Monday: We worked on school in the morning. My friend Melissa called and wanted to know if I was interested in free tomatoes. YES! My tomatoes produced NOTHING this year. Not sure why... Anyway, she knew a farmer who was finished w/his tomato crop, and was planning to plow the field. He offered us all the free tomatoes we could pick. I ended up with about 6 bushels :)
Tuesday: Remember the tomatoes? We canned a bunch of them. Morgen and Hyrum washed, I blanched, and Walker and Morgen and I all peeled and quartered them. It took all day to do 8 quarts, mostly because of the helpers LOL. I was pretty proud of them, though.
Wednesday: We worked on Math, English, and Spelling. Hyrum got to cut out things that began with the letter "L." We also took some chrysanthemums [yellow] from our flower garden up to the cemetery. Even after I cut enough for Laura May, Myles, and my grandparents and great-grandparents, we still have over half the plant left! Those are some sturdy mums. We cleaned around the graves, and got shakes at Granny's before we drove home.
Thursday: School in the morning, and I went to the temple in the evening- kind of a peaceful day, which is good.
Friday: School in the morning again, then I started another batch of tomatoes. They are spoiling pretty quickly, because they were all so ripe to start with. I had Hyrum wash them for me, then Walker came in and started peeling them for me without me even asking! Wow. :) Oh, and Jared made it back from Chicago safely. Hooray!
Saturday: We drove down to Thanksgiving Point, packed a lunch, and wandered through the Farm Country. The kids love looking at the animals, and wanted to show Jared everything they liked from their last visit. We left so I could attend the General Women's Conference at my church- oh, I enjoyed that :).
Sunday: Church was peaceful and lifted my spirits. I talked to a lady at church who knows how to darn socks, and convinced her to come over to my house to teach me. So, I now know how to darn socks! And, I'm wearing the ones I darned ;). They don't look very pretty- I used a non-matching yarn- but they are warm, and I fixed the holes, and my darns have no lumps [the mark of a superior darn, I'm told]. And I taught Morgen how to knit. Well, I showed her how to cast on, and how to do a knit stitch. She's getting it, but needs me to remind her how it works. [p.s. I also finally learned where to look for an MP3 version of the scriptures, and am downloading it to my Ipod- instant spiritual lift]
**********************
my favorites:
*learning something new and useful [darning]
*making my first batch of white chili this fall
*homemade bread to go with the chili
*children who help without me asking/begging/nagging them
*crisp, fall mornings
*free tomatoes!
*my ipod can do anything ;) [except the dishes]
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Weekend fun
Friday evening we drove down to a party at Jared's co-worker's house. It was interesting, and fun, and a lot easier to see these people again. Last time we all got together was back in June for the Lehi Days parade, and I was still pretty unsteady emotionally. So I enjoyed myself a lot more at this party.
We left around 8pm, so I could make it to a crop. I've been less than successful in scrapbooking during the week; I can do it, but there are so many other things I am juggling, it often is pushed to the side. But one of the LSS has a free crop Fridays that starts when they open, and ends at 2am Saturday morning. :)I can usually find one or two of my friends there, and we usually find somebody else we enjoy chatting with as well. So my new goal is to give myself at least one Friday a month to go to a crop and scrapbook. I've decided it is like getting an exercise buddy- committing to attend that crop forces me to scrapbook [and organize LOL], just as an exercise buddy forces me to exercise. Hmmm.... maybe I need to get me an exercise buddy, too ;).
Saturday we took our GPS and some fishing poles and drove out to Heber. We stopped along the highway and found a geocache [looked for a few, but only found one]. Then we visited Myles. I took along some of the roses from the bush in front of our house. It's blooming again- I thought roses only bloomed once a season, but this one seems to bloom in the spring and the fall. Pretty cool! Anyway, we cleaned off his grave, along with my grandparents' grave and my great-grandparents' grave. The kids played, and I think if Myles were still here, he'd be running around with them. Then we ate lunch at Subway and headed up the Mirror Lake Highway to Wall Lake.
