mom_of_jcchlsm

I've always liked the 5-point harnesses best, too. I do not like the carseats that do double duty (rear-facing infant and then forward-facing toddler) simply because the needs for each are so different, they tend to make compromises in design to accomodate both. I'd recommend you plan to make the investment to buy two carseats - one now and one later. Also, the car/truck/van/SUV you're putting it into makes a difference. If possible, borrow a few different kinds from friends with kids to see how they fit/latch in place in your vehicle in the place you expect to use the carseat. The angle of the seat back, the distance between the buckles, how deep the depression for the passenger's behind is - they all affect how the car seat rides. Newer vehicles will have the built in latches, which will help. You might find the following helpful: http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/art...81/article.html Good luck!

Hi, all. I'm sick and five of my seven kids are sick and my husband is out of town for work and life is bad right now. My Visiting Teachers are ANGELS! Would appreciate your prayers. Bye until I get life under control again. Miss you!

I'll take all the black jelly beans - I like 'em! I like the lindt lindor truffles best. And toblerone - white or milk chocolate, but not the dark. We ended up with some kind of really nasty twizzlers easter candy. our kids usually like twizzlers, but these were pastel colors and they tasted awful and were the wrong kind of chewy.

huge topic! And I won't likely have time to respond to it until Wednesday (kids home tomorrow from school = busy day and then Tuesday is also a very busy day for me -- I can only just check in here and post a bit, but not as fully as I'd like to respond to this one!) I appreciate your questions and the way you frame them. Sometimes we get bashers or anti-Mormons on this forum who pretend to be seekers or curious, but who really just want to argue and stir things up. You seem genuine and nice. Thanks! I'll be posting longer later in the week and have time to read others' posts as well. Welcome to LDSTalk!

while any person can log on and see which ward a particular house falls in, local LDS real estate agents can tell you much more about wards and stakes. I really appreciated doing business with an LDS agent when we moved here last summer, and we plan to use her services again when we move (locally) again this summer or fall [we ended up needing to lease a place because school was about to start and we needed to get the kids down here and also our old house wasn't selling and wasn't selling ...]. a lot of LDS agents also specialize in homes designed for or adapted to fit large families (our certainly quallifies there!).

Ben and others, What is the best thing a wife can do to help her husband fulfill his calling as a Home Teacher? Should I mention it early in the month? What doesn't sound like a nag? Is "Have you contacted any of your families yet this month?" OK? Should I say "Looking at the calendar, I only see three days left this month that you might be free to go Home Teaching. Better set your appointments and put them on the family calendar before those days get filled up!" (in our family, three available days left could happen as early as the 10th of the month! Our calendar is FULL!) Should I offer to bake something for him to take with him? Should I print out the message and set it on his nightstand? Should I mention it when I have all my Visiting Teaching done for the month and how good it feels to serve? Should I just stand back and let him fail, month after month and year after year, keeping my mouth shut hoping he'll get it right at some point and then I can praise him? Do I praise every attempt or only complete months? Ben, you mentioned your son going with you. Does that start at age 14? My son just turned 12. My husband is a HP and currently does not have a companion assigned (he teaches other HP families, but no single sisters).

Corporations do care! They care in two ways: 1) They care about making a profit. If the customers want an organic/polutant-free/renewable/made-without-child-labor product, and are willing to pay whatever it costs to produce same, then that's what will be produced. 2)Many companies are headed by individuals who personally care about these issues and lead their industry into enviro-friendly paths. But to require all to bow to the concern of some is silly. And removing responsibility from individuals insulates them from the decision-making process. The best way to effect such change is through educating consumers and allowing them to exert their own pressure. When an idea is "owned" it is lived much more completely than when it is imposed. This is in part because imposed ideas are not always understood and an individual may (because required to do so) save energy with their left hand while the right hand is running the a/c with the windows open (or whatever). There's also an element of rebellion when an idea is imposed: some will go out of their way to resist authority just for the sake of resistance.

