Fun Pictures from September/Projects/Food Storage

Samantha, Derek, and JD Labor Day

Lexia and Derek Labor Day

Elizabeth and Michael Labor Day

Samantha and Derek Labor Day

Michael waiting for Elizabeth's Volleyball Game

Doing Stickers from Grandma

More Sticker fun from Grandma

Mom, take a picture!

Mom, come find me!

Catching Marshmellows at Cub Scouts

Elizabeth's WOW for school a Mosaic

Getting ready to paint the play room and living room.

Talk like a Pirate Day at Krispy Kreame.  We ran into our friends the Nichols as well as others.  It was a great FHE night!

I love turtles

I am amazed at how much the monthly cycle affects my thinking.  The other day I was a complete wreck.  I couldn't make any decisions and I was so frustrated.  Everything was eating at me and I was literally biting my tongue to keep from making rude comments to my family.  Derek was so sweet and understanding as was Elizabeth.

Usually right after that time is my "new program" time.  I want to instigate a new program into our family that will fix everything.  Sometimes it is chores, sometimes diet, sometimes projects it changes monthly.  But I become almost obsessed with it.  Derek has learned this about me and is very patient and listens and sometimes we instigate it and others we wait a few days and the ideas are gone.  I am in one of those stages right now.  I just finished listening to a book 

Cleaning House: A Mom's Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement by Kay Wills Wyma  I really enjoyed it but of course now I think we need to do something similar.  Ideas keep popping around, diet, exercise, teaching/learning gospel principals, cleaning, organizing, memorizing scriptures, focusing more on school work, being more strict about how the kids spend their time . . . the list goes on and on. 

As I was thinking about all of this I happened upon the following talk.  Again my brain started wondering "Is this the best thing that our family should be doing?"  And I am sure in about a week my focus will turn elsewhere but for now I am all about starting some new project . . .

Food Storage

Vaughn J. Featherstone

April 1976 General Conference

"I should like to address a few remarks to those who ask, “Do I share with my neighbors who have not followed the counsel? And what about the nonmembers who do not have a year’s supply? Do we have to share with them?” No, we don’t have to share—we get to share! Let us not be concerned about silly thoughts of whether we would share or not. Of course we would share! What would Jesus do? I could not possibly eat food and see my neighbors starving. And if you starve to death after sharing, “greater love hath no man than this …” ( John 15:13.)"

• This is how I feel about food storage. I have heard people say that they are worried because their neighbors know that they have food storage and if something were to happen their neighbors would come to take the food. I think "Absolutely!" That is why we need a year supply. Not to last us a year but to feel ourselves and those in need.

"Home production of food and nonfood items is a way to stretch your income and to increase your skills and talents. It is a way to teach your family to be self-sufficient. Our children are provided with much needed opportunities to learn the fundamentals of work, industry, and thrift. President Romney has said, “We will see the day when we will live on what we produce.” ( Conference Reports, April 1975, p. 165.)"

• I think I need to have my children more engaged in family projects. Work together on the garden. I really think they would enjoy it. Find other projects that they can help me with, maybe painting the bedrooms or decorating the house.

"President Henry D. Moyle suggested that when someone speaks we ought to get three things out of the message. First and least important (but still very important), we ought to get what is said. Second, and more important, we ought to have a spiritual experience. Third, and most important, we should keep the commitments we make to ourselves. Let’s write them down and follow through. Don’t ever make a commitment to yourself you don’t intend to keep—if you do, you weaken your character."

• This is good to think about as we get ready for conference this weekend.

"Plant fruit trees, grapevines, berry bushes, and vegetables."

• If we had more food produced at home would the kids be more likley to eat it? Jut the need to be outside away from the food inside would help.

I have to wonder if my parents listened to this talk in 1976 and it motivated them to have a food storage.  For as long as I can remember my parents have had a year supply.  They have been very faithful in this area of the gospel.