I was doing some reading for one of my online classes today and I came across this chapter on wholesome family recreation: building strong families. I was so intrigued with this chapter and felt very strongly that I should share some of what I read with you today. Now I can not justly retell what this chapter talked about so I will just quote some of my favorite parts for you.

Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance  forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work and wholesome recreational activities.....


     "RECREATION CAN BE EASY. We all know how to find fun things to do. In our current world, we are immersed in a plethora of entertaining technology. We have access to a variety of television programming; we have myriad interactive video games. If we are on the go, we have smart phones that access the digital airways. Opportunities to recreate surround us. The choices are endless. But we must consider the implications of these different recreation choices for the quality of our lives and families.


     .... Our free time should be used wisely to create the best possible life, to promote individual growth and strengthen families. Meaningful recreation does not just happen; it must be prepared for, cultivated, and privately defended. In general, we spend an inordinate amount of time with electronic media and, as a result, become disconnected from one another. We have lost vital and nourishing connections... We suffer from depression, anxiety, and discontent. Wholesome family recreation can help us strengthen our relationships and reduce negative emotional and spiritual consequences. Wholesome recreation straightens families.


     Life is complicated and full of demands..... Barriers restricting our recreation participation are called constraints. Constraints are factors assumed to 'limit the formation of leisure preferences and/ or to inhibit or prohibit participation and enjoyment of leisure.' Common constraints include the lack of time, lack of skills and abilities, the cost of participating or even social isolation.


     Perhaps the most influential constraint directly influencing wholesome family recreation is time. Americans have been taught the importance of work, and often times over load ourselves and spend a majority of our time working. Whether this be in a job setting, volunteering, working at home and even school work..... Another constraint to wholesome family recreation is our addiction to escapist forms of entertainment. We are tied to our mobile phones, iPods, and the Internet. We text, and look at Facebook during many of our waking hours.

 We live in a world full of opportunities to engage in wholesome family recreation, if we know where to look for them. Wholesome recreation is an intentional process. It can serve to promote positive development in our children, strengthen our marriages and build strong families. we must know, however what constitutes wholesome recreation and purposefully seek opportunities for our families to meaningfully recreate together. The components to wholesome recreation include opportunities to verbally communicate, develop skills, face challenges, create memories, share traditions and beliefs, and spend time together in the family setting. 


    If we are drawn to seek wealth, material goods, and pleasure in the pursuit of happiness, we are likely to miss important opportunities for wholesome family recreation. We may find ourselves struggling with emotional and social difficulties. A truly good life is one characterized by a wide range of emotions. It is a tapestry woven by our struggles as well as our joys. Seeking wholesome family recreation requires each of us to think about happiness and what is truly important to us: family and living in a way that we could stand with confidence before God."


     I personally have a strong testimony in the importance in not only family interaction but also wholesome family recreation. I was lucky that my family enjoyed spending time together and we went on many family outings. In the summers we would camp, go to the ocean, surprise my dad at work with lunch, go on walks, hikes, swimming, biking and Saturday yard work parties. In the winter we would go to Snow Flake Lane in Bellevue, look at Christmas lights, visit the free Christmas sites in Seattle, go into the mountains to sled and cut down a Christmas tree, we would build snowmen and have clean the yard and streets after a wind storm. My parents made it a priority to spend time together in both play and work. These are some of my most favorite memories and the ones that I cherish the most.... these are the kinds of things I want to look for as well as work towards in my future family. 

Once upon a time, there was a King with many children. He loved them all dearly and wanted them to have all that he has. Knowing that their spiritual growth could only grow so much in his presence he sent them off into the world to grow for themselves and become the King's and Queen's they were destined to be. Like any loving Father he did not send them off on their own, he sent his eldest son to carve out a road for his brother's and sisters to travel down. The King also sent his most loyal knight out into the world to watch over and protect his children, guiding them through the hard times and lighting the road when it seems too dark to travel down. He also gave them a way to ask for guidance and receive counsel; Anxiously he waits for messages from his children eager to wrap his arms of love around their shoulders and send gifts of peace and happiness. But because the King is so loving he will never step in, he will wait for his children to reach out to him. You are a royal daughter of a Heavenly King and it's time for you to let go.... and Let God in.....

     We are all spirit daughter's of a Heavenly King and as sister's in Zion we can work together to help each other reach that eternal destination that waits us at the end of our travels. Today I am going to talk about the ABC's of happiness, hopefully these will be easy steps for us to work on in our own lives and ways that we can reach out to help our sister's. So without further Ado, let's get started!!!
A- Accept your reality: A key place for each of us to start is by accepting the reality of who you really are. Last week I talked about a great talk given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. In that talk he tells us of our divine heritage, "Be strong and of good courage. You are truly royal spirit daughters of an Almighty God. You are princesses, destined to become queens..."
B- Be present.... Be bold: Remember to live now, live currently, live today. The past is wonderful, the future has so much to offer.... But the here and now that's a gift from God that we need to enjoy, hence it's name..... The Present. Be bold, don't hide in your shell enjoy every day, learn and grow from your trials and dont let one single moment pass you by.
C- Create something exciting: Use the gifts and talents that God has given you, dont burry them and keep them to yourself. Create and enjoy! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLlnq5yY7k)
D- Drink plenty of water.... Dance: One of my favorite quotes comes from an anonymous author and it goes, "Dont' wait for the storm to pass, learn to dance in the rain." 

