The Family Trifecta

Amy's bookshelf: 2024

The Weekend Away

by Sarah Alderson

So so good! Orla and Kate are long-time best friends off on a girls' weekend away. Kate is a bit of a player who is trying to get back at her soon-to-be-ex, causing her to spend frivolously and do drugs and hook-ups. Orla is a new mom ex...

tagged: 2024, audible-books, five-stars, thriller, and thoughtful

Written Off

by E.J. Copperman

tagged: 2024, cozy, easy, and four-stars

Maybe Next Time

by Cesca Major

Parts were a screaming 5 and parts were like “what?” And just irritated me. It is a Groundhog Day premise about a family of four - the mom is caught up in her own life and missing all that is going on around her with her kids and then he...

tagged: 2024, audible-books, fiction, four-stars, and thoughtful

book reviewsbook club

2011 Recap...

In many ways, 2011 was a fantastic year. But then again, it was one of my least favorite years in recent memory. I dare say that the fact that it has been the worst year of late, that that explains why I haven’t done much blogging. As someone who loves to write (even though I know I’m not one of those masterfully eloquent writers, I still love it), I feel like a huge part of me is missing when I’m not writing my thoughts, feelings and activities.

My first journal was when I was 8 years old. There have been very few spurts of my life that have gone undocumented since then. My journal has been an outlet, a travel log, a soapbox and a way to keep memories alive forever. Some of my journals have been for-my-eyes-only while others were written for my posterity. The ones for my posterity are definitely my favorite. Unfortunately, I have never done a good job of documenting the times when I’m struggling. I think that when I am struggling, I compare myself more critically to others and writing down those thoughts somehow validates them and deepens my self-doubt.

So 2011 has kind of been one of those spurts that I didn’t feel like I could document it all. I would welcome a full day that no one needed me to help them with their rooms, their homework, running them to lessons, cleaning the house, making meals or getting other projects done so that I could update March through December in my photo journal. It truly pains me that I am so far behind and the memories are becoming less specific and more dependent on the photographs.

All of that being said, let me share with you some of my significant moments from 2011…

January –

Ivy turned 5 and had an adorable birthday party.

February –

Jade turned 8 and celebrated with an Alice in Wonderland birthday party.

I attended my first WPPI convention in Las Vegas in connection with our friends Retouchup.com business.

March –

Jade was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We were so blessed that Aunt Anne was still cancer-free and able to attend.

After 6 years at my old company, I left and went to work for an eleven year old start-up

April –

Not much happened besides we went on a walk/scooter/roller-blade stroll down by the lake.

May –

Anne was diagnosed a second time in 9 months with cancer.

June –

The girls both did a beautiful job during their company showcase and Jade got to perform her solo.

Jade took State in Level 3 gymnastics on the beam.

We hiked in the snow to Stewart Falls.

July –

I was let go from the start-up and walked away relieved because it wasn’t a good fit.

Saw a moose up close.

I attended EVO ’11 in Park City and met some amazing new friends.

August –

Indulged in the benefits of unemployment and got to spend the best summer in 7 years playing with my girls.

We floated down the river in Moab and hiked to Delicate Arch during a full moon.

September –

Enjoyed a week of sun on the beaches of Lake Powell and a couple of days in Vegas.

October –

Got a job that has been fun, exciting, different and full of super nice people

Aunt Anne’s scan came back free from cancer.

My dad had knee surgery and we nearly lost him. But now he’s doing better than he had been months before for the surgery.

November –

Rolled my car down a mountain into a river and have been consumed with gratitude ever since.

December –

Attended a Seattle Seahawks football game and they beat the Rams.

Anne’s scans continue to show no cancer and their family was able to join us for the holiday season.

And that is my year. Happy New Year and I’m looking forward to this year being MUCH better.

The Book of Mormon, a Gift from a Loving Heavenly Father

This year I get to teach Jade’s class in church. I am really excited and a touch nervous. I’ve always wondered how she is in her class and now I’ll get to know – first hand. I am also very excited that this year the theme is The Book of Mormon. Over the years I have shared my Sunday School lessons for the Old Testament and for the New Testament. Both of which are books that have defined me and my path. But this year, getting to teach the Book of Mormon gives me a chance to share why I am a Mormon. It also gives me a chance to share with you my beliefs and more of my soul.

