Jeppesen Family: October 2008

Sunday, October 12, 2008

It's A Boy!

McKade William Jeppesen
6 lbs. 7 ozs.
19 1/2 Inches
Oct. 8, 2008 2:51PM

I was induced last Wednesday as planned at 9:15AM. After about 5 1/2 hours little McKade was born. We stayed 2 nights and got to come home on Friday. We have had so much help with the kids and dinners. Thank you! McKade is now 4 days old and we are doing great. We are so blessed to have such a sweet little guy join our family.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

McKade William Jeppesen

Sunday, October 5, 2008

A Few Random Pics...

New Pics!

Last Friday I went with Chelsea (my sister in law) to an old street to get some much needed updated pics of Luke and Riley. Chelsea showed me some great tricks and Lindsay and Mandy (my other sister in laws) were there for a bit too. Luke had just woke up so he was pouty most the time, but I still got a few. Riley loved it and was a bit too posy, but they actually turned out better than expected. Here are some of my favorites.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

7 More Days Hopefully!

I went to the Doctor yesterday for my last check-up! I am dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced. Sorry if that's gross to post on a blog. Anyway, my Doctor is going to induce me next Wednesday, October 8th since I live an hour away now. As long as the hospital lets me come in that day, that will be the day. I've struck out twice now on Riley and Luke with the hospital telling me I couldn't come after all that day (to be induced) so I'm really not expecting to, but it should be around the 8th sometime. Yay!

Luke can Officially Ride a 2-Wheeler

As my neighbor kids call it, Luke is riding a 2 wheeler now (without training wheels). He begged Trevor to take them off when he saw the other boys riding without them. Well, most of them are at least a year older than him. He just barely turned three! Anyway, he was so determined to do it, after about a week he had it down. I was so relieved to not have to bend over and hold onto him anymore. Riley is a little put out and doesn't really have the ambition to practice enough to do it herself yet.

Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese opened in Layton, yay! Chelsea invited us to go with Katie Price and some other friends last week. Riley and Luke thought they were in heaven. We hadn't been there since we lived by one in Arizona. It was great fun although I was exhausted afterwards.

Chuck E. Wacks Luke in the Face

If you look at these pics starting with the top right going counter clockwise, they are funny. Right after Luke stood by Chuck E. for a pic, Chuck E's hand came down and smacked him in the face. I don't think Luke realized he was dancing. It was hilarious to watch.

Our Religion

We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. One of our apostles, M. Russell Ballard, described our beliefs best in his Oct. '07 Conference Address. (If you want to post this to your blog, feel free to copy and paste) Facts * • First, “Mormon” is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members are often referred to as “Mormons,” “Latter-day Saints,” or “LDS.” The term “Saint” means “member.” * • Second, the Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president. Today it is headquartered in Salt Lake City, with President Thomas S. Monson as the present prophet. * • Third, there are now over 13 million members in 176 countries and territories. About 6 million of these are in the United States, making us the fourth largest Christian denomination in America. As one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world, we complete a new chapel every working day. Members pay a tithe, which is 10 percent of their income, making this and other programs possible. * • Fourth, local congregations are led by volunteer, unpaid members. Both men and women serve in assigned leadership positions. * • And fifth, Mormons are well represented in politics and government. (In the United States, for example, there are 16 members in Congress, from both political parties.) Members also serve in high and trusted positions throughout the world in business, medicine, law, education, media, sports, and entertainment. Faith Next, people need to know something of our faith as committed Christians with strong traditional values. Along with the Articles of Faith we need to emphasize that: * • We believe in the eternity of the soul, that God is the Father of our spirits, and that we can return to Him after death. * • We believe that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior, and we try to model our lives after Him and His teachings. We commemorate Christ’s atoning sacrifice in our Sunday worship services, similar to taking communion in other churches. We accept as fellow Christians all who believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind. Many Christians do not understand that we have much common ground with them. Joseph Smith taught that Jesus Christ is the core of our belief, and everything else is an appendage to it (see Elders’ Journal, July 1838, 44). The name of the Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. * • We believe the original church that Jesus established was lost and has been restored again in our day. The priesthood, the authority given to man to act in the name of God, with apostles and a prophet to lead us, has been restored as have all necessary ordinances of salvation. * • We believe in and we use the Holy Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. * • And we believe in the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture which support and authenticate the Bible and testify of the ministry and divinity of Christ and of God’s ongoing revelation to man. Indeed, the Book of Mormon is “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” Family The next thing it is good for people to know is how family-centered our theology and our lifestyles are. Once again, simple statements are helpful to someone who is uninformed but curious about the importance we place on families. * • Mormons place particularly strong emphasis on family as the basic unit of the Church and of society. We have a deep commitment to marriage (defined as a union between one man and one woman). Polygamy, a limited practice in the early pioneer days of the Church, was discontinued in 1890, some 117 years ago. * • Families and individuals, whether members of our faith or not, can attend Sunday services in our chapels. Here we worship together, instructing one another from the scriptures. * • Latter-day Saint families are encouraged to hold family home evenings weekly, usually on Monday nights. This provides a regular and predictable time for parents to teach values to their children and to have fun together. We invite those not of our faith to adopt this practice with their own families. * • The Church has auxiliary programs for women, youth, and children as a support to the family. These programs provide such things as religious instruction, opportunities for Christian service, sports, drama, music, and Scouting. * • And there is also much focus on extended family, genealogy, and personal family history, providing young and old with a stronger sense of roots, identity, and belonging. The highest and most sacred ordinances of our faith relate to our families, both living and dead, and some of these ordinances take place in our temples. Fruits Now, even as someone begins to understand a few facts about us and comes to know us more accurately by our faith and the importance of family, it was the Savior who said “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20; emphasis added). A church, or any way of life, should be judged by the fruits or the results that it generates. Here are a few examples based on United States statistics. But these would be similar throughout the world among practicing Mormons (by which we mean those who attend church and the temple regularly): * • One of the fruits is a longer life. Studies show that practicing Mormons are healthier and therefore live longer than the national average. In 1833 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the Word of Wisdom, which is the way to live in order to enjoy a long and healthy life. * • Second, those who are married in and attend the temple regularly have a divorce rate far below the national and world average. * • Third, we achieve an educational level that is higher than the national average. * • Fourth, over 70,000 members volunteer at their own expense to serve for 18 to 24 months in humanitarian efforts, Church service assignments, and full-time missionary service throughout the world. * • And fifth, we place strong emphasis on self-reliance and a solid work ethic. We encourage active involvement in our communities and in providing service to others. The Church continues to donate substantial money, goods, and services to humanitarian causes around the globe, including untold hours of labor donated by members to assist in disaster cleanup and relief.