Devin, Angie & Clark

FAMILY…

I was just reading on lds.org this article about families and how important it is to have spirituality in the home. I wanted to call everyone I knew and tell them to read it, since it touched my heart so deeply. So here it goes (it is long, but please read it. It is soooo good.) Don’t forget to follow the links at the bottom to read each of the 3 talks given.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/elder-russell-m-nelson-addresses-international-conference-on-families

Devin and I have been talking a lot about how fast Clark is growing up, and I feel like I have so little time to teach him what he needs to be taught. I was praying that I would be more patient and be a better wife and mother, and had an overwhelming peace come over me, and the feeling to enjoy the time that I am in. I am learning to cherish as many moments I can… (even the frequent night wakings we been having) Then today, I read something that reaffirmed my feelings. It is something President Thomas S. Monson said:

“If you’re still in the process of raising children, be aware that [they]… disappear all too soon and that you will, to your surprise, miss them profoundly. Time never stands still…find joy in the journey -now.” -President Thomas S. Monson

I truly believe the statement by Elder Russell M Nelson, when he said:

“Future happiness and even the future of nations is linked to children. Families with children need to be re-enthroned as the fundamental unit of society. We simply must value children more than we do.”

I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who is there to listen to our concerns, and for the atonement of Jesus Christ and the opportunity we have to live with our Families eternally.

Thanks for reading! Love you all-

I mean, seriously, how can you not cherish moments like these?

Recipe…

Okay, remember when I posted about the jam I made? Well I am finally posting the recipe:

Before the advent of refrigeration, home cooks made big batches of jam so their fruit would last longer. That meant “processing,” the time-consuming method of heating food in jars to kill the microorganisms that cause spoilage. Thankfully, times have changed: Our easy cheat relies on a regular skillet and much less sugar and it comes together in a jiffy. Store in the fridge; it will keep up to 3 weeks. (For fresh fruit jam year-round, pack into freezer-safe containers, leaving 1 inch of headspace, and freeze up to 1 year.)

RASPBERRY JAM:

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups raspberries 1 TBSP lemon juice

5 tsp. fruit pectin 1/2 tsp. butter or margarine

1/4 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1) In 12-inch skillet, combine raspberries, lemon juice, pectin, and margarine. Heat to boiling on high, blending and mashing with potato masher or back of spoon; boil 1 minute. Stir in sugar; return to boiling. Boil jam 2 minutes longer, until syrupy, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cool at room temperature 15 minutes.

2) Pour jam into two clean 1/2-pint jars with tight-fitting lids. Cover and refrigerate until jam is set and cold, about 8 hours. (Jam will thicken as it chills.) Keep jam refrigerated and use within 3 weeks. Or freeze and use within a year.

Strawberry jam:

Prepare raspberry jam in step one, but omit raspberries and add 3 cups, hulled and sliced strawberries. Increase lemon juice to 2 TBSP and increase pectin to 2 tablespoons. Complete recipe in step 2.

Three-Berry Jam (this one is my favorite!)

Prepare raspberry jam in step one, but reduce raspberries to 1 cup and add 2 cups hulled and sliced strawberries and 1 cup blackberries. Increase pectine to 2 TBSP and reduce sugar to 3/4 cup. Complete recipe as in step 2.

Enjoy!