This morning the kids and I learned the story of Nephi and his families journey to the promised land. This is one of my favorite Book of Mormon stories. It has such a great message about following the Lord's command and the blessings of doing so.

Nephi has always been one of my Book of Mormon heroes because he has such courage and faith. When he is told to do something he doesn't question it. He asks Heavenly Father for help and knows that He will provide a way. He never used an excuse that he didn't have the tools to build the ship, but through prayer and faith he was able to make the tools needed. He was mocked by his brothers, he didn't use that as an excuse. He kept going knowing The Lord would provide a way. The Lord, through Nephi and his faithfulness, then shocked his brothers. Nephi also had the faith to let the Liahona guide them.

We also watched the movie "Mountain of The Lord." This is yet another example of faith, courage, and following the Lord's command. It shows of some of the trials those who were building the Salt Lake City temple went through.

Both of these stories are great reminders to me that I need to be doing the simple yet important things which I have been commanded to do each day.

- Read my scriptures (individual, couple, and family)

- Say my prayers (individual, couple, and family)

- Being an example of Christ and doing things that are pleasing to Him

- Attending church meetings every Sunday

- Going to the temple as often as I can

- Listening to the prophets

- Keeping the sabbath day holy

- Not doing things to distract from the focus of The Lord

- Focusing on things of The Lord like scripture study, attending church, being together as a family, doing a simple thing of service, and anything else that may help you feel the Spirit of The Lord

- Pay tithing (giving 1/10 to The Lord)

And so on.

I am far from perfect and I know what I need to work on. I also know that working on each of these and other things will help me become closer to the Savior.

Each time I get distracted and need a reminder I can sing the song "Nephi's Courage."

2. The Lord commanded Nephi to go and build a boat.

Nephi's older brothers believed it would not float.

Laughing and mocking, they said he should not try.

Nephi was courageous. This was his reply:

"I will go; I will do the thing the Lord commands.

I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey.

3. The Lord gives us commandments and asks us to obey.

• Sometimes I am tempted to choose another way.
• When I'm discouraged, and think I cannot try,
• I will be courageous, and I will reply:
• Chorus
• "I will go; I will do the thing the Lord commands.
• I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey.

I have always loved this song and the story. If you have never read it I encourage you to read it. It is in 1 Nephi chapters 17 and 18 in the Book of Mormon.

Better yet I challenge you to read all of 1 Nephi. It has great examples of courage and faith including those of my Book of Mormon hero, Nephi.

I work at a salon one day a week for a couple of reasons, 1. It's a place I can do my regular clients hair. 2. It is a small break from baby talk. I actually get to have full uninterrupted concersations with adults. No children screaming or crying or trying desperately to get my undivided attention. 3. I like keeping up my talent and passion.

Well, the other day while having one of these conversations with an adult, my client asked me if this is all I do? I replied with no, I am a stay at home mom. She then asked how many days I work. I told her just once a week for the reasons stated above. She then said something which I I have said a million times but never really thought about. "So you really are JUST a stay at home mom!"

JUST? Am I JUST a stay at home mom? When people ask me what I do I usually tell them I am JUST a stay at home mom and that never bothered me until someone else said it to me, about ME. This got me thinking about all the things I do. It was confirmed to me, that I'm not JUST a stay at home mom, the next day when my husband came home and I appologized that the house looked the same as when he left that morning. Did I really do nothing that day? The answer was NO!! I actually worked my butt of that day. I did something I dread doing and the only reason I don't like season changes, going through clothes. Although you can't see it unless you go through drawers, it is something that is necessary and must get done. I have 3 kids so to go through 3 kids drawers plus my own and my husbands, it took all day! Let me explain why below.

First and foremost I am a mom what all does that include?

- Babysitter- I get to watch my kids all day and night long. I am on call 24/7. Last night was the first night in weeks that I got to sleep longer than 4 hours at one time. I have had to get up and feed my baby every 3-4 hours through the night and take care of my other son. Which brings me to my next position.

-I am a nurse/caregiver. Not by school training, but by doc training and experience. My son has several health problems which requires a lot of attention. I have had points in his short 2 years of life that I have had to change bandages every 2-3 hours, put oils, lotions, and steroid creams on him every 6 hours, give him meds round the clock making sure I set my alarm so I don't miss giving him a dose in the middle of the night, give him breathing treatments, baitheing them, feeding/nursing them, changing diapers, and much more.

- Maid- although I teach my children to clean and do chores there is still a lot a mom does, especially for young children. Wash and fold laundry, wash dishes, beds, vacuum, sweep mop, change clothes for seasons and when they outgrow them, clean the bathroom, wash the toys, clean up after a child when he/she has pooped, peed, or thrown up on the floors, walls, toilet, car, or wherever else it may have taken place, and much more.

