Apple Blossom 2008

Whew. Another Apple Blossom over and done with! And this year I think we were able to come out of it without spending half of our life savings. haha

I didn't get any pictures of the youth parade we went to, but it's all pretty much the same thing every year. ;)

We even managed to, for the most part, avoid the food fair...after buying $4 corndogs following the youth parade, there was no way I was going back later with the whole family and spending easily $50 I'm sure just on carnival junk food! The prices...sheesh!

We did at least go to the carnival for a couple hours and the boys had a blast there. Alex even talked me into going on a couple rides. I wouldn't have dared showed these photos that Billy took, not the most flattering, but they are "fun" pictures. ;) Alex got me to go on the Scrambler, not too scary of a ride. Brayden went as well but I should have had him sit in the middle instead of me, because most of the ride I was squishing him against the side of our cart and trying to pull myself off of him!

Then Alex wanted to go on a scarier ride, the Kamikaze I think it was called. Like the "Hammer" I used to remember. It goes upside down, round and round, backwards and forwards. Fun. BUT I didn't want him to go alone, that would have been scarier for me. SO I went with him.... Oh and we're the ones in the FRONT seat.

Now the rest of the carnival pictures! One more year until the next Apple Blossom.....

Change in time

Just a quick announcement to let everyone know that Alex's baptism will be this Saturday at 7pm. I initially said around 2pm, but 7:00pm is the final time.

Now I'm going to finish up our carnival pictures and post them here shortly!

Q&A

Okay, since I have a few questions (see comments on previous blog entries) I thought perhaps the easiest way to address them all at once, and let other people read my answers as well, would be through a Q&A post. ;)

First my disclaimer - being part of the LDS church for only a couple weeks now (officially) - I make no claims of being able to knowledgeably answer every question. My answers I give here will be partly what I've researched through my books I've been given from the LDS church, and partly through the http://www.lds.org/ or http://www.mormon.org/ websites. If there is any opinion of mine given, that is not supported with facts, then I'll note that as well.
In addition, the website http://www.mormon.org/ is a great resource for those with questions. There is even a live "chat" feature that allows you to ask a missionary any questions you might have.

Okay so on to the questions I have so far...and I'm not sure if I can come back and edit these posts after I post them? But if I can, then I'll add any new questions to this post as well rather then starting a new Q&A thread for each new question.

The first question....

Q: Do you (being baptized LDS) believe in the Trinity? Do you believe in the 3-in-one. Do you believe that God is the Father,Son and Holy Spirit?

A: (Edited to fix my answer, I realize that I didn't answer it correctly!)
Not as three in one but instead three seperate individuals, which has been my belief all along in the church I was raised in. From lds.org: "The Church's first article of faith states, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." These three beings make up the Godhead. They preside over this world and all other creations of our Father in Heaven. "
Bible scriptures to support this, showing God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost as seperate entities:
Matthew 3: 13-17
13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Acts 7: 55-56
55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Q: ...what is the LDS stand on verse 22:18 in the book of Revelations as it pertains to the book of Mormon? Here is the verse: " For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plaques that are written in this book"

A: While I can't comment on that scripture verse directly, but that would be an interesting one to bring up to the missionaries when I see them again, I can say that the Book of Mormon isn't meant to be adding to the Bible really, it's supposed to be complimenting the bible.
From lds.org
"The Book of Mormon is a record of God's dealings with the people who lived in the ancient Americas. Prophets of the Lord engraved the original records on gold plates. On September 22, 1827, an angel named Moroni—the last Book of Mormon prophet—delivered these records to the Prophet Joseph Smith. By the gift and power of God, the Prophet Joseph translated the record into English. "

And it was practice back in the days of the apostles and prophets to write on scrolls of various parchment or even metal. In fact the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of them was on copper.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Scroll
In addition, speaking of the Dead Sea Scrolls (and this is purely my opinion here, not based on fact) - I'm not sure what all is written in them, but wouldn't they be considered some sort of addition to the Bible? But yet they are actually lost Biblical text/documents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Scrolls
So I guess where I'm going with this is that it is possible for lost Biblical texts or other additional texts that compliment the Bible to have existed.

