In My Memory

The Beard Question comes up a lot between us. He is more than willing to shave every day. I have to talk him into growing it--and I do love it. Sweet whiskery kisses, soft in my hands, familiar. He had a beard when we got married. And it has been insteresting this round to see the color pattern, just like his dad's (Sandy describes it as drool marks, and she loves it, too.).

Why are missionaries clean cut? The modern day prophet? One of my favorite recent talks on why it matters by Elder Dallin H. Oaks.


What Makes Mormons tic? Washington Post article says it well.

I am thankful he is a good man, a godly man, a humble and gracious man who made me French toast breakfast Saturday morning, serves me in so many ways, doing anything to make me happy.

More Shoe Hacking/Experimenting

First they have to fit & be comfortable. And not be covered in cat/dog fur or smelly. Bonus if real leather and made in Italy. And then the shoe has to be on sale enough to count as an art resource material. I've been collecting leftover shoes for awhile so I could try some ideas en masse. Men's shoes are wider, fit me better, and seem much warmer than flimsy fashionable women's shoes.

Clean off any dirt and excess polish before you start. Paint + primer seems to work as well as the leather paints I bought. I will report back wear & tear durability, which is superior.

Hot pink glitter loafers: use tacky glue first with a paint brush, then sprinkle glitter; let dry and then modge podge over to hold the glitter in place, or you waft in your wake a fairy dust trail.

Photo Caught

John got a haircut. It has been months, and months.

Yes, I am painting leather...

I wore the black brougues painted turquoise then modge-podged with a toile paper napkin layer to work on Thursday. Pretty good for $4 thrifted shoes plus materials I had at home.

Sharing Gifts

Roxie got a bow and arrows for Christmas. The target, quiver, gloves, and bow were all once Grandma Sandy's. We were going to buy her a compound bow (she is in archery club, and that is her favorite bow) but the harp opportunity came so we just bought arrows to go with the old equipment Grandma wasn't using. (THANK YOU!) Yea, we re-gift.

Even with florescent-colored tips and ends the arrows are INVISIBLE when they miss the target and burrow into the grass.

Painful Parenting

Parents teach their children by example, by word & deed. We teach by what we do and what we don't do, what we hypocritically preach and forfeit.

We aren't perfect. We've made plenty of gross mistakes trying our best, and sometimes not trying very hard. It is easy to try to look historically at what we could have done better, what we should have insisted on, paid more attention to, thrown more money at in order to save our children.

I know in the end, it is up to them who they become. What they choose. What they desire most. We can hope it will be similar to our goals, aligned with our wishes and hopes.

I want the kind of family reunions where everyone is comfortable and come because they want to be there. I want family memories that are funny and loving and kind. And silly is okay, too! I want to keep good traditions and forget the painful repeats, forgive and forget the hurts and move on and keep loving.

We were warned, and I want to shake up and scare every parent/future parent out there. BE DILIGENT! Be nosy, prying, questioning, doubtful, dubious, deliberate. PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN! Pray with them, let them hear you praying for them. Remind them to pray. Discipline them with love, but don't let them get away with doing wrong, even little wrongs. Catch them, scold them, show them how to repent and forgive. Take them to church. Help them see beauty in the world, expose them to culture and art and music. Include family experiences that are joyful and loving and non-judgemental and worthwhile. THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO THAT WILL PROTECT THEM FROM CHOOSING DIFFERENTLY FROM WHAT YOU WANT FOR THEM. Your children are not yours. They are themselves, their own, and they will make mistakes with consequences you cannot change.

And you will cry for them. You will cry with them. You will miss them when they are in lockdown and can't leave the half-way house because they have relapsed.

We all have it hard today with the media, the exposure to lifestyles, the choices. Clean living just seems so much easier to me, less angst-ridden, no guilt or embarrassment for wretched mistakes. Obeying the commandments makes you happier. I know that, I see that. I preach that.

We Did It!

Three teenagers left at home (well, Roxie is close to a teenager!) Every evening that we possibly can we sit around the living room (no tv upstairs) and sing a hymn and then read a chapter...

Last night we finished reading The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ!

I know this book of scripture is true, and we have made it a family priority to read it together, over and over. We have been promised it will help our family be closer, we will be blessed to have the Spirit in our home, and we will know truth, recognize it and love it.

We had to double up on some of the chapters this last week to finish the whole book. The ending is a sobering chapter, Moroni 10, full of promises and love. I kept thinking of how lonely and sad Moroni was, the awful things he saw because the people refused to be good or to listen to the prophets and follow Christ. They destroyed themselves because they turned away from the light. (There, I have ruined the ending of the book. It is still at the top of my recommend list. Ask me for a free one.)

We made a list of plans/goals/resolutions (almost all were phsycial-active stuff, like go camping, hiking, etc). We made ice cream sundaes, watched a double feature at home and went to bed early. Happy New Year!

This Amazing Lady

Those of you who have met John's grandma, Billie, aged 92, know her wild, fun personality. She has a kissing relationship with what feels like half the county (if we go anywhere with her everyone gives her kisses and she teases about pinches). Vivacious, witty, smart. And a very good sport. Could you ask your grandma to do this???

We borrowed Ho Ho Halsey Reindeer games and changed our usual family holdiay get together with some fun competition:

Put an oreo on your forehead and try and beat your challenger by getting it into your mouth to eat it first, no hands. If it falls on the floor, pick it up and start over from forehead. Suzanna was the champion of this game!

Here is Grandma cheating at the Mac & Potato game: ribbon tied & wrapped pkg of mac/cheese tied to a baseball hat and swing to get Mr. Potato head down to the finish line. Erik won this, and the Rudolph nose (ribbon hot glued to pom pom, vaseline on your nose, swing it up and make it stick to your nose).

Crazy fun, prizes, and opening Christmas presents to cousins and birthday cake for our pretend birthdays, including nephew's on New Year's.

I was thankful for the time together.

Billie said at one point, "There are 15 people here, and 11 are blood related to me!" We wouldn't have been there without her! We missed missing family. Maybe we will expand the games next year, but I hope it becomes a new tradition.

One more party next Sunday for 12th Night and another nephew's birthday. Dean's birthday, too. I think we are keeping things low-key for New Year's, dinner & movie here at home.