"Why we love you on your birthday"

We do this for each persons birthday in our family... 
During dinner we go around and each family member tells why and what they love most about the birthday boy/girl/mom or dad.  It is a tender, bonding experience to hear each person in the family share specifics about the special birthday person and is something everyone looks forward to on their special day.  I highly recommend giving it a try in your family.

FORGIVENESS ROCK-another humiliating and hilarious story

A few years ago I was serving in the Primary and I was in charge of presenting sharing time.  The theme I was to address was about forgiveness so I planned to use to the story about the man who puts a rock in his pocket every time someone does something mean to him or makes him mad.  He carries those rocks around so he can remember all the reasons to be angry with people.  The rocks have a negative effect on him and begin to weigh him down and fill his house just like when we don’t forgive others. 

I decided I would use a backpack and fill it with rocks so that the kids could see how heavy being unforgiving gets.  While at Bear Lake I collected boulders of all sizes and wrote on them with permanent marker things that would be hard to forgive for children and adults.   I put such things as; “friend broke my favorite toy,” “friend said something mean about me to other people”, “had an argument with spouse”, “friend pushed me and made me fall and scrape my knee”, “teenager told me a lie about how the car got damaged”, “church leaders offended me with their counsel” etc. etc. 

I had one child put the backpack on and called up other children one at a time to pick a rock and read it and then put it in the backpack.  The child holding the backpack quickly got weighed down with the heaviness of the rocks.  By the time all the rocks were in there he couldn’t walk at all and the backpack looked like it wouldn’t hold.  Anyway it was a very effective forgiveness sharing time and went well for all ages. 

Well that is only a small part of this story.  Many weeks later we were headed to our favorite town parade with my parents, sisters and their families.  I needed to save our spot on the street with a blanket and it was pretty breezy so I grabbed some of those boulders to set in the corners of the blanket.  The parade was delightful and when it was over I asked my kids to make sure we got all our belongings and the rocks.  They assured me we had and we headed to our car. 

The next day I got a phone call from my brother in law telling me that one of my rocks had been left behind and caused a stake president and his first counselor a sleepless night!  Panic filled my heart as I listened to him recount the happenings of his early morning meeting with the stake presidency. 

As the high council began their meeting,  the stake president set a large rock on the table with writing on it that said, “my church leaders offended me with their counsel.”  He said, “Brethren we have offended someone and we have to get to the bottom of this.”  He recounted finding  the rock in his yard the previous evening, reading it and quickly taking it over to his counselor’s house to show it to him.   He worried that someone had tried to throw it at his house.  The two of them spent most of the night trying to figure out what member of their stake it could have been.  One of them even made a list of possibilities and went through it name by name trying to remember exact conversations and interactions. 

As soon as my brother-in-law saw the rock he knew where it had come from and quickly let him know that is was a very big misunderstanding and I was the owner of the rock.

He took a picture of the stake president holding the rock and sent it to me.  By then apparently the story was funny but it took weeks for it to be funny to me.  I felt so horrible.  I made brownies and wrote a note of apology and delivered them that evening with the intention to leave them on the doorstep and RUN!  Just as I laid them on the porch the stake president opened the door.  Oh the humiliation!

The incident was handled with such kindness and humor and I was so thankful for the forgiveness I received for leaving the “forgiveness rock” in his yard!

 

 

Olympic Party

One of the most exciting things to celebrate as a family is the Olympics and since they don't come around all too often it's a fun reason to have a great party!

These ideas can be used for a birthday party or family party. 

                  TORCH   CAKE-To make the torch cut out a flame from construction paper. Cut a short plastic cup in half lengthwise and attach the flame to a plastic cup.  Put the cup towards the top of the cake.  Use tinfoil to create a handle. 

We had our own family Olympics.  Each person picked their country (no one could be from the USA) and then each person had to locate that country on a map and learn one cool thing about that country and share it with the family.  Each person then made them a sign with the country name and colors that we taped to our shirts. We did events such as  bobsledding by putting a small, single sized air mattress on the top of the stairs and then riding it down the stairs and whoever went the farthest won.  We had ice skating by clearing off our wood floor and each person taking turns doing their routine with stocking feet.  We did ice hockey by using brooms as hockey sticks and then used a stuffed animal for a puck.  We did curling by putting a circle on the wood floor with colored tape and another line of colored tape about 15 feet from the circle.  We would stand on that line and then push a Frisbee in curling style to see who could get it closest to the circle. 

 

We also made Olympic ring jello for our dinner.  I tried to make one for each color of the rings.  The black is a little hard but I did really dark purple. 

We had a medal ceremony with medals I purchased from Oriental Trading or they have some at Zurchers' party store.  It was definitely one of our best family nights ever. 

Best pancakes EVER! Perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

If you really want to make people happy...

Make these pancakes!

Once you do you will be asked over and over again to make them for all kinds of events,

get togethers and functions.

 

 

 

GINGERBREAD PANCAKES WITH BUTTERMILK SYRUP

 

1 1/2 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 1/4 C milk

1/4 C molasses

3 TBL oil

 

Mix all dry ingredients together.  In a separate bowl mix egg, milk, molasses and oil together.

