Swimming, Shakes, and more Shakes

Swimming for FHE at our local pool with friends and cousins.  The girls had fun jumping off the diving boards and the boys hung out with cousins!

Afterwards we enjoyed shakes at Sonic - half price after 8pm!

Shakes two days in a row!  My favorite shakes are at Arctic Circle (they are half price every day from 3-5 pm at one location here).

At the Temple with Family & Friends

Those that came included:  Cousin Clay and triplets (Brigham, Cooper, Isabelle along with two girl friends), Craig along with Emily and Allie (and one friend), Tisha & David, Chad & Braden, my mom, Corbin, Porter, Paul, and me.

Last Saturday we were able to reserve a time at the temple to do baptisms for the dead.  Porter had found 160 family names that needed this work done.  I was thrilled to have so much support from family and friends.  It took all of us to get this done!  The girls (10 of us) each performed eight baptisms while the boys (5 of them) each did 16!  Holy Cow!  I learned that next time we will need a few more boys and a few more men to make it run more efficiently.

But who can complain about being in the temple.  It was a wonderful evening.  For the very first time, my brother, Chad baptized Mom, Tisha, and me.  I gave Chad the experience that he will never forget.  For some reason, I was creating huge splashes in the font and making quite a scene - it was probably the cause of my bloody nose (which started after I got out of the water).  My new nickname is "Splash".  Maybe next time I can perform it with more grace.

After performing this work, I revisited the talk from Elder Richard G. Scott's titled, The Joy of Redeeming the Dead from the Oct. 2012 General Conference. It is a powerful talk that I encourage you all to read again.  In there many phrases stood out to me.  

"In an epistle written over 150 years ago, Joseph Smith stated: “The Saints have the privilege of being baptized for … their relatives who are dead … who have received the Gospel in the spirit, through … those who have been commissioned to preach to them.” Later he added, “Those Saints who neglect it in behalf of their deceased relatives, do it at the peril of their own salvation".

He talks about temple and family history being one work with two parts.  And that blessings come from doing each part of the equation.  Then he emphasizes that "there are some members who engage in temple work but fail to do family history research on their own family lines. Although they perform a divine service in assisting others, they lose a blessing by not seeking their own kindred dead as divinely directed by latter-day prophets. …

“I have learned that those who engage in family history research and then perform the temple ordinance work for those whose names they have found will know the additional joy of receiving both halves of the blessing.

Any work you do in the temple is time well spent, but receiving ordinances vicariously for one of your own ancestors will make the time in the temple more sacred, and even greater blessings will be received. The First Presidency has declared, “Our preeminent obligation is to seek out and identify our own ancestors.”

Do you young people want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your life? Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors, prepare their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to stand as proxy for them to receive the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. As you grow older, you will be able to participate in receiving the other ordinances as well. I can think of no greater protection from the influence of the adversary in your life."

 What a powerful statement!  As a parent, I want to make the temple and family history work the top priority, especially knowing the protection that it provides.  That is more than enough motivation.  

Spring Break Excursion to Grandma's

During the second week of the girls' spring break, we took a trip to Grandma's house and met up with my sister, Tara and her three kiddos (the babies are twins).  We went for a walk along the river (Hal also came with us on this trip) and then we ended at the ice-cream shop!  I enjoyed a black licorice baby cone - my favorite flavor!

After our walk, we grabbed some pizza at Little Caeser's Pizza and took it up to grandma/pa Clark (great grandparents to my children).  We enjoyed a nice visit and lunch together.  The kids had a great weekend playing dress up, making playdough creations, hanging out with Gage, and watching the twins run around the house.  I especially thought it was funny with Jenna tried to swipe my multiple times, she is a little hitter.

Tara and I busied our selves with a little sewing.  I made the girls each a new skirt while Tara made a quilt block creation to be framed.  We also watched four out of five of the new Bible mini-series episodes that recently came out on the History Channel.  I thought they were fabulous.  I am anxious to buy the set, which as big a huge success with selling over 500,000 sets in the first week of being released.

