Crossroads

The entire talk this quote comes from is definitely worth the read:

We stand at the crossroads, each minute, each hour, each day, making choices. We choose the thoughts we allow ourselves to think, the passions we allow ourselves to feel, and the actions we allow ourselves to perform. Each choice is made in the context of whatever value system we've selected to govern our lives. In selecting that value system, we are, in a very real way, making the most important choice we will ever make. Those who believe there is one God who made all things and who governs the world by his Providence will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who hold in reverence that being who gave them life and worship Him through adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who believe that mankind are all of a family and that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who believe in a future state in which all that is wrong here will be made right will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who subscribe to the morals of Jesus will make many choices different from those who do not. [Those who believe they are sons and daughters of God, created in the image and likeness of the Only Begotten Son, will make many choices different from those who do not.] Since the foundation of all happiness is thinking rightly, and since correct action is dependent on correct opinion, we cannot be too careful in choosing the value system we allow to govern our thoughts and actions. And to know that God governs in the affairs of men, that he hears and answers prayers, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, is indeed, a powerful regulator of human conduct.

[Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue: His Formula for Successful Living, ed. George L. Rogers, 3rd ed. (Eden Prairie, Minnesota: Acorn Publishing, 1996), 88­90]
Changes added by suggestion of Richard C. Edgely

Quotes for My Daughters

Be Loyal to the Royal within you!


"But there is a beauty every girl has, a gift from God as pure as sunlight and sacred as life. It is a beauty that all men love, a virtue that wins all men's souls. That beauty is chastity. Chastity without skin beauty may enkindle the soul. Skin beauty without chastity may enkindle only the eyes. Chastity enshrined in the mold of true womanhood will hold true love eternally."

"The flower by the roadside that catches the dust of every traveler is not the one to be admired and seldom is ever plucked. But the one blooming way up on the hillside, protected by the perpendicular cliff, is the flower with the virgin perfume, the one that the boy will almost risk his life to possess."

–President David O. McKay


"I say to you girls beware of the man who comes to you professing that he loves you and then seeks to destroy and rob you of the most precious thing you have in life. No man loves the girl that he wants to harm, and don't you forget it."

–President Harold B. Lee

"Whenever we live to the best that is in us, we live up to the ideals He gave us."

–Elder Adam S. Bennion

The 15th Anniversary of the Day We Met

Today is the fifteenth anniversary of the day I met my husband, Thomas. It is a source of some debate. Let me share our story.

I lived in college housing in St. George, Utah. My Grandmother Carpenter lived in Madisonville, Kentucky. She was very ill. My father told me she did not have much longer to live. (Mind you, she did not pass away until 30 April 2011; yes, fifteen years later!) I scraped together what little money I earned after paying all my bills and purchased a plane ticket that took me to Evansville, Indiana just north of her locale. I did not have any transportation. My roommate and very best friend, Brittany, just returned from Finland so I asked her to drive me to Las Vegas, NV. She did not like the idea of two young women driving to Vegas and having to drive back alone. She contacted the Elder's Quorum President and asked if there was a young man available to drive down with us. The Elder's Quorum President volunteered the Elder's Quorum Secretary. This was Thomas.

I talked to him briefly over the phone and thanked him for doing this. I told him I would cover the cost of the gas and I would like to take him and my friend out to dinner to say thank you for going out of their way. He added that he would need to pick up his brother from the airport before dinner. So it was four for dinner on my tab.
I will never forget the moment Thomas showed up at my doorstep. He was wearing black denim shorts and a black Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt with a few tiny holes in it. He was carrying a book. I remember thinking, "All this guy needs is a little duct tape on his glasses and he would be a bona fide NERD!" Thomas, Brittany and I left for the two hour drive to Vegas. On the way down Thomas was rocking out to the Kingston Trio. I had never heard of the group but thanks to my Dad I knew all the lyrics! We sang almost the entire way down. Thomas even quizzed Brittany and me on why one of the Kingston Trio songs was banned from the airwaves for a while. Of coarse, I instantly got it right.

Thomas, Brittany and I went to the airport first. While going through security (Remember, this is well before 9/11.) Brittany was selected to be searched, or more specifically her miniature (super teeny-tiny) day planner was searched. I had never seen this happen before I asked the normal questions: who, what, when, where, why, how, grrrrr..... The airport security said it came down from President Bill Clinton. I emphatically said, "What a jackass!" The airport inspector proposed. I smiled and we left.

I wanted to take our little group to one of my favorite Vegas restaurants: Steven Spielberg's Dive. Brian sat down first. Brittany sat next to him. (Do I squeal on my best friend and mention she had a crush on Brian at the time?) I sat down across from Brian and Thomas sat next to me. This is where my version and Thomas's version GREATLY diverge. I have several nervous habits. I talk more (Yes, I already talk a lot!) and I fidget. So I was probably babbling up a storm but more specifically I was bouncing my legs up and down. According to Thomas, I was rubbing his leg the entire time. I, quite frankly, think he is out of his mind. I do not remember that happening and based on the details I am recounting here and my acute attention to detail I believe it supports my supposition that it NEVER HAPPENED! They dropped me off at my hotel, Circus Circus, and they were off; I was set to fend for myself.

