Proper Perspective

Life has a way of ebbing and flowing. It is always moving and changing. My life has certainly had its fair share of changes, both large, and small. Some of the changes I have experienced have completely altered my life, while other changes have just kind of shimmied things up a little.

One thing I try to remember is that I need to take in the happenings of life, with a proper perspective. Sometimes when things are happening, and they are right in my face, I find it best to take a step back, breathe, and put the event, or problem, in its proper place. I am not saying I am good at it, I am just saying I try to remember, because I can sometimes make small things seem big, if I am not careful.

Small things, when held right up to the eye, can block vision entirely.

I know, that is all very interesting, but let's move on from the vague philosophical stuff, to more realtime reality.

Sometimes being a mom is funny. I love it, almost all of the time. But there is one aspect of motherhood that I actually do not like.

Do you want to know what it is? 

I do not like being responsible for my children's teeth.

Ugh.

Today I took Daniel to the Orthodontist, and we found out he has some trouble with a tooth, that might need some pretty major (expensive) dental work. The Orthodontist was not particularly kind about it, in fact he was a little rude, and he is not normally that way. I will just assume he was having a bad day, and I will let it slide. But what I really do not like, is that as a mom, I feel responsible for all the teeth that dwell inside of the mouths of my children, and that's a lot of teeth!

I can help them remember to brush, but I simply cannot control the outcome at the dentist for each tooth. I just find it frustrating when one tooth can cause such a headache, in so many way. Oh well, proper perspective... right? We will get it fixed, pay the bill, and move on. I will try to remember to be grateful we have such advanced dental technology to fix our troubled mouths.

Besides that, I have been enjoying this time of year, with the changes in schedules, and the weather is finally enjoyable and beautiful! When I go out running in the morning, I can actually breathe fresh air, and it is amazing!

I have been able to go to the temple way more often, so that has been really nice. I have started shopping at Costco again, now that I have time to get out there. I do love Costco.

I have a few things I really want to accomplish with my time, and one of those things is getting my blog printed into a book for my family. I have SO many years documented though, and I have never turned blog-to-book before, so I think I have my work cut out for me BIG TIME! But I would love to have a hardcopy printed for my records. I am just not sure I would want to sit at the computer for that long of a project... I will have to find a way to pace myself over a long amount of time. Unless someone knows of a super easy way to just press "print," and it would be done?

I do eventually want to write a book, but I am still seeking inspiration on that subject. You might think this is crazy, but I actually watch and study Hallmark movies as kind of book-writing research. So many Hallmark movies have a widow/er as a main subject, because widowed-love is pretty interesting. My mom says I should just write about my real life, or use old blog posts as a guide, but my dad says I should step outside of my comfort zone into another world of writing. So, I continue my search for inspiration. This is something I have been counseled in a blessing that I am supposed to do, but it is up to me, to do the work. No pressure!

For now, let's move onto the pictures...

School is in session, and sometimes I find my kids totally exhausted at the end of the day.

 We all took turns reading short books out loud to Henry. He loved it.

 Here is a good example of perspective... a beautiful flower.

 

If you zoom in closer, you can see tiny little dew drops, and very fine intricate beauty. There are glorious things all around us, that we often do not take the time to look close enough to see.

I had to try and keep proper perspective when Sammi dropped her phone and it shattered. She does not use her phone a ton, but it is nice for her to have it, especially now that she is driving.

 Henry decided to change his perspective by building a train track outside.

I decided to order myself some fun shirts. My children get personalized shirts off of Amazon, and I thought it would be fun to join the party. I will also have it be known that this is me right after getting out of the shower, no make-up, or anything. I do try to share real stuff, and not just edited pictures to make us look better than we really are.

 Katie brought me more Pumpkin bread! It was Heavenly! :)

The youth had a fireside about President Nelson's 5 challenges, and it was awesome. Daniel was one of the speakers, and the young man who was conducting forgot to announce his name. Then at the very end, after all the other speakers had gone, a member of the Stake Presidency asked Daniel to come up and share his thoughts.

