Growing concern about our financial future and the impact of the debt crisis has prompted Utahns to take action.

Financial Ready Utah is holding a spring seminar where attendees will learn about the steps we should be taking to help our communities. Please join FRU for this exclusive financial preparedness event where Peak Prosperity founder Chris Martenson will speak about preparing for a fiscally sustainable future, TOMORROW, May 14, beginning at 7:30 am and going until noon.
Location is the headquarters of the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants (UACPA) located at 220 E Morris Ave, Suite 320, Salt Lake City.

Also, the first meeting of the federal funds commission will be held tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm in rm 25 of the House building. All are welcome. Chris Martenson will be testifying in committee.

Chris Martenson, PhD (Duke), MBA (Cornell) is an economic researcher and futurist specializing in energy and resource depletion. As one of the early econobloggers who forecasted the housing market collapse and stock market correction years in advance, Chris rose to prominence with the launch of his seminal video seminar: “The Crash Course” which has also recently been published in book form (Wiley, March 2011). It’s a popular and extremely well-regarded distillation of the interconnected forces in the Economy, Energy and the Environment (the “Three Es” as Chris calls them) that are shaping the future, one that will be defined by increasing challenges to growth as we have known it. In addition to the analysis and commentary he writes for his site PeakProsperity.com, Chris’ insights are in high demand by the media as well as civic and private organizations around the world, including institutions such as the UN, the UK House of Commons and US State Congresses.

The post Financial Ready Utah Hosts Chris Martenson appeared first on Holly on the Hill.

As the oldest of 6 kids, I got in lots of practice and really honed my skills. Heck – I even washed out poopy diapers in the toilet. I was doing overnight babysitting from the time I was 15. Mothering was going to be a breeze.

I was 22 years old when my oldest was born (26 years ago, but who’s counting). I remember looking at his cute little face and wondering if I could teach him all the things he would need to know about life, about love and how to navigate this big, scary world of ours.

What I did not know then is how much my children would teach me.

For example, I have learned that teenage boys can eat unearthly amounts of food and be hungry 2 hours later. One of my sons once ate 32 pancakes and 12 sausages at one sitting. Another ate 29 pieces of pizza for one meal. And they kept it down. Impressive! And not in any book I ever read.

I learned that teenage girls can actually eat almost as much as the boys.

My kids have taught me that remembering to flush the toilet is actually much harder than it sounds.

I have learned not to underestimate teenage girls abilities to outperform boys in belching contests.

I have learned that whining is an art form in which kids desire to excel, therefore practice relentlessly.

I have also learned that even though my response to the whining never changes, there is some odd internal motivation that prompts them to try, try again.

I have learned that the birds and the bees talk is not actually that scary or that hard, especially for a mom who is also a midwife.

My children have lovingly taught me that there is no such thing as a pair of socks that will stay mated longer than the time it takes a new pair to come from the car into the house.

They have also taught me that “clean” is a relative term when it comes to clothes, floors, countertops and well – pretty much every job.

And who knew that walls make SUCH fine places to deposit one’s boogers….

I learned that “sleeping through the night” is a great milestone for babies but a fantasy for mothers.

I have also learned that a 15-minute power nap can work wonders.

My children have taught me that texting is not a tool of the devil and neither is Facebook. Or blogging. Or Instagram.

They have taught me that “sick” and “tight” are good things – and so is “bad”, especially if it is followed by the letter A. I was quite pleased, therefore, when one of my teens told me recently: “Mom, you’re pretty Bad A”.

I learned to be comfortable in the public eye because of my children. As the mother of multi-colored family of 24 children, 20 adopted from 8 different countries, with a couple in wheelchairs, “under the radar” does not exist for us.

I have learned how to gracefully answer less than tactful questions because of my kids:

Yes, I know what causes it. The Internet.
No, it’s not a preschool.
No, my miscarriages don’t mean God thinks my family is big enough.
Why yes, I am glad it’s me and not you.

