OK So lately I have been seeing a lot of posts on face book and hearing a lot of comments about people on welfare and also using food stamps .
One that was very disturbing was about a mother who was buying food with food card and her kids were playing with their expensive , fancy, phones . the feeling was that if a person is using food stamps then they sure as heck shouldn't be allowed to have a cell much less several and also a fancy i phone. So I ask myself ,What is really known about this family ?  Perhaps the parents just lost a job say 3 months ago . last time I check a contract for phones could be 1 ,2 or a 5 year commitment . And they don't let you off . Also I have known Grandparents who buy the contract so that their grand kids have a way to contact them in need as alot of welfare people don't have land lines. I have seen absentee dads buy fancy things for their kids to make up for the fact that they don't send child support.   Who knows who those kids really belong to , some of them could have been friends ,cousins , even foster kids. The truth is the only thing known about the family was they have food stamps and the kids enjoy playing on cell phones. How can people be so judgemental .
When I got married I had my whole life planed . I was going to have a beautiful big house that I was going to fill with kids . I thought 10 was a good number . I was going to own my own daycare center . My husband was going to own his own cabinet shop and do exclusive work for the richest people. Well then life and adventure kick in . I was not healthy enough to have ten kids and after some close calls we called it quits at having biological children and so we adopted . bringing our total to 8 living children and 1 dead. We moved around alot and I never did get to own my own daycare but I do work part time as a teacher aid and my husband is a drug addiction counselor . but what about the ups and downs , who knew that he was going to be ill with chronic fatigue .Altho he manages it well now, there were a few years that I didn't know if he was going to live another day . Knowing how cruel people are I shopped at second hand stores and bought name brands for half the price . So my kids could go on vacation I volunteered as a 4H leader so they could go to Lagoon at a cheaper price . I bought tents and went to visit relatives . Not only did we deal with my husbands Illness but we also had under employment . for several years my husband work at what ever jobs he could get to make ends meet . Then when he finally got full employment The company shut down unemploying around 200 people. Lucky we now have steady employment again . through all of this I payed my tithing ,sent sons on missions and kids to collage . I don't believe my life is much different than alot of people .
I will tell you now that I had food stamps  off and on through all of this. Just recently we have had another blow to our family. Because I was emotionally upset , I didn't pay my car payment , Twice !
Now how this could happen is beyond me I always pay my bills and My credit rating is is very good .The first time could have been excusable but the second was crazy . I actually went and check my back accounting to make sure that I hadn't payed because I thought I had . anyway buy the time I realized the mistake I had spent the money on food and other things . Not knowing what I was going to do for food after I made the payments up I got a letter in the mail saying that I had some money left in my food stamp account (this was from the previous summer when my husband was looking for work). I thought it was a direct blessing from always paying my tithing . But I guess not ,I must just be some selfish low life living off the good works of all those wonderful successful people around me.

I guess that what I am trying to say is ,

Don't judge someone till you have walked a mile in their shoes.

Judge not, that  ye be not judged . (Matthew7:1)

And now , my beloved brethren, seeing ye know the light by which ye may judge , which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully ; for with that same judgement which ye judge ye shall also be judged. (Moroni 7:18)

Natalie

I am still alive!
I am so bad at journaling and now I find I am bad at blogging. I don't know why because I really enjoy blogging .
I am going to try to do a quick review of my life for the last 6 months.
I am alive, all the kids are alive! So here are some pics from our life.

New Years!

Building on to the house!

                 PROM!

Phantom of the opera!

Annular Solar eclipse

We have been having a great winter. I am looking forward to a summer of 4H fun . Lu will be working a the Rockn' R. Seth is the staff manager. Kieora and Tish go down every now and then and fill in. I have great and marvelous plans for the yard and have made some fun yard art. I have hauled away 3 trailer loads of junk to the dump. We have also gotten rid of the stone building on the side of the house that fell down 6 years ago. We have been making dams in the gully so if we get rain this year it won't rush down so fast but leave a bit of dirt behind. We plan to have a tree planted by each dam. I am working on an outdoor garden. Michael is working on an indoor garden. And the house has widows but there it will sit till we have more money. I look forward to seeing my family this summer. I love working but I also love when its done for the year too. I got some fun books to read but I already read most of them. City of Ember books (After the world societies collapse they make a city underground to save the human race but now the city is dying and they must find a way out, Fun books everyone should read them), Empty (a so-so book about the end of society as we know it), Incarceron (about a prison that is alive, Better than it sounds. Its the favorite one so far ) and Dead End in Norvelt (a humorous book about a small town that is dieing, really the most favorite)

I am going to try to make sure I write more often .

