Monday, January 13, 2014
Ammon and King Lamoni
For Family Home Evening last night, Kian had a great idea that included his sisters.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
A story of coincidence that helped me feel God's love
When I travel northeast to Jamesport, Missouri I bring along my checkbook. It's the easiest way to pay at the Amish and Mennonite stores I visit for bargains on produce and groceries. They do have credit and debit card readers but in my experience they are unreliable. I never carry cash with me, so I've learned to just pay by check.
Saturday morning when I had to wake up early (everyone in the house was still sleeping!) to go pick up some produce I had ordered, I located the checkbook and discovered there were no checks left. So I found our stash of new checks in my bedroom and then discovered there were no checks there either! How could I have used the last pack of checks and not made a note to buy more?! Sometimes this momma gets too frazzled to be efficient!
So, here I was, early Saturday morning, and I had no way to pay for my orders. One was for bulk onions, potatoes and carrots from a man named Max. The other order was from a personal friend of mine who ordered wheat in bulk and sold me a few 50-lb bags. I knew they couldn't accept debit cards. And I had no checks! I couldn't just hit a store on my way and get cash back because there are no stores on the way that direction that offer cash back!
So what was I going to do? The only option I could think of on that early Saturday morning was to grab a $100 bill from my precious Christmas cash (a generous gift from my hardworking father) and all the cash I could find in mine and Matt's wallets which amounted to $9. Important note: this Christmas cash had been heavily guarded. I did NOT want to use it on bills or necessities. I wanted to use it for a couple of super-fun date nights which is a luxury Matt and I never seem to afford. The fact that I grabbed a bill showed the desperateness of my situation! I zipped out the door and sped to my destination, hoping the cash I had with me would be enough.
When I got there (10 minutes late), the produce was carried to my car and the time to pay was imminent. I asked Max how much my order was. It had changed because a couple of items I had ordered weren't available. He told me $47. I asked him if I gave him $107, could he give me $60 back? He checked his stash of cash and didn't have enough. I then asked my source for wheat if I paid him the $100 bill, could he give me change (which I could then use to pay Max for the produce). He checked his wallet and discovered he didn't have enough. Oh, man. I was afraid this would happen. Now what was I going to do?
We three of us put our heads together and figured out how much exactly I owed. Max counted his cash again and we figured out that if I paid him the $100 bill, he would owe me $53 in change. Guess how much he had exactly in change? $53!! It was incredible! I took that $53 in change and then added the $9 I had remaining (from mine and Matt's wallets), and had exactly enough to pay for the wheat! The total for wheat was $61.50 and I had $62. It was so phenomenally coincidental, it was hilarious!
But using the $100 of fun money to pay for food was sad to me. I was really looking forward to some fun date nights with Matt. I'm thankful, however, for the exact amount of money I needed for food for my family! That was a blessing enough!
Today at church Matt and I were given a late Christmas card with a surprising gift inside. One of the people Matt carpooled with last semester gave it to us. The funny thing is that she apologized for it being so late. But to me, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. Can you guess what the present was? It was two movie theatre passes and a gift card to a nice restaurant in St. Joseph! A wonderful date night for Matt and I to enjoy. Coincidence?! Maybe. But this coincidence was enough evidence for me to feel cared for and loved by my Father in Heaven.
Saturday morning when I had to wake up early (everyone in the house was still sleeping!) to go pick up some produce I had ordered, I located the checkbook and discovered there were no checks left. So I found our stash of new checks in my bedroom and then discovered there were no checks there either! How could I have used the last pack of checks and not made a note to buy more?! Sometimes this momma gets too frazzled to be efficient!
So, here I was, early Saturday morning, and I had no way to pay for my orders. One was for bulk onions, potatoes and carrots from a man named Max. The other order was from a personal friend of mine who ordered wheat in bulk and sold me a few 50-lb bags. I knew they couldn't accept debit cards. And I had no checks! I couldn't just hit a store on my way and get cash back because there are no stores on the way that direction that offer cash back!
So what was I going to do? The only option I could think of on that early Saturday morning was to grab a $100 bill from my precious Christmas cash (a generous gift from my hardworking father) and all the cash I could find in mine and Matt's wallets which amounted to $9. Important note: this Christmas cash had been heavily guarded. I did NOT want to use it on bills or necessities. I wanted to use it for a couple of super-fun date nights which is a luxury Matt and I never seem to afford. The fact that I grabbed a bill showed the desperateness of my situation! I zipped out the door and sped to my destination, hoping the cash I had with me would be enough.
