Springtime

It's that time of year when I hear birds in the morning.

Fresh strawberries are starting to be in season, so they're inexpensive.

Adam's creation:  how we celebrated after Emma's concert

It's the time of year when the trees have a light green gauzy cloud around them that is the very beginning of leaves.

For the first time in my life I have trees with blossoms.

And I'm in love.

Also, daffodils!  They were a surprise left from the last homeowners:

Apparently tulips are like candy for deer but they don't like daffodils.

Then there's this:

Nothing to do with spring but it makes me happy.  That's Emma with her friend Adri who has the most infectious wonderful laugh you'll ever hear.  Adri is also a genius with hair.  They had been playing around with turn of the (last) century styles for the upcoming play Emma is in.  First Adri did all those curls then she did this amazing arrangement that reminded me of Mr. Selfridge.  (I wish I'd taken a picture of Emma but you get the idea...)

I had to stop at the store and pick up hairspray for the occasion.  We didn't have any, much to Adri's dismay.  I told her that Emma and I don't use hairspray because we're not really good at hair and we hope the wind can improve our efforts.

Three cheers for spring.

Three cheers for friends with infectious laughs and hair skills.

Tender mercies

But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

1 Nephi 1:20

So guess what?  I'm the new Young Women president at church.   Coincidentally, I have had a headache for three days.

I'm sure the two things are not at all related.

I have about 40 girls that I'm in charge of.  They are 40 girls with vastly different talents and interests and maturity and confidence and family situation and life experiences.  They scare me and I love them.  And I'm pretty sure most of them don't like me.

It's a confusing time for all of us.

I said OK when I was asked to serve.  I didn't do it because I wanted to, I did it because I was asked.  So I'll do it.  Something happens when you do what you're asked by someone who you believe to be inspired by God.  You're blessed.  The blessings come in a variety of ways.  One of them is this crazy love you feel for the people you're serving.  It's not because of anything they've done.  I think it's because when I pray, I get a little inkling of God's love for them.

Another thing that happens is that happy tender mercies descend.

For example (and this is huge), I learned about Girls' Camp, you know the bane of my existence?  (I love NOT camping.) We're going to be staying in condos.  It's already arranged.  Condos!?!

And then there's Alyse.  She is this beautiful and extremely talented and confident girl who speaks with authority and poise.  She is one of my girls and through no merit of my own, loves me.  She tells me every time she sees me.  (She also hugs me.)  Braeden and Alyse are good friends.  I know that helps me in this situation, but that Alyse.  She brightens up my life.  It's amazing what one girl can do for a person.

Last night there was a choir concert at the high school, which is no small event.  The place was packed and the music was soul stirring.  How can so many talented singers live in the same geographic area?  Alyse is in the amazing and competitive chamber choir.  They knocked my socks off.  I found myself leaning forward in my chair because I wanted to absorb every note.  I didn't feel anxiety or my headache or anything.  I felt elevated by beautiful music.

Afterward, I hugged my Emma and told her that her choir was wonderful (they were).  Then I saw Alyse.  We hugged and she told me she loved me and she apologized for missing our first Young Women activity together, which is tonight (because she has a choir competition).  I said, "I know!  And you're the one who likes me."

Alyse looked me in the eye.  "They will like you," she said firmly, "they'll love you."

(What did I do to deserve Alyse?)

Inventory

I have:

...sisters that get really mad when they perceive that I've been mistreated.  They both want to saddle up and come to my rescue.  Marianne wants to give everyone a talking to and Olivia just wants to smack someone.  I love those girls.

...a throat that's so sore I think I have sharp knives in my throat.

...trees with blossoms on them.

...a new plant.  I asked Adam to tell me when I have crossed the line and have too many plants.  He said a crazy houseplant lady is better than a crazy cat lady.

...an ice maker that has stopped working.  An ice maker isn't a necessity in the world but now I resent the space it is taking up.

...the best husband in the world.

...a green shirt.  (It is St. Patrick's Day.)

...stellar friends.  The fact that they live too far away doesn't come close to diminishing their shine.

...a yard with spring upon it which means yard work, which means I'd better get busy.

...a lot of laundry. (See above.)

For when things are hard

I remember a day when I was homeschooling Braeden and he was little.  He was frustrated because he couldn't spell and he started to cry.  "Why do I have to learn English?" he wailed, "another language would be easier.  This is too hard!"

When you homeschool your kids, you get that a lot.  There's plenty of, "This is too hard."  Because school is hard sometimes.  And it keeps getting harder.

It's easy to see, as the teacher, that it has to keep getting harder.  If this year's math isn't harder than last year's math, what's the point?  You aren't learning. 

Life is the same way.  It keeps getting harder.

It does.

More is expected of us, all the time.  Just when we think we have addition mastered, subtraction is thrown in the mix.  Then multiplication, then division!  When does it end?

