The long-awaited NCAA tournament has begun this past weekend. The 1st round of the tournament took place on Thursday and Friday. Games began at 10am and ended at about 11pm each night. There have been a few big upsets and close games and small college heroes. I stayed up each night enjoying the games and sitting on the edge if my seat for most of them.
The Utah teams didn’t fare so well in this tournament. BYU played Texas A&M, Utah played Arizona, and Utah State played Marquette and each of them lost.
BYU played first on Thursday morning facing the Aggies of Texas A&M. The Cougars were cold at the start not being able to hit very many of their shots. Texas A&M on the other hand was hot and got off to a good start. The combination of these two factors put BYU in a hole early and they were never able to recover. Texas A&M was bigger, more athletic, and just a better all around team than BYU. The Cougars tried to recover in the 2nd half and as close as 8 points at one time, but the Aggies hit a couple of 3 point shots to stop BYU’s run. The final score was Texas A&M 79 BYU 66.
Utah State played their game against Marquette on Friday morning. The first half was not good for Utah State, just like BYU’s game. The Aggies were unable to hit many shots and Marquette took an early lead in the first half. Utah State came out in the second half and played like a different team. They were making their shots, played a strong zone defense, and made this game a great finish. The Aggies held in there with Marquette until the very end where they trailed by 1 point and barely missed a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left for the win. Utah State played tough, but lost to Marquette by a score of 58-57.
The University of Utah played against the Arizona Wildcats on Friday night. The Utes were unable to hold in there with the Wildcats. Arizona was just too physical, too big, and too fast for the Utah Utes. Utah’s big man, Luke Nevill, got in foul trouble early and was taken out of the game early. Utah lost to Arizona by a score of 84-71.
yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood. And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Brackets and Basketball
It’s official, March Madness has finally arrived and will be here to stay for the next 3 weeks. These 3 weeks will be filled full of awesome basketball games, intriguing story lines, incredible upsets, fantastic finishes, buzzer beaters, great announcers (Gus Johnson), and “Cinderella” stories. I look forward for these 3 weeks all year long and love to see the day when the brackets are released.
On Sunday March 15th the field of 65 teams for the NCAA tournament will be announced and where they will be seeded along with whom, where, and when they will be playing. 32 games are planned to be played at various locations throughout the US on Thursday March 19th and Friday March 20th for what constitutes the 1st round of the tournament. The second round will feature the winners playing each other on Saturday March 21st and Sunday March 22nd to take the field of 64 teams down to the “Sweet Sixteen” teams. These teams play each other until they get to the “Elite Eight”, the “Final Four”, and then the Championship game to see who is crowned the champions of NCAA Division I basketball.
Each year I fill out a bracket for the tournament, which for those who don’t know is basically the format of all the games to be played in the first round. You start with all the games in the first round and then you guess the winners of that round and write in those teams and then keep guessing the games until all t first round projected winners are determined. You then take all of these teams and project the winners for the second round and so on until you reach the final round which is the 6th round. You gain points by picking games correctly and the higher the rounds the bigger the points earned. You then join with a group of other players and compete against one another.
If you have never filled out a bracket and watched the tournament then you need to try it this year. It is easy to do, lots of fun, and puts much more excitement into the games that are on.
If you do try filling out a bracket this year, here a few of my own personal tips to help you do well (and if you’re lucky, maybe even win in your group):
Decide if you want to be serious or a casual “bracketeer”. I am very serious and my wife doesn’t even know half of the teams. This will help you decide how much time or effort you want to put into filling out the bracket.
Most of the time the Final Four teams will be the 1 or 2 seeded teams. I usually pick these teams to be in the Final Four and to be the Champion. Your odds are better by doing this.
Look at who the experts and analysts are picking to win and then formulate your own ideas and opinions. This really makes it fun and interesting when you have put time and energy into picking winners and you get a bunch right.
Pick upsets. The most exciting thing to do in the brackets is to pick pretty big upsets like 12 over 5 seed and 13 over 4 and then watch it really happen.
