walk in a few minutes late so we could all see their new styles at the same moment.
He also did "on the spot" hair styles on Allie (our hostess) and Susan. He just worked with their hair and styled it in a new way on the spot. It was very fun and interesting to see what he could do. Allie was a great hostess and we got to see her Halloween themed home. To say she has A LOT of Halloween decorations what be a huge understatement. What doesn't she have?
We enjoyed an evening of visiting about hair and we gave Kirby a huge container of fresh farmer's produce as a gift for coming to our group meeting. It was great to have him spend the evening with us. If you want to schedule an appointment with him, call 223-7011. He is at Serenity Salon located at 503 S. Orem Blvd.













































































































































We had a fun evening together and learned some new hair styling tricks for women with "aging hair." He made these great suggestions:

• Use professional products - the ph in cheap shampoo damages and dries out the hair. You can wash your hair every day if you use mild shampoo that doesn't strip the hair of all of it's natural oils, but you have to use quality products
• Use professional color - no grocery store color products. The color will look more natural and will last longer. For women coloring gray, only a permanent color will do.
• Use products to manage dryness. There are many good 'leave in' conditioners that will help dry hair
• Treat thinning hair by taking a good multi-vitamin. He even suggested taking a pre-natal vitamin or at least one that contains all the essential vitamins and minerals. Good nutrition and a good daily vitamin will help thinning hair. Some hair thinning is caused by genetics and there isn't a lot that can be done about it. There are hair products that help hair look fuller and thicker and coloring hair gives it more strength and body.
• If a woman decides to help her hair go grey (if she has been coloring), there are ways to make that happen without looking terrible in the process.

Emergency Fuel

Sooooo, once you have your short term food supply, your water and your long term supply, then the question is, how will you cook your food if your kitchen stove/oven didn't work for whatever reason? Hopefully that day will never come. Also, how would you stay warm if your furnace didn't work because of a power outage for an extended period of time?

It's a great idea to have these items in your home and to know how to use them ahead of time. They are all items that can be used for family camping trips and could be used for family fun as well as for an emergency back up plan.

Here are some ideas for cooking:

1. Large propane camp stoves or BBQ grills - have one of each on hand that you could use in an emergency. Store 3-4 tanks of propane fuel for the stoves. You could grill frozen meat (that would be thawing in a long power outage to prevent it from spoiling) and make pancakes and all sorts of cooked items on your propane camp stove. These stoves would need to be operated outside or in a garage for proper ventilation.
   
2. Small propane camp stove that uses a fuel canister - can be used for smaller cooking jobs that don't require a lot of heat and doesn't use as much fuel, such as heating water in a tea pot. Have a dozen or more fuel canisters in storage in a safe location.
   
3. Dutch ovens with briquettes. Dutch ovens could be used to cook food in a fireplace in a home or they could be used outside using briquettes. Have a couple Dutch ovens, a cast iron griddle and a large cast iron frying pan. These items could be used over an open flame such as a camp fire or in a fireplace. Briquettes can even be used on a cement surface with a Dutch oven placed over them to cook. Store several bags.
   
4. Canned heat and/or butane heat that will heat a small one unit hot plate. This can be used indoors to heat a small item, such as water or a can of soup. Canned heat is often used at catering events to keep food warm.. Store as many boxes of canned heat as space allows.
   
5. Fire wood - store as much fire wood as space allows, especially if you have a wood burning fire place. Not only can the fire wood be used to heat an area, but it can be used to cook food either in the fireplace using a Dutch oven, or outside in a fire pit or on a concrete surface.

Check out this great web site at Emergency Essentials store to get an idea of all that is available in the line of fuel (and view all their other great products for preparedness.) You can sign up to receive their newsletter to watch for their special sales.

Staying warm ideas:

1. Fire wood - can be used for cooking fuel and heating.
   
2. Extra warm sleeping bags and blankets, commercial warming packets to heat up an area of the body for a specific period of time. Special heating blankets that retain body heat.
   
3. Heating units that can be used in a garage or in a tent.
   
4. Think through some way to conserve the heat that is produced and block off an area in your home that will be heated where family members can sleep and stay warm. Maybe you will need some plastic sheeting or many blankets to close off walk ways and retain heat in one specific area so that the heat you do produce, can be preserved and maximized.
   
