How Great Was Our Joy!

This last weekend was a wonderful time for our family. We were able to enjoy a weekend of General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  What a wonderful conference it was.  One of the main reasons this was such a special weekend for us was the announcement of the new Provo Temple that will replace the old historic Provo Tabernacle that burned down last winter.  It was such a tragic event and so sad to see the inside completely gutted with only the outside still standing.  We have been attending this building for our stake conferences since we moved to Provo 9 years ago.  

We were sooo excited to hear the announcement from President Thomas S. Monson that it had been decided to turn it into the 2nd temple in Provo.  So excited.  How blessed we are to already live so close to one, and yet now we have one only a few blocks from our home.  

The second reason we were so excited and had a hard time concentrating on the following speakers was the announcement for a temple to built in Star Valley Wyoming. Star Valley is the hometown of both Beau and I.  For years we've always wondered if we would ever see a day when a temple would be built there.  Just that morning before the session started I wondered what new temples would be announced and if we would ever hear one announced for Star Valley. What a blessing it could be to my family who still lived there.  When President Monson announced it, we all gasped wondering if we heard it right.  Was it a joke?  Is it for real?  It's so hard to describe the excitement and gratitude I felt.

There are so many people in the world that live so far from a temple and do not have the opportunity to get to one frequently or at all. I can only imagine the joy that overcomes them when they hear of one being built near them. I felt some of that, but have not been denied temple blessings because it was so far away as some of them have been. Why were we so blessed to get one in Star Valley and here?  All I can think of is "Where much is given, much is required."  We were equally excited to hear about the new patron fund that we can donate to in order to help those trying to get to a temple for their first time.  What an opportunity to give and help for something of such eternal importance to another person.

We are so excited to see the process of these two temples being built near us and our families, to be able to participate in the great work there when they are finished.  There is no place on earth that I would rather be than the inside of these beautiful structures where families can be sealed for eternity and where the presence of the Lord can be felt.  The peace and understanding I receive while I am there is worth so much to me. It is also such a blessing to participate in the work for those of my family who have passed beyond this mortal life.  How wonderful is our Father in Heaven to let us be a part of his amazing work.  How grateful I have been this last weekend to rejoice in his work moving forward in such a personal way to me.

Scripture Stories

A while back I was talking to a good friend of mine about trying to do family scripture study. I was trying to figure out a way to help our kids pay attention a little bit better and help them become more familiar with the scripture stories . She told me that when they were little they drew pictures about the scriptures they were reading. They had started it with their children and it seemed to help. When they were finished they had their own small scripture book. I thought it sounded like a great idea and started it with ours. We aren't always consistent with having these, sometimes we end up just reading, but it does help when I take the time to do this.




I wanted them to draw a picture, but I also wanted to have something on the page to indicate where the story was in the scriptures and a little synopsis. I could also have them practice handwriting and tracing over the letters for school time as well. I thought I'd share some of my favorites from the kids.




Here are some of Isaac's renditions of the the scripture stories.



















Here a few of Savannah's renditions.
















Here are some of Mirian's.











I love the way Mirian tells stories. Here the girl was angry and wouldn't share her jump rope. The other set of pictures is of them sharing and jump roping together.






This one from Mirian cracks me up. It's the scriptures about not committing adultery. I tried to explain in the terms of 3-8 year old understanding what adultery was. I asked them if it's ok for someone that is married to go on a date with some other guy, or kiss some other guy. I asked them how that would make their husband feel, and if that was right. Of course they said no.




She she told me she drew a picture of me on a date with someone else, and dad all sad. And then of course wrote NO! to me on the date. I'm not sure why I had to be the one not faithful.









So far it's been working out really good. They can look at their pictures they've drawn and explain to me what the scriptures were about. They might not remember the whole chapter of details, but if they can remember small parts throughout the whole book I think that's a great start. They're also collecting a good amount of pictures for their own finished book of scriptures stories.

A is for Apple

Here is my small creative result for the week. A is for Apple.

