Talents

Today at the church (I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) (see www.mormon.org), we had a really neat event: a harvest festival. There was "vegetable art" : D, M, and MD made a person out of a potato and yellow pear tomatoes as well as a dog out of toothpicks and pear tomatoes. Don displayed items depicting his music project, and I displayed our anniversary scrapbook, my temple journal and a book that I am going to cover as part of my business "Recovered Classics." I will write more about that another time. Anyway, the event displayed people's talents, and everything was so beautiful and amazing. I was so glad that MD and SD got to come with us and enjoy the day and the other children that were there. The food was fun: corn dogs, mini hamburgers, chili (why does that word look so weird?), corn on the cob (served in melted butter so we didn't have to butter it ourselves), popcorn, and the best surprise: COTTON CANDY!!! What a nice event that our activities committee organized, and it was such a fun time for all of the families.

Our baby chickens are getting their adorable little wing and tail feathers: sooo cute!! This week I have been very grateful for my friendships with other women: they each have such a part in my life. My Mom and my sisters are the BEST (Michelle, you are a sister). And my new Amy is such a blessing to me: she is really good at making me laugh, and she likes to fix things like I do. The other day, we fixed a part of her truck with purple duck tape.

So in thinking about talents, how would one display the talent of being a good friend, a good listener, having a compassionate heart? How can those things be reflected in all that I do and say and am? Those things are all parts of my becoming more fully a disciple of Christ.

Love to all, Katie

Beauty in Change

I usually struggle with change. Sometimes change is good. Like the new school year: a new school building, a slightly different schedule for the children and even a new teacher are all positive things so far. D's teacher last year was so great for him, I knew it would take me some time to adjust, but I know that each year, he has the teacher right for him in that particular year. I typically share a significant amount of time in the classroom, and this year I feel the need for something different. I am going to do more take home work and focus on some projects for myself such as working with dogs at an animal shelter. A couple of years ago, I tried the horse thing and still love horses, but dogs can pretty much go anywhere. Like in my home and in my car and to hotels and on the road with me. Besides, I think I speak dog better than I speak horse. For a long time, I grieved about not speaking horse as well as I would like to, but maybe I need the dogs more...and they need me. Anyway, those are some of my recent beautiful changes. I am also becoming convinced that I can be a Mother of a daughter in addition to being a Mother of our wonderful sons. For so long, I have been convinced that most girls were too dramatic, but experience throughout the summer has taught me that girls are really wonderful too and they think about things in a completely different way. They are beautiful and loving and kind in their uniquely girl way.
May each of you be blessed as you cultivate beautiful change in you lives,
Love, Katie

Blessed By Children

I am so very blessed by the children in my life, and I am very grateful for them. In the past two months, I have had the opportunity to be with many children, in addition to my own children, on a regular basis. My life would not be the same without these children who I adore. To any of you who do not have children or children at home, take some time out this week and spend time with a child: watch him laugh, watch her be creative, participate in a sport even for just a few moments, watch her dance to her own music, enjoy his ideas, color a picture or roll in the grass like a dog!!

D's best friend and his sister shared the day with us on Saturday, and between the three of them, I laugh almost the whole time at the amazingly funny things they say. We were driving in the car past a clump of oleanders and some old railroad tracks , and D's best friend said, "Hobos live in those bushes." Trying not to laugh outloud, I asked him if he saw a "hobo." He said "No, but I hear there is a Hobo House in there." WOW: the things children think of!!!

Each face has a special story, gifts, blessings to share. Thank you to all of the children in my life, to their amazing parents and to Heavenly Father for blessing me so fully with each of them, and in particular, our own two sons.

Best blessings to each of you this Sabbath day, Love, K

Baby Chicks!!

On Monday, my friend that gave me our other chickens (Thanks SB) called and asked if we wanted a Mommy with babies, and we said, "yes!!!" They are so cute: two light colored ones with some dark markings on their heads and three dark colored ones with darker markings. The mama is a reddish buff color with a funny puffy head. OK, so I officially recind all previous negative comments about dumb chickens. Watching these babies and their Mommy communicate has been amazing: they are obedient to her every instruction, she counts them after we have picked up one or two to make sure they have all returned, and she has different voice pitches that mean all sorts of different things. I love them!!

