The Reason for the Season

I thought this slide show was a beautiful remembrance of 'the reason for the season.' I love Christmas....the decorations, the smells, the music, the being together, the excitement, the love, the peace, the wonder..... But sometimes in the 'hustle and bustle' of it all, I am "prone to wander.....prone to leave the God I love." He is the reason and the means of all that I hold dear....as Jonathan says, "Thank you, Jesus."

Fall Blessings, Halloween Ghouls, and Winter Fright!

Winter came knocking at our door this week! David was thrilled that the snow was perfect for a snowman---well a very ghoulish looking snowman! We thought he was quite unique looking with onion eyes, celery nose and leafy mouth! Welcome to Winter!!!!















The Blessings of Fall and Harvest---not to be confused with the Curse of the Canning season---is coming to an end! I think about in mid-September I start praying for a killing frost so I can be done canning and then of course, I'm disappointed that I didn't get everything done that I'd planned. This year I had some wonderful blessings that I wanted to make sure and mention.

• The first was a mother-in-law that canned green beans and pears for me----2 things I despise picking and canning. 96 quarts of beans and 52 quars of pears! Wow!

• The second was some wonderful ladies in the ward that were looking for someone to serve and wanted to can all my applesauce for me---all I had to do was pick the apples, wash bottles and provide lids---well, do you think that I could even get that done? So the kind ladies took pity on me, used their own apples, jars and lids and brought me 48 quarts----for applesauce, that is huge! Now, they did this for MANY different people in the ward, I can't imagine how many hours of service that was. I did get bottles and lids eventually washed and returned to them with LOTS more boxes of apples for them to can, but I was thankful they didn't wait for me or they would have never gotten anything done.

• The third was my kind husband who's ingenious tomato contraption produced picture-perfect tomatoes this year that actually ripened! Wow, this was a new experience! Usually Idaho frosts beats us to them. Also, my Dad provided us with lots of buckets of his tomatoes that added to ours in order to can lots of tomato soup! UMMM! Thank you Jeff and Papa Joe!
  

• The fourth was Joseph and Papa Joe that provided yummy venison to can and add to our food storage! I love canned venison in stew----it's so fast and yummy!

• The fifth was another very busy family in our ward who were wondering if they could have some of our apples to press into apple juice. We happily gave them whatever they could take and they brought us back some very yummy juice! Wow, nothing like that canned stuff in the store! But that's not all, they wanted us to have the great experience of pressing our own apples and so that made time in their very busy day to bring over their in-laws apple press and help us press about 25 more gallons. We had a great time and the rewards were scrumptuous!

As I gaze at all of the bottles lining my shelf, I feel very blessed and safe---what is it about looking at jars of food that you've canned (well---with lots of help, that is!) that makes you feel content and fulfilled? Kind of weird---I know, but it is a great feeling----kind of an "I did that!" feeling.

We also had a great Halloween---here are some of our cute little critters:

Preston High JV Soccer 2008

Soccer Joe's JV season

We have been wanting to post pictures of our amazing Preston High School Soccer player for awhile. But since my camera has had it and most of the time I forget to take pictures because the game gets too exciting anyway, I haven't had anything worth looking at. Fortunately, at the Soccer banquet last week, one of the Soccer mom's gave me a whole disk worth of JV pictures! What a sweetheart! The JV team had a GREAT season---they won 7, tied 5 and lost 2. They were a very fun team to watch and we loved going to their games. And they love playing so much that a few of them have decided to take it indoors and play soccer all winter long. Of course, Joseph can't be left out of that! So I guess we'll get to continue watching our number 2 a little while longer. Congrats, Joseph on a great season!

Suggestions for Strengthening Families

My friend, LuWenn, had this list posted on her website. It is a little daunting, but I thought it was a good reminder, and self-check list to see how I'm doing with my family. I have a very LONG ways to go with these things, so I'm posting them here to remind myself of what my priorities should be. LuWenn said that she got this list from her Area Authority at their last Stake Conference. It was given to him and other General Authorities at a training by one of the Twelve Apostles. Anyway, we always need a list to work on, so here is not just any list but THE LIST of all lists!

