Changing of the Seasons...

I don't change my background...ever, I guess:)  But we are seeing changing leaves and the weather has definitely turned more towards fall.  Cloudy mornings, lower temperatures and even some rain.  We live in an absolutely beautiful part of the world; I thank my Heavenly Father daily for it:)!

Thought  (or thoughts) to ponder.  

A Living Testimony "A seed of faith is already planted in your heart. ... But, like a growing plant, it must be nurtured or it will wither. Frequent and heartfelt prayers of faith are crucial and needed nutrients. Obedience to the truth you have received will keep the testimony alive and strengthen it. Obedience to the commandments is part of the nourishment you must provide for your testimony." —Henry B. Eyring, "A Living Testimony" Topics: Faith, Prayer, Obedience

Things we know...but often don't think so much about, or wait until times get really hard before we listen to the Spirit telling us what we should be doing.  

I've decided to post the following as well; I put it on my Facebook page, but not all of my kids do Facebook, so if I put it here I have it for me and everyone:)  It is a little long...but since this is currently my journal, so be it.

Written by a Pre-School Teacher – It says it all!

I was on a parenting bulletin board recently and read a post by a mother who was worried that her 4 1/2 year old did not know enough. “What should a 4 year old know?” she asked.

Most of the answers left me not only saddened but pretty soundly annoyed. One mom posted a laundry list of all of the things her son knew. Counting to 100, planets, how to write his first and last name, and on and on. Others chimed in with how much more their children already knew, some who were only three. A few posted URL’s to lists of what each age should know. The fewest yet said that each child develops at his own pace and not to worry.

It bothered me greatly to see these mothers responding to a worried mom by adding to her concern, with lists of all the things their children could do that hers couldn’t. We are such a competitive culture that even our pre-schoolers have become trophies and bragging rights. Childhood shouldn’t be a race.

So here, I offer my list of what a 4 year old should know.

She should know that she is loved wholly and unconditionally, all of the time.

He should know that he is safe and he should know how to keep himself safe in public, with others, and in varied situations. He should know that he can trust his instincts about people and that he never has to do something that doesn’t feel right, no matter who is asking. He should know his personal rights and that his family will back them up.

She should know how to laugh, act silly, be goofy and use her imagination. She should know that it is always okay to paint the sky orange and give cats 6 legs.

He should know his own interests and be encouraged to follow them. If he could care less about learning his numbers, his parents should realize he’ll learn them accidentally soon enough and let him immerse himself instead in rocket ships, drawing, dinosaurs or playing in the mud.

She should know that the world is magical and that so is she. She should know that she’s wonderful, brilliant, creative, compassionate and marvellous. She should know that it’s just as worthy to spend the day outside making daisy chains, mud pies and fairy houses as it is to practice phonics. Scratch that– way more worthy.

But more important, here’s what parents need to know.

That every child learns to walk, talk, read and do algebra at his own pace and that it will have no bearing on how well he walks, talks, reads or does algebra.

That the single biggest predictor of high academic achievement and high ACT scores is reading to children. Not flash cards, not workbooks, not fancy preschools, not blinking toys or computers, but mom or dad taking the time every day or night (or both!) to sit and read them wonderful books.

That being the smartest or most accomplished kid in class has never had any bearing on being the happiest. We are so caught up in trying to give our children “advantages” that we’re giving them lives as multi-tasked and stressful as ours. 

One of the biggest advantages we can give our children is a simple, carefree childhood.

That our children deserve to be surrounded by books, nature, art supplies and the freedom to explore them. Most of us could get rid of 90% of our children’s toys and they wouldn’t be missed, but some things are important– building toys like lego and blocks, creative toys like all types of art materials (good stuff), musical instruments (real ones and multicultural ones), dress up clothes and books, books, books. (Incidentally, much of this can be picked up quite cheaply at thrift shops.) They need to have the freedom to explore with these things too– to play with scoops of dried beans in the high chair (supervised, of course), to knead bread and make messes, to use paint and play dough and glitter at the kitchen table while we make supper even though it gets everywhere, to have a spot in the yard where it’s absolutely fine to dig up all the grass and make a mud pit.

