Lindberg Family

Why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a cult

2011-10-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, I loved all the different reactions I would get when I told people I was a Mormon. My favorite was probably, "But you wear colored clothes, how could you be a Mormon?"

Today, the reaction isn't the same. I don't know anyone who confuses Mormons with Amish anymore. But the reactions my children get from school are still pretty funny. One of my daughters came home confused because her friend had told her that the difference between the Mormon church and the Christian church is that Mormon men have tons of wives. At least that one is based in some history, albeit pretty ancient. At best it shows serious misunderstanding about the differences between the Church of Jesus Christ and traditional Christianity. There certainly ARE differences. Major differences. No Mormon would tell you any different -- that's why we belong to the Church of Jesus Christ rather than the Baptist church or the Episcopalian Church. We believe that the doctrinal differences are significant and important. Heaven knows it would be a lot easier to be Episcopalian.

So it is with great fascination that I watch the media attention my church has been receiving lately. Sometimes I find myself drawn in to reading the comments section underneath articles that appear in the media. It's surreal to see people debating what you do and do not believe, as if they have any idea.

But the thing that has bothered me the most lately is the characterization of the Church as a "cult," and mainstream Christianity as "not a cult." Many people have posted that not only is the Church of Jesus Christ a cult, but that we ourselves have no problem being called a cult because we know that our doctrine is different than traditional Christianity. Some people have even gone so far as to lump in the Catholics with us and refer to them also as a cult simply because they are not evangelicals.

For all those people, let me clear something up for you: Either we ALL belong to cults, or none of us do. From google, the definition of a cult:

1) A system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.

By that definition all people who worship Jesus Christ -- Mormons, evangelicals, Catholics, etc., are all cultists. If you'd like to use that definition, fine, go with it. But realize you're also a cult member and please state that along with your assertion that Mormons are cultists.

The second (and more commonly used) definition:

2) A relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.

First off, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a small group of people. According to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, the Church of Jesus Christ is the fourth largest church in North America. There are over 6 million members here alone, with millions more worldwide. There are more Mormons than there are Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and frankly, most other Christian denominations. That alone disqualifies the church by the second definition, but let's move farther in.

Do we have religious practices that others regard as strange? Absolutely. But so do all Christians. No one can seriously read the bible and think that there aren't things in there that others might consider strange. Must I remind you of the story of the talking donkey? The fact is, any non Christians think that Christian belief is strange. So while we would qualify under that small part of the second definition, so too would all Christians.

As for sinister beliefs, I've been a member all my life, and we have none. Anyone who thinks anything else has been misinformed.

So please, all of you who insist on referring to us as a cult, please add the disclaimer that evangelical Christianity is also a cult to avoid any confusion. I will choose to refrain from using that term at all in reference to anyone because it is commonly used to disparage, and I wouldn't want to belittle anyone's sacred beliefs. Just because I believe in my own church doesn't mean that I don't see the beauty and inspiration in others' belief systems. I can see the touch of God in almost any religion, and who would want to condemn that?

You just have to decide what is important to you

2011-07-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

I have a very talented Emma. She LOVES gymnastics and throws her whole soul into it. She's been very casually taking lessons at a city program for the last few years. I've been reluctant to push her up to team level because of the large time commitment. This year it became clear though that she HAD to go to team. There was nothing left for her in the regular classes. She was placed on the team at her current gym, but their practice times were such that she would miss Family Home Evening every Monday and activity days every Wednesday. That gym is also 1/2 an hour away, and the time commitment just to get her there was too intense.

I began looking for a new gym for her to join. I found the perfect place, so it seemed. The new gym was only five minutes from my house and had the perfect schedule -- really the ONLY schedule that would work with all my other kids' commitments. I knew it would be far more expensive, and far more intense, but I was willing to make the sacrifice because it meant so much to her.

When we told her current coach about the upcoming gym move, she got very concerned and told me to make sure to watch Emma carefully because she feared for her safety if she were to transfer there. Evidently this gym is run by the former coaches of WOGA. For those of you not intimately involved in the gymnastics world, that is the gym that turned out Nastia Lukin, the last Olympic Gold Medal winner. These coaches have now opened their own gym and are on the prowl to find new material. I laughed off her concerns. "She's much too old to be trained for the Olympics," I told her coach.

"I think you underestimate Emma by a lot. They will take one look at her, see her talent and fast track her," she told me. She said this was an elite training facility that will push Emma's tiny little body to its limits and beyond in the hopes that she can one day be a champion. I decided to reserve judgment until going to see the gym.

