New Glasses

Tessa had her prescription reevaluated a few weeks ago.  It didn't change very much, so slight, in fact, that getting new glasses was optional.  We opted to get some because I like having a back up pair and I didn't really love her other glasses ( they were a baby size--the only size and style the optician recommended for fitting well that were different from Greta's.)

When we went up to Moran to pick them out, she actually had 5 options that would fit her.  (What was luxury for us!!)  The reason she wanted these was because they had sparkly ear pieces.  When we told her those would be cut off and replaced with a cable, she immediately said, "Then I want them because they have hearts."  It was quite funny.  The other feature Tessa required, was that they were to be pink.  Greta has pink glasses, Tessa's were purple.  And most of this past year we heard it over and over about how that was all wrong because Tessa's favorite color is pink and Greta's is purple. Tessa told me a couple of weeks ago, "I was too shy when I got my glasses to tell Ellen that I wanted pink, but this time I am not."  So pink they are!  (Although, wire frames are really hard to detect colors unless you are really close.) These glasses were not my first choice, but I love them so so so much more than her old ones--so I'm happy too!

When Ellen went to measure the pupil distance, she had grown quite a bit---so new glasses were really a necessity to accommodate the growth.  Because of the prescription and pupil location change, she has to readjust all over again.  After a few days of wearing them, she seemed to be doing very well, so I got out her old glasses and asked her to read something far away.  She said she could see it much better in her older pair.  She'll get it, I just thought her adjustment would be quicker this time around.  (With far-sightedness, they have to train their eyes to see with the correction.)  But I'm so loving her bigger girl look!

And I guess I should get a picture of these hearts that were so important to her!

Halloween

Fun Halloween times!

Pumpkin carving:

Dressing up:  

Why did I not get a picture of Chandler and Caleb?  Oops!  Tessa says Chan was a 'coacher'.  (He was a BYU coach.)  Caleb and friends were all dressed in different solid colors.  Caleb was the purple guy--purple pants, shirt, shoes (duct taped), hat and mask (that he just carried around since they aren't allowed at school).  I didn't see them all together, but I he said it was awesome.

Greta as Minnie Mouse

Tessa as Cindrella

These sisters love each other!

Tessa insisted on a 'bundle' like Cindrella.  She has so little hair, it looked a bit odd, but she was happy!

In the morning on Halloween, Tessa had the idea to give thank you notes to everyone who gave her candy.  I devised a simple card she would have the stamina to put quite a few together.  She colored pumpkins, cut them out, glued them on 1/2 of an index card.  Then she stamped "thanks" on them.  Two got her handwritten name on the back, then she tired out so I filled in on the signature.  I thought it was so sweet!

Cutting

Our current collection of Paper dolls!

 Tessa has been very behind on her fine motor skills since she couldn't see for so long.  About the end of September the girls and I found this awesome site for paperdolls.  They were in love!  $300 in paper and ink later (perhaps a slight exaggeration :), we have improved cutting and coloring drastically.  The teacher in me is so relieved!  

Cutting and coloring --- end of September

Coloring and cutting --- early November
 (Is she consistently this good?  No, but, we are still working on her patience level also. . .)

Greta has also improved coloring and  has learned to cut.  Not bad for a two year old!

Remembering Katie (Please Help!)

A year ago on October 26, my sister, Katie, was told she had 3-6 months left to live.  She lived 3 weeks. My emotions have been stronger than expected as very vivid memories of those final three weeks have returned. I'm so thankful I was able to be a small part of her last days (If interested, see here, here and here.  See the funeral link here.)  I find it interesting that earlier this week I thought that I still had plenty of time to pull this post together.  Then yesterday it hit like lightning--I don't have a lot of time.  The time that she lived after that news was so so short.  This project suddenly jumped to the top of my to do list.

One of Katie's gifts to those she loved was sending notes that cheered and blessed and brightened.  One of the tasks she put me in charge of when I arrived to help during her last week was to finish up cards.  She had a long list of people to write to.  She had some cards designed, but had not assembled them; I finished them for her.  Then very laboriously she wrote or dictated (both were very hard for her) what they should say. (Because her handwriting had declined, she also asked me to rewrite the notes she had written.)  Sending these cards out were top priority on her 'things to do before I die' list.  This wasn't just something she wanted to do because she was near the end of her life, making cards and sending notes was a pattern that was consistent throughout her life.  In fact, she left a fairly large box of cards she had made over the years ready for use when she needed a one.  Many of us have sweet, cheerful and thankful words that she sent over the years.

