On Primary Programs

This year it seems our primary program was destined to fail.  It all began a month or so ago when my Primary Chorister partner quit.  We had just had a meeting to begin our plan of attack on conquering the program.  I went to church assuming it was her turn to teach.  Needless to say, it was not one of the best Sunday's of my life...But, alas, we all must move forward.  No problem, no big deal, we can do this.

As the program gets closer we start to nail down our speaking parts, our solo parts, the duets, the special numbers, those darn third verses.  Then two weeks before the program one of our family's called and announced their intention to go to Park City the week of the program.  No big deal right.  Right, except that our 20 kid primary is now down to 18 and one of our solo's has just been eliminated and a trio will not have to be a duet.  But, hey, no problem, no big deal, we can do this.

The Friday before practice another family had a death and will now be gone for the funeral.  18 down to 16.  No problem, no big deal, we can do this.

Really we can.  If I can remember to cue the kids when I am supposed to!  Something I had not yet perfected on that Friday practice.  Sierra was also scheduled to play a violin solo and has worked on it for months.  The first time she tried it with the pianist she messed up and stopped.  Dead.  We talked a lot about just plowing through it, no matter what.  She learned.  She did it perfectly at home, but never in front of the primary.  Nikell had a solo and Mialee was part of that aforementioned duet.  And because I am a firm believer that primary programs should highlight kids and not be boring...we had a brother and sister duet singing "Love Is Spoken Here," a fun version of "I Want to Be a Missionary Now" where the kids took turns standing and singing different parts, sign language on "Stand for the Right" (with an added verse of President Hinkley's 6 Be's), and a slower more reverent version of "The Wise Man."  Boring details to you, I know.  But you have to try and understand the magnitude of what I was undertaking.  It was either going to be fabulous or an epic fail.  And with each passing month, week, and day I was leaning more toward epic fail.

At Friday's practice Nikell was quite ill (assumably gluten related).  Saturday she did okay, but that night she was up a lot of the night crying and moaning.  I was quite worried that she wouldn't make it on Sunday.

So what does it all matter?  It doesn't really, except for this:  My testimony has been strengthened.  Saturday I started in on some pretty serious praying.  Not the kind I had been doing all along, but the kind where I was having some pretty serious conversations, pleading my case, trying to make sure my heart was in the right place.  I plead for Sierra.  I wanted so badly for her first violin solo experience to be good and something that she could be proud of and not scare her forever.  I prayed for Nikell.  I wanted her to be able to stand and sing in that clear little voice of hers and touch hearts in only ways that she can.  And I prayed that angels would surround us and lift us up and magnify our little voices. I prayed that people's hearts would be touched and their testimonies made stronger.

And guess what?  It went fine.  I wasn't nervous in the slightest.  Okay, when they announced that another family had had a death and was in California at the funeral I may have panicked a little.  But the older sister brought them.  So, it went well and I was proud of those primary kids.  One of my wiggliest kids sang her heart out the whole time and they all actually looked at me.  They payed attention.  They stopped singing when I signaled.  They sat down when they were supposed to.  And it was fabulous.

And later I heard Sierra discussing her violin solo with her Grandma Beddes and I think she mentioned how she had prayed about it.  That's when I told her that I had prayed for her too.  Grandma told her that a lot of people had probably prayed for her--and she did her solo PERFECTLY.  And it was at this moment that I really stopped and was really grateful for a Father in Heaven who loves us.  I know that it was only through His power that our program went off without a hitch.  Now if I could somehow convey this to everyone else.  It wasn't me.  I am not amazing in any way.  Those primary kids have faith.  They come to church and sing and work because it's the right thing.  And God loves them.  And He loves little old me too.  And that's what our primary program taught me.

Backpacking at Bloomington Lake

This was our first "family" backpacking trip.  Jason was a trooper and carried most of the stuff.  But the girls each had a backpack and carried their sleeping bags and clothes and pads.  Nikell's pack was a little large for her, but she never complained.  And little Aiddie loved it!  She was a cruiser.  And Kiella enjoyed the dirt...and the ants...and the dirt.  On the way out she stopped to poke an ant (about the 3rd time).  I went back to get her and asked her if she had found a bug.  She looked up at me and said, "Woof."  So there you have it.

Playing in St. George...

