Announcing. . .

A contest for all of my cousins. Bingham side and Porter side. Prizes? Of course there will be prizes! Check back here sometime in early-mid July for details. Spread the word!!

Yay!

He comes home tomorrow! It has been a quiet week without Caleb-energy bursting about. My parents went up to visit him last night (the camp was in Hull Valley). They said he had hurt his leg, but was having a great time and he was off for his night alone for the Wilderness Survival merit badge. We can't wait to hear all about it and see what merit badges he's earned. After this camp, he should have all of the Eagle-required merit badges (except for personal management which we are just waiting for the discussions to be held). Good for him!

And speaking of merit badges, I heard some very exciting news yesterday. Cache informed me he is almost finished with 4 more merit badges and half way on 5 others. To a mom, that translates to only 6 left! And speaking of that, does anyone know anything about Composite Materials? (click on link to see requirements) We are at a complete loss as to how to do that one. We could use any help or direction anyone could offer.

Tribute Book

At our reunion we celebrated my parent's 40th wedding anniversary a few months early. Katie made a great slide show showcasing their life together and the result (all these kids & grandkids!). We also gathered tributes and I put them in a book. I thought I'd post it for my scrapping friends because it turned out really fun. The cover is made with two texture templates and bound with a wire binding. The fun thing about this is that you can see through the cover so the design on the first page can also be part of the cover design.

Craft Day

Last week we had a craft day when Abby and Danny were here. They went through my craft books and found something they each wanted to make and then we got to work. Dan and Chan both wanted to make this mummy guy. (Chan wasn't too happy with the photograph idea!) Abby made this hat box. She did a really good job. She chose her own colors and embellishments. I helped her create the box and she did the rest. Caleb's craft was a pillow made out of paper, but one idea led to another and we ended up with this. Fun stuff!

5 Baby Girls. . . .

Were born in our family in 2006. They were all together for the first time last June. We all worked hard to make a cute little photo shoot. Andi made personalized onesies and tutus. Julianna made bracelets and I made the little flowers for their hair. All of our visions of a picture-perfect picture were shattered with tears for different reasons from most of them. Here is the best we got (and it is photoshopped!).At the time it was a little frustrating, but a year later it is a keepsake. This year we didn't go to so much work for photo shoot. In fact, we just plopped them on the couch the last day at the cabin for an unplanned picture. Looks like we coordinated a pink-brown-green color combo, but no. If we thought last year's was hard, this one was worse because they could move!! Here are a few:The best one in this group is also photoshopped. So the debate: Cache argues that photoshopping isn't 'legal' for family history because it didn't really happen. I agree. But for a framed photo, I want one where everyone looks their best. What's your call?

Ceramics

Cache took a ceramics class this past semester. While he didn't ever admit to liking it, he worked very hard and produced quite a few quality pieces. One of the first assignments was this lizard. It got a 92%.

That score worried him a bit (insert eye roll!) but motivated him to step it up. As you can see though, his work improved immensely. He started bringing clay home and sculpting on my kitchen counter. (basically mud smeared all over my counter) I can't say that I loved that part all that much. But I did enjoy him nearby and I enjoyed watching him work. (in the computer change-over, it appears that I have lost my sculpting process pictures. I will try to retrieve them and add them later). Here are the rest of his projects and a little description of the assignment he made them for.