The Entitlement Trap

I am currently reading this book by Richard and Linda Eyre.   I have been conflicted with the idea of giving my children an allowance.  They have been begging for one for years, but I haven't felt good about it (but I did want them to earn money so they could learn to manage their own earnings and learn more fully the law of tithing, from personal experience and sacrifice.  So this book is very timely. I find this quote from the book fascinating:  "Entitlement is a double-edged sword (or double jawed trap) for kids.  One one edge it gives kids all that they don't need--indulgence, dullness, conceit, and laziness; and on the backswing it takes from them everything they do need--motivation, independence, inventiveness, pride, responsibilitiy, and a chance to really work for things and to build their wown sense of fulfillment and self-esteem."

More from the book:

"We give them too much and demand too little of them; and thus we place our children in an environment and a mind-set where a sense of entitlement is the inevitable result."

So what is the solution?  Ownership!

"If the perception of ownership can be given to children, a sense of responsibility will follow (just what I am needing in my home - from Tiff) and a sense of pride, and a sense of purpose."

Thus when they show responsibility, they will want to put forth the needed work to get the desired results which will be the ability to earn and spend their own money.

"True ownership is the antidote to entitlement and the prerequisite to responsibility

I am just beginning chapter 5: Ownership of Their Own Stuff.  I am learning how to put this information to work.  I will keep you updated.

Check out this link for their website about this book and a couple videos from the authors, Richard and Linda Eyre!

Family Time - Let's Pull Together

We decided to make election day a family event with a party and fun!  We enjoyed the great weather outside before enjoying our All-American dinner.  Olivia and Vivian gave a final cheer "Go Mitt" as they rode around outside.  I thought for sure the cat was in the bag and we could have a night of celebration (and maybe a few days to enjoy a sigh of relief).  But the night ended very differently than what I expected and Mitt Romney was not elected for presidency, instead the people chose to re-elect our current leader, President Obama.  Another four years!  For the first time in history two states, Maryland and Maine, voted by the people's vote to honor gay marriage and Colorado and Washington voted to legalize the use of recreational marijuana.  What is America coming to?

It's time to double down and get even more serious about the fight of good versus evil.  I know we are living in the last days before Christ comes.  I have a greater responsibility as a mother to teach and shield my children from the works of darkness.  I will fight until the end.  I will stay strong and true to my values and principles.  I will continue to link arms with family and friends in this great battle.  May we strengthen each other in the great cause of righteousness. ---Tiffani

 

I had fun capturing some memories!

Our Temple is Almost Ready!

From the LDS newsroom:  The First Presidency has announced a public open house beginning Saturday, 13 October and continuing through 10 November 2012, excluding Sundays. Tickets for the free tour are available by visiting www.boisemormontemple.org or by calling 1-855-537-2000.

The temple is located at 1121 South Cole Road in Boise, just north of the I-84 Cole Road exit. Tours, consisting of a 12-minute video presentation followed by a 30-minute walking tour through the temple, will begin at the meetinghouse adjacent to the temple.

Following the public open house, the temple will be formally dedicated on Sunday, 18 November 2012. Three dedicatory sessions will be held, with the services broadcast to Latter-day Saint chapels in the surrounding area to accommodate Church members who are unable to attend in the temple. The dedication will be preceded by a cultural celebration featuring music and dance by the youth of the Church on the evening of Saturday, 17 November.

The Boise Temple is the 27th operating temple of the Church’s 139 temples worldwide. It is one of four temples in Idaho, with others in Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and Rexburg. A fifth temple in Meridian is currently in the planning and approval phase.

The temple closed in July 2011 for an extensive renovation of the grounds and the interior. The temple’s exterior has been replaced with white granite. A new gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni sits atop the temple’s tallest spire. The temple’s interior now features a syringa flower and trees motif, which can be seen in the art glass and decorative painting. Beautiful grained hardwoods from Africa and the United States add warmth and ambience.

 Latter-day Saint temples differ from the meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and their fellowman."

 I am totally on fire about the temple being open for public tours!  The very first day that it opened, we were there!  Then I was able to go with Danielle, my sister-in-law and again with my friend, Kim.  Then I went a fourth time on Saturday with my family (their second time) since we had extended family in town.

 It is absolutely breath taking!

 I can feel the spirit there and I look forward to it's dedication on Nov. 18th.

I am getting excited to return to the temple, I have felt a void of not being able to attend as frequently as I would like. I look forward to making it a weekly commitment again.