On Friday we went in, and at first we really liked what we saw. The Hungarian national team was there training, and it was cool to see these girls who would be competing in the Olympics next year. The coach of the class Emma would be in seemed very nice, and the other girls in her level looked great. Maybe we've found our home, I thought.

They brought Emma in for an evaluation to see whether she could be placed on their team. At first the coach that would be Emma's took her in and had her doing basic skills: splits, roundoff backhandsprings, etc. After a few minutes though Emma caught the eye of the head coach, and he came over and took Emma away. He had her doing things she'd never done before. I've never seen her perform so well. He was impressed with her, and I was impressed with his abilities to help her so quickly with skills she'd been struggling with for ages.

They sent Emma back into me while the three coaches deliberated. Then they came in and told me Emma was fabulous and they would love to have her join their team. They thought that even though the first competition was only four weeks away, she would be ready. She could borrow a uniform from one of the other girls until hers came in, etc. They were excited, and I couldn't help being just a little proud that my little girl had so thoroughly impressed such a set of elite coaches.

I inquired about the costs of the program (astronomical, but I figured we would find a way) and then before we left, I said, "There's one more thing."

"I prefer she doesn't compete on Sundays."

Silence.

"Is that going to be a problem for you?"

Silence.

Finally, the female coach said, "Well, you won't get your money back if you enter her in a meet and she is assigned to the Sunday session (and then went on and on about why it would be a problem)."

I listened and then said, well, the money is unfortunate, but she would still choose not to compete.

Evgeny, a former member of the Soviet gymnastics national team and Russian national team suddenly looked very angry. And in the heaviest Russian accent imaginable says, "Why she not compete on Sunday?!"

"Well, I said, we're religious people..."

"What, you go to church?" he interrupts.

"Yes," I said, "We go to church, AND we stay home on Sundays for the rest of the day. We don't compete in sports."

"Well," he says, "You just have to decide what is important to you: Church or gymnastics." And then he stormed away.

I'm sure he thought, well, clearly gymnastics will win. But no, Evgeny, church will always win. I'm sure growing up in the USSR the concept of sacrificing the possibility of Olympic glory for the sake of your religious beliefs seems completely wacky. But it's not wacky to us.

It's been a tough weekend for Emma, Van and me, trying to decide what to do. In the end, we've decided to put Emma in the program, but simply to put our foot down and not allow any Sunday competition come what may. He may kick her off the team, but we're willing to risk it. After long conversations with Emma about it, she completely agrees. I was even impressed with Alexa, who, after hearing this story said, "Mom, you just need to march right back in there and announce that we will NOT compromise our standards."

It would be so easy to say, there are only three Sunday competitions per year, what's the harm? And to great extent, that's true. However, if we were to compromise on this little thing, the only thing my children would learn is that it's ok to compromise standards ... sometimes -- whenever they get in the way of what you want or it's inconvenient to keep them. Following the commandments isn't always THAT important. Is that really the message I want to send them right before they march off to their teenage years?

One of the speakers in church today mentioned that God does not give us commandments for him. He gives us commandments so WE can be happy. I truly believe that. I think only blessings will come from Emma's good decision. After all, if the children are willing to keep their standards in small things, they will hopefully be able to keep their standards in larger things. And I can't think of any blessing greater than that.

Fiona's one month pictures

2010-07-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Julia got some wonderful pictures of Fiona, and I had to share. These were taken at exactly one month.

You know you have a new baby ...

2010-06-21T17:55:00.001-07:00

(and you REALLY shouldn't be driving) when you hit a red light and your gut reaction is YESSSSSSSSSSS! Naptime!

Newborn days are so fleeting ...

2010-06-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

The saddest things about having a newborn baby is knowing how quickly she will grow up. I already see so many changes in her after only 11 days. I've finally gotten around to uploading some of her first pictures. Enjoy!

On our way to the hospital

Kindergarten graduation a few days later

Baby Fiona

2010-06-01T14:18:00.001-07:00

We are ecstatic to announce the arrival of Fiona Faith. She was 8 pounds 9 ounces and 21 inches long. We're all tired and resting, but for those of you who would like to see Fiona's hospital pictures you can find them at www.our365.com. You can search by customer number. Fiona's is 06041299189063.

Where are our priorities?

2010-04-13T09:26:00.001-07:00

I sit on the Wylie school district bond review committee. This committee has absolutely no power to do anything, so in some ways it is pointless. It is made up of people who have been appointed by the school board to review the way the district is spending the bond money approved in the previous election. The idea is to give us information about all the projects going on and then have us spread it throughout the community. Van always asks why I bother with it since we don't actually get to give any input on the process. But I think it's interesting to see where all the money is spent.

