Letter - Nov. 24, 2013

Sunday, November 24, 2013

6:31pm

My neck and shoulder have been hurting me often this week.  I have been having muscle spasms again.  I think it is because I have neglected taking my vitamins and now that I’m depleted it hurts.  The pain isn’t unbearable, just more of an annoyance.  I can still function properly enough to attend to all my normal duties.  (Ha, I just said duty.  That joke is for my nephew Jake.)    

Last Sunday night I went to a fireside about the temple cultural celebration that will happen on March 1, 2014.  I need to teach all the youth in our ward 5 songs in three weeks.  Does anyone have any great ideas of how to make it fun??  Some of the songs aren’t finished being written yet so I can’t start early.  I’ll get 45 minutes with the youth for three weeks in January before they’ll have to start going to regional practices.  I came up with one fun idea.  It’s kind of like fear factor.  If the youth sing well and learn their parts, then their Young Men’s and Young Women’s leaders will have to crack an egg on their head or eat something weird.  I’ll have to ask their leaders if their up for that. 

On Monday Marlee threw another big fit before going to Costco.  She keeps throwing fits about wearing pants.  I put her summer shorts away and she doesn’t like to wear pants.  I’m holding my ground because it’s getting kind of cold for shorts and I don’t want her to get sick, plus she needs to get used to pants for when she goes to school.  Our school doesn’t allow shorts.  I got a reply from last week’s letter from Reggie.  He liked the letter I wrote to my Dad.  It was nice to hear from him, it meant a lot to me.  I didn’t know he was actually reading my letters.  I told him I would send them to him by post though so he can have more time to email his mom.  My nephew Jake and niece Jewel and several other people on Facebook also sent nice comments on the letter I wrote to my Dad when I posted it on Facebook.  Their comments and positive feedback meant a lot to me.    Monday afternoon I worked on my art masterpiece lesson for Spencer’s class.  I’m teaching about Norman Rockwell this time.  I like his work.  I also practiced the piano.  I’m working on getting Bumble Boogie ready to perform for the Angle reunion this Friday.

Marlee found my neck brace from my when I broke my neck in 2009 while we were cleaning out the garage on Monday and wanted to try it on.  Hopefully she, nor I, nor anyone I love will have to wear one of those ever again.

Tuesday the missionaries forgot Puring’s discussion.  I was kind of shocked that missionaries ever forgot discussions.  Chad was too.  But who knows what challenges they are going through?  I’ll let the Lord be their judge and just love them anyway.  Our washer started leaking.  Chad researched the problem and found that lots of people have the same problem.  A certain part wasn’t designed very well and wears out and leaks every few years.  Chad ordered two parts to save on shipping since we will probably need it another one again in a few years.  Chad’s getting very handy now, with the help of the internet.  What did people do before the internet anyway? They probably used repair books asked their Dad’s and friends and neighbors for help.  I’ve thought a lot about the internet this week and how much of a blessing it is.  However, it is also a curse for some.  It sure does provide a lot of “light and knowledge” though.  I’m glad the Lord blessed us with it.

Tilly and Marlee wanted to do homework too since Karalee was busy doing hers.

Early Wednesday morning while I was walking I noticed a beautiful sunrise and thought of my brother Shon and what he said in his letter last week.  Here’s what he wrote.  “A couple of years ago I was going through some personal trials and was spending a lot of time on my knees pleading for help - I know that everyone goes through those stages in their lives, and this was one of mine.  I had gotten to work a little early one day, and as I went around my campus doing the normal things I do to get each day started, I noticed a very spectacular sunrise in the eastern sky.  I stopped and looked at it for a while, and realized that because I was alone at school, and because anyone else who happened to be looking at the sunrise would be seeing it from a different angle and from a different perspective, it was very likely that I was the only person in the world who could see that magnificent display of color and beauty.  The thought came to me, and I’m certain that it was the Spirit speaking, that the Lord had created that whole panorama just for me!  He loves me unconditionally, despite all of my shortcomings, and wanted me to know that he knew my needs and was not leaving me alone to struggle through my difficulties.”  Hopefully Shon doesn’t mind me including his thoughts in my letter, but I loved them and think it was very wise and profound. 

