Hooper Honey's

Sometimes when I leave my friends I regret some of the things I said.  Our conversations replay in my mind and I think: "I shouldn't have commented" but by then it's too late.  Today we were talking about some challenges of our kids and the thought came to me and out my mouth...."that is their challenge and we just need to love them and help them through it."  My "Natalie" had told me that when they found out Macie was coming to us with a cleft lip and pallet.  Even though it is Macie's challenge it does affect her parents and even the rest of us to some point.  Our kids are part of us and so they are forever connected and when they hurt or struggle we experience heartache too.  I believe these things but worry that I might have come across some other way than I intended.  Hopefully my friends know me well enough to understand what I meant when I said it.  I would never want to offend or hurt my friends.  I admire these gals!  They are all so strong and are doing well with their challenges.  They help me to be better and I hope that I can do the same for them.

We went to Sweet Bee's Bakery in Fruit Heights and the GPS on my car doesn't know how to get there. ☺ It got us close and we were still on time but it send us way north of where we needed to be.  (Kari came with me)  I even entered the address twice because I was worried about the South and North.  I like GPS but don't trust them completely for this reason. (I might be the problem...I know that)

I took Hostess Snowballs and we had a little Snowball fight.  We have a lot of snow and we may as well be celebrating it right?  Tammy  used her snowballs for "other things". ☺haha We sure have a lot of fun together.  I'm glad we are starting a New Year and starting our lunch dates again.  I always look forward to being with my friends.  I love My Hooper Honey's!

Food 4 Thought Friday

Food 4 Thought Friday!

A little feast without the calories!!

Feel free to play along for some yummy fun! Go HERE to JOIN IN!!!

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Breakfast ~ What is something you eat a lot? Pasta and Sweets

Lunch ~ Name something you should have never done. Thrown my right hip out to hold little kids on when I was young.  I made my back crooked and have back aches often now because of it. Name something you wish you would have done.  I wish I would have went to a chiropractor  to get it straightened.  I wish I would have used moisture cream when I didn't need it.

Dinner ~ What is your alter ego? I think I'd say a dancer on Broadway.  When I watch awesome dancers it moves my soul and I really wish that I could be one of them. (sometimes I think I might have been in another life...even a "black dancer"....they're beautiful)

Midnight Snack ~ What is the last thing you lost? some glassed that I wear at night when I don't have my contact in. (they use to be Trichelle's but work pretty good for me)  I couldn't find them for about a week and even said a prayer asking for help in finding them.  I was holding some things with my knees reaching for a hoodie shirt and something dropped on the floor.  There were the glasses...dropped right down from Heaven. (I'm pretty sure they had been in the hoodie pocket)

Recipe for the Week ~ (instead of your recipe for life, what is it just for the week?) Don't Give Up!  We all get hard days and have hard things that affect our lives but we must never give up.  You didn't come this far only to come this far!

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busy thursday

When I was with my Bonneville Buds last night I got a text with a picture of two candy bars.  It didn't hit me until I got home why Larry would send me a picture of candy bars.  Kevin and Julie's twins are a girl and a boy!  Woo Hoo ....so very happy and excited!

I love Thursdays.  I get up and ready and go bowling.  Today I had a hard time knocking down the pins I didn't get with the first ball.  Not sure what my problem was since the others didn't seem to be having much of a problem.  I was kind of feeling bad that I was 20 or more pins under my average until I thought about the other team beating us close to 100 pins each game.  (they did lots better than their averages)  Another 20 pins wouldn't have made a big difference and so I didn't let it get to me.  I love bowling because it's a form of exercise that's fun and there are lots of great ladies I get to see and visit with each week.  So maybe I should restate that and say I love to GO bowling instead of I love bowling.  Some of my hero's are at bowling every Thursday.  I admire my older friends that have the strength and energy to throw those balls down the lanes.  There are some pretty amazing ladies out there.  I like the hugs I get too....Sylvia gives the best hugs!  So many ladies find Sylvia every week to get one of her hugs.

After bowling I had a short break and then went to Daughters of Utah Pioneers.  It was interesting and I enjoy listening to stories told of pioneers.  There are so many interesting things told each month at our meetings. They talked about steam boats today. I really like getting to know the ladies in this group as well.  They are all so nice.

