hec-tivity

Life has seemed especially hectic this week - too many things going on and way too many things going wrong!

We've had soccer games, a soccer tournament, a meeting with our lawyer (updating our will), a trip to Utah Lake, cub scout pack meeting, 1st day of school, YW presidency meeting, Young Women activity, baby shower to attend, activity days, sewing pajamas, book club, girls' lunch at my home, etc...

Things that have gone wrong: Kevin lost his cell phone in Utah Lake, my cell phone is possessed by evil spirits (seriously, what other explanation could there be for its antisocial behavior?), Kevin's car lost its transmission, I cracked my head open with the suburban door, etc...

I think it's time for a nap. Naps solve almost everything!

kid really hates church

I had to laugh this morning when I read the newspaper. It seems a 7-year-old boy in the Ogden area got pulled over for running a stop sign. Yes, you read that right. On Sunday the 7-year-old led police on a car chase... running a stop sign before stopping in a driveway and running into a home.

When finally caught and questioned, he said he took the car because he didn't want to go to church.

Hopefully, he didn't give kids everywhere any ideas! lol

parental deficiencies

I cleaned and defrosted both of my freezers yesterday enlisting the help of two of my children. One of the freezers is a big chest freezer that was coated in frost. It was THICK.

I obviously do not do this often enough because I had to define defrost to my youngest child (an 8-year-old). His response was, "You mean that ice isn't SUPPOSED to be there?"

Other areas in which I'm deficient:

1) Feeding my children peas as a vegetable. Other than the frozen peas that I thaw and throw into salads, snow peas eaten fresh (pod and all), or the peas that we shell and eat straight from our garden, I'm not sure my children would recognize a pea. They certainly would not recognize a pile of hot ones served next to the mashed potatoes for instance.

2) Peanut butter sandwiches. It took me 7 years of my oldest child's life to even think of serving him a peanut butter sandwich. I don't like them so it didn't occur to me to make one for him. Maybe that explains why 4 of my 5 children will basically eat bread with peanut butter on it (hold the jelly). Have I damaged my children by not serving them one of childhood's basic food groups?

3) Spring cleaning. Again, my children probably don't know the meaning of the word. I clean when the urge hits (or when closet shelves are in danger of collapse or I'm afraid of the health department condemning something) and not according to what season it is.

4) Fear-of-being-late phobia. I get positively demented if I'm going to be late. My children may someday need excessive counseling to deal with this phobia that is being passed on to them.

1st day of school

Today was Shanley's first day of school. She is now in 6th grade with Mrs. Becknell -- her final year of elementary school. (I put her and Chandler on different tracks so he still has 3 more weeks of summer.)

I was not ready for her to go back to school! We were having a really fun busy summer -- Summer Games in Cedar City, youth conference, girls' camp, Yuba Lake, Harry Potter movie marathon, cousins' camps, etc...All of a sudden it was time and I wasn't prepared.

I managed to pull it off (mostly). We went school shopping for a new outfit for the first day.



She had a good breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. I remembered to take the back-to-school pictures. I went in and met her teacher and volunteered to help in the classroom. It seemed like success until I got back home and realized I hadn't packed her a lunch. Oops!



Chandler has his first day on August 17th and Alec and McKayla have their first days on August 24th. With three different start dates, I am bound to get at least one of their first days absolutely perfect.

the power of a Father's love

One of the activities we did at Girls' Camp was a high ropes challenge course. One of our brand-new Beehives was really scared. It took her quite a while to climb the pole. We yelled and encouraged her the entire way. She finally reached the top and then got to go down the zip line.

That should have been the fun part but she totally froze. She was so scared to go down. She didn't want to go and she didn't want to climb the pole back down. She was stuck. It didn't matter what encouragement we yelled, she was not going to budge.

Her father was at camp as one of our Priesthood leaders. He happened to walk up to the ropes course. We yelled at the young Beehive, "Your dad is here." She looked over, saw him, and grabbed the zip line and came down!



What a great parable! How many times in my life am I able to do hard things if I just recognize that my Heavenly Father is there? He will catch me if I fall.
He will bandage my wounded knees. He will even carry me when I'm too injured or tired to walk. Sometimes just knowing He will be there for me is all the encouragement I need to be able to do hard things or to endure a trial or hardship. I'm never alone!

my funeral

Several years ago I urged all of my extended family members to do a little funeral planning. I gave everyone forms and asked them to fill them out (my aunt got hers back to me -- way to go, Vicki!). It detailed who they wanted notified of their demise, who to speak at the funeral, what songs to sing, where important documents were kept, who was to be pallbearers, etc.

I filled out my plan but came across it the other day and, of course, it's already outdated.

A few things remain constant.

1) I'd like lots and lots of music! Congregational hymns, solos, a men's quartet... My immediate family is lacking a little in musical talent but I think they could round up some of the talented people from my ward.

2) Someone could share funny stories about me that they've compiled from talking to my friends, brothers, and sisters.

3) They could serve lots and lots of chocolate - truffles, fudge, brownies, Costco's chocolate cake, etc. Oh yes, and don't forget the funeral potatoes. Chocolate and funeral potatoes, do you really need anything else? Yum!

4) Put me in a cheap pine box! It's going in the ground anyway and I'm just not a fancy, frou-frou type of person.

5) Don't spend tons of money on flowers. I want the flowers when I'm alive! Otherwise, just plant some wildflowers somewhere in my memory.



Feel free to share your best funeral ideas. Just know that I love to steal good ideas so if I die first...

musicals

Kevin and I are going to "Hello Dolly" tomorrow night with friends. In honor of musicals everywhere, I thought I'd list my all-time favorites.

TOP FIVE

1) Wicked - I've seen this twice now and I'm totally in love with it! It is just plain fun and has catchy, sing-a-long tunes.

2) Phantom of the Opera - This edges out #3 but only by a hair. I like the music better in Phantom. Plus, I've seen it on Broadway which may have added to its rating.

3) Les Miserables - This may have the best story line ever! And it's one of the few things that is better than the book.

4) Mamma Mia! - I've been an ABBA fan since I was 12! Yes, I was one of the people that was dancing in the aisles and, yes, the musical was better than the movie.

5) Aida - loved the music!


Honorable Mention (in no particular order)

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Fiddler on the Roof

Beauty and the Beast

The Ark