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.

First reunion of the summer

We feel very grateful to be a part of the Heber C. Kimball family and always have a great time at This is the Place Heritage park for the reunion.  It is a great park and I highly recommend it.  They had a mountain man rendezvous happening that day.  The boys loved learning about what it takes to be a trapper or how the Indians lived. 

 Even for kids from the country we had to stop at the petting zoo.

 This is in the kitchen of the HCK home.  I wish I had the brick oven but for the rest I'm grateful for modern convenience of gas and electric.  Sim also got a shave.  It was close enough that it is guaranteed to last him for 5 years.  Not bad for 2 bits.

Grateful:
482 Pioneer heritage and sacrifice but especially that they endured cheerfully and created beauty.  It wasn't just about survival but creating a better life.
483 Family time with good reminders of the stories that make us who we are and help us understand the potential of who we can become.  Stories about our own ancestors tell of strength and character giving us the courage to move forward and face the difficult.
484 Both of my parents were able to go with us.  It is so good to spend time with our living ancestors too!
485 Family history is contagious.  I love learning about my ancestors.  I sure wish my grandmothers had written more of their own stories.  They were amazing women and I want to learn from them.

So grateful for the fathers in my life!

Dads are so great.  I'm glad I have 2 and am married to a great Dad of my children. I see so many all around.  Keep up the good work!

Grateful
474 good fathers continue to be
475 reminders about good fathers
476 pageant season
477 engineering week for Dane
478 EFY counselor for Em in Minnesota
479 We are hiring an accountant
480 sweet friends who brought me dinner last night
481 flying kites with my kids and a really good kite

Waiting

Waiting is work.  Waiting is hard.  Waiting can teach us much.  We are still dog training.  Our puppy is 4 months old. She is smart and sometimes slow.  I'm waiting for puppy-hood to get over yet hoping that we are getting some good training in.

When owning a dog, taking them for a walk is important.  It is a bonding time and a time to establish me as the leader.  I'm still watching videos because I don't seem to get this figured out quite right.  According to one video we should wait until the dog is calm and submissive before going on the walk.  The waiting can take a while.  When it takes a while it is okay if the walk isn't very long because learning to wait is work for the dog too.  So apparently I'm not the only one that thinks it is hard to wait.

For just 2 days I'm watching an extra dog.  It is teaching me more waiting.  It has been great for Daisy.  She is completely worn out trying to keep up with a border collie.

We are also in the middle of pageant practices.  Our evenings are full of "hurry up and wait".

Waiting can also be a gift as explained in this post and also part two.

Sometimes waiting is enduring, hoping for loved ones, hoping to be reunited with loved ones, enduring the things we cannot change but must simply go through.




Another word for waiting is abiding. I want my Savior to abide with me.  I want his company in my waiting and may my waiting be used to teach, remind, bless, and nurture hope that when I wait, trusting in the Lord, that waiting itself is blessing me.  It is not always about arriving but the journey.

I'm practicing the wait as I plant tiny seeds in my garden, find frozen plants and plant again.  I wait through the heat of the day for the refreshing cool of the night.  I wait for the time my family will be all together again. I wait and hope and pray and act. We wait together.  We pray together.  We become refined in the waiting and feel our Savior's love.

Heaven's eyes

Pleasing God is my goal.  I'm being reminded again and again that an eternal perspective, a desire to please God, to lose myself in serving others, to stop comparing and start simply loving would be a really good idea. When a blogger friend shared this video somehow, I realized, I had missed out on a really good song with a message I needed.  There really is no way for me to measure my worth or anyone else's worth.  It's not my job to measure.  I simply need to put God first when making decisions and I need to see others they way he does. My thread in this great tapestry is enough with God's help.  I need to love more and join the dance!  It will all be fine.  It all works out.  We are meant to be joyful in the journey.  SMILE!

THROUGH HEAVENS EYES LYRICS

by PRINCE OF EGYPT SOUNDTRACK

 Performed by Brian Stokes Mitchell

Jethro

A single thread in a tapestry

Though its color brightly shine

Can never see its purpose

In the pattern of the grand design

And the stone that sits on the very top

Of the mountain's mighty face

Does it think it's more important

Than the stones that form the base?

So how can you see what your life is worth

Or where your value lies?

You can never see through the eyes of man

You must look at your life

Look at your life through heaven's eyes

Lai-la-lai...

A lake of gold in the desert sand

Is less than a cool fresh spring

And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy

Is greater than the richest king

If a man lose ev'rything he owns

Has he truly lost his worth?

Or is it the beginning

Of a new and brighter birth?

So how do you measure the worth of a man

In wealth or strength or size?

In how much he gained or how much he gave?

The answer will come

The answer will come to him who tries

To look at his life through heaven's eyes

And that's why we share all we have with you

Though there's little to be found

When all you've got is nothing

There's a lot to go around

No life can escape being blown about

By the winds of change and chance

And though you never know all the steps

You must learn to join the dance

You must learn to join the dance

Lai-la-lai...

So how do you judge what a man is worth

By what he builds or buys?

You can never see with your eyes on earth

Look through heaven's eyes

Look at your life

Look at your life

Look at your life through heaven's eyes

A glimpse of our trip

Though not very many people want to see my family standing in front on famous places, there are a few that do.  This post is for them and for me to remember all the great places we shared together.

We began our cross country drive on Saturday with a stop for church in Illinois on Sunday arriving late that night in Williamsburg, Virginia.

 We enjoyed getting to know colonial America in Williamsburg.

This bridge is above the water and then dives below the water. 

 Dane took time to explain a little about the WW II in the pacific

 My crazy sister hosted us in her home in Maryland and showed us a great time including joining us for some of the touring of great sites in her area.

 One of the best things we did to see the various monuments and war memorials was to rent these bikes.

We also got to try our hand at crabbing.  A little early in the season we didn't catch anything but still fun.

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Thank you so much Amber and all your family.  You kept us well fed, rested, happy, hopping and building great memories with your family.  We love you even more having spent so much time together.  Now you need to come visit us!