Giving Thanks!

I realized this year how much I love November. It stirs up some great memories and emotions of gratitude that are unique to this season of the year. Somehow I can feel deeper gratitude for the smallest things: a quiet night at home with the family, playing board games with Nathan, listening to my kids share their favorite Christmas memories, helping my recently widowed mother go to the grocery store, resurrecting favorite Christmas piano duets with Brittany, smells of homemade treats, and the anticipation of Christmas from sounds and lights that slowly pop up randomly around town.

My family is the greatest blessing to me. I am most grateful for the legacy of love, loyalty and commitment that was established by my parents. They established their life based on faith and obedience that I was taught and I hope to pass on to my posterity. My father passed-on to the next life 6 weeks ago and this is our first holiday season without his physical presence. I feel a great peace and comfort because of the example he set of righteous patterns. I continue to live by his example and daily follow the good patterns that he established in our family. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Obedience to the commandments of God, Honor to my parents, Trust in God's plan, and Respect for our fellowmen.

Now that I am a grandma, I feel an even deeper commitment to living a righteous life and leading by example to trust in the atonement of Jesus Christ, so my posterity "will know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25:25) Living righteous patterns is the best gift I can give those who will follow in my footsteps.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2013!!!

Beauty Comes from Within

I have been obsessed with the changing leaves this season. For some reason, this year the color of the fall leaves has touched me in a new way. As I have intentionally looked at the trees, the colors and lighting from the sun, I have been amazed at the strength, boldness, beauty and purpose of each individual tree. When fall comes, one tree is not dependent on another tree to know when to change colors.

Each individual tree changes colors when it is best for that tree and creates a colorful contrast by being different from its surrounding trees. This alone is beautiful, but I have noticed one more element that increases the beauty even more, the addition of sunlight. When the sun shines just right on a tree, it illuminates the tree and it enhances its colors to become more beautiful than it could on its own and enables the tree to reach its fullest colorful potential and beauty. From the perspective of the tree, it doesn't seem to stand out as anything special, but to those who are looking at the trees, they can see and feel the unique beauty of each colorful contribution.

So it is with God’s children. We all have the potential of incredible strength, beauty and purpose, but we may get stuck thinking we need to camouflage ourselves with the trees or the people around us, being careful to not stand out. If we can look inside ourselves to find our natural beauty, talents and strengths and if we can be bold and strong to let our colors show, then can we enrich those around us and we become our best self. Now this is all possible and good, but there is one more element that increases our beauty that we don’t want to forget. The most important color­enhancer is the Son, meaning the Son of God, which shines on us and illuminates our inner beauty far beyond our own ability. He can help us become who He wants us to be, if we repent and remain humble, we can reach our full potential in a way only available through His love and atonement for us.

Quote: Each little seed knew that in order to grow it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light. 

Finding My Purpose as a Mother

I am reflecting today about my purpose as a mother and how fast life passes by as I cradle my first granddaughter in my arms. Words can't express the love and emotion one feels as they watch their own daughter go through her first child's birth.

It feels like it was just yesterday that I had my first baby and welcomed her into my loving arms. I felt a new love for my husband as we began establishing a family and creating a home of love and opportunity for that baby. I thought I knew what love was.

Then my second daughter was born and again I felt increased love for my growing family. With each birth of my 5 children my capacity to love grew and grew. How blessed I felt to have these babies born into our family. What joy and happiness filled my life as I could raise them and teach them of their purpose on earth.

Then a year ago, my second daughter chose an eternal companion that joined our family. I was not sure I was ready to let my daughter get married and leave home. She held a special spot in our family and I would miss her. But as I watched the love and happiness she felt with her new companion and I saw the love and tenderness he expressed through his words and actions, I was comforted to know she would be able to progress in life with him and fulfill the measure of their creation. I wasn't losing a daughter, I was gaining a son!!

Now this little family has welcomed home their first baby girl, Lacy Lou Jeppesen- Born on Sept 2, 2013 at 9:10 am, weighing 7lb. 11 oz and 19-1/2 in. long. After a struggle in the NICU for 5 days, little Lacy Lou has come home from the hospital with a monitor tracking her every breath for oxygen. Every inhale/exhale is a miracle within itself.

I am holding her in this quiet little apartment thinking about how much love I have for her. Again, my love for my husband and our eternal family is inexpressible. This baby gives purpose to my life, to her mother and father's lives and to the whole extended family. She has a strong family link on every side that already love her and care for her. What a blessing for a baby to start her life with incredible love.

I was given a special insight to my second daughter before she was born. I had the impression that she was going to be a Mother in Zion and that it was my responsibility to set the example, to teach her to be a mother and welcome children into this world. Reality was that she loved babies and baby stuff and she observed every mother around her. She always wanted to be a mother and has maternal instincts that were unusual for her age. So now I see her purpose in life being fulfilled. Being a mother is what she is created to do.

