Family Matters Most

     I have hesitated  to share about our sweet family on this blog, because they are most precious to me. But, I have now decided that sharing the most important part of our lives may help or inspire someone else in some small way. Where do I start?  How do I tell others that my faith & my family mean everything to me?  I believe that families are forever and that forming happy families is the most important work on Earth.  I believe that investing the time and energy in our families makes happy families, good communities, and a great nation.  So, I will begin right where we are:

     In the past week, our son, Kacey has graduated from high school (Summa Cum Laude) in our little town of Chipley, FL, graduated from Early Morning Seminary (4 years of high school religion class which meets an hour before school begins each week day), and today he received his mission call from our church.  He will be serving in the Managua North, Nicaraguan mission for two years.  We are all so excited for him! He will be sharing with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ. He will be a great missionary! He begins his mission on  August 22nd.  We are so very thankful for all five of our beautiful children, Mandi, Mitzi, Lacey, Kacey & Kenzey.

     Also, all three of our married daughters are having baby boys this year.  Mandi & her husband, Ryan had baby boy Reed on Feb. 21st.  He is so very sweet.  He joins his  very awesome older sister and brother, Randi Jo & Rhett. Mitzi & Lacey are both due in early August. We can hardly wait for the next two little boys to join our family!  Mitzi & Adam's little boy will join his big sister, Eden who is sweetheart!  Lacey & Nate's little guy will be their first bundle of joy.  Our daughters below are from R-L, Mandi, Mitzi, Lacey & Kenzey.

Out of the Best Books

"And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith."  D & C 88:118

The best books bring out the best of the human spirit.  They teach us life lessons that we can relate to in our day.  I strongly recommend the following books.  They are just awesome!  My husband & I can't wait for the 4th book! Great books that leave you with the warmth of hope, love, grace, redemption, and faith in the human spirit.  You must read these!




"My name is Alan Christoffersen. You don’t know me. ‘Just another book in the library,’ my father would say. ‘Unopened and unread.’ You have no idea how far I’ve come or what I’ve lost. More important, you have no idea what I’ve found." —Prologue What would you do if you lost everything—your job, your home, and the love of your life—all at the same time? When it happens to Seattle ad executive Alan Christoffersen, he’s tempted by his darkest thoughts. A bottle of pills in his hand and nothing left to live for, he plans to end his misery. Instead, he decides to take a walk. But not any ordinary walk. Taking with him only the barest of essentials, Al leaves behind all that he’s known and heads for the farthest point on his map: Key West, Florida. The people he encounters along the way, and the lessons they share with him, will save his life—and inspire yours. Richard Paul Evans’s extraordinary New York Times bestsellers have made him one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. A life-changing journey, both physical and spiritual, The Walk is the first of an unforgettable series of books about one man’s search for hope.



Miles to Go is the 2nd in this series.
Alan Christoffersen, a once-successful advertising executive, wakes one morning to find himself injured, alone, and confined to a hospital bed in Spokane, Washington. Sixteen days earlier, reeling from the sudden loss of his wife, his home, and his business, Alan left everything he knew behind and set off on an extraordinary cross-country journey. Carrying only a backpack, he planned to walk to Key West, the farthest destination on his map. But a vicious roadside stabbing has interrupted Alan's trek and robbed him of his one source of solace: the ability to walk.Homeless and facing months of difficult recovery, Alan has nowhere to turn—until a mysterious woman enters his life and invites him into her home. Generous and kind, Angel seems almost too good to be true, but all is not as it appears. Alan soon realizes that before he can return to his own journey, he must first help Angel with hers.From one of America's most beloved and bestselling storytellers comes an astonishing tale of life and death, love and second chances, and why sometimes the best way to heal your own suffering is by helping to heal someone else's.Inspiring, moving, and full of wisdom, Miles to Go picks up where the bestseller The Walk left off, continuing the unforgettable series about one man's unrelenting search for hope.