The following instructions appear at the top of the list:

Remember that Satan’s focus is everything associated with Family.

Understand and implement each principle on the list before using an exception as an excuse.

Do not be overwhelmed, but be persistent and consistent.

Understand the principle “that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.”

So here’s “the list.”

1. Assist sons to earn the “Eagle Scout” and “Duty to God” awards and daughters to earn the “Young Womanhood” award.

2. Eat at least one meal together every day as a family.

3. Kneel together in family prayer night and morning.

4. Teach children the importance of graduating from Seminary and Institute.

5. Help children save for missions and for post high school education.

6. Review frequently and practice consistently the principles taught in The Family.

7. Teach children the principles of thrift and how to avoid unnecessary debt.

8. Attend church as a family and sit together near the front of the chapel.

9. Hold meaningful family home evenings every Monday.

10. Teach children the “Plan of Salvation” with emphasis on the essential nature of “Saving Ordinances.”

11. Hold husband/wife planning sessions weekly to discuss relationship needs, individual children’s needs, and family finances.

12. Arrange schedules so that one parent can spend dedicated time with one child each week.

13. Don’t give children an allowance. Rather, provide them with worthwhile work opportunities, pay them for jobs well done and teach them how to budget their earnings.

14. Search the scriptures daily, both personally and as a family.

15. Hang a picture of the temple in a prominent place in your home. Attend the temple often and express your feelings about the temple to your children.

16. Fill your home with worthy literature and worthy music.

17. Strictly monitor the use of television and Internet for yourselves and your children.

18. Arrive at church 10 minutes early so that you can pause and meditate.

19. Obtain, study, and reflect on patriarchal blessings regularly.

20. Teach children that their individual worth comes from who they are–not from what they have or what they don’t have.

21. Correct children in a firm and timely manner. Focus on the unnacceptable behavior without demeaning the child.

22. Establish your home as a place of peace, security, understanding, quiet communications, and love.

23. Lead out in “giving heed to all the words of the prophet.”

24. Be prepared for temporal emergencies by implementing the guidelines found in the “All is Safely Gathered In” booklets.

25. Teach children to enjoy hard work.

A pretty exhaustive list!! Just thought I'd share!

The Deer Hunt

How do we lift this thing up?

A four-pointer no less!

Joseph got his first deer last Friday----what an experience! He and Papa Joe left about 5:30 a.m. to scout out the perfect place. I guess lots of other people thought it was the perfect place too, because they had lots of company! Joseph said that he got his deer about 11:30 a.m. Well, we didn't see Joseph or Papa Joe until about 8:00 p.m. that night.....so what happened??!!?? Well, of course, there's the story! Dragging the deer back to the truck after it was shot was another story. Joseph kept saying, "I don't know how we did it-----I was totally exahausted, but I wasn't going to let a 70-year-old man beat me! If Papa Joe could do it, then so could I!" We forgot to tell Joseph that Papa Joe's mantra is "If it's not hard, it's not worth doing!" Just kidding! They had a great time and we learned the fine points of bottling venison on Saturday---those 16 quarts of meat are very precious! If you think tomato soup is time consuming----try bottling venison! Anyway, Congrats to Joseph on his first deer---a four-pointer, no less!

Happy Birthday to YOU!!!!!

Happy Birthday---Joseph-15!!!, David-7!!!!, Grandmother????!!!!

We had a great 'combined' birthday party for Joseph, David and Grandmother on Friday. Thanks for coming, Grandmother and Papa Joe! Actually, Grandmother's 'surprise' party was on Saturday, so we included her in our Friday party so she wouldn't 'suspect' that there was going to be another party! Anyway, we had lots of fun---ate Taco Soup, blew out candles on raspberry filled cake and ice cream, popped balloons and opened presents, of course! Everything's better when there's presents.............David's sure of that! We love you Joseph and David and Grandmother! You're the best!

