Mini Missionaries

This morning we had our quarterly activity for the Primary children in church. The theme was missionary work and it turned out to be a lot of fun!
*
We started by sending each child a "mission call," like this one for my son, for one of 5 locations: Mexico, Japan, France, Russia, and Hawaii. They were invited to attend the "MTC" (Mission Training Center) at our church building and encouraged to bring their friends. They were so excited!

*

As they arrived each child was issued a missionary name tag ("Elder Carter," "Sister Snow") and escorted to their "plane" (rows of chairs) heading for their assigned country.

*

From there the children participated in a relay, Elders vs. Sisters (the girls won!). They had to run to a suitcase, unzip it, and dress in their missionary clothes before running to touch the flag of their country, and racing back to the suitcase to peel off the clothes, put them back in the case, and run back to tag the next person in line.

*

The kids were so cute, racing back and forth in too-big shoes with jackets hanging halfway off, intent on winning the competition. They had so much fun they begged to do it again!

*

After the relay, everyone attended the "MTC," where the 4 young missionaries serving in our area spoke to the children about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.

They did role-playing activities and answered the kids' questions about what a full-time missionary's life is like.

*
The children gasped when they learned the missionaries get up at 6:30 every day and spend 2 hours studying their scriptures!

*
Next the kids went to their assigned missions.

Here we have a group listening to Brother Blake telling about life in Mexico.

*

The presenters were people who either lived, worked, visited, or served a mission in the countries they taught about. They brought in native handicrafts, told stories, described the native people and their food and customs, and even taught a litle bit of the language of each land.

*

Finally, all five groups gathered again to share some of what they learned and sing a missionary song (see the video clip below).

*
Then came the yummy refreshments. Dylan was clearly enjoying his plate with foods representing each land: orange chicken, mini tacos, cream puffs, pineapple, and Russian orange tea cookies.
*

*

As a Primary teacher (of the 3 year-old Sunbeams), Sarah attended the activity to help out. By the end of the activity, of course, she managed to get her hands on the Blakes' new baby girl. Sarah loves those babies!

*

Here is a shot of our Primary presidency. Left to right: Wyndie is the president, Bridgette is the second counselor, Crystal is the first counselor, and I am the secretary.

*

Working with these ladies can be a challenge, but I do the best I can. Just kidding! They are great women and I love helping them run the Primary. Our presidency meetings seem to last much longer than they should because we always have so much to share. We have a good time together!

*

All in all, the children had a great time learning about other cultures and getting excited about missionary work.
*
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..."

Romans 1:16

Unfinished Business

It's been another full week, with no time for blogging until now. (Yes, I know it's sad that I'm sitting at home on a Friday night...**sigh**)

The FEA sponsor posted pictures from last week's competition, so I "borrowed" a couple. Here we have my son Jacob and another student receiving their silver medals.

Below is a pic of our winning FEA chapter, with their wonderful sponsor, Mrs. Schindler.

On my drive home from school today I listened to Jacob on the radio at 101.7 FM! He was doing an announcement for SADD Club, and he'll be doing another on Monday morning for another radio station, either 95.7 or 96.5, he's not sure which.

He said it was a lot scarier than he expected. At one point he forgot what he was going to say. Cute!

FEA sponsored a highly successful blood drive on Wednesday. They hoped to collect 45 pints of blood, and they ended up with 58! Jacob planned to give a pint (he donated at their last blood drive), but he ended up in the nurse's office when he kicked a door and painfully jammed his toes.

Since I couldn't get a picture of Jacob's donation, I sneaked up on Wyndie while she donated instead!

Here are the last of my Easter photos that I meant to post several days ago.

Dylan announced that he's too old now to color Easter eggs (he's 11), so he went to a friend's house. Guess what they did there: they colored Easter eggs!

Jacob left for the stake dance, so Sarah dyed the eggs all by herself on Saturday night. The tradition lives on!

Look what the Easter Bunny brought! Here is Dylan with his basket of goodies, which were totally devoured by Sunday afternoon.

I'm not sure how the tradition began, but long ago the Easter Bunny started bringing videos (and now DVDs) to my children. The kids always look forward to seeing what new movies will be joining our ridiculously large collection.

Every summer at our yard sale we sell off any old videos the kids no longer watch, usually for $2 to $5 each. It's our little way of spreading the joy!

