PS In case you feel like I've give Joseph the slight on his Eagle Scout Award, he'll get his due recognition on his Court of Honor. Speaking of which, I need to start planning...
Family of Fifteen: The adventures of a happily married mother and father, 6 amazing children, 4 rock-star in-laws and 3 grand-chlidren!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Young Womanhood Recognition
PS In case you feel like I've give Joseph the slight on his Eagle Scout Award, he'll get his due recognition on his Court of Honor. Speaking of which, I need to start planning...
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to everyone! What a wonderful time of year. We had our dear friends, David and Elysia and their three children, over for Easter Sunday. We had pozole, which was a treat! We colored Easter eggs, had an Easter egg hunt, and then had a beautiful lesson about the last week of the Savior's life and the Resurrection. We had Stake Conference this weekend, so we were able to discuss the talks that were given and the impressions we had from the talks. It was wonderful, and I felt the Spirit during our discussion.
A quick update on everyone:
Bruce - has been struggling with constant congestion in his sinuses and nose. We have been working with essential oils and supplements for two years. Although he has avoided infection, we have not been able to clear up the congestion. Recently, he went on a strict diet of no grain and no dairy. He started to see improvement for the first time in years. He had been doing that somewhat already, but he was much more strict this time. He could use some prayers, in his behalf, if you are so inclined, because he is still in the middle of figuring this out. Other good news - he applied for and received the position of Architect on his team at work. What this means is that he will now design the software instead of just implementing another programmer's design. He is enjoying the position, as it is something he has wanted to do for a long time, but has a lot of work to do! He really enjoyed having Josh home the last four months. He and Josh worked out on our weight set almost every day, along with 2-3 of Josh's friends. He has also LOVED organizing and playing on a men's indoor soccer team. They are on their second session in a row (ten games apiece) and have improved a ton. They moved up a level, and have been winning almost every game.
Lorena - is loving life. I am taking a Kindness Foot Zone Therapy class (reflexology), and have been learning about chakras and energy. I have come full circle, as I started to study some of this 20 years ago, and then moved to Washington and didn't do much with it after that. But I'm back to studying about it again, and have loved learning. I put oils on people's feet all the time (this is one of the best places for oils to absorb into the body), so I will be more effective with that with this new knowledge. I also read a really interesting book called The Healing Code, and can recommend it to everyone. I became a Young Living Executive in February, which was an exciting step for me. I also enjoyed having Josh home, and watching Josh, Joseph and Bruce on this indoor soccer team. I have been to every single game, and am well known as their best fan! They play late at night (from 8 pm to 11:30 pm starting time!), so I am able to go to the games.
Josh - I thought Josh would be bored being home, but he was not. He had three friends who received mission calls and were waiting to go while he was here. They spent a lot of time at our house, and it was so fun! Our entertainment room became the defacto hangout for that age group, and there were a lot of midnight parties at our house the last few months. Bruce and I have our bedroom directly underneath the ER (as we call the entertainment room), and many nights we would say, "That's really loud up there", and then we would turn off the lights and go to sleep. Conclusion - it never bothered us past that one sentence. Our big house was a blessing these past few months (as it continually has been). There were also a ton of Institute activities that Josh enjoyed. Josh played really well on the indoor soccer team, scoring lots of goals, and came to the conclusion that he enjoyed indoor better than outdoor. Josh is now at BYU-I, and settling in to his classes. He was making fajitas last night, so that is a good sign. :)
Joseph - has been so busy! He sleeps little during the week, and many long hours on the weekend, and sometimes not even then. He went to prom with Tiffany, and had a great time. They (three couples) ate at a fancy Italian Restaurant and had fun wandering around parks after the dance. Joseph is playing on three different soccer teams - crazy! I've already mentioned the men's indoor team, and man, is he playing well on that team. He is the leading scorer on the team, and makes some sweet moves on a regular basis. Of course, he has great backup on this team that get the ball to him in just the right place, but it still takes a great deal of skill to finish, which he has and does. He also plays on an outdoor team for our local soccer club, and another indoor team with high school players from his Varsity team of last fall. A great accomplishment for Joseph - he has earned his Eagle Scout! He has an Idaho Driver's License to show for it, too.
