Easter 2013

I should probably do a better job of dressing the kids up in new outfits and taking Easter pics.   On the positive side I did manage a couple of pics.  Natty first thing in the morning.  Jack flying a Remote Control Helicopter with Uncle Dan.  Andy posing on a rock in front of Grandma and Grandpa's.  He climbed up on the rock and told me to take the picture.  I guess he knew it was going to be a stunning photo.   Three wonderful kids.  So grateful for each of them and the contribution they are to our family. 

The Hunt is On

Any hunting this time of year could only be for one thing,  eggs.  Not just any eggs.  No, these are eggs of the plastic candy filled variety.   It was a good time and all seemed to enjoy it. 
Here are some pics of the hunt and post hunt adventures.  

Oversized

The kids had a fantastic day as they travelled out to the Sand Dunes in Snow Canyon with their cousins.  Sara set this outing up along with Clorinda and Jim and they all seem to have had a great time.  Lots of digging, lots of sand, lots of fun.  So grateful for family that includes my kids in so many fun activities and who are such a huge help to me. 

So sand.  Well that means baths.  Natty got cleaned up when they got home but the boys didn't get into the shower.  We had dinner at Jay and Sara's and had a good time there.  They had a fire going in the back yard for roasting marshmallows and the boys smelled like a campfire.  Fun and all but definitely shower worthy.  A must before bed. 

Jack went first and I must correct myself, it was a bath not a shower.  Jack doesn't like showers anymore.  So anyway, I get him his towel after his bath and get him all wrapped up.  These are moments when Jack likes to throw out some profound thoughts.  He turns to me and tells me that he is a little over sized for his age.  I said I thought he was probably averaged size for his age.  "No, I'm over sized for my age.  I wear flat shoes so I can look normal"... It was something like that.  Such a funny kid.  Such a funny over sized kid. 

Odd Talents

At the dinner table tonight we were enjoying a conversation about the day and I learned that Andy was able to walk downstairs, into his room and back upstairs will sucking is nostrils closed.  You know, when you pinch your nose closed and suck really hard so that your nose stays closed... I know, pretty crazy.  Andy didn't tell us if he had a break in his room, he does seem to be able to suck it in for quite some time.  Well, Jack didn't want to be outdone so he started demonstrating his skills in holding his nostrils closed.  He managed to do something I have never seen anybody do.  He can close his nostrils without use of fingers or anything else.  He just sucks in through his nose and somehow closes his nostrils without touching them.  It is actually pretty dang amazing.  I can't even suck mine closed anymore with the pinch assist.  So sad.  Well, that is all I am writing about tonight,  odd nostril talents of  the boys. 







































































  

Raspberry Jalapeno

One of the most popular things we make at The Little Brick House is our Raspberry Jalapeno Jam.  It is quite the popular sauce and is really quite delicious.  We had a lady in today wanting to buy some.  Unfortunately we didn't have any on the shelf.  This was her second time coming in to buy it and it wasn't there.  I told her we would make some tonight so I did.  Amy gave some help and we bottled up 4 batches worth.  Hopefully I did it right.  I've never jarred jam before and I ran into some problems with a few jars sealing correctly.  I went back through several of them and redid the sealing.  As best as I can tell they are all good now.  It really is quite delicious. 

3 years ago I never would have thought that I would be working in the food industry in a family business, making sandwiches, pies, gluten free stuff (I didn't even know about gluten or gluten free anything), and bottling jam.  And now, well, I am doing all of those things and for the most part I'm having a lot of fun doing it.  The pay could certainly be better and one of these days we will get there.  We hope to be moving in the right direction and are looking forward to St. George opening here in the next week or so.  Ultimately it would be great if we could create a franchise opportunity.  Between these two stores we need to prove the business and then we can begin thinking about franchising.   That's a lot of Raspberry Jalapeno Jam. 

Equal

I posted this on facebook tonight: 

Call me out of touch, old fashioned, a hater, I really don't care. When it comes to this equal stuff, I'll be standing with the Lord. What He reveals through His Prophets is all that matters to me.

I have been invited to show my support for gay marriage by people on facebook.  I have had friends update their profile pics to the red box with and equal sign in it.  I have seen friends update their own pictures in support of this movement for redefining marriage.  You will get no support from me on this.  I am completely against destroying the institution of marriage.  Marriage is between a man and a woman, period. 

When it comes to those who have homosexual inclinations, that is your business.  It is not a lifestyle I would choose.  Having certain rights extended to homosexual couples that protect them doesn't bother me.  They should certainly not be discriminated against.  Interestingly enough, the church obviously is opposed to redefining marriage, they do not oppose certain rights being extended to homosexuals. 

Allegiance

Jack and I have been working on passing off his requirements for his Wolf badge for some time now and tonight he finished.  His cousins Jayson and Jaykob have also been hard at work and also finished today.  They all three needed to complete requirements with the Flag and Jay took them over to the Church and they all took turns raising the flag, folding the flag and they recited The Pledge of Allegiance and discussed a few other points on the flag.  Proud of Jack and the twins.  Pretty exciting stuff.  Jack will be moving on to Bears in the next few weeks with his birthday coming up.  We will be off on a new adventure.  He is a good boy. 

Speaking of The Pledge of Allegiance.  I was at the school this morning dropping off Andy when someone lead the school in the Pledge over the PA system.  This is what they recited: "I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag".  I waited for more.  Nothing came.  How embarrassing is that?  We have reached a level in our Country where our Pledge of Allegiance has turned into that?  Why?  Why do we allow something like this to happen?  Who is it that finds so much offense in a Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag, our Country that we need to strip down the pledge to that?  I say those who are offended need to leave.  If you don't want to say it then don't but please, don't think you have the right to take away my right or the right of millions of Americans who love our Country to express our Allegiance to it.  Where are we America? 