Also some scriptures from the Bible that speaks of God's message being given to other people then specified in the Bible alone, (these were listed in one of my books, a guide the missionaries use)
John 10:16
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Ezekiel 37:15-17
15 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
16Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions:
17And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

Isaiah 29:4
4And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

Isaiah 29: 11-18
11And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
15Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
16Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
17Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
18And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

I invite anyone else to ask questions that I will try to answer, as it has been beneficial to me as well researching these questions. I feel that it has only solidified my belief in this further; even erasing some doubts I've had before.
I am far from knowledgeable about the Bible or the Book of Mormon, but through research I can attempt to answer most questions. But the best advice I have to give, is to ask a missionary to come answer your questions or go seek them out yourself via the http://www.lds.org/ or http://www.mormon.org/ websites I gave.

Thank you!

WWJD?

So much has been on my mind lately....questions asked to me that I wasn't sure how to answer, things said to me that I wasn't sure how to feel about? I felt writing it down in my blog was best, to make it more general and not to point fingers. Because this isn't directed at any one person, but rather a collection of things said to me and things I've felt personally over the last few months.

It makes me think of the popular saying, "WWJD?" or "What Would Jesus Do?"

I think in these days, with so many different churches and types of beliefs or religions - it's easy to lose sight of the bottom line. The bottom line that we all believe in the same God (okay so I'm talking about the majority of, Christian-based churches here) and while we don't have the right or authority to presume what Jesus would really think or say or do....but we can imagine based on what we feel and know of our loving Heavenly Father.

I don't understand why we are experiencing such opposition and negativity - for turning TOWARDS God and choosing to lead a more holy life like God would want of us? Would God want his followers to be so negatively opposed for wanting a relationship with Him and wanting to live our lives for Him?

WWJD?

If Jesus were alive in our days, would he actually tell his followers not to go to a baptism of a child that is being done in a different church then the person(s) belong to?
Would he tell them not to go support one of His children being baptized in His name? I wouldn't think so, at least I would hope not.

I believe in a loving God. A God who loves ME too, and he loves my children as well.

Are we any less worthy of his love or forgiveness because of the church we choose to worship Him in?

In the overall picture...we all believe the same. All followers of God believe the same no matter the church. We believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that's the only reason we have the privilege to join Him in heaven one day...and that to get to heaven we must accept God as our Savior and lead our lives for Him. Everything we do is for Him.

I end this with a challenge. When in doubt, when questions arise, when we aren't sure of the path we should take or how we should feel or believe about something....I challenge everyone to think of it on a grander scale....WWJD? Not what would your neighbor do, or your friends...but WWJD?
It creates a whole new perspective.....

Until next time,

~Bethany~

New Beginnings

On the weekend of April 18th, Billy and I were baptized and confirmed into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).

After much careful contemplation and prayer, we felt 100% that this was the right decision for us and for our family.
The baptism was attended by many people in the church and a few friends and family. I wish I had pictures to share but since both of us were being baptized, it was hard to get pictures. When we have Alex's baptism, I'll get plenty of pictures though!

The missionaries asked Billy to give his testimony after he was baptized...why he chose to become part of the church, what he felt about this, etc. Billy will probably be embarrassed that I'm sharing this AGAIN, but he broke down in tears - crying - for the first full minute of his testimony. There weren't many other dry eyes in the house after that! It was a very special moment.

