After Stake Conference last Sunday, we were supposed to have the entire stake meet up at the temple to have our picture taken. Unfortunately I was sick (still have a cough), so was unable to join in the fun. I'm sure I wasn't the only one unable to attend.
My mother-in-law said it was a neat experience.
We read the Book of Mormon together as a stake a year or so back and gave away over 5,000 copies, so this was a way to celebrate reaching our goal.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
New grand-niece!
I got to meet my new grand-niece on Sunday at our big family home evening! She's a little thing, I think my niece-in-law said she was up to eight pounds now, with big eyes and a strong set of vocal cords! ^_^ She's so cute! She's being blessed next Sunday, so we'll attend my nephew's ward and probably go to their house afterwards to mingle.
For those of you who have stumbled on my blog and are wondering about the baby blessing I mentioned, let me explain. Our religion does not practice infant baptisms. Instead, "[b]abies are given a special blessing shortly after they are born, in which their names are recorded and they are given words of blessing for their life on earth. This blessing is given by one who holds the priesthood, which in many cases is the infant’s father, or another priesthood holder close to the family. It is usually performed in sacrament meeting on the first Sunday of the month" (from www.mormon.org).
The priesthood holder is usually accompanied by other men, typically members of the family or friends, that hold the priesthood. I've heard of cases where fathers who don't hold the priesthood have held the baby in the prayer circle, but I haven't had that experience first-hand. I seem to remember reading about some mothers holding the baby in the circle, but I couldn't begin to tell you where. I wouldn't mind holding my future babies in the prayer circle when they're being blessed, but I'd probably also like having someone else hold the baby for a while. ^_^
For those of you who have stumbled on my blog and are wondering about the baby blessing I mentioned, let me explain. Our religion does not practice infant baptisms. Instead, "[b]abies are given a special blessing shortly after they are born, in which their names are recorded and they are given words of blessing for their life on earth. This blessing is given by one who holds the priesthood, which in many cases is the infant’s father, or another priesthood holder close to the family. It is usually performed in sacrament meeting on the first Sunday of the month" (from www.mormon.org).
The priesthood holder is usually accompanied by other men, typically members of the family or friends, that hold the priesthood. I've heard of cases where fathers who don't hold the priesthood have held the baby in the prayer circle, but I haven't had that experience first-hand. I seem to remember reading about some mothers holding the baby in the circle, but I couldn't begin to tell you where. I wouldn't mind holding my future babies in the prayer circle when they're being blessed, but I'd probably also like having someone else hold the baby for a while. ^_^
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Congrats Benji Schwimmer!
Benji was chosen as America's #1 Dancer on the Fox show So You Think You Can Dance last night. Great job and keep up the good work!
While on his mission to California, my oldest nephew helped to re-activate him in the church, and they still keep in touch. I learned while writing this post that there will be a tour in the fall, and the top ten finalists will be performing in venues across the country. They'll be here in St. Louis on 21 September. I wonder if my nephew could get him to come back to St. Louis and speak at a fireside before he goes off to Las Vegas... (Riiight... ^_^)
While on his mission to California, my oldest nephew helped to re-activate him in the church, and they still keep in touch. I learned while writing this post that there will be a tour in the fall, and the top ten finalists will be performing in venues across the country. They'll be here in St. Louis on 21 September. I wonder if my nephew could get him to come back to St. Louis and speak at a fireside before he goes off to Las Vegas... (Riiight... ^_^)
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Dance Hall Days Revisited
Remember that post I did recently about youth dances? Then do I have a video for you!
How many of these dance moves do you remember? Do you still know any of them?
How many of these dance moves do you remember? Do you still know any of them?
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Ancestry
The church is known for family history, tracing family lines back to decades, hundreds, even thousands of years before our birth, to discover our heritage and gain a better understanding of where we came from. We know that we are children of Heavenly Parents who love us and want us to return to them again one day. But many don't know who we are as a matter of earthly lineage.
Gma B (dad's mom) and Papa (mom's dad) were the genealogists of the family. Gma B had tons of family history from hers and Gpa B's families, and Papa had done some research into his family line as well. Papa and Nana adopted mom after she was born, and all we have on her biological families are the names of her parents. We do have some work done for her adoptive family, but I would like to know more about her biological family, especially for medical reasons. One of these days I may break down and get a subscription to Ancestry or something like that and trace her family lines.
