Why Giving Matters

Yesterday as I am moving about the house as I do picking up, the tv had been left on and I got sucked in to watching a live byu devotional. I ended up sitting down to listen which normally does not happen. The talk was titled "why giving matters" it was by a man named Arthur Brooks. I didn't realize until late in the talk that he was not LDS but Roman Catholic speaking to byu students. In his talk he says that he set out to prove wrong the belief he said many entrepreneurs have is that they are rich because they give. He wanted to prove that it was the other way around that as an economist he believed that you have to have the money before you can give the money. Long story short, he found after many studies that he was wrong. People prosper because they give.
Studies show charitable giving makes you happy. Studies also show that when you give you significantly reduce stress hormones in you brain, which makes you a happier more productive person. Giving = happiness, which in turn = success. Utah, he said is the most charitable state and gives twice as much as the state next in line which makes us happy people. There is also a direct connection with practice of your faith and giving charitably. Even people who donate blood are twice as likely to say they are happy than those who don't.
I found the talk to be very interesting and informative. I tivoed it and made Berk watch it last night. Today he called me and said he stepped it up a notch and helped a 80 year old man on the side of the road change a flat tire. I love him for that.
There was so much more from this talk that I haven't shared. It made think about charity in a whole new light. Very refreshing. For those of you who are interested, the talk will be rebroadcasted on sunday. On kbyu channel 11. at 11am or you can watch it here. I hope you all watch I would love to hear what you think.

chocolate covered strawberries

I can't get enough...... I wait until all children are asleep and then I dip. I don't even like to share with Berk.

Warm Woolen Mittens

There has been much knitting going on here on the sick couch. After Mo was sick with the flu a week later Rhett got sick. High fevers for 3 days and just plain miserable. I assumed he had influenza and I was ready to ride it out, but by the night of day 3 he still had fevers and now a rash all over. I began to panic. Reading about the flu online is a scary thing. Worried enough that I made Berk call the doctor. She said it sounded like strep. The panic slowly left, and I grabbed a flash light to check out the tonsils. Sure enough, they were huge and covered in white patches.

Both Rhett and miss Ella have strep. Good times.

Watching all 3 of my little ones this month at one time or another with high fevers, I am very grateful for modern medicine. Grateful for flu shots. Grateful for good health.

I spent much time sitting on the couch just being there I guess. So I knit up these mittens I have been wanting to make all winter long. Very fun and easy project. I think everyone in the family deserves a pair.

Ensign Super Model

I am an ensign supermodel!!!
This picture was taken from a photo sitting for the sept. 08 issue, so I was quite surprised to open the ensign for march and find our picture here full page. Very exciting!!!
The photographer lives down the street from us and is in our ward. I got a call from his wife last summer asking us if we wouldn't mind doing a sitting for the ensign. So here we are now. The picture was taken in our front room.

I guess I better start preparing my children for General Conference!

photo taken by: Robert Casey

honey whole wheat

I passed the test tonight. My toughest food critics scarfed down my homemade honey whole wheat bread I made. This was my first ever experience making bread from scratch without a bread maker. I'm hoping it's not beginners luck, because it did taste really good.
A few years back or more, my mom offered me her wheat grinder. I'm sure I looked at her kind of weird, like why would I ever want that. Being new in my homemaking skills, I had no idea how awesome this little machine could be. My mom then told me that is was quite expensive, which then caught my interest a little. And said, "sure I'll take it." Thinking, hopefully I will find use for it someday.
That day came today and now I do realize how amazing and coveted this machine is.
I used some of my food storage wheat and ground my very own wheat into flour. Pretty exciting, I know. It's even that much better because the bread tasted so good.
My new now goal is to make homemade bread on a regular basis and not buy it from the store anymore. Well, at least not nearly as often.

Coraline

My friend Nancy made a post a while back on her blog about books made into movies and usually the book is better than the movie. I'm sure we've all experienced this. We imagine the book in our head and it becomes personal.

Well Rhett has been so excited for the movie Coraline to come out. When I was at the book store the other day looking for our latest book club read, I stumbled upon the book of Coraline. I decided to buy the book in hopes of reading it to Rhett and him sitting to listen. It turned out to be a great thing for the both of us. I really loved snuggling up to Rhett and reading together. Every night for the last week I would read a couple chapters to him. He loved it and was always asking me to read more throughout the day. I enjoyed reading a book to him that had no pictures, that he would sit and listen to. Great for the imagination. We finished the book on saturday and went and saw the movie today.

What a great movie. This I must say is one of the few times that I enjoyed the movie better than the book. The book was good. The movie was very well done and in 3-D. The kids of course loved it. Just a warning, my kids were fine but it is scary in some parts.

happenings of a weekend

I finally finally finished the other sock. Fits like a glove... or a sock.
This poor girl had influenza. She is feeling better today.

Visits from my sisters who live in Texas... It had been 3 years since I had seen one of them. Good to see them, but bad timing with the above sickness. Oh, I wish they lived closer.

World Nutella Day

Today at the grocery store I decided to splurge a little and I bought a jar of nutella. It was back in the corner of the shelves with the jam. I haven't bought nutella in probably 5 years and thought it sounded pretty darn good.

The first time I ever tried nutella was the summer after my junior year. I went on a month long trip to Europe. I instantly fell in love with the stuff.

So tonight I'm checking out a blog I follow , and she posted about today being world nutella day. Crazy weird!!!! (click on the pic for the link)

I must have been feeling the world nutella day vibe, ....or it was just purely coincidental.

Do you like nutella? If so, how do you like to eat it?

I love it on French Bread. On a crepe is nice too.