Tyler started swimming lessons last week. He loves it, as usual. I don't know that he learns all that much. This is his fourth year of lessons, and he's still learning the same basic things. I think with the crowded classes, he spends most of his time holding onto the side of the pool, waiting for his turn. Oh well. If I really cared, I would shell out the big bucks for a private lesson. Obviously, I don't care all that much.
This little girl was supposed to start in the pre-school class. She was all sorts of excited until it was actually time to get in the pool. And then she would have none of it. I decided not to push it--she's only three, for heaven's sake--luckily the pool gave us a punchcard as a refund, so we're not totally out the $25. Now she just sits and watches big brother.
A couple of weeks ago I went to youth conference with the youth of our stake and my fellow leaders. It was up on Utah State campus, and it was really incredible. I haven't written about it yet because I don't know how to express what I felt up there. I know for sure that I didn't expect to have the Spiritual experiences that I had. I was more prepared to be in "Leader Mode," where I have to keep track of everybody, combat a bunch of complaining, and put out a bunch of fires. I didn't have to do any of that. The youth in our ward were so well-behaved and appropriate, that I just got to be there to enjoy it, and them.
Our stake High Councilor put it the best way that I can think of today. He was talking about the great youth we have, and he said he can't help but shout, "Hurrah for Israel!" Look how great our future leaders are! They truly aren't just going through the motions, these ones. They are gaining their own testimonies and doing what's right because they love God and know who they are.
This picture was taken in 1998 at the Joplin Stake Center, which was destroyed in Sunday's tornado. While I never served in Joplin City, it was a main transfer station, so I have good memories in the building, waiting for new companions or waiting for the transfer van (called "The Bull") to arrive. Brad was the Zone Leader in the Joplin Zone for several months.
It's really sad that it's all gone. When I was there, it was the only LDS building in Joplin.
Tornado watches and warnings are such a part of life in that area of the United States, but you never think one will actually land on you. I have many memories of sitting in the bathtub with a companion with mattresses on our heads. I guess even churches aren't immune.
Spring soccer has had a bit of a slow start because practices and games have been cancelled because of weather, but it has been fun. Ty has the same team and coach as fall, but they seem to be doing much better! It's fun to see the kids improve their skills. He's touching the ball a little bit more, which is fun to watch!
That's Ty (#5) in the typical cluster.
He did score a goal this game, but this isn't it. This was pre-game practice.
This is Ty running off the field after he scored his goal.
I apologize for shamelessly posting all these Lauren portraits. I'm just so excited with my camera and all its settings. That's why some pictures are better than others. I think I know which setting to put it on, and it turns out I'm dead wrong (see previous post's graduation pictures). But I'm having fun, and I'm finally somewhat understanding things like aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. I'm a slow learner, but it's coming along. And I must say that this little cutie is getting to be quite the model!
Last days of school were always really hard for me. I grew to love my classmates and teachers, and even though I was excited for summer, I always felt sad that I wouldn't see my friends as much, and that basically things would never be the same again. I've tried really hard not to project my emotions onto Tyler. I just want him to feel what he feels, and not be influenced by me. I guess I've done my job, because even though Tyler loved Kindergarten, he was not sad one bit! Here's his last day:
Graduation was today. I was doing totally fine until they showed a little slide show to the song, "Let Them Be Little." That song always gets me! But combine it with my little man moving on to all day school next year, and it killed me! Ty and all the Kindergarteners did a great job singing and dancing and receiving their diplomas. So cute!
Ty and his good friend Caedin
I thought my Kindergarten teacher was good, but Ms. Asher was the best! She cared for Tyler so much and was so patient with him. I'm so grateful for good teachers!
Lauren and I took a little tour around the neighborhood yesterday to try out my new camera that I got as a birthday gift from Brad(2 months early. Hey, when you find a good deal, you take it!). We took a lot of pictures and I'm so glad I captured this one. This is a perfect representation of LaLa--when she's in a good mood, that is: a mischievous smile and her eyes closed. This girl has no fear. And her favorite thing is to walk around with her eyes shut tight. She thinks it is so funny to run into things.
