Mission Call

Cache's mission papers are going in today.  We are charting people's projections of where he might go on a map.  Send yours if interested!  The closest person gets a baked goody from me!  See here for a list of missions.  (choose a mission, not a country/state etc.)  We are told we can anticipate the call arriving February 8th!

Indexing

One of our stake's challenges this year is to index 1,000,000 names--each ward doing 125,000 names.  So we have jumped on board.  Each week at FHE, those who have indexed during the week get a treat.  We figure that if our ward had just 50 people doing 2-3 batches a week, that goal would be met.

I find the work interesting.  Take this card for example.

Who was this man, and what beliefs did his parent have giving him that name?  Did he live up to his parent's dreams for him?  As I type in these names I have similar questions for all of these people. On the penitentiary records I've done I've wondered how they ended up there and are they finding light now. Other questions I ask:  Is this the first time your name has been entered into digital files and thus able to be accessed?  Does your family living now have records of you?  What kind of life did you live?  Were you happy? Who were your parents?  Did you have children? Etc. Etc.  Sometimes when I can't figure out some of the info, I ask them.  "Where were you born, Charles?"  I don't know that I always (or ever?) get an answer, but somehow I figure out something to enter in.  But asking always makes me feel a little connected and that I'm doing something very important for this individual.

Just a few tidbits:

~There were sure a lot of Carl Carlsons that filled out draft registration forms in Massachusetts for WWII.  I probably did 3 batches all of Carl Carlsons.

~I have put signs around the house reminding us to index before doing other things on the computer.

~When you have a sick weekend, like I've had this past weekend, you can really add to your numbers! (I'm at over 1,000 names for the month--I started the weekend with only about 250 names.)

~Cache came home from his interview with the Stake President with a challenge:  to index 4,000-5,000 names before he enters the MTC.  Inwardly I cheered.  Then he told me that he already started last week on his own "Because families are important."  He had done around 300 names within the week. Then I cheered out loud! (and as a side note, he was also asked to read Daughters in My Kingdom.  More cheers from me!!  I love that book!)

~Chandler has caught fire.  He's done a couple of hundred names this weekend.

~  Elder Bednar said, "I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives. "


~President Packer said “No work is more of a protection to this Church than temple work and the family history research that supports it. No work is more spiritually refining. No work we do gives us more power. … Our labors in the temple cover us with a shield and a protection, both individually and as a people.”  


~Why wouldn't I want to index?  Too many protection promises to just shrug it off, in my opinion.

Little Miss Greta

*This almost-three-year-old is letting us know she's got personality!

*We took an attempt at potty training.  She could have totally done it had she had a more committed mom!  But Mom's brain is on overload right now and remembering to be consistent with it just didn't happen.  We'll wait until she is more ready to manage it herself without mom's reminders.  But during that time we got a few little gems:  The first few days we had to sit for long times with her in the bathroom.  One time Tessa was in there with her sing-songing:  "Go Greta, go Greta, go, go, go Greta!"  A few days later, we hear Greta in there singing "Doe Detta, doe Detta, doe, doe, doe Detta!"

Another time I walked passed the bathroom and saw this:

(Nice bed-head, Babe!)
  If you're going to have to wait, you might a well have company!

*At every meal Greta insists on saying the blessing.  (The only question ever, is who she will want to help her.)  One night Tom asked her if she was going to pray.  She said  "NO!  I a Pincess!!"  (not a typo--that's her pronunciation).

*We were getting ready to go visiting teaching and I ran downstairs for something, when I came up, I heard Greta say "I ready doe!"  Sure enough, she was right ready!:

*We were talking about Greta's birthday and she suddenly let out a I-just-thought-of-the-best-idea squeal and said, "My know!!! Maybe you tan get me someding for my birfday!"

I said, "Like what?  A kiss?"

She beamed and said, "Yes!" (Because that girl loves kisses!)  and then she said, "And maybe someding else too."

*She LOVES Tessa.  She follows her around and wants to do anything and everything with her (and thankfully Tessa enjoys her little shadow most of the time).  The funny thing is when she mimics Tessa in every action, word and mannerism--especially when Tessa is mad and Greta is not.  Quite comical.

*Tom and Greta were going into Costco.  While Tom was getting a cart he heard Greta yell "There's Jimmer!"  Sure enough--right there on the big screen just inside the door!  (Her brothers think she's being trained well!)

*Greta will only wear dresses.  She refuses to wear anything else!

*This girl was born with a crayon in her hand.  She is often found toting a coloring book and bag of crayons around.  While adorable, there are side effects. . . .she LOVES to sneak coloring on everything besides paper.  I'm thankful for Magic Erasers!

We all love this sweet little girlie!

Christmas 2011

First off:  I LOVED Christmas break this year.  It was just so good to have Cache home and for the kids to have such a long Christmas break (they got out on the 16th).  I LOVE my kids home!  However, I knew with such a long break before Christmas that 

anticipation + boredom  {would} = cranky, grumpy, fighting kids. 