It makes me even more grateful for the experience of 3 boys today who earned their Wolf badge, yes 3 boys and many more just like them who participate in an organization that does not cave to the demands of the few.  An organization that teaches what it means to Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it Stands, One Nation under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.    

Given

I have shared recently my feelings about recent Sunday lessons that centered on the family, Eternal Families, Temple Marriage etc.  Those are challenging lessons for me to participate in.  I struggle to participate in sharing thoughts or insights not because I do not have a testimony of eternal families and marriage but because I do and I am divorced.  It is probably just me or maybe it isn't but I feel like I have a big sign over my head that says FAILURE!  And so I listen and observe and do not speak.  Today we had moved beyond these lessons in the Gospel Principles class and were on a much more pleasant subject, Chastity.  That is a great lesson with some terrific information and in sight.  This is straying a bit from my other thoughts tonight but I just have to say, if you are looking for clarity on the stand that the LDS Church takes on homosexuality, read that chapter.  It is in Gospel Principles, Chapter 39: The Law of Chastity.  It does not matter to me what society says is right or what political leaders decide is right.  What matters to me is what the Lord declares to be true and right and He does that through his Prophets.  I am grateful to have a testimony of living prophets on the earth today. I know as I follow them I am following the Savior. 

Okay, back to the topic.  In Priesthood today we had a great lesson.  It was preceded by a message from President Whetman about blessing our families through Priesthood blessings.  Hmmm, seems like I said one or two things about that in last nights post.  Pretty cool to have those thoughts reinforced in church today.  Kody Holt was our instructor today and the talk he was assigned from the last conference was by Elder Shayne M. Bowen titled "Because I Live, Ye Shall Live Also".  This is a fantastic talk.  I have listened to it a few times and wow, it is a powerful message and testimony of the Savior and his love for each of us.  At one point in the lesson Bro. Holt had us compile a list of physical pains and then remedies for them.  He then had us compile a list of emotional pains and a list of remedies there.  There were some powerful things on that list of emotional pains and there were some great suggestions for remedies.  As I looked over the list of emotional pains I realized that I had experienced everything on that list when I went through divorce.  As I looked at the remedies for emotional pain there was the most important remedy missing from that list, that remedy being the Savior.  I shared some thoughts on the matter and as powerfully as I could shared my testimony that all those remedies were good but the most important remedy is our Savior Jesus Christ.  I shared my knowledge that he knows us individually, is aware or our every need and that he sends help.  That help can be a friend, a Priesthood leader, a Relief Society President, a Young Women's leader, our families.  Ultimately it is the Savior who does not abandon us.  In our darkest hour he is there.  I am so very grateful for that.  Sorry, I didn't share all of that in the meeting and shared a few thoughts that are not written here.  Anyhow, I was in tears.  That happens to me sometimes.  I hope that what I said was well received.  Don't know. 

Brother Holt went on with the lesson and shared the following scriptures in Alma 26 when Ammon glories in the Lord for their success in teaching the Lamanites.  He talks about things that the Lord has given us.  In verse 22 of Alma 26 Ammon teaches us this:

Yea, he that repented and exercise faith, and bringers forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing - unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God;  yea unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.  

Brother Holt drew our attention to the word given in that verse.  It is used 4 times.  He taught that we are given experiences from the Lord for our benefit.  It made a lot of sense to me as I recalled in my mind the experience I had while fasting for help relative to what I was feeling and very clearly hearing "I gave you these experiences for a reason...".  Gave, Given.  My heart was pretty full listening to this lesson.  Brother Holt then continued on and shared verse 27 of Alma 26. 

Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst they brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

So grateful for the Savior who knows us and loves us and who will give us success as we patiently go through our afflictions. 
 

Experiences I Love

Got to go and clean the church this morning.  I had signed up a few weeks back and today was the day.  Always a good experience to go and clean the church, to go and be of service.  I am grateful for that opportunity.  Jack came with me and I thought he was going to help but he had other ideas.  I tried some gentle persuasion to have him help clean but he was pretty determined to do what he wanted.  It was certainly not a battle worth having.  I was just happy to have him along.  We went on a small drive afterwards and I counted three new restaurants in town having grand openings right now.  I wish them the best.  It is not an easy thing to do.  Anyhow, had a good time. 

I have been battling a little bit of a cold this week and so we spent much of the day at home.  I had a nice little nap going when someone knocked at the door trying to get me to re insulate the house.  So not worth disturbing my moment of rest.  The brief power-nap is all it amounted to and I was up and going again.  I actually worked on a gluten free pie crust today, well, I started last night and finished up today.  I will post something on that another day with some pictures and perhaps even a recipe.  We'll see how it tastes first.  That project lead to me doing a deeper cleaning of the kitchen.  It's in pretty good shape.  The boys and I then teamed up on the living room and that looks great also.  I made them a bit of dinner and we headed out to Wendy's for a frosty, actually three frosties.  Natty got home from going to see Les Mis with Annie and had a great time.  She sang music from it for the rest of the night.  Anyway, she came with us. 

When we got in the car I mentioned something about the Easter Bunny and Jack was in hysterics.  We had watched a clip earlier of a little girl and boy who get freaked out by a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny.  Jack got a huge kick out of that and so my reminding him of it had him laughing.  Those are some sweet moments when you get to feel the joy of your children in simple things.  I love it when they are excited and full of joy.  It is so uplifting and rewarding. 

As we prepared for bed tonight Natty asked for a blessing.  I don't know what I can really compare to this experience.  It is a great privilege and honor to exercise the priesthood in blessing your children.  Tonight was no exception.  We know that in the ordinances of the Gospel the power of God is manifested.  I believe that in pronouncing Priesthood blessings the power of God is also manifested.  When you act as voice in the blessing and are given what to say by the spirit and you feel the love of God for your children, that is a powerful manifestation of the Love of God for each of us.  Andy also asked for a blessing tonight.  That too was a wonderful experience and a special father and son moment for the both of us.  We had a big hug afterwards and I held him in my arms for a while.  He would pat my back every now and again.  It was a good moment. 

