Family Reunions and More

Soooo, we had so much fun at our family reunion.  It was Pampa's 95th birthday and he decided that he wanted to have a big reunion.  It was so much fun to see everyone.  The days were awesome.  We started out searching for some corners.  We weren't very good with the GPS, but we did manage to find one.  Only a few of us were there at that point, so Edmund, Nathan, their families, Mom and us were the only ones to do it.  All of the other relatives were just getting there too, or just didn't want to go.  It was a lot of fun.  The girls all found some bones to a dead calf or something.  They loved that!  They found practically the whole spine.  Edmund started it all when he came walking up with a calf leg that still had some skin on it.  It was pretty gross, but still fun.  Then we had a big dinner that night at the man camp.  The bathrooms weren't working so some of us had to take a trip to some of the trailers.  It was fun though.  We all got a sailor hat and ironed on the navy flags for our initials.  Then, half of the group did introductions and little talent things.  Later that night, some people went and played basketball, and then the rest of us just stayed up and talked.  It was nice to have all of the brothers and sisters together again.  In our family, the only person missing was Ellie.  She is about to have her baby and decided it wouldn't be smart to come.  It's really too bad that everyone couldn't come because there will probably never be another time when we are all together because next year, the oldest nephew will leave on a mission and from then on there will be missionaries out.  Oh well, that is part of life when you are part of a big family.  It was really fun playing games and stuff together.  Kind of like old times, especially having Mardi and Rob and their kids there. 
Saturday was pretty cool, after breakfast, we went to the office to have a little flag-raising ceremony.  John, Jackson, and my cousin Michael were in their military uniforms.  Jackson is in the ROTC right now.  He said he has pretty much decided to join for sure.  My parents aren't really surprised because ever since high school, he always wanted to.  He is in a drill team class and everything at BYU.  That's cool.  It was fun seeing he and John both dressed up.  Uncle Paul A had it all worked out so that there was a state flag for every state where any of Pampa's decendents live.  I think there were 7 state flags underneath the US flag.  It was sad, but Pampa didn't get up in time to see it.  Apparently 2 or 3 different people tried to pick him up, but he wasn't ready yet.  But, he did get to see it after all the flags were up.  I was just sad he didn't get to see everyone in their uniforms.  There were the 3 military, and then there were tons of cub scouts and eagle scouts.  It was a pretty cool sight.  Then we got our T-shirts.  John and I helped a little bit with the design.  They turned out really nice-looking, I thought.  there was a contest and Kellie's husband Tim's design got chosen.  I thought of entering one, but was waiting until our computer with photoshop got here.  I realized it was here finally, and right before they made the T-shirts, added a couple of ideas just adjusting the design already there.  Definitely can't take credit for the design, it was a really nice design, but just a little credit for the touch-ups.  ;-)  Anyway, we thought they turned out really nice.  After that, we did a walk/run either from the office, or out by the fairgrounds.  Pampa was instrumental in getting the walking path made from Big Piney out to the fairgrounds, so we had a fun run to commemorate that.  We went out to the road to the airport with Bi and Bryant and ran from there.  We put our jogging stroller in our household goods, so we don't have it yet.  But, Bi didn't have a stroller either.  We were probably a pretty funny sight.  Bryant had JC on his shoulders, Bi had Jayden in a carrier and then John had Lilly on his shoulders and then Anna ran.  We ran quite a ways that way and then walked some too.  Sometimes I carried Lilly and John carried Anna.  It was a lot of fun though.  Eimi is always talking about running barefoot, so I tried it for a bit too.  I definitely am not used to it, but I think I could do it.  I think I would rather get some of those foot shoes though than run barefoot.  Lilly wanted to run barefoot for a minute too, but she told John to pick her up again right after she started.  It was fun though.  After that, we had lunch and a ceremony at the Senior Center for Pampa.  He invited the whole town, so a lot of people were there.  Then we went and did our whole family picture.  It was windy so we had to redo them on Sunday, but it was still fun.  I think we missed the trash pick-up during that time though.  That is something Pampa is definitely known for, picking up trash.  A couple of years ago when his medication was making him more unstable, people would find him around town having fallen over.  Luckily someone always found him before too long.  But, even though he has trouble walking, and sometimes falls over, though not since they got his medication back on track, he always is out picking up trash.  After our pictures, and our own family pictures were  done as well, we went back up for the birthday party and to watch the BYU Notre Dame game.  BYU keeps losing in the last quarter, which I don't understand.  Oh well.  Maybe next year our team will be better.  :-(   Anyway, the party was fun, they had a big tree thing where we all put our thumbprints on.  Then there were games where you deciphered words using the Navy flag system, and word mix-ups and stuff. 