5. Buy a commercial heater like Mr. Heater that is safe to use indoors. See this information

Depending on where you live, you may have other concerns to address in an emergency situation such as - how to stay cool in extreme heat and how to stay out of the sun. Think through and discuss a few worst case scenarios to address issues that may arise in an emergency in your area.

Long term food storage

Here is a picture of the family dry farm where the wheat is grown that many of us recently received. Many thanks to Scott and Dean for sharing the fruits of their hard work.

Next step: Once you have your three month supply and your water supply, you're ready to work on your long term storage. Again, I'll refer to the LDS church web site.

Longer-Term Supply
For longer-term needs, and where permitted, gradually build a supply of food that will last a long time and that you can use to stay alive, such as wheat, white rice, and beans.
These items can last 30 years or more when properly packaged and stored in a cool, dry place. A portion of these items may be rotated in your three-month supply.

Longer-Term Storage—30 Years or More
Properly packaged, low-moisture foods stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C or lower) remain nutritious and edible much longer than previously thought according to findings of recent scientific studies. Estimated shelf life for many products has increased to 30 years or more (see chart for new estimates of shelf life). Previous estimates of longevity were based on "best-if-used-by" recommendations and experience. Though not studied, sugar, salt, baking soda (essential for soaking beans), and vitamin C in tablet form also store well long-term. Some basic foods do need more frequent rotation, such as vegetable oil every 1 to 2 years.
While there is a decline in nutritional quality and taste over time, depending on the original quality of food and how it was processed, packaged, and stored, the studies show that even after being stored long-term, the food will help sustain life in an emergency.
For tips on how to best preserve longer-term food storage products, see Longer-Term Supply.
Food
New "Life Sustaining" Shelf-LifeEstimates (In Years)
Wheat 30+
White rice 30+

Corn 30+
Sugar 30+
Pinto beans 30
Apple slices 30
Macaroni 30
Rolled oats 30
Potato flakes 30
Powdered milk 20
Carrots 20

There are various methods and ways to store food for long term storage. Many sites on the internet tell how this is best done. I have most of mine in plastic buckets that contain oxygen absorber packets. I think the best way is to buy in bulk when the dry goods are on sale and then put them in buckets or cans through the dry pack method of preserving food. We sure to label each box and put the date it was preserved. There is also this handy food storage calculator that helps you compute how much long term food storage you need to buy according to the number of people in your family. You may also want to add other items such as sugar, nonfat dry milk, salt, baking soda, and cooking oil. To meet nutritional needs, also store foods containing Vitamin C and other essential nutrients.

Did you know that you can now buy these long term storage items through the LDS church distributiuon system? See this link.

Safely Gathered In

Wow. Check out this web site that a reader of my blog just shared with me. Thanks so much Hannah for the link and for all the work you have gone to in sharing your ideas on preparedness. Really, you have such wonderful, helpful, practical information to share. Take a look at the shopping list of things to buy for a 3 month supply. They have already done all the work to make a menu list and shopping list of items to buy. Here is a quote from Safely Gathered In:

"You CAN afford it, and you CAN accomplish it! This blog is here to help you. We will be your step-by-step guide, and we can all do this together! We're all on some sort of budget, and we're all busy. Many of us just don't know where to start, but that's about to change. Start here! Let's do this together!

We are designing this blog so that hopefully one year from now, you will have: 72-hour kits, a car emergency box, a three-month supply of everyday food, and a year's supply of basic essentials (rice, wheat, flour, sugar, oats, beans, etc). We will also teach skills, such as how to cook in a dutch oven, how to make (and use!) a solar oven, how to "can" food, and how to actually use the food that you store!"

I added their link to the side bar of my blog. I think their information is that good. I plan to use many of their helpful hints and highly recommend their information to everyone. Thanks again Hannah and Abs.

Water

In any emergency, none of us would last very long without water. It's obvious that water is needed for just about everything we do. We need it to drink, clean up, prepare food, bath, etc. Can you imagine going even a day or two without enough water?

Here is some good information on water filters if you needed to use water in lakes, streams and rivers to drink.

This is from the LDS church website:
Water Storage Guidelines

Commercially bottled water in PETE (or PET) plastic containers may be purchased. Follow the container’s “best if used by” dates as a rotation guideline. Avoid plastic containers that are not PETE plastic.

