Family Time – Page 41 – Letters from Home

A Book for the New Year

I never considered that reading the gospel of Mark would be a perfect way to bring in the New Year. It is so good at showing how to prioritize reflection and people despite being busy…even busy doing worthy things.

I read Mark 5 with the kids yesterday after school and asked them what they thought about a question I was pondering. Jesus told the man from whom he had cast out devils to go and tell his friends about it. Most of the time, Jesus tells people to keep the miracle of healing a private experience. (People can’t help telling, though.) Why was this man asked to share?

I didn’t expect an answer. In fact, I hadn’t found a satisfactory answer for myself. However, before we moved to the next verses, Timothy had a thought. He told us that Jesus knew that he would be surrounded by crowds of people asking him to heal them, but he was most willing to heal those with spiritual problems.

There you go. The Savior dealt with problems of crowd control, but he wanted it known that he was available to those who sought to be healed spiritually. That is what he was chosen to do from the beginning, and it’s still his work now. I believe it’s what he loves to do.

Words to match the season

Richard and I were awake early Christmas morning when the snow began to fall. It was a perfect Christmas setting. More things than snow affected my heart this year. There were moments of deep spiritual peace, happiness, some melancholy, satisfaction, and searching. Memories had full expression as I nestled in blankets near the Christmas tree. Here are some of the words that have found meaning for me over this Christmas break.

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star;
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

-James Montgomery, Angels From the Realms of Glory

With the end of the year comes a lot of introspection for me. I wonder if I am better than I was last year. I wonder if I have contributed enough of myself to others. I wonder if I CAN change my poor habits. It was during some of these thoughts that I really listened to the lyrics of the Christmas Hymn above. “Sages, leave your contemplations, Brighter visions beam afar; Seek the great desire of Nations…” I was being reminded to look beyond my plans and thinking and look to the Savior. “Brighter visions beam afar…” With him, all things, greater things than I can imagine, are possible.

…But [she] kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. -Luke 2:19

Timothy was ordained a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood just before Christmas. There were 3 generations of family represented in the room. A week later, Paige received her Patriarchal Blessing. This time, past, present, and future generations mingled in the words of her blessing. Each of these sacred experiences I will keep in my heart for a long time.

If we could look into each other’s hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, and care. -Elder Marvin J Ashton, Ensign, May 1992.

I learned to love several more people in 2014. This required throwing away some of my hasty judgments about their motivations and choices. I was humbled several times as I learned about challenges that they face, mostly in silence. I learned again that loving people is less about merit (mine and theirs) and more about vision. We love who people really are, not the things that hold them down.

And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! -Charles Dickins, A Christmas Carol.

I was a little stretched and had some grumpy Scrooge moments as we were inundated with things to buy and things to bake and places to be. I heard the words of Dickens about the reformed Ebeneezer Scrooge, “And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well.” Had we kept Christmas well? I sat down and wrote the things that we did that really mattered. This winnowing of memories helped me to see that we had.

I have many hopes and dreams for 2015. At the close of the 2014, I am so thankful for music, lyrics, literature, family, and scripture that helps me keep the season in proper perspective.

That’s Christmas to Me

Timothy is Twelve

We love this boy.

The year-end photo swap

1-DSC_5419-001 — Photo by Matt Sanchez: Polar bear challenge at the Weber

I’m trying to compile pictures for 2014 and I’m relying on lots of sources to do it. There has been a big exchange of photos among my sisters, a brother, and friends. These are some of my favorite finds this month.

1-IMG_1888 — Photo by Susan Vaughn: Mark’s room

1-IMG_1080 — Photo by Dean Brockbank: This was the most harrowing event of the year (more than rappelling and Angel’s Landing). Boys are sprung at each other in this human rubber band contraption.

1-IMG_1120 — Photo by Dean Brockbank: Youth Conference

1-IMG_0599-001 — Tubing at youth conference

by an — photo by Andrea Donaldsen: Les Miserables at Jordan High (our kids are in the pit!)

