Treasure of the week

This week while sorting through boxes, I discovered these kid quotes I scribbled down during the first few months of 2009. Mark was 2, Tim was 6, and Daniel was 9. I don’t know if they are entertaining to anyone else, but they still make me laugh. 😃

1/09:”My legs love to fight,” Mark admits as we try to pull him away from Timothy.

1/09: “Get your fingers off!” Mark screams as we try to help him steer the mini jeep.

1/09: To Mom, sitting at the school table, “Hey, I was sitting in that chair. Can you sit on my lap?” -Mark

1/30/09: “This is my room where I fight and build things and take naps and get changes.” -Mark

1/09: “It’s not really comfortable to play computer games before your first jobs are done.” -Timothy, discussing his daily moral dilemma.

2/09: Mark: “We need to go to Grandma’s house.”

Mom: “Which grandma?”

Mark: “The one with all the Legos and the sewing and the snacks and the little red cups!”

2/18/09: On the way to church on a cold February morning, Daniel says, “We wouldn’t want to send Cupid out in this weather. It would be hard to shoot an arrow and make anyone fall in love.”

2/20/09: Daniel, after viewing a stern photo of his ancestor, Daniel Spencer, said, “If great-grandpa Spencer were a dinosaur and they found a fossil of his skeleton, they would have a hard time knowing what he was really like because he would look pretty vicious. Thank goodness we have family history because he was really a good guy.”

3/1/09: Tim, on the carpet, “I’m making a snow angel. It’s not working.”

3/4/09: “When I wake up, I want to be in a jet. A red jet.” -Mark

3/5/09: Mark, handling a toy cement mixer, asks what it is called.

Mom: “It’s a cement mixer. It mixes cement.”

Mark: “And diapers. It mixes diapers.”

Mom: “How did you come up with that?”

Mark: “It’s just my observation.”

Mark, hearing Mom tell Dad about his “observation” quote asks, “Am I significant?”

3/6/09: Mark, displaying two of his Lightning McQueen cars, tells Paige, “These ones are sweet. But you don’t eat them.”

3/9/09: Mark, looking at the messy table after dinner, exclaims, “There are chili dots everywhere!”

3/10/09: Mark asks, “Are you the singing mommy?”

3/10/09: Taking in hand his electric toothbrush, Mark exclaims, “Start. Your. Engines!” and begins to brush.

3/21/09: Daniel, after spilling a little lemonade, remarks in a frustrated voice, “I just wish gravity wasn’t so strong. I mean, I’m grateful we’re not just floating around (although that would be fun sometimes) but I wish it wasn’t so easy to spill.

3/22/09: Discussing possible musical selections the kids can do for an upcoming sacrament meeting,

Mom: “Paige can play piano and Daniel and Timothy can sing.”

Mark: “And I can do flips!”

pen pal

I have a sort of pen pal that I exchange texts with once a week. This friend is a neighbor and I see her often, but there is something special about those Saturday check-in texts. For years we have shared a range of ideas, from little experiences to really important milestones.

Here is something that I wrote to my pen pal recently. This is an example of how sharing a story in writing helped me find a lesson from the experience and a flaw in my thinking.

Normally, when I talk to homeschool moms, they are not interested in anything I have to offer, including books that I am willing to give away. I pulled many homeschool books from my shelves this month to donate to DI, but decided to send photos of the books to some homeschool friends first. Within seconds, some claimed books via text, and within an hour, most of them were collected from the house. It took my breath away to see so many of my treasures leave the house, but it felt good to see that they will be appreciated in their new homes. The lesson for me is that the photos of the books, sent via text, were more effective than an open invitation to come take some books anytime. It seems obvious now, but I spent a lot of time thinking people weren’t interested. They just needed details and a deadline. 😄

For March

Lives full of praise, music, and thanksgiving are uniquely blessed. Being joyful and relying on heavenly help through prayer is a powerful way to be peaceable followers of Christ. Striving always to be of good cheer helps avoid being cast down in spirit.

Quentin L Cook, October 2023

On his way

For years, I noticed the palms placed in the celestial room of my nearest temple. I saw them as a symbol associated with the shout of Hosanna from the Psalms and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Hosanna is used in hope and praise and means, “Please save us!”

Not too long ago, the palms in the celestial room of my temple were replaced with fig trees. Every detail of the temple can be a symbol of Christ, and these are just my reflections on the pretty plants in the room, and I don’t suggest any hidden intent in the change of greenery! The fig tree can serve as a reminder that the Savior will come again in the last days, or in other words, he answers our plea, “I’m coming!”

While we await a glorious Second Coming of the Savior when all will see him, I know when I pray for help, he is already moving to my aid. He gently reminds me that he’s coming. He’s already taken care of everything, but he is on his way to comfort me while I wait for resolution.

Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority.

-President Russell M. Nelson

Richard’s Birthday List

On top of Monroe Mountain, summer 2024

Richard celebrated a birthday recently. During the last year, here are some of the things I observed about him:

  • He became a grandfather. He delights in this little grandson.
  • He enjoyed his new upstairs home office, and worked from home until last September. He is now going into the office each day after nearly 5 years at home. What a change for both of us. He still uses his home office most evenings to put in more work hours.
  • He went on two trips with friends to ride 4-wheelers. He knows how to work hard and play hard with healthy balance.
  • He continued to serve as first counselor in the bishopric. I see the effects of his living a consecrated life in his countenance, his perspective, and his unselfishness. He becomes a richer version of himself each year.
  • He began to use some of his humor when he conducted sacrament meetings. When he says something funny, the ward members repeat his jokes to me throughout the week. People are tickled to be caught off guard when he shows his funny side.
  • He bought a new-to-us truck which makes him so happy.
  • He worked hard to plan 4-wheeling adventures and other activities for the Ross reunion. This year, we rode to the top of Monroe mountain, went tubing in the Sevier river, and stayed in a historic home in Joseph.
  • He planned an epic family and senior trip for Mark. We visited Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks and made so many memories.
  • He continued to exercise in the gym and took his supplements. He is fit and trim.
  • He watched over a plentiful apple and tomato harvest. We are still enjoying dried apples and salsa from his labors.
  • He edited an incredible family video for Christmas. What a history he has created of our family with these annual videos.
  • He helped Tim with lots of truck repairs.
  • He took Mark and Tim skiing many times.
  • I think he had a great year.