Silence in the Face of Evil Is Itself Evil

SILENCE IN THE FACE OF EVIL IS ITSELF EVIL,

GOD WILL NOT HOLD US GUILTLESS,

NOT TO SPEAK IS TO SPEAK,

NOT TO ACT IS TO ACT.

DIETRICH BONHOEFFER

This man was one of the first to openly speak out against the Nazi Regime.  I am wanting to learn more about him and his courage to stand up against such wickedness.  I know very little about him but am interested in learning more because I totally agree with his statement above.

I had an interesting experience this week in a Pilates class at the gym. Many of the ladies in the class chat with each other while we are doing our Pilates moves - which I am totally fine with. This time they were talking about their older children, those in high school or just barely in college.  I heard about how some of these kids are living with girls and boys in the same house (not a good idea), how one son told his mom that he has never seen so many uncensored movies in his life (what, is that something to brag about?), another mother told me about her step-daughter that was painting a picture with other boys (some group project) of a naked mermaid with super large breasts (okay, that is a little weird) and so on.  After all this news from the ladies of which none of it was actually positive or noteworthy, the class instructor then says, "Okay, come on - how many of us were actually virgins when we got married?"  

What?  I couldn't believe what I just heard - but I lifted my hand as if to answer "I was."  Was I the only one in the room that was totally appalled by her comment?  The instructor then said, "There isn't a right and wrong anymore, it is just what is."  After all of this and especially her last comment, I was very disturbed.  

After class I approached the teacher and said, "I just want you to know that I disagree with what you said about there not being a right and a wrong because there is a right and wrong." I then said something about how parents have the duty to teach their children so that when they leave the house they can make good choices.  (I know that some children still leave home after being taught well and have to test the waters and make poor choices- there are always those exceptions).  

I felt like I had to say something to her because by not saying anything I felt like I was agreeing her.  So when I later came across the quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I felt like it was an answer to my dilemma. I made the right choice - I had to say something and I had to take a stand.

Test Run: Lime Coconut Cheesecake

I like trying new recipes (you have probably already guessed that by now), especially desserts.  But since we don't have dessert everyday like the lucky Richael family (Olivia wants to join their family - she loves her desserts, too), it is a rarer treat.

I was so happy that this turned out.  Jody said it was a keeper, so it passed the taste test!  The photo above comes from Our Best Bites.   Mine probably tasted the same, but I didn't do the fancy piping around the edges.  I like things easy, plus who likes extra dishes?  The recipe is posted here with a link to its original source for great step-by-step instructions and photos.

Cousin Haylie's Wall Collage - Adorable!

I saw this on Haylie's blog and love it!  I had to share it with all of you.  She shares her tips in how to make a wall collage without spending a lot of money.  Click here for her post.

Haylie, Where did you get the cute R?

I like how she arranges it like this on her wall before actually hammering the nails.  Smart idea - at this point it is totally easy to rearrange and get everything perfect.

Menu Monday

I didn't make it through my whole menu last week so I carried over two meals that we will have this week! 

Monday - Hawaiian Haystacks (this might be a Monday regular - it's easy and everyone likes it)

Tuesday -  Chicken in Basil Cream, brown rice, veggie, salad

Wednesday - Teriyaki kabobs, three cheese potatoes,

Thursday - Enchilada Casserole (in crockpot) from my new Slow Cooker Cook Book by the Mormon Pantry.  I won it Saturday at Seagull Book! and ?

Friday - Stuffed pizza rolls, veggie, smoothie

Saturday - Costa Vida Salads (made at home)

Sunday - Missionaries for dinner -fajitas, enchiladas, homemade salsa with chips, Mexican rice, dessert

Breakfasts:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins (didn't make these yet)

Potato Latkes

Texan Cinnamon Rolls

Eggs Benedict with Blender Hollandaise sauce (for Sunday morning)

Peace in the Bathroom

 

Sunday morning as we were all getting ready for church, Vivian made a cute comment from  the bathroom.  She yelled out, "I kind of like going the bathroom because it's quiet and people can't tell you what to do."

She is learning that sometimes you take the peace and quiet wherever you can get it!

Grandpa and Pizza

I got a call from my brother, Chad, Wednesday late afternoon.  He was giving me heads up that Dad was on his way here.  One thing about my Dad is that he doesn't usually give us more two or three hours notice before he arrives.  He is Mr. Spontaneous!  Luckily on this day, I had everything in order.

He bought pizza for everyone and we had everyone come over to hang out (whew, one day I didn't have to make dinner).  They all love Grandpa.  Some of them even tried to beat Grandpa at Monopoly Deal - a fun, fast game.

Dad, thanks for stopping by!

