Charity is the Pure Love of Christ

In our home we receive more gifts on our birthday than on Christmas.  On Christmas we give to our children only enough to celebrate the great gift that God gave the world when He sent His only begotten to walk with man.  To truly symbolize that gift and show our gratitude by trying to follow Christ's example we give to those in need instead.  

Choose a charity any charity, for Charity is the pure love of Christ, to take an ornament from a giving tree or donate to a cause, put a dollar in the red salvation army tin every time you go to the store.  Do something, it feels so good.  

This year I found a new way to give, I think my favorite so far.  FEED is a program to feed the children of the world.  World hunger is a solvable problem.  And I personally can not look upon a child in need without wanting to wrap them in my arms and do all that I can to make their pain go away.  

Prophets of God have laid out our responsibilities to others.  And the Lord Himself has said "if ye love me, feed my sheep". 

 14 And ye will not suffer your ^achildren that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye ^bsuffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and ^cquarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the ^devil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.

 15 But ye will ^ateach them to ^bwalk in the ways of truth and^csoberness; ye will teach them to ^dlove one another, and to serve one another.

 16 And also, ye yourselves will ^asuccor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the ^bbeggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

17 Perhaps thou shalt ^asay: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

 18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

 19 For behold, are we not all ^abeggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a ^aremission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his^bSpirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with ^cjoy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

 21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to ^aimpart of the substance that ye have one to another.

 22 And if ye ^ajudge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your ^bcondemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life ^cbelongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.

 23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are^arich as pertaining to the things of this world.

24 And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I ^agive not because I ^bhave not, but if I had I would^cgive.

 25 And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, otherwise ye are ^acondemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have not received.

Christianity

For the first time today I understood why some people consider Mormons not Christians.  

The question "Are Mormons Christians?" has always baffled me.  I always thought the proper name of the Mormon church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, clearly answered that question.  Then today I was driving through Oklahoma listening to a Christian radio program called Stand to Reason and a caller asked the Pastor on the program a question that lead him to state "Christianity at it's most basic, is the belief in the Trinity".  He went on to define the Trinity as God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit as three persons of one entity.  Under this definition no Mormons are not Christians.  

However, as a Mormon I was taught that the definition of Christianity is the belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the son of God and the Messiah.  With this definition we are absolutely Christians. 

The difference is that Mormons believe God the Father, His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate individuals.  God the Father and the Son each having bodies of flesh and bone.  

This is clearly illustrated when John baptizes Christ, Matt 3: 16-17 "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased".  Here you clearly see the Son, hear the Father, and see the Holy Ghost as separate from one another.
Another good example is in Act 7:55-56 "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."  Again seeing the Father and Son as separate individuals.  

Visit mormon.org for further insight into our faith and to learn more about our members.  

This is me.

Our New House!

Twins are 1!

Click on the pictures so see the details of my big one-year-olds!

My babies are 1!

Miss Mauree is so little and sweet and Mickey is all boy!

And a look back at Hanna at 1

Accompaniment

The kids love to accompany Daddy on the piano.

Mauree's Painted Mohawk

I was trying to clean, I should have known that my kids were being too good.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Hanna saw her star shaped box and just started singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  The amazing part is that I didn't teach it to her.  It's not a song I sing very often.  She must have learned it in nursery, she loves nursery.

This I know she learned from The Princess and the Frog.

Getting in Shape!

Four days in a row of INSANITY.  Feeling good.

Short Term Goal:  100% on my fit to fight test
My current score is 87, it is the only time I've scored below a 95.  The sit ups are killing me since having twins.  To get a 100 I need to have a 29" or lower waist, done, not hard if you're only 5 ft tall.  A mile and a half run in 10:23, not too hard, only slightly faster than a 7 minute mile.  47 push ups in a minute and 54 sit ups in a minute.  I usually max out or come close to maxing out on everything but the sit ups, they are my nemesis.  It's not hard to do 60 situps.  It is hard to do 60 situps in one minute . . right after doing push ups as fast as you can . . . with some crazy dude standing over you with a clip board.


Long Term Goal:  Beat the fastest female run time at Tinker AFB
Last time I was at the testing center the fast female time for the base was like 9:30 something.  My fastest time as an adult is 9:26 about a 6 minute mile.  That's going to take some effort.  I don't even want to admit what my current run time is but I can do it if I run every day.

Distant Goal:  6 pack
Lets get real.  I love food.  I love baking.  I've never even had flat abs before, not even as a kid.  But I can usually feel some serious muscle under that layer of flubber.  So just maybe if I focus on my core and eat better I can at least get a little definition there.

Really what it comes down to is that I'm competitive and I want that top f2f score and have bragging rights.  And I'm still young and I want to feel like it.  I still have a lot of races I want to run, a lot of mountains I want to climb, and slopes I want to ski.  I need to get back in shape and stay that way now before I get old and it becomes even harder.

. . . hiking and skiing might be a little difficult in Kansas . . . 

Best Kids App Ever!