The Road to Grace is the third installment of Richard’s bestselling series, The Walk, the ongoing story of one man’s unrelenting search for hope. Reeling from the sudden loss of his wife, his home, and his business, Alan Christoffersen, a once successful advertising executive, has left everything he knew behind and set off on an extraordinary cross-country journey. Carrying only a backpack, he plans to walk to Key West, the farthest destination on his map.

Now nearly halfway through his trek, The Road to Grace takes him from South Dakota to St. Louis, Missouri. Alan covers more than 800 miles on foot, but it’s the people he meets along the way who give the journey its true meaning.

Full of wisdom and hard-won truth, this is a moving standalone story as well as the continuation of the unforgettable series about hope, healing, and the meaning of life

No Other Work

"No other work reaches so close to divinity as nurturing the sons and daughters of God."
                                                                                 Gordon B. Hinckley

     This week in my Marriage & Family Therapy class, I was once again reminded of the most important work here on Earth, that of strengthening families and nurturing children.  I know that parents who take the time to love and nurture their children will have joy in family relationships and in their children's development.  As we discussed difficulties in families, I thought how most of these difficulties could be lessened or completely abolished if parents were true to each other and put their family first.  Children who seldom experience the loving investment of their parents are less likely to contribute positively to their communities, and more likely to develop problems with relationships with others.

      A young married student who has chosen, so far, not to have children, mentioned in one of my graduate classes that she didn't want to have children.  She said that it just seemed too hard to have to worry about someone else when it was all she could handle to get herself to work and to school, etc. I thought that was so sad when I know the greatest of all joys of life is that of happy parenthood. There is nothing to compare to the instant joy felt on an ordinary day when you're child spontaneously says,"I love you, mama" or "I love you daddy."  I have learned that it is through loving and sacrificing for a child that enables adults to learn the value of patience and the importance of a child's developing his own inner strength and character.

      I am so very grateful for my family and the good choices they make everyday.  Our three older married daughters are expecting babies this year and we are thrilled, thrilled with their decision to have a family and thrilled that we will have three new little people joining our family this year.  We are truly blessed!  Mandi is due by Feb. 21st and both Mitzi and Lacey are due in August.  We can't wait to welcome these sweet spirits to our family!

Little Dresses for Africa

Recently the women in our church have been making these little pillowcase dresses to send to Africa.  For more information go to http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/. 
Here are a few words from their webswite:

Little Dresses for Africa is a non-profit 501c3, Christian based organization which provides relief to the children of  Africa. Simple dresses are made out of pillow cases and distributed through the orphanages, churches and schools in  Africa to plant in the hearts of little girls that they are worthy!
Knowing the history of the girls in Africa and the difficult road that lay ahead, a traveler decided she would take back some dresses to the children in the villages.  A small group of ladies began to sew simple little dresses, made out of pillowcases, to be distributed to young girls through the orphanages in  Africa. This was only the beginning. It continues to grow as groups of all sizes spring up across America.  These groups cross age, gender and denominational lines, to serve the most vulnerable of God’s children: little girls.  To date we have received dresses and donations from all 50 states across the USA and received well over 300,000 little dresses, that have been distributed in 28 countries of Africa!They are very easy to make and I'm sure the little girls in Africa will appreciate them.

 There are some sweet photos on the website of little girls wearing them.  I also made one for my 5 year old grand daughter, Randi Jo, who is 5 today and I made one for our 1 year old grand daughter, Eden Lily, who is 14 months.  They look cute on them.  The fabric came from Hobby Lobby.  The little T-shirt came from Hobby Lobby too and were 1/2 price.  Don't you just love Hobby Lobby?  You can use fabric scraps or pillow cases to make them, also. The directions to make them are on the website above or you can use Simplicity pattern # 2228.

Caramel Apple Breakfast Rolls

   
    This recipe is an easy one that my family has enjoyed through the years.  It was a favorite in my Family & Consumer Science classes also, because it's quick and students felt like they were making a type of homemade cinnamon rolls with these.  Enjoy!

