I Love the Fall, and General Conference

I love fall. I love pumpkins, crunchy leaves, cozy sweaters, changing colors, halloween costumes, preparing for our little baby to come, but one of my absolute favorite things about fall is General Conference! I get to spend two full days listening to the words the Lord wants me to hear. He speaks through prophets and apostles, just like he did in the Bible. I always feel the spirit so strongly and I love the opportunity to refocus and remind myself of who I am and where I want to be going.

This past weekend was the General Relief Society Broadcast: a special session of General Conference just for women. I loved the messages shared, especially about how God loves us, and is always willing to give us the peace and strength we need to keep going, no matter how difficult our lives are, if we are only willing to pray and ask for it and to try our best to be obedient to his commandments. If you would like to watch this broadcast and see what the female leaders and prophet had to say to the women of this church last saturday, click here. Men are of course welcome to watch as well, the messages are just directed at the sisters.

If you would like to watch the main body of conference (split into four sessions, beginning Saturday morning and ending Sunday evening) you can go to this link. There is also a priesthood session, specifically for men in the church ages 12 and up. This will be on the same website on Saturday evening. Also, if you get BYUTV, you can watch it on the television.

I am super excited for this weekend (admittedly also for the brunch I traditionally make to eat on Sunday morning as well as for General conference) and I hope that you can feel the spirit of the Lord touch your heart and guide your life if you chose to watch with me this weekend.

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

In Women's Chorus we're singing "Come, Thou Fount" at our concert this coming week. I am so excited! I love this song. The music is so beautiful and the lyrics are so sweet. Until this past week I'd always felt the spirit in this song, but never had the words stand out  to me so clearly, especially during one particular line.

"Jesus sought me, when a stranger wandering from the fold of God, came to rescue me from danger from the downward path I trod."

Due to the King James-y English and poetic grammar, I rearrange the words in my head to make more sense and they come out something like this:
"Jesus sought me when I had estranged myself from him and was wandering away from God's fold. He came to rescue me from the spiritual danger in which I was placing myself." He came for me. How powerful is that message?

I have been the sheep that has wandered from the fold. There have been far too many times when I have turned my back on my Savior. I am so sorry that I have done this, and I keep trying to be better, but I am human and I make mistakes. I am proud, and I am selfish, and I ashamed when I let myself and others down. I often feel that when I am going through something difficult that I could have avoided if I had been smart and following the spirit, that I should take care of it myself--that I don't deserve the help and care of my loving Father in Heaven and the Savior. Yet the moment I fall to my knees, the very second I humble myself and ask for help and forgiveness, the Savior is there to sweep me up in the arms of his love. He takes away my pain, my sadness, my guilt, and my stress. He is always waiting to take care of me. No matter how far I wander, he follows me and waits for me to let him help and strengthen me. He leaves the ninety-and-nine for my sake. (Luke 15.)

I am so grateful for the love of my Savior, and for his amazing atonement which allows me to repent and be cleansed so that I can move forward, and upward, without being hindered by my past mistakes. I know that the Lord loves each of us. He will always, always accept and forgive us as we repent and try our best to change. He doesn't expect perfection, he only asks that we do our best. I am so grateful for this knowledge. I am grateful for music. I am so thankful for the way that music and singing can soften my heart when nothing else can, and give me a way to bear my testimony when my own words don't seem like enough.

I love my Savior. I know that he lives and loves us, that his atonement is perfect, and that he wants so much for us to come home to him. I have felt the spirit testify of this to me, and I cannot doubt that.

Dutch Baby Pancakes

Breakfast anyone?
This is a super simple, totally delicious, and the preparation takes 5 minutes tops. It's really easy to make a small batch for 2 (that's what I make for my little family of 2) or a big batch for 8 (which is what my mom did back home when I was growing up.) I meant to get a picture of what it looks like when you serve it, but Hubby and I were hungry so by the time I pulled the camera back out the plates were empty. Oops :)

What you need: (for a small batch)
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup of milk
1/2 Cup of flour
3 Tablespoons of butter
and
Casserole Dish or Cake Pan (size depending on how much you're making. For a small batch, I use a casserole dish my great grandmother gave me that is about 7''x9''. If you were to use 6 eggs a 9"x13" pan would be appropriate)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425º

2. Put butter in your pan, then place in the oven to melt.

3. Blend eggs, milk, and flour.

4. Pour mixture into the pan of melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes.

5. Take it out of the oven and voila! A fluffy, buttery, suffle-ish breakfast that is ready to EAT! My favorite way to eat this is with syrup and powdered sugar. Some people like it with berries, sour cream, brown sugar, but you can do whatever you like!

