A Joy Full Home: July 2010

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Wandering Boy

Baby Sister and Wandering Boy

Joe had a friend from high School and his three boys to Grandpa's pool for a swim with our children. After, Joe and I went upstairs to bathe off and put the baby to sleep--she struggled and so this took awhile. The children were all dry and sitting in front of a new Wii game when I went upstairs with towels. About an hour later, the phone rings. It is Joe's sister, Aunt Beth (mother to cousin Lolly). "Do you know where Jonathan is?" Bored, Jonathan had walked to Beth's house (a ten minute car ride from our house) to play with Lolly. He did this barefoot. It is 90% outside. Also, as he neared Beth's house, a couple of Tongan girls noticed him red faced and huffing, barefoot, and stopped to ask him if he wanted a ride and he accepted one and led them to Beth's house. (A ride with complete strangers). I am sitting here baffled. Baffled and grateful. Grateful that nothing happened to him but a little burned feet. When he came home I put on a serious face and cried--telling him how scared we were and how dangerous it can be to walk the streets barefoot. Then we came to the stranger part. He is sitting on his bed while I write this anxious to be out of Time Out. I am at a loss. How can I help him understand and be safe. I am thankful that nothing happened with this adventure to my wandering boy.

LDS.org - Ensign Article - “I Will Be Found of You”

Friday, July 30, 2010

How Old am I?

Susie and I were driving home from the pool. "Mom, how old am I?" Susie asks. "You are three" I remind her. "I am still three! (*Sigh*) I thought I was ten by now!"

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Our New Photographer

Ahh, the power of suggestion. Rebekah received a copy of the American Girl Magazine for her birthday in the mail. Inside, along with summer fun ideas is an article on becoming a photographer. Every bit of practice helps! Here are some of her shots:

Monday, July 26, 2010

Susie Knows Everything!

This afternoon we sat at the table and ate sandwiches and milk. A fly buzzed around the food and Susie was calling it a bee. I told her it was a fly. "No! It's a bee," she informed me. "Susie, don't talk back to mom--she knows everything!" Jonathan informed her. "No, I know everything!" She responded. There you have it. My three year old is a genius! Rebekah tested her by asking her what "four plus one" equals--ten, of course!

Pioneer Day Evening

Hannah hams it up.

Rebekah has double trouble.

Sparkler Ninja!

"I can do it myself (my own shoes too)!"]

In the evening, for our Family Night Activity and in remembrance of Pioneer Day our family drove to the back parking lot of a nearby school to light off fireworks. Joe taught Jonathan to use matches. At first thought this seemed foolish to me. Then I saw Jonathan attempt to light a "Strike Anywhere" match on the asphalt holding the tip about 1 cm. from his fingers. We had fun with a small box of cheap fireworks and sparklers and another small family watched with their almost two year old son. When it was over we picked up all our fireworks and the other remains left by those before us, and drove away just as a light sprinkle of rain began. The sunset was especially beautiful tonight.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Our Artist

Mom

Jonathan

Baby Eva

Arwen

Rebekah received some paper for her birthday and brought these up to me. Hannah did her hair this morning and she added the headbands around the ponytails--perhaps she is gearing up for training her own dragon. I think she looks Scandinavian.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Oh to be a Pioneer!

Hannah now is in the Young Woman's and all of a sudden "too old" to dress up.

Susie is named after her pioneer Great...Grandmother Susannah Sophia Amelia Mateson Jepperson (who saved the bread from the indians). She looks like a Russian peasant convert. her Great grandmother, who joined the church in America, defected from the USSR.

This morning was out wards annual Pioneer Day Breakfast. This year they changed the parade and it was just a small loop around the scrub oak and into the breakfast line. In the past, the paraders have made a full circle around the park (taking ten minutes or so). We pulled up as paraders were getting in the breakfast line. Guess we would be pulling up the rear of the handcart pioneers then. Also, this year there was no speech by a bishopric member. We missed the talk about Pioneer Day and what the significance was that brought us together to mingle and munch this morning. So, for my children I will throw in a pioneer story about their Great Grandfather William Clayton. Locust Creek Distance: 103 miles from Nauvoo

At or near this campsite William Clayton reportedly penned the words to the song "All is Well," after receiving word that his wife, Diantha, still in Nauvoo, had given birth to a healthy baby boy. Since renamed "Come, Come, Ye Saints," the stirring hymn—an anthem of faith, full of praise amidst privation—has come to signify the Mormon migration to the West perhaps more than any other piece of writing..

Also at Locust Creek, Brigham Young redirected the Camp of Israel to a northwest heading in order to leave behind the trail-wise and unscrupulous traders who he felt were taking advantage of the company.

William Clayton

15 April 1846

"This morning Ellen Kimball came to me and wishes me much joy. She said Diantha has a son. I told her I was afraid it was not so, but she said Brother Pond had received a letter. I went over to Pond's and he read that she had a fine fat boy on the 30th ult., but she was very sick with ague and mumps. Truly I feel to rejoice at this intelligence but feel sorry to hear of her sickness. . . . In the evening . . . [several] persons retired to my tent to have a social christening. . . . We named him William Adriel Benoni Clayton. . . . This morning I composed a new song—'All is well.' I feel to thank my heavenly father for my boy and pray that he will spare and preserve his life and that of his mother and so order it so that we may soon meet again" (William Clayton's Journal [1921], 19).

William Clayton

"Come, Come, Ye Saints"

Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear; But with joy wend your way. Though hard to you this journey may appear, Grace shall be as your day. 'Tis better far for us to strive Our useless cares from us to drive; Do this, and joy your hearts will swell— All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? 'Tis not so; all is right. Why should we think to earn a great reward If we now shun the fight? Gird up your loins; fresh courage take. Our God will never us forsake; And soon we'll have this tale to tell— All is well! All is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared, Far away in the West, Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid; There the Saints will be blessed. We'll make the air with music ring, Shout praises to our God and King; Above the rest these words we'll tell— All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey's through, Happy day! All is well! We then are free from toil and sorrow, too; With the just we shall dwell! But if our lives are spared again To see the Saints their rest obtain, Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell— All is well! All is well!

["Come, Come, Ye Saints," Hymn, no. 30]

Journal photographs courtesy of Infobases, Inc.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Lake Powell Vacation, Day 3 Coming Home

Watercolor in our hotel room.

After days in the sun and together having fun, we stuck around to make some more memories and then head home in the late afternoon .

Temple Hill

On the way home, I was struck by the majesty of the scenic byways of Utah--a pretty great state (snicker). The clouds showed sun rays, rain, as well as a rainbow.