Increase In Learning

I received this book as a gift from

my friends, Leslee and Carol.

TWO YEARS AGO!!

I saw it on the book shelf

a couple weeks ago and decided

to read it.

 

It is a good, good book.  I wanted

to share this with my children:

 

" These verses (Reference below)

do not simply recommend or

suggest  that we teach our children.

Rather, they outline a law unto the

inhabitants of Zion--

that we must teach our children

to understand. Understanding

is a spiritual outcome;

it is a result.  Simply

engaging in the activity

 of teaching is not the responsibility

we have been assigned.  Rather,

the charge is to teach

children to understand. . .

 

 1.Create an appropriate

spiritual environment and

atmosphere in the home.

 

2.  Invite the Spirit.

 

3. Facilitate and assist the spiritual

learning of children by

explaining gospel truths,

bearing pure testimony,

and asking and answering questions,

and helping children to find answers

to their questions and solutions

to their challenges."

 

Elder David Bednar, Increase In Learning, p 69.

 

So much more than just teaching.

 

 

 

Charlotte Rose

Life is interesting.  One day you dream about

having a family, the next you do, and the

next your babies are having babies.  And it

all happens very naturally. 

 

My latest natural occurrence  was

the birth of baby Charlotte Rose.

I packed a bag and made it to their

house just in time for them to head

to the hospital.  Actually, Connie

did a bit of homework with Abbey

before they left. 

I thought this was a fun picture.

Great expectations.

 Charlotte weighed in at just under

9 pounds.  That is a good sized baby!

But when I saw her she was so tiny.

And so perfect.  I love it when they

open their eyes.  That is when I feel

that they are real. 

 Mike wanted to show me the new

Temple in Gilbert.  His primary had

taken a trip over there and they went

into the new visitors center.  He was

really proud that he had been there.

It is really beautiful.  The glass and

frames of the windows are amazing.

 Of course, I had time to stop at

Goodwill on Power Road.  I thought

of Jill, who had just made her visit.

After I picked her up from the plane

at Sky Harbor this was the first place

we went.  Are we exciting or what?

 This bird made us laugh. 

It was waiting for the school bus.

Just like us.

 I just loved this picture of Ben and Mike.

They are walking to the bus stop.

Mike started running and then Ben

took off.  Mike heard him and stopped

and took his hand.  He wanted to make

sure Ben was safe.  Just loved that.

 Goofy Grandchildren!

 Ben's Creation.

 Abbey at Ballet practice. (Right)

Yes, that is Doc Martin on TV.

 Charlotte is grandbaby 16.

Happy birthday, little Lottie!

Small and Simple Things

 

I heard this talk today in church.

Thought I would share it.

 

 

The Quilt Walk

 In 1863 a community called Fairview was initially established approximately 20 miles northwest of what is now Bryce Canyon National Park.  The valley for the community now called Panguitch sits at an elevation of 6,600 feet and resulting cooler year-round temperatures made this area a more difficult place to produce good crops.  Deep snow came very early in the second winter of Fairview’s existence and the residents were faced with wheat that had not matured and was therefore difficult to grind.  The people tried boiling the wheat but it was still not very edible.  Members of the community fished and hunted but they were competing with the Indians for available meat.

Leaders discussed their lack of food and decided that they would send out two groups to acquire supplies from other communities.  One party headed north toward Gunnison, 110 miles away, but on a series of trails where they anticipated they would find less snow.  The other group ventured west over a high mountain pass toward the community of Parowan, a distance of about 45 miles.  The Gunnison bound party found their passage blocked by snow and returned almost immediately, leaving all hopes on the seven men bound for Parowan.  Traveling initially by wagon the Parowan party made good progress on the first stage of their journey, but the snow gradually deepened.  At a mountain pass it became apparent that they would have to finish the mountain crossing on foot.  The men made little progress as their legs plunged into the deep drifts of snow.  With little hope of progressing the men laid a quilt on the snow on which they knelt to pray for guidance and assistance.

 As the men prayed they realized that the quilt on which they knelt was supporting their weight on the snow.  This began a process of laying one blanket after another, for the men to walk across the mountain. Eventually the men reached Parowan where they acquired as many sacks of flour as they could carry.  Parowan settlers assisted the group as far back up the mountain as was possible but soon the men  were again walking on their quilts while now carrying heavy sacks of flour.  An expedition that is estimated to have taken as much as fourteen days finally brought the men back to  Fairview where they were received with great celebration.  Do to a subsequent conflict with Native Americans of the region many communities, including Fairview, were evacuated for several years.   Upon return to the area in 1871 the name of the community was changed to Panguitch.

 The people of Panguitch hold an annual celebration of this quilt walk event and a memorial now stands in the center of town to honor the efforts of these original settlers.

