LDS Papas and Mamas #48

[brightonwoman]

New thread...chat away!

[brightonwoman]

OK, I haven't done an intro in like 4 months...
I'm Jenni, living in rural Alaska (winter population in this town is like 80 people tops!) I have a 7yo son will and a 10mo son Samuel. DH is a school teacher.
And ya know, that basicallycovers it! I sew professionally, love the life of a SAHM (sometiems WAHM), and I really enjoy living out here in the boonies. It has it's downsides (like sometimes the seaplane can't get out so we go a week with no mail), but it really is great in a lot of ways.
We attend church over the phone, by the way. :-)

jenni

[quarteralien]

Hi, I'm Bronwyn, and I've been sober for approximately 20 minutes. I'm coming up for air from that wretched book. I really can't fathom why it's so addicting. It's not an original story or anything. I felt the same way about Harry Potter. I was reading along in those books thinking all the while "I can put this down. I don't need to finish this tonight." Lo and behold 3 hours have passed, I'm totally exhausted, but I've finished the book, dangit! Is that not a sign of addiction, or what?

[DucetteMama21842]

That's right! It's December!

Church over the phone? Now THAT sounds interesting. (and even somewhat tempting... : )

I'm Danile, fulltime student working towards my RN and/or Direct Entry Midwifery degree. Just taking my prereq's right now. Other than that I'm a SAHM and convert to the church. DH TJ and I were sealed in the Seattle Temple a little over two years ago. We've been together for seven years. We have two boys, Dominic who's 4 in a couple months and Isaac who turned 2 in November. I'm due in two weeks with our third. I'm a certified childbirth educator and doula/labor assistant- birth is absolutely my PASSION!

I've enjoyed the many ways the gospel has enriched and truly saved my life and am grateful to be a member of such a wonderful church with an amazing prophet.

[guestmama9911]

I got this from my RS President

Dear Sisters, I received the following announcement from the Stake Relief Society. It looks like a very worthy cause for those of you who have the means to help:



We received word from the MTC lately that they have only received enough funds to finance a Christmas remembrance for 235 missionaries. They are expecting 1,950 missionaries by Christmas. Would you encourage your sisters to consider their giving this year and perhaps donating to the MTC to help provide a remembrance for the missionaries for Christmas?



Some come to the training center from far away not having much. We received a sister this past week from Mongolia going to the Salt Lake City, Spanish speaking mission. She arrived pretty empty handed and most likely will not receive anything from home this season.



The MTC is taking monetary donations in any amounts – pennies to dollars. You can send it to the MTC at:

Provo Missionary Training Center

Attention: The Spirit of Christmas

2005 North 900 East

Provo, UT 84604



Or you can personally deliver your funds to the main entrance of the MTC and take it to the front desk. If possible they would like donations by December 11th

[guestmama9911]

PS - I liked Deirdre because it is Irish and all our preferred children's names are Irish. I don't think I would have gone for it strictly because it's a name from a book. So it worked out nicely.

Hi I'm Alisa, recovering from a failed VBAC and trying to juggle a toddler and newborn. My house is never clean and my laundry and dishes are always a day behind. My favorite color is sage green and I listen to heavy metal music. I have a crush on David Boreanaz. I give my toddler soda in a sippy cup.

[brightonwoman]

Originally Posted by alisaterry

I have a crush on David Boreanaz. I give my toddler soda in a sippy cup.

additional reasons why i like you (and where i relate...):

[holyhelianthus]

mmmmm... David Boreanaz :

i'm Maggie mama to 3 girls, wife to Robbie. graduated teen mom who fell away from the church and came back with DH. just recently went to the temple and am in the process of healing and trying to reconcile not being able to stand going to church with going to church

[KermitMissesJim]

subbing.

Kermit, 33, married to Fozzie, 30, mom of of 3 with one on the way. Just celebrated my ten-year baptism anniversary. Not deeply spiritual lately, but I know it's true and I'm plugging along, "faking it till I make it." Gotta get on the ball soon, because birth is much better with God along for the ride.

[lacysmommy]

Hi, I'm Carolyn, DH of 7 years is Dave, who works construction but recently expressed a desire to go to school for an engineering degree (that boy can't make up his mind what he wants to do!). I'm a SAHM to two cute girls, Lacy (3) and Rose (18 months). They are such a joy! We've all been sick for more than 2 weeks now and it's really starting to wear on me.