Last night I attended one of our committee meetings. This particular meeting was held in our district's Achieve Academy -- a campus that serves many different kinds of students with alternative needs (behavioral issues, life skills, etc.). Now, I have always been a critic of the way our district spends money. I see no reason why we need flat-screen TVs in our elementary school hallways, advanced sound systems in our cafeterias or cable television in our classrooms. And don't even get me started on the sports facilities.

I was appalled to find out yesterday that these children with alternative needs are meeting in these strange portable classrooms hooked together by a whole bunch of raised decks. The principal at Achieve Academy told of Kindergarteners who like to run away and crawl under the decks and of disabled students that have no way to get to the only safe building in the area in case of tornadoes (which we have here relatively frequently). These kids have no lunch rooms, no playground equipment, nothing. Someone donated a single portable basketball net that they chain to a nearby fence so it doesn't get stolen. That is their only outdoor recreation.

Luckily with the passage of the new bond our district is finally building these children an actual brick school. But it made me once again question the bizarre priorities of the people who spend our tax dollars. The kids that spend their time at the Achieve Academy should be one of our highest priorities. These are the kids that are at risk for all kinds of issues and have relatively little support at home. As a community we can make a huge difference in their lives by providing them with quality education. Who decided new sports scoreboards were more important than giving at-risk kids a playground?

Van loves being a dad

2010-04-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

I think it's so sweet how much my husband loves being a dad. The other day I was telling him about people constantly coming up to me and patting my belly and saying, "Oh, you're so cute. Is this your first?" When I say politely, "No, it's my fifth," their eyes bug out of their heads and their faces get the most bizarre contorted looks as if to say, "Are you CRAZY?"

Van just replied as calmly and seriously as could be, "That's ridiculous. Our kids are masterpieces. Did anyone ever tell Picasso he created too many paintings?" I just started cracking up.

The other day we were at Toys R Us shopping for the twins' birthday. When we were done we took the kids over to the Babies R Us side of the store and found an adorable collection of newborn layette pieces -- just the sweetest shade of light dusty pink. Have I mentioned this baby is going to be our FOURTH daughter? She doesn't need clothes. We picked out a few especially adorable ones and when I asked Van if we should get one, he got all sad and said, "No, I want ALL of them." I reminded him that we really didn't need ANY clothes, but he persisted that he could picture our little baby wearing them, and he definitely wanted ALL of them. See why I never take him shopping? He got his way, we bought all of them. Now why didn't I get that frilly car seat I wanted:)?

I'm disturbed

2010-04-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

Mormons are used to being misunderstood and misrepresented. It doesn't bother me that much. I like correcting people when they've heard something bizarre about us and seeing their faces alight with unbelief when I tell them something they've always thought about our religion is absolutely untrue.

I will never forget when I was 17 years old and preparing to go off to college. A family who I had babysat for multiple times a week for years told me not to "let those Mormons get me" when I told them I would be going to school in Utah. When I mentioned I already was a Mormon, they couldn't believe it. "But you wear colored clothing, and you dance," they said. Uh, yeah. We're just regular people.

There are things that come out in the media about our religion that are inflamatory and bigoted all the time. Once again, I just usually let it go and am grateful that we have freedom in this country to print whatever we want. As much as I may not agree with what is written in books, on the internet, or portrayed on television, I am so glad that people are able to voice their opinions. When the book "The 19th Wife" was released, I didn't think a lot about it. It's just another one of those books.

But today I received my Costco magazine in the mail. Now, I spend A LOT of money at Costco, many thousands of dollars every year. In fact, most Mormons I know do because we have such large families we buy everything in bulk. I knew Costco carried this particular book, and I didn't really care. But in today's magazine they highlighted it as the book pick of the month complete with an article and a signed book giveaway promoting it. I decided that it must not be as terrible a book as I had assumed, or surely Costco would not be advocating it in such a way.

I went online to read some reviews. Now, I have to offer the disclaimer that I haven't actually read the book. But judging from the reviews, everyone was talking about how they have such a greater understanding of Mormonism now that they've read it. They mentioned such new gems of enlightenment as, "Now I understand that polygamy was required as a ticket to Heaven for founding Mormons." All Mormons were historically "required" to practice polygamy. Now I understand how "abusive" Mormon men are. And, "Now I know so much about the church I realize how crazy you would have to be to believe in it." I'll stop there, but these statements are false along with many of the other "new understandings" people have of the religion that is so close to my heart.

I really don't care if Costco sells the book. But by actively promoting something that encourages such bigotry and hatred I feel slighted and like I don't really want to shop there anymore. Honestly, does Costco not understand that Mormons make up a HUGE percentage of their customers?