Here are some of the other photos I took. Do you have a fave? I'm not sure which one to blow up and frame.
It has rained cats and dogs here this month, but we have also had a lot of fun.
Ty had spirit week at his school, and one day was nerd day. He had no idea what a nerd was, but he pulled it off surprisingly well!
He also got to ride the bike that he won in front of the whole school!
For Spring Break we went to a lot of fun places, thanks to the coupons at livingsocial.com and citydeals.com. This first place was called Bounce Around Utah, and it was fantastic! The kids LOVED it, and so did I. Parents are free, and you can sit and see everywhere your kids could be without moving. Definitely gonna get a punch card for this place!
We also went to the Library, and to see the movie Hop, but I didn't get pictures of those.
On Thursday we went to a place called Hollywood Connection. It has rides, roller skating, mini-golf, bumper cars, etc. It was fun, but I think Lauren got pink eye there, cause later that night she was oozing, and we had to spend our last day of Spring Break quarantined! Here's the mini-golf before the pink eye breakout.
Of course Easter weekend brought the Dying of the Eggs, always fun.
And Sunday morning pics in their Easter duds.
Overall, a great month! Let just hope May brings some sunshine!
Earlier this month we took a trip down to Vegas to be with my sister and her husband and some of their friends while they went to the Mt. West Basketball Championship. We didn't go to the tourney, but we had a lot of fun hanging out in Vegas. We especially enjoyed the sunny 80 degree weather!
We visited the Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden. Kind of a strange combination, but fun nonetheless. You can tell Lauren is soaking up the rays! (And obviously not scared of the biting cacti)
This is on one of the trams on the Strip. Yes, we broke down and bought one of those monkey leashes for Lauren. She loved it! I swore we would never use one on our child, but you try keeping track of a curious 3 year-old who has no concept of fear, on the Las Vegas Strip! You'd buy one, too!!
One morning Ty and Brad and Uncle Hank got up real early to go look at the new bridge at Hoover Dam. They had a lot of fun, and I was able to make a lot of "Dam" jokes. It was a win-win for everyone!
Random Unrelated Picture: Last weekend, Brad took the kids up to Logan to spend some time on Uncle John's ranch. Ty caught this chicken and actually held it! Couldn't be prouder!
The great Relief Society leaders in our ward started out the year with a really cute idea. Each month for five months, they would have an activity related to the children's rhyme, This Little Piggy. For example, in January, they talked about This Little Piggy Went to Market. They met at a grocery store and had a nutritionist talk about good choices, ways to eat healthy on a budget, etc. In February, for This Little Piggy Stayed Home, they had a professional organizer come in and talk about home organization.
This month we had our R.S. Birthday party dinner. What did we have? Roast Beef, of course! They asked me to give a little talk. I never in a million years thought I'd ever be given a topic called, "This Little Piggy had Roast Beef!" But what fun it turned out to be! Here's my talk. It ends with a video that I've shared here on my blog before, but I thought I'd put it on here again, cause I love it so much.
This little piggy had roast beef.
Did you notice that it wasn’t This little piggy had hot dogs? Or This little piggy had fruit loops?
Why roast beef?
I think this piggy is a go-getter. He didn’t just stay at home like the previous piggy, and he didn’t accept nothing like the piggy that followed him. He wasn’t overly silly like the one that went around yelling wee, wee, wee!
Perhaps he knows what he wants and gets it. Not necessarily in a snobby, prideful way, but rather his self-confidence is secure, he knows who he is, and he takes care of himself. He’s feasting on roast beef and all that’s symbolic of. He doesn’t just go for crumbs.
There once was a woman who had always wanted to go on a cruise. She saved her money for a long time and the day finally came that she was able to buy passage on a her dream cruise. She took a tour of the ship, impressed by all the amenities. When the time came for her dinner reservation, however, she went back to her cabin and ate some cheese and crackers that she had brought with her. She knew that she had spent all of her money just being able to go on the cruise–she didn’t have any left for extravagant feasts. She did this for every meal. As the cruise ended and she was disembarking, the crew was there to say goodbye. She passed one crew member who seemed genuinely confused.
