It always amazes me how quickly the final 2 1/2 months of the year go by. I really enjoy the fall/winter start of the season because there are so many fun things associated with the holidays. There are also plenty of stressful days/ nights/ weeks, . . . okay why do I like this time of the year. Oh yahhh it's FUN!!
So to keep you all up to speed on us, the Halloween fun started last Friday. Our ward at Church had it's annual Trunk or Treat. Jake and Joe were pirates, (Although Joe was commonly mistaken for being Mozart. When I get the pictures back you will see why). Becca spent her 3rd and final year as Belle in the Red Dress, and Sara for the 3rd time was Tinkerbell. Costumes are starting to get a little snug, but hey, they cost to much to replace each year, so we recycle.
Today we had our ward Primary Program, and I have to admit that I am glad we made it through. I know that things always come together and the kids are cute no matter what, but as the Primary President I still stress out. Luckily we only had a few kids not show up, and only two that refused to come up onto the stand, so improvising was kept to a minimum. I think the highlight of the day was the Nursery 3 year olds and the Sunbeams singing "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" as loud as they could with the hand actions. Kids are great.
Next week is Halloween, and hopefully I will be done with choreography for the Nutcracker. Then it blows me away that in three weeks it will be thanksgiving, and then onto Christmas 4 weeks after that. I can't believe how quickly the holidays seem to come and go.
November also marks the start of the interview process for orthopedic programs. What that means is that in the next month as we are counting our blessings and getting excited about Christmas, Chad will be getting either rejection letters or interview dates to attend. We are hoping to have 5-6 possibilities but you never know. It's such a competitive field that I will just be glad when it's all over and Chad is accepted somewhere.
We love you all and hope that you are enjoying your Holiday Season. We'll keep you posted in the upcoming blogs about Chad and where we may or may not be headed. Hang in there and keep smiling. . . .or singing songs about Bones (This one's for Jake). . . ."There are bones, bones, bones, bones, bones inside of you. Bones, bones, bones, bones, more then just a few. So many you can't count them, amazing but it's true, there are bones, bones, bones, bones, bones inside of you." Happy Halloween!
October 28, 2007
October 23, 2007
Cleansing the Inner Vessel
If you are scripturally inclined, you are probably familiar with the phrase "cleansing the inner vessel." When you are preparing to have a colonoscopy, it gives new meaning to the phrase. The good news is, for all of you that were wondering, I DO NOT have cancer. I guess getting older and having 4 kids means you are more susceptible to internal hemorrhoids. (Which is what I am so fortunate to have. . . lucky me) The good news is, everything I have to deal with is treatable. But out of all unpleasant experiences comes something good. I decided to use the cleansing as a good time to start paying more attention to the types of foods I put in my body. I am definitely grateful that this is one procedure I shouldn't have to do again for a LONG Time.
October 15, 2007
Halloween Themed FHE
Tonight I decided to go with a Halloween Theme for our Family Night. Jake had been wanting to decorate the house and so here is what we did. . . .
(In case you want any fun ideas)
-We started off reading the story "The Witch has an Itch" by Donna Guthrie (really cute story about an bad witch who has to change her reputation because she finds out she is allergic to evil magic)
-Then we talked a little bit about the importance of being kind, and we read the scripture from Matthew 22:36-40.
-We talked about why Jesus thought that loving God and one another was so important and what we could do to be more kind and loving towards the members of our family.
-I quoted a few things from Elder Worthlin's talk "The Great Commandment" and then I shared with them why I think loving people and being kind is so important.
-After we had chocolate pudding with cool whip and Halloween Sprinkles.
-We decorated the house, and painted these cute pumpkin and spider ornaments to hang in our trees outside.
It was a fun night. The kids got a little crazy when we started decorating. I think they were just really excited. Well, I hope the rest of you are all having a SPookTacular Evening.
(In case you want any fun ideas)
-We started off reading the story "The Witch has an Itch" by Donna Guthrie (really cute story about an bad witch who has to change her reputation because she finds out she is allergic to evil magic)
-Then we talked a little bit about the importance of being kind, and we read the scripture from Matthew 22:36-40.
-We talked about why Jesus thought that loving God and one another was so important and what we could do to be more kind and loving towards the members of our family.
-I quoted a few things from Elder Worthlin's talk "The Great Commandment" and then I shared with them why I think loving people and being kind is so important.
-After we had chocolate pudding with cool whip and Halloween Sprinkles.
-We decorated the house, and painted these cute pumpkin and spider ornaments to hang in our trees outside.
It was a fun night. The kids got a little crazy when we started decorating. I think they were just really excited. Well, I hope the rest of you are all having a SPookTacular Evening.