Everything becomes a victory to the Lord

2010-03-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you who aren't in the Wylie 2 ward, I teach the gospel doctrine class. The calling scared the heebeejeebees out of me at first, but I've really grown to love it. This week we're studying Joseph -- a man who went through some incredibly difficult challenges. As I studied his life it struck me how he never seemed to whine or complain about any of his misfortunes. Not when his own brothers threw him into a pit or sold him to be a slave. Not when he was falsely accused of a heinous crime and thrown into prison. Not ever. But even more amazing than that was the fact that he turned each one of these terrible experiences into a golden opportunity. He found a way to rise to a position of power no matter what happened to him. It made me wonder what we would all be capable of accomplishing if we looked for the opportunities in our personal tragedies rather than dwelling on the misfortunes themselves.

My favorite quote from the lesson was, “[The] ability to turn everything into something good appears to be a godly characteristic. Our Heavenly Father always seems able to do this. Everything, no matter how dire, becomes a victory to the Lord. Joseph, although a slave and wholly undeserving of this fate, nevertheless remained faithful to the Lord and continued to live the commandments and made something very good of his degrading circumstances. People like this cannot be defeated” (Elder Hartman Rector Jr. in Conference Report, Oct. 1972, 170; or Ensign, Jan. 1973, 130).

In the end, life is made up of choices. We can't choose what challenges lie ahead, but we can always choose what we make of them. Many times personal hardships are simply blessings in disguise.

If I'm really being honest, it had nothing to do with helping children in Haiti

2010-01-20T09:17:00.000-08:00

I'm a saver. I always told myself while we were poor going through law school and having our children that if we ever had any more children after law school, I would get all the things I wanted rather than compromising for the practical. But I just haven't been able to do it ... until today.

I really wanted the Little Castle Rocker. It was so beautiful, warm and comfortable. But I recovered my old Dutailier glider instead. I really wanted the car seat pictured above, but I got a gender neutral one just in case we ever have another son (who am I kidding?). I'm even going to try to cloth diaper this time (more as an environmental effort than a money saving one, but I'm happy to be saving money too).

There's one thing though that I definitely DON'T need for my new baby. I saved all my trusty, practical, functional Lands End diaper bags -- black, one in each of three sizes. These bags are workhorses and served me well through all four of my children, and you'd never even know it from the condition they're in. And yet, one day while baby shopping months ago, I came across THE diaper bag. The one I knew I'd never buy. The one I couldn't believe people would spend so much money on. The one that was so beautiful who could put a poopie diaper inside?

But for some reason, I couldn't stop thinking about this bag. I would visit it online, on ebay, on craigslist, hoping someone would put up a used one for sale -- and knowing full well I wouldn't buy it even if they did, because they would still be asking way too much for something I definitely didn't need. I would remind myself how I make fun of all those bags (the ones covered in Cs or Gs -- you know the ones I mean) because who wants people to know how much money you spent for your bag? That's uber tacky. So why couldn't I get THIS bag out of my head?

This morning I checked the web site that sells these ridiculous, beautiful, plush bags. They're having a fund raiser for Haiti. What a great cause! I need to find out more. ... They're offering their bags at a huge discount, and then giving a large portion of the purchase price to the Haiti relief effort. They have tons of pictures of sad looking Haitian children on their web site. Who can resist helping them? I certainly couldn't. One totally frivolous, unnecessary diaper bag, purchased.

Now, if I'm really being honest, it would have been much more helpful to the children in Haiti if I had simply donated the entire purchase price straight to the Red Cross. After all, I didn't need the bag anyway. Maybe I'll come to hate the bag because every time I look at it I'll think of all the children I DIDN'T help because of my selfishness in wanting the stupid thing. Am I even going to be able to use this bag, or will I be too self-conscious about the fact that I own one that I'm unwilling to let it see the light of day? I guess time will tell, but as of today, I'm so excited I got something I really wanted, no matter how impractical it may be. When I'm done with it, I'll sell it on ebay and donate all the proceeds to the cause of the day. Maybe that will make me feel better.

My blog is boring me

2010-01-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

All two of you who follow my blog will notice I haven't updated in .... a long time. I could give you the very trite "I've been too busy" excuse. But for those of you who know me, I've been much less busy these last few months than I ever have before. The real reason is, to put it bluntly, my blog is boring, even to me. I began it as a way to journal the events of our family. But there must be a more interesting way to do that than just posting pictures with captions.

