Christmas & Graduation

I will have to add some pictures at the end of this post when I figure out how to download pictures from my new camera. I'm sure it's not difficult, but I just haven't taken the time to do it yet.

Thursday Jeannine and Treasa came up for my graduation. They left really early because of a storm coming in. By the time my parents left, they were hit really hard with the snow, but just took the drive really slow and ended up staying at Dave and Nola's house that night. By the time Ammon got off work and then picked up Liz, the storm was worse. They had to turn around after only making it to Springville after over an hour of driving. A little later, they tried again, but ended up turning around after a short distance. The next morning they left early and turned around once more. Finally, they pushed on through and made it up to Boise after the graduation and lunch, but in time to help me fix my dryer (which I needed a rivett gun for) and then go to our family Christmas party. Now that's dedication!!!

It's nice to have graduation over with. The graduation provided a closure to this adventure. I was disappointed with the ceremony itself though. The chair of the Idaho State Board of Education spoke, but he just rambled on and on and didn't make a lot of sense. He even made several blatant grammatical flaws in his speech. It was a little embarrassing to think that he represents the state's educational program. The student speaker wasn't much better. He spoke about himself the entire time with little reference to how his experience could benefit others. In contrast, President Kustra's speech was good and we had some wonderful music played by the Marine Corps bagpipe band, voice by a police quartet and a musical number by a student playing a viola. I'm not sure it has hit me entirely that I no longer will have homework to do.

Nola, Dave, Denise and her two children came out to Angie's Friday night and we played the gift exchange game. Also, Uncle Dave played Santa and we all enjoyed just being together and eating good foods. All of my siblings and parents pitched in to buy me a graduation gift. They gave me the Sierra Designs Bedouin 6 (six man tent with a tub floor, two vestibules, lots of pockets, and sturdy poles). I'm really excited about it! I've been wanting to get a family tent now for quite a while, but I didn't want to have to buy a cheap one at Wal-Mart, even though I couldn't justify spending much. This new tent is a really nice tent that should last us a really long time and protect us from the elements. I set up the Bedouin in Angie's back yard the next morning and showed it off to everyone. Not having a tent has kept me from taking my family camping for a long time now. I remember taking Baily camping for the first time when she was just really small. We went to Milk Creak in Eastern Idaho and we loved it. We haven't done much since, due to the size of our family. I can't wait to go this spring when it's warm enough to take the new baby!

Christmas was wonderful. My parents and Dawn came out on Sunday and stayed until Wednesday. Christmas eve we made cookies and caroled to neighbors and friends. We then came home and opened our pajamas. All the girls loved their pajamas and got into them right away. Even Amy changed into her new warm pajamas. While I read the Christmas story from Luke 2, the girls (with Some help from the adults) acted it out. Baily was Mary, Bethy was Joseph, Grandpa and Lily were shepherds, and Dawn was the Angel (with Amy and Mom as the heavenly hosts backup and later as wise men). A sweet feeling was in our home that night as we spoke of the baby Jesus and the important role he would play in our lives. When we finally got the kids to sleep, we wrapped the last presents, filled the stockings, and placed everything under the tree. It was so fun to see how excited all the adults were. I started wondering whether the girls were more excited than the adults. I guess we all depend on each other for the Christmas spirit.

With our bellies full of "virgin" wassail, we went to bed with our girls on the floor at out feet. Christmas morning we had our traditional turnovers and hot cocoa. While everyone else finished, I opened our camera up and began taking pictures. You'll see from the pictures some of the things that the kids got, but I need to tell a quick story about Lily. Lily opened her present from Grandma and Grandpa, and when she saw that it was a doll she shook with excitement and squealed. The doll was attached to a box and by the time an adult extracted it, we could see how realistic the doll looked. When the doll was handed to Lily she continued to squeal, but stumbled backward, her face taking on a look of fear. Later, when Bethy was rocking her new doll, Lily sat in her rocking chair and rocked too. She was fine for a second when someone placed her doll in her hands, but when she realized what she was holding, she immediately dropped it as if it was burning her hands and began squealing again. I think it's just going to take a little time to get used to it. We all got a good laugh out of it. Again, we really enjoyed seeing the girls interact with Dad, Mom, and Dawn. It was good for us and I believe it was good for them too. There seems to be a special joy that comes when you make a child happy.