Wednesday I took my friend Lindsey to her OB doctor appointment.  She is really close to having her baby.  She asked if I would watch her two girls for her if she has her baby before Brenda gets back from Ireland.  I told her I’d be happy to.  Wednesday night I went to a craft night at my friends how to finish up my crafts from our ward’s souper Saturday.  It was fun.  That day I also cleaned the back porch, worked on the photo book I’m making, and made a list of all the things I need/want to get done before Thanksgiving.  This list mostly consists of getting Christmas gifts ready for my family members who live out of town so I can hand deliver them on Thursday instead of paying to have them shipped.  The list is kind of scary and long and keeps getting longer.  I’ve decided to forgo checking Facebook for the next couple weeks to give me more time to do everything on my list.

Tilly playing at the playground in Lindsey's doctor's office complex.

Thursday tried a new crockpot chicken recipe.  It was pretty good, not amazing like I was hoping.  Thursday afternoon we had makeup discussion for Puring’s since Tuesday’s discussion didn’t pan out.  That day I started accomplishing things on my “to do” list.  I got a little too focused on it and was prompted that I need to make time to play and have fun with my kids too and, not just worry about myself and my “to do” list.  Thursday night I had a scout come to pass off the personal management merit badge.  He was very well prepared.  That evening I finished my lesson plan for the Norman Rockwell Art Masterpiece presentation for Spencer’s class.       

Marlee likes to lay down in Tilly's room with us, while I rock Tilly to sleep.

Karalee playing at her friend Sammy's house on Thursday afternoon.  Sammy's Mom texted me the picture asking if I'd like to sign Karalee up for coach pitch with Sammy this spring.

Daddy's girls during morning scripture reading

Friday I almost forgot my visiting teaching appointment.  I was so glad my partner Sarah texted me to ask if we were still going to be able to go.  We had a nice visit with our sister Shelley.  It was nice to get their opinion about Marlee fits about wearing pants since Marlee threw another big fit about it that morning.  After our visit I decided to not make such a big deal out of it and just let her know that she would get blessings if she obeyed, but that it was her choice.  That plan has worked well already and I think we won’t have much of an issue any more.  Friday afternoon I taught in Spencer’s class.  The first part of the lesson plan was kind of boring.  I went over too many facts.  I felt bad I didn’t prepare something more exciting.  I guess you can’t be super exciting all the time.  The students seemed to enjoy the second part though.  Friday evening was Puring’s baptismal interview.  A lady in our ward from the Philippines went into the interview with her to help translate.  She passed the interview and is all set for baptism this coming Saturday Nov. 30^th at 10:30am.  If any of you would like to meet Puring we’d love to have you attend her baptism.  Right after the baptismal interview, Puring and I stayed for a tour of the stake center that the Elders in our area had prepared.  They had been planning it for a while and had announced it in our Sacrament meeting for a couple weeks.  Well … Puring and I were the ONLY ones who showed up.  I felt so badly for the elders.  There were 4 companionships that put it on and they all had prepared nice presentations and videos.  It was very well thought out.  I was glad Puring was able to go.  She got to see the baptismal font.  She’s very excited for her baptism and says she is so excited she can’t sleep.  I’m excited too.  While I was at the stake center with Puring Chad was home with the kids and their friends.  They had a “late night” with their friends.  (We do “late nights” with friends since we have a rule that we only do sleepovers with cousins.)   Chad fixed our washing machine while they played.  It doesn’t leak anymore.   Hooray!!

Puring and Me

I gave the girls their first bubble bath on Friday night.  I think from the look on their faces it's safe to say they liked it.  I can't believe I waited this long before introducing them to bubble baths.

Yesterday all the kid’s soccer games were canceled because of all the rain we’ve gotten this weekend.  It was so nice not to have anything on the calendar.  They will play their last games on Dec. 6^th and 7^th now.  Spencer will get to play in a game for his birthday.  He loves soccer so he’s happy about that. Chad got a new iPhone yesterday and has been having fun playing with it. He decided to get his own plan and put work info on it instead of having a work phone that he has to wait 3-4 days to get fixed when something goes wrong.  The blackberry his work provided kept braking down.  His work will still pay for his plan, but he will have to submit receipts to get reimbursed instead of the bill going directly to the Chase.  Chad and I went to see Catching Fire last night the second Hunger Games movie.  It was kind of gory.  There were two other parts I wished I hadn’t seen, not super bad, but I like

really clean movies.  They are easier on my conscience.