Kiella is trying to climb up the wall like her Daddy

This was our way out of the Lava tubes.  This was a hike through the hot desert and into these lava-carved caves.  The boys positioned themselves up and passed the kids from person to person until they were out. 

Just after our Lava Tubes exploration.  Matt said it was fun, he was glad we did something stupid (as in dangerous) that day.  Ha ha.

Nikell and her bestest cousin Jake.  These two were inseparable.

This was our reaction to the St. George heat.  Talk about oppressive.

Jenny's Slot Canyon.  Short, sweet, and beautiful.

This was the wall Jason was climbing and Kiella was trying to follow.

Emerald Pools.  Aiddie hitched a ride.

This is her favorite CoCo.  She cries for him when we leave his presence.

When CoCo put her down, she quickly found another willing carrier.  She too smart (and cute) to actually hike.

There is a $100 fine for feeding the animals.  Pojo is apparently unaware of this, and by the looks of this mooching squirrel, he is not the only one.

56 Day Challenge...continues

Did any of you start your challenge yet?  Did you look at it and decide it wasn't for you?  Or are you gonna get your game on with me?

Week two.  You know I was thinking about it this week, this whole food tracking thing (which I despise and even blatantly rolled my eyes at my IPad and my LiveStrong App and shouted in my head, "Forget it.  Enough is enough!"  Yeah, it didn't happen so much that day(s)).  Did I tell you I don't like tracking food?  It's good for me and I will plug along at it, but seriously, it's almost like being pregnant--in that it consumes you.  Every time, EVERY TIME, I eat something I am sooo annoyed because I'm going to have to write it down.  And no, that doesn't stop me from eating it either.  It just lessens my enjoyment which is kind of the point of eating it and perhaps part of the problem.  And while I'm on the subject, what about you crazies that claim that you forget to eat?  I don't believe you.  And I definitely don't understand you.  That's like saying you forgot to get dressed.  You took a shower and then got busy and pretty soon half the day had gone by and there you were still naked.  Yeah right.

Okay, already.  My points were down to 69 this week, mainly because of my little temper tantrum about the food tracking.  I upped my exercise a bit (go me) and skipped a day or two of 3 veggie servings (cuz I ran out of blueberries and couldn't make my spinach smoothie).  Oh.  And I also refused to give up desserts.  All week.  I made these heavenly brownie, cupcake concoctions.  They were good.  Good thing I exercised more.  Hmmmm.  Perhaps I'll have to avoid making desserts for a few days....

56 Day Challenge

Let me just preface this post by saying that we have an amazing Stake Womens' Athletic Director.  She works very hard to incorporate physical fitness activities for people of all ages and needs.  Not only do we have volleyball and basketball but we also have zumba and an upcoming hiking and walking group.  And we recently started "The 56 Day Challenge."  This challenge, which I agreed to, is going to kill me if it doesn't make me better!  Ha ha.  What is it?  It's basically a point system that you incorporate into you life...and it's not really that bad.  You get points for exercising, drinking water, keeping a food journal, not drinking soda, eating your fruits and veggies, not eating dessert, sleeping, following a meal plan, and having personal goals.

We started last week.  And let me tell you, I looked at the list and quickly surmised that I was on the right track already for a lot of the items tracked in this challenge.  So, I thought to myself, "Sure, why not?  It will help me keep my current goals and keep better track of my life and give me the push I needed to add in a few things here and there... 

So here are my results thus far...I suck at eating fruits and vegetables.  I average 1or 2 of each a day unless I very consciously make myself eat them.  And I HATE keeping a food journal.  It's a big pain in the buttooshka.  However, I am realizing that I eat A LOT of calories cuz I like sugar and cheese and sugar and cookies and chocolate.  And I eat a lot of high-calorie foods.  It's a bad habit that's going to bite me in that aforementioned buttooshka one day.  So why not work on it now?  Exercise more or eat less.  And drink lots of water...

It you want to jump on the boat leave me a message and I'll email you a copy of the challenge...the more the merrier.

Baptism

Mialee got baptized today...it was a good day. She tries so hard to do what is right. She is very sensitive and compassionate and kind...We are proud of her. Her buddy Abe got baptized too. These two have been friends for a while now. Long enough that I have pictures of Abe willingly being Mialee's prince charming.

So my heart melted a little when they stood up and sang the Baptism Song together.

Yeah. It was a good day.