The experiences of any given day can draw us nearer to God, they can strengthen our testimonies of the Savior and can strengthen our resolve to do what is right.  In this same manner choosing negative experiences can lead us away from God and weaken our testimonies.  It is so important that we choose righteous activities and do those things that would lead us towards God.  It is in doing righteous activities that I find myself enjoying experiences that I love. 

We're Brothers

On the way to school this morning Andy stopped at the bike rack and did not put his scooter in the open slot on the rack.  I asked if he would like me to park it there for him.  No.  It wasn't next to Jack's.  there was not an open slot next to Jack's.  Andy then instructed me to park it outside of a slot and right next to Jack's.  He then told me something like "We stick together.  We're brothers".  It struck me as funny as I had just written about the boys being at each others throats.  It also came as a faith builder and reassurance that these boys are brothers and that they do love each other.  Love that. 

I got up this morning and decided to listen to conference while I ran on the elliptical.  I usually watch a movie but decided to change that up. I pulled up the April 2012 conference and started with a by Cheryl A. Esplin titled Teaching Our Children to Understand.  I don't believe this decision was by chance or that choosing this talk was either.  It was exactly what I needed to hear as a parent.  There was an experience shared of a little girl who was frustrated with her little brother who apparently wasn't the best at sharing.  The result was fighting.  Her mother taught her the importance of getting a long and then taught her about prayer during one of their fights.  The girl was upset, prayed for her brother to be a better sharer and then prayed that she could do better as well.  She felt the spirit and her mother taught her what it was and what it meant.  It helped me to understand how I can better help the boys to overcome their fighting and gain a greater understanding of prayer.  I had little one on one conversations with each of them this morning and we discussed how prayer can help us when we are experiencing challenges.  The next step will be to pray with them when they are having a challenge.  The Lord will bless them as they do so and their brotherly bond will be increased and they will have a greater love for each other. 

Please Mellow Fellow

Little Andy boy is having a rough go of things lately.  He has just been incredibly intense about things, fairly disrespectful and downright ornery at times.  Getting along with Jack is out the window for the time being and his fuse is just really short.  What to do to mellow out this little fellow?  It will be a matter of prayer and petitioning the Lord for some divine intervention.  Perhaps this is an age thing and he will soon start to grow out of it.  I can only hope that is the case and that the growing out part will come quickly.  I seem to remember Jack going to through a stage similar in nature when he was approaching seven.  Things seemed to mellow out for him quite a bit when he turned 8.  Maybe a nice heavy bag and some boxing gloves could be useful in helping little boys release a bit of tension and agression.  Hmmm, every time they are at each others throats over who knows what I can put them in some boxing gloves and let them have it out.  Probably not the best idea actually. 

As I think back on my own life I can remember times when I did not get a long with my brothers very well.  I can remember that fighting was a regular thing.  We were boys and did our best to live worthy of that title.  I can say that as boys who grew up battling it out we managed to make it through and we are all quite close today.  I don't want to paint the wrong picture.  We were not constantly at each others throats nor were there deep rooted hard feelings for one another.  We simply had some fights but we also had each others backs. 

So my little intense Andy boy.  He is such a wonderful boy.  Though he has rough moments with Jack he also has very tender moments as well.  I love to see them play well together.  The day will come when things will calm down and mellow out.  That will be wonderful though everyday is filled with wonderful moments now.  I had a little cuddle time with Andy and he just let me hold him.  He cried some but was able to calm down after a bit.  That was nice.  Love those kinds of moments.  Love my sweet children even when they are not quite so sweet.   

Technological Advance

We've moved ourselves ahead a bit on the technological front at The Little Brick House.  Perhaps front is not the right word and neither is ahead for that matter.  We are trying to catch up on some technology for the business by incorporating a Point Of Sale system.  It has been in the works for a while.  Dave has been programming it and yesterday we had the system operational.  It was a crazy day as we kept finding little bugs here or there and other fixes that needed to be made.  After today I believe we are at a point where we should be in good shape.  It has been a little slow over the last two days and that has actually been a bit of a blessing as we were able to have a little time to focus on the system.  Coming in and changing the way you have done things for months can throw you for a loop.  My goodness, it takes a bit of getting used to but I believe we are in much better shape for overall operations.  Goodness, the cooks have to be happy as the order is printed rather than my handwritten tickets.  There was more than once that people were struggling to interpret my writing.  Kind of like my hand written journals.  Those are fairly rough but this blogging journal has certainly corrected those challenges.  Anyhow, good to make a little progress, now to learn all the ins and outs of the program and make it the most effective tool it can be for us. 

A Little Less Conversation

Jack and I enjoyed dancing to a little less conversation a little more action by Elvis.  Jack got some sweet shades from his mom.  They were complete with green chops.  I thought about this song and started singing it.  Jack said he wanted to hear it and so we found it.  We played it and did a little dance - i mean we couldnt play a song like that and sit around and talk about it.  No we had to get up and move.   Here are some pics of Jack in action.

A Little Fun Run

The weather is turning warmer and that is very much welcome.  It makes me want to get out and about, to enjoy all there is to enjoy in this beautiful area in which we live.  I was thinking about a few things and decided that we need to improve our fitness a bit so that when we get back out to hiking around we don't die.  I keep on the elliptical throughout the week and go anywhere from 3 to 6 miles a day on that but it isn't quite the same as being outside running.  Natty doesn't get a ton of exercise and so I thought we would make a goal with a mile run and try to get it in 10 minutes.  I know that for many that is not very impressive.  For us, that is good.  So we went out and ran tonight.  Neither of us quite made the 10 minute mark, I came in at 10 minutes 36 seconds and Natty managed 11 minutes 31 seconds.  It was a good run with a little walking now and again.  The first half had me ahead of the pace but that last half was a little rougher. My lungs are feeling it for sure.  Anyway we are going to go a couple times a week and work on that time. 