Our Day....

Our day started with some zucchini muffins and scrambled eggs. Yummm... the muffins were soooo good. We then did some picking up and then jumped into some spelling, grammar and literature. This is where the complaining always begins with Mirian. This girl does not like reading or writing. Or so she tells me. She does just fine with it, she just doesn't like worksheets, phonics or practicing it at all. She's a hands on girl. It's hard to explain to her that the only way to practice writing is to ummm..... write. This is where I need to start being creative in this particular subject, because it's the most important stuff she can learn, and I really want her have a love for reading and writing.











She doesn't mind the Literacy so much, as she does love reading books, and hearing stories. It always helps too when there's an activity to go along with it. Today she got to create a postcard to send to the timid mouse in a story that complains all the time and looks for the negative. (How applicable after this morning.) She was to give the mouse advice on how to be happy. She decided to tell him to be grateful for what he was.













Art time for Savannah was illuminated manuscripts and creating one of her own initial.




Mirian was doing mono printing. Oh how I forgot about printmaking. I took a class in college and how I loved it. I forgot how much specifically mono printing is a personal favorite. Unfortunately I was fixing lunch while they were doing their project, and didn't have the chance to sit down and do some prints up myself. Something I definitely need to do in some down time.









Basically you paint your picture on a baking sheet, plexi-glass or any other smooth surface. Try to get a good even coat so it doesn't dry out . After painting the image, you can then use an eraser to draw additional elements or lines removing the paint for more detail.









You then lay your paper on top of the paint and rub it well. If the paint is pretty dry you can dampen your paper before placing it on the paint, to help it print better.







You then pull off the paper and you have a mono print. They are so easy and fast. Mirian made about 5 of them. Even Caitlyn and Isaac got in on the fun. Savannah was wanting to join is as well if she didn't have a separate assignment.




















Savannah studied the feudal era today for history and created a mobile of the different feudal systems, and people that lived in that era of time.












Mirian has been studying nomads and their way of life. The last two lessons were on how the nomads ended up in the fertile crescent and began to settle and create villages in Mesopotamia.






Mirian is always funny when it comes to questioning her about a lesson and what she learned. I asked her during the last lesson if she remembered what the land was called between the two rivers. She stated that she didn't know. Her usual answer to anything and so I reminded her. The funny thing is that I know she remembers. Why? Because this weekend when they were all playing "family" together. Mirian kept calling out to her little daughter. "Mesopotamia! Mesopotamia come here!" Hmmm.. a little ironic that she remembered it well enough to name her daughter that. :)










So today we continued on with learning about the farmers that first settled there. How they farmed, grew crops and irrigated them. We talked about how they tamed animals and learned to raise herds of animals like goats and sheep. We discussed how they built their first homes. Later they started building them closer together to help each other and soon we had small villages. As they became more prosperous they were worried about people harming them or stealing things so they began to build big walls around their villages. The city of Jericho having the largest walls in the area.










As an option to the lesson we could create our own bricks from dirt. (Which I think we still might do.) Or we could create a small diorama of the first villages. Mirian voted for the village. It's hard to determine whether to do some of these optional activities. You know how much time they'll take, making it so you might not be able to move on to another area of curriculum. Yet you know that these are things that make learning fun. So I decided to go for it. So we built our little village and added the different elements we had learned about. Huts, crops, rivers, tamed animals, and stone walls.










Mirian had a great time and it's fun to see the others get involved as well.







They had such a good time that later they started adding their own things as well. Like the raft to go up and down the rivers.







And of course you have to have people to live there.













So they could all live next to each other in their little huts. They played with it all evening.












Savannah even decided she needed to create her own tonight before bed. They were so proud of the fact that she created it so they could hook the crops or rivers together with each other to create even a larger village.






I have to admit that these are the parts I enjoy the most about learning as well. Forget worksheets, let's build one ourselves.