When I got there (10 minutes late), the produce was carried to my car and the time to pay was imminent. I asked Max how much my order was. It had changed because a couple of items I had ordered weren't available. He told me $47. I asked him if I gave him $107, could he give me $60 back? He checked his stash of cash and didn't have enough. I then asked my source for wheat if I paid him the $100 bill, could he give me change (which I could then use to pay Max for the produce). He checked his wallet and discovered he didn't have enough. Oh, man. I was afraid this would happen. Now what was I going to do?
We three of us put our heads together and figured out how much exactly I owed. Max counted his cash again and we figured out that if I paid him the $100 bill, he would owe me $53 in change. Guess how much he had exactly in change? $53!! It was incredible! I took that $53 in change and then added the $9 I had remaining (from mine and Matt's wallets), and had exactly enough to pay for the wheat! The total for wheat was $61.50 and I had $62. It was so phenomenally coincidental, it was hilarious!
But using the $100 of fun money to pay for food was sad to me. I was really looking forward to some fun date nights with Matt. I'm thankful, however, for the exact amount of money I needed for food for my family! That was a blessing enough!
Today at church Matt and I were given a late Christmas card with a surprising gift inside. One of the people Matt carpooled with last semester gave it to us. The funny thing is that she apologized for it being so late. But to me, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. Can you guess what the present was? It was two movie theatre passes and a gift card to a nice restaurant in St. Joseph! A wonderful date night for Matt and I to enjoy. Coincidence?! Maybe. But this coincidence was enough evidence for me to feel cared for and loved by my Father in Heaven.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
A Short Story by Abigail
A child went on an errand for his mother to find the little dipper. He asked a wise man,"Where is the little dipper?" The wise man answered,"Up in the sky of course." The child shook his head with a sigh, and he kept on looking. Then he found a foolish man. The child again asked where was the little dipper. But the foolish man did not know. It was growing dark when the child returned without the little dipper. The very sad child then asked his mother,"Where is the little dipper?" The smiling mother then replied."While you were gone I made soup. The little dipper is here in your bowl." And then the mother and the child had their favorite soup: Dipper Soup. Yum, yum.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Why Toddlers are Sometimes SO Exhausting!!!
Technically, he's a preschooler now that he celebrated his 3rd birthday, but Klaus is still having difficulty with making it to the potty, so he feels like a toddler to me.
Here are some words to describe this past Sunday morning's adventure. We were just getting ready for church!
Me: Dressing, hair styling, makeup applying, primping.
Klaus: Pooping (no diaper on, not even underwear on, just long footed pajamas--can we say GROSS?!?!), crying, bathing, washing, rinsing, and washing again.
Klaus: Drying, digging (for church clothes, that is), dressing (in underwear).
Me: Packing bags, selecting proper church footwear (for three daughters), hair-doing, teeth brushing, snack preparing.
Klaus: Peeing (in his church clothes!), apologizing, undressing, digging (for church clothes AGAIN!), unpacking bags to find diaper necessities.
Me: Helping children, avoiding meltdowns, finding (him, on the kitchen counter, pouring honey into the mixing bowl), dripping sticky, feeling tired, watching the clock, recognizing we are going to be late, sinking into despair, holding back tears, talking it out, rising above it and NOT letting it get me down.
Klaus: Washing hands, washing face, washing clothes, undressing (AGAIN!), digging for more clothes, dressing (AGAIN!), putting on shoes and coat.
Me: Repacking bags, finishing touches, collecting children, smiling as we FINALLY get out the door! Feeling proud that for such a busy morning there was no yelling, no being snappy, no crying (on my part). Phew!
Here are some words to describe this past Sunday morning's adventure. We were just getting ready for church!
Me: Dressing, hair styling, makeup applying, primping.
Klaus: Pooping (no diaper on, not even underwear on, just long footed pajamas--can we say GROSS?!?!), crying, bathing, washing, rinsing, and washing again.
Klaus: Drying, digging (for church clothes, that is), dressing (in underwear).
Me: Packing bags, selecting proper church footwear (for three daughters), hair-doing, teeth brushing, snack preparing.
Klaus: Peeing (in his church clothes!), apologizing, undressing, digging (for church clothes AGAIN!), unpacking bags to find diaper necessities.
Me: Helping children, avoiding meltdowns, finding (him, on the kitchen counter, pouring honey into the mixing bowl), dripping sticky, feeling tired, watching the clock, recognizing we are going to be late, sinking into despair, holding back tears, talking it out, rising above it and NOT letting it get me down.
Klaus: Washing hands, washing face, washing clothes, undressing (AGAIN!), digging for more clothes, dressing (AGAIN!), putting on shoes and coat.