We pulled into the parking area at the trailhead, and began unloading our stuff, when a little SUV pulled in, and the woman driving it called out to us, "Where's the lake?" Well, this trailhead serves 4 or 5 lakes, but you have to hike to get to all of them. So Jared told her we were at a trailhead, and described which lakes were on which trails. She said, in disbelief, "You mean, WALK?!?" [we are in a national forest, remember] And he said, "Yes, you'd need to hike to all these lakes." Again she repeated, "You mean, WALK?!?!?!" Well, since you last asked that question, all the lakes felt bad about being so far away, so they moved and you can see them from the parking lot now. Honestly!!! To be fair, there are some lakes in the area that are close to the road, so you can see them from the parking areas. But, if you have a map [which the nice forest service lady will give you when you pay the entry fee], you can see where the lakes are, and whether you need to hike to reach them. Each trail is marked as a trail, not as a road. I promise. *sigh* Well, the [very nice, I'm sure] lady backed up and pulled out of the parking lot, off to find a more easily accessible lake.
We headed up the mountain for a nice, easy 1 mile hike to Wall Lake. I took some magazines, and my knitting, since I don't fish. Okay, I know how, and I will do it if I think it is necessary, but as a general rule, I would rather read or knit than fish; so I read. Everybody else had a lot of fun casting, and Morgen had a strike or two [that is where the fish hits the lure, but doesn't get caught]. After an hour or so of unsuccessful fishing, they decided to explore, and ended up climbing almost half-way up the wall of rock at one end of the lake. Yep, that's why it is called Wall Lake ;). It was getting cold, and rain was beginning to fall, and some stormclouds were moving in, so we headed back to the car. Part-way down the trail it began to rain, then hail, then rain/hail mixed together. :)Morgen and I booked it back to the car. Jared hung back a little and got out Hyrum and Walker's slickers [see, we're prepared LOL]. We drove up to Trial lake and the kids fished for another hour or so, then we geocached all the way back down to Heber. It was about 9:15 pm when we got home, and we got the kids fed and tucked into bed. This morning, they all slept in 'till about 8am!
Jared left this morning for Chicago- he's taking another microscopy class. Morgen, upon hearing about his course of study, informed her father that SHE knew how to use a microscope. His response was, "I thought I did, too!" I guess he's learning a lot about including the microscope as a tool in studying chemical reactions, among other things.
Oh, in other news, our chicken mummy has burst its bag. It seems this is a direct result of me buying too big a bird, then trying to stuff it into the too-small bag. So, we're off to the store tomorrow to buy another bird [I'm thinking a cornish game hen would work much better], and more salt. This time I'll take pictures :)
We left around 8pm, so I could make it to a crop. I've been less than successful in scrapbooking during the week; I can do it, but there are so many other things I am juggling, it often is pushed to the side. But one of the LSS has a free crop Fridays that starts when they open, and ends at 2am Saturday morning. :)I can usually find one or two of my friends there, and we usually find somebody else we enjoy chatting with as well. So my new goal is to give myself at least one Friday a month to go to a crop and scrapbook. I've decided it is like getting an exercise buddy- committing to attend that crop forces me to scrapbook [and organize LOL], just as an exercise buddy forces me to exercise. Hmmm.... maybe I need to get me an exercise buddy, too ;).
Saturday we took our GPS and some fishing poles and drove out to Heber. We stopped along the highway and found a geocache [looked for a few, but only found one]. Then we visited Myles. I took along some of the roses from the bush in front of our house. It's blooming again- I thought roses only bloomed once a season, but this one seems to bloom in the spring and the fall. Pretty cool! Anyway, we cleaned off his grave, along with my grandparents' grave and my great-grandparents' grave. The kids played, and I think if Myles were still here, he'd be running around with them. Then we ate lunch at Subway and headed up the Mirror Lake Highway to Wall Lake.
We pulled into the parking area at the trailhead, and began unloading our stuff, when a little SUV pulled in, and the woman driving it called out to us, "Where's the lake?" Well, this trailhead serves 4 or 5 lakes, but you have to hike to get to all of them. So Jared told her we were at a trailhead, and described which lakes were on which trails. She said, in disbelief, "You mean, WALK?!?" [we are in a national forest, remember] And he said, "Yes, you'd need to hike to all these lakes." Again she repeated, "You mean, WALK?!?!?!" Well, since you last asked that question, all the lakes felt bad about being so far away, so they moved and you can see them from the parking lot now. Honestly!!! To be fair, there are some lakes in the area that are close to the road, so you can see them from the parking areas. But, if you have a map [which the nice forest service lady will give you when you pay the entry fee], you can see where the lakes are, and whether you need to hike to reach them. Each trail is marked as a trail, not as a road. I promise. *sigh* Well, the [very nice, I'm sure] lady backed up and pulled out of the parking lot, off to find a more easily accessible lake.