 SO. . . I devised a way to get them motivated to do service.  Without revealing my plan, I told them that they would want to have plenty of service points on Christmas day.  It took a bit of talking, but we got them motivated (and convinced) to do as much service as possible.  While it kept them busy, I did not foresee the how much happiness it would bring into our home!  I was just in awe at how much serenity and kindness resided here.  There were only 2 outbursts during that whole week (and they were mild).  I'm still amazed because we have that many or more on any given normal day.  (Wish I could pull that off in everyday life!)

To start off, I gave the kids a service chart for them to track what they did;  it had a few suggestions:

Care package to Nate Write to MissionariesHelp Chandler on Merit BadgesClean another person's bedroomBaptisms for the deadIndexingGiving dollars away at DIPutting wrapped candy and tag on ATM machinesSnow shovelingVisiting lonelyLeaving small change in a box at the library for people to use to pay their finesMaking and delivering treatsService around the home (but it needs to be an effort)Tie Quilt Many other things

Then on Christmas Day we had The Game Show Network!  Most of the games were spin-offs of Price is Right games, but not all.  They all  dealt with questions based on our family's history and 5 talks from October conference instead of money.  If they weren't successful at their game, they could use service points to buy more opportunities.  Just for example:  They played Hole in One.  We had 8 ticker marks on the carpet.  They were given names from 8 generations, starting with themselves that they had to order on the lines.  Where they were incorrect, they had to putt from.  At the end of the games, they used their remaining service points to play a Show Case Showdown, of sorts, for a family activity day during the break.  (We ended up going to BYU for bowling, PF Changs for lunch and to U-Swirl for frozen yogurt.)

Also on Christmas, we did deliveries to a retirement trailer park.  We debated about whether or not to do that again this year because of 1:00 church, but earlier in the month, Caleb told us that last Christmas (2010) he was grumpy on Christmas day, but then we went out and did service and he felt so much happier.  We decided we couldn't dispense of that tradition just because of church.  All of that made things kind of fun---we didn't finish opening up presents until 7:00pm.  (We started around 8:00AM)

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So, so, so sadly, I was too busy playing dual rolls of Rod Roddy and Bob Barker that I didn't get any pictures (I refused to be Drew Carey and whoever the announcer is now. . .).  Tom was also busy as a stage hand so we didn't get a single picture of the gaming (or much else for that matter. . . .).  But here are the few that we got.  Hopefully it will stir up remembrance for the kids of what a great Christmas we had!

Girls dressed up for the Nativity reinactment.  Tessa was so sweet
and let Greta be Mary, even though she wanted to.  She is a shepherd.

Chan with the girls.  He was a shepherd also. . .his costume is made
out of toilet paper.  (Perhaps our costumes are a little irreverent??)

Tessa got a Lite Bright.  They are definitely not what
they used to be and unfortunately it didn't grab her attention
at all. . . . 

One of the girls' games was to pop a sheet of big bubble wrap
by jumping on it.  Greta wanted Daddy to help.

Chan was excited about his receiver gloves.  We actually had a pair
for him, but when we were family-gift-shopping in Sport Authority, he
was eyeing the purple ones.  So we returned the blue for the purple on a later date.
Very happy kid!

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Picture with most of the Porter cousins.  Grandma made everyone pjs or an apron.
Little girls also got matching pjs for their dolls/Barbies.  (This was a New Year's
party, not on Christmas day.)

12 Days of Christmas. . .of sorts

December was a month that I feel like happened without me.   I know I experienced it, but it all happened so fast that I can barely remember it.  Here is a small sampling of what occupied our time during that month.

In no particular order and unfortunately I slacked at getting many pictures of these happenings :( 

             The first day of Christmas, the season brought to me:
1 (+1) Fuzzy Quilts to make for Primary Children's Medical Center.  Chandler chose to do a service project for one of the requirements for his Family Life Merit Badge and he wanted to make quilts.  These were a nice project for our family.

2 Back drops for the Ward Christmas Program.  They were totally dispensable and were such an emotional drain for me because doing them was so out of my league, but at least I fulfilled my duty in getting them completed, ugly or not. I'm too embarrassed to post pictures.

3 Sharing Times in December (more details about one of them below)

4 Kids over to play as a service so mommys and daddys could get away for shopping or a temple trip.

5 Items delivered to Cache's apartment for Finals Relief:  (All homemade, except gingerale)  Lasagna, French Bread, Cashew Broccoli, Apple Pie and Gingerale.  My day in the kitchen was all worth it to see those stressed faces light up over real food that they didn't have to prepare themselves!

6 Little make-up items for a purse for Greta. They were similar to ones I made for Tess a few years back that she has loved.

