My Favorite Story

TRAGEDY AT RAYAD
Once upon a time there was a little kingdom called Rayad. The tiny people who inhabited this kingdom were call Rayadites. They lived happily, sharing and caring about each other. Life was good to them. There were only a few things they needed to watch out for; for instance, chocolate cake or wearing the color red. If any Rayadite ever ate chocolate cake or wore red, his spirit would become weakened, and he would care less and less about himself and the rules of the kingdom.

Also living in this tiny kingdom was Zynock, an evil person who wanted to destroy the kingdom and all of the people in it. He hated for them to be happy and loving, for that made it harder for him to influence them. He knew what weakened their spirits and made them easier to capture. But Zynock also knew that he could not just offer the Rayadites chocolate cake and have them devour it - they were not that foolish! Nor could he make the most wonderful garment in bright red and expect them to wear it immediately. The Rayadites wanted to be good and strong. They had promised each other that they would help and strengthen each other in time of need. So how could Zynock weaken this people? How could he get them to succumb to him so that he could destroy them and thus the whole kingdom?

"Let's see," he said, "I can't get them to eat chocolate cake right off, but maybe I can get them to develop a taste for chocolate."

That's when chocolate chip cookies were introduced to the kingdom of Rayad. At first the cookies were ignored and scoffed at. Then some commercials and billboards were produced that showed handsome, wonderful-looking Rayadites eating chocolate chip cookies. And nothing happened to them, except they became more popular and sophisticated - at least that's what the message conveyed on the screens and billboards.

It wasn't long before a few Rayadites could be seen eating a chocolate chip cookies every now and then, and they seemed to be doing fine. They were still loving and caring and hadn't changed at all - so it seemed. So more and more Rayadites began eating the cookies. What they didn't realize was that the portion of chocolate chips in each cookie had been doubled. They were getting a double dose of chocolate, disguised in the cookie. You'd hear phrases like these: "That cookie is really good except for a couple of places where it tastes pretty chocolatey. But don't miss the cookie just for those two places. It's too good a cookie, and you can overlook the taste." "I heard that one of our friends has eaten a chocolate chip cookie, and she says it's nothing to be afraid of. It won't ruin your life if you eat it."

That was true: lives didn't seem to be ruined by chocolate chip cookies. Things were pretty much the same as usual. However, some of the teachers and leaders and parents in Rayad suggested avoiding the cookies because tastes for chocolate were being developed.

"Avoid the cookies?" came the cries of surprise. "What for? What's wrong with them? They're not chocolate cake! How stuffy can you get?"

Some who refused to eat the cookies were even laughed at and made fun of. Zynock himself started chuckling. He had no idea his plan would work so well. And Zynock was patient. He didn't care how long it took to destroy Rayad, just so it was destroyed.

Chocolate chip cookies seemed to be moving pretty well. Zynock didn't worry about the words of caution and counsel from the leaders, because his commercials and billboards were so exciting and enticing. He had to make them that way, or the truth of the leaders would have swayed the Rayadites away from the cookies.

Now it came time to introduce a new product of destruction. No, not chocolate cake, not quite yet. Rather, Zynock began advertising spice cake, white cake, yellow cake, carrot cake, any kind of cake but chocolate - but all with chocolate frosting, rich chocolate frosting. More commercials, more billboards, a few songs to hum and sing all day about how wonderful chocolate cake would be, although they're not eating it - yet! Get them thinking about it before they will actually succumb. Then in the kingdom of Rayad, you could hear:

"Have you tried that yellow cake with chocolate frosting?"

"Well, no. Is it good?"

"Oh, yes! Granted, it is chocolatey, but it's not chocolate cake. And it really doesn't have much more chocolate than those cookies we've been eating!"

"But the cake doesn't seem right. I mean, cookies are one thing, but cake?"

"Ah, come on! The important thing is the chocolate, and this is no more than you've already been eating. Everybody's eating it. You can't pass it up and be the only one left out."

In the meantime, the songs were subtly strumming away in the background, singing the praises of chocolate cake. Right, the words were not good, but the beat and the rhythm were so cool that many Rayads listened just for the music. After all, what can music do?

Zynock began thinking again: "One thing that strengthens those Rayadites is when they are together talking to each other. What can I do about that?" Then he reasoned, "Well, it's all right for them to be together. In fact, maybe there is some way I could use their gatherings and parties for my purposes. Aha! I've got it!"