We came home and did our scripture reading.  When it was Natty's turn she read Mosiah 4:27 that says the following:

And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.  And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore all things must be done in order.

As she read the part about running faster then he has strength we turned and looked at each other and laughed.  It was pretty great.  We got a kick out of it anyway. 

Not That Tradition

It was our Stake Conference this weekend and as I mentioned in yesterdays post update that there was a lot of talk about family traditions.  The overall theme was on Family History and Temple work and I think the topic of traditions was given to help turn our minds to positive family traditions that we can establish or carry on that will lead us closer to the Lord.  The couple that spoke on this are the parents of my good friend Nica Clark.  They really did a great job. 

On the topic of traditions we have some that we enjoy. One tradition that we will not be adding in our family is that of Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick's Day.  Oh my goodness I tried.  I found myself working away in the kitchen yet again today, trying to put together a meal that will be loved by all.  I saw corned beef in the store last week and decided we'd do it.  It didn't turn out as I had hoped.  The kids hated it.  Andy came up stairs when it was dinner time and demanded a bowl of MiniWheats because the dinner stunk.  Yep, I will not be doing this one again.  No, I think I need to get back to an old family tradition when I was a kid of having tacos on Sunday - Fontano style.  They are involved so it takes a lot of work to do on your own.  I am going to have to start training the kiddos so they can participate and then we need to just make it happen.  I am tired of trying all these big meals that do nothing but take up my day and then go to waste.  I didn't even enjoy a nap at all today and that is just really sad. 

Okay, so there it is.  No Corned Beef and Cabbage here. 

Jack and Tristan

We had a full day that started early with Jack and I working on his Wolf Badge requirements for Cub Scouts.  We have only two things left to do and then he will have completed everything he needs.  Pretty exciting stuff.  We had to take a break from that to get the boys over to their primary activity - Leprechaun Olympics or something like that.  They seem to have had a great time.  We then went home and did our house chores so we could go down to St. George.  Jack and Andy needed new shoes, it was time. The Sketchers outlet is down in St. George so down we went.  Before shoes however, we stopped off at Costco for lunch. 

Costco was packed as it always seems to be on Saturday.  I still hold out hope that Costco or Sams will decide to build one of their stores in Cedar.  The service area of Cedar is huge and would easily sustain one.  Anyhow, lunch.  We got in and though I had thought about looking around that was quickly discarded.  It was too busy and trying to keep the kids all together wasn't worth the trouble.  We headed over to the food area.  Andy was determined to eat a costco pizza so we were going no matter what.  There was one table open so the kiddos went there and hung out while I waited in line and picked up the order.  By the time I got the food to them they had become friends with a gal that worked there.  Her name was Misty.  After we had been eating for a while Jack saw her walk by and called out to her saying "Hey Misty, I sure hope we see you again next time".  She got a kick out of him and said we would have to look for her at the registers and come through her line. 

Lunch ended up being reunion time.  The folks were there and so the kids got to see Grandma and Grandpa.  Then Collette and her mom were there and that was fun.  Andy was excited to see her and they told her about getting new shoes.  Always good to see Collette.  Then Jay and Sara and fam were there so we saw them as well.  Sara told me that there were a number of other people there but we didn't run in to anyone else.  In Stake Conference the theme had to do with traditions.  I am happy to have a trip to Costco for food as one of our traditions.  I have long been a fan of the Costco dog and the kids all leave well fed for about $10.  That's a good tradition right? 

It was time to get shoes and so we rolled in to the Sketchers store.  Have to say that I was not a huge fan of the boys selection this time.  Last year they had some great shoes and I thought we did fairly well.  This year the affordable shoes were all these light up ones.  I don't really like light up shoes but we were not shopping for what I like.  The boys loved them.  The non light up shoes all seemed pretty flimsy and were more expensive.  I go to the Sketcher store because these shoes have proved to last.  The last pair of shoes for both boys were purchased 11 months ago.  Jack had picked out his first and we found his size so he was ready.  He went up and talked and talked and talked to the gal working the register.  I'm sure she ended up learning everything there was to know about, well, dogs.  They had a mascot named Mr. Quigly who was a greyhound that wears sketchers.  There was a video playing of Mr. Quigly and so we would occasionally here Jack laughing about it.  Mr. Quigly didn't have light up shoes though so I don't quite know what all the excitement was about...  

I was a bit drowsy on the drive so I enlisted Natty to snap my arm with her rubber bands.   She was more than happy to do so and would help me stay alert with an occasional stinging snap.  For some reason she would laugh every time she did it.  I had little welts all the way up my arm. Hmmm, the price of staying alert on the road I guess.  Anyhow, we made it home in time for me to make the kids dinner and get to the Saturday Evening Session of our Stake Conference.  It was a good session and with my white shirt no one could see the welts on my arm.  I also managed to stay alert for the entire meeting which is good.  I think having Natty snapping me with a rubber band to keep me awake for conference would be a little distracting.     

We needed some milk and a few other things so after conference Jack and I went to Wal Mart.  We were in the produce aisle and this random guy on crutches walks by.  Jack calls out to him saying "I hope your leg gets better soon".  The guy thought that was great and turned around and talked to Jack for a while.  He asked Jack if he would like to try the crutches.  "No, I don't have a broken leg" was his reply.  Jack told him all about how Natty broke her leg down to the finest detail of rope of the swing thinning out and then snapping.  It was fun.

After the produce section we started heading back when I looked down an aisle and saw a new friend of mine named Dean from Canada.  Dean and Margery came in to the LBH this week.  They had recently moved from Canada.  I had told Jack about that and he wanted to know if Dean and Margery had any children.  When I next saw Dean I told him about that conversation and he informed me that they did not but they had a dog.  It is a Schizo.  I reported that back to Jack.  So here we are in WalMart and there is Dean so I stop the cart turn back to the aisle and wheel Jack over to him.  I introduced him as the guy I told him about from Saskatuan.  Jack immediately asks him about his dog and spends the next few minutes enjoying that conversation. 