E- Exercise daily.... Eat fresh foods: Obey the word of wisdom, stay healthy and respect the body you have been given, When you follow these three steps you are more free and your body can do wonders :)
F- Feel your emotions, face your fears: Don't let your emotions get the better of you, but dont hide them either. Let the emotions come in their right times and be brave enough to take that leap of faith when you dont know where you will land.
G- Go outside and observe nature: Breath the fresh air, run, walk, hike, lay int he grass and enjoy the flowers. Take advantage of the world around you.
H- Hug often, Help others: In a medical article I read once it said, 
"In a world that has grown more complicated, more fierce in the demands made upon our hearts and pocket books, there is one easy, free gift left. The power of touch. Don’t turn away from the elderly, disabled, terminally ill or long term care residents because their needs seem beyond your ability to give. The one thing they need the most is the most simple, yet profound gift you have to give. Your kind hand holding theirs and a hug from your heart. The gift of touch is the most powerful healing you can offer another, and it is the most powerful healing you can give yourself." 
I- Ignite your passions

J- Jump though your comfort zone
K- Kiss passionately, Keep moving forward: “You can wake up every day looking forward to new adventures with hope smiling brightly before you because you have a Savior. You are baptized in His Church.... You just need to stay in, pressing forward with a brightness of hope to your heavenly home.”  -Sister Julie B. Beck

L- Laugh, Love, Learn to let go: If we keep holding onto all of our yesterday's we will have no more room in our arms for all the many tomorrows we have left to come.
M- Meditate Daily, Make goals: Give yourself somewhere to work for and take the time to reflect on the blessings you have been given. Dont forget to be grateful for God's hand in you life.
N- Never give up on what you want
O- Own a pet, observe beauty: There is so much beauty in this world, dont let it all pass by without taking a moment to enjoy it.
P- Pray, Paint, Play an instrument: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wo73M_pLDs&feature=plcp
Q- Quit a bad habit, Quiet your mind
R- Read, Relax, Reinvent yourself
S- Smile, Sleep, Simplify: "To simplify is to care for the life of the soul" - Carolyn J. Rasmus "Taking time alone to think and pray is all too rare in a busy and fast-moving world. It just doesn't happen if it isn't consciously programmed into life." - Virginia H. Pearce

T- Take power naps, talk wisely
U- Unleash your strengths
V- Visualize your dreams: "Single-minded concentration in the direction of your dreams intensifies your desires and increases your self-
confidence."  - Brian Tracy
W- Walk, write, watch the sunset: "When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day….I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day."
-Henry B. Eyring
X- Xerox your smiling face

     Remember the reason you were sent on this wondrous journey and dont forget that God wants you to be happy, because you my dear were born to be a Queen.

      "Life! The etymology of the Old English word for life includes meanings such as "body" and "person: or that which "remains" and "continues". Life can be defined as a condition of sustained regenerative activity, energy, expression, or power that human beings and other animate creatures experience. Emily Dickinson said, 'To be alive- is Power.' Her definition suggests that life is empowerment, in spite of the risks and difficulties that human beings may experience in mortality.

     Sacred! The earliest meanings of the word sacred in English have to do with the consecration of the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament.... Human life is sacred because human bodies are temples.... Each individual is sacred because each one reflects the divine image of the creator. The proclamation tells us that 'all human beings- male and female- are created in the image of God'..... Each human being, no mater how young or how small, is a 'beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny."
(Cynthia L. Hallen- Successful Marriages and Families:Defending the Sanctity of Human Life)

Ask yourself these questions:

          What is the definition of my life? 


 Why am I important to God and his son
                   Jesus Christ?


             What power do I have?


     Was it a little hard to answer those questions? Dont feel down if they were, because I even found them to a bit hard to answer, and I'm the one who asked them. But these are important questions that we need to ask ourselves, because they make us think about the purpose in our own lives, why we were created, why we were saved and what we have to offer this life. I, personally, just go through my day to day life doing all that I can, not really thinking about the effect I have on people and the great opportunity I have been given to do good. Two years ago when I was at my absolute lowest, I actually remember sitting on my bed one day bawling my eyes out and asking myself, "What is the definition of your life? Why does anyone care? What do you have to offer?" Unfortunately I didn't dig deep and force myself to answer these questions, I just allowed Satan to answer these questions for me. But as I have grown from my trials I have forced myself to ponder these questions from time to time and I have come to the conclusion that my life was created for a purpose, I have power to do anything, God loves me because I am his daughter and there is no one else like me, Christ loved me enough to save me and he saved me because I am his sister. I may not be able to give direct answers to these questions but coming to that realization that I have a place in God's heart is enough to keep me going. But I want you to realize more than just that, I want you to know with every fiber of your being that you are special:

