This is the third and final installment of “Looking both ways” by our Geo, who blogs On Bright Street. You can find I and II here and here respectively. Thanks again dear Geo!

“Are you a lifelong learner? An autodidact? Then, friend, let me introduce you to a smashing new self-guided curriculum, guaranteed to transport you, if not all the way to a bright new world, then surely to a higher road of thinking. Enrollment is open, and no sign-up fee is required, although a valid driver’s license is recommended. Once the wheels start turning and you begin your journey of discovery you may change tracks as often as you wish and cut any corners you deem restrictive; in fact, the more experimental you are as you steer your way past the mile markers of this program, the more quickly you will accelerate toward your own veritable pileup of learning opportunities. Graduate with honors—you hold the key!” (read more…)

I’m going to make a confession. When the General Conference Challenge was first issued, I couldn’t think of any specific questions to bring to General Conference. I wondered if it’s because during the last six months, perhaps almost more than any other time in my life, I have been in a sort of ongoing process of going to the Lord with questions and finding answers as He and I have been working hard on my life, my heart, my soul. I have felt His love, His guidance, His power, and His grace in amazing ways this year.

So, in a way, I planned to enter this conference weekend in a sort of “open slate” mode, waiting to discover what would reach me the most.

But then things sort of fell apart in my world on Friday night. (read more…)

I won’t say the question, but I will say that it was answered by Elder Uchtdorf saying that courageous decisions require hope. Make them.

Edited to Add: Elder Bednar’s discussion about creating my spiritually before I create it temporally was a pretty powerful answer to the question: “How do I survive my days with all these small children without feeling the urge to lock myself in the bedroom?” Powerful answer for sure.

And you? Any answers to the challenge?

Please join us for a super-spectacular, tear-stained, chocolate-filled The Mother in Me book signing and Segullah PAAAAAAAAARTY!

When: Saturday, October 18th, 2-4 p.m.

Where: Orem, UT, University Mall, Deseret Book

Honored invitee: YOU!

Come late, leave early, wear your prom dress or your old sweats, bring your crying babies or leave them home and spend the whole time talking about them— but just come and celebrate real-life motherhood with us.

We’ll have raffle prizes, treats, a special project for NieNie and several boxes of Kleenex (wearing make-up might be just plain foolish).

More than a dozen The Mother in Me authors will attend with pens in hand for book-signing, but more than scribbling their name in your book they want to hear from YOU. Bring your stories and share them with us.

Can’t wait to see you there!

I looked out the window and what did I see?
T.P. hanging from the apricot tree
The night had brought me such a nice surprise
T.P. streaming right before my eyes
I could take an armful and fold it up
And save it for a day when my stash was all used up
Oh it was really so
But it was still a shock to me
T.P. hanging down from all of my trees (and the roof…and the cars…and the…)

In our various discussions at Segullah, one of the recurring themes I’ve heard is this: “I’m afraid of teenagers.”

I fear that somehow teenagers in this day and age have gotten a bad rap. (read more…)

Can you feel it in the air? General Conference is just days away. And it’s about time.

Conference seems to come just when we need it, just when our collective well is running dry. What if it were one week later? We’d never make it!

I can hardly wait to spend the weekend in my pajamas, making crepes with strawberries and whip cream, pouring out the entire 10 gallon container of legos on my living room floor so the kids can create while they ‘listen’ and drinking in the counsel and comfort of our leaders.

What will they teach us this time? What do you want to learn?

The first time I truly looked for guidance in General Conference was as a teenager. I was absolutely convinced that the brethren would change the mission age for girls to 19(um, yeah, what was I thinking?).  So every April and October I sat with baited breath waiting for the great announcement. The age change, as you well know, never came; but the April after I turned 19 President Benson gave his great, classic talk on pride. As I listened to his words, “The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives….” tears ran down my face. Perhaps God has a better plan for me than the one I had in mind.

Predictably, I got married just days before my 21st birthday but I retained my belief that the words of General Conference were written expressly for me. When I was struggling with babies I heard talks on motherhood, when I had family issues President Holland gave me “The Other Prodigal,” when I felt my uber-talented ward didn’t need me the brethren assured me they did.

Recently, my friend Allison introduced me to the General Conference Challenge: take your worries and your questions and write them down. As you watch conference, your questions will be answered. ONE BY ONE.

Monday morning, right here, wear your workout clothes or your cocktail dress(we won’t know), let your kids watch Barney(we can’t hear them) and let’s discuss conference. What were the themes? How were your questions answered? Who surprised you? I love talking about conference with like-minded people because they always find the jewels that I missed.

And today, please tell me your questions (if you dare!) or tell me your favorite conference talk of all time. Is there a speaker that you always look forward to, whom you can always count on for inspiration? What are your conference traditions?

Now hear this: The Mother in Me is IN STOCK at Amazon.com. Whip out those credit cards and make yerselves happy!

I’ll be signing copies on Saturday, October 4 from 6-8 p.m. as part of Deseret Book’s “Ladies’ Night,” held in the Empire Room of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in downtown SLC.

