February starts tomorrow

If you can’t tell, I’ve been loving my new camera. I think this is the most consistent I’ve been at making posts for over a year! I’ve also been inspired by so many photo projects out there and can’t stop looking at flickr. Since February is the shortest month of the year I thought I could try my hand at my own project– a photo a day for the whole month. But, these won’t just be any photos. Though I love finding beauty in the everyday, I really want to put my collections of bird’s nests, seedpods, rocks, shells and sticks to use. It’s been a long time since I’ve made anything like this or this, and I really love arranging my little treasures. So, what I’m going to do is set up a still life every day and take its picture. The one rule is that one object in each little set-up has to carry over to the next day. I’m excited to see how things evolve, and hopefully I learn a bit more about all those buttons on the back of my camera.

Now, guess what else! I got and award! Lynne and Melissa decided gave me a “you make my day” award. They are two fun mamas who make beautiful paintings, sew darling clothes for their little girls, and take very fun photos of kids jumping on beds. I just discovered their blog through said flickr addiction and made some friends! Thanks girls for the gold star.

Now, I need to pass the award on. There are two blog friends that definitely deserve this award. Gittersmama and Jill always leave me comments, which really makes my day all the time. I also have to give it to my current favorites Eren and Stephani of Six One Way. Stephani is homeschooling and Eren’s husband is in the military– so I feel like I have some kind of cyber bond with each of them. Meg needs it too because I just ordered my fabric to make an apron! That’s definitely a day-maker. There could be more. I love getting sucked into little glimpses of other people’s worlds. This whole blogging thing is so cool.

Now, award winners, if you feel so inclined, pass it on to five blogs that made your day.

Yogurt

I have a friend who grew up in a huge family– 12 kids I think. or 15? Anyway, her mom made yogurt and they would eat it by the gallon. We got talking about the fine points of dairy culturing, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.

It was surprisingly simple. I filled a sterilized quart jar with almost hot (110-115 degrees Fahrenheit) tap water to within 2 inches of the top. I poured about 1 cup of that water into my blender, added 1 cup of non-instant powdered milk (which I need to rotate through my food storage anyway) and 1/4 cup plain yogurt (that’s the starter). After that was all blended nicely I poured it back into my jar of water, put the lid on then put my jar in a little picnic cooler filled with 115 degree water to incubate. 5 hours later it was done!!

We mixed in thawed frozen berries as we ate it and downed the jar in one day. We’ve even polished off the second batch. Plain yogurt from the store is usually too sour for me, but this is so mild and tasty. I don’t think we’ll ever be buying yogurt in mass quantities from the store again.

It was also a good experiment with bacteria. A “science experience” as Logan would say.

the budding seamstress

Brenna got a little sewing machine from Santa. Once a week or so she’s been setting it up and working on the little lessons in Winky Cherry’s My First Machine Sewing Book. The genius of this book is that it has kids starting by sewing on paper, just tracing lines. Brenna loved the curvy lessons so much she did them several times. I was pretty surprised at how quickly she really caught on to steering. I had taught her to sew a little bit on my sewing machine just doing double layer flannel baby blankets which just entailed long straight lines, but watching her seam allowance was tricky for her to do. Punching holes on a drawn line with her needle has been much more fun for her. Since she’s mastered pivots and curves I thought we’d break out Amy’s Bend the Rules Sewing. I have several baby gifts to get made, so I thought I’d enlist some help. I made some bibs a while ago and just can’t get over how cool it is to trace the pattern onto a rectangle of fabric, sew on the line, and trim after sewing. I copied the patter on a few pieces of paper first, and once Brenna had perfected the curves she wet at it on fabric. Having a layer of flannel was perfect because it has enough grab that she didn’t have to think about her layers shifting because having them pinned bugged her. I helped a tiny bit with trimming them and turning the right side out. I also lined everything up right for her to hammer the snaps on, but for the most part she did them by herself. She can thread her machine and wind bobbins and everything.

She’s got two done. We’ll keep this polka dot one forever and ever. Hopefully someday her babies will wear it while eating Cheerios.

I just think she is so awesome– just the coolest kid ever!

the passing of a prophet

I didn’t make my Sunday post yesterday so I’m going to do it today. President Hinckley, the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, died last night.

I will never forget the day he was sustained as prophet. It was a Saturday morning and I was getting ready for my Homecoming date with Ramon Relyea. The General Conference broadcast was on the TV in my parents room and I was drying my hair and various other girly things in front of the mirror in their bathroom. I could see the TV’s reflection in the mirror above my mom’s dresser. After the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang the opening song I felt the power of the conference– that I was witnessing something monumental and eternally significant. The opening prayer was said and then we sustained President Hinckley as the new president and prophet, seer, and revelator. It seems such an ordinary thing– just watching TV and getting ready for the day, but it really was one of the defining moments of my life. As I stood with millions of others around the world to sustain a new prophet I KNEW that it was true. It was real. I felt the overwhelming power of the Holy Ghost with every fiber of my being.

Later, during my second year in college, I had the opportunity to hear President Hinckley speak in person. I need to go through my old journals and see if I can find my notes and impressions from his talk. What I do remember was that I was serving on the Utah State University Institute of Religion council and got a special floor seat. I sat on the very front row, right in the middle. I was face to face with him! I felt the same witness– that he was truly a prophet of God. It reverberated through my entire being.

I am so thankful for his council, wisdom, and insight. I am so thankful for his visionary leadership in helping people throughout the entire world. I am most personally grateful for the example of his beautiful marriage, the partnership he had with his wife, and his obvious love and reverence for her. I want to follow his example. More than anything else in the universe I want a marriage like that– more than anything.

He emphasized the basics of education, personal prayer, meditation and scripture study, of praying daily as couples and families, of holding weekly family home evenings. All such small and simple things that carry profound power. I hear over and over how hard it is to go to school, to pursue life long learning, to commit to daily scripture study and prayer, to gather wiggling tired children everyday for payer and scripture reading. It may be hard, I guess, but my response is this: IT IS SO MUCH HARDER NOT TO. As children of God we need time with him daily. We need to experience the quiet of our own minds– to know what is at our core, to feel who we really are. We need the routine and bond of daily focus on things greater than ourselves with our children and spouses. I believe the one thing that has had the most powerful impact on my family for the good is a very simple thing. Each night before we go to bed Barry and I kneel beside our bed and pray together. We take turns being voice– I’m even days and he’s odd. We kneel in gratitude for the love and friendship we share, for the joy we find in our children, for the comforts we enjoy. We ask for help and insight– that we can grow in love and understanding for each other, that we can guide each of the unique personalities of our children, that we can know how to serve and love others. There is such comfort being united in gratitude, every single day. Sure, I guess it might be a little tricky to establish routines, to go to bed at the same time or overcome whatever obstacle, but my life is easier by doing these little things. We can never get too far off track. I love doing these hard things. IT WOULD BE SO MUCH HARDER NOT TO.

Thank you President Hinckley for your council and example. I love you.