-Disciplinarian- I am their primary disciplinarian. I have to make sure I keep both of them safe from each other teaching them the rules and consequences of breaking rules as well as rewards for doing good.

-Teacher- I get to read to them, teach them their ABC's, numbers, colors, right and wrong, beliefs, and much more. It doesn't stop when the kids go to school. It will continue all through their life. This goes along with my next title: an example.

I am my children's most influential example. They will see me, my actions, personality, behavior long before they see others.

-Cook- I must come up with at least 3 meals a day then cook or prepare them and have them done in a timely manner.

-Shouffer- I take kids to doc appointments, games, school, birthday parties, and anywhere else they need to be.

-Personal shopper- I go grocery, clothes, and meds shopping.

-Organizer- I get to organize our house, everything from the messy cupboards to the toys in the you room, and back to the drawers.

-Accountant- I must make sure to budget our money the best I can.

On the day that I went through the drawers I had to stop every 2 hours to feed my daughter, write bills and put them in the box, break up fights, make breakfast, lunch, and dinner, compfort hurt kids, snuggle for nap time, read stories, play a game, teach my son to write his b's, share all the love I have, and I'm sure I'm missing more.

So as you can see I am much more than JUST a stay at home mom. I am a homemaker. I create a safe place for my children to be able to learn and grow, a place where I get to watch them take their first steps, say their first words, grow from an infant to an adult. I get to watch the wheels turn as their minds expand and best of all I get to be a part of the process!

I am their mom and I am blessed to be able to stay at home with them.

Some may never see me as more than just a stay at home mom. Maybe my kids don't even notice and won't notice until one day they are folding laundry and switching the seasons clothes out.

All I know is I love my job as a stay at home mom, all extra jobs included!

I'm celebrating my raise and to say thank you to my customers I'm giving away a lip gloss or eye pigment. How do you enter? Comment below with what you want, lip gloss or pigment. For a second entry go to www.youniqueproducts.com/yourmakeover and comment below with the name of the lipgloss or pigment you want. Contest ends Sunday at midnight winner will be announced Monday. Be sure to leave your email so I can email the winner!

This last weekend I went to a music festival. I was completely in awe at the way people are dressing these days. Maybe I'm in shock because I live in a Podunk town in Idaho, or maybe it is because I can't believe parents would let their kids dress the way they do. As a mother of two boys I can't say I have had any problems deciding whether if something for them is modest or not, it is easy. However, I have come to have a debate in my head about certain clothes my daughter can wear. As a child and teen I was not allowed to wear a bikini and other immodest clothes. I hated it then, but appreciate it now.

As a soon to be mother of a daughter I want to set the right example for my daughter at an early age. What does this mean? Dressing modestly as an example, and dressing her modestly starting at birth. Even though I want to dress her modestly let's face it, she will probably want to wear what's in style. So how do we really get through to our daughters in this revolving closet of immodesty of a world we live in?

These are just a few of the styles I saw.

Why is showing off your belly okay? Why are shorts so short that you can see your butt okay? Wearing a bikini top around a music fest where there are people getting so drunk that they can't stand up straight, to me, is not okay. I know, no one wants a tan line, but can someone please explain to me why people do this and why this style is okay? Again, how do I teach my daughter that this is not appropriate and this style is not okay?!

We have all said when I have kids I am going to do this, that, or the other. I know I did! In fact my husband and I had long conversations about how we would raise them, discipline, religion, and of course what we wanted in our kids future.

Once our first son arrived things changed. We stood by some of the things we "planned" on for a while, but the reality is things change. So what changed? My understanding of what a parent is.

Here are a few things that have changed and what I have learned from it.

1. Discipline.

We talked about the way we would discipline our kids. I am a firm believer that children need to be disciplined. That hasn't changed. However, my method of discipline has changed. I thought all kids were disciplined the same. Wow what a shock when my first child didn't respond to my first method of discipline. What an even bigger shocker when I had to start reading books and how to teach children articles to figure out ways to discipline my second.

So what have I learned? EVERY child is different. Although discipline is important, it is even more important to find a method that fits your child. Don't assume one method will work for every child.

2. I always looked at rowdy kids as out of control and undisciplined. I always said my kids will never be like that, why? Because they will be disciplined. Ha ha ha boy was I wrong. Although I discipline my children they still have their moments. This has been the biggest struggle of parenting by far. I find myself saying "my son is almost 4 why does he still act this way?" It is so frustrating! Well I looked in the mirror the other day and realized that hey I just had a breakdown! I just stomped my foot, said grr, and walked away. Something I woulda spanked my child for I just did. Guess what? We ALL have our moments. No it doesn't make it right, but I have to look at the example I'm setting and make sure I'm not being a hypocrite. When I do things like that my mimic for sons follow in my footsteps.

