Christmas

It is Christmas Eve, which means there are some people going to the mall getting their last minute gifts, cookies are getting baked for Santa, hams and turkeys are getting thawed all for tomorrow.  While I will be doing a few of these things today I want to write about tonight and tomorrow.  We have been blessed to go our friends the Murray’s for the last (well it has been many years) years for Christmas Eve.  We have homemade pizza, salad, and all sorts of treats.  We watch A Christmas Story, and all laugh when we hear the line, “I triple dog dare you.”  Christmas Eve at Mike and Kathy’s is a special night.  That night we are part of their family.  It is one of my favorite parts of Christmas.  

Today while you are getting your last minute stuff done, I hope you have time to think about the real meaning of Christmas.  Can you imagine what it was like for Mary to get a visit from an angel saying that she was going to give birth to the Son of God?  She was Handmaiden of the Lord.  Wow, what a responsibility she was given, all mothers are given children of God, but this was the Son of God.  I do not want to know what it was like on the journey to Bethlehem.  I have rode horses and that is not the most comfortable ride ever but that was for a short time.  I cannot imagine being ready to give birth making that trip. 

Then I think of Joseph, he did not have to marry Mary.  He could have walked away, but he did not.  He is a great example to many fathers of what their potential is.  One of my favorite Christmas albums is called The Forgotten Carols.  A song is written from Joseph’s perspective.  In it one of the lines is, “I was not his father He was mine.”  What a good dad to bring up this little boy, loving him and taking care of him. 

The innkeeper always seems to get a bad rap in the story.  It was not his fault the inn was full.  People had come from all over the country to pay their taxes.  He felt bad for the couple and that is why he let them use the stable.  I am sure that if he knew who was going to be born that night he would have put them up in a better place.  However, remember from prophecies about the birth we now that he was going to be meek and mild.  Then born in a stable is perfect for that.  The innkeeper did the best he could. 

I think of the sheppards watching their flocks by night seeing the new star.  Following what the angels had told them to do.  Worshiping the newborn King, can you imagine what it was like?  Here was this new baby perfect like we want our children to be and He was the Savior of the world.  What it must have been like to see those heavenly hosts?  To see angels singing praising to the newborn King. 

Then the wisemen bring their gifts.  They knew who He was; they knew He was the King!  They had read the prophecies of old and new there would be a new star that they followed.  They also knew that Herod would kill the King because he was worried that his kingdom would be taken over.  Little did Herod know that his kingdom was not in any jeopardy? 

So sometime during the next few days I hope that you are all able to read in Luke 2 about the birth of the Savior of the World.  What a loving Father in Heaven we have to give the world His only Begotten Son.  Tonight is the holiest of all nights.  May we all remember the real reason for Christmas, I hope that each of you get those blessing you stand in need of and even those you do not feel like you deserve.  I know that I am blessed to have three beautiful children that I love more than anything.  My goal is to be as good as mother as I can.  I hope that I will be a little like Mary, because she is my hero when it comes to being a mom. 

Joy in the Journey

I wanted to write this post last week but, things came up and it was not done.   On Friday, I thought this was something I needed to write as soon as I could.   We live in very tough times.  As Christians, we know the signs of the times.  We know that Christ will come again to Earth; we have read the Bible and know what the outcome is on this Earth.  We know that no matter what happens the ending score will be that Christ will win and Satan will lose.  Even with us knowing the final score this life it tough!  It is not always easy and sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees. 

Friday, was a day that when parents came to pick up their kids more hugs and kisses were shown than on any other day.  This is not surprising; when I found out; I went over and turned off my computer at school.  I did not a student clicking on something and the news coming up.  This was a horrible event and I will not politicize what those parents, teachers, and more importantly students had to witness.  I know for me I thought, I am so glad I can hug my kids, I am glad my children are not afraid to go to school, and I said a little prayer for those parents that had to deal with what will be their own personal hell.   

With that said, we cannot focus on the negative; we need to find the joy in the journey.  This is tough but we need to do it.  Why, you might ask?  This life is short, if you have little children and are in the middle of diaper changes, bottle feeding, getting kids in and out of car seats you might think I am never going to get out of the “terrible 2 stage.”  This is stage is long stage in life, I do not want you to think that I have forgotten what that was like, but before you know it your baby will be voting for president.  The time when you have teenagers is a very long stage, but they are closer to the age when they can give you grandchildren and you can just smile when they talk to you about their teenager.  (For me it is at least 10 more years) 

How do we find the joy in the journey?  I think this is a day-by-day issue; sometimes it is hard to find any joy in our life.  This is normal, when you are going through the depths of hell in a trial we might not be able to even see if we are in a tunnel let alone see the light.  Last year, I had a wonderful friend give me some advice, he has probably forgotten what he said to me but I did not.  He said, “Soon you will be at the top of the mountain and think, Wow!  I did that! “  Now on my journey up the mountain there have been times when I have not been tied down to well and have fallen several feet, but getting up and trying to get to the top is something I have tried to do. 

This Christmas Season I have been blessed to see the joy in one of my favorite scriptures, in Matthew 25: 34-46, Christ is sharing the parable of the goats and the sheep.  In verse 40 it says, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. “  How blessed I have been as people are willing to help clothe, feed, and make sure my family is safe. 

It is hard being the “least of these.”  However, as I am able to have a car that runs, thank you Mom and Dad Froenk.  Yesterday when I was able to get long pants for the girls for school, shoes for kids and groceries for a nice Christmas dinner, I thought of the times when I was able to help.   Getting the help is not the easy part; it is the giving of the help.  However, I am grateful for the help that I received.  Donating to people less fortunate at this time of year is easy for most of us.  We have the Christmas spirit and we want our children to know what it is like to help others.  To those that have helped I cannot thank you enough.  You will be blessed now and in the future for your help.  To those that have to receive this year, try to find the joy in the journey then pay it forward through your deeds both great and small.

With that said, I would like to end by letting you know that I know that Jesus is the Savior of the World.  These next 9 days as you finish your shopping, make cookies for Santa, get your houses ready, take time to read the story of the birth of Christ in Luke.  Talk to your children and help them remember why we even celebrate this time of year.  Thank you again to all of those that have helped my little family in the past and will in the future.  The blessing I have received overwhelms me and I hope one day I will be deserving of every one of them. 

 

 

Thankful Hearts

Thankfulness

Many of my friends are writing the 30 days of Thanksgiving on Facebook. I thought I would write mine in a blog. Here are a few things I am thankful for.

I am thankful for many things in my life but nothing more than my children. I love them all very much. I think as Christians when we are asked to have “the pure love of Christ” you do not know what that is until you are a parent. I still do not think we have the whole picture, but as parents, we do love our kids no matter what.

I am thankful for my dad that taught me the importance of working. One of the neatest memories I have of my Grandpa Philpot is of his funeral. All of his boys got up and talked about how their dad taught them to work. My dad taught us the same thing, I have never been so happy to know how putting in a good days work in can pay off.

I am thankful for my mom that taught me how to serve others. My mother and her sister Judy donate scarves for elementary students to a local school in the Salt Lake Valley. They also spend all year, making bags for soldiers serving overseas. In these bags, they add items that these brave men and women need. Serving other has always been something important to my mom and I am thankful that she taught me that.

I am thankful for my siblings and my nieces and nephews. There were many of us that were not really close to our siblings growing up but the older we get the more important we find that relationship. I love my big family and I know they love me. My nieces and nephews know I am not the coolest aunt but they love their Aunt Flo anyways.

I am thankful for my education; I would be in a world of hurt if I had not been able to get my degree. It has been a blessing to be able to provide for my kids. I am not the best provider but they do have a roof over their heads and food for their bellies.

I am thankful for the Savior of the world. There has never been a more important gift given to any man than the Atonement of Christ. This gift from our Father in Heaven has been blessed me more than anything else in my life. What a wonderful blessing to know that He is the Savior of the world and that He suffered all for me.