Oh! I have seen that! It is really cute. I have no idea how to create a link, or I'd try. I got it in an e-mail recently.

Can't argue with that... Well, but I do argue with that! The problem is the "regulations" part. I am completely in favor of individuals taking whatever steps they wish to this end and I am in favor of individual-driven economic pressure to clean up, not pollute, etc. BUT it's like raking my skin with a carpet tack strip to say that government should impose regulations (or even apply economic pressure via incentives or fines). Individuals must make the choice for themselves and not have it thrust upon them.

I dunno - they talk about the 7-year itch, and I have to say the 7th year was the hardest for me and my husband. And a lot of divorces come after the kids leave home. Some, I suppose are divorces that were decided upon years before, but put off until the kids were raised, but others fall at that time because couples suddenly discover that without the kids at home, there is nothing to talk about, no common ground. We're going on 17 years now.

yeah, I missed it too . . . 'cause I'm a girl. I always ask my husband afterwards and I swear it's like he must sleep through the whole thing - he never has much to say except "it was a good session" and "there were some great speakers" - well, DUH! Guess I'll read it in the Ensign later, or buy the DVD when it's available in a few weeks. Thanks for the highlights. So this year my son got to go for the first time. Yea! He wasn't thrilled about getting dressed up in his Sunday clothes after lounging around in PJ's all day watching conference at home. But I think he enjoyed the privilege of being one of the MEN instead of being a BOY. And I know he liked stopping at Dairy Queen afterwards! And as an added bonus, my oldest daughter's boyfriend went with my husband and son, too, since his Mom just got out of the hospital and his Dad wasn't going. He came over and had dinner with us between the afternoon sesion and Prsthd, then went to conference, then my husband took him home. He's a good kid, but I think he was trying pretty hard to impress. Must have been a bit awkward for him.

I like books neat and clean. When, as a new convert, I heard from so many people the benefits of marking scriptures, I was hesitant to try it. I wanted a comprehensive system that was neat and orderly and would still leave my scriptures looking clean, not cluttered. Over the years, I've discovered that what works for one person doesn't always work for another. However, I like having some things marked. I replace my scriptures when they start to feel too cluttered to me. I keep the old ones - sometimes I just know a certain thing is marked or explained in a margin and I want to look it up - but it would drive me crazy to have all that information blaring at me every time I read. I also feel I see new things better when I'm not distracted by previous markings. As a side note, when I decided to start going to various churches as a young adult, I grabbed a bible off the bookcase in our living room. It had been my Dad's when he was a teenager and going to the Episcopalian church. His had several markings in them, but just lightly in pencil here and there.

military pay (an off-shoot topic here): when I was serving nearly 10 years ago as a Staff Sergeant in the USAF, our family qualified for the WIC program as well as free meals for the kids at school because our income was so low, even though I did get some bonus pay for my specialty. US servicemembers are paid very little compared to their civilian counterparts in most career fields (but they do get their education/training paid for). In my field, people were jumping left and right to switch to civilian DoD jobs - doing the same job, but with a permanent duty station instead of moving every 3 years, and the pay started about 3 times what we were making. And when I say exact same job, I mean where I was serving, I sat in a 4-man cubicle and I was the only servicemember - the others were civilians (two prior military) and we did exactly the same job . . . except I had to get up and drill on Saturday mornings once in a while and make a timed run and do sit-ups, and submit to urine tests and and and. I knew a girl who didn't even change desks when she transitioned - just left Friday wearing a uniform and came back in on Monday in a skirt and blouse.

I LOVE that show! My favorites: artificially inseminating pigs and processing fish . . . although dog groomer was a good show too.

Wow. In our last Stake, the FHC had a strict "no children" policy. I've only been to the FHC here 3 or 4 times, but I've never seen a child there. I always get a sitter or go when my husband is home witht he kids. I do take my older kids there, but only to work. Each of my teens has gone with me to reseach names for their first Temple trip.

love the plainbook! thank you!