Gma B had a lot of family history work done before she passed. From her side of the family come some French and Native American lines, among others. The Native Americans in our family are of the Kaskaskia tribe, which from what I understand originated in Wisconsin, traveled to Illinois, then eventually became a part of the Peoria tribe in Oklahoma. My 9th-great-grandmother, Aramepinchone, was daughter of a tribal chief, Mamenthouensa, and an unknown mother. She was a key element in helping members of her tribe convert to Christianity, namely Catholicism. She married a French fur trader, Michel Accault, according to her father's wishes. She initially rejected the idea and was thrown out of her father's home, because she wished that her heart only be given to God and not any mortal man. But when she realized that she could help her tribe learn from the missionaries and convert to Christianity, she consented.
My family line comes from her second marriage to Michel Phillipe, another fur trader. It has been said that she eventually married one or two other men; quite a turn around from a woman who wanted only to belong to God! But her heart was still with Him as she helped others find Christianity. When she passed to the other side, she was given the honor of being buried under her pew in the church she attended, an honor that no other woman in that time had been given.
Of all the heritage in my family, I know more about the Native American lines than any others, mainly because we have such a great tie to that line. You could probably fit all the Native American blood in my body into my pinky finger, but it is there. I love learning about the culture of the Kaskaskia, even though there's little to be found. Along with a Kaskaskia-to-French dictionary, my dad has some text, I think a book, on his computer about the Kaskaskia, but I haven't read it in a long time. I'm grateful to the Catholic church and the records they kept, so my family could know more about our Native American heritage, and so we could have their work done in the temple.
Gma B (dad's mom) and Papa (mom's dad) were the genealogists of the family. Gma B had tons of family history from hers and Gpa B's families, and Papa had done some research into his family line as well. Papa and Nana adopted mom after she was born, and all we have on her biological families are the names of her parents. We do have some work done for her adoptive family, but I would like to know more about her biological family, especially for medical reasons. One of these days I may break down and get a subscription to Ancestry or something like that and trace her family lines.
Gma B had a lot of family history work done before she passed. From her side of the family come some French and Native American lines, among others. The Native Americans in our family are of the Kaskaskia tribe, which from what I understand originated in Wisconsin, traveled to Illinois, then eventually became a part of the Peoria tribe in Oklahoma. My 9th-great-grandmother, Aramepinchone, was daughter of a tribal chief, Mamenthouensa, and an unknown mother. She was a key element in helping members of her tribe convert to Christianity, namely Catholicism. She married a French fur trader, Michel Accault, according to her father's wishes. She initially rejected the idea and was thrown out of her father's home, because she wished that her heart only be given to God and not any mortal man. But when she realized that she could help her tribe learn from the missionaries and convert to Christianity, she consented.
My family line comes from her second marriage to Michel Phillipe, another fur trader. It has been said that she eventually married one or two other men; quite a turn around from a woman who wanted only to belong to God! But her heart was still with Him as she helped others find Christianity. When she passed to the other side, she was given the honor of being buried under her pew in the church she attended, an honor that no other woman in that time had been given.
Of all the heritage in my family, I know more about the Native American lines than any others, mainly because we have such a great tie to that line. You could probably fit all the Native American blood in my body into my pinky finger, but it is there. I love learning about the culture of the Kaskaskia, even though there's little to be found. Along with a Kaskaskia-to-French dictionary, my dad has some text, I think a book, on his computer about the Kaskaskia, but I haven't read it in a long time. I'm grateful to the Catholic church and the records they kept, so my family could know more about our Native American heritage, and so we could have their work done in the temple.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Dance Hall Days
Ok, so they were cultural halls, but we still danced in them.
I have a diverse list of music on my prefered player (Musicmatch Jukebox), and just for fun, I've been listening to some 90's dance music. It struck me how many of these songs I heard as a youth at those dances (spring 1997- summer 2001). Not familiar with 90's dance music? If you've ever seen the SNL skits with the Roxbury Guys, the song heard in the background is Haddaway's "What Is Love?, a song that came out in 1993.
Whenever I think of the kind of music they played at our stake dances, that song is one of the first to pop into my mind. I also think of "Where Do You Go?" by No Mercy, "Another Night" by The Real McCoy, and especially "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex. We also listened to dance standards like "Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide)" by Marcia Griffiths and "YMCA" by The Village People. When they became popular, we also danced to the "Macarena Remix" by the Bayside Boys, and the "Cha Cha Slide" by DJ Casper.
I sometimes wonder if any of these songs are still played at the dances, and if any will endure to when my future children attend. I know we'd get a handful of disco songs that my parents listened to when they were youth, so maybe it's possible.
