Finding the Christmas Spirit

Thanksgiving is over and just like that Christmas is right around the corner. I love this time of year, I wish we could have the Christmas Spirit all year round, not merely for a couple of weeks. It warms my heart to hear family traditions and service projects for those in need. The Christmas Spirit is real, and it is a remarkable feeling when it arrives.

I am the Christmas Spirit—

I enter the home of poverty, causing palefaced children to open their eyes wide, in pleased wonder.

I cause the miser’s clutched hand to relax and thus paint a bright spot on his soul.

I cause the aged to renew their youth and to laugh in the old glad way.

I keep romance alive in the heart of childhood, and brighten sleep with dreams woven of magic.

I cause eager feet to climb dark stairways with filled baskets, leaving behind hearts amazed at the goodness of the world.

I cause the prodigal to pause a moment on his wild, wasteful way and send to anxious love some little token that releases glad tears—tears which wash away the hard lines of sorrow.

I enter dark prison cells, reminding scarred manhood of what might have been and pointing forward to good days yet to be.

I come softly into the still, white home of pain, and lips that are too weak to speak just tremble in silent, eloquent gratitude.

In a thousand ways, I cause the weary world to look up into the face of God, and for a little moment forget the things that are small and wretched.

I am the Christmas Spirit.

 

From the Dec 2012  Liahona Presidency Message

 

 I loved this video. It is about a young girl that absolutely was filled with the Christmas Spirit and helped her family to set their sights on Christ instead of commercial wants. 

 

President Monson said (From Liahona December First Presidency Message), 

 

"In our day the spirit of giving gifts plays a large role in commemorating the Christmas season. I wonder if we might profit by asking ourselves, What gifts would the Lord have me give to Him or to others at this precious season of the year?" 

 

I pray that we can all find ways to feel the Christmas Spirit not only for these next couple of weeks but for as long as possible. Teach your children about the spirit and ways to bring it in your home. Use it in your FHE for December. Think about how to attain that spirit throughout your day.

Here are some fun FHE idea from LDS.org. Aren't we lucky to have such a wonderful website with ample amounts of direction and insight? 

 

 Have a Merry Christ filled month. Find the CHRISTmas Spirit. Share it with your family. Share it with your friends and neighbors.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe

I absolutely loathed stuffing when I was a youngster. I had no understanding as to why anyone would want to consume "wet salty bread". Oh dear....

What I couldn't comprehend was how complex stuffing could be. I'm not talking about stuffing from a box, I mean the homemade stuffing that perfumes your home for days with the scent of sage, onions, and sourdough bread. If I understood how much time and love went into the preparation of said dish, maybe.....just maybe I would have given it the applause and appreciation it so deserves.

Now, my friends, now I love stuffing.

I am going to give you a recipe that I tried for the first time last week. The husband and I go to his Mom's house once a month for Sunday dinner and she mentioned that she was going to do a tester Thanksgiving Day meal. I told her I would bring this recipe.

Before we left I chopped and sauteed my heart out all the while hoping that this recipe I stumbled upon would be worth my time.

As we sat down for dinner, stuffing, potatoes, smoked chicken, corn, homemade rolls and delicious gravy encircled me. I eagerly scooped up some stuffing and tried the first bite. It. Was. Amazing. The crunchy sourdough, the perfectly moist wheat bread, carrots and onions infused with love sweat and tears (that was a lot of onions to cut) was perfection. My father in law ranted and raved about it and even mentioned that it was better than my Mother in Laws and his deceased Mother's recipe. Wow....wow.

Needless to say, it is a great recipe and I hope it finds a home on your Thanksgiving tablecloth next to that delicious Turkey you've been babying in preparation.

Happy Cooking and Happy Thanksgiving Day!

