Health Benefits of Natural Yeast

Guest blog by Caleb Warnock, author of The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast: Breads, Pancakes, Waffles, Cinnamon Rolls and Muffins and the national bestseller Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers.

© 2012 Caleb Warnock. The contents of this blog post are not in the public domain and may
 not be used without the express written permission of the author.

Few people realize that the yeast in grocery stores is not a naturally-occurring substance. Laboratory created in 1984, the yeast sold today is so foreign to our digestive systems that some people develop allergies to the yeast itself. This quick-rising yeast appears increasingly connected to the nutritional and digestive disorders that plague so many. Natural yeast flattens the glycemic index, takes away heartburn and acid reflux forever, helps prevent or reverse gluten intolerance and, in some cases, full-blown Celiac’s disease, turns natural phytic acid into an anti-oxidant, controls allergies, and turns flour into a yeast that is both pre-biotic and pro-biotic.

Beyond health benefits, natural yeast is simple to use, costs nothing, tastes wonderful, completely cuts out the need to buy commercial yeast, and drastically reduces the need for baking powder and baking soda. You can easily use it not only to make bread, but also waffles, pancakes, breadsticks, pizza dough, scones, rolls, and even old-fashioned root beer.

Yeast is a single-celled fungus, and the first domesticated living creature in history. Modern science has identified more than 1,000 different varieties of wild yeast. These organisms are so small that hundreds of millions, if not billions, fit into a single teaspoon.

Wild yeast is everywhere -- in the air you breathe, on the bark of trees, on leaves. Ever seen the white film on backyard grapes? That’s wild yeast. The same film can be found of juniper berries. For centuries, both berries have been used as natural “start” for bread yeast.

But not all yeast varieties are the same. For example, the kind of yeast used to make beer is not the
 same kind of yeast used to make bread. Different natural yeasts have different flavors -- some are strongly sour, some are mildly sour, and some are not sour at all. Natural yeast is sometimes mistakenly referred to as sourdough, but with the right strain of yeast, it doesn’t have to be sour unless that is the flavor you prefer. Some natural yeasts are better are raising bread than others. This is why the best strains of natural yeast has been passed down through generations and communities. Hundreds of people around the nation have gotten free, non-sour natural yeast starts from me.
Until the 19th century, homemade yeast was the only kind there was. In 1857 Louis Pasteur discovered that living organisms -- yeasts -- were responsible for fermentation. Yeast was already an important business, even though no one had understood how it worked. The production of commercial yeast began in France in the 1850s. In the U.S., compressed yeast cakes were introduced to the nation at Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition in 1876 , which drew 10 million visitors. When America entered World War II, yeast companies developed dry yeast for the military which did not require refrigeration. And then in 1984, rapid-rising yeast was invented in U.S. laboratories.

Today that yeast has all but replaced natural yeast. But not everyone is convinced that the convenience of super-fast yeast outweighs the health benefits of the slow rising process of natural yeast.

A word of caution. If you type “sourdough starter” into Google, you will get hundreds of recipes for starting “sourdough” from commercial yeast. But very little grocery store yeast is now true natural yeast. The best way to get real natural yeast is from someone using a documented strain. The author, Caleb Warnock, mails flakes of natural “sweet” yeast to anyone who requests them at no charge, along with instructions for growing out the yeast. And once you have a start of natural yeast, you can have it for the rest of your life. You can dry it, freeze it, keep it in the fridge, or grow it on your kitchen counter. To get a start of the author’s documented 200-year-old strain of natural yeast, send an email to calebwarnock.yahoo.com.

Here is the link to my blog, and you can click on the cover of the new cookbook to look inside the book. Not to press my luck, but if you order two copies, the shipping is FREE!

Thank you Caleb.  I own the first book...(and reviewed it here) and have the second one on order.  I also have one of his starters that I look forward to using as soon as my book comes in the mail.  :) 

Cheers

Summer Camp - Ice Excavation

About 10 years ago I met Amber.  She and her hubby Evan lived below us when they were first married.  We used to joke that living under us was effective birth control!  Fast forward a few years and Amber has become a good friend to me.  When I asked her if she wanted to do a post for me she was excited (I know you must have been Amber!) and knew just what she wanted to do with her kids. 

