Chicken Slow cooker week!

Next week is Chicken Slow Cooker week! I've posted some recipes on the google calendar (scroll to the bottom of my blog to view). On Saturday I will add a linky thingy for you to blog about your favorite slow cooker chicken recipes and link up! It will be a Chicken slow cooker McLinky party! Yeah!

*Image from Foodnetwork.com*

Disciples of Christ

I LOVE Christmastime! It has always been a magical, spiritual time of year. I love the decorations, the treats, the music, the lights, and the remembrance of the Savior's birth. However, there is one thing that eats away at me: the "getting."

When I was a child, we didn't have much, yet Christmas did tend to focus on what we got, no matter how hard our mother tried to focus it on the Savior. This year, as I've wandered through stores, thinking of what the people on my Christmas list would enjoy and including my toddler in the preparations, I've tried to explain to her that we give gifts as Christmas as a reminder of the following:

"God so loved the world that he GAVE his ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that whose believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:!6, KJV)

There are not one, but two gifts mentioned in that powerful scripture:
1. God gave His Son.
2. His Son can give us Everlasting Life.

I'm not sure how you feel, but compared these two gifts, the ipods, DVD's, books, jewelry, or whatever else we "get" at Christmas mean absolutely nothing.

So I'm trying to take a different focus. I've been studying about how to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost in order to help others. Honestly, I don't think I'm very good at this, but I am motivated by something from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency:

“Disciples of Christ throughout all ages of the world have been distinguished by their compassion. … In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers” (“Happiness, Your Heritage,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 119, 120).

I WANT to be a disciple. I'm sort of clumsy at it. But luckily I know that my efforts will be magnified by the Grace of my Savior, and if I focus on him this Christmas, and all year, and remember that this is His work, perhaps I can be an instrument in God's hands to help answer the prayers of His children.

That's my Christmas wish for this year. :)

Image found here.

Divine Destiny

I read this today and was touched:

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “The Good Shepherd said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ (John 21:15.) So a woman feeds her loved ones, providing succor and sustenance just as the Savior would do. Her divine gift is to nurture, to help the young, to care for the poor, to lift the brokenhearted.

“The Lord said, ‘My work and my glory [is] to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.’ (Moses 1:39.) So His devoted daughter-disciple may truly say, ‘My work and my glory is to help my loved ones reach that heavenly goal.’

“To help another human being reach one’s celestial potential is part of the divine mission of woman. As mother, teacher, or nurturing saint, she molds living clay to the shape of her hopes. In partnership with God, her divine mission is to help spirits live and souls be lifted. This is the measure of her creation. It is ennobling, edifying, and exalting” (“Woman—Of Infinite Worth,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 22).

Wow!

More Ideas

Jenny shared some other links that she and her family love from the Friend.

Check out Stories of Jesus, Christmas Advent Wreath, and A Week for the Christmas Story.

Christmas Countdown

We are SO excited! Tonight begins our Christmas Countdown! We will be decorating, having a yummy salmon dinner, eating brownies and ice cream, singing songs, and enjoying the beginning of our CELEBRATION of CHRIST!

I found this activity that we will be doing every day to help us remember Christ this season! I love simple things that other people think of!

Unexpected

Things never really happen the way you expect them to.

My sweet younger sister and her husband were expecting their first baby. He could have come any time. Then on Monday I got this email from my husband (I had left my phone at church the day before so I couldn't get calls.)

"Your dad just called me, he said that Whitney's baby just died. He tried to call you, but the phone wasn't on or something. Give me a call when you can.

Loveyou,

I was shocked. I was sure it wasn't true, like it must have been a joke or something. Just a few days earlier I was laughing and joking with my sister, talking about labor and looking at all the cute little things they had acquired for the baby. How does this happen?

Early the next morning I received this text from my sister Julie:
"Sweet little Scotlin was six pounds twenty and a half inches long. The cord was wrapped around his neck. I've never seen anything more beautiful than Whit & Evan's faith and love or more heart breaking than their loss."

At the time I was nursing my own sweet baby. I cried.

I thought holding Scotlin's little body would be too difficult, but as I sat there rocking him, I looked at him expecting to see his chest rise and fall. It didn't. Seeing my sister's pain and the grief of her dear husband was difficult. But it was also beautiful, as Julie said, to see them comfort each other. They would occassionally smile at something. Evan would sob and Whit would just hold him and comfort him. Then she would take a turn grieving and he would do the same for her. Whit pointed out to me that she finally got some stretch marks, I had teased her last week about not having any. I told her they were her battle wounds. At least the ones that are visible. The gaping hole in their hearts will be healed eventually too, leaving only a scar.

This is a very sad event, but nobody is despondent. Everybody is looking forward with a perfect brightness of hope for the day when Scotlin's body and spirit are reunited and they will get to raise him, hold him, tickle him, watch him play and learn. Until then, there are some rough days ahead, but we know they will be comforted by the peace the Gospel brings.

