Sunday, November 9, 2008

Some Random Musings...

*Tonight I found a really good website for anyone interested in ideas for cooking with and rotating food storage:
http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/ She has some cool ideas.
*I wish I understood football. Maybe it's a patience issue.
*Sundays are sometimes a challenge for me. It is a constant struggle to keep kids reverent during sacrament meeting. It is the most important 10 minutes of my week, after all. But I have to say that today was actually an improvement because we sat on a middle row instead of crammed together on the side row, so the kids weren't sitting on top of each other target practicing with their goldfish crackers. Also, I don't see Joseph very much. He has leadership meetings from 8:30 until church starts and then he makes EQ visits all afternoon and part of the evenings. I am grateful he takes his calling so seriously and I know our family will be blessed as he magnifies his calling. I guess I'm trying to say that Sundays wear me out! Thankfully today, though, my good friend Julie stopped by and we had a good chat which broke up the day a bit for me and I was less lonely:)
*The presidential elections really disappointed me and I was discouraged for a few days afterwards. Don't get me wrong, it is a historic time when our country can elect an African-American for President. That's neat and all, but did we have to elect a smiling cobra? However, I determined that I need to do some repenting. I can't change the election results, so I'd better take Elder Eyring's most recent conference talk to heart and do what I can to build unity. Our country needs to do that now more than ever. I need to get behind the new president and pray for him as well as all of us.
*I'm excited for FHE tomorrow night -- we're going to the Museum! Afterwards, we'll go get some flippin' sweet ice cream at Reed's Dairy.
*Speaking of Reed's, apparently I was theeee first egg nog customer last week. My egg nog was fresh off of the production plant. Yummy chocolate egg nog!
*JP and I had a date last night-- we hit the end of Happy Hour at Sonic (thanks for the inspiration, Amber and Melissa!) and got some slushies and sandwiches and then did ALL of our Christmas shopping, including stocking stuffers. My goal is to have a simple, Spirit-filled December where we have energy and time to focus on family togetherness and service. I am excited as well because I don't teach violin after December 15, so that is my vacation time! Hopefully no chaos will creep in as we try to accomplish this...
*October 28 was the last day Caleb had a binky! Yea, he is weened...(I am weak. He is 3 1/2)
* Our family challenge for the month of November: For family prayer, try to only give gratitude prayers. Tonight Mom hit 15 things I was grateful for... tomorrow night whomever Dad calls on will try to trump that without asking for any blessings.
*I'm so grateful for my best friends. I have two best friends from high school, Danielle and Melissa and we are still best friends. We can go weeks or even months without talking to each other and pick up right where we left off and still maintain and strong, sisterly connection. They know my history, my issues and weaknesses and my joys. And they make me laugh and inspire me to be better. Also, one of my best friends from American Fork, Kerri H. is one of my dearest friends and i feel the same about her. How fortunate and blessed I have been to rub shoulders with great women.
*Last but not least, a powerful quote and prophecy concerning our very day. The Church is continually feeling so much opposition fall out after Prop 8 passed in California. Even dissension within the Church (a.k.a. Steve Young... which makes me sad:() Love this quote:
"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Churh even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.' Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the fmaily will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened...Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."
Elder Neal A. Maxwell, February Ensign 1979

10 comments:

crack'n up ourselves said...

I am glad you posted that quote. I just wish everyone could read it.

Mindy said...

I miss you Annalee! Thanks for the musings.

Kelly said...

After reading this post I come away with thinking Annalee is the coolest (I thought that before, but this post just reiterates it for me!) PS I have a new VT companion and she seems really sweet and fun. Can't wait to come visit you this month.

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for sharing www.idareyoutoeatit.com with your friends and family!
I loved reading your blog Annalee and especially appreciated this post. Seven years ago, during the Sunday morning session of General Conference, I wrote in the margin of my scriptures (Matthew 23) when Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley stated, "I cannot dismiss from my mind the grim warnings of the Lord as set forth in the 24th chapter of Matthew." I think everyone was especially listening to the prophet at that time because Sept. 11th had just happened three weeks earlier. I know we were for sure listening! My family had just moved back to Salt Lake from New York about five months earlier. My husband had worked in one of the buildings right next to the Trade Towers. When I think of the parable of the fig tree I wanted to always be reminded that even when the world seems to be going completely crazy, there are bigger things to hope for. The Savior really is coming back.

Kristine said...

That's awesome that you have your Christmas shopping done! I would love to have mine done before December, too. I'll keep working on it. And I like what you said about being supportive of our newly elected president whether we voted for him or not. And that last quote was great. Thanks for your random musings!

Buffy said...

You inspire me with all your random musings! I feel like being a better mother and more committed to the gospel and teaching my family. Thanks for the boost!

Howling Pickup said...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I especially liked the quote. Way to go on that Christmas shopping. In years past I have been mostly finished by Halloween but this year is a different story! It's amazing what having another kid can do to change your life. Can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks. I'll make sure to remember the gravy dippings!!

The Brown Family said...

Thanks for sharing that great quote. Maxwell is always awesome, but wow is that timely to us now!

Kim
PS I posted the jello recipe on my blog this morning. But I warn you that I hold no responsibility for it. It really is the yummiest food ever.

Ben said...

Annalee, I am not in the habit of checking out blogs, but I wanted to let you know how thankful I am for YOUR friendship. Love, Kerri

Melissa said...

Way to go on the Christmas shopping! I'm not quite there yet, but want to be by December! And I love the Neil A. Maxwell quote~thanks for all your thoughts!
Melissa