Soccer Season in full Swing

On the weekends (Fridays and Saturdays) you can find us at the soccer fields!  Corbin has been refereeing three games each weekend along with playing one with his team in the U19 league.  Porter also has a weekly game in the U13 League.  Both of them are playing hard and hustling after the ball.    

This weekend Olivia found a worm on her chair.  She played with it the rest of the game - which totally freaked Vivian out!  

Carnival Fun

Last weekend we enjoyed the school carnival and concert.  The kids had a great time deciding what games or snacks to purchase with their tickets.  Here is Vivian buying another snack, Olivia displaying her bag of cotton candy (which she later decided she doesn't love because it is too much sugar) and Porter with his two small flags that he won after completing an obstacle course in under 30 seconds.

I used all my tickets on food, including nachos, a yummy caramel apple with M&M's, a rice crispy treat (for later), and a mini chocolate cupcake.

Take a look at that pinata shown above.  It is actually a cake that is totally suspended like a real pinata - it was so cool.

I Want to Hold Your Hand

We  (us in-town-siblings with spouses and children) got together at Tisha and David's place tonight for our first youtube party.  Everyone submitted their favorite youtube videos and then we had a viewing party complete with lots of appetizers - yum!  It was a lot of fun.  The one above was found by Tisha.

        

The Forgotten Man

The Forgotten Man painted by Jon McNaughton

Thank you Angie for sharing this video with me.  I realized that Jon McNaughton was the artist that painted, "One Nation Under God".  It seems like many people that normally are quiet and keep to themselves are realizing that it is time to make a stand.  I realized that in the past two years, I have also become one of those people.  I am finding my voice.

Here is an article that I found about this painting.  Click here to be linked to the article that has a short video with the painter.

Couple More Crafts - Which One?

This is a Christmas countdown chalkboard that I saw at Craft Warehouse. It looks fun, cute and festive.

I found this idea on www.splitcoaststampers.com. It is hot cocoa with chocolate and marshmallows on top. Here is a link for the instructions.

Here is a better picture of the hot chocolate cone.

Okay I need a vote.
Which one would you choose to make if you had the choice - the mini chalkboard countdown or the hot chocolate cone?
Please leave me feedback.

Menu Monday & Order

(photos taken from Our Best Bites and Bing)

Lately we have been talking about building our next home. Then one day out of the blue Corbin said, "Will our next home be more organized?"

How do I answer that? Of course, I want a home or order and sometimes I am lacking in this area, especially in the garage and my bedroom. So today I decided to attack this "lack of order" and put some of it back into our lives. I tackled the laundry, counter piles, odds and ends, my bathroom, along with a menu!


Monday - Hawaiian Haystacks

Tuesday - Fettucine Carbonara, veggie, Rosemary bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Wednesday - Teriyaki kabobs, three cheese potatoes,

Thursday - Stuffed pizza rolls, veggie, smoothie

Friday - Chipotle Chili, rolls, veggie tray

Saturday- leftovers

Sunday - Roast Beef, potatoes,& carrots in crock-pot with gravy, bread-maker bread, salad

This year since I have two children leaving early for the bus, I have made more of an effort to have breakfast ready by 6:00am! That means I'm up by 5:30 - I know it's early. The key for me is to get to bed at a decent time and think ahead.

Breakfasts:
Cereal
Breakfast pizza
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins
Fruit smoothies (made with whatever fruit I have on hand - lately they have been strawberry peach smoothies)
Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup

Endowed by Their Creator

(Taken from The Blaze):

Two days before the country was set to celebrate Constitution Day, President Obama decided to invoke the words of another founding document: the Declaration of Independence. Except he changed the words.

Towards the end of a speech on September 15 to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Obama began quoting the famous “rights” line from the founding document. But partway through, he omitted where those rights come from: a Creator.

The line is supposed to read: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

But Obama’s recitation left out an important part: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are crated equal. [Long Pause] Endowed with certain inalienable [sic] rights: life and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

As the American Thinker points out, it could well be that Obama intentionally ignored his teleprompter:

After President Obama says “created equal..”, there is a long pause during which he scowls and blinks several times. For once, he may actually have opted to not read something that was on the teleprompter. It looks like he is disgusted and decided it would be better not to read what the [Declaration] actually says.

So, did he just forget the words, maybe couldn’t see the lines, or did he leave them out intentionally? You decide:

From Tiff: President Obama said "what makes us all Americans...was faith and fidelity to the shared values that we all hold so dear." Yes, and those values that we hold so dear are endowed by our Creator. Isn't is so easy to determine who a person is by their fruit, or their works?

The Ten Virgins

I had some down Friday evening so I sat at the piano with my songbook of The Ten Virgins by Emily Freeman. At the end of May I posted a lot of information that I had gathered about the ten virgins for a presentation that I gave to our ward about being prepared - click here to see that post. My point was that if we are first spiritually prepared then we will have the desire and necessary faith to be obedient to the specific counsel of setting aside our home food storage and emergency supplies.