We are very happy with this choice we made. I feel like it's right, everything feels right and it just "fits".
I just don't think that I can express how warm and accepting everyone in the church is. I like the fact that I can't just sneak in and out of church without ever actually getting to know anyone. People come up and introduce themselves to you, invite you to dinner, etc.
The boys are learning valuable lessons and good morals, and forming friendships with other children with the same morals and values. It's hard in a public school where you can't really control what your children are exposed to, and the bad choices other kids are making around them. But to have them involved in a close church community and making friends, some who go to the same school as them, it helps teach them these morals and values that we alone were having a hard time teaching them.

So it's more then just a church, but also a community of friends...a place for us to belong.

Before, now looking back, I think we seemed confused and lost...like we were walking in circles and didn't know where we were going or how we were going to get there. Now everything seems so much more clear and our family is stronger and closer.

In closing, I wanted to invite everyone to Alex's baptism on Mother's Day weekend, Saturday May 10th. ANYONE can come and we'd very much appreciate if you did! It will probably be at 2pm and afterwards I plan to have a lunch/dinner for family and friends at our house.

Thanks so much to all of our friends and family who supported us and even those who challenged us to think about it a bit more. ;)

Until next time....

We're back! In...mostly...one piece

Wow what a trip! Well at least we made it home safely and had fun while we were there!

I have LOTS of pictures, so like with the Chuck E Cheese party pix, I'm going to just post a few here and then give you the link to the rest of them...make sure to check them out thought - there are lots of good ones! :)

To start out, we left Friday late morning/early afternoon with everything going as planned, on schedule. I dropped Lady off at the kennel early and Billy got off work early as well. Unlike how we usually are, always running late, this time we were running ahead of schedule. Yay!
The trip was going smooth, the boys were doing fairly well, and then Billy wants to stop off in a small town, Goldendale, that he was once going to move to as a child. There was an observatory there he wanted to show the boys, and we could maybe just stretch our legs a little bit, etc.

Thankfully he pulled off there! Because not a minute after we pulled into this town...CLUNK CLUNK. The Expedition was making horrible clunking grinding noises. We pull over quickly in an empty parking lot and Billy starts to check tires, oil levels, etc. Everything fine. So we start to back up and nope...reverse isn't working. The REVERSE isn't working?! Finally after gunning it - something clicks into gear and with more grinding and clunking we are able to crawl to the nearest auto shop, a few blocks away. At first glance, the mechanics think it's our transmission - something physically broke. Lovely.
We hang out at the shop for at least 4 hours until finally through lots of phonecalls and lots of help from the nice people at the auto shop, my mom is able to miraculously find an 7 seater SUV at an Enterprise car rental place 30 minutes away (she got a ride from one of the auto shop employees).

So finally, four hours after being in Goldendale hanging out in the garage or our broken Expedition (the garage closed at 5pm and my mom didn't come back with the rental car until after 6pm), we were finally on our way again!

At one point I thought that we weren't going to make it on our vacation, and I just wanted to make it home. However, with the rental car now there wasn't a reason why we couldn't continue on. Thankfully, Billy had decided to buy the warranty, for the first time ever, on the Expedition (which we bought less then 3 months ago) so this SHOULD all be covered. Even the rental car expenses will be mostly all covered. *crossing fingers* The rental car was way nicer then we expected too! It's a 2008 Chrysler Aspen SUV that is actually an 8 seater. Very luxurious but not as much room as our Expedition. We were packed in pretty tight with all of our luggage and the double stroller, etc.

The auto shop people said that we were very lucky that we pulled into Goldendale when we did...because the car could have very easily have broken down over the passes (which were in the middle of a snow storm) or the middle of nowhere! aack!

We check into our hotel finally at 9pm, phew. I don't know if I mentioned earlier or not, but the main purpose of this Portland trip was to meet up with a group of ladies I've known for a couple years on my All Boys message board on Ivillage. A couple of them were staying at our same hotel and somehow, maybe the front desk called them when we checked in, but they knew we were there and met us at the top of the elevator! I was nervous about meeting everyone that I only knew from an Internet message board, but it helped having a couple of them meet me first thing! It's a neat thing meeting people you've only known through typed words and pictures over the Internet for years - and suddenly seeing them in real life!