We carried on after a nice visit with Dean the Bean and after securing the milk that was the reason for the trip.  we began making our way back towards the front when I see this guy that I had met before.  I say hello and shake his  hand and while so doing Jack says, "Hey, it's Tristan".  Tristan is the son of the man I was talking to and was sitting in their cart just like Jack was sitting in ours.  He was a bit away with his mother but he saw Jack and they started talking.  They ended up in quite the conversation and we stood there for some time. Turns out that Tristan is also autistic and they spend a little time together in the Smile Room at school.  It was quite amazing to watch them communicate.  They were in their own little world and were loving it.  It was a treat for me to watch. 
   
That pretty much sums up the day.  Sure am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for wonderful kids that strengthen my faith.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Boys Night In

I got a call from Natty asking me if she could go to her friends house today after school. I agreed.  She went.  I got home a little after 4 and the boys and I hung out and did a few fun things together.  It was boys night in.  We went on a little bike ride up and around the high school.  We played some soccer in the back yard for a while.  Soccer became hide and seek tag and we ran all over the yard, front and back and through the garage.  It was good times.  We then rode the Razor scooters for a bit and finally into the house we went.  The boys played some and I grilled up some fine cheese sandwiches complete with the dolphin shaped cut out.  That, some doritos and a chocolate cupcake for dessert had the boys in heaven.  Jack and I listened to a little Harry Potter while Andy played on the wii then we all ended up watching a movie called The Hammer about a deaf wrestler.  The boys loved it though they were a little frustrated at parts where all communication is sign language.  I read the subtitles for them so they could follow what was happening.  Andy kept making up his own sign language and kept trying to wrestle throughout, funny boys.  Twas a fine evening for a boys night in. 

Attempting Audio

A couple weeks ago during a conversation with my sister in law I decided it would be a good idea to have Jack listen to Harry Potter on disc.  It was after his SEP (student education plan or something) and reports that his reading level is low.   I am certain an audio book is not the best was to help him read.  Actually, he reads well he just doesn't interpret characters feelings very well.  It is one of those things he doesn't connect with and so when he is tested on that side of things he doesn't do well.  If the testing were all about reading a book about tractors and explaining how it all functions he will do exceptional.  That isn't how it works though.  Anyway, last night it occurred to me that I needed to get it started and so we did.  We didn't get very far with bed time but he was excited about it and wanted to keep listening.  The book was set up in a CD player and when he got home he began listening again.  By the time I got home he had covered some ground.  Natty said she would pause the story and ask him what was happening.  He could tell her all kinds of details about what was happening.  I don't know that he can interpret characters feelings but we are trying and hoping that he will gain a greater love for books and have a desire to read them.  My goal is to get him to read along with the audio and then to progress from there. 

Hurry Cake

Last night as we were preparing for bed Natty tells me she needs to take a sandcastle cake to her Young Women's New Beginnings.   That activity was tonight.   That meant I needed to make a cake in a hurry.  I did my best in a rush.  I had ideas that were a bit grander than what we actually accomplished.    

The flavor was great, a little pineapple delight and a pinà-colada cream cheese frosting.  I have no idea how to spell pinà-colada and spell checker isn't offering any corrections so we're keeping it the way it is.   Unfortunately the cake wasn't quite as lite as I wanted.   I need to figure out baking cakes.  Learning how to bake a cake in the middle of a lunch rush isn't advised.   

Anyhow, I found some ideas on a Google search; ice cream cone towers, vanilla wafer sand.  Hmmmm, too bad I was so hurried.   Oh well, the young women seemed to enjoy it.  Here's a couple of pics.

Generosity

There are people in this world that are generous, willing to give in an effort to lift another.  I have been in a bit of pain for a while now.  My shoulder has been quite bothered and it is a difficult to handle certain things that have once been so easy.  Things a simply as wrestling with the boys can be an extremely painful event now.  The funny thing is that I have no idea what I did.  There is not a singular event that I can recall when something popped or whatever.  So I've had a bit of pain.  Anyway, I was on the phone with a friend who has been providing some services to the LBH.  He was a chiropractor by trade but had to leave the practice after having a leg amputated.  Following our business conversation I asked if I could discuss a medical issue with him and he agreed.  I told him what I was experiencing and he invited me to come to his home and that he could help me out.  He made it very clear that he could not accept anything for his services.   After work today I stopped by and he provided some treatment to the shoulder, both shoulders in fact.  It has provided some temporary relief and mild soreness.  He invited me back tomorrow evening for some additional treatment.  I am grateful for his generosity.  I really wasn't asking him to do anything rather I was looking for advice from someone who was in the field.  He has a talent however, a skill that he spent time developing and he sees fit to share it at no profit to himself. 

As I think about this matter another dear friend comes to mind.  His was quite a huge gift to our family that included providing surgery on Rachel's knee.  Larry Padgett is an extremely skilled surgeon and he knew we had a need, Rachel had a need and he was willing to give.  I remember how grateful I was for his generosity and the blessing it was for our family.

That willingness to help, that generosity is humbling to me. I wonder, do I have that same level of generosity? Am I willing to give of myself to lift another?  I have two hymns that came to mind as I pondered that question.  Have I done any good in the world today?  The questions asked throughout that hymn can help us examine our lives and account for our day.  The other hymn, Because I Have Been Given Much.  The next part of that song - I too must give.  I love that message.  I hope that I can be more generous with the things I have to offer. 

Heart Desires

As I was kneeling at Andy's bedside in prayer a few minutes ago I was pondering my children.  Oh my goodness what a world we live in.  There is so much that can drag each of us down, so much that can hurt, so much that can draw us away from the Savior.  At the same time there is so much that is good, there is much to look forward to and rejoice in.  We have a Savior who loves us and if we are on his side in this war with sin then we can rest assured that we will win.  President Monson said, and I am paraphrasing, anyway it was something like "We are waging a war with sin but it is a war that we can and will win."  We know that and it is a source of comfort, it brings peace and fills us with hope.  A hope that no matter how hard life may seem or how difficult the challenges that are before us, if we are faithful to the Lord we can be delivered, we can return to our Heavenly Father being made perfect through the grace of Christ. 

