Awards Ceremony

Today I got to go to the awards ceremony at the elementary school.   It was fun to see all the accomplishments that the school kids made throughout the year.  I was especially proud of my own kids and what they did.  Now I will proceed to brag about them :)

Olivia got an award for meeting her reading goals each month.  She also got a fitness award and a good conduct award.

 

Zeke got his fitness award and an award for meeting his reading goals throughout the year.  His class didn't get to come up and get their picture taken so I don't have one of him...

 

Dillon got several awards.  He got the Citizenship award for 3rd grade.  Two 3rd graders were chosen by the teacher.  It is for excellence in the classroom, being a leader, being respectful and being an overall good person.  He also got the fitness award and the good conduct award.  He also got an award for getting 150 AR points.  Those are reading points.  Each book you read, you take a test.  You are given a score according to how many answers were correct.  150 is a big number for a 3rd grader!

 

Zane got AR awards and his fitness award.  He also got 1st place in the Poppy Poster contest for 4th and 5th graders in Astoria and Hendricks.  It is a poster that all the kids drew for Veterans.  It had to have a poppy flower on it and then some sort of theme about veterans.  They also had to give it a title.  Since he took first his poster will go to the state level competition.

 

 

Makenna got her fitness award and good conduct award.  She also got recognized for making it into Honor's Choir.  She also won second in the Poppy Poster contest and second in the essay contest.  She was one of the top three readers in the school she had almost 500 AR points.  She was top in her class.  She got a cup full of prizes and gift certificates.  She also got the Academic Excellence award for 5th grade along with another girl.



 

Maddi got a few more awards today too.  She got 3rd place in the Poppy Poster contest, 3rd place in the essay contest and 2nd place in the poetry contest.  She also was in the top three readers of the school coming in 2nd with almost 700 AR points.  She got a basket full of goodies and gift certificates. 

 

 

All of the kids have grown so much during this school year - not just academically.  Dillon was baptized on his 8th birthday.  Maddi joined the older youth group at church when she turned 12.  Maddi and Makenna have both taken piano lessons this year.  Zane has taken an interest in shooting his bow.  Dillon and Zeke also gave piano a try and did really well with it.  They have all tried new sports.  Maddi played volleyball even though it was not her favorite sport.  Makenna did volleyball and basketball for the first time.  Zane and Dillon did football and basketball for the first time as an organized sport.  Zeke has become an excellent helper at home and even got brave enough to have his own bedroom in the basement and he doesn't even need a nightlight :)  Olivia has come out of her shell and learned to make friends and not be so shy.  They are all learning and growing so much.  It is so fun to see them change and grow.  They are growing into such beautiful (and handsome) people - inside and out!  I love them all so much and I am so proud of them all!



 



6th Grade Graduation

Tonight we got to go watch Maddi graduate from 6th grade.  Kind of crazy thinking that she is already old enough to be in Jr. High next year.  Time has gone so quickly!  She is excited to move out of the elementary school and on to the high school.  Tomorrow they get to go and check everything out at the high school and maybe meet some teachers.  Here are a few pictures from tonight...

Maddi walking in

Maddi and some of the girls doing a clap song

Maddi with the other 6th grade Honor's Choir

Getting her diploma

2013 Deubrook Elementary 6th Grade Class!

 

It has been a fun year at Deubrook for not only Maddi, but all the kids.  We are so thankful for such a good school for the kids to be involved in.  We look forward to future years at Dolphins!

Mommy! Mommy!

A few years ago when my kids were all younger I wrote this poem around Mother's Day.

Mommy! Mommy! I need my cup so I can have a drink!
Mommy! Mommy! Does this match, what do you think?
Mommy! Mommy! I'm hungry, I really need a snack!
Mommy! Mommy! Have you seen my school backpack?
Mommy! Mommy! Watch me do this really cool trick!
Mommy! Mommy! Where is my favorite brown stick?
Mommy! Mommy! There's something stinky over there!
Mommy! Mommy! Can you get this gum out of my hair?
Mommy! Mommy! I lost my boot somewhere in the hay shed!
Mommy Mommy! Will you check for coyotes under my bed?
Mommy! Mommy! I want to sit next to you on the couch tonight!
Mommy! Mommy! Will you snuggle me up before you turn out the light?
Mommy! Mommy! I love you!  You're the best mom ever!
Mommy! Mommy! Can we be best buddies forever and ever?
Mommy! Mommy! I need a kiss good night!  Oh and
Mommy! Mommy! One more thing, don't let the bed bugs bite!