So what did I learn? Don't be a hypocrite! If I'm having a bad day make sure I do the best I can to stay positive. If I need to have a breakdown take a walk, do as Daniel Tiger says "take a deep breath and count to five." After all isn't that what we teach our kids?

3. Mean what you say.

I was never one for empty threats. If you tell your kids you are going to do something, do it! I always thought there was one side to it, the discipline side. When you tell your children "eat your dinner or no dessert" you better be able to follow through with that. When you tell your children "I will play with you in a few minutes," you better mean that and not just be saying it. There were many times I said "yeah I will be there in a second." My kids would ask minutes later has it been a second yet?

What have I learned? Be careful what you say! Kids learn not to trust what their parents say when you don't follow through. Again, this goes both ways. If you give them ice cream with out them finishing their dinner they learn that their parents don't mean what they so they don't have to listen. The same goes for something positive like playing with them. If you don't follow through on what you say, how can they believe anything you say? It is much easier said than done, but it is something so important that as a parent I need to work on.

4. Dont say things you shouldn't in front of your kids.

Kids are way smarter than we give them credit for. I discovered that when my son was a newborn. He knew if he cried I would pick him up. As my first child I was concerned when he cried. I didn't know what was wrong. After talking to my parents I found that he was not crying because something was wrong, he was crying because he knew I would pick him up. My mom always said "is he fed, changed, and comfortable (no fever, tugging on ear, symptoms of sickness)? Then he should be fine."

My discovery was confirmed when he was about 12 months old. One day I was putting a puzzle together with him and I smelled him so I said "can you get me a diaper and the wipes?" I didn't think he would know what I meant, and I certainly didn't think he would actually do it. To my surprise, he got the diaper, wipes, and laid down. I was shocked!

Now at three my son an talk and carry on full conversations. He listens to all my conversations I have in front of him whether I think he is listening or not. He now repeats things I say which can sometimes be embarrassing.

What I learned: don't say anything in front of kids that I don't want others to know.

5. Going along with number four, this also means be careful what you say to your spouse in front of the kids.

Because kids are smart they can pin their parents on one another. Here is an example: my son likes to ask me to go outside and play. If he doesn't get the answer he wants out of me he will go ask his daddy. This makes for an upset mom because I had originally said no. Who do I take it out on? Daddy! My husband and I learned very fast to ask the other parent what they think before answering. We want to make sure we aren't going against what the other parent is saying. What does it mean to a child when one parent says yes and the other says no? It means that the parents are not on the same page. By asking a simple question to a spouse you save yourself from fighting and having the child pick sides.

What have I learned? Parents should work together as one. Now that doesn't mean they always have to agree, but when there is a disagreement it should not be disgussed in front of the kids. Especially when it is about them. You do not want a child taking sides with one parent because that parent has the child's side. If it is something serious take it to the bedroom and shut the door. Come to an agreement before you come out, sit down with the child, let them know that both of you are on the same page by giving one answer.

6. My messy house is my home.

I always said my house would stay spotless because I would be the perfect mom and wife who could manage to do everything. Guess what? I'm not, I was also never a fan of the thought of snuggling kids at bedtime. In fact I always kinda looked down on parents who did it. Guess what?! I'm now a snuggling mom and I love it!!! My husband is also a snuggling dad! We love our snuggle times with our kids. I take a lot of crap at times from others because I spend too much time with my kids and not enough on other things. I would love to have a clean spotless house, sew, scrapbook, have ladies nights, and go to the spa whenever I want. But I am a mom. My choice is to spend my time with my kids and spouse. How long will my son want to snuggle? At what point is he going to stop wanting to play cars, house, cowboys and Indians, and other things with me? I mean he was a baby yesterday and I took a nap then his brother came. This morning I took a nap and I have a 23 month old, almost 4 year old, and one on the way. Both my kids picked out their own clothes this morning, got dressed, and made their beds. I took too long of a nap! What if I take another nap and when I wake up they are gone? I know it sounds silly to some people, but I only have a short period of time with my kids before they are embarrassed to be seen with me, or they don't want me to tuck them in, kiss them, or snuggle them. Until that day my house may stay on the messy side because I will be busy playing, snuggling, reading, and spending time with them.

What I learned: Kids grow up too dang fast. I can have a good balance, play during the day, get things done in between, and clean at night. I am with my kids almost 24/7 so I am the biggest influence on them next to their dad. The things I do now matter!

7. Spouse time is important!

Although I said that my kids take my time (in six), my relationship with my husband is extremely important. He is my best friend and deserves to have some one on one time with just me. He works hard for our family and needs a break every now and again too. A date night is so important for our family. It gets kids away from mommy and daddy for a night and the other way around. All of us get a little break. As my son gets older I have noticed he needs a break too, from his sibling. He loves his brother but sometimes he needs a break and some much needed one on one time each child needs this.