I have a diverse list of music on my prefered player (Musicmatch Jukebox), and just for fun, I've been listening to some 90's dance music. It struck me how many of these songs I heard as a youth at those dances (spring 1997- summer 2001). Not familiar with 90's dance music? If you've ever seen the SNL skits with the Roxbury Guys, the song heard in the background is Haddaway's "What Is Love?, a song that came out in 1993.
Whenever I think of the kind of music they played at our stake dances, that song is one of the first to pop into my mind. I also think of "Where Do You Go?" by No Mercy, "Another Night" by The Real McCoy, and especially "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex. We also listened to dance standards like "Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide)" by Marcia Griffiths and "YMCA" by The Village People. When they became popular, we also danced to the "Macarena Remix" by the Bayside Boys, and the "Cha Cha Slide" by DJ Casper.
I sometimes wonder if any of these songs are still played at the dances, and if any will endure to when my future children attend. I know we'd get a handful of disco songs that my parents listened to when they were youth, so maybe it's possible.
Friday, June 09, 2006
So I went to a wedding last weekend...
And the Spirit was so strong! It was easy to feel the love of God pouring out over the young couple, my friend Athene and her now husband, making their vows of love in front of family and friends.
But it wasn't a temple wedding, the couple aren't members of the Church, but the Spirit was all around us in the beautiful garden where the ceremony took place. I can't think of another time where I've been to a non-LDS church function and felt the power of the Holy Ghost so strong.
Athene, her sister Moueska, and their brother Tarrith lost their mother to breast cancer about five years ago, and I know for a fact that she was there. It was easy to picture her standing next to her daughter, with a smile on her face and her eyes beaming with joy, as she watched her eldest daughter marry the love of her life.
The reception was almost rained out, but with prayers by staff and guest alike, we only got a few drops. The chef and co-owner of the bed and breakfast where the wedding and reception took place told some of us later that he and a few others remembered that Jesus said (Matthew 18:20 KJV) , "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them", and prayed in His name that the rain would come again some other time. I think I would be in big trouble with my Father in Heaven if I were to say that it was pure luck, or "just a coincidence" that the rain stopped soon thereafter.
I wish Athene and her husband the best of luck and many years of a loving and prosperous marriage. I know God loves you both and will bless you!
But it wasn't a temple wedding, the couple aren't members of the Church, but the Spirit was all around us in the beautiful garden where the ceremony took place. I can't think of another time where I've been to a non-LDS church function and felt the power of the Holy Ghost so strong.
Athene, her sister Moueska, and their brother Tarrith lost their mother to breast cancer about five years ago, and I know for a fact that she was there. It was easy to picture her standing next to her daughter, with a smile on her face and her eyes beaming with joy, as she watched her eldest daughter marry the love of her life.
The reception was almost rained out, but with prayers by staff and guest alike, we only got a few drops. The chef and co-owner of the bed and breakfast where the wedding and reception took place told some of us later that he and a few others remembered that Jesus said (Matthew 18:20 KJV) , "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them", and prayed in His name that the rain would come again some other time. I think I would be in big trouble with my Father in Heaven if I were to say that it was pure luck, or "just a coincidence" that the rain stopped soon thereafter.
I wish Athene and her husband the best of luck and many years of a loving and prosperous marriage. I know God loves you both and will bless you!
Monday, May 15, 2006
Happy Woman's/Mother's Day!
First, for all us who are not yet mothers, no matter what the case, I wish us all a Happy Woman's Day!
And Happy Mother's Day to all the moms.
And Happy Mother's Day to all the moms.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Happy 176th Birthday!
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on this date one hundred and seventy-six years ago. What started out as six people in a log cabin has grown to over 12 milion members. Here's to many more years!
Sister T
Sister T
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Polygamy Loves Company
I've been hearing a lot about the new TV show coming to HBO tonight. If you haven't, let me bring you up to speed.
Big Love is a show about a man in Salt Lake City with three wives and seven kids. Each wife has their own home and he has enough money to provide for all three families. Bill Paxton plays husband of wives Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin, respectively.
The Church has come out with a statement about the show with three points: concern for abuse victims, confusion over the continued practice of polygamy, and concern over the moral standards of television entertainment. More can be found at the Church's website.