So parties in Rayad began changing. Instead of the Rayadites talking to each other and playing games so they could get to know one another and share their strengths and talents, a new trend began. Everyone who was anyone had the new kinds of parties.

"Have you been to a party over at our Rayad friend's place yet?"

"No, I haven't."

"You should go. It's really cool!"

"Oh? What do you do?"

"Well, it isn't like any other party you've been to. It's pretty cool. All you do is go and sit down and watch stuff on the screen."

"Stuff on the screen? Like what?"

"Oh, exciting, scary stuff that's pretty good. There are a few scenes showing people eating chocolate cake, but no 'biggy.'"

"People eating chocolate cake? But..."

"Oh, it's not bad, and besides, there's nothing anymore without a little bit of that. It's just fun to get together with your friends."

So Zynock stood back and watched his plot unfold. "Let's see now. They're eating chocolate and they're eating cake. They're listening to songs and watching movies about chocolate cake. They're becoming weaker and weaker, although they're not even aware of it yet because they haven't actually eaten it - yet! They are falling into my trap! They think their leaders and parents are square and stuffy. It's very helpful when their friends tell them what I want them to hear. Friends are my greatest asset!"

"Hey!" says a friend Rayadite, "have you seen the latest movie?"

"No," comes the response. "I thought it was C-rated, for chocolate."

"No, it isn't. It's R-rated for Red. There's no chocolate in it."

And so Zynock continues his plotting - this time a gorgeous garment, but not in red...yet. It's a luscious pink color.

by Ardeth Kapp

Something's Fishy!

This time of year is filled with the annual checkups - you know, the really fun ones... teeth and eyes! We did great this year and there are a couple of kids at our house that will take on a new look this fall...

With the checkups out of the way, Myles was eager to go off fishing. What a day it was for fishing. I don't think we could have ordered a calmer more beautiful afternoon and evening than we had. It was so serene. It was also a great day for catching fish! Myles came home with his daily quota filled!!! He immediately set to the task of cleaning and freezing his catch. He was so excited he requested a photo. As he did so he commented on how they had miscounted their catch because they were missing a fish!

Well that was a mystery I wasn't too interested in solving. It turns out that they had counted right, Myles had just forgotten to clean the last fish. It's amazing how fishy things get with just one fish in the house!!!

Speaking of fish, the kids have been anxious to catch and bring in the goldfish. The aquariums have been ready and waiting and are even inhabited by snails. This year we've got real plants growing on the surface of the water. I wonder how long it will take for the fish to eat them up!

 That's the big aquarium - the fish knocked over my fake coral only hours after they were introduced to their winter home.

This is the small aquarium. It has half as many fish in it and half as many snails.

I really enjoy the time of year when we bring the fish in the house. I love to sit and watch them swim - it is so peaceful and calm. I love to meditate as I watch them swimming around the tank. Their bright colors and quick motions are delightful to watch and always remind me of the many blessings that I enjoy. It reminds me of a story told recently by Elder Nelson. He said:

"Recently, Sister Nelson and I enjoyed the beauty of tropical fish in a small private aquarium. Fish with vivid colors and of a variety of shapes and sizes darted back and forth. I asked the attendant nearby, “Who provides food for these beautiful fish?”

She responded, “I do.”

Then I asked, “Have they ever thanked you?”

She replied, “Not yet!”

My fish don't thank me either. They too are oblivious to the hand that feeds them. But every morning when I feed my fish I am overcome with gratitude to my Heavenly Father who offers me continual nourishment. What joy there is in knowing that he is there, and continually offers nourishment (which brings peace and joy) to us every day - we just have to simply take advantage of it to be nourished. What a blessing!

Wax Fun

I recently started an art class that teaches how to paint with wax. It's pretty cool - the things that wax can do so after melting and preparing our wax the first week, the next week was a lot more creative. We learned how to layer colors, build up textures, mix colors and use normal 'junk' to create some really fun designs.

So here is the project after two weeks...

 I had a lot of fun mixing colors. I have to admit that I love color!

And here is my partially finished sampler. The wood you see on either side is yet to be painted with yet more techniques which I have yet to learn. I have to admit that I am really enjoying the class. Wax is a medium I've never used before for painting and of course it doesn't work the same way regular paints do. I look forward to being able to take some of these techniques and make them into pictures. I love to create and I love the opportunity I have to associate with others as they create as well. I love to see and share the joy that comes each time a technique works or better yet turns out uniquely with an unplanned but delightful result.

