One  heartfelt article was from a guest post, titled   “Adaptation and The Family Proclamation” by Jen Fuller as found on “We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice In Christ. Jen was in a car accident that left her with physical limitations and emotional distress. Here are a few of her thoughts on what she learned from her experience that relates to the following part of the Family Proclamation; “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness….Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their cildren”. “It became clear during the early months of this recovery time, that I would have a lot of limitations now with my  physical activity- otherwise known as my life. When I now thought about who I was, I had no identifiers that I recognized. I not only had to figure out how I was going to get through life being a mom and wife, but I had to figure out who I was as a person…. I had to dig deep and see what there was left inside of me that was worth, something. She was concerned for her husband and thought; “This was not what he signed up for.This was not what I signed him up for.” Take a moment and read her inspiring post.

Next was a wonderful post titled “Deep Impact”  by J Roberts as found on her blog; “Welcome To Madness”. Here is a quote from this post: ” I had a wonderful set of parents that are a great example to me. I have a pretty extensive family, and married into another pretty decent size family. We all get along pretty well… What more could I learn? Since  I thought I should maybe know a bit more about the topic of The Family: A Proclamation To The World, I started to study it. Oh boy! Turns out that although I had read it a few times, and knew it was inspired doctrine, I didn’t really have a testimony of the truthfulness that it contains. I now know”.  Does that tell us all that perhaps we should study this enlightening proclamation?

I loved this guest post by Alex Boye’ titled “Good Music In The Home and The Proclamation In Our Hearts” which is found on the blog, “Redheaded Hostess”. This is a must read on the music of the world and the music of the spirit. Here is one thought by Alex: “A friend recently made a comment that has stuck with me. He said: “In my opinion, families will never be together forever if we try to think the way that the world thinks, and try to live the way the world lives”.  We do need to know what our children are listening to and watching.  I have a testimony of the fact that good music can bring the spirit into our homes and into our hearts.

A great read is “Warning Labels” by Darla on “Chocolate On My Cranium”. She states: “I’m finding there are warning labels on virtually everything”! Stop by this post and read her thoughts on prophetic warnings and how the proclamation can help us avoid these warnings.

It has been a wonderful two weeks of outstanding posts on “The Family: A Proclamation To The World”.  Stop by and read the wrap up messages by these four ladies: Jocelyn at “We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ”; Shannan at “Redheaded Hostess”;  Cocoa at “Chocolate On My Cranium”; and J. Roberts at “Welcome To Madness”.

By Le Ann

The post A Wrap Up Review of “Celebrate Family 2011” ~ appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

While I generally throw a pity party for myself during his long days, sometimes a revelation pushes through my sorrow. Last week this happened.

In order for us  to re-register our car in our state, we must pass a safety test. We failed the test and are required to fix certain things. Expensive things. To afford this, my husband worked 80 hours straight while also juggling classes, papers, and finals. On top of it all, he worried about our little family. He worried about me.

Yeah, my overworked husband came home one night and apologized for working so much. I felt more than a little ashamed. The next morning, a sentence ran through my head from the The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

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.

This is what my husband does.

He presides. Even though he works in the evenings, he continues to look after our spiritual well-being.  He reminds me to hold Family Home Evening, to read the scriptures, and to pray nightly. When he is home, he plays with the children, listens to my stories, and expresses love and gratitude for each of us. We all look forward to when Daddy is home.

He provides. He works long hours, while attending school, so that we can have the necessities: shelter, food, and clothes.  He works extra shifts when needed–like when our car breaks down or if we will need to visit the doctor’s office.

He protects. Each day he leaves us with a prayer, asking the Lord to protect our little family. While he may not be at home, his faith is present.  His faith help keep us safe.

My husband worked on Father’s Day, but I still celebrated him. He came home too late for a dinner but we shared a little dessert–his favorite ice cream. I hope, though, I will continue to celebrate him throughout the year by my own actions.

The post A Father’s Responsibility and The Proclamation on the Family appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

“Probably Mrs. Parkin.”

“Why is she Sister Parkin at church and Mrs. Parkin at the school?”