Small Simple Things

In the process of homeschooling, I've had to find a balance between all the different areas of my life. One of them being the design aspect. My days are filled with school. There is no longer a time when my kids are all gone at the same time to allow me time to work on a design project. My mornings are sometimes filled with prepping for school, and the evenings are filled with church callings, assignments or getting caught up on the house. It didn't take long though before I realized I still had to fit some small design time in. For the pure enjoyment and break that it gives me to be creative. Also to still help a little bit with that income while things are tight, the economy is rough and as we prepare to be in a good spot when Beau graduates so he can start up his own company. In reality I can't do it all. I can't give all my time to designing, homeschool, home and church. So I've had to find balances. Part of that balance is going back to the scripture that kept calling to me at the beginning of the year. That it's the small simple things that bring great results.

"Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." Alma 37:6











At the beginning of the year I decided I was going to conduct an experiment. I knew I needed to somehow increase the income from my designing, to help prepare us better for the future. I also knew I needed to cut down any time designing, so I could focus on my family and other obligations. I decided to focus on small simple projects. Specifically the JIF 6 Kits. I love making them, they are fast, and they easily let me get my idea out, and move on.















If I was working on large kits they would take too long to create, and demand too much of my time. I would loose my excitement over the idea, and it took longer to get in the store. Even though they would bring in 3 or 4 times the amount of money they didn't feel worth it for some reason. I ended up reading this scripture and felt that the small simple things were better. I could easily get a JIF kit out a week. It only had 6 parts to it. I could do one part every day for only 15 minutes if needed and then be able to release it at the end of the week. It was doable. It took up very little time from my day and family. The results? It worked. My income increased quite a bit, even though what I am creating sells only for a small amount. I saw how this simple small kit did bring about great things. Life got in the way and I had club to work on so I haven't made any in a while, but now I find myself in the same position. I have even less time than before now that I'm homeschooling. Yet what can I do for my sanity and to also help out financially? The answer is the same. The simple things. So I've been working on small JIF kits here and there. I can do one small element a day, and yet feel like I get some creative down time. I can still feed that artist in me. I also feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I see the final results. Especially knowing I didn't have to sacrifice my family or my time to do it. It really is in the small things.

















I've also been applying the principle to my home. While teaching all day, I don't have huge chunks of time to do major cleaning. So I'm slowly getting rid of stuff. I can focus on one small aspect at a time. If the only small thing I did in cleaning a bedroom (that needs an overhaul) is picking up all the clothes and washing them, then I'm one small step ahead. Tomorrow I can pick the next thing. By the end of the week it will be finished.

It's the small 15 minute chunks of our time that can do great things.

Some people have asked me how I do it all. The answer? I don't. I let things go that don't really matter. I don't have an immaculate house. I try and just focus on doing the small simple things now, and trusting the Lord in his promise that it will bring about great things over time.

So here have been some of the small things I've been designing lately with my small amount of time.

What I've Learned So Far

It's been over a month since starting our home school journey.   What have I been learning so far?

• I don't have as much time to blog about it as I would like.
• It has gone smoother than I anticipated.
• What Savannah's teacher really meant when she had issues with her getting distracted.
• How my children prefer to learn.
• What character flaws we all need to be working on.
• How nice it is to be able to change up the day when needed, rather than having to depend on the public school hours.
• How much I need to eliminate in my life and home in order to keep life simpler. 
• How much fun we can have together.
• My weaknesses.
• And these are just the beginning.

It has been going well so far.  Actually better than I thought it would. I am definitely learning on how to tweak things or how to swap things up when someone isn't in the mood to do anything for the day.  We also decided to start the girls with piano lessons this fall as well. Savannah is picking it up so fast, Mirian is struggling with it.  I don't want her to end up hating it because she has the artist soul. She's the one with the music already playing inside her. So her piano teacher and I have decided to go at her own pace. If that's only working on one song for the week, great.  That has helped her attitude adjust greatly.  Mirian has to do things differently.  Which is ok.  They are both unique. That's the beauty in it all and part of the reason I wanted to teach my children in the first place. To be able to work with those individual differences and hopefully help them become the who their Heavenly Father needs them to be, each with their unique missions.