I'm disappointed in you guys. Why assume it's a troll? Just answer the question -- briefly, if you're concerned about sowing seeds by the wayside or in stoney places (today's Sunday School lesson - wink). Let the conversation develop and get to know the newbie before you judge. You can always throw the troll line and ignore poster if it becomes a problem, but I see nothing particularly trollish in the original post. Skeptic, I'll answer a modified form of your question (cause it's easier and I'm a little lazy). What do I think a Christian is? (and as a bonus, I'll tell you why I fit the description!) I believe a Christian is a person who recognizes Jesus Christ as the Son of God (not just a good man or a prophet, and certainly not a legendary figure or mythological figure). A Christian believes at least some form of the Bible, both old and new testaments (I accept both the literal and figurative interpreters here, as well as believers of apocrypha and non-standard versions of the text). A Christian knows that all men are sinners and that no matter what good deeds they perform and no matter what commandments they keep, they still fall short of being clean or fit for God's rewarding afterlife (again, there are several interpretations here - "heaven" or "kingdom" or other names) unless assisted by Jesus Christ. A Christian recognizes that Jesus Christ is the only way that his sins can be totally forgiven (though there are variations here, too - faith alone, grace, baptism, etc.). That's about it. I guess my definition is pretty broad. I even believe a person can be a Christian and yet reject Christ's atonement - just because you believe in something doesn't mean you have to use it. Now, I do not believe that just anyone meeting these very loose standards is right enough to merit what I believe to be Heavenly Father's goals and desires for us are. Just meeting my definition of Christian is not enough to pass go and earn your $200. I am a Christian because I know that Jesus is the Son of God. He was born of Mary, a human being, and she was the literal mother of Jesus. Jesus' father is Heavenly Father. He was no ordinary man, but rather a begotten Son of the Father. Jesus knew who He was, and was able to do all that He did while in this life because of His divinity. I believe the Bible to be a reasonably accurate record of Heavenly Father's dealings with mankind, especially with the house of Israel. Many parts of it were divinely inspired and recorded by prophets. I accept other writings as also divinely inspired, and believe there will yet come to light many other records of the Lord's dealings with His people. I believe that by our nature, we are sinful beings. We are not born already tainted, but as we grow up and make choices, all people fail to remain sinless. Selfishness, greed, sloth, lust, and other sins are so natural to us, that we all fall short of perfection. In order to be forgiven for our sins, we must repent. Repentance involves first of all, the recognition that we have sinned and an understanding of the principle or commandment we have violated. Next, we must ask forgiveness from God and specifically ask Jesus Christ's atonement to cover our sin. If possible, we must make restitution - this may include paying for something we have stolen or publicly admitting that a rumor we started was not true. We must also desire and honestly attempt to never commit that sin again, for as long as we live. I believe that Heavenly Father's ideals for us include a successful navigation of this earth life and that the natural reward for the learning, growth, and self-mastery we gain in this life is greater responsibility in the hereafter. We traverse this mortal existence in order to gain an education as well as to be tested. The test is really just to see if we will recognize the truth of the gospel and choose to apply it in our lives. So, Skeptic, are you a Christian by my definition? How does your definition differ from mine? Would I pass as a Christian by your definition?

we always called that an "air bath." works amazingly well. Depending on the baby's age, you can also give him yogurt to eat, which will help keep yeast in check naturally. good luck. hope the rash is gone in a flash.

The thing that always gets me is this: if God intended Adam and Eve to live in the garden of Eden eternally, why in the world did He even put the tree there? You know - if he designed the perfect garden for them, why would He put in a dangerous element and then point it out to them? Even without Satan to tempt them, that's a little like putting a toddler in a room with a can of spray paint and saying "you can play in here all you want, but don't push the button on top of this here can - no, no, something bad will happen." and then walking out of the room to see how long it will take for the toddler to get curious.