     I bet you never thought of yourself as a super mom.... but you are. Let's go back to the quote from the very beginning of this post: "Emily Dickinson said, 'To be alive- is Power.' Her definition suggests that life is empowerment, in spite of the risks and difficulties that human beings may experience in mortality." I want you to picture the counsel in Heaven, picture Satan laying out his plan and Christ giving his plan. Picture 1/3 of the heavenly host following Satan and remember that you were not one of them. Remember that you chose to come to earth and follow Christ. Now whether you chose this plan because of loved ones, because of faith or some other reason it is not for us to know in this life, but right now just focus on the fact that YOU chose to be here on earth and fight for Christ. Choosing this path gave you a body and the wonderful opportunity to be alive. Emily is completely and 100% correct, that life in itself is power. Because you placed your faith and trust in God and Jesus Christ they have placed their love and faith in your life. 

     "Each human being, no mater how young or how small, is a 'beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny." As women and mother's a piece of our divine destiny includes being mother's. How amazing is that? 

Now if you ask me, that sounds like a super power to me. So that must make you a.......

     I have an amazing mother, all while growing up she did all that she possibly could to be a stay at home mother. (I understand that not all mother's can afford to do this, just remember to not neglect your families and set aside an allotted time just for your kids.) I always saw my mom as a Super Mom because of the great love that she always had for me. She always made time to watch Sleeping Beauty with me for the 100th time in my Barbie tent, she would be patient with me in times of hecticness, she would wrap up in the biggest quilt and sit over the heater vent in the middle of summer with me despite how hot it was outside (this was my favorite thing to do as a child), she would read scriptures to me and hold me tight in the middle of the night after a night mere. These are just a few of the things that my mom did for me and some of the things that many mother's do for their children. To most mother's they view these simple little tasks as part of their daily activities but to a child these are the things that only a Super Mom does for a child she loves. Being a child of a wonderful mother I am very grateful for the time she spent with me and the sacrifices she made for me. My mother is the foundation to my testimony and my absolute best friend.

     Each week I give you a little challenge that I want you to work on that will make you focus on yourself a little more and give you that extra boost that you need. We all need to be reminded of our great abilities to do good in life and that our lives are sacred and powerful. This week I would like to challenge you to find your own super powers, gain a testimony that you have great effect on your families and the people around you and that you have a great power within you to do good. 

Here is a small list of superpowers that every mother has:

1. Toddler Speaker. The ability to decipher nonsensical gibberish.
   
2. Sleep Sensors. The ability to wake up instantly from deep REM sleep just to hear the sound of a child crying, or when they are sick.
   
3. Power Arms. You can carry a full load of groceries with kids running around (sometimes even while holding the child) into the house in ONE trip without dropping anything.
   
4. Mom Psychic. Knowing what a child wants before they know.
   
5. Kitchen Magician. Looking into an empty fridge and pantry and still creating a delicious meal that the whole family loves.
   
6. Poop Detector. You are brave enough to smell a babies diaper in public.
   
7. Stomach of Steel
8. Ability to love no matter what

     All while growing up my family always made an effort to eat together as a family. We always ate a late dinner so that my dad could be home to eat with us, and then we tried to eat at the table as many nights out of the week that we could. Many Saturday mornings we had a home cooked breakfast and would eat at the table together and every Sunday we had family dinner at the table. I remember many times when I would have friends over and they stayed for dinner  they would always comment on how nice it was that my family would eat together, or that my mom would cook dinner for everyone. This always baffled me because I totally thought that all families ate dinner together, but apparently most families only eat at the table together for special occasions. I feel that there is a great importance in eating not only together, but to eat the same meal and at the table. In my family this was were a lot of our major conversations went on, we were able to get an idea of what everyone's planes were for the week as well as make plans together. I always felt that my family was closer because we would cook and clean together and we made that little extra effort to put aside the TV, the games, homework or anything else to sit down and be a family. 

      Many families struggle with this, and there is nothing wrong with that. I totally understand crazy schedules and that it doesn't always work for everyone to sit down together. But if we try to have a family dinner once or twice a week and make it a habit your family will truly grow closer and stronger and you will find your kids pushing for more family dinners.


     "Our family time around the dinner table has provided healing balm for many such trying days. With the busy lives each of us leads, we’ve found that mealtime together has taken on added importance. President Spencer W. Kimball said: “It is important for us also to cultivate in our own family a sense that we belong together eternally, that whatever changes outside our home, there are fundamental aspects of our relationship which will never change” (“Ocean Currents and Family Influences,” Ensign, Nov. 1974, 112–13). Despite differing circumstances, every family can make eating at least one meal together every day a family priority.