I didn't have a whole lot of time before it was time to go to SNAP.  I had to run to the phone store and give permission for my kids to be added to our plan and make some changes since I wasn't able to go with them tonight.  I decided that since I didn't have much time I would just make hash browns and french toast for dinner.

I had just enough time to hug and kiss Larry before leaving for SNAP.  I picked up Barbie and Karleigh for SNAP.  I enjoy visiting on the way.  It's so much nicer than driving by myself.  I made a few of the participants crack up tonight.  We started learning a song for the Production and I got a little tongue tied.  Ryan was on my left and Samantha was on my right and they both bust a gut laughing at me.  I was glad that I could make them laugh.  haha ☺

I was over the activity tonight and wanted to play Bingo but came up with a "Life Skill" that we could tie in with playing Bingo.  We talked about Sportsmanship.  How it's important to be a good sport in everything.  How it's important to be a good sport when you win or loose.  The girls had some good input and then we played Bingo.  They were all really good sports.  At the end of the night I asked them what they had learned.  There was more learned that I had planned on learning. Their responses included: sportsmanship, sharing, kindness, love, helping each other, caring.  I was please that all those things were noticed.  Girls were helping others close to them that needed help.  If they had already won a treat they chose someone who hadn't.  I turned out good and everyone had a great time.

Barbie shared a little story with me about my 2nd counselor that I want to remember.  While I was on the cruise Dyan was in charge of the activity.  In the prayer meeting that we have before opening exercised Dyan leaned over to Barbie and said he thought she might be over that activity but had forgotten until right then.  Barbie confirmed that she was over it and Dyan said no worries...just give me a minute.  Barbie said that if she hadn't known that Dyan had forgot that she would have thought she spent lots of time preparing.  She used the chalkboard and talked about resolutions, which included healthy eating and exercise.  She made a little coarse that the girls went around and had them exercise at different points along the way.  I love the women I work with...they are awesome!

Bonneville Buds

I had a great dinner date with my Bonneville Buds.  Five of us have known each other since Elementary School.  Oh the memories I cherish and have of these ladies are treasures to me.  The other gals are from Jr. High and High School.  It's so fun visiting with everyone now.  It doesn't matter any more what group you were in.....we all fit in now!  We have all experienced a lot along our individual journeys and it fun sharing and hearing of others journeys.  They are all so very different and we all have turned out pretty good.

After closing down the place a few of us stood in the parking lot and continued visiting while freezing our bottoms off. (that's why older people don't have cute bottoms...we freeze them off)  I was a Popsicle even after driving home....it took me so long to get warm.  I was so cold Larry wouldn't even snuggle with me.

It was so enjoyable and I'm so glad all these ladies could make it.  There were a few others that had been planning on it but had things come up to change that and they were missed.  Oh how I cherish friendships!

Bottom Row: Sharon Evans, Lael Shupe, Teri Adams, Kelli Poole.
Top Row: Me, Lynn Halpin, Lisa VanNatter, and Mindy Peterson! (I used maiden names)

Earlier in the day I went to my moms just to check on her. She leaned over and asked me what I was doing there.....funny lady.  I told her I was just there to visit and so we sat down to visit.  While we were visiting she told me that I had won $14 on the lotto ticket my brother had bought for me and he had sent it to her.  He didn't even take the money out that it cost him for the ticket....I'm feeling like a lucky duck.