First Grandchild

 

Beautiful Megan.

Inside and out.

 

HOMEWARD BOUND

 

 

In the quiet misty morning,

 when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing

 and the sky is clear and red,
When the summer's ceased its gleaming,

 when the corn is past its prime,
When adventure's lost its meaning,

I'll be homeward bound in time.

 

Bind me not to the pasture.

 Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling

 and I'll return to you somehow.

 

 

If you find it's me you're missing,

if you're hoping I'll return,
To your thought I'll soon be list'ning;

 in the road I'll stop and turn.
Then the wind will set me racing

 as my journey nears its end,
And the path I'll be retracing

 when I'm homeward bound again.

 

Bind me not to the pasture.

Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling

 and I'll return to you somehow.

 

In the quiet misty morning

when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing,

I'll be homeward bound again.

Did I say I love my children? I love that they have found "their calling".  

 I love their "homeward bound moments". 

It is autumn now, summer's ceased its gleaming and

the corn is past its prime and family has come this way to visit.

 

A couple of Sundays ago

we made an early Sunday morning run to Mesa to

go to church with Tim and Connie to see Abbey

and Mike's Sacrament Meeting Presentation.

Loved it.  Love that family.

(Baby due any minute!)

 

On our way home we got text messages

from Pete.  What the heck?  There is Jett

with apples out of our tree and Pete

and Dash on our porch swing!!

 

They were traveling back from Albuquerque

and made a stop at our house.  What a fun

surprise. 

 

Jett ~ hauling apples.

 

 

Father and son.

 

 

Picking apples.

 

Melanie ~ prettiest apple in the tree.

 

Love this family.

 

 

Jill's husband, John, bought Jill a ticket to

fly home and spend a week with us.

Thank you, John, for the gift and

thank you, Jill, for wanting to come home.

(The last picture Jill and David had

taken together was when Jill graduated

from high school.)

 

 

I'm glad for airplanes.

Arkansas is so far away.

I wish I had taken more pictures.

Miss you already, Jill.

 

 
The evening before Jill's plane came in
Heidi and Lee and I went out for Cheesecake
to celebrate Lee's 24th birthday.
(Just Lee's birthday....these are not twin sisters.)

Love my girls.

 

These two traveled up to Pinetop with

their kids for conference weekend. (Minus

Bode and Laine who were in Moab with

the dad and grandpa Dave.)

 

Great conference.  So glad these people

wanted to share the weekend.

 

 

Daisy blowing dandelions.

 

 

Piper giving her best imitation of

blowing dandelions.

 

 
Not one of their finer moments.

 

 

Picking rasberries.

 

 

Bode and Laine made it home on

Saturday afternoon.  I think Bode is

going to be a business man!  He loves

to set up a store and try to sell things.

Today he is selling rocks.  Looks like

he has a couple of interested customers.

 

 

Baby in a Crate.

You're a good sport, Rockwell!

 

 

Sometimes I lay in bed at night and

think about my life.  I was a rag muffin

girl.  I liked to play in the field and

in the trees and the ditch.  My brother and

I were pretty much left on our own to

figure out our paths.  How I got

here from there can only be by the

grace of God.  He has been kind to me.

So kind. 

 

I was not a perfect mother.

I am not a perfect grandmother.

But I do love my children and grandchildren.

And, evidently, they accept my

imperfections.

 

Bind me not to the pasture.

Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling

 and I'll return to you somehow.

In the quiet misty morning

when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing,

I'll be homeward bound again. 

 

We'll be waiting.

 

 

Ahhh. . . the gentle sound of a chain saw.

Last night was the most tired I have ever been.  I am certain of it.  I was too tired to be discouraged that I was that tired.  We were up at 4:30 to get things ready for our ward's big wood cutting day.  We fixed a breakfast at the church at 6:00 and then headed up the mountain and cut a good six cords of wood for ward members who will need it.  Six men had saws and just cut and cut and we loaded and loaded.  It was a ward project but I was the only woman who went.  That is not surprising because I love the sound of chain saws and wood gathering and it was where my husband  and my oldest son were. I enjoyed the men and young men and boys who worked so hard to get this wood.  Just good people. 

Pete came from Oro Valley to return our trailer.  He

bought a load of wood for Brittany's aunt in St. David

the last time they were up and used the trailer.  So

he brought it up and stayed the night and then came

out to help David get wood.  Loved that.

 

This isn't part of the job description of a Bishop

but David has made it a responsibility to gather

wood to stock pile for people who need it in the winter.

Love this.

 

 

Securing the load.

 

Time out for a snow fight.



Tired or not, I was so glad they let me go.

I do love the sound of a chain saw!