The Legend of ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

The Legend of ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

February 14th has long been a day
for love and romance.
In ancient Rome,
it was the day on which young men chose their sweethearts
for the Spring Festival.
But the day takes its current name and inspiration
from an early Christian priest named Valentine,
whose dedication to love and lovers
made him the enemy of the
Roman Emperor Claudius II.

Claudius, fearing that married men
would be unwilling to leave their homes
and become soldiers,
issued a decree forbidding anyone to marry
or become engaged.
But Valentine took pity on the young lovers
separated by the decree and secretly married them.
For this, he was arrested and sentenced to death.

While in prison,
Valentine befriended the blind daughter
of one of his jailers.
Through Valentine's prayers,
the girl miraculously regained her sight.
Valentine is said to have written a farewell note
to the girl, signed "From Your Valentine."
It is because of this
that tender Valentine notes are sent on
St. Valentine's Day,
a day devoted to celebrations of
love and romance.

"CHILDREN'S RHYME"

XOXOXO XOXOXO

XOXOXOXO XOXOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXO XOXOXOXOXO

XOXKRISTYXOXO + XOXOBARRYOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXOXOUPOXINOXAXOTREEXOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXOX KOIXSOSXIONXGOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXOXOXFIRSTOXOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXOCOMESOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXLOVEXOXO

XOXOXOXO

XOXOXO

XOXO

XO

To My Dearest, Barry,

There is comfort in the strength of love:

Twill make a thing endurable,

Which else would overset the brain,

Or break the heart.
-William Wordsworth

"To My Dearest, Barry,

"Decisions were made, commitments to be kept.
"The time!"
"It is now?"

"All ready?"

"So soon!"
"Precious little time together spent,
We knew what each one meant.
Our hearts we felt beat, our Spirits did meet,
Our Souls; they became One.
God's blessings we did seek.
For safety and peace,
His help we knew we'd need.
Tears shed and hands held tight,

Lingering ... with might!
But alas, time could not last!

Our thoughts shared, we expressed our fear ...

We knew ~ We cared!

"Many more kisses ~ So-o dear!

Wished my pockets I could fill!
Your Last Kiss ... I Remember Still!

"But time marches on and the miles are long;

Hardships along the way ...
Each call was rejoiced for hearing your voice,
But ~
I'm so sorry your journey is hard!!!
Won't start? - perseverance,
"I'll pray for you!"
The Lord must need you meek!
Troubles more than double,
He needs us to be humble!
"Come. Come,
I Am, Here To Help!"
Prayers along the way from loved ones, every day.
We wished your journey was done!

"It is hard to be apart for now,
The distance; it is far!
The days linger on
And
The nights are lonely.
The question is there, of "How?"
Answers come and answers go.
So patience we must seek!

"Logic tells me, I can endure ...
But ~
My heart feels the absence of your warmth.

"I long to feel your arms about me;
To feel your presence near!
See your smile!
Look in your eyes!
Hear your voice ... "Hello!"
Feel your lips pressed to mine!
Yes ~ Heaven Be Divine!

"My heart feels breaking here ~
For loneliness? "Yes, I will endure
Long, I must wait!"
"I promise, I will faithful be
'Til time ...
Sets us free!"

With All My Love! Kristy

"Love is a Great Thing"

"Love is a great thing,

A good above all others,

Which alone maketh every burden light ...

Love is watchful, and whilst sleeping, still keeps watch;

Though fatigued, it is not weary;

Though pressed, it is not forced ...

Love is
...Sincere ... gentle, strong, patient, faithful, prudent, long-suffering,

Manly ... {Womanly}

Love is circumspect, humble, and upright;

Not weak, not fickle, nor intent on vain things;

Sober, chaste, steadfast, quiet, and guarded in all the senses."
~Thomas a' Kempis

It's Valentine's Day!

Last evening, I went to R.S. and it was a Real Valentine Treat!
First was helpful info on a "buddy walking/exercise/weight loss challenge" for our sisters to participate in . The goal is that by June, we will be ready to put on our swimming suits and enjoy summer cool exercise. There were helpful hints and great suggestions on eating healthy. They were even dressed with their swimming suits on over their sweats pretending to be going to the beach complete with beach towels.

