Half done!

My goal since I started digital scrapbooking a few years ago was to have the current year finished and ordered on New Year's eve. I have met this goal so far each year (even if only by a few minutes). I don't think I'm going to make it this year...I just finished the first half of the year- January through June. I have 6 months to go in less than a month! Take a peek at this year so far...

Create your own Photobooks with Inkubook.com!

Simple things...beauty of the earth

I was going through my pictures today and found an entire folder that was still in raw. When I opened them in Lightroom I was pleasantly surprised to see they were the autumn pictures I'd taken at Thanksgiving Point! I completely forgot about them. We brought our schoolwork and climbed to the top of one of the pavillions and camped out all day. The boys jumped in the leaves and rolled down the hills and just had a fabulous day.

They also have an amazing new exhibit on Jesus Christ and I was excited to see it was finally open. Simple pleasures that make my heart smile : )

link up your simple pleasures...

Thankful

for two dozen roses from my husband

that I just have a cold and not the flu

for three handsome little boys

a warm home to live in
this beautiful earth

for yummy food

good friends

family

GOD

Time Out- SLC

I attended my fourth Time Out for Women this weekend in Salt Lake City. As with the others, it was incredible! It was slightly larger than the ones I attended in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Nashville...there were 5,000 women there! I went with my awesome sister in law (the marathoner). It was fun to hear several presenters I hadn't heard before. I loved Brad Wilcox- he is hilarious...Hilary Weeks and Jericho Road were amazing, Sherry Dew and Emily Watts were inspiring and Laurel Christensen put a major stitch in my side...But the best part was Saturday morning we got to hear from Stephanie Nielson who was not even on the schedule! I had contemplated driving to Phoenix to hear her speak and was so happy I didn't have to! If you haven't yet had the opportunity to go to one of these events you seriously need to. It will change your life. And you'll never be around a group of funnier people. Ever.

And in other news...My sister Sara had her baby Lily, she's doing really well in the St. George NICU and they just featured her photo on the front page of the newspaper today. Check it out here.

Faith and Politics

I recently watched this adress by Senator Joe Lieberman at BYU. He spoke about how our nation was founded on faith and values and the belief in God. It's not very often you see politicians publicly promoting the good religion offers society. One of my favorite quotes was "America has been from the beginning a faith-based initiative and anybody who tries to separate faith from the public square is doing something unnatural and ultimately bad for our country."

He has published a book called The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath. In this day the Sabbath (for Christian's this day is Sunday) has become a holiday, a day of entertainment rather than a day to worship God and renew our soul. I think it is wonderful that a man in public office is taking a religious stand and setting the example for others to stick to their faith.

He also says "Faith in God, love of country, sense of unity, confidence in the power of every individual—these are the things that are going to carry the American people through crises greater than the ones we face today, and will, I’m sure, propel us forward to a better place if only we will return to those values and recognize them as a source of national strength...The greatest source of American strength and hope for the future is not in current devices and rigid politics of Washington, it is in the broadly shared faith and values of the American people.”

The full speech (skip past first parts) is located at http://byutv.org/watch/event/c4640ed7-2175-445a-9e63-b0e1a1d2c9f2 or on the BYU tv app you don't have to skip past anything...

The winner of Hilary Weeks Every Step is...

Penny who said "My wonderful family and the gospel. Without either of them, I would not be in the place I am today!!"  Please contact me to claim your prize! Thanks to all who entered! 

Now, if you're hungry, check out this fabulous Pumpkin Bar recipe! The picture doesn't do it justice at all- it is absolutely amazing (and you can use whole wheat!)

*winner chosen by random.org

Sister retreat

I had the best weekend! We got together for the annual Osborne sister's retreat. A weekend full of food, shopping, pedicures and NO children! It was awesome. It was so rejuvenating to just take a break and enjoy being me again (minus my camera which got dropped and the lens guts popped out). We stayed in a condo right across from temple square and it was so beautiful in the morning with all the snow that fell.

There were some fabulous sales going on and I found the perfect pair of skinny jeans to wear with my boots! I have tried on at least two dozen jeans in the last month trying to find a pair that would look cute, but everything seems to be made for little twigs with no hips. These jeans fit like regular jeans until the knee and then are perfectly tapered to fit inside boots. Awesome. In case you were wondering, they're Vigoss from Nordstrom. They go perfect with the two new pairs of boots I got and the trendy mustard jacket I picked up at Boheme, my new favorite store. If you have not shopped there yet, you've got to- they have such adorable clothes and since it's a boutique, each store is different and they get new styles in every two weeks! I love shopping in Utah!

Last chance to register to win Hilary Weeks new CD...