     Mealtime conversations can be a genuine family lifeline to connect busy families swimming in a sea of hectic and conflicting schedules. A poll was taken by the  Reader's Digest Magazine  to determine what factors contributed most to a child's success in school. Surprisingly  one thing they found was that 'students who who regularly shared mealtimes with their families tested better than those who didn't."' 
                                                     - Janene Wolsey Baadsgaard


     Try to make it your families goal to have regular family dinners, everyone eat the same meals, cook as well as clean together, and I promise you that your family will indeed grow closer together and everyone will look forward to mealtimes. 

     Course one easy way to get the whole family together for one meal is by making a delicious dinner..... LIKE THIS ONE!!!!!!

HEADS UP! This is not one of those recipes where you look at the picture then make it at home and it totally does not turn out as good as the picture made it look, this recipe is legit! It is delicious yummy and costs under $10 to make a 9x13 inch pan making each serving cost approximately $1.15.

     My roommates and I came up with this really cool cooking schedule where Monday- Thursday's we each take a turn making dinner for everyone then what ever is leftover goes to the person who made it. Friday's and Saturdays we make our own dinners and Sunday's we get together with a boy's dorm and do a community dinner. We all provide ingredient, girls cook, boys do the dishes- its a great plan in my book :) But anyone that knows me knows that I like to find a good deal and attempt to save money. (You see I love to spend money and somewhere in my mind I think that if I find good deals than it justifies all my spending- totally not how it works but that's what I like to think.) Anyways- I cook every Wednesday and I try to make BIG meals that I can eat off of for the rest of the week and sometimes even freeze for a later week. I found this yummy recipe and thought- Hey what can I loose, it's spaghetti, its cheap, I have the ingredients and it makes a lot. WELL WORTH IT!!!!!! This recipe will change anyone's views of spaghetti :)

                   (T-tablespoon   t- teaspoon   C.- cup)

INGREDIENTS
1 T olive oil
1 small yellow onion
2 cloves garlic or 1 1/2 T minced garlic
1/2 pound Italian Sausage or if you are cheap like me 2 cups diced   
              chicken, course ground beef would also work or you could
              go vegetarian!
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes ( try and drain as much juice
             as you can but a little juice is good)
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 T sugar
12 oz spaghetti or however much spaghetti you generally use for your
            family, I did about 14 oz to really stretch out this recipe 
Feta Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella, Cheddar or Colbie Cheese (approximately 1 1/2
           cups but really its just preference)


So this recipe is totally one of those where you don't really have to follow the recipe. So just go for it and have fun with this, make it your own and experiment with it. But Ill tell you how I did it, because it was totally yummy

1. Start by preparing your spaghetti, I boil the water with a little oil and a dash of salt. garlic salt or dried basil. The oil helps the noodles not to stick together, the salt and basil is give a slight flavor to the pasta, wait till your water is at a rolling boil before you add the pasta. You also want to get your meat cooking, you want it completely cooked when you add it to your sauce.

2. Now to start on the sauce. Add your oil and garlic to a sauce pan heat this up on a medium- high heat while you dice your onions. Depending on how you like your onions we depend on how small you cut your onions, I like that little crunch so I do a medium dice. Once your oil is heated up dump in the onions. Cook over a medium-low heat till your onions are well cooked (almost transparent, this will take about 5-8 minutes) If you would like more veggies in your dish than now is the time to add it. Some canned corn, or black beans, diced peppers, carrots or even celery would be really good too! Take freedom with this add as much or as little veggies as you would like!

3. Now add your fully cooked meat, make sure it is cut into bite sized pieces. Then add the tomato paste  slowly cook on a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes till the paste has completely warmed up and has turned a slightly darker color. (The darkening color just means it is warming up, nothing wrong with it.) If you added extra veggies to this recipe take your tomato paste can and fill 1/3- 1/2 way full of water then add this, this will help your sauce not be so super thick. Now add your diced or crushed tomatoes, salt and sugar. I know the recipe doesn't call for this but this is where I like to take my cooking privileges and just have fun with the spices cabinet (let me tell you its harder to have fun with spices when you have like 6 choices..... the joys of a college student.) I added pepper, dried basil and some oregano to taste. I generally don't measure my spices I just dump a little of this and add a dash or two of that. I remember watching my Grandma Morrill cook like that and I always thought that was the mark of a good chef so I aspired to be like her- I still do! 

4. Preheat your oven to 350 ( I actually preheat my oven to 375, then when I put my food in the oven I turn it down to 350, this called blast cooking, where you introduce your food to a high heat and then bring it down to finish cooking slower.) Take out your 9x13 dish and lightly spray with a cooking spray. 