Logo: This assignment was to roll out a slab of clay and carve a logo into it. (for nonfootball fans, it is WSU: Washington State Cougars)Slab Box: (which, as a bonus, is also a requirement for the pottery merit badge) You just had to cut 4 slabs of clay and make a box.Pinch Pot: This was not an assignment for his class but a requirement for the merit badge and Mr. Bryson was nice enough to let him use the class to meet a few merit badge requirements.Coil Bowl: You lined a bowl from the kitchen with oil and made coils then pressed them around the bowl. When it hardened a little, you removed it from the bowl. If the bowl held water after it was finished, you got extra credit. Cache probably made 5 different coil bowls before deciding he could live without the extra credit. (roll eyes again because extra credit would not have changed his grade.) This also met a merit badge requirement.Turtle Box: This was a very specific assignment--you had to make a ball, throw it on the table to flatten it a little then add a head and legs. Then you had to hollow it out and make a shell for the lid. Winged Shoes: The assignment was to make a wall hanging. It could be anything, but needed to have a hole in the back so it could hang. Cache didn't think that one shoe was enough to get a good grade so he made two. (you can roll your eyes on this too!) Free Sculpture: You could sculpt whatever you wanted. Since Cache loves all things Snoopy and Peanuts, this was a no-brainer. The front of the dog house has Snoopy's name carved above the door. Three part sculpture: The assignment was to make three things that go together. The next two photos make the set of three--the Woodstock is just so cute that I wanted a close up. Bust Sculpture: The assignment was to make a head of someone or something. This was a very difficult assignment just because Cache couldn't decide what to sculpt. Mr. Bryson didn't have any flesh colored glaze so it had to be something that wasn't flesh colored and every cartoon character we suggested was either too easy or too hard. Thankfully we finally came up with Marvin. (and that was after weeks of discussion!) One thing about working with clay is that it cannot be too thick or it explodes in the kiln--so everything has to be hollowed out. In order to do this brush and have it hollow it had to be two separate pieces. This ended up being very difficult because the clay shrinks when it dries and to get it to fit is very difficult. Cache probably made 6 different brushes to go on Marvin's head until he got it to fit. (the yellow part comes off and is just a little slab box) Free Sculpture: On the day Cache was supposed to get this Mr. Monopoly Guy back from firing and take him to show Mr. Bryson for a grade, he was missing. In inquiring about it, he was informed that the principal wanted him and taken him to his office. So Cache had to go to the office to talk to the principal. He found out that the principal wanted him for the school art collection and that only one piece in each art area is acquired each year. He would get $50 for the sale! Cache agreed, but knew he had to bring him home first for me to photograph. (don't tell the school that while at home, his arm broke off! Super glue and some model paint fixed him back up.)
Two-part-interlocking-sculpture: On this assignment you had to make two things that fit together (Marvin the Martian could have counted for this, but this was a later assignment). This totem pole is actually 3 pieces. Each part of the head come off of the base.Here is just a picture showing most of his pieces so you can get an idea of sizes. (the Woodstock is about 3"tall)And, by the way, Cache got 100% on the rest of his assignments. He also had time at the end to make one final extra credit project. It was using a mold and a different kind of clay. He got it done and glazed and on the day he was to turn it in, he saw a kid in the hall with it (that kid must have used it for his extra credit!) and when he went to class, his owl was gone. Oh well. So which sculpture do you think is Cache's favorite? And which one is your favorite?

Shakespeare--6th grade style

Caleb's class put on Comedy of Errors in May. Caleb tried out for the main role and got it. He had to memorize some 75 lines. He mostly did it independently--which I was very happy for! But polishing them up gave us some good time together working on enunciation and intonation. He did a great job! Here are a few pictures. The first one he is eating a very large chicken leg! Lovely wig, don't you say??

Half-Pint

A stranger looking at this picture might think one of these girls is much older than the other. But two weeks is all that separates them, and the smaller one is the oldest! This just goes to show how half-pintish Tessie really is because Mary is an average size. Grow, baby, grow. . .that rear facing carseat is getting old!!

HMGs

As mentioned in a previous post, our family decided to end Christmas gift exchanges between siblings and do a handmade gift exchange at our reunion. (or as Andi and I call them, HMGs) It started in honor of Grandma Porter who made handmade gifts for all of her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren every year. It has been really fun the two years we've done it. There are no rules other than it has to be handmade. You can make a gift for each person or just one per family. We have had everything from monogrammed toilet paper to homemade memory games. It is fun to see what everyone comes up with and the different talents that are put to use. (I think it is Aunt Dixie who gets credit for this photo of Grandma.)

This year I did a collaboration with Jonny. Besides playing with snakes in all of his spare time he colors with crayons and copies text from the Bible or Book of Mormon. I took some of his work and made a design for a frame. They all turned out different and kind of fun.

What's Your Floss Number?

Some people have a sleep number, and some people have a floss number. Cache's floss number is 51.5 cm. And to make sure he gets it exactly right, he built himself a floss contraption in the bathroom (one of those things you just discover as a parent!). It was hard to photograph and you won't be able to see it very well without clicking on the photo to enlarge. I'm sure I could arrange a special discount for my readers to have a private consultation to determine your personal floss number followed by an installation appointment. Any takers????

Snake Fight

Anyone who knows Jonny knows he likes shoelaces (aka 'snakes'). He takes them where ever he goes and he has different ways of playing with them. I tried to write out exactly how he plays with them and it didn't make sense. . .it is something you just have to witness. Anyway, he is pretty particular about these snakes. He doesn't like anyone to mess them up when they are all lined up or to pick one up to play along. At the reunion this funny little exchange took place.

