Mint Chocolate Truffles

I remember waking one Valentine's morning and feeling under my big fluffy white pillow, and there it was a small beautiful box of Kara's mint chocolate truffles. I must have been maybe 10, but that small box of truffles communicated how much LOVE my daddy had for me. All these years later, the memory still communicates those same feelings.

LOVE is amazing it motivates mankind to be at their best! Reaching beyond the laws that tie us to this earth.

I am absolutely moved by Team Hoyt (click here to watch their story). I sobbed this morning as I watched the movie on their home page. If that isn't true love and devotion I'm not sure what is! Warning: get some tissues and if you've done your make up and a some place to go, don't watch this now!

Love motivates us to have mercy and compassion on all! Here is the video of a complete stranger who throws himself into a dangerous situation to help a complete stranger, keep watching until the angle changes and you'll see the train speeding down the track. (of course he used to be a Marine, they know all about LOVE for mankind, and country.)

Jesus was the ultimate example of LOVE, and he taught us : "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

Whether it's a box of Kara's mint chocolate truffles, or a kind note, I hope you celebrate the people who have shaped your life, who have made sacrifices of LOVE to make your life bright. This year for me it will include a prayer to my Father in Heaven. "All, everything I understand, I understand only because I love." And may we all watch around us to LOVE our neighbors. Happy LOVE weekend!!

Wild Grass & Full Ponds

The first time I saw the farm house, I almost burst into tears. The shutters on the front were worn and broken, the "driveway" was a long dirt/enormous weed path that took you through several gates down to the small dirty house. Not only did I move to the middle of nowhere, but if the middle of nowhere had a middle of nowhere, that's where I was.

I was use to adventures, the last 2 years of our marriage had been filled with moves, and new babies (that's right I said babies), graduate school, business deals, and it had all escalated to this dirty old farm house surrounded by nothing but 200 acres, cows, oh and don't forget Jack the donkey. In a small amount of time, we put a lot of work into the house and its surroundings to make it a temporary home for our family. I even have some great memories here!

When we first moved in it was hot and humid, the wild grass grew plentifully in the fields, and the large pond was full of water and catfish. The summer moved on slowly and the ponds began to dry up, everyone said it was an unusually dry summer. I remember watching as one of the farm help drove in to water the cows. The cows came running from every corner of the 200 acres to take the refreshing water. He didn't take count, he watered the cows that came. As the summer faded into fall and now into an extremely cold winter, I love to watch the feed truck come across the field and the cows chasing behind to get their food. Each day they know where to go to be filled, to feast.

I know my soul is the same. There are beautiful fulfilling moments of wild grass and full ponds, and there are brutal winters of thirst and hunger, and moments where I know where to go to feast, but can't be found anywhere near. Where are you?

Alma 32: 28 ".....It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneith to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me."

There will be things I will never forget about this small farm house. There will also be a lot I'll be happy to forget! But moments of giggling kids as we bounce down the "driveway", hide-and- go-seek tag played over and over with very few new hiding spots, learning to feed my soul & understand the spirit, Jack the donkey, and the lessons I learned from watching the cows, I won't and don't want to forget!

Our backyard from the wild grass and full pond summer.