because I’m late for Heather’s Five for Friday. ☺

1. Watch this new Mormon Messages video. I think it is one of the best ones yet! It really hits close to home in many respects thinking about growing up and all my father did {and still does!] for us. And now all the work my husband does to make sure we have the basic necessities of life. LOVE.

2. Have you heard about Educents yet? It’s a new site that will launch in April but if you sign up now you’ll get a $15 gift card to use when it goes live.

Educents is a daily deals site that will offer a wide variety of educational materials selected from the best suppliers in the industry. Products will range from online curriculum, learning tools, educational toys, software, study guides, e-books, classroom videos and tutorials in all subjects. The deals will be from 30%-90% off regular price! It’s for anyone interested in helping children learn: parents, teachers, homeschoolers, etc.  Want to learn more? Visit the Educents FAQ page. You can also follow them on facebook to get the latest updates.

(No, I don’t get anything for sending people to their site. I just wanted to pass this along because I think many of you would be interested in knowing about it!)

3.The high yesterday was 51. 51! That’s a 70 degree change from last week’s -20. Little Hershey even went and put her swimsuit on because she wanted to go swimming. It’s amazing how our bodies acclimate. Even 0 felt warm compared to the negative temps. Now the roads are slushy and sloshy because all the ice and snow are melting. And yes, it makes a terrible mess when tracked into the house!

4.This week I’ve been studying Elder Robert C. Gay’s General Conference talk “What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?”  There are little nuggets of goodness and truth that have made me think about changes I need to make in my own life. One of my favorite parts:

“We are to give up all our sins, big or small, for the Father’s reward of eternal life. We are to forget self-justifying stories, excuses, rationalizations, defense mechanisms, procrastinations, appearances, personal pride, judgmental thoughts, and doing things our way. We are to separate ourselves from all worldliness and take upon us the image of God in our countenances.

Brothers and sisters, remember that this charge is more than just not doing bad things. With an engaged enemy we must also act and not sit in “thoughtless stupor.” Taking upon the countenance of God means serving each other. There are sins of commission and sins of omission, and we are to rise above both”

I’m writing a post about my thoughts for an article for Real Intent. I’ll let you know when it posts.

5.I love book lists, especially ones of good old classics that never fail to impress. The Storybook Home has just such a list.

Check out their recommended reading divided by authors so if you have read a book you like you can see others from the same author that might interest you as well! Anthony Trollope, Kate Douglas Wiggin, E. Nesbit, and oh so many more. You can click on some of the books listed to read their reviews too. And for those die-hard fans of classic literature you can buy copies of The Storybook Home Journal – each issue dedicated to one lovely classic book (or author). For instance, click on the photo above to see what’s in the issue for “Summer With Kate Douglas Wiggin.” They are perfectly lovely (and there are no ads!).

6. This girl turns 16 today.

Yes, its an old picture. She doesn’t like to have her picture taken. She has grown into quite a lovely young lady. She is extremely witty {like her dad}, plays the piano beautifully, is an amazing cook, and is such a joy to be around!