Time for a new kind of schedule

I want to blog about something important, but don't really know what.  I have read so many inspiring blogs.  Today the things on my mind are organization and really scheduling my time.  There is so much to do.  Neither of these things are talents that I am blessed with, but I am determined to make them my strengths.  I was thinking of our schedule last night and one thing that John said really stuck with me.  After family scripture reading, which didn't go completely smoothly last night, John expressed to me that one of his frustrations is that when you have children, you can't plan for something to take a certain amount of time.  Things often take much, much longer.  I realized as I sat down this morning to make my schedule that I needed to add extra time for those things that you never quite plan for.  We started a new system of family scripture study the other day where we all read together for ten minutes, and then for the next 20-30 minutes, we read individually, and then take a few minutes at the end to share.  For Lilly, we let her read the Friend, picture scriptures, or other books for her personal time.  We try to have her read at least five minutes out of the picture scriptures or friend first and then she can move on to the other books.  It has been working well.  After what John said though, I realized that we need about 10 minutes of "what-if" time to allow for adjustments needed when dealing with the needs of children.  It was a bit frustrating at first thinking of how to plan the time knowing that I can never count on a schedule, but I realized that if that time isn't used, we can use it for something else like reading books, or just playing together.  Since we are trying to do scriptures in the morning before John goes to work, we have to keep to somewhat of a schedule or we can't get all that we need to done.  So, planning buffer time makes it work and we can still stay on schedule. 

I read an article on LDS.org that I am going to include below.  I especially love the quote,  “The most important thing we can read to our children is the scriptures. … The voices we hear as little children remain with us, so parents must read the scriptures to their children as early as possible. The child who hears the scriptures in the loved voices of his father and mother will come, through that love, to understand the scriptures and appreciate them in the best way. … Through the voice of their parents, children can … become familiar with the voice of the Lord.”  I hope that Lilly and all of my future children learn to love the scriptures and become familiar with the voice of the Lord because I read the scriptures to them.  I know that my own love for the scriptures came from knowing that my parents loved the scriptures.  I remember so many times early in the morning walking into the room to see my mom or dad sitting reading their scriptures, sometimes having fallen asleep with their scriptures in their lap.  I remember that on Sundays my parents would gather us together to have scripture study - not like on other days, but a longer study - 1 hour - where we went through the scriptures and they taught us in detail.  I love the scriptures.  I know that the study of the scriptures brings us closer to God.  I find answers to my prayers and I understand better the changes I need to make.  I love the peace it brings into my home.  I know that the scriptures are true.  My own personal study hasn't been as effective lately, so I am excited to find ways to make my own study more effective as well.  Looking forward to seeing how it all works tomorrow. 

"Whatever we must do to fit gospel study into our lives, the rewards will be well worth the effort. The light we allow into our own lives will reflect upon the lives of our children."

Four Keys to Family Gospel Study

1. Commitment. Once we commit to anything, our desire to succeed makes the task easier, whether it is losing five pounds, finishing up a college degree, or having regular gospel study. As a family, discuss ways to study the scriptures. Then, once the family has agreed upon a plan, get a commitment from each member to follow the plan. Until that commitment is obtained, your efforts will be only partially successful.
2. Consistency. Just about any activity done on a regular basis is more effective than those done randomly. You would probably ask for a parent-teacher conference if your child’s teacher taught the class math for two days and then didn’t teach any math for two months. So it is with studying the scriptures—the predictability of a set schedule encourages learning and frees us to learn with a minimum of interruptions. Family members need to determine the best time for study, then stick to it.
   