“At church, we call everyone Brother or Sister so-and-so because it is a reminder of the relationships we have with one another. We believe that all people on the earth are children of our Heavenly Father and so by calling each other “Sister” or “Brother” we are reminded of our duty to love one another. But not everyone is a member of our church, and a lot of people do not believe the same things we do, so referring to Sister Parkin as Mrs. Parkin at school is appropriate.”

“OK.”

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This is a question my first grader asked me last year and I bet others have wondered the same. So, why do Mormons refer to each other as Sister and Brother? Here are some of my thoughts:

First, it can strengthen in our minds our doctrine of a loving Father in Heaven who is the literal spirit Parent of every person who has lived on the earth. Understanding that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father increases my desire to have compassion toward my fellow beings. (Or siblings as the case may be.)

Second, it is not unlike calling a woman “Mrs. __________,” or “Miss ________,” or “Ma’am” and calling a man “Mr. __________” or “Sir.” Many Mormons teach their children in particular to refer to older members of their congregation as “Brother” and “Sister” as a way to show respect. (For me, it’s also particularly handy when I have brain lapses and have forgotten someone’s first name!)

Friends will typically refer to each other by their first names when speaking to each other in person, over the phone or at church.

Third, this way of addressing each other can solidify in our hearts the covenants we have made at baptism when we became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Through covenants we become children of Jesus Christ and promise to always remember him. We promise to mourn with those that mourn, comfort those who stand in need of comfort, to keep His commandments and to stay clean and pure. Essentially we promise to be Christians. By becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we join the body of Christ as taught by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12

2 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

A similar sentiment is shared by Paul in Ephesians 2:

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

By referring to one another as “Brother” or “Sister” we remind ourselves of the importance each of us have in doing the Lord’s work. Not one member of the body of Christ is more important than another, and we must all be focused on the Lord to function properly. This can help foster humility. Who am I to feel superior to another when God loves all of His children the same?

I find the familial relationships within the Church extremely satisfying. I have served and been served by the members of my congregation without the expectation of pay, accolades, or excessive thanks. The workings of the Church mirror that of the family. Within the Church there are shared responsibilities (callings), family gatherings (ward parties), worship gatherings (sacrament meetings), family prayer (this happens every time we meet together), and huge family projects (service projects). We also try to be there for one another, pray for one another, help and serve one another. Together we grow and accept one another’s faults. There is room for tragedies and jealousies, disasters and pain, just like there is in any family. But together, we make a mighty fine whole. I have always appreciated the tradition of referring to fellow members of the Church as “Brother” or “Sister” — I love it when I am referred to as “Sister W.”

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To read more about how Mormons view their membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints please read the following:

Belonging: A View of Membership by Jeffery R. Holland

The post Ask a Mormon Woman: Why Do Mormons Refer To Each Other As “Brother” and “Sister”? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Saturday is a special day at our house. My kids call it “the day Dad stays home from work to play” day.

We try to get out every Saturday for a family activity.

Sometimes we go hiking. These pictures were taken while hiking in Yosemite, CA last summer.

My kids are always looking for bugs and animals to catch while on the trail. One time, my daughter caught a lizard.

Another favorite place to go on a Saturday is the beach. Here is my husband doing his best Indiana Jones whip crack with a piece of kelp he found on the beach.

What a find!

Babies love the beach.

We always seem to amuse the locals.

Sometimes, we go to museums. In these pictures we were visiting the California Academy of Sciences. It is a very kid-friendly museum. I cannot recommend taking a young family to a King Tut exhibit or a fine art museum. When we tried to expose our children to culture and art, my four year old daughter kept exclaiming loudly, “This is soooooo boring.” while rolling her eyes. So, we stick to museums that are geared to the 8 and under crowd now. Maybe we’ll try the fine art museums again in a few years.

Other Saturdays, we stay home and craft. My husband is a great crafter. He made stained glass hearts and flowers for all of his girls on Valentines Day. My daughters love to paint.

We love mini trips together as a family. We pack picnic lunches or find local foods to try. We try to keep a flexible agenda in case we find something cool along the way that looks even better than what we had planned. We always keep a sturdy stroller, sweatshirts and diapers in the car because we never know where the fun will take us!

