A Birthday Temple Trip

 Mom's birthday was yesterday and the day that Mom and Dad work at the Temple.  We decided to drive down with them and enjoy Mom's birthday with her in the Temple.  On the way Jake and I were reading Walden...We have got to finish it once and for all!  It is a slow read and it isn't our favorite...which means it is really easy to pick another book to read...But we are finishing it by Friday.  Jake is lucky and he is 50 pages a head of me.  After reading for a few minutes my eyes got very heavy and then I woke up...not sure how long later....When I looked over at Jake he was sleeping too.

  There is just something about this book...

When we got to the temple we dropped Dad off because he had a meeting to get ready for.  Mom, Jake, and I headed to the Temple bookstore.  We tried to take a picture with the Temple in the background but the sun was glaring in their eyes.  I know it shouldn;t laugh at their pain but I just can't help it.

I had them close their eyes as I counted to 3.  On 3 they were supposed to open their eyes.  Jake opened his eyes but forgot to tell the rest of his face to be ready for the picture.

 (At the bookstore Jake found the 2nd book in a series he started and it was only $8 so I couldn't resist. I had to be back to the Temple for 5:00 but Jake didn't have to go in until 6:30 so he read in the car...Guess what he read.  The new book.  As of this morning when I woke up he had been up for an hour and had already read 182 pages of it...but he really should have been reading WALDEN!!!...He did read it today and I told him all other books are off limits until he finishes Walden)

After we checked out the bookstore we took Mom to the Temple but we still had a couple of hours until the Temple was open.  Jake was dying to go to Waffle House and there just happened to be one down the road.  He was one happy camper!

Back at the Temple we tried to take a selfie...

I had more luck taking a picture of Jake.

By the time we were done at the Temple it was dark out and my smart phone is awesome enough to still take great pictures in the dark.

I was out before Jake was taking pictures and got him coming out.

I love the feeling of peace I have when I leave the Temple with.  It is a place where you can totally shut out the stress of the world and clear your mind.  I always feel rejuvenated and ready to face the world when I leave.  I always have a better perspective on what really matters.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and I am reminded every time I go to the Temple and leave feeling closer to Him. 

What a way to spend Mom's birthday with her-in The House of the Lord!  I am so grateful for you Mom!  You are an amazing inspiration to our family and we love you!  I am so glad that we are all sealed together so that we can spend eternity as a family.

Seeing Red...and that's a good thing!

On Tuesday, I voted.  I hope you did too.  I love my camera (which is my phone.  But in order of importance-camera comes first.)!  The sweet little old lady but my "I Voted" sticker on me (before I voted...I felt like a fraud-but only for a minute) and I pulled it off to get a picture (because that is what I do) and you can see the fuzz it pulled off my shirt!  You used to have a fancy expensive camera to capture the fuzz.  Now you just need a Samsung S5 smartphone.  It also reminded me that I need to clean my steering wheel.  I shouldn't have said that.  You may not have noticed how dirty it was if I hadn't pointed it out.  I didn't know how dirty it was until I got excited at the fuzz on my sticker!

But any way-back to the point...if there is one.  I noticed something that I couldn't help but capture on...what used to be film but is now...in the cloud?  Microchip?  I don't know just on my phone.  There really isn't a fancy or romantic sounding way to say it anymore is there?
But any way-I looked down and saw this beautiful RED leaf.

And it made me look up and see tons of RED leaves on the trees in the parking lot of the school we vote at.  I had to pick one and take a picture of it.  It is so RED and sooooo pretty....I haven't painted my fingernails for a long time...but that is another subject....See how my brain works?  It really is exhausting listening to it all day.

It seemed to me that all those RED leaves could only be a sign of things to come.  And I was not to be disappointed.  Thank you American's for not letting me down!  I am so proud to live in a State that there was no doubt would be red.  South Carolina is a conservative state with conservative values.  That is one of the beauties of living here.  I am proud that my 2nd home state (NC) and Jake's birth state woke up and went RED again.  And my birth state (NH) even got a couple of RED stripes in it which is way more than I expected would happen!