I first found this idea on pinterest and I knew my kids would love it!! I was right, they loved it and wanted to do more but I had only made two. Next time I will have to make more!! This is such an easy to prepare activity that will give your kids a lot of enjoyment.

Step 1: Gather small plastic toys. I used animals and bugs.

Step 2: Get a container to put your toys and water in. I used an ice cream container that was going in my recycling anyways. I was glad I used this because I just ripped it apart to get my ice chunk out. You can really use any container, like a small bowl, muffin tins, an ice cube tray or a Tupperware container.

Step 3: Place your animals in the container and pour the water over the toys. If you use a lot of water your kids will be able enjoy this project for a long time because it will take them awhile to get the toys out. If they are smaller and have a shorter attention span, pour a small amount of water over the toys so they can get the toys faster!!

Step 4:  Place your containers in the freezer until the water is completely frozen.

Step 5: Remove your containers from the freezer and let sit for about 5 minutes. Remove your ice block.

Step 6: I put all the supplies they would need to excavate their animals on a cookie sheet and carried it outside. They were so excited.

At first we started with the plastic hammers but they weren’t getting the job done fast enough. I had to bring out the real hammers. My kids especially loved that!!

The cookie trays got in the way so we ended up putting the ice on the grass or on the cement.

Clean up was easy. The ice melted on its own and I just gave the toys and tools a quick rinse in the sink. I totally recommend this activity. My kids loved it and ask me everyday if we can do it again. Have fun!!

I am sorry, I just can't get over the cuteness of her son in his little hat!  He is in my nursery and is such a hoot!  Amber has more recipes and ideas on her blog here. 

Cheers

Summer Camp - Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere

I can't have a guest post series without having my sister come visit!  Once upon a time I graduated and left my little sister behind.  She was only 6 so I was not really very sad.  :)  Fast forward MANY a few years and she is one of my very best friends.  She has some adorable little girls that I love so very much and wish I lived closer to.  (Seonaid, I wish you lived closer too...but your girls are so very cute!)  When I was thinking of someone who had some really little ones at home, I naturally thought of her.

My post is a how-to on how to make your own bubble blowers out of straws. My sister gave me the idea which was super fun and literally took minutes to prepare. I started with some straws that I had around the house and a little bit of scotch tape.

Next I just stuffed one end of a straw into the end of another straw and just taped the seam. I made them three long cause two is just boring and four seemed a little excessive and bent around too much.I definitely enjoyed this

Then we all ventured outside. As you can tell from my pathetic pictures it was really tricky to get a picture of the bubbles. Especially since I'm the only one that can blow bubbles and I was the one taking the pictures.

The bubbles worked really well though and it was fun for everyone involved. Here are just a couple more pictures I had to include just cause my kids are cute :-)

I always enjoy doing activities with bubbles, so this was super fun! Besides, it is really hard for kids to make a big mess with bubbles. This is definitely something I would do again.

Seonaid doesn't blog often, and her blog is a work blog, so I am not linking.  BUT if you leave comments on here for her I will make sure she gets them!

Cheers

Summer Camp - Using Your Noodle

When I first started discovering this wonderful new world of blogging a few years ago, the very first blog I ever started reading on a regular basis was Montserrat's.  Even now, over 4 years later, I still make time to read her blog as one of my "must read's".  Lucky for me, she has also become a dear friend.  She has wonderful ideas, a huge heart and is just one of the very nicest people you could ever "meet" in bloggy land. 

While waiting an exorbitantly long time at the orthodontist I browsed through a Family Fun Magazine and came upon a summer idea I KNEW my kids would love to do. See we live out in the middle of nowhere.



Yup, that's our farm surrounded by mountains and desert and sand dunes. The only chance my kids get to actually swim is if we drive 40 minutes to town or if their dad fills up our "redneck" swim tank. Recalling the article in the Family Fun Magazine we decided to use our pool noodles for something else.



Gather together six skinny pool noodles, two thick pool noodles {not pictured}, six toilet paper rolls cut from top to bottom, duct tape, and two 1/2 inch thick dowels {not pictured.



Take a toilet paper tube and roll it into a smaller, tighter tube. Stick half into the end of a noodle, bend the noodle into a circle and stick the other end over the toilet paper tube.



Tape closed with duct tape {it comes is so many fun colors and patterns now!}. Do this to all six smaller noodles.



