ants...

Yesterday, BJ accidentally locked his keys in the car. So, he called me and asked me to bring his spare keys out to him. So, after Jase's afternoon nap, the kids and I headed into town. Of course, any reason the girls get to spend time with Grandpa Dave and Grandma Char is a special treat. Literally. Grandma spoils them with treats and Grandpa had treasures for each of the girls that he had brought back from market. After they got totally spoiled, we all headed out to the new In-n-Out for dinner. While eating, we were talking about how it had rained the day before. The girls had a lot to say and were all talking over each other trying to tell their versions of the story. After they all provided their info, I had to fill in the blanks. Here is the story: We had an ant problem the other day. They were finding their way in our house through the door to our back patio. So, BJ put some ant killer poison down and told the girls they were not allowed to go in the backyard for awhile. But, since it was raining, I gave them permission to jump over the ant poison and run out to the trampoline. At this point in the story, Dave said, "I hate ants. They are nasty little things." (or something to that effect). Brighton instantly piped up and said...something. She was quite insistent about it only we could not understand her. So, she kept saying it over and over until finally Kennady translated for us. She was saying, "They're Wod's weatures! They're Wod's weatures!" (translated as "They're God's creatures!"). So, apparently it was not okay for us to say we hate ants since Heavenly Father created them too. :)

monsoon...

So, I am not sure if it is officially monsoon season or not, but we definitely had a monsoon storm yesterday. I love monsoon season. I know that the actual rain is short-lived and then the heat sets in with a vengeance, but even as the storm is rolling in and the black clouds fill the sky, excitement builds. Then the rain lashes down in such a dramatic contrast to the hot sun. It is just really amazing. Of course, the second we saw one sprinkle, the girls were outside to enjoy every moment of it. Now, don't ask me why they are dressed so strangely. That is just what they happened to have on when I called to tell them it was raining. So, this is real life at our house. Kennady is wearing a church dress, minus the coordinating shrug, Addy has on a swimsuit cover-up top, and Brighton is wearing "banerina clothes" with a totally unmatching skirt over it. So, apparently we need some fashion tips around here :) But hey, they are having fun!

lost...

Kennady lost her front tooth! Before she went to bed, she carefully put her tooth in a ziploc bag under her pillow. She reminded both me and BJ several times that her tooth was under her pillow so that we could be sure the Tooth Fairy would come give her money :) Well, what do you know? We both forgot! I know-it's horrible. She ended up scoring two dollars since the Tooth Fairy forgot to come the first night and she was pretty happy with that. I was trying to think back to when I was a child to remember how much money we got and I couldn't remember. I do, however, remember that if we were lucky enough to lose a tooth at a Stapley family reunion, the tooth got placed in a jar with water in it. Somehow, it magically grew money! Lots and lots of money! We always preferred that over a regular tooth fairy visit! Anyways, I cannot believe that Kennady is so grown up....

exhausting...

The past two weeks have been so crazy that things that happened only 10 days ago feel like months ago. Wednesday night, we were all soundly asleep when Addy woke up in a panic. Sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night needing to go to the bathroom, but is so disoriented, that she will cry and need us to help direct her to the bathroom. So, when she woke us up with that cry, I was irritated (I'm sad to admit). But, she was actually crying in a panic because she was having difficulty breathing. BJ was able to calm her down and she fell back asleep, but she woke up panicky twice more during the night. We tried giving her benadryl thinking that maybe she was severely allergic to something. It just didn't make sense that a sickness could come on so suddenly. Well, at four in the morning, BJ and I had both been up with her for over an hour and her labored breathing was not improving, but getting worse. We had tried everything we could think of and still saw no improvement. So, at 4:00 am, I called my Dad in tears. My Dad is a paramedic and I knew that he would be able to help me. My only other resort was to take her to the emergency room. My Dad was able to give us some good tips, but said that if she didn't calm down in a half and hour, that we should take her in to the emergency room. Watching her gasp for breath and knowing that she could not get the oxygen that she needed...I cannot even describe how scary it was. It was the scariest thing I had ever experienced. At that time, BJ also gave her a priesthood blessing. Within a half an hour, she was sleeping again. But our peace was short lived. A couple of hours later, she awoke with labored breathing. With no insurance, we were trying to avoid having to go to the emergency room. So, we called our family doctor and were able to schedule an appointment for that morning. BJ took the day off work to go with us and Char came out to sit with the younger kids. When we arrived at the doctor's office, her temperature was 103 degrees and her oxygen level was at 90%. (Normal is 98-100 percent). They immediately starting giving her an albuterol breathing treatment. At the time, the PA tentatively diagnosed her with either asthma or pnemonia. He prescribed a steroid, an antibiotic and a breathing treatment for her. He also ordered a chest x-ray. When we went into town to have her x-ray done, we also stopped by Karli's who let us borrow her breathing machine. Thanks for saving us so much money, Karli! Then, Brett took time away from his kiddos to give Addy a chiropractic adjustment. He has a natural gift for healing and I really appreciate him helping Addy. Well, the chest x-ray came back negative, ruling out asthma and pnemonia. So, they were saying that it must just be a viral illness, maybe a bronchitis of some sort. But, that night as we were getting her ready for bed, she was having difficulty breathing again. BJ was helping her with her breathing treatment and I was on the phone with my Dad, who had called to check in on her. My parents had already had a trip to the valley scheduled for the weekend, so they were planning on coming into town the following day. But, when I broke down over the phone and asked my parents if they could come stay with me that night, they did. Within just a few minutes, they were on the road and came and stayed with us that night. Just having my parents in our house gave me so much peace of mind. It was also comforting to have medication to help her. When Addy woke up that night because she couldn't breathe, we had a breathing treatment we could give her.