And it only seemed right to FINALLY watch "America Imagine The World Without Her" (and a lot of FOX News) on election day.  I loved it (but it does make you see red a little when he is laying out the accusations against America and the way we have let-since we didn't stop it-history be rewritten)!  I loved that it corrects so many misconceptions about our History that is being taught in schools today.  I love that it brings to light when, where, and who is at fault for the lies being spread (and taught in our school systems) that we need to apologize about what we have and who we are.  It is amazing that a single individual could further an incorrect and deceptive ideology (liberalism) so quickly and that so many people would fall for it and think the idea of America should be crushed....I cried a little when Bono (an Irishmen) stood up for and spoke out about what he called "the idea of America".  Why are so many Americans apologizing for our greatness?  What big dummies!  I am so glad that the votes on Tuesday reminded some of those Liberals that we aren't going down with out a fight.  I am so glad that I have the right-no duty-to vote in this free nation. 

Firsts...

 It has been a long time since Jake's first steps, first words, and first day of school.  We are back in a stage of firsts and a whole different bunch of emotions are coming to the surface for me.  I am not the mom of a boy any more.  I am the mom of a young man.  Jake is a Deacon now and he passed the sacrament for the first time and went to Priesthood on September 8th.  He went to Mutual (our church's Wednesday night activity) for the first time on the September 11th.  This Saturday he will attend his first Priesthood session of Conference (and the ice cream social before it) with Aaron. Today he got his first Temple recommend.  We are going to the Temple on October 14th and we are so excited!  He was grinning from ear to ear when he came out of the Bishops office.  Aaron and I were too.  So was the Bishop for that matter! 

I asked Jake if he wanted me to keep it in my wallet until we went to the Temple so it wouldn't get lost.  But he told me he is keeping it in his special box that he got his pocket watch in.  It seems, to Jake, to be the perfect place to hold important things.

I am so proud of my sweet Jake.  You are an amazing human being!!!  You will always be my baby no matter how big you get.   It is exciting to see your love of the Savior grow everyday.  You are the best. :)







One more thing. . . I have to document this so I will never forget (and so when you are 16 and I embarrass, I can remember that you still love me):  It made me so happy when you called to tell me I could pick you up from Mutual and you ended the call by saying "Love you!".  Not all 12 year old's would be comfortable telling their mom they love them in public.  But I am the lucky one!  I couldn't ask for a better son. 

Something I want to remember so I have to write it down....

I am going to try and make this quick (that is hard for me...) because I need to head to bed, but I knew if I didn't write it down now I would forget.  So, here it is:

Jake got in trouble today because he made a bad choice (he stuck up for his best friend when someone hit him on the hand with a broom by kicking the "bully"...longer story than that but that is the gist of it) and I was yelling at him telling him how I felt about that bad choice.  He was upset (and let me add tired...not an excuse just a fact) so he cried and felt horrible.  I wanted him to feel horrible because he shouldn't have done it...Just not that horrible...Okay back to making this short.  When he was getting into bed, we talked and said individual prayers about what happened and cuddled.  While I was praying, I asked Heavenly Father to let Jake know that no matter what he does we (myself and Heavenly Father...lots of other people too-and we talked about that also-but at the moment it was just us) will always be there for him.  That he can always talk to us. I felt the Spirit come into my heart and after we were both done praying I told Jake what I prayed about and how I felt.  He started crying and said that praying about it made him feel a little better and that he felt the Spirit too.  Then he said, while hugging me around my neck and breaking my heart wide open: "I could never live with out you."  I said I felt the same way. Then he said: "But some day I will have to."  (I paused because he is right, he will have to live without me some day...Scary thought, for selfish reasons-I want to be here for everything in his whole life!  Every second.  Wow how does Heavenly Father let us do this whole mortality thing?!)  To which I said: "But we will be together again and no matter how hard life can be you can always talk to Heavenly Father."  I may have said more but my mind was still stuck on not wanting to miss any second of his life...Then he said (*tear*): "You always comfort me."  If I was smart I would have said something like so can the Holy Ghost and used it as a teaching moment.  Instead I just hugged him back and told him I loved him.  All the eye rolling, the "do we have to do ____ (insert whatever topic we are about to move onto next while homeschooling...) now?", and sighing (all of which he gets from me...) went right out the window.  It doesn't matter (it does but not as much) how good I am at teaching him math.  It matters how I teach him to follow the Spirit.  To pray for forgiveness, and turn to the Lord for peace.  To feel remorse when you make a wrong choice and  to know there will always be someone to help make it better.  And that someone won't always be me...even though I really want it to be...Heavenly Father will always be there for Jake, even when I can't be....

