So Long.... Farewell

Now that the church's youth program has changed to be more personal goal oriented the programs New Beginnings and YW in Excellence is no longer required.   

We still needed to award the last of the last personal progress awards and one of my 1st counselor mentioned this idea  she found on pintrest about having a farewell party to personal progress.  One of the advisers was all over the idea and took her creative design powers and came up with a plan for one last hooray to Personal Progress and other Young Women programs from the past.   

Perhaps the only good thing that came from having our basement flood last fall was my storage room got shifted around.   In putting it back together a few days before the program,  I came across a box labelled YW stuff.  I opened it up and found first of all my medallions that I'd been looking for since I became the YW president, my personal progress book,  a embroidery of the torch from the motto stand for truth and righteousness and some tole painted value crafts.   It was nice to sit and think about my time as a  young woman especially with doing personal progress.   I remember specifically fasting for the first time to fulfill one of the requirements.   During dinner time when the rest of the family was eating I went upstairs and sat on my red shag carpet with my back against my bunk bed and read the required scriptures about fasting and then wrote my feelings about the experience.   I think this was the first time I remember really feeling how the spirit spoke to me.   That's the power of these programs the church lays out for his youth.  

We displayed some of my treasures as well as some other women's memorabilia.  It was neat to see and hear about how the church's program for his daughters has changed throughout the years and to know that continual revelation is real.  

At the end of the night the advisor in charge whose husband who retired from being a lifer in the military spoke about how the military retires flags and now we are retiring the YW value flags.  To show our respect she had all the current YW stand in front of the flags and then had any in attendance  stand to honor the retired values.    It was a neat night and a neat way to end the era of personal progress

Love Language

I've recently been listening to the book "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman for bookclub.    Occasionally my kids will be in the car while I listened to it and we will talk a little bit about the different types of love languages.   I discussed with Jane what her love language might be.   It was hard to pin point exactly what she needs to fill up her love tank but it is obvious that Jane likes to give love through gifts to fill everyone else's buckets. 

As soon as Christmas was in the air Jane set out to get presents for each and every one of us.   Traditionally I would have the kids each pick a name of one of their siblings but Jane would never abide by the rule and still got everybody something and then they all felt bad they didn't get something for her in return.  This year it was unanimous vote to give everyone a gift and competitive Jane vowed to be the best at it.     Christmas morning she was all a glow watching everyone open their presents and see their happiness when they received her gift.    Recently she told me getting gifts was ok but that she just really likes to give gifts and that's the best part of Christmas.

She also put forth a lot of effort to make my sorry Bart's in Sundance January birthday special by buying and wrapping up a few presents from her, Spencer, Aaron and Bart.   The day of my birthday I had ward council in the wee Sunday hours and rushed home to get everyone to come back to church and I walked in to streamers and happy birthday sign and the best part a spotless house.  Jane was overly excited about me opening my presents and set out after church to help Emily make the frosting for my cake.

Jane started her Valetine's Day shopping during the after Christmas sales.  She thoughtfully chose each of us a present and then has been helping Aaron and Emily come up with ideas and walks to Harmon's with them to get their shopping done as well.  She's been looking forward to our annual Crepes for dinner Valentines party and walked in from soccer to see the table set up and joyfully ran up the stairs to arrange all her little presents at each's person place setting.

I love that she loves to think about others and makes it appoint to show them through her thoughtful gifts. She makes holidays the best!

Honor Bee

Emily completed her Personal Progress just in time for the ending of the program.   She worked hard to get all the requirements completed and I was so proud to watch her receive her medallion mid December

The very next day as she wore it to school she noticed her friend Annie had a bee attached to her necklace.  Annie told her about the additional requirements to read the Book of Mormon again and complete 40 additional hours of service in order to get it.   When Emily got home she told me she wanted an honor bee.  My response  "Emily I think that ship has sailed.  The program ends in a 3 weeks.  It's just not enough time."    Emily who has not a day in her life liked to be told no got this classic I'll show you Emily look and went up to her room and came down with a plan of how she could accomplish her goal.