Then a few demonstrated how to fix a Nice meal for Sundays to be ready for when you arrive home and hungry! We now have the early time slot for church mtgs. Number one rule, you have to plan & prepare the day ahead (Saturday). Use a lower temp. oven for baking roasts, etc. Use a crockpot. If you peel and dice your potatoes in water, bring them to a boil right before you leave, turn off the stove, put on the lid and they should be done or almost done when you get home. You will only have to heat them to serve.

One put dry rice in bottom of casserole dish, put in double the water, frozen chicken or pork chops on top, add dehydrated onion or fresh diced onion, broccoli and a can of soup on top. Be sure to season with your favorite spices. Cooked with "timed bake" in oven.

Another lady makes lots of mashed potatoes when her potatoes are starting to sprout and then scoops them into balls with a cookie scoop and freezes them on a cookie sheet and then takes out what is needed for a meal and warms them in a microwave. She stores these 2-3" balls in a Zip Lock Freezer Bag. Talk about Quick and Easy.

Roasts are always easy to do as they take a long cooking time, you just night need to lower the temp. as needed. Make sure that you know your cut of roast for water or no water cooking. Vegies added makes a more complete meal.

Being our Best was stressed throughout the evening. Just like we dress our Best for Church, our Sunday meal should also reflect our best. Use your best china and cloth napkins for your Sunday meal. This is different from the rest of the week and teaches them that Sunday is different from the rest of the week. Plus they learn how to eat, act and use nice manners for when they are older and as a reminder for the rest of us. Learning how to act in a restaurant starts at home with your nice dishes. You might even find that their attitudes change for the better eating off of nice dishes with a Special Sunday Meal after Sunday meetings .

Next came a very full table of Valentine's Day ideas. The sister who talked to us told and showed us all the many ways she reminds her husband that Valentine's Day is coming. She starts on February 1st and does something with RED to get her husband thinking. Some of her ideas were:
Learn about what started the holiday of Valentine's Day!
Wearing a red ribbon around her neck while fixing and eating breakfast.
Making toast and serving it with red jam or sugar/cinnamon/red sprinkles.
Tying a red string about his razor.
Drawing a heart on his mirror with red lipstick.
Sticking a valentine in his lunch or on the window of his car.
Putting a love note in his lunch or on his pillow.
Serve heart pancakes for breakfast with Strawberry or Raspberry Syrup or Yogurt.
Make heart shaped muffins, cookies. Cut & serve his steak into a heart.
Cut his sandwiches with a heart cookie cutter.
Serve foods that are red or garnished with Red.
Have heart decorations around. Make a heart pillow case.
Use a red table cloth or placemats for your meals
Always eat with red or valentine napkins for every meal.
Eat all your meals with you best china.
Read a SHORT Love Poem to him while he is eating breakfast. Hide it in a magazine or newspaper or a book that you might be reading and surprise him with what you read to him.
Have heart pillows out on the couch or his favorite chair.
Wear Red Lipstick.
Put a Red barrette or ribbon in your hair.
Tie a red ribbon on his toothbrush or razor.
Every day wear something that is red. It's okay if it doesn't match, it will just stand out more.
Hide a heart goody or his favorite cookies (shaped like hearts of course).
Have Valentine's books around.
Use a fancy serving dish that is a heart.
Make heart rolls - check out rhodesbreads.com.
Cut little heart shaped pieces of cheese, bread, vegetables.
Make heart shaped seasoned bread croutons for his salad./
Serve pie cut with a heart cookie cutter.
Leave him love notes on the door he leaves for work through.
Make heart shaped pizza for the Superbowl.
Peal a carrot like a heart and slice into a salad or steam for a cooked vegie.
Stick White donuts on a sticks in a glass full of red dry beans (to hold the sticks).
Serve his favorite snack on a red plate with a white paper doily.
Wear a Red Hat at breakfast or dinner (or one decorated with red.
Kiss his mirror with red lipstick on.
Sneak a candy kiss in his briefcase.
Make up a game to play with love trivia.
Play Tic Tac Toe with red, white & brown M&Ms.
Don't forget to put in the romantic touch in all that you do.
Pretend to be a stranger and flirt with him when he come home.

Use your imagination. What a wonderful way to show your children and teach them a fun way to show someone You Love Them.

One husband who was living in the basement of this home, for a while, thought that his mother-in- law reminders were really cool. So he started folding a paper rose with the meaning of that color of rose and gave to his wife (their daughter) each day. By the time of Valentine's Day, she had a full bouquet of roses. She was so impressed that he was able to do that and still keeps these roses to decorate for Valentines.( I don't know how he folded them, maybe it was origami).

