The good, the bad, and the ugly and then the good, better and very best again!

I am dying to make some quiet books for Isaac. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time for my kids and here is my last chance. I want it to be unique and really fun and colorful. I have no idea how to sew well enough to pull this off and my eyes keep glazing over as I read the directions on all sorts of websites on how to just put the basic pages together--but one day, in my own messed-up way, I might actually pull this off. So trying to find pictures of quiet book pages and gather some ideas led me to the pinterest website. I'd seen several links for it and finally headed over there. I was delighted to find picture after picture of just what I was looking for. I didn't really want specifics, just ideas. And that is pretty much what the website is for. Just collecting things you like or you want to try, etc. I quickly realized what a gold-mine of information this could be. So many cute ideas for baby showers, house decorating, and on and on. But I was a little nervous after scrolling down their main page and seeing something a bit inappropriate. It reminded me of the day I headed over to the etsy webpage and a featured item on their main page was a cross-stitch of the "F" word. Just lovely. I can only imagine the warm feelings in that person's heart as they painstakingly stitched something so vulgar and crass...but whatever. Anyway, back to the pinterest site. I scroll down just a little further and see something in a picture that upset me SO much, I was shaking I was so upset as I quickly contacted the pinterest website to let them know about it. It was beyond bad, even as I described it to Jer later that night, he agreed the people involved should be in jail. I was happy to notice that less than two minutes after sending that message to the pinterest site, that image disappeared. I've checked back a few times in the past couple days and I think it's gone. There's still other inappropriate pictures that are basically pornography scattered here and there on pinterest but nothing like what I saw that first day. It is just so very awful. It was like opening this gorgeous gift on Christmas and before I could even pull it out of the box, someone vomited on it. Or worse. And as I began getting upset about the state of the world we live in (more upset than usual anyway), I started thinking about how I spend some of my time when I'm watching Isaac. I already knew who the latest design star was on hgtv (episodes were on the roku), and was bored because there is just nothing else for me to watch. Then I realized I have byutv and the mormon channel on my roku. I started watching more things from there and I love it. My favorite quote of the week was from Sis. Thompson at Women's Conference (in the spring at BYU) when she said "I don't need to be better than anyone, except the person I was yesterday." I have NEVER heard that before and I love it! As a person who judges themselves pretty harshly, that was so awesome to hear. Because that is actually something I can do most days. And then general conference was just a few days away. And boy was it worth watching every minute of it. I love how I am taught and I feel so uplifted and I recognize things I need to do better but instead of being depressed about how much I need to improve, I always feel so encouraged! Not only can I do better, but I'm doing pretty good, and yes, this world is not so great, but there is much good in it, and there is much good to come. And we can make it. It is not hopeless. We can even have children and they can make it too. I just love conference. It is the best. When you gather that many people together who prayerfully try to do exactly what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would want them to do and say, how can you lose? I wish the whole world could hear their messages of peace and hope. I am so glad we have six months to reflect on all that was said because it was all so great.