We headed up the mountain for a nice, easy 1 mile hike to Wall Lake. I took some magazines, and my knitting, since I don't fish. Okay, I know how, and I will do it if I think it is necessary, but as a general rule, I would rather read or knit than fish; so I read. Everybody else had a lot of fun casting, and Morgen had a strike or two [that is where the fish hits the lure, but doesn't get caught]. After an hour or so of unsuccessful fishing, they decided to explore, and ended up climbing almost half-way up the wall of rock at one end of the lake. Yep, that's why it is called Wall Lake ;). It was getting cold, and rain was beginning to fall, and some stormclouds were moving in, so we headed back to the car. Part-way down the trail it began to rain, then hail, then rain/hail mixed together. :)Morgen and I booked it back to the car. Jared hung back a little and got out Hyrum and Walker's slickers [see, we're prepared LOL]. We drove up to Trial lake and the kids fished for another hour or so, then we geocached all the way back down to Heber. It was about 9:15 pm when we got home, and we got the kids fed and tucked into bed. This morning, they all slept in 'till about 8am!
Jared left this morning for Chicago- he's taking another microscopy class. Morgen, upon hearing about his course of study, informed her father that SHE knew how to use a microscope. His response was, "I thought I did, too!" I guess he's learning a lot about including the microscope as a tool in studying chemical reactions, among other things.
Oh, in other news, our chicken mummy has burst its bag. It seems this is a direct result of me buying too big a bird, then trying to stuff it into the too-small bag. So, we're off to the store tomorrow to buy another bird [I'm thinking a cornish game hen would work much better], and more salt. This time I'll take pictures :)
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Chicken Mummy
Or, how to totally gross your kids out in one easy history lesson!
Supplies:
1 dead chicken carcass [ours was skinned, gutted, and beheaded already]
3 cans salt
1 can baking powder
1 box baking soda
rubbing alcohol [since I don't buy wine]
freezer bags
spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves
paper towels
water
bowl
So this month we're studying the ancient Egyptians. And anytime you study them, you study pyramids, and treasures, and mummies :) Which is why we're making a mummy out of a chicken. I didn't get pictures- I was too busy juggling dead chickens and kids to even try.
We did this outside, so I didn't have to worry as much about the mess. First, we rinsed off the outside AND the inside of the dearly departed [chicken] with the hose. Then we patted it dry. That was popular- Morgen and Hyrum were dabbing at the chicken, almost afraid to touch it LOL. I had to dry the inside :). After it was pretty dry, we stuck it in a big bowl and poured alcohol over it. We could have used wine, but since I don't drink, I don't have any of that in my house. I know if I'd purchased some at the state liquor store, I would have run into somebody from my church. And the more you explain why you're doing something you wouldn't normally do, the more lame you sound, LOL. So, we stuck with rubbing alcohol.
We rinsed the carcass in the alcohol, then set it aside to dry a little. We mixed the salt with 1/2 a can of the baking powder and 1/2 a box of the baking soda, then sprinkled in the cinnamon and nutmeg. I added a handful of whole cloves and whole allspice, which I conveniently had on hand for my wassail recipe :). Then we patted the chicken dry again, and again I got the inside. For some reason, reaching into the chicken really grossed out my kids LOL. We poured some of the salt mixture into a bag, then stuffed the chicken inside, then poured more salt into its cavity. We packed the rest of the salt between the bag and the chicken's skin, then tried to seal it shut. I need bigger bags :). Anyway, we double-bagged the chicken, and set it back into the bowl, which I rinsed out first. The general consensus from the kids is that it smelled pretty good.
Currently, it is sitting on my counter, where we will be checking it daily to brush off the clumps of salt that have soaked up water, and adding more salty mixture to the chicken. If all goes well, we'll have a mummy in about 6 weeks. :)Just in time for Halloween!
We also did math, english, and spelling. I wouldn't want you to think this whole homeschooling thing is all fun and games ;).
