Count your many blessings Day 7 & 8

November7th~Knowlede is POWER!  I am thankful for the ability to continually seek knowledge and to learn.  
I spent Saturday morning at "Camp Mama!"  It was a womens' workshop sponsered by the Stake Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  http://www.lds.org/  It was AMAZING! 
Topics included:
“Where is the JOY?: Feeling tired and overwhelmed in the latter-days!”
“DISCIPLINE vs PUNISHMENT: When time-out just doesn’t cut it!”
“Hi Ho! It’s off to work WE go!: How WORK becomes a tool for SELF ESTEEM and SELF-RELIANCE!”
“BE” all that you can “BE”: It’s more than a homemade sign on your family room wall…BE FAITHFUL!



It was wonderful and uplifting to get imput from "seasoned moms" who have been there and done that.  It was so encouraging to know that I am not alone in my struggles and self doubt as a mother.

Key things I learned during this workshop were:

• Listen to and trust the spirit.
• Don' be hard on myself. 
• Have a sense of humor. 
• Don't be a nag. 
• Learn to manage my emotions.  It's OK to be angry, as long as you express it appropriatley. 
• Never use, "I'll be happy when..." instead, take action and choose the path to being joyful!  
• The easiest way to teach gospel principles is by living them.
• It's never too late to start.
• It's never too late to forgive yourself and move on.
• Your children must know that Heavely Father and Jesus Christ love them.
• Never Give Up, Never Ever Give Up!
• We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.
• Prioritize and Delegate.  Stress is what happens when your gut says 'NO' but your mouth says, 'Of course'

Hooray for Camp Mama! 

November 8th~ 
"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich."

 ~Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford, "Identity Crisis," M*A*S*H
This quote rings true to my ears, especially this time of year as we approach the holidays.  We have been drastically affected by this sunk economy and money has been hard to come by.  Budgets have been enforced and pennies are being pinched.  But I must always rememeber:  Money only buys things, not happiness.
 I am rich because of my family.
Today I am thankful for family.  I have so many members of my family-immediate and exteneded, I don't even know where to start!  YOU all know WHO you are!  This is a shout out to you.  You are loved, appreciated and thought of more than you could ever know and comprehend!

Sometimes, we may not have it all together, but TOGETHER we have it all.

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu
 

~families ARE forever~