By Friday, she was getting back to herself and was even playing and laughing again. My Mom and I spent the day canning. We canned beans and homemade cherry pie filling. On Saturday morning, as I was getting ready to go teach the canning class at Karli's workshop, Addy had another breathing treatment. As it turns out, that was the last treatment she needed. She improved dramatically and we all felt so relieved and so blessed. On Sunday, we celebrated Father's Day and I had an extra bit of gratitude in my heart for my Dad. It doesn't matter how "grown up" we are, if one of my sister's or I need my Dad, he is there. I know that I can turn to him for counsel, love, wisdom and guidance. He is a true hero. I am also so thankful for BJ. I watched him tenderly care for Addy, watching over her and protecting her. I am truly blessed to be married to a man who works so hard to provide for our family, is aware of the needs of each of our children and takes time to focus on each of them individually. In fact, after we got back from our Father's Day dinner with BJ's whole family, and we were getting the kids ready for bed, Addy said, "But I am still waiting for MY Daddy Sunday." Remember how BJ started meeting with each of our kids for a personal Father's interview each Fast Sunday? Well, Addy didn't realize that Father's Day was different from Daddy (fast) Sunday. I thought that was really cute. Our family dinner was really fun though. We had traditional Dr. Pepper Roast (thanks Bri) and Dave's favorite...Black Forest Cherry Cake. I feel doubly blessed to have Dave as a father in-law. He is amazing. He spends time to be interested in what each of us are doing and is so supportive. After Kennady overheard a conversation I was having with a friend about the color code book, she asked me about what each of the colors meant and we talked about what color I thought she was. I think she is a blue/red...by the way :) Anyways, as I was describing yellow (fun, exciting, life of the party, easy going, etc.), Kennady immediately piped in, "Oh, Grandpa Dave is a yellow!" It's true. Life is always more fun when Grandpa Dave is around! All in all, it was a very happy Father's Day and I felt very emotional about that miracle that each of these fathers are to me and what a blessing they are in my life and in the lives of my kids. So, thanks to my Dad, to BJ and to Dave for being amazing Fathers. I LOVE YOU! On Monday, our family home evening lesson was on gratitude. At the end of the lesson, we each got to think of one thing that we were thankful for. I wish I could remember what each person said, but I do remember that Brighton was thankful for our bodies (which I thought was really cute because that is what she had been learning about in nursery). I went last and I was thankful that Addy could breathe again. We all agreed that we had a lot to be thankful for. Well, Tuesday night at about 11:00, Jase woke up...with difficulty breathing. Now I know that we are not supposed to use prescriptions for people other than those they are intended for, but my baby couldn't breathe. Also, my Dad had described to me how albuterol is considered a benign medication and told me the properties of the drug. So, I felt confident that it would be okay to give him a breathing treatment. He got through the night okay with the help of a couple of breathing treatments. The following day, BJ was at work and I was at home worrying and stressing about Jase. I called the doctor's office. The earliest they could get him in was at 4:15. So, all day I just held Jase and watched him. I had him spend as much time as possible sitting in front of the cool mist humidifier.