Stay tuned, there will be more coming. This one will be a fun technique to teach the kids!

Filling the Larder

The last week has found an abundance of food in our house... It has taken a lot of work to take care of it all and I go to bed bone weary - but I love it! What a wonderful time of year!!!

First there were the apples...

They made jelly and over 200 muffins!

I have the best husband! He spent the morning helping me peel, chop and prepare apples for baking and then helped me bake them even though he had tonnes of stuff that he needed to do as well. He is such a blessing in my home.

Then there were the tomatoes...

This is what they made! Yummy salsa and I even got it as thick as it is supposed to be this year in half the time that it took last year!

Chad spent a morning helping me prepare vegetables for the salsa too. He is an absolute blessing in the way he helps me. It is so nice to spend a morning with him as we work together. I love it!

The salsa used up a bunch of these...

Then we dug our vegetables and brought them in...

When the first frost came we picked gallons of these...

This year we had both red grapes and green grapes. The kids loved eating them!!! I love to blend off grape juice with raspberry juice. It is YUMMY!!!

I LOVE this time of year!!! It feels so good to bring in the harvest that the Lord has so generously provided us with and put it up for the winter in ways that make it usable all year long. Not only are we blessed with fresh fruits and vegetables right now, but by canning, storing and preserving them, we are blessed to be able to enjoy them all year long.

Life is so much like putting up produce. It takes work, effort and focus to accomplish the goal. In life, the sweetest relationships take the most work, effort and focus. We have to really want them to be worth the effort we put forth as we seek to preserve them. Sometimes contaminants will spoil a whole batch of preserves.(That is a nasty mess and such a waste!) If we let contaminants like bitterness, pride and criticism enter into those sweet relationships, they likely will begin to spoil and so much is lost. A new batch has to be made from scratch to replace the old and with relationships there has to be a lot of forgiveness to ensure that old contaminants don't corrupt the new batch.

Life is wonderful, the more I do preserves the more I have learned how to avoid contaminants that destroy lots of hard work and effort. I love to can. I love to watch my shelves fill with tasty food and treats. It is such a joy to help provide for my family as I work in the home where I am so needed. The blessings of life are so abundant - Heavenly Father is incredibly generous.

The Opportunity of a Lifetime

This week in family home evening we returned to working on our Plan of Salvation Booklets. This week we studied the topic of 'Mortality". Below you will find the PDF pages that we worked on but first a few fun images about LIFE! These images paint the picture of life so well especially the very last one...

Mortality Worksheets
Mortality Quotes - Glue Ins

Just Because...

Today is a wonderful day without any real reason to be BUT if I could describe those feelings right now:

It would feel like springtime when outside it is fall.

I feel like singing

It would feel bright and cheerful even though outside it is cold and blustery.

Warm and cozy

Though the wind blows and billows, that feeling fills the heart with peace.

Words just can't express how great life is. Somehow it doesn't matter that winds of judgement blow, and attempt to block out warmth and light. There is still a song in the heart that penetrates and permeates through each and every day.

Something to Celebrate

There is nothing like getting away for an anniversary. What a blessing it is to be able to spend a whole weekend with my best friend. This year we went to the Beaver Mines area and enjoyed exploring. We hiked around the campsites (there are a lot), walked along the edge of the lake and EVEN climbed table mountain - at least to the tree line. .At that point rain was threatening and we didn't feel like it was wise to keep going up when we should be going down!

Headed down to the lake

Our first point of exploration was the lake. We hiked down the hill through the trees following what was probably a game trail. We came out at the waters edge. As we hiked west the sun began to set and I couldn't resist capturing it on film. The colors were lovely.

Sunset

 The mountains were hazy but the forest vegetation was brilliant. What a beautiful evening!

Hazy mountains

 Day 2: We decided to hike up Table Mountain. Now I break out in hives if I get overheated so I have to be pretty careful hiking. As we hiked up the mountain we took our time and enjoyed the scenery, resting when necessary. I never broke out in hives even once and we went all the way to the treeline!

This is the lake from just below the
 treeline on table mountain.

 When we got to the top of the treeline we thought we would turn around and go back down. There were some dark rain clouds gathering in the west and we didn't want to be stuck on a mountain trying to climb down a muddy slippery trail...

Rain threatens our hike

 But just as we were ready to turn and go back some hikers came by and told us of the wildlife they could see just a little further down the trail. We decided we would go for it and continued hiking. It only took a few minutes and we discovered what they were telling us about. Chad got out his scope so he could see up close...