I am thankful for prayer. I am thankful for the opportunity to talk to my Father in Heaven. What a blessing it is to be able to talk to God and then receive answers to questions posed. One of the blessings we have of having a loving Father in Heaven.
I am thankful for my heritage. My family has been in the United States for over 200 years. I know I am blessed to live in the greatest country on Earth. I live in US where I am able to practice the religion I love, I can work as a single mom, and I am able to vote.

I am thankful for the opportunity to vote. In some countries, they vote, but they might only have one person on the ballot. What a blessing and a privilege it is to be able to vote for those people I think would represent my family the best.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This has been a pioneer heritage I am proud to have. I am blessed that I am able to attend church on Sundays and teach my children what I believe and about their heritage.

I am thankful for being able to go to the temple. I love being able to go to the temple and feel the Holy Spirit. No matter what has happened in my life, being sealed to my children has been one of the greatest blessings I have had in this lifetime and the next.

I am thankful for my own Red Sea miracles. I have had many trials in my life that people are glad they do not have. However, throughout those trials my own little Red Sea has been divided. There are people that might not find them as miracles but to me I know it is the love of my Father in Heaven trying to protect me as much as he could during those times.

I am thankful for my migraines, I know that seem something to not be thankful for. I know that might seem odd, but on the days, I do not have a migraine I know what living without pain feels like it. If you have ever had one you know, days without them are great!

I am thankful for friends. No one in the world has the friends that I have. They have been more important in my life than ever before. There are days that I wish I could pick up and leave Lake Havasu, but I know my support system here is better than it is in other places. I do not want to move and leave all of them. Some of them give me more than others, but I know they would all give me the shirt off their back if they needed to.

I am thankful for Facebook. Yes, I said it. What a great tool to keep in touch with old friends and distant family. I love that I am able to find out what my cousins, aunts, uncles, and old friends are doing. It is nice to see when someone writes something on your wall. I have cousins literally all over the world and it is great seeing what is happening in Korea.

I am thankful for a house to live in. I needed a place to live and one became available. It was a miracle and it keeps my children and I safe. It also helps one of my bestest friends ever. (Yes, I know bestest is not a word)

I am thankful for the scriptures. How many including myself take this gift for granted? We are able to read the word of God. It starts from the creation and moves throughout olden day prophets. We find out what it was like for those apostles that Jesus himself called and left in charge of his church. We learn about the flood, Daniel and the importance of praying, and the story of Ester standing up to the king. WOW! The bible is a wonderful book.

I am thankful for pioneer journals; I am able to read what my ancestors wrote, how they felt, and what their days were like. What a blessing that is, to know that some of the women in my family suffered what I am feeling right now.

I am thankful for modern day prophets. This is where I differ from other of my Christians, but I am so happy to know that President Thomas S. Monson talks to God and receives inspiration for the entire world. How lucky I am to know that there is a prophet on Earth today.

I am thankful for modern technology. I love writing in my blog and then I can share what I have written with the world. I also love that what I might say might help someone else. I hope that I do impact those around me for good.

I am thankful for grandparents. If you have known me a long time you know that I think the grandparent grandchild relationship is super important. I loved my Grandma Philpot more than any person on Earth growing up, I know that was hard on my parents but I did. Grandma had a way of making me feel safe when no one else could. She helped me to know that I was special and I mattered to others. There is not a day the last few years where I wish I could go see my Grandma and just give her a big hug. I knew she would hug me back and then say, “Oh, Hell Florence, get up and take care of those kids.” I am sure she says that now every day.

I am thankful for restful evenings. I do not have many of them but I am thankful for those that I do get.

I am thankful for baseball! I love baseball but more importantly, I am thankful for the friends I have at the ballpark. I love the Bagshaw family so much and I am so happy to be included in their family.

I am thankful for lost love. I have learned more about myself in two years than I have the other 40 on Earth. If I had not lost Jason, I would not have known I was a strong woman. I am tough and I have been able to hold my head high. Some days I can hold it higher but I am strong. I am woman hear me roar!

I am thankful for my phone. I love being able to talk to those people in my life I need to. I love that if my niece needs help on her homework she can call. I love that people in my life that know I need to hear from them know they can call me and help me that day.

I am thankful for the internet. What a blessing that has been to help people find their genealogy, answer questions that students might answer, and learning anything you might need to do through you tube. I might be the only one that has looked up putting ribbons in the YW personal progress bookmark.

I am thankful for books, I love that sometimes when I need to I can escape from reality I can read about a new place. I would love to be able to visit some of those places. I am grateful that I had teachers and parents that taught me to read. I would be lost if I could not read.

I am thankful for food and some of the basic things I can cook. I am not a great cook and I cannot bake but I am thankful for what I can cook. The blue box of Mac and Cheese is an awesome dinner.

I am thankful for music. There is no other thing that I think can help you change your mood. When we need to be happy, we can listen to upbeat music. When we need to be in a more spiritual, we can listen to gospel music. I am thankful that I can hear those songs.

I am thankful for blessings that are numerous. Sometimes we need more than a month to be thankful for things. Yes, it is important to be thankful but I hope that most of us are thankful for things throughout the year not just in November.

A Love Letter to My Daughter

I have had a few people ask for my talk for Katie's Young Woman Recognitionhood award. Here it is.

Dear Katie,

You are a beloved daughter of Heavenly Father, prepared to come to the earth at this particular time for a sacred and glorious purpose. You have a noble responsibility to use your strength and influence for good. Your loving Heavenly Father has blessed you with talents and abilities that will help you fulfill your divine mission. As you learn to accept and act upon the Young Women values in your life, you will form personal habits of prayer, scripture study, obedience to the commandments, and service to others. These daily personal habits will strengthen your faith in and testimony of Jesus Christ. They will also allow you to recognize and develop your unique gifts. This is quote from the front of your Personal Progress book.

Katie, I am so proud of you. You have accomplished something that not all young women do. I am happy that you have made personal progress such an important part of your life. You are an example to the other girls in your ward. Katie you are a beautiful young women and you will go far in your life.
Katie you have been born in a time that is very troubling. When I was growing up there were no cell phones, the internet was something that wasn’t invented, and all of my friends were members of the church. It was a different time. You are one of the chosen few to come to earth at this time. This means that you will be tested to prove yourself worthy to live with your Father in Heaven again.

I thought I would focus on the young women values in this talk and how you have learned from these goals and what you can learn in the future.

Faith: Faith is not a perfect knowledge it is a hope or desire to know something. You might not have a perfect testimony of all of the gospel principles right now but with increasing faith and prayer you will. Think about how much your testimony has changed in four years since you started young women. You do have a testimony of the Savior and His role on Earth and with increased scripture study and prayer it will grow. Remember you have to work on your testimony.

Divine Nature: Divine Nature is knowing that you came from a Father in Heaven. There are so many people in this world that don’t even know they have a Father in Heaven and you know this and that he is the Father of your spirit. Remember that you not only have a Father in Heaven but parents here on earth that love you. I don’t know what my life would be like if you were not in our family. You are an example of your Divine Nature to those friends you have that don’t know where they came from.
Individual Worth: I think this is one of the most important values. You are an individual and unique, you are not like the other girls. You have had trials that most of the young women won’t ever have to go through. Your Heavenly Father loves you for who you are! He knows Katie Fallis and He wants you to accomplish what you set out to accomplish. Remember that you are different and stand out in a good way. Be an example to others and make sure that they know what you stand for.

Knowledge: This is so important to gain knowledge. You need learn some worldly things and also gain knowledge of the spirit. By learning how the spirit speaks to you, you can gain further knowledge from our Father in Heaven. You also need to gain knowledge when it comes to school. Continue to learn and grow. Finishing high school is just the beginning, you need to go to college and get that degree.

