Elusive Homebuyer

Dear Elusive Homebuyer,

I was hoping to meet you or at least know your name by the 30th of April since I figured you might be interested in Obama’s $8,000 tax credit.  That’s a lot of money, but it appears to me that this will not happen.  My previous experience, in this economy, tells me that you will continue to remain at large.  Sorry this letter is so lengthy but I was wondering a few things.

Could you have been the person who got locked in my backyard with your Realtor when you could not shut the front door for whatever reason and decided to go out the back door, locking it, only to discover that the fence has a padlocked gate and you were locked in… STUCK?  That could have scared you away and perhaps you were intimidated by having to use my deck furniture to leap over the fence to make an escape.  I promise I wasn’t trying to trap you until we made a deal.  I really would have wondered about the state of things without the phone call I received from my Agent, and I admit I chuckled.  It’s just that no one has ever been unable to close my front door before and the padlock on the gate is there to keep my children corralled… especially the one who takes the nuts and bolts apart on this professionally installed chain link fence to make his escape.  The combination lock was the only thing he couldn’t figure out as a younger boy.  I like that it keeps bold trespassers out of my yard as well, or at least discourages them.  And by the way, there is another gate on the side that isn’t locked that takes you into my neighbors unlocked yard.  But you probably don’t really want to hear that now.

Could you have been one of the many people who came through my home and stated that its 1,200 square feet is too small for you as a single person?  You realize that my 1,200 square feet is the same as any other 1,200 square feet, right, and that its dimensions are found on MLS?  Shouldn’t you instead think that this house is absolutely amazing to fit 7 people with room to sleep 8 (as long as one bed is crib sized) and that I would be taking all of the beds with me when I move?  My husband and I moved in here alone… just the 2 of us… and this place was as big as a castle for us.  Did you realize that if you are moving in here, even with one or two children, that you could make the downstairs bedroom into a dining room again?  After all, that’s what it is.  Actually it was the only bedroom in the house, once upon a time when people lived much more simply, until the upstairs was finished back in 1942.  Imagine the possibilities!  And by the way, I don’t mean to pry but I was wondering what you have purchased in the way of furniture BEFORE you bought your first home to make mine too small for you.  Telling me, as the single person that all of the lookers have been, that my house is too small for you is like me marching into a home with 8,400 square feet and declaring that it is too small for my family… and did I mention I’m on a budget?  I need more than that for under $175,000.  I don’t mean to be rude, but lets be real.

Were you almost the right person, but in the end turned off by my “crowded” home, who was brazen enough to tell my Agent as much, but that you were probably “singing to the choir”?  You know that I have all the extra “stuff” in an expensive storage facility, for your viewing benefit, and the only things left upstairs are the beds, dressers, a case of books and a case of toys.  My children do live here even though there are absolutely no photographs of them anywhere that you can see, no artwork either, and it’s about killing me.  Thank you for pointing out the obvious, though, which is only part of the reason for wanting to move.  Again, I was planning on taking my “stuff” with me.

Could you have loved the house… except you saw that I did not hang matching towels in the bathroom?  I heard on the news this morning that matching towels are VERY important for success in home sales.  Actually I was taking all of my towels with me, old, new, matching or not; they’re not really a part of the house.  Personally I like having different towels; it’s more interesting.  That way I can tell if I’m using my own towel and I can tell which child of mine left their towel on the bedroom floor or stuffed under a pillow on the couch.  They are clean, regardless.

Could you have been the person who thought my basement was too cluttered?  Well, I’m taking that with me too, except for the shelving if you’d prefer to keep it.  I did mention it is a damp basement, so shelving is pretty handy down there.  Oh!  Did I scare you???  Most basements in Cincinnati are a bit swampy so if someone tells you otherwise, they probably aren’t being honest.  And all those boxes down there, filled and otherwise;  well, you know I did expect to go somewhere with them.  It should be a good sign to you that I wasn’t leaving you a big mess to clean up down there.

Would you have been the right person without the surprise that the house didn’t feature a fireplace?  You know the listings are all on the internet these days and it states right there that there is no fireplace in this home.  All I can do is shrug on that one.

Were you the one who was disappointed that the windows were not new?  They are now… a whole houseful of them and for a lower price!  The roof is recent and the central air, which I always thought was for rich people only until I moved here from the north, is 10 months old… newer than my baby who has not yet celebrated his first birthday.  The basement has glass block, the hardwood floors (save one upstairs bedroom) are refinished and beautiful, the living room, formerly the “wrong color” is freshly painted in a neutral tone, and the electrical all pass inspection now too.  The house isn’t “perfect” of course because no house is.  The house that looks perfect has something the owner is hiding, you better believe.  Home ownership means there is always always always a  “to-do” list.  But it’s YOURS!