My prayer tonight as I pondered these things included a petition to know what I can do to help each of my children have significant spiritual experiences that will help them to be firmly planted on the foundation of Christ.  Natty had come in to the LBH after school and worked on some homework, had a sandwich and talked and talked and talked.  I was going to try and sit down and eat with her but I got delayed so I sat down after she ate and had a sandwich while she told me about a variety of things.  Are there parents out there that have no worries about their children in a middle school environment?  My goodness, the things that I observe there, with that age group are concerning to say the least.  Am I doing all that I can to help Natty navigate through this time in her life?  Is she firmly fixed on the Savior when there is so much that pulls at her? 

How grateful I am that we are not left to figure this out on our own.  I am grateful for the direction we receive from a loving Heavenly Father.  I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for living Prophets and Apostles.  I am grateful in this day and age when so much is available at our fingertips, the Lord does not leave us alone.  Well, the desires of my heart are for the well being of my children. 

24 Wheeler

Saturday morning we had a special experience as our dear friend Ken Bettridge took the boys and I on a drive in one of the big trucks, a 24 wheeler.  Ken and Georgia were in The Little Brick House for lunch one day and so I went and visited with them a bit.  We talked about Jack and his love for all things mechanical.  I shared with them his excitement for the garbage truck and how our friend Craig let the boys honk the horn.  Then I thought about Ken and his big trucks and asked if he would let Jack come and see inside one.  Ken was thrilled with the idea though it wasn't going to be enough just to look at it, we needed to go for a drive.  Ken and Georgia were back in for lunch on Thursday and he set up the trip for Saturday morning.  Natty had an assignment at the Church to help with cleaning the building with the Young Women so the boys went on a road trip. 

We met up with Ken at his house and jumped in his truck to head over to the yard.  Wow, a ride in that alone was impressive enough.  It is a beautiful Ford - I want to say F350.  Anyway, that was fun, it was big but the 24 Wheeler was even bigger.  The boys were really excited when we got there.  Ken was excited too.  He had gone over earlier and got the truck fired up and ready.  He told us about some of the different trucks there; the first one that he bought that only goes to truck shows now, the truck he drove before they left on their Mission, and then the truck he drives today.  It only has 850,000+ miles on it.  Ken did share with us that he has personally driven over 3.1 million miles in his life.  That's a lot of driving. 

We got up in the truck and Andy and I sat in the sleeper while Jack rode shotgun.  Once we had him buckled in the seat Ken hit a little button and raised the seat up nice and high so Jack could easily see out the windows.  It was great.  We then headed out on the road.  Ken asked Jack if he wanted to get on the highway or drive through the valley.  Jack opted for the highway and so we made a run out to Parowan.  What a fantastic little trip and experience for the boys and for me.  I told Ken how much we love and appreciate him and he told us how much he loved us.  I am so very grateful for good friends, good people who through their actions and their love share the love of our Heavenly Father.  I am grateful for an hour or so in a 24 Wheeler with my favorite boys and our good friend Ken. 

Here are a few pics of the outing.   

Andy Checking out the view from the Front.

 



Andy by me on the sleeper

 



Ken and Jack talking about something.  Jack always has lots to say.

 



Jack ridin high in the big chair.

 



Ken with the boys and our 24 Wheeler

 

Best Shopping Cart Ever

I know there are many who have issues with Wal Mart.  I am not one of them.  I don't mind shopping there.  I don't go about studying the effects of Wal Mart on small businesses.  We happen to have a small business that we recently moved from a side street in Cedar City to the Providence Center where the local Wal Mart Super Center is located.   It has not hurt our business.  In fact it has added to our visibility.  Anyhow, not the thoughts I intended to share so I will get back on message. 

I worked tonight and after we closed and I left for home I made a stop at the WM.  I walked in and grabbed a cart.  It appeared in good shape.  Oh my goodness, was it ever in good shape.  I looked down at the wheels as soon as I felt how smooth it was.  They were brand new wheels, so clean, so smooth, so perfect.  It made me wish I had more to get.  My time there could have been extended and my brief moment of shopping perfection could have been a little longer lasting. 

When I did finish my shopping and was approaching the door I wrestled a bit with the idea of changing it out for another cart.  Should I take such a nice cart outside and risk ruining it?  Well, I did.  I'm sure it will be fine in the hands of another shopper or two.  I was simply amazed that they do exist, it may be a once in a lifetime experience but it really did happen.  It's not every day I get to say I shopped with the best shopping cart ever. 

WeatherChange

It is another one of those days when I am sitting here with a blank mind and no thoughts as to what I might write about today.  I don't know that there is anything all that spectacular to say or report.  Perhaps the weather is an appropriate topic as we went from absolutely gorgeous weather earlier in the week to some pretty wet and snowy stuff today.  Seriously, it was shorts and t-shirt type stuff a few days ago.  That actually came on rather sudden and I think it shocked my system a bit.  I have battled with a cold this week, nothing major, just a sore throat and a bit of exhaustion but we're managing.   Anyhow, the sudden change in weather may or may not have had something to do with it.  Whatever the case there is something going around.  Fortunately the kids have been fine.  Except of course for Jack who had to come home early from school yesterday because of his stomach.  That was a fun phone conversation with Jack.  He assured me that he was feeling great but his stomach was sick, a bit gassy and he needed to relax.  Funny boy.   I guess the changes in the weather are kind of like the changes in life.  We find ourselves our of a cold winter and into some beautiful weather and then suddenly we've got a snow day.   We never really know what the next day will bring.  All we can do is take each day on, each challenge on the best we can.  I believe we find strength in our desire to follow Heavenly Father.  Well, I am seriously passing out here.   I will simply say that I love my beautiful children.  Natty, Jack and Andy  are wonderful  children and great friends. 

