Children are entitled...

"Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity." - The Family: A Proclamation

"Children have a right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother capable of creating a suitable environment for the child's development and emotional maturity." - Pope Francis, Nov. 17, 2014

We recently had a stake conference where an apostle spoke to us (here in California).  One thing he talked about was the Prop 8 experience, and he mentioned what a heavy price many paid for their support of the Church and traditional family values.  And even though the law was eventually overturned, he said many other people of faith took notice of our stand an have since reached out to the Church - particularly the Catholic Church.  I know that in my stake we have since joined with them on other issues, and every year we participate and support their "March for Life" and they join with us for "Mormon Helping Hands."  It's nice to know that we are not the only ones who are willing to take a stand for the family, and I wonder if that had anything to do with President Eyring's participation in the recent Vatican summit on marriage last month.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865615818/At-the-Vatican-President-Eyring-says-family-proclamation-key-to-renaissance-of-happy-marriages.html?pg=all

Family Time

"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

 While preparing to make Christmas photo books for grandparents, I waded through 20 years of family pictures. As I did so, I was reminded of some of the fun times we've had, and more often than not, it was the simple and inexpensive trips that turned out to be the most memorable, for both myself and my children.  Camping trips, beach days and visits to family are among our favorites. It's so important to learn and work and serve and have fun with your family!

Newport Beach Temple open house

Beach day at Surfrider Beach in Malibu!

Camping in Big Sur

Mormon ads

I just love the videos that the church puts out to lift and inspire us. When I was a kid I used to love to watch the "Mormon Ad" commercials, which usually focused on the family. Here are a couple of my favorites that remind us how important spending time with our families and supporting each other is...