Tricks 'r Treats - 2010

We didn't get out Trick or Treating this year, but we did hit a few parties and gatherings at church earlier in the month. No worries, plenty of candy came our way and some fun times with some fun kids.

"Trick or Treat!"

"Who are you?"

("Oh that JoJo!")

"A grandmother pretends

she doesn't know who you are

on Halloween."

Erma Bombeck

I've Learned Something

One day after lunch I was standing by my classroom door waiting for my students to come in with the other staff.  It just so happened I had a friend working next door.  She too was waiting for a class to do hearing screenings.  I greeted her and we talked a bit.  She asked me why I didn't get certified so I could work full-time as a teacher.  My immediate response was, "I don't like working!" For some reason I felt a tinge of regret in that statement.  I mean, work is important.  I guess I'm just not use to getting paid for it.

Soon after I greeted my class as they filed in from taking their walk.  I thought, "These students and para-educators would feel very sad if they heard me say, I don't like being here."  On the contrary, I love filling in for the teacher of this particular class and I have other classes too where the kids are all about me and their student aides are happy to see me too.

How could I say, I don't like working?  I've thought about it.  Working outside of the home has been a big adjustment for me.  I guess I'm still not over it.  There is this thought in the  back of my mind, I shouldn't be here.  Well of course, a mother's place is in the home.  And I have bent over backwards, for oh so many years, to stay there.  I was comfortable with my motherly state of service.  But, I know women are in a position to serve in many, many, ways. I volunteered in my children's classrooms for 25 years. Little did I know I was gaining work experience. One day I realized I needed to step up to the plate as part of my motherly duties and become gainfully employed.  We needed it. DRAT this economy! With my degree in-hand, CBEST (California Basic Educational Skills Test) scores, and the experience I have had as a mother, classroom volunteer, callings in Primary for nearly 20 years; I stood prepared to be a substitute teacher.

I've talked about it before.  I have worked all my life, but this has definitely been an adjustment entering the workforce again after over 30 years and becoming a paid employee again.  I'm sure many people are thinking, "What's with all the drama?  Get over it already!  Cash the check and move on!" But it hasn't been easy.  It has definitely jostled my life.

Heavenly Father has helped me.  I've been trying to find balance through all of this and it has been coming.  I'm more accepting of my situation as I have realized my work is service - a paid service.  Especially having teachers call me back with the idea that they would like me to be the one to care for their class in their absence.

I'm not a perfect sub, but I am a sub who loves children and wants the best for them.  I want to be of service to them and their teachers.  So, I guess I can finally say it, with confidence, "I like working!"  And,  it helps when I get nice notes from teachers like Ms. Miller:

Thanks again for all you do.

I never worry

when you are there.

"Every sister who stands for truth and righteousness diminishes the influence of evil. Every sister who strengthens and protects her family is doing the work of God. Every sister who lives as a woman of God becomes a beacon for others to follow and plants seeds of righteous influence that will be harvested for decades to come. Every sister who makes and keeps sacred covenants becomes an instrument in the hands of God."

Elder M. Russell Ballard,
“Women of Righteousness,”
Ensign, Apr 2002, 66–73

Prelude

My bishop asked me to learn to play the organ.  As far as I'm concerned, it's a miracle that I am doing so.  As I am learning, I am always hopeful that my presentation is never a distraction.  The music at church is to lift your thoughts to higher ground, to help you feel the Spirit.  There is a definite rationale in playing the hymns of Zion.  They are like scripture, evoking eternal messages of truth.

Prelude is the norm as one enters the chapel Sunday morning. I wonder sometimes if anyone is really aware of what I am playing when I hear chatter and the atmosphere seems so irreverent.  It's times like this when I'd like to crank out my melody above the din calling attention to everyone, "Please, be reverent."  But then there are other times when it is so quiet.  I know people are in some kind of reverie. I then become very nervous, worried I might miss a note and interrupt someones solace.

Last Sunday was the Primary presentation.  I decided, because of the situation, I would play Primary songs for prelude.  There was a lot of busyness around me as the children arrived and found their places before the meeting started, that was to be expected.  But as things settled down, I saved the best for last, the most familiar, "I Am a Child of God".  As I played, I heard a little voice behind me as recognition touched her ears.  She said with a pleasing and delightful tone, "I know this song."  I could feel her unfettered happiness.  A smile crossed my face as the music did it's wonder. She began to hum and as I continued to play, right on cue, she quietly began to sing the chorus, "Lead me guide me, walk beside me . . ."

"Ahhhh," I thought, "Reverence is more than just quietly sitting . . ."

Rev’rence is more than just quietly sitting:

It’s thinking of Father above,

A feeling I get when I think of his blessings.

I’m rev’rent, for rev’rence is love.

