frazzled & frumpy

I was probably 4 or 5 years old. Our family had gone to the drive-in movie. I don't know if I'd gone to the bathroom by myself, or with my sister. All I know is I got lost. I was walking around this sea of cars and couldn't find our green station wagon. I'm sure I started to cry. I was found by a police officer who helped me find my parents. It's one of my earliest memories. I don't wonder why, it's a terrifying thing, being lost. Feeling alone. It's something kids avoid. I have a clear image of Tabatha when she was three. I would stand on our front steps and watch her as she walked down the street, blonde hair bouncing on her shoulders. I'd watch until she reached the end of the block then as she climbed the steps to her best friend, Robby's house. Once her hot pink sweatshirt disappeared into their house, I would go back inside. Around this same time, my two oldest boys were in elementary school. I had a hard time walking them to t...

If life had a rulebook, one of the first rules would be that actions have consequences. This is something we learn from the beginning. As a newborn, you cry and someone (hopefully) picks you up, gives you food, changes your diaper, etc. We get older and learn that crying doesn't bring the same result, though many children still try. As we age, we also learn that there are negative consequences to our negative decisions. Case in point, my sons stay out after they are told to be home and they face the wrath of mom. They are also grounded from friends and activities for a week. My sister is great, I think, at giving consequences. She was grounded alot as a teenager, maybe that's why she's more creative now. Recently, her teenage daughter was caught in a lie. Her punishment- she had to move a couple hundred pieces of wood from a pile to make a 'wall' at the back of the yard. When I saw the wall I was impressed. I'll bet she thinks about that every time sh...

I know that I love conference weekend. When I was a kid it was the time when we got to stay in pj's on Sunday. As a teen, I remember taking notes for Seminary (hated it!). As a missionary, it was a much needed boost and a weekend free of the stress of normal missionary activities. Now that I'm a 'grown-up', it's much different. I guess I take it more seriously than I used to. Maybe in my mature state I've finally come to realize how important it is to take advantage of the opportunity to listen to a prophet's voice. When we sustained the Prophet and Apsotles as 'prophets, seers and revelators' it struck me how blessed we are to know what we know. I know that we can have personal revelation. It still amazes me how so many people can get so many answers in the same scriptures. Conference is like that, too. We are so incredibly blessed to have a prophet and other leaders who teach us in our time, discussing the things we are going through r...