That our children need more of us. We have become so good at saying that we need to take care of ourselves that some of us have used it as an excuse to have the rest of the world take care of our kids. Yes, we all need undisturbed baths, time with friends, sanity breaks and an occasional life outside of parenthood. But we live in a time when parenting magazines recommend trying to commit to 10 minutes a day with each child and scheduling one Saturday a month as family day. That’s not okay! Our children don’t need Nintendos, computers, after school activities, ballet lessons, play groups and soccer practice nearly as much as they need US. They need fathers who sit and listen to their days, mothers who join in and make crafts with them, parents who take the time to read them stories and act like idiots with them. They need us to take walks with them and not mind the .1 MPH pace of a toddler on a spring night. They deserve to help us make supper even though it takes twice as long and makes it twice as much work. They deserve to know that they’re a priority for us and that we truly love to be with them. 

I so much agree with the above and would like to share it with the World!

Back to the usual:

Birthdays and Such...

This week is Sara and Patrick's 10th Anniversary... can it be...yes it can!  Friday the 20th!
And Next is DAD - Thursday, the 26th!  70 years young:)

Missionary Happenings:  

Things have been fairly quiet this past week at the office, probably because it was Zone Conferences - five of them.  It seems like all the luncheons came to pass OK - which lets me breathe a sigh of relief.  Now I just need to do a dozen thank you notes and get them out tomorrow if possible.  The office workers (missionaries) attended the Eugene conference on Thursday and it was amazingly good - I wish I could just have it all on video and use for the future, since I don't have many missionary opportunities as such at the moment... but that is not to be.

We went out to dinner with the other senior couples yesterday - at a different Manchurian grill than the one we have been to that is fairly close to us.  Dad and I decided we like the one we go to better; but we did have a good time visiting with the other senior couples.  It seems like the work in the office gets more fine-tuned with every passing week - which is probably a good thing, but time will tell.  One of our couples leaves the first of November and the other leaves at the end of November, so things will be changing.  As we get other couples in to train, things will get a little more complicated for awhile... but in the end it all works out:)  We will have watched five other couples go since our arrival... guess we will be the next ones.

One of our Visa Waiters, who has been here since April :(  got his visa finally and left this morning for Brazil...that was a long wait!  A week from tomorrow starts a new week of departures, transfers and new arrivals.  37 last time; so far only 28 this time, altho that can always change at the last minute.  The Gausnells are still waiting for their visas, but are discovering that there is a lot to learn in this mission:) 

Family Notes:

Well, goodness.  I don't know if it is because of the Dad's birthday stuff or what, but I really haven't heard a lot from family members this week.  I did get a couple of calls from Charlotte...first to hear her amazing spider adventure.  When I read Rachel Bullingers Scientific verson of Eensy, weensy spider I had to send it to Charlotte - who appreciated it very much.  But did NOT appreciate the spider appearing in the middle of the night to disburb her peace:)!  Then I got a call from her because she had looked out her door, thinking someone was there - but they were not - and as she backed in managed to step on a "dead" wasp.  It really was NOT dead, but was apparently laying on the floor where Seth had squashed it as HE went out the door earlier.  It managed to sting Charlotte severely as she unintentionally gave it a second squashing.  She called me hoping for some bit of wisdom to help deal with it, but I'm afraid I wasn't much help and she was left to struggle with it for the next few days on her own.  I am hoping that by now she is doing well again:)!

I've had pictures but not many words from the Bullingers...I was going to try to post some of those pics here as well, but for some reason they simply will not come up.  I do always feel so incompetent at these things:(.  BUT...  I'm sure it is very exciting to be working on the house addition/remodel:)!!!

OK...finally, I have gotten these pictures on here...probably all out of order:(.  But I do get gold stars for persisting to this point!!!

Sara has some more amazing pics on her Facebook page...sounds like all is well there.
No word from Steve and Holly this week, or Mary really...altho I believe she is in California this weekend.  All in all, just a very quiet week insofar as family is concerned; guess I should wrap this up and make some phone calls to satisfy my cravings to talk with my children:)  To close I will share some pictures of my morning glory plant that I talked Dad into taking for me:  oops, guess I can only share one.  But they are beautiful don't you think:)?