Thomas and I disagree on when we started dating. He changes his date constantly and the latest version insists that this was our first date: a blind date set up by my friend. Poppycock! Although he insists on this being our first date I do not think any of this account supports his position. Yes, I may have paid for dinner BUT not as a date. I absolutely hate putting people out. Or, asking anything from others. I really wanted to make it up to them and since we were going to be in Vegas at supper time what better way, eh? Food does not always a date make. There was never any mention of thinking of this as a date until today. And, I would bet Brittany and Brian would both agree it was not a date. Thomas is just making fact out of fiction. I do believe that after I allegedly rubbed his leg he thought I liked him because he started hanging out at our apartment all the time. But that part of the story is for another time during our Fifteenth Anniversary Year. (There are practical jokes, toilet papering and proposals to write about.)

Reading Aloud: Captains Courageous

Yesterday we started reading Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling. I must admit I love Rudyard Kipling even though he is no longer in vogue in academia. This novel is a stretch for my children because the prose are not what they prefer, but read aloud time is not always what they prefer or what comes easiest. It is also about stretching their listening ability and exposing them to literature they may not chose to read and literature their mother loves. I remember loving Captains Courageous because of the general theme of the young, spoiled brat enduring trials and tribulations to become a man. Troop is not the ideal role model but some of the qualities and skills he uses to mentor Harvey in becoming a man are qualities and skills we can all examine. This book is also affording the opportunity to discuss common courtesies and the language we use to address other people. I am grateful when a book challenges my ideals and values cementing what is important into my children's hearts.

A Favorite Quote

"Those who seek to be offended are easily satisfied."
I do not know who this is attributed to or where I read it. I do know its impact on me is profound. I often alter this to remind myself of greater aims and to recalibrate my thinking, because of this my children often hear me say, "Those who seek to be grateful are easily satisfied." Or, "Those who seek to be happy are easily satisfied." The possibilities are endless.

It's Not For Learning...

Mya Bella sits in church each week occupying herself with drawing and writing as she listens to the speakers. Two Sundays ago she was drawing pictures of levers, pulleys, fulcrums and other simple machines. She was inspired by a computer game my husband purchased which we call Crayon Physics, because her renderings looked very similar the game's graphics. She is constantly asking to play physics on the computer and when she cannot she creates other opportunities.

Today she was writing lists of words corresponding with letters of the alphabet. She chose A, B and C. She was sounding out words, switching out vowels and leaning over for an assist on more complex words that were very important to her. She wanted to see how many words she could write on her list. At one point she leans over and whispers in my ear, "It's not for learning Mom. I'm just having fun."

Reading Aloud: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

I decided to switch it up a bit. Instead of starting a new book I went for a poem relating to the book we just read. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a great rhyming read. It makes Paul Revere an American Folk-hero. Unfortunately, the rhyme-ability of Revere overshadow his compatriots who also participated in the ride: William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott. It also ignores the fact Paul Revere never made it Concord, Massachusetts as planned. Three cheers for poetic license; however, no matter the inaccuracy, no matter the type of literature, it is still a valuable teaching tool and gives an avid learner the opportunity to question validity and learn something new.

Reading Aloud: Johnny Tremain

For a short, but insane, period of my life I attempted to educated my children at home, start a charter school and complete 17 credit hours a semester at Southern Utah University. I cannot say I handled myself with the grace and intellect I desired; however, what can one expect when they are juggling that much in their life. While attending SUU I took an English class by professor Charles Cutherbertson. The end of the semester involved a paper about Beloved by Toni Morrison. I wasn't too fond of the book but used the symbolism of the trees the author verbally illustrated throughout the novel and tied it to the themes of freedom and liberty.

Mr. Cuthbertson (an English professor with more toys than books on his shelves) and I discussed my choice and my examples at one point. I chose to illustrate and link the symbolic nature of trees in Beloved to the Sons of Liberty and the Liberty Tree. I share this with you because I was befuddled and dumbfounded to discover my professor had heard of neither of these. Neither. Neither! I could not believe what I heard and being emotionally transparent I know my voice oozed of disappointment. He knew the longing for freedom and individual power expressed by Malcolm X. (A book on his top ten published by the SUU library.) But, knew nothing of the people who incited the call to revolution and the symbolic nature of trees attached to it. It demonstrated to me something I take for granted.

I was not going to let me children miss out on the love and passion I learned as a child for this great country and the people who paid the high price to make it so. It started a mission. I began to work on my membership to the Daughters of the American Revolution. And soon plan to add their membership to the Children of the American Revolution. I also wanted them to hear stories of lives from that time period.