When I’m rev’rent, it shows in my words and my deeds.

The pathway to follow is clear.

And when I am rev’rent, I know in my heart

Heav’nly Father and Jesus are near.

Reverence Is Love, CSB 31
Words and music: Maggie Olauson, b. 1949
© 1987 by Maggie Olauson. All rights reserved
This song may be copied for incidental, noncommercial church or home use.

"I believe that those who choose, conduct, present, and accompany the music may influence the spirit of reverence in our meetings more than a speaker does. . . An organist who has the sensitivity to quietly play prelude music from the hymnbook tempers our feelings and causes us to go over in our minds the lyrics which teach the peaceable things of the kingdom."

Elder Boyd. K. Packer
"Reverence Invites Revelation,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 21

They Came - They Went

Billy and family came visiting this week.  We were happy to have them for four fun filled days.  They hadn't seen Tommy since he came home and Tommy had never met Ryan because she was born while he was gone.  It was a nice reunion for everyone.  As always, lots of food, hiking, games, playing, and more.

Ryan, Bill, and Chelsea

“Our most important and powerful assignments are in the family. They are important because the family has the opportunity at the start of a child’s life to put feet firmly on the path home. Parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles are made more powerful guides and rescuers by the bonds of love that are the very nature of a family.”

President Henry B. Eyring,

“Help Them on Their Way Home, Ensign, May 2010, 23

San Diego Weekend

I love to see the temple

and my granddaughter too.

 

Billy and Chelsea came up from Arizona for a wedding at the San Diego Temple.  They wanted us to come babysit outside while they were inside for about an hour.  Who travels three hours to babysit for one hour?  Grandparents DO!

We made our venture into a bigger weekend by coming up the night before and attending a session in the San Diego Temple ourselves. It was nice spending some time together.

We got to see Ryan and we'll get to see her some more with her parents later this week.  They are adding on a visit to Lancaster so they can see Tommy.  We're all looking forward to it.

"The temple is an ever-present reminder that God intends the family to be eternal. How fitting it is for mothers and fathers to point to the temple and say to their children, “That is the place where we were married for eternity.” By so doing, the ideal of temple marriage can be instilled within the minds and hearts of your children while very young."

Ezra Taft Benson,

“What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple,”

Ensign, Aug 1985, 6

I Have a Garden - An Autumn Garden

If I post pictures of my garden it's usually in the spring, but after our recent rainy days I looked at my garden this morning and thought it especially pretty.  Unfortunately my pictures don't show the beauty I saw.  My photos had too much glare, so I cropped out the glare parts and revealed some of the area where the tree's morning shadow casts across the flora.  It will have to do.

 

This makes me think of a favorite song I learned as a child in Primary. It's a song I would sing and rock my babies to.  I even sing it now, to myself. I love the old French melody and the message.  I have never forgotten it. The words are by Mary Hale Woolsey:

I Have a Garden

I have a garden, a lovely garden,

With flowers blossoming ever fair;

Where sun shines brightly, and rain falls lightly,

And breezes gather sweet fragrance there.

Songbirds come singing out of the sky;

Butterflies winging, hovering by;

And in my garden, my lovely garden,

There's always beauty to greet the eye.

I have a garden, a secret garden

Where tho'ts like flowers grow day by day;

'Tis I must choose them, and tend and use them,

And cast all wrong ones like weeds away,

Goodness and love are seeds that I sow;

God up above will help me I know,

To keep my garden, my heart's own garden,

A place where beauty will always grow.

Mary Hale Woolsey is also the author of the more famous, "Springtime in the Rockies".  This was a favorite song of my mother. It was a goal of hers to learn to play it on the piano.  I remember her practicing it.

Back-to-School for Me Too!

It's not just back-to-school for Janna and Sam, but for me too.  I'm not taking a class, but working again.  It's been a bit of a slow start.  No work the first week, but I ended up with six jobs (two a week) by the end of the month.  I like this pace.  It's a little slower, but I have lots to do at home and elsewhere.  So it gives me time to get other things done and earn a little extra money which is especially helpful right now.

My first job was a class of autistic children.  It's a classroom I have subbed in before.  It was mostly  the same kids from the previous year.  None of them are particularly verbal, but you know me; singing is always on my agenda.  As we sang some songs together, I started to get requests from one boy in the class. He was taller than the other children and could talk better than any of them.  I felt like he was stepping forward as the class spokesman. He remembered the songs I had sung with them before, even Halloween songs from last year.  What a surprise! I understood what he wanted, so we sang his desires.

I was in their classroom for two days.  At times it can be a difficult class to handle, but with one child's enthusiasm he spurred us on to greater singing heights.  It all went well.  I'm hoping for a great school year.