So I'm going to change the focus of my blog a little bit in an effort to persuade myself to update it. There may still be the occasional picture of my kids with a caption to satisfy all you grandparents out there, but I'm going to actually write about the things I think about. It may not be C.S. Lewis (it may not even be Dear Abby) but surely it will be more interesting than pictures with captions. At least to me.

Today I'm thinking about New Year's resolutions. I rarely make them and never keep them. That being said, I love watching other people tackle THEIR New Year's resolutions. Hopefully you won't all think I'm mean after I tell you this, but one of my favorite things to do on New Year's Day is to go to the gym and watch all the people who are coming in for the first time in years. On one hand, I think it's so great that they are trying to make a change in their lives. But part of me has to chuckle because these are never the people who come in and do a 20 minute walk on the treadmill and then leave satisfied that they've stepped foot on the path to a healthier lifestyle.

No, these are the ones that push themselves to the edge of death for this one day and then never come back again, because who can stand to kill themselves like that? Take this morning for example. There was one lady at the gym who was at the kickboxing class before mine, stayed for the weightlifting class that I did, and then as I was leaving, pulled out her newly purchased yoga mat for some more torture. I could tell from her form in the weight lifting class that she was definitely a first-timer. I felt sorry for her. There's no way that woman is getting out of bed for a week!

But it made me think about the way I set goals. I decided I WILL make a New Year's resolution this year -- I'm going to update my blog. But I'm not going to promise to do it every day, because I won't. I won't even necessarily do it every week. My resolution is to do it when I feel like I have something to say that won't bore me to tears. And it's ok if it doesn't have a picture.

Parents day at gymnastics

2009-08-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

We got to go see the girls show off what they've been working on all year at parent's day. They've come really far in their class, and now they are moving from one day a week for one hour to two days a week for two hours. It's been a tough transition -- for me, not them. They love it. I'm worried about how it will go once school starts. Our lives just seem to get crazier the older the kids get.

Carolyn's dance recital

2009-08-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Carolyn did a wonderful job at her ballet and tap recital. And I have to say I'm not sure I've seen a cuter dance costume.

Emma gets in touch with her girly side

2009-08-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

My girls have always hated having their hair done. No bows or ribbons for them! But all of a sudden Emma one night decided she wanted me to put her hair in curlers. I couldn't believe it. Here's the before and after. She looks great ... but she's never asked for them again :)

Finally a little decor

2009-08-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to decorating the kids' rooms. I can only find pictures of Nate's room, but I think it turned out pretty cute. Now we just have to get the painter in there to get rid of that horrible flat paint!

T-ball

2009-08-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

Nate had a great time playing T-ball this year. Van and I were so busy with what we had going on that all the burden for making sure he got to games and played well fell on his three fantastic coaches. Thanks for all you did! This fall both Nate AND Carolyn want to play.

Alexa's moving to Middle School

2009-08-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby's ready for middle school. Here she is pictured giving her principal a hug during her promotion ceremony. I'm sure they'll miss her at her old school, but it's on to bigger and better things!

Nate and Carolyn's pre-birthday

2009-08-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

Grandma came over for Nate and Carolyn's pre-birthday party
since she wasn't going to Disney with us.
She made them a bunny cake. She's so creative.

Easter

2009-08-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

The kids trying to get us out of bed so they could start the hunt

Game on

April Disney Trip

2009-08-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at Disney World for the twins' birthdays. Here are some of our favorite pics.

Nate and Carolyn trying on the crazy rock star hair while we waited for the big kids to get off Rockin' Roller Coaster

Even more than the headline rides, the kids love the playgrounds at Disney World like Honey I Shrunk the kids and the Boneyard

All the girls in the family AND Daddy all got called up to be part of the High School Musical Show. Too bad it was our least favorite attraction of the entire trip!

The kids always love the Cinderella dinner at 1900 Park Fair. Where else can you meet
Prince Charming?

Water play on Donald's Boat is great for a hot day!

Of all th 100s of character pics we took, I think this was the only one of the entire family.

ROAR!

Gettin' jiggy at Biergarten

The masks in Italy are always one of my favorites

We had lunch with my dad at Whispering Canyon one afternoon. I was so thirsty after a day in the park the waitress replaced my cup with a huge jar after too many refills:)

The kids had a great time with their cousin Tomas

Splash Mountain broke down right in the middle, and they had to take us off the ride and down through the middle. It was fascinating seeing the internal workings of such a major attraction. But the best part was the 40! fast passes they gave Carolyn afterward because it was her birthday.

