If ye are prepared, Ye shall not fear...

...a commandment?

...a blessing?

...I think it is both.

So, I always think about food storage to not be fearful of disasters and spiritual preparedness to not fear the day of the Lord's return. But, today, I have seen this in a new light. If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

The swine flu again...sorry to keep talking about it, but it really has consumed my thinking lately. This is what I've come up with for our family, "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

So, what would we need to be prepared for the swine flu, heaven forbid we contract it?

1. a clean toilet and bathroom.
2. clean clothes...because mama ain't doing the laundry when she's doubled over the toilet.
3. clean dishes, and some paper goods...because again, if mama can hardly get the dishes done when she's well, then when she's sick, I can guarantee that she ain't goin' to be doing them!
4. menu, food already bought.
5. meds and electrolyte-containing drinks.
6. a clean house so that no one else contracts it even if one of us does.
7. kleenexes, soap, trash bags, and sanitizer.
8. lots of clean towels (for sleeping on in case of a quick need to vomit, so you don't have to change the sheets every time a kid barfs in bed).
9. Make sure that you have eaten good food and have drank enough water so if you come into contact with someone who is sick, your body will be able to withstand it.
10. make sure that you've exercised appropriately so that your body is ready.

So, our three goals today are
#1 to have Mt. WashMore sorted into the baskets so we can get our laundry in order
#2 put away the clean clothes that have already been washed so that they are easily found, thus wasting less time.
#3 dishes cleaned and put away.

Wish us luck. Go assess your own home. Are you ready for whatever will come your way? If yes, good for you. If no, then make some goals to get to where you can feel comfortable and not fearful!

Have a great, healthy day!!!

R.

Come on, give us some information we can use!

I'm sure I'm not the only one with swine flu on my mind.

It is kinda stressing me out.

We were home for 5 weeks with two different viruses and walking pneumonia.

The kids just finished their breathing treatments last week from it all.

We had our flu shots.

Is this like the "gripa" I had in Romania? (flu + stomach flu = gripa)

Is the 23 month old that just died in Texas Mexican? Had they visited Mexico? Was the child a sicky before? Did the child die from pneumonia like the twenty 20-40 yr olds in Mexico? Is the child's family sick? Was the child in daycare?

So many unanswered questions.

I searched last night online and this is what I came up with...

1. You can get it from someone from one day before they show ANY symptoms until 7 days after (after they aren't sick, or after their first symptom???--no info)

2. It is like the flu we are familiar with (the one that kills old people and kids?--no, this one kills otherwise healthy young adults, or were they?--no info)

3. Some people also get vomiting and diarrhea (isn't that like our regular duck flu?)

4. A bunch of scared people the moment that the universal health care bills are going through congress...interesting. I really wish that the press and the govt would give us some real information. They can't be that in the dark. Either close the schools so we can avoid getting it, or quit barking about how bad it is. Why wait until it is a pandemic before trying any protective measures???

Our hatching mantids

SO CUTE!!!

This January, when T. was pruning the peach tree, he found two mantis oothecas(es). We put them in our bug viewer because he was cutting those branches off of the peach tree. There they have sat until today when one of them began releasing tiny mantids. See the video above. Also, we will post pictures of ours with the kids.

Culinary Wannabe: Chicken Paillard

Culinary Wannabe: Chicken Paillard

This looks great!!!

Locks of Love

This is me on New Year's Day at Disney's California Adventure. I was in Bug's Town or whatever it is called on the bumper cars...such a fun place, by the way...

Check out my hair. This was nearly 5 months ago, so my hair had grown at least 5 inches since this picture.





This is me today. Yesterday morning I went to a Locks of Love fundraiser for a Laural from the spanish ward's Laurel Project. There were many people signed up to get their hair cut for her project. There were 4 hair stylists at the salon and another stylist that only did blow drying because they were so busy. They were working from 9-1 and each had people every 30 minutes. FUN!!! The reason why I did this instead of just going to get a trim (since I won a free hair cut at the MOPS fundraiser I attended) was that when I announced it at Relief Society last Sunday, I looked around and saw that everyone had short hair, or at least short enough to not have 10 inches to cut off. So, Friday night, I finally called the salon and set up an appointment. I got cut by the owner, so I was pretty happy. She was SO confident in her cutting and was fast!! I love it straightened, too. Usually haircuts and styles take way too long, so I never go...usually 2 hrs. for my thick hair, but this one was done in an hour. I was pretty excited!

Kindergarten Standards Reading Site

http://www.starfall.com/

This little site has fun reading activities. They are interactive and you can print out little worksheets to go along with them.

LOVE IT!

This is a GREAT blog entry that I was linked to from my cousin's site. I don't know how she found it, but we ALL moms need to read it!

http://pamperingbeki.blogspot.com/2009/04/lets-talk.html

Gotta learn those words

So, Sister D. asked me to sing in church next Sunday. I cannot recall a solo ever sung by myself before....oh wait. I think I had one line to sing in South Pacific or something in HS.
Anyways, I am more of a duet or quartet or choir kind of gal. I just don't want to feel like I am either not singing right or that I am showing off. I don't know how to explain it. I feel great at home singing to my kids, but then I can't seem to ever want to do it for others.