Beautiful Baby Jacob!

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month

As I was looking through some information that was sent to me about Jacob this month from the Infant and Toddler program, I noticed that October is National Down Syndrome Awareness month. So I thought I would post some general information about Down Syndrome FYI and some cute pics of Baby Jacob (aka Beautiful Baby)!

Here are some Myths and Truths about Down Syndrome:

Myth: Down syndrome is a rare genetic disorder.
Truth: Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring genetic condition. One in every 733 live births is a child with Down syndrome, representing approximately 5,000 births per year in the United States alone. Today, more than 400,000 people in the United States have Down syndrome.

Myth: People with Down syndrome have a short life span.
Truth: Life expectancy for individuals with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent years, with the average life expectancy approaching that of peers without Down syndrome.

Myth: Most children with Down syndrome are born to older parents.
Truth: Most children with Down syndrome are born to women younger than 35-years-old simply because younger women have more children. However, the incidence of births of children with Down syndrome increases with the age of the mother.

Myth: People with Down syndrome are severely “retarded.”
Truth: Most people with Down syndrome have IQs that fall in the mild to moderate range of intellectual disability (formerly known as “retardation”). Children with Down syndrome fully participate in public and private educational programs. Educators and researchers are still discovering the full educational potential of people with Down syndrome.

Myth: Most people with Down syndrome are institutionalized.
Truth: Today people with Down syndrome live at home with their families and are active participants in the educational, vocational, social, and recreational activities of the community. They are integrated into the regular education system and take part in sports, camping, music, art programs and all the other activities of their communities. People with Down syndrome are valued members of their families and their communities, contributing to society in a variety of ways.

Myth: Parents will not find community support in bringing up their child with Down syndrome.
Truth: In almost every community of the United States there are parent support groups and other community organizations directly involved in providing services to families of individuals with Down syndrome.

Myth: Children with Down syndrome must be placed in segregated special education programs.
Truth: Children with Down syndrome have been included in regular academic classrooms in schools across the country. In some instances they are integrated into specific courses, while in other situations students are fully included in the regular classroom for all subjects. The current trend in education is for full inclusion in the social and educational life of the community. Increasingly, individuals with Down syndrome graduate from high school with regular diplomas, participate in post-secondary academic and college experiences and, in some cases, receive college degrees.

Myth: Adults with Down syndrome are unemployable.
Truth: Businesses are seeking young adults with Down syndrome for a variety of positions. They are being employed in small- and medium-sized offices: by banks, corporations, nursing homes, hotels and restaurants. They work in the music and entertainment industry, in clerical positions, childcare, the sports field and in the computer industry. People with Down syndrome bring to their jobs enthusiasm, reliability and dedication.

Myth: People with Down syndrome are always happy.
Truth: People with Down syndrome have feelings just like everyone else in the population. They experience the full range of emotions. They respond to positive expressions of friendship and they are hurt and upset by inconsiderate behavior.

Myth: Adults with Down syndrome are unable to form close interpersonal relationships leading to marriage.
Truth: People with Down syndrome date, socialize, form ongoing relationships and marry.

Myth: Down syndrome can never be cured.
Truth: Research on Down syndrome is making great strides in identifying the genes on chromosome 21 that cause the characteristics of Down syndrome. Scientists now feel strongly that it will be possible to improve, correct or prevent many of the problems associated with Down syndrome in the future.

Also here are a few FAQ's about Down Syndrome:

• Down syndrome occurs when an individual has three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome. This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome.
• People with Down syndrome have an increased risk for certain medical conditions such as congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems, Alzheimer's disease, childhood leukemia, and thyroid conditions. Many of these conditions are now treatable, so most people with Down syndrome lead healthy lives.
• A few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm. Every person with Down syndrome is a unique individual and may possess these characteristics to different degrees or not at all.
• Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent decades - from 25 in 1983 to 60 today.
• People with Down syndrome attend school, work, participate in decisions that affect them, and contribute to society in many wonderful ways.
• Here is a link to the National Down Syndrome Society if you want any further information: ndss.org.
  