The Girls Utah Trip

The girls and I had a great week long trip to Utah to visit family and attend a session of General Conference. Our first stop was Chay and April's home, where the girls played with their cousins (Julia, Kenzie, and Xander) until it got too cold!  Then we were treated to pizza and pumpkin pie!  

Saturday morning came early as we got up and ready to meet everyone at Uncle Larry and Aunt LaDawn's home.  They had an extra parking ticket for me!  Hallelujah!  I didn't have to brave a parking fiasco, instead I was able to park in the special underground parking across the street from the conference center.

We LOVED our experience Saturday morning as we were able to sit up close during the first session of conference.  It was an extra special session because the prophet, Thomas S. Monson made a big announcement about the lowering of missionary ages for young men from 19 to 18 and for young ladies 21 to 19.  An audible "ahhh" was heard in the conference center as this was announced.  Wow!  

After the first session we met with the other family members in attendance ( Keith, Mom, Aunt Sheryl, Uncle Larry, Aunt LaDawn, Aunt Marilyn,Uncle Wade, Aunt Jerilyn, & Uncle Reese - as pictured above) for a boxed lunch with Uncle Larry and Aunt LaDawn on the third floor of the church office building in the Temple Department conference room.  

In this room, there is a world map with all the temples dotting the globe.  On the other side of the room, there are pictures of the temple presidents and when they were called.

The girls and I stayed for the second session of conference, which we watched in the Legacy Theatre of the Joseph Smith Building.  It was awesome to watch it on a giant screen - that is when I saw that the prophet had a cupful of chocolates by his side!  

We walked through temple square.  I always like to stop by the North Visitors Center to see the Christus statue.  What a wonderful spirit dwells there.

 I love this photo!

Tara and Niels were kind enough to let us stay with them four nights!  We loved up the babies and played with Gage.   Dad and Luanne stopped by Monday (after their trip with their Corvette gang) and took us out for lunch.  The kids had a great time playing together.  By the end, Jenna was my friend, which is a rare treat.  Carter was my buddy from the beginning.  

Then we were off to Logan to visit Tami and Jeff's family.  Tami had a full day of activities planned for us because the kids were out of school for parent teacher conferences.  We picked apples at Mike and Kris's house (Jeff's bro.), we had a Wendy's lunch on the grassy hill by the Logan Temple, we then ate ice-cream cones at the Aggie's Creamery, oohed and aahed at the quilt store, My Girl Friend's Quilt Shoppe (owned by Mike and Kris), and went to their little zoo (this has a special place in my heart). 

We actually went to the quilt store twice!  The next visit I bought fabric to make the quilt of the Ghastly family, shown above.  I thought it was so unique that I am going to give it a try some day.  Don't ask me when, though!  I also like the chevron quilt and the cool fabric wrapped tree in the children's play area.

Ice-cream, please!

 I was also able to attend the temple, which is a rare treat (because our temple has been closed for a year).

  The kids had fun eating push up orange pops, making caramel apples, jumping on the trampoline, playing in the sand, and playing the Wii.  Cousin time is great!  We don't want to go home.....plus not to mention all the good meals we were served.  Thank you to my sisters who took such great care of us.

 This is my kind of zoo because it is small, cheap, and interactive.  The kids feed the hungry ducks after we found a few stray dimes in our purses.  We saw an albino raccoon and porcupine, along with many other cool birds and animals.  This colorful pheasant sure loved all the attention.

 Casen and Clayton are anxious to be the first ones in the bus line.  Here they are off to school!  

 Our trip ended with a night at grandma's house.  We stopped by to visit my Clark grandparents and then we had a nice dinner out with grandma.  The girls also squeezed in time to play with the neighborhood dogs that just roam around loose (they can in the country).  Mogi is still loves attention, even though he is very old and hard of hearing.

 We ended the night with the VP debate of Biden vs. Ryan, that was frustrating.

All in all our trip was wonderful, we were able to make more memories with family members and experience General Conference.  I was anxious to get home and reunite with Paul and the boys.  They "survived" their week while we were away.   It ended up that the girls had a fall break, but the boys were still in school.  Maybe next time they can join us.