Well, my family is all gone now and it makes me wish we all lived closer than we do. Brenda and her family are so far away and it's hard to not have them here. After spending time with my family, I often long for more time with them and more frequent gatherings. I think that heaven must be wonderful because relationships with family and friends will not be hindered by distance.

The Adventures of Being Parents

This has been an eventful couple of days. Amy has been really busy trying to finish up a Christmas gift she has been working on all year. It's amazing how much time she spends each year on these gifts. I'm not sure many people understand the time and money she puts into it, but she feels like this is her way of showing her love.

So, for another gift, Monday, Amy went to a consignment store in Boise. While she was looking around, Baily began playing with a porcelain sink on a porcelain pedestal. Amy was later told it was valued at $500. I'm not sure that was realistic, but I'll bet you can guess what was about to happen. Of course the sink was knocked off the pedestal and both were broken beyond repair. Amy felt terrible and the store employee said that if this happened at Home Depot she would have to pay for it, but that as long as she kept shopping at their store, she wouldn't have to. Well, then she felt pressured to get something and after not being able to find what she was looking for, she purchased something expensive in its place.

That same day, Baily vacuumed up Lily's pants and I spent the evening trying to fix that. Also, our dryer started scraping and put black marks on three loads of laundry before we realized. While I worked on the vacuum, Baily and Bethy went into our bathroom and took turns pouring full glasses of water on eachothers bare feet. By the time I found them, the entire floor was a half inch deep in water and the carpet by the doorway was soaked. Tuesday wasn't much better. After deciding we had spent too much on presents this year, Amy returned an item meant for me, placed the money in her purse, and soon realized that Lily had pulled all the money out and had dropped it somewhere in the store. After an extensive search, she relented that someone must have picked it up already.

I had a hard time controlling my feelings through all of this. I thought of my own father being so calm and not overreacting when he was told about cars being wrecked, things being lost, or his tools being left out in the rain. While I could always tell he was dissappointed and he took time to provide a lecture on behavior, rarely did he raise his voice, and most often when it was an accident, he didn't blame anyone at all. Well, I tried to respond the same way throughout these two days, but when I found the two girls flooding our bathroom, I have to admit I was angry. This wasn't an accident, and we'd warned them about doing this before. I stuck them both in the corner for 10 minutes (longer than they had ever spent) and I gave them a loud lecture too. I had them clean up the house the rest of the evening, although any messes they cleaned were actually messes they had made. Maybe some of their behavior is related to the season. While it's a wonderful time of year, it is a lot of stimulation and sugar for energetic little children.

Well, today is a new day, and although I still have to finish fixing our dryer and do a hundred other things to prepare for my family coming this weekend, I'm hopeful things will go a little better. These times sure help me appreciate life when it doesn't include all these adventures.

Pizza Hut and Carolling

Well, I got looking through the pictures I've been taking on my phone and noticed a couple I didn't add to the blog. A few weeks ago Baily had completed the reading requirements for the Pizza Hut "Book-it" program. At the same time, the girls finished filling their "jars" with beads. About a month ago, we were starting to notice the girls getting a little sloppy with their language. Nothing terrible, but just a lot of complaining and the word "no" being used too often. We decided to try an idea from the Dittrichs. Every time the girls say something nice, or do something without complaining, we let them place a bead in a jar. Baily and Bethy had both filled their jars with beads and the reward was a special date with mom and dad. So, we all went to pizza hut for dinner and then to the dollar theater for a kids movie. It was a lot of fun, and here are the pictures, which unfortunately didn't turn out too well. Still, it was a good memory and I'm glad we did it, because they had so much fun, and it was good to just relax a little during my busy schedule.





Well, Christmas and my graduation are fast approaching. I hate to have the Christmas season end. Every year it seems to go too fast. Part of the problem has always been that I am so focused on finishing a semester and preparing for finals, that I don't get to ponder and enjoy the season until after I'm done. Even then, I wonder about my grades and how well I did on my projects. Perhaps next year will be better now that I'm done with school. Still, it has been a wonderful season started out when we traveled to Ammon and Liz's house for Thanksgiving. This year, I have felt a special appreciation for the blessings the Lord has given me and my family. There are many families in our ward that have so little this year, and hurts me to think how they must be struggling. I look forward to carrying on the tradition established by my parents to take a turkey to a needy family. We are planning to make the delivery tonight and I'm sure the girls will be so excited.