Jesse - Jesse took over Josh's milking of Natalie, the Jersey cow when he went to college. She gets up at 4:30 in the morning to milk, and then starts practicing the piano at 5:00. She milks again at 4:30 pm after school. Both Joseph and Jesse have LOVED singing with the Madrigal Choir at the high school. They performed at Festival last week and got a score of 39 out of 40 from more than one judge. They get to sing at a Choir Showcase this Saturday, to which only select choirs are invited. Last Thursday I got to be the substitute teacher in their choir class, and got a personal recital of some of their songs. It was awesome!! I had tears in my eyes as I sat there and thought, "I'm the most fortunate person in the world!".
Mary - is in the "head turning" stage, meaning that every time one sees her, one has to do a double-take because she is getting to be so pretty. She told me today that one of her friends has on the background of her phone, "Pretty girls turn heads. My friends and I break necks." Ha ha Mary has been learning to play "Hallelujah" on the guitar - the recent pop song. She will be trying out for the middle school talent show singing this song with her friend, and then also singing a solo of "The Call", a song from the Disney movie "Prince Caspian". She sang this song for festival, and it is beautiful. She is also playing soccer and running the hurdles on her school track team. The track team is a big social event, which is what Mary's all about.
Peter - got a cracked bone in his right forearm last week. He had a rough day the first day, but he is healing quickly with the oils we're putting on him, and already has a lot of mobility. He got Advanced on his Language Arts ISAT, which is a big accomplishment. Peter's soccer team relies on him to play keeper, and he does a great job.
Libby - had her Gymnastics recital last week! She performed beautifully, and it was fun to see the amazing skill she has gained in just 8 months. She can do a free-standing back hand spring, which is so fun to watch! She is working on a Science Fair project of watering plants with water that has been warmed up in the microwave, the stove, and tap water. She spends a great deal of time doing flips on the trampoline.
Family - we had a fun trip to Jackson Hole for Spring Break. Just Bruce and I and the three younger kids went. It was nice to give them some added attention. Mary had a great time ruling the roost. We went to art gallery after art gallery, and became quite the western art connoisseurs. Unfortunately, we didn't get a view of the Tetons because of stormy weather, but the visitors centers were really cool! We loved watching General Conference, and feeling the power and spirit that comes from listening to prophets and apostles. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and keeping the commandments and covenants we have been given is a continual and deeply profound blessing for our family. We have protection and guidance, and best of all - great joy!
Happy Easter to all!
A quick update on everyone:
Bruce - has been struggling with constant congestion in his sinuses and nose. We have been working with essential oils and supplements for two years. Although he has avoided infection, we have not been able to clear up the congestion. Recently, he went on a strict diet of no grain and no dairy. He started to see improvement for the first time in years. He had been doing that somewhat already, but he was much more strict this time. He could use some prayers, in his behalf, if you are so inclined, because he is still in the middle of figuring this out. Other good news - he applied for and received the position of Architect on his team at work. What this means is that he will now design the software instead of just implementing another programmer's design. He is enjoying the position, as it is something he has wanted to do for a long time, but has a lot of work to do! He really enjoyed having Josh home the last four months. He and Josh worked out on our weight set almost every day, along with 2-3 of Josh's friends. He has also LOVED organizing and playing on a men's indoor soccer team. They are on their second session in a row (ten games apiece) and have improved a ton. They moved up a level, and have been winning almost every game.
Lorena - is loving life. I am taking a Kindness Foot Zone Therapy class (reflexology), and have been learning about chakras and energy. I have come full circle, as I started to study some of this 20 years ago, and then moved to Washington and didn't do much with it after that. But I'm back to studying about it again, and have loved learning. I put oils on people's feet all the time (this is one of the best places for oils to absorb into the body), so I will be more effective with that with this new knowledge. I also read a really interesting book called The Healing Code, and can recommend it to everyone. I became a Young Living Executive in February, which was an exciting step for me. I also enjoyed having Josh home, and watching Josh, Joseph and Bruce on this indoor soccer team. I have been to every single game, and am well known as their best fan! They play late at night (from 8 pm to 11:30 pm starting time!), so I am able to go to the games.