Combine dry and wet ingredients together and mix until blended.  Cook on hot griddle.  Serve with Buttermilk syrup.

 

P.S. I double or triple this recipe for my family of 7.  I have made this for a crowd of 95 (14 x's it) and a basketball team of 25 (5 x's it)I .  For a function where you have to feed lots of people this is great to premix and store in an icecream bucket and refrigerate until needed.  

 

BUTTERMILK SYRUP

 

2 C sugar

2 C buttermilk

! C butter

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 c corn syrup

 

Combine all ingredients (except vanilla) in a BIG POT-this is an 8 quart pot (it will swell up very high so make it in a large pot).  Bring to a boil, stirring more than occasionally but less than constantly.  Continue to stir and boil until a carmel  color.  (It will boil up and then go back down) Remove from heat and add vanilla. 

Serve on pancakes and/or over icecream. 

This is the syrup when it is boiling up.  Obviously not done as it is not a carmel color.

 

Happy "BIRTH" day BOOK

I made this many years ago when my children were very young.  It is a book that contains their BIRTH story; the story of when we found out they would be joining our family, my pregnancy with them, the details of the day they were born, why we picked the name they were given, their first few days at home and details about their blessing day and a few pictures of the day they were born.  Most importantly it tells why we love them and how blessed we are that Heavenly Father sent them to be in our family.

This is a most special and treasured book at our house.  We look forward to the end of each birthday when I read the birthday child their story.    No matter how old they have gotten, it is still an absolute must do!  In fact as they have gotten older the reading of the story in a more sweet and tender experience that always brings me to tears as we remember the JOY that came the day that particular child was born and how fast the time has gone.  When my son was on his mission I made a copy of his pages and sent them to him in his birthday package so he could read them-it wouldn't be a birthday without reading this special story! 

The beginning of the book also has a special message from my husband and me about the wonderful work these children have to do here on earth at this time in history. 

 

 

 

 

 

Each child's story always ends with this sentence...

"The day you were born was the one of the BEST days of our life!"

 

This kind of book adds much to a child's self esteem.  It gives them identity, purpose and knowledge that they are an important and anticipated part of a family.  It is also a good family history. 

 

 

I used a 1" 3 ring binder, and sheet protectors.  I typed up each story and then color copied the pictures.  Please remember I made this in the "olden" days before there was Shutterfly or Costco Photo books.  (I have since made a few of those and that would be a great option for this as well.)

 

Families Are Forever Primary Sharing Time

This sharing time is a good overview of this years theme-"Families Are Forever."  It could be used at any time but particularly good for April.

FAMILIES ARE FOREVER SHARING TIME – 2014

Preparation:  Obtain enough chain to go around the Primary room.  (We went to a local hardware store and told them what we needed it for and they just let us borrow their reel after leaving our name and phone number etc.-otherwise we were just going to gather as much as we could from ward members).  Before Primary starts lay it around the perimeter of the entire room.  Get an easel to go in the middle of the back and put a poster on it that says “HEAVEN”, wrap the chain around that then continue it on.  Construct a temple out of a range or washing machine box (or you could just use another easel with a picture of the temple on it but the kids won’t be able to walk through it) and put the chain running through the temple.

Have each presidency member bring individual pictures of their family members (just go maternal line so it doesn’t take too long) starting with themselves, spouse, children, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents. Punch a hole in the top of each picture and put a paper clip or ornament hanger through each hole –this will allow you to hang these pictures on the chain.  Put the family members that have died in “HEAVEN” when you show the kids their picture

You could also print out a picture of the Emancipation Proclamation from Google images.  Print out a picture of  house plans also from Google images and then write the word “FAMILY” in the center

Buy 2 (will need one for junior and senior sharing time) cheap 8 x 10 picture frames from the D.I. or Dollar Tree with glass in them.  Put a picture of a family in each one.  Bring a hammer, 2 plastic bags and a paper sack  

 

LISA-with construction hat on

“Before you can build something you have to have a plan.  Each building that is constructed starts with plans that tell the construction workers how to build the building successfully and build it so it will be strong and last through bad storms and strong winds.   

Show house or building plans (blueprints from Ross Ranzenberger) with the word – FAMILY- in the middle.

Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us.  He created  us and then sent us to live on earth and get a body.  While on earth we are to learn and grow and be tested to prove if we would follow Him and keep His commandments.  He wants us to return to live with Him someday so He sent Jesus to die for us and provide a way for us all to return back to heaven.   

 God’s plan put each of us in a family.  We need to follow God’s plan so that our families can be strong and make it through hard times and trials.

The FAMILY is central to God’s Plan for His children here on earth.  Central means a most important or necessary part. “

 

JENI

“Heavenly Father knew that on earth we would need parents to take care of us, teach us and help us learn how to return to Heavenly Father.  He knew we would need to be in a family to feel love and happiness. 

He did not want our family relationships to be over when we die.  He wanted each family to live together  forever even when we return to heaven.  So another part of His great plan is the temple. 