My children have taught me to be a master at multi-tasking. A master.

Because of our very large family, I have learned how to octuple recipes and how to drive a bus.

I have learned to let go of fantasies of a perfect home and crafts that take hours to complete.

I have learned how to sew a pair of pajama pants in 20 minutes flat.

I have learned that as a family, we can bottle 5 bushels of peaches in an afternoon.

I have learned it’s cheaper to buy the annual family pass than it is to buy individual admission tickets to the zoo or the water park.

I have learned that racism and other forms of discrimination still bubble and ferment in our society.

Gratefully, I have also learned that they are the exception, not the rule.

My children have taught me being a mother is far more than a biological tie.

I have also learned that there are traits tied to genetics that have nothing to do with environment. We have children who are very musically gifted and some who are star athletes, some who would put A-list fashion designers to shame and others who have an amazing talent in photography. They were born with those talents and they have taught me what a joy it is to watch them unfold.

I have learned to be a strong woman, starting the moment I stood toe to toe with a screaming man telling me I was a selfish American woman for wanting to adopt a child with Down Syndrome from a Romanian orphanage.
I brought that child home.

I have learned what it means to be the mother of children with disabilities, both seen and unseen.

I have learned that the BEST advocate for my children is ME.

I have learned relentless determination because I became a mother. (Some might call that stubbornness – that works too.)

I have learned what the phrase “Mama Bear” means – and I promise – you do NOT want to be messing with one of my cubs.

I have learned that the highest highs and the lowest lows of my life have come because of my children.

Although I did not want to, I have learned the meaning of grief and sorrow when much wanted pregnancies ended in miscarriages, and when not once or twice, but 4 times we have had to bury precious daughters, disabled in the world’s eyes, perfect in ours.

I have learned there is grief even more profound than having a child die.

I have also learned that no matter how deep and dark and soul-crushing the sorrow, a better, brighter day always comes.

I have learned to have flexible, realistic expectations and I have learned that the cliché is true: No two children are the same.

I have learned and am constantly re-learning how to let go of things that do not matter and focus ever more clearly on the ones that do.

I have learned for myself that love does not divide when shared among many – it multiplies.

I have learned there is always room for one more – in our hearts and in our home.

My children have taught me and will undoubtedly continue to teach me that motherhood is the hardest work you’ll ever love.

No matter how hard the road or how tough the lesson I have learned, I would never trade what being a Mom has taught me.

It’s Bad A.

The post Everything I need to know I learned from being a mother appeared first on Holly on the Hill.

(Heads up – this is not a political post unless being a mom is political and then it totally is.)

I’m a mother. I’ve been one for 26 years. As a mom, I’ve worn many hats and learned all kinds of stuff they don’t teach you in books. What’s that saying? “Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories.”

Well, I have 4 times that many children and at least one theory: That being a Mom is an adventure of a lifetime.

I’ve done a lot of things in my 48 years. I lived in France for 3 years as a teenager. I left high school at 16 and graduated as an RN at 19. I’ve been a nurse, a doula, a childbirth educator and a midwife. I’ve sold Mary Kary and Creative Memories. (I sucked at it but I did try! Kind of.) I’ve homeschooled, sent kids to private school, charter school and traditional neighborhood schools. I’ve done IFSPs, IEPs and 504s for more than 2 decades. I’ve been room mom numerous times, served on parent committees, on school boards and on community boards and committees. I’ve become a “Master Gardener” and “Master Food Preserver.” I’ve done Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H. I’ve been a political activist, advocate, campaigner and even a legislator. For 26 years, I’ve done all those things while also being a mom.

I’ve earned my stripes – those streaks of white in my hair and the stretch marks on my belly. Both badges of motherhood. In fact, I celebrated the day I found my first white hair at age 35. For crying out loud, I had 10 kids. Surely I deserved to look like I was mature enough to be the mom of many!