Anyways, I chose "His Hands" by Kenneth Cope. I love it. I have had the music since my freshman year in college and I have never been asked to sing a solo and this is a solo. I cannot remember the 2nd verse, however, so I have chosen to type it here hoping to remember the words better. I have the 1st and last, but not the second. I hope that you enjoy the words as much as I do, and with the music it is beautiful...Thank you Sister R. for accompanying me!

vs 1--His hands, tools of creation, stronger than nations, power without end.
And yet through them we find our truest friend.
His hands, sermons of kindness, healing men's blindness, halting years of pain, Children waiting to be held again.
His hands would serve His whole life thro', showing man what hands might do, giving, ever giving endlessly, Each day was filled with selflessness, and I'll not rest 'til I make of my hands what they could be, 'til these hands become like those from Galilee.
vs 2--His hands, warming a beggar, lifting a leper, calling back the dead.
Breaking bread, five thousand fed.
His hands, hushing contention, pointing to heaven, ever free of sin, Then bidding man to follow Him.
His hands would serve His whole life thro', showing man what hands might do, giving, ever giving endlessly, Each day was filled with selflessness, and I'll not rest 'til I make of my hands what they could be, 'til these hands become like those from Galilee.
vs 3--His hands clasp in agony as He lay pleading, bleeding in the garden, While just moments away, other hands betray Him out of greed, shameful greed.
And then His hands are trembling straining to carry the beam that they'd be nailed to, As He stumbles through the streets heading for the hill on which he'd die, He would die.
They take His hands, His mighty hands, those gentle hands and then they pierce them, they pierce them, He lets them because of love.
From birth to death was selflessness, and clearly now I see Him with His hands calling to me.
And though I'm not yet as I would be, He has shown me how I could be.
I will make my hands like those from Galilee.

You can listen to it here at the right of our blog. Just push the play triangle.
I am not going to sing the intro, just the part where the girl starts singing "His Hands..."

Man looketh on the outward appearance...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&feature=related This is a Brit woman singing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Mis. While watching it, think of the scripture:

1 Sam. 16: 7
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; ... for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

One of my favorite General Conference Talks

April 5th, one of the apostles talked at General Conference. Elder Holland spoke about the Savior and His sacrifice. I was so excited when I saw that this was the topic for the Mormon Message this week. Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc

Or, just watch it at the bottom of my blog where I've embedded it.

Sixes

Sixes
1. go to the document/my pictures site on your computer
2. go to your sixth file
3. go to your sixth picture
4. blog about it
5. tag 6 people
6. there isn't another rule. But, my friend who posted this said, "I just thought since we were doing sixes...." :-)


I didn't "technically" get tagged either, but the blog I was reading said they tagged whoever read it, so there you go.






This is a picture of I. at my friend's house. She and H. made a robot out of floor tiles. I don't know if I. was sad here or if she is just concentrating...that look is one in the same in my family tree. My friend took this picture since I was playng the piano for a local middle school's choir last school year twice a week and she babysat for me one of those days each week. Thank you C.!!

Cut spending in half??

Last night, while tending Ane, Oprah came on and Suze Orman was on telling about how to weather these rough times. Here are the suggestions:

1. Cut spending in half.
If you are living on 2 salaries, bank one of them. If you are living on one, cut spending in half--LIVE ON THE BARE BONES MINIMUM. It got really quiet when she said that. That seems crazy. However, when you are living in a tent city, instead of a house, You aren't going to be missing your cell phone and your fast internet. You will be missing clean running water, heat, a/c, a bed. She said to cut cell phone fees, buy less makeup, get your hair cut less frequently. Those types of "extras" that are really luxuries.
The idea behind living on 1/2 is so that you can build up 8 months of your salary, so that when or if you get laid off, you will be able to keep your head above water. It takes a long time to find a new job and unemployment isn't going to keep you living at your finest!

2. STASH YOUR CASH!
You need cash to live. Credit cards used to be great to keep in the back drawer and use only in a crisis, but now, they are closing your accounts because the debt is unsecured and if they think there is a chance that they won't get paid, they will hike up your fees or just close your account as soon as you pay it all off. So, you need money in case of job loss.

3. Make the Stimulus package work for you.
COBRA has some new rules. Check with your employer if you are being laid off. They fees can be SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IFF you check with them first.
If you can buy a new home, and it is your first, you can get back $8,000 if you make less than a certain amount....and the amount is high, in my opinion.

4. Make your home affordable.
MakingHomeAffordable.gov

5. Look at what you HAVE instead of what you HAD.
"Things that will get better, get worse. ...[In] the next two or three years, it will start to turn around," Suze says. "But I'm so sorry to say it will be, in my opinion, 2015 until every single person feels hopeful again."

Here are some tools for saving money:
Hourly Rate Calculator
How many hours will you have to work to pay off that new outfit, dinner out or new car you've been eyeing? Use this calculator to figure out if you can really afford it.
Wants vs. Needs Workbook
What can you really live without? Use these workbook exercises to sort out your wants and your needs—and figure out how to save money on both.

SORRY THAT THOSE GO TO OPRAH'S SITE, BUT THEY ARE USEFUL TOOLS.