Well, BJ was supposed to be able to meet me at the doctor's office to help with the other kids, but he needed to be at school for something. So, I was just planning on taking the whole gang with me. However, Sarah offered to keep the girls while I took Jase to his appointment. So, at 4:00, I dropped the girls off at Sarah's and headed over to the doctor's office. First, the nurse weighed him and took his measurements. He weighs 19 1/2 pounds. He is in the 72% for weight and 86% for height. Then, she took his temperature. He had a temperature of 101 degrees. She checked his oxygen levels and the pulse oximeter read 89 percent. Dr. McClure came in and looked at Jase for a couple of minutes, asked me a few questions and left the room. When he came back in, he told me that he had called an ambulance to transport Jase to the hospital. He had asked me originally if Jase was drooling more than normal because the entire front of Jase's shirt was covered in drool. When Dr. McClure told me he had called the ambulance, he explained to me that the accessory muscles around the neck were clearly working to draw air in. Also, there was a loud audible stryder with each inhalation. In addition, the fact that Jase could not take time away from breathing to swallow his own saliva made it clear that he was almost to the point that he would no longer be able to compensate for the lack of oxygen in his blood. He also told me that he didn't even want to chance looking in his throat, because with Jase being just barely able to compensate, he could easily progress from stable to respiratory distress. At this point, he left the room for a minute to prepare the necessary paperwork for the paramedics. I had a minute to myself to just hold my baby and pray. At this point, I realized with relief that if I had my girls with me, I wouldn't have been able to ride with Jase in the ambulance. I am so thankful that Sarah had the girls and that I knew that I did not have to worry about them. When the paramedics arrived, one of them started asking me questions, and more questions. Things I had already told both the nurse and Dr. McClure. When Dr. McClure indicated to the paramedic that he had printed off a sheet with all of the basic info, the paramedic answered, "I have it. I am just talking to Mom." It irritated me. Don't waste time blabbing about stuff you already know. Seriously. If you already have my address, why are you making me tell you again? I guess that maybe some people need a task to focus on the keep them from stressing out, but answering lame questions was stressing me out. Anyways, the ambulance arrived quickly and they had a stretcher with a little carseat attached. It was so sad to place my baby on the stretcher and watch him gasping for breath, not able to comfort him as they wheeled him out to the ambulance. The ambulance guy (what is his title anyways?) quickly put Jase on cool mist oxygen. Within minutes, he was fast asleep. I know that he must have been exhausted because he had only slept 15-20 minute increments since 11:00 the night before. He slept the entire way to the hospital. The ambulance guy was so great. I really liked him. He was so attentive to Jase and just relaxed. It was like hanging out with a friend. I had tried to call BJ from the doctor's office, but he did not answer the call. Once things calmed down and we were driving to the hospital, I asked the guy if I could possible borrow his cell phone to call BJ. He was funny because he actually swore a few times, which normally bugs me, but for some reason, it was almost endearing to me with him...maybe because he was so calm and caring, maybe because he was taking care of my baby. So anyways, I will give the censored version of our conversations :) He immediately handed me the phone and said, "Yes. I would kick my wife's butt if she didn't call me." Well, I still could not get in touch with BJ, so instead I called Sarah and updated her and she assured me that the girls were doing well and that she was good to keep them. Thankfully, Sarah thought to call BJ. Because he recognized her phone number, he actually answered his phone! Of course, he immediately began driving to Mercy Gilbert hospital. Meanwhile, the ambulance guy called ahead to the hospital to let them know we were on our way. I heard his end of the conversation go something like this (censored): "No, I didn't give him an I.V. He's just a little guy, like six months old. I didn't want to tick him off!" Ha Ha! Well, once we arrived at the hospital, an ER doctor met us at the door and immediately ordered a liquid steroid for Jase. We got settled in a "room" and the nurse came by and administered the steroid. She told us that it would take several hours before it would start working but that once it started working, it would last for three days. The purpose of the steroid was to decrease airway swelling, which would hopefully enable him to breathe more easily. They also continued the cool mist oxygen. About a half an hour later, the ER doctor came by and again explained that the steroid would not take effect for several hours. So, they were just going to monitor him for awhile. He also explained that there was one more treatment option they could try if necessary, but that he was hoping Jase would just start improving and that the additional treatment would not be necessary. Soon after that, BJ arrived at the hospital. Later, Char also came out to the hospital to be with us. She also brought BJ and I dinner, which was greatly appreciated! Right about the same time that Char arrived, the ER doctor came back and listened to Jase's breathing again. He sat on the bed and explained that Jase was not improving as he had hoped. In fact, his breathing was sounding worse since he had arrived at the hospital. So, he told me that a respiratory therapist would be by to administer an epinephrine breathing treatment. He said that if he did not see significant improvement after the breathing treatment, that he was planning on admitting Jase to hospital where they could monitor him through the night. After Jase got his breathing treatment, BJ went home to put the kids in bed while Char stayed at the hospital with me. Once the kids were asleep, Sarah came over to our house and sat with them while they slept so that BJ could come back to the hospital. By the time BJ got back, the doctor had given us the okay to take Jase home. It was also clear to us that the epinephrine breathing treatment had made a big difference. Jase was almost back to normal. We were so relieved! We were sent home with instructions to keep him calm and happy because when he gets upset, he tries to draw more air in so he can cry, which will irritate his airwarys. So, we arrived home around 11:30, prepared for bed and quickly went to sleep. We were exhausted! Then at 12:00, Jase woke up with labored breathing...again. At this point, I recalled them explaining that the ephinephrine was a short acting medication, but it didn't really register at the time. So, the medication had worn off, now we were home with nothing--no way to help him breathe. I felt angry. Why did they send us home as soon as they saw improvement? Obviously, they must have realized that the short-acting epinephrine would wear off quickly. So, in short, we had another stressful, sleepless night of holding Jase and trying to keep him happy so that he could breathe. Same thing the next day. That night, David came over and he and BJ gave Jase a priesthood blessing. He had one more really rough night before we really started to see consistent improvement. However, at this point the long-acting steroid they had administered in the hospital would be starting to wear off and we were headed into the weekend. So, I called and talked to Dr. McClure, who prescribed another steroid. Well, now here we are almost a week later. We are still exhausted and we still have a sick baby, just not scary sick anymore...thankfully. However, I am pretty sure that he has an ear infection now, which I just learned is a common secondary infection that develops along with croup. But, we just gave him some tylenol and he is sleeping now. Poor baby. :( I am very thankful that it seems like we are past the worst of it, but I will be so happy when our whole family is healthy again!

new blog!