(sold online or at your local Desert Book)

The song book helps "rediscover the parable of the Ten Virgins with an enthralling presentation that provides a personal, latter-day perspective to the classic New Testament story. Beautiful words and music give an identity and an individual story to each of the Ten Virgins. Each possesses a positive quality or virtue that could be wisely developed. But as their stories unfold, the struggles of their daily lives present each woman with choices that determine her path.

Will she prepare herself with lamps trimmed and burning when the Bridegroom comes? Or will she procrastinate and find herself left outside and alone?"

I found on youtube most of the songs performed and recorded so you can watch it song by song (when it is performed there is also written script for the ten virgins so it's like a musical play production). The following youtube video links are from a performance of the Ten Virgins Fireside presented by the Templeview Stake, Hamilton, New Zealand in Sept 2009 .

The Shopkeeper on the Hill - This is the song that caught my attention tonight. I think of my own carefully crafted lamp and my need/desire to frequently return to Him to keep my lamp full. This song is powerful and so touching, listen carefully to the words.

What I Need (Eliana's song)

Nothing Matter's More (Ashira's song)

Until (Dina's song)

Easy to Forget (Nava's song)

More (Gabriell & Adi's song)

Time Goes By (Liraz's song)

Magnificent Work of Art (Malka's song)

Lantern Light (Leora's song)

Only One (Jessa's song)

The Coming of the Bridegroom

When He Comes for Me

Constitution Day

The following article was posted on The Blaze today.

It started as “I Am An American Day” back in 1940. But over the years, it has evolved into what we call it today: Constitution Day.

The day commemorates the signing of the Constitution, which took place on September 17, 1787. In 2007, the late Sen. Robert Byrd pushed Congress to pass a law designating September 17 as “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.”

In addition to the official holiday, federal employers as well as colleges and universities that receive federal funds must recognize it:

• The head of every federal agency must provide each employee with “educational and training materials” concerning the Constitution;

• “Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program” on the Constitution on Sept. 17 each year.

The Washington Post has provided some links for ways to celebrate the day and the document:

If you feel left out of the celebration, the National Archives will let you in on the party with instructions for the Constitution Game, brush up on the Who’s Who of Constitution signers, and learn what the game Monopoly has to do with the Constitution.

One group in Ohio is celebrating at their town square, after originally being denied the opportunity by the city.

Most importantly, you can read the founding document here (in high resolution from the National Archives).

Picture that I took of the National Archives.

Tonya and I visited the National Archives on August 17th, 2010. We waited in line a long time to enter this room. I grabbed this picture off the internet because no photography is allowed anymore. What an amazing place to be, viewing our own American history. The rotunda is an especially sacred place for me.

Click the individual mural links below to see who is who.

Declaration Mural - click here Constitution Mural - click here

Check out the website www.archives.gov for lots of great information.

It's Time to Harvest

Porter watered the garden boxes all summer. He thought more water was better, but I was thankful because I don't like the daily watering business. As of recently, Porter and Vivian traded chores. So now he unloads her silverware and she waters the garden - it works for me.

She has been hounding me that we need to harvest! So I finally followed her out to the boxes to find these treasures. There are green tomatoes waiting to ripen and a few more zucchini that are growing. We did enjoy peas earlier in the season. I hope that one of these years that I get the gardening bug so that I actually enjoy it.

Restoring Honor: 8/28 the Documentary

On Wednesday September 29th at 7pm, Insider Extreme will premiere “Restoring Honor: 8/28 the Documentary.” This full length documentary is an exclusive inside look at the making of the 8-28 Rally. From the time Glenn arrived in Washington DC to the time he took the stage our cameras were rolling. You will not believe what went on behind the scenes. Check out the brand new trailer above. Not an Insider Extreme member? You are not going to want to miss this documentary - learn more about the Insider Extreme or sign up HERE. (From Tiff: I love my Extreme membership - you can't go wrong with this!)

Click here to watch the documentary trailer.

I am excited to see this because I WAS THERE!

Tonya and I made our way to the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday evening to check out the area and the Restoring Honor stage. Many others gathered and hung around here as they tried to take in the beautiful scenery while visualizing what was to come on 8/28.

It was thrilling to see the stage and know that we were going to be part of something big, something based in truth, and something that will change our country.

While we were admiring the set-up we were able to get up close to David Barton. He is the Founder and President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America's forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious and constitutional heritage. Click here for more information about him.

Looking out from the Lincoln Memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial

The World War II Monument at night.

As we came to the Washington Monument we noticed that there was a concert with the United States Marine Band. We sat down and enjoyed a few songs before calling it a full and exhausting first day.

