He Knows My Name

Painting:  "Light of the World"  by Brent Borup  Source: www.lds.org

I have not ever in this life seen our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, nor have I heard him speak or call me by name, but throughout my life there have been numerous times when others, acting in his name through the power of his holy priesthood, who have called me by my name to bless my life in many different ways.  As a baby, I was given a name and a blessing by my father, and when eight years old I was called by name when I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I have received many priesthood blessings of health and comfort, and I have been called by name as I have been set apart for various church callings.  When I went to the temple for the first time, I was called by name and blessed with many wonderful blessings and promises, and I continue to be reminded of these blessings each time I return.

I know that the Lord knows my name, and I fell his comfort and love on a daily basis when I reach out to him in prayer, whether vocally or through prayers of my heart.  He speaks to me in many ways, through thoughts and inspirations that come to my mind and my heart, through the comforting reassurance of the Holy Ghost, through reading the scriptures, and through the actions of many of my friends and family and neighbors who also listen to him.

We live in a difficult world that is filled with conflict.  I often wish that I could take away the pains, the sorrows, and the troubles that those I know and love experience.  I can't always do that, and don't think I would actually be willing and able to suffer those pains myself.  But I know someone who can, and who has already willingly taken ever pain, every sorrow, every sin, and every trouble upon himself.  The Lord Jesus Christ has already suffered every single pain and sorrow the world has ever known.  I'm very grateful to him for this gift.  I know he lives, and I'm very grateful to know that he knows my name.

Light of the Christmas Season

"The Nativity"  by Ted Henninger   Photo Source:  www.lds.org

"May the beautiful lights of every Christmas season remind us of Him who is the source of all light."---Elder David A Bednar

December 2018 ends a very blessed year for the Howes Family.  We have been able to travel and visit with loved ones, and have had our children come and visit with us.  DH made two different visits to the hospital, one planned and one unscheduled.   We are grateful for good doctors and medical care, and that he was able to return to work in very short order, and after several months of regular cardio rehab and fitness training, he is feeling better than he has for years!  We have been blessed with good jobs and steady work, and the other blessings that work brings with it. 

Now that the days are shorter, darker, and the weather colder, we especially enjoy having quiet evenings at home together, reflecting on blessings of dear family and friends, and the love and kindness they bring into our lives.  Our wish is that all who read this may also feel of the light and peace and love and joy that comes from our Father in Heaven and his gift to us, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the true source of light. 

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a very blessed and joyous 2019!

Grateful for Enough to Share

My niece shared this fun advent calendar on Facebook today:

Advent Calendar Source

Isn't it wonderful to have enough to share with others?

Gratitude for Comfy Warm Slippers and Blankets

I love my comfy warm slippers and Sherpa fleece blankets and use them to snuggle up during the long winter months every single year.  Yes, it's that time of year again, and I have a nice new pair of slippers thank's to DD4's recent generous birthday gift.  It was just in time, cause my old ones have been pretty well worn out!  Add a cup of hot cocoa and I'm truly a happy camper!

Grateful to be Grateful

O Remember, Remember

This talk from 2009 has inspired me to try and be more grateful each day for many years.  

I never have gotten to the point where I remember to write every day, 

But it has become a tradition for me to try and do so each day in November.  

April is blogging from A to Z, and November is blogging about gratitude. 

 I start with a simple idea on Facebook or in my personal journal.  

It may take a day or two for the thoughts to reach the blog, but I'm trying to keep a record.  

How have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch my life today?

