A Change of Direction . . .

Are you missing something in your life?

In need of a change in direction?

Looking for something to uplift and edify?

May I suggest the following:

Witness how the Savior gave—and continues to give—all a reason to be eternally grateful for the gift of His life.

Discover new ways to share and enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.

As you fill your home with decorations, food, friends, and family, fill it with uplifting Christmas music as well. Download this beautiful free Christmas music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and then share it with others!

Watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional 

from the comfort of your home - 

The First Presidency invites Church members and others to view the satellite broadcast of the annual Christmas devotional, which will originate from the Conference Center on Sunday, December 2, 2012, at 6:00 p.m. mountain standard time.

This devotional will include Christmas messages from the First Presidency and music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square.

Request a free copy of

The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is a record of God's dealings with the inhabitants of ancient America (Learn more about the Book of Mormon ).

Seek more information by

Meeting with the Missionaries

It's up to you, no pressure, no hype

all guaranteed to inspire and uplift

and provide that change

in your life . . . if you're looking.

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It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year . . .

¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ It's that holiday season . . .

It's the most wonderful time . . . of the year . . .

Happy Holiday . . . ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Happy Holly - days . . .♥ྀღ La La La!...♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥

How ever you phrase it (or sing it!) it's coming right up and tonight was one of my most favorite nights of the year . . .  can you guess where we have been?

Here's a few cell phone photos clues . . . once again the only camera I had with me :)





Did you guess the Opening night for Festival of Trees?

Of course they had the usual BYU trees, and the UofU trees, the Real Soccer Trees and the Jazz tree. But some of my favorite trees were the very creative trees . . .

Like the missionary tree . . .



(very clever!)


The pretty in pink tree -




For Kelsie -

It's the holiday season And Santa Claus has got a toy For every good girl and good little boy He's a great big bundle of joy He'll be coming down the chimney, down Coming down the chimney, down *´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ I'm feelin' that Holiday spirit - how about you?

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The Christmas Tree . . . a little different this year

Our Christmas Tree . . . well it's a little different this year!  Always and forever we have been the fans of large, tall Christmas trees.  They usually take us all night to decorate and mounds and mounds of Christmas lights and ornaments.

This year is a little different.  We have a corner for the Christmas tree . . . not really even a space, but a corner . . . we knew we had to find something this year (and for always really) that wasn't quite the spectacular tree of Christmas's past.

And we found the perfect tree!  I'm sure everyone always thinks they selected THE perfect tree.  But we really do like it :)  It was decorated with 4 strands of lights (although I did throw away like 4 strands of lights after trying to get them to work for like 5 minutes!) ((YEP! Into the garbage they went after being inspired by this HOUZZ ideabook "How to Light Your Christmas Tree Like a Pro" :))

And I could furnish a room with ornaments that we did not use :)

It's just one more example in my life of how simplification has been a blessing to us . . . I love it more and more every day.








Now . . .

If I can just "simplify" the rest of our Christmas plans . . .  that is always the challenge . . .



Backup for a minute here . . .

I have some fun family photos of our Thanksgiving - it was the Klein family Thanksgiving this year and we all had a wonderful dinner at the home of Norm's brother and his wife.  We missed spending the day with all our children - but loved the camaraderie of Klein family games, good food and best of all, the selection of Grandma Klein's pies!  I think there were at least 10ish!






And here we are . . .

In the midst of the holiday season - it's truly upon us :)

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To Cultivate an Attitude . . .

THIS inspired me today . . .

So I'm going to share,  in it's entirety . . .

Thanksgiving a Time to Find Gratitude Amid Difficulty

Most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints live outside of the United States and will not celebrate the traditional American holiday of Thanksgiving. Members in Canada celebrate Thanksgiving in October, and other celebrations of gratitude occur around the world at different times. American members will participate this week, but throughout the year, Church members worldwide express gratitude for God’s blessings in personal and family prayer.

Many across the nation and world, including members of the Church, currently face weighty challenges in their lives. In difficult periods of the past, leaders have recognized the collective need to give thanks amid turmoil and to turn to God.

Following the Revolutionary War and ratification of the United States Constitution, President George Washington issued a proclamation designating Thursday, 26 November 1789, as an official holiday of “sincere and humble thanks” for God’s “care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation.” In October 1863, in the midst of a bloody civil war, President Abraham Lincoln made the traditional Thanksgiving celebration a nationwide holiday to be commemorated each year on the fourth Thursday of November.





