Choir, Raindrops and Girlfriends

We enjoyed going to Jacob's choir concert last night.  He has an awesome voice that we hear when he occasionally breaks out into song at home.  But he totally hates performing so he's pretty excited to replace choir next year with a bunch of Teen Living electives and enjoy cooking, sewing, and learning about various careers,  although I doubt he's thrilled about sewing.  Jacob has worked super hard in the school this year.  His writing style makes me smile.  He likes to make people laugh.  He now gets to be tortured by headgear 14 hours a day, but he has done well and took this photo to show off his new apparatus in a crazy way :)

His peers get to be entertained by his fun twists on projects he is assigned at school.  This is one of his latest works.  He was asked to write a story about the travels of a drop of water through the water cycle.  I'm sure my version would have bored the class to death, although it would have had correct grammar and organization.  I love his creative spin on a not so exciting subject.

The Blue Traveler

Hello my name is Tim Tebow, but I just go by Timmy. I am a water droplet and am currently in the state of freezing in a glacier. I’m not very happy being a glacier. It is really discomforting to have the glaciologists always hammering against me.  It’s very boring, I’d much rather be in an ocean where all the sea creatures are but I know someday I will.  

Well, I lost my girlfriend Ezzie through percolation as she melted into a space

Mother's Day Video

This Mother's Day song reminds me of my own mother and usually brings tears to my eyes, even though I've seen it before.


This year I decided to make up my own video tribute to my mom to thank her for being such an amazing mother and shaping my life in meaningful ways through her example, sacrifice, patience and commitment to the Lord and her calling as a mother.
Mother's Day Video

I also feel an immense amount of gratitude for the other mothers in my family tree whose influence has so shaped my life even though many of them I have never met.  It will be a wonderful reunion when we meet again and I can thank them for staying firm in their faith and roles as mothers despite the variety of challenges they faced from health problems, poverty, premature death of children, immigration to a new land and rearing a large family.

 

Spring Happenings

 It surprises me that even the big kids don't tire of coloring eggs every year.

 Joshua celebrated his #3 birthday.  He loves to exert his own autonomy, which is a good thing when it comes to potty training (No more diapers!) but kind of interesting when it comes to dressing himself.  He loves to wear button up shirts every day, probably just trying to be like his dad, but he also likes the extra attention he gets when he plays the part of handsome prince.

 Daniel has enjoyed his basketball tournament team victories.  He recently traveled all  the way to Montana for one.  I thought it was awesome that the tournament hosts accomodated them to play a 5th grade team as their "final" game on Saturday because they wanted to honor the Sabbath and not play in the Championship game on Sunday.

 Joshua - "Driving his car"

 Aunt Courtney came to visit as she was passing through and it was delightful for all of us.  Alyssa and Benson pal around together and had a great time painting rocks together.

 The $2 "rocket launcher" kept the kids entertained too.  Sometimes simple toys are the best!

Surprise on the Porch

Daniel took a few steps out the door to go to school one day, but quickly came back in exclaiming, "What is on our porch?"

 I stepped out to discover evidence of a scuffle in the bushes and a large decapitated creature beneath the steps.  The picture is deceiving because it was quite large.  Apparently our cat and the neighbor cat were getting hungry............. or someone played a mean prank on us.

We got an outdoor cat to try and maintain the vole problem in our backyard.  So a week later we threw the cat in the window well to catch a live mouse scurrying around.  He wouldn't even touch it!

Peace, Be Still

Last week I had the awesome opportunity to have a girls getaway with my mom and sisters.  They spoiled me with awesome food like homemade lasagna and raspberry cheesecake that was seriously scrumptious, we had fun crafting and playing games together.  But what I enjoyed even more was just sharing their company.  My husband marvels that when women get together then can actually "enjoy" staying up into the wee hours of the morning.  Perhaps it is because it is during those late night hours that there are finally no more distractions and we can have heart to heart conversation sharing our joys and our struggles and feel peace.