Gratitude for Books and Scriptures

Meme/Illustration Source

I am so very grateful for books!!  I have always had access to a wide variety of reading materials.  I had a mother who loved to read and who read to me often, and allowed me to read perhaps more than she should have.  I usually have quite a stack of library books on the nightstands and the floor next to my bed, and often have several tucked in with me!  I don't have quite as much time for leisure reading these days as I once did, but try to find time to read for at least a few minutes every morning and every evening before going to sleep.  I especially love to start my day by reading from the scriptures for 30 minutes or so before rousting myself out of bed to face the world.  In our children's primary class a week ago we had the chance to discuss how blessed we are to have access to scriptures in our homes.  In old testament times, the few copies of the handwritten scriptures that were available to the people were kept in the temple or the tabernacle, and often only the priests would have access to read them.  In the time of the prophet Ezra, the priests brought the scriptures out of the temple and read them aloud to the people in the streets, and they were overjoyed to be able to hear the word of the Lord.  Today anyone who would like to read from the scriptures has such ready access to them!  Books are fairly inexpensive and so many are available for free to download onto your computer or phone or other device.  What a blessing for the world today!!

Gratitude for Morning Light and Heat

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I'm grateful that the sun rises each and every morning to provide us with another day of light and heat.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good:  and God divided the light from the darkness.  And God called the light Day, and the darkeness he called night.  And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Genesis 1:3-5

Gratitude for Jesus Christ

I'm grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me."

Mosiah 26:30

The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ

Photo Source

Gratitude for Siblings

I'm grateful for my siblings!!  This photo is over 40 years old, and our dear parents have now passed from this mortal existence, but we are still a family.  We may not gather together quite as often as we have in the past as we each have our own families, jobs, homes, and other responsibilities and live in several different states, but we do try to connect several times during the year, and this past June were able to spend a few days all together at my Dear Sister 2's home.  She was the perfect hostess and we enjoyed the time to relax and play and connect like we haven't done together as siblings for years.  I love them all!!

Gratitude for Freedom and All Servicemen

Sand Art on Normandy Beach  Photo Source from facebook

I'm very grateful for the freedoms that I have enjoyed in this country my entire life, and I am especially grateful for all who have fought and worked and sacrificed so that you and I can enjoy these freedoms.  God Bless America and our Veterans and Servicemen!

Photo Source from Facebook

Gratitude for Family

I'm grateful for my very most favorite people:  My Family!!

My DH, all six of my dear children, my two daughters in law and my two beautiful grandchildren are among my very greatest blessings, and I can't imagine what life would be like without them.  I thank my Heavenly Father every day for each of them and I am grateful that they are each willing to be a part of my life and a part of our family.  I'm also very grateful for the wonderful young men who care for our dear daughters and do so much to support and care for them and also help others in our family and enjoy happy times and celebrations with us.

Love you all!!

Gratitude for Relief Society

This morning I had the chance to spend some time with a large group of my favorite ladies at our annual Relief Society Women's Conference.  We enjoyed a beautiful program of thoughts and music, a display of the talents of many of the ladies of our neighborhood from seven different church congregations, savored a delicious luncheon, and had plenty of time to visit and socialize.  These ladies are my friends and my neighbors, and my Relief Society sisters.  We normally meet together for an hour with our own congregation each Sunday, with other evening activities every month or so, but the larger Conference is usually held only once each year.

What is Relief Society?  Relief Society is the largest women's organization in the world.  It is the women's auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that was founded in March of  1842. We know from the New Testament that many of the disciples of Jesus Christ were women who not only served the Savior with his temporal needs, but also learned from him and his teachings, and followed his example by serving others around them.   The women of the Relief Society also seek to serve the Savior by teaching one another and by seeking out the poor and the needy and doing what they can to lift and help one another.

Here are two of my favorite quotes from the day:

"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 (one of the original Relief Society members)

"Relief Society is like a great big hug!"
          --one of my dearest Relief Society friends (name to be kept anonymous on my blog)

Feel free to check out the Relief  Society website right here:  Learn more about Relief Society or look right here toFind a Relief Society near you.  Visitors are always welcome!

Or, just shoot me a comment or question here in the comments!

Grateful for My Body

Yes, my body has seen many years of use, including few accidents and ailments, but it has served me well and continues to do so.  I'm grateful for this body, a gift from my loving earthly parents and my loving Heavenly Parents!

