Happy Birthday Bruce

Happy Birthday to my brother Bruce...

I miss you.

There are days that I hear your voice.

I can feel you near.

There are so many things I would like to talk to you about.

I am thankful for the plan of happiness.

I know that I will see you again.

But, until then...

I love you and miss you very much.

Santa's Visit and Ugly Sweaters

It was pretty fun when Santa showed up tonight when we were playing Christmas Bingo and comparing our "creative" Christmas shirts.

At first the girls were not real sure that they liked the idea of Santa walking in the front door.

But, as soon as the candy came out of the bag they were best friends!

Even little Evie was happy to set on Santa's lap.

He came with treats for all that would set on his lap.

Kira got coal...though I think Josh should have for being the photo bomber of the evening!

These two little girls are growing up so fast.

I still love how they love each other.

We decided every one was to come in an  "Ugly Shirt/Sweater.

I will admit I was pretty impressed! 

Kira and Sergio both did their own.

Josh and I compared to see who we thought was the "most" creative.

Mine was to look like a Christmas Tree when I put my arms up....

But as you can see I need to do a little work on balancing the top of the tree with the garland. 

Josh's was pretty stinking cute for an UGLY Shirt.

It is hard to tell in these pictures, but he has reindeer on his shirt (it is 3D) and it is throwing up

Christmas stuff.

I said, I was just glad it was his head on the sweater and not the "other end".

Santa even came with a treat for Derek
 

YEP everyone that would set down for a have you been naughty or nice chat with the dear man in the red suit.

Thanks Ali for inviting Santa tonight.

You are a pretty lucky lady to have those type of connections!!

It sure helped with getting everyone excited for the next few days.

Merry Christmas

from my family to yours

I met WHO!!???

Kirk had a "Scouting" meeting tonight that spouses were invited to attend.

I have never been a big Scouting fan. I know that it is a good program and I know that it can help our boys become better young men if they have good leaders and want to be part of the program.

So, I wasn't jumping to go to the meeting, but a free meal was involved and Morey's was catering it so I knew dinner would be good.

The meeting was being held at our LDS Stake Center.

This would be the first night of the "scouting" meetings called

"Little Philmont", tomorrow Kirk would attend more meetings and classes.

After dinner, we were invited into the chapel where Brother Allen, our Area Authority welcomed us to the night's meeting.

Our Stake Presidency spoke on

the DUTY TO GOD.

As I listened I soon realized this was not going to be a "what I thought scouting was" meeting.

They spoke on how important the activities are that our young men do.

That they learn what their duties are in the Aaronic Priesthood.

What I was being taught was what Young Men's/Scouting was really suppose to be all about.

LEARN, ACT, SHARE

Our concluding speaker was this man

do you recognize him?

OK

Here is your last clue.

LDS Young Men General Presidency

• Brother Larry M. GibsonFirst Counselor     
• Brother David L. BeckYoung Men General President
• Brother Adrian OchoaSecond Counselor
  
  

Yes, it is Brother David L. Beck, 

the President of the Young Men of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints

He is who introduced the Duty to God Program

and also helped introduce the New Youth Curriculum for 2013.

Brother Beck discussed how these programs would help to prepare the young men of our church to be good men, sons, fathers, husbands and missionaries.

When he was finished he asked for a couple of men and women to come up and express their thoughts on what he had spoke about.

After waiting WAY to long for someone to go up and Brother Beck promising blessings to those who would come to the front. I stood up and said, "Well, I need blessings".

I took a moment and shared my thoughts on how important I feel it is that our youth have a journal to write what they are learning/teaching on Sunday in YM/YW and Sunday School and to...

THINK, WRITE, SHARE

as Brother Tracy King had shared in his talk.

I spoke to Brother Beck like I had known him for years.

Thanked him and went and set down.

About oh.... a minute later I was like...

HOLY COW!!!!!!

I was just standing up there speaking to a General Authority and 

WHAT!!!! What was I thinking???!!!!