In memory of her, I would like to follow her lead.  If you join me, I would be cheered. My goal is to cheer, bless and brighten, or send heartfelt thanks to at least 100 people before her death date anniversary on November 16.  I have made 100 cards to give to whomever wants them. (If you would like to send one of your own instead of using mine, that would be fantastic also.)  All you need to do is leave a comment or send me an email to receive cards. Then send me your mailing address (unless you are local) either to my real email address or my fake address:  chart@utwire.net.  

I have 3 card options you can choose from (click to enlarge):

This is the Message Card.
There are about 5 different pattern papers this card is made from.
I will customize a message on the cover for you.  "thinking of you"
"thank you"  "sending cheer"  etc.  Just let me know.

This is the Thank You Card.

This is the Ruffle Card.

As I was working on these cards Tessa asked what I was doing.  Once she understood what I was doing, (at first she thought I was selling them) she insisted that she make some too.  And so then of course, Greta had to join in.  I helped them quite a bit, but they did a fair amount, including picking papers and ribbons.  I know these cards will likely not be the first to go, but they were probably made with more love than mine.  (I did put a small note on the back that they were made by the girls and their ages.)   Here is the design of the girls' cards.  All are a bit different.

I will put a post below this one so you can see what cards are available.  Sign up for as many as you want just as long as you can send them off before November 16th.  I will mail or deliver cards with envelopes starting next Monday (October 31).  Thank you for joining me on this endeavor to honor Katie.

Thank you, thank you for your wonderful response!!  My cards are all gone, so if you didn't get cards, please send some anyway in honor of Katie.  Her legacy lives on! Together we ended up sending over 160 cards--at least the ones that I heard about! Thank you again!

Forty

A few weeks ago I got this card in the mail.

I laughed out loud, especially given that my brother-in-law, Dennis had sent it.

But when I read it, I cried. Katie had bought it for me.  How nice of her to think of me ahead of time.  (and for Dennis being organized enough to remember and get it sent!)

So what did I do as I sped past that milestone?

My wonderful husband had thought and thought (although, probably not very hard because he is very smart :) about what I would like to do on that day.  And then he planned accordingly.

He arranged for a sitter so we could out to breakfast and then to the temple. Not much could be better in my opinion. 

It was such a good temple visit.  While there, I contemplated,  reflected and pondered.  How have I done on my journey in mortality thus far?  Am I where I should be?   Am I progressing sufficiently?  Am I spending my time and other resources on the things that matter most?  Is my life acceptable before God?  Those were hard questions.  I concluded that while I'm so very far from where Heavenly Father needs me to be, He has definitely made much more out of my life than I would have by myself.   That was a satisfying conclusion. I also committed the remainder of my life to Him.  I will do my best to serve Him.  

After the temple I went and got a much needed haircut.  While I got my haircut, Tom picked up my 'cake'--a dozen cookies from Smart Cookie.  (Yay!  So much better than a cake!)  Then we came home for lunch because I had so many left overs I wanted to get rid of.  We were just heading out to go shopping for a few new clothes when we got a call from Caleb.  He was on the bus on his way to a XC meet and he couldn't find his spikes (shoes for the race).  So we headed over to the high school where he left them and Tom looked in both of his lockers, around the gym and other places Caleb directed, until he found them---in a friend's truck.  By that time it was time for us to leave for the race so shopping was postponed.  After the race, I went to the RS's Fabulous Friday and helped people make cards.

Later in the week, we eventually got out shopping.  Tom wanted to get me a new Sunday outfit but I talked him into some frumpy mom clothes. (They make the work that I love and do everyday so much easier.) He wanted me to get more, but I wanted to save money so we ended at that. (It was for my birthday, after all!  And he already had got me some new blinds for my back door and a canvas to paint.)

Here's to many more years of learning and growing and happiness!

