Another good blog post...

Becoming a Butterfly

Once there were students in a science class. They had a caterpillar and watched it make a cocoon. They knew it would enter the cocoon, stay inside for a while and when it came out it would be a beautiful butterfly. The caterpillar stayed inside the cocoon for months and finally, one day, it began to come out. The students watched the butterfly struggle. It was having a hard time getting out of its cocoon.

The science students felt bad and decided to help the poor little butterfly. Very carefully they took small scissors and cut the opening in the cocoon wider so it would be easy for the new butterfly to get out. They watched and waited. When the butterfly came out it tried to open its wings...it couldn't. When it tried to fly away it wasn't strong enough.

The science teacher explained to the students that butterflies struggling to get out of the cocoon helps build it's wings and make them strong. it needs to fight and work and struggle in order to be strong enough to one day fly.

Heavenly Father sent us to earth to learn and to grow.  One of the ways that we grow and learn to depend on Heavenly Father is through trials and difficulties.   

In our lives sometimes bad things happen to good people. 

A couple great blog posts!

I have been following quite a few blogs and I found a couple of posts that I wanted to share:

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for ...hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less from people but more from God.

 

Boise Halloween 2011

Note the great make-up

The Hippie and the Hockey Player

Don't ask!

Spiderman!

Treyvn ready for Halloween

Boise Halloween 2011 (2)

Jaydn - The Punky Pirate

Beautiful Pirate

Sayde's Blessing

Burgess Family 10/16/11 Sayde's Blessing

Sayde in the blessing dress Grandma made her.

Liza and Sayde

Beautiful Heartbreak

An oldie but a goodie!!!

Look at how cute these two are!!! :)

Brody's Story

I just wanted to share my friend Candise's video she made about the adoption of their son, Brody, from Africa. It's quite long, but worth watching.  He is so happy to be home!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RxYFa9swG5o

Too Soon Spring

Here is a poem Paul's dad wrote. It's about the passing of Paul's brother, Steven, who was born premature and lived for only one day.

This phoenix rising through the snow, would with its blossoms bring, renewal of eternal hope

Too Soon Spring
The earth was dressed in her wedding gown,
As white as the driven snow,
Awaiting the coming of the spring time,
When all the flowers grow.


The ground was clothed in hoary frost,
As far as the eye could see,
The crocus bloomed resplendently,
The bride's bouquet to be.


This phoenix rising through the snow,
Would with its blossoms bring,
Renewal of eternal hope,
That it would soon be spring.


Springtime came with a sudden rush,
And with the heat of day,
The fragile bloom of the crocus flower,
Wilted and blew away.


Steven came with the hope of spring,
And blossomed for a day,
But like the fragile crocus bloom,
A guest who could not stay.


Now all too soon their beauty gone,
Lives but a memory,
Until the day when flower and son,
Bloom in eternity. 

~ R. Hardy

Mediterranean Pesto Sausage Soup

Here's the recipe of Mediterranean pesto sausage soup.

• Olive oil
• 1 pound smoked pork sausage
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 pound red lentils
• 28 ounces chopped tomatoes
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 4 ounces pesto

Saute the smoked pork sausage in the olive oil until broken up and browned. Add red onion and garlic and saute until onion is tender.

Add the lentils, tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until lentils are tender and breaking up.

Add salt, pepper and pesto and serve with julienned basil for garnish.

Mediterranean Greek Salad

Here's the recipe for the Greek salad Cindy made when Scott and Lor visited Vancouver.

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder with parsley
• 3 medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped 
• 3 to 4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
• 1 can (6 oz) Greek olives, pitted, or ripened pitted olives
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Combine oil, vinegar, oregano and seasonings: cover and shake well. Set dressing aside. In medium bowl, combine cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, olives and cheese; mix lightly. Shake dressing. Add to salad: toss lightly to coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Presentation: Serve with a slotted spoon on lettuce-covered platter, if desired. Crusty rolls or warm pita bred are a perfect accompaniment.

Variation: Add dressing to 2 cups torn romaine lettuce instead of vegetable mixture.

Roxy Jay October 17, 2011

Am I cute?

Yes, I am!

Homecoming 2011

The awkward boutonniere

Flowers are done, but we ended up fixing Justin's a bit.

The Fab Four

More of the boys: Drake, Colby, Justin and Jake

Hugs all around

The First Twelve

Are we done yet? Notice the fixed flower!

Jump!

The Whole Group--all twenty four!

Welcome!

I wanted to make a blog where we can all post pictures, events, etc. for the family to see.  I will email all of you the user name and password to add/edit.

I think it will be fun to keep in touch through this - Justin I want to see some more pics from Homecoming!! And we need to see some pics of Sayde's blessing!!

Love you guys!!! :)
Lor

Thanksgiving 2011



Cindy made these adorable Turkey place settings!!!

Literally attached to Uncle Scott!

Beautiful Sayde at Church!

Her Aunt is in LOVE!!



You Tube'in it!!



Naptime...and we hadn't even eaten the turkey yet!



A pretty amazing place to grow up!!!



We all love this hill!!!






 





Scott and Larissa's Visit to Kelowna



Look at the family harmony going on here!!



Down at the Lake



Gotta love these kids!



Beautiful downtown Kelowna!



Sweet Baby Sayde!!!



Naptime with Uncle Scott



All of the kids in downtown Vancouver (minus Sayde).

Hardy Boys + Scott at the San Clemente Pier

Best Buddys!