Life keeps changing in it's dynamic lifey way and we adapt, our capacity increases.  And it's not bad, just because it's hard, it just takes adjusting to.  A senior in high school has a lot more on his plate than a kindergartner but the senior probably wouldn't trade places with the kindergartner.  (Being a senior comes with a whole lot of perks too.)

As a teacher, I know that the assignments have to keep getting more complex and they have to be challenging.

As our Father, God knows the same thing.

As a teacher, I am pretty good at knowing what my students can handle.  I have a good idea of what is hard enough and appropriate for growth.

Heavenly Father, being perfect, knows even better what is hard enough and appropriate for growth.

A few weeks ago at church, I was sitting in a class and the teacher was talking about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  One of my favorite scriptures was mentioned:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11: 28-30

My teacher analogy went a step further. 

When I give a math assignment that is "too hard" in Mark's estimation, he has a few choices.  He can sit there in a grumpy funk and complain bitterly about it being too hard, or he can ask me for help.

I don't give him assignments that at least without a little nudge from me, he can't do.

Heavenly Father doesn't give us assignments or challenges we can't do either. 

We need to ask for help!

And do I ever need help.  I had quite a weekend.  It started on Friday with a visit to the dentist getting old fillings replaced.  And it didn't really improve from there.  There was drama, trauma, worry, tears, headaches, and a disappointing trip to Ikea.  Even Ikea!  Where everything is always happy!  (Except for when it isn't.)

I feel a little like I've been hit by a truck.

But today's a new day.  I have people who love me.  And as uphill as the battle feels,  I must be up to the challenge because it's my battle.

Here I go!

Living in PG

source

We live in a unique place.  Mormons Mormons everywhere.  There's still a degree of diversity amongst us; everyone isn't the same, but it always surprises me when I realize how much I have in common with nearly everyone I meet.

At the doctor's office and dentist's office, when I took Braeden for his pre-mission checkups, the doctors and nurses knew all about missions.  They talked about where they had served, where their kids are serving, where Braeden would like to go.  It gives me a we're-all-in-this-together feeling that is as surreal as it is nice.

During The Wizard of Oz, Braeden told me the cast prayed each night before the show.  Emma said the crew did the same.  Braeden added that the boys would go in their dressing room, share a scripture and say another prayer.  No adult was telling them to do any of it, they are just kids who pray. 

One night, there was a question and answer session for the cast.  Someone asked the tin woodsman how he held so still at the beginning of his scene when he's rusted.  He said, "I hold my breath and then pray a lot."

A few nights ago, Braeden asked us to pray for the kids doing a one act scene at the drama regional competition.  "OK," I said.

Braeden said, "Micah is in the scene and asked me to pray for him."

I wonder how many prayers are said in that school on a daily basis?

Probably the same amount as I say when I drive.  This place is crazy.

The other day, I was driving down the hill, propelled more by gravity than the lead foot Adam says I have (honestly...maybe).  I saw three police cars parked in a little speed trap formation.  Yikes!  I pushed on the brakes.  I had been going 40 mph in a 25 mph zone.  I was sure I was going to get a ticket, but the police let me glide on by.

Right of ways, turn lanes, lane lines, speed limits, cell phone laws, they are all irrelevant.  I don't know what is taught in driver's ed. besides, "Good luck." Sometimes I wonder just what you would have to do to get a ticket around here.

No wonder everyone prays so much.

Sigh

Futility

I have an ever lengthening list of books I want to read that are not at the Pleasant Grove Library.  I keep adding to the list.

In a corner of the closet in the school room, there is a pile of unfinished projects.  I keep pinning new things I want to try on pinterest.

Parental Paradoxes

You start out parenthood doing everything for your kids.  You spend your life trying to get them to be independent and then you wish you were still in charge of everything.  So it would get done.  Well.

Another paradox?  I wanted Braeden to get a job and now that he has one, the whole time he is at work, I wish he were home instead.

I Have Weird Kids

Last night, Braeden was at work and Adam and Emma and Mark and I were playing a new card game Emma taught us and eating brownies.  (It is irrelevant to the story, but I won.  Just in case you were wondering.)  Mark started calling me a Wookie.  As in, "Don't make the Wookie mad, or you won't get a brownie."

"Why are you calling me a Wookie?"

He never said.  But he kept doing it.

Pretty in pink

Sometimes there's the perfect mixture of clouds and light and color.  My camera doesn't do this morning justice.

I stepped outside to check if Mark had taken the garbage can to the street last night like he was supposed to. (He did.  Good boy.)

Then I went to get my camera.

The view out the front door (with the nearest neighbors cropped out).

I took a few steps down the side of the front porch (in my pajamas).

Good morning, lake.

Then, I went to the back deck.

I turned to the other side and saw Mt. Timpanogos peaking over Mt. Mahagony:

There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.

-Bernard Williams