Cross Country

Caleb is part of an amazing Cross Country team.  I love going to meets.  It really is fun to see them race.  The varsity is a nationally ranked team--moving from 34th in the pre-season up to 2nd as of last rankings. (See here; then here is the team blog.) The JV team is also very good--at regionals last week, that team had a perfect score (having the first 5 runners)--Caleb came in 2nd.   I love to see Caleb help his team be successful. All so exciting!

Caleb is in the white.  This picture is from
a race where the JV team ran in a varsity race.

That said, it has been a season of ups and downs for Caleb.  He started off the season strong, placing well enough in the pre-region race to qualify for the varsity team at the next meet.  During that week, he had a fairly major reaction to a medication and had to be put on a steroid to get the hives under control. The next meet was at the hardest course in Utah--Soldier Hollow.  It is all hills with very little level running the whole race.  Caleb was near the finish and had pretty good placement for this course and his first varsity race, when he hyperventilated and fell--twice (maybe 100 ft from the finish--but I'm terrible with length estimates).  It possibly was related to the medication, but it also could have been lack of hydration or gritting his teeth so he didn't get enough oxygen.  For whatever reason, (perhaps some mental) since then he has really struggled with his health.  He says his muscles have felt like jelly and has been very weak at the end of races and practices, where at the beginning of the season he felt much stronger.  So while he has still placed decently in the JV races, they have been quite disappointing because he has led the races until the last mile, then only being able to come up with a 2nd or 3rd placement.  We've tried some series of iron, multivitamins and protein and think we've finally come up with a combination that is making at least a bit of a difference for him.  (Hopefully!)

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Even with all of that, this Cross County--ing is a love-hate relationship for me. *Deep Sigh*  It takes so much time to be a nationally ranked team.  Mornings.  Nights.  Weekends.  Holidays. Day in and day out.  All year round.  It is so good for him.  I don't deny that.  The discipline. . .influence of a good coach. . .too busy to get in trouble (not that he would, but this commitment makes it near impossible). . . friendships with other disciplined kids. .  .health benefits. . . to name a few.  But our family really sacrifices every day so that he can be part of this team.  It changes dynamics significantly.  My day is often carved around his needs so I can help him be successful with XC and his school work (which is really my top priority).   I'm okay with sacrifices.  I really am.  The thing I struggle with is whether this is the best thing (you know, the good, better, best talk?).  He has had to miss YM's from time to time.  His school work suffers a bit.  He has little time for service in or out of the family (Elder Oaks calls service within the family: chores.).  On the day of service, he was at practice while many ward and stake members were cleaning a trail that they frequently run on.  Many kids have invited him to help with Eagle projects and been unable.  Meeting the request of Elder Bednar in the last conference is going to be quite a stretch for him, if even possible.  I'm convinced that service is necessary to produce an unselfish teenager.   Finding balance has been difficult. So I worry. He has my full support. And I've had a confirmation that this is what he should be doing.  That should be enough to put the worries in my heart to rest.  Elder Andersen says time and truth are on my side. Faith not fear.  Be still little worries. He'll still be a contributing, serving adult and a good husband and father.  Thanks for listening to my little self pep talk. 

RS Message

The first Sunday of  October, our Relief Society President wanted to have a meeting where all RS sisters could attend and be inspired to learn from the new book Daughters in My Kingdom.  She had the RS, YW and Primary Presidents speak.  Louise, the RS president, spoke on what we could learn from the book.  Cheryl, the YW president, spoke on the World Wide Circle of Sisters.  I loved how she pointed out that no matter which hallway we served in within the ward, we were all connected through the RS.  The same is true outside of our ward.  I was asked to speak on living up to our privileges.  Here are my notes:  (these are for my records, don't feel obligated to read!)

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There once was a man whose lifelong dream was to board a cruise ship and sail the Mediterranean Sea. He dreamed of walking the streets of Rome, Athens, and Istanbul. He saved every penny until he had enough for his passage. Since money was tight, he brought an extra suitcase filled with cans of beans, boxes of crackers, and bags of powdered lemonade, and that is what he lived on every day.