Choice and Accountability: This is my favorite value because I think it is easy to see how it works. This is like in science when Mrs. Chava is trying to explain what happens when you do certain things. If you drop a raw egg off a building it will break. That is what is going to happen. Just like in nature Heavenly Father gives us choices and when we chose the right we will receive blessings, when we make poor choices we will be given consequences. Now, this does not mean the blessing we get will be immediate; sometimes they will take years to receive. This also doesn’t mean that when we make a wrong choice we cannot go back and repent and fix the problem. We have been blessed with the atonement in our life and we can be forgiven and our sins will be there no more. What a wonderful gift our Father in Heaven has given to us.

Good Works: Good Works doesn’t have to be anything big. It can be a simple act of service. It can be helping around the house, taking Noelle or Tyler where they need to go. It can be big things but it doesn’t have to be. Remember that when we do things for others we will be forget our own problems. Think of the Mary at the nursing home and what an impact she had in her life when your life felt like it was crashing down. Her sharing her life story made your life seem not so bad. Remember sometimes giving someone a smile makes their whole day.

Integrity: When I was growing up I knew this was important, but as I have gotten older this has become a value that means more to me. Think of President George Albert Smith having a dream about his Grandpa and in the dream the grandpa asked him what he had done with his name. The young George Albert Smith replied, “ I have never done anything with your name of which you need to be ashamed.” Integrity is your personal promise or word. Protect your name and what it stands for.

Virtue: Katie keep yourself clean in the eyes of your Father in Heaven. Show virtue by doing what you need to do. The value experience for virtue is reading the Book of Mormon. Read it many times in your life. It will mean different things each time you read it. There might be verses in it that you might not know are there the first few times you read it. You will get closer to your Heavenly Father by reading the Book of Mormon than any other book. There is no question why this is the value project for this value. Be like the 2000 Stippling Warriors!

Now that I have your attention I would like to give you some advice from your mother. Before you roll your eyes listen. First, keep yourself worthy to go to the temple. Your life will be blessed if you get married in the temple. This doesn’t mean you won’t have trials, but there has never been a time I was disappointed knowing that if I live worthy and you kids do too that we will be an eternal family. Second, go to college and get your degree! That piece of paper might be very expensive but again what a blessing my degree has been in my life. Third, remember that you can help others and be a good example to others. Fourth and most importantly remember to say your prayers and read your scriptures daily. Talking to your Father in Heaven is important. Don’t just call on Him when you need a life boat, call on Him all the time. You will be blessed if you have a good relationship with him. You can receive personal revelation through him. You need to know you can always count on Him.

I love you more than you will ever know, or at least until you become a mother. You have blessed my life and the lives of those people around you. Thank you for being an example to your younger sister, your female cousins, and to the rest of the young women you know in accomplishing this goal.

Love,
Mom

Patriot Day

Today is Patriot Day, and I felt like I should write something on this somber yet holy day. Yes, I do think it is a holy day. Why you might ask, well because any day that people lose their lives saving other people I think is holy. On September 11, 2001, we saw normal everyday American’s become heroes. Yes, men and women like firefighters, police officers, and other emergency workers are everyday heroes and they lost more of their own that day. I also think of the heroes on flight 93 that when into the Pennsylvania field, who knows how many lives those men and women saved. What about those brave men and women that helped others that were hurt that day, there were heroes also.

That day changed the way I thought of our country. I remember praying next to my bed in tears hoping that my family would be safe. I think most of us prayed that they would find people alive in the wreckage. We came together as a nation that day and the days that followed. I assume that must have been what it was like on December 7, 1941 and the days after that. We were all American’s that day and the days that followed. There were no Democrats or Republicans there was unity. We stood in line giving blood, went to churches, hugged our children a little longer that night, but most of all we wept in shock and fear of what had happened.

I can remember that day like it was yesterday, I wept today as I re-watched the news footage of that terrible day. I hope and pray that all American’s can come together on this day and remember why our country is the greatest nation on Earth. We are a blessed to live in this nation. I pray that as we go to bed tonight we take time to remember those who were lost.

My Roles on Earth

As I write this morning I am hoping that a topic will come to my brain other than the one I know I need to write about. Why you ask? I don’t want to write about this but for the last three weeks I have been putting it off. I need to write about my role on Earth. I know this is my blog and it is about me, but this topic is a little too personal. On the other hand maybe someone out there needs to read my feelings on this topic.

We all have different roles on Earth; mine include (in no certain order) I am a mom, (well that is first) I am a teacher, I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father, I am a leader at school, I am a librarian, I am the first VP for our local Delta Kappa Gamma group, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I am a woman, I am a friend, and I am the director of the after school program. This might seem like a long list but most of us would have more. I am sure that I forgot something but I only listed what I could think of in the amount of time it took me to type.

Why are these roles important? I really don’t know. Some of our roles in life are more important than others. Being a mom is my most important role. I would do anything for my kids and sometimes that is not always a good thing. Teaching is something I love to do. You might think it is easy, but trust me not just anyone could do this job. It is tough and some people that spend 4 years getting that degree find out it was not for them. The friend role is an easy role most of the time, but sometimes especially if things are tough this role might be harder. Being a daughter of a Heavenly Father is something that was natural. We are all children of God, that role to a given but it does come with responsibility.

Today I would like to focus on my primary role a mom. The last few weeks the girls and I have started school and Tyler started college. Monday was tough for me because it was a day I have been excited yet nervous for a long time. Tyler is a grown up in the eyes of the world. He is 18 and can make his own decisions. Yet, he lives at home and has to follow my long list of rules. I am sure all of the kids think I have a long list of rules but they are pretty easy to live by. I wonder if our Father in Heaven thinks that about His rules.

I love my parents and we have a different relationship than we did when I was younger. I am able to make more decisions, but I do go to them for advice. I don’t have to follow the rules I did growing up, but it amazes me when I go “home” that I still ask permission to do certain things. I would say my parents and I are now more at the friendship stage than we were when I was living at home growing up. My kids and I are close; one of the blessings that has happened over the last few years is that I have a close bond with Katie. This did not exist when Jason lived at the home. It did not have to because she had her dad at home full time.

So what is my role as a mom? I need to teach my children wrong from right! I need to teach them that they are also children of God. I need to teach them the importance of work. You need to work hard and not to expect anyone to give you anything. Help is always nice and welcomed but, sitting on your rear is not going to get you anywhere. The importance of money, not that it is important to have, but that you need to spend it wisely and save what you can. The other thing I need to teach my kids is that sometimes it is okay for mommy to come first.

This last part is the hardest thing for me. I do not ever come first like most mothers. I am sure it might be that way for some dads, but I know my mom friends will agree. We will go without shoes if our kids need them. We will wear the same pants for 20 years if it means we can afford to get our kiddos new jeans. However, doing something that I like to do to make me feel better about myself is not a bad thing or a selfish thing. It does become selfish if it takes the place of being a mom. Hopefully, this weekend as I spend it in bed trying to get over this crud my kids will understand that mom loves them, but their wants will have to wait for another weekend so that I can get feeling better.

Famlies last throughout time

This last week I was able to spend some time with my family. I love my family especially my kids but today I am going to blog about extended families. I think once we leave the nest and start families of our own our siblings and parents become our extended families unless we live with them. Last weekend was the Philpot Family Reunion, and after that we were able to go visit my mom’s house and visit her. How lucky I am to have a great extended family.

During the reunion I was able to sit and listen to stories of my great grandparents, great-great grandparents, and great-great-great grandparents things I didn’t know before or had forgotten. I found out that one of them worked for Brigham Young and that they came out west on a train not on the wagon or handcart trails. (I do have those also) I found out where they settled in Utah and what their jobs were. I found out more about why my maiden name was chosen, this has always been a mystery to me.
I then went to the DUP (Daughters of the Utah Pioneers) museum where I was able to pull some family histories. This was really cool because you could find some firsthand knowledge of someone that was really there. I also found out what company they came out west with and what boat they were on. This information came with journal entries of passengers. This is important to me, mainly because I love history and if it is information on someone you know you are already invested in finding out more.