We discovered something to look at across the
valley on the next mountain. Chad's
spotting scope brought us in pretty close.

 I got the camera on full zoom. It is pretty hard to take a picture that far away (they were on the neighboring mountain) and have it come out clear and crisp, but this is what we got.

This is what we saw! Mountain goats at
a natural salt lick.

Had to have a picture of the two of us before
 we head  back down the mountain!

 We headed back down the mountain and made it back just in time to have supper before the rain drove us inside.

Sunrise. Isn't it glorious?

 Sunday morning was glorious! What an amazing sunrise! I couldn't believe how the sun hitting the mountains turned them such a brilliant red!

Sunrise. I couldn't get enough of the changing colors!

 Sunday was a beautiful relaxing day. We got to do lots of reading and relaxing after attending church in Pincher. I love going to church when we are on holidays, it sets the tone for the day so beautifully.

Sunset  over the water. It was a little on the windy side that day.

 Sunday night we enjoyed yet another wonderful sunset.

Dusk - looking out over the lake.

 The water shone like a shimmering mirror very different from the previous nights sunset.

Chad enjoying the view

 Before turning in and in the last hour of daylight Chad hiked up to a huge rock and enjoyed the view. I had the camera so I don't know what he saw from there, but if it was anything like the side we were on, it would have been breathtaking.

One last shot of the scenery as we drove away.

We had a wonderful weekend. The scenery was amazing. I couldn't believe how often I could take the same picture with just a little bit of different lighting conditions and come out with a completely different view. As long as there was light I could take a good picture, but as the sun sank lower the picture quality changed completely until it was pointless to try because the results were fuzzy and out of focus.

I couldn't help but think how life with light is a lot like taking pictures. As long as there is light in ones life things are clear, crisp and beautiful. Colors change as quickly as the season of life do. Yet each is absolutely breathtaking! However, if we try to live without light, then things quickly become distorted and blurry. There is no real joy left and it is difficult to know where to look for clarity. I find clarity every day in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What a blessing it is to live in light and enjoy the wonders of life in every season.

I am so grateful for the wonderful time I enjoyed with my eternal companion as we celebrated another anniversary. Time marches steadily onward, and each year seems to get better!

My Biggest and 'Bestest' Decision!

You know when you are just out of high school you can't help but wonder what life will bring and how many of your dreams you will see fulfilled. From my youngest memory, I have always wanted to be a mother. It was something I prepared for conscientiously throughout my teenage years learning to cook, clean, sew, craft and prepare to go to the temple. Probably one of the biggest skills that helped me was learning to work - even when I hated the job I was doing. 

When I went off to college, I chose a profession that would suit raising kids - something that could  be done on the side, and possibly even come in useful as my children grew older. I took floral design. My favorite part of the course was making wedding bouquets and corsages. I have done a number of them over the years as friends get married. It has been a very rewarding skill to have. In hindsight, I can't help but think it will come in VERY handy since time has blessed me with 7 daughters - so yes, knowing how to do wedding flowers will be VERY convenient at some point in time. But that wasn't the biggest decision I ever made.

Within a year of graduating from Floral Design I met my soon to be husband. Today I celebrate my wedding day - the BEST decision I ever made!

I am so grateful we were married in the temple. It is a joy to me to look back over the last 20+ years knowing that I have NEVER  ever regretted that decision. Chad has cared for, supported and provided for me. He is my best friend. Marrying him has brought more joy into my life than anything I ever could have done on my own. What a blessing marriage and family are. 

Happy anniversary to us!!!

Cherry Pickers

Summer is always busy with the varying stages of harvest. In July we picked raspberries and then later on Evans cherries. In August we picked peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, chokecherries and apples and in September we will pick grapes. The most fun we had so far was picking cherries. We were invited out to a couple of different friends places to pick their excess. We didn't get any cherries off our own trees this year so it was a boon to have such good friends share their surplus with us this year.

So we went out to a farm to pick Evans cherries. As you may know, birds absolutely love to eat these juicy, tart berries and with the size they grow to, the birds can't stay away - so the farmer pulls out his gun and uses the birds for target practice. He proudly proclaimed as we drove up that he had killed about 7 birds in the last 12 hours. That meant that we were picking berries with a few dead birds underfoot and some of them had been there quite a while. We were game though and picked cherries for 2 hours filling nearly 3 large stainless steel bowls before we had to leave.

