Cleaning again and again and again

Why is it that i can have my house clean but as soon as I turn my back it's a mess again? I think my girls love to be told to clean, even though they complain when I tell them to clean this up or that up. They don't seem to understand that if you leave a plate on the living room table it will stay there until some one (MOM) picks it up and takes it to the kitchen. They think that if they take off their clothes in the bathroom and leave them on the floor there they will get washed, it doesn't matter how long I leave them there they will not pick them up until I tell them too. Don't get me started on the nice clean room they had just 2 weeks ago or how they don't know how to clean the kitchen up. We live in a very, very , very small place, I would say less the 12oo sq.ft. If you don't keep up with the cleaning up then in a 24 hr period it looks like a storm has come through. I know some of my friend think that i have a spotless house because I am always saying that I'm cleaning this or that, but in truth my home is not that clean, but it's not for a lack of trying.

I remember my mother having to get on us to clean our rooms but I don't remember having to tell us over and over and over to clean up the living room kitchen etc. I was not the neat freak in the family and I'm still not one but I would like for my house to stay a little cleaner. With four sets of hands it should be a breeze, don't you think? Not here.

Been there, Done that, and I sound like a broken record.

The Quest : Chapter 1

The Book of Mormon
Another Testament of Jesus Christ
Remember these are my thoughts and questions nothing here is church sanctioned, but it my just get you to start thinking.

Introduction: Why did the 3 witnesses only get to SEE the plates, where as the 8 where able to touch and feel and see them?

J.S. Testimony: 3x Moroni came to Joseph Smith in the night- 1x in the day, Why? Did Heavenly Father think JS could not remember things? We too are taugh things over and over again in the church.

1 Nephi 1-7 talking about how they left Jerusalem and then had to return to get the plates from Laban, killed laban, return to their family then return back to town and convincing Ismael's family to join them. the plates that they had to have where alot like the old family bible, not only was their scriptures but it have a history of the family. I think about Saraih, what faith she had to have to follow her husband into the wilderness. Had i ever thought that Lehi and Laban where related? I don't thin I had until now. Were the Plates of Laben like our Bible filled with truths and untriths or were they more like the Book of Moron all true? It says the Lehi searched them.

Chapter 8: when I read this verse with the others I thought that is doesn't belong with the onthers, until I thought about how much the lord wants us to prepare to live with him. he teaches us by little steps. Nephi is telling us that they prepared thereselves for the journey.

Chapter 9 Neohi talks about the different record he was to keep. This Chapter show that the Lord does know all things. He knew that 116 pages of the B of M translation would be lost. And he knew we needed to have that information but differently.

The Quest

I'm going on a quest, a quest for Truth and Knowledge. I would like your help in this quest, to stay on the task and not stray from my journey. Just as the quest for the "Holy Grail" was not finished is a short time, neither will mine. I started this quest many years ago but the adversary got in my path and stopped my journey. I will continue from where I left off, luckily I have kept a notebook with the notes from from the beginning of this quest so that I will be able to continue on. You may want to know what kind of quest you have been asked to help me with. I am undertaking a journey into the Book of Mormon.

I will start my new quest with some thoughts from the earlier journey. Then my hope is to write about once a week about how my journey is going. So let the journey begin!!!!!!

I have not read the Book of Mormon completely for many, many years. I will be posting thoughts and questions for the sections I read and ponder. Please feel free to comment on my questions.

Long Lost Feelings Found at Last

First I would like to say that my blogging is more for me that for anyone else, but if I help someone else along the way then that is great. I was cleaning some stuff up in my room yesterday and found this talk/ Testimony that I gave in RS sometime ago (2003 think). I think it had been hidden away for a time when I needed to be reminded of the feelings and Faith I had and need to regain. What is in Red is added thoughts I had when I read this yesterday for the first time since giving it.

Sister Bland (Vickie Bland RS Teacher, she is till teaching and is great) asked me today to talk about how I prepared for a temple marriage. For me it started years before I met my Husband Lyston. My Parents joined the church when I was 5 yrs old, then they where sealed about 1 yr later. I remember that day how wonderful it felt to know that I would be sealed to my Parents forever. As I was growing up I decided that I also wanted my children to be sealed to me and my Eternal Companion. So I set a goal as a Young Woman (YW Program of the Church) that I would be married in the temple. (I remember that as i was being interviewed for my YW medallion, by Sister Kelly and Pargas they asked if I had completed all of my goal and I told them no, because I had not completed this one.) As a single adult I filled my home with pictures of the temple and quotes about temple marriage. At the age of 24 I decided I could not stay out of the temple any longer. I was not yet ready to get married but my next step was to go on my own. The lord works differently for different people. About 1 month after I went on my own the Lord blessed me with my E.C. As we prepared to get married I told my soon to be husband that I would only be married in the temple. We prayed together and made sure we where worthy to go and then we went to the temple together and prayed for guidance that we where doing the right thing, in the Celestrial room we both knew this was right and this August will be 8 wonderful years. (Actually this August will be 14 wonderful years)

As I said above I blog more for me than for anyone else and I needed this yesterday, not that things are bad but I have had a bad couple of years and needed to know that I was still doing what the Lord wants me to do. My normal ending quote doesn't fit in this context so I will just end with. Enduring to the End and Returning with Honor.