“I am the Food Service Director,” she said, “and I’m so surprised because I never saw you in the dining room. I made an effort to talk to every guest, and yet I’ve never seen you. Did you not eat while you were on board?”
Embarrassed, the woman nodded, and explained, “Well, I spent all I had just to be on the ship, so I knew I couldn’t afford the fancy food you serve. I ate in my cabin at every meal.” At this the Food Service Director looked shocked. “Did you not know?” she asked. “The price of the food was included with your passage. All the meals on the ship were free!”
Can you imagine her dismay when she realized that she could have been feasting on gourmet food, when instead she had been getting by on cheese and crackers?
What about us? Are we feasting on the Spiritual Gifts that Heavenly Father so wants to give to us, or are we settling for cheese and crackers?
As I’ve lived my life, I’ve come to realize that we have a choice. While Heavenly Father soooo desires to lavish us with the spirit, with protection, with Angels watching over us, He will not force it on us. We must ask, and search, and live in such a way as to recognize those blessings when they come.
As an example, I love a scripture, found in D&C 109: 22. This is part of the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple. It explains what we should expect from our temple service.
"And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;"
Armed with Power. Our Father’s name upon us. Father’s glory round about us. Angels having charge over us.
Anybody want that?
That, my friends, is the Roast Beef of life. That is the good stuff. Do we ask for and expect that when we go to the Temple? Or are we just quickly trying to make it into the session that starts in two minutes so we don’t have to wait for the next one? Do we spend some time afterwards reflecting, or are we leaving quickly to get down to the cafeteria before it closes? Do we even go enough to experience that?
If we really want to feast on Roast beef and all the accoutrements, instead of just cheese and crackers, we must remember our covenants! They are key to living a Roast Beef life.
There is a protecting power in our covenants. Speaking of those who had made the same covenants we have made, Ammon says in Alma 26:6 &7,
"Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them.
But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day."
Now I’m not sure if all this talk about being safe in the storms is literal or figurative, and in light of all the calamities in the world, I sure hope it’s both, but I know that either way that I want this protection. And I KNOW, that this protection is directly correlated to how we keep our covenants.
If we’re living cheese and cracker lives, we’ll get cheese and cracker blessings. If we do our very best and give a Roast Beef effort, He will reciprocate with blessings beyond our imagination.
In closing, I want to share a video that has helped me to think about what constitutes a roast beef effort. It has really helped me as I’ve contemplated what I need to work on to live a better life.
I know that our Savior lives. He wants to bless us with all that He has. He wants us to be a powerful influence for good. As we learn to "live under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost," and strive for the Roast Beef of life, He will not fail us.
For awhile I've been getting mean, rotten comments on my blog. All of them are from strangers just passing through, but hurtful, nonetheless. That's why I changed my comments to blogger-approval, so at least I can delete them before they are published.
I came across something called The Mom Pledge , which made me happy. It's a community of Mommy Bloggers that want to be civil, kind, and accepting. Isn't that what we all need? Just a little bit more niceness? Take the pledge with me!
I’ve given up trying to convince people I am not a Democrat.
The moment a conversation turns political these days, whether it be with acquaintances, friends or family, the pit in my stomach grows. Not because I hate politics. Not even because I feel strongly about a current issue. In fact, most of the time, I agree wholeheartedly with the person about the issue.
I’m just sick of the Hate.
When did it become okay to spew hateful words and comments, questioning the entire moral character of someone with whom you disagree? Why is it acceptable to assume that just because I live in a red state and in a religious culture that values its conservatism, that it’s okay to bash Democrats–especially President Obama– in almost any setting?
For the record, I am a registered Republican. I am pro-life, pro tax-cut, and pro immigration reform. I believe in protecting our First and Second Amendment rights, as well as improving Education. I’m sick of the Welfare/Entitlement mentality of so many Americans, and am not sure what the right action is to solve the unemployment problem. I’m discouraged that Social Security will most likely be gone when I reach retirement age. I think the Bush Administration did the best they could have with what they knew, and am proud of them for keeping another terrorist attack from reaching American soil.
