Jeppesen Family: January 2009

Friday, January 30, 2009

So how do you preserve your Memories?

I'm trying to decide what to do with all of our many pictures. I used to be a huge fan of scrapbooking until I realized how much it was costing me to do it. Not worth it. I'd rather use the fun embellishments to make a cute card or project here and there, not for every picture.

So, then there is Digital Scrapbooking. Which, as you can see, I just started. It's really fun and completely free so far. I just used free downloads from places like shabby princess. But, then you have to eventually get those printed (if you're like me and virtual isn't good enough) and it is pricy to print 12 x 12 sheets. I have 500 pics of Riley alone from 2008. (These are the good ones I have picked out!) So, I need something that will be cost effective. What I've decided to do are the photo books like the pic above. They are usually about 20 pages for $20 for an 8x10 book and are always having new promotions. (Last week on winkflash I made an 8x10 100 page book for $20 and put 488 pics in it!). So, I think I will make the photo books for each of my kids at the end of each year. That way, I can throw in some of my digital layouts I make and some journaling as well. It's the best of both worlds. And, the point is, it gets done. I would never have been able to scrapbook all those pictures and would've ended up overwhelmed and not doing any, or just picking a few of them in the end.

BTW I'm not knocking anyone who scrapbooks. I think that it is great some people do all that. My sisters are amazing little scrappers. I'm just trying to figure out the most time and cost effective way to print our photos. To me, everything has to be worth the time and energy as well as money that has been put into it. So, what's your opinion? How do you preserve your memories? I would love to hear ideas!

Digital Scrapbooking

Here's my first Digital Scapbooking layout. I was just messing around to see if I could really do this. Wow. Not so hard after all. I'm excited to do more.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

McKade 3 Months

McKade lights up our whole house with his smile. He is the sweetest little guy. I am sad he is already so big, but I love seeing every new step. We love you, McKade.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Vote For Luke!!

Luke has entered the Walking with the Dinosaurs contest on Good Things Utah. If he gets enough votes for his Dinosaur Roar Video we could win tickets to the show. If you want to cast your Vote click the link below. His video is called "Luke wants to see Walking with the Dinosaurs". If you click on the link below you can click on his video and watch it. Then if you click on the "Vote" Icon it will have you register to vote... Just wants your name, e-mail, and a couple items to get you registered. Then you can vote!

Thank you all for your votes so far!! Trevor's sister told me he was shown on Good Things Utah today, Wednesday. Maybe they'll show him again tomorrow. Keep on watching!

Click Here to See Luke's Video and Cast Your Votes!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

My New Niece

Ella Ryan was born to Ryan and Chelsea on Dec.30th. She is adorable and everyone is doing great. All these new babies are so fun. (Thanks for letting me steal your pic, Chels)

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.