Isn't it amazing that when you are taking a moment to teach your child what is really important, you realize you are the one that needed the lesson? 

General Conference Meme...What exactly is that?

  Did you LOVE General Conference as much as I did?  Stephanie over at Diapers and Divinity is having a General Conference Meme and I just had to do it!  (No I don't really know what "Meme" means or stands for...Does that make me sound really ignorant?  Is this one of those things that when I find out what it means I go "duh...I did know that." ?  It may not always be a good thing to be honest...JK) Basically I am answering questions about what my personal highlights from General Conference are.  

I took tons of notes and was ready to hear what I needed to hear and guess what? I did.  It is so nice to know that Heavenly Father is mindful of my endless needs. :)

General Conference Highlights, October 2011:

1.  Who were your three favorite speakers?

President Packer, Elder Matthew O. Richardson, and Elder Carl B. Cook….AND Elder Ian Arden said so many things I needed to hear…AND to  be fair I missed one of my all time favorite speakers L. Tom Perry because  I was stretching out  the pizza dough…I am going to give him an honorary #4, because I am sure I am going to love it when I have a chance (very soon) to watch it…President Eyring was so wonderful too...This question is too hard.

2.  Which talk spoke to you the most?

It was a tie between my 3 favorites because they all addressed things I was praying to receive an answer about.  President Packer reaffirmed that we made the right decision to homeschool Jake.  Elder Richardson taught/reminded me how to homeschool the right way-with the help of the Holy Ghost.  He reminded me that “the Holy Ghost teaches individuals in a personal way. Teaches what we need to know, so we can be what we need to be.” I put the quotations so you would know I didn’t say this, Elder Richardson did-but maybe not in exactly those words…I took it out of my notes as I was writing feverishly because he was speaking directly to me. Sorry if you were feeling left out wondering why he was giving this talk.  :)  Elder Cook taught me to not be overwhelmed and to look up so I can be filled with peace and joy...while homeschooling…Are you seeing a pattern here?  I am struggling with this right now.  I can’t fail at this-it is way to important and self doubt (Satan really knows my weaknesses…) is a real bummer when you are doing something you have never done, (and is REALLY important) and wonder if you can do….

3.  What was your favorite Hymn and why did it move you?

NO QUESTION:   Praise to the Man by the Primary.  I love     hearing the Primary children sing out their sweet testimonies.  They looked and sounded like angels.

4.  Which speaker was the best dressed?  (Come on, we can have a little fun.)

 It is always President Uchtdorf.  The striped ties he wears are always perfect-trendy, yet classic.

5.  Were there any topics that you felt like were repeated often?  Any conference "themes"?

Last Conference it seemed like it was missionary work, but that could be because my parents were on a mission.  This time for me it was Being an example of Christ, using the Spirit, and  teaching/ preparing the youth/our children…Okay maybe I am just noticing all the things that I am working on or that pertain to my life…

6.  Share a few of your favorite quotes from any of the talks (paraphrasing is fine).

-The one by Elder Richardson that I already wrote in question #2.

-Young people today are being raised in enemy territory.  (President Packer-he said it twice to make sure we were listening.  Am I the only one that would love to just give him a big hug and say thanks for being so awesome?)

-Time flies on wings of lightening and we can not get it back.

(Elder Ian Arden)

-It is better to look up.

(President Monson via Elder Carl B. Cook.  Elder Cook seemed so nervous when he first walked up to the podium.  Maybe humble is a better word.  I beat he never would imagined what an impact his personal story would have on everyone)

-We cannot feel for, think for, or learn for those who we are teaching.

(Elder Matthew G. Richardson. His talk was meant for me!  I loved every thing he said!!!!)

7.  Name something(s) that made you smile or laugh during conference.

When President Monson walked up to the podium and said enthusiastically: “Hello!...” I was expecting something profound and it was just so…President Monson!   I loved his stories (always do) and the facial expressions he makes.