Determined Emily set off to work and texted all her regular babysitting families and offered her services for free.   She and I looked around for  any service opportunities available.  Christmas time is a great time for that because the youth had a service night already planned and the ward was doing one as well.   We also learned from this experience that service opportunities are everywhere you just have to be looking for them.   I noticed  a post from a family in the ward  going through a struggle and Emily volunteered to make dinner for them.    She took time to reach out and write letters to a few friends she met at Oakcrest the church camp.   I was touched at one who texted back about how much it meant for her to get the letter with the sticker.   She readily became my "servant" at my house whenever I needed a dishwasher/babysitter/helper without pushing back or complaining.  She did once mention toward the end of her hours that she was tired of being my personal slave.  😂 In addition whenever she had a spare moment she was listening to and reading the Book of Mormon.   All of her extra efforts really added to the Christmas spirit in our home.     She made Christmas time in our house very Christ centered.   The power of one person in a family made us all focus better. 

The majority of Emily's New Year's Eve was spent finishing up the Book of Mormon despite the temptation she had to finish Bing watching a show that was going to be taken off of Netflix that night.   She didn't complain because she was determined to complete her goal.

I got a little teary eyed when I presented her honor bee at our YW in Excellence program.   I can't express how happy it makes my mothers heart to watch Emily be "anxiously engaged in much good on her own free will and choice."      She knows what she wants and has the conviction and determination to make righteous choices!

Terrificly Terrible Threes

Gosh I love this kid Spencer but he is a hard 3 year old.      When Spencer is happy he is adorable.  He's the one in our family who is so happy to greet us and is the first to give a needed hug when someone is struggling.   He's a man of many ideas!  He loves his little toys and legos and gathers them up in his lunch box and moves around the house playing with them.    He likes attention and doesn't have a shy bone in his body.  One Sunday they asked me to sit in with his Sunbeam class and he rambled on and on to his teacher about everything in his little world.   Sister Chow was so loving and kind and laughed and told me there is always one kid usually the youngest of the family who has a lot to share.  Even at the dentist with Jane while I'm trying to have a serious conversation with the Endodontist about the need to give her a root canal,  Spencer needed to be right in the mix of the conversation asking the dentist all sorts of questions.   I don't think the prudish old man was amused but that didn't deter Spencer.  He just went right on interrupting us until the dentist answered his question.   Lately he gets in his head he needs to wear everything of the same color.  He will put on his red  spiderman underwear, Ninja P.J's shift through the bucket of gloves and hats and find his red gloves and a red hat and will wear it all day saying he is red Ninja man.    Both of us have been enjoying blueberries this winter and will sit together at the island and talk enjoying the yummy fruit.  The other night he decided he wanted to go to bed as a blueberry boy.  He spent the better part of an hour shifting through his P.J. and put on all the blue ones, he found a tie from Aaron's robe he promptly put on and then proceeded to collect every toy he could remember he owned that was blue.     It's so fun to see his little mind develop and work.

Yet there are far too many times I want to sell him into Egypt.   When something doesn't go just the way Spencer thinks it should he has no problem hollering about it.  Man does this kid have lungs and he just doesn't let up.      Dogs are dogs but within the species there are different breeds.  Some dogs hardly make a peep and some are constantly barking and barking and barking until the neighbors call the city on you.   Spencer's of the screaming breed and with yell until he loses his little voice.  I wonder if any of my neighbors will call the cops on us because I'm pretty sure they wonder what sort of torture we are doing to cause just a commotion from a three year old.  He's constantly in attack mode with Aaron.  I mean full on bite, kick, hit mode.  Aaron often looks like he's been attacked by a cat.  Bart and the girls hate the commotion hurting their ears and tell me just give Spencer whatever he wants so he will be quiet.  Sometimes I think he enjoys compact with all of us.  The other day at dinner I asked each of my family  to tell each other what they love the best about that person.   Spencer straight up said "I love Aaron because he fights with me".   The only discipline that works with this kid is to put ourselves in time out from him.  He hates it when I go into my room and lock the door to get away from his screaming.  He'll scream and yell and then finally when he realizes he isn't getting any attention he will calmly say through the door.  I'm calmed down now mom.   He would probably be great in sacrament if he could chat away at full volume the entire time but as soon as you tell him to use his whisper voice or turn it off all together he gets even louder.  I think he often enjoys pushing the boundaries  with straight up defiance.   Soon enough one of us is dragging him out to the hall while he shouts "Don't take me out I promise I'll be quiet I promise"    I know my congregation means well when they come up after church laughing that they get the biggest kick out of Spencer but I really wish he wasn't the side show each week.    I often think back during his baby blessing when he was screaming at the top of his lungs the entire time and the only thing I remember Bart saying was "You will be a powerful voice for the kingdom of God on this Earth"   I realize that if I let this kid live long enough to grow up to an adult his big powerful spirit and voice will do much good." 