*

I think one of the hardest things about watching my children grow up is letting go of some of the traditions that used to light up their little faces, like Easter egg hunts and dying eggs and anxiously waiting for the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.

I comfort myself that someday I will get to relive the joy of bright eyes wide with wonder when I have grandchildren. I can't wait!

Here we have Jacob with his Easter haul. I don't think his candy lasted much longer than Dylan's!

*

Lastly we have Sarah and her Easter basket. She actually saved some of her candy, but one of her brothers (I'm not pointing fingers) found her stash and made off with it.

In my general conference post on April 5, I briefly mentioned the Easter message shared by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, one of the Apostles who lead our church. I didn't go into detail because I knew I couldn't do the message justice. Not even close.

To hear the message in Elder Holland's own words and voice, click on the link below. Images have been added to this clip, but the retelling of the ancient story is powerfully touching. It's about 4 minutes long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rboSk1p06BQ

The Greatest of All

Now that Easter morning has come, I wanted to pause a moment to remember the amazing reason we celebrate this blessed day.

*

During the week we reflect on the terrible sufferings our Savior endured for our sakes, to atone for our sins and bear our tribulations, to give His life that we might live.

*

But today we remember His triumph over sin and death, when He rose from the tomb and ensured that we will all be participants in the Resurrection.

*

What a joyous victory! What greater cause to remember and celebrate?
*

*

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
*

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
*

1 Corinthians 15: 55, 57
*

*

And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

*
Moroni 7: 41

What is this thing that men call death?
This quiet passing in the night?
'Tis not the end, but genesis
Of better worlds and greater light.
*
O God, touch Thou my aching heart
And calm my troubled, haunting fears.
Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure,
Give strength and peace beyond my tears.
*
There is no death, but only change
With recompense for victory won;
The gift of Him who loved all men,
The Son of God, the Holy One.
*
-- Gordon B. Hinckley

Easter Snow

Every year our town holds an Easter Egg Hunt at Woodland Park. We have attended every year since 1991, when Sarah was a toddler and I was pregnant with Jacob.

Usually the weather is sunny even if a bit chilly. Sometimes, like this year, there is snow. That's Sarah in the red shirt, standing between two trees after we arrived this morning.

Dylan never liked the Easter egg hunt, even when he was small. I practically had to force him to pick up an egg just so I could take a picture of him participating.

Now that he's older he likes to volunteer. That's him in the gray sweatshirt running the bean bag toss booth for the little kids who do like to participate.

Wyndie's husband Eugene does these Easter games every year for his business, A-Alarm Lock & Key. His sons and Dylan helped run the booths.

Besides the egg hunt, the event also includes an egg decorating contest, a hike around the lake, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and a huge raffle. That's my kids' favorite part. We usually come home with at least two stuffed-toy bunnies.

No one stayed for a raffle today. After the egg hunt was over, a new storm system came in and heavier snow started to fall. The temperature was 36 degrees. Sarah, silly girl, didn't wear a jacket and her arms turned blue. My fingers started going numb with cold.

People with little children didn't last nearly as long as we did.

Before we left, though, we took a quick hike down to Woodland Lake. The snow was falling pretty heavily by then, but I love the lake. It has a nice 1.5 mile trail all the way around it. We didn't attempt the trail today, of course!

There were ducks all over the water. They didn't seem to mind the snow at all.

Here's another view of our beautiful little lake. That lone dead tree rising from the water has been the nesting place for a local eagle for many years.

Jacob wasn't with us today. He stayed home to clean house so he could hang out with friends in the afternoon and attend the stake dance tonight.

Here's a blast from the past: 30 March 1991. Sarah was 17 months old and Jacob was due in just 3 months.

Notice the little lavender bunny in her basket. Her very first raffle winnings!

The following year we had an extremely cold spring and Woodland Lake was frozen solid. I remember standing at the edge of the lake, holding 9-month-old Jacob in my arms and nearly having a heart attack as Mark walked with Sarah out to the middle of the lake. I was terrified that the ice would break and my 2-year-old darling would fall through! Fortunately, they made it back to shore safely.

Here is Sarah with her dad, meeting the Easter Bunny. She loved animals and had no fear of them, not even giant-sized ones in costumes, even as a small tot!