"A song is a wonderful kind of thing

so lift up your voice and sing."

Richard C. Berg

"Lift Up Your Voice and Sing". CSB 252

September Student of the Month

Nancy Cory Elementary has standards they encourage the students to live by.  The last two years Sam has received the Student of the Month award the last month of the school year. I'm happy for his recognition, but on the last go round I told him that maybe he ought to try and get the award earlier in the year. Well, lo and behold, this year he got it the first month of the school year. Hoorah for Sammy!

 Sammy and Dezmond

TRUSTWORTHY

"We must always be trustworthy. We must learn whom we can trust to help us make right choices. Perhaps the most important thing of all is that we must let Heavenly Father know that He can trust us—that He can trust us to do the things that are right, that He can trust us to keep His commandments to be loving and kind and obedient and honest and to set a good example for all those around us. Heavenly Father wants us to be trustworthy, and when we are, we will receive the wonderful blessings of peace and joy and happiness that He has to share with all His children."

From an interview with Elder Sheldon F. Child

by Kellene Ricks Adams

“Friend to Friend: Trust,” Friend, Jan 2001, 6

"Oh, What Do You Do In The Summertime?"

A lot happened this summer that I didn't cover on my blog in recent months.  It's still not everything, but I thought I'd give you a glimpse with some photos.

Janna went to North Carolina for a week.

Lots of sights and family to see.

Cousin Angie, Cousin Jessica, and Janna
on the North Carolina coast.

 Cousin Carson and Janna, NC

Janna and Cousin Amy in North Carolina

Sam went to Cub Camp as a Den Chief Leader.
Janna went to Girls Camp as a Stake Leader.

BEE SMART!

We gathered to Clovis, CA over the 4th of July weekend

and happily saw more family.

Cousin Emma visiting from Holladay, UT with Janna

Cousin Brent
One of many extended family members we saw.

Yvonne and new baby Peter.

We had a family reunion this summer (minus Elder Blair) when Rick and his family came through town with their move from Okinawa to Pensacola, FL.  Bill and his family joined from Mesa, AZ.  We were all together for about five days.  It was great having everyone here. 

 We saw Eddie for the first time, our youngest grandchild.

 Sam at Littlerock Dam with the fam.

Ryan and Bill watering Grandma's grass.

Tried to get a photo with all the grandkids together.
You can see how that went.

Singing around the campfire.
"Daddy Shark, do, do . . . ."

Will and Evelyn eating s'mores.

And, Tommy came home, as you know. 

We're so glad to have him back.

Janna, Becky, Tom, and JoJo.

"It was a splendid summer morning
and it seemed as if nothing could go wrong."
John Cheever

 I love it when life feels this way.

Back-to-School

Sam's last first day of elementary school.

Today Sam started back to school, but he was disappointed that he didn't get to go to junior high.  At the end of last school year they shutdown Park View Middle School.  By eliminating a school in the district they had to do some redistribution of students.  Sam was in one of the elementary schools that was assigned to add 6th grade, so instead of getting to move on to middle school he had to stay in elementary school another year.

This morning as we readied to leave, Sam had his back to me as he was walking out the door to the car.  I called out to him,  "Hey Sam, you want me to walk you to your class?"  From where I was standing I saw his whole body stiffen up.  His head quickly turned back and jerked as he pronounced an emphatic, "NO!!!"  He's growing up.  I knew he was already upset* about not getting to go to Endeavour Middle School like he anticipated, so me walking him to class was definitely not an option. In spite of all that, he had a great day. Hope his year continues to go well.

"Every age has its beautiful moments."

Albert Einstein

*Sam read this post and informed me that he wasn't upset about not going to middle school. I'm glad he's dealing with it. It's an even bigger indicator he's growing up.

Train Up a Child

Is my little grandnephew Peter the cutest studying his scriptures.  I'm all about Dave's and Yvonne's efforts to "train up a child in the way he should go." (Proverbs 22:6)  I got this picture off FACEBOOK and had to post it.  This picture made me think of a talk by James E. Faust.  Here's a quote from it:

A few years ago, Bishop Stanley Smoot was interviewed by President Spencer W. Kimball. President Kimball asked, “How often do you have family prayer?”

Bishop Smoot answered, “We try to have family prayer twice a day, but we average about once.”

President Kimball answered, “In the past, having family prayer once a day may have been all right. But in the future it will not be enough if we are going to save our families.”

I wonder if having casual and infrequent family home evening will be enough in the future to fortify our children with sufficient moral strength. In the future, infrequent family scripture study may be inadequate to arm our children with the virtue necessary to withstand the moral decay of the environment in which they will live. Where in the world will the children learn chastity, integrity, honesty, and basic human decency if not at home? These values will, of course, be reinforced at church, but parental teaching is more constant.