He would have loved to take part in the many activities offered on the ship—working out in the gym, playing miniature golf, and swimming in the pool. He envied those who went to movies, shows, and cultural presentations. And, oh, how he yearned for only a taste of the amazing food he saw on the ship—every meal appeared to be a feast! But the man wanted to spend so very little money that he didn’t participate in any of these. He was able to see the cities he had longed to visit, but for the most part of the journey, he stayed in his cabin and ate only his humble food.

On the last day of the cruise, a crew member asked him which of the farewell parties he would be attending. It was then that the man learned that not only the farewell party but almost everything on board the cruise ship—the food, the entertainment, all the activities—had been included in the price of his ticket. Too late the man realized that he had been living far beneath his privileges.

The question this parable raises is, are we as Relief Society sisters living below our privileges when it comes to the gifts, and blessings that are our opportunity and right as daughters in God’s kingdom? (story from talk by President Uchtdorf; adapted to apply to RS)

My assigned topic is living up to our privileges. What does this mean?

As I've sought to understand what it means to live up to our privileges, an analogy has been presented to my mind. Each of my children have certain privileges they enjoy and certain privileges that are withheld. For example:

Greta (2 years old) has earned the privileges of feeding herself, making a few limited choices on what to eat, sleeping in a bed she can get out herself. She does not have the privilege of wearing underwear or being left in a bathroom unattended.

Tessa (4) has the privilege of wearing underwear, and being able to go in the backyard whenever she wants. She does not have the privileges of being in the front yard by herself. She is not allowed to pour milk by herself, cook or do laundry by herself.

Chandler (11) has all of the privileges his sisters have. He can also come and go more freely than the younger two, but he is not allowed to drive or cook without supervision.

Caleb (16) is earning the privilege of driving; he can cook, but he does not have the privilege of going places without answering in detail to: who, what, where, when, why and how.

Over the years Cache has earned many privileges and now has gained the full privileges that I can give. But it also has come with more responsibility. He is enjoying the freedom young adulthood brings, but he now has to cook, clean, do laundry and pay his own way.

Privileges expand as we learn, take on greater responsibilities and obey. They expand as we grow into our responsibilities. So, how do I grow into the privileges Heavenly Father will grant to me? I need to learn and then do my duties. This RS book can help! Some are outlined on pages 21, 51, 115, 123 for specific ideas, other duties are within the pages and some will be presented to my mind as I read. While these are things I must take responsibility for, they are ultimately the things that I can do to have a better life. Think of my little Greta never earning the privilege to wear underwear. Her life will be better when she eventually takes on that responsibility—and it is something that will bless her life ever more, even if she forgets that privilege is hers.  Right now, she doesn't even comprehend what privilege awaits her and how much better that will make her life.   

As we learn from this RS book and learn and grow in our roles as RS sisters, our lives will improve. Taking on greater responsibility can seem daunting, but we each can pray to know our path and how to fulfill the responsibilities we each have. Our lives do not have to all the be same--what is right for one, may not be the answer for another. As we act on what we receive, we will be living up to our privileges and angels, guidance and Heavenly help cannot be held back.

To paraphrase a few tidbits from the last chapter: We live up to our privilege by fulfilling God's purposes for us. Relief Society helps us know our purpose. Through Relief Society, we receive a vision and assurance of our identity as daughters of God (see p 171) God loves us and has grand purposes for us to fulfill. The Lord has endowed us with an innate desire to serve and bless others, and He has entrusted us with a sacred responsibility to use our gifts to help save His children. (p 171-172) Daughters of God live up to their privilege by following in the footsteps of those who came before and acted in faith. To live up to our privileges is laying aside the problems and temptations that beset us and run the race the Lord has given us.

What are these privileges that I'll receive as I fulfill my responsibilities?  To name just a few:

It is my privilege to know I am loved unconditionally by God. It is my privilege to have help with my problems. It is my privilege to know how to meet the responsibilities I have. It is my privilege to have opportunities to serve. It is my privilege to save lives with my nurturing influence.

To paraphrase/quote President Uchtdorf again: As you read the scriptures and listen to the words of the prophets with all your heart and mind, the Lord will tell you how to live up to your privileges as God's daughter.

I testify that as we learn our duties, and fulfill our God-given responsibilities, the powers of heaven will not be held back--they cannot be. Help will come in so many ways. To repeat Joseph Smith “The angels cannot be restrained from being your associates. If we are pure, nothing can hinder.”