Daniel spoke without notes, and he did a great job. My favorite part was when he just stopped and testified, with power, that Jesus is the Christ. He was asked to talk about his 7 day social media fast, and he said that was easy for him, because he doesn't even have social media! He talked a little about the people-comparison problem, and he also encouraged everyone to look in the mirror and tell themselves they are beautiful, because they are! He also shared a story about a lost boy scout at Scout camp, and how it felt when Daniel and another guy found him. He made my mother heart very happy.

Sammi played the piano for the event, and she did a beautiful job. The pianist is so often overlooked when they are sitting in the background playing, but she did a glorious job, and my heart was filled with joy watching her play.

I love my teenagers. People keep saying how awful teenagers are, but I love the teenage years. Sure these years are filled with emotional craziness, but it is the stuff of life, and I really like that they can communicate like adults. I love their deep questions, and I enjoy hearing all about the stuff going on in their lives.

I listened to the song, "Slipping Through my Fingers" the other day, and I just cried. Sammi said they were discussing in Young Women's how our parents are also our siblings, in the eternal perspective. She said some of the girls thought that was a kind of strange concept, but it was not weird for her. Sometimes it does feel like Sammi is more of a sister than a daughter to me, because she is wise, and we also just talk about crazy things, like how we are both trying to date. (It is SO weird talking to my daughter about MY dating!) I do not know how things worked before we came to earth, but I do know that Sammi was meant to be my daughter, and meant to be with me on this strange journey of life. She said the same thing to me -- that we were meant to be together -- and she feels like she has always known me. So, I guess, technically Sammi does have a sister after all! We are the van Ormer sisters. :)

 I adore her.

 Oh the beauty of the world! I love to stop and look deeply into a flower.

 I was out running when I almost stepped on this little guy. I am glad I didn't! I decided to slow down, and take a picture.

 My pumpkins, are growing! Hooray!

 Another one of my shirts. :) If the shirt fits... wear it. This is SO true of me.

 The sky is clear and not smoke-filled! It feels like living in a different more joyful world!

 A little heart-shaped leaf, just for me.

 Nature calls to me.

 Ummmm... as if I could resist! These are new to me, and now a new addiction. If you put them in the fridge, they taste so much better cold. I was thinking if you got a can of the chocolate kind, and ate the chocolate and pumpkin ones together, then the earth might explode from the perfect combination of chocolate and pumpkin particles.

 I just love dew drops on spider webs. They create such magic, and rainbows.

 This shirt is SO true... especially when it comes to dating!

The other night Daniel and his Barbershop Quartet came and sang for me, and Sammi. They wanted to show what they had accomplished. They are so good! I sure love having so much music in our home and in our lives. It makes me happy.

This shirt is possibly my favorite, so far. I am mostly Scottish, with some Swedish, and English mixed in there, too. (And lots of other things, of course.) One of these days I want to do the DNA test to find out.

Maybe I will find I am part pumpkin. ;)

The Crossroads of Life

The backpacks are stuffed, and the house is empty. School has started, and so has the return to schedules and routine. I do love summer and all of the activity that fills the house with the children around, but I think I might like this all-day-to-myself routine. It feels to me like I have had a job shift change; I have more free time during the day, and more activity in the afternoons and evenings.

I do not have trouble filling my hours at home, and I look forward to being able to go out freely during the day, like to the temple, and maybe even to Costco... the opportunities are really endless! I love being home though, it makes me happy. My home is a sanctuary for me, and my family, and I am happy to be a homemaker as my profession. I love to make our home a soft-landing for us, in a sometimes harsh world. I feel like my home is just an extension of me, and my love for my family.

When you enter my home, you enter my world, and I try to fill my world with love! (Make no mistake, there is plenty of crazy noise and activity when the kids are home! My children squabble and thrash about with the best of them.) But home means love. And that is what I do, I create love, through homemaking. And I love it! (How many times can I say the word love? Start counting...)

I am so grateful to be able to stay home, it is truly a blessing, and I do not take it for granted. I know it is not for everyone, but homemaking and motherhood is my chosen profession, and Charles has always made it possible for me to stay home, and sometimes that has required tremendous sacrifice.