Our Little Home

I read a post titled "When I Let Go of 'Someday Happiness' " today.  What a great post. I can relate in so many ways. We have a tiny little home. Just a little over 900 square feet. Luckily we do have a small garage with storage and a room attached that has become our office.  That helps it not feel as cramped as the apartment we were in before.  It is small.  We often get comments on how small it really is and that we need a bigger one, with more cupboards, and yet we are perfectly content and happy here.

Yes having only one bathroom for 7 can get pretty rough sometimes. But I like it. I like the fact that having a small place makes me dejunk and get rid of things on a regular basis. It makes me evaluate if we really need "this" item or thing. It makes me wonder how many extra dishes do we really need, if a few will do just fine.  It feels cozy, and it's home.  It's where we've laugh,  played, cried, and just enjoyed being a family, and right now I'm completely content with it.

Sometimes I do dream about a big large home, with more land, more animals and places for my kids to wander, and then sometimes I think... you know, having more just creates more work. I also look out my window and see our white picket fence my husband built. I see the new cedar fence he just finished in the back yard, with a secret hidden swinging door for the neighbor kids. I watch my kids holler from the top of their tree house, and see how my small little garden is over running the whole yard.  I'm blessed.  I'm truly blessed to have a place we can call our own. That we can work on and fix up slowly, and that settles in our hearts a bit more.

I think when we first got married we planned on being here for 4 years till the Bachelor was finished. Then... we decided to stay and continue on with grad school.  10 years later when he graduates (next April), we will still be here.  In a tiny little home with 5 kids, and life is good. Really good.  We always thought we would then move on, get a great job somewhere and move on with our life.  Now we are planning on staying a few more years for Beau to start up his own company with a couple other guys.  What will happen after that?  I can't say. I've given up trying to guess.

Last summer I did not want to stay here. I wanted to move on with our lives. It was then that I went to girls camp.  I left after that week knowing the Lord needed us here and I wanted to stay.  I have come to love the people that we've served with. I have loved seeing the growth happening in our ward and stake. I think of picking up and moving.... and honestly I don't know if I want to.   Only the Lord really knows where he wants us, and if it's still in this little green house, then I'm perfectly content with that.  Because right now that little green house truly is home.

The Dangers of a Pregnant Mind

(This post was written a few months ago, and I just realized it never got posted.  Thought I'd still share.)

It was the annual weekend. The fathers and sons got to get out and enjoy their manliness, without the women around to tell them to grow up. The women were home wondering what they could do for a girls night out, and what to make for dinner that required no effort, since the husband wasn't home to impress. I had it all set up in my mind... go grab something to eat, stop by the fabric store with the girls on the way home and pick up some material to make the new baby some clothes. I was going to enjoy this night. It was then that I glanced out of the window and gasped. My van was gone! I don't know where my mind had taken a trip to all afternoon making no connection with the fact that my husband would need a way to get to this manly outing. Sigh... time to make new plans.

Free delivery? What could we get delivered for dinner besides pizza. America's favorite has not sounded appetizing lately. Sandwiches... That did sound good but by the time I totaled the cost up $20 compared to the $1 I would spend by making our own seemed ridiculous enough that I gave in realizing I was going to have to make some effort for dinner. Grilled cheese, ham, tomato and avocado. (That of course was mine. I have 3 other girls at home remember. Green and red things don't go over well on their sandwiches.) Some cantaloupe along with it and it wasn't too bad. Our outing was no longer possible, which of course led to a movie night. The girls actually went to bed early. I actually crafted for fun and all seemed well in the world.