{P.S One change I did make was some rosemary and I think next time I will add some sausage to add some complexity. Oh and also, I didn't use the dutch oven.... I just did it in a pot and it worked just fine.}

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Better Homes & Garden

Caramelized Onion and Carrot Stuffing:

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  olive oil
• 2  large sweet onions, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
• 4  medium carrots, cut in chunks and/or slices (2 cups)
• 1/3  cup  butter
• 1/4  cup  coarsely torn fresh sage or 1 tablespoon dried sage, crushed
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
• 1  pound  sourdough bread and/or whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (12 cups) and dried*
• 1 - 1 1/2  cups  chicken broth
•  Fresh sage sprigs (optional)

Directions

1. In a 4-to 5- quart Dutch oven heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and carrots. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover; increase heat to medium-high. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes more or until onions are golden**, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add butter. Stir until melted. Add 1/4 cup sage, salt, and pepper. Add bread; toss to combine. Drizzle with enough broth to moisten, tossing lightly to combine.

2. Place stuffing in a 3-quart casserole. Bake, covered, alongside turkey for 45 to 60 minutes or until heated through. Or, use to stuff one 12- to 14-pound turkey. Garnish with fresh sage.

• To dry bread cubes, spread cubes in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until cubes are dry, stirring twice; cool. Or let bread cubes stand loosely covered at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

Giving Thanks is More Than A Holiday....

This has been floating around online and it brought a smile to my face.

I hope we all remember the small and grand blessings we have in our lives today, and every day in the future.

Traditions

November is my favorite month of the year. I love the weather, the last effort to soak in the intermittent moments of hot sun and glorious views of red, orange and yellow leaves before it is blanketed in snow. I also love Thanksgiving. It warms my heart just to think of the gathering of family members, discussing the small and grand blessings we are so blessed to have in our lives. I love the rubbing of shoulders in the kitchen and most of all, I love our family traditions.

Why are family traditions important?

"Family traditions are like spiritual and emotional cement in the foundation of a happy home. They create fond memories, and these memories bond us together as nothing else can.

Traditions influence the way we live and the way we look at life. They may be practices or beliefs handed down from generation to generation, or new habits or patterns we establish in our own families. Some will be based on commandments and righteous principles, others may evolve from our cultural or national heritage."

"As important as the establishing of any tradition, no matter how creative or enlightening the event itself is supposed to be, parents must never lose sight of the spirit in which the activity is conducted. How easily we overshadow the beauty of any special occasion when we allow force, anger, or impatience to intrude. If the children are not perfect, the food cooked just so, or the decorations quite what you had imagined them to be, remember how much more important it is that you are all together sharing this sweet tradition. And prepare a little better next time."

Found in March 1986 Ensign Article

One of my favorite family traditions started just 3 years ago. I felt that Thanksgiving was beginning to feel hectic. The day started  and ended with Mom running around the kitchen frantic to get everything accomplished successfully and on time precisely. Even with all the help each family member gave, we all felt like it was a stressful day, void of peace and relaxation. I thought of ways we could take a moment from cooking and cleaning and really enjoy the day as a family.

I purchased a white tablecloth and after dinner it was spread across the dining room table. I told each family member to ponder what they were most grateful for and to write it down on the cloth. Everyone miraculously wrote something different and it was so heartwarming to see the blessings we have received individually. The table cloth was put aside and brought out when we met again as a family for Spring and Fall General Conference. As we are listening to Conference, Mom, sister, sister in law and I stitch up the blessings.

When Thanksgiving day rolls around again it is so neat to look over the previous years stitching and the blessings that are soon beginning to overtake the white spaces of our cloth. It is such a family treasure and we all look forward to it every year.

• What are your favorite Thanksgiving Traditions?

Diana Noyce was kind enough to share this family tradition, "We have a family home evening around Thanksgiving time when we give a gift to Jesus.  It is a promise we make to him of one thing we can do to draw closer to him or be more like him...a goal we will work on for the next year.  ,We write it down on wrapping paper and place in a wrapped box.  Every year all the boxes are in a pile in our front room."

I love her tradition and I hope that we can each continue to remember to uphold those traditions we have within our families and maybe start a new one or two this season.

Here are some basic traditions to start with your family. Also found from the Ensign.

Examples of Family Traditions

1. Let each person choose the dinner menu for his or her birthday.
2. Celebrate birthdays of famous people or the days of their discoveries in history: Pizza for dinner on Columbus Day (round pizza to signify the earth) while discussing the voyage; cherry pie for Washington’s birthday; German chocolate cake for Beethoven’s birthday while listening to one of his symphonies (most children will choose the Fifth).
   
