Hard Work and Family Togetherness

As a parent I am always amazed at the amount we can get done on a work project when we all determine to tackle a project! It is an amazing miracle of sorts!!!

The front yard has been an ongoing renovation project for seemingly a couple of years now. The perennial sweet peas have taken over the area and are determined to win... but of course I am just as determined so we'll see who comes out on top! Anyway, with the redoing of the landscaping, a lot of flower bulbs have had to be moved as well as dirt. New bushes have been put in and this summer we collected some old carpet which provided us with an excellent moisture barrier for the project! Carpet holds in moisture almost miraculously and things grow SO well!!! Anyway, when I finally declared that I had moved enough plants from the old flower beds Myles got out the rototiller.  Weeds were mowed and then tilled into the ground. Carpet was placed around the new bushes and recently transplanted perennial flowers to provide protection from the drying heat of the summer sun. The overall effect was stunning, though still very incomplete. It looked SO GOOD to have all those overgrown plants gone with freshly tilled soil in their place!!! What a difference.

Of course you can see from the pictures that we still have a fair ways to go. There is grass to plant, a flagstone path to pour and we still need a little more dirt to bring up the level of the lawn high enough but it is so exciting to get such a big part done all at once!

Sometimes there are places in the yard that just have to be done over. In the process of redoing this flower bed, and this year also getting the stucco on the front of the house complete we have been able to landscape the area up against the house for the first time EVER!!! We emptied all the loose bark from the woodshed and used it in our landscaping. So, this project has cleaned out the woodshed, the old flower garden AND the flower gardens up against the house! The changes are fabulous and exciting.

I often think of life as a school for the family. A time where we are given opportunities to create a family that is close and loving. Where we embrace goodness, kindness, love and all the attributes of God together and work on becoming better people. It is always more fun to do things with others rather than alone - that is the blessing of families. However, there are so many distractions these days that take us out of our homes and away from that divine focus. While in moderation these things are good, if they become an obsession, they become like the overgrown plants that actually became weeds to me in my garden. They must be pulled out - completely, not just cut off where they will likely grow again. Obsessions are not healthy for the family. They prevent family members from working together, speaking and serving with kindness and patience. I love how our work projects strengthen us as a family. Everything I do is with my family members in mind. They are such a blessing to me. God has been so good to me in giving me eight of the most beautiful, caring and loving children, a spouse who is devoted to his family and his Heavenly Father, as well as parents and siblings that have all added to my sense of peace and well being. What a joy it is to be so blessed.

A Night of Fun

This summer we had some beautiful evenings, and with us all home, there was no point in trying to resist the urge to spend some time together playing outside.

Since I am currently serving as the Cub Leader, I come across a whole pile of energy burning games that kids enjoy playing. We lit the fire in the fire pit  and I enjoyed the comforts of a fire while the kids played a magical game of 'Magicians Hat'! The game is basically tag and the only home free space is between the two chairs. Of course you are only home free until someone comes behind you and takes up refuge in the "hat" bumping you back out in the the heart thumping game of tag. We all enjoyed the game, even those who took the positions of spectator!

What a fun way to spend an evening. After everyone was played out we put our magicians hat away and just enjoyed spending time together visiting around the fire. What a delightful evening.

There is so much in life that I enjoy. I must admit that spending time with my children, playing games with them and doing things together as a family rank among my highest and most precious moments. I couldn't help but think back on some of the fun times I had growing up. We sure did play some fun games. I think out of all my childhood memories, the game that I enjoyed the most was simply going out onto the lawn in the evening after the work was done and playing tag in of her variety of ways with my siblings. Somethings never change. I still love to go out on the lawn in the evenings and enjoy that last moment of Summer sun with my family. But joy there is in children. I am such a blessed mother.

Joy Bubbles

Today I was working on a Christmas gift and needed a few quotes... I love quotes! In fact I could probably spend the whole day reading them, but then I wouldn't get anything done! Anyway, I came across a blog that describes some of my own feelings so well. The author captures it is the phrase 'JOY BUBBLES.' I love it. This is what she says...