My parents gave each of my sisters and I pressure canners for our early Christmas presents. And, we have been canning away! So, we started a blog where we can share our recipes, ideas and tips. Maybe my sisters and I can inspire you to prepare for your families too. Check out the new blog www.youcancan.blogspot.com. Let's get prepared!!!

sweet...

Because they are in Sweet Shop at school, Kennady's class got to make graham cracker/candy houses. She was so excited to show the girls her house and share with them. As long as they asked first, she let them eat as much of her candy as they wanted. She is such a sweet girl.



Speaking of sweet, here is a little sweetie-my neice, Charlotte. Isn't she beautiful in her blessing dress? Welcome to our family Lottie!

update...

So we decided to change things around in our family room. We have had an armoire in our family room for years and never really loved it. When we bought it, we were desperate. You see, one year, BJ received some birthday money from his parents. So, he decided that it was finally time we got a sound system. Well, we arrived home with our new surround sound system, just to find out that our old television was so old that it did not have the outlets necessary to accept the sound connection. So, out we went to buy a new television. When we arrived home with our new television, we discovered that our new television did not fit in our current entertainment center. At this point, we were completely out of money and frustrated. So, rather than return it all and forget about it (which is probably what we should have done), we settled for the $200 Walmart special and have had that same armoire in our family room for years. Meanwhile, since having Jase, we had to convert our "media room" back into a bedroom to accomodate our kiddos. So, we have a fabulous projector and screen, complete with the custom shelf BJ made to hide the screen...all going to waste because there was no spot for it. So, after a lot of re-arranging, we moved the old armoire into the girls' room and brought the projector, sound system and custom shelf out to the family room. I am so happy :) The whole room feels nicer. I am also excited to be able to hang some pictures on the wall. Then, when we want to watch a movie, I can just pull the screen down over the art and watch the movie. Then, when we are not watching a movie, I simply hide the screen behind the custom shelf BJ built and waalaah. No evidence of a TV...just a beautiful room. I am pretty excited about it :)
On Monday night, we had the Tucker's over for dinner and rockband. (we played using the projector and we obviously have not worked out the kinks yet, because the picture was too big for the screen, there were wires everywher, etc. But it will get better as soon as BJ has some time to re-wire our house). Actually it started because Kennady is sad that she always misses out on playdates with Raeleigh because she is at school. So, we invited them over to play. Then somehow, Chantel conned me into going running with her. ;) So, we just made a night of it. We ate dinner together and played rockband. Yes, we are rockers. You are all welcome to come rock out whenever you get the urge. So, since we were occupied on Monday night, we did FHE last night. We talked about the importance of keeping an orderly house and introduced kids cash. (Thanks to Sarah & David for the inspiration and for the kids cash file). It has been a huge hit. Yesterday, I was struggling with how to get my kids to clean the house. Today, they are asking me for jobs they can do! A little bit of bribery is okay, right? Tonight when we were at Sarah's (canning with Ruth and Lexi), Kennady said, "Sarah, thank you for teaching my Mom about kids cash. Our house is so clean now and we are so happy." Yes we are. I now have clean bathrooms, a clean back porch, clean garbage cans, vacuum lines, and clean dishes. I'm impressed.

thankful...

Today we had a special combined Relief Society/Priesthood meeting on LDS Family Services. One of the speakers was sharing how she had adopted all four of her children because she and her husband were not able to have children of their own. In closing she made the simple statement: "I delight in nurturing my children." Today, I am feeling thankful. Thankful to be a mother. Thankful to be married to a man who is perfect for me, who loves me and loves each of our children, who takes time to make us each feel special and cared for. Thankful that BJ is willing to work hard to provide for our family. Thankful for Kennady and for how responsible she is. That she wants to please her Heavenly Father. That she has such a tender heart and is instinctively in tune with the Spirit and with the needs of others. Thankful for Addy and for how energetic and enthusiastic she is. Thankful that she has a tender side that comes out whenever an animal or a baby are nearby. She is so gentle and loving. She has so much love to give. Thankful for Brighton and the little sweetheart that she is. Thankful that she is happy to play and explore her little world. Thankful that she is a snuggler. Thankful for Jase and the love and light he brings into our world. His smile is infectious and his laugh lights up our world. He is our love baby. I feel so blessed!

canning...