Sharpen your pencils, print out a bracket, sit in your easy chair, turn on your big screen TV, and prepare to see why they refer to it as “March Madness”.
yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood. And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
On Sunday March 15th the field of 65 teams for the NCAA tournament will be announced and where they will be seeded along with whom, where, and when they will be playing. 32 games are planned to be played at various locations throughout the US on Thursday March 19th and Friday March 20th for what constitutes the 1st round of the tournament. The second round will feature the winners playing each other on Saturday March 21st and Sunday March 22nd to take the field of 64 teams down to the “Sweet Sixteen” teams. These teams play each other until they get to the “Elite Eight”, the “Final Four”, and then the Championship game to see who is crowned the champions of NCAA Division I basketball.
Each year I fill out a bracket for the tournament, which for those who don’t know is basically the format of all the games to be played in the first round. You start with all the games in the first round and then you guess the winners of that round and write in those teams and then keep guessing the games until all t first round projected winners are determined. You then take all of these teams and project the winners for the second round and so on until you reach the final round which is the 6th round. You gain points by picking games correctly and the higher the rounds the bigger the points earned. You then join with a group of other players and compete against one another.
If you have never filled out a bracket and watched the tournament then you need to try it this year. It is easy to do, lots of fun, and puts much more excitement into the games that are on.
If you do try filling out a bracket this year, here a few of my own personal tips to help you do well (and if you’re lucky, maybe even win in your group):
Decide if you want to be serious or a casual “bracketeer”. I am very serious and my wife doesn’t even know half of the teams. This will help you decide how much time or effort you want to put into filling out the bracket.
Most of the time the Final Four teams will be the 1 or 2 seeded teams. I usually pick these teams to be in the Final Four and to be the Champion. Your odds are better by doing this.
Look at who the experts and analysts are picking to win and then formulate your own ideas and opinions. This really makes it fun and interesting when you have put time and energy into picking winners and you get a bunch right.
Pick upsets. The most exciting thing to do in the brackets is to pick pretty big upsets like 12 over 5 seed and 13 over 4 and then watch it really happen.
Sharpen your pencils, print out a bracket, sit in your easy chair, turn on your big screen TV, and prepare to see why they refer to it as “March Madness”.
yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood. And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Spring Time Activities
Spring is right around the corner and day light savings is already here. After spending the last 4 winter months inside watching the TV and lounging around, it’s time to get outside and enjoy the beautiful spring weather. If you live in Utah you might laugh at the idea of spring weather because many years it snows until May and I remember one time it snowed in June. Spring has a lot of variety in the weather patterns so you need to take advantage of the 60 and 70 degree days. They will come and go all through the next 3 months. We need to plan ahead what kind of work to do and also what kind of activities and fun we can have for this time of year.
As much I despise working, I know it is essential and spring is a great time to put on those work gloves and get outside and enjoy the weather while working.
Here are some jobs that you can work on during the spring:
Prune the fruit trees. I learned that this can be a big job, but it isn’t so bad when the weather is nice. Be sure to brush up on some pruning tips on the internet and sharpen your pruners. This will help your trees yield a bigger and better crop.
Prepare your garden soil. To help your garden grow better this year, try putting some turkey manure or new soil in and mix it into the existing soil. It is good to use a roto-tiller to churn up and soften the soil and get it all ready to plant your seeds. A good portion of how well your garden grows depends on the time and preparation you put into the soil.
Plant flowers. Late March and early April are the perfect time to start planting your flower beds. Check various websites on the internet for the best varieties to plant. You can also buy flowers at your local nurseries where they can also offer advice on flower planting. Flowers will brighten up your yard and house.
Life can’t be all work and no play. Here are a couple of ideas for activities that you can try this spring:
Fly a kite. Flying kits is a lot of fun for kids and adults. Go outside with your kids on a windy day and help them get the kite up in the air (It seems harder to do as you get older). Try buying some of the more fancy kites and have fun flying them. They have some pretty cool ones now days.
Go for a walk. This seems like a simple activity, but the fresh air and exercise will be very fun and give you more energy. Your children will like being outside and being together as a family. Walk around the block or to a local park to play. The main point is being outside together.
Play Sports. I put up a basketball hoop this past fall and my 5 year old daughter loves to play already. It is fun for the kids and adults. You can also try football, Frisbee, and baseball.
Spring time is a great time of year. Go outside and enjoy the warm days. Get some yard work done. Play some games with the kids. When it rains and snows stay inside and hunker down in the basement watching basketball or movies.
yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood. And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Friday, February 27, 2009
March Madness is Finally Here
March is one of my favorite months of the year. Winter is finally winding down and the weather is heating up; I’m able to work and play outside more; the days are getting longer; and my favorite part is the NCAA College Basketball Tournament that takes place in mid-late March. If you have never followed or experienced a NCAA basketball tournament or filled out brackets, you are missing out on one of the most exciting sports events of the year. It is now March 2nd and in 2 weeks the teams that will make the tournament will be revealed. This is when the madness really starts up.