Yes, this is during priesthood session of conference.

Yes, that means lots of you would need to get a babysitter.

But heck, I’m worth it, right?

RIGHT???

Here’s another installment from Geo of On Bright Street. Thanks Geo!

Late one evening my husband and I went for a ramble downtown. At each corner light we waited for a signal to tell us to cross. To sync our steps, one or both of us frequently did silly double-quicks till our feet matched and our clasped hands swung comfortably. When we stroll through the canyon along the river trail, or down the gravelly lake road which circles the airport our strides easily agree; there’s so little stop-start. In the city it’s a busier story. Pause for traffic—follow with a shuffle-step. Look in a shop window—then trip together to the next. Bump into a friend, give directions to a stranger, slow down to pick up a coin, get distracted by newspaper headlines—and perform the order dance again. (read more…)

My husband is an only child, the product of many years of fasting and praying, the child carried almost-full-term after several miscarriages. According to Neylan McBaine, in her Spring 2008 essay “Just Mom, Dad, and me,” there’s a lot to envy about the only-child lifestyle: besides material advantages, she always had the awareness that she “was the legacy, the Samuel to my mom’s Hannah, the summation of her hopes and dreams. I grew up knowing I was that special.” (read more…)

President Uchtdorf just delivered my all-time favorite Relief Society General Meeting talk, ever. It spoke to me so directly; I cried through nearly the entire thing, and had to blow my nose loudly at the end (it was okay; I sat by my sister and she blew her nose loudly too, in solidarity). It was a perfect talk on so many levels; I felt President Uchtdorf’s warmth and respect for women, and I also felt like I was given a greater vision of who I could become. The talk validated my writing and my family, the two things I work to create that bring me joy. (read more…)

I am tethered. Every day, 11:50 a.m. slices into my life. I keep time by hours before 11:50, and hours after. I calculate minutes, distances, items in my shopping cart, all by how likely it is I will make it to 11:50. (read more…)

When Margaret was just over two and Cole was still small enough to fit in the baby bjorn (which was a short period of time, since he was born 8 lbs. 10 oz. and got heavy fast) we went on a family outing to Marshall’s. I can’t remember exactly what we were looking for, but we decided I’d carry Cole in the bjorn and Matt would carry Mags in our frame pack, so we didn’t have to bring the stroller on the bus. If you bring the stroller on the bus, you must take your child out and fold it up, a pain, but something I’ve done many, many times since. So we were trying to simplify traveling in this city with two kids, it was new to us . . .and for a while after Cole joined the fam everything felt harder than twice as hard. We both agreed our parenting efforts required an exponential amount more energy. It doesn’t make mathematical sense, but I imagine many parents could verify this phenomenon. (read more…)

I’ll be signing copies of The Mother in Me at Seagull Book tomorrow as part of their “Celebrating Sisterhood” event. Would love to meet you and give you big smooches!

Okay, maybe just a handshake.

Saturday, September 27

10:00-11:30

316 N Marketplace Dr, Centerville

12:30-2:00

1720 S Redwood Rd., SLC

Of all the churchy things I think about, the one that causes me the most head-scratching, the most furrowed brows is not polygamy, or mothers being told to stay home and raise their kids, it’s the white shirt.  As in white shirt, tie and suit. 

Not being a man, the white shirt thing has not always been on my radar.  But our last Stake President was a huge fan of the white shirt.  Anytime he spoke he mentioned how nice it was to see the men wearing white shirts.  It got me thinking, “what’s the big deal? What’s all the fuss about?”  Is a white shirt necessary so that everyone looks co-ordinated?  Is it just a common color of shirt that the Brethren figured everyone in the world would be able to find no matter where they shop? Is there some sort of deeper meaning, like a symbol of purity? (I don’t think so, since they are usually topped with a big, dark sportscoat.) 

If a man doesn’t wear a white shirt does that mean that the prayer that he gives in Sunday School doesn’t make it to heaven?  Of course not.  As long as the guy looks nice, does the shirt color really matter?  Are pinstripes really considered disobedient? I’m honestly asking because I have no idea.

Last week my daughter broke her foot.  As my husband got out his consecrated oil to give her a blessing I asked him if he needed to put on a white shirt.  He laughed, “it’s the priesthood that heals, not the shirt.”  That’s what I thought.  But that doesn’t seem to be the common consensus.

So what’s your take as a non-white-shirt-wearing woman?  Is it a big deal? Micromanagement? Symbol? Tradition?  You tell me.

I bought my 6 year old some green sweats from Walmart–$5 bucks a pop. He tried them on, and said, “I’m a green ninja!” and ran outside to show off his ninja moves. (Have I mentioned how much I love 6 year olds? I mean, how much longer will a pair of sweats make a kid so happy?)

I called to him as he ran out the door, “Hey, put your crocs on!”

He turned around, popped his head in, and said, very seriously, “Ninjas don’t wear crocs”.

I’m still not sure if that was a moment of very cute imagination, or just an excuse to disobey his mother.