I really liked this talk. I highly recommend it.

Quote from Elder Russel M. Nelson's talk "The Family: The Hope for the Future of Nations" at the World Congress of Families V in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Aug. 12, 2009.

"What would happen to the future of nations if the next generation failed to appear in significant number? The answer is alarming! Yes, we would be poorer economically, but even poorer spiritually. Spiritual concerns are of great importance. Spiritually, we need children as much as they need us. They are our spiritual wealth. Children teach us the joy of building goodness that will outlive our own. They teach us the joy of loving someone more than self. That love lifts one to give from the abundance of one's own life to help a child."

A Most Underappreciated Fruit

The last two canning seasons, I have gained a new favorite to add to my repitiore of fruit. It is the plum.



I know very few people who love plums or say that it is their favorite fruit. They are pretty good fresh. But my oh my, everything I have made with the plums (basically fruit leather and jam) has been simply incredible. I think plum jam is the prettiest color. LOVE IT! And it has the most wonderful almost tangy flavor.



I haven't made any fruit leather yet, but last year's leather tasted just amazing, almost like a fruit punch instead of plain old plum. And, again, after being blended together, the dark skin makes the leather the most beautiful red/purple/plum color. I am definitely a fan.

So if you see black plums on sale anywhere, buy a few pounds a try a batch of cooked jam. I highly recommend it.

Three car seats in one sedan....

So, one of the many problems we have faced with the pending arrival of a new bambino is the question of what to do car-wise. The most fun choice is obviously to buy a bigger car. We have researched it down to a Mazda 5. We are fans, especially of the gas mileage. It only seats six but that would have been plenty for us.

However, after a few months, it became painfully apparent that buying a new car was just NOT an option. We tried multiple times to squish our three car seats (one infant and two upright) to fit in the back of our Mitsubishi Galant. Unfortunately, I have the habit of buying big, fat car seats because the look so much safer and more comfortable than skimpy ones. It truly is impossible to fit all three of our car seats in the back seat.

I think in the back of my mind I kept thinking and hoping that somehow, someway we could buy a new car, but in the end I reconciled myself to finding a car seat that would fit. I've seen three car seats in the back of small cars before so I know people do it somehow.


From what I've learned, the Radian or Sunshine Kids Radian Car seat is one of, if not, the skinniest car seat out there.





And it is specifically most skinny at the base, where it really needs to be. It is pricey because it boasts to be extremely safe with a steel frame and other extra safe features. But, by far it is cheaper than buying a new car. It is a convertible car seat so it can be rear or forward facing. We added some little pillow attachments to the straps to help Lulu sleep without her head flopping over into uncomfortable looking positions. So now, with a Cosco upright car seat, a Graco Safe Seat infant car seat, and the Radian car seat, we can fit all three (barely) into the back of our car.

Lets just hope that our current kids will not torture the baby since they will be able to reach him so easily. They will grow up close in age and car proximity.