E-Squared

Some of you have notices that I have 2 daughters. They are the most precious and special people in my life. Sometimes I wonder how did i get to have these two special spirits in my life. I made the mistake, if you want to call it that of naming them both with 1st names that start with "E".


Elisabeth Victoria is the oldest she is named after her great Grandmother and Great Great Grandmother on her Father's Mother (German) side. Elisabeth is the German spelling of the name, she will always be plagued with the problems of people misspelling her name, just as I am.but the name also had meaning to my mother as a child she always names her baby dolls Mary Ann Elizabeth Victoria, and told her mother that she was going to name her 1st daughter that. but when I came along she decided that name was too much for such a like baby like me. So my parents decided on something different instead. Well I grew up hearing this story and secretly thought I would name my 1st daughter that name. when I told my husband he didn't care for the Mary Ann part but he liked the Elizabeth part if I would spell it with the German "S" for the "Z", the way his Oma spelled hers. Then his mother told me that her Oma had been named Victoria. So that is where her name came from.

Evelyn Lee, I knew pretty much from the beginning that she was a girls, i don't know how I but I just knew. When I told my mom I was pregnant she was getting ready to go visit her Grandmother "Mom Mom." Mom Mom was in her 90's and had lived a long life. Well mom went to visit Mom Mom,she was sick and not going to make it. So mom told her that I was going to have another baby and the she wanted Mom Mom to go and take care of that special spirit before it care to earth. My mom told her that it was going to be a girls (We didn't even know yet, I was only about 2-3 months on)Mom said she didn't know why she told her that but that she must have been inspired. Mom Mom passed on soon after, when mom came home and told me this story I told mom that I known it was a girl. I also felt very impressed that I needed to name this baby Evelyn, after Mom Mom. I asked my sister if it was OK since she and Mom Mom where close, she Ok'd it after thinking about it for a while. Evelyn's Middle name came from Mom Mom's husband, Pop Pop. It was his middle name. They had given it to their son my grandfather, then he gave it to his daughter my mother. My Mother didn't like the name so she didn't pass it on to her children. I decided that since my husband is a Southern Confederate that he would like to use one of the names of is hero's for our children. So that is how Evelyn Lee was name.

Now several years ago Evelyn and I would go to story time at Barnes and Noble, we became good friends with "Miss Annie' Hololobo the story time lady. One day she sent me and email and said to give her love to E-squared, and that began the nickname for both of the girls. They have had others some are E1 & E2, big E & Lil e or even just E & e. but we love E-Squared as much as we love Miss Annie, so they will forever be E-Squared.

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day, a day to honor our fathers her on earth. I love my dad and know that he loves me and has tried his best through the years to show me right from wrong. I remember him being at everything I did, even my violin concerts when i was a beginner and sounded like I was pulling on a cats tail. I remember how much I missed him when he spent 1 year away from us because of work (Stationed in Korea- No Family Allowed) My father was always there to give me or my family members a blessing when we needed them. I remember he slways gave us one before the start of a new school year. My father daily told me that he loved me, but what i remember are the ways that he showed it. I never saw him be put out when asked to give a blessing, or if he had to cancel something because I had a concert. My father was there for me when i needed him.

I now have another father in my life, he is my husband and the father of my 2 girls, he loves them just as my dad loves me, iIcan see it in the things he does daily.

Happy Father's Day to all.

Swim Team Written June 16, 2009

Tonight was the 1st swim meet of the season. Both of my girls are swimming this year. It is Elisabeth's 2nd year but she is on a different team this year. They are the Westover Waves. This is Evelyn's 1st year to swim on a team, she is still learning but we think she will do great. She was suppose to swim the 25 back and 25 freestyle tonight but her nerves got the better of her and she felt sick to her stomach and decided not to swim, that's OK she can try next week.

Elisabeth swam the 50 back, 50 breast and 50 freestyle, she did well except that her coach thought she was DQ'd in both the back and the breast, (we found out later that she didn't) she over came her frustration or channeled it into power and I believe she swam her best on free, her time has never been under 1 minute on the 50 free but tonight it was her official time was 59:43. Way to Go!!!! I hope she keeps it up.