1-Sarah 4 — Photo by Sarah Hainsworth: Thanksgiving at Spring Lake

1-sarah 3 — Photo by Sarah Hainsworth: Thanksgiving at Spring Lake

We’ve had some good times

Photo from K. Nelson from Girls Camp 2014 (Can you spot the trained ballerina? That’s Paige.)

We celebrate Paige today because she received her Young Womanhood Recognition award by the Bishop in church. It’s another milestone in the hastening end of her days of “growing up”. That little rubied medallion signifies hundreds of hours of service, study, development of talents, and faith. We are so very proud of her.

We gathered to celebrate my niece Kaitlyn’s baptism on Saturday. There are many sweet things about the baptism of a child. I watch the younger siblings and cousins who look forward to their own baptism days. They watch so intently. They are curious! Some press their faces against the glass to be as close as possible. I am touched by the witnesses, who are often the grandfathers. Their job is solemn, but it must feel like the job is icing on the cake. The grandmothers are shiny in their bright jackets and full smiles. They often share their wisdom in a message about baptism or the Holy Ghost and in whispered words during hugs. There is usually a stressed-out mother, thinking of details, to whom the major part of the child’s gospel learning has fallen. The importance of the day settles deeply in a mother’s heart. All of this surrounds two people dressed in white. The tender father helps the child step into the water, offers a prayer, and carefully lowers the child under the water. It’s simple. It’s sacred. Kaitlyn’s special day had all of these elements, but her little light made it unique and her own. I smile when I think how lovely Kaitlyn looked and behaved. Congratulations!

It still looks like Christmas time because the light of winter is unmistakable, but there is no sparkly snow. Timothy pines for some and worries that there won’t be snow to make forts on his birthday in a few weeks. A white Christmas IS the ideal now. Something I have learned from living in several different places is that you can love wherever you live, and it’s possible to love different climates. We have!

For some entertainment on Saturday night we pulled out the home movies of Christmases past. “We’ve had some good times,” Richard said.

Yes, my dear, we have.

What? No chevron prints and no cardigans?

It’s the morning after Thanksgiving break. I awoke at 4:45, signaling that all of those naps over the weekend were probably a little excessive.

It’s that time of year when I try to get a family photo for Christmas cards. I will never be the mom who coordinates the family in French grays (at least one person in a chevron print or a cardigan) and finds a striking place to take the perfect photo. We arrived at my parents’ place on Thanksgiving and I said, “Quick, take a picture before the hair gets messed up and Daniel is covered in dirt from one of Grandpa’s projects!” The minute the photos were taken, my dad drove Daniel off to the (dusty) storage unit to gather furniture so we would have a place to sit. I know what I’m doing even if we’re not color-coordinated.

I look like I’ve gained 20 pounds in this family picture. Actually, I am just wearing 4 layers to stay warm. I’m also wearing my grandmother’s pearls to inspire me as I do dishes and cook.

Our weekend was sparkly with Christmas lights, glittery with ornaments, rich with calories, and comfortable in traditions. Those pillars of family traditions can feel overly celebratory when times are difficult, but they help carry us along. I’ve reflected a lot about two of my siblings who are going through really difficult times. Despite all of that, there was a family gathering, a place at the table, and a viewing of White Christmas on Thanksgiving to steady us. Celebrating Thanksgiving is always in order. No matter our situation, we are blessed to have a Savior, blessed to have this earth, blessed to have family and friends, blessed to have another day to live, and an endless list of more.

Happy Thanksgiving

We’re spending Thanksgiving with most of these kids.

I machine embroidered these names in time for Thanksgiving. We’re going to attach these to baskets in cubby holes at my parents’ new house in Spring Lake. I can’t wait to see each child’s basket in a special spot at Grandma’s. I think it’s a great idea to have a place for each child to keep their things when they visit.

Each name is done in the child’s favorite color. Now that I’m done with this big project I just want to play with these colorful little tags. I’ve spent 15 minutes laying them out in different configurations on the table. Do I have time to do this? No, no I do not.

November Patriot of the Month

Timothy was honored in a school assembly for his academic work, leadership, citizenship, and general awesomeness. Here is what was read to the audience to introduce him to the student body.