Charity looks at the camera...
She was getting tired by that time of picking cherries.

Beth and Melodee standing high in the trees to pick the
laden branches.

Looking through the tree at Myles reaching for a high
branch filled with cherries.

Upon on the ladder - we never could have
done it without the help of those ladders!

The kids enjoyed climbing high into the trees and met the challenge of reaching the still heavily loaded branches. Rain threatened and still we persevered with smiles on our faces. With the sun shining through the clouds we enjoyed some beautiful prairie scenery as we picked cherries. It was a wonderful day, just cool enough to enjoy.

Looking off over the neighboring fields.
The colors were incredible.

Evans cherries aren't the easiest berries to pick. They are very juicy and quite easy to squish. Our hands didn't take long to get sticky as we worked to fill our buckets. Sometimes it seemed to take forever for the cherries to accumulate. But despite the discomforts and the slow pace I was so pleased with my children as they worked together to complete the task at hand. It was a fun and memorable afternoon. Beth was the oldest one there as the older kids were all at work,  but even without the extra hands, the work was done quickly. We are so thankful for the opportunity made available to us to pick cherries this year. They make fabulous juice and it is healthy too! We will be enjoying the fruits of our labors all winter.

Sometimes life is like picking berries. When we pick berries it often seems to take forever to fill a bucket and sometimes life seems to be seemingly pointless or mundane. But as we persevere, doing good things, one day we will look back and be surprised to find that our buckets are full and the harvest is great. With it comes a lot of joy and a sense of accomplishment. It is very satisfying to see and recognize the good things in life. I love it!

 Life is good.

The Little Fisherman

This summer we have enjoyed a fair bit of trout thanks to Myles interest in fishing. It all started back in June when a friend who loves to fish invited Myles to go along with him. They were not lucky that time though and came home empty handed. Not a week later, that same friend showed up on our door with two fish in hand. He had been out fishing and thought Myles would enjoy a couple of fish since they hadn't caught anything before. Well, Myles wasn't home, so mom got to clean the fish and freeze them so they could be enjoyed when Myles was around. However ALL his sisters saw those dead fish and immediately declared that they don't like fish!!!

We cooked one up anyway as soon as Myles was home again. There were only about 3 of us who were willing to eat it that time. 

So, then we went camping in August. Myles brought along his fishing supplies and a new hook. He couldn't wait to get out there with his fishing pole!

 The first day, Myles went to the lake and started fishing. 

 He even let Charity give it a try...

And Melodee too!

There he is, patiently waiting for the fish to bite!

Another cast...

Oh! Was that a tug on the line?!?

 Yes... that was a tug on the line, but for some reason it wouldn't budge. Deadwood. Now to rescue the hook...

Naomi to the rescue.
The lake gets deep fast and she went in up
 to her chest to retrieve the stubborn hook...

Their plight was noticed by a nearby fisherman who came
in his boat to help them rescue the hook just as they
were about to cut the line.

Mission accomplished.
Naomi hands Myles the hook he nearly lost.

Well that was enough fishing adventures for the day. But it didn't deter Myles. He was still determined to do some good fishing. There were fishermen all over the lake catching fish seemingly all day long, so... attempt number two.

Everyone was going their separate directions. We had a group that went hiking up a nearby hill, a group that went to the beach and a much smaller group that went fishing. Myles came upon a fellow fisherman who helped him set up his line to fish off the bottom of the lake and before anyone else got back to camp, along came Myles proudly carrying his very first catch ever!!! It was even cleaned this time (YAY!).

 And there we have it a nice little 15" trout! 

No time was wasted in cooking it up and before everyone else returned to camp it was frying nicely on the stove, ready to supplement the supper meal.

It is such a joy to see my children take an interest in new things and seek to develop talents in new areas. I am so thankful that Myles is willing to share his developing fishing talents with us. Since that time he has again gone fishing with our friend and brought home 7 more fish. It is interesting to watch as we cook them up. I am finding that more of my children are willing to eat the fish he catches and they are enjoying it too. 

Life is a lot like learning to eat fish. Sometimes new experiences don't appear appealing at first and yet, when we engage ourselves in those same activities we discover that they are fun and enjoyable. I know that was my experience when I participated in Pioneer Trek as a youth. It is important to be willing to try new things - things that uplift and strengthen the spirit. As it turns out I enjoyed Pioneer Trek then every bit as much as I enjoy eating fish now and even more because those memories and friendships that I made at Trek lasted a lot longer than a little bit of food!