It was then that I remembered that I had ordered a bountiful basket full of amazing fruit and veggies that were supposed to be picked up at 6:45 in the morning. I know. Who in their right mind would be up at 6:45 on a saturday. Only pregnant women, dreaming about eating healthy and saving money, who can't sleep past that time anyway because their back is in so much pain, and their bladder is screaming for relief. Ah... but this seemed so simple. Go pick it up in less than 15-20 minutes, and go back to bed if I wanted. But remember the dilemma. My pregnant brain went on leave when I ordered this basket, and forgot that I would have no vehicle to pick it up. I guess we just miss picking it up and have it donated... but I just can't let that go because that is literally just throwing money way. So I could... get up even earlier and walk there with the wagon. Hmmm... 6:45 was early enough for me, and at 8 months pregnant a 45 minute exercise routine pulling an awkward wagon, with a laundry basket filled with produce was NOT screaming to be the viable option. Besides if I was going to be gone that long, I would have to wake up the kids and bring them with me... this option was at the bottom of the list.

Bike... hook up the trailer to the bike and I could stick the produce in the trailer. That would be a lot faster. Surely at 8 months pregnant it was still perfectly safe for me to perch myself precariously on the top of a bike and assume that my balance is exactly the same as it is when I'm not pregnant. Something told me to not even consider this idea.

It was then that I remembered the truck. YES! The truck. We do have two vehicles now. It's a classic, used, beat up pickup truck brought straight from my father in law's used vehicle lot in his back pasture. Beau's been driving it around and it seems to work great. He mentioned the steering wheel was a little bit of a problem, but hey, I could do this. Plus I could get there quick, and be home in 15 minutes. That was the plan. Take the truck in the morning.

After digging all over in the house for an alarm clock, which we had abandoned since the 2nd day we were married, (due to always using Beau's cell as an alarm) I set it for 6:30 so I could be up, get the truck started and be on my way. That followed with a long night of the girls joining me in bed. I'm sure they could sense my loneliness and my need to have only about a foot of room to move my pregnant body around in the night to sleep. I woke up determined to get the produce and get right back home to bed.

After gathering my stuff, finding the wrong truck key, and finally getting the right one, hopped in enjoy the nostalgic smell of old trucks... I'm sure it was that small calming smell of my dad's old pickup that I grew up with that gave me even more confidence that I could do this. I looked around to familiarize myself with everything only to realize it was stick shift instead of an automatic. Hey no problem though. I pride myself on being pretty good with a stick shift, it being my first choice. It was then that things started to get a bit more complicated. I realized that manly trucks were not made for short pregnant women. Whoever built them knew that the only person driving this truck was going to be at least 6 ft. tall.

I could work with this. I just needed to scoot up on the edge of the seat. Ouch. That wasn't going to work, the 8 month old baby was in the way. A slight recline? This might be a bit more difficult, reclining slightly so I could push the brake all the way to the floor. It took 3-4 times to get the truck started. I should have taken that as a sign from heaven to leave it off and return to bed. Ah but after hearing it roar alive, I was ready. After two lerches forward it died. Then started rolling backwards. I slid down so I could push the breaks and stop it from rolling. Hmm this was getting pretty technical. How do I keep it from rolling, when I needed my left leg off the brakes to push the clutch in. The last thing I needed was the whole truck to land in the 1 ft. deep rain gutter. I'm just going to have to do it all quick.

The only problem is that pregnant brains can't work as fast, and calculate all the variables as fast as they need to be in order to account for all possible issues you might face while trying to get the truck in motion quickly. I started it, and while holding down the clutch gunned it so it wouldn't die, and was able to smoothly get the truck moving. (Now that I'm thinking after the fact, I was so concerned about getting the truck out and moving quickly I didn't even look to see if any cars were coming up from behind.) Some days I know I have a whole legion of angels hanging on to me for dear life.

Once I was moving though, my brain was not quite working quickly enough to determine the next steps. I know I needed to slow down to turn the corner, but if I slowed down, would it die, did I need to shift down? I tried to shift down, only to not have it shift and careen over into the other lane across the street, because I had forgot to turn the wheel. Or at least when I realized I needed to turn the wheel I forgot that it took all of my weight thrown into the wheel to get it to move. At this point on I was on the other side of the road and realized that if I didn't slow down I would find myself taking the sidewalk rather than the road, so I pulled up to the side of the road and parked backwards on the wrong side of the street. I wondered how many people were up at this time of morning, watching this escapade, and obviously driving impaired women make a fool of herself. Do they recognize the truck? Do they recognize me? It was best not to look around to realize you have a whole audience viewing your incompetence.

