I ran so far...

Today was the Halloween 5k Fun Run fundraiser for the kids' school. I competed, in costume as you can see, and won my age division (Old Ladies with Lots of Kids). There were actually only 2 contestants in my division, and the other lady (who is a serious athlete) stayed with her little girl as she ran, so I really was a shoe-in. But I WON!! And I get a free pie of my choice from Lin's. Can't beat that with a stick, although it seems a funny prize for a contest of fitness skills. JR ran the sprint and won his age division also, but they didn't give awards to the sprinters. We both got prizes for our costumes, and a great time was had by all.

Halloween 2009

It's the time of year again where Russ and I are cruel to our children and deny them their basic rights to both begging and candy. We (Russ probably more than I) do not care for the tradition of going door-to-door and asking for something which will be detrimental to our children's health. Halloween traditions cannot even be traced back to uplifting beginnings. We feel that we can select what is fun and good about Halloween, and leave the rest alone. The kids love to dress up for school costume parade. This year we had a cheerleader, Violet from the Incredibles, Cinderella, and a young Anakin Skywalker (before he turned, of course. Usually I try to steer kids towards persona's that are positive, but I goofed up and bought dark brown costume pieces for JR, hence Anakin instead of Obi Wan. And of course JR knows the difference, even if I don't, so there was no fooling him. Anakin it was.)



We also have a party every year, and we stay dressed up in our fun costumes, then eat our fill of pizza and goodies like apples, yogurt-pretzels, and homemade cinnamon rolls while we watch a movie together. The past two years we have partied with our friends, the Heatons, who have a similar attitude towards the holiday. This year, due to conflicting plans for the Heatons, our family is solo. This works out for the best, because tomorrow evening is the start of fast day and not a good night for a party. So we are having our Halloween party tonight, Friday. Russ decided the kids are old enough to see Gremlins. He is being brave (crazy?), considering Megan's reaction to this movie, but I trust his judgement. Also, I think they will be fine with it. We'll see tonight after everyone goes to bed. Fingers crossed, no nightmares.

PS - Aubrey dressed up as well, but got away to school before I could get a photo of her. Hopefully we'll be able to post her get-up on her blog later.

PPS - Yes, there is a snaggletooth among our brood again. Katie lost her front tooth last night. It's just so darn cute!!

Good Food...

I love food. Being the pragmatic person that I am my taste runs to good, homemade culinary basics rather than gourmet cooking. This being the case, I rarely make a big deal out of meals I cook. Last night I threw together a soup that was so good, I impressed myself. It was a sausage-vegetable soup, made with country sausage and some chicken stock, fresh garden tomatoes, celery and carrots and zucchini (from Bountiful Baskets) and pasta shells to fill it out. It smelled wonderful, and it looked so pretty that I took a picture of it. My husband laughed at me, but I was just so pleased with the results of my efforts. It was a good homemaking day.

Joy #5 - The Temple

I went to the temple a few days ago, for the first time in several months (I know...slacker!!) Russell had some initiatories to do for the ward, and because the women's initiatory was behind schedule I did some sealings. I found myself in a small group that included an elderly man, Bro. Sherratt. Of course, I asked him about his family. Turns out he was Grandpa Lowell's nephew. (Yes, I am my mother's daughter!!) Russell teased me about holding some strange man's hand but I told him no, it was family. Anyway, for the past several days I have found myself thinking about what I enjoy most about the temple. I know there are eternal truths available at the temple, that truth and beauty fill that sacred place. I know that work is done there that cannot be done anywhere else on earth. And I know that temple ordinances are our only path back to God. I love and appreciate all these things. The thing that struck me most at the temple this time was how joyful a place it is. (I'm sure it is because of all the things I mentioned above, and more.) I love to go to the temple and feel the joy that fills the building. People there are so happy to be there. They smile, often when they aren't even looking at anyone. They are full of joy to be doing what they are doing. They are engaged in God's work, in the Lord's work. This is what fills them with happiness, with joy. How could anyone ask for more than to be doing what Christ would have them do? I love that feeling, and want to have it with me all the time. I think if I were to constantly have the spirit with me, if I were to constantly be making the right choices, if I were to have charity in my heart always, I would always have that joy, even in the face of sorrow. (I think sorrow and joy can exist at the same time.) I am not perfect, however, and am not always doing what Christ would have me do. My life is filled with other emotions, less Christ-like emotions. Anger, frustration, and fear live in my daily life, fighting with joy and love for my devotion. So I go to the temple, to remind myself of what it feels like to be truly on the Lord's errand. And I love what I feel there. What a blessing the temple is in my life, and I am grateful for the beacon it is, the reminder of the person I want to be.