College Basketball is fun to watch all year long, but in March is when the games truly matter. Each college belongs to a conference with several other colleges where their sports teams compete with each other. In college basketball at the end of the season (which is in late Feb), the conference tournaments begin. The teams compete within their respective conferences to see who the conference champion will be. In many of the smaller conferences this winner is the only team that will go to the “Big Dance” (nickname for the NCAA tournament). In the larger, more popular conferences, they usually send 3 or 4 teams depending on their records and strength of schedule. All of these teams comprise the field of 65 teams that will make up the tournament. It was 64 teams, but was changed a few years ago to 65, which means there is one game that takes place before the rest of the games that determines which of 2 teams will be part of the field of 64. The 65 teams going to the tournament will be unveiled on Sunday March 15th this year. It is usually the 2nd or 3rd Sunday in March. Like I mentioned above, once these teams are announced on Sunday March 15th at 4pm MST, the madness has officially started.
If you know what brackets are, then you probably have filled them out for an NCAA tournament before. Once the teams are announced a bracket is created. This bracket is posted on all the major sports websites like CBSsports.com, SportsIllusrtated.com, etc… Each year I go in on that Sunday night and print out a few brackets and fill them out with which team I think will win. There are 6 total rounds which take the field of 64 down to a final team which is the NCAA champion. I study and read articles and spend many hours making sure my bracket has all the right picks. I usually join a couple of groups or pools to have a competition to see who gets the most picks right. It makes the games exciting and fun to watch.
The best part about the Madness is that every year there are huge upsets, last second winning shots, “Cinderella” teams that are winning game after game that they aren’t supposed to, overtime games, and all other kinds of things that will drive you mad if you are a sports fan and are watching your bracket slowly go to waste. So roll up your sleeves, sharpen that pencil, and be prepared because the Madness begins in less than 2 weeks.
Here are a couple of clips from game winning baskets over the years in the tournaments to get you excited:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_8z4uEGGls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAYiG3v60tA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpFOQXIvoLY
yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood. And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
College Basketball is fun to watch all year long, but in March is when the games truly matter. Each college belongs to a conference with several other colleges where their sports teams compete with each other. In college basketball at the end of the season (which is in late Feb), the conference tournaments begin. The teams compete within their respective conferences to see who the conference champion will be. In many of the smaller conferences this winner is the only team that will go to the “Big Dance” (nickname for the NCAA tournament). In the larger, more popular conferences, they usually send 3 or 4 teams depending on their records and strength of schedule. All of these teams comprise the field of 65 teams that will make up the tournament. It was 64 teams, but was changed a few years ago to 65, which means there is one game that takes place before the rest of the games that determines which of 2 teams will be part of the field of 64. The 65 teams going to the tournament will be unveiled on Sunday March 15th this year. It is usually the 2nd or 3rd Sunday in March. Like I mentioned above, once these teams are announced on Sunday March 15th at 4pm MST, the madness has officially started.
If you know what brackets are, then you probably have filled them out for an NCAA tournament before. Once the teams are announced a bracket is created. This bracket is posted on all the major sports websites like CBSsports.com, SportsIllusrtated.com, etc… Each year I go in on that Sunday night and print out a few brackets and fill them out with which team I think will win. There are 6 total rounds which take the field of 64 down to a final team which is the NCAA champion. I study and read articles and spend many hours making sure my bracket has all the right picks. I usually join a couple of groups or pools to have a competition to see who gets the most picks right. It makes the games exciting and fun to watch.
The best part about the Madness is that every year there are huge upsets, last second winning shots, “Cinderella” teams that are winning game after game that they aren’t supposed to, overtime games, and all other kinds of things that will drive you mad if you are a sports fan and are watching your bracket slowly go to waste. So roll up your sleeves, sharpen that pencil, and be prepared because the Madness begins in less than 2 weeks.