If you choose to package water yourself, consider the following guidelines:

Containers

• Use only food-grade containers. Smaller containers made of PETE plastic or heavier plastic buckets or drums work well.
• Clean, sanitize, and thoroughly rinse all containers prior to use. A sanitizing solution can be prepared by adding 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to one quart (1 liter) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
• Do not use plastic milk jugs, because they do not seal well and tend to become brittle over time.
• Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.

Water Pretreatment

• Water from a chlorinated municipal water supply does not need further treatment when stored in clean, food-grade containers.
• Non-chlorinated water should be treated with bleach. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) for every gallon (4 liters) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.

Storage

• Containers should be emptied and refilled regularly.
• Store water only where potential leakage would not damage your home or apartment.
• Protect stored water from light and heat. Some containers may also require protection from freezing.
• The taste of stored water can be improved by pouring it back and forth between two containers before use.

As far as quantity of water stored - I only have this one thought......can you have too much water??? I think the limit will come when you have no more space to store it. We have large water barrells in our garage and small drinking water bottles here and there. Note to self: buy more individual water bottles when they are on sale and change the water in our large water containers this fall.

This information from the FEMA web site:

How Much Water Do I Need?

You should have at least a three-day supply of water and you should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking.

Additionally, in determining adequate quantities, take the following into account:

• Individual needs vary, depending on age, physical condition, activity, diet, and climate.
• Children, nursing mothers, and ill people need more water.
• Very hot temperatures can double the amount of water needed.
• A medical emergency might require additional water.

Three month supply

Imagine what it would be like if you couldn't go to the store for three months. What would you eat? What would you feed your family? Maybe the inability to go to the store is caused by something like unemployment, or maybe there is a food shortage caused by a trucking strike or a natural disaster, or a pandemic that keeps you inside your home for a period of time.
How would you get along? Are you prepared?
I think it is very interesting that without any fanfare or big announcement, the LDS church quietly updated the information contained on their web site. In addition to the long standing advice to get a year's supply of food, now there is a specific statement about getting a three month supply of food. It states:

Three-Month Supply

Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet. One way to do this is to purchase a few extra items each week to build a one-week supply of food. Then you can gradually increase your supply until it is sufficient for three months. These items should be rotated regularly to avoid spoilage. So, what would you need to eat for three months? Last week when we were in AZ, I went with Jordan one morning to help at a ward activity where several people were dry packing food at the home of one of the members. We canned about 70 cans of long term food for Jord's storage program for her family. She is making excellent progress in building her year's supply, with three months of it being foods they eat all the time. We brought the dry pack cans back to her home and boxed them up in boxes that each held six cans. She labeled the boxes and taped them closed so they would slide easily. Then we put about 15-18 boxes under Lauren's bed and the rest she put in a food storage closet. The closet is just a place in her home that she designated as a food storage place where she keeps her three month supply and some of her extended supply. While we were talking about food storage, she had some excellent ideas. The food storage specialist in her ward encouraged her to write out her menus for a week and see what she needed of everything she cooks and uses on a regular basis. Then she told her to multiply it out for twelve weeks to get a calculation of how much to buy for three months. We talked about adapting recipes or coming up with recipes that use canned food or packaged food, cereal, etc. Canned meats could be used instead of fresh meat. Tuna, chicken and even freeze dried meats are available. So, that is my challenge today. Make out a week's worth of menus that your family eats all the time, then times it by 12. Come up with a list of what you would need to by for three months and make up a shopping list on an index card. Put the index card in your purse. The next time you go to the grocery store, buy something extra off your list. Decide on a place in your home where you can put your storage, and when you get home with your groceries, go put the extra items you bought into your three months storage area. Set aside $20 extra a week, then build gradually. If you have more, build quickly, but BUY WHAT YOU USE AND USE WHAT YOU BUY!!! Work on your three month plan first, before working on the longer term storage or other non-food storage items. Here are some items I have on my three month list: peanut butter, jelly, pineapple, mandarin oranges, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, pinto beans, refried beans, kidney beans, corn, green beans, applesauce, chicken, tuna, pancake mix, cooked cream of wheat, cracked wheat, oatmeal, pancake syrup, chili, dry soap mix, oil, honey, cake mix, frosting, canned pumpkin, powdered sugar, brown sugar, regular sugar, flour, pasta, spaghetti noodles, spaghetti sauce, ketchup, mayo, mustard, soy, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, yeast, pudding mixes, powdered milk, baking powder, soda, salt, wheat germ, shortening, tomato juice, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, condensed milk, peaches, pears, olives, mac and cheese mixes, rice, pasta noodles, potato pearls, hot cocoa, corn meal, drink mixes, stove top, spaghettios , egg noodles, coconut, nuts, chocolate chips, corn syrup, molasses, cold cereal, canned soup, salad dressing, salsa, chips, granola bars, sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, Pam spray, instant flavored oatmeal, crackers.....on and on.... Get started this week. Get a notebook or a clip board or binder. Make it your three month food storage planning guide. Calculate out what you need for the number of people in your family. Make a list on your computer and save it so that you can update it periodically. Make a list of what you need to buy and the next time you go to the store, buy something to add to your storage!!! Record it in your binder. Watch the ads and buy things when they are on sale. I built my storage very quickly this way, by buying a whole case of whatever was on special that week. Happy shopping!