This week I discovered the best kids app ever called Zoodles.  It works on computers, tablets, and phones.  It locks your kids into the Zoodles app activity center so no matter what they push they can't screw up your desktop or access random websites.  You can also customize it to allow kids to play on websites or apps you approve of but again it locks that additional content into the activities center so that your kids can not navigate away from what you approve of.

You can add profiles for multiple children customizing age appropriate activities and thing they can and can't do for each child.  To log in the child just clicks/touches their picture. 

Within the activity center kids can play games, watch video clips, doodle, and send and receive video mail from family and friends that you add to your child's contact list.  Send and invite to family and friends and they can be added to your contact list and you or they can upload their picture and all you child has to do is find their picture to send them a message.  These family members can also record themselves reading any of the books in your zoodles library allowing your kids to have story time with their favorite grandparent or aunt any time!  

The free version is a great option.  I opted for the year subscription so that I could access all of the books (only about 10) and parental controls that they have available.

You should check it out! 
Zoodles 

LDS Olympians!

	Olympians	Representing	Sport	Medals	Notes
	Nathaniel Tu'amoheloa	Pago, America Samoa	Wrestling
	Jill Camarena-Williams	Tucson, AZ	Indoor Shot put	12th 2008	(Stanford/BYU)
	Becky Holliday	Eugene, OR	Pole Vault		(U of Oregon)
	Tumau Anae	Orange, CA	Water Polo		(U of Southern Cali)
	Russell Holmes	Orange, CA	Volleyball	Gold 2008	(BYU)
	Ryan Millar	Alpine, UT	Volleyball	Gold 2008	(BYU)
	Rich Lambourne	Louisville, Kentucky	Volleyball	Gold 2008	(BYU_
	Jake Gibbs	Bountiful, UT	Beach Volleyball	5th 2008	(U of Utah)
	Sarah Robles	Desert Hot Springs, CA	Weightlifting
	John Nunn	Bonsall, CA	Racewalking		(Army Staff Sergeant)
	Breeja Larson	Mesa, AZ	Swimming-breast stroke		(Texas A&M)
	Arielle Martin	Cedar Hills, UT	BMX Cycling		(BYU)
	Mary Killman	McKinney, TX	Synchronized swimming
	Valerie Adams	New Zeland	Shot Put	Gold 2008
	Hayley Palmer	Cheltenham, New Zealand	Swimming - 50m free
	Maria Gariella Martinez Gascon	Venezuela	Fencing
	Johana Beatriz Fuenmayor Choles	Venezuela	Fencing
	Andrew Rutherfurd	Bolivia	Swimming - 100m free		(BYU)
	Celeste Brown	Cook Island	Swimming - 50m free
	Patricia Taea	Cook Island	Track - 100m
	Lucia Palermo	Argentina	Rowing
	Bruna Beatriz Benites Soares	Brazil	Womens Soccer
	Oyungerel Gantumur	Darkhan, Mongolia	Swimming - 100m breast

Military Moms

So I commented on an article I read the other day via facebook and it got quiet a reaction.  With that I've thought more about my own feelings on the topic and have decided I have more to say so here it is.

Keep in mind that I am a Air Force Reservist with 10 month old twins just like one of the mother's pictured.  

Military Moms Breastfeeding in Uniform

My own modesty immediately calls foul here.  I personally do not feel comfortable nursing in front of others when it can be avoided and when it can't I use a nursing cover.  But I really don't have a problem with others nursing as they please.  However I do believe that an extra measure of modesty should be taken when in uniform and these women probably should not have posed in this manner.  

My second thought is how is she holding those babies.  Can you zoom out please because I have a really hard time doing two at once. 

Other than that I have no problem with this picture.  In fact if the mother with the twins had found a way to cover herself a little more I doubt I would have any feeling against this at all.

Many people are comparing this to playboy shots of women in military or forms of defiling the uniform.  To me there is no comparison.  These women are not posing as sexual objects or disrespecting the uniform, they just feeding their babies.

On the Today show some people compared this to firefighter calendars and posters saying if society doesn't mind those they shouldn't mind this and another commented back that it wasn't the same because those firefighters don't wear a badge of a particular organization.  I think they are both wrong.  This isn't the same because it's not about sex.  And if their only issue was a visible logo you don't see one on the women with twins.  All you see is camo.  On the other women you can just make out 'US Air' but you don't see her skin at all.

Some members of the military have commented to me that this is a PR violation because troops can not make a public stand on any social or political issues.  Which is true but what stance are these women taking?  They are just doing their first and most important job, being moms!  They are feeding their babies!  This is not about society or politics it is about nature.  News flash to all men out there: boobs exist to feed babies!  Every female mammal on Earth feed their young this way.

Another comment from a military member was that the uniform deserves more respect because people live and die in it.  True.  I get that.  But these women live and die for their babies.  Their children are huge part of why they feel to serve their country.

Honestly I don't expect men to get it.  To them boobs are a sexual object and so to them this may border being a sexual image.  But as a mother . . . holding an infant in your arms . . . they are your whole world, your reason for existence, you are their to meet their every need nothing else matters, not time or place.