Do one thing everyday building up to Valentine's Day and he certainly won't forget YOU on that big day of LOVE.
If you have any ideas, feel free to share in comment!

It was requested that there be a "report back" next month in R.S.

May You All have a Wonderful Month of LOVE

And Remember that I LOVE YOU!

How my life has changed since October 6th

First I want to say ... wasn't I in this position a year ago?! (knee surgery and recoup.)

As most of you know I was in a little accident with myself and 'the good ole hard ground'. Now that I have had surgery and the long road back to hopefully a better self, I have learned a new perspective in life. Here are some of my thoughts:

Gravity Truly Exists - I am amazed on occasions how fast the mind can think thoughts and visualize even in the few seconds it took to fall, and in the midst of mass confusion of: "Why am I falling? ...Why are my arms flailing in the air ... Why am I hearing the hard hat hit the ground ... oh shoot! I hope Jared's glasses didn't get scratched! Good thing I didn't try to carry the heater too. Where is the sleeping bag?... Why am I falling? ... I don't want my head to hit the car bumper. ... Oh, my elbow and shoulder! ... Ouch my head! ...Wow this ground is hard! ... Did I just hit my head on a rock? ...' Is this the major change in the middle of next month that will change my life forever' - (fortune cookie from Sept.) ... I thought it would have something to do with the grandkids and the swine flu shot! ... The truck door just slammed shut ... does Barry know I'm lying here on the ground? Why did I fall???"

It is very surreal to feel blood running down my scalp (it's warm) and see a puddle of blood on the ground and know that it came from my head. I've seen movies where it shows a person lying on the ground with a puddle of blood behind their head - creepy! Very weird!

I am always amazed at the power of the priesthood and it's healing power. I'm very thankful for it!

Why is it that when I'm walking into a hospital for an injury, illness or to have my babies, do I always question whether I am really needing to be there? Are they going to tell me to go home? You're not hurt. You're not ready. Even when my ankle hurts, my eyes aren't dilating, my knee is hurting and swollen like a balloon, my elbow hurts, and my head is sore with a lump and a scab? ... Why do I feel I have to look nice before I go? And of course, I have to make sure my underwear is clean - thanks Mom!

Why do you have to be a contortionist to have X-rays? and why does it have to be sooo cold in those rooms? And that Icey Cold Slab Table! "Sure, I'll hold still as soon as I stop shivering!" But I am grateful for modern technology and grateful I don't have to lie in bed with my leg suspended in the air with ropes and a bucket of rocks at the end of a pulley for my knee to heal for months. Don't know how my Dad did it!?!

I now know what it is like to have an MRI & claustrophobia (if I can talk myself through this, I can talk myself through anything! and Without Meds. - thank you very much!). This was not anything like what I expected - a series of knocks and clanking and bangings. How do small children do this who have cancer or other major health issues? How do they holds so still for so long? If a small child can do this, so can I! I am so blessed! Did you know you have to wear earplugs? No metal allowed - duh! sometimes I Am Slow! One of the few times my ring has been off and glad Barry decided to let me have it back, I was feeling naked in there!

Whew! There really is something wrong! Their not going to send me home without aide. I had the thought that they were all thinking I was faking and just wanted drugs. (The tiny dilation of my eyes probably didn't help, I'm sure. I looked pretty weird to myself.) I really would have liked them to say "There's nothing wrong with you - go home and in three day's the swelling will be gone and you'll be back to normal." Instead they were saying, "Wow! This is a lot worse than we thought!" Ah Ha, they did think I was there for drugs!

Any way you look at it - your armpits are going to hurt if you have to use crutches! There were moments ... okay ... long minutes, that I just wanted to chuck them through a door or window and just get up and walk. !WOW! I just realized, maybe that was a test of my Faith to be healed! and I blew it! ( I really did for a second have that visualization. Maybe I could ... I wanted it bad enough!) But I am grateful to have the light weight ones Jared let me borrow. Thank-you Jared for your concern with my knee. It was nice to know you understood what it was all about and have your knowledge of what to watch out for and how it was going to be. Sorry if I didn't understand or care enough for your pain or suffering in the past. Personal experience truly is eye opening and 20/20.