 I know part of the terrible three's is he developmentally is not needing or wanting naps yet just can't make it the entire day keeping it emotionally together without one.   When he gets a nap he is a happy lovable boy but the cost is he doesn't want to go to bed.  If only Bart and I were night owls and could stay up happily until 11 that wouldn't be a problem.    Speaking of night this kid has been bad lately.  He even  argues in his sleep.   All of us are constantly woken up to Spencer having arguments with different people including cousins, friends and of course Aaron.  Even though he doesn't need me once I realize he is asleep I unfortunately often can't fall back asleep.   He has lately become a very fickle sleeper and wants the hall light always on and if he wakes up in the dark screams for us to turn the light back on.   I almost feel like I've got a newborn again with all these interruptions.

Someday Spencer and I won't be sleep deprived and hopefully I can keep it together enough to teach him emotional stability but I fear that instead I might lose all of mine in the meantime. 

Dyson Man

Aaron has a little Jeykll and Hyde inside him when it comes to chores.  Whenever I give him even a hint of needing his help with chores he kicks he screams he roars around claiming he is so picked on and how his life is so unfair.  Sometimes he wants to live in another house.   It was almost humorous to watch him carry on when asked to shovel his section of the driveway.  Man that snow was so heavy and his job was by far the hardest he said.  He screamed and cried the entire time.

I scored a killer deal on this nifty Dyson cordless vacuum.  I like it alright.  It's a pretty handy appliance.  The best part of all is Aaron loves it.  Vacuuming is no big deal now that Aaron's my happy to help Dyson vacuum man.   He switches the attachments like it's nobody's business and empty's the canister in a flash.     I wish he felt the same way about other chores like he does vacuuming.   A couple of days ago Spencer dumped a bunch of confetti like papers on the stairs and Aaron in a blink of an eye was vacuuming all of it up when I mentioned the stairs were really dirty.     The other night we were talking about his horrible fits particularly the one where he was given a section of the driveway.    Aaron told me he doesn't mind doing most things like that he just hates being told to do it and that's why he screams about it.   I think it's a boy and husband thing to hate being nagged but how else can I get some participation?    I just wish there was handy dandy other Dyson appliances such as a snow shovel, clean your room, do the dishes or a pick up your toys machine.

Santa Session

We've never had great Santa pictures and whenever I see really cute ones I think I should do this but am always a little late to the game and the season is past. 

This year Allyson got wind of the annual JC Penny Santa photo shoot day and I booked it in Oct.     I really only wanted a couple of group shots and only paid for the minimal but then a week or so later I got a call from some rep. from JC Penny apologizing that the Santa on our session was wearing a confederate ring.  Since it is against JC Penny's policy she said they would have to delete the pictures but first would send me all the pictures taken that day on a CD.  Just fine with me!    Here's all the cuteness....

A little help from her friends

Our Elf on the shelf Zoey who's been around since we moved into our house 7+ years ago is getting older and tired and was considering simply staying on the same shelf each time she came back from the North Pole.   Emily and Jane would not have it and scoured the internet with fresh ideas to give her where to hide each night she came back.   My kids all had a blast looking for her each morning.  Here's a picture of Zoey each morning in Dec.

The tradition in our house is Zoey always come back on Dec. 1st with an advent calendar.   The last few years these calendars have been lego themed.  They all love putting a small figure together each morning.  

A few days before Halloween Spencer decided he wanted to be Santa for Halloween.    I brushed him off and he was fine being grandpa but as soon as the decorations appeared right after Thanksgiving he started up on his obsession with wanting a Santa Costume.   Thankfully Zoey came to the rescue one morning and left him his own size 4T Santa Costume.  

 Aaron seeing the costume wondered why Zoey didn't bring him something.   I said maybe Zoey doesn't know what you would like.  Aaron then said Zoey I want an Elf hat.  Luckily Zoey listened and a few days later one appeared.  

Holding to tradition Zoey came through with a Gingerbread kit.   Amazingly for this house they all settled in quietly and worked together to produce the Richards Gingerbread Village 2019 while I took a needed Sunday afternoon rest.

Zoey picked a good day to hide a dozen candy canes around the house.  Ally's family was staying with us and all the kids had a blast searching for the sugar!