One pair of earrings...

My children, when they see my earlobes, always ask me why I have two holes in them. This is what I tell them: "From when I was 17, until October 2000, I wore 2 pairs of earrings in each of my earlobes. At that General Conference, the Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley taught that women should wear only one earring in each lobe, that boys shouldn't wear any, and that body piercings are not to be done."

I found the talk where he talked about it:

"Teach them to respect their bodies. The practice is growing among young people of tattooing and piercing their bodies. The time will come when they will regret it, but it will then be too late. The scriptures unequivocally declare:

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Cor. 3:16–17).

It is sad and regrettable that some young men and women have their bodies tattooed. What do they hope to gain by this painful process? Is there “anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” (A of F 1:13) in having unseemly so-called art impregnated into the skin to be carried throughout life, all the way down to old age and death? They must be counseled to shun it. They must be warned to avoid it. The time will come that they will regret it but will have no escape from the constant reminder of their foolishness except through another costly and painful procedure.

I submit that it is an uncomely thing, and yet a common thing, to see young men with ears pierced for earrings, not for one pair only, but for several.

They have no respect for their appearance. Do they think it clever or attractive to so adorn themselves?

I submit it is not adornment. It is making ugly that which was attractive. Not only are ears pierced, but other parts of the body as well, even the tongue. It is absurd.

We—the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve—have taken the position, and I quote, that “the Church discourages tattoos. It also discourages the piercing of the body for other than medical purposes, although it takes no position on the minimal piercing of the ears by women for one pair of earrings.”"

That is found at: http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=ca73a1615ac0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Lovingly remembering my mom...

Today would have been my mom's 67th birthday.

She passed away 17 yrs. ago (this Christmas).

Something she always taught me and even would include in letters she would write to me is to always be worthy of the Spirit of God in my life. She was always such a good example of that to her children. Her influence has helped us in our decisions...4 out of 4 are sealed in the temple, 3 served full-time missions, all are temple-going, all are increasing her posterity.

My mom served others. She loved her family. She always made sure to remember others'. She fulfilled her church callings. She served in school boards. She was at every activity that we did. She was creative. She sewed, painted, crafted, and scrapbooked (the old-fashioned way). She studied to get her degree, and nearly finished, but her time was cut short, and she was needed in the Spirit World to help save souls there.

I love you Mom. I miss you. I hope that I can become what you always hoped.

H.'s recent Short Film - Where do Babies Come From? - a short that touches on the emotional effects of abortion

This first picture is in the sound booth doing the voiceover for the animated portion of the short. It is his first soundbooth experience and had a blast...2 hrs. in there.

After his voiceover, the director and producer asked him to be in the live portion of the film, too. Here is that shoot a few weeks later.

H. lost his 3rd tooth!

I.'s funniness

We were watching Mr. Krueger's Christmas (it is Sunday and we watch a church movie and this one was selected). I. said, "WOW, that is such a big DVD!!!" when Jimmy Stewart put a record on to play. H. and I laughed!!

How to Preserve Your Carved Pumpkin to Make It Last Longer!
Link to 24/7 Moms original post


A little simple Halloween magic with household items will make your Jack O'Lantern last a week longer!

from: Pumpkin Patches and More

Did you carve a great pumpkin last year only to have it rot days before Halloween? Here's how to preserve and protect it!

What causes the pumpkin to decay?

There are several primary causes heartbreak of "pumpkin rot"

The intact skin of a pumpkin protects it until you carve it. But then various organisms (fungi, bacteria, molds, fungi, protozoans, insects - scientifically know as "those little buggers!") can get inside and start to break it down.
Oxygen in the air can also easily enter and break down the pumpkin (oxidation).
Simple dehydration (drying out) will will begin the moment the pumpkin is carved.
All of this will turn your carved young happy pumpkin face into a sad old man in several days time!

How to stop pumpkin aging:

Get Dad's Rogaine and Mom's Botox.... no, just kidding! What we need to do is

Sterilize the pumpkin's carved surfaces (to kill fungi, mold, bacteria, bugs)
Seal the surfaces to prevent drying and to keep out new "little buggers" and reduce drying
Essentially, we're going to embalm your Jack O'Lantern, just like the ancient Egyptians did their mummies! (Hey, maybe they practiced on pumpkins!)

Here are the simple steps:

Remove dirt: Wipe the exterior surfaces of the pumpkin clean using a damp cloth.
Make a bleach solution of1 tablespoon of bleach (typical brand name "Clorox) per quart of water and put it in a spray bottle.
Spray the pumpkin inside and all cut areas of the pumpkin with the solution. This will kill much of the surface bacteria and mold that cause rotting.
Let it penetrate and dry for about 20 minutes
Next, rub all of the carved or cut surfaces with petroleum jelly. This will keep out new bacteria and molds as well as dramatically reduce the dehydration!
Wipe away excess with a paper towel!
Now, keep your pumpkin out of direct sunlight and try to keep it as cool as possible (but above freezing!) and you should get at least a week's enjoyment out of it! Then when it's time to go, you can employ several thousand laborers to build a giant pyramid in your backyard to entomb your Jack O'Mummy! Next week: building a pumpkin sarcophagus! Ok, maybe we're getting carried away. But hey, kids love the analogy; anything having to do with mummies or dinosaurs!