Being stuck in the house alone, really sucks! Thanks to my sister, Brenda. who made it bearable and fun and interesting. She took me places with her when she had errands to run. We even got together with Jackie and went to visit my Aunt Lela & Uncle Glendon . She just turned 80 and I've wanted to see them for a l-o-n-g time. And then we had sister time ... always needed and wonderful! I have such wonderful sisters and a caring big brother!

One word of advice: Do Not Think, that while you are recuperating, that it is a good time to pressure cook dry beans in a canner ... you know ... one process a day would be easy and do-able ... MAN ! What pocessed me?! !!! Sorry Brenda!!! But we did learn a lot from it? Have you made your list, yet?
Here's mine: 1. Never ...

My first trips to the store and using a handicap cart to shop. Late night and NO CROWDS is good! (Winco) Tuesday, in the middle of the day in Provo Costco is very bad. I was shocked at how rude people are in cutting you off, darting ahead in front of you, not wanting to wait for you, children not watching where they are going. (Could this have something to do with Utah drivers ...?) All the time, I was trying to keep up with the person I was with and not run into somebody. I realized I had to be a defensive driver like truck drivers do. Glad I know that perspective and Happy to say I didn't hit anyone but came very close a couple of times. Glad I'm not too shy to ask for help in reaching for something. I hope that I will correct my patterns in a store and be more aware of helping others and being more patient myself.

It is amazing to see from a different level all the things you miss when you are up, standing tall and walking. Kind of like a child's view of the world. Did you know there are garbage cans at the front of every Costco conveyor checkout. So many times when I have had samples debri at Costco and didn't use the can at those spots, I was always looking for a garbage can to throw them away at checkout! Now I know. Saw lots of places that need a good cleaning. Side note :I even found some library supplies in the backs of the lower cupboards, at church, I didn't know we had. Apparently, I haven't bent over far enough. The other librarians didn't know either! Who knew?

If I put my mind to it, I can figure out how to do things for myself, but boy some of it is really hard work! THE THINGS WE DO EVERYDAY IS SO-O-O TAKEN FOR GRANTED. Things were done so much faster with Barry helping me! Thanks Hunny!!! Taking a bath or shower & getting dressed takes 2 hours! by myself, and then I needed a rest for 2 hours. This is all bare minimum dressing. That also does not include styling my hair or putting on makeup. Guys are so lucky! I would just finally sit down to catch my breath or rest - get my leg situated with the ice packs and remember - oh yeah! I really needed a drink of water and it is so far back to the kitchen! How to carry something/s from one place to another was solved by a dear friend who made me an apron with pockets. Thanks Jenny!!!

When you REALLY NEED HELP, and sincerely ask in prayer, the Lord inspires someone to call and be the answer that you need? Thank you to YOU - you know who you are! There are many very generous people in this world that the Lord has blessed and given talents to and they are the Good Samaritans in our day that share, care and minister! GOD BLESS THEM!!!

I am again convinced that the Lord knows the reasons why I need these experiences in my life. Trusting others, reflection about where I am in life, re-adjusting, learning what is important and what isn't, that I need to get my affairs in order, very needed, patience in healing (still ongoing) and other areas and attitudes, and learning wisdom and how this feels for others who have had this happen to them, and how amazing this body really is, all are just a few of the lessons that have come to my mind during this time.

I am blessed though this experience, it could have been a lot worse than it was, it could have been more painful that it was (that allowed me to not have to use as much of the meds. I had to take for the healing process, as was my desire.) I'm thankful for people being in the right place at the right time to prevent a bad situation from becoming a disaster and for their knowledge that was needed. I'm grateful to those who understood my life's fears, eased the way and have shared with me the peace I needed. I've learned that if the Lord were to call me home, I'm ready to go - even knowing that I am not in perfect condition. I know the Savior loves me, anyway!

Kristy

P.S. What? you weren't expecting a novel? It has been a year!!!

Twin Falls Temple - Opposition in all Things

The tour was wonderful with Tom and Jess and the kids. They dressed for the occasion and Whitney wore her Princess dress. She seemed very much at home in the Temple and her comments were as if she already knew the importance of where we were.


Jessica, Tom, Kristy
Ryan and Whitney


When we went out to the front for pictures, and as soon as Tom and his family were in sight, Satan showed up to shout lies at them from the other side of the fence. I should have known he also would show up because he recognizes who they are. The guard that took the pictures told us he was from Nampa and got paid a substancial amount of $. But this man hosted Satan with him! At one point, I looked at Whitney and she had her hands over her ears. She knows how to defend herself ... DON'T LISTEN to him!