The phrase Joy Bubbles came to me one day at work in what could only have been a flash of divine intervention. Since then, I can’t forget it. I think of it in terms of a noun (as in a bubble of joy) and as a verb/action (joy that bubbles up).  Either way, the concept of Joy Bubbles makes me smile whenever I think of it. I have learnt some valuable lessons these last few months. I could have let the experiences make me bitter, distrustful and disillusioned with life. But I remember the exact moment when I decided not to let that happen. I remember sitting in a whorl of pain and betrayal, and recognizing that I could choose my attitude. Out of that time, the most powerful lessons I have learnt have been to do with happiness.  -- Pia, Single mom in South Africa

 I love to think of Joy as a series of bubbles. Joy is not something you naturally feel every day all day long. It is in the individual moments and of course you have to choose to find the joy in the challenging moments or you might just cry and want to give up. One of my best choices ever is to have hope that things will get better, that I will learn and be a better person for having faced and met my challenges. I have found a great deal of JOY in having hope! When things aren't the way I want them, when relationships - especially with my children - are strained, I delight in looking back on the many Joy Bubbles that I have had with them, and then I mentally watch as the light reflects off each bubble and fills my heart. I begin to feel lightened and not so burdened as I remember and renew my feelings of love for them. The Lord offers me a great deal of hope, and as the source of all light, He is what makes those bubbles sparkle and shimmer and look so beautiful! Each little Joy Bubble appears bringing with it a multitude of good feelings, fun times, services rendered, and I am happy.

Sweet Job

This summer, the kids were looking for all kinds of different ways to earn money. Naomi received a petition to make a birthday cake. Well, since she loves to cook, that wasn't a hard job to accept! Not to mention we love the lady to asked her to do it!

In order to decided how to decorate the cake, Naomi resorted to her tried and true resource... Pinterest! There she found a cake that tickled her fancy and after recruiting a little help, they went to work! I LOVE their costumes!!!

And there is the final production! Naomi outdid herself (and it was later reported that the cake was scrumptious)!!!

I sure do love to see my kids doing things that they enjoy. It is so wonderful to see joy on their faces and happiness reflected in their eyes... even when they try to look evil! LOL

Further Education

Last month Chad and I had an opportunity thrust upon us to further our education. It's not usually the kind that you decide you want to learn or experience for that matter. It is the kind of opportunity that comes unexpectedly and then you get to show what you are made of. I must say, I have an amazing husband!

Nearly 6 weeks ago now, Chad's father had a series of 3 strokes that left him completely paralyzed on the left side. Strokes, prior to that, were something we knew relatively little about. We have learned a lot in the six weeks that have followed. Our education began with a visit the next day to the bedside of our father. He was hard to understand, and understandably upset about what had happened to him. Chad never left his side. We talked to doctors and nurses and learned as much as we could about the diagnosis, but since a person can recover from a stroke over time, nothing definite could be promised.

A stroke, in this case, was caused by a blood clot that traveled to the brain. Once in the brain it prevented blood flow from reaching specific portions of the brain and the brain then quit communicating with the portions of the body that were affected. Swallowing, talking and balance were all things that had to be relearned.

We live in a small rural area. When very serious things like this happen, a person is taken to a larger center with all the specialized equipment and personnel. To visit requires a 3-4 hour drive one way. Making that trip weekly, has been a large part of our busyness this fall. We usually take 2-4 days at a time to make the trip. We have had lots of help and assistance in doing this. Chad has been very concerned about his dad, and keeps a close eye on his progress. He has given him special blessings and always has an encouraging word to offer especially when his father is discouraged and disheartened.

As we have watched the slow, slow recovery, (which is still in progress) we have been impressed with a few things. First thing we noticed was how much dads mood had improved. He seemed relatively happy, and genuinely appreciative of all that everyone was doing for him. It was wonderful to see the sensitive side of him emerge. We loved it, and couldn't get enough of it! Chad has outdone himself when it comes to showing how much he is willing to do for his dad as well as him mom for that matter. What a special man. A second thing that we noticed, was that because of our consistently making ourselves available to their needs, both parents have come to rely on us more than ever before. Chad receives lots of phone calls from his mom asking for help or advice, or just when she needs a shoulder to cry on. Chad is always willing to listen.

To some it might be hard to find this experience a blessing, but I have come to see it as a great blessing. It has brought the family together in a way that nothing else could. It has helped us put our problems in perspective, and serve one another better. It has brought out the sensitive side in a man whom I had never previously thought to be sensitive of others - ever! I have loved getting to know this part of him. I wonder, if there are portions inside each of us that we lock away from others for whatever reasons. If we were to let out those truly caring feelings, how much better would life be for us, and how much better could we make life for others!?! What an inspiring thought!!! There is no shame in feeling and expressing genuine caring and concern for others! Ever!!! Oh, some will look at a caring person and classify them as nosy or a busy body, but REALLY! What a wonderful show of love for each other!