Supplies:
1 dead chicken carcass [ours was skinned, gutted, and beheaded already]
3 cans salt
1 can baking powder
1 box baking soda
rubbing alcohol [since I don't buy wine]
freezer bags
spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves
paper towels
water
bowl
So this month we're studying the ancient Egyptians. And anytime you study them, you study pyramids, and treasures, and mummies :) Which is why we're making a mummy out of a chicken. I didn't get pictures- I was too busy juggling dead chickens and kids to even try.
We did this outside, so I didn't have to worry as much about the mess. First, we rinsed off the outside AND the inside of the dearly departed [chicken] with the hose. Then we patted it dry. That was popular- Morgen and Hyrum were dabbing at the chicken, almost afraid to touch it LOL. I had to dry the inside :). After it was pretty dry, we stuck it in a big bowl and poured alcohol over it. We could have used wine, but since I don't drink, I don't have any of that in my house. I know if I'd purchased some at the state liquor store, I would have run into somebody from my church. And the more you explain why you're doing something you wouldn't normally do, the more lame you sound, LOL. So, we stuck with rubbing alcohol.
We rinsed the carcass in the alcohol, then set it aside to dry a little. We mixed the salt with 1/2 a can of the baking powder and 1/2 a box of the baking soda, then sprinkled in the cinnamon and nutmeg. I added a handful of whole cloves and whole allspice, which I conveniently had on hand for my wassail recipe :). Then we patted the chicken dry again, and again I got the inside. For some reason, reaching into the chicken really grossed out my kids LOL. We poured some of the salt mixture into a bag, then stuffed the chicken inside, then poured more salt into its cavity. We packed the rest of the salt between the bag and the chicken's skin, then tried to seal it shut. I need bigger bags :). Anyway, we double-bagged the chicken, and set it back into the bowl, which I rinsed out first. The general consensus from the kids is that it smelled pretty good.
Currently, it is sitting on my counter, where we will be checking it daily to brush off the clumps of salt that have soaked up water, and adding more salty mixture to the chicken. If all goes well, we'll have a mummy in about 6 weeks. :)Just in time for Halloween!
We also did math, english, and spelling. I wouldn't want you to think this whole homeschooling thing is all fun and games ;).
Monday, September 15, 2008
Great news!
My SIL Angela had her baby on Friday: he was a whopping 8 pounds and 20.5 inches long! That's exactly 1.5 pounds lighter than her first boy, which she said made for a much easier labor :) His name is Callin, and he is adorable. I can't wait to meet him!
In other news, Walker got up this morning and started his English after breakfast WITHOUT me saying anything about it. Wahoo!! Morgen was a complete pill, though, just to make up for her brother's angelic behavior LOL.
Tomorrow we're starting a chicken mummy- wish me luck!
In other news, Walker got up this morning and started his English after breakfast WITHOUT me saying anything about it. Wahoo!! Morgen was a complete pill, though, just to make up for her brother's angelic behavior LOL.
Tomorrow we're starting a chicken mummy- wish me luck!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Treasure hunts
Monday we went up to Red Butte Gardens. I was looking for something that the kids could do besides walk ;). We found a little treasure hunt paper- it had pictures of some plants and animals to look for while we were wandering the gardens. We didn't see any bobcats, but we did find the Bristlecone Pine, the Russian Hawthorne, and the Hummingbird Mint. We also saw quail around the Hawthornes, eating the red berries, and hummingbirds feeding at the Hummingbird Mint. I'd pull out my camera to capture the birds, and they'd fly [well, the quail ran] away. Finally, as we were leaving the garden, some people behind us scared these quail into our sight. My kids held so still, and I got pics of the quail!
There were 5 or 6 of these half-grown quail that came through the trees, then Walker spotted the adult lurking back behind this pine tree.
We also spent some time looking at the weird colors on the fish in the pond: the most exciting fish they found had black & blue spots on a gold background :)
I love being out in the mountains this time of year, with the nip in the air, and the colors of the leaves changing.
There were 5 or 6 of these half-grown quail that came through the trees, then Walker spotted the adult lurking back behind this pine tree.
We also spent some time looking at the weird colors on the fish in the pond: the most exciting fish they found had black & blue spots on a gold background :)
I love being out in the mountains this time of year, with the nip in the air, and the colors of the leaves changing.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Afraid?
Two things: September 11 and Fear.