3. Individuality. Elder Howard W. Hunter said, “Families are greatly blessed when wise fathers and mothers bring their children about them, read from the pages of the scriptural library together, and then discuss freely the beautiful stories and thoughts according to the understanding of all.” (Ensign, Nov. 1979, p. 64; italics added.) As no two families respond identically to the same situation, no one method of gospel study will be equally suited to all. Through thoughtful, earnest prayer, and by counseling together, each family can determine its best way to study the gospel.
   One family, whose children ranged from elementary-school age through post-high-school age, tried studying during and after dinner, before bedtime, and on weekends—all without measurable success. They finally found their answer by having a family breakfast an hour before anyone leaves for work or school. This allows them to have a nutritious meal together and to study gospel principles each day. “We are a happier family now,” says the grateful wife and mother. “We have more time to talk together in a meaningful way, and our family gospel study has helped each of us understand and live the gospel better.”
   
4. Variety. Keeping the interest and attention of family members is essential. When young children are learning a concept, they best remember what they do (such as draw a picture, tell a story), followed by what they see (pictures, filmstrips), and then what they hear (reading, tape recordings). A lesson on the Nativity, therefore, might best be remembered by young children if each child role-played a part, supplemented by a reading from the scriptures.
   Modern technology and inspiration of Church leaders have made the gospel message available in a variety of forms. In addition to the scriptures, there are videotapes; audio tapes—some with accompanying books; filmstrips; magazines; books; and lesson manuals. There has never been a time when so many resources have been at hand.

Ways to Study

1. Read it aloud. The tradition of reading aloud as a family diminished with the advent of radio, then almost disappeared after television was invented. Today, too few families participate in a tradition that for centuries bonded hearts and fostered learning. Arthur Henry King, a retired professor of English at Brigham Young University and currently president of the London Temple, stresses that children can learn to love the scriptures by listening to their parents read them: “The most important thing we can read to our children is the scriptures. … The voices we hear as little children remain with us, so parents must read the scriptures to their children as early as possible. The child who hears the scriptures in the loved voices of his father and mother will come, through that love, to understand the scriptures and appreciate them in the best way. … Through the voice of their parents, children can … become familiar with the voice of the Lord.” (The Abundance of the Heart, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1986, pp. 221–22.)
   We may choose to read topically or consecutively through the scriptures. Or, while children are still young, we may read and reread the same favorites, thus giving that “loved voice” to the language of the scriptures. The more this kind of sharing can occur, the more familiar the language of the scriptures becomes to our children, and the more approachable the scriptures will be.
   
2. Memorize it. Besides reading aloud, another traditional method of study is to memorize selected passages of scripture. Young children can memorize simple verses, and they will feel a great sense of satisfaction from their accomplishments.
   
3. Look it up. The appendix in the new edition of the LDS scriptures provides an excellent tool for gospel study. When reading aloud as a family, you can find definitions of important words in the Bible dictionary, identify scriptures containing the same words in the topical guide, and locate geographical areas on the maps. As children become familiar with these helps, their understanding of the scriptures increases, and they make them a meaningful part of their lives.
   
4. Tape record it. Parents can record gospel-related stories for children to listen to. This approach is especially helpful for busy parents and those who must be gone from home for extended periods of time.
   
5. Discuss it. Educators are concerned that today’s students cannot express themselves well verbally. Family discussions are excellent ways to strengthen this skill, as well as broaden gospel understanding. Families can discuss:
   —The content of lessons taught in classes at church or seminary.
   —Talks given in sacrament meetings or conferences.
   —Articles in Church magazines.
   —Poetry, stories, or books that have wholesome themes.
   —Current events relating to the gospel.
   —Current movies and television shows whose themes promote the gospel.
   
6. Share it. Give family members, according to their ages and abilities, a chance to share with the family what they learn about the gospel.

Lilly's birthday!

Here is a picture of Lilliana helping me make the cake. She loves to help in the kitchen with the dishes, cooking, and whatever else we are doing.










































Lilly with her presents. (The doll she already had).

Here is a picture of her cake. I drew other animals around the sides of it. There is a horse, a cow, a duck, a pig, and a sheep. You can kind of see the whole cake in some of the other pictures. Can't believe she is already 3 years old!