 

KRISTA

“Through ordinances performed in the temple families are linked together.  Linked means connected or bound together.  Can you see the chain that goes around the room?  (Pick up part of chain) A chain is made with links.  Making things with links makes them stronger.  Chains are some of the strongest things on earth.  They are used for the hardest, toughest jobs.      

 Temple ordinances provide an unbreakable link with family members.  If family members keep the commandments those temple ordinances will bind great grandparents, grandparents, mothers, fathers and children together for all time and eternity.  They will never be separated from each other. 

Explain that we are putting our families on the chain (we will each say the first name of the individuals as we hook them on the chain-put ones who have died on the chain wrapped around “HEAVEN”)

LISA

“This CHAIN that runs through this temple shows us the power and strength of temple covenants and ordinances. 

Let’s try to cut this chain.  (Invite a reverent child to come up and use the  metal cutters to try and cut the chain-we got really thick chain so that children wouldn’t be able to cut it-otherwise the object lesson isn’t very effective)

 It cannot be done.  

SARAH

“In the Bible in Matthew it tells us…

“Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.”  That means that what we connect or link together in the temple on earth will be linked or connected together in heaven. 

That is why it is important to help all of Heavenly Father’s children receive the ordinances of the temple. 

That is why it is so important to do our family history work and help all the people who have ever lived on the earth and didn’t get a chance to go to the temple get their temple work done.  Even if they have already died the temple ordinances link them with their families and they will be in their families in heaven. “

 

LISA

“Satan knows the great power in the temple.  (Hold up hammer and say that it represents Satan) He does not want us to be with our families forever. He does not want us to keep the commandments.  If we don’t keep the commandments we can’t go to the temple.  Satan does not want us to be happy.  Satan does not want us to have strong families.  He does not want us to kind to our brothers and sisters.  He does not want moms and dads to be married. 

PUT FAMILY PICTURE IN plastic bag and then in a PAPER SACK AND SMASH WITH HAMMER-be sure they can hear the glass breaking-it’s very powerful!  Pull it out carefully and show them how it has shattered

Because Satan is very strong in the world today the family is under attack.  So in Sept. of 1995 the prophet, Gordon B. Hinkley read a Proclamation that was written by him and the other apostles.  It is called “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

A proclamation is a public or official announcement that deals with a matter of great importance.  It is a declaration or statement given by people in power such as kings, queens and presidents. 

There have been some very famous proclamations throughout the history of the world.  In 1863 Abraham Lincoln gave a very important one called the Emancipation Proclamation.  It said that all slaves should be free.  This changed things in the United States very much.  He also sent out a proclamation declaring that we should have Thanksgiving be a holiday.  Another president of our country, Dwight Eisenhower sent out a proclamation in 1959 that said Alaska was to be part of the United States of America. “

 

JENI

“All proclamations are important but no other proclamation is more important for the family than the one given by God’s prophet. 

This year you will learn all about the proclamation and the things that we can do to build strong families.  When we live the gospel and follow God’s plan our families will be happy.  You children can strengthen your family. If your family is not having scripture study or family home evening then remind them too.  If they are not saying family prayer remind them to.  If people are fighting in your home, help them be kind.  Families are made strong by the temple.”

KRISTA

“Heavenly Father shows us His love by allowing families to be together forever through the temple ordinances. “

We want all of you to go to the temple as soon as you are old enough to go.  Until then we want you to go through this temple and remember that the next time you go to the temple it will be to make special covenants and promises to Heavenly Father that will help you and your family return back to Him.”

 

Have all the children line up and have all the teachers hold up the chain so children can hold it as they move to go through the temple while we sing: I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE-When all children have sat down sing the last verse of again and end with your testimony.     

 

The Temple-I am going there on THIS day!

Years ago I made this picture to hang up in our house so everyday the kids could look at it and keep the goal of the temple in their mind.  At the time I made it my oldest son was 16 and the mission ages were different so when the prophet changed the ages last Oct. I crossed off and corrected for the new age.  I keep meaning to make a whole new one but have never got around to it and this one does the job.

It has hung on our pantry door for 6 1/2 years now and been a constant reminder to live worthy of a temple recommend.  Those 6 1/2 years have passed so quickly and our third child is getting ready to go to the temple as soon as he graduates.  At the time I made it I thought it such a long way off and wondered "how will I help all these children get to the temple?"  It felt very overwhelming in this wicked world.  I have come to appreciate more than ever the power of the "little" things like weekly Family Home Evenings, scripture study, family prayer, weekly sacrament meeting attendance and family activities that contribute in significant ways to our children making it to the temple.  I also appreciate the help of loved ones, church leaders and teachers who help me with that job as well.

This picture keeps our goal at the forefront of our minds and helps all of us plan and look forward to each child receiving the blessings of the temple.  For me as a mother I'm counting down to a very special day in 2022 when my husband and I can be there with all five of our children and then our JOY will be truly FULL!

*To create one of your own download a copy or obtain a print of the temple of your choice. 
 -Type up the names of your children and dates ( I went with mission age for the boys and age 21 for the girls just as a ball park figure but now will change that for mission age as well) on your computer and print it off on a piece of transparent/tracing paper. 
- Attach the tracing paper to the temple picture by gluing the edges together with a glue stick. 
-Hang for all to enjoy!