I remembered watching the movie, Johnny Tremain, by Disney as a child. I loved it then. So I decided to share the book with my children. (Maybe I will also hunt down the movie.) It was an amazing and touching read. One I would definitely recommend to anyone. It was written by Esther Forbes. It is Newberry Award Winner.

Johnny Tremain is a magical historical fiction. It deals with an array of emotions from pride, humiliation, perseverance, personal triumph and forgiveness. It intertwines these lessons with the events of Boston and the surrounding areas just prior to the American Revolution. It includes the Boston Tea Party and the marches on various forts from the Bostonian perspective. It ends on a solemn and sacred note as the author details the lives lost on the morning of 19 April 1775 in the green at Lexington. (I believe.) It is apparent the author revered and reverenced these events. It is a wonderful depiction of the internal emotional struggles and the external physical struggles of these events. I am grateful for the opportunity to read this to my children.

In the Middle of Johnny Tremain

My children and I are currently reading Johnny Tremain. We are loving the book. (Of coarse, what book don't we love.) Johnny is on the eve of the Boston Tea Party, 16 December 1773. Although, I love the colorful interactions between the protagonist and supporting characters as they illustrate, with words, the struggle of the Whigs and Tories at the commencement of the American Revolution. It is great to share a historical fiction with my children and know the excitement of the writing teaches the concepts and events of the America's struggle for freedom far better than I can, even though my heart swells with gratitude as I think of the patriots, both male and female. These stories invigorate the mind, inspire questions and stimulate the desire for more information. It is, probably, the most wonderful turn of events in reading with and to children, whatever their ages.

In the book Johnny Tremain, Johnny, the protagonist, is confronted early with his Achilles Heal. Pride. The designs for his life are uprooted and rearranged for something else. Possibly something greater! But, he has to face down the seeds of bitterness his pride plants in his heart. Luckily, the author inserts a wonderful supporting character and mentor in Rab. A character that teaches Johnny but shares brilliant lessons for the reader and teacher without sounding preachy or talking down to Johnny or the reader. He confronts Johnny's poor demeanor in a very kind, simple and straightforward way. It gave pause for my children and I to discuss the matter.

Johnny struggled with going off "half-cocked." Not only were we able to discuss the term and what it meant but discuss how there are times when we all face the same struggle. My eldest son struggles mercilessly with his temper. It has come to be a habit to always jump to an extreme with his siblings. He usually chooses frustration, anger or hurt. I cannot even begin to tell you how much he has improved but it is still quite the struggle for him. The book provide a great illustration of how a change in behavior creates positive consequences and opens doors for Johnny. Johnny expressed his gratitude too.

My children even commented that if there Mother was alive during this time period she would definitely be a Whig. Probably an inflammatory one too. I do not talk much politics: it gets me in trouble. I avoid it most times because it depresses me, but, like the characters that color the pages of this book, I love freedom. I would do anything for it. My children know that. It is hard to say whether I would be more like Abigail Adams or Molly Pitcher. I will have to find books about those individuals and see what my children think.

Ooooops!

Last week, Kaylee popped into the car after Seminary with a question. Would I be willing to teach Seminary on Tuesday while the teacher was in a meeting? When we signed her up for the class the teacher jokingly wrangled my husband and I into volunteering to teach; however, he did not expect us to say yes. I told her to let her teacher know I was willing.

I would love to share all these wonderful insights from the experience but, quite frankly, I failed miserably. Maybe because I allowed time to rush by me and read over the lesson at the last minute. Maybe because I did not get enough sleep. I rarely do. Maybe because the teacher's meeting got canceled, he sat in the class and I allowed myself to get nervous. Who knows? I do know that education is my dream, teaching is my love. Although I puttered along during this attempt and I am working with my already pummeled heart to keep my head up, I am going to keep working at it. And maybe I will find that if [I advance somewhat] confidently in the direction of [my] dreams, and [endeavor] to live the life which [I] ... imagined, [I] will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Hopefully, sooner than later.

365 Day Challenge So Far

Grrrr....there isn't much else to say, really. Like New Year's Resolutions gone awry, my personal challenge to read to my children for 365 days is lacking consistency. Consistency is a constant struggle for me! I am finding weekend outings, birthdays and holidays to be some of my obstacles. I am problem solving these situations to overcome them. Weekend outings are a relatively easy fix: take the book on the trip and read while we are traveling. (My husband's idea.) Birthdays are a little more difficult I can think of a thousand things to do to preoccupy myself on these days but I am going to hunker down and do it or get over not having a perfect track record, but why would I want to lower my expectations. Holidays are another stumbling block. My husband is home then and I would much rather spend time with him and stay in bed. My normal expectation is to read to the children in the morning. I struggle to complete an activity if I miss its schedule time. I am going to have to work on adjusting my expectations on holidays. And again I am probably going to have to hunker down and just get it down, whenever or give up sleep to get it done. I guess I am looking at a little more effort, discipline, dedication and possibly an adjustment in my expectations.