Evelyn has decided to try just the back for next weeks meet. and Elisabeth has told the coach she wants the same events and she is ready to do anything they ask her to do. Her coach says she has a Beautiful -- Butterfly stroke, I would like to see her try this but she doesn't like it.

Never Been There, Never Done That, but proud of E-squared!!!!

Last Day of School

I Never thought as an adult I would look forward to the last day of school with the same anticipation that the kids do, but I do. I may even have even more excitement for it.

You see I work for the school system. I am a full-time (10 month) school Bus driver and I am also a lunchroom monitor both of these jobs are fun and stressful at the same time. I had a blast in the lunchroom today. I tried telling the classes that they had 1 more day to go, that Mrs. Williams our Principal had made a mistake, but nobody believed me, which I'm glad I didn't want to get up tomorrow and drive.

then on the way home on the bus I asked my kids to raise their hands if they hated me the 1st week I was their driver, I would say that about 90% out of 60 kids raised their hands. Then I asked how many still hated me, I only had about 5 hands this time. I then told these kids that they where not getting a treat when they got off like the rest of them did. you should have heard them start with "I have never hated you Mrs. B", "Your the best driver I've ever had" and Your the Best." I have a soft heart I gave in and let them have a treat which was "dum dums" I wanted to give them Smarties but couldn't find any. I got a few hugs on the way off and everyone got a treat. I will miss them but not much, I will have all but 12 of them next year.

Been There, Done That, and Signed up to do it again.

She's a 6th grader Now

Today June 8th 2009, Elisabeth closed a chapter in her life, she has finished with elementary school. she has 3 more days really but she has her certificate saying that she is DONE, FINISHED!!! Next year she will adventure on to Middle School, she will be on her own other that friends, I will not be following her.

Today at the 5th Grade Farewell I thought I was holding it together until they started to sing, the whole 5th grade about 90+ students stood up and sang a song for the parents called "Thanks Mom, Thanks Dad" by Teresa Jennings they also handed their mothers Red Carnations (My Favorite Flower). My Hope is that Elisabeth will continue on the right Path and make the right chooses in life. Good Luck Elisabeth.

this is the song, by Teresa Jennings.

THANKS, MOM.

optional solo
Thanks, Mom, for all that you've done. You've shaped my life with selfless love and grace.
Thanks, Dad, for giving your all. Because of you, this world's a better place.

unison

I think you are the greatest. I recall how you held my hand.
You help me to do better, and I know you're my number one fan. Oh.

Thanks, Mom, for all that you've done. You've shaped my life with selfless love and grace.
Thanks, Dad, for giving your all. because of you, this wold's a better place.

When i hurt, you give comfort. Empathize, yeah--you cry when i cry.
And we'll see all the good times. When I win, I see you smile inside. Oh.

Thanks, Mom, for all that you've done. You've shaped my life with selfless love and grace.
Thanks, Dad, for giving your all. because of you, this wold's a better place.
Because of you, this world's a better place.
Because of you, this world's a better place.

Been There, Done That, I think, it was so long ago.

On My Fridge

I know I haven't posted in a while, and I don't have a lot of time now either. So I thought I would quickly post a few quotes that have accumulated on my refrigerator. Everything below is on some type of magnet that is hanging on my frig. If you have anything interesting or enlightening please share.

Love is an act of
endless forgiveness, a
tender look which
becomes a habit.

I
Cook
Therefore I Don't
Do Dishes

Volunteers
Hands that Serve
Hearts that Care


Recipe for a happy Successful Home.

• Respect
• No-quarreling -- No Bickering
• Misunderstandings talked sensibly
• Maintenance of spiritual contacts
• Family prayers
• Constant attention to Church Dutes
• unselfish service
• Love of God & others

Stir gently-- "then love will abound and your joy will be increased.-- The most important of the Lord's work you will ever do will be within the wall of your own homes" President Harold B. Lee

"Successful Motherhood
today spans the years
and the eternities."
President Harold B. Lee

"Train up a child
in the way he should
go: and when he is
old, he will not
depart from it"
Proverbs 22:6

That which we persist in doing
becomes easier for us to do...
not that the nature of the
thing is changed, but that our
power to do is increased.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

FROGS

Two frogs fell in a deep bowl
One was an optimistic soul.
But the other took the gloomy view.
"We shall drown", and he cried adieu.

So with a last despairing cry,
He flung up his legs and said goodbye.
The other frog quoted with a merry grin,
"I can't get out, but I won't give in!"

I'll just swim around till my strength is spent.
Then will I die, the more content.
Bravely he swam till it would seem,
His struggles began to churn the cream.

On top of the butter at last he stopped,
and out of the bowl he gaily hopped.
what is the moral? tis easily found--
If you can't hop out, keep swimming around.

All Good Words to live by,
Been There, Done That, and Still trying.