Grateful for Chocolate!

photo source

I have been very blessed with an abundance of good chocolate recently.  We had plenty of chocolate goodies for the trick or treaters last week on Halloween, and still have quite a few pieces left in the big bowl on the dining room table, even though we have been munching at it all week long.  Good friends at work gifted me some of my favorite chocolate bars last month on my birthday, including Dove Dark chocolate bars and a very nice intensely dark chocolate Ghiradelli Chocolate bar that I have been nibbling at every afternoon this week.  Heavenly! Apparently they know me and my tastes quite well!  At a recent "getting to know you" activity at work each staff member was asked to indicate their favorite caffiene  source out of the following: coffee, Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper, or Mt Dew.  Only one of my co-workers were at a loss as to an answer.  At first thought I responded "water" . . . then realized that of course the true answer was chocolate, preferably a good quality dark chocolate.  

A while back DH and I were also blessed to take a trip to Chicago with DD2 where we enjoyed dinner at Michael Jordan's Steak House and shared an absolutely wonderful creation:  their famous 23 Layer Chocolate Cake.  Enough Said.

Photo Source

Yes, I'm grateful for Chocolate!

Grateful for Prayer

I'm very grateful for prayer.  Every.  Single.  Day. 

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"Lead me, guide me, walk beside me.  Help me find the way."

--- children's hymn I Am A Child of God by Naomi W. Randall, 1957

Grateful for a Living Prophet

I'm grateful for a living prophet that is such an example of faith, hope, optimism, energy, and charity in spite of his 94 years.  He is a representative of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  

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Grateful for Plumbing

I'm grateful for indoor plumbing . . . and for my new bathroom fixtures.  DH and DS spent several hours over the weekend working to replace the sink and toilet in our master half bath.  It's not quite finished, so I won't post a photo, but it is nice to go to sleep without the sound of the dripping tap and to see the shinny new fixtures!

Grateful for Primary Songs

Currently at church I have the blessing of team teaching an Old Testament class in Primary, our church's organization for children, with my DD1.  After our lesson each week, our class of 9 and 10 year olds gathers with the other children's classes for a 20 minute singing time.  Learning the truth's of the Lord's gospel through song is one of my favorite things, and I also love listening to children's voices sing these simple truths. Today we sang several different songs reminding us to be grateful for all of the wonderful things our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have blessed us with. Here is a link to some of our favorite Primary Songs:  LDS Primary Songs on You Tube

Heavenly Father Loves Me

Thanks to our Father

Gratitude for The House of The Lord

Last night on Facebook I came across these photos of the soon to be dedicated temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Barranquilla, Colombia.  I lived in the city of Barranquilla for about six months many years ago when I was serving as a missionary for the Church, and I fell in love with this beautiful city and many of the people who lived there.  I'm so very happy and excited to have this temple so near to being completed for the people of this wonderful area.  The temple is scheduled to be dedicated on Sunday, December 9, 2018.

"Holiness to the Lord"

"The House of the Lord"

I love this painting of the Savior located just inside the entrance to the temple.  

It just seems perfect for the area.

One beautiful piece of stained glass art.

 A sealing room inside of the temple where couples can be married and families can be sealed together forever through the power of God's priesthood.

The Celestial Room.  

A beautiful, calm and peaceful place where individuals can spend a few minutes  to meditate, pray and feel the love of the Lord after their temple worship.  

The Celestial Room is one of my favorite places on earth!

Such a beautiful and wonderful new building for a beautiful city!!

Photo Source

To find out more about temples, check out this website:

Why do we build temples?

Gratitude for a Loving Father in Heaven

I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows me and loves me.

Gratitude for Neighbors

Today I am grateful for wonderful friends and neighbors, and for this thoughtful quote and meme that I borrowed from Fred Rogers and The Family--A Proclamation to the World Facebook Page:

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Have a wonderful day!