8.  Was there any evidence that your children paid attention?

Jake always pays attention when President Monson speaks. You can’t help but listen he is such a great story teller.  I have to admit I was so wrapped up in waiting to hear the answers to my questions/concerns I didn’t notice his reactions…I know he made comments and repeated stories, but I can’t think of what they were about.  Wow…I think we need to talk about it tomorrow so I won’t feel like such a slacker mom….

9.  What doctrine did you learn as you listened to the choir(s) sing?

This is a tough one-there are so many things!…I especially felt the Spirit when the Primary sang Praise to the Man.  I already knew Joseph Smith was a Prophet but it just reminded me of our ward Primary as they were learning that song this year.  They all loved it, begged to sing it, and sang their little hearts out when they did.  Primary children sing their testimonies-you can just feel that they know it is true.  It reminded me that we all need to be as little children.

I was also very touched as President Eyring talked about his struggle to “fulfill his duty” when he spoke at a College graduation.  His talk really reminded me how we must stand as an example of Christ always. 

10.  Did the music enhance your General Conference experience? How?

Absolutely!  I always think of music as the part that makes us realize all the spoken words we have heard are true.  You can hear it spoken and know it is true, and then when you sing it or hear  it sung you feel it’s truth again even more strongly.

11.  What are some of your post-conference goals?

I have a ton of goals.  This is the 3^rd quarter comeback after all!  I want to use my time more wisely, I want to teach by example, I want to remember it is better to look up…etc.

If you would like to (and I know you do) share what you learned and loved about Conference than head over to Diapers and Divinity and share it with others!  Think of how much we can learn from each other!!!! 

Update: I looked up Meme.  Aren't I so smart?  A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena.

I am over here today...Being a part of this...

I am a guest poster over at Welcome to the Madness today and am lucky enough to be a part of :





  If you haven't been over to Welcome to the Madness, Chocolate on my Cranium, The Redheaded Hostess, and We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice In Christ than you are really missing out!  They have amazing prizes you can enter to win just for reading and being involved in Celebrating the family.  I have been so busy enjoying the Celebration I haven't had time to post on my own blog.  I will get back to that eventually. For now I am going to sit back and enjoy being inspired by some very amazing people in the LDS blog world. :) 

Our Families Mission Statement..A short and sweet post. :)

The first Christmas (I think) after Aaron and I got married we got an amazing gift from Aaron's sister Ranee.  She had crossed stitch a quote by Lucy Mack Smith that had kind of become the family mission statement for the Harmon family.  Aaron's father, Harold (or Papa Harmon as we call him), had shared it with his family years before and thought it was something they should follow. I love this quote, I love the family that taught it to me, and I love the women who said it.   I would put a picture of it up if I could...but since I used up all the space on my blog (apparently there is only so much space for blogger to hold pictures and I have maxed that out...my wonderful husband is trying to solve that problem for me...), I will just share the quote with you:

"We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another, and gain instruction that we may all sit down in heaven together."  Lucy Mack Smith

I need to get it put into another frame.  The glass and frame itself broke in one our moves.  Luckily it didn't damage the cross stitch and all the hard work I know Ranee put into it.  It is such a great reminder and I think it says it all. 

What is your family mission statement? Be inspired by other people by checking out: Welcome to the Madness, Chocolate on my Cranium, The Red Headed Hostess, and We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ.  They have some AMAZING ideas to do to make a family mission statement!  I know what we are doing for Family Home Evening tonight!

If you have a family (and we all do) then you MUST check this out...

  Four amazing blogs ( Chocolate On My Cranium,   Welcome to the Madness,  We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice In Christ, and The Redheaded Hostess.) written by four inspirational, fun, busy, honest, understanding, and incredible ladies that are getting together and celebrating the most important thing to all of them: Their FAMILY.

Something we all have in common: We are all part of a family.  Our families may be large or small, "Leave it to Beaver"-ish or dysfunctional, close knit or once a month check in's to make sure everyone is still breathing...No matter where your family is in life...Is there something you could learn or share about families?

