Dreamin' is free

I think my friends are the best.  Thank you for also wanting me to move ;) thank you for also thinking my neighbor is crazy, and also thanks for mentioning if you've read I capture the castle (even if you didn't like it Tonya :)  I liked the ending because it wasn't what I was expecting, but I think in high school I would have wanted it to end different too).  I would have liked to have found out more about the father's book and I would really like to know what he did with that plate.  I think I was most delighted with the kind of crazy artist quirky personality stuff going on and little things like that.
Ooo, treats would be a good thing to put in a stovepipe hat.
My four year old accidentally made a little mark on the ottoman with a pencil.  Since it was a mistake he decided he should X it out.

Did you notice the tiny little line that was the original accident?  Ah, washable slipcovers are a good thing.
Since this is the time of year I usually start drawing up floor plans for my dream house, and since I mentioned I might, I am going to post the the dream house I made last year.  I didn't post it then because I was slightly paranoid that someone might steal my idea.  Since my husband does not want to build my house for real I have decided that if anyone wants to steal it and build it for real just let me see the pictures when you are done so I can see how it turned out.  I might even loan you my 1/4" scale graph paper "blue prints"  just so I can see the real thing.  And if something goes wrong don't blame me.  You did just steal them off the internet somewhere after all.

It isn't the most "square" model especially since my kids like to use it as a house for their toy cars, super heroes and miniature farm animals, but it was good to build it as building it helped me notice a few things I might change.  Overall I'm still happy with it although I do have an itch to buy a 60's or 70's house with a pool and completely remodel and landscape it into a very tasteful contemporary house.  Since I don't have a floor plan to work with I am holding off on the desire to draw up those plans.  Maybe I should start leaving blueprints or t-squares and graph paper under my husbands pillow to subconsciously inspire his dreams so he also has an interest in these kind of things.

The ward may have split, but at least we still have a "whole comb"

nayah.  I thought I was doing really well this winter, but I have reached the point where I would really like to move.  Seriously.  I don't care where and although my children would be sad because they still tell me occasionally they miss our old floors (yes the floors), I think they would make new friends and be just fine (there are better friends than dingy white carpet-oh how i jest).  Anywhere.  I used to think that Minnesota was sort of my "Garden of Eden" where everyone is happy and very midwest kind.  We have now lived here long enough to know that some of that kindness is sometimes superficial, there are people who don't like us just like everywhere, and someone walking past our house hates our dog and stood outside last night screaming and yelling at her because she was barking at him.  Well... All I can do is shrug and say she never has liked him and maybe she is a good judge of character and maybe since he kept yelling at her he was only encouraging her.  If anyone knows of any job opportunities, anywhere, for my husband, I'm open to the opportunity.  If I have to put up with people who find us incredibly obnoxious, why not be closer to family who love you even if they find you incredibly obnoxious?
That was written maybe last Monday, but I didn't post it.  I was maybe being a little grumpy, ...about a few things going on.  And although we aren't moving at least not today, my next post might be about my dream house in the sunny countryside with no other people around except the ones I invite to spend long holidays with us.
.I am not sure what to do about this particular dog hater though.  At first I thought maybe our dog does bark too much and what can I do about that?  So I have been paying even more attention than I had (which was quite a bit) and realized that she isn't barking that much at all. She is a puppy and the older she gets the better she is, and she does bark at people in our yard and sometimes on the street next to our yard.  We always tell her no and she stops.  If she doesn't stop we bring her in.  She might bark maybe two or three times a day max and for less than a minute.  Honestly I like if she barks when someone is cutting through the yard because then I know someone is there.  Also, we don't let her out after 8 except to walk her and in the morning we let her out to go to the bathroom and then bring her in and she is in most of the morning because I am usually running errands.  Plus just about every house in this neighborhood has a dog.  That I have heard bark.  I really don't get why they are picking on our dog.  I have decided they are the type of people who sit in restaurants and complain about people bringing kids there and if a kid cries at McDonalds they would complain and be sure to let that person know that the child is crying and loudly voice their opinion about how no one disciplines their children these days and the child should be taken out even though in reality the child just bit their tongue and has stopped crying before the person even finished their first sentence.  Does anyone actually think that is helpful?  I can't stand people like that.  Really can't stand it.  So this Sunday when i could hear from sitting inside my house someone yelling at my daughter to control the dog who gave one bark, I was mad as hops. Mother bear mode is kicking in.   I jumped up from my chair and ran out the door, but I didn't see anyone.  No one else heard it so I could be delirious, but still, I have now an unfavorable opinion of them.  I need to figure out the Christ like thing to do, which is probably just to change my attitude.  Maybe they are going through very rough times to be that angry about anything and need something to take it out on and they can't really hurt the dog's feelings so I should be sympathetic to them. ?  Winter is long for everyone?  That's just part of being in a neighborhood?  I can just be calm and patient and if he really does call the police (like he yelled at our dog) and the police show up and I am calm and patient and my dog is as gentle and calm as always the police will see it for what it is.
On the more fun side of things, my first grader brought home a picture of Abraham Lincoln's stovepipe hat.  The paper said he used to store his papers and notes in his hat.  Inside the hat my first grader wrote what he would keep in his hat if he had a stovepipe hat.  He wrote:  if i wus playeen starwars i wud put a scwrt gun.  Translation, If I was playing Star Wars I would put a squirt gun in my hat.  I found it very clever. :)  So what would you put in your stove pipe hat?
Other news, after what has been roughly an entire year of our 4 year old wanting to say the prayer every time we have a prayer, he has this week said "no thank you" when asked to say the prayer.
I just finished reading I Capture the Castle and looking back on it, it was a nice escape from reality for the moments while reading.  I heard about it on another friend's blog awhile ago and thought it sounded like a book my daughter would love and put it on hold at the library.  Finally it was our turn and my daughter said she was loving it so I casually started reading it the week it was due just to see how it was and fell in love with the first line.  Since it is on the waiting list I kept it overdue for a couple of days and then decided maybe i didn't want the fees so I ended up buying it.  It finally came in the mail and I was able to finish it today.  I really liked it.  Why didn't anyone tell me about this book when I was in High School and thought I didn't like books much?
Oh, and in reference to the title of this blog Sunday our ward boundaries were  rearranged because our congregation has grown so large.  Instead of over 500 or 600 people there are now over 300.  Still pretty big I think.  I think it's a good thing.  Some of our friends are in another ward now, but it isn't like we can't still call them up.  It will just be a little unorganized for a bit figuring out who is doing what.  After the church meeting my husband saw someone in the hall who said to him, "Well, the ward may have split, but at least we still have a 'whole'comb" and pulled a comb out of his pocket.  He's a clever guy.  A half a comb just doesn't work as well.

