My Resolution

I wrote the following piece for my community writing group's January meeting. The theme was New Beginnings. 

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My family and I were on vacation in Oregon. It was the summer of 2003 and we were visiting my in-laws before they retired to a new home in a new state. I had five little kids at the time, the youngest was about a month old, if that, and we had all been enjoying our carefree stay at the family farm for the last time. None of this really matters or has anything to do with the rest of this story, but it's ingrained in my mind because I picture where I was every time I think of the phone call. 

One ordinary day on the farm, my dad called. When I look back on that conversation, the first words I think of are my dad saying, "I have cancer." He had been diagnosed with colon cancer and he wanted me to hear it from him. I immediately started bawling which is no surprise because I'm a total daddy's girl. But before you start feeling sorry for me or my dad, let me reassure you - my dad didn't die from colon cancer. In fact, he lived another 13 1/2 years before he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and passed away ten days later. But that is also not the point of this story. I just felt like you might be wondering, so I wanted to share how that all played out. 

So back to the phone call. I don't remember exactly what was said or all the reassurances that were given. But at some point after my dad broke the news about his cancer, he said, "This is the best thing that's ever happened to me! Everyone should have the opportunity to look at their life through this lens." At the time, I disagreed with him, mostly because it felt like the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I couldn't bear the thought of losing my dad. But as I've thought of those words from time to time over the past 20 years, my perspective has shifted. And as I considered them once again last November, I decided on a New Year's resolution: To live like I'm dying.

I'm not dying, by the way, at least not as far as I know. But I'm trying to live my life as if my days were numbered. A little over three weeks into this new year, here is how it's going so far:

• I have a lot of stuff. I'm one of those people that holds onto things just in case I might need it again someday, even though I haven't needed it in, I don't know, three years? Five years? I mean, you never know! Don't get me wrong. I'm not a hoarder. And I'm not even that sentimental, but there are some things that were really useful in their day and it's hard for me to part with them. I've found it's a lot easier to get rid of things if I know of someone who can actually use them right now. Or if I remind myself that I can always buy it again if I ever need it. Or I think of the burden I'd be passing onto my kids if they're the ones who have to go through all of my stuff when I'm gone. There are some things I think they'll be glad I saved, but that's definitely the exception, not the rule. I'm realizing that now is the time to let go. And the more I get rid of, the easier it gets.
• I'm trying to be nicer and more patient with others, especially my family. Nobody's perfect and we all have bad days. So I'm trying to be more forgiving and reassuring; to quickly move on from frustrations and annoyances. Regardless of how much time I have left, life is too short to hold a grudge.
• On that same note, I'm trying to practice kindness. Whether that means taking cookies to my neighbor, paying for the person behind me in line, or simply giving people the benefit of the doubt, I want to be that person. I want to leave people better than I found them. 
• I've become more deliberate about managing my time. Sometimes I ask myself, "If not now, when?" If my days were numbered then there might not be a better time in the future so I need to make good use of today. I'm getting things done, but I'm also prioritizing so that I don't spend time on things that don't really matter. I'm finally going to finish that quilt I started two years ago... :)
• I'm more open to new opportunities and spur-of-the-moment experiences. I want to have fun! I want to live life while I still can! I have a reputation for being a tightwad, but there's a big difference between spending money on stuff I don't need and enjoying unique experiences with my family, like driving for four hours to see one of my daughter's favorite musicals. We've already booked our flight to Utah in March so we can hear my son's music group perform live. I can't wait!  

These are just a few of the ways I'm learning to live like I'm dying. I'm sure the fact that I'm not actually dying limits my experience to some extent, but even so, I appreciate the new perspective it's given me and the positive changes I've made so far as a result of my resolution. I'm looking forward to more progress, insights, and meaningful experiences throughout the year and beyond. After all, to quote my dad, "everyone should have the opportunity to look at their life through this lens."  