Well, Lilly is three years old now. We had a fun birthday for her. The theater was showing the new Winnie-the-Pooh movie, (As she affectionately says, "Boo-boo" instead of Pooh-bear) so we decided to go to that. Her birthday was actually on Sunday, but we celebrated on Saturday instead. This year, I decided to try decorating a cake since she is finally old enough to really notice and to tell us what she wants. So, we asked her what kind of cake she wanted and she said, "animals". Then we asked what kind of animals, and she wanted a cow and a horse, etc... So, we decided a farm theme would be good. Lilly loves dogs too. Every time she sees someone walking by with a dog she wants to go and pet it. It is funny because she has different noises that she makes for different dogs. Some say, "bark, bark", some say, "rouf, rouf", and some do more of a growling thing. We invited our neighbors, Rila and Jerry over to sing happy birthday with us. Lilly loves them. They have been really good neighbors and helped watch Lilly in the mornings while I was teaching Seminary.

The cake turned out not really being girl colors... oh well. I was going to try to make all of the animals different colors and stuff, but then decided it would take too long, so decided to just make an outline of them with frosting. Next time I'll pick something besides black frosting to do the outlines with, but all in all it didn't turn out bad. Lilly loved it and it also tasted great! so, that is what matters. She has been so excited to turn 3 years old and has been saying that she is 3 for about a week now. Esala and Mae were off visiting their family during the day, but we picked them up right in time for dinner and cake.

Disneyland

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Had a lot of fun at Disneyland with Bi and Anna. Lilly especially loved the Astroblasters ride. She also wanted to ride on all of the boat rides. She kept saying "ride boat". So, we did. We rode on It's a Small World, Storybook land, the Pirates of the Carribean and any other water ride we could find. She isn't quite tall enough for Splash Mountain, but it was closed anyway. Daddy was really nice and let Lilly put her hand in the water on some of the boat rides. Of course on some of the rides they wouldn't let you. I think she enjoyed the water more than the rides though. One fun thing is that she was just barely tall enough to ride the Matterhorn. She loved it! We didn't want her to be scared, so we told her there would be a monster who would say, "roar", and then everyone would scream "Aaaah". So, even now when you ask her what happened on the ride, she will tell you "roar" and then scream. It is really quite humorous. She also really liked the bug spinning ride. We had tons of fun.

Halloween

Well, sorry we haven't posted anything in a while. I will put up our pictures from the Philippines and stuff later as well as lots of others. For now, here are the Halloween pictures. John and I are black-eyed-peas, and then Lilly is a cheerleader. We had a branch trunk-or-treat, and that was a lot of fun. Last year they had a little pond where you pull out a duck, and Lilly just wanted to play in the water and fell into the bucket. This year they had another pond and this time you chose a plate. She really just wanted to jump in the water again. After she picked a plate, we were walking towards another game and thought Lilly was right with us. Then we turned around and she was in the pond! I guess next year we should have her dress in something waterproof because it seems like no matter what she just wants to go swimming. Hopefully they will finish construction on the pool here soon. This was also Lilly's first time to help carving a pumpkin. Last since we were living in a hotel at the time we didn't carve one. As you can see in one of the pictures, she decided to feed the insides to me...yummy. :-) Well, Halloween was a lot of fun. Last year she wasn't really big enough to trick-or-treat either, so it was cute to go around with her and trick-or-treat. She would even say trick-or-treat. It was really cute. She had a little ghost bucket to put it in and she would take the treats and put them in all by herself. This year for Seminary I made graveyard pudding too. That was kind of fun, and then we played Halloween games. Well, that's about all for now. more to come later.

Fun at Home

Here's some pictures of Lilly too. We've been playing catch outside after John gets home from work. Lilliana has a pretty good throw. She wanted to wear a glove too. She has a push-toy that she loves to run behind too. Every day when we go outside, she grabs it and heads off running along the sidewalk, clear to the back of the house. (At least we've trained her to stay on the sidewalk. ;-) She is getting pretty quick.) She also loves to just sit and read.

Scuba Diving!!

So, here are some pictures from our scuba diving adventures. It was a lot of fun. We went on four dives, and then also had one day diving in the pool. Our teacher had a camera, so we got a lot of good pictures. On the first day, we saw a turtle, and then some anemone fish like Nemo. We did two dives each day. The second day, we did boat dives. They were way better. We saw tons of really pretty fish, and then we also saw an eel. The eel doesn't really count though because down by the Navy base, they feed the fish, so the eel just kind of hangs out there permanently. Still, it was cool.

Here's the turtle, and the eel. The eel's eyes are really close to the front of its face. Kind of interesting looking.