Activities and Musings

For the record...

This is Mary running in the Middle School Track meet on Monday. She ran the 100 M dash and the 100 M hurdles. (Please excuse my obnoxious mom-too-loud-in-the-video voice).


This is a pre-op picture before Bruce worked on Peter's loose tooth.Dad tried the Leatherman to begin with, but it was too small to get a hold of, so the next step (ugh - I can't even stand the thought of it), was dental floss. Hello?! I would not have done that when I was eight! No siree. It didn't work - and the tooth is still in. But the picture was cute enough that I had to post it.

These pictures require no words.
Except for that she's a loony, and getting to be really cute.

And, Mary and I had our last soccer game this evening. We lost, as we have every other game of this Spring season, but we learned a lot and are better for it, I believe. In the Fall season we won every game so they bumped us up a league. Sure wish there was an in-between, but there wasn't.What a great group of girls! It's been great coaching them this year.

Thoughts on the swine flu. I have been actively preparing to stay in our home for 2 - 12 weeks, which is what the Church and the Red Cross recommend as one of the actions that may be necessary. Check out theses links. There's really good info on them.

Also, what are your thoughts on activities before eight years old - like soccer, piano, dance, etc.? Are they really worth it? I have some thoughts on this, but wondered if you had any comments first. Like all bloggers, I think, I love Comments!

From Calf Wrangling to Cousins Graduating

Last weekend, Jesse and I got to go down,

and be here,for this,to honor these great people!What could be more fun than that??

Congratulations Jarom and Darcy!

After seeing a piano performance at Darcy's Convocation, Jesse reached over to the program and said, "In a few years, this will say Jesse Lorena". So, in addition to being at the graduation, I have done my job of fully filling Jesse with the "Spirit of the Y"!

What fun to see Ashley again (I met her at Josh and Clarissa's wedding), and get to know her better!
And I was very happy to stand in the picture of those present from the family that had graduated from BYU.Missing from the picture: S. Bruce, Cedric, Rodney, Monique, Christopher, Elena, and Jaclyn. Someday we'll have to get that picture of us all together.

After that, Jesse and I went to Twin Falls for the Canyon Rim Classic Soccer Tournament. Jesse's team played 2 games on Saturday. Jesse and I also officiated for three other games, and then drove home that night. It was a whirlwind weekend, but fun!

(NOTE: Switch the Music Player song to "I'm From the Country" for full effect. Somehow Pomp and Circumstance just doesn't fit anymore. Ha Ha)

Bruce spent the day on Saturday helping his friend Lane tag, castrate, brand and vaccinate over 50 cows and calves. It took them from 7 am until 3 pm, with five men helping.
Visit our Picasa Web site to see more great pictures of the cowboys wrangling calves on the ranch!

My friend Wendy also wrote up a fun blog post about the event (and thanks for the pictures!!)

Here is Mary running the 100 meter dash. She also ran the 100 meter hurdles for the Middle School track team. Good job Mary!

A dove decides to hang out on the front porch! The kids fed it some of Cutie-Pie's seeds and took a video of it. (Cutie-Pie is our Quaker Parrot.)
The black bird layed these eggs in the nest in the barbecue! Still out there last time I checked, and the mama bird is taking care of them.
This was our one-year old colt Shadowfax. I say "was" because he is no longer with us. He had a freak accident. When Bruce was training him in the round pen, he reared back and got off balance and fell back on his right shoulder. He immediately started convulsing, with his eyes rolled back in his head, shaking, etc. To make the story short, he never recovered. He couldn't move his head above the position in the picture above, and his head was cranked to one side. He showed signs of paralysis on his right side also. We felt that he would not be able to recover, even with extensive veterinary care. After agonizing for five days over what to do, Bruce finally put him down. He was Joseph's horse, and Joseph used to go out and sit in the pasture with him when he was a young colt. But now he is on to happier pastures, galloping about at full speed. We'll see you again, but good-bye for now, Shadowfax!

Oh, and we can't forget to post this picture of Libby with her black eye. She got a serious shiner last week when she did a back flip on our trampoline and her knee came up and smacked her in the face! You can also see that Peter's influence is spreading - his neighborhood friend broke his wrist, and got a pink cast just like Peter had!

And one more tender moment. Mary and her friend Bailey, our next door neighbor, made up a dance for Bailey's brother Brady, who just returned from a mission last week in Singapore. At the end of their performance, this was the hug that Elder C. got from Bailey. I also want to remember the hug that I gave Becky, the missionary Mom, and felt her joy that her missionary son had come home!