I am down to just 12 kids at home – 11 of them in their teen years. They keep me young. Every once in a while, I even tell my husband that surely we could add just one more. Or two or three, so they wouldn’t be lonely. Just sayin’.

At our peak, we had 20 children at home, ages 1 – 17. And I homeschooled. And baked bread. And sewed matching Christmas outfits. And canned fruit and vegetables from our garden. Molly Mormon on steroids. Aren’t you glad I’m not your mother-in-law?!

Truth is, even with everything we got accomplished, what I desperately needed then was a circle of friends who could let me be REAL – and who would be real with me. I had a couple of women who were there for me, but in many ways, the first 20 years of my parenting were some very isolated years because I was afraid to let people know that raising 20 kids was hard! Add in mental illness, attachment issues, backgrounds of trauma, neglect and abuse and yeah, it was hard. It was great, but it was hard and I had no one I could tell that to because after all – I had done it to myself.

Now, I read books from people like Seth Godin and Sheryl Sandberg and they talk about the need to belong, the need to be connected with other members of our “tribe.” It resonates deep inside me because I know it’s true – it’s always been true. This life is about relationships, about learning and growing together, about lifting another and allowing oneself to be lifted. We NEED each other.

Our world is changing rapidly and yet at the core, we still need and want the same thing we always have – connection with other people. Love and trust, loyalty and authenticity. Being real. Being vulnerable. Daring greatly, as it were.

That is why it is so thrilling to me to be a part of the Utah cast of Listen to Your Mother. This year, LTYM shows will be in 24 cities around the country and will feature live readings from local writers who publish online. In Utah, there are 15 of us who will be reading pieces we have written about motherhood. A good friend of mine – Mandee Grant – let me know that LTYM was auditioning back in March and encouraged me to apply. I’m not a “Mommy blogger” but I am definitely a Mommy, so I gave it a shot. The piece I wrote and read for Heather Johnson, director of the Utah show, was “Loving Angelia” – my story in 5 minutes or less about why I would adopt a baby I knew would die.  However, it’s not the one I will be reading next week. That one is a brand-new, never before seen or heard.  My teens have given it two thumbs up, though, and they are brutal blunt honest critics!

Here’s the bottom line. You need to hear these stories. They will make you laugh and cry and want to hug your kids. I promise. They will also make you feel connected in deep and meaningful ways.

These women are now my friends. I admire them in so many ways. Many of them are just starting their grand adventure into mothering and yet here they are, offering everything I wished I had when I was a young mom. I’m not sure I would have even had the courage to interact with them but I at least would have been a blog-stalker desperately looking for wisdom and validation. The LTYM women of Northern Utah are REAL. They are willing to share themselves. They offer a real network of support and encouragement by being real moms with real kids, all trying to find their way through the uncharted territory we call motherhood. (And yes, I’m still figuring it out and I’m on the downhill slide to empty nesting.)

Please come join us May 9th at Thanksgiving Point. Tickets are only $10 and will likely sell out. (Especially since I’m bringing most of my kids!)

I promise you will love it.

And just in case you were wondering, I found some great political tie-ins. One of the presenters is the daughter of one of Utah’s previous Lt. Governors and another has done some lobbying in DC. See? I told you the world revolves around politics……..

The post I am mother. Hear me roar. appeared first on Holly on the Hill.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Are you an entrepreneur? Active in politics? Have a family?

Do you ever wonder how to more fully engage your audience?

Or how to negotiate agreement, even in stressful situations?

What about working with the media? Do you know what a killer press release entails? Or how to prepare for a media interview?

Do you wonder about the tricks for giving a powerful speech?

Or how to maximize your social media presence?

Then this is the workshop for you!

 Come hear from Speaker Rebecca Lockhart, Mayor Melissa Johnson, Nicole Martin and many other guest speakers as we focus on the many facets of

COMMUNICATION

Click here to register!

The post Workshop: Women’s Voices-Getting Heard Above the Noise appeared first on Holly on the Hill.