I wanted to record some funny things M has recently said. Today I asked him to go to bed twice before he got into bed, and apparently at the third asking, I made an unkind face because he stated, "Mommy, that is a bad guy face!!!" A couple of days ago, we were making pancakes and some of the mix spilled out of the bowl and he said excitedly, "Mommy, it's snowing!" And then later he was asking me why Lilly was squaking, and I told him that she smelled the pancakes. M asked, "She has a nose, Mommy?" M calls campfires "pampfires." When Don, D, and M are playing hide and seek, if someone does not find him right away, he shouts, "R2PO" (which is his way of saying C3PO from Star Wars), so that the person counting can find him easier. Why he chose C3PO as his code word is a mystery to me!

Blessings to all, K

First day of school

The first day of school always brings mixed feelings. D had a really good day, and he said, "I was most excited to see all of my friends." When I asked him what he played for recess, I was slightly disappointed when he did not answer "Star Wars or Meerkats" but instead answered "Wall Ball." His creative ways are amazing to me and I hope they are never lost to more conventional games. There was one new child in his class today: a girl who had been with his class for part of a year a couple of years ago. The school is beautiful: the classrooms majestic. And D's teacher seems really creative and happy to teach.

The beginning of school has its own challenges for me as well. I want to know all of the new people all at once, and yet, I want things to stay the same. PTA changes are hard for me: especially because in our small school, we all get to know each other pretty well, and with the way I get attached to people, it is hard for me to make big changes. And then for me today it was facing people I wasn't sure I was ready to encounter, but all went well. I am striving to rely most of all on the Lord and to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost so I will be in the right places at the right times. Let us all pray for one another.

Goodnignt, love, Katie

Angels Among Us

About four weeks ago, I was having a really hard day/week. During that week, I needed some extra TLC, and all in one day, Heavenly Father sent so many people to bless my life. In the morning, my Mom called and invited me to lunch. Then not long after returning home, a member of our ward (Thanks LS) came over because she felt like I needed some extra support when she herself was having a terrible horrible no good very bad day. So she sat with me while I talked and cried and I told her about my dogs passing away and about my sister moving and in general that my heart was aching, and as she has done so for 12 years now, she held my hand and said, "Katie, you're going to be OK. The Lord loves you." Just to hear that blessed the rest of my week. Then to finish out an already amazing day, my good friend, GB called and told me about a 1 year old Golden who was one of Shawnie's puppies that needed a new home and that I would be of good help because I am a "good dog whisperer". It felt healing to have a quality validated by someone who I look up to as amazing with animals herself.

In the past three weeks, I have been blessed with many children in my life on a regular basis. They have made me laugh, smile and enjoy my own children even more. Thank you to my family for their support. Every child Heavenly Father sends to Earth to bless all they contact are unique, special and a joy. I have a special love for children with whom others become easily frustrated, thus a desire for me in the future to become an occupational therapist as well as becoming fluent in music so that I can further bless the lives of children.

I have a new friend AE and her daughter GB (a different GB than the above mentioned) who have already blessed my life in the week that I have known them: I hope to also bless their lives.

So M said something super funny on Wednesday. For a few weeks, Don had grown out his beard and mustache to look like "Grizzly Adams" (whoever he is). Don had shaved before we went to pick up D and M at my parent's home, and as M sat in Don's lap on my parent's couch, he looked at his Daddy and said, "You look like my Mom!" My Mom and I looked at each other and started cracking up, and the unspoken words between us were, "that belongs in the blog!". I really don't know if any of us completely understand what M meant, but I think it meant that because Don's facial hair was gone, he looked "normal" again. But what was funny to us as adults was that he chose to compare Don to me instead of another man like Grandpa. How these amazing children bless our days with insight and laughter!!
Lovingly and with gratitude, K