Josh - I thought Josh would be bored being home, but he was not. He had three friends who received mission calls and were waiting to go while he was here. They spent a lot of time at our house, and it was so fun! Our entertainment room became the defacto hangout for that age group, and there were a lot of midnight parties at our house the last few months. Bruce and I have our bedroom directly underneath the ER (as we call the entertainment room), and many nights we would say, "That's really loud up there", and then we would turn off the lights and go to sleep. Conclusion - it never bothered us past that one sentence. Our big house was a blessing these past few months (as it continually has been). There were also a ton of Institute activities that Josh enjoyed. Josh played really well on the indoor soccer team, scoring lots of goals, and came to the conclusion that he enjoyed indoor better than outdoor. Josh is now at BYU-I, and settling in to his classes. He was making fajitas last night, so that is a good sign. :)
Joseph - has been so busy! He sleeps little during the week, and many long hours on the weekend, and sometimes not even then. He went to prom with Tiffany, and had a great time. They (three couples) ate at a fancy Italian Restaurant and had fun wandering around parks after the dance. Joseph is playing on three different soccer teams - crazy! I've already mentioned the men's indoor team, and man, is he playing well on that team. He is the leading scorer on the team, and makes some sweet moves on a regular basis. Of course, he has great backup on this team that get the ball to him in just the right place, but it still takes a great deal of skill to finish, which he has and does. He also plays on an outdoor team for our local soccer club, and another indoor team with high school players from his Varsity team of last fall. A great accomplishment for Joseph - he has earned his Eagle Scout! He has an Idaho Driver's License to show for it, too.
Jesse - Jesse took over Josh's milking of Natalie, the Jersey cow when he went to college. She gets up at 4:30 in the morning to milk, and then starts practicing the piano at 5:00. She milks again at 4:30 pm after school. Both Joseph and Jesse have LOVED singing with the Madrigal Choir at the high school. They performed at Festival last week and got a score of 39 out of 40 from more than one judge. They get to sing at a Choir Showcase this Saturday, to which only select choirs are invited. Last Thursday I got to be the substitute teacher in their choir class, and got a personal recital of some of their songs. It was awesome!! I had tears in my eyes as I sat there and thought, "I'm the most fortunate person in the world!".
Mary - is in the "head turning" stage, meaning that every time one sees her, one has to do a double-take because she is getting to be so pretty. She told me today that one of her friends has on the background of her phone, "Pretty girls turn heads. My friends and I break necks." Ha ha Mary has been learning to play "Hallelujah" on the guitar - the recent pop song. She will be trying out for the middle school talent show singing this song with her friend, and then also singing a solo of "The Call", a song from the Disney movie "Prince Caspian". She sang this song for festival, and it is beautiful. She is also playing soccer and running the hurdles on her school track team. The track team is a big social event, which is what Mary's all about.
Peter - got a cracked bone in his right forearm last week. He had a rough day the first day, but he is healing quickly with the oils we're putting on him, and already has a lot of mobility. He got Advanced on his Language Arts ISAT, which is a big accomplishment. Peter's soccer team relies on him to play keeper, and he does a great job.
Libby - had her Gymnastics recital last week! She performed beautifully, and it was fun to see the amazing skill she has gained in just 8 months. She can do a free-standing back hand spring, which is so fun to watch! She is working on a Science Fair project of watering plants with water that has been warmed up in the microwave, the stove, and tap water. She spends a great deal of time doing flips on the trampoline.
Family - we had a fun trip to Jackson Hole for Spring Break. Just Bruce and I and the three younger kids went. It was nice to give them some added attention. Mary had a great time ruling the roost. We went to art gallery after art gallery, and became quite the western art connoisseurs. Unfortunately, we didn't get a view of the Tetons because of stormy weather, but the visitors centers were really cool! We loved watching General Conference, and feeling the power and spirit that comes from listening to prophets and apostles. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and keeping the commandments and covenants we have been given is a continual and deeply profound blessing for our family. We have protection and guidance, and best of all - great joy!
Happy Easter to all!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
March Meanderings
Josh finally got some work this week, thanks to the generosity of our friend Lane. He has a Jersey cow that he uses as a nurse cow for raising calves, and circumstances were such that he needed to have someone milk her (Natalie is her name) for a few months. With the milk he gets, he will nurse four calves and sell them in a few months for a handsome profit. It's a very generous deal from Lane, and we're very grateful that Josh will have some cash flow. It's like a part-time job to do the milking twice a day on your own, so this is an adjustment, but he's been doing very well!
Today, one of Josh's best friends for the past eleven years, Drew, gave his Farewell talk in our ward, and he'll be leaving on Tuesday for his mission in Iowa. He has spent countless hours at our house just hanging out over the years, so I feel like our family has a small part in sending him out as well as his own. Josh also received his Duty to God Award today. Congratulations Josh!
Joseph and Jesse have been busy with Choir happenings. They sang in Solo & Ensemble Festival last week. Joseph sang a duet with Amanda called "When I Close My Eyes" that was beautiful. Jesse and her best friends Kalli sang "I'm a Wanderer", which is a spiritual. They got a high enough score that they got to do a repeat performance at the high school choir concert. Jesse also accompanied for three people, including Joseph and Amanda.
