Julie B. Beck

I love this talk by Julie B. Beck.  I think it is a "must-read" for every woman:
2010 Woman's Conference Talk

Mongolia in Winter

Bob's parents arrived safely in outer Mongolia - just in time for winter.  Here is their blog post - I love the huge coats!
http://bobandpeggy.blogspot.com
Brrrr! 

A Good Reminder

I just read this post on Melissa's blog about "process vs. product".  She talked about how important it is to remember that when we are teaching our children, it isn't just about the finished product.  I need to remember this more often!

We Believe In Children

This article gave me a lot to think about, and helped remind me of what a blessing it is to be a mother:

lds.org: We Believe in Children

I especially love this quote:  “As we look into the eyes of a child, we see a fellow son or daughter of God who stood with us in the premortal life"  

Remembering this on a consistent basis has always been difficult for me.  If I'm in a hurry, or feeling frazzled or irritated, it is so easy to forget to speak kindly.  

Lately I am being blessed to be able to treat my children they way they should be treated, no matter what.  I've prayed for years to become a patient mother, and the other day while I was running on my treadmill, I suddenly was able to see everything in a different perspective.  I was thinking about how busy our life is with all the classes, and other commitments that our children are involved in.  Then my thinking shifted, and I thought about when my children grow up and are parents.  

I just knew that if I could give any advice to them, it would be that nothing is more important than speaking kindly to their children.  All of the busyness of life kind of faded away, and I felt  committed to never letting anything be more important than the people I love the most.  Not having a clean house, or getting somewhere on time, or any of the other things that I am tempted to place such importance on.  

Since then, each day I've been reminded in some way to keep this commitment.  I haven't been perfect, but I have changed.  

On Saturday, I taught a class at "Make it for Maggie", a fundraising day.  I also attended several wonderful classes that helped me focus on my commitment.  One was a class about chores, where the teacher talked about the importance of remembering that we do chores and housework because of love.  Another was a class entitled "Reading, Writing, or Relationships, Why Education Starts with the Heart"  

It is actually a free downloadable class, and I'd recommend it to everyone:
http://ldsholisticliving.com/store/free-download-palmer-jodie-reading-writing-orrelationships-why-education-starts-heart

In this class, the teacher spoke about focusing on our personal way of being, our deepest feelings towards others.  This is how we see, treat, & feel about others.  We can see others as individuals, or objects.  She talked about the fact that, a lot of the time, we look at our children as obstacles.  Obstacles to our goals, or our schedule, etc.  This usually happens when the pressures of life build up.  However, when our heart is pure, and we are committed to helping our children to trust us, and feel loved by us, then our parenting and teaching will be so much more effective.  

I hope I can always remember that my children are on loan to me from Heavenly Father, and that I should treat them according to their divine potential to become like him.  

Apple Picking

We got to go pick honey crisp apples.  These are the most delicious apples ever, and we were able to buy them for only $5 a bushel.   What a deal!  We picked 5 bushels, and I think we've already eaten about half of them.  They are yummy.

Somehow I was lucky enough to be blessed with the most angelic baby in the world

 Yes, sometimes I let my children dress like this.

 But I take no responsibility for them doing weird things like this

Or for when he decides to wear pink sunglasses.

The End of Spud's Season

Bob & Spencer's team only lost 1 game this season.  What a great team they had. 

 Bob and his assistant coaches were amazing.  I really mean that.  The whole team learned lessons that will last a lot longer than the football season. 

Spencer is #11

Sideline Games

Adoring Fans

Halftime pep talks

This is a picture of their first (& last) playoff game.  It was pouring rain the entire game, so I didn't dare get the camera out much. 

I wish I had a picture of Andrew.  All of our girls watched the game from inside our van, but Andrew and Zach came with me to sit in the rain on the sidelines.  At first, they were wrapped in blankets, but then the blankets got wet, and Andrew wanted to stand up to watch.  I looked over at him, dripping wet, with red little hands.  I asked him if he wanted to go sit in the van.  It took a second before he'd take his attention from the game enough to notice that I was speaking.  He shook his head.  "Are you cold?" I asked.  Another blank stare, and a head shake.  "Do you want to wrap up in your blanket?".  Head shake.  I don't think that boy lets himself feel pain or discomfort, especially when there's a game to watch.  (A little like his Dad, perhaps?)

After they lost, Bob had probably the finest coaching moment ever.  The boys were a little bit discouraged, having lost in a rainy, sleety game.  He talked to them and started listing all the highlights of the game.  He told them he didn't want them thinking about the score, he wanted them thinking about when "so and so" did (fill in the blank).  Each time he mentioned a highlight, the boys all cheered.  Then each of the other coaches took a turn talking to the boys.  What a great group of coaches.  Everyone left feeling great, and excited for next year.