Jonny has spent quite a bit of time at our house so Tess knows she isn't supposed to touch the snakes. But she likes Jonny's attention. She went up to him but didn't get noticed So she stepped on his snakes then looked back to see if he was looking.
He noticed that and grabbed a handful of snakes from underneath her.
Tessa is strong willed too and she grabbed and pulled too.
When Tess knew she wasn't going to win she gave in, but she got what she wanted. . .a little Jonny attention. She ended it with a sweet hug. She *loves* Uncle Jonny!! Another cute exchange at the reunion that I didn't catch on camera was Jonny holding Tess on his lap and she had her arms around him kissing and kissing and kissing him. It was so sweet and precious. I find it very interesting that this little girl who is very far from cuddly always instigates affection with Jonny. She instinctively knows something is special about him. I find that truly amazing.

Crazy girl!

Last night I woke up at 11:37 and felt I should check on Tess. So I got up, went in her room and peeked at her in her bed. She was stark naked!!! She was shivering but fast asleep with her little bum in the air. I guess in her little fit of not wanting to go to sleep she took off her pajamas and diaper and threw them, along with the blankets, out of her crib. I should not have been surprised. Crazy girl.

Happy Birthday, Chandler!

I can't believe he is 8!! Surely it was just yesterday he was born! He is the easiest kid to have around. So many times I don't even know he is here. He just takes care of himself and plays independently all day—but that is a far cry from how he was for the first five months of his life. So many days in the first few months I felt like turning him back in. I couldn't get him to stop crying. He cried all day and cried all night and few were the moments of quiet. So hard. But something happened about 5 months and from then on, he was the best of babies.

He is my sweet, sentimental kid. He is my first to say things like, “Thanks for working hard to make our dinner, Mom.” He is one who loves, loves, loves family histories. He has all of the books his grandparents have made by his bed and he reads from them often. He is strongly sentimental about things too. A couple of years ago when we sold our old blue car, he cried buckets—for days. (while the rest of us were exclaiming 'good riddance'!)

He is also the laughter in our house. He has got the cutest contagious laugh and a keen sense of humor. When he was younger he loved to tell us jokes. These were not funny jokes at all. They were something like “Why did the horse eat his hay? Because there was a stop sign on the road.” But after he told the joke he laughed and laughed in his cute little laugh and we would bust up because he thought he was so funny. Now that he is older, he is still funny, just in a different way.

Today was his first day of scouts and he was so excited! He worked really hard to get his Bobcat requirements passed off for his first Den Meeting. We are blessed every day because of him! Happy birthday, Chan--we love you!

Considerations on Joy and Prosperity

Joy = Prosperity
Prosperity = Joy

Are these true statements? I have been pondering these ideas.

Consider these altered scriptures (click on link to see original)

“And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall [have joy], and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.” (1Nephi 2:20)

“. . . we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and [make joyous] those who put their trust in him.” (Helaman 12:1)

“And now I, Mormon, would that ye should know that the people had multiplied, insomuch that they were spread upon all the face of the land, and that they had become exceedingly rich, because of their [joy] in Christ.” (4 Nephi 1:23)

In my studies, I discovered that the words prosper and prosperity were more interchangeable with joy than joy was with prosperity. Consider this:

“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have [prosperity].” (2 Nephi 2:25)

That sounds absolutely ludicrous by the world’s definition of prosperity. And in reading the scriptures on joy, they all felt as ridiculous with the substitution. But in my searching I came upon this talk by Elder Wirthlin called “The Abundant Life”. It caught my attention because abundance can be equivalent to prosperity. Here are a few quotes from his talk.

“The abundant life is a spiritual life.”

“The abundant life does not come to us packaged and ready-made. It’s not something we can order and expect to find delivered with the afternoon mail. It does not come without hardship or sorrow. It comes through faith, hope charity.”

The abundant life is within our reach if only we will drink deeply of living water, fill our hearts with love, and create of our lives a masterpiece.”

As I was pondering that, I remembered a talk by Elder Maxwell about us receiving Heavenly Father’s fulness—everything God has to offer us. (Is that not prosperity?) He quoted D&C 93:20.

“For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace.”

In conclusion, consider implications on these altered scriptures with the definition of prosperity being an abundant (spiritual) life or the fulness received because of righteousness.

“If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth [prosperity], that which bringeth life eternal.” (D&C 42:61)

And whoso is found a faithful, a just, and a wise steward shall enter into the [prosperity] of his Lord, and shall inherit eternal life. (D&C 51:19)

So what is your conclusion? Does Joy = Prosperity? Does Prosperity = Joy? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Another Birthday

And it's one that comes with a party! So we've been making invitations and a pinata and praying for sunny weather! Fun times! I definitely enjoy the preparations much more than I enjoy the party!! (I'm weird, I know.) These little invitations are the exact size of a football card and printed on both sides. They turned out pretty cool.