Today has been a nice, relaxing Sunday.  I love the Sabbath Day.

My quote for today is from Elder Bednar’s talk, The Windows of Heaven.  “Often as we teach and testify about the law of tithing, we emphasize the immediate, dramatic, and readily recognizable temporal blessings that we receive. And surely such blessings do occur. Yet some of the diverse blessings we obtain as we are obedient to this commandment are significant but subtle. Such blessings can be discerned only if we are both spiritually attentive and observant (see 1 Corinthians 2:14). … I testify that as we are spiritually attentive and observant, we will be blessed with eyes that see more clearly, ears that hear more consistently, and hearts that understand more fully the significance and subtlety of His ways, His thoughts, and His blessings in our lives.”  I loved this talk.  I think it will become a “classic”. 

Reading that quote over just now I was reminded that when I went to do sealings a week and a half ago the work observe in the marriage sealing stuck out to me.  It has at least two meanings, to do and to watch.  I guess we are supposed to watch good marriages and follow them like was mentioned in this April 2013 conference talk.

Love,

Mindy

Norman Rockwell Art Masterpiece Lesson Plan

I taught this lesson last week in my son's 6th grade class.  The first part of the lesson got too long.  There were way to many facts and not enough interaction or activity.  It got boring.  The second part of the lesson went well.

Normal Rockwell Art Masterpiece Lesson

By Mindy Sanders

Biographical Information

Read the book “Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Norman Rockwell”

Facts:

·         Norman Rockwell worked for the Saturday Evening Post for forty-seven years.  It is one of the most famous working relationships in history.

·         In 1916, at the age of 22, Rockwell Married Irene O’Conner; they divorced in 1930.

·         After the divorce he was depressed, and he moved briefly to Alhambra, California as a guest of his old friend Clyde Forsythe. There he painted some of his best-known paintings including "The Doctor and the Doll". While there he met Mary Barstow.

·         In 1930, at the age of 36, he married Mary Barstow, a schoolteacher, and the couple had three sons, Jarvis, Thomas and Peter.  The family moved to Arlington, Vermont, in 1939, and Rockwell’s work began to reflect small-town American life.

·         In 1943, inspired by President Franklin Roosevelt’s address to Congress, Rockwell painted the Four Freedoms paintings.  They were reproduced in four consecutive issues of The Saturday Evening Post with essays by contemporary writers.  Rockwell’s interpretations of Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear proved to be enormously popular.  The works toured the United States in an exhibition that was jointly sponsored by the Post and the U.S. Treasury Department and, through the sale of war bonds, raised more than $130 million for the war effort.

·         Although the Four Freedoms series was a great success, 1943 also brought Rockwell an enormous loss.  A fire destroyed his Arlington studio as well as numerous painting and his collection of historical costumes and props.

·         In 1953 Mary Barstow Rockwell died unexpectedly.

·         In 1961 Rockwell married Molly Punderson, a retired teacher.

·         In 1977, Rockwell received the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

·         Rockwell died on November 8, 1978.

·         In 2008, Rockwell was named the official state artist of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, thanks to a dedicated effort from students in Berkshire County, where Rockwell lived for the last 25 years of his life.

Facts taken from: http://www.nrm.org/about-2/about-norman-rockwell/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Rockwell

“Rockwell did not want to paint anything tragic or corrupt, he simply wanted to paint good-humored subjects.  Normal Rockwell painted what he wanted life to be” (T.S. Denison & Co., Inc. Classic to Contemporary, p. 70).

More Fun Facts:

Runs in the family.  Norman's grandfather was an English artist, Thomas Hill, who specialized in very detailed animal drawings. Norman's father liked to copy illustrations from magazines, and would pull up a chair for Norman to do it with him.