I am so excited to be able to spend the next 2 weeks learning from other people what their families mean to them.  What they have learned works and doesn't work in uniting families together.  I have a testimony of  the importance of family.  I have a testimony of The Family: A Proclamation to the World .  We live in a world that is trying to tear the family unit a part and this is your chance to be strengthened by other people that understand just how important family is. 

Spend some time in the next 2 weeks being lifted up and inspired by other peoples experiences in learning to  support, love, unite, and strengthen their families.  There is so much bad out there on the internet this is your chance to be a part of creating a little bit of light and joy. 

If you don't go anywhere else in the blog world in the next 2 weeks you must go and check out The Celebration of Family!  I know I am.

A quick post from Vermont: Picture me...

...with tan legs and a smile on my face.  We are having a blast on vacation here in Vermont!!  I have to admit I am homesick. :(  If Aaron were able to come with us I could stay here for another month...He and Nana will be here on Thursday for a long weekend and we can't wait to see them.  We will be celebrating Jake's big 1-0 birthday.  Where has this decade gone?

Now I have to get back to the lake...My toes are starting to lose the wrinkled up raisin look so it must be time to get back in. :)

Aaron and Nana-be ready to see Jake's amazing pocket knife he bought with Papa G when they walked/hiked 3 miles  (one way) to the little store that sells ice cream on the rail road tracks.  He spent several hours today whittling the bark off his walking stick.  :)

ALSO!!!!  Are you looking for some fun, interesting, and inspiring blogs to check out in the next few weeks? Check out these posts from two of my favorite blogs Chocolate on my Cranium and Welcome to the Madness, for a sneak peek on the fun stuff they have planned.  I am so excited!!!! (Wish me luck...I am going to be a guest poster on Welcome to the Madness. :)  I will let you know when.)  These ladies are my hero's!!!!

Five Minute Friday: Backwards

Got writers block?  Need to empty out the old noggin'?  Then you need to try 5 minute Friday over at The Gypsy Mama.  This is a hard one for some reason...Remember I ramble, I don't write, so don't expect too much... :)

Go 
  
I eat pizza backwards. Crust first...That is seriously all that is popping into my head right now!  But I guess if I really think about it I do a lot of things backwards in the eyes of the world. I married Aaron before I lived with him. I got married before I had a child. I got married at 21 rather than waiting until I was 32 and successful in a big career.  I decided to stay home with my child and pinch pennies and cut coupons rather than have 2 incomes and go to Disney World on vacation.  I consider being a stay-at-home mom the greatest job in the world, rather than saying "I am just a mom" when people ask me what I do.  I choose to follow my Heavenly Father's plan, rather than following the worlds "do as you please" attitude.  In the eyes of the world I am "backwards".  I don't give myself enough credit (the world says)-I could do so much more in life than "just being a mom".  I think the world is backwards.  

Stop

"No other success can compensate for failure in the home"-J.E. McCulloch. One of my all time favorite quotes....


I added the quote after the 5 minutes was up, but I had to it is what kept popping into my mind.  I have learned if things keep popping into your mind it isn't a coincidence, it is the Spirit trying to tell you someone else might need to hear it too.  Or it is the Holy Ghost reminding me that I need to focus and remember it in my life.  Either way, it is an awesome quote and I wanted to share it.  :)

TGIF and Note to self.

Thank goodness it is Friday (...that is if the girl at work that needed more hours, so I gladly gave her my Saturday shift, shows up tomorrow when she is supposed to...Why is my manager all the sudden giving me weekend shifts? I am a Mon.-Fri. girl!)! I need a day at home (besides Jake's last b-ball game, the awards dinner that evening to wrap up the b-ball season, and of course grocery shopping) to catch up. Bedrooms are highest on the list of an overhaul...And then the rest of the house will follow.

