ANNOUCEMENT

WE HAVE A HOUSE!

That is all. Go back to what you were doing.

Reach.

Family Outings

The Saturday before last we went to… well… I’m not sure what it is called around here (maybe Kim knows), but we went to Franklin’s equivalent to Flagstaff’s Wheeler Park.

It is weird to visit a place with war memorials dedicated to those who fought in the Revolutionary or even Civil War.

Hello, Arizona wasn’t around until 1912, people! Massachusetts is older than dirt.

We passed the soccer ball around, ate PB&J, watched the squirrels fight, talked to the Elders, you know the good stuff.

This past Saturday, after Mike went to basketball, we went to the Franklin Public Library.

We got library cards! Bet you can’t guess the first books I checked out…

Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl, CLASSIC.

I’ve been starving for YA and Children Lit. STARVING, people!

Anyways, the library is very cool. First FREE public library in the US of A.

After the library we went to a park in Medway. We stumbled upon the park on our way to Millis. We were actually planning on visiting a park in Millis, but got sidetracked.

We ate lunch (more PB&J with some chips and granola), played some Thomson Croquet, that’s right, THOMSON Croquet… the one where you can cheat.

Caleb is following in the footsteps of his forefathers (or at least his father and his uncles) and taking a fancy to the game.

OH SATURDAYS, HOW I ADORE YOU!

In honor of the first day of Autumn

here’s a yummy recipe I revamped from a recipe published in a LDSLiving FHE newsletter.

Easy Fall Cookies:

1 Carrot Cake Mix

1 16 oz can of Pumpkin

¼ c flour

½ c chocolate chips

½ c raisins

Preheat oven at 375.

Mix all the ingredients together. Use a tablespoon to spoon dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet (or your ungreased handy-dandy stoneware). Bake for 20 minutes.

Makes 2 dozen. YUM. YUM. YUM.

Cookies that would make the Great Pumpkin proud!... or... scared.

Lessons Learned

Feel free to skim.

Lesson #1 General Conference List
If you make a list of your concerns and questions BEFORE General Conference and pray about them, expect to (because you probably will) get the answers and comfort needed BEFORE General Conference.

Lesson #2 Food Storage Parables
Christ spoke in parables using everyday subjects like sowing seeds, tending livestock, and other activities that are sometimes lost on our modern “instant” world.
I’ve learned a lot while working with pinto beans this month. A lot more than I could learn from cranking a can opener on a can of refried beans.
Anyone who has made beans knows you need to pick through them first. This can be tedious work, especially if you have to make a rather large portion of beans for a ward function or a double portion to eat and freeze. You may want to quickly look over the beans, a large hand-full at a time, examine them by rocking your hand back and forth. Sorting beans this slothful way is bound to get you a few bad beans or worse, rocks. I was very tempted to do a “quick” sorting, after the first minute of “careful” sorting. As I scooped up the first handful a thought came to me- What if Heavenly Father sorted this way? I dwelt on that thought for awhile.
This was one of the food storage parables I pondered. And to think of how many lessons I’m missing from not growing the beans. : )
Don’t get me wrong, the time we live in is wonderful. When one of his children asked how all the temple work could be done for all the children of men in a timely matter, Brigham Young replied saying there will be inventions and other advancements made that will allow the Saints more time and ability to work on Family History. I know that this is that time, and I have a theory that the dishwasher’s sole purpose is to allow me time to research my ancestors.
But I can’t help but wonder what lessons we often miss out on in this “instant” world. What about patience, tenderness, accountability, stewardship, and hard work?
Other Notes on Food Storage:
If you want to start building your food storage, make a record of what you eat for a few weeks or even a month, this will give you a scope of what you’ll actually need. If you already make a monthly menu, PERFECT, examine it. Then each month as you go to the store to replenish your ingredients, pick up an extra item on your menu list and store it away.
Take time each month (or each week if you are willing) to use a food storage item. Practice makes perfect.
This month we are using QUICK OATS from our start kit. So far, all I got for a recipe is instant oatmeal. I’ll keep searching.
I’m trying to organize my cheap rotation recipe/sideas together and post them on another blog (see our profile). All that is up so far is the beef rotation menu.