Miss Mally Munchkin

A month ago (what a great blogger I am!), Mallory turned 9.  She was so excited for her birthday.  She is growing up so quickly.  

Mallory, I love being your mom.  I remember very clearly when I was expecting you, and I heard the words of a primary song playing on a CD in our home: "My life is a gift, my life has a plan, my life has a purpose, in Heaven it began.  My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth, and seek for God's light to direct me from birth."  I felt an overwhelming feeling that this song applied to your life.  I hadn't expected to have another baby so soon, but your life really has been a gift.  You are such an amazing spirit.  Even when you were a tiny infant, I would look into your eyes, and I could feel that I was in the presence of a wise and valiant spirit. 

 When you were a baby, you always made this little sound that sounded like a bird singing.  People would hear you and it would surprise them.  As soon as you were old enough to make little jabbering noises, you would "sing".  Dad called you his little songbird.  You have always loved music.  Your favorite thing is to turn on music and listen to it, or dance to it.  

One time when you were about 3 years old, I came into a room where you were listening to a Roger Whittaker Christmas CD.  You were singing along to the words, and tears were running down your face.  I asked you why you were crying, and you said: "this man can't give his mom nuthing but clothes."  (The words of the song say: "My love, it's Christmastime, and nothing can I give you, more than all the love that's mine to give, For every day we live through.")  You assumed he was singing to his Mom.  I don't know why you thought he could only give her some clothes for Christmas, but it was so cute to see how touched you were. 

 This picture is by the Mississippi River.  We went on a 3-week trip back East, and you walked miles with us all over the country.  You never complained, just happily marched along, usually trying to lead the way.

 You are the hardest working person that I've ever met.  You just naturally want to help others and work hard at whatever you do.  I love to see the joy you find in working and serving.  I remember when we all were really sick the winter right before Abby was born.  (You were five)  I had been really sick, I couldn't get out of bed, and you were sick too.  I was laying down, and you came and laid next to me.  Then you said: "I can hear that those kids aren't doing their jobs downstairs", and started to get up.  I said "Mallory, you need to lay down and rest.  Don't worry about anything, I'll talk to them in a little while."  But you couldn't stand it, and said "no, I'll be right back".  You went downstairs, and then came back up, declaring:  "I got them doing their jobs."  It was so cute. 

You love helping with Abby and Taycie, and will often ask me if certain jobs have been done, or if the baby's diaper has been changed, or ask me what we are going to have for dinner, etc.  You love to organize and keep things running smoothly.  What a responsible person you are!

I love your laugh - it is so sweet.  You have such a fun sense of humor.  You are so eager to be involved in fun activities, classes, and anything that your older sisters get to do.  I love what a sweet sister you are.  You are a true friend to all of your sisters.   

I love all these things about you, but mostly I love you because you are you.  You are one of my very favorite people in the world!  Love, Mom

Nature Study Class

I've updated our nature study blog for the class I'm teaching.  If you'd like, click on over to see what fun things we've been doing!
http://ifamilynaturestudy.blogspot.com/

Hope you are enjoying autumn/winter!

Reformation

Here's a great article on the reformation & the importance of the King James Bible:
http://www.latter-dayhomeschooling.com/2011/10/learning-about-reformation.html

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther, a Catholic clergyman, nailed a document he wrote, identified as his Ninety-five Theses, to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. It was meant to promote discussion of some of the Catholic church's practices which he did not think matched the teachings of the Bible. It sparked a reformation where more and more people began to question the teachings of the Catholic Church and also began a movement that brought the Bible to the common man.

Martin Luther was not the first, nor the last of what we call the Reformers, but it was his act that became the tipping point.

Why is this information important for us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?....

Abby's thought-full prayers

An excerpt from Abby’s bedtime prayer 10/4/11:

Please bless me that I won’t have dreams.

and that no mean animals will eat me

And that ants won’t eat grasshoppers…

…ants DO eat grasshoppers...

Please bless the food that Mom put in the car for iFamily.

and that grasshoppers will eat ants!

Oh, how I love this man

“The place to take the true measure of a man is not in the darkest place or in the amen corner, nor the cornfield, but by his own fireside.  There he lays his mask and you may learn whether he is an imp or an angel, cur or king, hero or humbug.  I care not what the world says of him:  whether it crowns him boss or pelts him with bad eggs. 