Bon Appetit!

How to Have an Absolutely Fantabulous Marriage in 10 Easy Steps--Be Spontaneous!

I know we’re going out of order, here. Hubby wanted to write the “continuing courtship” post but I had time to write today so I’m posting this one :).

I’ve heard some couples complain about feeling like they’re stuck in a rut. Sometimes Cameron and I get into a routine that isn’t the most fun and we want to break out of it. (Honestly, that happens the most when we start watching TV a lot.) The best way to get out of this is to be spontaneous! Surprise your spouse with an outing, try a new recipe or restaurant, go somewhere you’ve never been together, break your routine.

This can be really hard to do when you’re both working, or going to school, or both. Your daily routine is pretty much set for you. So how do you break out of the monotony? Look at your priorities. What are the things that are most important to you as a couple? For Cameron and I we make sure that we pray together and have personal and couple scripture study every day, and of course we go to work and school and try to eat well and keep the house clean, but other than that, our priorities are flexible. Put first things first, then see what’s taking up your time that could come out of your routine to make way for play time.

            1.     Weekends

Weekends are a great time to mix it up because you generally have a little bit more time. If you or your spouse works or has school on the weekends, try to find another day where you can both take a break to be together. Weekends are also a great time for short trips. If you can afford it, take a Friday or Monday off of work to give yourselves a three-day weekend and get out of town. Go camping, stay at a bed and breakfast, even in your own town, and just look for adventures where you are.

             2.    Evenings

They’re a great time to throw your routine to the wind and have a bit of fun! Evenings are better for slightly shorter excursions and adventures, especially since you might have to be up early the next morning. And guess what? You can be spontaneous at home! One night a few months ago Cam was feeling a bit down and we’d been doing the same old dinner-and-a-movie-at-home spiel for several date nights, so I suggested we go camping. It was about 55 degrees and raining, and let me tell you I only like camping in nice weather, and even then I get a little grumpy sometimes. I pulled out our tent and camping chairs into the living room, we pushed the furniture into the kitchen and we set up our tent right there! 

We went to the store and grabbed some Jiffy Pop (the kind that comes in a little tinfoil skillet that turns into a bubble when you pop it)

and then ran over to J-dawgs and got some delicious hot dogs, because obviously those are the two things you eat when you are cooking over a “fire."For some reason neither of us thought to get marshmallows. We made a “fire pit” in our tent by putting twinkling Christmas lights in a basket, then rolling up pieces of paper to be our “logs.”

We brought ALL of our blankets into the tent so it would be comfortable to lie on the floor and we played cards, told stories, and ended up falling asleep. It was really fun (and warm and dry, I might add) and it was a great way to break our routine!

               3.     Mornings

If you don’t have anywhere to be super early, or even if you do, mornings can be a great time to mix it up. Wake up early and make your spouse a nice breakfast, drive up to a hill and watch the sunrise. Do something you don’t usually do whether its exercise together, eat together, do the crossword puzzle in the paper together, just set aside as little as ten minutes to do something with your spouse that you generally don’t do with each other. Together time, where you’re really mentally there together, is one of the best ways to come closer and connect.

I'm so grateful for my husband who is always so thoughtful and helps lift me up and is always looking for ways to be spontaneous and show his love to me. How are some ways that you and your spouse are spontaneous and keep from getting stuck in your routine? What do you like to do together for fun?

Nifty Cleaning Tip: How to Clean Vomit

I know this isn't a very pleasant topic but nothing is worse than barf stains and smells in your carpet, car, or anywhere. Who knew that 2 inexpensive things you already had in the pantry were all you needed to clean it? I'm so grateful for simple, inexpensive solutions to life's little challenges!

What you'll need: 

Baking Soda

Vinegar (White vinegar, NOT balsamic)

A wet rag

Paper towels (or rags if you don't mind cleaning them later)

1. Clean up the area as best you can with the wet rag (blot, don't rub. Rubbing works the vomit, or anything wlse you're trying to clean into the carpet fibers. Wait until you have cleaner to do this.)