That's all for now

 Ta-Ta

Natalie , Mamita, Aunt Natalie

So many blessings

I took notes today about the things I wanted to blog about. Today was Fast Sunday. I so enjoyed all the testimonies that were shared. My friends only daughter was married in the Salt Lake temple on Friday. Her whole family was with her. Her two older brothers and her mother all bore testimonies of the joy that was felt at the temple as they all stood in the celestial room and saw all of their family and many of their loved ones. One of the boys said he knew that that's how it will be when we have passed on. Our families with us in the celestial kingdom, and how joyfull that would be for us. I reflected about the many times I have been to the Temple. The first to be sealed to my own mother, father, and brothers and sisters. I have been many times since but the ones that stand out most in my mind were being sealed to my eternal companion. How I felt as I realized we were together forever . That our marriage would last beyond death. Next is when our son Seth was sealed to us. All my beautiful children were there and so many of my family, I cryed like a baby. Then I think of my three youngest children who were sealed to us in the Manti temple. They were so hurt and damaged when they came to live with us. Now they are such acomplished young ladies, and a tall growing young man. These are just a few of the times I remember and I also think of my sons being sealed to their spouses. I am looking forward to the next month when I will be attending the Temple with my 3rd son who will be receiving blessings and making covenants with the lord before he serves a 2 year mission. This is the same boy who made me cry so hard at the temple when were were sealed together when he was just 5. I am truly grateful for the Temple and the blessing that we receive there.
Our lesson today was about the pure religion and what is taught in James about it. Having Charity or the pure love of Christ is a form or part of pure religion. I thought about the many homeless people that I see. I have seen two young boys, one 21 and the other only 18, who were left in the canyon as a joke by their last ride with no food or water, 15 miles to the next town. We brought them home, had them shower, and fed them. We also drove them to the next Town over and made sure they had food and water for several days . We hope they made it to Arizona were one of them had a brother. I also thought of the older lady trying to get to California were it is warm and had no money or food. We gave her what we had in the car and drove her to the next town. We can not help them all, and both times we felt the spirit tell us to stop and help. We always offer water even if we can not give a ride. I hope that our meager efforts to help the poor are worth something.
Our sacrament hymn was page 180 "Father in Heaven, We do Believe"  I was impressed during the sacrament to read the other verses.
5 We will be buried in the stream In Jesus blessed name, And rise while light shall on us beam The spirits Heavenly flame.
6 Baptize us with the Holy Ghost And seal us as thine own, That we may join the ransomed host and with the saints be one
4 Humbly we take the sacrament in Jesus Blessed name Let us receive thu covenant The spirits heavenly flame.
I was so touched by the words that I opened my scriptures and read the two verses that went with this song 3 Neiphi 12:9 and 3 Neiphi 18:7,11
I am touched by the Love that the Savior has for all God's children to die for our sins and provide a plan that we can return to him.
When we had our good news minite in Relief society today, my good new was that Seth fell last night and his leg was going numb and he was grinding as he walked. We took him to the hospital were he was Xrayed and although his back was twisted it was just muscle spasms causing the pain and grinding feeling. He should feel better in about two weeks. I felt very blessed as it could have been so bad.
Today has been a great day to reflect and grow. I am indeed thankful for a day of fasting
Love ya all
Mamita

Has it really been that long since I blogged!