Lincoln’s proclamation enumerated the blessings of the country, then urged that those blessings “be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people.” He recommended that Americans “fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation.”

As Thanksgiving approaches, we have a similar need to reflect on the good despite difficulty and division. Many on the East Coast of the United States are facing challenging times as they work to rebuild their homes and lives after Hurricane Sandy. They have a long, uphill battle ahead, and our thoughts and prayers are with them in this effort.

As Presidents Washington and Lincoln expressed, reflecting on our blessings when times are trying can help change our perspective on life’s challenges. Prophet and Church President Thomas S. Monson said:

“While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. ... Our lives are blessed in countless ways. …

“… [The] things which provide deep and lasting happiness and gratitude are the things which money cannot buy: our families, the gospel, good friends, our health, our abilities, the love we receive from those around us. Unfortunately, these are some of the things we allow ourselves to take for granted. …

“When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given.”

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/the-divine-gift-of-gratitude?lang=eng

In October, President Monson encouraged listeners of the Church’s general conference to watch over those around them and assist in times of need.

“May we willingly serve one another. May we pray for the inspiration to know of the needs of those around us, and then may we go forward and provide assistance.

“… Difficulties come into our lives, problems we do not anticipate and which we would never choose. None of us is immune. The purpose of mortality is to learn and to grow to be more like our Father, and it is often during the difficult times that we learn the most, as painful as the lessons may be. Our lives can also be filled with joy as we follow the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/god-be-with-you-till-we-meet-again

We hope that all people will see this Thanksgiving holiday as a time to express gratitude and to serve those around them.
(The NEWSROOM / blog)

 I know I have been so blessed in my life . . . I'm grateful for the family that surrounds me even though they are far from home.  Grateful for a husband who understands me and loves me in spite of myself. Grateful for a body that allows me to work hard, to serve others, to enjoy the blessings of a beautiful world all around me.  Grateful to live in a most beautiful place and enjoy the creations of a loving Father on a daily basis.  Grateful for a knowledge of where we came from in an eternal perspective, why we are here on the earth at this time, and what will happen to us when we depart from this life.  I know these things, I'm grateful that I do and grateful for the witness of the Spirit in my life on a daily basis to remind me frequently, how blessed I am.

What are YOU thankful for?

There . . . now enjoy the day!

~~xoxoxo~~

ME

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The Last Leaves of the Year . . .

This last month has flown by . . .

It's been simply amazing to have visited with each of our four children this last month . . . so blessed! It's a rare occasion when that happens.  And we have many photos to catch up with these fun events.

Here's the photo reviews . . .

From Halloween in Ohio . . . with the Donovan's























And . . .
In other Ohio adventures . . .

(I'm so happy these cell phone photos turned out so well!)


















And then . . . It was off to Denver for a couple days with Cory & Sara and a visit to the Denver Aquarium



I'm amazed we ended up with some pretty good photos! The lighting in the aquarium was so dim . . . but I'm happy they turned out as well as they did!

As you can see . . . We were all fascinated by the amazing creatures from the deep, especially Jonathan baby cakes! And now . . . It's back home again home again . . . Jiggity Jig!

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And in the Aftermath of the Storm . . .

Wow . . .

This makes me so sad, and so grateful at the same time . . .

If interested . . .

You can donate here
LDS Philanthropies


Hurricane Sandy Helping Hands from Joshua Brown on Vimeo.

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And in the After math of the Election . . .

We might not have won the election . . . but I'm not ready to give up on America just yet . . .

For instance today . . . I'm enjoying this!

Have to share these . . .

They are making my day . . .

The Mormonizing of America - Stephen Mansfield
as reviewed by the Huffington Post
(not often you'll see me link anything from HuffPost - usually they are a bit to liberal for my taste . . .  but I must admit - I WAS impressed!)

"What most commentators did not understand was that their "Mormon Moment" was more than a moment, more than an accident, and more than a matter of pop culture and fame alone. The reality was--and is--that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has reached critical mass. It is not simply that a startling number of Mormons have found their way onto America's flat-screen TVs and so brought visibility to their religion. It is that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints has reached sufficient numbers--and has so permeated every level of American society on the strength of its religious value--that prominent politicians, authors, athletes, actors, newscasters, and even murderers are the natural result, in some cases even the intended result. Visible, influential Mormons aren't outliers or exceptions. They are fruit of the organic growth of their religion."