My cousins BJ posted this on his blog. We loved it, of course, and I'm betting Jesse and Joseph are going to be practicing some of those moves!

The Soccer Project from Rebekah Fergusson on Vimeo.

My heart is going out today to mi patria México. Drug wars, depressed economy, swine flu and an earthquake on top of that! But they've also had a temple rededicated this year, and had 11 temples built there in the last 9 years. Estoy orando por mis paisanos allí. ¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Love Story meets Viva la Vida

NOTE: Turn Music Player on this blog off for this post!



I love this mix of Love Story and Viva la Vida. It's fun to hear Jon Schmidt's explanation at the end of the video. Libby loves Love Story too, just like Schmidt's sever year old daughter. How fun is that? Libby's not home from school yet, but I can't wait to show her this. She'll love it!

I can totally see my three teenagers playing this arrangement! I LOVE having children that can play the piano. I wish you could hear what I hear while I fold clothes and work in the kitchen in the afternoons and evenings. I have a full-on concert every night it seems like. Everything from Brahms, Beethoven, and Bach, to modern tunes such as Go The Distance from Hercules, and their own compositions thrown in there. It's heavenly!

To all Moms struggling with their children in piano lessons. DON'T GIVE UP! It's so worth it in the end. And by that, I don't mean hound them mercilessly, but just keep it on the job chart, keep plugging away at it, make some course corrections here and there, year after year, and pretty soon, they turn the corner and start playing for "sport" and enjoyment. Then the fun and entertainment really begin, as I said above. It's worth it!

Hmm, I started out with a Jon Schmidt video, and ended up on a piano teacher/Mom's soapbox! I'm coming down now...

More soccer, and Laying Pipe

Our good friends Aaron and DaraDee were at the soccer field on Saturday morning watching their son play on the team that played Libby's team. They were kind enough to take these pictures of Libby, and the referee - me.
I remember with fondness that little moment that Libby and I had together at halftime. Thanks for capturing it Aaron!

For Family Night, we had a work project to do, so Monday right after school we loaded everybody up in the truck and drove 1/2 hour over to Bruce's parents' farm. They own 20 acres and most of it is in grass hay. Bruce is in charge of raising this hay, and in the Wild Wild West, that means irrigating. We irrigate with sprinkler pipe, or hand lines, which have to be put out by hand. We started at 4:30 and stopped when it was too dark to see. Four and half hours of steady work.

Joseph had to go to a track meet, so he got out of it! But he worked plenty hard - he got a PR (Personal Record) in the 3200 meter by 30 seconds, and a PR in the 1600 meter by 2 seconds. Wow, Joseph - good job!!

Since Joseph was gone, Peter and Libby got promoted! Peter got moved up onto one of the pipe-laying teams, and Libby got promoted to driving the 4-wheeler. You should have seen their faces - they were grinning from ear to ear, they were so proud to be contributing. And they really were. It wasn't just a token job that they did - we really needed them, and they filled an important role.

While Bruce, Josh, Jesse and I loaded the pipe trailer,Mary, Peter and Libby would play on the swing set, or raid Grandma's chest freezer for all kinds of good eatins'.

The teams this time were Dad and Jesse,
Josh and Peter, and Mary and I. Peter could barely lift the pipe over the top of the trailer, but he managed to do it. Way to go Peter!
He can also play Superman.
Who's hands are these?If I hadn't taken the picture, I would say Bruce, but no - they are Josh's. These gloves come from the box at the front of the shed that is filled with work gloves. Every time we come out to work we dig through the box to find some gloves. These have seen a few pipes!
We got most of the pipe put down last night. We still have one field left to do, up by the shed. I'm proud of our kids. And we made it through with the least raised voices and tense moments on record! (Just keepin' it real.)

Easter

We had a full day of soccer yesterday, among other things.

This is what happens when you have six soccer players, two coaches and five referees in one family. Every Saturday I write out a schedule that looks something like this:

4/11/09

7:30 am – Mom goes to ref a U10 game at 8:00am. Josh goes on date with Hannah.

8:20 am – Dad takes Jesse, Libby and Joseph. Libby & Jesse to games at 9:00 am. Dad and Joseph go to their game at 9:00 am

9:00 am - Mom refs Libby’s U8 game. Jesse refs a U10 game. Then they go over to finish watching Joseph’s game.

10:30 am – Mom takes Joseph and Jesse to referee U8 and U10. Mom and Libby go to Saddle Shop to buy Ellie a present.