Teacher Appreciation

We gave this thank you card to our Primary teachers on the day of the Program.  We printed them at Costco as a 4x6 photo and simply taped on a Butterfinger candy bar (we added an 's' with a marker on the candy bar to make it say Butterfingers).  Very easy!  You are welcome to use it if you would like (Primary or otherwise--let me know--it would be very easy to take out the Primary Presidency signature.).  If you need a higher quality image than what you can download here, email me and I'll send you one.  chart@utwire.net

Caleb's Birthday

Our busy teenager turned 16!

For his birthday meal he wanted Tiny Spicy Chicken and Homemade Panda Express Chow Mein (I'm working on the latter recipe; it still needs lots of tweaks, so I haven't posted it yet.)  He wanted a German Chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.  I also offered to make something to take to his Cross Country team after practice that day--he chose cinnamon rolls.  So I was in the kitchen all day!  By the time dinner rolled around, I had ran the dishwasher 3 times!  But I was a very popular mom (read:  it made Caleb extremely happy) for the delivery of hot cinnamon rolls to AFHS on a cold day.  So it was all worth it.

Caleb is a great kid!  Of course we don't get out of experiencing normal teenage mood swings, but for the most part Caleb is a happy kid.  He often concerns himself with the needs of his siblings (especially the girls) above his own.  He works hard to keep his grades up even though he is so busy with Cross Country.  Just an example of his good nature:  He has been in need of new underwear and so I got some and wrapped some up with his birthday gifts.  Instead of a selfish, ungrateful, grumpy reaction that he could have given, he said "Yeeessss!" and was genuinely grateful for the gift.  He also got money to go toward a XC trip, a white shirt and some running gear.  We're so glad to have  him part of our family!  

Piled Up!

This past weekend we had:
*Two birthdays
*A cross country meet
*The RS Craft night--I designed cards for this and sisters signed up for more than 250 cards
*A baptism (for a Primary child)
*Primary Program practice (with ice cream sundaes for all the kids)
*Company who came for the football game
*BYU football game
*Intense work on a big school project Caleb has due on Wednesday
*Chandler had a wintery day camp (so it was necessary to retrieve snow clothes from the attic at 5:45 am!)
*Primary Program
*Sharing Time
*Spoke in RS (where all sisters met so we had to arrange for Primary subs for all sisters)
*Caleb's ordination, and company and dinner for that

I'm glad the weekend is over.  I crashed after everyone left (for 15 minutes) then got up and went to a Court of Honor and got Cache back to BYU.

Perhaps a few details about some of these happenings will be forthcoming.  Right now I'm too tired to think. . .but yay! we made it through with only one smallish moment of feeling like I wasn't going to survive.  Thanks to everyone who helped me navigate smoothly through such a busy few days!  You are the best!

Elder Maxwell Quotes

This wonderful post has been lost in my drafts folder. . .wonder why I never hit publish!

During some of the harder times of my life I became a student of Elder Maxwell. Recently I've turned back to him finding much needed strength in his thoughts.  Maybe you will enjoy them as well.

"Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best—better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His. We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable."

"The submission of one's will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God's altar. The many other things we 'give' are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us."

"If, in the end, you have not chosen Jesus Christ it will not matter what you have chosen."

"Faith in God includes Faith in God's timing."

"Just as doubt, despair, and desensitization go together, so do faith, hope, and charity. The latter, however, must be carefully and constantly nurtured, whereas despair, like dandelions, needs so little encouragement to sprout and spread. Despair comes so naturally to the natural man!"

"Patient endurance permits us to cling to our faith in the Lord and our faith in His timing when we are being tossed about by the surf of circumstance. Even when a seeming undertow grasps us, somehow, in the tumbling, we are being carried forward, though battered and bruised."

I testify that He is utterly incomparable in what He is, what He knows, what He has accomplished and what He has experienced. Yet, movingly, He calls us His Friends"

"Ultimate hope and daily grumpiness are not reconcilable."

"Within what is allotted to us, we can have spiritual contentment."

