apostle song

Though this is an older song (from 2009), we challenge our family to learn the names, faces, and something about the apostles by conference.  So here is the easiest way we know.

Common Core

I attended a local meeting on Common Core last night.  I have been somewhat following this debate on Utahs against Common Core, and other items in the news.  I live in a great community with local support of our children.  The meeting last night was not well attended.  Our high school vice principal was passing out a 15 page, double sided, power point presentation looking bundle.  Those associated with the school board all sat in the back.

The public meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer.  (Immediately reminiscent of the way America use to start all their meetings.).  The presenters were two of the three women on this blog called what is Common Core.  They are mom's of children that are school age.  One has her children in the schools and the other is home schooling.  One of them has been a public and charter school teacher.  They got involved because they researched what Common Core really is and what it involves.  There are plenty of concerns about whether the standards are actually higher or lower.  There is concern over the recommended reading lists (here, and here).  A huge data base has been created in our state collecting information that is both education and very personal that has the potential to be shared on a federal level with it linked to individuals. The biggest concern shared by these women was that we are losing local control of our own children's education.

We had the educator's getting stuck in that they don't see these things in their schools.  Several parents seeking to defend the teachers and counselors.  They seemed to be completely missing the concern.  Those of us against common core are not against our teachers or our local system.  We are, in fact, hoping to protect community standards, parental rights, a teachers freedom to teach a general subject in the best way she has found for the students in her class.  We are hoping to not have a teacher's or a school's pass or fail grade be dependent on strictly test.  We all know that there are so many variables that come into play on test day - nerves, hunger, poor home life, misunderstanding the questions . . . It is beyond the teachers control or fault.  Teachers will more than ever have to spend all possible time teaching to the test.  Counselors will be guiding young students down particular career paths according to these tests.  To many people I know did not find there love, their life's work, their passion until after high school.

It is my desire for my children to learn to love learning, enjoy wonder and discovery, to be exposed to the many opportunities of the job force recognizing that it is constantly changing very quickly.  We don't need children commonly trained for a specific line of work.  We need children that know how to think, learn, study, problem solve.  We need children that have a well rounded education that includes the many great lessons classical literature provides.  We need children that understand the language and logic of math - not new math that parents never seem to be able to figure out.  We need children who are amazed at the world of science and understand a bit about all the "-ologies" and are not easily confused by the latest "findings" because they have a firm foundation and understanding.  We don't need everyone to spend years learning to read technical writings at the cost of classic literature that teaches human dignity and value.

So there in the back section were those in "education" that were defending the state decision to accept and align with common core.  They had been taught by the system what was what and did not seem to want to understand any other concerns.  The very real concerns brought to our attention about common core were well documented by the government websites, the US Constitution, and the creators of common core.  I was so frustrated that they wanted to argue whether the standards were better or not; or if data were really being collected.  The presenters were more than willing to share the facts and resources and explain that though those in our schools may not currently be seeing these possible problems, that we need to contact our legislators, educate them about the very real risks and get protective measures in place so that these federally controlled ideas won't turn into a nightmare.

Our children are ours!  They do not belong to the government.  The government is suppose to represent the people.  My children are not human capitol to be led down a common path towards mediocrity.  I believe there are so many good people that are just not willing to open their eyes and see!

Between Obama Care, Common Core, IRS scandals . . . I don't know why so many people want to ignorantly believe that every thing the government is doing is right and good.

Mary Poppins

We live in a very small town but have recently had  a retired couple agree to direct a children's theatre.  Their first performance was last fall when they did Aristocats.  This year the presented Mary Poppins and I believe they did a fantastic job.  Nobody gets paid to help and admission is free but there was plenty of work and effort and talent put into this production.  

 Sim was a towns person and a penguin and a chimney sweep

 Ike was also a towns person, chimney sweetp, stage crew and the old banker.

I hope you enjoy this at least half as much as we did.

Grateful:

519 Old fashion musical fun and children willing to but forth the effort to make it all come together

520 Talented parents who share those talents with the community

521 Leaving, cleaving and becoming one.  Episodes 17-22, Gospel Solutions for families series on the Mormon Channel.  So many great reminders about the importance of marriage - preparing our children to leave home, allowing and respecting their new lives and family, learning that I, too, need to find the balance between loving and supporting my family but leaving them to grow while I also learn again to leave them and cleave unto my husband.  As my family grows and moves on I need to learn to know him again in new ways and situations.  Beautiful ideas and adventure in relationships.

522 primary songs that I get to play every Sunday

523 new exercise and eating plan that is working

524 still warm days and beautiful weather.  The leaves are just starting to turn and I'm hoping for a drive up the mountains.