Alexa got to be the skipper on board the jungle cruise

Emma with her Grandpa at Biergarten

The philosophies of men

2009-04-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

I love to read good books, but I hate most adult fiction. Why? I just can't relate to the bizarre lives the people in adult novels lead. I don't hate my husband. I'm not traumatized by my childhood. Basically, my life is pretty normal and happy. I went on a search for an adult novel with an uplifting message, one that would edify me. I searched through the Amazon 100 and noticed this Christian book about a man who learns to work through his grief after an encounter with God. With thousands of five star reviews and testimonials from people who said it had changed their lives and enhanced their relationship with the Savior, I thought maybe this book was the one for me. I put it on hold at the library.

It was somewhat interesting, but in an "I can't believe people believe this stuff" kind of way. I did not feel uplifted, and in fact, the book left me feeling empty and sad. Some of the gems preached in this book were that, not only does God not expect us to keep the 10 commandments, even trying to keep them is evil and controlling; God does not want us to feel any sorrow for things we do wrong; and God hates religion. Wow. Has William Young ever read the Bible? More importantly, have the people who are eating up this drivel ever read it? My guess is probably not, which is why they are eating it up. This is watered down Christianity for the masses. It follows the trend many churches are following these days of preaching not Christianity but whatever people want to hear that helps them justify whatever wayward path their life is on. "Do whatever you want. There are no consequences. There is no right or wrong. All paths lead to God." Blah blah blah.

And yet, for all the emptiness it left me with, I'm glad I read it. When I read the Bible, when I read the Book of Mormon, when I read the words of the prophets, I am filled with the Holy Ghost, and the spirit testifies to me that the things I am reading are true. When I read this book, I felt nothing. Sometimes I think as Latter-day Saints we are so used to filling our lives with truth that we feel the Spirit nearly all the time and we become accustomed to it. Reading something like this and feeling what it's like to NOT have the spirit testify truth solidifies my testimony of the things I know really ARE true.

I know that Jesus Christ loves me and that He is my savior. I know that he is the only begotten son of a loving Heavenly Father who sent Him to suffer on Earth for our sins so that we may live with Him in Heaven again. I know that the Holy Ghost testifies truth and that He is always with me to lead me, guide me, and comfort me. I know that while these three beings are one in purpose and unity, the same way my husband and I are one in purpose, they are three separate beings. I know the Bible to be the word of God, and I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I know that following the commandments as laid out in the scriptures are the only way to true and lasting happiness. I know that I have been sealed to my family in the temple of God and that we will live linked together as a family for eternity. These things are pure truth that have been witnessed to my by the Holy Ghost, and I cannot deny them.

Remember the Alamo!

2009-03-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

We spent a wonderful, relaxing long weekend in San Antonio. We stayed at the most fabulous resort. The Hyatt Hill Country Resort next to Sea World was absolutely phenomenal, and I'm not sure I'll ever stay anyplace else when I go to San Antonio. They catered to children and had a wonderful lazy river with a beach that the kids just loved. They had horse-drawn carriage rides, smores by the camp fire on the beach every night, and countless other children's activities. The restaurant in the hotel was fantastic, and I had the most amazing pancakes with whipped cream and caramel dredged bananas. Sea World was fun, and although it is certainly no Disney World, at $55 ($46 for kids) for a yearly pass, it sure is cheap. The Riverwalk in San Antonio was beautiful, and the Witte museum was fascinating. But my favorite part of the trip? The Alamo. Everyone told me how disappointed I would be in the Alamo. "It's so small," I would hear over and over again. Well, this just goes to prove that satisfaction is all about expectations. I was expecting nothing, and so I was overwhelmed at what I found there. It was the anniversary of the Alamo battle the weekend we visited, and so they had people out in period costume re-enacting parts of the battle, etc. The museum was great, and I found the church to be a very sacred place. I really had no idea before I went what had happened at the Alamo, and I was touched by the sacrifice of those who lost their lives there. Ever since moving to Texas I have constantly ridiculed the Texas pride that is inescapable here. I knew that Texas had once been its own country, yadda, yadda, yadda. But I never knew they'd had to fight for their independence in the same way America had to fight for theirs. I was struck while visiting the Alamo how the sacrifice of lives somehow turns what is seemingly just a political event -- the drawing of national borders in this case -- into something sacred. From here on out I will always remember the Alamo and perhaps take a little more pride in being a Texan. Here are some pictures to enjoy:

The kids LOVED feeding the dolphins at Sea World

Yes, that is a fanny pack around my waist. When going to amusement parks, comfort always wins out over fashion.

Our favorite show in Sea World was the "Cannery Row Caper" with the seals.

The girls loved swinging on the hammocks at the resort.

But Nate just wanted to hunt for big sticks.