"Patience is...clearly not fatalistic, shoulder-shrugging resignation. It is the acceptance of a divine rhythm to life; it is obedience prolonged. Patience stoutly resists pulling up the daisies to see how the roots are doing. "


So much food for thought.  So much inspiration to improve.  I'll keep trying.

Moving Day

Moving-to-college day came with more emotions than I knew what to do with. I was unprepared with how hard it is to have a child to move out. I had many a good cry for about a week.  Thankfully they have tapered off. This is good mission prep---for mom!

This organized kid had his boxes all packed and labeled when he brought them upstairs.  They were labeled: Office, Library, Janitorial Closet, Narnia, Parallel Universe and Iron Chef--all true to Cache-fashion!

So how is college life treating him? Very well!


He added and dropped classes a few times in order to create a sufficent academic challenge, but now he is loving it.  (Although he says it is way easier than high school and he has to find lots of things to do to fill his time--I think he wishes there was more school to do, yet he is nervous to add more credits his first semester because of his scholarship requirements.)  He is loving access to such a great library.  He is loving the freedom of being a young adult.  And he is loving cooking.  We stopped by after Caleb's race last Saturday to take him grocery shopping. He purchased food to make Hot stuffed Peppers, Chicken with Red Pepper and Asparagus, Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli and Cashews, Black Pepper Chicken, Ravioli Soup, Fried Rice and Fried Zucchini.  Cooking has been one of his favorite parts of college.  He is eating very well!  (His groceries were about $36, and he says these menus will feed him for a couple of weeks so  he was pretty happy about the cost too--always conservative!)


He has joined an English group, was adopted into a Physics group, and is involved with events regarding his scholarship.  His calling is FHE coordinator for his group.  His FHE agenda is as follows: Hangman, Debate, Interesting Read of the Week, and Poetry Corner (he says he is trying to encourage literacy---mostly for his over-gaming roommates!)  To a normal person, this agenda may sound a little on the boring side.  But knowing Cache, it will be hilarious and very entertaining every time.  The debate topic he told us about last week was whether or not unicorns could be other colors than white.  The arguments sounded very humorous!  (In a texting conversation, I asked him if he was planning on doing other things for FHE, his response was:  "The official agenda may be added to, but only through a rigorous vetting process.  And hey, I don't tell you how to be Primary President."  Okay, Cache, I'll give you space.)


He's been generous to send a few 'newsy' emails.  Here are a few gems from them:


~The intramural sports program does not offer intramural polo, in case you were wondering.


~My new toothbrush is a bit too aggressive for my taste, but it should mellow out soon.


~My Writing and Rhetoric book arrived yesterday from the Allen family in Ogden. They wished me luck, but I don't know why. There's no way they could have known that I'm using the book for college and not just because I wanted it.


~The subject line of one of his emails was:  "The letter to the editor titled 'Invited to a Tea Party' contained a little more than party-line rhetoric."  So did that letter, incidentally."


~The piano player in my sacrament meeting is great. He always plays the hymns 10 clicks faster than normal, so instead of taking forever to sing all four verses of "I Believe in Christ," it only takes a few minutes. Plus, he doesn't wait for a member of the bishopric to stand up before he stops playing the prelude music. He stops exactly at 1:30 and then sits down.


~I still don't know what my major is, but everyone continues to ask me anyway.


~From a text in response to me asking about the devotional this week:  "I like Elder Andersen.  He did well today.  I didn't see his Avalon, though."


Man, I miss that kid!  But, I'm thankful he is having this wonderful opportunity and I'm also thankful he is letting me still be connected to him.  All is well!

Beyond

I hesitate to post this for fear of offending the spirit. Spiritual enlightenment is not given lightly and must be guarded sacred.  But I have felt that I should share this because others can benefit from this experience.  Hopefully that will be the case.