Today’s lesson is an introduction to the Book of Mormon. A why, what and how.

PS – These posts will be in lesson format with questions bolded and links to where you can read each scripture online. I will also try my darnedest to get these lessons posted before Sunday. 🙂

Primary 4: Book of Mormon Lesson 1

We just completed the “Holiday Season” that was filled with gifts to you and gifts from you. I know that a lot of time and effort goes into selecting the “perfect present’ for each individual in the family. Sometimes there is a lot of work creating and designing the present that will make each person feel the very best. Because it takes you so much time and thought to come up with this gift, you really hope that they will be as excited to receive it as you are to give it.

How do you feel when someone opens up a gift that you were really excited to give and they absolutely LOVE it?

How do you feel if they open it and do a half-hearted “thanks” and put it aside to move on to the next?

What is your Christmas morning like? Is it a chaotic rip into every present you received or do you take turns and acknowledge each gift?

Heavenly Father has given us more amazing gifts than we could ever count. I’d like to see what kind of list we can come up with of the gifts that Heavenly Father has given us.

President Benson once said,

“This is a gift of greater value to mankind than even the many wonderful advances we have seen in modern medicine. It is of greater worth to mankind than the development of flight or space travel.” – November Conference Report 1986

Which of the gifts we have listed do you think he is describing?

This book has influenced, changed and guided me throughout my life. Not only has it done this for me, but it has done the same thing for millions of people. The Book of Mormon is the most correct and important book on the earth. Together with the Bible, we can have all of the truth available to mankind today.

The eighth article of faith reads,

We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

So, if we have the word of God in the Bible, why do we need a second book testifying of Christ?

As we open up the Book of Mormon and turn to the Introduction, we can better understand the purpose of the book and the how and why it was brought forth when it was.

While we are reading through the introduction, let’s highlight the answers to each of the following questions…

What is the purpose of the Book of Mormon?

What is the Book of Mormon?

Who wrote the Book of Mormon?

What was the most important event in the Book of Mormon?

What did Joseph Smith say about the Book of Mormon?

What three things do you need to do to know if the Book of Mormon is true?

What else do we know is true if we know the Book of Mormon is true?

By understanding the answers to these questions, we can hopefully gain an excitement for the Book of Mormon and a desire to continue reading it.

When we kneel down to pray about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, we can expect to each have a very different response for our answer. It would be super easy to say that everyone that reads it will be overcome by the spirit and they will break down in tears because of the strength they will receive. I want you to know right now that not everyone will be moved to tears. Not everyone will be overcome with their hearts racing and the desire to shout from the rooftops. But I can also promise you that you will feel something if you pray with desire and faith.

Once you have prayed about the Book of Mormon, you can’t just say “I know it is true” and walk away. We must continue to build and develop our testimony.

How can we learn more and understand more?

Why is just knowing it is true not enough?

In order for us to better understand the Book of Mormon, we also need to understand the role that Joseph Smith played in the Book of Mormon’s revelation and translation.

Turning to the Joseph Smith history will help us with this understanding.

Let’s first look and Joseph Smith 1:29-30

What was Joseph Smith doing?

How is he similar to you?

Next let’s look at Joseph Smith 1:34-35, 42

What was Joseph Smith told to do?

In verses 48 and 49 we continue to follow the actions of Joseph Smith.

What happened the next day?

Moroni called Joseph by name. Do you think that Heavenly Father knows your name?

If something like this ever happened to you, who would be the first person you would tell?

Then when we read verses 50-52, we learn what Joseph did next.

How would you feel if this happened to you?

Then in verse 54 we see what more Joseph Smith was told to do.

Why did it take 4 years?