Free pictures of the St. George, Utah Temple

Here are some pictures I took of the Saint George, Utah LDS temple. You may download these and additional images free for personal use by clicking on the Free Artwork link. If you use them in a fun project be sure to post a link in the comments, I love seeing how these images are being used! You may also order discounted prints online or feel free to donate a dollar or two so that I can continue to offer these free! P.S. Don't forget to enter to win Hilary Week's new CD!

A day in the life, Part 4: Organizing it all...

Now for the fun part! How do I organize all this stuff??? The last two years have really been kind of a "trial run" with homeschooling. The thought of being responsible for everything my children learn is very intimidating. So while my children aren't yet old enough for public school I've been homeschooling them to build my confidence up so that when it's really going to count I know I can do it successfully (which has been good since I've changed curriculums half a dozen times!).
And though I don't have to adhere to any state requirements yet...I still like to keep records. It helps me get in the routine so that if/when we live in a state that has strict requirements I will be prepared to meet them and so that I can gague how much we really have learned during the year. Here are a few things that I am currently using to *try* to stay organized:

This free Homeschool Daily Planner helps plan out my day and week as well as organize daily studies. I have laminated the schedule so I can use a dry erase marker and easily make changes.

All our finshed schoolwork and artwork are kept in this accordian file folder with the date stamped on each page (the kids' favorite part).

 

At the end of each school year I use my comb binder to create a book of all the schoolwork we did for that year, organized by subject. I use a photo of the child for the front page and include a sample copy of our schedule, a list of books we read that year (free reading list template), artwork and written work. I also include photos of any field trips we took, along with a summary of the things we learned. This portfolio is a great way to showcase the things they learned that year as well as preserve their artwork in a way that doesn't take a whole lot of space.

  

How do you stay organized?

Did you miss Part 3: Teaching Small Children?

Check out this list of resources for continuing your education.

Tissues please...Hilary Weeks giveaway!

If you haven't heard this song from Hilary's new album- grab a tissue and hit the play button.

We all face heartache and pain in this life. Much of who we become is determined by how we handle the trials that are given us. We were on a family hike a few weeks ago and came across a tree root. We discussed with my boys how all the twists and turns in the roots came when it encountered a rock or other tree and rather than stop growing, it bent and curved around it, and those twists and turns help it remain in the ground.This is a lot like life, when trials come we can choose to stop growing and become bitter and unhappy, or we can embrace those rocks and use them to dig our roots deeper and develop character and attributes to bring us closer to Christ.

In this season of thanksgiving, I am thankful for the life God has blessed me with, for my wonderful husband and three beautiful boys. I am thankful for extended family and friends who help life's journey be a little sweeter. I am thankful that in this world that is often full of fear, confusion, anger and pain, I can have faith in Jesus Christ, that he will guide my life and give me hope for the future. That is my thankful part, now for the giving part, I am giving one lucky reader a free copy of

Hilary Week's new CD album, Every Step!

To Enter, leave a separate comment for each entry:

1. What are you thankful for this season?

2. You are a public follower (click Join this Site in the sidebar on the right)
3. You have my button on your blog
4. You blogged or facebooked about this giveaway

The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 8th. (Be sure to include your email address in one comment or have it linked to your profile so I can contact you if you win.)

U.S. Addresses only.
If the prize is not claimed within 3 days a new winner will be chosen.

GOOD LUCK!

Giving back

One of my favorite scriptures is Jacob 2:18-19 "But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted."

I can't help but think how God has blessed my life in so many ways. At times I feel like I could not possibly be happier. Yet I know there are those struggling in this world just to survive from day to day. I wish everyone could have the essentials of life so that they could enjoy this journey to it's fullest. While we make contributions to LDS humanitarian aid, fast offerings, and other worthy charities, it is wonderful to find new ways to help immediate needs and know exactly how and where your money is being put to use. What better way to thank God for our blessings than to help His children who are struggling?

The Chocolate on My Cranium blog is promoting a great cause to help single mothers attend college so they can provide for their children. 100% of donations go to these single mothers. When people join together much can be accomplished, even if each person only gave $5 or $10 it adds up to a significant contribution. I know most of us are barely able to cover the bills as they come in, but I'm sure we can all find a way to donate $5 and I can guarantee you will receive untold blessings for every charitable act, just remember the widow's mite, she was blessed above those who had much and gave much!

Oh deer!

Meet our new "pets". We have six deer that come to visit us every morning and evening. They are brave little guys and come right up next to the house. They love to eat all the apples that fall from the trees and one even gets up on his hind legs to pick his favorites right off the tree. The boys just love deer watching!

I had to sneak these pictures through the window...

P.S. Here are a couple more pictures of Grant on his birthday!

Are Mormon's Christians?