One last thought. I just thought of a quote I love by Hugh B Brown. "At the judgement bar, the Lord will not look us over for medals, degrees, or honors, but for scars."

Our Heaven is Our Home

While searching for music for our church choir to sing for Christmas, I came across this song by Marilyn McMeen Miller Brown and Dennis L. Crockett, “Our Heaven Is Our Home,” in the Ensign, July 1977, (pp. 36)

1. Our heaven is our home,
Our place on earth to kneel,
Where nearest to our Father’s throne
We live and love and feel.

2. The gentle dew of grace
Rests on our morning prayer.
The soft light from our mother’s face
Reflects her constant care.

3. Like rainbows crowned with light
That promise glory soon,
The children fill the darkest night
With all the hope of noon.

4. The sunset’s golden rays
Glow in our father’s eyes:
His strengthened hands with prayer and praise
Hold firm our family ties.

5. Our heaven is our home,
Where miracles increase.
And where we hope our Christ may come
To bless us with his peace.

I like this song. :)

Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

Here is my favorite twist on traditional brownies!

What you need:
1 box brownie mix (or prepared brownie if you do it from scratch)
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg

Prepare brownie mix and put in greased 9x13 inch pan

mix together cream cheese, sugar, and egg. Mix WELL. Drop dollops of cream cheese over brownie batter. Use a butter knife to swirl.

Cook about 15 minutes longer than the brownie package instructions, or until toothpick comes out clean (it WILL take longer than the instructions.)

Cool and enjoy. These are SO divine!

"...A Heaven on earth: a History"

To me, the origins and evolution of this blog are fascinating. It began one night while I was chatting with a friend over the perplexities of being a successful wife/mother/woman/homemaker. How in the world are we supposed to get everything done and still spend time with our families? But I didn't want this blog to focus solely on the "mommy life," as many women still face the challenge of creating a Heavenly Home, yet don't have children. I really wanted to focus on the divinity of womanhood, and the importance of helping and supporting each other in our roles. At the time of this blog's creation, DH & I were still in school and didn't have children. So this blog has evolved since then. I wanted it to be a place where people could find support, ideas, or where they could share ideas and give support.

I wanted to focus this blog on several different aspects of happy home making:

*"If mamma ain't happy..." As the wife and mother, I believe that I am the center of my home. It's important to me to take time to do the things I enjoy, such as digital design, crochet, baking, jogging, pilates, reading. I can't draw water from an empty well!

*Marriage: I know that marriage is ordained of God and that the family is central to His plan for the eternal destiny of His children. Because of this, marriage and the family are attacked on every side. Strengthening marriage and family is one of the central goals of this blog!

*Parenting/motherhood. My main goal as a child was to be a mom. I love my dear little ones, although sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy. I enjoy sharing anecdotes and tips that will either make you feel better on a bad day of parenting, or give you ideas for things you might want to try. I know I have learned SO much from others, and I am constantly learning how to be a better mother!

*Frugality has become sort of an obsession of mine. It's somewhat thrilling to see how long I can go without buying anything. I know, it sounds absurd, but you should try it, it's fun. It's also fun to re-purpose things. I have seen many great ideas from other bloggers, and would love to share what I've done as well.

*Meal planning and finding simple, tasty, inexpensive, and healthy recipes has also got me hooked. I know, you're probably thinking "yawn! SO boring!" Feel free to use my meal plans!! :) I also love sharing yummy recipes.

Construction under way

Pardon the construction, and my being absent. I've had lots of ideas for this blog, and I will be changing the web address and name. Plus I'm figuring out how to make my own template! Whew! Stay tuned for great things to come!! :)

GIVEAWAY!

My sweet sister and her cute husband were approved today for adoption! They are so excited and will be excellent parents, but the approval only means that now they can be chosen by a birth mom! So they need your help! Go to their adoption blog: lanceandjulieadopt.blogspot.com to learn more about them. Then visit HERE to read more about their daily lives and to enter to win Julie's awesome giveaway. She made two adorable rag quilts and is giving them away to help spread the word that they're adopting! Adoption is a miracle and we are so excited for Lance and Julie to begin their journey toward completing their family!

Pink Nothings Giveaway WINNER!

I posted earlier about the Pink Nothings Metro Mama bling wrap giveaway (what a mouthful!) :)

Well, the day I got home from the hospital, I found out I won!! It was very exciting! So check out Pink Nothings, it is a great blog. The Wrap is not the color I would have desired, but it is so comfy for wearing my newborn while I cook, take care of the toddler, etc. (I probably won't wear it out, it is green camo...I don't like when people call my "she" a "he"...;) ha ha).

Thanks Pink Nothings!