Last night we went to Uncle Dave's and Aunt Nola's home for chili and then went on our annual Christmas caroling. We visit the same elderly families every year and it was fun to here my kids and Angie's kids recall visiting certain homes. Gary and Angie and their kids were there as well as Ed and Denise's family, Marie, Jessy, and Carolyn, and Uncle Dave and Aunt Nola. I had to leave early for a church meeting, but made it to the end of the caroling. Amy and I talked that night of how much we love our family and how good they all are. I love Christmas!!!

Life Changes

To say that I am experiencing some life changes is putting it mildly! Yesterday I turned in the last paper I will ever have to submit for my formal University Experience (I hope)! In some ways, life has passed by so quickly, but when I think about all the long hours up late or entire Saturdays spent working on homework, it feels like the end barely arrived in time to keep me from losing my sanity. I have to say, I have mixed emotions about this new change in my life. While I am excited to spend more time with my family, not having the constant worry of what reading or writing I need to do, still I will miss the formal process of education. I have gained so much and been able to challenge my views and get understanding. I enjoy being up to date, in detail, on what is going on in the country and in the world. I will miss the detailed analysis of life that only a formal education can provide, but I also believe this is the beginning of my personal education. I hope to be able to read good books and continue to challenge my own views.

Another change occurred a few days ago when I officially accepted a position as Planner II for the city of Nampa. To my surprise, my new boss will be my stake president, Norm Holm. Certainly the Lord watches out for me and my needs. No longer will I have to spend two hours of my day commuting to and from work. I will be able to come home for lunches and spend more time with my family. This position will challenge me and require me to use the knowledge and skills I have gained through my schooling. While the pay increase will be nice, one of the things I look forward to most, is the ability to associate with and learn from, good people like President Holm. The Lord knew I needed these things and somehow was able to provide them right at the close of my schooling. Recently I have thought a lot about the words found in Matthew 6:28-30 when the Master counsels his disciples going to share the gospel, “28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” Even though I am not being sent out to foreign lands to spread the gospel, I also know that the Lord watches out for my physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. I am certain that He values my family, and even me, above the grasses of the fields and will continue to provide for our needs, in the timing and conditions that are best for us.

Amy is now less than two months from the due date for our first boy to come into the world – another change in our lives. While we are a little concerned about our living conditions and being able to fit everyone in to our little home, we are also grateful for the home we have. We hear so many others comment about growing out of their homes. Often they have larger homes than ours and less children. Perspective is an interesting thing. Amy and I have recently read several books set in the past. We have noted that families were generally larger, homes were smaller, and families had to get by with less. We have discussed how the wealth of this nation is not only a blessing, but a curse. By having so much, we forget to be grateful. Like the spoiled child, hording toys from other children, our focus turns to protecting the worldly possessions we’ve accumulated, rather than protecting our families from pride. I need to be better at not comparing my condition to others, but rather, I need to count the blessings that really matter, and not those that don’t.

Each night, this past week, I stayed at the school until late to work on homework. I hoped to be able to finish so I could go on a Young Men’s trip over the weekend. Bro. Pancheri’s family owns a cabin in Donnelly and we wanted to take the boys snow-shoeing. For several weeks we have been working on making snow shoes for this trip. I was able to go and We had a wonderful time. I had Shane Dittrich and the presidents of each quorum, speak about quorum unity and then I shared one of my favorite Christmas stories, recounted by Pres. Monson about church members in Malad, Idaho who helped a family in Canada with no money, food, or adequate clothing for Christmas. I spoke briefly about unity, not just for social needs, but for spiritual needs as well. There was a sweet spirit in the cabin and afterwards, Read Young shared a similar story of when his own family was helped for Christmas. I love this season! It seems to calm the world and encourage love.

We are looking forward to Christmas. Brenda and her family, unfortunately can’t come, but the rest of the family will be up for my graduation and Mom, Dad, and Dawn are staying for Christmas. Life is going really well and the Lord is blessing us.