Here are a couple of clips from game winning baskets over the years in the tournaments to get you excited:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_8z4uEGGls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAYiG3v60tA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpFOQXIvoLY
yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood. And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Making the Most out of Family Home Evening
Families are what matters most in our lives, but we seem to be so busy each day that we don’t spend the amount of time needed to teach and play with our children. There are probably many men (and women) that work jobs from 8-5 where they only see their children for a few hours in the evening. We need to make sure these few hours aren’t wasted on mindless and non-interactive activities. A perfect way to share some quality time is to set aside our Monday nights for a family night or as a Family Home Evening as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints refers to this night.
Family Home Evening can be an opportunity to share our time with our spouses, children, and possibly other relatives. This is a chance for us to focus our time and energy one night a week on teaching and playing with our children. Many of us grew up with the basic format of family home evening: having a prayer, song, lesson, and treat. I have a lot of fond memories of family home evening at my house. My Mom and Dad taught us not only gospel and righteous principles, but also many other ideas and lessons that would help us succeed as we grew older. My Dad taught us about money, how to be self sufficient, how to plant a garden, and how to work hard. My Mom taught us how to cook, clean the house, and how to always treat everyone with love and kindness. I am thankful my parents taught me the teachings of Christ and also the lessons of living happy and being successful.
Just as my parents made this family night special for me as a child, I want to do the same for my children and small family. I have 2 young daughters and 1 baby boy. It can be difficult to hold a formal family evening. The girls love to say prayers and sing church songs while Mom plays the piano. My wife usually teaches the girls with a felt story about one of the many scripture stories from the Bible or Book of Mormon. This is often a struggle for my 3 year old, but my 5-year old listens very intently and has great memory retention. We often read out of the Friend church magazine, too.
At times this process is very frustrating and many times have been tempted to skip family home evening, but as we realize that the most important part of family home evening is being with the family, we start to realize that it is alright if it becomes chaotic and we can’t get through the lesson. Our girls and baby boy know that we love them, value them, and want to see them be happy and succeed in life by spending one night completely devoted to them.
The way we can get the most out of our Family Home Evenings is to first of all hold them every week-no exceptions. Make this night the top priority of the week and let the children know that this night is special.
Second, we need to be sure we have the Spirit with us as we start the Family Home Evening. We need to get in a spiritual mode long before we meet to start family night. How we feel and our spiritual feelings during Family Home Evening will rub off on our children and will help them know this is a special night where they can feel loved and feel safe. This creates a better learning environment and will invite the Spirit of Christ into your home.
Third, don’t get too caught up in the lesson aspect of the family night, especially if you have small children. It is difficult for them to sit still very long and they like more interactive teaching where possible.
Fourth, always prepare some activity or game that can help reinforce your lesson and also prepare them a small treat or snack at the end.
Last, reinforce to each of your children that you love them and are thankful for them. Spend a few minutes while you eat your snacks pointing out things you like about each child. Make them feel valued with lots of praise. Too often during the week we get after our children and discipline them. This is a great time to show love, praise, and point out detailed talents or things you love about your child. This very well may be the most important part of the whole night.
Make your family nights special. Follow the tips above and watch children thrive in school, their personal lives, and everything they do. It is amazing what families can do together when they share one night a week teaching and sharing love with each other.
yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood. And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Family Home Evening can be an opportunity to share our time with our spouses, children, and possibly other relatives. This is a chance for us to focus our time and energy one night a week on teaching and playing with our children. Many of us grew up with the basic format of family home evening: having a prayer, song, lesson, and treat. I have a lot of fond memories of family home evening at my house. My Mom and Dad taught us not only gospel and righteous principles, but also many other ideas and lessons that would help us succeed as we grew older. My Dad taught us about money, how to be self sufficient, how to plant a garden, and how to work hard. My Mom taught us how to cook, clean the house, and how to always treat everyone with love and kindness. I am thankful my parents taught me the teachings of Christ and also the lessons of living happy and being successful.
Just as my parents made this family night special for me as a child, I want to do the same for my children and small family. I have 2 young daughters and 1 baby boy. It can be difficult to hold a formal family evening. The girls love to say prayers and sing church songs while Mom plays the piano. My wife usually teaches the girls with a felt story about one of the many scripture stories from the Bible or Book of Mormon. This is often a struggle for my 3 year old, but my 5-year old listens very intently and has great memory retention. We often read out of the Friend church magazine, too.