Merry Christmas 2022

It's been a great year! We visited New York, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Tennessee. We bought a 1986 29-foot Terry Camper Trailer. Sadie and Jeff have been renovating it and it's almost ready to hit the campground for it's first away-from-home trial run. It looks amazing!

We added a grandbaby to our family in August. Becca is bright eyed and completely adorable. That makes two of the cutest grandkids ever with number three ready to make her debut any day now. 

Sterling has been home from his mission for a year and is loving BYU. Soren is in the Utah Salt Lake City Mission and has less than 8 months left. Time has been going crazy fast!

Sam just moved back home with the hopes of opening a country dance club. He's trying to locate a venue. He has many people pulling for him, hoping it works out. It will be a perfect addition to our little town. 

We're looking forward to 2023. It really is a Wonderful Life!!

With Love From New York: Showing Support For Ukraine

Sadie, Jeff and I were in New York over the weekend. It was an amazing trip with the choir and band students from Sadie's high school. We were able to see and do a lot of memorable things, and maybe I'll eventually post a bit more. But I wanted to share what happened at the very end of our trip, just before boarding the buses for the long drive home. 

Our last activity on Sunday night was "Top of The Rock", the observation deck at the top of the Rockefeller Center. The 360º view of the city is said to be stunning. Unfortunately, the weather was wet and freezing and foggy. There was even a guide who met us at the elevators to tell us that there was zero visibility and we were welcome to use our tickets at a later date instead. Since this was our last day in New York, that wasn't an option for us so up we went. 

While the view was somewhat limited, it was still beautiful with the misty fog and the lights on the buildings. The Empire State building was a bright blue with gold lights below. As I looked around the city, I saw a few other buildings with lights across the top - a solid stripe of blue above a stripe of golden yellow - and I realized they were lit up in support of Ukraine. Then, with that realization, I looked back at the Empire State building, saw the blue and gold again, and almost started to cry. Here was this iconic structure making a bold statement for all the world (or at least all of New York) to see. Yes, I felt like bawling, but I really felt proud and happy and in total agreement with the sentiment. It was a beautiful way to end our trip. 

Merry Christmas 2021

It's hard to believe 2021 is already coming to an end. After 2020, which felt like the longest year ever, 2021 has flown by. It's been full of so many great moments and memories. Just a few of the highlights include: two college grads (Savannah in April, Sam in December), our first grandbaby - Walker is the cutest little guy ever (ever!!), Soren graduating from high school in May then leaving to serve in the Utah Salt Lake City mission at the end of the summer, Sterling returning home from the Texas San Antonio mission last week.  

There's plenty to look forward to in 2022. But for now, I'm happy to just pause and be grateful for the baby born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago, the Savior of the world. 

Merry Christmas!

stowell.fami.ly

From 2008 to 2010, I had a blog called "Our Little Corner of the World," found at stowell.fami.ly. The posts contained loads of cute things the kids said and did, family outings, a few videos I liked - some funny, some inspiring - and a random assortment of other stuff. It was fun to go back and reminisce. 

As time went on, some of the settings on that blog became outdated or something because I could no longer access it. I was so sad! I didn't want to lose those memories. I checked back periodically, but I still got an error message every time I tried. I brought it up to my brother, Steve, who helped me get the blog started all those years ago, and he came to the rescue. He was able to change a few things to grant me access. Whatever he did changed the look of the blog to be very basic and I noticed a few posts were curiously missing, but I was grateful for the 70+ posts that I had access to once again. 

Because I don't want to risk losing everything again, I've copied and moved each post to this blog. I kept the dates the same so they appear from May 11, 2008 to Friday June 4, 2010. It's been a fun project full of smiles and memories. :)

BYU Grads

We have our first two college graduates in the family! 

Sam and Savannah graduated from BYU today - Sam in Biology with a minor in Ballroom Dance and Savannah with a bachelors in Nursing. Sam has a few things to finish up during Spring term, but he was still part of the official end of term graduation ceremony. 

