I LOVE MY GARDEN! Dining on fresh vegetables YUM! Tonight we had our first corn on the cob, along with green beans, crook neck squash and zucchini from our garden. From garden to table in a few minutes. Soon the other vegetables will be ready. I am so looking forward to warm tomatoes of the vines, sliced with cucumbers and drizzled with balsamic vinegar, a fresh chilled raw veggie pizza, or possibly a tomato cucumber sandwich.
I hate goodbyes, even when I know they are temporary. On Tuesday, my husband, my two oldest daughters and I drove to Cedar City, to take my second oldest daughter down for college. I read from Janine Bolon’s book on the way down (and on the way back), and would stop to discuss concepts in terms of our family financial situation. We took Jen grocery shopping and to get the odds and ends that she would need but did not yet have. Yesterday we took her over to George Wythe College for the Parent Orientation and Convocation. I took copious notes and learned much.
Jen asked for my pillow, yes the one I bought after losing my pillow on the Vail trip. I was going to take it over to the house and leave it on her bed with a ((hug)) note, but we ended up taking her to the house and I did not have the opportunity. When I got home last night there was a four page letter on my pillow. I sobbed through it. It was from Jen. Four pages of gratitude and memories. I handed to my husband and he cried too, when reading the note. Mary came in and asked how she was going to live without her big sister. Mary had been her shadow for her whole life. She prayed with Jen. She read her scriptures when Jen read hers. Jen was her daily shining example. So, I went to her room an heard her prayers. I rested near her until she was sound asleep. Yeah, this was hard. We were so used to her cheerful piano compositions. They grow so fast! We will see Jen from time to time, she is close enough to come home on weekends.
Life changes, children grow up, and before you know it they are adults. She is so excited about her new adventure, her opportunity to be at George Wythe College with such a large freshman class. This will be a growing experience for Mary, as well. She will grow much while her sister is gone.
It has been a very uplifting week. On Tuesday I got to listen to an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Elder Richard G. Scott, speak on To Learn and to Teach More Effectively. This morning I printed off the talk so I and my family could revisit the lessons and annotate what the spirit speaks to us.
Last night was Stake Conference and it was powerful. First their were testimonies by those who wanted to share on what people learned from teaching and being taught. Then we were taught by our Stake President Randall Hall on teaching and learning. He encouraged us to read and study the transcript of the World Leadership Conference from earlier this year (which, I might add, was part of our last Stake Conference), and he quoted a talk by Elder Bednar, Seek Learning by Faith. We had audio visual difficulties so he called two of the men out of the congregation to roll play the interview between Elder l. Tom Perry and Elder Boyd K. Packer. He taught how the Spirit uses both the mind and the heart to teach us. He suggested that we search and discuss the scriptures associated with mind on one Sunday afternoon with 3 or 4 people and the scriptures associated with heart on the next Sunday afternoon. He also shared from Elder Scott’s talk, as well. President Hall quoted that the worst kind of teaching in the classroom s the talking head lecture, and that learning is not a spectator sport. He was a dynamic teacher. I look forward to this morning’s session.
Punctuated by these two great teachers, I was fed all week by a series of wonderful teachers, teaching the things that I needed to learn. The Spirit was kind enough to draw attention to words, phrases, and ideas that I needed and that I was to pay closer attention to. I am so grateful.
We have a family tradition. Every year, all who are old enough to attend, go to BYU Education Week, Tuesday through Friday, all day. So, this year Roger, Julia, Jennifer, Jeremy, and I attended. James stayed home with Mary. James will be able to attend in two years. By that time, Mary will be almost 11 and she can join us on campus and bring a book or had work to do, while we are in class and enjoy time was us in between. It does my heart good to see my children want to go, and to choose a wide variety of classes, enjoy them, and speak with earnestness of how they were inspired. This is just the most perfect kick off for the new school year!
Wow! They grow so fast. Zaney bug AKA Zane Isaac Goff turned “One” today! What a cute little guy! Happy Birthday!
Happy 4th Wedding Anniversary to Jonathan and Tiffany Goff. What a journey this has been! Hold on to your hats, for the best is yet to come!
After breakfast this morning, I headed to Salt Lake with Jennifer to get her some clothes for college. We stopped by LDS-NHA Conference and spoke with Joyce Kinmont. Then off to the factory outlet to the Van Heusen store. Then we got home in time to make our hair appointment. Time for a trim! I got back in time to do a quick Chili bean burrito dinner. We went back out after dinner. I am glad I do not need to do this often.
Where did the day go?
I now know what it means to “shop ’til you drop” means.
Yep. That is right. Gene Stratton Porter was born 17 August 1863. Gene is my middle name, and yes, I was named after her and my mother was too. I need to be up with this next year and have a luncheon or something, only 2008 is leap year so her birthday will fall on Sunday. Maybe I will do a Gene Stratton Porter month, or something. Only time will tell.
Five years ago today I founded Moor House Academy. We started with just 20 families. Wow! My it has grown. We now serve over 325 families, in three countries! I have also grown, was required to stretch, and because of this journey I am a better person. Happy anniversary Moor House Academy.
I am busy tidying up and cleaning my nest. You do not have to be heavy with child to have a strong nesting instinct. Our two year old vacuum died and my husband bought a new Dyson. The kids love it. They have been vacuuming the floors and they feel soft.
When I did my Tree of Life stained glass piece I borrowed a friend’s steam cleaner to clean it. They were about $2000 back in 1998 when he and a bunch of friends went in and bought 6 units to get it at wholesale. So, when I was finally able to purchase one, about seven years had passed. I knew the technology would be better and the units less expensive. I googled it and found a Valor Clean TR5 on sale for under $500. I bought it in 2005 and still love it. Prices have gone up due to cost of living, but still feel it is a good buy.
I use it to clean the oven with no chemicals and the dry steam just cleans it like new. I am going upstairs to clean my bathroom and shower. I am so glad that it can clean without the need of chemicals. My lungs do not do well with chemicals.
The laundry has been running all day. The kids are deep cleaning their rooms. The hard part is that my 18 year old will be moving out to go to college in less than two weeks…we will miss her dearly; her smile, her laugh, her helping hand, her upbeat attitude, and her random moments of piano creativity. Her sister will then move out of the family and into her room. Mary won’t have to be alone. Meanwhile, I can see order slowly emerging from the chaos, as we all are in the nesting instinct, making way for a new order.
Today was a productive day. Walked and talked with Jewels. Went to the Temple with Roger. I just got home from the court of honor where my son got his life, four merit badges, and his On My Honor. Twenty minutes before we left, he discovered that he lost his scout shirt and I was quickly seam ripping off the patches from a smaller shirt. Boy, am I glad for double stick carpet tape. I cut it smaller than the patches and voila!
Now it is time to breathe. How did that scout shirt thing slip by? It would not have mattered, he would not have fitted it anyway. He is growing like a weed! Spiritual, Mentally, Physically. He will be my oldest youth at home this fall. I am very grateful for this 16 year old.