The resort horse's name was Susie. My kids got a huge kick out of that.

I knew I would be bad at blogging ....

2009-01-29T08:24:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by an email from my sister this morning. After months of not adding any posts she finally blogged again, beginning anew with a fresh blog name. While I don't think I need a new name, I decided I really should add a post since it's been two months. The thing is, it was an eventful two months. As blogging opportunities passed me by, I kept thinking about all the back blogging I would need to do to catch up. It was so depressing, I didn't want to think about it -- just too much work. So, here are a few pictures to sum up the last couple of months. It will be short, (probably not sweet) but to the point. And I'll try to be better keeping up in the future.

Emma rocked her swing dance at school

My friend Megan, who I haven't seen in seven years, came to visit.
(And you can see my new paint in the background)

Christmas was a lot of fun.

Emma was the star of her second grade play.

The YW scavenger hunt was quite silly.

Thanksgiving Break and Decking the Halls

2008-11-30T18:00:00.001-08:00

The kids had the entire week off for Thanksgiving. It was one of the best vacations we've had. To anyone wondering, no, I did not get up at 4 am to go shopping. I did, however, go by myself to a mall that opened at 11 pm on Thanksgiving night and stayed out shopping all night until 5:30 am. It was pure heaven. I went to every store I wanted, stayed as long as I wanted, and I didn't have to take a single trip to the potty. What could be better?

Van and I also took a trip to Lifetime Fitness where be started a new type of workout called HITT training. It stands for ... well, I can't remember, but it's supposed to help you move off fitness plateaus and take your fitness to a new level. The basics are this: you warm up for five minutes, cycle as hard as you can for 20 seconds, and then recover for 60 seconds. Alternate the 20/60s six times, and then cool down five minutes. Eventually after a few weeks you work up to ten sets of 60/90s (or something -- I have a chart in my gym bag). You only do this workout once or twice a week, keeping your regular strength and endurance cardio on the other days. I thought, how hard can this be? Six sets of 20 seconds, even as hard as you can go, will be cake! But the research presented in the article we read was convincing, so we gave it a try.

It about killed us. Our stake president was behind on the elliptical watching us torture ourselves and I'm sure chuckling a bit at our crazy regimented routine. He commented when we were done that he didn't think Van would be able to walk the next day:) I think we'll keep it up for a few weeks and see if we like it.

Our other highlight was going out with a large group of friends to the Grand Lux cafe and to a production of the Christmas Carol. The food at the Grand Lux was delicious, and I highly recommend it if you are lucky enough to live in one of the few cities that has one. And the show? Fantastic. Truthfully, my expectations were low. Growing up in New York, I'm kind of a theater snob, and it takes quite a bit to impress me. When we arrived at the small theater in Dallas that could seriously benefit from some updating (the smoke alarm went off in the middle of the performace from the smoke machines, and some poor woman was on her hands and knees under the sink in one of the dirty bathrooms trying to fix some plumbing fiasco during the opening of the show) my expectations sank even lower. However, this was the best production of the Christmas Carol I have ever seen. The actors, music, direction, it was all spectacular. We'll certainly be sure to visit that theater again.

Other than that, we played games, went on bike rides in perfect 70 degree weather (picture me here running along side my poor four year olds on training wheel-clad bikes for an hour screaming "pedal faster, pedal faster!"), ate Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma Carroll's house, and ended it all with a bang decking our halls. I'm sad the kids have to go back to school tomorrow, but it's only for three weeks. And then more fun can begin.

Finally home after four miles. Gee mom, give us a break!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

Emma and Alexa were so excited Saturday morning to decorate that they dressed up in their Christmas angel costumes.

This one's just precious

Lots of friends for Halloween

2008-11-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

We are extremely blessed to have so many great friends. Instead of spending our Halloween alone in our house answering the door, we decided with our neighbors and and other friends to pull the picnic tables into the cul-de-sac and eat chili and cornbread. After the feasting we sent all the men out with the children to do the trick-or-treating while the ladies sat around and talked the night away. It was perfect weather, around 70 degrees that night. We love that we didn't have to bundle up the kids and that you could actually see their costumes for trick-or-treating.

Alexa was Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

Emma was Pocahontas

Carolyn was Jasmine

Nate was Dash from The Incredibles

Elicia's kids were all characters from the movie Toy Story. Elicia went as Andy's mom (no costume required). That was pretty good. So when my kids asked me who I was dressed up as, I told them I was Andy's mom's friend :)

Our friend Sadie, as Bo-Peep

Fall Carnival

2008-11-03T17:17:00.001-08:00

Last Friday night was the fall carnival at the school. Basically this means we got to buy soda, corn on the cob, mangoes, candy, and lots of assorted other food at the grocery store, donate it to the school, and then buy it back again at exorbitant prices. It's an annual tradition at our school that our kids have grown to love. There are bounce houses aplenty, cake walks, and throw the ping-pong ball into the fish bowl games.