Temple Tuesday aka Tuesdays with Larry

Since Sunday this thought has been strong on my mind.  It ISN"T always easy to follow the promptings of the Spirit.  I shared an experience because the Spirit told me I should of when I was prompted to take something to a gal I only knew from others.  We had never met or talked face to face.  We only knew each other from friends and face book.  I had noticed from a post of hers that she was sad and upset.  I felt bad but it wasn't really my place to help....or so I thought.  I was busy doing things and the Spirit whispered that I should take her something...anything...but go to her.  I absolutely did not want to.  I had some good reasons too.  She doesn't even know me, I will feel weird, I don't even know what she likes.  The Spirit didn't give up.  It reminded me of the time my nephew called me to tell me that I was appreciated and loved.  My nephew had never called me before or since and I knew his message that day was from God.  I'm sure there were plenty of people close to me that had been telling me those same things but when Bryce called I recognized that he was following the Spirit and was speaking for God.  So, maybe God was using me this time so that this gal would know that her prayers were being heard and that God was answering them.  I decided I would but was still feeling really uncomfortable.  I still wasn't sure what to take her or really do.  I started looking around at what I had at home.  I had some treats and a little sign that said something about faith.  Now I think there was a specific reason I even bought that sign....God knew I was going to need it.  I sat down and wrote her a little note.  I shared with her my little experience with Bryce and told her even though I didn't know what she was going through God did!  I drove to her work breathing hard and nervous as ever.  I found her and handed her the gift and quickly walked away.  Thank goodness she was busy....maybe that was an answer to my prayers.  I really did feel pretty dumb as I got in my car and returned home.  I knew I had followed a prompting and that I was being used as God's instrument but that really wasn't a huge comfort at the time.  The comfort and peace came when this gal thanked me and was appreciative for my actions.  Months later she sent me another little reminder saying that the sign I had given her was hanging in her bathroom and that she looked at it every day.  Whew....I am really glad I wasn't completely stubborn that day.

I had another awkward experience giving a friend a Book of Mormon.  Again the Spirit told me that I should.  I was totally against it.  My friend wasn't even close to being religious and I knew the Book of Mormon wouldn't be opened, let alone read.  The feeling that I should didn't leave and so after months of putting it off I bought a Book of Mormon and had the name printed on the cover and wrapped it and left it on the porch with a little note inside.  I was chicken and figured I was getting it to them even if I was just leaving it on the porch.  My friend told me that it meant so much and that when the book was opened it was brought to their chest and hugged.  I was also told later that my friend didn't plan on reading any of it but it was nice to have. hahaha....sometimes I wonder if I should send a scripture for them to turn to and read.  At least that way it might get opened and glanced at.  That thought isn't as strong though and so until it is I probably wont.

So, sometimes I believe we think that following the promptings of the Spirit should be easy and make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside and I'm just here to say that is not so!  God takes us out of our comfort zone to strengthen and challenge us.  I remember another time when Jaydan was a newborn and we were prompted to ask a neighbor if the missionaries could come teach them.  Again I did not want to.  This cute little family were religious and so good already and I didn't want them to think I thought any different.  I couldn't deny the answers to my prayers though.  There was a "catch" to the answer of my prayer.  Jaydan had some kind of bubble in his throat that needed to be surgically removed so he could eat and breathe better.  We were praying that he wouldn't need surgery and asked Heavenly Father if there was anything we could do so it wouldn't have to happen.  I remember sitting in the Temple and reading from the scriptures and every scripture seemed to speak about missionary work.  I noticed this and so I closed the scriptures and let them plop open and then I would read again.....the same thing continued to happen.  I did it several times because it was fascinating me.  I knew who we needed to talk to but both Larry and I were feeling chicken.  We waited until the night before we needed to take Jaydan to the doctor to make our visit.  The family was cute and nicely declined our invitation.  They even seemed to still like us and I didn't feel like our friendship was altered.  They didn't even accept and God knew they wouldn't but He was testing Larry and I.  The next day at the doctor we were told of the miracle that had happened.  The bubble that had been blocking most of Jaydan's throat was barely even visible and he didn't need the surgery.

There are many times I know that I have not followed the Spirit.  Usually it's because I am not comfortable doing what I am asked.  I worry too much about me feeling dumb.  A turning point for me recognizing and following the Spirit happened many years ago.  It was winter and it was cold.  I was driving home and noticed a car off to the side of the road and just past the car and young gal was walking.  I offered to take her home and she was happy to let me....then the Spirit said....go put gas in that car.  The gal wouldn't have seen me because she was home but I thought no way she will know who it was.  Like knowing who is was was some kind of bad thing.  Actually the gal didn't even know me and I didn't know her but I didn't put gas in the car and felt terrible ever since.  I think this experience was good for me because I never wanted to feel that way again after feeling prompted to do something and recognizing the prompting.

Just a Few Thoughts.....I hope that by sharing my thoughts and experiences that I am able to help others in some small way.

Kimi brought Behr over today so I could love on him.  He really prefers Kimi and didn't take his eyes off her.  What a wonderful blessing baby Behr is to our family.