3. Assign someone to choose a topic of conversation for the dinner meal.
   
4. Give a Bible or Book of Mormon to each child on his or her eighth birthday.
   
5. Have a family reunion on a great-grandparent’s birthday each year.
   
6. Assign each family member to take notes when listening to general conference, then discuss them in family home evening.
   
7. Run, jog, bike ride, or walk regularly as a family.
   
8. Read aloud to your children, regardless of their age, and have them read to you.
   
9. Celebrate the birthday of an ancestor.
   
10. Attend tithing settlement together as a family.
    
11. Hold individual interviews with children on Fast Sunday afternoon.
    
12. Play soft music nightly (especially classical or semi-classical) to set a tone of serenity in the home.
    
13. Hold family home evenings in different rooms of the house. Have each child serve as host or hostess in turn, arranging for seating and treats.
    
14. Support each family member participating in athletic events, musical performances, or other productions.
    
15. As a family, cut firewood and then have a picnic.
    
16. Discuss Sunday School or Primary lessons at dinner time.
    
17. Keep a family journal, letting children write in it too.
    
18. Visit grandparents on Sundays.
    
19. Tell a bedtime story each night.
    
20. Always have children report in after an evening activity, at the parents’ bedside.
    
21. Kiss each other good night.
    
22. Set family goals on New Year’s Eve, or let each plan an adventure he hopes to have (individually and together) during the coming year.
    
23. Make items for family members on special occasions.
    
24. Collect in a binder songs that the family can learn and sing together in the car or at home.
    
25. Write a family letter and circulate it among relatives, each adding something to it. Save the letters to make a book for family reunions.
    
26. Allow each child a regular time to stay up fifteen minutes longer than the other children to spend time alone with parents, or plan a “night out” with each child.
    
27. Establish your own holidays, for your own reasons.
    
28. Make a flag for each family member, possibly designed by each, to be flown at your house on special occasions.
    
29. Have a special plate, glass, or cup that is used at dinner by a family member who has an event or reason to celebrate.
    
30. Let Dad and children cook breakfast on Saturday mornings, allowing Mother to rest.
    
31. Establish one night a week as “Oral Reading Night.” Select an appropriate book and read it aloud, as a family, for a predetermined period of time.
    
32. Set a time for family testimonies or gospel study.
    

 May the spirit be with you and your family as you strive to grow stronger together.

Lastest Update (Ann Hobson)

Latest update from Ann Hobson.

I know she would love to hear from you! 

Feel free to contact her through her 

email at:

 athobson@hotmail.com

 

(I know the font is small and might be hard to read. Notify Lindsey Lyman if you would like the the original file from Ann) 

 

 

September Update (Ann Hobson)

Latest update from Ann Hobson.

I know she would love to hear from you! 

Feel free to contact her through her 

email at:

 athobson@hotmail.com

 

(I know the font is small and might be hard to read. Notify Lindsey Lyman if you would like the the original file from Ann)

 

 

Preparing for Conference

It's feeling chilly today. Homes begin to start smelling like pumpkin spice scented candles, hearty soups and my favorite, home made apple cider. It seems like as soon as the first cool breeze in the air arrives, Conference follows. I love General Conference. I love seeing the Prophet and my favorite speakers (how can you possibly pick a favorite?) I love the feelings of peace and rejuvenation after each session.

We are a just a few days away from Conference and I already feel the itching for it, the answers to questions I hope to get resolved or at least some better understanding that I receive from the spirit during this wonderful time. I find myself thinking about ways I can prepare for Conference. "How can I get as much out of each session?"

Luckily there are many resources. On ldsresources.net I found a list of 12 helpful ways to prepare.

1. Make a list of specific questions or issues you’re working on and would like help with.
2. Pray to feel the Spirit and about one or all the things on your list.
3. Learn about the General Authorities’ lives, families, etc.
4. Have a Family Home Evening about General Conference (how to act during, what happens, who speaks, etc.)
5. Read your Patriarchal Blessing if you have it
6. Get plenty of sleep the night before
7. Do all your cleaning and chores before Conference if you can
8. Plan to discuss the talks after you watch Conference. This helps you pay attention because you know you’ll have to have something interesting to say about it later.
9. Plan to listen for which talk to focus on for your Visiting/Home Teaching lesson
10. Plan and shop for meals the day before. Have a Conference food tradition.
11. Plan where and how to watch Conference in advance.
12. Find your journal or whatever you take notes in. Find a pen, too.