O be wise

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Jacob 6:12 - Oh be wise; what can I say more?

In October conference of 2006, Elder M. Russell Ballard gave a talk on this topic. He said:
Brothers and sisters, while I was studying the Book of Mormon recently, one of the teachings of the prophet Jacob caught my attention. As you remember, Jacob was one of Father Lehi’s two sons born in the wilderness after the family left Jerusalem. He was an eyewitness to miracles, and he also watched as his family was torn apart by disobedience and rebellion. Jacob knew and loved Laman and Lemuel as he knew and loved Nephi, and the dissension between them was intimate and personal. As far as Jacob was concerned, it wasn’t about ideology, philosophy, or even theology. It was about family.
The tender anguish of Jacob’s soul is evident as he expresses grave concern that his people will “reject the words of the prophets” concerning Christ and “deny … the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, … and make a mock of the great plan of redemption” (Jacob 6:8).
And then, just before he bids farewell, he speaks eight simple words that are the basic text of my message this morning. Jacob’s plea was “O be wise; what can I say more?” (Jacob 6:12).
Those of you who are parents and grandparents have a sense of what Jacob must have been feeling at the time. He loved his people, partly because they were also his family. He had taught them as clearly as he could and with all the energy of his soul. He warned them in no uncertain terms what would happen if they chose not to “enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow” (Jacob 6:11). He couldn’t think of anything else to say to warn, to urge, to inspire, to motivate. And so he, simply and profoundly, said, “O be wise; what can I say more?”

This counsel is profound and touching in many ways, but today I want to use that admonition to remind us all to be wise. I think it has particular significance to us who live in the latter-days. We've all been taught, warned, encouraged, reminded and admonished to do what we need to do to prepare ourselves for the future. And the future is here, right now.

Ten years ago, in October conference of 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley gave a talk at the priesthood session and here are a few quotes from that talk:
"...I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order...So many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings.
We have witnessed in recent weeks wide and fearsome swings in the markets of the world. The economy is a fragile thing. A stumble in the economy in Jakarta or Moscow can immediately affect the entire world. It can eventually reach down to each of us as individuals. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed.
I hope with all my heart that we shall never slip into a depression. I am a child of the Great Depression of the thirties. I finished the university in 1932, when unemployment in this area exceeded 33 percent.
I repeat, I hope we will never again see such a depression. But I am troubled by the huge consumer installment debt which hangs over the people of the nation, including our own people. In March 1997 that debt totaled $1.2 trillion, which represented a 7 percent increase over the previous year.
Everyone knows that every dollar borrowed carries with it the penalty of paying interest. When money cannot be repaid, then bankruptcy follows. We are beguiled by seductive advertising. President J. Reuben Clark Jr., in the April 1938 general conference, said from this pulpit: “Once in debt, interest is your companion every minute of the day and night; you cannot shun it or slip away from it; you cannot dismiss it; it yields neither to entreaties, demands, or orders; and whenever you get in its way or cross its course or fail to meet its demands, it crushes you” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1938, 103).
No one knows when emergencies will strike...We are carrying a message of self-reliance throughout the Church. Self-reliance cannot obtain when there is serious debt hanging over a household. One has neither independence nor freedom from bondage when he is obligated to others.
What a wonderful feeling it is to be free of debt, to have a little money against a day of emergency put away where it can be retrieved when necessary.
I urge you, to look to the condition of your finances. I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage.
This is a part of the temporal gospel in which we believe. May the Lord bless you, my beloved brethren, to set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts. That’s all I have to say about it, but I wish to say it with all the emphasis of which I am capable."