That same Easter Bunny still arrives on a big red fire truck each year to thrill the children and pose for pictures!

Ah, good memories! May you all be blessed with happy Easter memories of your families and friends this weekend!

Have a happy Easter!

Achievement

Spring is filled with school activities, and this week was no exception for Blue Ridge High.

*

Jacob spent Wednesday and Thursday at a state competition for FEA (Future Educators of Arizona) in Mesa, AZ. He designed this t-shirt for his project. He got the idea for hands holding an apple-shaped earth from the cover of the novel Twilight. Underneath it says, "Teaching the world one child at a time."

*

Forty high schools from around the state took part in this competition. This was our school's first year with FEA, so the kids were just excited to take part, with no expectation of winning anything.

Imagine Jacob's excitement when he came home two nights later with this silver medal! His t-shirt design came in second place out of forty schools!

To top it off, they received the award for FEA Chapter of the Year! The students were stunned, being a new club and all. They received a beautiful etched-glass trophy for this honor.

Our Chess Club also deserves a mention. They spent 5 days in Nashville, TN at the chess Super Nationals. The team stayed and competed at Opryland Resort, the biggest non-casino hotel in the USA. It has about 2,900 guest rooms! While there, they experienced a tornado warning and spent some time waiting in a shelter. Exciting stuff!

Ours was the only rural school (and only 3A school) to compete against 243 other high schools, all private or public schools from large urban areas.

Plus our chess team is less than 3 years old and had never been to the Super Nationals. Many of our boys had never even been on a plane! Their Sensei is the amazing Mr. Robinson (yellow shirt).

You can see that they came home with 5 trophies! The team won 13th place in the Blitz (speed chess); 8th place for under 1600; and 8th place for unrated. (This has something to do with the players' rankings. Mr. Robinson explained it to me, but I don't understand it well enough to pass it on! Sorry!) Anyway, they placed 8th in the nation!

Now you understand why the boys are holding up 8 fingers in the photo! (That's Wyndie's oldest son on the far left.)

The other 2 trophies were won by individual boys, a 7th and an 8th place finish. Keep in mind that this competition had more then 2,000 competitors! They all did an outstanding job!

Of course, not every achievement is earned on the field of competition.

Here we have Wyndie and Nicole bravely attempting to save the hard-pressed school district money by transferring ink from one printer cartridge to another, all by themselves, with no personal regard for life or limb or light-colored clothing! What could be more admirable, more courageous, more foolhardy?

When I mentioned their deed to one of our tech people today, he gasped in dismay. Really, he did--an actual gasp! Then he recommended quietly but firmly that I not tell anyone else. (I'm not sure why...)

But they did it! The old cartridge that fits our printer now registers at 80% full. The day was saved and we were back in business!

Of course, I had to escort these gals to the restroom to wash up since they couldn't touch anything with those nasty hands.

Good job, ladies! I think you both deserve a trophy!

*

P.S. My brother Darryl and my niece Ashley commented on my last post and shared their memories on the passing of my mother 7 years ago. I found them very touching. If you're interested, please feel free to have a look (just click on "comments" at the end of my last post).

Waiting in Paradise

Seven years ago today my mother went on ahead to wait for us in Paradise. I love to imagine her joyous reunion with her parents, her sister Eva, and my brother Gerald.

*

Mom had her first micro-strokes in April and May 1997 at the age of 59. It was frightening to see her confused and slurring her words. Her father, my grandfather Loyd Haley, died of a massive stroke at the age of 59, so we were worried, but Mom recovered quickly.

*

This picture with my 11-week old son Dylan was taken 4 months later, Sept. 19, 1997. Mom did pretty well for the next 2 years, but a lifetime of hypertension had done its damage.
*

She was on her porch on March 29, 1999 when she suffered a major stroke. Luckily a man who was there to spray for bugs called 911 and stayed with her.

*

Mom was paralyzed and unable to speak. She could communicate only by blinking once for yes and twice for no. How scared she must have felt! She was given a new clot-buster drug, and then Dad and I watched them load her into a helicopter and fly her to Phoenix.

*

Here she is at Barrow Neurological Institute 5 days later. She hated that feeding tube in her nose! Miraculously, she relearned to walk and talk, although she never fully regained her strength.