I also decided I wanted to find out more on my mother’s side of the family. Now both of my maternal grandparents loved genealogy so this was much easier to find the group sheets and names but not so much about the stories. You see sometimes just doing the paperwork doesn’t help with the stories and that was what I wanted to find. So, I had to dig further. I did find out where the land was located for my earliest ancestors that reached the Salt Lake Valley was located. I even was able to purchase a map to have real proof. I bought a book dedicated to that side of the family and their stories that includes some journaling. How cool is that?

As I was coming across these discoveries for me, I thought about the great, great-great, or great-great-great children I will someday have. I hope my posterity is great and they will want at some point in their lives want to know about me. What is the story I am leaving behind? Are they going to know that yes there is pain in this world but also great happiness? Will they know that I loved the Savior Jesus Christ more than anything and I knew I am a Child of God? Will they wonder why I did the things I do? I do not know, they might not even wonder any of these things or even care about my story. The one thing I know is that I have left things for them to read about and will now start to document my parent’s lives so that when they are gone, I will have those stories for their grandchildren and other generations to come. They might think history is just that and it should stay in the past. Yes, I agree something should stay in the past but, there is a whole new world when you know your back story.

Finding out things about the generations that came before you is part of your story. The reason I grew up in Utah and grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is because of my ancestors. Some of these people walked thousands of miles to find a place where homes would be built for the last time and not destroyed again. Some came from Sweden and traveled by boat for months and then got on trains to be closer to those who believed the same as they did. Some left their extended families to go out west so that their children would not be affected by decisions they had made in the past. This does not mean I haven’t found on my own that what my ancestors believed isn’t what I believe; it just means that is where it started from. I know my pioneer heritage is a big part of who I am. I also know that there are going to be things I will be the pioneer in.

I am the first college educated child of my parents. Yes, my twin sisters got their education first but, I mean my mom and dad. I was the first one to break any bones, starting at the age of 18 months. I was the only child that lived with both my maternal and paternal grandparents. I am the first child to raise three wonderful children as a single mom. This is part of the legacy I will carry to my children and down generations. So the next time you go to a family reunion listen, take notes, and record what happened, you might end up being the documenter of your family.

I love my family more than anything, and I am so glad I was able to find out more of where I came from. This is one of the great blessings of this age we live in. Computers have made this so much easier. Don’t forget the paperwork is important because to do research you need the dates, but I think the stories are the most important part. If there is anything I learned is to write your story down, that is the best place to start.

Why I love America

I have thought of what I should write about the last few weeks and nothing has come to me until tonight. This has been a big news week with the Supreme Court deciding on two important items. The first being SB170 and the Affordable Health Care Act. I love politics and I love the 3 equal branches of government set up in the Constitution of the United States. This week we have heard people on both sides of the aisle talk about how they won and how what happened is good for America. While, I am a registered Republican I am more Independent than anything. I am very conservative on how I want the government on any level to spend my tax money, but more liberal on some social issues.

Next week will be the Fourth of July, one of my favorite holidays. Why, you might ask? I love America! There is not a better place on Earth to live. This nation was and still is a nation under God. We might be losing some of that but, we still are that. I know that it seems like God is taking a back seat in our great nation but I know with prayer He will be in the front seat again. The Pilgrims and other early settlers to the United States before it was the USA left for religious freedom. This is not my opinion this is a fact! No matter how many people disagree, this is history. The Founding Fathers were believers in God.

One of the great lies that have been taught for years is that it says in the first amendment of the Constitution, “separation of church and state.” This is not true! This quote is found in a letter the Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association. It is our duty as citizens and as parents to teach our children these things. We cannot expect teachers to teach this at school. Yes, some great history teachers will teach these facts but many will not. Yet, as parents we expect teachers to do so.

Why I love America is simple, my grandparents taught me and the older grandchildren in their family to love our country. When we went to parades growing up we were taught to stand when the American Flag went by. Back then it was disrespectful not to, and my Grandpa Philpot would not have been okay with that. We knew growing up that we lived in the greatest country ever! The next thing my grandparents taught was the importance of voting. Other than my grandma saying, “Oh, hell Bob,” her next most important quote was, “If you don’t vote you can’t complain.” I remember when my grandfather died it was the day before Election Day when Vice President Bush was running against Governor Dukakis. I didn’t vote that morning I wanted to get to Utah as soon as I could. I remember my grandmother saying what good time I made on the trip. I explained that I had left very early. She then asked if I had waited for the polls to open so I could vote, I said, “No, I wanted to get here.” She was upset and reminded me that Grandpa Philpot would have wanted me to vote. This is one of the reasons that I take my kids to vote every year. I don’t early vote or mail in vote, mainly because I want the sticker so that my students will know how important it is.


So as we celebrate this great nation’s birthday in a few days we need to decide a few things. First, are you happy with the direction the country is taking? Second, do you want your children and your grandchildren to have to pay higher taxes to pay down the debt? Third, is government too big in your eyes? Fourth, are you happy with how your Senator or Congressman or Congresswoman has voted? Lastly, I would like to quote a President Ronald Regan quote, “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?”

It is not the governments’ job to take care of every little thing for us. One of my biggest problems with “Obama Care,” is the fact that people voted for it when they hadn’t read the bill. Now most of us don’t read the terms of agreement on things we sign up for on the internet. But, if I agree to that the company can always come back and say, “Well Flo Fallis you marked the box that said you read it so you have to agree.” But, there are Senators that have said, we didn’t need to read it to know it was good law. Really, because I think when I sent you to Washington reading was one of the requirements. There are parts of the bill that I think are important and I do think that something needs to be done with health care. I don’t think any person with any intelligence doesn’t think we need to do something.

So this Wednesday when you are eating your BBQ and watching the fireworks, talk to your kids about the importance of the day. It is not just another day to go out on the lake and play, or hang out with your friends. It is the birthday of the greatest nation on Earth. I am grateful and blessed to be a citizen of this great nation. God Bless America!

Bucket List

I have been thinking a lot about what is on my bucket list; no I am not dying or have a terrible disease, at least not that I know of. Growing up there were three big to do items on my list; become a wife, a mom, and a teacher. Well two out of three isn’t bad. Since then I have added one more item, go to a Major League Baseball game. I didn’t care where or which team was playing just that I could go. Well this weekend my bucket list will be complete. You might say, “Flo, what about being a wife?” Yes, at sometime in the future that would be nice also.


As I think about my list being complete I wonder what I should add. I am not a real outdoors person so going camping in the woods for a week won’t cut it. I am not thinking that skydiving out of a plane sounds like such a good idea. So what should I add? I was thinking that one thing I would like to do is to get my masters degree in Educational Leadership. Special Education is something I would really like to get it in but, I don’t want to work solely in SPED, and with that degree that is what would happen. I have thought about getting a passport. It is something that I should have but, it isn’t like I have anywhere to go and why get a passport if you are only going to Nevada, Utah, or California for vacation. I would like to become a crafty person but I really think either you are or you aren’t and heaven knows I have really tried my hand at that.


So what do you do when everything on your list is complete and you can’t think of anything else to do? I guess you ask for help. I need some ideas that might make my list. This might seem silly to some people, of course those people have a long list or have done a whole bunch of stuff. I would like some ideas from my friends those of you who know me best. You might have some insight that I can’t think of. I am pretty content with the life I have now. Yes, there are some things I wish I could change, but those are things that I can’t do anything about now. You can’t live in the past because if you do you will make yourself sick.

So please let me know what you think I should add to my list. I would hate to think that at the age of 42 (I know I look way younger) I have accomplished everything I wanted to do.