Happy Valentine's Day

A few days ago we made valentine's for school and to send to the relatives.  My youngest also made some for his stuffed animals.  He brought all of them down to show me who he was making valentine's for.  He has a lot of stuffed animals.  He loves them.  I think he is my most snuggly child.  It is very sweet, but I am glad he got tired of making valentines and decided they could share a couple instead of each needing their own.  He told me each one's name.  This is something I love and have maybe mentioned before, but I think it's adorable and he will not do this forever, so I want to relish in it.  We all crack a little smile when he tells us the names of his things:   Beary, Sharky, Baby, Wolfy, Octopussy, Cowy, baby cowy, Sleddy (a sled dog), sting ray-y, Ewoky, Pillowy (his pillow), comby (his comb), toothbrushy (his toothbrush),...  You get the idea.
We had parent teacher conferences Monday of last week.  They actually went really well.  I was a little nervous since I knew one teacher felt one child was a little on the silly side.  My favorite part is this math evaluation my first grader filled out. 

He was very truthful with his feelings & I really liked that he added arms and legs instead of sticking to only a face like they were supposed to.  I also like that his faces are very expressive.  I smile and laugh a little every time I look at it.
Yesterday it got up to 30 so I was able to crack the windows open for a few minutes and let in some fresh air since the last couple of weeks I have had sick kids -fevers for 5 days but not really anything else to go with it.  It was really cold before yesterday (minus 15 ish and lower?- I didn't check) so 30 felt pretty good.    Earlier in the week it was so cold that while my husband and I were walking the dog my eyes began to water.  Not only did they water, but rather than running down my cheek and freezing on my cheek, it just froze in place in the corner of my eye.  That is cold.  If you dress for it, it's not too bad.  It's kind of fun in a way to go outside, take a breath, feel it in your lungs, feel the sting when your warm vapors from your body in your nose freeze, and know that is bitter cold.  Then go back inside.