They're sort of related; I remember the shock most of all- that day, in 2001, I drove the WRONG WAY down a one-way street in front of the town post office, because I was still so shocked and upset about the airplanes which had hit the twin towers. Luckily, I didn't hit anybody. I didn't even realize I'd driven the wrong way 'til I passed the drop-off mailboxes and they were on the wrong side of my car. :)
So, what are you doing today to remember? Is it something you do privately, or is this more public [flying a flag on your front porch, attending a memorial service] for you? We're visiting my mom- she had surgery yesterday, and is fine, but bored :). And we're going to go visit Myles again.
Along with the terrorist attacks on September 11 comes a question- how do you quiet your child's fears? I have found that sitting quietly with my kids and holding them works better for fears that are abstract, like when they questioned if a plane was going to hit our house. For more concrete fears like getting wet or going down a slide, I do it with them, or hold their hand. And I remembered a scripture in the New Testament: 1 John 4:18 [King James Version] "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
I thought about how many times I have prayed because I'm afraid of something, and how often I am tormented by what I think will happen. And how, when I stop talking and *listen* to God, that the fear and torment I am feeling disappears. God replaces it with His love, and His peace. Knowing this has added another step to how I quiet my children's fears: we pray. And you know, it works every time!
They're sort of related; I remember the shock most of all- that day, in 2001, I drove the WRONG WAY down a one-way street in front of the town post office, because I was still so shocked and upset about the airplanes which had hit the twin towers. Luckily, I didn't hit anybody. I didn't even realize I'd driven the wrong way 'til I passed the drop-off mailboxes and they were on the wrong side of my car. :)
So, what are you doing today to remember? Is it something you do privately, or is this more public [flying a flag on your front porch, attending a memorial service] for you? We're visiting my mom- she had surgery yesterday, and is fine, but bored :). And we're going to go visit Myles again.
Along with the terrorist attacks on September 11 comes a question- how do you quiet your child's fears? I have found that sitting quietly with my kids and holding them works better for fears that are abstract, like when they questioned if a plane was going to hit our house. For more concrete fears like getting wet or going down a slide, I do it with them, or hold their hand. And I remembered a scripture in the New Testament: 1 John 4:18 [King James Version] "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
I thought about how many times I have prayed because I'm afraid of something, and how often I am tormented by what I think will happen. And how, when I stop talking and *listen* to God, that the fear and torment I am feeling disappears. God replaces it with His love, and His peace. Knowing this has added another step to how I quiet my children's fears: we pray. And you know, it works every time!
Monday, September 08, 2008
Tears and hope
Saturday Jared left for another week away. He's playing with anthrax [I know, he is SOOO lucky] *rolling my eyes*. Anyway, we had a stake conference [local parish/congregation is called a 'ward', group of local parishes is a 'stake'] this weekend. Saturday night was the adult session- I took notes, and got a lot of good info and suggestions for myself. Sunday was the general session- everybody comes. And while each of the speakers had a different focus, I noticed that each one spoke of "enduring to the end;" in finances, or as a missionary, or whatever their topic was. I don't know if this was intentional, but I do know God had a hand in it ;). The last speaker was our Stake President, and he shared a poem that I have heard many times before. For some reason, when I heard it Sunday, my heart just overflowed and I began to cry. I'm sharing it here:
THE RACE
by Dee Groberg
"Quit! Give Up! You're beaten,"
They shout at me and plead,
"There's just too much against you now
This time you can't succeed!"
And as I start to hang my head
In front of failure's face,
My downward fall is broken
By the memory of a race.
And hope refills my weakened will
As I recall that scene:
For just the memory of that short race
Rejuvenates my being.
A children's race - young boys, young men
How I remember well.
Excitement, sure! But also fear;
It wasn't hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope,
Each thought to win that race.
Or tie for first, or if not that,
At least take second place.
And fathers watched from off the side
Each cheering for his son,
And each boy hoped to show his dad
That he would be the one.
The whistle blew and off they went
Young hearts and hopes afire.
To win and be the hero there
Was each young boy's desire.
And one boy in particular
Whose dad was in the crowd,
Was running in the lead, and thought
"My dad will be so proud!"
But as they speeded down the field
Across a shallow dip,
The little boy who thought to win
Lost his step and slipped!
Trying hard to catch himself,
His hands flew out to brace,
And 'mid the laughter of the crowd,
He fell flat on his face.
So down he fell and with him hope.
He couldn't win it now–
Embarrassed, sad, he only wished
To disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up
And showed his anxious face,
Which to the boy so clearly said:
"Get up and win the race!"