What I learned: my husband and my date is extremely important. A mommy/daddy son date is almost as important. Children need to know that they are not just another child, but important and loved as an individual. We have seen our son act out a lot less when we do this even just once a month. It makes him feel special. We don't do much, sometimes it is just ice cream and grocery shopping. But that one on one time is something that he needs.

8. Don't judge.

There is no such thing as a perfect parent. I always thought there was. We are all learning and therefore we all make mistakes.

What have I learned? I'm far from being a perfect parent, but I know how to give my children love, teach them, and make sure their needs are met. We are all in the same boat so lets uplift and support each other instead of bringing one another down.

I love my family more than anything in this world. I know not a lot of people disagree with my beliefs, I also haven't seen my children grown up. I don't know right now what mistakes I am making or will make, but that is what parenting is all about, doing the best we can, showing them love, and fulfilling their needs. I will make mistakes, I will learn from them. I will modify this list later, but this is what I have learned so far. I would not change anything I have done! Each parent does the best they can, I don't know how to parent my neighbors kids, nor do I want to. I am only learning to parent mine. And I am so grateful for that!

First I want to start by saying I know we all have trials so I AM NOT JUDGING ANYONE for their mistakes. I just cannot believe how accepted pornography is!

I can't believe the women that are so confident in themselves that they are okay with plastering their naked, photoshopped bodies all over the world.

Now my first thought was seriously do these women not realize the effect this has on us wives or future wives. As I have gotten older I realize there are many other people to blame too. So here is where I start:

Naked women, I feel like the ugliest person on earth when I see you. I feel fat, disgusting, ugly, self conscious, and depressed.

People behind the scenes including photographers, editors, etc.. Thank you for making the pictures so distorted and awful that is so unrealistic. This highers expectations of partners to something unreal.

Media sources: shame on you! Shame on you for supporting such filth and allowing others to view it.

Partners (including men and women): when you look at porn you tear your partner up inside. Your actions make it harder for a partner to trust you. Is it worth it?

All this being said, I know how addiction works and where porn is so readily available and accepted it makes it even harder to stop.

I fear for my children. I don't feel like they stand a chance. Tonight while watching one of the talent shows on tv I was completely disgusted with how much filth I saw. I didn't even realize it until my 3 year old said ooh mom I like her boobies. WHAT???!! Seriously how do you know what those are and if you like them or not??? He is 3!!! It was a Victoria secret commercial. Then I started watching and noticed other commercials where the ladies were so dressed down that I felt uncomfortable knowing my son was seeing this. That is when I turned off the tv.

I'm ashamed with how the world sees a woman's body. Now I'm not 100% comfortable with mine, but I also realize what a woman's body can do and how blessed I truly am. I get to make a baby! I get to feed that baby! How remarkable is that. Yes I may have stretch marks, I may have extra body fat, or saggy boobs, but my kids are worth it! I'm not a model nor do I ever want to be one. I could never stoop to a level of showing off my body to please someone other than my husband. My body was made to nurture and love, not destroy families.

It is time we stand up and say something! It is time women realize their worth, not talking about money, but their potential. If they don't ever want to be a mom that is up to them, but their body was still created to nurture and love. It is time women and men stop treating themselves like an object and respecting themselves and others!

If I wrote a journal what would it look like? What would I write every day? Would I sound happy or sad?

I have thought about this a lot lately. I don't know if it is depression, pregnancy, anxiety, stress, or maybe a combination of all. All I know is it isn't normal to not want to be here anymore. To have such strong emotions that most times I can't control myself. This has happened a lot lately. If there is one thing about me people don't know yet, it is that I suffer from depression. I know it is so common these days, but I am finally admitting it out loud. I am finally getting it off my chest.

I, Tasha, SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION. I can pretend I have the best life in the world, and I do, but until I come to terms with the fact that something is seriously wrong with me, figure out what I need to do, and deal with it, I will never truly have that happy mortal life I want so badly.

All I have thought about lately is how I want to be happy. Now many people, including myself, say how can I not be happy. I am happily married to the love of my life, have two beautiful children, and one on the way, a home, car, what else is there?

I am trying to stay positive, and I thought trying to stay busy was the key to getting better. But honestly I think I need to address my feelings, write everything down, talk to someone if I feel the need to. That is why I want to start a journal. By writing in my journal I can write my feelings down with out hiding anything. Ian hoping that by doing this it will take some of the weight off my shoulders and make me feel a little better.

If you have any other ideas I would love to hear them. Please feel free to write me with your suggestions.

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