5. Place about 1/3- 1/2 (depending on how many layers you want) of your already cooked spaghetti to the dish evenly destitute around the bottom, but make sure the bottom is completely covered. Pour about 1/3- 1/2 of the sauce over the noodles. Then layer your cheeses- feta, paremesan shredded cheese of your choice. (I personally am not a huge fan of paremesan cheese cooked into pasta so I replaced the paremesan with ricotta cheese- super yummy!) Then repeat, layering pasta, sauce, cheeses until you have no more. At the very top make sure you have a nice layer of shredded cheese and for a little extra something I sprinkled a little dried basil. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted on top. Let it set for 5-10 minutes then cut like a lasagna and eat. YUM!!!!!!!!

     What I love about this recipe is that it took me about 30-40 minutes to make this, I did this while making lunch. I then just put it in the refrigerator and let it sit there till that night. (this would be great for a freezer meal! or if you have to deliver a meal, just send over with cooking instructions :) Its also just as yummy the next day, and the next day and even the day after that day!!!!! I'm telling ya, this recipe is worth saving and making over and over and over again!!!!! 

     President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave this fabulous talk called Your Happily Ever After in a Young Women's Conference April of 2010. If you have not heard or read this talk I strongly encourage you to read it, because even if we are 1, 4, or 50 years out of Young Women's we still need these little reminders of our divine destiny and the future that we can have. We need to be reminded that our lives started with a "Once Upon a Time," and if we work hard enough they will end with a "Happily Ever After."

     One of my favorite fairy tales is Cinderella. I love how she makes a wish and it comes true! I love how she is so grateful for the blessings that are given her and that she never forgets who helped her get to her happily ever after. And you know what? My life can be JUST LIKE HER'S!!!!!! And so can yours! You may be thinking really? But it's exactly true, just think about it! Let's take my life for example- I am not a servant in my own house, but I am a hard working student trying to make it by, my life is not glamorous, I am not rich nor do I dress fancy and attract a lot of attention- Just like Cinderella. Cinderella had a fairy godmother who granted her wishes but gave her rules that she had to follow to be able to keep those blessings. I have a Father in Heaven who has given me commandments and guidelines in life to follow, telling me that if I follow his rules he will pour out his blessing into my life., and it is through him that I too can have a "Happily Ever After." Now lets flip this around to you women and mothers. As wives and mothers you have made certain promises to love and serve your husbands in their needs, as mother's you have a solemn responsibility to "rear [your] children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live." (Taken from The Family: A Proclamation to the World) If we make sure to follow these guidelines as well as the commandments; if we pray to God for daily guidance and abide by his teachings then we will receive blessings beyond what we can imagine, we will inherit his kingdom, and we can be together with our families for time and all eternity.

     "He has granted you this earthly life as a precious gift of “once upon a time,” complete with your own true story of adventure, trial, and opportunities for greatness, nobility, courage, and love. And, most glorious of all, He offers you a gift beyond price and comprehension. Heavenly Father offers to you the greatest gift of all—eternal life—and the opportunity and infinite blessing of your own ' happily ever after. ' But such a blessing does not come without a price. It is not given simply because you desire it. It comes only through understanding who you are and what you must become in order to be worthy of such a gift......

    Sisters, young sister, beloved young sisters (yes he is talking to YOU) stay true to what you know is right. Everywhere you look today, you will find promises of happiness. ads in magazines promise total bliss if you will only buy a certain outfit, shampoo, or makeup. Certain media productions glamorize those who embrace evil or give in to base instincts. Often these same people are portrayed as models of success and accomplishment. In a world where evil is portrayed as good and good as evil, sometimes it is difficult to know the truth. In some ways it is almost like Little Red Riding Hood’s dilemma: when you are not quite sure what you are seeing, is it a beloved grandmother or is it a dangerous wolf?"


     Please, do not become mezmorized with the glamours and sparkles of the world- do not forget about your Happily Ever After. Are you willing to risk your own Happily Ever After for a slim fitting dress that shapes your body nicely, or will you raise your temper at your children over spilled milk, or when you have had a stressful day and your husband comes home after a hard day at work and is angry and all you want is some time to yourself will you blow up in his face about how you have been home with the kids all day and it's his turn? I hope you would choose not to give what God has given you up, I hope that you can realize that you can have the strength to carry through the hardships of life, to triumph the adversity and major bumps in the road and overcome evil with good. 

     "We all search for happiness, and we all try to find our own “happily ever after.” The truth is, God knows how to get there! And He has created a map for you; He knows the way. He is your beloved Heavenly Father, who seeks your good, your happiness. He desires with all the love of a perfect and pure Father that you reach your supernal destination. The map is available to all. It gives explicit directions of what to do and where to go to everyone who is striving to come unto Christ and “stand as [a witness] of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.”  All you have to do is trust your Heavenly Father. Trust Him enough to follow His plan.