He quickly rose, no damage done–
Behind a bit, that's all–
And ran with all his mind and might
To make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself–
To catch up and to win–
His mind went faster than his legs;
He slipped and fell again!
He wished that he had quit before
With only one disgrace.
"I'm hopeless as a runner now;
I shouldn't try to race."
But in the laughing crowd he searched
And found his father's face;
That steady look which said again
"Get up and win the race!"
So up he jumped to try again–
Ten yards behind the last–
"If I'm going to win those yards," he thought
"I've got to move real fast."
Exerting everything he had
He regained eight or ten,
But trying hard to catch the lead
He slipped and fell again!
Defeat! He lay there silently–
A tear dropped from his eye–
"There's no sense running anymore;
Three strikes: I'm out! Why try!"
The will to rise had disappeared
All hope had fled away.
So far behind, so error prone;
A loser all the way.
"I've lost, so what's the use," he thought
"I'll live with my disgrace."
But then he thought about his dad
Who soon he'd have to face.
"Get up" an echo sounded low.
"Get up and take your place;
You were not meant for failure here.
Get up and win the race."
"With borrowed will, get up," it said
"You haven't lost at all
For winning is no more than this:
To rise each time you fall."
So up he rose to run once more,
And with a new commit
He resolved that, win or lose,
At least he wouldn't quit.
So far behind the others now–
The most he'd ever been–
Still he gave it all he had
And ran as though to win.
Three times he'd fallen, stumbling;
Three times he rose again,
Too far behind to hope to win
He still ran to the end.
They cheered the winning runner
As he crossed the line- first place.
Head high, and proud, and happy;
No falling, no disgrace.
But when the fallen youngster
Crossed the line- last place,
The crowd gave him the greatest cheer,
For finishing the race.
And even though he came in last
With head bowed low, unproud
You would have thought he'd won the race
To listen to the crowd!
And to his dad he sadly said,
"I didn't do too well."
"To me, you won," his father said
"You rose each time you fell."
And now when things seem dark and hard
And difficult to face,
The memory of that little boy
Helps me in my race.
For all of life is like that race
With ups and downs and all,
And all you have to do to win
Is rise each time you fall.
"Quit! Give up! You're beaten!"
They all shout in my face
But another voice within me says:
"GET UP AND WIN THE RACE!"
Right now, I need that reminder- I don't have to be the first, or the best; all I need to do is to get back up each time I fall. And I can do that- I *know* I can do that.
I am so *grateful* for my children; I love them very much.
:)And I love my husband, too, even if he does like to play with dangerously fatal toxins. 
THE RACE
by Dee Groberg
"Quit! Give Up! You're beaten,"
They shout at me and plead,
"There's just too much against you now
This time you can't succeed!"
And as I start to hang my head
In front of failure's face,
My downward fall is broken
By the memory of a race.
And hope refills my weakened will
As I recall that scene:
For just the memory of that short race
Rejuvenates my being.
A children's race - young boys, young men
How I remember well.
Excitement, sure! But also fear;
It wasn't hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope,
Each thought to win that race.
Or tie for first, or if not that,
At least take second place.
And fathers watched from off the side
Each cheering for his son,
And each boy hoped to show his dad
That he would be the one.
The whistle blew and off they went
Young hearts and hopes afire.
To win and be the hero there
Was each young boy's desire.
And one boy in particular
Whose dad was in the crowd,
Was running in the lead, and thought
"My dad will be so proud!"
But as they speeded down the field
Across a shallow dip,
The little boy who thought to win
Lost his step and slipped!
Trying hard to catch himself,
His hands flew out to brace,
And 'mid the laughter of the crowd,
He fell flat on his face.
So down he fell and with him hope.
He couldn't win it now–
Embarrassed, sad, he only wished
To disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up
And showed his anxious face,
Which to the boy so clearly said:
"Get up and win the race!"
He quickly rose, no damage done–
Behind a bit, that's all–
And ran with all his mind and might
To make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself–
To catch up and to win–
His mind went faster than his legs;
He slipped and fell again!
He wished that he had quit before
With only one disgrace.
"I'm hopeless as a runner now;
I shouldn't try to race."
But in the laughing crowd he searched
And found his father's face;
That steady look which said again
"Get up and win the race!"
