Final Farewells

Rumor has it Papa after 40+ years is gearing up to retire.   Great for him but sad for my kids who have spent a lot of time with cousins and some friends having a "great time here at Lagoon"! 

Usually we make it out to Lagoon once for Frightmares but maybe we were feeling a little nostalgic that our time at Lagoon aka free season passes is ending we took a few trips out there this fall.    A couple of the times we met up with cousins while John was the exec on the park and had a great time with the cousins.   

Emily has a few friends with season passes and one of the days they caught a ride with us up there and stayed all day until one of the other girls mom's came to get them.   I think they took more pictures than rides.  

A nice family in our ward had season passes this year and took Emily with them a couple of times so we returned the favor and came up on a Friday after school one weekend.  

It's always sad to see an era end but we are so grateful for all the memories made throughout the years as being a family at Lagoon.    We may go back again but not for a couple of years.   Maybe we can have a Richards family reunion there again when the new ride comes out?  

School pictures 2019

Aaron age 7  First  Grade

Jane-  Age 10-  5th Grade

Emily- age 13- 8th Grade

Collette- 17 years and counting

Power of Revelation Part II

Good thing I've been taking my vitamins lately like Pres. Neilson asked a session or two ago because Saturday afternoon's session nearly made me fall off of my seat.   My thoughts...  Changes?   What?  Will they release me?  No he's talking about YW presidents in the new program.  Looks like  I'm safe.  Why do I have to wait to find out?  Please don't take away my dear adult leaders?   My anxiety went from low to nothing to about an 8.5.

Bart had mentioned he wanted to go downtown that evening to get Jerry Seinfield's autograph and wanted my help so we decided the girls and I might as well stand in the stand by line and try to get in to the conference center since we need to be down that way right after.   

Almost 20 years ago I was living right on main street a couple blocks north of temple square.  The conference center was just a year old and I remember sitting in my apartment in front of the T.V. that Sat. afternoon and the the music began to start the session and I had the thought why am I sitting here, the conference center is just down the street.  So I slipped on a dress ran down the hill, walked up to one of the  doors and welcomed in with no problems and seated before the first speaker started. I did that a couple more times while I lived downtown and enjoyed conference that way.

Fast forward to Saturday.  Bart lets me out by the North gates into temple square where the stand by line starts.   We walk and walk and finally find the end twisted around the tabernacle by the South gates.   Times sure have changed.   We didn't make it into the conference center but had front row seats in the tabernacle where it was broadcasted.    My favorite part was standing and singing with all the other women and hearing it magnified in that beautiful building.

I felt a power as they announced the changes to the program.   Love the new theme especially how it mentions Heavenly Parents.      Immediately after they said wards have the power of revelation to do what meets their needs inspiration came about how my ward should change.    I wondered if it was my own thoughts or revelation but when the prophet talked about the power women have to obtain revelation and the keys bestowed on us as we answer different calls in my life, I knew I have to trust these feelings were revelatory.  Now here's to hoping my counselors and Bishop feel the same way. 

As President Nelson talked about women having the power to receive revelation and draw on the power of God I was like of course we do doesn't everyone think this?    I guess growing up surrounded with strong powerful women who acted on their impressions was a blessing I've taken for granted.  I also felt a deeper respect and gratitude that Bart is exactly like the man Pres. Nelson commended for honoring women's abilities.  I've always felt he's thinks I'm smart and that my opinions, thoughts and personal revelation are valid.   I'm so happy to have his support and not feel at all controlled by him.

I loved this conference.  I love being part of a church of continued revelation and I love the plan of salvation and the doctrine of continual growth!   I'm blessed to be part of it all.

Power of Revelation Part I

We planned a while ago to take the young women to the Salt Lake Temple to do baptisms once more before it closes down for a few years.   As the day grew closer the logistics like the extra time we need to deal with the traffic, leaving really early, the busyness of the temple on Wednesday nights and wondering if that many girls could make it.   On Sunday my counselors and are were about to call it off thinking  other time like a Sat would be more feasible but I felt strongly we needed to go on this week.

On Wed morning I  got a text from a mom of the young women directing me to the announcement that women can now be witnesses in baptisms including baptisms for the dead.  Such great timing for such exciting news.    I was so happy that the majority of our active young women were able to make it.    It was an exciting historic day to be in the temple that day.    It did end up being crazy busy like we suspected.  Mostly because the apostles were meeting in the temple at that time due to general conference coming up and who knew their entrance is in the hallway that divides the font from the waiting area/recommend desk.   As I was thinking man this was the wrong day to come as they kept closing off the hallway for apostles to walk by my sweet advisor who recently moved from the midwest got so excited saying this was the perfect day to come and see some of the apostles.   I guess I sometimes take for granted the privilege of living so close to all the action. 