Van loves to just hold the camera out and take random pictures of us. I have never seen any of these turn out well before, but this one at the carnival wasn't too bad. In the next photo Nate enjoys a lollipop after a romp on the bounce house. And finally, a visit with the tooth fairy (read: dentist in a prom dress with glittery wings who was at the carnival to get new business) made Carolyn all smiles by the time she got home.

Grandma saves the day

2008-11-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

Last week for family home evening it was pumpkin carving day. It couldn't be put off any longer. I don't know if it's the changing seasons or something else, but Van and I have been exhausted lately. As soon as dinner is over we put the kids in bed and then fall into bed ourselves and go right to sleep. Monday night after dinner was over the last thing we wanted to do was dig the goo out of four pumpkins. Luckily, Grandma Coltrin sent us these great stick-on pumpkin faces. No carving was necessary. The kids picked out their faces and pushed them into the pumpkins. We had a quick family night, and everyone was happy. Thanks Grandma!

Wonderful Fall Days

2008-10-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

I love the fall. Along with Halloween and pumpkin bread come cool weather and lazy afternoons outside. This is my front porch as it appears most days, and frankly, this is exactly what I had in mind when I bought my house. I love that our neighbors can come over and sit and talk while our kids race around on their bikes in the cul-de-sac. I do need to work on my Southern hospitality though -- I never serve lemonade. Lately I've been running out of chairs, and I feel bad because some people have to stand. Not having lemonade is excusable I think, but not having enough chairs is just unacceptable. I think I can squeeze in one more on each side.

Alexa and and Aubrey enjoying cool weather -- we've finally hit the 80s.

Train ride takes a tumble

2008-09-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

This Saturday our family participated in our small town's 50th anniversary celebration. The most eventful part of the day was when the train ride collapsed. Alexa said the driver was "cornering like crazy" when the train hit the curb and turned over. Thankfully no one was hurt. I had already left the event to attend the Relief Society General Broadcast, and Dad forgot to take pictures of the crash. However, we have cute ones of the sack race, so here they are!

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

2008-09-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

The floors are finally done, and I am so relieved. They are exactly what we wanted, but just as importantly, my house is finally CLEAN once again. Here is the finished product in the bed room. I think curtains are definitely the next project for this room. And a rug. I also stopped the workers in the middle of putting my bed back together so I could lay boxes of food storage under the bed that can only be moved in and out when the mattress has been removed (the side rails come down too low for them to simply slide under). You should have seen their faces when I began to bring in cases of wheat and oats and lay them under my bed. They thought I was pretty strange.

And here is my new office/meeting room/guest room combo. The room itself is still a work in progress. I need to move in the sofa bed from the living room (I did keep the memory foam from the old bed to put on the sofa bed for any of you potential guests. It's actually pretty comfortable -- I should know we' ve been sleeping on it for the last two weeks) and I need a new desk and bookshelves since these are going up to the kids' rooms. I also need to shorten the curtains, and Van needs to repair the rod that got pulled down during the floor installation. But, one thing at a time. We have floors!

And finally, remember that messy family room? Clean as a whistle. Now, what should we put in here?

Complete Chaos

2008-09-26T07:00:00.001-07:00

This is my family room. I have been living in this mess for the past two weeks while workers have been constantly in my house laying, handscraping, sanding, and finishing my hardwood floors. It's been a complete disaster and very difficult to keep my curious children out of the workers' way. And the smell .....

Alexa's a star!

2008-09-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

Last night Alexa played the teacher in the fourth grade production "Music and Me" about a boy who loses his music. The teacher helps him find that the music was inside him all the time. She did a great job and remembered all her lines! And yes, we took a picture. :)

So not my kind of thing ......

2008-09-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

So, at the urging of my wonderful friends, I have decided to begin this blog. I hate scrapbooking, and I never take photos. Ever since I moved away from Carrie Welty (who used to be my resident photog) I have taken approximately three photos. So, here we go, I'll give it a try. Maybe it will make me take out the camera more often. Happy reading!

These are the most recent pictures of my older kids. We had them taken at Aspen Grove in August (notice that I did not take them myself.) They're all I've got, but I guess you need to start somewhere. A family picture should follow some day, but of course the photographer forgot to put it on the CD, so it could be a couple of weeks.