In the liberal land of my native Oregon, most people reading the previous paragraph about my beliefs would agree that I am pretty conservative. But in my social circles, I’m known as the Liberal One. Not really because my stand on any of the issues differs, but because I don’t hate President Obama. I don’t think he is the Spawn of Satan. I don’t believe he has some hidden agenda to socialize the Union. I don’t think he forged his birth certificate, and I believe him when he says he’s a Christian. In fact, although I don’t agree with many of his policies, I admire his attempts at reaching across the aisle to get things done.
It’s usually at this point in a conversation that the person I’m talking with comes to a realization about me. They give me a knowing look that says they’ve figured me out. Often with condescension, they address me as if I’m a naive person who’s been duped by the left-wing media. Either I’m lacking in morals or just not that bright. When I tell them I attended presidential rallies for Obama and Clinton, they are stunned and appalled. (I would have attended McCain, Romney, and heck–even Huckabee!–but they didn’t make it to my neck of the woods)
Here’s the thing: I was raised by an attorney father who taught me to think critically. I was expected to examine all sides of an issue before I made a decision. Even in small things like whether I could go with certain friends to see a certain movie, I was instructed to “present my case” to my parents, and back it up with reason and logic. Perhaps it’s because of this background that I cringe when I hear people blaming Obama for everything from the Swine Flu to bad cell phone reception to long lines in airports (Not kidding. I've heard all these blamed on him). Just because it gets forwarded in an email, or because it was on the news (FOX or CNN), doesn’t mean it’s true.
I honestly thought Republicans would be better. After 8 years of nonsensical Bush-bashing I thought we might be more compassionate toward the new President. But just the opposite has occurred.
We need to remember that it is okay to disagree with someone. Diversity and differences are what make America such an interesting place to live. I wish we could see that there is more than one way of looking at a problem, and that most of the time, there is no black or white answer. Political problems are complicated at best, laced with dangerous consequences at worst. There is no instruction manual, and oftentimes no roadmap from History to follow. Sure there are dishonest people, but why can’t we also concede that most people are just trying to do the best they can with the knowledge and the background they have? In any case, it seems like we should be able to show respect to people who have differing opinions than our own.
Stand up for what you believe? Of course! Just don't weaken your own argument by resorting to name-calling and personal attacks. It lacks class and shows how uneducated you seem to be.
This polarization of America is not making us stronger. It is unity and respect that make us strong. We are becoming weak. I fear that unless we are able to converse civilly, our democracy and way of life are in grave danger.
Anyone who knows Lauren has likely been asked by her to paint her "fingertails" or "Toetoes". She loves all things girl, including nail polish, lip gloss, and pretty hair. So we played around the other day, making her hair straight...
Tyler had to get into it, so we gave him a faux hawk. He's got these cowlicks up front, though, so it didn't work too well.
Lauren's birthday is a few days after Christmas, so we saved the bigger-sized gifts for her birthday instead of packing them in the car for Christmas. She loved her Dora bike, even though she probably won't be able to ride it til spring when the snow melts!
This cake was not my proudest moment! It kept falling apart on me. Thankfully, she didn't seem to care.
For days Lauren had talked about her cake, and us singing Happy Birthday to her, and how excited she was to blow out the candles. When the moment came, she was very serious about it. Like this was a very important thing, and she wanted to do it just right!
This was her little friend party. Just a couple girls and Tyler. It was perfect for that age. They colored, played some games, ate cake and ice cream, opened presents, and left an hour later. Pretty nice!
I can't believe she's three! Next step: Getting over her fear of the toilet! :)
Tyler started swimming lessons last week. He loves it, as usual. I don't know that he learns all that much. This is his fourth year of lessons, and he's still learning the same basic things. I think with the crowded classes, he spends most of his time holding onto the side of the pool, waiting for his turn. Oh well. If I really cared, I would shell out the big bucks for a private lesson. Obviously, I don't care all that much. 
This little girl was supposed to start in the pre-school class. She was all sorts of excited until it was actually time to get in the pool. And then she would have none of it. I decided not to push it--she's only three, for heaven's sake--luckily the pool gave us a punchcard as a refund, so we're not totally out the $25. Now she just sits and watches big brother.
Tyler's favorite is the backstroke. (Mine, too)
Happy day!
