Escape

Once or twice a year, my wise husband literally kicks me out the door for a few days away to catch up on sleep, do a little reading, and self reflecting. So, over the weekend I slipped away and it wasn't a coincidence when I was handed the keys to my rental car, a spunky silver Ford Escape.  Where did I escape to?  A relaxing and uplifting Mother's Retreat put together by two wonderful women - Saren and April (their website Power of Moms) at the beautiful Red Mountain Spa in St George Utah.  The mountains and weather were gorgeous.

I spent time with amazing women and ate yummy food.  I had a chat with Linda Eyre ~ I will be forever grateful for her example, as her words rescued me during a chaotic year (when I had a newborn and barely 2 year old twin boys) through her books - Teaching Children Joy and A Joyful Mother of Children.  I came home with fresh ideas for family systems and traditions and wonderful memories of inspiring conversations.  Thanks to my sweet husband and mother for keeping up with the kids and the house so I could escape for a few days!

Defenders of the Family

Any Thoughts On This? (It's Long... I Know :-)
Taken from President Gordon B. Hinckley Standing For Something

“The health of any society, the happiness of its people, their prosperity and peace, all find their roots in the strength and stability of the family…We cannot effect a turnaround in a day or a month or a year. But with enough effort, we can begin a turnaround within a generation, and accomplish wonders within two generations- a period of time that is not very long in the history of humanity.”

10 Specific things we might do to help bring about such a turnaround:
1. Accept responsibility for our role as parents and fulfill our obligations to our children.
2. Get married and stay married.
3. Put the father back at the head of the home.
4. Recognize and value the supreme importance of mother.
5. Celebrate and treat children as our most priceless treasures.
6. Discipline and train children with love.
7. Teach values to children.
8. Teach children to work.
9. Read to and with children.
10. Pray together.

Aside from the tremendous importance we have as mothers in nurturing and teaching our children in our homes, we also have a responsibility to be a voice. The time and season to be a voice will come at different times and in different ways for all of us. I am just beginning my journey of becoming more aware of these issues and becoming a voice, even if it is only receiving weekly emails, reading articles from my computer, voting and signing petitions for the things I feel will affect my children’s future.
Sarah Brooks

United Families International is a public charity devoted to maintaining and strengthening the family as the fundamental unit of society.
Websites: www.unitedfamilies.org

“Truly, as women who care about our families in particular and about the family in general, as mothers and wives, grandmothers and sisters and aunts, we no longer have the luxury of standing by and watching what is happening all around us. It is time to stand up and be counted. The time has come to stand up, to defend, and to protect the family.”
Sheri Dew No One Can Take Your Place, Defenders of the Family