Silver lining.   As a boy, Norman was very thin and awkward. His pigeon-toed feet caused him to wear corrective shoes at the age of ten, and glasses at twelve -- giving him the nickname "Moony".   Poor at sports, he found he could entertain his friends through his art.

Eating his way in.  When he was turned down for the Navy because he was too skinny, he stuffed himself with bananas, warm water and doughnuts and went back. He was accepted, but when they found out who he was, they allowed him to continue to paint for his regular clients while doing his service in the Navy.

A new tool. In his earlier work, Rockwell worked from live models. When he began to use a camera to snap pictures of the models, he began to work in wilder, more exaggerated poses -- ones that would have been hard for a live model to hold for hours.

Tom and Huck. Before he illustrated Mark Twain's classic books, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Rockwell went to Twain's boyhood town of Hannibal, Missouri. Rockwell walked the streets and country lanes. He even was able to interview townspeople who lived during Mark Twain's lifetime. Such research helped to make his illustrations capture the sense of mythical boyhood in the books. What a perfect combination: Twain and Rockwell.

http://www.brucevanpatter.com/rockwell.html

Historical Info about the Era

The country had two world wars and the great depression during Norman Rockwell’s lifetime.  It was a sad, hard time.  Norman Rockwell paintings brought hope in that dark era.  Rockwell said this about his work, “Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed.”

The Story Behind the Picture – “The Dugout”

“This painting was Rockwell's 255th overall of 322 total pictures featured on the cover of The Post. Rockwell's career with the Post spanned 47 years, from his first cover illustration, Boy With Baby Carriage in 1916 to his last, Portrait of John F. Kennedy, in 1963.

“This is the only one of Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post cover where the published painting was rendered in watercolor on paper. Rockwell was nearing his deadline for the assignment and realized that the oil on canvas painting he was working on would not be dry in time to meet the deadline.

“He abandoned the oil on canvas illustration he was working on, and, instead, turned to the faster drying watercolor medium for the painting that was published on the cover. Then he finished the oil on canvas and gave it to a friend.  That oil on canvas was sold at auction in March, 2001. The opening bid was $100,000 USD. [I don’t know] the amount of the closing bid for that auction.

“Another oil on canvas study of The Dugout was recently auctioned by Christie's in New York on December 2, 2009. That painting brought $662,500 US at the hammer.

“The painting expresses the anguish the Chicago Cubs were feeling during the 1948 season. The events depicted are from a double header with the Boston Braves at Boston Braves Field on May 23, 1948. The Cubs dropped both games that day, losing 5-8 the first game and 4-12 the second. At the start of the day the Cubs record was 11-15, and, at the end of the double header, their record was even worse at 11-17.

“I have read opinions that this painting was what actually firmly cemented the image of Loveable Losers into the consciousness of the Chicago Cubs. We have to wonder if the Cubs management really knew what the illustration would be about. Whatever effect the painting has or has not played on Chicago Cubs' psyche over the decades since, the painting is not a flattering portrayal of the 1948 team.

“With this glimpse into the Cubs dugout, Norman Rockwell gives us an insight into the side of sports that most sports coverage avoids, the agony of defeat. He also shows us the ugly side of winning.

“First, let's talk about the agony of defeat. We can see four Chicago Cubs players and their batboy.

“The bat boy is actually a real bat boy. His name is Frank McNulty. He was actually the batboy for the Boston Braves, but donned a Cubs uniform to pose for the painting. Frank had a bit of a challenge getting into character for this painting. Rockwell had to really change his mood to get the facial expression he wanted. Remember Frank's team was the Braves, and they were winning.

“Behind the bat boy, we can see the on deck hitter. All-Star pitcher Johnny Schmitz, the next Cub at bat, looks very apprehensive and anxious. He doesn't look very confident at all.

“Inside the dugout, totally shielded from both the sun and the fans, we can observe the mood of three Cubs players. It is dark inside the dugout. All three look disgusted at the course of events of the game. Maybe one of them has just batted and is dejected by their performance. That attitude can certainly be catching.

“Seated in the middle is manager Charlie Grimm. Seated to his left is pitcher Bob Rush and to Grimm's right is Al Walker, the catcher.