I was driving Caleb to Cross Country practice a few weeks ago and my radio was tuned to Classical 89.  A song came on that was familiar, but I didn't know what it was.  Without any warning, I was so incredibly moved by the spirit that tears started spilling.  I've learned that during such moments, answers are given if proper questions are asked.  I started asking questions:  Why is this song so moving?  Is this song important to me?  Through a series of questions and sensed responses (that I can't exactly remember), I came to the conclusion that I was present while that song was being composed.  Once I came to that conclusion, in my mind, I suddenly envisioned a man sitting at a piano with scores open and in the background there were many other heavenly visitors watching, guiding and prompting.  And then suddenly, I knew the desired conclusion. It came so suddenly and forcefully that I even said it out loud to Caleb:  "You never know who your audience is."   It was such a powerful moment that we were both taken back by the power of it.  We need to live so that those spirits sent to surround us are not disappointed or offended, but more importantly, we need to live so that we have their help! They have so much more power to help us when we live worthy of it. What a grand and marvelous idea!  As I've pondered this since then, it has been confirmed many times that this was the desired message.  You never know who your audience is.  Live up to that privilege.

So when I came upon this little comic in the BYU magazine, I grabbed my scissors and posted it top and center on my fridge.  We have so many who are cheering us, waiting to assist us, guiding and prompting us.  I really feel that they want us to be aware of their presence.  You never know who your audience is!
Here is a link to a beautiful video with the song I heard on the radio that day---Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland.  (Incidentally, I learned later he composed most of his pieces on a piano. This one was composed in 1944.)

Quick Bits

*I love early fall weather.

*Living with kids who dress up is awesome!

*I just finished Daughter's in My Kingdom.  Ahhh.   Such a feel-good motivator.  So much inspiration.  I will definitely be revisiting often.

* I'm so sick of cooking and eating pasta.  Caleb has been having us eat it twice a week in preparation for races.  (But I've become a cross-country-loving mom, so I deal with it!)

* You know it's time to update your recipe blog when your 11 year old reminds you of your lack of love for that blog (and asks why certain favorite recipes are not there). I've just had a very busy spell.  I'm working on it. We've had a few good recipes lately, so I'm slowly getting them added.

*I guess when you are two, you can get away with eating breakfast in only a tutu.

* Chan has not liked the new education model his school adopted this year (having the same teacher all day).  I keep telling him it is good for him.

*I've been boosting 72 hour kits.  I've also rotated 3 closet's contents to get those supplies closer to an exit.  (They've been about as far away from an exit as possible in my house.)

*Tessa has been wanting to grow her hair out (we'll see how that goes. . .her hair makes a piece of paper seem bulky). But the extra few inches has caused her to need 'air conditioner', as she calls it.

*When the Primary kids memorize their Primary Program part, they get to come and get a sparkly golden key to put on their scripture reading block.  (see here)

*Dear microfiber dishrags, where have you been all my life?

*Just because I miss him. (A college-this-and-that post coming soon.)  This photo is from his Elder ordination day.

*I have a new computer and have lost bookmarks---if I have access to your private blog, can you send me your blog address? (pretty please?)

*I ordered the 'fruit lovers' option this week at Bountiful Baskets.  I'm hoping it covers my fruit buying for the week.  (I usually have to buy more than comes in a basket to keep stocked.)

*Tessa had a time out the other day before dinner but we told her we would give it to her after the prayer.  She offered to pray.  It went something like this:  I'm thankful for the food.  But I'M NOT THANKFUL THAT I HAVE TO HAVE A TIME OUT AND I HATE TIME OUTS AND I'M SO MAD AT MOM AND DAD FOR GIVING ME A TIME OUT!!!!  We tried not to laugh. (didn't work though)  

*Greta is turning into quite the talker.  However, you still have to know her language to understand her.  For example, she calls carrots 'care guts'. She says a big one is a 'bib none'.  She's got a few other gems, I'm just not thinking of them now.

* Next year, if Cache didn't go on a mission, I'd have a child in college, high school, Jr. High, Elementary and Preschool. (gulp)

*Yay!  It's the weekend!

Scratch Tickets

I was asked to come up with two different projects for this year's RS Fabulous Friday. Thankfully they decided only to do the greeting cards (it is kinda hard to run two stations(!) and Caleb has a Cross Country meet that night so I'm not sure how much I'll actually be there). But I did  go to the effort to create this project so I might as well share!  Perhaps someone out there can make use of them.