This has been a week to remember! I need to remember that when my child is sick and I miss church it really throws the whole week out of whack. I don't think I could go inactive because this past week has been a real stinker and I am blaming it all on Satan. He realized we didn't get our Sunday uplift and really focused in on us all week long...Every morning was rush, argue, guilt. Every afternoon was...well, exactly the same as the morning! The house is still partially a mess. I clean one room and then the next one is back to a disaster zone, because I have been to lazy to keep it up. I will admit to the fact that I have not cracked my scriptures this week-except at Primary training on Wednesday night. How sad is that? And my prayers at night have been laying in bed half asleep apologizes to the Lord as I am slipping into dream land and not making any sense. My morning prayers were an after thought. After I have been a screeching, mean mom...Sorry about that Jake. Not to mention poor Aaron-even when he was calling on the phone on the way from school to work I was only half listening...Sadie was no where to be found, (which is never a good thing) and I was yelling from another room to have Jake find her...all while talking to Aaron on the phone for a few minutes of the 24 hours we exist at home with out him. Nice job Carrie!...Sorry Aaron...(that talking in 3rd person was a joke, I swear.)

What is the point of this post? Why am I rambling on about this? This is a note to self. "It" all does make a BIG difference. "It"being: reading scriptures, praying, homemaking, and going to Church on Sunday. I have been one big ball of grumpiness and I know exactly why. I will read my scriptures and say my prayers. I will get this house in order. I will be nice and not grumpy. And I will be ready and waiting to go to Church on Sunday so I can start the week off on the right foot!

Last week...

...Was pretty much like other weeks. Work, school, clean, sleep, church, Cub scouts...You know the routine you fall into, that was our week. I of course like to take pictures of very random things and since it seems no on really reads my blog any more any ways, I can post as many as I want!

First of all I am a big fan of "Real Simple" products. Not so much the magazine-I do like it but it has way to many ads in it. I bought this grocery list pad a couple of years ago and it hangs on our fridge. Sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't...but recently I felt the need to give it a try again-to make errands and shopping "real simple". It is one of those pads were through out the week, when you run out of something, you just go check the box so you won't forget you need it when you are at the store. Well, we were running low on toilet paper so I went to check the little box for it, only to find there wasn't one!!! Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't EVERYONE use toilet paper? Sponges, batteries, and light bulbs made the list, but toilet paper didn't!?! I wrote it in, no big deal, but to me toilet paper is much more of a priority than sponges are...



Although the weather is still not chilly, the house is. Aaron gave Jake a great idea on how to stay warm at night, and here it is:


He said he felt like a new man when he woke up the first night after sleeping in his sleeping bag. And yes that is a beach towel hanging over his window. It keeps the draft off him a little. And yes, the tent is down. Jake decided he wanted to go back to his double bed. Aaron commented we should have kept the tent up because it would have kept him warmer...

I just have to document this awesome game of Othello, in which I totally kicked Jake's butt. I need to document this because, ever since I taught him my tricks to win, he has totally kicked my butt! So, just for the record Jake, you may bet me 99% of the time now but I KICKED YOUR BUTT this time...The last 2 plays I made may not have been legal...You see, he couldn't go anywhere so I just took his game pieces and flipped even more of his over. :) But, before that I still had kicked his butt.
And last, but not least: the Conference Ensign finally showed up in our mail box on Thursday! The first thing I do when I get it is look at all the pictures. I LOVE THE PICTURES!!! Of course I love all the talks too, but the pictures are always so beautiful...I love that we have the subscription that sends 2 copies of the Conference editions-that way I can have one all to myself...I am actually going to read the whole thing this time and I have already started. I always say I am going to but then life happens and I find my copy buried under mail, pictures colored for me by my sweet boy, and that form I was supposed to have sent back to school weeks ago...Please tell me I am not the only one with that kind of pile...


One more thing...actually two more things... #1-I needed some lip gloss, eye liner and eye shadow and the budget for that was non-existent. Target has this AWESOME AND CHEAP line called ELF (eyes, lips, and face) and I got all three of these products for $1 each. The eyeliner even came with a sharpener. I LOVE THEM! Especially the lip gloss and I am picky about my "lip products".

#2-SHHHH! Don't tell Jake...I can't keep it in any longer!!! Jake and I are going to visit my parents on their mission 12/3-12/13. Aaron can't go because of exams and work :(, but my parents found cheap tickets and that is our Christmas gift!!!!! It is kind of a gift for Aaron too because he will be able to sleep in a quiet house and study in silence. :) DON'T TELL JAKE!!! Oh, I forgot no one is really going to see this any way.... :)