I decided that I'd like to write a book of hymn-style Christmas songs, of all styles-- fun, traditional, and spiritual. I'm almost done arranging "O Christmas Tree" and then I'm not sure what I'll work on next. I'd like to get about 20 or 30 songs arranged and then try to get it published. I haven't worked on music in a long time (other than in my calling as ward chorister) and I'm really excited to be working with music again.

[Brisen]

Originally Posted by klg47

Um, that would be me that is obsessed, not Mags. She's not the one who considered renaming her newborn Edward. Oops, did I say that out loud? : (OK, I didn't REALLY consider renaming him.)

Edward was on my list for this baby. Dh likes the short name Ed, so really anything that started with it was on the list. I also liked Emmet (am I spelling that right? It looks weird) and Esme was on my girl list.

Maggie, I really like the name Luthien.

Originally Posted by KermitMissesJim

Ugh, no -- it's definitely NOT in good fun. It's them trying to make themselves feel better about a) themselves and b) their choices by putting you and yours down. Totally rude, and something I would fight, myself. Starting with "Why do you say those things?" with my best guileless face on.

:

NCD, I pretty much agree with everything you wrote in your blog about New Moon & Twilight. Twilight was my favourite so far. New Moon was kind of meh. I guess I don't really get Jacob. I enjoyed those bird cartoons!

[guestmama9911]

Originally Posted by lacysmommy

I decided that I'd like to write a book of hymn-style Christmas songs, of all styles-- fun, traditional, and spiritual. I'm almost done arranging "O Christmas Tree" and then I'm not sure what I'll work on next. I'd like to get about 20 or 30 songs arranged and then try to get it published. I haven't worked on music in a long time (other than in my calling as ward chorister) and I'm really excited to be working with music again.

How very exciting!!!

[guestmama9911]

Oh yeah - I'm the lucky one married to NewCrunchyDaddy. We just had our 8 year anniversay on the 4th. How we made it, we'll never know!! :

[guestmama9911]

PS - we're watching Sesame Street and Big Bird just visited an organic farmer's market and is now at an organic farm. Go BigBIrd!!

[Nemmer]

Subbing. I'm Nemmer, wife to my hubby for nearly 14 years, and mama to my two boys, ages 5.5 and 7mo, both through adoption. As of a couple weeks ago we are officially an eternal family, since we had the baby sealed to us. It was incredible.

[linzogonzerelli]

Hi all! My name is Lindsey, I'm a SAHM of two (soon to be three) sweet kids. DH and I have been married for 7 great years (8 in Feb).

I knit, I sew, I cook, but as much as I sound like a stereotypical Molly Mormon I have frequent rebellious spells that knock me out of the running for RS pres

We live in TX and are currently trying not to melt in the winter heat.

Long time LDS lurker, first time poster...

[Leiahs]

I'm Becky, SAHM to 4yo DD and 2yo DS, with one due in March. Married to DH since 2000. Both of us are life-long members. We live on the east coast but long to be back west. Specifically Colorado.

Had our tithing settlement last night and about 2 seconds of it were focused on asking the "full tithe payer" question, and then it felt like a big guilt trip after that. Not that the bishop meant it to be at all, I'm sure, but it felt like it. "Did you get to go to the temple this year?" "Yes!" we say excitedly. BIL/SIL watched our children for us while we did a session over thanksgiving weekend. It was the first time DH and I have been to the temple together in several years. We had a horrible experience when DD was 12 months old - we attended a stake special session that included a spiritual hour long meeting on the 7th floor of the DC temple, followed by a wait to get into an endowment session, followed by the session itself. By the time it was over, I was RUNNING out to the neighboring stake center to get my daughter. I had been praying in my head the whole time we were in the temple that she'd be okay. But she wasn't. She had screamed her head off nearly the whole time we were in there, and hadn't eaten at all. I felt so awful for her that I didn't go again any time soon. And then DS was born who wouldn't even take a bottle and had some terrible separation issues, combined with my distrust of letting anyone else watch my children after DD's experience. Long story short - I feel truly blessed that DH and I got to the temple even once this year, and that the kids did wonderfully while we were in the session. I sincerely doubt that I will convince myself that anyone can take care of baby #3 well enough to allow me to go to the temple once he is born (aside from maybe DH sitting in the visitors center waiting for me) and for at least a good year and a half to two years after that. So when the bishop challenged us to think about how we can go to the temple together more often, I tried to remind myself of the "times and seasons for everything" concept.