The next day, Saturday was the zoo trip and meeting the rest of the ladies from the All Boys message board. Unfortunately it was a cold, drizzly day in Portland - but at least it wasn't pouring down rain! As you can see, I've been trying to find the silver lining in all the clouds on the trip so far. LOL

It was hard keeping up and finding all the other ladies at the zoo, so for the most part we just did the zoo by ourselves, sometimes catching up with them here and there.
I've got LOTS of great zoo pix. The boys loved the zoo! Baby Billy slept through most of it. I think it might have been a tad shorter then the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo, or else we just skipped some of it...because we got done with the zoo in four hours, where usually it takes us all day long to do the Woodland Park zoo.

The boys were all given disposable cameras to take their own pictures, and they had great fun with that! I think they finished all eight cameras before we even finished with the zoo though!
I think the boys' favorite part was the Larikeet exhibit, where they let you walk through the Larikeets (like Parakeets) and buy nectar to feed them. They land all over you, your head, hands, shoulders...and the boys LOVED it! I got great pix there too. :)

After the zoo, we tried to find a mall near the restaurant we'd be meeting the ladies at for dinner later. This turned out to be our first time of many, getting lost in Portland. We finally stopped in some ghetto of Portland to buy a map. That was scary. LOL

We get to the mall with two hours to spare before dinner, BUT I had directions to the restaurant from the mall we were at so all was good. (Thanks Melissa!) At the mall we stop at the food court to get a quick bite to eat since we had all not had lunch yet and it was 3pm. Yumm Mall food never tasted so good!
Next we only had time for a quick trip to the Lego store and Game Stop (video games) store where the boys spent some of their money. (Brayden got a Lego Bionicle and Alex got a new game for his Wii...Super mario smash bros Brawl)

Then off to dinner at the Old Spaghetti factory we went! Dinner there was fun, lots of boys! haha Our reservation was for 30 but there ended up being a few extra I think? I THINK the total boy count was....20? (including the one "honorary boy" the one little girl in the sea of little boys. haha) I have pictures! You can imagine then how a dinner might be with 20 boys under the age of...I think 11-12-ish was the oldest?
It wasn't so bad actually though, just at the very end when everyone was done eating and trying to visit and the ice cream had kicked in. Phew! I think our group's waiter got very nice tips though. haha

After the restaurant, we tried to find our way back to the hotel and got lost for the second time. We did a loop a couple times until we finally decided to stay on one road and after about 30 min we realized this is PROBABLY not the right road, and it was confirmed when we saw a sign to the Oregon coast another 50 miles. haha! We were driving to the ocean!
So then we had to stop for directions, again, and got back to our hotel again, around 9pm.

The boys only had very little enjoyment out of the pool since we kept getting back just an hour before the pool would close!

Sunday was uneventful thankfully. We got out early, and had a smooth trip. We also stopped at Multnomah Falls for some quick pictures and a short hike to the bridge. It was raining there too. uggh
We got home Sunday afternoon, very tired, and all with lovely colds now. Probably from all the rain? haha

Our Expedition is still in Goldendale and will be until they fix it....could be late this week or next week. We're hoping next week since the warranty only covers 8 days and $30/day on the rental car, which is $50/day! ugggh

Happy to be home though! And gosh darn it - we DID enjoy the zoo and the meet-up dinner! Too bad our car is still left behind though.

I think we've had enough of a vacation for a couple years!

~Bethany

Photo album pix: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v331/bethanbabes/Zoo%20and%20Meetup%202008/
(guest password: byington)

Not Portland yet, but our day at the park...

Nope no Portland pix yet, two more days!

But I did take some pictures at the park that I just had to share! The boys had fun, and I had fun taking pictures!

It was a rare nice day in this crazy weather we've been having lately.

Enjoy,

~Bethany