He always promised me, if I had other aspirations away from homemaking, that one day, he would make it possible for me to pursue those dreams. We always worked hard together to support our family in different roles, and it worked beautifully for us. And one day... I will make some of my other dreams come true, because anything is possible! (A lot of my dreams can be done from home, like writing a book, for example.) One day I would love to go to Scotland... and travel around the world with a camera in hand. Not today, but someday.

My children have been my greatest joys in this life, and motherhood has been my greatest calling. (My role as wife came even before motherhood, but I am currently not operating under that title.) I would not trade how we chose to manage our family dynamic way back at the very beginning, when Sammi was born. I am grateful I listened to the counsel of my wise husband. I am a woman who respects men, and their wisdom, and insights. I value the connection they can have with God, and the power that men are for good in this world. I sure wish men were not so downgraded in society today.

That needs to change.

We need to be nice to men.

Men can be so in-tune with Heaven when they are lifted up, praised often, and allowed to lead with love. I think, as women, we can do better at encouraging the men around us, rather than tearing them down. I was informed by my tough-guy son, that he has intense feelings and emotional needs, just as strong as those of women, and his feelings need to be handled with love and kindness. Men always have to be "tough," even when they feel anything but strong. They just need a soft place to land, and they need love... so much love. I am trying to do better to listen, as the men (and boys) in my life speak.

Sometimes, all that men (and boys) need is a hug. And sometimes, we as women need to hear (and heed) what they have to say. That takes humility. Being humble is not a hot-commodity now-a-days. I am a feisty head-strong woman, and I totally get the need to be strong and empowered in womanhood. But we do not empower ourselves by stripping men of their self-worth, and their power for doing good. We need each other. Men and women need each other. I say this as a single mom, and I speak from experience.

So, I found a little piece of Charles' journal, regarding his feelings of me staying home with our children. It was not an easy decision for me to make, originally. But after lots of prayer, pondering, and counseling with Charles, the way was made clear for me. I value and appreciate the fact that Charles relentlessly supported me as a wife and mother, and even though he is gone, his influence is still felt, and he continues to provide for our family needs.

Charles' Journal Entries:

March 27, 2001

Mari and I still seem to be having a difficult time deciding whether she should stay home with the baby [Sammi], or not. I feel that she should. I think that we would be safe if we did this, but there are so many advantages for her to go to work, or at least it seems that way. I am certain what seems like an advantage right now is only to lure us away from what we should be doing, and the real blessings. I hope that Mari makes the decision to stay at home. She may be able to go and make a little bit of money that we could probably find elsewhere, but we might be sacrificing spiritual security, and our happiness. It's still up to Mari. I am worried that she is taking too long to decide. 

April 6, 2001

I am so happy that Mari is staying home. I know it will be difficult, but I am sure it will only be a short time. Mari and I are living by faith, we have faith in the word of the Lord from a living prophet on Earth. Less and less families are living in this way, if we let this standard slip, our children will not have a proper example to follow. I hope to be able to live every command of the Lord, and show my children the right way to live; it is possible, the Lord will help us if we are obedient. 



Charles knew the value of having a mother in the home, he had some unique life experiences to back up his strong desires. He wanted safety and security, so badly for his children. He left it to me to decide, but he strongly encouraged me -- with all of his powers of persuasion and deep passion -- to consider the blessings of being home with the children. You might think it was an easy decision for me to make, but it was not. I was not over-eager to starve, and live off of nothing while we were in school. But we were always provided for, always. And I have seen so many blessings that have flowed from our original decision. And the blessings continue to flow.

I recognize that there are a million different life-circumstances that might prevent women from staying home with their children. My heart goes out to the women whose greatest desire is to be home, and yet that is sometimes not an option. May Heaven bless you Mothers, and your tremendous efforts. I pray that the angels will attend to you, and lift you up. My heart aches for you, truly.

I stand in awe of what women are capable of, and all that they handle with grace and beauty. I admire women who stay home, and I admire women who choose to work. The choice is an individual one, and the answers will be different for everyone. I had to wrestle with the Lord to receive my answers, but I know -- that for our family -- being home has absolutely been the right thing to do. I love being at the crossroads for my children, and I would not change it.

We all just need to love and support each other as women and men, mothers and fathers, boys and girls, as we travel on our individual journeys through life. Whether we are at home, or work, or play... may Heaven bless our efforts, because life is not easy!