These are customize-able scratch tickets. (I would have gone crazy over this as a teacher!) They can be anything you imagine!--rewards for homework, chores, instrument practice, smiling, good hair days, good manners--whatever!  The set I made is a reward for my girls if their room is clean at bedtime.  I also designed a set to be lunch box notes(see below), but they could also be used for other things as well--what kid wouldn't love a scratch off love note from mom in their lunch box?  They are fun and very easy! 

Here's what you do:

Print them out.

Write your messages.

Laminate--the surface to be scratched-off needs to be glossy. (I do them back to back and slice them apart with an exacto knife to save lamination, but I'm also cheap!)

Punch or cut a template out of clear contact paper. (You could skip this part and go directly to painting if you are not a perfectionist or have a steady painting hand, but they will take longer to paint.) If you are using a punch and your punch can't handle the plastic of the contact paper, punch a piece of paper with it.  That seemed to make all of the difference for me.  (But I do own a very temperamental punch.)  Adhere the contact paper to the tag, taking care to center the opening on the circle as much as possible.

Mix some paint with dish soap. (about 2 parts paint, 1 part soap) I used a Jo-Sonja silver paint because it's what I had on hand, I'm sure other paints would work as well.  I also have used regular acrylic paint; it works just fine but doesn't dry glossy.

Paint 3-5 very light layers as needed. Make sure each layer is as smooth as possible. I like to use a soft bristled brush. A foam brush seems to make the mixture foam up and creates unwanted texture.

Let them dry completely.  To remove template without ruining the edges, place a cardstock punch of the same size/shape over the paint. Hold firmly in place as you gently pull up the contact paper.

You're done! Try to resist scratching one off yourself! (Use a coin!)

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These are the lunch box notes. I used a 1 1/4" square punch for the template. I still haven't received my samples back yet, but you can get the idea.

If you are interested in these projects, I'd love to share (I made them to share afterall!) However, I don't have time to be a cool tech girl, so making a clickable, printable pdf file isn't happening. I will, however, email you the files all ready to print. Email me or leave me a comment if interested: chart@utwire.net

(Note: this is my spam email so if it's been a while since this has been posted and you don't want to wait two weeks to receive it, leave me a comment to check that account.)


Happy Scratching!

Playtime!

I don't buy a lot of toys because I don't like the clutter . I don't like the price and my kids don't play with anything long enough to make it worth the investment. (I think it might frustrate little visiting friends because in their mind there isn't much to do here. . .) But I don't mind a good toy-making project with the kids. They learn a different set of values when making their own toys, and it gives us time together. Here are a few as of late.

Magnets, Cans and Recycled Items:

I saw a version of this on here. The slinkies would be fun, but this was a free project from stuff I had at home. Maybe if I ever get to the dollar store and actually remember, I'll buy a slinky or two. But for now, here is what we have. The girls have enjoyed this a lot.

Puppets:

Growing up I loved to make salt box puppets. I made a dozen or so of them and kept them in a box. So I decided to make some with the girls. While they haven't been as exited about them as I was, they loved the process and have played a bit with them.  (Hard to tell from the photos, but the mouths are the dispenser on the salt box and when you put your hand in and move the dispenser, you can make it talk.)  Sorry for the bad pictures. . .the girls were not in the mood and I wasn't in the mood to coax. Still, they meet the purpose of documentation.

Bakery:
I saw this idea at Ikat Bag and loved it, but knew I couldn't pull it off myself because of my lack of sewing skills. BUT if my sister could do that end of it, I could do the paper part for both of us. She agreed and we collaborated. She didn't want to do the zipper (fine with me!) so she used magnetic snaps. Works just fine. And she threw in some adorable chef hats. As I got going on my part, I wanted more than candles for toppers so we have a large variety of "toppings". I also got way carried away making frostings. . .perhaps there are too many choices for such young children. But it makes it so much more fun when I play!

             

 Tessa hugging Greta for the donuts she made for her. Bad angle I know, but I knew it would be short lived so didn't
 take time to move.  I'm thankful to have captured the sweetness that occurs between these sisters often.

When you add a topper to the donuts, you have large cookies instead!

Smile  and dance while you bake the donuts!

So fun!

(Sorry for the weirdness of these pictures. I couldn't figure how to manipulate them very well with the new new interface and when I went back to the old, I couldn't adjust or move them like I could before.  Tips anyone?)