Family trips can be a lot of work for parents, but my husband and I always find we smile more on Saturdays than any other day of the week.

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For more Family Friday posts, please click here.

The post Family Fridays: Family Fun appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~Answer by Michelle**

This is a great question. One of the things that I love about being Mormon is the focus on family. We receive guidance and counsel that I feel make a significant difference in our family life. I was thinking tonight about how grateful I am for what church teachings regarding family life have done for our family. It isn’t about a list of rules in my mind; it has become a way of life that enables us to feel God’s influence and power in our home and our lives, and helps keep us focused on keeping our family strong.

Following are some of the things Mormon families are encouraged to do regularly. At the end of the post, I include some links to content on our site where women talk about these different practices.

Usually on Monday nights, most Mormons have what we call Family Home Evening (or Family Night). We sing and pray and learn and play together, and usually eat treats, too! We try to be deliberate about not scheduling other things on Mondays whenever possible. We do a wide variety of things together. We enjoy discussing gospel principles and finding fun ways to teach them. This is a great opportunity to talk to our children about things that may be concerning them, or us. We’ll sometimes plan schedules, too. Our children love playing church music charades (a guessing game where you act out what the others try to guess — no talking allowed!). Another favorite activity is “doorbell ditching” — making a treat and then delivering to someone in our neighborhood by ringing the doorbell and running. (The goal, of course, is to not get caught!) We also have gone bowling, played basketball, played board games. Last week, we went to visit a widow from our former ward whom the children consider as another grandma. We love Family Night. Try it, you’ll like it — tailor it to whatever suits your family!

We are encouraged to have daily personal and family scripture study and prayer. Family Dinner is also encouraged (which usually includes a prayer as well). These rituals help us stay focused on bringing God into our daily lives and into our homes, and in learning more about the gospel of Jesus Christ together. I have felt a real impact in our home with the practices of reading the scriptures and praying together. I feel blessings of peace, love, understanding of truth, and eternal perspective as we do these things. I love hearing my children talk to Heavenly Father and discuss and ask questions about what we are learning as we read. In our home, we focus most of our reading on The Book of Mormon, although, of course, we like to learn and read from other books of scripture as well. We also try to read the most recent General Conference talks together to help keep the current counsel of living prophets and other Church leaders fresh in our minds. I shared some of the ways we try to make scripture reading memorable and enjoyable here.

I can’t say enough about family dinner, either. Again, if this isn’t something you do, I’d say give it a try. Research has shown its benefits (see links below, and see a video about this topic here).

Sunday is an important day for Mormons — a day focused on faith and family. The usual routine on Sundays includes our church meetings. How each family spends the rest of the day can vary somewhat. In our home, we love just being together, relaxing, playing games, watching inspirational videos made by the Church, talking, reading, writing in our journals, doing family history work. We also looooove going to Grandma and Grandpa’s! Our goal is to make Sundays different from the rest of the week. Except on rare occasions, Dad doesn’t do work. Mom isn’t running around doing errands or laundry. Sometimes Sundays will include additional church gatherings, meetings (if our callings require it) and service. We do our best to try to stop the usual routine and try to rejuvenate our spirits and our relationships so we can tackle another busy week. (We all tend to lament the end of Sunday. We love Sundays!)

We are also encouraged to have fun and to be creative in our families. In 1995, our leaders published what is called The Proclamation to the World on the Family. This document delineates many important teachings regarding family (a topic for another day). A simple phrase from that document reminds us that wholesome recreation is an important part of family life.  The Family Fridays posts we have are designed to explore the many facets of family life, including the things we do to laugh and play and enjoy life together, from birthday parties to family vacations, as well as the day-to-day moments. Family fun often involves extended family as well, such as with family parties, family reunions, and other activities. Every family also develops its own family traditions that can enrich family life.

Now, please don’t misunderstand — we Mormons have our family problems just like anyone else! But just like anyone else, we find that making time for fun family activities can be a really good thing…and also help give us opportunities to learn to work together and love each other.