Daily from heaven

I appreciate this visual reminder of my need for daily bread, partaking of the bread of life, receiving all that my Heavenly Father has prepared for me when I put forth the effort to gather(read, study) and eat(ponder, act on inspiration).



Don't miss Experience and Change, the next 2 video that you can click on at the end of this clip

Grateful
515  Soccer nearly every night for the month of September.  Great sport for lots of kids and just plain fun.
516  Moving forward with school schedules and working towards some good routines and habits
517  Rain!  We have been receiving the prayed for rain and are very grateful
518  fresh peaches, abundant zucchini, and the tomatoes are starting to ripen.
519  sharing parenting challenges, concerns, and opportunities to pray for one another

hard things?

Bald Mountain is in the Uinta Mountains.  I hiked it yesterday with my family.  There were just 5 of us and it sounded like fun.  It started as a good climb with lots of rocks.

 It continued as such but the edge got closer and steeper. I have inherited a fear of heights.  My imagination takes over and I see worst possible scenarios.  I don't like being near edges or watching others near edges.

 This hike was challenging physically but it was very hard emotionally.  So much we are hearing about doing hard things and I know it is good to accept challenges and do hard things but I wonder about the need for some of the orchestrated hard things.  Is it really necessary to go all the way to the top of a mountain, or keep going in pain, is the goal to say you did it a good enough reason?

 Maybe I'm weak.  Maybe I'm a quitter.  I don't like to do hard things.  I don't like to do more than is necessary.  I believe in keeping things simple.  I reasoned so many things in my mind as we hiked and it got harder.  Finally at one particularly steep drop I sat down.  I said no more.  I was done.  Sim said he would stay with me.  He is supportive and loving.  He is also afraid of heights and he gladly inched back down with me.  As I sat wondering if it was okay to go half way I had time to notice the beautiful flowers growing out of the rocks.  This view was beautiful.  This view was important too.  This view was worthy of appreciation.  This view was much more comfortable to gaze at than the steep drop in front of me.

 Surely there is value in sitting here and  pondering the tenacity of these little plants, the wonder of their short life among the rocks on this desert mountain top.  So many miss this view as they hurry to the top.  Sim and I walked back down to the flat to look for the others.  We couldn't see them.  I worried that I was teaching a quitting attitude so we started again.  As we got to the same spot we struggled again.  What was ahead? Was it worth it?  As we asked returning hikers, they encouraged these fearful strangers and we determined to go on.  It did get easier.  We got away from the edge and felt better.  We had accomplished overcoming our fear.  Did we really need to go all the way?  Sim said Yes.

We continued on, higher and higher until we reached the top.  There was something pretty great about having gotten there but we still clung to our fears, didn't want to wander around and take in the view.  It was pretty but we still had to figure out how to get down.  Sometimes down is harder.  I wanted to get it over with.

I missed enjoying the goal.

We made it safely down.  We enjoyed the camaraderie of other hikers.  We finished with sore muscles and very thirsty.  We had done it.  We completed the hike, faced our fears, did the hard thing.  Now what?  I feel like I'm missing the purpose.

Maybe it was the little lessons along the way.  Maybe the idea that you often need to focus on the little steps along the way with an occasional glimpse of the goal ahead and looking back to appreciate the progress that has been made.  Maybe finding the beauty and surprises that nature shares.  Maybe it was simply the success of mind over body.  If its faith not fear then what is it I am learning faith in?  Is it myself?  Is it my ability to push further than I want to?  Does Heavenly Father really care if I go to the very top or am content with part way?  Shouldn't hard things have a purpose or are they simply a practice for when the hard things we are asked to face really matter?

Maybe it is the internal battle that only I will ever truly know that somehow creates inner strength.  There were monuments of rock along the way.  I don't know who built them.  There is nothing left on that mountain top that will tell anyone else what it cost for me to be there. Or that I was ever there.  Maybe it is something that is teaching me line upon line (stone upon stone) that creates a stronger me (from the inside out).

I am reminded of a book Charlie's Monument.  Maybe reading that book again will help me understand how or why these little challenges matter.  How I and the choices I make truly do matter and make a difference, even when no one else is looking or knows the cost.

I experienced a beautiful weekend with my family and we had a lot of fun together.

I have come home to unexpected changes.  Opportunities are lost and new direction is necessary.  I'm wondering if I am guilty of quitting early in many parts of my life.  I believe I like to play it safe, avoid pain, embarrassment and the unknown.  I have missed again relationships, friendships and situations that maybe should have been better. I wish I knew if my efforts were good enough.  If I truly did some good. I feel the need to repent, to turn away from the safe and accept the unknown but I still desire the assurance that as I turn towards the new I am not alone.  I want my Savior by my side and the faith that I am facing the right direction as I put my foot on the path before me.  It feels like a step into the dark.  I need the light of the world as I figure out this life journey.