Mom continued to suffer health problems after this. In May 2000 she had a heart attack and congestive heart failure, getting a pacemaker. In June of that year she developed painful arthritis in her spine. In May 2001 they found she had a leaky heart valve. When she was dignosed in March 2002 with diabetes and kidney failure, just months from dialysis, Mom had had enough.

Mom declined quickly after that. She had begun to dread springtime because her strokes and heart attacks seemed to come in the spring. Now, however, she embraced the hope that she would go quickly in the spring of 2002.

*

About a year earlier she had begun to talk of her death as if she knew it was imminent. She began giving away her things and told me she didn't think she would live to be 65. I thought she was being fanciful and just needed to fight.

How could she even think about not being around to watch her precious grandchildren grow up? I asked myself.

*

She did confide to me during her last months that her biggest regret was not spending more time with her grandchildren when she had felt well enough to enjoy them more.

*

This is Dylan, who found his way into a tree near the gravesite after the funeral. He was only 4 when he lost his grandmother, but he has surprisingly clear memories of her. He still talks about how he looks forward to seeing Grandma Butler again when Jesus returns to earth and she is resurrected.
*

The night before Mom died we discussed how hard it was to enjoy the few foods she was allowed to eat. She was so frustrated. When I left, I gave her a hug and a kiss, never dreaming it would be the last time I saw her.

*

The next morning we spoke on the phone. She told me she thought she didn't have long. I called my sister in Mesa to suggest she give Mom a call, but we were both in denial.
Mom watched the final two Sunday sessions of general conference, then she began letting go. Dad called me from the hospital to say she was bad but the doctors were working on her. He thought she'd be fine, so I didn't need to rush over.

*

My brother Darryl was there. He says Dad was deeply in denial.

*

After we hung up, I had a strange sensation, like Mom's spirit had passed through mine. I remember telling her in my mind that it was okay, I was ready to let her go if it was her time.

*

At that same time, Darryl was watching the doctors trying to save her life. At first she seemed to be fighting to live, and then he said she got a look of peace on her face and just relaxed. Then she was gone. She was 64, just 5 months shy of her 65th birthday.

*

I wasn't really ready, of course. It was incredibly hard to go to the hospital after Darryl called to say she had passed away. It was wrenching to call my sister and give her the news. But there was no doubt in my heart that Mom chose to go and she was finally pain-free and happy.
You can see my dad went all out on the headstone. It tells a story. Mom loved her dogs and she loved traveling with Dad during his years as a trucker. But above all she loved family. All 6 of her children's names are inscribed on the back, along with a picture taken on the day we were sealed in the temple.
*
Left to right, here we all are with our Dad: Jeff, Darryl, Karla, Mary (me), and LeRoy. I know Mom loved it when we were all together.
The spouses are included in this picture: Darryl and Tamera; Jeff and Dana; Karla and Brian; Lori and LeRoy; and Mary and Mark (now my ex-husband).

*

The great thing about funerals is the support of family. It really carried us through that first week after Mom's death. We were able to spend time with relatives we hadn't seen in ages, who came to grieve with us.

Here we have Uncle Ernie & Aunt Alma, Uncle Elmer & Aunt Jean, Uncle Neil & Aunt Susan, and Uncle Ralph & Aunt Fern with Dad. (Uncle Elmer passed away a few years ago from a stroke.) Ernie, Jean, and Fern are dad's siblings. Ralph is Mom's brother.

*

Aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends--they formed a comforting circle of love around us.

*

Families are forever, a beautiful gift from God that we enjoy here and now.

*

We miss you, Mom.

Messages of Hope

Another general conference of the LDS Church in Salt Lake City, UT, has come and gone. I always come away feeling uplifted, determined to develop greater faith and live my life a little better.
*

The speakers and topics were varied, but it seemed to me the overrall message was one of hope--a message for the ages, but even more so now. Hope is what we need to cling to in these troubled times.

Conference is held twice a year, in April and October. It is presented in 4 sessions on Saturday and Sunday, at 10am and 2pm each day (plus a priesthood session at 6pm on Saturday).

The purpose of the conference (held in the conference center at right) is for the leadership of the Church to address the entire worldwide membership of more than 13.5 million members.