Happy 4th

We had a great 4th celebrating with friends and family.  We feasted on lots of yummy food:  hot dogs, hamburgers, spicy honey chicken legs, broccoli  salad, watermelon, coleslaw, mini apple pies (made by Vivian and me), cherries, potato salad, chips and Chad's famous guacamole, potato chips, layered red/white/blue jello, Jody's raspberry pie (delicious), a red/white/blue cake, ice-cream and probably more!  The guys had fun shooting guns and playing bocce.  We all had a good time.  The night ended by watching the fireworks over the Speedway.

I am grateful for the United States of America; I'm proud to be an American and thankful for the freedoms we enjoy.

We celebrated 18 years!

Today we celebrated the creation of our family, which began 18 years ago in the Salt Lake Temple.  Two years ago I decided that instead of celebrating our anniversary with just the two of us, that we would make it a family event because it really is what it's all about.

This morning in sacrament meeting I found my first note hidden in the hymn book - Paul is so clever!  I continued finding little notes throughout the day.  Over 18 years ago on Dec 20, 1993, Paul surprised me with another note that he wrote in my scriptures, specifically in Doctrine & Covenants 132 (where it talks about the everlasting covenant of marriage).  He wrote "Will you marry me, Tiffani?" 

We kept it simple this year.

The girls and I made paper flowers to decorate the table!

Paul pulled out some old letters that I wrote to him.  This one dates back to August of 1989.  It was fun reading and sharing them with the kids.  Wow, they were sure funny - we were all shocked at how bold I was in my affection for young Mr. Winward.  We have letters from when I was 15 years old and up (through his mission).

The Movie: Courageous

HONOR BEGINS AT HOME

Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.

While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they’re quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark.

When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God … and to their children?

Filled with action-packed police drama, COURAGEOUS is the fourth film from Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Riveted moviegoers will once again find themselves laughing, crying, and cheering as they are challenged and inspired by everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children.

Protecting the streets is second nature to these men. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That’s courageous.

From Tiff:  This movie was the best that I have seen in a long time.  It is a call for fathers to rise to the occasion and be men of God.  It's a must watch for the whole family.

THE RESOLUTION

I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.

I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.

I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.

I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly.

I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.

I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.

I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.

I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.

I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.

I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.

I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. ---Joshua 24:15

Vivian Drives

 Vivian and Porter ride around the field.  I think Porter is giving her driving lessons! 

I guess she has mastered the lessons, now she is on her own!  Watch out everyone.

Merry Christmas: 2011 Family Newsletter and Photo slideshow

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or Click here for our 2011 photo highlights (courtesy of Smilebox)

Lessons Learned in 2011

Last Christmas, Tiffani asked for chickens and dirt.  After a warm discussion on the definition of nice, followed by leg wrestling and other games of high stamina and skill, Santa acquiesced. 

This Christmas finds our family in a different house, in a new ward, with newfound friends, a more particular definition of nice, and a lifestyle surrounded by dirt and chickens. An acreage is actually a wonderful institution akin to a mental facility or a prison.  Here are some of the lessons we learned this year: 

Lesson 1: The more yard you have, the more work you have.  We now know the meaning of “sweat of thy brow.”  We are no strangers to taming weeds, chain-sawing mighty trees, and sore muscles.

We have also added to our skills. The boys took down a half mile of fence, constructed a new fence around the pasture, and learned how to irrigate with siphon tubes.  The ladies familiarized themselves with chicken whispering, rooster costumes, goat roping, and narrowly escaping the dirtier jobs.  Further lesson: life is not fair. Period.

Since our acreage is not large enough to be called a farm or ranch, we have labeled it our Acres of Fun.  At times, the children appear fooled or at least mildly confused.

Lesson 2: A Mini Cooper is not to be confused with a Rig, as it does not pull stumps or haul hogs. Calling it a Rig in the presence of persons driving a Rig almost always meets with disapproval.  Case in point, the first stump that Paul tried to pull out with the Cooper ended up besting the blue machine.  Turns out that it has a pulling capacity of -3.  It actually drives the stump deeper into the ground and digs holes in the lawn.  The non-Rig is also a useless tool if you are hankering to load hay, drive across a pasture, or clear snow.  A minivan, on the other hand, is adaptable for most of the above purposes.  Not ideal, but adaptable with a little help from “How To” Google searches. 