And for your

INTERMISSION

entertainment

returning to programming . . .

I'm heading to Amazon to buy the guy's book -

(go on CLICK the play button - you know you wanna!)

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A few Major events . . .

What a week this has been . . . in spite of the election, I'm not going to be posting any political comments at this point . . .  but they will be coming . . . I'm still trying to formulate them (frazzle frazzle).

But we have had some major events going on around here!

Dustin arrived from Raleigh NC for a visit - and we had 4 whole days together and it was a jam packed 4 days.  Unfortunately, my best camera is in the shop and I'm reserving my next best (ooops! going against my thought of they best camera is the one you have with you . . . but just for the moment) for business only as I can't afford to have another one need work at this moment.

So it's cell phone photos or nothing . . .

Hmm . . . let me think . . . what did we do?

We went out to eat . . .

We went out to eat . . .

Actually, we went out to eat a lot!  Dustin was anxious to try some of the favorite Utah restaurants not available in Raleigh NC.

One thing we did is meet the Grandparents in Cedar City when we went out to eat in Cedar City.  Actually we drove all the way there to have lunch with them . . . then drove all the way back home again!

In fact we discovered a great pizza place on Center Street - 

Centro Woodfired Pizzeria

I highly recommend it! Amongst other things, we had Arugula Pizza - now that's an experience!

Kelsie - arrived home from the college scene on Friday to spend the weekend with us, so it was wonderful to have my oldest and my youngest in the same place at the same time.  It doesn't happen very often.  

We traveled to downtown Salt Lake City to see the new City Creek Center - 

and we WENT OUT TO EAT

at our favorite place on Main Street - 

Lamb's Grill

The ambiance is amazing . . . . white table cloths, candlelight, great food, reasonable prices.  

AND

we played 

Settler's of Catan

We couldn't wait for a great competitive game night!  And much to everyones amazement - I actually won the second game!  Finally got MY name in the box!

Sadly we had to put him back on the plane - just in time to get back home for the elections.

We love you Dustin - thanks for coming to stay - we'll keep the bed warm for you :)

((hugs))

ME

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Easily Donate to Storm Sandy Victims

Sharing from the amazing . . .

and "Well - Behaved Mormon Woman"

For those who would like to donate to the disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Sandy,LDS Philanthropies, the officialhumanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) have created a widget that allows you to do just that!



There are two widget designs to choose from that you can place on your blog or website. If you do not have either you can share the link to this blog post or you can cut and past the following link and share it on any social network or via email: http://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/humanitarian-services/

You can get codes for both the large widget (pictured above) or the tall widget (live on my right-hand sidebar) HERE.

You can also share the LDS Sandy Relief Effort widget page directly to Facebook, right now, HERE.

LDS Newsroom:

Church Issues Statement on Sandy: Local Mormons Stand Ready to Assist in Aftermath

Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by post-tropical storm Sandy. Local Church leaders along the eastern coast of the United States have made preparations for the storm. Church representatives are in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), The American Red Cross, Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and other relief agencies to coordinate response efforts. Forty-two LDS volunteers are supporting Red Cross shelter operations in New Jersey and neighboring areas. The Church is working closely with the Red Cross to identify additional shelter locations if needed. 

The Church stands ready to assist affected communities. Emergency Response resources have been pre-positioned in Bishops Storehouses in the area. These resources include items such as food, water, blankets, hygiene supplies, tarps, cleaning supplies, chain saws and shovels. 

Local Church leaders will make assessments in the coming days and coordinate with response partners to determine further relief efforts. 

Mission presidents have taken precautions to protect the safety and well-being of missionaries.

Humanitarian Aid and Welfare Services Basics: How Donations and Resources Are Us

"As disciples of Jesus Christ, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints endeavor to follow the Savior’s admonition to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked and visit the sick and those in prison (see Matthew 25:35–36).[ii] Through the efforts of individuals, families and Church programs, temporal and spiritual assistance has been given to millions in need."

Whatever you can give, no matter how small, will help in the disaster relief efforts of those affected by Hurricane Sandy. In times like this, when I feel that my own contribution, to such a large disaster, is only a drop in the bucket I am reminded of the Lord's teaching, that by many small acts come that which is miraculous -- and I'm certain that many people are in need of a miracle right now. One-by-one we can make a difference.

tDMg
Kathryn Skaggs

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