What good is it to have a living prophet of God if we don't listen to and follow what he says? Just think about the major events that have transpired over the last ten years. Here are a few I can think of immediately:
9-11-2001
war declared in Iraq which is still ongoing
AIDS spreading across the world leaving thousands of children without parents
major tsunami in Asia in 2004
category 5 hurricane Katrina and Rita off the golf coast
too many natural disasters and hurricanes to name across the world
the avian flu pandemic that edges closer every day

And this year already:
highest gas prices of all time
stock market crash
housing crisis and rising unemployment

Doctrine and Covenants 38:30 - ...but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear and check out this talk by President Hinckley on the same topic

I don't mean to be an alarmist or to over react. But please consider...are you and your family prepared? If so, then there is no need to fear. But if not, than we should be afraid! Really, really nervous because we won't be able to take care of our families and protect them and provide for them and we will be miserable needlessly.

Over the next few days, I will be sharing some of my best preparedness practices and ideas. I know many of you have great ideas and resources too and I invite you to share those. I know this much - I want to be able to sleep when the wind blows and I don't want to fear because I will be prepared. It's a topic that has weighed heavily on me for these past 10 years since President Hinckley spoke. I have tried to help others catch the vision and be better prepared, and I sincerely hope that something I share can be of benefit.

Sleeping while the wind blows

Many years ago, my dad EHG told this story in one of his talks at our LDS stake conference. I've never forgotten it. I believe that the lessons taught in this story are more applicable today than ever before.

When The Wind Blows
Author unknown

Years ago a farmer who owned land along the Atlantic seacoast constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic because of the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him."Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer was well satisfied with the man's work.Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.."Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, the doors were barred, the shutters were tightly secured, everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

MORAL: When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear.Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.We, as believers in Christ, secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God.. We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of the storms.

By preparing yourself and your family for an emergency, you can feel confident that you are better able to handle the unexpected. Just like this young farmhand, you too can sleep when the wind blows.

Dancing with the Stars

No explanation necessary....now that's what I call,
dancing with the stars!
Hahahahaha! Can you imagine?











Now, from the ridiculous to the sublime......

Copies of Patriarchal Blessings online

When I opened the newpaper this morning, I read this interesting article.
"One of the features that may be of most interest to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is their ability (in the near future) to view and print a digitized copy of a patriarchal blessing — either their own or those of their spouse, direct-line descendants and deceased direct-line ancestors."

Wouldn't it be interesting to read the blessings of our parents and grandparents? I can't even imagine how this is made possible, but I intend to take advantage of the opportunity!

Wordle

Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

The wordle above is from all the words spoken at October General Conference. The words that are larger and highlighted, were spoken more often. You can create your own "word cloud" by going here. What a fun an interesting concept!

Article from the LA Times on Prop 8

Protecting marriage to protect children

Marriage as a human institution is constantly evolving. But in all societies, marriage shapes the rights and obligations of parenthood.

By David Blankenhorn
September 19, 2008 in print edition A-27

I’m a liberal Democrat. And I do not favor same-sex marriage. Do those positions sound contradictory? To me, they fit together.

Many seem to believe that marriage is simply a private love relationship between two people. They accept this view, in part, because Americans have increasingly emphasized and come to value the intimate, emotional side of marriage, and in part because almost all opinion leaders today, from journalists to judges, strongly embrace this position. That’s certainly the idea that underpinned the California Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage.

But I spent a year studying the history and anthropology of marriage, and I’ve come to a different conclusion.

Marriage as a human institution is constantly evolving, and many of its features vary across groups and cultures. But there is one constant. In all societies, marriage shapes the rights and obligations of parenthood. Among us humans, the scholars report, marriage is not primarily a license to have sex. Nor is it primarily a license to receive benefits or social recognition. It is primarily a license to have children.

In this sense, marriage is a gift that society bestows on its next generation. Marriage (and only marriage) unites the three core dimensions of parenthood – biological, social and legal – into one pro-child form: the married couple. Marriage says to a child: The man and the woman whose sexual union made you will also be there to love and raise you. Marriage says to society as a whole: For every child born, there is a recognized mother and a father, accountable to the child and to each other.