And then he asked how the spirituality is in our home. Boy, another guilt trip there. We have our prayers at dinner time, but we've long since fallen completely out of habit of saying family prayers, scripture time, and we've *never* been good at FHE. So aside from nice little conversations that DD gets started with her questions, our home spirituality really is at the bottom of the scale, I guess. I think DH and I both felt too guilty to be completely forward at answering that question, and I just jumped in with a "Well, we *definitely* need to be better at FHE".... and that doesn't seem as bad as needing to be better at *everything*.

I know I need some serious improvements in these areas. I feel great about myself that I've made good choices in the very temporal departments of bf'ing, natural birth, circ, etc. ... but when I really stop to think about it, I realize that the spiritual lackings our family has will definitely impact my children on a larger scale than any of those things. When I mentioned to the bishop that FHE was never something my own family was good at, so it's hard for me to really work on incorporating, he brought up a good point: If DD grows up with FHE, *she* will have an easier time making sure *her* family does it when she is a mother. And DUH, that's what I want for so many of the changes I've already made in my life! I *want* her to think nursing is perfectly normal. That natural childbirth is a huge blessing. That circumcision is not acceptable. Of course it would make her life easier if FHE was also normal, if family prayer was a given, if scripture study was part of every day life. Then she wouldn't have this problem that I'm having!

[Leiahs]

Originally Posted by linzogonzerelli

Hi all! My name is Lindsey, I'm a SAHM of two (soon to be three) sweet kids. DH and I have been married for 7 great years (8 in Feb).

I knit, I sew, I cook, but as much as I sound like a stereotypical Molly Mormon I have frequent rebellious spells that knock me out of the running for RS pres

We live in TX and are currently trying not to melt in the winter heat.

Long time LDS lurker, first time poster...

Welcome!!

[holyhelianthus]

re: tithing-
DH and i had a long hard road to the church (back for me) and i feel like if we miss anything it's this huge blemish. well we missed two weeks of church so we didn't get our November tithing in. we have it, it's on my desk as i type this, but i feel like it doesn't matter because it's late so that will "count against" us.
how exactly does that work?

[lacysmommy]

Becky, I know it's so hard to incorporate some of those things into your life! We were really lacking on the spiritual aspect of our home life as well, until recently. My DH read something from I think Spencer W. Kimball, where he said something to the effect of, if you have spritual time with your family every day, with scripture reading, a song, and a family prayer, your children will always have a testimony in their heart, and if they ever stray they will come back to the church someday because of the seed you planted.

That really hit my DH so we started spiritual time that night. We only read 5 verses in the BoM, sing a hymn (usually a children's hymn) and say our family prayer together. My kids now have it so ingrained in them that they can't imagine not having spiritual time. When DH is gone, he will read the scriptures and sing the song by himself LOL. It only takes about 5 minutes to have spiritual time, but it's hard to get in the habit. You just have to commit yourself to it. We're big into routines here, so we just put it as part of our evening routine and it's worked out so well for us. We've been doing this about 6 months or so now, and we're in 2 Nephi and going slowly but surely through the Book of Mormon. My DH has DD1 "read" scriptures with him, to help familiarize her with the language of the scriptures. My DD2 helps get the scriptures from the shelf each night. They both look forward to it.

At the same time, we started getting better at FHE, and always ended FHE with spiritual time. FHE is no big deal either. Just an opening song and prayer, a 2 minute (maybe) lesson, activities glore (we made snowflakes this week), spiritual time, and a treat. Takes a half hour tops. I have to admit we're not as consistant on FHE, because DH is often working late or nights and sometimes it's hard to coordinate our schedule. This again is something you need to commit yourself to doing, or it won't get done.

Just take baby steps to get started. Spiritual time takes a few minutes, and you can do it whenever. It's the easiest thing to incorporate into your home, and it is a gateway to more family spiritual togetherness. Last night we did it at the dinner table because DH had to leave as soon as he ate for some side work. We've done it in the morning, at night, on the phone, whenever we can do it together as a family and get it done. It has improved the spirit in our house dramatically. I encourage you to make the commitment to spiritual time in your own home!