(Wow, I am not sure where that came from? I wasn't planning on going off on a deep tangent today. But there it is!)

Let's move on to some pictures...

Ahhh... the school supply sorting. It is super nice now, because I take Sammi and Daniel with me to the store, give them all the lists, and they find everything and throw it in the basket. (They like to do it!) Nice and easy! I love it!

Okay... so I am pretty sure this is a real pumpkin growing in my garden! Yes, yes, YES! I cannot wait for pumpkin season. I allow pumpkin/autumn decor starting September first. I am super excited for the change in the seasons. I am SO very tired of the hot and smokey skies.

Look at the pumpkins out at Albertsons! Hooray! That pumpkin carriage is so cute... it might need to roll its way into my home.

Sammi passed her driving tests! She is now licensed and driving alone. This is great, and also scary. Time to up the power behind the "safety and protection" portion of my prayers! This sign was in the lobby of the driving instruction office. 

I took her out for Sushi afterwards. We hid in the car, and ate it away from the boys. Shhhh... they'll never know. (They LOVE Sushi.)

Sammi was elected as section leader in choir, and she is in charge of helping with the choir room and facilities. She has been working hard at home to do her job.

I saw this sign out while I was running, and I stopped to walk and think for a minute. It is a simple sign, but it struck me as profound that day, as summer was coming to a close. It is important to slow down in life, and let the children play. We do not have to always be pushing them to their limits, and breaking points, with constant activities. Children need to be children, they need to play and have fun, and explore. (Adults need to play, too!) Slow down... life is not a race towards death. Trust me.

I got to my bed, ready to climb in, and I found this... my bed was already full! I just pushed them both over, and nestled in besides Sammi. It was a horrible nights sleep, but sometimes showing love as a mother requires some sacrifice.

The first day of School. Sammi is a Senior! Notice the sign above her head, that is how I feel about things! Never grow up! Not ever!

The kids all go to school at different times. Daniel is a sophomore.

William is at the top of his school as a sixth grader. He is at that please-stop-growing-so-fast-my-son stage.

 Henry is loving being a first grader! Woo-Hoo!

 And I am free! Hooray!

 I went for a run on the first day of school, and soaked it all in. I wish I could say it was beautiful, but the sky was still so smoke-filled, and it is really getting sad. Blue sky and fresh air, where are you?

 The gunk in the air.

We went to Michael's for a few Autumn items. I just love the word "pumpkin." I think it might be my favorite word.

Before school started, I went to the temple. I had a very nice time there. I love the temple. Sometimes there are moments that can be a little hard too. I like to sit in the the Celestial room, and ponder. This last time, there seemed to be a lot of couples there being loving and affectionate. There was a moment when a man walked across the room, he winked at his wife, and then he rushed to be by her side, and he embraced her. They were clearly in love. It seemed to be loving-couples day, or something, and I felt surrounded.

I am happy to see people in love, but sometimes, it can be a little... hard? Of course I want couples to be affectionate, and I had such affection when Charles was alive. But I see the world differently now. I feel things differently now. I am different. And not in a bad way. I took note of the other more forlorn-looking people in the room, and I wondered what their story was, and I just felt love gushing from my heart towards them. My heart just keeps getting more and more squishy with time. And, you know, I don't mind. It means I am growing.

So, do I feel close to Charles at the temple? Nope, not really. I was told in a blessing that if I want to connect with Charles, then I need to be in nature. I go to the temple to connect with God. I did learn some other beautiful things there, and I will keep those things close to my heart.

I did come away feeling peace and light, and I am grateful for that.

I have a few places that feel like "sanctuaries" for me: my home, nature, and the temple. Home is where I stand at the crossroads for my children, nature is where Charles is at the crossroads for me, and the temple is the crossroad between Earth and Heaven. 

I am grateful to have places in my life, where the mundane and the majestic intertwine. This life is so much more than it seems. The path I have traveled has been an interesting one, but it has been beautiful. And I am learning that God really does have His hand in my life -- even the small details. I trust Him, and I even trust His timing, even though sometimes I do not understand. 