I care not a copper what his reputation or religion may be:  if his babies dread his homecoming and his better half swallows her heart every time she has to ask him for a five-dollar bill, he is a fraud of the first water, even though he prays night and morning until he is black in the face. … 

But if his children rush to the front door to meet him and love’s sunshine illuminates the face of his wife every time she hears his footfall, you can take it for granted that he is pure, for his home is a heaven….  I can forgive much in that fellow mortal who would rather make men swear than women weep; who would rather have the hate of the whole world than the contempt of his wife; who would rather call anger to the eyes of a king than fear to the face of a child.” 

(W.C. Brann, Quoted by H. Burke Peterson, Ensign, November 1982, 44)

I am so blessed to be married to an amazing man who makes my life completely wonderful.  Some of the things that I appreciate about him:

·       That he never raises his voice or loses his temper with me.

·       That he is a rock - spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally...  

·       I can depend on him - day in and day out.

·       I feel safe with him.

·       He is mature.  He jokes about being immature, but he is mature in all the things that matter most.  He doesn’t do anything just for show or to look cool.  (Okay, he does joke around a lot and he likes to be the center of attention,  but I mean that he doesn’t try to buy clothes or cars just for status symbols, etc.)  He is sincere, real, and wise. 

·       I always feel loved by him - totally, completely loved.  Unconditionally loved. 

Recently Bob taught a lesson in young men's about Charity, the pure love of Christ.  I looked at the lesson and saw this:

“love can be many things to many people, but it may be classified into three basic types.  The first type is expressed in the terms “I will love you if …” People give this kind of love if others meet certain requirements. It is conditional and always has strings attached...(I will love you if you are popular, if you have a car, if you attend church, if you are nice to me, if you do your chores, or if you do what I say.)

The second type of love uses the word ‘because’ and emphasizes selfish or worldly aspects. It, too, is conditional love. People love others only because of their attractive qualities or characteristics.  (I love you because you have pretty eyes, because you try to make me happy, because you help me with my homework, because you loan me money when I need it, because you do things for me, or because you put me first.

[These two types of love] are not true love. They are conditional love based on selfishness.

The third type of love is unselfish and unconditional. We do not have to earn or deserve this kind of love by acting a certain way or having certain qualities. This kind of love can use the phrase “even though.”  (I love you even though I disagree with what you do, even though you have weaknesses and problems, even though you made a mistake, or even though you don’t always do exactly what I want.)

This is the kind of love that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ give each of us. They love and accept us no matter what we do or who we are. This kind of love is called charity.

The third type of love is how Bob loves me.  His love has helped me understand how much Heavenly Father must love me.  I feel so grateful for him… there isn’t a day that goes by lately that I don’t include in my prayers a “thank you so much for letting me be married to him”.

I love him. 

We will miss them

Bob's parents came to visit, for the last time before they head to outer Mongolia on their mission.  Yes, only 6 months after serving for two years in Romania, they leave Oct 3rd for Mongola.  What an adventure they will have!  http://www.mission.net/mongolia/ulaanbaatar/news.php?nID=257

We enjoyed their visit, although lots of us were sick when they were here.  We wanted to see them a lot, so we decided just to share our germs with them and the rest of our family.  We love to share  (Sorry everyone)

Even though we will miss them, we are very proud of them.  We know that great blessings came to our family while they were serving.  

I've been thinking a lot about how blessed I am to have such great in-laws.  Bob's parents have taught me so much.  I remember the first day I met them, I just thought Bob's dad was such a neat guy.  He and Peggy are two of the most unselfish people I know.  When they got married, they thought they would have one or two children.  Each time they had a baby, they had a feeling that there was "one more baby" that needed to come.  Eventually they had 14 children.  I was amazed at that when I first met Bob, and my appreciation and awe for them has grown with each child I've had.  They parented this crazy bunch through hard times and trials, but if you hear the family talk about memories, you'd think that it was all good times.  The Lamoreaux family knows how to have fun.  

Bob's parents attended Spencer's football game & took these two pictures for us:

Spud getting the handoff

What a good lookin' coach

I've learned a lot from Bob's mom.  She is the most loving and accepting person I know.  She is gentle, but firm when it comes to things she believes in.  She has occasionally encouraged us in a few things that we have needed to do better at (like sitting down to meals as a family), while always making us feel loved.  We never feel judged or criticized by Bob's parents.  They are faithful, strong, wonderful people.  

While they were here visiting, Bob asked his Dad for a Father's Blessing.  It was a sweet experience.  Afterwards, Bob was able to give his Dad a blessing.  I am so grateful for the gift of the priesthood.  