“Some of the fans in the background also illustrate the ugly side of winning.

“We are not told whether the fans in the background are Braves fans of Cubs fans. We can, however, observe that a large portion of them are jeering at the Cubs that they can see, so it is safe to assume that they are being portrayed as Braves fans. In other words they are fans of the home team which is also winning.

“Apparently, something has just happened in the game that merits the fans' attention. From the fans' delighted expressions and the Cub player's dejected expressions, we can deduce that something bad for the Cubs has just taken place on the diamond.

“Most of the fans are jeering the on deck batter and the bat boy. A few appear to just be enjoying the turn of events in the game without rubbing salt into wounds.

“Rockwell often used his neighbors in paintings. I wonder how many Stockbridge natives are depicted in this group of Boston Braves fans. I have no doubt that most of Stockbridge really considered the Braves their hometown team.

“Some of the models identities are known. The girl farthest to the left is Helen Fitzsimmons, daughter of Braces' coach Freddie Fitzsimmons. The girl just to the left of the batboy's head is Theresa Prendergrasty, wife of Jim Prendergrast, one of the Braves' pitchers.

“We can actually get a glimpse of Rockwell in the painting. His face appears in the upper left corner as part of the jeering crowd. So the painting is also at least partly a Norman Rockwell self-portrait” ( http://www.best-norman-rockwell-art.com/1948-the-dugout.html).

Art Genre

“Rockwell is notable for working in Realism throughout Abstract art's heyday in the U.S.”  (http://arthistory.about.com/cs/namesrr/p/rockwell.htm). 

“In general, realism in art and literature refers to the attempt to represent familiar and everyday people and situations in an accurate, unidealized manner. More specifically, the term "realism" refers to a literary and artistic movement of the late 1800's and early 1900's. This movement was a reaction against romanticism. Romanticism was an earlier movement that presented the world in much more idealized terms. 

“The realists wanted to break away from the formal artistic styles and subjects of the past. So they created objective, unemotional works that were unadorned with imaginative flourishes. Their works typically portrayed ordinary, or working-class, people, as opposed to heroic, historic, biblical, or royal figures. They also depicted scenes of traditional life, such as rural landscapes with farmers herding oxen or harvesting grain. The realists sought to honor what they felt was the noble dignity of humble people leading simple lives” (http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753924).

Student Discussion Questions

Show the students several of Norman Rockwell’s Paintings

1.  What do you like best about Rockwell’s work?

2.  If you could purchase one print o Rockwell’s work, which print would it be?  Why would you choose it?  Where would you hang it?

3.  Do you think you would be able to recognize some of Rockwell’s other works when you see them?  How?

Element of Art

A technique that Norman Rockwell used to paint his pictures was photography.  (Show Pictures vs Paintings)

“Norman Rockwell wasn't always behind the easel.

“The famed American painter often staged photos to use as reference for his iconic illustrations before committing them to the canvas.

“"There were details, accidents of light, which I'd missed when I'd been able to make only quick sketches of a setting," Rockwell once said.  "A photograph catches all that."

“Early on in his career, Rockwell used professional models to sit for his highly-detailed illustrations.

“But as his works began to take on a more realistic quality, he had assistants start snapping pictures - an element of Rockwell's creative process that is highlighted in Norman Rockwell Museum's traveling exhibit "Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera."

“"The photographs allowed him to capture a lot of the details he was imagining," Jeremy Clowe, the museum's manager of Media Services, told the Daily News.  "From the 1940s on, he really went into little subtleties that wouldn't really be possible without photography."

“As the exhibit's title suggests, Rockwell was always behind the scenes, even though he wasn't pressing the camera's shutter.

“He would often act like a "movie director," Clowe said, coaching the models, who were usually his neighbors, on their expressions and making sure that every detail in the photo was perfect.

“"The photographs can really stand on their own," Clowe added. "They're instantly recognizable as Norman Rockwell works."

“Photography as reference, of course, was a technique artists used well before Rockwell” (http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/norman-rockwell-photographs-show-technique-behind-master-article-1.1179719#ixzz2lFEkSk7p).