My Son

This week is a monumental week for Tyler. He will graduate from Telesis with honors as the Valedictorian of his class. He is a natural student, meaning that he is able to do what is asked of him without a lot of effort. There are people that have to work hard for their grades and then there are those that it learning comes naturally; he is the second type of student. These are usually the students that teachers don’t care for because they don’t have to put forth as much effort as the other students in the class. Tyler like natural students can at sometimes be a pain in a teacher’s side but when the teacher truly cares about him he try hard to please that teacher. As a young boy Tyler succeeded in everything he did. He was good at soccer, the two years he played. He took some karate when he was younger and was very good at that. He went through a phase of only video games and he as very good at that. So good, that I was worried that he was going to end up being one of those boys that played Dungeons and Dragons in my basement. Then I realized I wasn’t going to get him the game and I didn’t have a basement. . Lucky me! Not that being a nerd is a bad thing, heck his mother is one of the biggest nerds ever. I just wanted him to be a social nerd that knew how to talk to girlsHe was in Babes in Toyland when he was 9 but didn’t do anything on stage until his sophomore year of high school. After doing The Secret Garden, Tyler caught the acting bug, and the rest is what they call history. He started taking dance his junior year to help him move more gracefully. He has enjoyed dance and you can see that when he is on stage. He is a natural actor or I should say a natural funny man. I really like to think that came from me because I am very funny. He is a very sarcastic person and I know that is all me. Sometimes when he says things I wonder why he would say what he has said, but then I know why. Like his momma sometimes he has Homer Simpson moments and just says what he is thinking before thinking it through. I am proud of Tyler in all that he has accomplished but I would like to touch on just a few things to brag about. First off, he is a good boy. We have had some uncomfortable talks these last few weeks and I am guessing more to come, but I am glad that he feels like he can talk to me about anything. Well maybe not everything. Second, he does try to do what is right. None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes, but Tyler does try to choose the right and most of the time succeeds. Third, the love he has for his sisters. This might surprise some of you but, he does love both of his sisters. I have heard and seen him defend Katie and Noelle. Yes, he would rather hang out with Noelle but he does love both of them. I know when Katie and Tyler are older they will be close like Kathy, Amy, and I are now. Finally, he has had to grow up and take on a different role in the last 18 months. He has become more of the taxi driver than I am. He has to keep track to dance schedules, glee time, and other important places that not only he has to be too but also where the girls have to be too. I love my kids equally! They all have different qualities that make them special, but this week is Tyler’s week. I can still remember his first cry and the doctor placing him on my chest. I can remember being so sick in the hospital but worried that the nurse who had to test Tyler for strep didn’t have on the correct type of tag. I can remember when he started school and told me, “Mom you can shake my hand now because I am too big to give kisses to anymore.” I can remember when he was baptized and received the Holy Ghost, when he received the priesthood. Moms are like elephants we don’t forget. I can’t believe he is old enough to graduate. It seems like yesterday when he was my little baby boy and now he is a man. I would like to personally thank a few teachers that have really helped Tyler these last few years. As a teacher I know the difference you can make in a child’s life. First Coach Denney, thank you for making my son feel that athletes are not the most important group of kids at school. You taught him that there are some coaches that put grades first. This says so much about your Chris! Mr. Leckrone, you have taught Tyler to use punctuation. This has not been an easy task for you. You have also taught him to think and ask the tough questions. You have let him explore his creative side and this is what has helped him write beautiful poems and two wonderful screen plays. Last but not least by any stretch of the imagination is Mr. Stewart. This man has spent hours helping Tyler get his scholarship. He has also taken Tyler under his wing as a mentor. He has been one of Tyler’s biggest cheerleaders at school and I thank him for that. Josh, you will be the guy that Tyler goes to when he has questions these next few years. I can’t ever thank you enough. Tyler, I love you and I am very proud of you. You will accomplish many great things in your life. I would like to give you some advice that one day you might find important. Pray always, this will help you get through the good times but it will help you especially through the tough times. Second, remember who you are and that your name is not only yours but it belongs to your entire family. Don’t do anything that will ruin the reputation your name has. Third, be kind to those around you. This is not always easy to do, but you will go farther in life if you do. Remember to use the magic words please and thank you. Thank you is so important to say to people. Last but not least, remember to not do anything that you will not be able to look yourself in the mirror for later. If you do then repent as soon as you can, Jesus Christ is your personal Savior and he wants you to be happy. Sin will never make you happy in the long run; it just makes you feel good in the moment. Well one more thing, remember who you are and what you have been taught. I love you son!

Why I Do What I Do

It is Mother’s Day and I thought it would be appropriate to write today, about the importance of mothers. I have been blessed to have three wonderful mothers in my life. First, my own mom Maggie Howells, she gave birth to me and taught me the importance of taking a chance and following a dream. Second, my step mom Nola Philpot, she taught me about the importance of being a listener. Third, is Kim Fronek, she taught me that just because you are not blood does not mean you can’t love someone like a mom. Each of these women is important to my life and has led me to become the mom I am today. Now I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my biggest cheerleader growing up and that was my Grandma Philpot. All three moms know that they have a piece of my heart but growing up for me would have been less than desirable if my Grandma Philpot wasn’t there. I often feel bad for my cousins and younger siblings because they didn’t get to see or know the Grandma I saw. My mom like all mothers had her flaws. She was an excellent cook, cleaner, canner, and seamstress. It is sad when your lowest grade in my entire education comes in sewing and you had the best teacher in your own home. My mom taught us to work together and try hard. Nola had to become a mom instantly to a teenage daughter. That alone is worth a ribbon. Kim came into my life when I needed a mom close by. We had just moved to Havasu and didn’t know very many people. I was her visiting teacher and the rest is what they say, history. Each of these ladies has shown me what I need to do to become a better mom. I am not a perfect mom, far from it. I have my struggles like all other moms, mine just happen to be more obvious than others. My biggest struggle with motherhood is my homemaking skills. This does not include my house or laundry just my lack of cooking abilities (or desires) and craftiness or lack of. When you grow up in a “Mormon” household there are some expectations. First, cooking is the most important thing you can do for your family. My sisters enjoyed cooking so I was happy to let them stay in the kitchen and I would fold laundry. Trust me there was not complaining from my siblings or the mom of the house while I was folding laundry and not cooking. This left me as a poor excuse as a mom. I can cook, but I hate it! I am not a cook baker either as my friend Brian and Leslie will attest to. My skills as a mom have been housecleaning, laundry, organization, and calendaring. These are all very important skills to have as a mom. This does not mean that sometimes my house looks like a hurricane it or that I am late picking someone up from a certain place. It does mean I am a work in process. My greatest skill is my love for my kids. I love them more than anything else on earth. This is the key to being a great mom. This week I had an opportunity to take off my mother’s hat for a few hours. It was fun and I loved being a woman and having someone take care of me for a change. There isn’t anyone that doesn’t love getting gifts. I enjoyed being told I was wonderful and beautiful. Who wouldn’t? I felt like a how many women must feel when a gentleman treats them nicely. I have been reminded this week of my high moral stance on certain items. I have reminded people that my high moral stance doesn’t need to be everyone’s but when the children were younger there were promises made on what their moral up bringing would be. Now that I am a single mom I have to keep those moral stances no matter what. This week I thought long and hard about the moral high ground I have kept. This is was very easy when no one was interested or when someone was 7,500 miles away. This was not so easy when they were right in front of me. What I learned was the reason why my moral high ground is so important to me is that I have to be the example no matter what. I also learned that someone would lose respect for me if I all of the sudden threw out “rule number 1.” This does not mean I am right on everything, it just means I am right in decisions that I made long ago. So the reason why I do what I do is because I want my kids to know that when mom says something it is not just lip service. When I say certain things I mean it and I also follow it. It is not always easy to do the right thing but it is always right! Wrong is never right and right is never wrong. I would like to conclude by quoting President Abraham Lincoln, “All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to my angel Mother.” Thanks again to all of those moms to my kids and myself.