Natty and the VB

We found ourselves at Cedar Middle School tonight for a band concert.  Natty is quite the little flute player.  During this last quarter of school she was one of I don't know how many who went to the band teachers and said she wanted to move up to the next level.  I don't recall what level she was at, something like Spartans.  So anyway, she was good enough to make the jump to the Varsity Band and tonight was their concert.  The Varsity Band was good, strong and more precise.  I could tell the difference. 

I had the opportunity tonight to sit and think about Natty for a bit and to ponder her musical talent.  I am grateful that she is developing this talent.  I am grateful that she enjoys the band and has so much fun there.  For the last several weeks she has been quite excited about all the songs they have been learning.  They are some good songs.  Crazy Train was one of the entire bands favorites and they closed with that song tonight.  It was a good one to go out on.  Anyhow, I am happy and find joy in seeing my children grow and develop.  I am grateful for Natty.  She is a talented young lady and is such a great help to me.  Love you Natty Sue.  Thanks for sharing your talents with us. 

My Dear Friends

There are so many great people that we get to associate with in our lives.  I don't really know how to determine exactly when someone becomes your friend.  I think being friendly and kind to everyone should start from your first encounter.  Is that a bad thing?  Well, we can be friendly to all and in our lives we can accumulate many friends.  In our sphere of friends there are some that are close friends even dear friends.  I don't speak for everyone so I will change gears here in the way I am writing this.  I know how I feel about certain people, certain friends.  I have a select group of friends who I love deeply.  Friends who have had a lasting impact on my life, who I have a great deal of admiration for, who I consider to be as family.  For a few years in Florida while living in the Lakeland Stake I was blessed to serve as the executive secretary to President Karl Sweeney.  There were many times when late at night after interviews were done I would go into his office with checks to be signed or something else that needed to be done and he would give me a little personal interview to see how I was doing.  He would give a word of counsel here or there.  I went through a few challenging years there and had in President Sweeney not just a Priesthood leader but a dear friend who loved me and my family.  He always lifted and inspired and strengthened.  There were many times when his sweet wife DeAnne would come in and visit with Dave Thompson and I in the Stake offices just to see how President was doing.  We had many good times.  When I was out of work for a time they hired me to paint their house and despite the fact that my experience wasn't extreme they paid me very good money to do the job.  I am sure they could have paid someone a lot less but they knew we had needs and they gave me work. 

When you serve with a Stake President you get to watch him in action as he serves the members.  As his secretary I got to call and set up appointments for him.  I doing so I knew of many who he visited with to strengthen and to uplift.  What I set up was only a small portion of those he ministered to personally.  He would seek out those he was impressed to visit and would minister to them as well.  I will never forget the day he came and sought me out.  It was after Rachel had gone and I was at church with the kids.  For some reason that day the kids had all gone to primary and I was able to attend the Gospel Doctrine class.  I looked up from where I was sitting and there in the doorway was President Sweeney who motioned for me to come.  He knew the pain I was in and the struggle I was having and he came to find me and to strengthen my feeble knees.  We had a good conversation and in the end he gave me a blessing.  It was a testimony to me that the Lord knows who we are, he knows our needs and he will send help. 

I can't tell you how much I love Karl and DeAnne Sweeney.  They are wonderful and some of my most favorite people in this life.  What was my surprise when I was clearing a table in the LBH, looked up and saw them walking down the sidewalk and into the shop.  What a joyful reunion for me.  They were only there for an hour or so and enjoyed lunch.  I was working but took some time to visit with them, okay I took some time a few times.  I was so happy to see them and had the opportunity to introduce them to my parents.  It was a great day for me.  When they left I picked up their plates and took them back to the kitchen.  I got a little emotional as I thought about how much they mean to me.  When I say dear friends, these are some of the dearest.  It made my day and filled my heart with gladness. 

3 P's, or 4

Today I had the pleasure of attending a meeting that I no longer know what they call it.  It used to be SEOP, then it was SEP - still is SEP at the elementary but at the middle school it is something entirely different.  Anyhow, it was a conference at the middle school with Natty and her advisor.  I sat there dumbfounded wondering what the heck is going through Natty's head.  She does good work.  Her grades are excellent on the things that she turns in.  The problem is that she fails to turn in so many assignments that the overall grade is not so good.  Oh my goodness.  I am doing what I can to try and emphasize the importance of turning in our work but she seems much more interested right now in the social aspect of school that she places no value in the academic side.  So yes, it was a great pleasure to visit the school today.  We will get this corrected.  I have had to restrict her from a few things but it has to happen. 

So after our visit to the school we went back to The Little Brick House to help close up the shop.  We visited about some things before we went in.  I am going to note one or two of those thoughts here but will also expand a bit more on some other thoughts.  Well call it the P's.  Originally I titled this  3 P's though I have had at least one additional P come to mind so I may have to change it. 

The first P is for Prophets.  I have a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and believe that we are blessed with modern day Prophets and Apostles.  I sustain President Thomas S. Monson as the Lord's Prophet on the Earth today.  I know that as we follow the Prophet we are following the Savior and we are doing the things that the Lord would have us do.  I also know that following a Prophet of God is not always easy, it is not always the popular thing to do.  It may require us to be different, to be in the minority, to be scoffed at or belittled.  Those things may happen but it doesn't matter, following the Prophet of God is always right.  I wish that I were perfect in my desire to follow the Prophet but no doubt I come up short.  I do hope that despite my weaknesses and my failures that my children are strengthened and that their testimonies of the Lord and his Prophet are built on a solid foundation. 