Remember when we learned about positive and negative space in a painting?  “For example, in a portrait, the person’s image is the positive space; the negative space is the area surrounding the figure” (http://www.nrm.org/pdfs/teacher_resource.pdf).  Norman Rockwell had a lot of detail in his positive space, but he also put lots of interesting details and fun things to look at in the negative space.  That’s what makes them look so fun. 

Art Project

“Students viewed several paintings by the artist Norman Rockwell. They discussed the common themes in the paintings such as people, family, everyday events, details, and filling the whole page. Then I showed them his April Fool's print "The Game", and I told them not to say anything right away. Slowly smiles started forming on all their faces as they noticed that there was more to this painting than first meets the eye. Students were then instructed to draw their own "everyday scene" with lots of details. After their drawings were complete they had to go back and add more details that did not belong! The drawings were completed by tracing in fine point marker, and coloring and shading with colored pencils” (http://www.mrsbrownart.com/5th.htm).

Make copies of the blank Saturday Evening Post template in the folder for the students to draw their own “April Fools” print.

Picture vs Painting

News for this Week

Sunday, November 17, 2013

8:34am 

This week has been kind of stressful for me.  There have been some arguments between my loved ones and I don’t do well with conflict, especially between those I love.  It stresses me out.  

Last Sunday night we had fun staying up late playing games since we didn’t have school or work the next day.  We played scum, did flippos and at one point Chad taught the boys the game where you have to take turns trying to keep a coin spinning and whoever makes it stop has to put their knuckles on the table and let someone slide the coin hard across the table into their knuckles.  So it’s the coin version of bloody knuckles I guess.  I played for a little while until I got hit and my knuckle started to bleed and I realized that I don’t like those kinds of games anymore.  The boys liked it though.

Spencer being silly while we're playing scum

Doing flippos.  Chad's Mom used to do flippos with Chad and his brothers and sisters when they were little.

Monday was Veteran’s day.  Chad had the day off work.  We played at the park in Power Ranch with a bunch of our friends.  It was a really nice break.

I love the flags that our HOA pays our ward's scouts to put up for every "flag worthy" holiday on the main street in our neighborhood.  I wonder if Chad loves them since he has to help put them up and take them down?  Probably not so much.

On Tuesday Puring showed up for her 2:30 discussion at 1:00pm, an hour and a half early.  I said Puring, “I still have to get Tilly down for a nap and take a shower.”  She said in her broken English, “that’s ok, I come in you shower.”  She cracks me up.  She gets so lonely over at her place (she lives 3 doors down) and I didn’t have the heart to turn her away.  She sat with me in the family room while I rocked Tilly to sleep.  Then while I showered she “watched my pictures” that’s the phrase she used when she said she was going to look at the pictures on my wall.  When she saw the picture of our family with Gov. Jan Brewer we had taken awhile back she asked about it then held up her index finger and said “She do this to Obama and started laughing.”  It was funny.  The more I get to know about her the more I realize that she’s more aware of things than I gave her credit for when I first met her.  Her discussion went well.  She’s still set for baptism on Nov. 30^th.     

On Wednesday I penned this letter to my Dad after feeling particularly stressed on Tuesday.  I think all my emotions had been swirling around and just needed a release.  I felt better after my good cry described in the letter. 

Thursday I took Puring to Walmart.  She wanted to buy some warm stockings for church.  Marlee threw a huge fit about the clothes she chose to wear all the way there, but because we were pressed for time I wouldn’t take her back home to change, although, I wouldn’t have taken her back home to change even if we had lots of time.  She finally calmed down when we got there, but Puring got to hear her throw a good fit.  Thursday afternoon I visit taught my friend Chelsea.  I love her and her family.

Friday Chad and I went to the temple to do sealings for our date.  We hadn’t been to the temple together for quite some time.  It was so nice.  We went to eat at Macaroni Grill afterwards.  I hadn’t eaten there for quite a while.  When I was single and when Chad and I were first married that was such a fancy restaurant for me.  It’s still pretty fancy, but I don’t like the food that well anymore, or maybe I just ordered the wrong thing.  I don’t know.  When we got home from our date, Bryant came up to me and sighed really big.  I asked him what was wrong.  He said he was bored while we were gone and had wanted to do something with his friends.  I said, “What, mine and Daddy’s dates aren’t working for you?”  He said it would work better for him if we went out on Saturday nights so he could do something with his friends on Friday nights.  That sounds reasonable.  I guess as my kids get older I’ll have to make sure their needs to socialize and have fun get met but I’ll make sure mine and Chad’s need for a date night is met too. It’s fun to watch my children grow older and see our family move into the next phase of life.