Lay the six circles and two thick pool noodles out as pictured. Tape circles together where they touch and then to the end noodles.



As is it can be placed on the ground for part of an obstacle course.



Or tap the dowels into the ground and place the end noodles over it. Let 'em have at it trying to throw noodles or balls into the rings.



Think outside the box, use your noodle!

Super fun!  I am going to go get some noodles right now from the dollar store!  If you haven't read Montserrat's blog, go check it out.  You will be glad you did.

Cheers

Summer Camp - Simple Joys of Summer

A few years ago I got to exchange emails with a lovely woman.  Then this year I actually got to meet her!  Yahoo!  She has become a dear friend and I enjoy our association so very much.  Shauna is a homeschooling momma in BC.  With three young children to keep busy she was a natural for my series!

As I was thinking about this post, I was feeling quite overwhelmed with all the great ideas there are in Blogland and Pinterest for engaging and entertaining children through the summer. My mind was boggled. How do I find something unique that Jaime doesn't already have on her awesome list of summer activities that I got a sneak peek at in April? How do I pick just one? What will happen if I can't stop once I start on that path to finding the perfect project to feature? ( I can be a little crazy sometimes...)

Then, as I started looking back through our photos from last summer, I realized that often it is the simple things we do in the summer that are going to be the memories that my children carry through their adult lives. Sure, I remember the big trips we made to California and Wyoming but they don't cast a shadow over the memories I have of camping in the rain every summer or hanging out in the backyard with my siblings. So, instead of a post telling you how to do one of the amazing things I found online or of an amazing place you can visit, I reworked one of my favourite Primary songs to showcase some of the fun (and mostly free) things we did together last summer as a family. Do with it what you will...maybe it will inspire you to have some fun adventures with your kids or maybe it won't. However, it reminded me that sometimes the joy of summer is found in simplicity...it isn't about always jetting off to exotic locations or doing the amazing projects that I find online. Sometimes, the best thing about summer is just being together in a simple moment!

Shauna blogs a private blog, but her school blog is filled with wonderful ideas.  Check it out for more of her positive outlook and ideas.

Cheers

Summer Camp - Tie Wind Socks

Mandy has been a good friend of mine for quite a few years now, since we lived in the same ward at one time, and does some pretty crafty things with her kids.  She also is super creative in sewing.  I have had a lot of fun with her and admire her creativity.  She agreed to guest post for me and I am grateful for that...look at the super fun idea she came up with!

The girls and I decided to make these fun tie wind socks again. We had made one a few years ago, it has long since been blown to pieces, but I have a box of ties left over from that project that have been waiting to be used for something wonderful. So why not recreate the original something wonderful?

So this is what you need; sour cream container, old ties, glue gun, fishing line, scissors, knife, a heavy big needle and pliers.

We actually didn't end up using the stapler this time, we just used the glue gun.

First you cut the bottom off of your container with a knife. 

Cut each tie in half .

Now glue the cut side on the inside of the container and then fold it over to the outside and glue it down. Don't be afraid to use LOTS of glue, especially if you live in a windy area like we do. If you are ambitious you can finish the edges of the cut tie with a sewing machine, or do like we did and just use more glue gun glue to hold it all together.

We alternated between the fat end of the tie and the skinny end. When that was all done, we glued the skinny end of the tie all the way around to give it a finished look.

The next step is to thread the fishing line through the needle and using the pliers push it through the top part of the wind sock to make the hanger.

Now go hang it up and let the wind blow...or go jump on the trampoline with it.

Thanks again Mandy!  Check out Mandy's blog for more fun ideas, recipes and thoughts.

Cheers

Family in Society

The family is a topic near and dear to my heart, and the Family Proclamation is inspired from beginning to end.  I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this celebration and so today I get to write a few of my thoughts on the following portion of the Proclamation: 

“We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets. We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”

What a powerful declaration of doctrine!  I love the clarity of these words for our day and time.  I am going to tackle this sentence by sentence.  The first line speaks well to the world, but how can it be applied in our own lives?  The faithful LDS family may not be struggling with issues of chastity or abuse, though there are some who do.  However all of us need to be aware of the last portion of this line and how broad an area it encompasses:

“Individuals who… fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.” 