     My dear young sisters—you who stand for truth and righteousness, you who seek goodness, you who have entered the waters of baptism and walk in the ways of the Lord—our Father in Heaven has promised that you will 'mount up with wings as eagles; [you] shall run, and not be weary; and [you] shall walk, and not faint.”  You “shall not be deceived.'  God will bless and prosper you.  'The gates of hell shall not prevail against you; … and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.'

     Sisters, we love you. We pray for you. Be strong and of good courage. You are truly royal spirit daughters of Almighty God. You are princesses, destined to become queens. 
          Your own wondrous story has already begun. 
                  Your 'once upon a time' is now. "

     I love this cartoon, because it makes me laugh so much- but seriously how true is this? At one point or another we find ourselves a little scared to step on that scale and look at the number. I know that I am constantly comparing myself to others, every time I walk past a mirror or window I ALWAYS look at my reflection and then I look around at all other women comparing what I see as my worst qualities to what I see as their best qualities. I am a big boned girl, In no way am I over weight but I often times feel that way when I am standing next to a petite girl. One of my very best friends, Kelsey, is very petite and has very small bones. I remember looking at her many times in high school thinking, "Gosh, if she only knew what I would do to have a body like that!" But how could I???? Its not like I can just diet my bones away or take a pill that will shrink them down to the desired size! No what I can do is become comfortable in my own skin. Whether that comes from telling myself daily affirmations and reminding myself how beautiful I am- doing daily toning exercises- becoming more active to release those happy hormones that make you feel good about yourself.

     One thing that most women need to realize is that we are all beautiful, in our own way! Beauty is all in the eye of the beholder- really there are no written guidelines and rules to what makes a beautiful woman- but I'm gonna write some for you. If you can check off everything on my list than you are a beautiful woman, if you cant than make it a goal to be able to check off everything- because you deserve to have that realization that you are Beautiful!!!!!

1. I know that God loves me for who I am. I also know that he created me perfectly because he is a perfect being who does not make mistakes.
2. I can smile each and every day. And when I wake up in the morning I can look myself in the eye and be proud of the woman looking back. 
3. I greet myself with "Hey Good Looking!" every morning to remind myself just how cute I really am!
4. I can walk out the door every morning feeling confident and comfortable with who I am and how I look.
5. I know that I am different, I am not "perfect" by the world's standards, I am not a size 0- But I also know that I love myself for who I am, I have power to do anything I put my mind to and I my own unique self.

     Many women associate fitness just with loosing the weight and bringing the numbers on the scale down. And honestly that is about 60% of it- but the other 40% is to boost how you view yourself and to allow you to feel healthy. But still people only see fitness as a way to loose weight and keep yourself looking good. Hundreds of women define themselves (and their feelings) by the digitalized number that stares them back on that little white plastic square that sits in their bathroom. But what they don't realize is the important stuff.... A.K.A what the scale doesn't tell you.

     The scale doesn't tell you how awesome you are for being able to lift 8 pounds instead of 5 pounds, or being able to climb that flight of stairs without getting winded   how you can play out in the yard with your kids for hours on end, or how you can cook an amazing healthy meal that gets your family wanting to eat at home more!  The scale also doesn't tell you how fabulous you are for scoring that huge promotion at work, taking time out of a busy day to call a friend in need, holding the door open, lending a listening ear, helping a child with homework or volunteering in your community. I hope you are starting to get my point, YOU are more than the digitalized number on your scale!!!! YOU are a fun- loving, smart, sassy, healthy, beautiful woman- YOU HAVE WORTH JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!!!!!

     If you get anything out of this post today, I hope it's that- You are beautiful, you have worth, you are magnificent just how you are and the scale shouldn't have to say 125, or 152.7 or even 214 to feel good about yourself.  I hope you can enjoy the body that you have and learn to love the reflection that stares you back in the eye!

    Once there was a Jewish orphan named Ester. She was raised by her uncle, Mordecai, and he loved her very much. One day the fair young maidens in the kingdom were gathered in the palace where they were prepared to meet the king and be considered to become a queen.

     After months of preparation, every maiden came unto the king. In the kingdom there were many rules, and one of the rules was that no one could talk to the king unless he called for her by name. The penalty for breaking this rule was death. so each of the maidens waited in the palace until her name was called. When it was Esther's turn she went up unto the king. He loved Esther above all women, and so he made her the queen! 

     One day a terrible thing happened, the king's advisor, Haman, who was a very bad man convinced the king to sign a decree that called for all the Jews in the land to be killed. Queen Esther was afraid for Mordecai and for all of her people. She didn't  know what to do, so she sent for Mordecai. He told her to tell the king that she was a Jew and ask him to save her people. But she was scared- remember she was not allowed to just go talk to the King, if she did without permission she was libel to be killed. Mordecai knew this, and loved her dearly. He didnt want to send her into any danger but still, he gave her great counsel: "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) Now, that may have been true, but it didnt make it less scary. After much searching and pondering she asked the Jews to fast for her as she too fasted for strength and guidance.
 