Bob & Peggy, we love you, and will keep you in our prayers!

Devotional & Personal Gospel Study

In our home school, we follow the pattern set in my home when I was being homeschooled, and we have a devotional each morning.   There have been lots of times when I've tried to shorten this, or take it out of our school day, but over the years I've realized that this is the largest reason that I home school my children - so I can have time with them each day to teach them the gospel. 

“Our children should be indoctrinated in the principles of the Gospel from their earliest childhood. They should be made familiar with the contents of the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. These should be their chief textbooks, and everything should be done to establish and promote in their hearts genuine faith in God, in His Gospel and its ordinances, and in His works. But under our common school system this is not possible.”

--Wilford Woodruff, Messages of the First Presidency, Jun. 8, 1888

There are lots of parts of our school day that I still need to do better at, but we have found a devotional schedule that really works for our family.  It does take a fair amount of time, and that's why I've been tempted many times to neglect it, but the feeling in our home during devotional is something I really treasure.  

Here is our schedule.  We really do it just like this.  This is one part of our day that is a constant. We actually have it on a  "three week" schedule - this is necessary to make sure everyone gets a turn to do each thing. But the blog was trying to be difficult when I tried pasting the three week schedule in, so you just get to look at "week 1".  The other weeks are the same, just different names, songs, scriptures, etc.

	Week 1
	Mon	Tue	Thu
Opening Hymn	"The Books of the Old Testament"
Led by	Aliysa	Jace	Courtney
Opening prayer	Jace	Courtney	Spencer
Storied Scriptures	(Mom reads / everyone draws)
Pledge of allegiance	Courtney	Spencer	Mallory
Patriotic Song	"My Country 'Tis of Thee"
Led by	Spencer	Mallory	Zach
Poem of the Week
Recited by	Mallory	Zach	Andrew
Memorization	Zach	Andrew	Abby
Scripture recitation	Genesis 1:1; Moses 1:39 (seminary)
Talk & testimony	Andrew	Abby	Taycie/Mom
Conference connection
Closing Song	"All Things Bright and Beautiful"
Led by	Abby	Taycie/Mom	Aliysa
Personal gospel study
Journals

We do devotional on Wednesdays also, but that is the day that my older children are at seminary and piano lessons, so I just do it with the younger children.  On Fridays, we are planning to quiz each other on our scripture mastery and scripture facts on the way to our gymnastics classes.

Most of this schedule is pretty self explanatory, but here are notes about some of it:

We use the Church website's music page as an accompaniment for our opening hymn & closing primary song.  I choose songs that go along with the scriptures we are memorizing.

Storied Scriptures - this is where I read to my children from the Old Testament, and they draw a picture in a scripture sketchbook of what I am reading.  We use the "storied scriptures" schedule from this LDS homeschool site  We often discuss what we are reading as we go along.

Memorization - I encourage each of my children to be memorizing something that they can share in devotional when it is their turn.  This is also when we practice parts for the primary program, or have them practice performing something that they are learning in outside classes, etc.  

Talk & Testimony - This is when someone gives a short spiritual thought or talk, and then they bear their testimony.  It is true that often "a testimony is to be found in the bearing of it". (Boyd K. Packer) so that is why I have them bear their testimony.  It also helps them not to feel embarrassed to share it outside of our home.  

I often remind my children to notice how they feel when someone is bearing a testimony, or to notice how they feel when they say the things in their testimonies.  I'll ask them "how did you feel when you said that you know that Jesus lives?"  

This is just a personal preference, but I don't let them start their testimonies with "I'd like to bear my testimony..."  I think that phrase is often a vain meaningless repetition. I really do not mind when I hear other people say it at church (I'm just happy that they want to bear their testimony), but I'm trying to get my children out of the habit.

Conference connection - I started this when I felt that we needed to review the conference talks more often throughout the year.  My intent was to choose a conference talk, and do a short object lesson, or tell a story from the talk, and then share a few quotes from the talk.  

More often, though, we usually just watch a "Mormon Message" on my laptop & discuss it.  These short videos are excellent!  I've been brought to tears many times while watching them.  We recently watched the one about "flecks of gold", and I felt a feeling that that is kind of what I am doing in devotional - just helping my children feel the spirit day after day.  It was a great reminder that "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass".  

Personal Gospel Study - After devotional, I send each of the children into a different spot in the house with their scriptures & other gospel study materials (like "Preach my Gospel", Personal Progress or Duty to God books, The Picture Bible*, Church magazines, etc.)  We set the timer for 30 minutes, and they study.  I've asked them to pray first, then read the BofM for at least 5 minutes (they also read for 5 minutes as part of their morning chores), and then choose what else they want to study.  