Just what is covered under the heading of family responsibilities?  The Proclamation’s previous paragraphs are a wonderful overview of these responsibilities, and I encourage you to read them.  We are to put regular maintenance into our relationship as a couple, our relationship with each child, and as a family unit.  We are to provide for physical and spiritual needs, to teach our children.  Depending upon the season of life you find yourself in, one of these areas may be harder than another.  A personal example in my own life is finding the balance between building my relationship with my spouse while we have all these young children to care for.  We’re currently expecting our 7^th blessing in 10 years – there have been babies and toddlers aplenty in our house and we have had to get creative to make time to strengthen our marriage.  When date nights out of the house have been unlikely to happen we’ve done things like put the children to bed early and have a date night at home with games, a movie, or special food.  It’s not easy to balance things, but with prayer and a continual evaluation we are able to make course corrections as needed. 

The second sentence in my portion of the Proclamation says: “Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”  This warning is a wonderful reminder to search the scriptures and the words of the prophets of our day!  What calamities have been foretold for individuals, communities, or entire nations if we do not protect and strengthen our family?  Disintegration of the family unit can begin in a very small way.  What is this start of the decline in a family unit?  Very often it is allowing the good or better to take up all our time, leaving no room for the best, most essential things.

Satan is just as happy when we fail to make time for Family Home Evening as he would be if we were to commit some major sin of immorality. 

Being Peas in a Pod

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed."

When I read this paragraph two things stuck out to me.  First, the word preside and second, the term equal partners.

I believe the word preside is often misunderstood.  Some may think it suggests to rule but that is not the case at all.  To preside is simply a means of keeping things in order.  Some ways that my husband presides in our home and in our family are by calling us together for family prayer or scripture study or by leading discussions in family councils.  While we still make decisions as a couple or as a family, we all look to him to lead us or to organize the implementation of our decisions.  Men, or women, who believe the priesthood gives husbands and fathers the authority to exercise unrighteous dominion over their wives and children are seriously mistaken and should study D&C 121:34-46.

The distinction between preside and rule leads into the second term - equal partners.  By recognizing that my husband presides over our family does not make me, the wife, dependent on my husband.  But, I am also not independent of him either.  Elder Bruce C. Hafen says the gospel teaches that husbands and wives are interdependent with each other.

TOGETHER IS THE BEST PLACE TO BE

How do we become equal partners in our relationships and still find balance with our responsibilities to our homes, children, church callings, extended family and friends?

The first step, I believe, is to be best friends with your spouse.  Everything that follows is made so much easier when your spouse is your biggest fan, your personal cheering section.  Be your spouse's secret keeper, dream believer.  One mistake I think a lot of women, and men, make is using their friends as their confidants instead of their spouses.

A Good Way of Looking

“Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Our first week of school, I took my children out to a slough behind our house for a little nature study session. We were having a lovely time listening to the breeze as it floated through all the weeds around the slough. We dipped in a bucket and drew out a sample of brownish water to look at. We sat down to draw what we saw around us. Suddenly, my daughter pointed out a deer that had walked into the field about 50 yards from where we were. The buck noticed us about the same time and he stopped his walk and stared at us. My first thought was “How wonderful! This will be a perfect nature study class - we can observe him walking through the field.” My second thought was “Get out of here!” This was no peaceful, gentle deer; in fact, he was downright aggressive. He turned and trotted right toward us as we were sitting on the ground. We quickly gathered our stuff and as he continued toward us, I told him to shoo. He grunted back at me and darted toward us again. I finally told the kids to run and stayed between him and my kids as they made their way (screaming no less) to the safety of the fence. Thankfully, he turned and wandered away as soon as it was apparent that we were all heading into our yard. It took several minutes for us to stop shaking and I was extremely grateful that I didn’t have to sacrifice myself to an angry buck’s hoof in order to protect my children.

Later that evening, the missionaries stopped by. They asked how our day had been and I told them about the angry buck. They laughed through their disbelief at his behavior. Usually the deer around here are aggressive around dogs and such but we were sitting quietly and didn’t seem at all (in my opinion) to be a threat to him. I joked that maybe it was a blessing in disguise. Maybe the next animal coming though our field would have been a hungry cougar and the Lord wanted us in the house. One of the Elders commented “That’s a good way of looking at it, I guess.”