October 14, 2007
Gratitude
Last weekend our church held a world wide conference, and there was one talk on "Remembering our Blessings" by Elder Eyring that I really liked so I thought I would share a part of it with you.
Maybe it's because we are getting closer to Thanksgiving, and maybe it's because I am so much happier when I feel like my life is being blessed and that there is someone out there who is watching out for me, but his comments on gratitude really struck me. He started by telling a story
Elder Eyring's experience:
"When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day. Let me tell you how that got started. I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.
He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.”
I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn’t have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.
I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done."
So I have decided that I would start to keep a journal of the ways in which the Lord is blessing me. I can't say that I am as good at it as Elder Eyring, because I have missed a few days, but I thought I would share my experience over the past week as a way of maybe encouraging some of you that are reading this to do the same. It has definitely made me more aware of my blessings, and it is a good time of year to start thinking about that.
Monday 10/8
Today I went to my friend Kelli's mom's house to learn how to can. I needed to find something to do with all my tomatoes and so I wanted to make salsa. My sister in law has this amazing recipe for salsa that you can so I had been trying to get ahold of her with no success. I was at the store getting a few extra ingredients before we were to get started when my cell phone rang. My sister in law was calling to give me the recipe and I was able to get everything I needed at the store before we got started. Talk about timing.
Wednesday 10/10
I was asked to help choreograph a section of the Nutcracker for my daughter's school production. As I was listening to the music in the car, the choreography just started to come to me. The more I listened the more I learned. I was able to write it all down with the dance teacher at their school when I went to pick up the kids after class. I don't think that I have ever had ideas come so quickly.
Sunday 10/14
Today we had a primary presidency mtg and I had asked one of my counselors to share a spiritual thought, and then I chose a section to review for training. Interestingly enough we both choose to talk about the same thing "Teaching by the Spirit." It was a testimony to me that it was something that was important for us to talk about, and that the Lord wanted us to learn more about as we discussed the needs of the teachers and kids.
There are so many more things that I could write about, but I thought I would share a few of the events that stood out to me. Good luck with your own journal writing efforts, and to end this "Churchy Blog" I thought I would quote one more section from Elder Eyring.
". . .the challenge to remember has always been the hardest for those who are blessed abundantly. Those who are faithful to God are protected and prospered. That comes as the result of serving God and keeping His commandments. But with those blessings comes the temptation to forget their source. It is easy to begin to feel the blessings were granted not by a loving God on whom we depend but by our own powers. The prophets have repeated this lament over and over:
“And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.
“Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.”
And the prophet goes on to say:
“Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom’s paths!”4
Sadly, prosperity is not the only reason people forget God. It can also be hard to remember Him when our lives go badly. When we struggle, as so many do, in grinding poverty or when our enemies prevail against us or when sickness is not healed, the enemy of our souls can send his evil message that there is no God or that if He exists He does not care about us. Then it can be hard for the Holy Ghost to bring to our remembrance the lifetime of blessings the Lord has given us from our infancy and in the midst of our distress.
There is a simple cure for the terrible malady of forgetting God, His blessings, and His messages to us. Jesus Christ promised it to His disciples when He was about to be crucified, resurrected, and then taken away from them to ascend in glory to His Father. They were concerned to know how they would be able to endure when He was no longer with them.
Here is the promise. It was fulfilled for them then. It can be fulfilled for all of us now:
“These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”5
The key to the remembering that brings and maintains testimony is receiving the Holy Ghost as a companion. It is the Holy Ghost who helps us see what God has done for us. It is the Holy Ghost who can help those we serve to see what God has done for them."
Have a great week.
Love the Priors
Maybe it's because we are getting closer to Thanksgiving, and maybe it's because I am so much happier when I feel like my life is being blessed and that there is someone out there who is watching out for me, but his comments on gratitude really struck me. He started by telling a story
Elder Eyring's experience:
"When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day. Let me tell you how that got started. I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.
He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.”
I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn’t have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.
I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done."
So I have decided that I would start to keep a journal of the ways in which the Lord is blessing me. I can't say that I am as good at it as Elder Eyring, because I have missed a few days, but I thought I would share my experience over the past week as a way of maybe encouraging some of you that are reading this to do the same. It has definitely made me more aware of my blessings, and it is a good time of year to start thinking about that.
Monday 10/8
Today I went to my friend Kelli's mom's house to learn how to can. I needed to find something to do with all my tomatoes and so I wanted to make salsa. My sister in law has this amazing recipe for salsa that you can so I had been trying to get ahold of her with no success. I was at the store getting a few extra ingredients before we were to get started when my cell phone rang. My sister in law was calling to give me the recipe and I was able to get everything I needed at the store before we got started. Talk about timing.