Being a Mother, I love being a mother altho I have never considered my self a typical mom. I stayed at home and didn't work the first 20 years of my marriage . I know how to sew cook and chochet and I can also clean (its just hard for me) . I love to entertain . I love the crafty stuff we do in Relief Society when we have those kinds of activities. So I guess its the emotional thing that I'm non traditional about . The lovey dovy part . I love my kids but I really never played games with them other than to teach them how . I didn't play blocks or anything like that and if they were hurt than I kisses it better or they went to Martha and she sang it better for them . It was Papi who always is the one who deals with emotions ,Not that I don't cry and things like that its just I'm a red personality and so its more of an attitude of get on with it . So why is it that when they have a need they call me. I love this but it has perplexed me for many years. Money ask Mamita, courage ask Mamita . Discouraged ask Mamita. As a mater of fact If they call on the phone and need to get permission to stay late or some other thing even if Papi answers than they ask for me ,he is the parent too!So my point being when in church people talk about the mother the great nurturer I worry. Even in the family a proclamation Its the roll of the mother to nurture ...yikes! I think my kids have turned out really good and I get complements often about their behavior . But would they have been better people had their mother been more ...nice?
Now in other news I have pics of Lucia in the play Legend of Sleepy Hallow and of the uea visit with everyone and none of Seth opening his call because the camea was lost! but now its found.

Have a happy Halloween Everyone

Wow, Do I look That Old!

I am now 52 , Yup that's right 52 ,I thought by now I would have a head full of gray hair.So I wonder how old do I look . give me a good guess. For my birthday I got a foot message from Lucia, A hug from Kieora and Michael gave me European chocolates, William and Natalie sent me 2 chicken books. I love chickens.
In other news Lucia took 5th in Panguitch this week Tishel took 8th . Kieora has been gone alot with volleyball ,she is the teem manager.
Michael fixed up the back of the house the cover to the crawl space was falling apart and catching the watter from the rain and funneling it right under the house . Its all new now and he removed the old grow box and planter and repaired the wood that coverd  the connection of the house to the foundation. . It really made a difference too the house . Now if we could just get the leak under the bathroom fixed ,the hole in the little bathroom floor fixed and the addition done . things would really look nice .
I taught my lesson today , I am the 3rd sunday teacher I dont know why I always think I am the 2nd sunday teacher . Some glitch in my brain.
It was a hard lesson for me to teach . The gathering of Israel. I have been studying and pondering it all week . Its just a hard one for me to bring excitement to. I asked one of the ladies in our ward when she knew she was spiritually gathered in . she told of how she was ridding in a car with her friend and they had both babies with them ,before car seats, so they were just on the seat beside her,one on each side .everyone in the front seat, when they ran into a heard of cows that had bedded down all across the road ,she said she put an arm around each baby ducked her head and closed her eyes and prayed . when she opened her eyes they were past the cows , she looked at her friend and asked how did you get past the cows and her friend said I don't know I shut my eyes too. that's when the sister in my ward sad she realized God loved her ,He was aware of her and how her life was . she testified that the Lord answers prayers some quick some take 20 years but he always answers
I know this too .
I love you all , Mamita

New callings,Lots of medales

Lucia tells me that I must tell you all about the cross county stuff she and Tishel are doing so I will start with that . Lucia is running cross country again! Tishel is also running in 8th grade JV . They are both doing really well Lucia has placed every time even tho she had to stop once and tie her shoe! She was getting run down so we started giving her green smoothies every morning and having her drink chia seeds every afternoon. She is now keeping her strainth and feeling not so over whelmed .Sinc Tishel is also runing She is doing the same thing . She had a disappointment at fish lake because they mixed up the places and put others who finished after her in front of her even when she pointed out who she came in front of and who she was behind they didn't get it right and she lost getting a meddle . Not a happy camper.Lucia has been cast as Van Ripre in the headless horse men. Kieora is singing Popular from wicked  and is Annie in hard nock life in the musical review that they are doing with the new music teacher.
Michael has a new calling in the ward. now he has three . He teaches the 12 13 year old Sunday class he also is a home teacher and he was just set apart today as the Ward music director and along with Oli as his assistant.
Thats all the news I know kinda boring But I do love you all

Spring cleaning?

Well this week I wanted to get everything done before school started again . So I have been going through every closet, cabinet, and room. I have sent bags and boxes of cloths to neighbors and have others to take to DI. I have reorganized girls room and boys room .all that is left is my file pile.that's all the stuff that has to be filed in my kids personal boxes ,report cards cool art projects ,meddles .awards, all the things that I gathered threw the school year. out of all the projects this one scares most . Mean wile wail all this reorganizing has been going on I haven't mopped the kitchen floor or cleaned the bathrooms .....
Austin is now her to stay . I don't know that I mentioned that he was moving in . Michael is working one more week at the R.RR Lucia will be moving back in this week after spending the summer there . That's all the news I have or can remember .