A broader facet of LDS family life includes doing family history (genealogy). This not only helps us learn more about our ancestors, but is important to us because of our belief in eternal families — in family relationships being able to exist beyond “death do us part.” A central element of our faith includes doing vicarious ordinance work (like baptisms and eternal marriages) in our temples on behalf of our loved ones who have died. This work broadens our perspective on family, helps us face trials and the loss of loved ones, and brings a spiritual power into our lives.

I am so grateful for the family rituals we are counseled to have in our family life. I feel they have blessed my family in so many ways, some of them immeasurable but nevertheless tangible. Our family is far from perfect at doing these things, and we are far from perfect as people, but I feel that participating in these practices helps us be better and draw closer to God and to each other.

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To hear more from Mormon women about the above topics, see the links below:

Family Home Evening:

Family Home Evening
Family Friday: Notable Quotables
Family Fridays: Family Home Evening

There is more information and some resources here on the Church’s official website.

Family Scripture Study and Prayer

We Believe: Family Scripture Study
Portraits of Mormon Women: Rebecca
Family Fridays: Amen, Sister!

Family Dinner

Family Friday: Dinner Together

(As a sidenote, you might be interested in some research that has shown the tangible value of family dinner — for parents, for children, even for corporations! Read more here (article includes ideas for making family dinner happen in your home). This research, conducted by Brigham Young University professors in conjunction with IBM, has also been mentioned at The Wall Street Journal’s Front Lines, U.S. News and World Report, and Slate Magazine.)

Sunday Worship and Family Time

Ask a Mormon Woman: Why Do Mormons Go To Church For So Long?
Ask a Mormon Woman: What Do Mormons Do On Sundays?

Family Fun and Creativity

Family Fridays: Jane’s Family Fun
Family Fridays: Camping
First Person: How I Create as a Mom
Family Fridays: Hiking Together
More posts on family fun, traditions, etc. can be found here, here, and here.
(From a BYU Women’s Conference Sharing Station) Finding Fun in the Family Tree

Family History and Temple Work

Finding Family is Fun
First Person: Touching the Temple
We Believe: Perspective

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**Please note: The answers in “Ask a Mormon Woman” reflect the thoughts, perspectives, and experiences of individuals. Although here at Mormon Women: Who We Are, we strive to have our content consistent with the Church’s doctrine and teachings, we do not speak officially for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For official information about or from the Church, please visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org.

Have a question you would like to ask? Send an email to us at gmail, with username ‘mormonwoman’

The post Ask a Mormon Woman: What are some of the family traditions and rules of the Mormon religion? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by Cheryl

Our family loves the outdoors. One of our favorite things to do is hike! My husband and I started hiking while we were dating, and we’ve continued to do so throughout the last 11 years.

Hiking is a wonderful family activity because it combines exercise, beauty, photography, discovery, conversation, and laughter. Our kids know that if mom or dad says, “Hey, you guys want to go for a hike?” then chances are, we will end up hiking –no matter the weather! We have hiked in the snow, the rain, and the sunshine. We’ve hiked to waterfalls, lakes, and secluded groves of trees. We’ve hiked with food, without food, and for the point of a picnic. Hiking for us, is just fun! Here are some pictures:

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What does your family like to do together? Do you have stories and pictures you can share? Email us at mormonwoman(at)gmail(dot)com with your thoughts and photos.

For other Family Friday posts, please click here.

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~by Jenna Consolo

Treats are the easy part of Family Home Evening, this tradition that has us gather our families around us every Monday night for a gospel lesson, an activity or game, some songs, a prayer, and then, for many families, refreshments.

I am an ardent believer in Family Home Evening. I have tried to faithfully hold it every Monday night, and the kids look forward to it.

Me? I do not, always. It’s like exercise. Sometimes you hate doing it, but you’re always glad you did it once it’s over.

I remember Family Home Evenings in my family growing up. Like a circus they were, with nine children for my parents to entertain, uplift, and educate, while keeping a modicum of control. The cycle continues in my own family now, circus and all, no matter my pleas (or threats) to the contrary. But I will persist because I believe in the promises made by a prophet to those who will obey. And, I think it really does make our family happier. Eventually, anyway.