2. Sprinkle baking soda so that it completely covers the vomit

3. Sprinkle Vinegar (not too much) over the baking soda so that it foams lightly

4. Wait a while for it to dry a bit, I waited about a half hour, then absorb the extra moisture with paper towels.

5. repeat steps 2 - 4 at least once. 

6. Allow bakingsoda/vinegar to completely dry, then vacuum it up!

Now the stain AND the smell are gone! I know it works because my husband was sick in the car and even when the car gets hot it doesn't smell! You can smell vinegar for about a day afterwards but that dissipates pretty quickly. I've been told this also works with pet smells and stains in the carpet.

How to Have and Absolutely Fantabulous Marriage in 10 Easy Steps—Have a Weekly Family Night

I'm currently typing this with my hubby asleep next to me on the couch. Its hard to type with my elbows bent backwards so I don't bump his head, but totally worth it so i can sit by him while I do this. Sorry that its been so long, new jobs, plus new callings in church, plus sickness, plus going out of town = not a lot of time to blog.

This time we're talking about having a family night! In our church every Monday night is the common time to do this, but another week night works, too. The point of having it on a week night is so that your family spends time together on a day other than Saturday or Sunday when its more likely to see each other (Or so I've been told. Saturdays were always crazy at my house growing up but that's ok. :)

Family night is all about bonding and growing closer together. Its a great time to go ove everything that will happen in the coming week, set and revisit goals, hold family council, and have lessons. Activities and treats are a great edition as well. Try to let everyone be involved from the baby to the teenager. Let your children help teach the lesson or choose an activity or help make the treats. Let everyone have a job of some kind. This is a wonderful way to invite the Lord's spirit into the home as well. The way you do family night is totally up to you, but here's what a typical family night in the Blake home looks like:

First we welcome everyone (all two of us) to family night and briefly go over the agenda (Who will pray, who will give the lesson, etc). Then we sing an opening hymn and say an invocation (opening prayer.) Next we do announcements. For example, I will be going into work early on Thursday or I have a concert and this is my call time. This way we can make more plans for the week and make sure we're available for each other when needed. Then we go over goals that we've had for the past week and either resolve to continue them or come up with new goals (or maybe both!) We've had goals anywhere from doing the dishes every night to trying to find a stranger to serve doing the week. Whatever you feel your needs are and areas you can improve in, those are the goals you can set. It helps to have someone else to support and remind you of your goals rather than keeping them to yourself and forgetting or losing motivation. After that we usually have a lesson. Sometimes we talk about finances, often we talk about gospel topics and how we can apply them in our lives. When we were kids our parents often had really interactive lessons where we would act out stories from the scriptures or learn about different things like etiquette or honesty. For activities we play board games or sports or do family history and have some kind of treat. Growing up home made rice crispy treats was a big one. Cam and I like to do many variations on popcorn. Before treats we have a closing prayer and bless the food.

Activities don't have to stay at home. You could go to the park, 

go for a hike, 

watch a sporting event, 

go on a scavenger hunt,

 anything you want! 

The only requirement is to do it with the family.

Even though we spend so much time together right now we're glad that we're getting in the habit of doing this while we have time because we know it will be harder when we have kids or harder jobs or more school or anything else. It has strengthened our little family so much already and we can't wait to see how it will continue to bless us in the future. Spencer W Kimball said "Family home evening is for everyone. It is for families with parents and children, for families with just one parent, and for parents who have no children at home. It is for home evening groups of single adults and for those who live alone or with roommates. . . . Regular participation in family home evening will develop increased personal worth, family unity, love for our fellow men, and trust in our Father in heaven."

Family Home Evening isn't only about coming closer together as a family, its also about coming closer to our Father in Heaven. Families are the center of his plan, and as we do our best to strengthen our families and marriages he will bless us with more success and joy than we ever could have thought possible. I know that he loves us and that he wants us to be happy: that is why he gave us families! There is no greater joy than to be with your family forever and he has given us that opportunity. I am so grateful for that!

Here's a wonderful talk about the importance of families, and some great resources for planning your own family night including lesson ideas!