This picture was taken as part of an awareness campaign for a support group at their Air Force Base.  I highly doubt that these women thought saw this as inappropriate or sexual and really don't think they foresaw this whole thing going viral.  Still they shouldn't have posed in full uniform without being more covered.  But if you notice nursing is a legally protected act and the Air Force has not come out against this photo.  They simply stated that they are trying to be more accommodating of nursing mothers.

I've nursed in uniform before.  I've tried to do it out of sight, usually in the womens room but have still had other women (women without children) walk in on me and seem offended by my actions.  Some even refusing to enter a stall and pee while I sat their on the sofa.

Really this picture is PG compared to the stuff they force on you in non-optional breastfeeding classes they force on you at the hospital and through various nutrition programs.  You people want inappropriate try attending a health department breastfeeding class where an over zealous instructor demonstrates hand expressing on herself or experience a lactation specialist that just walks up and grabs you or even better a male lactation specialist your same age.   Women simply feeding their babies is harmless.

If you want to be concerned about things that are happening in uniform why don't you worry about the ramped rape, suicide, adultery, and drinking that goes on in all branches of the military. 

Things About Kansas

Now that we have been in Kansas a little while, here are somethings I have realized.

I feel like I'm breathing through a wash cloth.

Michael's eczema cleared up in 3 days.

I hate my townhouse.

Everyone smokes.

They have awesome parks here.

Some times I forget I'm not in Utah.

People in the midwest have as many kids as Mormons.

Eric loves his job.

It's really hard to make friends or get out of the house when you have 3 babies.

I really miss just being able to drive to my mom's.

An average of 88 trains a day pass through our town.

I'm not as humble or as patient as I thought.

I miss the mountains.

It rains a lot.

Everything is so green.

It's hot.

But the constant wind keeps things cool.  

Wanted to go to dinner as a family but couldn't decide if the Bar & Grill was going to be more bar or more grill?

I'm excited to try the BBQ out here.

I can't wait to go to the new Kansas City Temple. 

Almost everyone in the church any where I go seems to be able to come up with some kind of connection to Utah.

Hanna keeps reminding me that Annie's house, Grammy's house, and the moon are all far away.

Mauree loves swinging!

Love that smile Mikey!

Hanna Marie loves stomping in her new rain boots!

We sure have gotten some great pictures here!

Our Big News

I was waiting for Eric to announce this to the world because I felt like it was his news but he hasn't so I guess I will . . .

We were happy in Logan ticking away at school, loving our little house and neighborhood, and enjoying having Grammy and Aunt Chay close by.  We planned on staying put for another year or two while Eric finished his Master's Degree and then he would look for jobs and we would move on.  Then in January an old classmate of Eric's emailed him and told him about a position available in his department at Garmin that he thought Eric should apply for.  Eric blew him off because of all of the before mentioned happiness and plans.  But the friend persisted so Eric sent in a resume.  The very next day Garmin made contact and scheduled a phone interview which went well so they scheduled a second, which must have gone pretty well too because next thing I knew he was on a plane to Kansas for a face to face.  That was Superbowl weekend.  Then we waited and waited.  Finally just after Hanna's birthday Eric received an official offer, double our income, a signing bonus, and pay for our move.  They also offer tuition assistance, pay 100% insurance premiums, retirement plans, stock options.  We said yes.

Eric's office is in there some where.

I told Eric we would need a minimum of four weeks before he could start and four weeks is all they gave us.  Eric worked his last two weeks at his job in Logan and we had two weeks left to say all of our good byes, pack, clean, and move, oh and take care of three babies.  It was unexpected, fast, crazy, and stressful.  We survived but barely which is why you all are just now learning the details.

Goodbye house, Goodbye Logan, Goodbye Utah

  
Eric is thrilled about his new job and the chance to work for Garmin.  I'm excited for him, happy to have a little money, and looking forward to new experiences for our family.  I miss my family, friends, neighbors, and unit at Hill AFB.  I miss the idea of graduating from USU and being an Aggie.  I miss my cute little house.  I miss being able to walk to to church.  It is going to be a HUGE life adjustment but I am proud of Eric and extremely happy to have a stable and promising future. 

We plan on staying in Kansas with Garmin at least long enough for Eric to finish his second degree and gain some valuable work experience, maybe longer but definitely not forever.  Eric really wants to work for Garmin, I really don't want to be stuck in KS very long so we'll see.

Now you know.  

Hanna Marie is Two!!!

26 pounds 2 feet 11 inches, safe to say she is going to be taller than her momma!

We had a big party.  If you ask Hanna about it she says "balloons, party, cake, Annie" or "toys, presents, bike".  Apparently Annie was the most important person there but if I press her on it she will rattle off everyone else that was there too with quite a bit of enthusiasm so don't worry you're all loved too. 

Cupcakes!

Balloon Faces

My favorite part of the party was the photo booth.

I know this is picture overload but I wanted to add some of Hanna enjoying her presents!