Ten Things of Thankful: Summer's Tender Mercies

It has been several months since I have posted anything here on the blog, but I just ran across Kristi's "Ten Things of Thankful" post from this past Friday and decided that I'm long past due for recognizing some of the Lord's most recent Tender Mercies in my life.  It has been a rather crazy summer, but a very blessed one too.  Here are my ten most recent Tender Mercies:

 1.   Re-dedication and opening of local LDS Temple and at least monthly visits to the Temple
 2.  Wonderful trip to visit with kids in California and siblings in Washington State in June
 3.  First time visit to the Seattle Washington LDS Temple
 4.  New calling/responsibility to teach the 9 and 10 year old children in Sunday Primary at church
 5.  Visit from all of the 6 kids and 2 grand kids in July
 6.  DH successful pacemaker surgery in July
 7.  DH successful angioplasty with placement of 4 stents two weeks later
 8.  New job promotion and raise for me
 9.  Fresh beans and peas and squash from the garden

10. 35th wedding anniversary celebration with DH this past weekend!

I'm sure that there are many many more blessings showered down upon me each day, but these are my top ten for the summer so far.   What Tender Mercies have you seen this summer?

And here are a few of the beauties of the earth that I have enjoyed this summer so far:

Have a Happy Week!

Happy Day!

Photo Source

Today is a very happy day for me.  The LDS Jordan River Temple has been re-dedicated and will be opening for regular temple service this coming Tuesday, May 22nd at 5:00 am.  DH and DD1 and I were able to attend one of the three dedicatory services this morning.  The service was wonderful, and I came away with a renewed commitment to make regular temple attendance a priority, hopefully THE priority of my life.  Throughout the history of the world, the Lord has provided sacred temples for his people to visit, draw closer to him, learn more of him, and make essential, eternal covenants: The Tabernacle of Ancient Israel, Solomon's Temple, and Herod's temple in Jerusalem where  Jesus Christ visited many times during his life.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is know as a temple building church.  Latter Day Saint Temples  are different from the meeting houses where we hold our weekly meetings.   Marriages are performed there, but other sealing ordinances are performed by proxy by worthy members in behalf of deceased family members who may not have had the opportunity to receive these ordinances for themselves.  Members of our church have often made great personal sacrifices in order to contribute to, build and to attend the Temple.   There are currently 159 functioning LDS Temples all over the world, with more under construction or announced.   I have not had the opportunity to visit each of these temples, but there are several temples that I have visited often and that hold a special place in my heart. 

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The Salt Lake Temple is the temple that my parents made it a priority to regularly attend at least twice a month during the years that I was growing up.  The temple was a 40 mile drive from our home, but their planned dates of attendance were marked on the kitchen calendar every single month, and almost nothing would prevent them from making these visits.   This is the temple that I first attended back in 1981, and is the place where DH and I were married nearly 35 years ago.  

photo source 

The Washington DC temple was the temple that DH and I attended during the years that we lived in New Jersey.   It was a 3 to 4 hour drive from our home (depending on traffic and who was driving), so we usually would visit only once or twice a year.   Often we would drive down on a Friday evening, spent the night, and then spent several hours in the temple before returning home.  Sometimes we would leave the children with friends, and other times we would travel with friends and take turns watching the children and attending the temple.   DH was able to attend more often than I was since many times during those years I had a nursing baby, and he was also able to serve as an ordinance worker there.   It has been several decades since we visited Washington DC, but I would love to go back again some day.

Once we moved back west and bought our home here, the Jordan River Temple has become "our" temple.  I remember visiting the original open house for the Jordan River Temple back in 1981, but I was attending the Missionary Training Center when it was dedicated on November 16th of that year, so had not attended the temple here until we moved.   We have not always been able to schedule a regular time to attend together with young children and a family business, but after the children were all in school and I was only working part time.  I would many times drive over in the morning and attend a session before going in to work.  Since working full time I still try to attend at least one evening or Saturday during the month.   I can't help but think of all of the individuals who have lived on this earth without having the opportunity to learn of Jesus Christ and his gospel and atonement.  Attending the temple as proxy for these sisters of mine, also daughters of our loving Heavenly Father, is one of the greatest priorities of my life.  