They both made it through some crazy hard classes, unpredictable circumstances, and the upheaval of Covid. But they've also had so many amazing experiences and made some great friends along the way. 

Congratulations, Sam and Savannah! We're so proud of you and can't wait to see what your bright futures hold!

An Easter Celebration

Sterling is serving in the Texas San Antonio Mission. Last night the mission shared a musical Easter Celebration over Facebook Live and YouTube. It's a collection of musical numbers performed by missionaries and members throughout the greater San Antonio area. It's really beautiful and uplifting. Sterling recorded and mixed all the audio. He also sings in two of the numbers (at 38:55 and 45:35). I would have loved this even if Sterling wasn't involved, but seeing his cute face makes me love it even more.

Click here to watch: YouTube or you can also click on the picture below. 

10,000 Things That Make Me Hungry

The goal was to update my recipe book. I wanted my grown kids to have access to their favorite recipes, but I also wanted to go through and remove recipes I never use, add in a few new ones, and update the recipes we know and love around here so that the instructions include all my shortcuts and modifications. It felt so overwhelming because, honestly, that job is never done. As soon as I finished printing an updated copy, there would be new recipes and further changes I wish were in there.

That's when I remembered my hungry blog! I started it in 2013, added a bunch of mostly main dish recipes in 2014, added six more in 2016 and one in 2017 and then forgot about it. But as I contemplated my recipe dilemma, I realized my blog is the answer. I can update and add to it anytime I want and no one has to print anything out or worry about it becoming outdated. 

And so in January I got to work. I made sure the recipes already on the blog were current. Then I put in almost all the rest of our tried-and-true recipes. I'll update it as I think of additions, and make changes as I find better easier ways to do things. ;) I've already been able to give out links to specific recipes upon request. It's so easy! 

So click here to enjoy my no-frills recipe blog. Please let me know if you find something you love!

Tip: in the desktop version, there is a search bar to hopefully help you find what you're looking for.

I Stand At The Door

This painting by Del Parson is a great visualization of Revelation 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

Most look at this as a reminder that we need to open the door and let the Savior in. He always honors our agency so He's not going to barge in; it is always our choice. 

So why not open the door? Well, maybe those on the inside desperately want to let the Savior in, but they feel like they need to clean their house first. Everything is such a mess and they are embarrassed and don't want the Savior to see the chaos. And when your messy house really represents your messy, sinful life, it's common to feel like you need to clean up the mess before allowing the Savior in. 

But what if you could zoom out from the painting above and see that Christ brought a whole slew of cleaning supplies with Him? What if the reason He's there is to help you clean your house? 

Isn't that just the most comforting and hopeful thought? I love that perspective. I wish I'd come up with it myself, but I heard it from Savannah's husband, Hayden. He and Savannah have a podcast called "I Stand At The Door," and it's about overcoming pornography and inviting the Savior in to help you. I know that the thoughts they share are giving hope to many people. And many of the things they discuss can be helpful in overcoming other sins and addictions. But my favorite so far is their picture of the Savior standing outside the door with every needed cleaning supply just ready to put them to good use, if only He is allowed inside.

God's Love

I love this quote and I know it's true. God loves each of us. Always. Just like a child might feel like their mom or dad doesn't love them anymore when they do something naughty, sometimes our choices keep us from feeling God's love. But His love is not conditional. He is always waiting with His arms outstretched when we are ready to turn around. 

BYU Bound

Soren got the news last night... He's been accepted to BYU!! That was his first choice and we couldn't be happier for him. We're super excited to have another Cougar in the family. 

This picture is from fall 2019 when we attended a BYU football game in Toledo, OH.
It's no secret that we love our BYU!!

Better Than Valentine's Day

Twenty-six years ago today, Jeff asked me to marry him. Saying yes was one of the best decisions I've ever made. We've now been married longer than we were single and I love the life we've shared. February 11 will always be my Valentine's Day. Here's hoping for at least 26 more. 

