How to stay busy

I think I got a little excited about all the "free time" I would enjoy once my kids started public school :). I'm working with a local animal shelter, and helping in the schools 2 times a week, and trying to catch up on housework and crafts that I put off much longer than I meant to. But, in my vast amount of free time, I've also been tackling the huge stack of non-fiction books that I would like to read.

John Adams, by David McCullough, has been at the top of that list for about 2 years, and I finally finished it Friday night. I find myself incredibly amazed and humbled by reading about this man. He was flawed, yes; and yet he managed to accomplish so very much, and was aware of his faults and constantly trying to overcome them. But my favorite part of the book came after he'd finished his term as the 2nd President of the United States. He retired to a farm that he and Abigail had bought and she had primarily run during his long years of service to his country. They both retained a sharp interest in politics, but he never again served in a public office. And his last years are a witness that he really did practice what he preached: that a man be not dependent on public service for his income. When he died, he left a sizeable estate to his children and grandchildren. While he was acting as Vice President to George Washington, he wrote to his son Thomas,

"Public business, my son, must always be done by somebody. It will be done by somebody or other. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not. A young man should weigh well his plans. Integrity should be preserved in all events, as essential to his happiness, through every stage of his existence. His first maxim then should be to place his honor out of reach of all men. In order to do this he must make it a rule never to become dependent on public employments for subsistence. Let him have a trade, a profession, a farm, a shop, something where he can honestly live, and then he may engage in public affairs, if invited, upon independent principles. My advice to my children is to maintain an independent character."

I wish that more of our "public servants" had this as a personal goal. I think that the longer a person serves in Washington, the more out-of-touch and corrupted he/she becomes. I can honestly say that, while I appreciate those men and women who serve well, I am becoming convinced that term limits should be applied to each and every person who serves in any way in my government. I need them to be more accountable to me as a voter, and I need them NOT to become career politicians. I don't believe the government will solve all my problems. I believe it is a necessary evil, and should be kept as small and weak as possible. I've decided that I cannot continue to be a Democrat [and I won't become a Republican either], because while they talk a good talk, they do not follow through on their promises. I'll be closely examining each candidate and voting for the ones that show integrity in their personal lives, regardless of which party they are affiliated with.

Okay, that's enough of the political stuff :). 2 weeks ago my kids had a 2-day break from school, and we all [Jared took time off] made a quick trip to Denver, Colorado to tour the US Mint. Here's a picture of us after the tour, since they don't allow pictures inside the building itself:

We went to the Denver Children's Museum, and let the kids run around and explore for a few hours. Morgen spent some time dancing in the theater, and quite a bit of time in the veterinarian room playing vet with the stuffed animals, but most of her time was spent in the art room, painting:

Hyrum played all over, but spent the most time shooting baskets in the basketball court. There was a button that he pushed to make the big blaring sound to end each quarter, just like in real basketball games. He liked playing "horse" and "pig" on the courts:

I wasn't sure that Walker could find anything he would enjoy doing, but he proved me wrong. He and Jared spent over an hour building an extensive, looping railroad track that bridged several of the tables in that room. Here's a picture of the beginning stages of the track:

Here are my two engineers, discussing where to put the next piece of track:

While I was in the vet room with Morgen, a lady said my name. I looked at her, and realized I knew her [Kristen Weed]- totally a surprise, since I had no idea she lived in Denver! She's a few years younger than I am, and her parents lived down the street from my parents while they were in Nevada. She actually knows my husband as well :). We chatted for a little bit, then she headed back home. But wow- random and fun to see her!

We drove through Laramie, and toured the Governor's Mansion there. Did you know that Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote? And, it was the first state to elect a woman as governor: Nellie Tayloe Ross. She went on to become the director of the US Mint, serving in that position from 1933-1953. [Texans elected a woman governor the same year, but Nellie was inaugurated first :)]

We cannot go on any family outing without including some sort of outdoor activity. This is the Ames Monument, built to honor 2 brothers who helped bring the railroad to this part of the country.

Of course, we couldn't just walk around it. Some of us saw this as a challenge, and decided to climb it!

Jared took off today after church, and he'll be in Reno through the end of the week. I'm hoping he makes it back in time for trick-or-treating :)

Gratitude List:
* Freedom of Speech. I am so grateful that I have the right to openly state my opinions and know that I cannot be arrested for thinking differently than my government officials do.
* Jared got to stay for church, and help me with our sunday school class, as they put on a little program for the rest of the kids.
* Beautiful fall leaves, and cool fall weather.
* We have the money to replace the sliding glass door panel that was shattered when the person who was weed-whacking the lawn shot a rock into it by accident.
* Nobody was hurt by the shattered glass :) because the plastic film kept the pieces together. Oh, and we got a good lesson in how glass fractures :) It's incredibly cool to watch and hear the glass cracking. Expensive, but cool!
* I have 3 healthy kids.
* I have good family, and good friends.
* homemade chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Mmmmm!
* Good music.
* time [even if it's only 10 minutes] to read books.
* My husband has a good job, and we are financially stable.
* God is mindful of me, and blesses me according to my needs.