I have been missing in action. I know. Where have I been? Canning. I think I am becoming addicted. I have this weird feeling like I am a bit excited for when we have an emergency and I will be required to eat my food storage. I know that excited is not actually the right word to describe my feeling, but maybe your eloquent minds can fill in a more appropriate word there. It is just comforting knowing that we are setting food aside. I really did not intend to have two posts in a row about emergency preparedness/food storage, but that really is what we have been up to lately. This week, we canned pinto beans, sweet pork and made two batches of raspberry freezer jam. I even made homemade rolls. I'll be honest. I feel pretty domestic :) I also made a fabulous discovery. I no longer need to buy rhodes rolls in the freezer section. I now know that I can freeze my own homemade rolls. After the dough rises the first time, I punch it down then form my little rolls and stick them in the freezer. Once frozen, I put some in regular ziploc bags and some in food saver bags and vaccuum sealed them in (to prevent freezer burn). It turns out that there was no need to vacuum package the rolls because with all this delicious freezer jam around, the rolls did not stay in the freezer long enough to accumulate even the slightest hint of frostbite. Once we were ready to cook the rolls, we simply removed them from the freezer, put them on a cookie sheet and stuck them in the oven at 200 degrees. Then, on the stovetop, we boiled a small pan of water. Once boiling, we placed the pan underneath the rolls and let the humidity/warmth work its magic. In a short time, the rolls had doubled in size and were ready to bake and enjoy. Yum. Just FYI-Sprouts has a great sale on berries this week. So, if you like Freezer jam (who doesn't like freezer jam?), this is the week to make it!

new callings...

So, for the past seven months or so, my calling has been the ward choir accompanist. It is a great calling. In fact, it has been perfect for me while having a new baby and adjusting to life with BJ in graduate school. But, just the other day, I was telling Sarah that I felt like I was ready to do more. Well, Heavenly Father must have heard my ramblings because today I received two new callings...in addition to my calling as choir pianist! I am now a girls activity leader and the 4th Sunday Relief Society teacher. I am excited because the 4th Sunday lesson is from the conference Ensign. I love to read the words of the modern day prophets and ponder on revelations given for us in our day. Oh, and just had to mention that we heard today that President Monson announced another temple this past week-in Phoenix! I was sure that is must just be a crazy rumor, but BJ looked it up on lds.org and it is true! It is very exciting.
Also, our air conditioner is working again. Thank goodness. Thanks to Chantel, Sarah and Karli for letting us hang out at your houses rather than melt in ours last week. However, the weather was on our side because it was only hot for half of the time our A/C was out, then the cold front moved in. We took advantage of the amazingly cool weather and did LOTS of canning. We canned by ourselved, with Cheri and with Grandpa Dave (aren't we lucky?) We canned pasta sauce, Costa Vida pork, pinto beans, chicken and Dr. Pepper roast. I also tried out the jar sealer attachment for our Food Saver and sealed some dehydrated peppers and some brown sugar. We are using a chunck of our tax return to work on our food storage. It is pretty exciting, really. What I would love to do is purchase 6-8 months of Mountain House food (the freeze-dried food) to put away in a closet and forget about it for 30 years unless we needed to use it in an emergency. Then, everything that I could can or stock up on would make up the difference. But, in the meantime, I am just thankful for what we have been able to set aside. I also think it is benficial for our children to be involved in the process and see the work put into following the prophets counsel. Kennady was in the kitchen with me listening to the jars seal. It is one of my favorite sounds. Back when I served in the Primary Presidency, I taught a sharing time lesson about how making raspberry jam was similar to a family being sealed in the temple. That lesson prepared me to be able to share the analogy with Kennady. We were able to talk about how if we left meat sitting on the counter for even a week or two, it would get moldy, stinky and disgusting. We would have to throw it away. But, if that same meat was sealed in a jar, it would last for years. We compared that to our family and talked about how Heavenly Father has promised us that our family can last forever because we are sealed together in the temple. I found the raspberry jam article and am going to include the story because it is just so cute. The story was written by Brad Wilcox and was printed in the July 2004 Friend Magazine:
The raspberries were red, ripe, and juicy. Whitney had never seen quite so many. Mom had bought several large containers when they were on sale, and now she wanted Whitney to help her make jam. Whitney loved jam on toast in the mornings or on hot rolls when they came out of the oven. Her mouth watered at the thought of the treat.

Mom lifted a sack of sugar out of the storage bucket. “Start putting the raspberries in the strainer,” she instructed. “Then run them under the water in the sink until they’re clean. Be sure to pick out any bits of leaves you find.”

Whitney filled the strainer, cleaned the berries, and dumped them into a big bowl. She refilled the strainer and went through the process again and again. It hardly felt like work to her.

After Mom finished measuring the sugar, she took lots of clean jars out of the dishwasher and stacked them on the countertop. Once the dishwasher was empty, she pulled several more jars out of a cardboard box and placed them in the dishwasher.

“Why are you doing that?” Whitney asked. “They don’t look dirty to me.”