     Queen Esther decided to be brave and fulfill her divine mission, knowing that it might mean she would die. On the third day of fasting and praying, Esther put on her fancy, royal clothing and stood in the inner court of the king's house while the king sat upon his royal throne. When the king saw Esther, standing all dressed up in the middle of the court, he remembered how much he loved her, and raised his golden scepter. Esther came to him and touched the top of the scepter, and she was allowed to speak without being put to death. Esther talked to the king, she told him she was a Jew and begged him to save her life and the life of her people. then Esther told the king that his servant was a wicked man. So Haman, the evil man, was put to death and Esther and her people were saved.

     Today we are lucky that we don't have to deal with trials like what Queen Esther was faced with but we each have a divine mission to fulfill. The Lord knows exactly who he wants us to be, if we only listen to the promptings of the Spirit we will be guided in the direction we need to go. Part of our mission might include life-changing events just like Queen Esther' had. But most often we will fulfill our mission in the actions we perform every day. I have learned that if I pray every morning, expressing my willingness to be on the Lord's errand and do his will, He will give me a mission to perform that day. Someday's its to smile through the hard times (we never do realize just how far a smile can go in the lives of those around us) or deliver yummy chocolate chip cookies to ladies in my relief society, or maybe its staying up till midnight talking and laughing with my roommates after they have had a rough day. More often than not, the action we are called upon to perform will require us to make a decision- we have to decide whether or not we will do it. Sometimes we might be scared to talk to someone new. Or maybe we feel like we don't have time in our schedule for what the Lord is asking. It can be hard to decide if we are willing to fulfill the Lord's mission for us that day. But I have learned that when I do what the Lord asks me to do, He gives me the opportunity to be a part of small miracles in the ordinary moments of life.

 Spencer W. Kimball told us that "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person  that he meets our needs."

      One of the most noteworthy characteristics of a Queen is that she is loving towards those she is watching over. As women we can show love as well as compassion and service to those we are around daily. We can listen to the small promptings of the Spirit and act upon them. When we do this we are paving ourselves a golden path towards our eternal destiny of being Heavenly Princesses and Queens.

You were born to be a Queen

     When i was a little girl I loved the movie Mary Poppins, especially when she sings the song, "I Love To Laugh." I remember many times when my mom would just start singing that song and imitating some of the laughs to ease the moment for us kids. Laughter is just something that I have always had in my life, and I am so grateful for that because it has really helped me through some hard times. Growing up I shared a room with my three wonderful sisters. My oldest sister and I slept on top bunks and they were right next to each other, there were many nights when we would just start laughing for no reason at all, hearing the other laugh just made us laugh more, and then when someone would ask us why we were laughing we would laugh even harder! Christmas Eve my sister Aasha always either sleeps in my bed or we sleep on the floor together and there have been many Christmas Eve's where we did not sleep at all because we couldn't stop laughing! Christmas of 2011 we were laying on my little twin size mattress laughing up a storm and it got to the point where it hurt we were laughing so hard, and that made us laugh even more, My parents had to keep coming into our room to check on us just to make sure we were OK and to ask us to quiet down, which of course just made us laugh more.. 
     This last August I stayed with my sister and brother in law for three weeks before I moved into my college dorm. I was a little homesick, with it being my first time away from home and being nervous for school to start; Aasha was having a rough time because Jake had been away all week hunting with our Grandpa and this was their first time apart since they have been married. Being the amazing person she is she suggested we have a little fun to lift the melancholy mood. We went out and bought a box of Heath Vanilla Ice Cream, borrowed the movie Mrs. Congeniality from our Grandma and sat right in the middle of the living room floor eating the ice cream right out of the box. By the end of the night we were so full of ice cream, tired from laughing so much and my jeans were covered in melted ice cream- somehow Aasha's pants stayed clean through this whole ordeal.

(just click on the pictures to enlarge- feel free to laugh at these pics because they totally get me rolling!)

     Hugh Sidey once said, "A sense of humor.... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life."  Bill Cosby said, "Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it."  And Charlie Chaplin gave this great quote, "A day without laughter is a day wasted." 
     I love these three quotes, especially when put together. Laughing is indeed one of the best pieces of armor that we can put on each day to help protect us from "the worst blows that life delivers" , it brings us joy among all the stresses of life and can help you survive a day that you don't feel is worth finishing out. In my life I find myself getting so caught up in the little things, (I'm a bit of a perfectionist.... OK I'm a lot of a perfectionist) I allow myself to get so weighed down that I don't remember to enjoy life, to smile, to have fun and laugh- this is dangerous. So I challenge you to schedule laughter everyday. Allow yourself to enjoy life and the little blessings it has to offer. God created this wonderful earth to enjoy and he gave us the Great Plan of Happiness so we can be happy. Let us not forget that laughter makes the soul younger, eases the stresses of life and gives you energy to carry on. I promise that if you incorporate laughter into your everyday  you will push off the wrinkles and you will wake each day ready for some more. You will find yourself coping easier with the hardships of life and people will enjoy being around you more. Laughter is an essential part of our lives and its one of the best tools God has given us to put a smile on our faces.