God has always been good to me. 

May the crossroads be ever in your favor. :) 

Together Again

There is only one week left until school starts. I feel both ready, and not. I am ready for the season to change from summer to fall, but I operate quite nicely with the non-routine days of summer. I do not mind a schedule, and routine, and I look forward to some aspects of the kids going back to school, but I will miss the carefree summer days. This summer was especially nice, peaceful, and calm. 

This time of year is always strange, because I feel torn between not wanting summer to end, and wanting school to start. It happens every year, and I am sure it will happen every year that my children are in school. For now, I am just soaking life up one day at a time. But some of these last few super-hot, smoke-filled-sky-days, I could live without. It was so gross there for awhile, I had cabin fever in the summer, because I didn't want to go outside at all. I always feel so much better about life when I can get outside in nature, and especially run. But I do not venture outside when the skies are thick with smoke, it just makes me feel nasty. I tried a few days last week, and I felt gross. 

I have realized how much I love variation in weather. I love it when weather is constantly changing. When it is just hot for weeks on end, it gets to me. I love coolness, fresh air, and even rain. I look forward to some variation coming as the season changes. We desperately need some rain here to clear everything out! Strangely enough, I am even looking forward to snow! 

On to the pictures... 

A few weeks ago, Daniel came home from Scout Camp. He was there all summer, and it was so nice to have him back. The night he returned, everything just seemed right with the world again. He is a "larger than life" kind of presence in our home. We did not mind the quiet while he was gone, that was fine too, but Daniel brings a level of energy into our house, that simply does not exist without him. I think Henry was happy to have his shoulder rides back again. 

Sammi turned 17! She was at Young Women's camp for her birthday, so I decided to make a video of family and friends singing happy birthday to her for when she got home. I might share the video here later. She was SO happy watching the video of loved ones singing to her, I have never seen her so emotional. It was really precious. I sure love my Sammi. This is a picture of her, right before going on a date. She went with a boy from church, and they went to deliver cookies.

 Daniel brought a gift home for Henry. He blew it up himself. All that trumpet playing pays off.

 Henry loved it!

 It was so nice to have all my kiddos back together again!

 Sammi got her buddy back.

 They look a little bit like brothers.

 And William and Sammi have some similarities.

It is fun how in families there can be a strong family look... everyone looks different, with little hints of each other. Another thing I've noticed, is no matter who you hang out with, people tend to pick up mannerisms from those they are around. Family, friends... whoever. So, there is a good reason to choose friends wisely, because you might end up acting and looking like them through mannerisms.

 William has started smiling for pictures. Oh happy day! :)

 I love to see William smile.

 Happy Birthday to Sammi.

We did the upside-down potato head thing, using Henry's chin. It is SO funny to draw a face on a chin, and then have them sing or make faces. I highly recommend it.

 Sleeping beauty.

Megan has been coming over on Sunday nights to sing. It was even more fun having Daniel back for music time with Megan. The first time Daniel heard Megan really go for it he was like, "Dang, girl!" He is in a house full of Altos, and even though Altos are awesome, it is a real treat for us to have a Disney Princess-style soprano in our home, who can actually nail the high notes with ease. I enjoyed laying on the couch in a blanket, while being entertained by high quality music. We are all so grateful for Sammi who can rock out on the piano, and play pretty much any song. We would be lost without her. The three of them were singing together and producing some pretty sweet harmonies.

When Daniel got home, the first thing he wanted to do was paint! I was so surprised that he would actually want to join the painting party, but he did, and he loves it! And he is good too! We have had our paint on the counter the entire summer, and it has been so nice to grab a canvas, and just let out the inner creative beast. It is so satisfying to complete a painting, and then hang it on the wall.

 So cute! And the turtle is pretty cute, too. ;)

While we paint, William builds. He prefers to create by building with his hands. He builds Legos, and K'nex all the time. He has created some pretty awesome things, without using a manual. I love to see all the things that he creates. He has the mind of a builder.

 Sammi and her Robin Hood

 Mary Poppins

When Daniel got home he wanted to sing. The first time he sang, it seemed like he was louder than before he left for Scout Camp. Maybe the fresh mountain air was good for his lungs. When he lets loose with his voice, the house shakes.