Don't remember where I heard (read?) this, but it was a statistic that the average person who joins the Church has had three to four positive contacts with Church members before taking the Missionary discuassions. Those early contacts are neighbors, friends at school or co-workers, etc. who share their testimony either directly or through example. They are instrumental in conversion, even if the contact was long ago and is no longer a part of the convert's life. Your wife's friend may not be at a point in her life right now when she is ready to consider the Gospel seriously, but in five years? or ten? Who knows? Perhaps in the future, she will let the missionaries in, simply because she has had a good experience with a few "Mormons" here and there over the course of her life, and your wife's contribution to that will fulfill her missionary desires. Also, a friend is a friend, with or without conversion. It would look really bad if your wife were to drop this friend like a hot potato because she has rejected the Church at this time in her life. It may create a negative-impression-for-life about the Church. I realize it may be difficult to maintain the friendship, especially at a distance, and it may even be a little embarassing or awkward after her hard-care missionary approach, but a consistent friend is a valuable thing. And as long as they are friends, and the other person knows your wife is LDS, whenever a question about the Church comes up, it will be natural to ask an LDS friend, rather than to seek outside info.

I'd say: research both lines and do Temple work for all of them, as much as you can. The Temple will allow you to submit work if you can show a relationship to the parson - she certainly has as much relationship via blood as she does by being raised by the other "dad." By doing the work for both lines, she may greatly help other distant relatives who want/need that info but don't have as ready access to it. It can never hurt to reserach and submit the lineage to family search. Here's another stumper. It's my screwed up family. My great great grandfather's oldest and youngest sons were 16 years apart. The older son married a widdow with two children. When his stepdaughter was 14, he got her pregnant. His youngest brother married the pregnant girl and raised the child as his own. That child was my grandfather. So I haven't decided yet how to seal this family. Should my grandfather be sealed to the Dad who raised him or to his biological father? Either way, the next generation up is the same, since they were brothers.

I don't know what the LDS population distibution is in your area, but it might help to look at it this way: If LDS represent about 2% of the general population in your area but 30% of the Family History Library users, then LDS are actualy using the service 21 times more than their non-LDS counterparts. (that's (30/2)/(70/98) - hope I did my math right).

Our Book Group read Alice in Wonderland for March (had that meeting last week - it was great! The hostess had a tea party set up for us with homemade cherry tarts and little bottles of KoolAid that said "drink me"). For April we are supposed to read Fire of the Covenant, which isn't really my kind of book, but I'll see if I can borrow it from someone. I'm not going to buy it and I already checked the library here - no dice.

Well, that's all well and good, but the saving ordinances are required, and must be performed in mortality, either by the person or by proxy. What? You plan to outlive your child and then do his/her ordinances in the temple? If the child is not raised making and keeping the Lord's covenants, s/he is very unlikely to leave posterity that will. And I assume you and your wife are not sealed. Is it OK with you to spend this whole earth life perfecting a marriage which ends with death? To not have your children sealed to you? Ever? I think maybe you should encourage your wife to take the missionary discussions. And if she doesn't convert, ask her to take them again in five years. And keep at it. Since you are already on this road, and you don't want to turn back (divorce and remarry within your faith), you need to make every effort to make this marriage count and to have your children raised with your beliefs. Of course, her friends at church and her family are trying to tell her the same thing. So you have to somehow make compromises. Like maybe: we'll go to my Church and you can pick the names of the children, where we live, all our pets and their names, and what I'm supposed to wear every day for the rest of my life. (joking there, but I don't really see anything worth choosing in life that has equal value as your faith.)

Just got back from the Temple - took my son for the first time this morning. We had a stack of family names -- no Temple welfare for us! I guess this just is not the place I go to discuss genealogy. Workin' on it all the time, though . . .