I have also wondered if sometimes we live like we've had a spiritual stroke. Does Heavenly Father have to repeatedly send us reminders of His presence, of His love and of Him desire to bless us before we finally get the message and let Him in? If we allow spiritual portions of our being to be paralyzed, if we don't relearn how to recognize the needs of our spirits, are we not figuratively in a spiritual wheelchair, dependent upon others to guide us and direct us? Who will do that for us? I know that the adversary is MORE than willing to do the job! In a state of spiritual paralysis, what or who is going to stop him.

I have learned a lot over the last few weeks. The blessings in the situation far outweigh any sacrifices we have made. We are so grateful to still have dad with us, and to see him progressing and improving - even though it is still very slow. It has been a delight and a joy to get to know him now, for he has been truly humbled and hopefully we are a little more humble as well. Our prayer is that he will recover enough to go home....

Six Little Monkies...

Well, actually, there was only one almost grown up monkey, and she was in the kitchen making bread... Monkey Bread! She even enlisted her little sister to help her! Then there were six little monkeys who sampled the wonderful results!

Monkey bread is new to me! It is something I have never before heard of or seen... EVER! Naomi and her friends got together one afternoon and did some baking together. Within days, Naomi, with the recipe in hand, was busily working in the kitchen with Breanna's help. Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for pan
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 pounds , room temperature Yeast Dough

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Generously grease one 10-inch Bundt pan with melted butter. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar mixture into prepared Bundt pan.

2. STEP 2

   Cut dough into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll into balls. Coat in melted butter, then roll in sugar mixture, and place in prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

3. STEP 3

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once dough has doubled in size, place in oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto serving plate, and let cool 20 minutes more.

It's funny how many ways you can put together bread dough, sugar and cinnamon! I think there are days, lots of days, that have the same three key elements, yet, mixed with the unexpected, we have the opportunity to put those things to work for us in different ways. Often they result in wonderful and glorious experiences. We just can't let go of the basics or there is nothing left worth working with. In life the basics are most likely love, service and gratitude. When those basics are mixed in with opportunities to forgive, or moments of selflessness, the result is delightful and the blessings are abundant. I wonder how many ways we can find to put love, service and gratitude into our lives. I know that the abundant blessings that come will be very joyful... every bit as joyful, as that Monkey bread was delicious!

Sweet Treats

We have a tradition. It is this. Ever year, at the end of the school year, we hold a Family Awards day. This is a special time set aside to recognize all of our family members for the accomplishments and achievements that they have made over the year. We always present them with a candy-gram after we've finished extolling their wonderful qualities. They love that part the best. This year, we wanted some new candy bar names to work with, so we found a store that spoke to our creativity.

Every year, I love to reflect on how much growth and learning each of my children has attained. I am a blessed mother. I have children who are kind and considerate of their parents, they help when asked and sometimes even when they are not asked. They enjoy school and do relatively well in it. They are happy and cheerful (except for when they are not). They are fun to be with, and the love that I feel for each of them is multiplied exponentially with each bit of self esteem and growth they gain. I love my children so much, and our awards ceremony celebrates the love their father and I have for them.

Awards are always fun to receive! It is so nice to know that others recognize the good in you, that they appreciate your talents and strengths and that they are willing to help you recognize your own growth and potential. Come to think of it, Heavenly Father does all of those things as well! He doesn't hand out paper awards each year or even a chocolate bar, but I think that when we receive our credits for the life we have lived, we will have the best feeling of acceptance and love that there ever was! Heavenly Father loves us no matter what we have done, no matter what we say. He gently encourages us to be better, but His acceptance is complete, especially when we are doing our very best to please Him. I feel much the same for my own children. I love them from the bottom of my toes to the very top of my head. They are my joy, my delight and my song! Our 'Valued Family Member Awards' are a very minuscule token of that love and the joy that they bring to me.

Catching Up

What do they say? When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. Lemons are sour and bitter. I personally would never peel one to eat just like an orange. However, I LOVE lemonade! It is unreal what a little bit of sugar and the right amount of water can do to the overwhelming flavor of the lemon! I have come to appreciate the sugar in life a LOT! In fact I identify it with feelings of gratitude! Who would have thought that gratitude can sweeten the bitterness of life?!!! But I am here to tell you it can.