7  Milky Way Snowmen for Primary kids I don't see very much.  I forgot to take pictures, but they looked similar to this: 

8 Felt Kitty paws.  One day in December Tess woke up with the idea to make a felt kitty and she had a sketch in mind (however at this juncture, I can't locate to scan and document here).  My schedule was jammed packed, but I had just read the quote from President Uchtdorf in the conference Ensign that "In family relationships, love is really spelled T-I-M-E."  So I ditched my to do list and spent two days making felt kitties for the girls.  They were fun.  Tessa named hers Fluffy and Greta named her Bunny. (ha!)

9 Cheese logs for my presidency and visiting teaching sisters (and my family).  Recipe will appear on my food blog at some point.

10 Virgin Lamps--for one of my sharing times.  I'll paste the script we used at the end of this post.  I think the kids really enjoyed it and hopefully with my explanations they understood the symbolism and could apply the message.  I made little lamps for each woman to carry.  They weren't quite what I envisioned but they did the job.  I tried a few types of dough and in the end I went with a simple one (just flour, salt and water) even though I knew I wouldn't be super happy with how they dried.  But that wasn't the point of the sharing time so it was just fine! I molded the dough around a working flameless tea light, but when they dried, they didn't work :(. (While a disappointment, that was okay too!)

                               

11 (x0)  Christmas cards.  I was a loser and didn't get Christmas cards done (again. . .didn't get them out last year either.).  They were planned and parts of them printed, but mid December something just had to go.  Sigh. I guess now I have a head start for next year!

12 Price is Right games.  That was our Christmas surprise this year. Plinko. . . Punch Board. . . Shell Game. . . Tic Tac Toe. . . Dice Game. . . Clock game. .  .Hole in One. . .(there were more, but that is all I can think of right now)  They were all based on knowledge of our Family History and five talks from October 2011 Conference.  If the kids didn't win their games, they could use service points they had earned the previous week to buy more chances.  Exhausting but fun day!   See my Christmas post for more details.

In other December news:

We had multiple doctors and dentist appointments, worked on mission papers for Cache, went to a BYU basketball game, went to Preston, Caleb ran a cross country race in California (another post hopefully. . .) and we made and decorated gingerbread men (and lots and lots of other cooking/food adventures!).

                                    
Then of course there were things to keep up with the girls.  Tess keeps me really busy.  For example, one day in December Tessa came to me wanting to 'do something really nice for one of [her] friends'.  When I asked what she had in mind, she said, "Like make their bed or something."  Then she added, "I'll even clean their room if it isn't too messy!"  My friend Lisa was so nice to accommodate her little request.  She made her friend Estee's bed, put some snowflakes on her wall and left her a card and some treats.  Tessa beamed that entire day!  I'm so thankful she has desires to serve others even if it makes demands on my time.

Too much fun for one month!!  (But I'm sleeping much better now it's over!)

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Ten Virgin's script:

V1- I knew this wedding feast was coming and that I needed oil so we could light the way when the bridegroom came but I was so hungry and needed to bake some bread so I told myself that that was more important than going to get more oil. Now I realize I would have rather had gone without food than missing the wedding.

V2- When I realized I was low on oil, I knew I would need to go buy some more. But the shop to purchase some was so far away and since I had worked all day long, I was too tired to travel to get more.

V3- I had enough oil, but when the night came, I decided that I wanted light, so I lit my lamp. I didn't have enough oil to last that long. I was so disappointed I was not allowed into the wedding party. I had been looking forward to it for so long.

V4- It broke my heart to miss the wedding party too, but I was just too busy to go get more oil so I thought I could be very careful and still have enough, but I was unwise in my thinking.

V5- I meant to save oil, but I just never got around to it. I thought that maybe someone would have some extra that I could borrow.

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V6- I am so very poor and didn't have enough money to buy extra oil, so I saved a few drops of oil every day for a month so I could attend the wedding party. Each day it seemed like such a sacrifice, but it was so worth it.

V7- My sister has been very sick and has needed extra care. I have not been able to leave her to buy more oil. So after I would get her settled into bed every night, I did much of my work in the dark so I could save that extra oil so I could attend the wedding. I'm so thankful I did!

V8- I too have been so busy. My family from another city was coming to visit and I had to scrub my home so it would be clean for them and I have been making extra food so they would have plenty to eat. But because I knew this wedding was coming and my family was also coming, I planned a trip to the oil shop clear across town because I knew I needed plenty for wedding. It took a lot of organization to fit it in, but I did it.

V9- My father is very wealthy and has a large store of oil. I knew I could use his oil, but I knew if I worked for the oil for myself, I would appreciate the reward of going into the wedding party much more. I did! It was a wonderful experience and I'm thankful I could be a part of it. I was so privileged to attend.

V10- Last year my childhood friend married and moved across the city. She invited me to visit her for a week. I miss her so much and I wanted to go, but knew if I went, I would not be able to make the journey to the other side of the city for the oil I needed for this wedding party. I was so sad to postpone my visit with her, but I'm so thankful I was wise in my decision to attend the wedding party.