Amidst all the chaos in the world I keep hearing public statements questioning whether Mormon's are Christians (or rather claiming that they're not). I just want to add my conviction that YES! We ARE!

Jesus Christ- not Joseph Smith (as some claim)- is the founder of our religion. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he has called prophets and apostles to direct his church just as in ancient times. Joseph Smith was the prophet called by God who helped establish the re-institution of His church in modern times.

You don't have to believe it, but I do, and more than 14 million other people on the earth do. We teach of Christ, we testify of His love for us, we live by the teachings of the Bible. The Book of Mormon is ANOTHER witness that Jesus is the Christ. It does not replace the Bible- it confirms the truth of the Bible.

We believe in serving and loving and having charity towards all people. We believe in following all of the Ten Commandments (including the forgotten commandments like not taking God's name in vain and keeping the Sabbath day holy), we believe in being people of virtue (clean thoughts, speech and actions, avoiding the vulgar and profane), we live by a health code that prohibits addictive substances which rob us of our ability to have control of our life (drugs, alcohol), we donate of our own free will money to help build our churches and temples and care for the poor...Our Articles of Faith clearly state some of our beliefs and particularly the thirteenth article "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men...We believe all things, we hope all things...If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." We endeavor to follow Christ in all that we do and say. I think that makes us Christians.

Much has been said, much has been criticized. As a fairly intelligent person, I try to do my homework before forming an opinion about something, so I would ask before you judge, have you read the Book of Mormon? Have you read the Bible? Have you prayed to receive an answer from God? The Bible says:

James 1:5-6 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

One of the ancient prophets wrote a challenge to those who would read the words of his record found in the Book of Mormon: Moroni 10:4  "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost."

That is all mormon's ask. We don't want you to take our word for it- we want you to find out what's right for you. This is why thousands of young missionaries go into the world. To teach people about Jesus Christ and to challenge people everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, see if it testifies of Jesus Christ and to pray about whether it is true or if it is a work of fiction. We have nothing to gain other than joy in seeing someone turn to Christ and receive all that He has for them (eternal famililes!) Our clergy is not paid, they are regular people with full time jobs and provide service to the church out of love of God and duty to fellow men.

 

All the intellectual minds in the world may get together and decide what is true or what is not true, but the only one's opinion who ultimately matter's is God's. I testify that God does answer prayers and that he does guide and influence ALL who earnestly seek Him in faith and strive to obey His commandments. If you are interested in learning more about what we believe please visit http://mormon.org/  You can also request a free copy of the Book of Mormon or the Bible. If you have additional questions please feel free to email me, cariandanthony at gmail dot com.

Thinking about homeschooling?

I came across this video clip on the Teach Beside Me blog... It's a piece on homeschooling by Glenn Beck and it is very well done. It discusses parents who are considering or are currently taking charge of their children's education. The part about homeschooling doesn't start until about 30 minutes in- so just skip forward if you want.

I loved what the parents said about how once you get out of the mindset of public schools, learning becomes a way of life. Learning becomes the culture of your family. I love that! Everything we do in our home fosters learning. Even if you have chosen a single homeschool philosphy you really will cover all methods if you include your children. You teach Montessori methods when your children help around the house cooking, cleaning, working in the yard; Charlotte Mason when you read living books; Classical when you study the classics; Waldorf when you garden, sew or play make believe... Homeschooling really combines all educational methods over a lifetime and the real learning doesn't occur around a table or desk, it occurs in small moments throughout the day. I love the opportunities to share a wide variety things with my children that I would not be able to if I only had a few hours with them each day.

I also loved the advice from this video- if you are thinking about homeschooling- start by reading. Get the classics and read, read, read. This is what we spend a majority of our time doing and I think it is the thing that will make the biggest difference in the end. I don't want my children to just memorize and spew out facts, I want them to learn to think and be creative. Reading good literature expands the mind in a way few other things do. If you're looking for a great reading list to get started- check out these lists on Ambleside Online. For longer books- check out the audio books from the library and listen in the car or when you're doing housework (we did this with Little House on the Prarie series and my kids almost had them memorized because we listened to each at least three times).

Also, this Glen Beck clip talks about Richard Paul Evans new Michael Vey book. I have not read it yet, but it is in my Amazon cart and I can't wait to read it. They have created this homeschool guide to go along with the book. Awesome! It's available at http://www.michaelvey.com/pdfs/MichaelVey-HomeSchoolGuide.pdf  

Two years old!

My little baby turns two today! I just love his chubby little legs and his little fat fingers. He has the biggest smile and most adorable baby chuckle. He loves to cuddle and give butterfly kisses and loves being the center of attention. He brings such joy to my life. We love you Grant!