We love Jacob soooo much and don't know what we'd do without our beautiful baby! He is doing great right now---beginning to sit without support (he loves to sit in his Bumbo chair), starting to play with toys and trying to understand why we want him to eat solids---bleh!!!! Baby food is not very appetizing when you could be snuggled up with Mom and nursing blissfully away in peace! But, we all have to be kicked out of our comfort zone at some point, so we're trying to help Jacob make the best of it. He loves to pull funny faces and send his brothers into gales of laughter and then he looks innocent as if to say-----"what's all the fuss about?" Jacob is a very good baby, but has his likes and dislikes just like everyone else and gets cranky when he gets tired---(I'm sure he gets that from the MALE side of the family!) We love you, Jacob!

Win a handbag!

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Update on the Gang.....Home Improvement Event

My original purpose in blogging was to keep better track of our family happenin's---a 'journal of sorts' as Mary suggests. So I've decided to quit waiting for some world class event to happen again before I write and update the blog. Hopefully, this entry won't be tooo boring!

Unfortunately, as I recall events of the week, I am struck with 'vacant brain syndrome'---the fact that my memory only lasts as long as the room I'm standing in at the time---if I change rooms, my memory is suddenly erased---an amazing phenomenon that seems to get worse with aging! Anyway, I will plod along and see if I can't stir up something out of this 'vacant brain'! I will start with our latest home improvement event.

Home Improvement event: Prior to the delivery of 'beautiful baby' last January, I had that wonderful stroke of 'nesting frenzy' seize me prior to Christmas and I painted and cleaned out an unfinished portion of the downstairs and one of the bedrooms. This was sparked by my desire to move resident 'then toddler-house-destroyer' out of his crib and nursery upstairs, to the basement--current domain of the Birch Creek Gang boys (stinky socks, dirty gym clothes, unmade beds.. general mess area). Well, I eventually won out in moving the little 'destroyer' downstairs (after several weeks of sleepless nights and holes in the wall) and even moved Soccer Joe into his 'new room' aka 'corner next to the bathroom.'

At the time, I extracted a promise from Farmer Boy that if I did my little paint job on the walls, trim, ceiling, etc, that he would put baseboard trim up so that we could put carpet down and have a nice new little addition to the basement. Yes, well, and there are currently several pieces of baseboard up....and they've been up for quite a while, ...but... yeah..., new and more interesting projects have drawn Farmer Boy's attention elsewhere. Meanwhile, I have had distractions of my own, along with little to no technical expertise to rely on, and hence, the basement floor was still a cold, concrete slab. This was actually not too bad during the summer when you could pad along the cool floor and get a little reprieve from the heat. But now as Fall has progressed, I have felt increasingly guilty as I have checked on my little brood before I head to bed and seen Soccer Joe sprawled on the concrete slab--snoring in his attempt to pray before hopping into bed.

I have debated about what would be easier---motivating Farmer Boy to finish project (which apparently holds little interest for him)...hmmm..., sharpening my own pathetic carpentry skills and finishing the project myself...hahaha....., or raiding my parents' house for a spare 'prayer' rug for said snoring soccer player...much better thought! Hmm, motivate Farmer Boy, learn a new skill.....not going to happen in a short amount of time, ...so raiding the parents was clearly the only alternative.