Photo Source  Artist's rendering of the Barranquilla, Colombia Temple which will be dedicated  December 9, 2018

Another temple that is very close to my heart is the Barranquilla, Colombia Temple, which is currently under construction, very close to being completed.   This temple is being built very near the neighborhoods where I lived and worked as a missionary for six months during my year and a half mission to the country of Colombia and met many wonderful people!   I don't know that I will ever have the chance to return to the beautiful city of Barranquilla or the country of Colombia, but I am so very grateful that the blessings of the temple are being made available to these beautiful people.

There are many other special temples all over this country that I have visited at different times, and I hope to be able to visit many more during the coming years.  But the blessing of this happy day is that beginning this coming week, I will once again be able to make the short fifteen minute drive to the Jordan River Temple!


Read more about LDS Temples here.

Reflections on A to Z Challenge 2018: Mom of 6 Memories

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Dad of 6 with his flag at a soccer game.  I have a Mom of 6 jersey too, but couldn't find a photo!

First off, I must begin by saying that this year's blog theme of  my memories as Mom of 6 would not have been possible without the love and support of "Dad of 6"  aka  DH in many of my blog posts.  Last year during the 2017 A to Z challenge I blogged about our courtship, and this year I blogged about the amazing adventure we have had as parents.   Dad of 6 has been very instrumental in so many ways to making the amazing adventure of being "Mom of 6" possible.  His hard work and sacrifices made it possible for me to be home with our little ones when they were small, and he continues to support me in my mothering and now in my grand-mothering efforts.   Our children are now adults and we have added daughters in law and grandchildren to the mix, and the amazing adventure continues!

My goal as a blogger isn't to generate a large following, though I do enjoy the visits from fellow bloggers, especially during the annual A to Z challenge, and I enjoy meeting new bloggers and making new friends and reading their wonderful blogs too.  The challenge has become a tradition that I look forward to.  It is a challenge that encourages me to make the time to write on a regular basis, if only for the month of April.  The past few years I have also used the challenge as an incentive to help me to record many of my favorite memories during different time periods of my life.  This year has been especially wonderful for me as I have been able to put down memories and thoughts of one of the greatest blessings of my life:  being a mother.

The A to Z challenge has changed a bit over the years since I first found it back in 2012, and I have changed a bit too.  At first I had no theme, and often was not able to complete posts for every letter of the alphabet, but it was fun to sign up on the linky lists, to visit new blogs, and to have new friends visit my blog.   The spreadsheets used this year as found at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/ have been as good as the original linky lists, I think, if not better.  This year I was able to post the link to each of my posts and even change the category if needed to better fit each post.  Sometimes my posts were more of a personal/memoir type of post, and other days they fit more of a parenting type category.   I hope to use the links to continue to visit other bloggers as I have the time, and I hope that if you've stumbled upon my blog that it has been an enjoyable trip for you too.   Thanks for stopping by!

Zippers and Buttons and Bows

Learning to zip zippers, button buttons, and tie bows are three fairly major challenges for young children.  When a mother has several young children, one of the first things she looks forward to is the day when the babies are potty trained and she doesn't need to deal with diapers any longer.   Some of the next milestones that she looks forward to is when a child learns to dress themselves, and a big part of that is learning to zip up zippers, button buttons, and tie their own shoes. 

The Joy School preschool curriculum that we used in our home with all of our children devoted an entire section to the Joy of Goal Striving:  setting and reaching goals.  During that month each mother and each pre-schooler is encouraged to set a goal for the month, take the time to work towards that goal every day, and to make a chart to mark their progress in reaching that goal.  Some of the suggested goals for the children are learning to zip their own coat or tie their own shoes.  There are songs and stories in the curriculum that teach and remind both children and adults that we can set goals, we can do hard things, it is good for us to keep trying and practicing and to not give up on our worthwhile goals, and that achieving goals brings Joy!

This month one of my goals has been to participate in the A to Z challenge and record some of my favorite memories of being a mother.  And now, I am happy to say, I think I have met my goal!

What is a goal that you are working on right now?