What Matters Most

So I have been trying to write a blog since I wrote my now famous one on baseball. It is hard to top that blog because I really do love baseball. I wrote one last week and deleted it because I didn’t want it to bite me in the rear later, plus I was doing what was done to me and that never solves the problem. So here is my blog on what matters most. Saturday started off like most other Saturdays in the Fallis home; breakfast, laundry, shopping, and of course baseball. I was sitting next to one of my friends and her son was pitching. This was his first time pitching after coming off the dl. She was stressed and giving him a few pointers. She then told me she was going to have a heart attack. I informed her I knew CPR, she then let me know if that happened I was to call the fire department and I needed to choose what fireman gave her mouth to mouth. We laughed and then the next inning he was playing first base again. I was at a friend’s house when I got a very disturbing phone call on Saturday night. Tyler called in a panic and told me he was having a hard time seeing in the light. He was scared and I told him we would see the eye doctor on Monday. I didn’t think much of it during dinner and called my friend (the pitcher’s mom) after my dinner. She asked some questions that I didn’t know the answer to. I told her I would find out and I would call her tomorrow. Then I did what you should never do, go onto the internet. I am sure that some of these medical websites are very good but, it can cause moms undue stress and pressure. By Sunday morning I was a wreck, I had hardly slept the night before and it really showed. Tyler had answered one of the questions that the eye doctor had and that was not the answer I wanted. Again, I had spent too much time looking stuff up and was now an expert in the area. The only problem is I didn’t understand what they were talking about and this caused me to worry more. I knew this; Tyler was very nervous and worried about his eyes. His eye pressure was high last year when he had his checkup and high eye pressure is a sign of glaucoma. He hasn’t once complained about his eyes other than the light is causing him stress and that was almost a year ago. So I knew I needed to know worry. I talked to someone else who knew what they were talking about and I had some idea of what to expect today. Tyler got up this morning for seminary with I am sure very little sleep, I know this because there was a lot of tossing and turning in my bed and I heard him up quite a few times. He posted on FB the following, “I'm beyond nervous for today. I am already terrified about going to the doctors but I'm terrified because I think my eyes are getting worse....” This does not make a mom feel any better. I went to the doctors and I got to have my heart attack moment with my baseball friend. Tyler’s pressures in his eyes are at 28. This is not real good but it could be way worse. Tyler will start some meds on Friday that will help prevent him from losing his sight. He won’t go blind today so that is a great sign. He also will be able to watch movies and read books him momma doesn’t like. His plans for making some extra cash won’t work out. (Sorry Tyler, you are not going to sale MJ) Today I figured out what matters most, not that I hadn’t already known but this helped me clarify my list. First, my kids mean more than anything in the world to me. Like most moms or parents that I know I would take a bullet for my kids. Second, the health of my kids is more important than my own health. Third, prayers work, we didn’t get the news I wanted today but we got news that was still a blessing. Today’s news could have been a lot worse. Lastly, I am blessed more than I deserve to be. Our Father in Heaven wants to bless us and today I felt those blessing. I am grateful for priesthood blessings and those men who are worthy to give them. I am also grateful to those wives that let their husband serve my family last night. I had more than one friend tell me they would drop what they were doing so that they could be with me today if it was bad news. Tyler’s journey is only beginning but, because of his support staff. This includes all of his friends and their mommas. I am going to need everyone on his support staff and mine to remind him to wear a hat while at work. This will give his eyes a little more protection. Tomorrow is another day and I will sleep like a baby tonight, if I can get it cool enough in the house. I am looking forward another baseball game, checking spelling homework, and the normalcy of my life. Thank goodness for great blessings.

Why I Love Baseball

I grew up in a sports family. I didn’t play sports mainly because I stunk at it but all of my siblings did. I was more into drama, music, and debate. I know some of you are thinking debate, who knew. My dad gave me some very good advice my junior year of high school. He said, “Florence, you don’t play sports but boys like girls that at least know something about sports. I would suggest that you learn the rules so you can talk sports with guys.” I followed his advice and followed the top three sports in my home; golf, basketball, and football. Golf was and still is the most important sport and then the other two followed. I sat with my dad on Saturdays and Sundays and learned what the penalties the refs were calling, what the rules were, and how to keep score. I also learned to pick a favorite team and not be a fickle fan. I don’t know if my dad has a favorite NFL team because most of the football we watched was college. I know that his favorite team for college hoops or football was whomever BYU was playing or the UTES.

I have followed the NFL and NBA for years. I have been to a handful of Utah Jazz games and a few Sacramento Kings games. I have never been to a NFL game but I love the 49ers. This goes back to my love affair with Steve Young. If you lived in Havasu when he showed up the LDS church you might remember as I knocked younger children over to get his autograph. Not a proud moment in my life but I will guarantee not one of those kids knew any of his stats. Plus he has always been on my list of freebies. Meaning that if he shows up at my door, I have to leave no questions asked.

Over the years I started to watch baseball. I didn’t mind baseball but found it to be boring to watch. Mainly because some games can last for a LONG time, there is no time limit like the NBA or NFL. Yes, I know that with time outs, penalties, and OT there is no set time but usually games are only about 2 hours. Sometimes baseball games can last way longer than that. But when MLB founded the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998 I started to follow baseball. It was fun seeing them win the World Series in 2001. There were those that wanted the Yankees to win just because of what had happened earlier in the fall but the Dbacks came out on top.

Last summer one of my favorite Telesis families invited me to watch their boys play little league. I had supported these boys before if there was a car wash or other fundraisers but I had never been to a game. I found myself so grateful that this mom could ask me to come and that the boys were excited that I came. I started going to Sara Park and traveled a few times to Kingman. It was the best thing this mom could have done for me. Since then I have looked forward to springtime because that meant that baseball season would start again.

This last week the girls and I went to see 7 baseball games in 6 days. Now remember my kids don’t play sports. They are a lot like their mom in this area. So 7 games when you don’t have kids that play is incredible, in fact on Wednesday night I felt like a celebrity at the 2 games I attended. The boys from school, (because I haven’t been to any girls games yet) have been so excited to see me. Their parents think I am really going out of my way to see them play. To be honest I love watching baseball.

This year baseball has a whole new meaning for me. Why you might ask? Well because I get to go to my first MLB game. I don’t get to sit in the 6 dollar seats (which has now turned into rule 6 from my friend) I get to sit where I might be able to catch a foul ball if the batter hits the ball late. I might get to see a homerun hit because of the stadium I am going to, but more importantly like when you take your child to Disneyland for the first time you get to enjoy the park more because you are seeing it through their eyes. My friend gets to see me watch a game for the first time.

Now, my dad has laughed because growing up baseball would not have been a game he would have sat down and watched but he is starting to understand my love affair with the game. It is a thinking man’s game. It is a game that you have to have patience to watch but it is worth the wait. It is a game where the rules are easy to understand and there are not penalty flags being thrown. What is there to like about the game? Well you can spit sunflower seeds; I know you can do that at a football game, but not at a basketball game. My girls are getting very good at that and I would like to thank Coach Bagshaw for that. It is a game where if you have to go to the restroom there is still time for your team to come out of their funk. It is a game where most of us can play. You might not be really good but you can still toss the ball to your child. As Coach Bagshaw would say, “It’s like you are just playing catch kid, just throw to the glove.” I would like end by saying, “Play ball!”

Spring Break

It has been over two weeks since I have written my blog. I cannot think about what to write about, this might be caused by either of these two completely different things. The first is I have writers block, the problem is in order to have writers block you have to be writer so this cannot be the reason. The second is that nothing exciting has happened or changed in my life. But that is not it either. I guess I am just going to have to write about everyday stuff. I hope that is okay for my readers.

This week is Spring Break, and no group of people gets more excited about Spring Break than teachers. Students think they are excited; there is no school for a week. Parents don’t usually like it because they have to find someone to watch their children. Teachers however, have had this break on their calendars for months. It is not that we don’t want to be with children, we are teachers. But, we do need a break also. This is also the last break until school is out so we (teachers) cram as much R and R in as we can.
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This week I have with the help of my kiddos cleaned the garage, cleaned the house, got all of the laundry caught up, and had some time to myself. I also was able to get done at school what needed to get done. It is parent teacher conferences next week so there were some things that I needed to finish so I could be ready for that. I also had time to reread the Hunger Games. This was a must on my list for Spring Break.