The High School Choir concert was awesome! The Madrigals sang an extremely technical song called "The Sounding Sea", and it was one of the highlights of the evening. Mary also had a Middle School concert the week before that, and she had fun doing that.
She had such a busy month of February playing the piano and the organ, that it was a miracle she got through it. She had Piano Festival (which she got a "Superior" rating on - Yeah!), the Solo & Ensemble Festival, which I just talked about, she accompanied the congregation on the organ, and she played for the choir too. Good thing she loves to play the piano and sing!
Mary also played in Piano Festival (and got a "Superior" also - Wahoo!), and sang "The Call" in the Middle School Solo & Ensemble Festival. She sang beautifully - I was so proud of her. Mary had some time off of soccer and track (yes, I know - two sports is crazy) this week because of a hurt knee. We have been putting Lemongrass, Marjoram and PanAway essential oils on it, and they have helped it heal much more quickly than it would otherwise.
Peter has had two outdoor soccer games, with Bruce as his Coach. He plays goalie for half the game, trading off with other players. He also played in Piano Festival - one song called "Race Across the Serenghettti" and another called "Un Poco Espanol", and he got an Excellent rating.
Libby played "A Knight's Tale" and "Bewitching Boogie" for Piano Festival and got a "Superior" rating! Way to go Libster! She also had a gymnastics performance last weekend, and she was the only one to do several hard moves. She is going to start soccer this week, and now soccer and gymnastics are on the same day!
Bruce Josh and Joseph have had a great time playing for an Indoor Soccer League, and I've had a ball being their #1 fan. They have a really good team, so watching them is a clinic in soccer every week. Their last game was this week, so now they're thinking of signing up for a new round of play, which I hope they do!
I gave a lesson today in Relief Society about Service, which was really fun. I enjoy teaching RS!
The Lord has been blessing us in so many ways, and we are so grateful.
Today, one of Josh's best friends for the past eleven years, Drew, gave his Farewell talk in our ward, and he'll be leaving on Tuesday for his mission in Iowa. He has spent countless hours at our house just hanging out over the years, so I feel like our family has a small part in sending him out as well as his own. Josh also received his Duty to God Award today. Congratulations Josh!
Joseph and Jesse have been busy with Choir happenings. They sang in Solo & Ensemble Festival last week. Joseph sang a duet with Amanda called "When I Close My Eyes" that was beautiful. Jesse and her best friends Kalli sang "I'm a Wanderer", which is a spiritual. They got a high enough score that they got to do a repeat performance at the high school choir concert. Jesse also accompanied for three people, including Joseph and Amanda.
The High School Choir concert was awesome! The Madrigals sang an extremely technical song called "The Sounding Sea", and it was one of the highlights of the evening. Mary also had a Middle School concert the week before that, and she had fun doing that.
She had such a busy month of February playing the piano and the organ, that it was a miracle she got through it. She had Piano Festival (which she got a "Superior" rating on - Yeah!), the Solo & Ensemble Festival, which I just talked about, she accompanied the congregation on the organ, and she played for the choir too. Good thing she loves to play the piano and sing!
Mary also played in Piano Festival (and got a "Superior" also - Wahoo!), and sang "The Call" in the Middle School Solo & Ensemble Festival. She sang beautifully - I was so proud of her. Mary had some time off of soccer and track (yes, I know - two sports is crazy) this week because of a hurt knee. We have been putting Lemongrass, Marjoram and PanAway essential oils on it, and they have helped it heal much more quickly than it would otherwise.
Peter has had two outdoor soccer games, with Bruce as his Coach. He plays goalie for half the game, trading off with other players. He also played in Piano Festival - one song called "Race Across the Serenghettti" and another called "Un Poco Espanol", and he got an Excellent rating.
Libby played "A Knight's Tale" and "Bewitching Boogie" for Piano Festival and got a "Superior" rating! Way to go Libster! She also had a gymnastics performance last weekend, and she was the only one to do several hard moves. She is going to start soccer this week, and now soccer and gymnastics are on the same day!
Bruce Josh and Joseph have had a great time playing for an Indoor Soccer League, and I've had a ball being their #1 fan. They have a really good team, so watching them is a clinic in soccer every week. Their last game was this week, so now they're thinking of signing up for a new round of play, which I hope they do!
I gave a lesson today in Relief Society about Service, which was really fun. I enjoy teaching RS!
The Lord has been blessing us in so many ways, and we are so grateful.
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