How to Have and Absolutely Fantabulous Marriage in 10 Easy Steps—Say I Love You

Love is what I would consider the center of a marriage. To quote Richard G Scott, “Pure love is an incomparable, potent power for good. Righteous love is the foundation of a successful marriage.” In the Doctrine and Covenants the LORD says, “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and cleave unto her and none else.” This is the only time in all of scripture that I can find that God commands us to love someone “with all [our] heart” other than him. I’d say that’s pretty significant. Wives, this goes for you loving your husbands, too. Marriage is not one sided.

There are so many ways to express love, so let’s start with the most basic. Saying it verbally. Saying “I love you,” is probably the easiest and most direct way of expressing your feelings to your spouse. Some people are embarrassed to say these three inoffensive but powerful words. Others don’t feel it necessary. Some withhold them because they think that their feelings are either not strong enough to qualify, or too strong for such simple words. Whatever the reason, let it go. In marriage, it’s important to say, “I love you.” One of my favorite parts about my marriage to Cameron is that we say it all the time! Sometimes I tell him multiple times a minute because I feel it, and it feels so great to have him say it back! It never loses its significance, because we always mean it. Another quote from Elder Scott: “Do you tell your wife often how very much you love her? It will bring her great happiness. I’ve heard men tell me … “Oh, she knows.” You need to tell her. A woman grows and is greatly blessed by that reassurance. Express gratitude for what your spouse does for you. Express that love and gratitude often. That will make life far richer and more pleasant and purposeful. Don’t withhold those natural expressions of love. And it works a lot better if you are holding her close while you tell her.” If I might add to Elder Scotts words of wisdom, if you’re not holding your spouse so close that it’s impossible to do this, maintain eye contact. Let your companion see in your face how much you love him or her. It makes this expression all the more meaningful. Don’t be embarrassed to say it in public, either! This can sometimes be translated, in the mind of your spouse, to embarrassment of him or her, and that hurts feelings as well as trust.

Love is more than just a feeling. It can be expressed in more ways than speech. Here’s a great quote from Stephen Covey to illustrate that: (A man is asking Covey for advice)

“My wife and I just don't have the same feelings for each other we used to have. I guess I just don't love her anymore and she doesn't love me. What can I do?"
"Love her," I replied.
"I told you, the feeling just isn't there anymore."
"Love her."
"You don't understand. The feeling of love just isn't there."
"Then love her. If the feeling isn't there, that's a good reason to love her."
"But how do you love when you don't love?"
"My friend, love is a verb. Love - the feeling - is a fruit of love, the verb. So love her. Serve her. Sacrifice. Listen to her. Empathize. Appreciate. Affirm her. Are you willing to do that?”

Love is a verb. Love your spouse. There are lots of ways to love, and I think the five from The 5 love languages by Gary Chapman are a great start. They are: Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, Service, Gifts, and Quality Time. I like to add patience and forgiveness, my LDS Marriage and Family teacher, Brother Richardson, added traditions. Those are so, so important in keeping yourself happy as well as your spouse. If you want to take the free quiz to find out your love language, as well as that of your spouse, click here. Everyone feels loved in different ways. For me, I need to hear that I am loved and have frequent physical reminders—hugs, hand holding, kisses, even a high five communicates to me that I’m appreciated. For my husband, quality time is a big one. I need to remember that I need to give him my undivided attention by putting away my cell phone, computer, sewing, homework, anything and really be there with him. Both of us have more than one "primary" language. We both need to be told that we're loved verbally, and we both really appreciate acts of service. Don’t be afraid to let your spouse know what your needs are. You may feel that he or she is not showing love to you, but they may simply be doing it in another “language” than yours.

If you start to feel like your love is starting to dim, feed it! We've found that the best food for love is service. As you serve others, you come to love them with a pure and Christ-like love that grows and grows more than you could ever imagine. Try to think of ways to help your spouse throughout the day. Put notes of encouragement in his briefcase or backpack. Do the dishes, even if it’s her turn. Be the cheerleader, the chore assistant, the listener, the best friend. Try to speak their love language. Be the person that your spouse needs, and in trying to serve them, your love will grow. Another incredibly important facet is to  let your spouse serve you.    It will help them grow in love for you, and you will appreciate them all the more! Pray for your spouse. Nothing will help you love them more than learning to see him or her the way our Heavenly Father does, because he loves each of us no matter what, and so much more than we can ever comprehend.

Don't ever forget to say "I love you." 

Here are some links to absolutely wonderful talks about marriage! 

Richard G Scott

L. Whitney Clayton