Photo taken November 2020 at Spencer and Grace's wedding

The Next Generation

You may have noticed from our Christmas card that Savannah is sporting a little baby bump. Yes, it's true! Jeff and I are going to be grandparents in May. While I don't feel old enough to be a grandma, my age says otherwise and I'm very excited to welcome this little guy into our family. Here's a sneak peak to get us through until he makes his debut in just three months. It's been way too long since I've snuggled a newborn. I can't wait!

Ultrasound has come a long way! Isn't he cute? :)

The Happy Couple

I just wanted to post a few pictures of Spencer and Grace on their wedding day last November. We're pretty blessed and super grateful to be able to call Grace family. These two are great together!

The Stowell clan (We were missing Sterling!)

The Garvins and the Stowells

Restoration Proclamation

It's no secret that I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As I shared back in March, so much of my testimony of the gospel is rooted in the events surrounding the restoration. So I was excited when our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, shared this proclamation on the restoration at our General Conference last April. It says what I was trying to say in my post. 

The restored gospel of Jesus Christ brings peace and joy and shows us the way back to our loving Heavenly Father. I believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's church, restored on the earth in our day. And like the proclamation says, "those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."

If you want to know more, click here. Or e-mail me and I'd be happy to help you find answers to your questions.

 

Homebound

Like everyone else, a lot of our plans have been canceled over the past year, but if I must stay home, I'm sure glad I get to stay home with these guys. Turns out, home is my favorite place to be. 

What if it's True?

I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My membership in the church is arguably my favorite thing about my life. It has shaped many of my decisions and has brought me an overwhelming amount of peace and joy. It provides direction for my life. I want to share some basic information about the church – mostly things that set us apart from others – and why we go to great lengths to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the same gospel with its attending ordinances, covenants and priesthood, that was on the earth anciently. Throughout all dispensations of time, God has spoken to prophets. The gospel has not changed, but in every dispensation it is revealed anew for the people in that time, through the chosen prophet. The same is true in our day.

This is where Joseph Smith comes in. As a 14-year old boy, Joseph Smith had some questions about his standing before God. He was also quite overwhelmed by the religious revival that was actively going on in his part of the country. Between the contention among the different preachers and the confusion about their interpretations of the Bible, Joseph wasn’t sure how to know which church was right. One day, while studying the Bible, he read James 1:5 which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Serious reflection on this verse ultimately caused him to go to a grove of trees near his home to pray, hoping to gain some insight and clarity for the wisdom he lacked.

Photo by Jörg Bauer on Unsplash

Much has been written about what happened as a result of Joseph’s prayer in what we now call “the sacred grove.” For my purposes here, I will simply say that God the Father and Jesus Christ, two separate beings, appeared to Joseph Smith in a remarkable vision. Joseph was ultimately called as the prophet to usher in the current and final dispensation. Over a period of time and like previous dispensations, the gospel was revealed to Joseph Smith in its fulness.

The fulness of the gospel includes priesthood authority to perform the ordinances of salvation such as baptism and confirmation. Because of the great apostasy which took place after Christ’s apostles were killed, the authority of the priesthood was no longer found on the earth. This authority was restored to Joseph Smith by those who held it before. John the Baptist, as a “messenger from heaven,” conferred upon Joseph the Aaronic priesthood by the laying on of hands. At a later time and in the same manner, Peter, James and John conferred upon Joseph the Melchizedek or higher priesthood.

The Book of Mormon is a book of scripture that Joseph Smith was given the power to translate. It was given to him as a set of gold plates, which had been kept by ancient prophets from 600 BC through about 420 AD. Yes, we believe in the Bible, but the Book of Mormon was written for our day. It was meant to come forth in this final dispensation. Like its subtitle “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” suggests, the Book of Mormon truly testifies of Christ. With remarkably few exceptions, Jesus Christ is spoken of on every page of that sacred book. 