“Some of the jars have been sitting on the shelf downstairs for a while. I just want to make sure that they are all clean before we fill them with jam.”

Mom and Whitney worked together for several hours before Dad and Wendee, Whitney’s sister, came home. “Put on some aprons and come give us a hand,” Mom called to them. Dad started mashing up the last of the berries while Wendee began labeling the finished jars.

“Honey, before you put away those jars, make sure all the lids are sealed,” Mom said to Wendee.

Whitney stopped stirring and laughed. “Sealed?” she asked. “Are they getting married or something?”

Now Dad, Mom, and Wendee laughed.

“Well,” Whitney said defensively, “Mom told you to make sure the lids are sealed. So what are you going to do? Take them to the temple?”

Wendee picked up a jar and showed her younger sister the lid. “See, the lid has to seal to the jar so the jam won’t spoil. If the lid doesn’t seal, the jam won’t last. We’re not talking about the temple.”

“Well,” Dad said, “maybe we are. Think about it—isn’t it the same with families? The ones sealed in the temple by priesthood authority can last forever. Those that aren’t sealed aren’t going to last.”

“Keep mashing the rest of those berries while you preach your sermon,” Mom said as she started spooning finished jam into the jars. Whitney reached out to steady the jars while Mom worked.

“I thought getting sealed just meant getting married,” Whitney said.

“Not exactly,” Mom explained. “A man and a woman can get married anywhere, but when they marry outside of the temple, it’s only for this life. Couples married, or sealed, in the temple can be married forever.”

“Now who’s preaching?” Dad asked with a smile.

“Sealed means linked together or hard to break apart,” Mom explained. “When you get married in the temple, you are linked eternally to your spouse and your children. We seal the lids to preserve the jam. Being sealed in the temple preserves families.”

“These berries are all mashed. What’s next?” Dad asked.

“Just take those last few jars out of the dishwasher.”

“I feel another lesson coming on,” Dad said. “See, Mom cleaned the jars before she filled them with jam. Sealing jam in a dirty jar would not work. It’s the same way with the temple. We have to be clean and worthy to enter the temple. That’s the only way the sealing counts.”

“I’m impressed,” Wendee said. “Dad, you’re pretty good.”

“So is this jam,” Mom said. “Now, who wants some before we put it all away?”

Over the next few weeks, everyone in the family enjoyed the jam. Whitney liked it best of all.

One Sunday Sister Garcia assigned Whitney to give a talk in Primary the following week. Whitney didn’t usually like giving talks because she never knew what to say. But this time was different. Whitney could hardly wait to get home and begin writing.

“What are you supposed to talk about?” Wendee asked on the way home from church.

“Well,” Whitney said, “Sister Garcia said the theme should be ‘families are forever.’ The way I look at it, forever families are a lot like making raspberry jam!”

“With the Lord, families are essential. … He provides temples so that families can be together forever.” -Elder Russell M. Nelson

Another fun thing is that a couple of weeks ago, I went to an emergency preparedness meeting. When I got in my car to drive home, I realized that BJ's ipod was no longer playing music like it was when I went into the meeting. It was playing a general conference talk. Can you imagine my surprise when I realized that the talk playing was all about canning pickles by Elder Bednar! Here it is for your enjoyment:
Ye Must Be Born Again
My boyhood home in California was located relatively close to large orchards of apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, and other delicious fruits. We also lived near fields of cucumbers, tomatoes, and a variety of vegetables.

As a boy I always looked forward to canning season. I did not like scrubbing the canning jars or working in our hot kitchen. But I did like working with my mom and dad. And I loved eating my work! I am sure I ate more fruit than ever made it into any of our canning jars.

My memories of time spent in the kitchen with Mom and Dad are stirred every time I see a bottle of home-canned cherries or peaches. The basic lessons I learned about temporal self-reliance and provident living while picking and canning produce have blessed me throughout my life. Interestingly, simple and ordinary experiences often provide the most important learning opportunities we ever have.

As an adult I have reflected upon the things I observed in our kitchen during canning season. This morning I want to discuss some of the spiritual lessons we can learn from the process by which a cucumber becomes a pickle. I invite the Holy Ghost to be with us as we consider the significance of those lessons for me and for you as we come unto Christ and are spiritually reborn.

Cucumbers and Pickles
A pickle is a cucumber that has been transformed according to a specific recipe and series of steps. The first steps in the process of changing a cucumber into a pickle are preparing and cleaning. I remember many hours spent on the back porch of my home removing stems from and scrubbing dirt off of the cucumbers we had picked. My mom was very particular about the preparing and cleaning of the cucumbers. She had high standards of cleanliness and always inspected my work to make sure this important task was properly completed.

The next steps in this process of change are immersing and saturating the cucumbers in salt brine for an extended period of time. To prepare the brine, my mom always used a recipe she learned from her mother—a recipe with special ingredients and precise procedures. Cucumbers can only become pickles if they are totally and completely immersed in the brine for the prescribed time period. The curing process gradually alters the composition of the cucumber and produces the transparent appearance and distinctive taste of a pickle. An occasional sprinkle of or dip in the brine cannot produce the necessary transformation. Rather, steady, sustained, and complete immersion is required for the desired change to occur.

