Thursday, January 31, 2008

I’ve been scrapbooking for a couple of days now. I’m way behind but am trying to catch up, at least I’m done with Halloween pictures. I still have a lot of pictures to do but if I can do at least 2 pages in a day I’ll be able to catch up probably in a moth :). Anyway, Jessica has a science fair on Friday so we have to do a Science Project for her! We did the “Presto Pennies”, and it worked out pretty good. Here’s the procedures..

Items Needed:
Sturdy paper plate
6 dirty pennies
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp vinegar
Procedures:
1. Put the pennies in the paper plate, make sure they don’t overlap with each other.
2. Pour the salt at the top of the pennies
3. Pour the vinegar at the top of the salt
4. Count up to 3
5. Presto! The pennies are all clean! (for real :) )


Wednesday, January 30, 2008

My sister in law (Maryann) sent an email to us and I just go through reading it! They're having a new grandaughter, Aaliyah Keilani Kealamakia! She was born January 21st, 8 lbs. She attached a picture of her in her email and I thought I would share it with you. She's really cute! I'm happy for them to have this cute addition to their family! I'm looking forward when I will be pregnant again ( maybe sometime this year :) )and hopefully it will be a girl!

Sunday, January 27, 2008


I just heard the news of president Hinckey's death. What a sad news! I can clearly remember what President Hinckley said as his closing remarks in last October general conference."We look foreward to seeing you again next April. I'm 97 and I hope I'm going to make it." I love Pres. Hinckley and especially his sense of humor. I'm always looking forward for his talk and his humor. He always make everybody laugh. Too bad he won't be there this coming conference but I know he's happy now that he'll be reunited with his wife. I know President Hinckley was and is a prophet of God. I know all his teaching and counsels were inspired of God and we've been trying to follow his counsel to read the Book of Mormon everyday and it blessed our lives, it made us closer to Heavenly Father!


The following is an official statement issued by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008 following the death of the Mormon president:
President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through nearly 13 years of global expansion, has died at the age of 97.
President Hinckley was the15th president in the 177-year history of the Church, and had served as its president since 12 March 1995.
The Church president died this evening at 7:00 p.m. of causes incident to age at home surrounded by his family. A successor is not expected to be formally chosen by the Church's Council of Twelve Apostles until after President Hinckley's funeral within the next few days.
President Hinckley was known, even at the age of 97, as a tireless leader who always put in a full day at the office and traveled extensively around the world to mix with Church members, now numbering more than 13 million in 160 nations.
His quick wit and humor combined with an eloquent style at the pulpit made him one of the most loved of modern Church leaders. A profoundly spiritual man, he had a great fondness for history and often peppered his sermons with stories from the Church's pioneer past.
He was a popular interview subject with journalists, appearing on "60 Minutes" with Mike Wallace and on CNN's "Larry King Live," as well as in hundreds of newspapers and magazines over the years. During the Salt Lake Olympics of 2002, his request that the Church refrain from proselytizing visitors was credited by media with generating much of the goodwill that flowed to the Church from the international event.
In recent years, a number of major developments in the Church reflected President Hinckley's personal drive and direction. In calling for 100 temples to be in operation before the end of the year 2000, the president committed the Church to a massive temple building program.
In 1999 - 169 years after the Church was organized by its founder, Joseph Smith - the Church had 56 operating temples. Three years later that number had doubled, largely because of a smaller, highly practical temple architectural plan that delivered these sacred buildings to Church members in far-flung parts of the world. Many more Church members can now experience the sacred ceremonies that occur only in temples, including marriages for eternity and the sealing of families in eternal units.
President Hinckley was the most traveled president in the Church's history. His duties have taken him around the world many times to meet with Latter-day Saints in more than 60 countries. He is the first Church president to travel to Spain, where in 1996 he broke ground for a temple in Madrid; and to the African nations of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Cape Verde, where he met with thousands of Latter-day Saints in 1998.
At a general conference of Church members in April 2001, President Hinckley initiated the Perpetual Education Fund - an ambitious program to help young members of the Church (mainly returning missionaries from developing countries) receive higher education and work-related training in nations where they would otherwise likely never receive it.
Closer to his Salt Lake City home, President Hinckley announced the construction of a new Conference Center in 1996, and dedicated it four years later. Seating 21,000 people, it is believed to be the largest religious and theater auditorium in the world, and has become the hub for the Church's messages to the world, broadcast in 54 languages.
Even before his term as president, President Hinckley's extensive Church service included 14 years as a counselor in the First Presidency, the highest presiding body in the government of the Church, and for 20 years before that, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
President Hinckley was born 23 June 1910, in Salt Lake City, a son of Bryant Stringham and Ada Bitner Hinckley. One of his forebears, Stephen Hopkins, came to America on the Mayflower. Another, Thomas Hinckley, served as governor of the Plymouth Colony from 1680 to 1692.
President Hinckley's first job was as a newspaper carrier for the Deseret News, a Salt Lake City daily. After attending public schools in Salt Lake City, he earned a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Utah and then served two years as a full-time missionary for the Church in Great Britain. He served with distinction and ultimately was appointed as an assistant to the Church apostle who presided over all the European missions.
Upon successfully completing his missionary service in the mid-1930s, he was asked by then Church President Heber J. Grant to organize what has become the Church's Public Affairs Department.
President Hinckley began serving as a member of the Sunday School general board in 1937, two years after returning home from missionary service in Great Britain. For 20 years he directed all Church public communications. In 1951 he was named executive secretary of the General Missionary Committee, managing the entire missionary program of the Church, and served in this capacity for seven years.
On 6 April 1958, while serving as president of the East Millcreek Stake in Salt Lake City (a stake is similar to a diocese), President Hinckley was appointed as a general authority, or senior full-time leader of the Church. In this capacity he served as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles before being appointed to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on 5 October 1961.
President Hinckley has received a number of educational honors including the Distinguished Citizen Award from Southern Utah University; Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Utah; and honorary doctorates from Westminster College, Utah State University, University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Southern Utah University, Utah Valley State College and Salt Lake Community College. The Gordon B. Hinckley Endowment for British Studies, a program focused on the arts, literature and history of the United Kingdom, was established at the University of Utah.
President Hinckley was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award by the Boy Scouts of America; was honored by the National Conference of Community and Justice (formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews) for his contributions to tolerance and understanding in the world; and received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
In March 2000 President Hinckley addressed the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. He also has addressed the Religion Newswriters Association, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and twice has addressed the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.
President Hinckley has written and edited several books and numerous manuals, pamphlets and scripts, including a best-selling book, Standing for Something, aimed at a general audience. In it he champions the virtues of love, honesty, morality, civility, learning, forgiveness, mercy, thrift and industry, gratitude, optimism and faith. He also testifies of what he calls the "guardians of virtue," namely traditional marriage and family.
President Hinckley married Majorie Pay in the Salt Lake Temple in 1937. They are the parents of five children. Sister Hinckley passed away April 6, 2004