With a recent Family Home Evening, the treat was easy to decide on. I knew I didn’t want something too sweet because of all the Halloween candy that had been consumed over the previous several days, so Lion House Banana Bread went into the oven early in the morning. But the lesson?

As the kids have gotten older, I have felt more pressed to make every lesson count. The weeks that the teens have left in our home are numbered and the pressures they face outside of our home are increasing. I want to pack a punch with our family time. I think long and hard each week. I search idea websites and the oodles of manuals and resources that I have here at home. And sometimes, at a loss, I pray. This was yesterday.

I told God about my concerns for my family, the things weighing on my heart for each of my children. I asked Him what He would have me teach. And very clearly, yet softly, came the answer.

Service.

I stayed on my knees for a time, thinking. Yes, service. To one another. There is too much contention. Too much mean-spirited humor. Too little kindness. How can we have the Spirit in our home if we’re not even nice to each other? How can testimonies grow in mean little hearts?

I went back to some websites and found just a few scriptures. The classics.

“When ye are in the service of your fellowmen, ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” (Mark 8:35)

I found a great quote by Elder Robert J. Whetton that said, “Every unselfish act of kindness and service increases your spirituality. God would use you to bless others. Your continued spiritual growth and eternal progress are very much wrapped up in your relationships—in how you treat others.”

Yes, yes, this is the perfect lesson for us. Teens who are struggling with their own spirituality–who find it difficult to be sober and reverent–need to be reminded that their growth is connected to the way that they treat people.

I decided to have the kids play “The Biggest Loser,” a Family Home Evening idea I found on the internet that plays off of a weight loss reality television show. But in this game, points are given for “losing yourself” in the service of others.

I knew it was the right lesson. Still, evenings are chaotic. Homework is strewn about. I’m teaching piano until 6pm, and then dinner (which was, thankfully, cooking in the crock pot) had to be assembled, served, and eaten. The Teenage Girl gets home from work after 7pm, and then the battle begins with the toddler, who every week wants so badly to be a part of “Family Evening,” but who is the main source of disruption and frustration. One chance, I tell him. Again.

We sing a song, “Have I Done Any Good.” Teenage boy rolls his eyes and moves his lips, but without producing a sound. The toddler jumps from the couch where he is sternly directed to sit without moving, and begins to dance wildly around the room. Teenage girl is feeling homework pressure. I can see it in her face, but she never complains. Now the toddler is jumping on the teenage boy who is laying on his stomach on the living room floor. I get up from the piano, and put him back on the couch. Keep smiling. Talk sweetly.

A prayer. (Hasn’t worked yet.)

A few announcements and then we stop again because the toddler is now kicking the boy on the couch with both feet, and with all his might. I pick him up and carry him, crying and begging, up to his bed. As I come back down the stairs, having been gone for, maybe 15 seconds, the boy on the couch is now crying and holding his stomach. Apparently in that 15 seconds, the teenage boy has “played too rough” and has punched him and knocked the wind out of him.

Seriously?

So, then sweetness goes out the window. I am sick and tired of teenage boy thinking that his bad attitude can control this family. He has his hand out way too often to be given that kind of power, and I won’t stand for it. So, now he has his head down. Way down. But I don’t think he is ashamed, as much as he is ticked off and cursing me in his mind. Fine, let him.

I sit down. I want to cry. I want to run from the room and curl up in my bed. Throw it all out the window. The tension is thick. I wonder in my mind, “What is the point? We should just do this another night.”

But no. We are supposed to have this lesson, darn it.

I take a deep breath, and I look at their faces. I start to cry, but only a little. I tell them how much I love them, and how important this is, and how just that afternoon I had been on my knees asking Heavenly Father what I should teach them, and I just knew this is what He wanted. They each read a scripture. I read the quote to them, and told them that if we are unhappy with how we are feeling spiritually, then we need to examine the way that we are treating one another (myself included, of course). I told them that Heavenly Father wanted us to play a game this week, and were they willing?

Yes. I told them the game. I even told them that if they thought I wasn’t being serious, that they should ask Heavenly Father themselves and receive their own confirmation that this is what our family should be doing this week. I bore my testimony to them. The Spirit in the room changed. Even teenage boy looked up through his hair at me.