I stopped to think about that phrase…”a good way of looking at it.” It’s so true - we always have a choice about how we see something in our lives. I thought about a few of the other things that have been going on in our house & family lately and thought maybe I should see if we are choosing the “good way of looking at it” instead of getting caught up in the stress, frustration and the “bad way of looking at it.”

It was exactly a week before our much anticipated summer vacation and we hit a deer causing enough damage to our van that we wouldn’t be able to take it to Vancouver Island. (It’s been a rotten summer for deer and our family!) We were all okay and the first thing we did to calm the children was pray together on the side of the road. We got home and started assessing the damage and the vacation plans. We came to a crossroad in our decision about how to react. The first impulse was to be angry and bitter that our vacation was going to be ruined. That’s definitely not the “good way of looking at it.” On the other hand, we could pray that the Lord would help us find a solution and do everything we could to solve the problem. One way teaches our children to look for the bad when things happen to them. The other way teaches them to be hopeful, to pray and have faith. We prayed and looked for solutions and at the last minute a way was opened up for us to go and we had a wonderful time exploring Vancouver Island together. I’m glad we chose the “good way of looking at it.”

All it Took Was a Bump on the Head

On August 8^th I got an email from Jaime asking me to do a guest post on her amazing blog (no pressure) on this paragraph from “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”:

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children, “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives-mothers and fathers-will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

I was thrilled to be invited to be part of this “Celebration of Family”.  I was in the middle of a month long vacation celebrating our family when I got the email.  My parents are originally from Vermont and still own a cabin on the lake with my mother’s siblings there that we go up to for a couple of weeks each summer.  All my aunts, uncles, and cousins still live in New England.  My parents had spent the last 18 months on a mission in Seattle, Washington and my sister’s family lives in the Ukraine, so we all met in VT to welcome my parents back East.  I thought I could write an inspirational blog post about family easily!  What a better place to ponder the topic than by the lake.  At “Camp” we have chosen to have no phone, TV, or Internet service (I checked my emails at my Aunt’s house, if you are wondering how I got Jaime’s email).  Not to mention cell phones don’t work there either.  What else did I have to focus on besides my family? 

So, I thought, pondered, waited for inspiration to come….But it didn’t…What is my problem?  My family is my whole world!  My whole blog is a bunch of ramblings about my family-how could I not think of one thing to describe how important it is to me?  This is our first year homeschooling and this summer we actually studied the Proclamation to the World for a week in our morning devotional.  I have a testimony of every word of it and yet I couldn’t figure out what to write about having the best job in the world: being a mom?!   

Then my old friend entered: SELF DOUBT.  I realized I really don’t write at all…I ramble (I am sure you picked up on that already…).  I started to wonder if I could really write anything that would benefit anyone else.  I write to journal and scrapbook not “inspire” like all the other awesome blogs I read…. And I only have one child (not by choice-we wish we had several more)-surely someone with 3 or 4 could do a better job on the topic…there are people way more qualified than me to write about the solemn responsibilities of loving and caring for children…and rearing them in love and righteousness.  I thought I was going to give myself an ulcer when I had one more day to get my post into Jaime and I still had…NOTHING!  Then I bumped my head (literally) and I knew what I was going to ramble about.

MY Family Proclamation

How do we celebrate our own family proclamation?  I have a guest poster that is another person dear to my heart (as have all of them been, but this one is even more special to me...), my baby sister.  She is not a baby anymore, but I waited a long time to get her, so she will always be my baby sister to me!  Here is HER family proclamation in pictures:

"...marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God..."

"...the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children..."

"...the first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife..."

"...husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children..."

"...Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness..."

The Blessing of Eternal Families

I have been greatly blessed.  I have an eternal family.  I have been a part of an eternal family my whole life and I was thrilled when I was able to start my own eternal family almost 12 years ago when I married my sweetheart in the temple.  We have been blessed to add four amazing young men into our eternal family and it is a blessing each day to teach them and watch them learn and grow.  I am fortunate that I have never had to watch any of my children, or my siblings or even my parents leave this world.   I look forward to seeing my sweet grandparents again someday.  I know that it is only possible because we have had those sealing ordinances through the generations that bind us together for eternity.   

One of my deepest fears has always been that my husband or one of my children would die and leave me behind.  It is a comfort to me that I know that no matter what happens I will have my family – FOREVER.   

When I think of this topic, my mind goes to a friend of mine.  She has given me permission to share her story.