The evening was really nice.

Especially when Brother Beck said,

"Let our youth rise up!"

The Lord trusts them, now we need to help them fulfill their responsibility.

He closed with...

"The Lord of the Vineyard is here and he wants to help."

you could have heard a pin drop.

 

Josh received  his Duty to God , but not his Eagle...that is a LONG 'ol story that is best left alone.

Derek received his Duty to God, and earned his life in scouting.

In a way it has always bothered me that they didn't have their Eagles, especially Josh.

But, after tonight...

I am very proud of my boys for earning their 

Duty to God Awards.

http://ldsbsa.org/

Quoting Thomas S. Monson: 

     “The Aaronic Priesthood prepares boys 

for manhood and the weightier duties of 

the Melchizedek Priesthood. Scouting helps 

our boys to walk uprightly the priesthood 

path to exaltation . . .  

     To all the Aaronic Priesthood with your 

fathers and your leaders, the priesthood 

program of the Church, with its 

accompanying activities, including 

Scouting, will help and not hinder you as 

you journey through life.” 

      “Much has been said in the media of late regarding Scouting. Let 

me affirm that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 

not diminished in any way its support of the Scouting movement. . . .  

     . . if ever there were a time when the principles of Scouting were 

vitally needed—that time is now. If ever there were a generation who 

would benefit by keeping physically strong, mentally awake, and 

morally straight—that generation is the present generation." 

    

Why Poppies

I was wondering why do they pass out poppies at on 

Veteran's Day or Remembrance Day, as Grandma B always called it.

So, I will admit there are a few stories about why.

But, this is the story I found the most reference to:

The story goes that, following one of the bloodiest battles of World War I, in the fields of Flanders in western Europe, when the ground was completely churned up and muddied, thousands of red poppies sprang up. The seeds had lain dormant in the soil and, after being aerated with the churning of the soil from the soldiers' boots and fertilized with their blood, the poppies grew abundantly, springing forth new life from death. 

(http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_do_you_wear_poppies_on_Remembrance_Day)

"In Flander's Field" Painting by Willy Werner

Another reason poppies came to such prominence in association with World War I is because of how they were immortalized in that most famous poem of WWI, In Flanders Fields, written by John McCrae, a Canadian surgeon attached to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade. This poem is spoken at memorial services everywhere on both ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johnmccraememorialbookcloseup02.JPG

It is one of the most popular and most quoted poems from the war. As a result of its immediate popularity, parts of the poem were used in propaganda efforts and appeals to recruit soldiers and raise money selling war bonds. Its references to the red poppies that grew over the graves of fallen soldiers resulted in the remembrance poppy becoming one of the world's most recognized memorial symbols for soldiers who have died in conflict.


So, if you are out and about today and you see someone selling these.
Be Sure to buy one.

I have a bouquet of them from over the years, but now I know why I have them.
Did you know why they used Poppies or was I the only one who didn't know.

Veteran's Day 2012

This is my gr gr grandfather

Charles Jacob Powley

in his Civil War uniform.

Kirk's grandma always said that she wishes she could have been able to go to Italy to see where her son, David Rex was laid to rest.

After her passing it really bothered me that we did not have any pictures of where he was buried.

I was able to get this picture from, I believe, the Foreign War Office.

Kirk's uncle David Rex

I am sure there are other family members that served but I do not know them.

Kirk's grandfather, Melvin Warner

Below are my uncles that I remember who served in different conflicts.

Kirk's uncle Phil

He valiantly served his country as a member of the U.S. Navy in the Viet Nam War

he died July 3, 2011

 My mom's brother Jimmy.

My mom's brother Charlie

My dad's brother, "Art"

My aunt Bonnie's husband

Jake Ferguson

and just recently,

my 

Uncle Joe Clinton Drake

(1926- 2012)

He served in the Pacific War Zone on the Landing Craft LCSL 3-94. He was released six months after Japan surrendered. He returned to Tennessee and farmed for a while. When the Korean War broke out he went back into the Navy and was assigned to the APA Bexar Ship. He was honorably released both times that he served. 

as of today's date his military marker has not been placed. 