So up he jumped to try again–
Ten yards behind the last–
"If I'm going to win those yards," he thought
"I've got to move real fast."
Exerting everything he had
He regained eight or ten,
But trying hard to catch the lead
He slipped and fell again!
Defeat! He lay there silently–
A tear dropped from his eye–
"There's no sense running anymore;
Three strikes: I'm out! Why try!"
The will to rise had disappeared
All hope had fled away.
So far behind, so error prone;
A loser all the way.
"I've lost, so what's the use," he thought
"I'll live with my disgrace."
But then he thought about his dad
Who soon he'd have to face.
"Get up" an echo sounded low.
"Get up and take your place;
You were not meant for failure here.
Get up and win the race."
"With borrowed will, get up," it said
"You haven't lost at all
For winning is no more than this:
To rise each time you fall."
So up he rose to run once more,
And with a new commit
He resolved that, win or lose,
At least he wouldn't quit.
So far behind the others now–
The most he'd ever been–
Still he gave it all he had
And ran as though to win.
Three times he'd fallen, stumbling;
Three times he rose again,
Too far behind to hope to win
He still ran to the end.
They cheered the winning runner
As he crossed the line- first place.
Head high, and proud, and happy;
No falling, no disgrace.
But when the fallen youngster
Crossed the line- last place,
The crowd gave him the greatest cheer,
For finishing the race.
And even though he came in last
With head bowed low, unproud
You would have thought he'd won the race
To listen to the crowd!
And to his dad he sadly said,
"I didn't do too well."
"To me, you won," his father said
"You rose each time you fell."
And now when things seem dark and hard
And difficult to face,
The memory of that little boy
Helps me in my race.
For all of life is like that race
With ups and downs and all,
And all you have to do to win
Is rise each time you fall.
"Quit! Give up! You're beaten!"
They all shout in my face
But another voice within me says:
"GET UP AND WIN THE RACE!"
Right now, I need that reminder- I don't have to be the first, or the best; all I need to do is to get back up each time I fall. And I can do that- I *know* I can do that.
I am so *grateful* for my children; I love them very much.
:)And I love my husband, too, even if he does like to play with dangerously fatal toxins. 
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Why homeschooling?
just a quickie: I have talked this over so many times with Jared, and with my immediate family, I forgot I hadn't explained it here :). I haven't been happy with the schooling my kids receive here- even in the advanced class [which both my kids were in], they are not working up to grade level. And while Walker and Morgen both read well, their math was abysmal. I was trying to decide whether I wanted to enroll them in one of the charter schools in the area, or if I was brave enough to homeschool them. Back in February, while I was in the temple, I prayed about this and received an overwhelming assurance that I needed to homeschool them. So, I set about researching what I would need to do/have in order to accomplish this, and after I checked w/the kids, we decided to let them finish out the year at the elementary school. I used those months to accumulate textbooks and advice on how to teach, and once they were out of school, we began working on Math and English. We added Science, History, Spelling, and Book Reports last week, when everybody else started school. We had a few rough days, but have settled into a good schedule now.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Schooling
We seem to have settled into a good homeschooling schedule: daily Math and English lessons for Walker and Morgen, one lesson weekly in Spelling, History, and Science [Hyrum also does the History and Science], plus daily reading, and one new letter weekly, for Hyrum. Once a week we do a field trip, and this week we went to the State Fair. Jared took Thursday off work, so we headed up there around 2pm. 
Of course we had to do the "Little Hands on the Farm" exhibit, which is supposed to teach the kids where the food they eat comes from. It's interactive, and I always laugh when they enter the chicken coop to collect an egg- the hens are fake [so they don't peck], and the eggs are all visible [instead of hidden away in corners and underneath buildings], but they're getting the general idea, I guess LOL.
We looked at all the animals, and wandered through the exhibits [one whole room full of scrapbook pages!!!], and basically wore everybody out.
Today, after we finished the written part of our history lesson, and after eating lunch and watching a movie [the Spiderwick Chronicles], we did a hands-on history activity. Currently we're studying ancient history, learning about why nomadic tribes would settle in one spot and change their lifestyles to become farmers and herdsmen. So the activity was to pretend they'd decided to settle in our backyard, and build houses [big or small] with only the materials they could find. About 3 hours later, they called me to come look at their creations. They had been busy gathering food, planting and harvesting seeds, making fish traps, etc. for all of those 3 hours! They made a mud pit, and had a little village with houses for everybody. :)Hyrum decided to be a giant, and stepped on a couple of them, which ended the activity, but overall, I think it was pretty successful.