I gave them each a baggie with 50 pennies in it. I told them that for each act of service they did for a member of our family, they could put a penny inside the jar. But no mention of the acts of service can be made. The person who gets rid of the most pennies, who loses himself in the service of others most frequently throughout the week, is the “Biggest Loser” and will win a prize.

Immediately after closing song, prayer, and refreshments, I went to Teenage Boy and put my arm around him as he sat at the table. I apologized to him and told him, with a kiss on the cheek, how much I love him. Then I went upstairs to wash my face. Teenage boy came and met me in the bathroom. Towering above me as he does now, he put his arm around me and said, “I love you, Mom.” What a moment! And then? He started looking around for acts of service. He saw the flashlight next to my bed and replaced the batteries for me. He hung out in my room after the others had gone to bed, and told me about his friends, and school.

This morning there are already several pennies in the jar. Scripture study went much more smoothly this morning. We talked about the steps that Nephi followed to receive his own personal revelation. The kids were helping each other, passing out red pencils, and opening up Book of Mormons.

Family Home Evening works. It won’t work once. It won’t work now and then. But consistently, patiently, over the weeks and months and years, it will work.

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“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” – Desmond Tutu

A friend of mine commented that my personal blog doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of photos to go with stories of my kids. It’s true. Kind of a conscious decision on my part to not put them up on display, I guess.

I mean…they do some really cute things, like the other day, I was putting something in the laundry sorter and I heard a step behind me which I assumed was my husband’s. So I say, to continue a discussion we had earlier, “Do you think someone scared of a lot of things is wimpy or just has an overactive imagination?” And I hear a “Huh?” from my son.

I could go on and on and on.

But toddler-cute is different than teen-cute. Somehow, it feels invasive of their privacy to quote them to strangers. Thus I have become more circumspect about them.

That said, here is a photo and account I would like to share with anyone who will care to listen. Because as proud as I am of my writings or achievements from my halcyon days and not-so-halcyon days, what I am most proud of is this:

This family photo was taken November first. The warm sheen comes from the setting sun and the happy occasion.

That day, my son (who just turned 12) was ordained a deacon in our LDS church ward (congregation). Just look at how he is soon going to surpass us (okay, me) in height. I took him shopping for shoes the other day yet again; he outgrows them every two months. Big shoes to match his big heart.

That day, my little one in the middle pouted because I told her to please change back into her dress for a family picture. I could just kiss her all day; that’s her privilege as the youngest. And she knows it.

That day, my oldest daughter received her Young Women (church) medallion [young women ages 12-18 work on goals and projects in various areas of focus to receive this recognition]. She is down-to-earth, works hard but enjoys life, and tries to do the right thing. How did she get this way at 14? I sure wasn’t at that age.

That day – story of our life – my husband watched patiently while I flitted around like a butterfly. He knows better than to catch me in his fist. He gives generously and I bask in the warmth of his love and acceptance.

Pardon my gushing but my heart is full.

Editor’s note: Jewel is an LDS wife, mother and freelance journalist who also enjoys blogging.

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For more Family Friday content, see here.

The post Family Fridays: God’s Gift: A Family Portrait appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Growing up, I didn’t know how good I had it. I had a mom and dad who loved each other, a sister to quarrel with over clothes and friends, two baby brothers to wrestle with, two dogs waiting by the door for me when I came home from school and some lively fish who liked to jump out of their tank. Life was good — so good in fact, that I’m trying to recreate my childhood with my own family. (Well except for the pets part; my husband and I are delaying the inevitable “poop scooping” era of our lives.) Aside from that, we’re following good example set by our parents.

This YouTube video entitled “Life in a Mormon Family” made me reflect on the fun times I had with my own family.  While not all LDS families are this large, we are a people who prize children as wonderful blessings from our Father in Heaven. I admire the time and sacrifice these parents have put into raising their eight children.

Here is the intro provided by the parents for their own heartfelt family video. Have fun getting to know this wonderful family.

You might call us the stereotypical Mormon family. With Mom, Dad, and 8 kids, we are just a little larger than the national average. 😉
Having a big family may not be for everyone and may not always be considered “cool”, but we’ve loved every minute of it.