Founded in 1798 by an Act of Congress, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization. Today, “The President’s Own” is celebrated for its role at the White House and its dynamic public performances. “The President’s Own” encompasses the United States Marine Band, Marine Chamber Orchestra, and Marine Chamber Ensembles, and performs regularly at the White House and for more than 500 public performances across the nation each year.

The Washington Monument at night just prior to us catching the metro home. (I laid down on the grass to capture this photo!)

The Old Mower Dies after a Long Hard Life

A few weeks ago as I was mowing the lawn, one of the front wheels just fell off! I had completed the front yard and had 2/3 of the backyard left. What should I do? The grass was long and overdue so I made the decision to finish mowing. It took all my strength to counter balance the mower as I pushed it back and forth. This mower is extremely laborious when it is working correctly, so just imagine my predicament.

Later Paul repaired the wheel and the body several times before we finally broke down and bought a brand-new mower. The old mower was a purchase from a garage sale 10 years ago.


Here is a picture of happy Porter and the new mower. He has mowed the lawn several times this summer with our terrible non-propelled workout mower. This new self propelled mower makes mowing enjoyable and a breeze. I just have to be sure to hang on tight because it wants to take me for a ride. It is almost zero effort compared to the beast before. This morning I almost mowed the whole front yard in 15 minutes without one bead of sweat - truly miraculous! We should have bought a mower like this years ago.

DIY University at Relief Society

(I tried taking a picture of the handout.)

Emily did a great job demonstrating a boys haircut on her son and a quick trim on her husband - they were both good sports. It was very helpful. I realized that I know many of the tips that she was teaching! I don't particularly enjoy cutting my boys hair because I'm a little slow and I need a new pair of scissors.

Dianne taught a segment on floral arranging with useful tips. I came home from last night to find some fresh flowers in a vase by my bathroom sink with a nice note from Paul. They were the exact same flowers that Dianne use to demonstrate a quick arrangement. So I told Paul watch this and I put my skills to work!


Andrea taught us how to make a fitted skirt pattern (or A-line skirt) from our own measurements. She went through the process step by step. It actually seems manageable - I may surprise you by pulling out my sewing machine!
(I took a picture of Andrea's handout.)



Lisa shared her creative talents with us. She is amazing at upcycling thrift store finds into personal gifts and treasures. I wish I had taken my camera to capture some of her projects. She is big into felting sweaters or any natural fiber and then using that fabric to make purses, flower clips, arm warmers, etc. You name it she has saved it for a future project.

Tausha shared nutritious facts and information to help us pack nutritious cold lunches for our children. She bakes all of her own sandwich bread which is pretty amazing. I just learned that Rebecca, Tonya's sister-in-law, bakes her bread in the large V8 juice cans so she can bake eight loaves at once in her oven. She also likes this method because it makes a softer crust. Her kids call it "circle bread."

Tausha shared this zucchini cupcake recipe with us, click here. We enjoyed these along with hummus (that I made from scratch - I even started with dried garbanzo beans and cooked them in my pressure cooker), pita chips and veggies. Click here for the hummus recipe. I made two flavors, one regular and one with the roasted red pepper.

Dinner on the Grill & in the Pressure Cooker

We grilled kabobs and corn on the cob. Delicious! Check here for the kabob recipe.

I love this recipe, Potato Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette (click here), that comes from the cookbook, Pressure Perfect, written by Lorna Sass.

It tastes wonderful and it's an easy last minute dish that I can throw in the pressure cooker. I am still experimenting with this new kitchen appliance. I found that Lorna Sass has a great website with a wealth of information about this way of cooking. It's easy, fast, and healthy.

Here is her blog with tips, videos and recipes.

Here is her website.

Trip to McCall

 

We just returned from a two-night retreat with other couples from Allegis Financial Partners. Some couples are from our area and many others are from Utah. The company took care of the housing, the meals, and the activities - it was nice just to show up! This was actually my first overnight stay in McCall. We have driven through McCall many times on our way up to Northern Idaho while Paul was attending the U of I.

The small beach front is beautiful - the kids would love building sand castles if the weather was warmer. This particular weekend, it was very chilly. A few of the guys were brave enough to tube and wakeboard behind a boat. The water was absolutely freezing -- I'm talking about the 50's! On our way home, we grabbed a Subway sandwich and took a drive up to Tamarack. Hopefully, this resort gets funding so it can be re-opened. We drove around the resort to see the homes nestled among the trees. There is one huge resort building that is open for lodging. It is gorgeous. Someday the area will be thriving again. Many people made it possible for us to get away. Thank you so much!

Here is the little three bedroom cabin where we stayed with two other couples the first night and all alone the second. It had everything we needed and was nice and cozy. Last night we went with some other couples to "My Father's Place" for milkshakes. That is when I noticed this sign advertising the French doughnuts called Beignets that they serve each morning. It was too tempting, so I had to try them on our way out of town. Yum!