Friday, September 28, 2007

Anniversary update - finally

One of the many beautiful bays around St. John Island in the US Virgin Islands. A great way to celebrate twenty years of weddedness.


These guys just twaddled around everywhere. It was such a surprise to see them touring the neighborhood. Not your neighbor's dog, that's for sure.



I realized two of my life goals when we traveled to the British Virgin Isle of Tortola. 1.) I got my passport stamped. 2.) I swam with the dolpins. They were named Atlas and Zeus. When's the last time you spent time with two guys named that?



Friday Night Lights

I watched Carston for the umpteenth time play with the band, but I always come away thinking he is SO cool. The link below should show you "Tactical". He's one mean marimba!!

http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1c9fdab01d1be692/0fd7f9d60716db94

Friday, September 7, 2007

Shoeless Landon and the Power of Prayer

Each morning I get up at 4:50 to get ready for Seminary. In the past, throwing on a sweatsuit and dropping the boys off did not require such dedication, but now that it takes a little more time to put on a dress and the face to match. It's been very rewarding and challenging so far to meet with the youth each day and try to somehow give them a glimpse of the Spirit and inspire in them a love for the scriptures.

Sometimes it is even more challenging to arrive back home AFTER seminary and be greeted by three half-dressed children, or in Lauren's case, a fully dressed child wearing Batman pajama shorts and a stained "shark" shirt which are for some reason her favorite. Anyway, this morning Landon had only one shoe. We have a shoe rack by the door, but apparently the shoes did not make it there. So, he proceeded to wander aimlessly throughout the house looking for this shoe as I instructed Bowen to change the shirt he wore yesterday and Lauren to lose the shark shirt and the Batman pants, AGAIN.

In my head I'm praying, "Dear God, Please help me.." because I lack patience, of course. Landon dug through the pile of dirty clothes in his room for the umpteenth time and I finally said, "I think it's time for you to pray" and I continued making lunches and messing with Lauren's hair. Landon disappeared briefly and then I saw him limp around the house with his one shoe one more time. I asked him had he prayed? Yes. Well, what are you going to do? His reply - I don't know. So, I ask, would you like some suggestions? He answered - No. OH. This is where I usually offer them anyway, but today...was different. I let him be. A few minutes later he beelined for his room and proclaimed, "I found it!!" What had happened? The Spirit had prompted him to remember where he had last seen the shoe and that it had fallen behind the dresser.

A recent seminary lesson taught that Moses "calling upon God, he received strength". He of course was facing a much more dire situation than an impatient Mom and a lost shoe. But what a testimony that Heavenly Father loves us enough to answer even those smallest prayers! I asked Landon what he had learned about prayer. His answer - That when we pray the Holy Ghost will help us. The perfect seminary lesson.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

The First and the Last

The first day of school for the last of our children. Not only has our first child left the nest for an extended period of time, but our last has left for the vast world that school provides for 5 year olds! I think I'm growing up!

What's so funny is that by Thursday, Lauren was thoroughly exhausted by her new experiences and begged me (in between sobs) to let her stay home - it was too long and she didn't want to go. How guilty I felt taking her to school that day. But when Grandma called later and asked Lauren how she liked school THEN she loved it! I'm so glad they forget the traumatic things of life so easily and recover so quickly. How easy it is for children to remain positive and what a great example for me!!