11:00 am – Joseph and Jesse ref U8 games.

11:20 - Mom takes Peter to game. Joseph will ref a U6 game at 12:00pm and Peter will play a U10 game at 12:00 pm with Mom refing that game; Jesse referees at 12 also.

1:00 pm Mom picks up Kami at her house, then takes Joseph, Jesse and Peter home, and then leaves with Mary for game at 1:30 pm. First they drop off Libby at the Emalie's (call on this!)

2:20 – Dad takes Joseph, Jesse and Peter to game. Jesse plays, Dad and Joseph referee. Peter plays there at the park.

3:00 – Mom and Mary have their U12 game and come home.

6:00 Send Josh off to Senior Prom. Pick up Libby at Emalie's.

6:30 Go to Judson’s missionary party (we never did this – too tired!)

8:00 Watch Twilight. Maybe. If it comes in the mail.

______________________________

If I don't do this, a lot of bad things happen.

If I do, only a few bad things happen, like Bruce leaving Peter at the Park. Jesse wants me to add that she remembered him, once they got home. They did go back to get him, but he had already gotten a ride home with the neighbors.

As I said in the schedule (if you got that far before you fainted of dizziness):

Josh went to Senior Prom on Saturday night with Hannah.Every one of these dresses was handmade. This is when you know you're in Idaho! Are you saying, "WOW...", because that's what I'm saying. I'm afraid I won't be doing that for Jesse. Of course, I never thought I would be milking a cow, and making whole wheat bread, butter and yogurt either. I've got less than three years to figure out how to make a prom dress...
They had a lot of fun, and Josh enjoyed the date! Here is a link to my Picasa web set that has more pictures.

This morning we had a nice breakfast together, sang some Easter Hymns, and then brought out everyone's new Sunday clothes. This is the tradition we have to remind everyone of the Resurrection - of being new and clean. (See the results in the new picture on the blog header!)

I was deeply touched by the program in our Ward today for Easter. Mary sang "Did Jesus Really Live Again?" with six other Activity Days Girls. It was beautiful, and the Spirit was strong. I couldn't believe that there were so few girls that age compared to all the Cub Scouts at the Pinewood Derby!

After Mary sang, our dear friends, Fred and Amy, gave wonderful talks. Most of Amy's extended family was sitting behind us, and it was so beautiful to see them all sitting in that row together.

The Bishop added his comments afterward. I was glad to be on the front row, because I don't know if others sitting farther back could tell how deeply he felt about what he was saying. He testified that when we come before Jesus at the Judgment Seat, we will want to be with Him. I believe that wholeheartedly. We will want more than anything to be surrounded and abide in the presence of such light and love as we never dreamed of here on earth.

The Church published this video on YouTube:



As I pondered these images in Sacrament Meeting today, I thought about the vicious beating that Christ received at the hands of the Roman soldiers before they took him to the cross. I thought of how only hours before, he had suffered for each of their sins, individually, in the Garden of Gethsemane. I pondered on the depth and breadth of a soul that could take each one - the one that used the lash, the one that pushed the thorns into his head, the one that nailed his hand onto the beam, Pilate, and even Herod, to whom He spoke not a word when interrogated by him; all these, he took one by one and fulfilled his part of suffering every last ounce of the weight of their sins, and their own personal sufferings.

I know and feel deeply that Jesus Christ is my Savior, and the Savior of all mankind. I have never had a time in my life when I didn't know that. I have spent the balance of my life using that knowledge and feeling to do and to become what He wants me to become. I want more than anything to be in the presence of my Savior, and my Father in Heaven, surrounded by those I love. The reason I want that is because I know that They are full of light and love, in the deepest sense of what those two sacred words mean, and I belong there.

This is the basis of every decision, every choice that I make. And, oh, how many "course corrections" I have to make! But I will get there, because that is where my course is charted, and I am sure that whatever we most deeply, deeply want in our lives, that we will receive.

Signs of Spring

You gotta love the daffodils and the tulips blooming!

And here's the announcement of the name of Lady's foal. She is a filly, and Libby named her "Cookie", much to Bruce's chagrin! Stormy is on the left with Strawberry, and Cookie is lying down in back of Lady.
Another announcement! Bruce has found a new, more efficient way to mow the lawn. It works in beautiful concentric circles, and is self-fertilizing. Inquire within! J/K


Jesse took this picture so she could remember how I braided her hair the night before to make it look crimped.