Wednesday 10/10
I was asked to help choreograph a section of the Nutcracker for my daughter's school production. As I was listening to the music in the car, the choreography just started to come to me. The more I listened the more I learned. I was able to write it all down with the dance teacher at their school when I went to pick up the kids after class. I don't think that I have ever had ideas come so quickly.
Sunday 10/14
Today we had a primary presidency mtg and I had asked one of my counselors to share a spiritual thought, and then I chose a section to review for training. Interestingly enough we both choose to talk about the same thing "Teaching by the Spirit." It was a testimony to me that it was something that was important for us to talk about, and that the Lord wanted us to learn more about as we discussed the needs of the teachers and kids.
There are so many more things that I could write about, but I thought I would share a few of the events that stood out to me. Good luck with your own journal writing efforts, and to end this "Churchy Blog" I thought I would quote one more section from Elder Eyring.
". . .the challenge to remember has always been the hardest for those who are blessed abundantly. Those who are faithful to God are protected and prospered. That comes as the result of serving God and keeping His commandments. But with those blessings comes the temptation to forget their source. It is easy to begin to feel the blessings were granted not by a loving God on whom we depend but by our own powers. The prophets have repeated this lament over and over:
“And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.
“Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.”
And the prophet goes on to say:
“Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom’s paths!”4
Sadly, prosperity is not the only reason people forget God. It can also be hard to remember Him when our lives go badly. When we struggle, as so many do, in grinding poverty or when our enemies prevail against us or when sickness is not healed, the enemy of our souls can send his evil message that there is no God or that if He exists He does not care about us. Then it can be hard for the Holy Ghost to bring to our remembrance the lifetime of blessings the Lord has given us from our infancy and in the midst of our distress.
There is a simple cure for the terrible malady of forgetting God, His blessings, and His messages to us. Jesus Christ promised it to His disciples when He was about to be crucified, resurrected, and then taken away from them to ascend in glory to His Father. They were concerned to know how they would be able to endure when He was no longer with them.
Here is the promise. It was fulfilled for them then. It can be fulfilled for all of us now:
“These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”5
The key to the remembering that brings and maintains testimony is receiving the Holy Ghost as a companion. It is the Holy Ghost who helps us see what God has done for us. It is the Holy Ghost who can help those we serve to see what God has done for them."
Have a great week.
Love the Priors
October 8, 2007
Dance! Dance! Dance!
On Saturday, in between sessions of conference, I had the opportunity to take a master class at our dance studio from a young guy named Drew Burgess. Okay lets just say when the guy can pose like he did in this picture upside down on one hand BEWARE. The class was great. He worked us hard and I had a lot of fun, but I don't think I have been pushed to stretch my muscles like that in years. I had to take Extra Strength Tylenol just to fall asleep last night and 2 more in order to get out of bed this morning. Why is it that the older we get the less our bodies voluntarily want to do. You think I ought to just get into something a little more relaxing like knitting (NOT)! I can't even cross stitch a tiny heart can you imagine me knitting, and yet my brain still seems to think I can keep up with a 19 year old that travels around the country performing with Il Circo and dancing professionally for a living. Yeah I'm messed up. I guess old dreams die hard. I still joke with my friend Brynne that we will take classes together once our kids are all in school. Who cares if we're 50 and trying to do Hip Hop, we're still cool right? Okay maybe somewhat pathetic, but life is short, you have to do something you love.
NO TV!!!
Okay so Friday I had finally had it. I tried the nice guy approach, but after days of whining and begging for things I got tired of my kids not acting like the sweet young children that they are. So, I grounded everyone from TV until Tuesday. The only exception was conference. Okay good idea, but I was a little bit nervous since my kids were going to be out of school and at home all day with me on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. (Our school had a fall break in conjunction with Columbus Day.) Anyhow it ended up being the best thing I could have done. By Friday night Rebecca goes, "Hey mom, I think this no TV thing is kinda working." The whining had gone down considerably. By Saturday night the kids had exhausted their toys and were now having dance parties with themselves. And today the girls put together a puppet show (as part of our FHE) and started writing a book about it. I was seriously impressed. (Although the puppet show would need some revision if done again in the future.) It's amazing to me that we go from traveling and playing all summer long to school starting, and the TV becomes the sit and veg activity of choice. It was good to get out of that habit for a few days. I may have to extend the no TV idea even longer; It seems to help the gratitude level in our home. So if you are ever having a rough time with your little ones, I highly recommend the idea.
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