Tomorrow Jared leaves for another week of conferences, so I'm getting myself ready for that. And, I think it's officially fall now. I woke up yesterday morning, and my nose was cold LOL. Mornings are a little bit nippy, and I'm excited to see the leaves changing color soon. This is my favorite time of year.
Of course we had to do the "Little Hands on the Farm" exhibit, which is supposed to teach the kids where the food they eat comes from. It's interactive, and I always laugh when they enter the chicken coop to collect an egg- the hens are fake [so they don't peck], and the eggs are all visible [instead of hidden away in corners and underneath buildings], but they're getting the general idea, I guess LOL. We looked at all the animals, and wandered through the exhibits [one whole room full of scrapbook pages!!!], and basically wore everybody out.
Today, after we finished the written part of our history lesson, and after eating lunch and watching a movie [the Spiderwick Chronicles], we did a hands-on history activity. Currently we're studying ancient history, learning about why nomadic tribes would settle in one spot and change their lifestyles to become farmers and herdsmen. So the activity was to pretend they'd decided to settle in our backyard, and build houses [big or small] with only the materials they could find. About 3 hours later, they called me to come look at their creations. They had been busy gathering food, planting and harvesting seeds, making fish traps, etc. for all of those 3 hours! They made a mud pit, and had a little village with houses for everybody. :)Hyrum decided to be a giant, and stepped on a couple of them, which ended the activity, but overall, I think it was pretty successful.
Tomorrow Jared leaves for another week of conferences, so I'm getting myself ready for that. And, I think it's officially fall now. I woke up yesterday morning, and my nose was cold LOL. Mornings are a little bit nippy, and I'm excited to see the leaves changing color soon. This is my favorite time of year.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Rain is falling...
It rained a lot of Sunday, and most of yesterday morning here. I thought it was appropriate- I was bawling.
Right after Myles died, I decided I wanted each of my kids to have a memory book of him. I didn't want to put together a scrapbook FOR them, as I wanted this book to contain their memories, not mine. I got the albums, and the paper, and got stuck when I tried to order the photos– I couldn't do it. So I had a pile of stuff just waiting behind my computer chair. I hate piles.
I finally decided that I'd procrastinated this enough, and sat down to go through my pics. They're organized by year, and by month within each year, and a big event [more than 100 pics] gets its own category in the month. I know, I'm anal :). Anyway, I couldn't do it all at once- I took a lot of breaks [helping the kids with their homeschooling activities]- but I did get most of the pictures ordered.
Yesterday I had to go to the grocery store, and took the opportunity to go alone, since Jared had leave for Labor Day :). It had just stopped raining, and the sun was coming out as I left the house. It struck me as funny, because that was exactly how I felt in my life at that moment: like I was crawling out of a cave into the warm sunshine. The heavy feeling in my chest lightened up- my whole mood improved- just by walking into the sunshine. And I noticed that when I am reading my scriptures daily, and praying daily, that God acts as the sunshine did yesterday- He warms my whole life up, and my burdens are lightened.
Right after Myles died, I decided I wanted each of my kids to have a memory book of him. I didn't want to put together a scrapbook FOR them, as I wanted this book to contain their memories, not mine. I got the albums, and the paper, and got stuck when I tried to order the photos– I couldn't do it. So I had a pile of stuff just waiting behind my computer chair. I hate piles.
I finally decided that I'd procrastinated this enough, and sat down to go through my pics. They're organized by year, and by month within each year, and a big event [more than 100 pics] gets its own category in the month. I know, I'm anal :). Anyway, I couldn't do it all at once- I took a lot of breaks [helping the kids with their homeschooling activities]- but I did get most of the pictures ordered.
Yesterday I had to go to the grocery store, and took the opportunity to go alone, since Jared had leave for Labor Day :). It had just stopped raining, and the sun was coming out as I left the house. It struck me as funny, because that was exactly how I felt in my life at that moment: like I was crawling out of a cave into the warm sunshine. The heavy feeling in my chest lightened up- my whole mood improved- just by walking into the sunshine. And I noticed that when I am reading my scriptures daily, and praying daily, that God acts as the sunshine did yesterday- He warms my whole life up, and my burdens are lightened.
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