Daniel had a 3 day break, and then he was off to Band Bootcamp. He is in the marching band, and they had them out there all day marching in the crazy heat. He said the football coach came over to the band and was like, "Wow, you work these kids really hard!" Marching band really is a sport.

Daniel would come home covered in sweat from head to toe. Some of the days it was over 100 degrees out there. I am excited to see their performances. What I look most forward to is the high school Jazz band performances, last year they were so awesome, and Jazz is my favorite. In order to do the Jazz band, he had to do the Marching band. But he says that he loves it, even though it is crazy. He just loves music. It will be a crazy time for him trying to manage all the music (choirs and bands), but he really wants to try. He only has 3 core classes this year, and everything else will be band and choir.

Henry is learning to read, he is doing well. He will be in first grade this year, and he is very excited.

 
We took a trip to Utah, for my Nan's 95 birthday. It was a fast trip, and we squeezed as much in a short amount of time as possible. The drive between Idaho and Utah is not my favorite trip. I prayed for a little variation this time, and I certainly got it.

As we were coming into the Tremonton area, we could see a fire on the hills in the distance. It was producing a lot of visible flames and billowing smoke.

 And then the smoke got really thick, and a policeman signaled for us to make a detour off of the freeway.

 The sun was going down, and it was getting dark, and the sky was gray and thick.

I followed the rest of the traffic, as we worked our way through a small town. We came to a gravel road with a steep hill, and the semi-trucks were struggling to get up and down. It was a little tense, as we had to squeeze up the hill in between semi-trucks on both sides. I was also very grateful for my GPS system, that verified we were on the right path.

The smoke filled the area like I had never seen before, and I have seen some fires, especially when living in Alaska! It was so thick and nasty, it felt like we were sitting in the middle of a campfire. The picture does not do the smoke justice. I followed this truck all the way to the right exit.

After some time we found our way back on the right roads, and we were off to our destination. And even though it was an altered journey, it was still way more exciting than the normal boring way. So I was grateful for that.

We made it to Utah, and we made it to my Nan's birthday party. That is where we met Baby Joy for the first time! My brother and sister-in-law had their first baby girl, after having four boys. She is as precious as they come, and I wanted to bring her home with me. Here we have Sammi Sunshine and Sarah Joy. Sunshine and Joy together in one place... it doesn't get much better than that.

Me and my Nan. I love her SO much! She is 95 and still wearing her pearls, along with grace and beauty. She is as smart as ever, and the most kind and loving person you will ever meet. Nan = Love.

We all had to "fight" to hold Joy. Daniel seemed to win the fight often. It was so cute to see him loving baby Joy. The woman with the cotton candy is Mindy, Joy's mommy. She made a darn cute child.

 You mess with Joy, you mess with Daniel.

 Me and Sammi.

 This face... she is the kind of baby who actually makes me wish I could have more.

 I tried to steal her as often as possible.

 A couple of cuties!

 Me and my baby brother, Johnny. He is to me, as Daniel is to Sammi.

 I love this guy.

4 generations of women. 

I think, one day, I will enjoy being a grandma. 

They had a big bouncy house for the kids to play in. 

 And Nan provided fun things for the kids.

 Sammi took some pictures from inside of Nan's house...

 Right after the party, we went to see Newsies, at the Hale theater.

It was REALLY good. We all loved it. But our favorite is still The Hunchback of Notre Dame. You can't really compare the two shows, because they are so different. But I would say that Hunchback was far more captivating, in almost every way.

Hooray for the Hale theater! Once again, I would not have even known about the place, had I not been brave enough to drive to Utah months ago, to go on a date. We have been there multiple times since, and my parents will be going often when they move to Utah. Funny thing was, while I was sitting in the foyer, I saw the children and family members of the guy I had gone on a date with. They were out the door and into the parking lot... but still, I could not help but smile.

 And Daniel stole Joy again.

We were there for her baby blessing. My brother Johnny did a beautiful job. He arranged it so Daniel could hold the microphone, so he could be part of the circle, to represent our family. We are all so happy Joy is part of our family! She is such a sweetie!