When we went shopping at the Queen Creek Target on Friday I pointed the cute candy cane decorations they put up to the girls.  Marlee asked, "Can I lick them?"  I told her no.  It was funny until she got out of the car and went over and licked one. So Gross.

Yesterday I had a fun morning at our ward’s “souper” Saturday craft day.  We crafted all morning and then had delicious soups.  My sister-in-law Macaia and niece Mason came too.  I was glad to have them.  It was so nice to visit with the wonderful sisters in my ward.  It’s was therapeutic for me.  I’m blessed with many incredible women in my ward that are my dear friends.  Yesterday afternoon all three kids had soccer games.  Next weekend will be the end of the soccer season.  I’m kind of glad for the break, but not as glad as I have been in the past.  This season hasn’t been as stressful for me as past seasons have been because I don’t have a nursing baby and the kids are older and more helpful now. 

Bryant #14

 

 

 

 

Karalee about the kick the ball in.

 

Yesterday afternoon I noticed our hot water heater was leaking from the spot on the bottom.  Thankfully, it was a very slow leak and hadn’t done too much damage.  It got our carpet in the family room a little bit wet but we’ve pulled it up and it’s drying.  Chad researched how to change the spout and went and bought the $4 part.  It’s an easy fix for now, and we have hot water again, but we’re going to have to have someone come look at the mold on the base that the hot water heater sits on.  It looks kind of yucky and the base looks like it been warped pretty badly and might be kind of unstable now.  We will probably have to get a new hot water heater soon too.  I’m thankful to my brother Tyler who I called to get advice and a plumber recommendation.  I’m also very thankful to Chad.  I was feeling kind of put out and stressed because I had a sink full of dirty dishes that we were going to have to boil water to be able to wash by hand since the dishwasher won’t work with the hot water turned off, and the family room was torn apart, and the kids needed their Saturday night baths.  (A dirty house causes me way too much stress for some reason.)  Chad boiled the water for the kids’ baths and then went to work on the water heater.  I moved the family room furniture into a better arrangement that wouldn’t leave me feeling so claustrophobic and stressed out, I loaded the dishwasher in hopes that we would get the hot water heater running again and washed the rest of the dishes by hand with some hot water heated on the stove.  We got the floor swept and mopped and the house was in good shape by the end of the night (midnight to be exact).  I am so grateful for Chad’s calming influence on me.  He’s so kind and patient when I get stressed and does all he can to ease my uneasiness. 

 

 

After everything was resolved I felt guilty for being so put out about not having hot water.  I mean come on; at least I had running water and a home.  It’s not like I was out on the plains for months and months like the pioneers.  I’m a spoiled baby sometimes. J

 

4:19pm

 

I’m back.  I had to stop to get ready for church and then to go to church.  We had a nice sacrament meeting today.  We heard about the details of the temple open house.  We only had 8-9 kids in the nursery today and they all got along well and sat nicely for music time and then for the lesson.  I love teaching in the nursery. 

 

My quote for today is the text of the hymn “Father, Cheer Our Souls Tonight.” I read the words to the 1^st and 2^nd verses as I played this hymn for the prelude music in Sacrament meeting today. (I played it twice.)  It’s beautiful.  

“Father, cheer our souls tonight;

Lift our burdens, make them light.

Let thine all-pervading love

Shine upon us from above. 

Calm the surges of the soul;

Bid the dark waves backward roll.

Let us all thy mercies feel

Thru the pow'r thou dost reveal. 

Bless our loved ones far away;

Grant them health and peace, we pray.

In their hearts let holy light

Beam to guide their steps aright. 

Let implicit faith and trust

Help us know thy ways are just.

May thine ever-tender love

Lead our hearts to thee above.” 

Love,

Mindy