Lesson #3 Topical Guide: Families; Motherhood
On Caleb’s first night home, during an early morning feeding, I decided to change-up my scripture studying routine. I started to study by topic, the first being Families; Motherhood, reading one reference a night during a feeding and writing down my thoughts on the scripture in a journal (appropriately designed with lemons on the cover with words “Fresh Squeezed”).
Although I finished the topic of Motherhood months ago, I find my mind returning to a scripture study often: 1 Sam 1:27-28 and 1 Sam 2:19.
I wrote in my journal:
How is Motherhood defined?
Hannah only had Samuel for a short while, but was content to know she was only ‘lending’ him to the Lord. Motherhood is of an eternal nature that cannot be defined by a mere birth or duration of rearing- then how can it be defined?
Answer: 1 Sam 2:20
As mothers we have the duty to make coats for others: coats that cover spirits, coats that shield souls from affliction. The key to the answer is in the last portion of the verse: “she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.”
Motherhood is sacrifice. The closest concept/experience we endure as women to Heavenly Father’s and Christ’s sacrifices.
How many women do I know that have sacrificed so much for the welfare of soul(s)?


Below is a picture scrap of Mike’s adventures as mentioned in a previous post.

September 15, The Creation of the Franklin Branch

So.
Let’s say you are currently living in an apartment in Franklin, Massachusetts.
While you are living in Franklin, you are in the process of buying a house in Millis, Massachusetts.
While you are buying a house in Millis, your Stake President informs your ward that the ward population is (practically) going to be divided asunder into a ward and a branch.
You are currently living in the ward boundaries in your apartment.
The house you are buying in Millis… is in the branch.
Now, I’m from Flagstaff, Arizona, a place well-known for changing-up boundaries every five to three years. I’ve never heard of a ward being divided this way.
Apart from the sacrament, the whole meeting was devoted to describing boundaries, reading off the names of the families attending the branch, releasing, and sustaining. Whew.
By the time everything was said and done a majority of the members of the various presidencies (Young Women, Young Men, and Relief Society) had been released. Half of the Sunbeams class I’ve been helping out with will be attending the branch- leaving four little Sunbeams in the ward.
Despite this being a unique experience for us, which kind of leaves us in-between places, and kinda leaves the ward in shambles and the new branch to start from scratch…
Mike and I feel really good about this.

Here’s why…

revelation.

Our Church believes in it, has it, and utilizes it.

Mike and I felt good when we decided to come to Massachusetts.
We felt good when we decided to rent an apartment in Franklin.
We felt wonderful when we viewed the house in Millis, and felt even better when we put an offer in on it.
We know where we are suppose to be because we seek the Lord early and ask Him whither we go.

So, for now, we are attending the Franklin Ward until we move into our new house (which will be in November), unless (as a member of our bishopric advised us) the branch needs us sooner, but, we have a feeling we’ll be busy over the next few months as the ward reorganizes.

It's all good.

September 9, One Year Ago...

click for a larger image

Caleb made his photo debut! Nine weeks along, weighing two grams!
Nowadays, Caleb is 5.5 months old, weighing in at 16 lbs!

August 31- September 6, Thomson Tidbits

Caleb was born to read... or born to be read to, at this point. He is a very simple child. He enjoys songs, books, and mostly your company. This can be a problem if you have a load of "clean" dishes that have been sitting in the dishwasher for a few days (well, what's left of the clean load- honestly, why do we even have cabinets?) or have laundry to do.

So instead of folding a stack of towels I sit and read a stack of books to Caleb, not once or twice, but sometimes, THREE TIMES a day. The same seven books day-in and day-out. I have Doctor Seuss's ABC's memorized. Name a letter any letter, I dare you!

Besides my new found book club with Caleb, here is some other Thomson Tidbits...

• Mike doesn't go to yard sales. He just doesn't. But out of curiosity one day he went to one and found some awesome keys. OLD keys. OLD RITZ CARLTON keys... from Atlantic City, NJ. We looked up some info about the RC in NJ and found out the keys date somewhere between 1927-1950. They are really neat looking. I'll have to take a picture and put it up. Anyways. The previous owner had just found the keys a few moments before Mike showed up. They found the keys on the ground... in some bushes. Mike paid $5.00 for the keys with a stern warning from the seller, "If I see you on Antique Roadshow... why I atta! (paraphrasing)"
• Mike went yesterday (Thursday) on a cruise around the Boston harbor. We'll have to post those pictures too... someday.
• I got called to the Primary Board. Hooray!

Yep. That's about it.

This Old House

Hoping to close someday!

click to view larger image

Stats:

• Approx. Living Space 1348 sq. ft.
• Approx. Arces 0.22 (9583 sq. ft.)
• 6 rooms
• 3 bedrooms
• 1.5 bathrooms