Joy #4 Katie-bug

This past week we celebrated Katherine's 6th birthday, and I have had time to reflect on how glad I am to have her. Anyone who knows Katie knows how full of life she is. I think the word exuberant was coined just for my daughter. She is larger than life, or should I say...louder than life. She doesn't do anything at a normal level, starting with her speech. Katie has a naturally loud voice. With no effort whatsoever, her little voice booms out through the house. And if she is excited, you'd better cover your ears!! This over the top attitude extends to everything she does. Her walk is really a skip, her smile is wider than you can imagine, her eyes positively sparkle, and she hugs tight enough to squeeze the breath out of you. She makes me glad to be alive. She is a great example of seizing life, with all it's joys and opportunities, and squeezing out every last drop you can. If I try to imagine my life without Katie in it, it brings tears to my eyes. I love each of my children very much, and unless you are a parent you might think each child brings more of the same. Like the same beautiful blessing, just multiplied. It's not true, though. Each child brings a unique set of characteristics and traits, like different colors in a tapestry. If we were missing one, our lives would not just be less blessed, but less colorful. I think Katie is like the red in our family tapestry, vibrant and full of life, warming us all with her love and happiness. She literally brings joy into every day of my life. I love you, Katie!!

Prayer for my girls

I found this poem on the Segullah website and loved it. I hope for exactly this for my girls (and my boy, although his pressures will be different.) The body given us is such a wonderful gift, such a complex, beautiful symphony of miracles. Any study of anatomy, biology, chemistry only increases the wonder. How grateful I am for this amazing gift. I hope I can teach my children how blessed they are and what a great responsibility we have to care for our mortal temples. Finally, at 40, I am beginning to give the time and energy and attention I ought to what may well be my greatest gift from my Heavenly Father.

Body Image

by Melissa Young

Almost naked,

she stands before the full-length mirror,

loving her reflection.

Three years old, still baby soft.

“Look, Mom,” she says,

bending backward,

her round belly protruding.

“I’m so big!”

Yes, you are, I say,

and ache,

knowing the day will come

when her view of what is

beautiful

will change,

and she will no longer see it

in herself.

How I wish I could capture

the adoration I see now—

pour it over her head

when the mirror seems to only speak

her flaws,

let it run warm over her senses,

infuse her with

the joy of living,

an awe of mortal flesh,

the miracle of touch and breath,

heat and thorns,

That she could always be

as a little child,

and never wish for

wasting over health,

flatness over curves,

bones over flesh,

That she might be as she is now

with her belly out, smiling,

delighting in fatness.

Joy #3 - Goodly parents

Mom and Dad were here last weekend (with their new trailer - how fun!!) and we had a very pleasant time visiting and sightseeing with them. As I looked back on the weekend I could see so many incidents that just showed me how much of a positive influence my parents still are on my life. We walked on Friday morning after dropping off the children at school and had a great conversation about civil and religious freedoms, the rule of law, and the proper role (if any) war has in any society. The conversation was interesting and challenging, but best of all, it was spiritually uplifting. Examples from the Book of Mormon and other scriptures came into play, and I was just so impressed that my parents and I can have such great discussions. Dad shared some ideas he had heard in church talks, and we ended up at home with my mind a bit more enlightened and my thinking elevated. I was also impressed that we sat down to watch conference together, and they got up and studied scriptures with us on the days we got up (at 5:30am.) What a great example to my children this was, to see that Grandma and Grandpa value the things that we value. I am so grateful that they have been this type of example to me my whole life. I didn't realize until I was an adult what a challenging background my dad had to overcome. He came from an abusive, alcoholic, poverty-stricken home and although I know his parents loved him very much, family circumstances made growing up quite a challenge. Many people don't come out of an upbringing like this very well. His siblings all still exhibit varying degrees of serious lifestyle issues. And yet my dad married my mom in the temple, raised us 6 kids and has remained active in the church, currently serving as bishop. He has been a great dad and I love him so much. I'm sure the strong positive influence of my mother has been the single greatest factor in keeping him close to the straight and narrow. She is a strong-willed, intelligent, educated woman. Her example has helped me become the kind of woman I am today, and I like who I am. Both of my parents had parents who divorced, and yet they have managed to create a strong, enduring marriage that I aspire to emulate in my life. Were my parents perfect? No, of course not. But likewise, I am not perfect, and yet I strive to do better each day because that's what I saw them do. And if I can have an end result (of course things are far from over) like they seem to have, i.e. happy children with healthy families of their own, active in the gospel and contributing to society in a positive way, interacting as friends and supporters of each other, then I will be satisfied that I have followed their example and benefited from their struggles and accumulated wisdom.