Life these past months has been crazy busy. In fact, I don't think I've ever had a series of months like this ever in my life! It has made it difficult to do all the things I love: gardening, blogging, genealogy, even scripture study (though it hasn't been overlooked) has been hard to get the quality time I enjoy! There have been lots of family moments though and it is time that I catch up my blog on those fun memories. Regardless of the busy, lemony days, we are making delicious, thirst quenching, refreshing lemonade!

And the Winner Is.....

This summer we were delighted with the efforts of the children to enter the Pivot Country Fair. With 140 entries submitted by our family, we came out with the prize for the family with the most entries. Our initial investment was matched and nearly octupled! (Is that a word?!!! LOL) Everyone did well. 

We did photos of the kids with their favorite projects this year.

Breanna's favorite projects consisted of her pinata and some cupcakes she had made. Of all her ribbons, only the green ones do not represent money.

Myles favorite project was of course the one he put the most time into - his popsicle stick house. He had done such a great job of it, painting it and the whole bit, that they could not tell that he used recycled popsicle sticks and so he did not win anything in that category, but we know he deserved it! He did great. Another favorite entry was a drawing he did of a dragon which, by the way, placed first in its category.

Charity's favorite projects included some jewelry, photography, a greeting card and some baking. She is pretty pleased with her winnings as well!

Melodee's favorite projects were of course her angry bird and a popsicle stick house she had built. What I liked about her house was that she put the shingles on (using craft foam) exactly the same way that you would put shingles on a real house! That's what experience does for a person! Great job Melodee!

Beth's favorite projects included her sunset at the farm photo story, her writing and a necklace she had made.

Naomi's favorite project was of course her oil painting. She did some baking as well and decided to have her picture taken consuming it!

So all said and done, there were a LOT of ribbons handed out to these amazing kids! In fact there were so many that they completely covered the entire dining room table and we had to squeeze them closer together to make them all fit. It was hard to get a picture with them all in, so we took photos from a couple of different angles.

Just check out the expressions on the faces of these kids! That is the look of a job well done!!! I am so impressed with their determination to share their talents in this way. There is nothing like the feeling of succeeding at something that was hard, and not just succeeding, but excelling!!! One day, we may look back over our lives covered with ribbons, much like my dining room table. Everything we do with effort and love receives a ribbon, only in life we aren't competing against anyone but ourselves. Sometimes we do things just for show, without putting our heart into it, and the ribbon received is nothing more than 'participant'. I hope, that were my life to be measured in ribbons, there would be few if any green ribbons and hosts and hosts of excellent effort ribbons. Because I fall short, get tired, or forget to do things, my life will most definitely have blue and white ribbons as well, but in my efforts to serve my Father in Heaven, I truly desire to serve Him with my whole effort! The rewards will be much greater for such a life, and the initial investment will be realized way beyond being octupled. I believe it will be immeasurable. 

What a joy it is to see the success of my children, and find that feeling amplified in my own life through their accomplishments. I truly delight in the joy of my children!

Down to the Crunch

July was an extremely busy month at our house as we prepared for the Pivot Country Fair - a place where the crafts, artwork, photography and baking that the kids had done for the past year could be displayed, judged, and if we were lucky, even win some prize money. Who wouldn't like prize money... So the kids filled their time preparing numerous exhibits!

They did some paint by numbers that I had picked up for a summer project...

They went through all their school projects from the past year and selected a few things that they could enter as exhibits. In school this year Melodee and Charity were both given the opportunity to make models of tee-pees. They did a great job and decided to enter them in the fair.

Myles spent a great deal of time and effort putting together a house out of popsicle sticks that he has painstakingly saved for several years now. He did an amazing job on it!

Breanna chose to sew a bag. She did a great job. I guided her as to giving instructions, but she did the work herself. Way to go Breanna!

And then there was the pinata projects!!! Every year for our family reunion, we always make sure to have a pinata to crack open. The girls decided to make them early this year so they could enter them in the fair. Breanna made Mike Wazowski off of Monsters Inc.. She did a great job of the project too.

Charity decided to design her pinata after Donald Duck. She creatively created his beak, wings and legs. She was pretty pleased with the results. I must say that this year our pinatas for the reunion are the most creative and lovingly created EVER!!!

Melodee also made a pinata. She chose to make an 'Angry Bird' designed after a currently popular computer game. She did a great job, and after going to so much work, decided that hers would remain a decoration because she didn't want it to be smashed to pieces in a pinata breaking game.