Josh is running for Studentbody Secretary at the High School. These are some of the images he used on his campaign poster.
He had to give a speech, and the election was today, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out. If he wins over the two girls he was running against, he will follow in the footsteps of his three older cousins, Jarom, Whitney and Lindsey, who were all Studentbody Officers.

We put Iliampu and Sage up for sale on Craigslist this week. We've been hanging on to them for sentimental reasons. Iliampu is the mother of La Paz, Cusco, and Ruffneck, three of our good pack llamas. And her last cria was Sage, a female llama. Our original goal was to build up a herd of seven male llamas so that we could go on pack trips with our family. We have done that, so now we need to let these females go to another home. It tugs a little at the heart strings!We also put Chester up for sale on Craigslist. We sold him to some paisanos, who came and got him today.Chester, I'm sorry to say, will not be missed! Although Bruce does feel some regret that he was not able to work with him more and make some progress, this Blazer horse was wild to begin with, and stayed that way! It took two hours and careful maneuvering to get him into their trailer. Good-bye Chester!

Last night was the famed Pinewoord Derby for Peter's Cub Scout Pack. Oh, the woes, the excitement, the laughter and the tears.Look how many Cub Scouts we have in this Pack - all from one ward. My friend, Mary Jean, who is the Primary President, informed me that the girls their age all fit in one class, so about 1/3 the number of girls as boys. Interesting, no? It was the same ratio in our Spanish Branch.The hard working Dads: Chris, on the left, is going to be sealed to his wife tomorrow in the Temple. Todd, on the right, has spent the last week in the NICU with their newborn son (but they got home today!) Bruce, Joshua and I fasted for little Layne on Wednesday, and it was a neat experience to see how quickly he recovered after the fasting took place.Can anyone dispute that the Pinewood Derby is just as much an Elder's Quorum affair as it is a Cub Scout affair??I think not.

The hard-working Den Mothers,and the eager Cub Scouts, all look on as brightly colored cars speed down the track.

Experienced brothers look on,mothers sneak some chatting in,and cute little sisters cheer brothers on. (See Mary above, also)Cub Scouts grin,and Dad's beam,when their son takes second place! Congratulations, Peter!

But don't forget the triumphs of past years! Josh and Joseph display the cars that they raced in 2002.In 2001, Josh's first year, Bruce let Josh make all the decisions about the car - it was totally his own creation. And he came in last place. Disaster. Devastation.

Since that scenario didn't work out so well, in 2002, Bruce took the Pinewood Derby car business to heart, and he and the boys (that should be in quotation marks) made some really nice cars. Joseph's car had the fastest time of the night, and Joshua's won the contest. A distinct turn-around. The next year they did the Raingutter Regata instead of the Pinewood Derby, and Bruce says it was because they were "skeered".

Back to 2009 - after the main races, they let cars race for fun, so Josh, Joseph and Peter put their cars on the track. This race was serious - for bragging rights! All three cars came down together within 1/2 inch of each other. I think Joseph's pulled it out. Bruce said there were oohs and aahs all around because all three cars were so close!

Josh worked on his car a little, and then they did it again. It's Joseph on the left (green car), Peter in the middle with the "Speeding Bullet", and Josh on the right (orange car).
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Peter pulled it out, and he's not humble about it either! Josh said, "It did not help (meaning his attempted fix on the car)" and "Goodness!", and Joseph said, "_____". (I don't know). You can understand what Peter said!

After the Pinewood Derby I took Mary and her two good friends Kami and Britta to the local diner for Britta's birthday. It's fun to be with 11/12 year old girls! Happy Birthday Britta! Kami is on my soccer team, and she is my star keeper. If you're a soccer coach, you can relate - coaches love a good goalie!

While I was typing this blog, Bruce came to the back door and said, "Come and see this!" He had seen a bird going into this hole in the barbecue.So I opened up the barbecue and found this inside!
We don't know what kind of bird it is, a black bird, but it is building a nest inside the barbecue!
Bruce is all set on taking this nest out and cleaning it out. "What?", I exclaimed! "No way! That mama bird worked hard at making that nest!" I think I won the "discussion". We'll keep you posted.

BREAKING NEWS...

Here is Bruce shining the shoes of the newest SBO at the High School!Congratulations Josh! The others that made it - Mack, Kelby, and Sterling, are all his good friends, so they should have some fun.

Coming next post - pictures from the Senior Prom that will take place on Sat. night, and reflections on Easter! Happy Easter everyone!