These days, because of the gay marriage debate, one can be sent to bed without supper for saying such things. But until very recently, almost no one denied this core fact about marriage. Summing up the cross-cultural evidence, the anthropologist Helen Fisher in 1992 put it simply: “People wed primarily to reproduce.” The philosopher and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell, certainly no friend of conventional sexual morality, was only repeating the obvious a few decades earlier when he concluded that “it is through children alone that sexual relations become important to society, and worthy to be taken cognizance of by a legal institution.”

Marriage is society’s most pro-child institution. In 2002 – just moments before it became highly unfashionable to say so – a team of researchers from Child Trends, a nonpartisan research center, reported that “family structure clearly matters for children, and the family structure that helps children the most is a family headed by two biological parents in a low-conflict marriage.”

All our scholarly instruments seem to agree: For healthy development, what a child needs more than anything else is the mother and father who together made the child, who love the child and love each other.

For these reasons, children have the right, insofar as society can make it possible, to know and to be cared for by the two parents who brought them into this world. The foundational human rights document in the world today regarding children, the 1989 U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically guarantees children this right. The last time I checked, liberals like me were supposed to be in favor of internationally recognized human rights, particularly concerning children, who are typically society’s most voiceless and vulnerable group. Or have I now said something I shouldn’t?

Every child being raised by gay or lesbian couples will be denied his birthright to both parents who made him. Every single one. Moreover, losing that right will not be a consequence of something that at least most of us view as tragic, such as a marriage that didn’t last, or an unexpected pregnancy where the father-to-be has no intention of sticking around. On the contrary, in the case of same-sex marriage and the children of those unions, it will be explained to everyone, including the children, that something wonderful has happened!

For me, what we are encouraged or permitted to say, or not say, to one another about what our society owes its children is crucially important in the debate over initiatives like California’s Proposition 8, which would reinstate marriage’s customary man-woman form. Do you think that every child deserves his mother and father, with adoption available for those children whose natural parents cannot care for them? Do you suspect that fathers and mothers are different from one another? Do you imagine that biological ties matter to children? How many parents per child is best? Do you think that “two” is a better answer than one, three, four or whatever? If you do, be careful. In making the case for same-sex marriage, more than a few grown-ups will be quite willing to question your integrity and goodwill. Children, of course, are rarely consulted.

The liberal philosopher Isaiah Berlin famously argued that, in many cases, the real conflict we face is not good versus bad but good versus good. Reducing homophobia is good. Protecting the birthright of the child is good. How should we reason together as a society when these two good things conflict?

Here is my reasoning. I reject homophobia and believe in the equal dignity of gay and lesbian love. Because I also believe with all my heart in the right of the child to the mother and father who made her, I believe that we as a society should seek to maintain and to strengthen the only human institution – marriage – that is specifically intended to safeguard that right and make it real for our children.

Legalized same-sex marriage almost certainly benefits those same-sex couples who choose to marry, as well as the children being raised in those homes. But changing the meaning of marriage to accommodate homosexual orientation further and perhaps definitively undermines for all of us the very thing – the gift, the birthright – that is marriage’s most distinctive contribution to human society. That’s a change that, in the final analysis, I cannot support.

David Blankenhorn is president of the New York-based Institute for American Values and the author of “The Future of Marriage.”

Proposition 8 - why it matters

Today Rick's sister Robyn (who lives in CA) sent an email to Andy with this paragraph that I thought I'd include here: "Right now I am writing to all my friends about the anti gay marriage proposition that is probably going to lose in CA. We are all getting persecuted for our beliefs. People are saying we are intolerant bigots. Today I am composing a letter to the editor. My friend who wrote to the editor got crucified in the paper, but I have to have courage. After all, our ancestors crossed the plains in handcarts."

Below please find some resources to check in order to fully understand some of the implications of Proposition 8 (Defining Marriage) on the California ballot and how important it is to all of us whether we are a California resident or not. This information is very critical to our country's future stability, protecting our children and grandchildren for generations to come and affording them the best chance for happiness in this life within the time honored structure of marriage and family.

Failure to pass Proposition 8 will hurt children. If gay marriage remains legal, public schools will be required to put it on equal footing with traditional marriage. Children will likely receive "age appropriate" information about sexual relations within heterosexual and homosexual marriages.

Failure to pass Proposition 8 will hurt churches. The court's decision will inevitably lead to conflicts with religious liberty and free speech rights. Society will become more and more hostile to traditional beliefs about marriage and family. Over time, greater acceptance of nontraditional marriage will be demanded of all people. This could impact the ability of any religion to teach and practice its beliefs. Including adoption agencies.