The final step in the process requires the sealing of the cured pickles in jars that have been sterilized and purified. The pickles are packed in canning jars, covered with boiling hot brine, and processed in a boiling-water-bath canner. All impurities must be removed from both the pickles and the bottles so the finished product can be protected and preserved. As this procedure is properly followed, the pickles can be stored and enjoyed for a long period of time.

To summarize, a cucumber becomes a pickle as it is prepared and cleaned, immersed in and saturated with salt brine, and sealed in a sterilized container. This procedure requires time and cannot be hurried, and none of the essential steps can be ignored or avoided.

A Mighty Change
The Lord’s authorized servants repeatedly teach that one of the principal purposes of our mortal existence is to be spiritually changed and transformed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Alma declared:

“Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;

“And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God” (Mosiah 27:25–26).

We are instructed to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny [ourselves] of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32), to become “new creature[s]” in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), to put off “the natural man” (Mosiah 3:19), and to experience “a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2). Please note that the conversion described in these verses is mighty, not minor—a spiritual rebirth and fundamental change of what we feel and desire, what we think and do, and what we are. Indeed, the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through our reliance upon “the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). As we choose to follow the Master, we choose to be changed—to be spiritually reborn.

Preparing and Cleaning
Just as a cucumber must be prepared and cleaned before it can be changed into a pickle, so you and I can be prepared with “the words of faith and of good doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:6) and initially cleansed through the ordinances and covenants administered by the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood.

“And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel;

“Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins” (D&C 84:26–27).

And the Lord has established a high standard of cleanliness.

“Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence” (Moses 6:57).

Proper preparing and cleaning are the first basic steps in the process of being born again.

Immersing and Saturating
Just as a cucumber is transformed into a pickle as it is immersed in and saturated with salt brine, so you and I are born again as we are absorbed by and in the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we honor and “observe the covenants” (D&C 42:13) into which we have entered, as we “feast upon the words of Christ” (2 Nephi 32:3), as we “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart” (Moroni 7:48), and as we “serve [God] with all [of our] heart, might, mind and strength” (D&C 4:2), then:

“Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:7).

The spiritual rebirth described in this verse typically does not occur quickly or all at once; it is an ongoing process—not a single event. Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. This phase of the transformation process requires time, persistence, and patience.

A cucumber only becomes a pickle through steady, sustained, and complete immersion in salt brine. Significantly, salt is the key ingredient in the recipe. Salt frequently is used in the scriptures as a symbol both of a covenant and of a covenant people. And just as salt is essential in transforming a cucumber into a pickle, so covenants are central to our spiritual rebirth.

We begin the process of being born again through exercising faith in Christ, repenting of our sins, and being baptized by immersion for the remission of sins by one having priesthood authority.

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

And after we come out of the waters of baptism, our souls need to be continuously immersed in and saturated with the truth and the light of the Savior’s gospel. Sporadic and shallow dipping in the doctrine of Christ and partial participation in His restored Church cannot produce the spiritual transformation that enables us to walk in a newness of life. Rather, fidelity to covenants, constancy of commitment, and offering our whole soul unto God are required if we are to receive the blessings of eternity.

“I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved” (Omni 1:26).

Total immersion in and saturation with the Savior’s gospel are essential steps in the process of being born again.

Purifying and Sealing
Cured cucumbers are packed into sterilized jars and heat processed in order to remove impurities and to seal the containers from external contaminants. The boiling-water-bath procedure enables the pickles to be both protected and preserved over a long period of time. In a similar way, we progressively become purified and sanctified as you and I are washed in the blood of the Lamb, are born again, and receive the ordinances and honor the covenants that are administered by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.

“Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God” (Helaman 3:35).

The word sealing in my message today does not refer exclusively to the ordinance of eternal marriage performed in the house of the Lord. Rather, I am using this particular word as explained in the 76th section of the Doctrine and Covenants:

“This is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just—

“They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given—

“That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;

“And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true” (vv. 50–53).

The Holy Spirit of Promise is the ratifying power of the Holy Ghost. When sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, an ordinance, vow, or covenant is binding on earth and in heaven. (See D&C 132:7.) Receiving this “stamp of approval” from the Holy Ghost is the result of faithfulness, integrity, and steadfastness in honoring gospel covenants “in [the] process of time” (Moses 7:21). However, this sealing can be forfeited through unrighteousness and transgression.

Purifying and sealing by the Holy Spirit of Promise constitute the culminating steps in the process of being born again.

“In the Energy of My Soul”
My beloved brothers and sisters, I pray this parable of the pickle may help us to evaluate our lives and to better understand the eternal importance of spiritual rebirth. With Alma, “I speak in the energy of my soul” (Alma 5:43).

“I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again” (Alma 5:49).