The years have gone by and the kids are all older.  My youngest is now almost to the age that my oldest was at the time I wrote this.  There are still demands, maybe not filling sippy cups and looking for coyotes under the bed, but we still have those Mommy! Mommy! days.  Some of my children do a better job (on certain days) of reminding me that motherhood requires patience and lots of love and forgiving.  Some of my children do a good job of reminding me about unconditional love and enjoying the simple things in life.  All of my children help keep me focused on what is really important in life - that is being together.  There are days that if I didn't have the knowledge that families last beyond this life into the next, it would be really hard to continue on in patience and love.  Those days are really hard!  But the fact that I know that we are a family that can be together forever, I am able to continue on listening to the chants of Mommy! Mommy! and make it through the day!

I love my children!  This morning I was greeted by homemade cards and gifts, along with a little chocolate :)  I love their excitement as they give me what they have made.  Some came from school for which I thank the teachers for being so thoughtful.  Some came from promptings from Michael when I wasn't listening.  Some though, came straight from them - pictures of me and them holding hands or riding a long-necked T-Rex.

I know I have said this before, but before I left on my mission to Ireland, I was having an interview with one of my church leaders.  He told me that while serving a mission nothing would bring me more joy and nothing would be harder than this service except motherhood.  During my mission I thought of that quite often and I thought he was wrong!  There was nothing that could outdo the joy or be harder than what I was experiencing in Ireland as  missionary!  Then I became a mother and I immediately knew that what he had said five years earlier was 100% true.  Motherhood has brought me greater joy than anything in this life.  It has also been the absolute hardest thing I have ever done.  I am so thankful for the chance I have to be a mother of six beautiful children.  Even on the Mommy! Mommy! days

Children's Museum

Thursday I got to go with Olivia and her class to the Children's Museum in Brookings. 

She was so excited to go and I was so glad that I got to go along with her.  We had 5 kindergartners in our group and about 4 hours to explore.  We climbed clouds...

 

Went grocery shopping...

 

 

Played in the water...

 

 

and the sand...

 

We played in trees...

 

played house...

 

 

and danced with hoops...

 

 

We also cooked in a cafe, gave the weather report on TV, worked in the post office, fixed cars, and built with giant blocks...

 





 

 

We saw a huge dinosaur mama and her baby, painted on the wall, read stories, played with a giant Lite Brite set and played instruments.  We sat in a teepee and built a house and took a ride on a conveyor belt.  We also planted flours and carrots, gathered eggs from the chicken coupe and so much more.  It was such a fun day!  I am so thankful again, that I get to have these moments with my kids!



And The Winner Is....

Tonight we had our own little wrestling pit going on in the living room.  It was Michael against Maddi, Dillon, Zane and Zeke.  It started off like this...

Then we had a little back and forth like this...

 

Then one last failed attempt from the kids...

 

And it ended like this...

 

And the winner is... Daddy!  As usual!

 

And Olivia slept through it all like this...







Pipestone

Wednesday I got to go with the 5th and 6th graders on their field trip to the Pipestone National Monument.  The 5th and 6th graders split up when we got there.  I was with the 6th graders so I have no pictures of Makenna yet.  We spent the morning at the museum.  The kids enjoyed the school room the most I think (other than the gift shop :) ).  Here is Maddi in the school room at one of the old desks.

 

After the museum we ate lunch at a picnic shelter (it rained most of the day) and then headed to the Monument where we could go hiking on some trails.  That was really fun.  We got to go over bridges and by a waterfall and by the quarry sites.

 

 

This was the group I was with :)  After we left the Monument we stopped at Dairy Queen and got some ice cream before heading home.  I love to be able to go on these trips with the kids and spend time with them.  I also enjoy getting to know the other kids at school.  They are such a fun group of kids!