I made a simple wreath that I can change the decor on for different seasons.  I like decor that inspires, so was hoping to embellish it by adding a short inspiring messages or quotes, but I couldn't find the perfect way to do that.  I did find a simple metal chalkboard frame that I can write inspiring messages on as I need constant reminders to help to me to remember to
"Lift Others Up"
"Live in Thanksgiving Daily"
"Be Joyful"
"Have an Attitude of Gratitude"

The church we attended had their Easter program one week early due to general conference.  The music always touches my heart.  The final number made my tears overflow as a young girl about 8 years old sang "I Wonder When He Comes Again."  Her face was peaceful and angelic, and the words of the song brought back to me the distinct memory of laying in bed at night when I was about her age listening to this song each night on a cassette tape player.  I remember envisioning in my mind what the Savior's second coming might be like, and I always thought of the light and hope of springtime.  But as a child I didn't expect I would live to be 40 and still be waiting for his return.  As I listened to the message of her song, my heart filled with gratitude for parents who instilled in me a love of music at an early age, especially sacred music.  I love how music comforts me and lifts me as the challenges of being a grownup are much harder than I had imagined as an innocent child.

I felt that same power and strength tonight as I listened to the final song in Priesthood Conference , "Master the Tempest is Raging".  As I listened to President Monson speak I felt the majesty and power of his testimony of the power of the priesthood of God.
As the choir sang
"Master, with anguish of spirit
I bow in my grief today.
The depths of my sad heart are troubled.
Oh, waken and save, I pray!"
I thought of the sorrow and loneliness that comes from seeing an eternal companion depart from this life temporarily and the love that President Monson has expressed for his sweetheart.  But I also thought of the hard times that I and close friends and family have face.  I know that through the Lord I can feel peace, but I too often wait too long to seek his help through prayer or taking time to be still so that he can "still" me.  My favorite line in the song is,
"PEACE, BE STILL."

The final verse brought to my mind a dual message.  I thought of the amazing peace that will come when "the test" in this life is over and we get to return to a place of perfect peace and rest.  And yet,we don't have to wait until then to enjoy that kind of bliss.  I want to hang this saying in my home somewhere to remind me of the Savior's power to bring peace to me on an everyday basis.

Master, the terror is over.
The elements sweetly rest.
Earth's sun in the calm lake is mirrored,
And heaven's within my breast.
Linger, O blessed Redeemer!
Leave me alone no more,
And with joy I shall make the blest harbor
And rest on the blissful shore.
Text: Mary Ann Baker, ca. 1874

"Just a Potato"

  Earlier this week I was laying down in the evening feeling fatigued and a total lack of motivation for cleaning up my filthy kitchen.   I just wanted my day to end. The doorbell rang.  I ignored it thinking it was just a kid coming to play, but one of my kids got it and it was my visiting teacher.  She was a little apologetic, because she was coming unannounced on the eve of the last day of the month, but she had a bag of chocolate chip cookies for me.  I invited her in despite the filthy kitchen, and we chatted for just a few minutes. 
  That few minutes made a serious difference in the rest of the evening.  Admittedly part of it was the cookies that satisfied my sweet craving that I especially get when I am feeling down, and I ate way too many.  But I felt renewed motivation to do my work and connect with my family just from connecting socially and knowing someone was thinking of me.  Some of our challenges are the same and some are different, but I know we both face the challenge of juggling our time and priorities in the many different roles we fulfill. 
 This experience made me think of an article that I read recently called "A Potato for the Teacher." The message of this short story really resonated with me, because I to often procrastinate doing something good because it may not be the "perfect form" of good.  The cookies and impromptu last day of the month visit from a friend was just what I needed that day even though the giver might have felt like she was figuratively giving me "just a potato." 

Silly Selfies

 Daniel had fun trying to get Josh to imitate him while he snapped some shots.  I love how these two boys were born with a naturally cheerful and social dispositions.
It can be delightful to take Joshua to the store with me (if he stays in the cart like he's supposed to), because he is so friendly.  Yesterday I went to the mall early in the day.  He spotted an older man in the parking lot.  He had his back to us and was quite far away from us, but that didn't stop Josh from reaching out.  He shouted out in super cheerful voice, "Hi!"  I think it kind of startled the guy at first, but when he saw that the "hi" was meant for him because there wasn't another soul in sight, he smiled back and said hello to Josh.  He elicits a lot of friendly greetings from the elderly as he greets them all from the shopping cart.

Daniel got braces a few months ago and although it a literal pain, I love his motivation to get "A" grades on his oral hygiene.