Do you have fun family videos you’d like to share with others here at mormonwoman.org? Please email us at mormonwoman(at)gmail(dot)com.

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For more Family Friday content, see here.

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I have a goal to laugh more with my family. Recently, for part of our Family Home Evening, I pulled out a binder of old family letters and read a few of what we call “Notable Quotables.” These are precious and funny things our children said when they were little that I actually had the presence of mind to record. (It only makes me wish I had done more. Note to young moms: Write those precious things down!)

Here are some of the gems we got a kick out of. (You know, that we are going to ask you to share some, too, so start looking for or remembering some good ones from your world — family, friends, neighbors (adults’ funnies are OK, too — just keep them clean, please)).

From 2004:

Background: #1 (a son, then age 5) loved to draw. One thing that he loved drawing for a while was a “dotted-line” representation of the Holy Ghost (you know, because he has no body).

My husband decided to take advantage of a teaching moment with #2 (then age 4).

Dad: Does Heavenly Father have a body?
#2: Yes.
Dad: What does Jesus have?
#2: A body.
Dad: What about the Holy Ghost?
#2: Just dots.

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Background: Our son and his dad had (and still have) a few favorite joint pastimes. At the top of the list is checkers (chess is now added to the list).

Hubby and I were hugging in the kitchen (and, FYI, that is all that happened!)….

Son sneaked a peek at us hugging (he should have been in bed).  We sent him back to bed, and he went, but not without this comment:

Son: “I know what you guys are going to do!” (With a hint of ‘you can’t fool me!’ in his voice….) —

…”You’re going to play checkers!” [Ahhh…the true sign of a loving relationship? To a five-year-old boy, yes, I suppose it was.]

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As we discussed how Laman and Lemuel (rebellious sons of Lehi, the prophet whose story is the first in the Book of Mormon) were not obedient, #1 and #2 gave us their interpretation of what they must have done to be disobedient:

“They probably stole candy!”

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A few from #3 (who was then only two):

Background: In preschool, #1 was learning little rhymes for the colors, like “Red, red forgot his head” and “Yellow, yellow, sat in jello” Anyway, one day, #3 was chanting:

“Yellow, yellow, sat in jelly. Red, red, sat in jelly….”

**

Dressed in one of her outrageous outfits (I often let her choose what to wear; her combination choices were something else!):

“Look! Dokey-dots!” (Both her shirt and her pants had polka-dots.)

Another time when someone was sitting too close to her or something (and she was wearing polka-dotted clothing), she exclaimed, “You’re squishing my dokey-dots!”

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One day, #1 burst into spontaneous song. It was impossible for me to capture this all when it was spontaneous, so you get an idea from what I wrote after I asked him to do it again, for posterity’s sake. (Picture a four-year-old with his fist up to his mouth like a microphone.)

If you obey your mom,
You will feel happy inside,
And you will do some more.

If you want to be good,
Then you’ll be gooder;
More kind, more faithful
More, more love-ish.
If you will love your parents
Then you will love them more.

If you obey your parents,
Just, just love them all the time,
Be faithful and do good things.
For you and for me,
For you and for me,
For you and for me.
Yay, yay, yay, yay, yay!

If we just do these things,
Then we’ll be more more good,
More more good.

If we just, if we just
Do it s’more,
Then we will be more faithful
And love each other
All the time.

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Another attempt at a teaching moment, this time from me.

#3 was pretending that I was a dad. So I explained that daddies are boys and mommies are girls, so Mommy couldn’t be a dad because she is a girl. “And someday you will be a mommy, too.”

I don’t know what I expected her response to be, but I didn’t expect to hear:

“Big feet?”

In other words: “When I grow up and I’m a mommy, that means I will have big feet.”

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#1 said, “Mom, you’re the bestest cook!” But…before I had a chance to respond, he said, “Well, actually….Grandma.”

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OK, now it’s your turn. What are some fun or funny Notable Quotables from your world?

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For more Family Friday posts, see here.

The post Family Friday: Notable Quotables, Issue 1 appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.