I witness the reality and divinity of a living Savior who invites us to come unto Him and be transformed. I testify His Church and priesthood authority have been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Through faith in Christ, we can be spiritually prepared and cleansed from sin, immersed in and saturated with His gospel, and purified and sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise—even born again. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Just as Elder Bednar remembers lessons learned through canning, I hope that my children will have these lessons planted in their hearts as well...that they will realize that canning is about more than just food. There are eternal principles to be learned.

funny...

On Saturday, Addy and I went to watch her cousin's dance recital. On the way there, we were stopped at a red light next to a couple of big, burly guys on their Harley's. She exclaimed, "Mom! Those guys don't even have training wheels!"

A couple of weeks ago, I was giving each of the girls a job to do if they wanted to watch a movie. I suggested that Kennady clean her bathroom. She looked straight at me and in all seriousness relied, "No. I'm not that kind of a girl." Then, when I could not contain my laughter, she was very upset that I laughed at her. I'm sorry. How could I not laugh? Kids are so funny!

camping...

Last week, BJ was on break from school. So, he decided to take some vacation time from work as well and take the family camping. We went on a Monday evening. So, when we arrived at Alderwood campground, we were happy to see that we had the entire campground to ourselves. We set up camp and got the girls settled in for the night (when I say "we", I really mean BJ). Jase and I slept in the Durango. :) Our camping spot was about 30 feet from the best little stream. It was a beautiful location!



Jase enjoyed his first camping trip. This was a good age for him to go camping. Once the babies start crawling, I try to avoid camping until they are good little walkers. Otherwise, there is just way too much dirt! Jase hung out in his Daddy pack, the pack 'n' play or in our arms.



After making our breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs, and biscuits over the fire, we cleaned up and headed down to the stream. We spent the morning talking, playing, and watching BJ try to catch a fish.





Later, we took a nature walk and had some lunch. Then the kids took a nap. Well, all except for Addy. She cannot nap. If she ever does actually fall asleep at naptime, she will be up until 2:00 in the morning. I heard somewhere that smarter people need less sleep. So, I am expecting her to be a genius :) So, Addy laid down until the other kids fell asleep, then joined BJ and I down at the stream.





She totally lucked out. BJ caught a fish and she got to reel it in! It was very exciting.





Now that Addy had caught a fish and we knew they were biting, I was determined to catch a fish too. I was kind of surprised to realize that I think fishing is really fun. I caught one fish but it escaped as I was trying to reel it in. Then, later I caught this fish... See it on the end of the line there? I know that it looks small, but it was actually a pretty decent sized fish. We determined that we would eat it for dinner. So, BJ was trying to attach it to the stake thing to keep it fresh until dinnertime and it slipped right out of his hands! I think he was just jealous that my fish was bigger than his :)



When the kids woke up from their naps, they straggled down to the stream.





You can see what type of fish Brighton was interested in catching!



After awhile, BJ got in the stream to try and set a trap for a particularly big fish that he wanted to get. Brighton wanted in on the fun as well. She was standing on this rock with her feet in the water, shivering cold. I kept warning her to be careful or get out because she might fall in. Well, what do you think happened? That's right. She fell in. And she was not happy about it!



We went back to camp to warm her up and start cooking our dinner. Addy's fish provided enough meat that each of us could have a little taste. Addy didn't want to taste it, but she was pretty proud of her "rainbow fish" for dinner. We were trying to get everyone in warm clothes, finish dinner, etc. when we realized that we had pretty much experienced everything we came for. So, we finished dinner, let the kids make some smores, packed up and drove home. That way we could all sleep in our own beds that night. On the way out, we saw several elk and deer. Look closely and see if you can spot the elk. It was pretty amazing. So, though it was a quick camping trip, we had fun together and made some great memories.

our pets...

We now have three new pets: two kittens and one duck. That's right...welcome to webkinz world! (my favorite way to have a pet. A cyber pet. Does it get any better than that?) Kennady chose a duck and named her Cheeky. Addy got a black and white kitty and named her Freezy. Brighton got a little orange striped kitten and named him Stripey. Notice that Brighton decided that her kitty was a boy? Well, that only lasted until she got home and earned some money to buy her pet some accessories. The first thing she bought for him was a princess hat. When the girls laughed at a boy cat having a princess hat, Brighton immediately changed her mind. Her kitten is now a girl too!

ooooo...

Jase started making a new expression. He makes his lips form a perfect tiny circle. The girls think it is the funniest thing ever and spend a lot of their time looking at him and saying "ooooo" hoping to encourage him to make the face. And, they are right. It is pretty funny :)

harvest...

Remember that garden we planted? Well, the only things that grew were some carrots and the cilantro. Right after we planted the garden, there was a sacrament meeting talk on obedience. The guy speaking specifically gave the example of gardening. He said that if we planted a garden as we have been commanded by the prophets, that we would receive blessings even if our garden didn't grow. So, maybe our harvest is better than just a few carrots and some cilantro :)