God Bless All Little Angels.

I have hugged and kissed and loved my little Boo so much today.  As a mother my heart breaks for those families who, this night, are living the nightmare of loosing their children.  Both those in the US and China.

Children are the Lord's most precious and valiant souls.  Boo teaches me this everyday.  She is so honest in her feelings and understandings.  She wants Amazing Grace or Holly and Ivy sung every night.   Every night at prayer time she has to thank Him for toys; her most prized things and that the fires don't hurt people (She's hung up on fire - we've seen so much of it this year).  She shouts with such pure joy "Jeusus' house" whenever we drive by a Temple.  When she sees a picture of Jesus and the scares in his hands she knows that kisses and a band-aid will make it all better.  So much love.

Pure joy.  Pure excitement.  The knowledge that the world is a place of adventure and magic...and good.  How I wish the world was as she knows it is.  As a mother I have come to understand the words of our Lord - become as a little child.  I wish I were so honest a woman and so loving.

Sleep well little angel.  You are my best and brightest gift from God.

Of Kids and Cats

Boo climeb up here and hung out just watching the world go by.  That's Tama's usual spot and I couldn't help but note the similarities between cats and kids.

Movie Theater

My littler girl had her first movie theater experiance this week.  She saw "wrek it Ralph" and "Rise of the Guardians".  Both are fantastic and entertaining films that will be bought in the future!

I didn't get any photos of that day (though Kirsten might have).  We had a great time and Boo was very good.  I'd forgotten how much I love movies and will be doing my best to take he to film as the years go on.

If you get a chance you should really see these two films.  Some really great storytelling.

Pumpkin Time

Carving a pumpkin all by herself. So grown up.

Snow Fall

Here are the latest of Boo playing. All of these were in the last week. Enjoy.

Videos of Shiori

June Vacation

After much planning we had our vacation in Rocky Mountain National Park. 

Here are some pics with people in them...in no particular order

 

Lots to see and do and not a lot of time to do it in.  LOTS of hiking. Good Times.

Little bit of Heaven

I'm not up to a long post after a long drive after a long night of not sleeping...so here are pictures

Just Believe In It

The saying goes something like this, "You have the same 24 hours as Jesus Christ".  There is also a saying that goes, "there is no free lunch".  How you spend your life and what you do with it depends greatly upon these two ideas.   I doubt that Jesus, or for that matter any of the great humans in history, woke up and thought, 'I think I'll blow this day off'.  When you set a goal or think of something you really want to accomplish you have to work at it.  EVERY DAY.

Even on vacation. 

I am about to take a week off, but you bet your last dime I've packed my writing books and my notebook of tatting designs.  Those things I need to work on my goals everyday while on vacation.  If you take a vacation from your everyday steps you take a vacation from success.

I'm not saying that everyday you should be training 3 hours for that triathlon you want to win, but you should probably do some running or exercises everyday, just to keep your body and mind focused on your goal.

It is that focus that is important.  Be a believer.  As the scripture states, "Let no man despise thy youth (or your inexperience) ; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1Tim 4:12)

Believing is the most important part of any goal, big or small.  If you don't "know" you can do it... you wont.  In religious context it's called faith.  Jesus taught us that this was the key to anything from loosing weight to writing a book to saving for that house you want or getting a degree.  You name it. 

The Apostles asked Jesus once why they had failed in their goal to heal.  "And Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matt 17: 20).  I bet if you believed that you could moved a mountain and then set about to shovel a little dirt everyday you'd succeed.


As the character Shepperd Book said,  "I don't care what you believe in, just believe in it".  That is the key to success.

So, what are your goals?  How will you accomplish them? Stop dreaming and start doing.  And remember:

1. You have just as many hours in the day and days in your life as deity (or more if you are over 33).
2. You have to work hard every one of those days.
3. You have to be a believer - to know you'll succeed

Vacation time

Vacation time will not come soon enough.  I need to get out of Utah.  I need to walk in the woods and shiver in the cold of a Rocky Mountain summer's night.  I want to write and read.  Rick suggested I take painting.  I poo pooed it, but the more I think about it the more I wonder if I should, just to try. 

Rick is getting itchy for a "new place" he said last night.  I was surprised, but I kind of wonder if it's a sign that we really need to look for a new location/home.  We have no more money now than we did a year ago and Rick is really resenting the school district and the LDS attitude of "do it for free" that abound here.  I wish I knew what to say or do.  So, yaaaa we both need a vacation.

Boo keeps telling us that we are going to Estes Park *nods*  Over the mountain.  I'm almost afraid that I'll get there and not want to leave *laugh*.  I'm also going to have lunch with Carol Berg while there.  I'm worried I'll say or do something stupid.  I'm the queen of that.

Is it June 16th yet?

Random Shiori Stuff

So very behind on Shiori fun stuff so I'm just dumping.

Tabernacle Temple

It's official I live in the new temple district for Provo.  8 stakes in Provo and Springville are a part of it.  I'm betting the line is along BYU boundaries.  My ward takes in BYU campus; so anyone who doesn't want to go to a student ward can go to ours.  Anyway the Temple...

I had wanted to go to the new temple ground breaking, but didn't hear about it till long after the tickets were gone.  Late last night I got a call form a member of my bishopric who had 2 tickets that were returned because the members couldn't use them.  His wife knew I had wanted to go and so they gave them to me. 

Rick, Boo and I went early this morning.  It was nice.  As Rick said, "if church was like this I'd go more often."  I think that's interesting commentary on how members treat church, but that's not what this post is about.  It's about a new temple and its blessing.

Elder Holland gave the prayer, a dedication of the work to go forth.  It was nice.  Dedicating the site is apparently an ordinance according to Holland, a setting apart of the site and those who shall work on it and for it.  He prayed for the safety and strength of the workers and it occurred to me that his wording encompassed not only the construction workers, but also those who will be doing things like upholstering chairs, carving carpets, and making altar cloths.  All those whose hands will go into building the temple and creating the spiritual place inside.  That included me.

It was quite humbling to realize that, while he did not know that I sat there under a tree working on an roundel for the alter cloth for that temple, Elder Holland knew that so many would make a tithe of skill to create a House of the Lord and so blessed us all to do that work.

I've always wanted to make an altar cloth, God willing I will get this done on time.

Museum Day

Shiroi and I have gone to a few local museums over this last month. She has really loved it and I took pics to share.

  

 

One Girl Band

She also sings songs. Yep this kid likes music, trains, and dinosaurs. Is it any wonder that her favorite tv show is "Dinosaur Train" which comes with lots of songs.

Shiori Playing the Viola

I put this one up on FB, but really wanted to put it here. 

Okay More of Boo

First day of Primary

Shiori getting ready for her first Sunday of Primary. She's been twice and so far it's a mixed bag. She likes class and hates sharing time. Most of the kids in my class do. I don't think the Sunbeams should be subjected to an hour of boardom.

Stillness Wanted

Wordsworth knew so long ago - we never learn.

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not.--Great God!  I'd rather be
A pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

It's too warm for January. 

Something is wrong in the world. 

Day One

Well here we are at the firs day of the year - a leap year FYI - so far so good.  Not much is different than yesterday, house is a mess, I'm still over weight, we are poor, America still thinks that teachers are evil, and the world hasn't ended.

I'm not making ANY resolutions this year.  I made some last year and did okay till March when a all hell broke loos.  So no goals, just living.