The next three P's are Patriarch, Priesthood and Protection.  I am the Patriarch of our home and as such I have a sacred responsibility to lead my family in righteousness.  That is not a responsibility that I can take lightly.  I have three children entrusted to my care and though there are times when I feel overwhelmed, when I feel inadequate and when I struggle I know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and is aware of me.  I  have felt that reassurance many times of the last few years.  I don't believe that those feelings come just by chance.  I have made decisions that help me to honor the Priesthood which I bear, decisions that help me to draw closer to the Savior and help me find strength to persevere and press forward when times are challenging.  Through that Priesthood there is Protection for my family.  I truly believe that.  I shared with Natty some of the struggles I had when it became just me and the kids while living in Florida.  There were some challenges with Church and there were many Sundays when I really did not want to go.  It would have been so much easier to stay home and not deal with the embarrassment of a failed marriage, with the challenges that existed with Jack and Andy at the time.  In my mind there was some pretty strong opposition to going to church and enduring what seemed like three hours of hell.  Alas I knew that we needed to be there, I needed to be the Patriarch of the home and lead my family to where they should be.  And so each week we went.  Each week was a challenge but we went with faith that the Lord would strengthen us.  I believe that he did.  I drew near to the Lord in certain things and He drew near to me. 

Well, I've rambled there some.  I hope what I have written makes sense.  There were other thoughts and I might have to come back to this and further develop some things but I think I am going to close now.  

S E P's

Twice a year here in the good old Iron County School District they have what they call SEP weeks.  SEP stands for Student Education Plan - or at least I think that is what it stands for.  I have to say I appreciate Jack and Andy's teachers, I appreciate all who work hard to make South Elementary a successful place as well as Cedar Middle School and the efforts put forth there.  Now, while I think it is good to meet face to face with the teacher I don't know that I really gathered information from these visits that I couldn't have gotten in a quick email.  I don't know.  I don't mean to be a boob or negative but it takes a lot of time not only for the parents but also for the teachers.  I also don't really know how much was done by way of a Student Education Plan.  There wasn't a whole lot of planning happening.  This was more of a performance review.  In fact to be more accurate we should drop SEP and rename it SPR or Student Performance Review.  I thought we kind of accomplished this back when I was a kid with what we commonly referred to as a report card.  Well, it is what it is.  I have done two out of three and that third one should be done tomorrow.  I can report that the boys are doing well.  We will see how Natty is doing tomorrow.  Well, that was a most exciting entry I am sure.   

Messages

First, if you read yesterdays entry and came across a word that didn't quite fit, my apologies.  It has been corrected.  Thanks Jim for pointing it out.  Oh my goodness how embarrassing.  I was dead tired when I wrote the post and as I had mentioned using spell check I will confirm that I did that but was apparently a little too tired and replaced a misspelled corn dog with a word that, well it just didn't fit.  Sorry if my spell check negligence caused any ill feelings or sent the wrong message. 

So on the topic of messages.  I have sat in meetings the last two weeks at church and found that the lessons are all about families right now and successful marriages.  I embrace what is being taught.  It is right and true.  I have reserved making any comments though as I find myself battling negative thoughts about myself and my worthiness to even speak on the subject.  Some might say that there isn't any reason for me to have those feelings.  I understand what you are saying but I also carry with me experience that many of my peers in the church do not share.  That experience remains the most difficult of my life and I find that I have not yet healed.  Those feelings of inadequacy exist.  The fact that I am divorced speaks failure in my mind when the topic of successful marriage comes up.  What else could come to my mind? 

A little over two years ago I had the experience while fasting and praying for strength to heal when I received the impression that I had been given these experiences for a reason and that I needed to share.  Perhaps I need to remember that and keep it in the forefront of my mind when I have thoughts of unworthiness marching in. 

In Gospel Principles today my good friend Jason Murray shared an experience his family was having and what he said took faith.  It took trusting in the Lord and acting on an impression.  His thoughts were in regards to the roles of fathers and mothers.  He shared his feelings of inadequacy as he has had to be home for health reasons while his sweet wife runs their business.  Anyhow, he discussed his shortcomings as he tried to manage the house, not so much in his ability to have the house in order but in the way that he went about it and his failures to provide what only a mom can provide.  I can relate.  I know that as hard as I try to keep this house together and to take care of these kiddos there are some things that they can only get from mother.  It is those things that I lack and fail to provide that I trust the Lord to provide. 

Mini Corndogs

Is corn dogs one word?  I don't have any clue right at the moment and it is late and I'm tired and I'm not going to bother looking it up.  I guess when I spell check this post I will know. 

A few minutes ago I was kneeling bedside in the boys room, holding Andy's hands as he was going to sleep and I was saying my prayer.  Things were pretty quiet it the room.  No other sound but the fish tank making it's usual pump and filter noise.  Suddenly and without warning Jack starts to laugh hysterically and says something.  I didn't understand what he said so he slowed down and laughingly said "I put my mini corn dogs in the wrong cart".  "Yes you did" I replied, "that was pretty funny".  We laughed and Andy wanted to know what we were laughing about so I explained that while we were shopping Jack picked up some mini corn dogs and while putting them in the cart discovered that he picked the wrong cart.  It couldn't have been more right though.  The guy pushing the cart thought it was quite funny and he and Jack had a good laugh and quick conversation about mini corn dogs.  I appreciate people who are able to roll with certain things.  

Little Will

The boys decided they wanted to eat at Del Taco for dinner.  I'm guessing it was for their play land more than their food.  So yes, we were there in the play land when this mom and her little boy came in.  They were just passing through town on their way home to California from a visit to Denver.  They really needed some non car time.  We knew exactly how it felt.  Anyhow, her boys name was Will and he was having a hard time climbing up the play ground.  When his mother discovered he was having difficulty climbing she asked Jack if he would help Will.  He most definitely will.  It was great to see Jack in the play land thing helping this boy climb to the top.  His mom was so happy as was he, that's right, the little fella named Will was quite happy.  Jack and Andy, they were pretty happy too.  It was good to meet new folks and to provide a little service.