Today I am going to hang out with a friend that I just don’t get to see much anymore. Tomorrow will be a restful day and Saturday is a momma daughter date day. So why is Spring Break so important? Everyone needs a break and sometimes the weekends are long enough. Trust me I have had some weekends that needed to end on Friday night. Hopefully we don’t have too many of those. We need to be able to put on our jammie pants and lounge around the house or sleep in for a few hours. I have yet to do that over break. Sometimes we just need to get caught up on our to do list. That is what I have spent this break doing. I am glad that my garage has a floor; I was beginning to think it didn’t. I am glad the floors got mopped and bathrooms scrubbed because sometimes I don’t have time on the weekends to get it done. Yes my kids do their chores but between play practice, babysitting, working, and homework the time for the big chores isn’t always there.

Well I guess I better end my blog, I can now cross off another item on my list. For all of my Havasu friends I hope you have an enjoyable rest of your break. I think I might take a mid morning nap.

New Adventures

So a few months ago I was putting children in cars after school. This is the one part of day that I enjoy; no it is not because it is the end of the day it is because I am good really good at that part of my job. I was calling kids and I noticed that I had only two or three kids left. I then saw a truck pull up I didn’t recognize the driver but the passage was Bobby’s (names have been changed) dad. I put Bobby in the car said, “Hello,” to dad and shut the truck door. The next day the same thing happened. This time as I put Bobby in the car the driver called me by my first name. I was taken back mainly because I usually get Ms. Fallis, and secondly I had no idea who the driver was.

The driver asked if I recognized him, I said no and then he told me his name. I couldn’t believe it, it was my favorite home teacher from church. We talked for a few minutes and then traffic started moving again so I had to get back to my job. It was nice and then we decided to become Facebook friends. He was off to some country like China, the Congo, or Singapore. All I knew was that it took a passport so it wasn’t anything I needed to really know about.

Two weeks ago when I put Bobby in the car, his dad informed me that my friend was coming home soon and would be coming to Havasu in a few weeks. I sent my friend a cute FB message and left it at that. Last week I was excited to see a message from my friend. It was something nice. We made some plans and that was good enough for me. Yesterday was my friend’s birthday, the only reason I knew this was because of FB. I thought I now have his number I will text him a birthday message. I sent a text and then he sent one back; this went on for about 20 minutes. The whole time I am thinking I should just call but I don’t know the rules of calling guys anymore.
I texted something very funny that instead of getting a text message the phone rang. I didn’t know what I should do, so I picked it up. I was afraid I had offended him and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Luckily, he was laughing on the other end. We talked for 197 minutes. I didn’t get anything done that I was supposed to but I was okay with that because I was having fun. Today we talked for another 218 minutes (yes I had to look it up) I have laughed harder in the last few days and he even made me cry. Not on purpose just because I was getting told that I might have to learn some things about cars.

I have had a lot of fun reconnecting with this friend. It is fun to talk to someone that knows you and has no qualms about who you are. A person that thinks you are funny, quick, and maybe even a little pretty. I am glad to have someone that wants to be my friend.

Now before I get a bunch of emails or messages saying, “Flo, you have friends.” I am not saying I don’t. I am just saying that sometimes it is nice to have a guy friend that is single. It is also nice that this friend knows my beliefs and morals. He might not be rated PG10 like Noelle but he understands where I stand on issues and won’t try to get me to break any of what I call, “The big ten.”

Gitten Out of Dodge

This last week I had to opportunity to git out of Dodge. (Yes I know I spelled the get as git) I am using gitten because I was in a car from Texas and in Texas gitten and git are correct grammar. I was able to go to San Diego for a reading conference. It was an amazing conference and I heard from wonderful speakers but that is not what I am going to write about. I want to focus on the country mouse and city mouse.

Susie Fox, Ashley Miller, Sandy Breece, and I arrived in San Diego at about 7:00 Arizona time 6:00 California time and we were a little late for dinner. We checked in really quick at the Hilton and we were able to have our own room. This was exciting for me because I have not had my own bed for the longest time. (Noelle has been sleeping in my bed for a while again.) How was I going to sleep if I did not have someone kick me all night? That thought would have to wait because I had to get ready for dinner.

We then went down to the restaurant for dinner. We were welcomed warmly and I felt like I was already home with new friends. I sat at the foot of the table mainly so I could have a great view of all my new friends. Joye Sanchez was so nice and she sat opposite from me at the table, Valerie Ritchey was our host, Delia McCraley, Rosa Tubbs, Cynthia Piper, and Sandra McCartney were now my new friends. As the waiter handed me my menu I almost cried. I did not know what half of the items on the menu were and the cost of the food was way over my budgeted amount of ten dollars. I had to ask what risotto was. I had never heard of it, but that was not the worst of it. There were too many spoons, forks, and knives. I had to try to remember what fork went with what course. I also forgot that a soup spoon comes with soup. In my kitchen you would use the regular spoon for soup. On special days if you wanted a bigger spoon you could use the serving spoon.

I did learn a few things at my fancy dinner. First, you should never say, “This is a lot different from the McDonald’s dollar menu.” You might hear laughter or gasps. Second, if you act like you know what is going on you might be able to fool a few people. Third, dinner is always fun with friends and family. Lastly, conversation is a great thing to share at dinner. The conversation was not the same as my dinner table with the kids but, it was super and I even was able to use some grown-up words.

I am grateful for the opportunity to git out of town mainly because it made me miss my kids so much I was happier to be home with them. I decided I am not cut out for the city life, this country mouse is happy with her little life here. I will always remember my trip to the big city of one of laughter and learning new things. I want my new friends to know that I had a wonderful time spending those few hours with them. They might remember it as the night they met a really nice lady that had no idea what the real world was like but for me it was one of the most memorable nights of my life.

Prayer

Well it has been almost a month since my last blog so I need to add another post. I have been thinking for the last few weeks what I would write about. It has been hard to come up with something important to write or share. These last few weeks I have really spent a lot time on my knees praying to my Father in Heaven. I have had many questions that I felt needed to be answered. I have not always been real faithful in saying prayers; I think most of us are like that. When things go well we might forget to be thankful for our blessings. When we have trails arise we are on our knees asking for help. So I thought I would share what I have learned the last few weeks. None of this is anything new, just a reminder of what I have already known.

The first thing I learned is that my Father in Heaven wants me to be happy. Not only for this lifetime but for the next, He truly wants me to find peace and joy. This is not always easy on this Earth. If you are a believer in Christ you know that we were sent here to be tested. We were not sent here to have it easy. Our faith is tested all the time in different ways. Some of us seem to have it harder than others but everyone is tested according to their ability. This has not always worked out well for me. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we are promised that we won’t be tested above what we are able to bear. So where does this happiness lie? In the peace and comfort that Jesus is the Christ and the Savior of the world.

The second thing I have learned is that I want my children more than anyone else on Earth to find this same peace and joy. I want them to know that the Atonement of Christ is real and it is for them. Not only in the Garden of Gethsemane did Christ take upon Him our sins but also all of our hurt and heartache. If my children know this their lives will be more peaceful. This does not mean they won’t have trials; they will just have more peace as they go through them.

The third thing I have learned is that faith is a verb it is not a noun. We must be actively engaged in good works to strengthen our relationship with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Just saying we believe is not enough we must act upon it. In James 2:20 it talks about faith without works is dead. We must be working hard to increase our faith. What are some of those ways? I think we can find the answer in the Matthew 25:35-40. Have we helped the “least of these my brethren?” I know my little family has felt the love of that scripture this last year.