Me: Repacking bags, finishing touches, collecting children, smiling as we FINALLY get out the door! Feeling proud that for such a busy morning there was no yelling, no being snappy, no crying (on my part). Phew!
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Resolutions.
I like making New Year's Resolutions. They are goals. And goals are good! To the people who pooh pooh resolutions, I say pooh on you! (Not really, I would never really say that).
In 2012 I lost 35 pounds because I committed to reaching my goal. In 2013 I lost 5 more of those pesky pounds that stuck so tightly to my middle. I broke the 120-pound mark which had been an unbreakable threshold for so long. My family and I also reached the 1-year-mark of eating almost completely vegan.
Last fall a friend from church challenged our young women to list a particular number of goals to reach before their next birthday. The particular number was one less than their future age in years. For example, a girl turning 15 on her next birthday would make a list, "14 things I want to do before I turn 15." Well, since I am a goal-lover and list-maker (and had no kids in the room to distract me), I took up the challenge myself. I had to admit to everyone there my age and show them my list, "35 things to accomplish before I turn 36!" I think I was the oldest one in the room! Weird! My deadline: Dec. 15.
Here's my list:
1. Sew cloth napkins.
2. Fix the minivan.
3. Reach Phase 4 of Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live program.
4. Surprise Matt.
5. Finish the 4 Standard Works (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price).
6. Follow the Spirit.
7. Watch Les Miserables, the new one.
8. Read "The Strait Path."
9. Paint my fingernails green.
10. Play tennis.
11. Dig 2 more garden beds.
12. Reach 115 pounds!
13. Run a 6-minute mile (this was amended to: run an 8-minute mile!)
14. Practice 1 hymn on the piano to perfection.
15. Be joyful.
16. Have a YW Dance Party.
17. Straighten my hair.
18. Finish "Christlike Parenting" by Glenn Latham.
19. Talk with Matt about Christ.
20. Date with Kian.
21. Date with Abby.
22. Date with Ella.
23. Date with Felicity.
24. Buy new diapers (this was amended to: potty train Klaus).
25. Invite someone over.
26. Give more hugs.
27. Do a Personal Progress goal.
28. Listen to classical music.
29. Give a talk at church.
30. Organize family photos.
31. Go to a party.
32. Go to the temple.
33. Blog about the kids 2 times.
34. Enjoy exercise!
35. Don't eat Halloween candy.
I am happy to report I reached 28 of those goals. It took some planning and diligence. I wouldn't have accomplished that many things if I hadn't made the list of goals. That's one reason why goals are good! And can I just say that "Les Miserables" is SO AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL!? I LOVED it! All the time I was avoiding watching it beforehand so that I wouldn't cry during the movie was just missed opportunities for the soundtrack to play in my head.
Okay, back to resolutions.
I've been thinking that for 2014 I need to make some big ones. I feel like I can accomplish something really grand, something amazing, something BIG! I have learned this past year that I still really enjoy running, not fast running, but long distance running. Maybe I could train for a half-marathon like my sister, Anaise, might be doing.
Another thought that has crossed my mind quite a few times is committing to eating healthy every moment of every day. Sometimes I'll let myself eat a homemade cookie with white sugar and flour even though I know I shouldn't. Sometimes I'll eat some semisweet chocolate chips even though I know they really aren't good for me. Even the "healthy" microwave popcorn is still cooked in oil which I know isn't good for me either. So I could commit to enjoying foods from the following food groups (and nothing else): fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and unrefined sweeteners (like dates and honey). That is how I eat 95% of the time now, but this would be committing to eating that way 100% of the time. I could do it, I know that I can.
Another goal I am committed to already is updating our family's photo albums. I haven't scrapbooked since Abby was a baby! Gulp! I've got A LOT of work to do. I could do it in 2014. I will do it!
What are your goals for 2014? And if you're a resolution-hater, just keep your thoughts to yourself!
In 2012 I lost 35 pounds because I committed to reaching my goal. In 2013 I lost 5 more of those pesky pounds that stuck so tightly to my middle. I broke the 120-pound mark which had been an unbreakable threshold for so long. My family and I also reached the 1-year-mark of eating almost completely vegan.
Last fall a friend from church challenged our young women to list a particular number of goals to reach before their next birthday. The particular number was one less than their future age in years. For example, a girl turning 15 on her next birthday would make a list, "14 things I want to do before I turn 15." Well, since I am a goal-lover and list-maker (and had no kids in the room to distract me), I took up the challenge myself. I had to admit to everyone there my age and show them my list, "35 things to accomplish before I turn 36!" I think I was the oldest one in the room! Weird! My deadline: Dec. 15.