I got an email from Celeste telling about her sister in law lost her baby. The baby was stillborn. They discovered that the cause of death was a tight knot in the umbilical cord. The parents are extremely distraught and of course are having a hard time dealing with this unexpected loss. My heart was breaking upon reading her email. I know how her sister in law feel. I've been there not too long ago and it hurt me to know this. For me, losing a baby is the hardest and the most painful experience a mother could go through. Even until now, I'm still having a hard time but as they said time heals. It's been 3 months since it happened to me and everyday my feeling is getting better. I hope that she'll be ok, I don't know her sis in law but I'll be praying for her because I know how painful and hard it is...

Saturday, January 26, 2008

We had a girl’s night out today. Ritchie, Fe, Elsa and me decided to watch a movie P.S. I love you. It was a good movie, with an interesting story line. It was quite an emotional roller coaster, made you want to laugh at times and at other times cry out loud. We all cried and loved it. After watching the movie we went to Kohl’s and shop for a little bit then we ate dinner at Golden Corral. We had a lot of fun and it was nice to be able to sit down with some friends and talk just about anything.

Holly Kennedy is beautiful, smart and married to the love of her life--a passionate, funny and impetuous Irishman named Gerry. So when Gerry's life is taken by an illness, it takes the life out of Holly. The only one who can help her is the person who is no longer there. Nobody knows Holly better than Gerry. So it's a good thing he planned ahead. Before he died, Gerry wrote Holly a series of letters that will guide her, not only through her grief but in rediscovering herself. The first message arrives on Holly's 30th birthday in the form of a cake and, to her utter shock, a tape recording from Gerry, who proceeds to order her to get out and celebrate herself. In the weeks and months that follow, more letters from Gerry are delivered in surprising ways, each sending her on a new adventure and each signing off in the same way: P.S. I Love You.
Cast:
Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon, James Marsters
Director:
Richard LaGravenese
Genres: Romantic Drama, Romance


Thursday, January 24, 2008

Andrew always loved cars and train. He spent hours playing with cars and trains before he gets bored with it. I bought him a wooden train for christmas but we didn't let him play with it yet because it will be a mess without a train table. Today, Russ found a train table and it's really nice. Andrew got so excited when he found out the table and the train set. He had a lot of fun playing with them and Russ played with him for a little bit. Watching him have fun and so happy is worth it all!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Today is a busy day for me! I was babysitting Fe's 3 kids in the afternoon while she's doing her visiting teaching and I did mine too in the evening. My companion & I take turn to make the appointments and give the message. This month is my turn to give the message, the message for this month is "Heavenly Father Taught The Purpose Of Our Life On Earth"


This is the message I chose to share with the sisters we visited.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008


We ( Russ, Andrew & Me) drove early (around 6:30) this morning to Rexburg Idaho to attend the Rexburg Idaho Temple Open house. It’s about 3 hours drive to Rexburg Idaho from where we are. It’s been a long drive and it’s so cold over there 20 degrees below 0. There were a lot of people from different states who were driving to attend the open house. The parking lot was full and though it was so cold I suppose everybody had a great experience. The temple is really beautiful both inside and out! It's my first time to attend a temple open house, I was enjoying my experience and I'm grateful for the opportunity I had. I wish Andrew was old enough to understand what we were doing but I know he will have another opportunity someday. Russ & I are looking forward to do a session in Rexburg Idaho Temple. Below is the copy of our reservation ticket...


