The Sounds of Silence

Well, Kristi and Aaron have just left, Dad is at mutual and it is just me and Judge Judy. The dog is mopping around and it will be a few days before we get used to the absence of family. We had a great visit with them. The cutest of all was how much Betty Boop and Shaun loved each other. They couldn't leave each other alone, they wrestled each other to the ground. It was really cute. We are going to miss them all.

Last night we went to the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach with Kristi and Aaron and Shelli and Romney. This is a world famous production in it's 75th year. It's in an outdoor amphitheater where live actors portray works of art by the greatest artists. You would never know they are real people, it looks just like the original painting. They conclude each year with DaVinci's Last Supper. It was great. I am a member and order my tickets in January, they sell out so quickly I just blindly pick a date and hope we will be able to go. It's usually in August and I always get extra tickets so whoever is here when the date comes gets to go. I hope I can afford the tickets next January. With this RE market, who knows, but we really enjoy it. Every year I am glad we are able to go. I am so amazed at all the things we can participate in where we live. San Diego is just wonderful. We probably live in the best place in the world for fun fantastic things to do.

Favorite Pictures of Kristi's Vistit

Cousins

Mckenna

Grandpa & Shaun

Shaun lovin the pool

Mike & Avery

Mike & Eberly

Shaun rockin out at Shamu Show

One of those days

I am having a horrible day. My escrow just fell out, 1 week before it was to close. My poor sellers were all packed up, they even rented a POD for all their boxes. Now they have to unpack and put the house back on the market and then we wait, and wait and wait for another buyer. I am in a very bad mood. So I am going to share this; at least it made me smile.

I GOT STOPPED FOR SPEEDING YESTERDAY.

I THOUGHT I COULD TALK MY WAY OUT OF IT
UNTIL THE COP LOOKED
AT MY DOG IN THE BACK SEAT

Feel like poetry writing?

I need a few poems and I am not very good at writing them, in fact I am terrible. So I am seeing if any of you would like to participate.

We have a young man and young woman in our ward who is doing their eagle project and her Laurel project together. It was my suggestion, so I feel a little responsible to help them.

This is becoming a nationwide program so you may have heard of it in your area. This project is called The Garden of Innocence. It is an non-profit organisation that provides coffins for abandoned babies who have died and would not have a proper and loving burial. Sometimes the babies are found abandoned, but most are babies that are born with defects and do not live. When the parents find out the baby won't live they just leave them in the hospital and never come back. Upon the death of the baby the hospital then turns them over to the county as abandoned. The Garden of Innocence provides each baby with a casket (made by the eagle scout project), lined with flannel (Laurel project) and then the baby is given a name, a personal poem is placed in the coffin along with a stuffed animal. A local cemetery has provided a special section for these babies.

It is a wonderful project, the eagle scout collects money for the wood and has someone help him build them. They are about 12 inches by 24 inches. Even though they are plain, they are beautiful after sanding and staining. Then they are lined with baby flannel and really look special.

If any of you would like to send me a poem to put in the casket send it on the blog. We are doing 15, but there are over a hundred needed, so the poems will all be used.

Seminary, Primary, Relief Society?

Lauri has raised the question, "Is seminary really important?" Then the next step in the thought process is, "Is primary important? What about Relief Society?" I suppose I could go on, but you get the idea. My first response is of course. But why? I didn't fully have the answer until today at Relief Society. Our lesson was by Kristi Krueger, teaching her first ever RS lesson and it was on Zion.

What is this Zion the Lord talks about? Zion is most of all - people. People who are pure in heart; people who love the Lord and try to follow his teachings. Of course it is also our stakes and our homes.

I began to think about what you mothers are up against today. Cheating and lying are common, pre-marital sex is the norm, drugs and alcohol are cool, everything from pornography to dishonesty to homosexuality is allowed. It is made to look like it must be experienced if a person is to really be accepted. So how do you counter this? How can you balance the peer pressure your kids are or will be facing?

The only answer is in the stakes of Zion and in the home. It goes without saying TV, music, computers etc. influence the spirit of our homes. But as kids get older friends become almost as important as family. Seminary, Primary, YW & YM all provide an opportunity for the kids to see they are not alone in their beliefs. It gives them a chance to make friends who believe as they do. There might be a temptation that your child is facing, and of course not telling you about, that may be addressed that day in Seminary. Coincidence? I don't think so. I think the Lord cares as much as you do and prompts the teacher to touch on the very topic your child needs that day. You never know if today is the day the light goes on and they are strengthened because they were there.

I remember when I was a young mother with so many children. Most of my Sundays were spent out in the hallway with one child or another who was acting up. At one point I expressed that I didn't even know why I went to church. I was just like a colander and at the end of the day everything had drained out. Then I had the thought, "At least you are wet". It's the same for all of us, kids included. You won't go too far wrong if you keep getting wet.

So what is the first step to becoming more pure in heart? Being where we can have our spirits renewed and uplifted. In this crazy world that's not easy. But it is possible.