A YES vote will not hurt gays. In California, the law provides for marriage-related benefits to be given to civil unions and domestic partnerships. Proposition 8 does not diminish these benefits.
On Friday, October 10th, 2008 a first-grade class took a field trip to witness a lesbian wedding in California. Click Here for the article from the San Francisco Chronicle. A father in Massachusetts was frustrated when his twin kindergartners were taught about homosexuality at school by the teachers. He insisted he be notified in the future before such things were discussed so he could pull his boys out of school. He was taken to jail. Click Here for the story.A Catholic adoption agency In the UK closed their doors because of the Government's new homosexual equality laws. The Equality Act forbids discrimination in the provision of goods and services on the basis of sexual orientation. The law was forced through Parliament last year despite past Prime Minister Tony Blair's recommendation that Catholic adoption agencies be exempted from the rules. Click Here for more info.

Earlier this month judges in Conneticut overturned the state law (just as the judges in California did) to legalized gay marriage. This is not just an issue in California. Californians voted years ago to keep traditional marriage as the only marriage recognized in the state of California, 4 judges overturned their vote…and again, Californians need to fight back. That is what this Proposition is about. This is happening everywhere and the leaders of the church and others have warned that the outcome of California's vote will affect the way the other states vote.

If this proposition doesn't pass, it could eventually have an profound effect on everyone!

"Occasionally discouragement may darken our pathway; frustration may be a constant companion. In our ears there may sound the sophistry of Satan as he whispers, "You cannot save the world; your small efforts are meaningless. You haven't time to be concerned for others." Trusting in the Lord, let us turn our heads from such falsehoods and make certain our feet are firmly planted in the path of service andour hearts and souls dedicated to follow the example of the Lord." --Thomas S. Monson


Click Here for excerpts from the Broadcast given by Elders M. Russell Ballard, Quentin L. Cook and L. Whitney Clayton.A good resource mentioned in the broadcast: http://www.preservingmarriage.org/

November 4th: Election day. Polls close at 8:00pm. This election may be one of the most important in our life time for many, many reasons.

Hopefully, this information has been helpful. Even if you don't live in California you can make a difference by emailing this to all your contacts and getting the word out. Whether you are into politics or not...this issue is so INCREDIBLY important. I can't stress that enough. So get the word out: VOTE YES ON PROP 8 in California and Prop 102 in Arizona.

Enjoying simple pleasures in Arizona

First morning there, we woke up to say hello to the girls in our PJs and to see what Grandma Vonnie and Grandpa Ricky brought in their suitcases.














Checking out the new princess books...














...and the new baby doll.














An afternoon at the zoo seeing all the cool animals and enjoying a picnic.














So much to see and do.














Watching and touching the stingrays as they swim by.














Looking at the monkeys, Lauren's favorite animal at the zoo.














Running through the splash pad and jungle adventure tunnel and getting soaked!














Little Ellie enjoying the stroller ride and looking at the animals.














Lauren enjoyed reading with Grandpa. We also played in the huge toy room, put puzzles together, played with the princesses and watched Bambie and the Lion King for the first time.














Watching Grandpa dive and swim in the pool. Kinda cold this time of year.




























Walking to the mall one evening for a stroller ride. Swinging with Mommy and Daddy.




























Riding the carousel at the mall and loving it.














Visiting Grandma Mary and David, Paul and DeNae. Enjoying a delicious meal together made by Mom. (We wont mention the BYU game.....)




























Sunday before church.














Wearing new matching dresses. So cute!














Time to say goodbye. We're all sad, but very happy we got to visit for four fun filled days! We enjoyed Jord's great home cooked meals and Jake's amazing apple pie made from scratch. J&J enjoyed a trip to the temple and Jord went to get a full body massage while the free baby sitters were in town. We adults also had a great night out on the town in the downtown area and enjoyed a meal out with interesting adult conversation. Jake went out of town for two days on a business trip while we there, so we were able to keep Jord company and help with the girls.
Thanks J&J for a great time in the land of sunshine. We loved being with you all and look forward to seeing you again soon. We love our little grand daughters and about melted when Lauren said "I love you Grandma" and "I love your Grandpa" completely uncoached by anyone at different times during the visit. Does it get any better than that?