by Lori Nawyn

If there’s one thing my sister-in-law says people should stock up on it’s water.” Sharon Cote Merritt, who last fall headed an effort in northern Utah to gather and ship supplies to hurricane victims in Louisiana, is quick to relate what her family learned in the aftermath of the storms. Merritt’s brother and sister-in-law, Jeff and Roxanne Cote of the Alexandria, Louisiana Stake, said that in the days and weeks following both hurricanes Katrina and Rita the most valuable commodity was indeed water.

Continue Reading »

by Danielle Ellis

On a list of the uncertainties of life, the idea of “emergency preparedness” looms like the elephant in the living room that nobody wants to acknowledge. We all know we should be “prepared,” but what does that really mean? Where do we start, and how do we know when we’ve accomplished the goal?

Continue Reading »

by Dave Ellis

Last night I was reminiscing about all the times I’ve reminisced. By writing about it today I’m reminiscing about the reminiscing of the reminiscing. Freaky. The main memory I was coddling was the last family gathering. In my family we gather for a meal after major milestone of life, like my nephew Daniel going to the temple (called to Brazil!).

Continue Reading »

by Brenda Bennett

As I began writing this article, I was reminded of the tin man from the Wizard of Oz. Although he had all that he needed to continue his progression, he was unable to move because he had allowed himself to become rusty. If not for a friend who picked up the oil that lay next to him, he would have been unable to withstand the elements of nature, or “emergencies,” that surely lay ahead.

Continue Reading »

by Danielle Ellis

Certainly, the Lord can give any person any trial that he wants. Righteousness, as in the case of Job and the Savior, does not preclude trials; even the most severe ones. Yet the Lord often chastens His children when they stray from Him.

Continue Reading »

by Kaylee Ririe

Lately, I have been wrestling at a crossroad in my life; one of those times when you feel you’ve exhausted every avenue and none of them is right. Over and over I keep returning to the same question: “So what do I do now?” As a kid I never thought one of my biggest trials of faith would be deciding what to do with my life. However, having to repeatedly “go back to the drawing board” has become very frustrating and discouraging.

Continue Reading »

by Jennifer Hansen

Year after year I am plagued with the same 3 problems: Having 4 girls that feel they need a brand new backpack every year; bored kids during summer vacation; and not keeping our 72 hours kits quite up to date, with medicine that hasn’t expired, clothing that will actually fit when the emergency occurs, and food that is not stale.

Continue Reading »

by Lori Nawn

When compiling your family’s 72-Hour Kits, don’t forget menu cards, ID cards, and seasonal items.

Continue Reading »

by LaRae Free Kerr

We had lunch – salmon mousse – with the Duke of Norfolk at the Savoy in London. The family history I wrote, with the fabulous aid of many family members, was one of ten finalists, and the only American entry, in a contest of the The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies in England. The book also won a first place in the Idaho Press Women Contest and an honorable mention in the Heartland Genealogical Society contest.

Continue Reading »

by Gail Jackson

Really, aren’t we something!

Teenagers want to stress their individuality so they dress like their peer masses. Seemingly, more and more, many mothers want to be younger so they dress like their daughters. Apparently that desire isn’t a new thing. I just finished tracing a family from my line on census reports from 1880 through 1930. Amazingly two of the sisters had dropped nine years off their ages in that 50 year time span.

Continue Reading »

By Steve Tracy, MA NAFP MFT

Question: My family has been going through our one year and 72 hour supply kits. It has been interesting to see what we have versus what we really use. While doing this we have been wondering what we can do to prepare for a crisis emotionally and as a family. What are some things we can do?

Continue Reading »

Signature Productions proudly presents the Steven Sondheim musical “Into the Woods.” The story looks at the world through the eyes of the most famous fairytale characters, and they all learn valuable life lessons.

The baker and his wife cannot have a child. So they strike a deal with the witch next door. She will help them have a child if they will help her restore her beauty. The witch tells the baker and his wife to get a cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold. Fortunately, their neighbors are Jack (with his beanstalk), Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Cinderella!

Continue Reading »

by Kara Sommer

Twenty or so years ago, these Easter baskets were a popular project. Today, their simple charm can still bring a smile to anyone’s face. Try making the baskets all different sizes and fill them with anything festive. Or make a creative display by filling a bowl with several smaller “eggs” made of different colors.

Continue Reading »

by Josi Kilpack

Emma has a knack for doing things badly. At eighteen she married her high-school sweet heart just days after graduation. Three years later she’s a twenty-one-year old divorcee with a 15-month-old daughter looking at life in a different way. She moves to Utah with a broken heart and a head full of shattered dreams hoping to start over. She also tries to find her place in the LDS church again, but it’s easier said than done. As always she doesn’t fit the Mormon mold and wonders if she ever will or if she even wants to.

Continue Reading »

by Shannon Guymon

Micah Rawlings would never dream of rebelling against her father’s strict rules and regulations—until she meets her new step-mother, who just happens to be younger than she is. Add some stalkers, extreme makeovers, and forbidden boyfriends, and Micah can’t decide if she’s going crazy or finally finding a little bit of happiness.

Continue Reading »