Here's my list:
1. Sew cloth napkins.
2. Fix the minivan.
3. Reach Phase 4 of Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live program.
4. Surprise Matt.
5. Finish the 4 Standard Works (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price).
6. Follow the Spirit.
7. Watch Les Miserables, the new one.
8. Read "The Strait Path."
9. Paint my fingernails green.
10. Play tennis.
11. Dig 2 more garden beds.
12. Reach 115 pounds!
13. Run a 6-minute mile (this was amended to: run an 8-minute mile!)
14. Practice 1 hymn on the piano to perfection.
15. Be joyful.
16. Have a YW Dance Party.
17. Straighten my hair.
18. Finish "Christlike Parenting" by Glenn Latham.
19. Talk with Matt about Christ.
20. Date with Kian.
21. Date with Abby.
22. Date with Ella.
23. Date with Felicity.
24. Buy new diapers (this was amended to: potty train Klaus).
25. Invite someone over.
26. Give more hugs.
27. Do a Personal Progress goal.
28. Listen to classical music.
29. Give a talk at church.
30. Organize family photos.
31. Go to a party.
32. Go to the temple.
33. Blog about the kids 2 times.
34. Enjoy exercise!
35. Don't eat Halloween candy.
I am happy to report I reached 28 of those goals. It took some planning and diligence. I wouldn't have accomplished that many things if I hadn't made the list of goals. That's one reason why goals are good! And can I just say that "Les Miserables" is SO AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL!? I LOVED it! All the time I was avoiding watching it beforehand so that I wouldn't cry during the movie was just missed opportunities for the soundtrack to play in my head.
Okay, back to resolutions.
I've been thinking that for 2014 I need to make some big ones. I feel like I can accomplish something really grand, something amazing, something BIG! I have learned this past year that I still really enjoy running, not fast running, but long distance running. Maybe I could train for a half-marathon like my sister, Anaise, might be doing.
Another thought that has crossed my mind quite a few times is committing to eating healthy every moment of every day. Sometimes I'll let myself eat a homemade cookie with white sugar and flour even though I know I shouldn't. Sometimes I'll eat some semisweet chocolate chips even though I know they really aren't good for me. Even the "healthy" microwave popcorn is still cooked in oil which I know isn't good for me either. So I could commit to enjoying foods from the following food groups (and nothing else): fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and unrefined sweeteners (like dates and honey). That is how I eat 95% of the time now, but this would be committing to eating that way 100% of the time. I could do it, I know that I can.
Another goal I am committed to already is updating our family's photo albums. I haven't scrapbooked since Abby was a baby! Gulp! I've got A LOT of work to do. I could do it in 2014. I will do it!
What are your goals for 2014? And if you're a resolution-hater, just keep your thoughts to yourself!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
What we're thankful for about each other
We're reading quotes, poems and scriptures about thankfulness during homeschool. We're having FOH lessons about gratitude (that's our family's acronym for Family Night; when Kian was younger he called it "Family O'Hevening.") We're hearing talks at church about Christlike love, service and gratitude. And we're soon going to celebrate one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving! So tonight at FOH when it was my turn to give a lesson I wanted the kids to recognize that they are one of Matt and my most blessed gifts. After reminding them verbally that we love their unique selves and that they are what Matt and I thank Heavenly Father for each night in our prayers, we played a game where we anonymously wrote what we appreciate about each other and then I read them aloud. Here are our thankful responses. You can probably tell who wrote what.
Daddy: His funniness. Being loving. How he accepts us as we are. His school. His majesty's usefulness. Working hard.
Mommy: Her happiness. Being kind. That she does laundry every day. Her work. Her queenly cooking. Selfless service.
Kian: His crazyness. His computerness. How he is growing up to be a responsible young man. His babysitting. His technological aspect. Intelligence and righteousness.
Abby: Her giggles. Her compassion. Her lovely, musical singing voice. Her Barbies. Her ability to not be constantly yelling. Her way with writing words to create fantastic stories.
Ella: Her crazyness. Being myself. Generously sharing her snacks with family and friends. Her kindness. Her ability to share snacks. Her playful manner.
Felicity: Her red hair. Her helpfulness. She is trying hard to learn to read even though sometimes it is boring. She's a good cleaner. How she's a good sister. Her beautiful red hair.
Klaus: That he is a baby. His cuteness. When he sings his loudest. His laugh. His Thomas movies. His love of trains and silliness.
What we love about the world: It's animals. It's bigness. Living in the country and breathing pure air. I live on it. That global warming doesn't progress too fast. Opportunities to learn and grow.