“When I was about 20 weeks pregnant in the summer of 2007, I was scheduled for a routine ultrasound. You know, the one where they tell you the sex of your baby. So I was very excited going into it. I could not have imagined then how I would feel just a few moments later when they told me there was a “problem” with my unborn son. Nor could I have forseen how my world would come crashing down when a specialist, looking again at my baby through ultrasound, would say words like, “no brain material,” and “probable fetal demise.” I do remember coming home from those conversations, looking at baby toys he would never be able to use, and furiously wishing I could burn them all.

Well, the pregnancy weeks continued to fly by, and my baby was still growing. The date for his delivery loomed. The doctor in charge kindly but gravely reminded us beforehand of the likelihoods: our little guy wouldn’t make it through labor, or if he did, he would never be able to really be aware of anything, play, laugh, or even smile. My husband and I looked at each other and decided that we’d better name him right then, before he was even born, "just in case." The name we chose was Xavier Michael Wolfe, a name that, to us, conveyed his mighty strength of spirit and of our love for him—our great love of someone we’d never even met.

Labor began, and surprise! Xavier arrived just fine. We did have a couple of scary moments, but really, he seemed pretty much like any other newborn—beautiful and perfect.

As he grew a little bigger each day, more challenges did develop, but at the same time, so did his abilities. For instance, he enjoyed playing Peek-a-boo with Grandma. He had a love of music from the beginning, and would sing along when he felt so inclined. He helped me (mommy) sing a duet once as I was at the pulpit and he sat with Grandpa and Grandma in the congregation. His participation was impromptu, but brought lots of smiles to those listening. He was always very aware of everything. And yes, he even learned how to smile. The day we caught the first one on camera was one of the happiest moments of my life. He always was my ray of sunshine, and that only became more true as time went on.

And so he grew and grew. But the specter of death that had always hovered in the backs of our minds now made a serious appearance as our little Xavier became gravely ill, and was hospitalized in Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The time was July of 2009, 2 months before his second birthday. This was not the first hospital stay in Xavier’s little life, as he ended up having about 7 or 8 in total (I lost track). But this time was different. The doctors had nothing more they could do for him that would allow him to stay on this earth. So we knew it was his time to go. That exchange, for me, was like tearing out my heart and handing it to the doctors to be carried away. When we went back into his room, though, Xavier was SO happy—probably the happiest I’d ever seen him. He, too, knew it was time, and he was ready. He wanted us all to be okay, too.

The next 48 hours were beyond excruciating with waiting. He passed away in his sleep a little after 1 a.m. a day and a half after the conference with the doctors. I have never heard my husband cry like he did that night. Then came the numbness of the funeral and burial, and the desolating hole left in my life in the absence of my little “son”-shine.

Divine Destiny

I am so grateful to Jaime for asking me to be a part of celebrating one of my favorite things, FAMILY! What could be better. I was asked to do it while we were away enjoying a fun filled family vacation. I thought the timing was perfect.

My topic was "In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life."

10 years ago this September 11th, I was due to become a mother for the very first time. I woke up and rubbed my massive belly. I said to the babe inside, "Well, today is your day. Today is the day you make me a mother" I got my breakfast, said my prayers and sat down on the couch to watch the morning news. When I turned on the television, I thought "That is a horrible movie, who could ever make a movie like that?" Then I switched the channels a few times. Then I realized that it was not a movie. At that time, only one World Trade Centre had been hit. I remember sitting there and all of a sudden seeing the second one hitting the building. At that moment, I rubbed my stomach. I had this little babe inside of me that was supposed to be born today and this was happening? How could I bring a child into the world on such a day?

I prayed. I prayed and said to my Heavenly Father "I know that this child is supposed to come today. I also know in my heart that there is contact in the Spirit world between those who have not yet come and those who have passed on. If you need this little one to stay and help comfort them, I am okay with that." I felt immediate peace and a peace like I have never felt before. I knew that he was not coming that day. I knew that when the time was right, he would come. And I was okay with that.

I have been blessed for 10 years with my son, "L" in my life. I have been taught by him for 10 years. L is one of the most caring and loving individuals I know. The first 5 years with him were difficult. He didn't talk much but once he opened up, L has said some of the most inspiring words I have heard. He seems to "know" when people need love and attention. He "knows" when someone has hurt feelings and will go out of his way to help them feel better. He is a comforter in our home. I think back to Sept 11th and think of what that day may have taught him in the pre-existence. I honestly believe that he learned to be so loving and compassionate to those who lost their lives that day.