Larry and I went to the Temple like we usually do on Tuesday afternoons.  I love the Temple and Larry.  I had prepared dinner this afternoon and Kimi had it hot and ready when we got home.  We didn't go out to eat because the missionaries were coming to visit us.  I also love missionaries.

Fun Bunch Lunch

Well four of us showed up today and it was nice visiting with those that came.  I know we talked a lot but I can't remember now what we talked about.  I know we didn't mention Christmas because I wanted to hear about Jodi's new Harp.  I do remember Patti telling us that she went snow shoeing for her first time and really enjoyed it even though it wore her out.  I know we talked about New Orleans and Cruises. Jodi has finally convinced her hubby to go on one in May.  They are going to love it.  Oh and I now remember talking about friends whose kids have made poor decisions.  How it's hard to have people that we love and care about hurt and make mistakes.  Even when the mistake is huge and against the law I still believe people should be forgiven.  There is still so much more good in that person than not.  I believe in consequences and boundaries.  I think consequences are important for change and growing.  My heart is sad for the family we spoke of today and even though I don't know them I will pray for them.  I'm so thankful for the atonement of Jesus Christ....it's for every little mistake and the huge ones too!  I'm thankful for my dear friends that take time to share a few hours with me. . . what a blessing they all are!

I didn't mean to take this picture.  I was setting the camera and it went off.  It made me laugh out loud and I couldn't help but think of Davaleen.  Davaleen always got candid shots of us and maybe this is from her. (oh how I miss her)

My "Soap Box"

I love Sundays and I love them even more since our Church time is now 9:00 am instead of 1:00 pm.  I feel refreshed and ready for inspiration in the mornings.  Today I felt the Spirit more than once and got my own personal revelation.  I love recognizing and feeling the Spirit.  It's not that I didn't feel the spirit when we had late church it's just that I prefer mornings.

When we were on our Cruise a comedian that we were listening to made a statement about being spiritual but not believing in organized religion.  I have heard many people say that and it got me thinking.  Belonging to a Church and attending often is essential to growing closer to Heavenly Father in my opinion.  I study more and serve others that I am certain I wouldn't if I was left on my own.  Organized religion guides and directs us and helps us get our own personal revelation from Heavenly Father and His plan for us.  We are given many opportunities to serve and I truly believe that serving others is part of the Great Plan of Happiness and what this life is all about.

I am a people watcher and notice what others do.  There are many who do good things for people that don't go to church but I don't think it is as consistent as those that attend often.  The Comedian sells his CD's and takes that money and buys pizza for the homeless.  That is such a wonderful act of love and kindness but there is so much more that he could share if he attended a Church regularly.  He is on his own path though and doing wonderful things with the talents he has been blessed with.  We all have different paths and just because they are not the same doesn't mean one is wrong. (I really do believe that)

Attending Church regularly takes commitment and a lot of time.  It's not easy all the time that's for sure.  Preparing lessons or attending classes makes us think deeper.  We read His Word during those times and learn of His ways better.  We are prepared for personal inspiration.

Having Faith and Believing in Jesus Christ and Following His Example is Most Important but helping our neighbors and friends along the journey is very important too.  Helping our neighbors and friends is way easier when we know them and their needs.  Going to Church often and participating is how that happens.

Today the message that I heard was being prepared and listening to the Holy Ghost.  This life is where we prepare ourselves to meet Heavenly Father again.  When we are prepared things go smoother.  Preparation is essential in most everything we do.  Following the promptings of the Spirit will put us on the path that Heavenly Father has for us.

I'm thankful that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I believe there is good in all churches but I do believe ours is complete with nothing missing.  I know that the powers of the Temple are real!  The ordinances in the Temple are essential for us to have eternal families.  We are the only church that has the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion.  I think we might take this wonderful gift for granted since we really don't know what it feels like not to have him with us.  We are blessed and The Church is True and Complete.

I have good friends that don't believe like I do and that's okay.  I don't mind living a stricter life and not experiencing the ways of the world because I feel peace and power by restricting things from my life that the worlds says is okay.  Everything The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints teaches us is for own safety and good.  I want to be safe and feel healthy and happy and that's what God wants for us too.  His guidelines are blessings and because He cares.  I had restrictions and guidelines for my kids as well because I wanted them to be safe and happy because I love them and care about them so much.....God Loves and Cares About Us More!

We had cake and ice cream to celebrate Mya turning 8!