It was then that my confidence plummeted, and I realized that the odds of me making it there alive, with no accidents, or tickets was literally zero. I was ready to just park it there, and have Beau move it when he got home, but realized I would get ticketed because I was parked illegally. I had to make one more attempt to get it home. This time I wouldn't go as fast, so I could make the corners without shifting, was my plan. Somehow within the next block though, all knowledge of driving a manual went out the window. I lurched the whole way down the street, and if the loud engine, and screeching didn't wake the neighbors the horn that I kept hitting every time I lurched did. Any pride I had was gone. I was able to make it around the corner, and prayed that every corner would be car free so I wouldn't have to stop. After running through 2 stops signs I was finally able to make it around the block... yes 4 blocks to be exact, back to the front of the house, where I parked that baby, vowing to never get back inside.  That truck was a beast, and I was determined to leave it's manliness for my man.

My produce. Well forget it. It was going to have to be money thrown out the window, it wasn't worth my life nor the life I was carrying.  When my husband returned later that day, the first thing he said when he came into the house was, "Did you drive the truck?!"  All I could was start laughing. Drive the truck.  I don't  know if you would call it that. I told him what had happened, laughing the whole time.  He started laughing too.

"I'm impressed!" He replied.
"Don't mock me."
"No really, I'm impressed.  That isn't an easy truck to drive. I'm impressed you even tried.  Way to go. Look at my wife."

I'm sure if he had looked at me at the moment, he would have hid his face, and tried not to own me.  But whatever. I'll let him be impressed.

A Blessed Weekend

This weekend was a special weekend in our family. Savannah just recently turned 8, and was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints this last Saturday. It was such a special day for her and she has been looking forward to it for a long time. Grandma Astle made her baptismal dress, and she shared her baptism day with her friend Melissa. We were able to enjoy family from both sides of the family in town for the weekend as well. I am so proud of her and her decision to get baptized, and so excited for her to have the gift of the Holy Ghost. It will be the greatest blessing she can ever have in this life if she learns to heed it's counsel.






We also had the opportunity to bless this little angel this weekend. Belén Joy. She has been such a delight and wonderful baby. Beau gave her a beautiful blessing. There is nothing I enjoy more than watching my husband use the priesthood to bless his family. This is one of those moments, along with Savannah's baptism that I am so grateful for a righteous husband who honors his priesthood and looks forward to opportunities like this to bless his family. What a marvelous gift our Father in Heaven has given us to access his power and use it to bless his children.



One of my favorite parts of her blessing is that as she seeks out the Holy Ghost and heeds it she will become a personification of her name - Joy. That she will draw people to the Savior and teach them of him and his ways. I know she is a joy to me. We have given all of our other children middle names from their ancestors to help them live up to their amazing heritage. For some reason Belen's middle name Joy just sort of came out and has stuck ever since. But to me it fits her in so many ways. One being that she is my joy after having two previous miscarriages before her.



What a wonderful weekend we had. Thank you family for supporting us, and being with us on these two very special days in our lives. You have no idea how much it means to us when you sacrifice time and money to come and support. We know it is not always easy, but we appreciate it in so many ways. We missed those of you that weren't able to make it, and know you support us as well. We hope to see you at future baptisms and special occasions.

Creative Play

This summer there was some down time where my kids pulled out the tangram puzzles and shapes. I love it when I see them break out of the box for what things are supposed to be used for and come up with their own ideas.

Savannah recently has been building miniature houses and furniture.  She's been using any found object I let her actually use for her little strawberry shortcake dolls.  It's been fun to see her mind start to think about what other creative ways to use them.