I also found a wonderful article on lds.org to help prepare your children for Conference. There are so many fun activities as well that can help.

What are some ways that you prepare for General Conference?

Diana Noyce (Thanks Diana!) had some really great ideas. She makes sure all of her children are gathered together for Conference and uses coloring pages and bingo cards for the younger children and the older children take notes. She mentioned that Sam likes to draw portraits of the speakers with something they said in a bubble over their head. I thought that was such a cute and unique idea.

 

I hope this was somewhat helpful as you find your own unique ways to prepare yourself and your families for General Conference. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful prophet to lead and guide us. I pray we can all feel the spirit and get as much out of Conference as possible.

Haiti Newborn Kits

Stephanie Morgan wrote us a beautiful letter in regards to the kits we created a couple of months ago:

Dear wonderful Women of the Oquirrh Lake 5th Ward, 

I can't thank you enough for the amazing time, generosity, sacrifices, and love that was generated from your ward. You were able to complete a grand total of 77 Newborn Kits that consisted of 1 cloth diaper with 2 diaper pins, 1 plastic diaper cover (we ended up with 8 of these), 1 washcloth, 1 pair of baby booties or socks, 1 bar of soap or container of baby wash, 1 baby hat, layette/outfit/shirt/onesie, 1 baby brush and 1 reviving blanket! Some had just a few small items missing I was able to use to complete with with other donations (diaper pins, soap, and baby brushes for cradle cap). There were also 57 onesies, 8 baby shirts, 15 washcloths, and 5 cloth diapers left over that I will use to make other kits or give as single items to the people in Timo, Haiti!

I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be able to have these to bring with my organization to Haiti in October. I want you to know of the people you will be helping by creating these wonderful kits. I have enclosed some pictures of people I met while I was there last year. I have included pictures of all the complete kits and leftover articles. I am so excited as we have goals within our organizations of the amount of people we want to see and help. By your donations alone, we will meet our goal of Newborn Kits for October!!! Not only do we just give the kits to individuals, but they are required to go through an education process to learn about taking care of themselves, their newborns and children and how to use the items in the kits. They don't just receive "handouts", but education and information to eventually help them rise above the poverty they were born into. 

Since we are all God's children it is a privilege for myself to serve those who have the same special significance in His eyes as we do. I have been overwhelmed in my vocation and feel it is my duty to help these other special children of Heavenly Father. I have been given countless blessings not only by being born in a free country, but many other ways that these people of Haiti have not. There are many across the spans of the globe who need help like this, but we are making a difference in a small part to a few of these precious souls. I want you to know of the lives you will be helping in a small, but mighty way. For these wonderful should in Timo, Haiti to somehow learn that they are just as important as all of us, and we all have an eternal love that binds us all together. Thank you for help! Again, thank you so much and know that I have the ultimate respect for your time and sacrifices! 

Sincerely, 

Stephanie Morgan

 Thank you so much to everyone that participated in such a wonderful activity. Isn't it amazing what can be accomplished in one evening?

August Update (Ann Hobson Mission)

Latest update from Ann Hobson.

I know she would love to hear from you! 

Feel free to contact her through her 

email at:

 athobson@hotmail.com

SALAD SOCIAL 2013

The Salad Social happened. Did you attend? As always, it was a wonderful activity. The food was fantastic....surprising? No, not at all. We know how to make a mean salad!

Are you partial to a green salad? Maybe noodle, fruit or are you in it for the long haul and wanting it filled with protein? Regardless of your preference, we had it there.

After some munching and mingling, things got serious.....a competition was underway. Sister Wayment put together a fun, "Jeopardy" styled game. It turned out really cute and I know everyone really enjoyed it. Thanks Sister Wayment!

What was your favorite salad at the social? What recipe did you bring? Willing to share? Send me an email at lindseylyman@gmail.com. I'll post all recipes so we can share them with our family and friends.

Thanks for everyone who participated and made this activity a success!