This infant in my arms is a fulfillment of a spiritual prompting I had over 20 years ago about my daughter and it is a fulfillment of my purpose in raising a Mother in Zion!!

The Power of Daily Habits

As I woke up this morning, I felt light, rested, rejuvenated and happy to face another day. I reflected on other days when I didn't feel as good. I've felt tired, heavy, sad, wanting to climb in bed and not come out at all. What makes the difference? I am still the same person, but why does the way I feel about myself change?

It donned on me today that the way I feel today is due to my daily choices yesterday, and it is also a build up of choices over time. What I chose yesterday really does affect how I feel today and my future. Here's my example last night. At night, I often get to the point that I think about "eating one more little thing" (which often leads to another "little thing"). I didn't last night and today I was so glad!! My choices last night lined up with my real desires and I feel an inner peace with myself.

I have been living a healthier life for almost a year now. I made a commitment to myself to choose healthy habits and live them daily. With my focus on my long term goal of being a happy, healthy and fit person, my actions are in-line with my desired outcome. I don't need anyone saying "don't do this or don't eat that or don't think that", I already decided what being happy and healthy would feel like to me and my choices are governed by my desired outcome.

I am living with integrity!! My actions match my deepest desires of who I really want to be and what I can become. I am not perfect, but the majority of my choices in eating healthy, exercise and what I surround myself with daily, are right and with small consistent efforts, I will maintain a healthy body, mind and balance in life.
Optimal health is a journey, not a destination!!

Here's to another day on my healthy journey:)

Enjoying Life as is Happens

I've been waiting for the perfect moment to sit down and write an amazing post on my blog. Well, that perfect moment is now. Whatever time I have, wherever I am, whatever I'm doing is perfect for now. I am learning to seek the joy in every moment.

Seeking for the little things in life that touch my heart, that make me feel happy, that let me know someone loves me are the things that bring me the greatest joy. The sunshine on my face, the touch of a child, the sound of birds chirping, the color of blooming flowers, the closeness of my children around me, the quiet times in the early morning, feeling the wind on my face, the smell of the outdoors.

Today, it is being with my family as we embark on a trip together. What relationships can I build? What bonds of friendship can I strengthen? What characteristics can I observe in my children that helps me understand them better? Who has God created them to be and for what purpose in life? I am on a journey to make the most of my time with my family.

BonVoyage!!

Have a Gratitude Attitude

There is a simple principle in life that I am learning makes the difference for me of feeling HAPPY... Gratitude! A" Gratitude Attitude" is freedom to find something good in everything!  Pollyanna was one of my favorite movies as a little girl because she lived the simple principle of being GLAD. Remember her "Glad Game"? She could find something to be glad about in good times and in her trials. What a great lesson... choose to be "Glad" in all things.
 (D&C 59:7 "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.")

I want to share how gratitude has become a part of my eating healthy. We live in a very abundant world and we pretty much can have whatever food or treat we want, whenever we want it, and yet we still act like this might be the last time we ever see that treat or food again. We can learn to be selective in our choices and not indulge every time.

When we take control of our eating habits and we know what is good for our body, we can make good choices for ourselves. We don't need to accept the quantity of big portions, or eat something out of obligation to others. We can chose what is best for our bodies and feel good about our choices. Knowing how to eat 6 small balanced meals each day helps our bodies maintain optimal health. What a blessing to have so much healthy food options available to us. Yes, there are healthy choices almost everywhere we go now days.

My favorite section of modern day scripture is D&C 89, the "Word of Wisdom". It is "a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weakest of all saints" (v.3). The Lord has given us seasonal herbs and fruit (v.11,16), flesh to be used sparingly (v.12), and grain for the use of man (v.14-17). He has warned us against consuming wine and strong drinks (v.5), tobacco (v.8) and hot drinks (v.9). When we are obedient to this commandment, we are given the promises of health (v.18), wisdom, knowledge and hidden treasures (v.19), strength in the body (v.20) and protection from Satan (v.21).

To me, this is where our eternal spiritual souls and physical bodies connect. When we obey the principle of healthy eating, using the food the Lord has blessed us with, we can immediately feel His blessing in our physical body. I have felt a greater joy, happiness, peace, health, strength in body and strength in wiser choices. His goodness and mercy can be felt by all who humbly turn their will power over to the Savior and allow Him to be the Master "healer"of their body. I have felt the protection from Satan as "my will power" has changed to "I Will Be Obedient" power. (See my previous post "Will Power")

To turn this principle into action, I simply choose my food mindfully and wisely and with a grateful attitude, I thank Heavenly Father for the food I will eat. A prayer of thanksgiving for my food allows me time to express gratitude for what I have, and in return, I have been blessed with a greater satisfaction and nourishment from what I eat and the ability to "run and not be weary, and walk and not faint"(D&C 89:20).