Many speakers addressed the hardships we face now and in the future, but emphasized that this is a great time to be alive. We were reminded that trials are not a punishment, but rather opportunities for personal growth and service to others.

*

Change is an inevitable component of life, we were told. We should focus on our blessings and learn from the experiences of others.

We were admonished to turn to Christ and listen for promptings of the Spirit as we face our trials. Walking in the paths of our Savior will bring us safely through these difficult times, as we also achieve greater faith and spiritual strength.

*

"We will never be left alone and unaided," said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve. God is always with us.

Service was a frequent theme. Elder Dallin H. Oaks quoted Mother Teresa: "We cannot do great things; we can only do small things with great love."

He shared scriptures on finding ourselves by losing ourselves in service to God's children. Our own troubles are lessened when we put aside selfishness and reach out to those around us in Christlike love.

Our greatest Hope, of course, is our hope in Christ. With Easter approaching, several speakers reminded us of events in the final weeks of our Savior's life. He was betrayed, ridiculed, abused, denied, and even forsaken briefly by His Father. He bore it all because of His great love for us.

*

Because He died, we hope to be resurrected and live again as He does. Because He atoned for our sins, we hope for eternal life with Heavenly Father and our loved ones. Because He suffered all things, we have hope in His ability to comfort us as we progress through our mortal lives.

*

Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency spoke of the Good News of Christ and His atonement. "Discipleship is a journey," he reassured us. "We don't acquire eternal life in a sprint..."

*

Elder Quentin R. Cook discussed stumbling blocks to faith, but assured us that "Heavenly Father's plan is big enough for all His children."

*

We were also reminded that, except for the holy temples--the House of the Lord--our homes are the most sacred places on earth. We were challenged to see that they are truly houses of love, peace, faith, and worship.

*

*

I'm always saddened when the final speaker concludes and conference ends, but today I also feel a sense of renewed hope. My life has its share of stresses right now, but I know the God in whom I put my trust. If we turn our worries over to Him, He will bless our lives. Not always the way we hope, but always with what we need. I hope my faith will be great enough.

Stewing Apples

"54 Blue Ridge Employees Get Non-renewal Notices"

*

Today it was official. 54 teachers in our school district received RIF notices (Reduction in Force), meaning they were notified that they may not be offered a contract for 2009-10, depending upon how deep the state cuts our budget for education. The district may not know until July what the cuts will be, yet the law states that contracts must be given out by May 15.

*

It made the top headline today in our small local newspaper, the White Mountain Independent, as seen above.
*

24 of those RIFs went to teachers at the high school, including 3 of the 6 teachers in my own department. It was a very stressful, very solemn atmosphere in school today. Many members of the staff wore black to school, showing solidarity with those whose jobs are endangered.

*

Today the students had a half-day schedule, and in the afternoon the faculty had a planning meeting to discuss how next year's master schedule will look if we lose teachers. Our school is the only one in the district with increasing enrollment, yet we may be cut like all the others. It doesn't look pretty, not for us, not for the students. Class sizes will certainly increase and our loads will be heavier.

*
*

Keep in mind, a RIF notice is not the same thing as a dismissal. By law, districts must RIF teachers if they can't guarantee a contract for the coming year. Since the state may not release the new budget figures until as late as June 30, our superintendent had no choice but to RIF. My heart goes out to him; I've known Greg for almost 20 years and he is a man of integrity. It's his first year as superintendent, and I know these decisions are tearing him up. But it gives teachers time to look for new jobs, although with the bad economy affecting all states, it's not too promising.
*

Unfortunately, we may lose some excellent teachers who do manage to find new jobs rather than wait around to see whether they have a job at Blue Ridge next year.

*

Despite the large number of RIFs, it's still likely that no more than 2-3 teachers will be cut from the high school. Perhaps none will be cut if the budgetary word is good. Still, I can't imagine how hard it would be to wait, not knowing.

*
My job is secure, though how it will look next year is still up in the air. Will I have a fully-staffed department? Will our classes balloon up? Will we be able to effectively provide services to students?

*

At this point they're still talking about a 5% salary cut, which concerns me as a single mom and sole provider for my family.

*

Even so, I believe we'll get through this by having faith that God will bless us during this difficult time, and by supporting one another by any means we can in an uncertain future. Teachers are strong and we will survive!