Mad Hatter Party

Did you make it out to the most recent Relief Society activity? {If you didn't, you were sincerely missed} As I contemplated the words to describe the evening, I found myself making a mental list of words that popped in my head; Relaxing, refreshing, comforting, enlightening, and....silly.

We sat around highly adorably decorated (say that 3 times fast) tables filled with all sorts of scrumptious treats. We discussed life as soon-to-be parents, parents and empty nesters and it was such a fun opportunity to get to know each other a little bit better and to laugh at each others funny experiences and creative hats. We each picked a question and out flowed sincere answers to fun and sometimes hard questions. I loved every minute of it and was surprised to see how quickly the hour past. Who knew woman could talk so much?

 

Example of a question that popped up: What's your most "Idiotic Mother" moment? I contemplated the question as others told their memorable moments and although I am not blessed to be a Mother yet, I remembered a time that was not a shining moment for myself.

The year was 2004 and I was a nanny for 6 month old twins. Mason had a hard time sleeping at night and I was getting quite exhausted from being up numerous times a night to comfort not only him but his sister Maddison. It grew really old, really fast. I heard from his Mother that Mason liked the sound of water so out of desperation one night I took him down to the massive salt water fish tank and rocked him to sleep. It worked for a couple of nights, until he realized how awesome the exotic fish were and soon he was too over stimulated by the fish. I needed a new plan.

A few nights later as I walked around the house, with frazzled hair, dark circles under my eyes and visions of my pillow in mind, I decided to take Mason out on the porch. It was a warm night and the creek water trickled down the mountain. Wrapped in his fuzzy blue blanket, he quickly surrendered and fell asleep. Victory was mine.

Weeks passed and I found myself out on the porch more often than not and I started to feel as if I might have put myself in a bind. Not only was it early winter and near freezing, but he was growing dependent on the creek. He was content as could be as I shivered out in the cold in my thin pajamas. I stared down at this peaceful little baby and wondered how we were going to get through the next couple of months together....

No sooner had I realized that he was in a deep enough sleep for me to retreat indoors, when I saw something from the corner of my eye. I looked to the right and there within 20 feet from the porch was a cougar/mountain lion/potential eater of nannies and babies. The animal looked at us and continued on its way and I ran into the house, with the now startled and crying baby.

We never sat out on the porch again, nor did I get much sleep after that. But I did learn a valuable lesson: Buy a baby sleep aid book, or risk getting eaten by a cougar.

What I took from this Relief Society activity is that everyone has a rough day, week or even period where they feel like they just can't read that same childrens book one more time, or watch that obnoxious movie for the 106th time, or listen to their in laws explain (again) the "proper" way to cook a roast. This too shall pass, and it can either be something we complain about, or something that we choose to rise above and learn from. There are so many sisters in our ward that have gone through, or are going through the same scenarios and are there to help and be a listening ear.

The video shown at the end of the activity sums it up perfectly. It is beautiful and helps us to have a different perspective. 

Thanks to everyone that participated with this activity, we look forward to seeing everyone next month.

"Something Extraordinary"

 Relief Society: Something Extraordinary 
 "Sisters, we are going to do something extraordinary. We expect pressing calls, grand occasions; each member should be ambitious to do good. The Lord has said, "When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God."

If you didn't make it out to The Relief Society birthday celebration, I highly suggest you take just 3 minutes to click on the above link. It it a short video about the vital role of us sisters and this wonderful organization we are so blessed to be a part of. 

The night included a wonderful meal and delicious cake. It also brought a rare moment to sit and enjoy each others company, which is sometimes a rarity. My favorite was hearing the chatter of sisters discussing the "Act of Kindness" they would be giving/receiving. Each member wrote down an act of kindness they were willing to do for someone else. We played a game and ended up with a card other than our own. I know I was pleased to receive a carrot fruit smoothie at my door the following morning. I imagine there were a lot of happy smiles across Day Break the last couple of weeks as service was being rendered. It helped me realize that sometimes an act of kindness doesn't have to be large or extravagant, but simply something from the heart.

The Relief Society is a wonderful organization, truly a gift from our Heavenly Father. I look forward to many more "Extraordinary" activities and memories together as sisters.