Do you know who the veteran's in your family are?

I am grateful to these amazing men on our family.

November 6, 2012

It has been a LONG election season.

As a "Conscience" voter  (I do not vote party lines)

I have spent a lot of time on learning more about each 

person running to be the President of the United States.

As we all know when the primaries were over it came to 

Pres. Obama and Gov. Romney along with a few other names to vote for.

In the past month I had made my choice and I felt good in my heart about who I would be voting for.

I struggled with the "misleading" info we as American's were given about Benghazi and a few other things that really were bothering me.

I had chosen Gov. Mitt Romney.

I believe we needed someone who could help get our country back on track with leadership,

 economic background, love of country and of God.

Tonight as Mr. Romney gave his concession speech, I could not help but cry.

I truly believe he loves this country and is truly worried about it.

I wish I trusted Barack Obama, but I don't, he says "he has heard what our concerns are". 

 I am hoping he proves me wrong in doubting him.

I am afraid of a President who does not believe in God.

We have been warned and directed to acknowledge the roll God had played in our government and our constitution.

During his first inaugural address in 1789, President George Washington, a man who was raised up by God, said: “No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the affairs of men, more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency” (First Inaugural Address, 30 Apr. 1789).

and taken from Pres. Benson's talk, Our Divine Constitution...

"The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “It is our duty to concentrate all our influence to make popular that which is sound and good, and unpopular that which is unsound. ‘Tis right, politically, for a man who has influence to use it. … From henceforth I will maintain all the influence I can get” (History of the Church, 5:286).

I have faith that the Constitution will be saved as prophesied by Joseph Smith. It will be saved by the righteous citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom. It will be saved by enlightened members of this Church—among others—men and women who understand and abide the principles of the Constitution.

I reverence the Constitution of the United States as a sacred document. To me its words are akin to the revelations of God, for God has placed His stamp of approval upon it.

I testify that the God of heaven sent some of His choicest spirits to lay the foundation of this government, and He has now sent other choice spirits to help preserve it.

We, the blessed beneficiaries of the Constitution, face difficult days in America, “a land which is choice above all other lands” (Ether 2:10).

May God give us the faith and the courage exhibited by those patriots who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

May we be equally as valiant and as free, I pray."

I find comfort in President Monson's words,

"Be of Good Cheer!

 The future is as bright as your faith."

Tonight, I know that if we follow the prophet we will know what to do.

I believe this.

Are we listening???

Are our government leaders listening?

Pray for this great nation.

Pumpkin Patch Fun

I do not know how many years we have had our own pumpkin patch.

It has always been my favorite part of the garden.

This is a picture from 2008, there is a post about it HERE.

This year Kirk tilled & sprayed the pumpkin patch. We had

 decided we were going to have a smaller garden,

 I DID NOT KNOW 

smaller included no

  pumpkin patch!!!

So, without a personal patch it required us to go find another one.

Josh and Ali had taken Miss C to get pumpkins in Oakley, ID and told us how fun it was.

Today Kira needed to have pumpkins for her Young Women's activity.

So we took Miss H to go get pumpkins at the "fun patch".

It really was fun. A really nice gentleman came out and told us to climb up on the trailer and he would take us around the patch.

If we saw a pumpkin we liked  just "holler" and he would stop.

We yelled several times, picking out pumpkins we liked.

We would load them on the trailer, even Miss H had to put hers on the back.

Hazel found one we couldn't load.

The patch was full of all sizes and shapes.

PLEASE NOTE THE WHITE ON THE MOUNTAINS!

When we were done picking our pumpkins we climbed back up on the trailer and got a ride back to the car with our orange treasures.

We had a great time, but it was really strange when we were all done to

 PAY 

for pumpkins.

I am saving seeds from these pumpkins so I can have a 

PUMPKIN PATCH next year.