What is a goal that has brought you Joy?

Yes!

One word that young children learn very quickly is the word NO.  As parents there are so many dangers that we feel we need to protect our children from, and so many values that we need to teach them.  Some days  it seems like we are always saying the No word to the kids. "No, you can't play outside right now."  "No you can't touch the stove when it's hot."  "No, you can't eat cookies before dinner."  "No, it's too cold to wear shorts and flip flops."    "No, you can't go and play until your homework and chores are done."

As a mother I easily tired of saying no, so would try to find things that I could say YES to.   " Yes, you can play inside with the Legos."   "Yes, we can bake cookies after we eat our lunch."   "Yes, we can go out and build a snowman after we put on our snow pants and coats and gloves and boots."  "Yes, I can help you study your spelling words."  "Yes, you did do a wonderful job setting the table!"

Am I a perfect mother?  Of course not.   Did I always find the positive way to present things and look at things?   No, I'm afraid not.

 Do I love being a mother?  Am I proud of each of my six kids?  Absolutely and positively YES and YES!

X Marks The Spot

Source:Treasure Map Clip Art from www.clipartlogo.com

Treasure hunts were popular activities at our house, and several of the kids birthday parties featured a hunt for buried treasure.   Usually a series of written clues was prepared before hand, and the guests were divided into two groups, or maybe just one, and given the first clue which would lead them to the location where the next clue was hidden.  Sometimes there was even a map!  When the treasure was found, sometimes buried in the garden and sometimes in another secret inside location, the stash of candy and trinkets would be divided among the participants.

Usually after such an activity, at least several of the kids and their friends would plan their own treasure hunt for other siblings or friends.   Filling a box or other container with messages and important objects, then burying them as a "time capsule"  was another favorite activity.

There have been several times when as a family activity we have written letters to our future selves, and sealed them up in an envelope to be opened in five or ten years.    It is always interesting to open up the letter years later and to see the thoughts and goals and other predictions that had been written by your former self years before.   In fact, I have one such envelope sitting on my desk right this very minute:

Family Time Capsule

December 2009 to December 2019

Does anyone remember what's inside?

Have you ever searched for buried treasure?   

Have you ever buried a treasure or a time capsule?

 Have you ever written a message to your future self?

Work and Chores

Work and chores are an important part of family life.   It takes a lot of work to run a household, keep the house and clothes clean, provide meals, and care for the yard and garden.  When children are young, they love to help Mom and Dad, so that's the best time to start teaching them how to work and take responsibility.   We have had different variations of chore charts throughout the years, and our kids have always been responsible for making their own beds, cleaning their own rooms, clearing their own dishes from the table, and doing other chores around the house each week.   Young children also love helping in the garden, and we've always tried to give each child their own little garden plot to be responsible for planting and weeding.  Each child has had a turn mowing lawns, doing laundry, dusting and vacuuming, taking out the trash, cooking dinner, moping floors, and cleaning bathrooms.   Some assigned chores were just expected, and others could earn the kids a bit of extra money

.With six kids, our home has never been a showcase or a model of pristine cleanliness, but I believe that each one can do a fairly decent job of running a household on their own.   The kids also helped with stripping wallpaper, putting up sheet rock, painting, and other jobs when we bought and remodeled our own home, and have earned money helping with the cleaning and filing and paperwork of the family business.

 

DS1 was the first of the children to get a job outside of the family, and spent several years folding and delivering newspapers weekday afternoons and weekend mornings.  Rain, sleet, heat, and snow did not keep him from his rounds.  DS2 soon followed in his footsteps, and for a few years we had two paper routes in the family. 

 Mom and sisters helped out when the boys were at scout camps, and the girls also had their share of babysitting jobs.   As they grew older there were part time jobs at scout camps, the library and at call centers.   During college years they found more jobs at libraries, tutoring, as teacher's aids and lab assistants,  custodial work, serving banquets, cashiering at gift shops, snack shops, and even the local planetarium.

What chores have you or your children done during the years?

What were your first paying jobs?