Lesson 3: When you move away from a neighborhood or city, you must drive more if you want to participate in activities.  While the Cooper is not much for pulling stumps or hauling hogs, it gets good gas mileage.  This came in handy with Paul fulfilling duties with the young men in the ward, Corbin’s cross country and tennis events, Olivia and Vivian going back and forth to dance class and recitals, and Porter playing soccer.  The versatile van (miniRig) was useful for Tiffani’s daily trips to the gym and her Relief Society duties.

Lesson 4:  Pigs are strong, messy creatures that have no business in a passenger vehicle.  The cloven-hooved Red Berkshires arrived in May, courtesy of a local farmer.  On the day in question, Corbin and Paul pulled up to the pig factory in the versatile minivan (purportedly Corbin’s idea).  The confused dealer of hogs asked what the city boys were going to use to haul the pigs.  Rubbermaid totes were produced from the rear of the van with a smile.  A subsequent smile appeared on the farmer’s face, for a variety of other reasons.  In response to the farmer’s smile, the lids for the totes and a disjointed explanation came forth, followed by the farmer’s raised eyebrows and larger, knowing smile.  

After a blur of activity that is still debated and under review, the ride home commenced.  Unbeknownst to Paul and Corbin, these particularly sensitive pigs did not enjoy leisurely rides while stacked one on top of another in Rubbermaid totes  -- or any brand totes, for that matter.  The less fortunate animal (dubbed Bacon) ended up in the bottom bunk while the larger, toothier brute (aka Ham) engaged in mortal combat with Corbin.   With a tear in his eye and one hand over his nose, Paul gazed fondly in the rearview mirror as Corbin crossed from boy to man.  Corbin grew wiser that day as he discovered that hymns, the birthday song, and furtive neck massages do not calm wild-eyed, bucking swine.  Similarly ineffective are full-nelsons, various unnamed wrestling positions, or unintelligible bursts of yelling.  Corbin may say otherwise, but you just can’t divine that information in any other manner.

After the fray, it was intuited that the clever creatures can spray their digested matter out of confined areas when provoked.  Although the male members of our family observed this fact with objective and scientific minds, the female members (the tallest one, especially) were not as clinical or welcome to new knowledge.  Warm water and soap were quickly produced and most of the evidence was removed. The remainder of the residue mimics food splatters and is only noticeable when delightfully pointed out to guests by the two youngest Winwards.

Curiously, the receipt for the pigs was labeled “2 wieners” rather than “2 weaners.”  We are under strong suspicion that the farmer listed the new owners on the receipt, and not the newly-weaned pigs.  

In closing, those are a few of the gems from 2011.  Through it all, we have learned the value of working together as a family and taming the previously untamed.  At worst, these are valuable lessons for parenthood.  At best, we plan to be on speaking terms after the children are grown and gone.   We highly recommend it for anyone who has too much spare time or if you feel like your hands are too soft.   

Merry Christmas, friends and family.  We love you and welcome a visit anytime.  You are particularly welcome if you bring a shovel and gloves.

Love,

Paul (oldest), Tiffani (forever young), Corbin (15), Porter (12), Olivia (10), Vivian (7)

After Thanksgiving

After a day of good food, came the work!  The guys dug two holes for our new pear trees.

 

They also cut down several big cottonwood trees.  Yes, that is Paul in the tree...he climbed even higher! We still have a lot of clean up from all their tree cutting fun.

 You can see how tall the last couple trees really are!

 Paul built a "thing" that holds the hay for the goats.  They all love him for it.  The flash made their eyes look weird.

 Lots of leaves to rake up!  Go Olivia!

 I caught Porter working, too!  He really wasn't sleeping on the job.  In fact after we raked (a lot), he got the smaller push mower and bagged up the grass and remaining leaves.

 

Vivian works hard, too!

 Here we are gathered Friday night for dinner and fun with cousins and grandparents.

 

 David and Tisha taught us how to play the game, Betrayal at House on the Hill.   It is an interesting game with new twists and turns each time you play.

 I thought this was a cute picture of Abby looking at the computer -they were being introduced to Webkinz.  She looks comfortable! 

 Olivia and Logan draw Pokemon characters, I loved watching them be creative!

Are they glued?