String Bass!

Superstar had his first night-time orchestra concert last night. He did so great! When he said he wanted to play the bass I wasn't sure he was really up to it. It is SO huge and heavy, and he has not been super coordinated, but he loves it and is doing wonderful. What a great string program we have here in the Logan schools. We are really proud of Superstar!

Christmas Trees, Devotional, and Spirit!

So we just finished our traditional Sunday breakfast dinner. French Toast!(Yeah Toast!) We don't have that very often. There's one member of our family who doesn't love the Sunday breakfast dinner tradition. "Do we have to have breakfast dinner EVERY Sunday?" Last week we decided to make chicken instead and you should have heard the uproar! "What!? We're not having breakfast!? Why not?" I guess that tradition is a keeper.

Before that we all gathered around the Christmas Tree we bought and put up yesterday to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. The kids were all piled on the couch together(for some reason they insist on sitting really close together whenever possible--in church they complain that they're squashed--but they refuse to scoot down on the bench so they can have more space. At least they like to be together!) and Stephen and I on the love seat. We could smell the Christmas tree and had all the lights turned off except for the Christmas lights. What an experience to sit with our family in our own home to watch and listen to a prophet of God! What a blessing it is to have the technology to bring his voice and face right into our home to listen as he speaks to us.

Stephen and I were in our stake choir for stake conference today. I was feeling really grateful to have a voice to sing praises to the Lord. I don't get the opportunity very often these days to use that talent the way I would like(LOVE) to. There are other things that have higher priority right now. I was really grateful to join my voice with others in singing My Savior Will Supply My Need, Be Still My Soul, and I Believe In Christ and feel the power and spirit of that music and share it with the congregation.

Much of our stake conference was about the temple. I am so grateful to live within just a few minutes drive of the temple where we can go to feel peace and receive revelation. I'm also grateful for a husband who has tirelessly made sure that we attend the temple on a regular basis.  A member of our stake presidency said, "Distraction is a tool Satan uses to keep us from the temple." We have truly seen Satan at work trying to distract us from getting to the temple, but if we stay focused on the temple the Lord helps us to accomplish all of the needful things that are becoming distractions to us.

I don't know why, but it's taken me a while to really get in the Christmas mood this year--I'm usually ready by about July!  Today I was just feeling flooded with gratitude for so many things. We are so blessed. I guess I'm ready for Christmas now!

Happy Day :)

We had such a great Thanksgiving! We invited all the Bartons and the Dunns and a few friends and neighbors to come to Logan and join us for Thanksgiving dinner. We had 40 people at the church with lots of food and basketball and toys. It was crazy and wonderful. And wouldn't you know it but I was too busy to get out the camera to take even one picture.

That night as I went to brush my teeth I walked into the bathroom to find this...

...on the bathroom floor! The glow stick artist has been here today. I thought DaVinci took a really long time to brush his teeth and now I know why. This is the kind of art you can't really keep. Thank goodness for cameras :)

busy busy busy, and happy anyway :)

There has been so much going on I haven't really had time to put it all here. Superstar had his 10th birthday, DaVinci & Superstar had their first promotion at karate, Relief Society, scouts, swimming, etc., etc., etc.  Today I just want to share this quote from Mother Theresa. I got it from my friend Lacy's blog and I love it. So here you go!

People are often unreasonable and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you.

Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway."

— Mother Teresa



Family Pictures!

 OK everyone, this is a test to see how many people really look at this blog. We took some family pictures and want to blow one up big to put on our wall but I can't decide between these two. Leave a comment with your opinion! Thanks :)

From Cutie: How did Heavenly Father make us? Did he do a science experiment?

A Breakthrough(or two)!

I posted this picture a couple of years ago never imagining that I would ever want to do anything but stand on the sidelines taking pictures of others crossing the finish line, but as I've shared before I felt prompted to start running about 1 1/2 years ago. I had heard from several people that if you can run three miles you can keep running and running and running. It doesn't really get any harder but up to now I have never been able to feel that for myself. I pretty much always take breaks and walk. Sometimes a LOT.

It's been getting easier lately. I don't know what has made the difference, maybe just experience, but this morning I ran 3.4 miles without walking at all. It felt really good and I wasn't any more tired than when I walk a lot. I really could have kept going for a long time more. That is amazing to me and that is breakthrough #1.

The second breakthrough is definitely of more importance. I've been reading the book Christlike Parenting by Glenn Latham and decided to apply these principles in my parenting. Last night I found out about a meeting I needed to go to at the last minute and left my children home with instructions to make dinner. I came home an hour and a half later to half made dinner and chaos. But remembering what I had been reading I used a calm voice, I didn't criticize, I didn't tell anyone anything they already knew and the results were miraculous. When I calmly asked DaVinci and Superstar to look around the kitchen and see what needed to be done to be ready for dinner they both jumped to clear and wash the table off and set it for dinner. Then DaVinci proceeded to start doing the dishes so as to save him work after dinner. It's not that there was no contention--that might take a little more time--but the fighting was over who could get the work done the quickest!

Cutie really likes to think he is a baby and can't do anything for himself---that has really been a pain lately. But last night and this morning he was telling me wasn't a baby. He didn't want to get dressed this morning and time was running short. I told him that he would deny himself the priviledge of wearing clothes to school or having breakfast if he didn't get dressed in time. When the full responsibility of the choice and consequence was put on his shoulders he was very quick to do what he was supposed to. 

I am very grateful for the principles taught in Christlike Parenting and one of Dr. Latham's other books, The Power of Positive Parenting. They've helped me so much!