At times this process is very frustrating and many times have been tempted to skip family home evening, but as we realize that the most important part of family home evening is being with the family, we start to realize that it is alright if it becomes chaotic and we can’t get through the lesson. Our girls and baby boy know that we love them, value them, and want to see them be happy and succeed in life by spending one night completely devoted to them.
The way we can get the most out of our Family Home Evenings is to first of all hold them every week-no exceptions. Make this night the top priority of the week and let the children know that this night is special.
Second, we need to be sure we have the Spirit with us as we start the Family Home Evening. We need to get in a spiritual mode long before we meet to start family night. How we feel and our spiritual feelings during Family Home Evening will rub off on our children and will help them know this is a special night where they can feel loved and feel safe. This creates a better learning environment and will invite the Spirit of Christ into your home.
Third, don’t get too caught up in the lesson aspect of the family night, especially if you have small children. It is difficult for them to sit still very long and they like more interactive teaching where possible.
Fourth, always prepare some activity or game that can help reinforce your lesson and also prepare them a small treat or snack at the end.
Last, reinforce to each of your children that you love them and are thankful for them. Spend a few minutes while you eat your snacks pointing out things you like about each child. Make them feel valued with lots of praise. Too often during the week we get after our children and discipline them. This is a great time to show love, praise, and point out detailed talents or things you love about your child. This very well may be the most important part of the whole night.
Make your family nights special. Follow the tips above and watch children thrive in school, their personal lives, and everything they do. It is amazing what families can do together when they share one night a week teaching and sharing love with each other.
yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood. And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Dreams Really Do Come True
On August 28th, 1963 a certain man named Martin Luther King Jr. stood at a pulpit in Washington D.C. and started his speech with the famous words “I have a dream”. His speech was considered one of the most famous and most notable in all of history. We all know the rest of this story—how the blacks were given more rights and were finally really treated as equals to the whites. His speeches along with the help of countless other great leaders, including Rosa Parks, went on to spark a movement that would help bring equality to all mankind. Martin Luther saw his dream fulfilled.
There are countless other stories where dreams have come true. I would like to share a few others. A couple of these stories you can read about in my past blogs. One is the story of a young man named Jason McElway. You can ready my blog about him by clicking on this link . Jason suffers from autism and is the basketball manager for a high school team. I am sure Jason dreamed many times of being the basketball star for his team and in my blog you will read the story of how he was able to fulfill his dreams. The story is incredible-be sure to read it again, if you have already heard or read about it.
Another story of a person fulfilling their dreams is the awesome story of Rick Hoyt and his father Dick. You can read this past blog of mine by clicking on this link . This is one of my favorite videos of all time. It is a tear-jerker and an inspirational video that will give you the inspiration to fulfill your own dreams. Rick was born disabled and is unable to talk or walk or do much of anything other than sit in his wheelchair all day every day. I am certain that he had countless dreams of being able to walk, talk, and just move around on his own. His father Dick made his dreams come true by taking him on his Ironman triathlons. He had Rick sit in a canoe while he swam pulling it, set up a place for him to sit in a cart that was connected to his bike, and ran while pushing the wheelchair in front of him. It is truly an awe inspiring story and video that will leave you in tears.
The 3 people I have described above all had their dreams come true. They had a dream and a vision of what they wanted to do and it eventually happened. We all have dreams, some big and some small. My wife is a big dreamer. She dreamed that she would have a book published and she is having her first book published this June. She dreamed that she would go to college and get a degree and she did. She dreamed that she would find a handsome young and intelligent man to marry and she most certainly did. She has many other dreams as do I. One of mine is to buy and run my own bed and breakfast in a beautiful place somewhere in the western U.S. I want to cook for the guests and do the yard work and make it a wonderful place for people to come and get away from life. This is my dream and just like the ones I mentioned above, who have fulfilled their dreams, I really want to fulfill mine.
Here is one last video to watch about dreams. So get to work and make your dreams come true because they really do. Click here
yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood. And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
There are countless other stories where dreams have come true. I would like to share a few others. A couple of these stories you can read about in my past blogs. One is the story of a young man named Jason McElway. You can ready my blog about him by clicking on this link . Jason suffers from autism and is the basketball manager for a high school team. I am sure Jason dreamed many times of being the basketball star for his team and in my blog you will read the story of how he was able to fulfill his dreams. The story is incredible-be sure to read it again, if you have already heard or read about it.