James E. Faust,
“The Greatest Challenge in the World—Good Parenting,”
Ensign, Nov 1990, 32

Another Way to Get to Know Me

I was tagged by DeeAnn at All the Doodah Day!

THE ABC'S OF ME

A - Available or married?------Married - 35 years next February.

B - Book? ----- I'm currently reading "Reaching Up" by  James E. Faust

C - Cake or Pie? ----- Pie - Pumpkin

D - Drink of Choice? ----- Water with lemon

E - Essential Item? ----- Kleenex, I've always gotta blow my nose.

F - Favorite Color? ----- Red

G - Game to play or watch?----- Play - Settlers of Catan or Dominion

H - Hometown? --- Lancaster, CA

I - Indulgence?----- Chocolate

J - Job? ----- Wife, mother, homemaker, substitute teacher, grandmother, caregiver to my father.

K - Kids and names?----- 7 - Ricky, Billy, Becky, Cassie, Tommy, Janna, and Sam

L - Life is incomplete without?----- the Savior

M - Music group or singer? ----- Currently, Alison Kraus

N - Number of siblings?-----1 sisters, 2 brothers

O - Oranges or apples?-----Apples, gotta be crisp

P - Phobias/Fears? ----- I'm a bit nervous about driving these days.

Q - Favorite Quote? ------ "No one can make you feel inferior, without your consent."--Eleanor Roosevelt

R - Reason to Smile?----- SAMMY

S - Season?----- Fall

T - Tattoos? ----- No!

U - Unknown fact about me?----- I was once an athlete of sorts.

V - Vegetable you love? ----- Asparagus

W - Worst habit? ---- Currently, I forget everything! I hope it's being on overload and not Alzheimer's.

X - X-cited about? ----- Tommy being home.

Y - Your favorite food? ----- Chile Relleno

Z - Zodiac? ----- Cancer

High Hopes for Tom and Janet

Elder Atcheson, Elder Blair (Tommy),
Elder Olsen, Elder Garcia
One of many missionary moments
from the last two years -
Serving at a soup kitchen

Sister Reynders (Janet) performing in

High Hopes and Riverboats

More than once I have referred to my niece's mission in Nauvoo as "Mormon Summer Stock"; meaning, she gets to entertain visitors in her calling as a Young Performing Missionary.  She sings and dances, but more importantly - TESTIFIES.  Janet is home now and heading back to BYU-Idaho for school.  Happily she made a point to stop by with other family and friends this weekend to celebrate Tommy's homecoming.

She was able to be here to visit and hear Tommy speak about his mission on Sunday.  We also had a little family fireside while she was here Saturday night.  We sat and talked enjoying each others company, but we also shared in their missions as Tommy and Janet told stories and experiences.  Again, more importantly, they testified of the divine truth.  Their testimonies touched our hearts.  What a great weekend we had together.  I was so glad to feel and be a part of it all.

Best wishes to Janet and Tom as they move on.

 

Gifts to Bring Home from the Mission Field

1. A knowledge of and love for God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. A knowledge of and love for the scriptures, the word of the Lord.
3. An increased love for parents.
4. A love for the people among whom they labor.
5. An appreciation for hard work.
6. The assurance that the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is available to each of us when we live for it.
7. An understanding of the importance of teamwork.
8. The value of personal virtue.
9. The faith to act.
10. The humility to pray.

Gordon B. Hinckley,

“The Message:

Gifts to Bring Home from the Mission Field,”

New Era, Mar 2007, 2–4

Here's TOMMY!!!

I can't believe we were late! The traffic was horrific. Really we got there just in time, but come to find out Tommy's plane arrived early. He waited 10 minutes for us. I guess the tradition continues. Hughie's parents were late picking him up on his mission return. He so didn't want to do that to Tommy, but it happened. Of course, any concerns melted away when we saw each other. What a happy reunion! And Hughie didn't take a picture of me hugging our son so I could put it on the blog!!!  AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! He was caught up in the happy moment too.

Tom was released that night with President Porter. He's Tommy Blair now and it's off to the dentist today to check out those teeth after two years. 

Sammy, Elder Blair, and Jeremiah

at the Long Beach Airport

"A mission can serve as a standard for the rest of a returned missionary’s life. . . .You can retain that same enthusiasm for your mission. Almost daily, you can draw upon the experiences you had and the testimony you built during those days. It would be foolhardy to throw away those months of growth and maturity or to become, once more, the same person who entered the field. Those who continue to nurture the personal growth that was so abundant in the mission field will one day be greeted by the Savior at the end of life’s mission with the words of divine approval: 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant.' (Matt. 25:21.)"

Bruce L. Olsen,“Home from a Mission,” Ensign, Jun 1991, 46