New Blog Address!!!!!

All,
If you've noticed, there hasn't been any new posts on this blog (www.azmacks.blogspot.com). We changed our blog address to www.themacksblog.com last year!!!

If you have added a link to our blog from your blog, you'll need to edit that (under the layout tab) link to our web new blog address at www.themacksblog.com.

Also, did you notice that we don't have the ".blogspot" in our blog anymore?? It's very easy to explain. I bought our current blog domain name from GoDaddy.com (through Blogger and Google) which is very easy and only costs $10 per year. Hated that ".blogspot" junk in our site name. Looks much better and there are thousands of domain names to choose from.

Anyway, if you want to see us or follow our little family you can find us on our new-name, but same-old-stuff blog at www.themacksblog.com. See ya there!!

Thanks,

Adam and Casey

Holy Habits and Righteous Routines

My mom shared with me a post from my dad's second cousin.  I think there is a great message here.  Anyway, I thought I'd share this on our blog.

Hello Everyone,
I was just visiting with my good friend, Amy Andreason yesterday and we got to talking about a concept I had heard from President Samuelson at BYU. He spoke about the importance of having "Holy Habits and Righteous Routines" and encouraged us to make a list, as he has, of these in our own lives or what we would like to have happen in our lives.

I got to making my own list as well as one for my family here at home. They were both actually quite long and as President Samuelson said, "I am adding to my list often." I started to thinking that it is these habits and routines that help make much of who I am. "As a man thinketh, so is he." My actions are an outcome of who I am and who I become. These actions make up our family culture to a great extent.

Then Amy told me that in some materials she was reading it was suggested that we be "decisive in our parenting" and not just let things happen, but MAKE things happen. Be proactive in our parenting. She talked about the idea of prayerfully making a "Master Inspired Plan" for our families. She said that she learned that the more detailed the better.

It could include things like: experiences we want our children to have, books we want to read with our children or encourage them to read, places we want to visit. I wish I had thought more about this kind of a thing when I was a young mother. I know it's not totally too late. I still have a family, it's just harder to get us together, but not impossible, and we can encourage each other. But I thought I'd just put a thought in your minds as many of your families are all so young. Be proactive. Make plans with and for your children. You will accomplish much good, or more than if you just hope things will happen.

I encourage you to make a list of habits and routines you personally already have as well as your family. (No you don't have to share it with me, unless you want to, that's not the point) Bad habits and routines harm us (getting to bed late, eating unhealthy foods, not regularly expressing love etc.) Good habits and routines are nice because it leaves out the necessity of deciding over and over and over.

Here's just an example of one of ours family routines: each morning after we get up we sing a hymn, have family prayers, eat breakfast and have family scripture study. We don't even question it. It just happens every morning.

We also have habits to do with physical things (bodies and surroundings), and social things,(family and friend gatherings) and spiritual things (study and meetings), and educational things, etc. The list could go on and on.

I think when we are truly the most happy, it's when our lives are made up of many, many righteous routines and holy habits. That's not to say that there aren't flexible times, or times when we are more impulsive, but I think when we fly by the seat of our pants all the time, that much less is accomplished and those precious moments will be gone before you know it.

Try it, or not, but let me know what you think. I'm going to keep thinking on this.

Love,
Mom, Jane and Aunt Jane

Marshmallow "Ladies"

Diesel's favorite breakfast each morning is cereal. He'll come into bed and snuggle with mom and dad sometimes. He'll roll over when it's time to wake up and say, "Dad I huuuungry". And I'll say, "What do you want to eat?" and he always replies "Marshmallow 'Ladies'". So, all the kids call them Marshmallow Ladies now too. He's very cute. As you can see in the picture, his blue teeth confirm he was happy to eat his favorite cereal this morning.

Happy Birthday Diesel

Well, our little man turned 3 last week. Grandma and Grandpa Mack came in to town early to help celebrate with us too. Grandma took all the pictures and I just got them sent to me this week. Casey made a cool dirt-track with motorcycle cake for Diesel. He absolutely loved it. So did the other kids! We celebrated with Mallory and Collin for their birthdays, which are in March also. Everyone had a fun time together.

Then we went to Chuckee Cheese on Diesel's actual birthday and played video games. Happy Birthday Diesel!!