What we love about the gospel: Jesus Christ. It's wisdom. God answers sincere prayers! Jesus Christ. That it is relatively easy to understand. We can serve and become more like Jesus.
Bonus response to unprompted category "Possible future resident:" That it is not a man-eating giant. ??? (What can I say? He's 12).
Then we made a Family Fun Night jar with 52 ideas written on popsicle sticks for fun activities to do together each weekend. Ideas like:
* Watch Mom's favorite movie when she was a kid
* Craft Night
* Ding Dong Ditch
* Invite somone over who is lonely or elderly and play games
* Play Bananagrams
* Ella's choice
* Write life lists
* Dance Party
* Game Night with friends
* Build a blanket fort
* Make a family movie
* Build a train track using ALL of our train track pieces
Thinking about trains... Here are some pictures from this summer when my family visited some park in some state between here and Utah (Nebraska?). It had a train we could explore so Klaus was really happy! And we got to ride the train with Auntie Sara and Grandma Randi to Salt Lake City!
Daddy: His funniness. Being loving. How he accepts us as we are. His school. His majesty's usefulness. Working hard.
Mommy: Her happiness. Being kind. That she does laundry every day. Her work. Her queenly cooking. Selfless service.
Kian: His crazyness. His computerness. How he is growing up to be a responsible young man. His babysitting. His technological aspect. Intelligence and righteousness.
Abby: Her giggles. Her compassion. Her lovely, musical singing voice. Her Barbies. Her ability to not be constantly yelling. Her way with writing words to create fantastic stories.
Ella: Her crazyness. Being myself. Generously sharing her snacks with family and friends. Her kindness. Her ability to share snacks. Her playful manner.
Felicity: Her red hair. Her helpfulness. She is trying hard to learn to read even though sometimes it is boring. She's a good cleaner. How she's a good sister. Her beautiful red hair.
Klaus: That he is a baby. His cuteness. When he sings his loudest. His laugh. His Thomas movies. His love of trains and silliness.
What we love about the world: It's animals. It's bigness. Living in the country and breathing pure air. I live on it. That global warming doesn't progress too fast. Opportunities to learn and grow.
What we love about the gospel: Jesus Christ. It's wisdom. God answers sincere prayers! Jesus Christ. That it is relatively easy to understand. We can serve and become more like Jesus.
Bonus response to unprompted category "Possible future resident:" That it is not a man-eating giant. ??? (What can I say? He's 12).
Then we made a Family Fun Night jar with 52 ideas written on popsicle sticks for fun activities to do together each weekend. Ideas like:
* Watch Mom's favorite movie when she was a kid
* Craft Night
* Ding Dong Ditch
* Invite somone over who is lonely or elderly and play games
* Play Bananagrams
* Ella's choice
* Write life lists
* Dance Party
* Game Night with friends
* Build a blanket fort
* Make a family movie
* Build a train track using ALL of our train track pieces
Thinking about trains... Here are some pictures from this summer when my family visited some park in some state between here and Utah (Nebraska?). It had a train we could explore so Klaus was really happy! And we got to ride the train with Auntie Sara and Grandma Randi to Salt Lake City!
Thursday, November 7, 2013
A glimpse of a story...
As I was turning off the computer tonight before going to bed, I noticed Microsoft Word was open to the newest addition of a story Abby has been writing. I really got a kick out of it and thought y'all might enjoy it too.
Chapter Two
Alexander
I glared across the battlefield. I could see my opponent. I
snarled the name: Poppy. I never wanted to fight but Poppy decided to ignore my
answer. I did not want to surrender and be a coward! I would fight. But for
what? Poppy never told me what he wanted to fight over. Then I saw her. Oh, she
was so pretty. I did not know what made Abigail come out on to the battle
field, but what ever made her do it gave Poppy the upper hand. He jabbed his
sword into my forehead. Blood streamed down from my forehead. I clutched at my
forehead and stumbled away. The pain was unbearable. I could not stand it. Oh,
how my forehead hurt. One of my men helped me back towards the edge of the
battle field. My healer dragged me into his tent, and started to put water on
my wound to clear the blood away. I moaned in pain. One of my soldiers guarded the
entrance. “Let us pass.” An angry voice said, and Abigail came running inside.
She kneeled down right next to me. She stroked my hair, and whispered my name. “Abigail?”
I could not say any more. “Oh, Alexander. Will you ever stop loving me?”
Abigail whispered, with a smile. I shook my head. Abigail took my hand and
kissed it. “I love you.” She said.
What drama! And romance! And bloodshed!!
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