A Taste of God's Love

My Dad was kind enough to be my "man blogger"!  I have been lucky enough to have a father who is an amazing man, a wonderful priesthood holder, and someone I consider very wise.  Here he is:

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."

About ten years ago I sat in a beach chair on the edge of a huge wave pool located in a great and spacious building known as The West Edmonton Mall.  (If I can be convinced to go to the pool, I can often be found doing just that—sitting and watching—while family members get their kicks out of swimming in someone else's bathwater.) On this day I took note of the thousands of people making use of the indoor water park. There were big ones, little ones, round ones, thin ones, saggy ones, vain ones, modest ones, tough ones, wimpy ones and shy ones. Some were tanned from exposure to the sun, others had obviously been doing the fake and bake thing, and some got their tan from a tube. Some were yelling because they were having fun, some were yelling because that seemed to be their preferred mode of communication with spouse and children, others yet were quietly enjoying an opportunity to relax.

Amidst all this “people watching” my thought process went something like this: There are a lot of people here... everyone is so different... some would be easy to get along with, some are jerks... there are a lot of people on this planet... it's mind-boggling to think about how unique each of the Earth's inhabitants are... And then I pondered long and hard on this one: How is it possible that Heavenly Father can know and love all of these people individually and intimately? It wasn't that I was doubting what we've been taught; I was simply wondering how it is done.

Our Father's Plan

To start of the celebration of something I treasure so very much, here is Laura:

I put my oldest son (who I call Buddy on my blog) down for his morning nap one morning many years ago.  I always had at least an hour to do housework, to exercise, or just to collapse on the couch.  On this particular day, I'm not sure what I did.  But I do remember I was in the middle of something I couldn't leave when I heard him waking up.

I called out to him, "Mommy is coming.  Just give me a second."  As I hurried to finish whatever I was doing, I tried to keep a running chatter going so he could hear my voice and know I was close.

But my approach didn't work.  Instead of my voice calming him down, he got more and more hysterical.

You see, he knew I could hear him.  But he didn't know why I wasn't coming.  He couldn't see me and he couldn't understand my words well enough to know what I was saying to him.

So he thought I was just ignoring him.

Book Talk Tuesday - Change your Brain, Change your Life

My good friend Jocelyn is back with another great review.  She emailed me last week to tell me about a book she read, and actually volunteered to write for me!  :)  So, here she is:

"Change your brain, Change your life" By Daniel G. Amen, M.D.

The last few years of my life have been challenging. I know, who's isn't. I just was not dealing with it properly. I was way more angry than I ever wanted to be, finding myself so frustrated I didn't even know how to talk, not being the mom I wanted to be. In January of this year, I began counselling. Funny thing was when I went in there he was going to give me tips on how to get everyone around me to change so I would not be so angry. Umm ya no. Now the way it has worked, and I am ok with it. He has worked with me to help me to better understand myself so I can be a better person. And realize that the only one person in the world that I have control over is me. This book came to me as a suggestion for me to read to better understand my brain and what I can do to help myself. It has also helped me to better understand my children and what I can do as a mother to help them become better people.

This is a book about conquering anxiety, depression, obsessiveness, anger and impulsiveness. It talks about the 5 parts of your brain and how they either work for or against you, depending if they are working properly. There are 5 specific focus's of the book, all of them being the different parts of ones brain. The deep limbic system, the basal ganglia, the prefrontal cortex, the cingulate, and the temporal lobes. He takes one chapter to discuss each part of the brain (chapter 3 is about the deep limbic system). He gives case studies to show descriptions of how a improperly working system can work against you. There is a small "test" you can take at the end that will help you to see if you may or may not struggle in that area, or if you are like me you will be reading a chapter and go, "dang, that's me!" The next chapter always focuses on what you can do to have a better working part of your brain (chapter 4 is about healing the deep limbic system). He does discuss medication, vitamins and most importantly skills.

I don't have great skills which is one reason why I ended up reading the book in the first place. My skills was to get mad and make everyone else change. It's not easy to realize first that one needs to change but I am most grateful for the changing of skills that he teaches. It has helped me to understand WHY I act the way I do sometimes (which, btw, I hated!), and what I can do to change it.