     From the time I could push a chair over to the counter I was baking in the kitchen with my mother and grandma's. We had this old Bosch Mixer and I always loved dumping the ingredients my mom measured for me into the bowl and turning it on. I remember my mom would stand behind me and hold my little chubby hands in hers, we had this huge tub of flour and she would help me scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then tap the top with the flat edge of a butter knife and then scoop it off. It was always tradition that we HAD to taste the cookie dough before we baked any, sometimes we needed to take two scoops just to make sure it was good. :) To this day when I am home I still ask my mom to take the first bite of cookie dough before anyone else can have any. Gosh, just thinking about all those fun memories in the kitchen with my mommy is getting me a little choked up and teary eyed. But this is really where my great love for cooking came from, from all those years of standing on dinning room chairs at the counter with my Mom.

    My Mom is a great woman, I couldn't have asked for a better mother and best friend. She taught me a lot of really important lessons in life, one of which being the great importance of service. Christmas time in our house is always FULL of baking, we would bake so many different types of cookies, candies, fudges and breads and then. My mom would always package some of it up and deliver it to women in our ward, or share it at family gatherings and Christmas parties. I learned at a young age how much joy and love can be shared through something as simple as a homemade cookie. Now one of my favorite things to do is share my baking with those around me. I LOVE to try a new recipe and share it with friends and family, but im quite the succor for the old family favorites- especially a good chocolate chip recipe :) Here is the only chocolate chip recipe I ever use! Once you try it you will never want to use another recipe again!

2 cups shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cold water
4 eggs (best at room temperature)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
6 cups flour
chocolate chips
                                                     chopped nuts (optional)

Ok before you start baking make sure you have created a fun and relaxing environment- because baking should be SO MUCH FUN! Start with a clean kitchen, turn on some favorite tunes (if your like me turn it on loud so that its easier to dance to and invites other to come join the party) Wear a cute apron (the power of a cute apron is something that not even I can put into words :) invite friends and just have FUN!!!! (maybe eat a few of the chocolate chips to really get you into the baking mood!)

1. Start with either taking your eggs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before making cookies, or if you would like to do it the cheat way- like me! then run your tap water on hot till it gets to a pretty warm temperature, fill a bowl of water then place your eggs inside. (A fun fact, when you place the eggs in the water you will hear a chirping sound! No there are no baby chicks inside- although that's totally what I thought the first time I heard this, its the air escaping)

2. Cream the shortening and the white sugar at a high speed until light and fluffy, then slowly add the brown sugar. Add your vanilla and cold water. Now I never measure my vanilla I just eyeball it, but if you add about 1/2 teaspoon extra vanilla it sure does make your cookies yummy :)

3. Add your eggs one or two at a time, next comes your salt and baking soda. Be sure to not dump all of your salt and soda in one place, evenly pour it over your dough that way when you mix it in you don't get clumps of salt or soda- it really doesn't taste good when you bite into one of those.

4. Now add your flour, I start with 3 cups, and then slowly add 1/2 a cup at a time till I either get a good dough consistency or have reached 6 cups. Sometimes with the temperature of the room or the ingredients the consistency will be a little different so you may not need all 6 cups. Be sure that you dont over mix your dough here, when you over mix in your flour you end up with a heavier dough and your cookies will come out flatter and more dense. Make sure to mix in all the flour but try to mix as little as possible- this helps the shortening to still stay fluffy making for a lighter softer cookie :)

5. Then add your chocolate chips, nuts if you so choose or any other fun ingredients like heath chip or m&m's.

6. scoop your cookies out onto a cookie sheet- I do this just by scooping with a two spoons, i don't worry about perfectly shaped cookies or anything, they actually cook better this way! I do this a little weird but to help the cookie evenly cook flatten the top of the cookie dough ball ever so slightly then either take a tooth pick or a butter knife and make a small(ish) hole in the center of the cookie only going down about half way. When the cookie is cooking the heat will enter this cookie and cook the inside while cooking the outside, this way its not cooking from outside in, its cooking both the outside and inside at the same time! The hole will fill in on its own and you will never notice it there.

Preheat your oven to 350 and you will bake for about 11-12 minutes. Or if you want to do it my way, bake for 9 minutes or until the cookie looks evenly cooked, the top will be almost to a golden brown but the bottom will have just reached that golden brown stage. Pull the cookies out but let them sit on the cookie sheet for another 2-3 minutes. The cookies will still cook once you pull them out because they are still hot and they are on a hot pan. Allowing them to finish cooking this way out in the cooler air makes for a softer chewier cookie- they come out perfect on the edges and slightly soft and doughy on the inside.

This really is a great recipe and I know you will love it just as much as my family does!!!!!!!