1/2 C. brown sugar                      1 can refrigerated soft breadsticks
1/2 C. heavy whipping cream        1/3 c. cinnamon-flavored applesauce
1/4 C. chopped pecans (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix brown sugar and whipping cream in ungreased round 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. Sprinkle with pecans (if you include them.)

 

Unroll breadstick dough, but do not separate into breadsticks.

Roll up dough from short end; separate at perforations.  Place coiled dough in pan.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 1 minute like this.

  Invert pan onto heatproof tray or serving plate.  Let stand 1 minute so caramel will drizzle over rolls. These tasty finished rolls are below.

Tomato Pie

   
A few days ago, my friend, Sandy (who does my hair), begin telling me about tomato pie and how she was planning to make it that night for supper.  Well, I had never heard of tomato pie, even though I grew up eating delicious tomato sandwiches in the summer time.  She told me how she makes it, then told me that a photo of tomato pie was on the front of the Food Newtwork magazine.  I picked up the magazine that afternoon and sure enough, there it was.  I looked at the recipe and wasn't to thrilled about it, cause it seemed to have several ingredients that I didn't have.  A few days later, my August Southern Living magazine came in and there were two recipes for tomato pie or tomato tart.  I made it last night.  My son, Kacey, and I tweeked the Soutern Living recipe a bit by adding fresh basil, mushrooms and green bell pepper, along more filling and another layer of tomatos.  This is the result and is delicious, a great meatless dinner.


Tomato Pie
4 medium tomatoes, (red & yellow if possible)
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 C. mayo (I used olive oil mayo w/cracked pepper which is reduced fat)
2 T. fresh chopped basil
1 1/2 C. shredded parmesean cheese
1/4 C. fresh chopped mushrooms
1/4 c. green pepper
1. C. mozzarella cheese
sour cream pastry (recipe below)
*  You can use bought pie crust, as well

First slice tomatoes and place in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with salt.  Let stand 30 minutes. Pat dry with more paper towels on top.  Mix together mayo, basil, 1C. parmesean cheese, mushrooms, and green pepper. Set aside. After crust has baked 8-10 min. Sprinkle crust with the remaining 1/2 C. parmesean cheese and 1 C. mozzarella cheese.  Top this layer with one layer of slice tomatoes. Then add the mayo - cheese mixture.  Spread evenly on top of tomato slices.  Then add one more layer of sliced tomatos.  Top with fresh basil and bake 30-34 minutes.

Sour Cream Pastry
1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare sour cream pastry or pie bought crust in pie pan or quiche pan.

Stir together first 3 ingredients in a bowl.  Cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small crumbs.  Add sour cream; stir with a fork until combined well.  Place in fridge for 1-2 hours.

Then pat out pastry in pan.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  

Love at Home

Yesterday as I was reading the First Presidency Message in the August Ensign magazine, I thought, "Isn't it so inspired that with all the access we have to the written word through technology and the media today that the most important messages are about God, home, and family!"  As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe that the president of our church (Thomas S. Monson) is a living prophet and speaks to the world about the most vital topics of our day.  Below are a few of those words.  See the entire article at http://lds.org/ensign/2011/08/love-at-home-counsel-from-our-prophet?lang=eng

July 2011 First Presidency Message from the Ensign magazine
LOVE AT HOME - Counsel from our Prophet

Bringing Heaven Closer
     "May our families and homes be filled with love:  love of each other, love of the gospel, love of our fellowman, and love of our Savior.  As a result, heaven will be a little closer here on earth.  May we make our homes sanctuaries to which our family members will ever want to return."

A Prayer for Families
    "Inasmuch as the family unit is under attack in the world today, and many things long held sacred are ridiculed, we ask Thee, our Father, to make us equal to the challenges we face, that we may stand strong for truth and righteousness.  May our homes be havens of peace, of love and of spirituality."