Will Power

"Will Power"has been on my mind lately. What are the "will power struggles"we face each day? Why are some days hard to have a strong will power and other days its much easier? People tell me I have a strong will power but what does that mean, really?

I have done a little personal study about "will power" and this is what I have come to understand on my own. I believe in the importance of learning a principle, putting it into action and sharing it with others and that is what my blog is for.

6:00 a.m. Alarm goes off.
One side of my mind says, "Time to get up"
The other side says, "Oh man!! It is so cold, I can lay here a little longer.... I've still got time"
The battle continues inside my mind for a while longer.
DING, DING, DING!! First Will Power struggle of the day! Which of my 2 minds will win? The mind that knows I have many things to do and I will feel better to get an early start or the mind that can only see the present moment and would rather stay in bed?

I started paying attention to the struggles I faced throughout the day. There are constant battles going on in my 2 minds. I have one side that is mindful about what I "should be" doing and what will have better long-term effects and I have the other side that lives in the present and is motivated by what I want now.

I think it comes down to this: being true to our inner self and doing what we know we should be doing!!1 I have more peace, happiness and fulfillment in life when I am true to the side of my mind that knows what I "should do" to become the person I know Heavenly Father wants me to be.

There are some things that I do to increase my "will power" daily:
1. Get at least 7 hours of sleep at night.
2. Daily quiet time to connect with my spiritual being. I read the scriptures, pray, ponder, listen/read talks from the living prophets, set goals or listen to peaceful music. I try to listen to the message from Heavenly Father that is whispered in my mind or heart that day- this becomes my "to do list" for the day.
3. Exercise my body and rejoice that I am strong, healthy and my body can MOVE!! This is my way of expressing gratitude for my physical body I am blessed with.
4. Eat healthy food that keeps a balance of nutrition and blood sugar levels. Following our inner mind that we eat what we know we should and avoid what we know is bad, can bring great happiness and health. When our body is fueled right, our spirit also feels right.

When I look back at myself 25 years ago, I had some hopes and aspirations I hoped to reach when I hit the 40's. I wanted to feel happy, be healthy, serve my community and church and enjoy life. These are things that I can control, no matter the circumstances and today I am reaping those REWARDS!! My life-long choices of eating healthy, having an active lifestyle, serving in positions that have come my way, all contribute to the person I am and who I am becoming.

Who do you want to be in 25 years from now? Join me in the "I Will Power" to strive for your best self. Nephi in the Book of Mormon has always been my hero.., "I Will Go and Do".

New Blog

I was inspired by my Aunt Jewel to start a blog to share my passion for being Happy and Healthy for Life. I have spent my life trying to find a happy balance between being healthy and feeling healthy. I love reading articles and finding recipes and talking to people about what makes them happy and healthy and I have a lot of knowledge stored up inside that I want to share. I think this blogging will be a great way to express my knowledge, tips and habits that I have learned for myself throughout my life. So here it goes.....

Today I was asked by a friend who is going on a road trip for some ideas of how to keep control of feeling healthy on the road. These were my first thoughts:

1. Carry healthy snacks with you in a cooler so you can eat small amounts every 2-3 hours.
2. Choose healthy snacks that combine healthy carbs/protein/low-fat/fiber. I think of choosing 2 of those to combine in one snack. For Example: small apple/string cheese, nuts/yogurt, raw veggies/hummus.
3. Eat bigger meals earlier in the day and eat lighter at night. You will feel so much better the next morning if you don't eat heavy at night. Leave out the carbs at night if possible.
4. A healthy dinner would look like your plate cut in half and fill one half with veggies. Then cut your plate in half again and choose a protein for one quarter of the plate and the other quarter, choose a high-fiber or whole-grain version of bread, pasta, rice, tortillas.
5. Choose grilled, baked or broiled meats. No breaded, fried foods.
6. Drink lots of water. Stay away from sugary drinks. Don't drink your calories.
7. If you eat consistently throughout the day, you will avoid over-eating and stuffing yourself with unnecessary calories.
8. Keep gum in your purse to chew when you are done eating your meal to avoid seconds or dessert.
9. Encourage the people around you to make healthier choices by making suggestions of eating out locations that you know have good options. Be okay to stand out as a good example of health and share what you are doing with others. They will respect you even more:)
10. Enjoy your journey of building relationships on the road. Focus on the visiting, not the next meal. We can learn so much from the people around us. Find their strengths and share yours!!

Happy Trails to You!