Another story of a person fulfilling their dreams is the awesome story of Rick Hoyt and his father Dick. You can read this past blog of mine by clicking on this link . This is one of my favorite videos of all time. It is a tear-jerker and an inspirational video that will give you the inspiration to fulfill your own dreams. Rick was born disabled and is unable to talk or walk or do much of anything other than sit in his wheelchair all day every day. I am certain that he had countless dreams of being able to walk, talk, and just move around on his own. His father Dick made his dreams come true by taking him on his Ironman triathlons. He had Rick sit in a canoe while he swam pulling it, set up a place for him to sit in a cart that was connected to his bike, and ran while pushing the wheelchair in front of him. It is truly an awe inspiring story and video that will leave you in tears.
The 3 people I have described above all had their dreams come true. They had a dream and a vision of what they wanted to do and it eventually happened. We all have dreams, some big and some small. My wife is a big dreamer. She dreamed that she would have a book published and she is having her first book published this June. She dreamed that she would go to college and get a degree and she did. She dreamed that she would find a handsome young and intelligent man to marry and she most certainly did. She has many other dreams as do I. One of mine is to buy and run my own bed and breakfast in a beautiful place somewhere in the western U.S. I want to cook for the guests and do the yard work and make it a wonderful place for people to come and get away from life. This is my dream and just like the ones I mentioned above, who have fulfilled their dreams, I really want to fulfill mine.
Here is one last video to watch about dreams. So get to work and make your dreams come true because they really do. Click here
yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood. And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Valentine’s Day Fun for Kids
Valentine’s Day is this week and I am sure many of us adults have plans to go out that night to celebrate our love for one another. I hope you gathered some great ideas from my last blog. Most of us will be taking our children to a babysitter or will invite one over to take care of our kids. Valentine’s Day is not only a time to show our love for our spouses but should also be a time to show our love for our children. I’m not suggesting you take your children on your date, but to spend some time doing various activities with them during the week of Valentine’s.
Here are several fun ideas to make your children’s Valentine’s week special and show your love for them:
Make Valentine’s Cookies
Spend a night during the week before the 14th and make a batch of sugar cookie dough and have your kids help you cut out shapes of hearts, lips, cupid, and other valentine’s shapes. I found various cookie cutters at the local grocery store for only a few dollars. Make pink, red, and white frosting to decorate the cookies and top with sprinkles, candy hearts, and other valentine candies. The kids will have a lot of fun and you can take some to their friends and some to their class at school.
Valentine’s Treasure Hunt
I did this idea 2 years ago and the kids loved it. I placed Valentine notes throughout the house and had different gifts with each note until they found the main treasure where I had red and pink balloons and new Valentine pajamas. They loved going from one place to the next and finding candy, little toys, and various prizes throughout the house. The kids still remember that Valentine’s Day. They knew they were special and that Mom and Dad loved them.
Make Homemade Valentine’s Card
Spend a night before Valentine’s and have your kids make homemade cards for their Mom and/or Dad and even have them make cards for their grandparents or other close relatives. Kids love to make things for other people. My five year old,Gracie, is living proof of this. She loves to draw pictures and make different things for us and also for her grandmas and grandpas. Get some construction paper in red, pink, and white colors. Let the kids draw pictures on them, write Happy Valentine’s Day, and have them cut out hearts and place them on the card. Place glue stick on the card in different Valentines shapes and then shake sprinkles on this area and shake off the excess. Your kids will love making these different crafts and will also cherish the time they are spending with you.
Have a Valentine’s Party
Every year my mom invites all of the grandkids over to her house to decorate Valentine boxes, make cookies, and make cards. The kids look forward to this party each year and have fun playing with their cousins and making neat boxes to put their Valentines in. My mom always makes a big batch of cookies beforehand and has the kids help cut the shapes, bake the cookies, and then frost and decorate them. My mom loves this time with the grandkids and the kids like being together and with their grandma. You can invite your own children’s cousins over or friends and neighbors to have a similar party at your own house.
Valentine’s is a fun holiday for kids and adults. Take the time to make your children’s Valentine’s Day a little more special this year and let them know how much you love them and want to spend time with them doing fun things. Create fun memories that your children will remember their whole lives. Most important is to make sure they know you love them more than anything.
Here is a little music video that I found about children. Enjoy. Billy Dean--Let Them Be Little
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ17tutZtd8
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