Headaches

I have been battling headaches over the last few days.  Not quite sure what the deal is but my goodness.  These are not major throbbing headaches but more of a subtle, nagging type.  What can you do?  Sometimes we just have to press forward when we really don't feel all that great.  Sometimes we just need to have a nap.  I think that might just be where I am at the moment.  I need a good long nap. 

It just occurred to me that my back has been hurting over the last few days as well.  I have been standing and working on a pricing project for the last few days.  I built this excel file that should be a pretty fantastic tool for tracking product costs and how they effect each sandwich and over all profitability.  I think it is a pretty good tool.  Anyhow, my back has been sore from standing and working on that and now I am curious if there is a direct connection with the headaches.  Perhaps my eyes are starting to go?  Dang it.  I have no idea.  I guess if the problem persists I will have to find out because these headaches kind of stink.  Is this just part of getting older?  This advancing age thing can be a real headache. 

A Mean Man?

The boys and I got home tonight after helping my dear friends clean the floors of their home that they just moved out of, picking up some surprise fish for the boys fish tank, looking at remote control airplanes and enjoying one anothers company only to learn that somebody who doesn't know our family believes that I am a mean father.  Natty has been bothered by some things that were said by one of the young women in the ward about me and also about her.  I really have no idea what was actually said or if anything really was said.  What I do know is that it caused me to reflect on how I treat my family.  Do I act in a way that would cause someone to believe that I am a mean man?  I seriously don't believe that I do.  Am I strict?  Well, yes.  I have to be but I am not an abusive or mean strict.  I do my very best to exercise patience.  I rarely use any form of physical discipline, meaning spankings.  I can't even remember the last time I had to spank anyone.  I do get a little cranky now and again when it is bed time and the kiddos are dragging their feet.  I do get a little cranky when they are fighting with each other.  I do my best not to yell at the kids but there are occasions that call for a louder voice.  I don't know exactly where I am out of line or what I am doing to cause someone to decide that I am mean.  I realize that I shouldn't let this bother me and so I will do my best to let it go.  We come to know someone by the fruits of their labors.  I hope that the things that I do and the way that I conduct my life would produce fruits that would help people understand what is in my heart.  I hope that my own children feel my love for them and that they do not see me as mean. Well, what can I do?  I will not please everyone all of the time.  I will however, do my very best to conduct myself in a manner that would be pleasing to my Heavenly Father.  Certainly there are times in my life when I fall short of the example of the Savior and I am ever grateful for his loving Atonement that makes it possible for me to overcome those short falls and imperfections of my life.    

The Slow Stick

Dan told me about a remote control airplane yesterday called The Slow Stick.  It is a relatively inexpensive RC plane and a very good plane to learn with.  At the Blue and Gold Banquet tonight for scouts  I was having a hard time getting Jack to come out of the nursery.  I'm not really sure how he managed to find himself in the nursery but there he was with a fixed determination that he was there to stay.  When Jack sets his mind to something it can be a challenge to persuade him otherwise.  I was struggling with Jack and was at a loss for words when "tell him about the slow stick" popped in to my head.  We talked a bit about the slow stick.  I told him the basics that had been shared with me and my goodness, that boy lit up.  He is so excited about this plane that I could not contain him.  We left the nursery and he got busy spreading the word, telling everybody about the slow stick.  The small amount of detail I had given to him  was elaborated on and shared in much greater detail with anyone who would listen to him.  Fantastic.  We were able to search The Slow Stick on google and find a few good links.  There was a video demonstrating the flying capabilities and Jack was very interested.  He is now an expert on The Slow Stick and will be happy to fill you in should you need any information .

A Plus B Equals C

I had a wonderful morning working on taping up windows in preparation to paint them for use in The Little Brick House as our menu board.  While I measured, cut and taped on paper I listened to a few conference talks from last October.  It is good to listen to inspired words from our church leaders.  I appreciate the guidance and direction received through them.  I shared one of the talks in our FHE tonight:  I Know It, I Live It, I Love It.  Natty said that was one of her favorite talks and so we listened and learned.  We talked about a few things  and it was a good conversation.  My friend Jason Murray had shared some thoughts on that talk yesterday in Church.  It was part of our lesson in Elder's Quorum and he compared it to math.  A + B = C  or I Know It + I Live It = I Love It.   We can know the gospel is true and not live it or we can live the gospel without really knowing it.  In either case we don't fully appreciate or love the gospel.  When we know that it is true and we live it to the best of our abilities then we begin to love it, to understand it more fully, to receive a full measure of joy.   Let me close by saying I'm a Mormon.  I know it, I live it, I love it.  

Why Journal?

Every night when I open up the blogger, well most nights, the nights when I am home on the computer and I open up the blogger I see the blog and it shows how many total page views, how many posts and it has a graph thing that indicates page views for the day.  I don't usually pay much attention to it, it just happens to be there.  The total number of page views stood out to me just now and I figured I would mention it.  As of right now my blog has had 15,000 page views.  That is a bit crazy.  I certainly hope it has been a positive thing for any who have read it.  I don't know that I always have a wonderful message and really that isn't what this blog is.  This is my journal that after many years of handwritten journals that no one can read I transferred to an electronic journal in the form of a blog.  I certainly never imagined people would tap into it and read what I have to record about thoughts and feelings and happenings in my life.  I hope it serves to lift, to inspire and to strengthen any who read it.  Most importantly is that I hope it inspires my children and posterity. I write it so that they will have some understanding of who I am.  I write in hopes that they will know of my love for the Lord and my testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Like Nephi, I write so that they, meaning my children, will know to which source they may look for a remission of their sins.  I write by way of invitation in my Patriarchal Blessing that I keep a journal of my life.  I hope that it is of worth to someone.  I find that keeping a record of my life serves as a great blessing in my life and helps me strive to do good, to do the best that I can as I struggle to follow the example of the Savior. 

 

Seven Young Ladies Laughing

Yesterdays post was an official declaration that we indeed had a teen in the house.  Today was said teens official celebration with friends.  In fact there were seven young ladies laughing it up and goofing around this house for several hours.   The party ended at 7, at least that was what I was told, the after party continued until the last guest finally left at 10.  I was practically kicking her out of the house.  The boys were beyond done and I had reached my limits with party time.  8 hours of teen aged girls is a lot.  They were actually quite good and all seemed to have an enjoyable time.  There was no bickering or fighting just getting a long and lots of laughing. 

I do have to say I wasn't quite sure what the attraction was with being outside but we were getting hit by a pretty good snow storm and they all wanted to be outside.  They ran over to the school and were playing there and ran around the block or something.  One of the girls wanted to go by the house of a boy she has a crush on.  Somethings you just have to tread through snow for. 

Well, I am wiped out.  I just woke up with my finger on the the d key.  I started erasing by way of holding down the backspace key.  That seemed to be fine except that two minutes had past and I was making no progress.  I must have been out for a while.  That said, I am closing now and heading to bed.  Perhaps I will hear seven young ladies laughter ringing in my head...
 

Official Teen

Today Natalie turned thirteen.  I don't quite know where the last thirteen years have gone.  Hard to believe that it has been that many years since our little Sue Bug came into our lives.  What a wonderful daughter she is.  I rely a great deal on her to help out at home while I am at work.  I know that it is a lot and for the most part she does it without complaint.  Thank you for that sweet Natty Sue.  Thank you for your strength of character, your love for your brothers, your love for the Lord and your desires to do good, to serve.  I hope this year is an excellent one and that there are many more years of excellence to come.