I sit on the couch with the littlest ones and read from the Illustrated Scripture Story Books, and other scripture books, then help them with their journals (they dictate, and I write, then they draw a picture of what they wrote about.) The 30 minutes passes way too quickly, and everyone is always reluctant to stop studying.  

I will say that this part of our day (children's personal scripture study) is something that took a long time to implement.  We've been good about family scripture study & prayers for a long time, but over and over, I kept feeling that if I wanted my children to have testimonies of their own, then I needed to make sure they had quiet time each day to study the scriptures.   

“Do you want to feel the love of God more powerfully in your life? Do you want to feel more in tune with His Spirit? Do you want to have the heavens opened to you daily?  There is a way you can feel a daily renewal of God’s everlasting love and drink from “the fountain of living waters” (1 Nephi 11:25). It follows a pattern set by the Prophet Joseph Smith when he went to a grove of trees early one morning in 1820 seeking answers to his questions. I speak of a morning devotional time spent in prayer, meditation, and scripture study. If you have a devotional every morning, even if only for a few minutes, you will be deeply blessed. I know this to be true.” -Opening the Heavens, By Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi, Of the Seventy

*A note about The Picture Bible:  My husband read this book with illustrations that look like comic-strips when he was young, and he knows the Bible stories so well.  He absolutely loves the Old Testament, and he credits this book with helping him learn to love it.  It stays quite close to the King James Version of the Bible, and while it cuts out a few rougher parts of some Bible stories, it doesn't "dumb it down" for children.  

Journals - Technically, we meet back in the school room for journal writing time after the 30 minutes, but lately several of my children have been taking their journals with them during scripture study time & just writing in them then.  I like to be with them so they can ask for spelling help, but we may try having the older ones just write in them during study time, we'll see.  

So, that is how we start our school day.  The academic subjects come next. 

The Ideal Schedule

Here's our school schedule, as planned:

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu
8:30	Mallory's kid class	Zach's kid class	BAJ at seminary	Devotional
8:45			C-Leave for piano
9:00	Devotional		Financial Peace Jr.	Personal Gospel Study
9:15
9:30	Children's Personal Gospel Study			Journals/spelling
9:45				Writing & Workbooks, math
10:00	Journals & Spelling
10:15	English  (grammar lesson, workbooks, writing)		Get ready for iFamily (dinner in crock pot)
10:30				German (JCSMZ), Chinese, Typing, & blog (A)  Little ones lessons & read alouds
10:45	Math		Sandwiches/soup
11:00			Leave for iFamily
11:15	Bean soup/salad	Chic. soup/Salad bar
11:30	Clean up	Clean up		Bkd potato bar/chili
11:45	Kid classes: Courtney, Aliysa	Kid classes: Spencer, Jace		Clean up
12:00			iFamily classes (12-5)	Abby & Andrew's kid classes
12:15
12:30	Readers	Readers		Readers
12:45	Quiet Study time (iFam assignments, reading, music) Ages 7 & younger-quiet time on beds			Quiet Study time
1:00
1:15
1:30
1:45	Bathrooms	Laundry & read-alouds		Laundry & read-alouds
2:00
2:15	Veggie plate	Muffins	Granola Bars	Snack sandwiches
2:30	Read-alouds			Read alouds

I'd love to say that it goes like clockwork every day (ha ha).  Of course, it doesn't.  But this plan helps me to get a lot more done than I would otherwise.  It gives us something to shoot for.  This morning we spent a lot more time on our first "kid class" than planned, just because we were really enjoying it and learning a lot.  However, I believe in Charlotte Mason's philosophy about the value of keeping lessons short, interesting, and focused.  That's why we plan only 15-30 minutes for some subjects.

8:30 - 3:00 seems like a really long school day, but in all actuality, this includes all of their subjects, plus learning about the gospel, writing in journals, eating together, reading together, and even some housework. We're actually only spending around 3 hours a day on the "academic" subjects.

Fridays we go to gymnastics, and the kids do their gospel study on the way there.  We bring some learning activities, games, or "homework" to work on while we're there.  My older children also get to do baptisms at the temple that day, and we're planning to start going to the library on Fridays also.

We try to have some "outside time" every day, either right after read-aloud time, or after dinner.  I am a sane mother when I get a daily walk (the kids ride their bikes, rollerblade, or bring scooters).

Some mornings we don't get going on time, and that's okay.  The beauty of home school is that we can make it work for whatever is happening in our home, with our family, on any given day or week.