I KNOW WHO I AM.  I KNOW GOD'S PLAN.  I FOLLOW HIM IN FAITH!


grateful:
499 family reunions
500 high school reunions
501 that I'm not in high school
502 the world is full of good people doing their best and learning along the way.
503 that my weight does not influence my value as a person
504 I am healthy, active, and learning to be more cheerful

505 family game time on Sunday afternoon

506 afternoon naps with a good book
507 mountains that we climb, just because they are there
508 changes that make me evaluate my commitment to the Lord and my trust in his plan for me
509 Peter is home again! and has learned so much
510 father's blessings to begin another school year
511 Dane made it home too and is becoming so independent.
512 my parents share their blessings
512 my parents influenced for good so many more people than they ever realize.
513 good examples
514 President Benson's talk here on my night was just what I needed.

The great test of life is obedience to God. The great task of life is to learn the will of the Lord and then do it. The great commandment of life is to love the Lord.

July 4 Fun

We began our day with the tradition of ringing the American Legion bell at 7am.

Then a special breakfast

Games at the park include 3 legged race, sack race, egg toss, money in the hay and local talent show.  This year Dane sang with 2 of his friends and did a great job.

 We forgot to take pictures of the BBQ and water fight at our house.  More good food, friends, and fun.  We headed off to Main St. for the parade.  All 3 boys were in it this year so it was just Doodle collecting candy.

That night we had more family fun at the stadium with twister, limbo, hula hoops, frisbee, and birthday cake for America

Our volunteer fire fighters provide the fireworks.  It began with a solemn 19 gun salute in memory of the firefighters who recently lost their lives fighting wildfires in Arizona followed by a moment of silence.

Grateful:

494 We have a country worth celebrating.

495 I live in a small town that puts together an amazing holiday filled with family fun.

496 My baby girl turned 7.  She is an amazing, beautiful, talented, thoughtful daughter and is a joy to me daily.

497 She received her pink cowgirl boots.

498 We have an annual BBQ at our house and there are always new friends to invite and old friends to enjoy.  Holidays are a great excuse for building relationships and creating special memories

Pageant this year

 Dane played the lead part of Robert and did a great job.

 Dane with two of the Marys.  On the left is cousin Anna but Dane go put with Layne who was proposed to during one of the scenes of dress rehearsal.

 We invited family to come and be in the pageant as part of the heavenly family to welcome Robert and Mary into heaven.

 The is the night they got to watch the pageant.  Lots of little people that fell asleep but still had a good time.

 We were warriors, pioneers, Nephites, Ike was a Henshaw son and Mr. O got to be angel Moroni on top of the temple.

 At the foot of the hill are 14,000 chairs.  We don't fill them every night but this night was a good one.  It is an amazing production for our small community.

 Grateful for buggies and sleeping cousins.

 The girls initiated a tea party and the boys joined in but almost were kicked out because of their bad manners.  They kept snitching the food.

 Loving cousin time.  Thank you to the Maryland cousins who came so far and spent time at our house.

Grateful:
486 Mormon miracles still happen today.
487 pictures that remind us of all the fun we had and how cute everyone is.
488 Reminder.  This year we forgot to make an effort to have spiritual experiences.  We went through the motions and did our parts but didn't pray for missionary opportunities or understanding of the parts we were portraying.  I feel like we missed out on the most important part.  By the testimonies shared at the closing social I came away determined to make more of our experiences, to be more receptive to the quiet blessings that are ready and waiting if we will just make time to tune into the spirit and allow it to teach us and use us to bless others.
489  This year we enjoyed making special thank yous for the mom directors with some dear friends.
490  The last night there was a problem with the propane on center stage and when the time came for the fire balls in the destruction scene Mr. O laid over the stage to fix it when it went off with a huge dangerous fire ball.  He had both Ike and Sim next to him.  He only remember finding himself on his back on the other side of his sons.  He sat up and rubbed out the flames on his hair.  No one was injured.  We used the singed hair as an excuse to cute his hair short.  There were plenty of people that were very concerned but all's well that ends well.
491  I believe in angels.  I believe that they help us and watch over us.  I believe that our family has the blessing of guardian angels that allow us regular reminders that they are on duty.  If we didn't have so many close calls and miracles we might forget who is watching over us and who we owe our gratitude and safety.
492 I have a loving Heavenly Father that answers my daily prayers for safety and protection.
493 All these great cousins enjoy one another and are building lasting relationships even when we don't get to live near one another.