This Bus On Red

Sometimes people ask me what I've been up to lately.  I know people are just trying to make conversation, but I am busy and can never remember what I've done lately so it sounds like I just sit around all day doing nothing.  I remembered earlier this week what I have been up to lately.  Shoveling snow.   I shoveled twice in one day and it took me an hour or longer to dig out what the snowplow dumped at the bottom of the driveway.  This winter I think it has snowed at least twice a week.  Don't ask me what I do the other days.  Then I will be forced to give a very boring tedious list of everything.  I will keep track of every minute and post it.  Then you will be reminded of all the little things you are supposed to be doing too that you aren't.  Or maybe you are doing them and don't need a reminder of all the boring things you do.  Okay, so sometimes I'm bit stubborn and indignant.  Maybe that explains my fondness for this sign- or maybe if you are stuck staring at something for a long time you either start to like it or hate it.  I found it oddly artsy this week.

My kid's did great writing and giving their talks in church.  I did not get asked to surprise speak in case you're curious.  Here's their talks- longest to shortest, oldest to youngest, most adorable last.

#1's talk for Sacrament meeting
  ...I have been asked to give a talk on strengthening family through family home evening.  Family home evening for my family is when we spend time together on Monday nights we have an opening prayer, a song, spiritual tidbit, a lesson, closing prayer, and snack. Spiritual tidbit is when we share what we learned in class that week a scripture, something spiritual that we did and so forth.  In the book true to the faith it says that “in 1915 Joseph F. Smith and his counselors began a church wide effort to strengthen the family.  They called on parents in the church to gather their children once a week for a home evening.  Families were to take time to pray and sing together.  Read the scriptures, teach the Gospel to one another and participate in other activities that would build family unity.”  It also says that “in 1970 Joseph Fielding Smith and his counselors designated Monday night for family home evening.” Ever since the church has not scheduled activities on Mondays so that families can spend that evening together.  Latter-day prophets have promised that our dedication to this program will help protect our families against the evils of our time and will bring us abundant joy now and throughout the eternities.  Families come in all different sizes.  Some families don’t have children, but they can still have family home evening with each other.  Some families have one person, but they can get together with friends to have family home evening. 

Elder David A Bednar shared a story about family home evenings with his family in a general conference talk in October 2009.  He said, “As our sons were growing up, our family did what you have done and what you now do. We had regular family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Now, I am sure what I am about to describe has never occurred in your home, but it did in ours.

Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as “He’s touching me!” “Make him stop looking at me!” “Mom, he’s breathing my air!” Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected.

Today if you could ask our adult sons what they remember about family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening, I believe I know how they would answer. They likely would not identify a particular prayer or a specific instance of scripture study or an especially meaningful family home evening lesson as the defining moment in their spiritual development. What they would say they remember is that as a family we were consistent.

In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting.

Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results.”

I like that story because it shows that it’s not always important what you do for family home evening as long as you spend time together.  As we have family home evening we are painting a beautiful picture one stroke at a time.

Some favorite family home evenings of mine that I remember was when I was 8 right before I was baptized my family learned the lessons that my dad taught when he was a missionary.  These lessons strengthened my family by teaching us what we believe and helped me want to be baptized.  Another one of my favorites is when we played a game from the Friend with each other and had lot of fun.  This strengthened my family because we learned to work together to solve the riddle.  I enjoy family home evening because we always spend time together no matter what we are doing.   I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

#2's talk for primary
THE TALK
Hi my name is (has been omitted)  I have been asked to give a talk about the scriptures are the word of God.  This means that the scriptures are God's words that he told the prophet to write.  This means that even though they were written by different people than God they are still his words.  Every time we read the scriptures we are reading what God said not the prophets but what the prophets wrote down.  In the 8 article of faith it says we believe the bible to be the word of God as long as it is translated correctly we also believe the book of Mormon to be the word of God.
Since the scriptures are the word of God it is important to read them.  Sometimes when you pray you are answered when you read the scriptures because they are the word of God.  The scriptures are like a map that God made for us to follow and come back to live with him.  Some times if you read the scriptures they will tell you what to do if you're stuck in a bad situation.  I've read the scriptures lots of times and about every time I read them I hear the Holy Ghost tell me that the scriptures are the word of God.  I'd like to bear my testimony that I know this church is true and that the scriptures are the word of God In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

#4's
The Scriptures are the Word of God
I like to read the scriptures.  I like reading the scriptures at church.  I like reading the scriptures at home.  I like looking at the pages in the day and I like reading them with my family at night.  I like reading the scriptures because they talk about Jesus.  I feel good reading the scriptures.  My mom tells me I feel good because the words in the scriptures are true.  The scriptures are the words of God.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

He drew a picture to go with it (he's reading the Book of Mormon; it's so cute!)