Wax Museum

Earlier this week the 4th graders created a wax museum.  Each student picked a famous person from South Dakota and researched them. They created a poster board that looked like an information board that maybe you would see in a museum.  Then they dressed up to look like their person.  When you would come to their display you would have to "push" a button and they would stand up and recite their speech telling you all about who they were.  Then they would sit back down and wait for the next person to push the button.  It was really fun to see them.  They all did such a good job.

Zane had Wild Bill Hickok.

Since Wild Bill was in love with Calamity Jane they had their displays up next to each other.  Here are the two of them together.

 

Don't they look thrilled to be having their picture taken together?!  

The Windows Were Opened

In the early morning hours I received a phone call.  This phone call was an answer to my cries of yesterday morning.  On my way to town yesterday (I blogged about my day yesterday) I cried and poured out my heart to my Heavenly Father.  The immediate answer was peace. I made it through the day despite a crazy day of subbing (one child had to be driven off in an ambulance after jumping off a fence and cutting her arm open - I was on recess duty at the time) and more financial frustrations.  We were all together at the end of the day.  We had been able to enjoy the beautiful weather and we were all healthy and happy.

Early this morning, Heavenly Father continued His answer by a phone call from a member of our church who was stopping by with some things he felt prompted to bring.  Now this person lives in Marshall so he was not just driving through the neighborhood and decided to stop by.  He was at home sleeping and woke with a feeling to contact us.  I was a little caught off guard and very overwhelmed.  Truly, as it says in Malachi, the windows of heaven were opened and there were blessings given so that there was not enough room to receive them.

I must testify that I know God lives.  He loves each and every one of us - even those who don't love Him.  He knows each and every one of us.  He is our Father and we are His children.  He is aware of our needs.  He hears our cries.  He answers our prayers.  He will not forsake us.  He may not take away our pains and struggles, but He will give us the strength to go through them. 

All of our problems are not solved.  There will still be struggling and hard times.  But I know that I will not be facing them alone.  I know that all I have to do is call to my Heavenly Father and He will answer my prayers.  Maybe not in ways that I want or expect, but He will answer with what I need. This morning's answer let me know that we are doing the right thing.  That being here was the right move and that in the end everything will be all right.

Hope On. Journey On.

In our church twice a year we have what is called a General Conference.  This is a world-wide broadcasted meeting in which the leaders of our church speak to us on various spiritual topics.  We are taught about the scriptures, how to be better Christians, chastity, charity, having faith, being prepared, being obedient, following the Savior, etc.  I love listening and learning during these times.

The other night for our family home evening, we were listening to one of the speakers from the most recent General Conference.  It was Jeffrey R. Holland.  He was talking about believing and having faith.  You can read it here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng

There were two short sentences that he said that really touched me.  He said, "Hope on. Journey on."  These four words really came into play today.  I will tell you why. 

I know I have mentioned in previous blogs about the struggles we had in coming here and after we were here.  We had people who treated us rudely and unfairly.  I felt like I had lost family relationships and friendships that could never be replaced.  My parents were extremely upset, especially my mom and I felt like I had lost one of my very best friends.  Things are better now, but I still have a hard time opening up about my life to her because of the reaction and conversations that took place earlier.  There are days that I cry because I wish she were there to talk to but I still feel a gap when it comes to certain areas of my life.  I know she loves me and wants the best for me.  I know she would do anything for me, but my guard is still up about certain things.  So instead, I talk to my Heavenly Father.  Hoping for peace and comfort from Him.

As mentioned before, we took a huge pay cut when we moved here.  To be honest, it has been really hard making ends meet.  I have tried, but some months it just doesn't happen.  I feel my place is at home so I can take care of the children when they are still young.  I substitute at the school to earn a little extra money.  That gives me the opportunity to help out but still be there for my children when they need it.  Today I felt like everything came crashing down.