I love in the book that he talks about SPECT scans. It's a scan of the brain that is different than all scans. He does counselling first with his patients and when he feels it's necessary, he will order a scan. It helps him to confirm that certain parts of the brain are either over or under active. I love seeing the scans! (And if I ever get money, I am getting my own brain scanned!) I found it interesting that while he was treating patients with counselling he could often diagnose without the scans what areas of the brain that were not functioning properly.

I never understood much of the brain before. Personally, I found it boring. I would read a bit here or there, and then would put the book down and never pick it up again. I love the way he writes and that he is willing to be honest about himself. It helped me realize that I am not so nutty after all! That everyone has issues. Some are big, some are small. Some work for them, some against. I feel grateful that I could read this book so now I can develop skills to help me with my issues.

I would love to lend the book out but not for a few months. I am still referring to it a lot. It's an easy read but not one I would recommend to just anyone. I think it would be most appropriate for adults because the last thing I would want is someone who is younger and mis-interpreting what was written. It has helped me to understand why some people do what they do and be better at dealing with them. It is available at most book stores and online at amazon.

Hi! I am Jocelyn. I am a SAHM to 3 wonderful blessings in my life and get to cater to my husband! Life as a mom has not come easy for me. The getting pregnant part was simple, but the learning to appreciate my children for who they are was not an easy process. Thank-fully I have children who are extremely forgiving and are patient with me as I learn to parent them. I detest cooking and cleaning! I know what you are thinking, "Why does she stay home then?" Maybe it's because I have I have been cooking the same recipes over and over for 11 years. I am up for trying a new recipes that are not too complicated.

I live in southern Alberta. I love to garden and love to can. It's my time that I can use to prepare for my family. My family loves to benefit from my canning and hopefully healthier food.

I blog over at My Crazy Life feel free to pop by. I am not a super great blogger but I am trying to make better efforts!

Book Talk Tuesday - Attica

Before we begin, who wants to be a winner?

If you said "ME!" and your name is Grandma, you were right!    Mom, don't email your info to me, I can just bring it over!  :)

On a total side note, my Mom (who has read my blog right from the start) actually commented on that post!  She has NEVER commented as a post comment before so it was quite exciting that Random.Org actually generated HER number!

And because I am feeling generous I am sending two out, because I want to...so the other winner is Tristan.  Lucky number 1!  (who also incidentally entered with her first comment ever as well!)  Tristan email me your address and I will send out this right away.  (kgm3boysATgmailDOTcom)

Today we have my oldest son guesting again.  Isn't it lovely when your mom makes you do things?!  :)  So here he is:

Three kids go into their attic to look for a watch that an old man that lives with them lost in the attic long ago. While they are in there, they meet strange creatures that inhabit a strange new world that the kids have never seen. While they are there they get split up and have to try to rescue each other. While they are there they also make some friends. The best part of the book was when Alex helps protect a board-combers ( a board comber is someone that collects things ) secret place were she keeps her stuff. There's a battle against the organist and he was just angry at the board-comber for living on his land ( which it really isn't ) and so in the end they send the organist and his armies running. Then they find out that he ran away because he planted a bomb and he wanted to be far enough away that he didn't get hit by the bomb. They have to escape the bomb.

I think other teens/preteens would like to read this book because it's funny and adventurous. My mom was the one who recommended this book to me because she wanted to read it, but didn't have time so I decided that I'll read it for her because I like reading different things.

I borrowed this book from the public library. 

I think that I would read it again because it was very adventurous and mysterious and I like that kind of books. It took me about a week to read, because the chapters were big and there were lots of pages. I think ages 11 to 15ish would enjoy this book because I was 11 when I read it. I think boys and girls would enjoy this because there is a girl that is in the story that goes up in the attic ( she is one of the three kids that go up ) and she is very funny.

K.C. is an almost 12 year old boy who loves to read.  Almost above all else!  He just finished grade 6 and is looking forward to starting grade 7 in September.  He writes a private blog for school and loves to make stories up, and write lists just like his Momma! 

As always if you would like to guest post, I would love to have you (young or old, whatever book you think we would love to read).  Email me at kgm3boysATgmailDOTcom

Cheers