This very generally sums up the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, what if it's true? What if Joseph Smith really was a prophet? Then we know the true nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They are separate beings with bodies of flesh and bone. We know that God once again speaks through a living prophet. The heavens are open! We have the Book of Mormon which helps to clarify truths in the Bible and declares truths that were lost or taken away during the apostasy. Priesthood authority has been restored to the earth. We can be baptized by one holding the same authority as John the Baptist who baptized the Savior! Families can be sealed together for eternity; it doesn't have to be "until death do us part." 

All of this is possible because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. By suffering for our sins, He satisfied the demands of justice so that He can show us mercy if we repent and come unto Him. But we have to know the way. 

God is no respecter of persons. As the literal Father of our spirits, He wants all of His children to return to Him. He is not a God of confusion so the requirements are the same for everyone; there are not multiple ways to gain salvation. And that is why we take this message to all the world! We believe everyone needs to know about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ so that they have the opportunity to exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized by immersion for the remission of sins by one who holds the priesthood, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.

Again I ask, what if it's true? 

If you want to learn more, receive a free copy of the Book of Mormon, or request a visit by missionaries, start here: comeuntochrist.org

Feel free to comment or Email me if you have questions.

Class of 2019

Sterling just finished his junior year of high school. He also just graduated with the class of 2019. Somehow, a year earlier than planned, I find myself with another graduate in the family.

I have to hand it to him. Last November Sterling told me he didn't think he could do another year of high school, and then he set out to find a way to finish early. We have several students at our high school who graduate a semester early, but Sterling wanted more than that. He wanted to be done this school year.

The principal wasn't against it, but frankly told him that he didn't have the authority to change policy, specifically the part of the policy that said a student had to attend for at least seven semesters, so he sent Sterling to the superintendent. Thankfully, the superintendent was on board. The district leaders had been discussing a competency-based pilot program they were hoping the school board would approve. Removing the seven semester requirement was a perfectly natural companion to this, and both passed with the school board's full approval. Now the policy simply reads that students must meet all graduation requirements. At that point it was up to Sterling to comply.

It was a crazy semester at times as Sterling had not only his eight regular classes at school, but also four online independent study classes to complete along with a few other requirements. But he did it and he did it well. He graduated on Friday with high honors.

Congratulations, Sterling! We can't wait to see what your bright future holds.

Merry Christmas 2018

The Stowells are alive and well. It's been a good year and we have so much to look forward to! Our two missionaries will both come home in 2019 and, if all goes well, Sterling will graduate from high school a year early in May. It's possible that I could have 4 kids at BYU in January 2020!

With our missionaries out, I couldn't get a family picture this year. I could have pieced together a Christmas card with everyone here and there, but I wanted us all together so I hatched a plan that worked out beautifully!

Isn't that awesome? I commissioned Sadie's 13-year old friend, Jack, to draw our family picture and I am so happy with how it turned out. The word "Christmas" is something I doodled on the back of my church program a couple weeks ago and my friend, Jen, digitized it for me. (Jen and I have started a little Etsy shop with these digitized files -- I'll blog more about that later!)

I was a little worried about getting the cards out before Christmas. I received the finished drawing on Sunday, December 16th and had the card designed and ready for the printer on the morning of the 17th. The week before Christmas felt like a bad time for a rush order at the printers, but I walked into my favorite print shop at 9:20 Monday morning and, literally, walked out at 9:30 with a stack of 90 cards -- printed, cut and shrink wrapped! It was a happy little miracle and my cards were in the mail Monday afternoon.

Life is good! We have been so blessed and can see God's hand in our lives on a daily basis. We are grateful for the Savior and the opportunity to celebrate His birth.

Merry Christmas!

Surprise Sighting

Look who Spencer saw on his first day in his new area -- grandma and grandpa Stowell!! What a fun surprise. This made my day and I'm guessing I'm not the only one. Spencer was just transferred to Iona, Idaho. He's in his third area and his 10th month. He looks so healthy and happy. Just what my mother heart needed to see. ♡