I woke up to find that our overdraft protection in our bank account had kicked in but that we were still in the negative.  We had a lot of extra expenses these last few weeks and everything kind of came out of our account at once.  We have another account but it takes a few days for things to transfer.  So I raided my kids piggy banks and headed to town to try to fix things before there was any damage.  All the way to town I cried like a baby.  The words of my parents' disapproval were ringing through  my head.  Doubt began to creep in and a feeling of total failure swept over me.  Had we really done the right thing?  Was being together as a family really more important than money?  Was moving to a place where we had to drive an hour to church, 20 minutes to school and 30 minutes to groceries what we should have done?  I knew we had prayed.  I knew we had both felt right about our decision to move and come here.  I knew we all wanted to be together every night instead of having Michael gone.  But why was it so hard?  We pay our tithing.  In Malachi we are promised that if we pay our tithing the windows of heaven will be opened and blessings will be poured out and there will not be enough room to receive them.  We go to church.  We read our scriptures.  We pray.  We teach our children.

Amidst all of this running through my mind, the words of Jeffrey R. Holland came into my mind.  "Hope on. Journey on."  Then the words from Mark chapter 9 came, "Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief."  This life is a journey filled with ups and downs.  There are times when so many things seem to be coming at us and we feel like we are sinking.  This morning was one of those mornings for me.  Yet, the Lord is watching over us.  He is there to reach out and bring us up.  Sometimes we have to be tested to show our faith in Him.  Our trials can make us stronger.  Even when we feel our strength is waining if we will just call out, "Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief" He will be there to strengthen and comfort us.  This morning in my tearful journey to town I felt that peace and comfort.  I felt that knowledge that He is there.  My mind was able to clear, my heart was able to be at peace and I knew that all would be ok.  We will struggle. I'm sure I will have more tearful moments in my journey.  I may have to raid  my kids piggy banks again. But all will be ok.  The important things in life will be taken care of.  He will not forsake us if we but put our trust in Him.

Hope on. Journey on. 

Have I Done Any Good?

In church we sing a hymn called "Have I Done Any Good In The World Today."  The words go like this:

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

 There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”
But go and do something today.
’Tis noble of man to work and to give;
Love’s labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something helps others to live.
To God each good work will be known.
Then wake up and do something moreThan dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

One of the best ways to develop love for someone is to serve them (in my opinion).  I think when we serve our hearts open up and we are more aware of those around us. I think the joy and happiness that comes from serving increases our ability to love. 

Lately we have noticed that our children are not getting along the best :)  There is a lot of fighting and arguing.  They get so wrapped up in themselves and what they are doing that they forget to think about each other.  I must say I am guilty of it too.  It's easy to do.  Add the crazy weather and super long winter to it and it becomes really hard to think of anything let alone doing something nice for someone!  I know kids are kids and we all have our days but lately it has been worse than the usual squabbles.

So, last week we decided to do our Random Acts of Kindness again.  This time though, we were going to focus on each other.  Our family is our most important thing in the entire world.  We need to treat each other with love and respect so that our family can last through the storms that life throws at us.  We thought that learning to serve each other would help not only the long term relationships but the current attitude in the home.  Each day we (Michael and I included)  have to find some one in the immediate family to serve.  Each day it has to be some one different and something different.  It can be as simple as writing them a note or as big as doing their daily chore. It isn't anonymous.  Each night after we read scriptures we go around the room and say one thing that we did to serve some one that day.  We don't do it so we can brag.  We do that so that everyone knows that we are all in it together and also so that they can see that each one of them is loved and is being served.  Some nights they have to think really hard and some nights they realize that they have gone all day and done nothing for others.  Usually when that happens that person is the first one the next night to share their service.  Each morning before we all go our separate ways we say a family prayer.  I have noticed that the kids have begun to pray for Heavenly Father to help them find ways to help each other and to help us all be nice to each other. 

Thomas S. Monson, the leader of our church, once said, "Kneel down to pray. Step up to serve. Reach out to rescue. Each is a vital page of God's blueprint to make a house a home and a home a heaven."  It truly does make a difference.  When we are looking for ways to help each other, our house does become a home and our home becomes a heaven on earth.  When we start the day off and pray for ways to serve and end the day with prayer and talking about how we served, our minds and hearts are turned to others.  We still fight and argue.  I'm sure we always will.  But it's so nice to see that at different times through out the day, we all stopped, even if just for a moment, and thought about others and how we can help them.  At then end of each day when we ask ourselves, "Have I done any good?", we can say yes and embrace the joy that comes from it.