If I had HBO, I'd be able to go into more detail about the show and what's going on in the lives of the characters. We have cable, but I wouldn't want to add the channel just to see what the show's about. I don't watch a whole lot of TV, maybe an hour a day, if at all. It'd be interesting to see just how the show plays out, but for now I'll have to hear about it by word of mouth.
Big Love is a show about a man in Salt Lake City with three wives and seven kids. Each wife has their own home and he has enough money to provide for all three families. Bill Paxton plays husband of wives Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin, respectively.
The Church has come out with a statement about the show with three points: concern for abuse victims, confusion over the continued practice of polygamy, and concern over the moral standards of television entertainment. More can be found at the Church's website.
If I had HBO, I'd be able to go into more detail about the show and what's going on in the lives of the characters. We have cable, but I wouldn't want to add the channel just to see what the show's about. I don't watch a whole lot of TV, maybe an hour a day, if at all. It'd be interesting to see just how the show plays out, but for now I'll have to hear about it by word of mouth.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Looking for modesty?
I must admit, I wore some unmodest tops as a youth. In the eyes of the world, they were more modest than most, but it was pushing the envelope otherwise. I had a spaghetti-strap tank I bought on a band trip, but I only wore it a handful of times. I had a big bust, and the tops I wore tended to accentuate the fact that I was well endowed. The majority of them were pretty tight, and a few of them had some low necklines (or both). I haven't changed much physically since then, so I've been able to wear some of them as a married woman.
Well, being an LDS woman married in the temple brought on a major change. I had to be careful with the tops I wore, or else I'd end up annoncing my religion to half the free world. For the past two summers, I'd wear a jacket whenever I went places to avoid doing just that (even upstairs when I was with my in-laws; downstairs with hubby was a different story`_^). But this summer, I'd like to do something different, and I'm doing it a bit at a time.
I was fortunate enough last year to find a tee shirt (Arizona Jean) that had a higher neckline and stretched past my hips. I loved the freedom to move and not have to worry about making anybody blush. Last month, I decided to take advantage of a gift card to JC Penney I got for Christmas (thanks Lar!) and went in search of a couple cute tops. I found two tees from the same company, one white and one taupe, and brought them home to try on (I was headed for work after my shopping trip and needed to get there on time). Well, they covered very well, but were quite translucent. My hubby didn't mind, but being able to see underneath it was kinda counterproductive, so I decided to just use them as undershirts, and they work very well.
I was curious last night, so went in search of websites that sold modest tops. I actually found a Modest Clothing Directory that had lists of websites that sold exactly what I was searching for (the site quipped that we, the Latter-day Saints, "have the monopoly on this market" and have "everything in white", refering to modest wedding and prom dresses). But we're not the only ones who want to dress modestly and, in most cases, stylishly. There are also links for the Islamic, Jewish, Catholic, Simply Dressed Christian, and Plain communities.
Check the page and click the links. If you've bought from any of these sights before, let me know! Depending on the availability in my area of the country to find these kind of tops, I may end up buying online. We'll see...
Enjoy!
Well, being an LDS woman married in the temple brought on a major change. I had to be careful with the tops I wore, or else I'd end up annoncing my religion to half the free world. For the past two summers, I'd wear a jacket whenever I went places to avoid doing just that (even upstairs when I was with my in-laws; downstairs with hubby was a different story`_^). But this summer, I'd like to do something different, and I'm doing it a bit at a time.
I was fortunate enough last year to find a tee shirt (Arizona Jean) that had a higher neckline and stretched past my hips. I loved the freedom to move and not have to worry about making anybody blush. Last month, I decided to take advantage of a gift card to JC Penney I got for Christmas (thanks Lar!) and went in search of a couple cute tops. I found two tees from the same company, one white and one taupe, and brought them home to try on (I was headed for work after my shopping trip and needed to get there on time). Well, they covered very well, but were quite translucent. My hubby didn't mind, but being able to see underneath it was kinda counterproductive, so I decided to just use them as undershirts, and they work very well.
I was curious last night, so went in search of websites that sold modest tops. I actually found a Modest Clothing Directory that had lists of websites that sold exactly what I was searching for (the site quipped that we, the Latter-day Saints, "have the monopoly on this market" and have "everything in white", refering to modest wedding and prom dresses). But we're not the only ones who want to dress modestly and, in most cases, stylishly. There are also links for the Islamic, Jewish, Catholic, Simply Dressed Christian, and Plain communities.
Check the page and click the links. If you've bought from any of these sights before, let me know! Depending on the availability in my area of the country to find these kind of tops, I may end up buying online. We'll see...
Enjoy!
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