It's amazing what one phone call to fabulous parents can accomplish-----rug on the floor, soccer decoration applied to wall, mirror hung, trim nailed up---all in 2 hours or less. Let's see that's 8 months of guilt, bugging husband, throwing fits, spilling tears, etc. resolved in ...just a couple of hours?! Papa Joe you are amazing! Thank you, thank you! Now we have snoring soccer boy on nice warm rug, less-harried husband, and less guilty/frazzled mom! The bed still needs to be refinished and window shades hung, but the transformation is quite amazing---too bad I don't have any 'before' pictures. You'll just have to trust me that when Papa Joe and I stepped back to check out the room---it was an awesome sight! Anyway, here are some pics----I will post more when I get the bed painted! Hopefully, not in 8 more months!!!

Golden Autumn!

Fall! Fall! Fall! What a beautiful world!

On Monday, Benjamin reported that he had a great field trip to the American West Heritage Center (in the rain and mud, of course) and then David reported that he was going on one as well this week. Samuel, the resident home schoolee, decided that we needed a field trip as well. Of course, let's add that between canning, cleaning, soccer games, lessons, more cleaning, homework, scouts, practicing, blah, blah, blah, laundry, more cleaning, laundry, etc.... you get the idea, I'm sure I'm not alone! So I finally said, what the heck, jump in the car and let's drive up the canyon and take some pictures of the leaves. So after rounding up the home schoolee and resident post-toddler-house destroyer and beautiful baby we drove up about 1 mile from our home and hiked up the hill. I began in my usual way of 'let's get the picture and get back to work', but my little entourage escaped from my photography session and I had to climb higher to round them all up. When I turned around I was awestruck----what an incredible sight! I looked up at the gorgeous fall array, the beautiful sky and I was lifted beyond myself. I looked down the road to where our house was around the corner---could I have really just been there in my little rat maze, running at breakneck speed trying to get everything done that never stays done, so dissatisfied, so ungrateful, so exasperated and now I was here looking at this incredible scene. We just sat there and soaked it up for an hour (all the time we could spare) and marveled. Who could have known that such beauty existed only 1 mile away? I wonder if Heavenly Father isn't trying to whisper sometimes when things gets so crazy, "Just look up, look out and beyond your own little mess---there's so much more then what you're seeing right now!" Anyway, never fear, I got right back into the rat race at breakneck speed as soon as we drove in the driveway--(amazing how we can turn right back to the mundane after experiencing the sublime---but duty calls!)--but thank heavens for a few moments spent in this glorious creation that we call home. We thought we'd share a little with you!

Here we go entering the world of blogging! Thanks to Mary we are taking the plunge and hoping to create a funner way to keep up our own family journaling efforts plus keep in touch with our extended family better. Here we go!

We are now into our 3 rd week of being back to school. Joseph has entered the world of high school at Preston High as a 'mighty' Freshman! Of course, the most important part of entering Preston High School was trying out for the Soccer team. After a summer of tryouts and practices, BYU Soccer Camp and the constant thumping of the Soccer ball against the house, Joseph succeeded in making the JV team! We are so excited for him! His team had enjoyed an undefeated season until last Friday night! Of course, it was the coaches' own fault for not starting Joseph as he had done in the previous games---probably due to the fact that Joseph had played in the Varsity Game preceding the JV Game that night---that was pretty exciting! Although it's hard to get Joseph to think about anything other than soccer, he has been busy also with school, seminary, violin lessons, a pipe moving job and tormenting his younger brothers! Joseph also spent time this summer getting his Eagle Project going---Yey! Only 3 badges to finish up and he's on his way to his Eagle Court of Honor!

Samuel is trying to convince his Mom that 5th grade homeschool is a great idea for both of them! Samuel is willing and ready to do the work---Mom is just disorganized and frazzled. So far Mom is keeping up, but probably not for long. Samuel also is enjoying playing soccer (a 9-0 win last Friday!), taking Bass lessons (aha--this is why we have a Suburban!), and taking care of his bunnies. For his PE lessons everyday, Samuel enjoys riding his bike up and down the hills around our home every morning. Just look for the reflective vest and orange hunter hat--quite the fashion statement! Samuel also received his Arrow of Light and Compass Points as he left Webelos and began 11-year old Scouts this Fall. Way to go Sam!