 We drove back to Idaho with my parents, we could see the aftermath of the fire.

 I ordered myself a few shirts. This is one of my new favorites. I will be wearing it all year round. :)

This is one of my paintings, I think it is my favorite of the ones I've done. I feel like I have to connect with the subject in order to really paint them. And I do connect with Merida. Perhaps it is because my full name is Maridyth... or maybe it is her feisty Scottish ways... or maybe it is her unruly thick hair... or the fact they she actually has a real womanly figure. I dunno, whatever the case, she was fun to paint.

 Henry still pulls out his cups from time to time, and builds with them. He will spend hours and hours building them and knocking them down.

 I think this might be a pumpkin growing? Maybe?

 Our walls are filling up...

Another fun one... 

It reached 109 degrees here in Boise, so we tried to fry and egg, and it worked. 

We ordered most of the kids shirts off of Amazon. They like to have shirts that make a statement. Daniel enjoys funny music shirts... this is a pretty great shirt for him starting high school, don't you think?

Henry lost his first tooth! He has a few more wiggly ones. I love it when kids teeth are missing, I think it adds another element of cuteness.

 Daniel loves this shirt... We love Les Miserables around here.

 Daniel is a very LOUD tenor.

 He is also a huge fan of Barbershop music.

Sammi received her Young Women's medallion. She finished her Personal Progress, and we are so proud of her. She is happy to have her necklace to wear for her senior year. She worked hard, but she also realized that so much of her normal life activities fit into the program, and that is how it is meant to be.

Sammi has had more opportunities lately to stand up and lead, and it has been a pleasure to watch her develop and grow. She spoke last night at the Seminary meeting, as a senior, and she did it note-free, led by the Spirit, and she did awesome. I keep encouraging her to step forward and become the leader she is meant to be. She is full of great ideas and inspiration. She has been a quiet leader all her life, but sometimes, I believe it is important to speak up, and share the power that is inside. Sammi has so much goodness inside to share. I guarantee, one day, Sammi will have a blog of her own to share her thoughts and experiences with the world. She loves to write, and take pictures, perhaps even more than I do!

I have learned, lately, that listening can be powerful, but also, a quiet head-nod can be interpreted as agreement, when that is not what is really felt. Sometimes the right thing to do is listen, and sometimes the right thing to do is speak. Knowing the difference of when to listen up, or speak up, can be very difficult. The balance is something I think we all continue learning, for the entirety of our lives.

 She is such a cutie!

Daniel decided he is ready to learn how to drive. We have been a little slower than some in this area, because there is only me to do the teaching. Sammi was able to take Drivers Ed during the summer last year, but Daniel is going to have a time just trying to find time to do it. He will likely go with an online course. For now, we are touring church parking lots. He did well, though I did get quite nauseous a few times, as he turned tight circles. I am not a very good driving instructor though, so I am grateful there are courses for this kind of thing. Letting my children out on the roads, is very high on my lists of scary things I have to do as a parent. I am learning to let go of that fear, and have a little more faith.

Today was the first day of Choir Bootcamp, before school starts. Sammi and Daniel are in one of the same choirs this year, so they wanted to get matching shirts to wear sometimes. They wore these shirts today. Daniel has a special love for Altos. That is all we have around here. :)

We had our ministering brothers (is that what we call them now?) come a few weeks ago. With the new changes to the program, I asked if it would be ok if we just had music time when they come over. Nothing brings people together quite like music does. We have some guitar-playing guys, and so we were able to play and sing a bit, and it was great.

One thing I try to do is share what works for me, with those who minister to me. That way, they are not left guessing. The sisters who minister to me know I like chocolate every once and awhile. And last month, I received the cutest little painted block pumpkins, but unfortunately, Henry thought it would be fun to color on them, so I might need to do some pumpkin repair work. Dang it. But I was SO happy for such a thoughtful, sweet gift. I am good with visits sometimes, but I just don't need them super often, so my ladies know that. I know I could call those who minister to me and my family if I need anything, and that is always a very comforting thing.

I love the new way of ministering, it is more personal, and less like a project. I think the point is for people to just learn how to love each other.

Love is kind of the point of life.

 I am grateful to have so much love in my life.