When Joseph Smith finally received the plates he was given a very specific warning in verse 59

I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is a second testament of Christ that can help us gain an understanding for what the gospel and the plan that God has for us. Through studying the gospel we can learn what sacrifices have been made for us and what promises have been made for us if we choose to follow the teachings of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Journal prompt… How do you feel about the Book of Mormon? What can you do to be more like Joseph Smith?

Traditions. We're full of 'em.

One of the many things that I love about the family that I grew up in is our commitment to traditions. Even after some of them could have or should have died a natural death. While we hold tight to our old traditions, we also embrace new ones. Or at least we’ll give them a try.

Christmas Eve is simply one tradition after another. I know for all that have joined our family over the past 20 years, the have graciously tolerated some of the traditions while whole heartedly embracing the rest of the traditions.

The night always starts with the same dinner. Luckily, that dinner is delicious. My dad makes his delicious clam chowder and his french onion soup. Some years, we may add a potato leek soup or a broccoli cheddar but those are only for the years when we have the whole family gathered. On the very rare occasion, I’ll make a pot of borscht for those who appreciate beets.

After dinner we will gather for the reading of Luke 2. Well, actually it is more than just a reading. The full nativity is presented by all of the children in costume. Each year someone else plays Mary and Joseph. Typically, my uncle Jim will read but this year my cousin Cass did. She did an excellent job. She threw in some carols, which really did rock the boat just a bit. We are not a family of singers. We aren’t scary bad but we definitely are not good. People wouldn’t hear us singing and ever ask us to sing in church. (We, as a family, have sung one time in church for my brother’s LDS mission farewell. It did not result in invitations to sing again). I love doing the Nativity, even if it doesn’t always remain reverent and it doesn’t always flow nicely. It is one of my favorite parts about our traditional Christmas Eve.

Once the Nativity is acted out and the kids start acting out we switch gears from the reverent to the creative. When I was in my early teens, my mom came up with the idea that we should craft on Christmas Eve. Our family may not be musically inclined, we do have quite a few very talented artists in our family and even more arts and crafts inclined family members. Some years we paint wooden figures or create a wooden garland. Other years we have painted toys to donate or decorated glass ornaments. This year, we selected a folding paper craft from Jade’s school class. Several were frustrated with the folding – cardstock may be pretty but it is not easy to fold. Then others got frustrated when the paper wreath had to be built. And few felt it wasn’t a challenge and cruised through the process.

Eventually the kids start getting tired and the doorbell rings. When the kids run to the door they find a great big bag full of pajamas. As the tradition stands, the kids all change their clothes and put on their jammies. This year the grown-ups also got “Santa jammies” – which doesn’t thrill everyone, except for those of us born into the family. 🙂 Grown-up matching jammies is not something we can do every year. (Kat designed these and I absolutely love them).

After everyone is dressed in their “Santa Jammies” we all head to our homes where we hang up our stockings and call it a night.

Those are the traditions that year after year make me smile and make Christmas feel like Christmas.

What traditions are a must for your Christmas celebrations?

Wishing you a very Merry Holiday

May your day be bright, your hearts full and the Spirit strong.

Happy Christmas to all!

PS – Thank you so much for your friendship and support this year. It truly means the world to me.

Quick Catch Up....

I don’t have a lot of time but I’ve missed you and I’ve been dying to sit down and write a quick post. But then I feel like I need to go back and share what we have been up to the past several months since I went silent. So, here it is…

September – job interviews, lots of resumes, Lake Powell, Vegas and a job offer

October – started new job, first trip (of many) to Microsoft, a baptism, a hike, a new computer and a fantastic Halloween that included a lot of sewing.

November – Ivy and I rolled down a mountain into a river, walked away without a scratch but the car was totaled, second trip to Microsoft, celebrated the life of Scott’s grandpa after his passing, hosted Thanksgiving and felt overwhelmed with gratitude.

So, there you have it in a nut shell. One of these days, I’ll share more about the wreck, more about Jade’s costume and the pattern that I made up and I’ll do a better job paying tribute to Grandpa Wayne. Until then, thanks for visiting and know that I will be back. (After I complete the next 4 big work projects on my plate, finish Christmas shopping and get some sleep).