This young man plays a lot of baseball. He is most often chosen to be catcher, which means that he is dependable, quick, smart, and focused.

He is the third child of four in his family and was born in Austin, Texas.

He has played the piano for many years and he also plays the trombone.

He is interested in nature and animals. He was put in charge of his family’s tomato garden this year. He also took care of an neighbor’s lawn over the summer.

He has a great sense of humor and makes funny home movies. He loves to ski and read and can build amazing things with Legos.

His family is so proud of him for being diligent in school and being such a great son and brother.

A spotlight followed him as he emerged, surprised from the audience. How great is that? Good job, Timothy!

Happenings

1-DSC_2292 — Just a smattering of thoughts today, readers.

1-DSC_2290 — These super hero prints were a gift to the kids from the artist, Josh Talbot. We bought my new violin from his wife.

1-DSC_2295 — I love pumpkins, and pumpkins from a friend are especially nice.

1-DSC_2291 — Photo is from Halloween 2006

There are fewer costumes to get ready for Halloween this year. When I think back to the years when we coordinated costumes for the kids, I feel thankful that we made those memories. Super Heroes, The Wizard of Oz, and Star Wars were my favorite themes. I spent a little time sewing Halloween bunting over the fall break. Mark has been my helper to decorate the house. One day he spent an hour wrapping little skeletons in t.p. so they would look like mummies. He emphasized to me that the mummies are NOT for the house, but special for his room. Mark and I found this to be a mutually agreeable use for the mummies.

1-IMG_20141017_174447 — Mark told us that he didn’t need help with his tie. Okay.

The kids had a piano recital this weekend. Paige played the Mendelssohn Concerto in g minor op. 25, 1st movement. Daniel played Maple Leaf Rag by Joplin and a nice contemporary concerto called Concerto Bravo by Olsen. Timothy played Bach’s Solfeggietto and a piece called Frenzy. Mark surprised us again with very expressive dynamics in Spy Bot (He’s a real showman!) and amazed us with his speed at playing Cinnamon Popcorn. The older kids who played concertos were accompanied by their teacher, who spent a lot of extra time working with them on their pieces. She’s in the photo with the kids.

1-DSC_2297 — Mark’s measurement robot. I can’t tell you how many times this robot comes to my mind when I am working in the kitchen.

Home school with Mark is comfortable, sweet, and a joy. I’m savoring the time with him. Our studies follow a familiar path through ancient history, math facts, science, and writing. With each child, however, there is zeal for different favorite subjects and I enjoy seeing Mark’s personality and strengths emerge as we work on projects. Mark is good company, and we have the best conversations, and by that I mean we talk through a depth and breadth of his thoughts about super heroes, Star Wars, planets, Calvin and Hobbes, and Harry Potter. I write down some of the things he says as a keepsake of this time together.

On another front…

I find sharing my faith on Facebook to be very tricky. I admire people who can share concise, genuine statements about their testimonies. One thing I am thinking about is how to convey my testimony more effectively (online, among friends) without sounding like a Puritan or shaking so much in my boots. I posted the following paragraph on Facebook, but didn’t get any “LIKES” from my friends of other faiths. Does this mean I sounded like a Puritan to them? Who knows.

The LDS missionaries in our area needed some teaching practice so they picked our family. I loved how they taught and shared their love for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I wish I had invited someone to join us. Next time you see the missionaries, consider listening to their message with an open heart and mind. It will make your day. Their message is the most important part of my life.

Do you have thoughts about sharing your faith online?

I write this as the missionaries sit outside with Richard at a correlation meeting. They are around our house a lot. I am NEVER prepared when they come. One day I walked into the kitchen after showering, looking for a hair brush in my purse. It wasn’t until I had loaded the dishwasher while sporting wet, messy hair that I noticed that the missionaries were in the next room watching me make a fool of myself. Today they have to sit outside because every living area in the house is full of toys and friends. I just never know when they are going to show up.

This is probably one reason people respond well to online missionary work. I just need to learn how to do it better. Really, do you have suggestions?