Rexburg Idaho Temple Open House Ticket

Please print this page and bring it with you to the open house. This will be your only record and will serve as your confirmation and the ticket for your group.



Name: daisy fisher
Date of tour: Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Number in group: 3
Time of tour: 9:30 AM
Reservation #: 158293
Language: English
What to expect during your open house tour:
*Open house tours will begin in the chapel adjacent to the temple where a ten minute video will be presented. This video will provide an overview of temples and why they are significant to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
*Following the video, a tour host will escort you to the temple. As you walk through the temple, the tour host will explain the purpose of each room, answering questions as time allows.
*Those needing special assistance, such as wheelchairs, will be accommodated.
*After concluding the tour you are invited to return to the chapel for light refreshments and to have any further questions answered.
*For onsite parking, please arrange for three or more people to be in your car.



Monday, January 21, 2008

Monday


It’s a snowy day today! It’s also a Martin Luther King Day so the kids are out of school. We did some cleaning in the basement for a few hours and the kids were playing their video games for the rest of the day until it’s time for family home evening. Finally I got started with my scrapbooking again. I made a page today Andrew’s 18th month studio pics. It’s been a while since I did a scrapbook page and I’ve been behind. Hope I can keep up with it but there’s a lot to do everyday. Anyway for our family home evening we did the Book Of Mormon basketball to see how much the kids know about the Book Of Mormon. Questions was asked, and if the answer is correct the kid will score 2 points. They will also have the opportunity to increase their score by shooting a basket. JR got the most points then Johnathan. I gave them chocolate bars for their prizes.
Andrew had fun playing with the baskets and balls. I asked the questions while Russ was the judge who raised their hand first. Here are some of the questions I asked..

1. How many times did Moroni visit Joseph Smith the night Joseph was told about the Book Of Mormon? Three
2. How many Book Of Mormon witnesses denied they had seen the Book Of Mormon? None
3. Name three of the sons of Lehi. ( Nephi, Jacob, Laman, Lemuel, Sam)
4. Did Joseph Smith’s Father believe him when he told him of Moroni’s visitation? Yes
5. How many years did Joseph Smith have to wait after Moroni’s visit to obtain plates? Four
6. What is the last book in the Book of Mormon? Moroni
7. What instrument did Joseph Smith use to translate the plates? Urim & Thummim
8. Name the instrument that guided Lehi’s family in their travels through the wilderness. Liahona
9. Which is the longest book in the Book Of Mormon? Book Of Alma
10. Name Nephi’s mother. Sariah
11. Name the fourth book in the Book Of Mormon. Enos
12. Name the man who was converted by the preaching of Abinadi and who later became head of the church. Alma
13. Name the secret band of robbers who caused so much wickedness in the Book of Mormon? Gadianton Robbers
14. Which book in the Book Of Mormon contains a letter from a father to his son explaining that little children are saved without baptism? Moroni
15. How long did the darkness last upon the land of the Nephites at the time of the crucifixion of Christ? Three days


Sunday, January 20, 2008



We decided to get together last night and have a lumpia wrapping and siopao making party! (Fe & Scott, Tyler & Ritchie, Laura & Jun and us) We did it in our house. I cooked beef steak and pancit for dinner. We used up about 275 pcs of lumpia wrappers, so that would make up to 800+ since we’re cutting it in 2-3 pieces. It was a lot of work but it didn’t seem to take us forever to roll it since we were joking around while doing it! When we’re done with the lumpia, it was about 10:00 and we still have to make sioapao. So we decided to make just a few siopao instead and make bread and scone out of the leftover dough for siopao. It was really good! After doing all the work, it’s karaoke time! We packed up around 1:00 am. And they all left a little after 1:00. Good for us our church meeting starts at 1:00 pm.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Though I'm not a morning person, I woke up early today (8:30). I was cooking caldereta and pancit for Ate Fe Mendoza. They have a funeral today and she asked me if I could cook caldereta and pancit for her. After dropping off the food we went to Fe's house and I brought some food and we eat lunch together. When we got home, I was cleaning the kitchen and I let Andrew watch a movie in the portable dvd player since our dvd player in the family room is not working. He was watching a Thomas movie and while watching he was running his Thomas train in the wall and it left a lot of marks. I wanted to spank him but instead I asked him to clean the mess he made. I gave him the sponge and he had a lot of fun scrubbing the wall. He did a pretty good job! He cleaned it up good. I'm glad I wasn't reacting too much for by doing so he learned how to clean up the mess he made and enjoying the work.

It's been a while since Russ has been planning to make changes on our family website http://www.daisy-n-russ.com/ since it's been like that for a while. Actually he created that website even before we were married. I was still in the Philippines when he created it and we're kinda bored with it. However, he's been busy and I get frustrated everytime he'll say something about the website and not doing anything. So I decided to create this blog to keep everybody updated what's going on in here especially a lot of my friends from the Philippines are wondering what I've been up to since I'm not replying to their emails. I hope I can keep this going and I'll try to update this as often as I can.