The final thing I have learned is it is okay to ask for help. The reason Heavenly Father gave us prayer was so we could communicate directly to Him. He wants to talk to us. I think about how much I want to hear about my children’s day. He wants to hear from us also, not only the good but the bad too. He is there to help us. He is the Father of our spirits and He loves us. Think about the love you have as parents and the love your parents have for us. If you are not a parent yet, think about how you feel towards siblings, nieces, nephews, or any other member of your family. Not only your family but also your friends, because I think they are our extended families.

So the next time you are in trouble pray, but why wait until you need help. He wants us to talk to Him all the time. Give a prayer of thanksgiving. Who of us doesn’t want to hear the words, “Thank you?” We all do. I hope that you all know that our Father in Heaven wants us to talk to Him and is ready to answer your prayers.

Politics According to Flo

Well as I start out my second blog for the year I have decided to rename my blog, “Go with the Flo.” Thank you so much for all of those who helped me come up with the name, this was the contest winner.

I would like to spend this blog on one of my favorite past times, politics. I have always been interested in politics. I was a junior in high school when I joined the debate team. I was taking a public speaking class and the teacher asked if I would be on the team. I was doing team debating and then on one trip to Cedar City, Utah many of the team got sick. The coach asked if I could do some foreign and domestic extemporaneous speaking. I said sure not knowing what I was getting myself into. My first speech was based off of a political cartoon. Luckily my dad was a big political cartoon guy so I knew how to read them. I got first place in foreign extemp., for that meet and I was on route for the state tournament.

I have only missed voting in one election and that was when my grandfather died. We had to get to Utah so we left early in the morning. I remember getting to Utah and my grandmother asked me who I had voted for and I said, “We left early so we were gone before the polls opened.” My grandmother was not happy and reminded me that my grandfather would have wanted me to vote before coming to the funeral. Since then I have voted in every election.

I love this time of year I love watching the political pundits talk about who is going to win and what is best for the country. It is funny to me to hear different ideas coming from different networks. If you watch Fox News and listen to certain shows their opinions lean very much to the right. If you listen to most other networks they lean very much to the left. I like to listen to Bill O’Reilly, because I feel that he is balanced. I used to love listening to Tim Russert before he died because even though he had worked for Senator Daniel Moynihan, I felt like he was fair.

We have now had two primaries and one caucus so far this election year. We have had three winners, yes, Rick Santorum did will in Iowa after all of the votes were counted. I will give you a hint that my candidate has won one of these three events. I am not supporting Paul and if he got the nomination. (Which he won’t) I couldn’t vote for him. I think he has some great ideas fiscally but in 2012 we must have a president that is willing to deal with other world leaders and not stick their head in the sand. I know that there are many people that think he is a “breath of fresh air.” I don’t know if he is that but I know he is not the leader the United States of America needs right now. I think 150 years ago he might have been but not in the time of terrorism.

As tonight is the State of Union Address I wonder what accomplishments voters think that President Obama made. I don’t think he has done everything wrong. We were able to catch and kill Osama Bin Laden, this is an accomplishment. I don’t think President Obama has done a good job at all. The economy is worse and we are still over 8% unemployment. As a mom of a teenager it is hard for that age group to find a job. Why, you ask? It is because many grownups are now working at what would have been a first job for me. If you counted teenagers, and those that were underemployed the numbers would be huge. Also I don’t think that spending our way out of debt is a good thing at all. My parents generation will not pay any of the debt down, my generation will be lucky to pay even 10%, it will be my children’s generation and my grandchildren’s generation that will pay. Do we really want our grandchildren to have to pay for this? I think we might be lucky if it is only our grandchildren and not our great grandchildren. I am also tired of the talking points being that this is really President Bush’s fault. At what point does President Obama have to take some responsibility.

So who do you think we should vote for? Newt is smart; there is no argument about that. Listening to his exchange with Juan Williams last week made me cheer, but is he the best? Rick Santorum gave one of the best speeches the night of the Iowa Caucus. I felt moved and inspired, but he has also said things that don’t please me. Romney has led business, the Olympics, and was the Governor of Massachusetts. I think that is a plus, but I think like many others he has flip flopped on some of the issues.

It is a wide open race, and Florida is going to be tough for the final four. I am curious to know what you think about whom should run against President Obama and who you think would win. Is President Obama going to be a one team president? I sure hope so. Well, that is politics according to Flo.

New Beginnings

I love this time of year, “Out with the old in with the new.” How wonderful it is to know that we can put our past in the past and start anew. I am excited for 2012; I do not think that I have ever been this excited for a new year. It could because of what my little family went through last year but that is in the past. It is a new year and we are looking forward to that. One of the best parts of the New Year is making resolutions. The only difference between a goal and a dream is that a goal or resolution is written down. Dreams are nice but resolutions are better.
So here are mine, the reason why I am sharing them online is because it makes me accountable to those readers I have.

1. To love more. One of the goals I need to have is to open my heart more to love. Sometimes when our heart is broken it is easier to turn it off to the idea of getting hurt again. We decide that it is better to feel nothing rather than pain. This is not true, because when we can feel pain that means we can also learn to feel the opposite which is joy. I can now look myself in the mirror after many months and know that I am worth something. I am a good person and I have something to offer others. This last month I have been walking around on cloud 9 because of someone that loves me. What a wonderful feeling to know that I can feel that sort of love again.

2. Be more prayerful. I have learned in 2011 and in past years that our Father in Heaven does answer our prayers. He doesn’t always answer them in the way we think they will or should be answered but He does answer them. He wants us to come to Him and share with Him our deepest most desires.

3. Be a better mom. I think I am a pretty good mom but there is always room for improvement. I have worked hard this last year to make sure that my children felt safe and secure. I want to focus this year on helping them to make correct decisions that will help them throughout the rest of their lives. Tyler is going to graduate this year, I cannot believe that he is old enough or where the time has gone. I need him and his sisters to know that only by following the commandments they will have enduring happiness. This is going to be what I mainly focus on as a mother this year.

4. To not sweat the small stuff. Sometimes we as people worry about things that we cannot control. It is not usually the big stuff that we have to worry about. Most of the time we sweat the small stuff. We have all heard the saying, “You don’t need to cry over spilt milk.” This is so true; it is usually the small things that we have a problem with. The small things then turn into the big things. I sweat the small stuff quite a bit; this has to do with working 60 hours a week outside the home. My goal this year is to not worry about the little things but only the big things.

5. Do something for myself. This is tough for most moms; we inherently put our children first. I think that is how it should be, but I have learned that I need to take some time for myself. This way I can be the mom I need to be for my children. Rather it is reading before bed when everyone is asleep, waking up early to exercise, or blogging on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Flo Fallis must take time for herself. This does not mean I am selfish; I am not out partying while my kiddos are at home. I am doing something good that uplifts me and therefore uplifts my kiddos.

6. To live as an example of what good stands for. There are many people in my life that I consider good examples not only to myself but also to my children. If I had to name them all the blog would be too long for anyone to read. But, there are a few people that have truly made an impact on their lives and on mine. I hope that there is someone that I have touched and that I have been an example to. I want people to not only know me by my word but also by my deeds. I hope that people can see that what I say I am is who I really am. That there is no double standard or hypocrisy. Being a good example and standing for truth and righteousness is very important to me.

7. Last but not least is to celebrate the small achievements. Today one of my friends at church talked about reading an article on resolutions, and it stated that we should celebrate the small achievements. It could be something like losing one more pound on our diet, having the dishes done at the end of every night, not having an entire box of papers to grade, or just waking up and smiling to those you come in contact with. We might not achieve going to the moon, but we can achieve the small everyday stuff. This will help us keep our goals because they are small enough to keep.

No matter if you are working on daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, or yearly goals, at least you are working on something.

One of my biggest points of pride last year was my blog. I am not the best writer but I have turned into a pretty good one. I have enjoyed getting to know myself better by expressing my feelings. I feel lucky enough to live in a time where my thoughts might help others. More importantly I have learned from you my readers. When someone comments online or in person it makes my heart swell. I have learned from you more than you have learned from me. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.