Benjamin is loving 3rd grade! He says his teachers just keep getting better--what a lucky guy! Mrs. Peterson evidently will let you earn the right to drink soda pop, eat candy, listen to your Ipod and check out limitless books from the library---what bliss! He was quite astounded at this prospect and is anxiously working to see if she will really do as she says she will do! Benjamin is also playing Soccer and scored an amazing goal at the last game, although his team wasn't the winning team. He has also taken viola lessons this summer and thinks that perhaps the viola sounds a little better then the violin did. Benjamin also became a Bear in Scouts this Fall and is looking forward to learning new things with his den.

David seems to have adjusted to all-day-long 1st grade without a hitch! He is enjoying learning to read and is a stickler about getting his homework done right after school---that is, if Mom can find the crayons and sharpened pencils quick enough (I need to invent a self-sharpening pencil---I'm sure I would make big bucks!) David is great at finding ALL the zucchini in the garden and bringing it to the kitchen everyday. I think I've exhausted all of the recipe books and online resources in trying to find new and interesting ways to disguise the prolific squash so that the boys will continue to eat it. Much to David's chagrin, his beloved Banana squash was pretty slow growing this year and so he did not get to enter it in the Fair. He did get to enter his bunny though and won 1st place in her category. Thank Heavens! David is also taking violin lessons and let's just say that our little violin teacher definitely deserves every penny we pay her! David does enjoy playing soccer also and did a great job as goalie last week for his team!

Jonathan is hanging out with Mom at home. His current favorite activity is to sing all of the "Signing Time" songs that he knows at every opportunity. We've been watching the DVD's and listening to the CD's from this series to help all of us in learning sign language---but Jonathan has definitely taken ownership of this new skill and enjoys singing the songs at the top of his lungs and showing us his 'signs'! He is a fireball of energy and frequently gets frustrated with his Mom's inability to keep up with him. He rules the outdoors and loves his Grandpa's motorcycle, Dad's four wheeler and Papa Joe's tractor more than anything! If it moves---he's got to be on it!

Jacob is our sweet little bundle of huggable loveliness! Life doesn't get much better then having him nestle into your shoulder while he sucks on his fingers and thumb (much to Jeff's chagrin!) He is definitely developing his own little personality and has some funny little faces that he makes in his attempts to 'smile' and act very excited! He is starting to sit pretty well with the aid of his 'Bumbo chair' and loves to scrunch red mylar paper in his hands and other objects that Jonathan provides him with. He's starting to explore the world of cereal, vegetables and 'real food.' He's not really sold on it yet, but seems to enjoy the mess it makes!

Our garden, though it had a late start, is busy producing---of course, it all seems to come at once---school, soccer, harvesting and always, mowing! My mother-in-law, bless her heart, has already canned about 42 quarts of beans for us. The corn is about ready and the cucumbers and zucchini, of course, are out of control! If you need any---please ask--I think we would even deliver it to you if we could get rid of some of it. Hopefully, the weather will hold out and give the tomatoes a chance to ripen and the winter squash and pumpkins a chance to grow---we'll be lucky if they make it to Halloween! It looks like the pears will be ready soon and then the apples will be on. We'd like to have some kind of Fall Celebration in conjunction with apple picking--you're all invited to come pick and celebrate---we'll let you know soon when that will be.

We've enjoyed having Papa Joe as a frequent guest when he comes to work on his farm. He puts up with a lot (a lumpy sofa and sharing the dirty 'boy' bathroom) and is always willing to do dishes, vacuum or take errant boys with him to 'help' him at his place. We've also enjoyed having Grandmother come up and hang out with us---she's always fun and full of surprises! It's fun to have them home again!

Well, hopefully, this will pass for our first entrance into blogging! We love you all!

Love,
Farmer Boy, Opera Woman, boys, bunnies, chickens and dogs