Naomi spent a fair bit of time working on her art. Beth also did an acrylic painting. They both entered the writing categories as well as a fair bit of photography.

When everyone was done entering the fair we had about 140 exhibits. That just shows how busy the kids kept in preparing for the fair. Most of it was done in the 2 weeks since school let out and there were moments when I felt like our house was a crazy house. It took a full 24 hours to label everything so that it was ready to be entered!

It has always fascinated me that when one has a deadline, great things can be accomplished. Yet, if we work toward a deadline consistently over a longer period of time, we actually have better results. This year I saw exhibits that were slapped together and also exhibits that received a lot of time and attention. Had we put as much effort into preparation throughout the year, instead of cramming it in to 2 weeks, we all would have done much better, felt more prepared, and more confident in our entries. I would have liked to enter several more items than I did, but there simply wasn't enough time for me because I was so busy helping my children prepare. Most of my entries consisted of the projects I had done through out the year. How thankful I am to be busy consistently - and not just when the stress is on. So much stress can be avoided by careful planning, and NEXT year, I plan to have my children more prepared for this event so we can enjoy it more fully!!!

Upon the Waters

Water brings joyful childhood memories back to my mind. I remember how the irrigation water used to fill up a low spot in the yard creating a large 6" deep puddle that was ideal to play in. Sometimes it got even larger and we would dig ditches and trenches to tunnel the water to and fro. But most of all, I remember splashing and playing in that puddle as though it were the grandest swimming pool ever. It never really even got stagnant because the irrigation pipes had just enough holes in them to keep it full. I'm sure I came in on numerous occasions covered in mud, yet my mom never scolded me for being dirty, I simply had to change into clean, dry clothes to enjoy the rest of my day. (While I don't have a picture of us playing in the puddle as young children, the puddle was a nearly permanent part of our yard for many years. This is a picture of me as a teenager with that puddle still there in the background.)

This year it has been fun to observe my family playing in the water. Now we don't have a convenient, ever present mud puddle in our yard thank goodness, so we go play where there are large bodies of water suited to that purpose. Our first water excursion this year occurred in July in Taber on the River. Given how high the river was in early spring, it was kind of fun to see that it was now low enough that we could go out onto the sandbars and dig in the sand, discover water smoothed rocks flat enough to skip along the surface of the river, and try out our new kayak! We even discovered a number of clams, and had we been so inclined could have had a mighty feast of clam (I have no idea how to do that though so we left them for someone else to enjoy).

Naomi had secretly packed the vehicle with everything we would need for a meal and the water activities we had planned to engage in - including life jackets, water shoes, kayak, picnic supplies, water, camera and more... The kids and I drove to Taber where we met their dad on his way home from work to enjoy a fun evening together. The kids caught on pretty quick to what our plans were when they noticed all the stuff in the back. We started out with our surprise picnic. The mosquitoes were terrible so we hurried through the meal and then moved on to the water activities. A few of the kids and myself explored for a way to get the boat to the waters edge (this was where we discovered the clams). Everyone else followed once the boat was ready. 

 

Breanna was delighted to be the first in the boat with her dad. She did everything she could to paddle, but the river was very strong and it was a lot of work for Chad to prevent the boat from moving too far down the river. Next, we had an older child give it a try. Myles happily hopped in and they shoved off. Once again it was a challenge to keep the boat pointed upstream, but together they made a little headway. It was still a lot of work, and so we decided that boating would need to be saved for a future date with less current.

While they were testing the waters, everyone else found activities that occupied them at the waters edge. Melodee, Charity and Breanna especially enjoyed wading at the waters edge going in up to their knees and of course splashing each other. They also enjoyed seeking out flat river polished stones that they could skip. They tried to beat each other with the number of skips the rocks would take. At one point we came across a set of paddles left on the beach and the kids fully enjoyed splashing one another with them. Naomi was quite interested in getting sunset pictures for the upcoming fair. She found a feather on the beach and found a creative way to include it in her photo shoot.

While we didn't get to do as much boating as we had hoped, it was a delightful evening that allowed us to spend some fun time together. Life is so full of these great opportunities. I have found over the years that to take advantage of the greatest opportunities of our lives, it takes concentrated effort and even some sacrifice in order to make these things happen. However, I cannot think of a greater priority than family. What a blessing it is to love and be loved.