Prior to being baptized I was taking the a couple of the leaders about the new procedure and how great it is to be able to do more than just hand our towels.  I even joked that when they ask me if I'd like to help with towels I say no and am happy to sit back behind the glass and read the new era and have a spiritual moment to myself.   As we entered the font area the kind priesthood holder excitingly asked if some of the girls would like to be the witnesses and then he came over to me and said "I need you to come with me and hand out towels."     The way he said it didn't give me a way to say no and soon enough I was up handing out towels.   The smirks on the leaders faces that I had just told how pointless I felt it was to hand out towels was priceless.  Almost like they were reminding me that Heavenly Father has a huge sense of humor.   Interesting enough standing so close to these choice young women who volunteered to be witnesses and watching my other young women enter the font was a sweet spiritual experience.  Heavens light shown bright on these girls faces and I was filled with such love for these valiant souls.  The Lord has a work for each of them and he needs them to help in his cause.    I sense they will see even greater and exciting changes with women's roles in this church and the Lord will prepare them to valiantly serve.

7 year old Aaron

Aaron turned 7 but he likes to point out he looks older and taller than most 8 year olds.

7 year old Aaron loves Garfield.  He watches the Netflix show daily and proudly wears his new shirt he picked out. 

 One day in the car Aaron brought up Garfield and Bart commented that he has the autograph of the creator of Garfield.  Aaron lit up like the 4th of July and said "Oh dad if you ever go and get Garfields autograph again I really want to come.    Bart proceeded to try and explain how the autograph was of Jim Davis and the 3 characters but before he said anything else Aaron burst out "wow you met Garfield, Odie and Jon Arbuckle.  That's incredible."     The two of them talked about Garfield for a minute and the conversation ended with plans for Aaron to write Jim Davis a letter asking for his autograph.    Aaron was also intrigued when I mentioned I once painted a picture of Garfield when I was around his age in my 4-h art class.   He begged and begged to see it so I finally dug it out of my cedar chest and he was so impressed with it he wanted to hang it up in his room so here it hangs as the only picture on his wall.  😂

7 year old Aaron loves food and  continues to eat like a horse.    I can only imagine how hard it will be to keep my kitchen stalked when this little boy turns into a teenager.   He often talks about being a Chef someday and jumps at every chance he can to help out with meal prep.   He's conflicted with the choice to be Garfield or a chef for Halloween.  Stay tuned for his decision.   He adores school lunch and tells me in great detail all the exciting food he ate that day.  One day he came home over the moon excited because the grocery store Harmon's came in with different types of fruit to sample.  He literally talked my ear off for hours about the experience!

7 year old Aaron is thriving in first grade.    His teacher Miss Turner is great at incentives and each day he comes home telling me all about the funny money he has earned that day.  He loves to count and recount his money and once he's earned some money he likes trading in dollars for 5 and 10's for 20's and recently convinced me to go to the bank and trade in all his cash into a $50 dollar bill.  Aaron's also pretty obsessed with Finish Fast points in class that add up to a trip to the Fishing Pond each Friday.     At parent teacher conference Miss Turner raved that Aaron is doing so great at everything except he needs to stop blowing his pencil across his desk all day.  😆.  Aaron was sailing along with easy peasy picture books being sent home each day so I told his teacher he is a better reader than that so now she sends home magic tree house chapter books.     Now each day after school when he's ready to get his "stuff" done to do his privileges you would think Aaron was in a torture chamber by the way he carries on about how long it will take to read one chapter with 8 pages.    Ironically most of the difficulty and time is not in the reading but in the sheer amount of energy he uses up trying not to do it.  He's slowly coming along especially when there's a fun size kit kat waiting at the end of the chapter for him. 

7 year old Aaron has such a tender heart and will cry in the blink of an eye but he has settled down a lot emotionally and is so pleasant to be around.   He's a friendly charismatic kid who's pretty humble and a little bit shy but about his popularity.  Here's a note I found in his backpack from his friend at school.

 I ran into a mom of a girl in his class and she said how much her Samantha talks about Aaron and how she is going to marry him when they get big.   Aaron turned all sorts of shades of red and shrugged in confusion.   He still drives his sisters, most Jane, crazy being a younger brother and he gets Spencer riled up but he usually goes with the flow unless he's being nagged.  I throughly enjoy what a fun conversationalist and friend he is to me. 

Here's to a great year 7 year old Aaron.  I hope you stay my tall, handsome, blond hair little boy for a a while yet!

A climbing she will go

Jane had a hard week.  I had a hard week dealing with Jane having a hard week.  So on Wednesday I decided Jane and I both needed to have a little mom and Jane fun together so I invited her to come with the Laurels to go rock climbing. 

Brother Bradford and the Bishop were so kind to come and take the YW in an adventure up the mountain.  Jane and the others stretched themselves and had a blast.    It was fun to watch!!