Or would you have been the one, working last minute, wanting to see my house in 19 minutes in the middle of the dinner hour?  I said no to that.  If you’d have seen the book bags that I wouldn’t have had time to clean up and the pile of dishes and the vegetables in various stages of cutting on the counter and the myriad of Cheerios tossed around that my 10 month old was nibbling on while waiting for dinner and the mountains of laundry not yet folded for the day, you wouldn’t have taken the house anyway so it wasn’t worth my effort, I knew.  We couldn’t have cleaned up that quick even if my husband was home.  The smell of fresh wheat bread with a bit of molasses in the oven baking might have been enticing but I had to be home to take it out.  19 minutes???  Let’s be fair.  You did not reschedule.  I knew you wouldn’t.  

Did you not like my two trees and all of the flowers that come up in the yard all spring and summer?  I know this is an issue.  Although trees are a bit of work, they do save you on energy costs and if there weren’t flowers in the yard there would be weeds instead.

Did you know my neighborhood was voted the nations #1 area for affordable housing in 2007 by some national business journal based on what you get for your money???  That is positive.  And if you are trying to go “green”, you can walk to Kroger from my house, or ride your bike there, and we’re close to public transportation for farther travels, like going to work.  I have an “HE” washer and dryer we can bargain with that will save a ton of water, electricity (and money).  All light bulbs which you would probably like to keep are energy savers.  You can use a rain barrel collecting gutter water to water the garden or grass, use a push reel mower since the yard isn’t too big and you could even consider composting because there is sunny, fresh air space… again I say a yard is a wonderful happy thing.  This is a modest home… very “green”.  It’s the way I was taught and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Is only one bathroom too miserable to contemplate?  My friend had a 3 bathroom house that was only 10 years old and NONE of the plumbing in her house worked for days and days until the plumber was done with his repair job so there are no guarantees.  Just make friends with the neighbors; they’re all nice.  And remember, if 7 can survive one bathroom, it ought to be just fine for one or two.

Oh!  There is no dishwasher either… yeah, I know.  But my neighbors don’t have them either and they say it’s not really a problem to wash a couple of plates and cups every few days or when they run out of silverware.  If anyone should be concerned about this it should be me.  I wash dishes twice a day… a great many of them at dinner time, in fact.  I don’t believe in the “disposable” society we’ve become and I venture to guess that I wash more dishes in one evening after dinner than you would in a whole week, what with the “green” lunch box containers, not to mention the bread pans, food processer parts, beaters and mixing bowls, casserole dishes, frying pans, baking sheets, bathroom cups plus the usual 12 cups we use for milk AND water, the 7 plates and 21 + utensils.   I am one of the few that still makes homemade bread, which adds to dishes I realize.  The cashier at the store was surprised about that too when she asked what all the flour was for.  In drawl, “Bakin’ bread or somp’n?”   How do I wash all that in one sink???  Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you my secret about that.  It’s simple… I use a rinse tub on the counter which hides under the sink when not in use.  I’ll leave it for you if you think you’ll need it but you’re all by yourself with maybe one other person so there should be plenty of room to just rinse under the faucet as you go.

If you are the person who left the shell of a bed-bug in the middle of my sons’ room, don’t come here again.  Sorry, but I draw the line.  Maybe you stumbled on it at a different house you were looking at and tracked it in or maybe you live with them, but they are NOT welcome in my home.  It is still my home.  Please be respectful.

It’s a nice street as streets go in my little suburban city.  I do see the sheriff’s helicopter circling pretty often and searching with his spotlight in recent years but my kids know to come inside then and my husband says we should feel safer knowing that at least the Police are aware and out there looking for the bad guys.  There are no crack houses on my street.  That is always a street by street basis around here, I’m sure you know, and we’re good.  No worries there. 

By the way, my neighbor couldn’t sell their home a couple of years ago and decided to stay.  We have good neighbors.  Interestingly, her Mom told her that if she owned my home, she’d have been able to sell it in a New York minute.  My home has the most curb appeal on the block, many have told me.   Maybe “cute” isn’t your thing though, so I again refer you to internet usage, so you don’t waste your time or mine.  I’m a busy woman, as I’m sure you are.  I’m assuming you’re a woman because there aren’t too many men living on the street and my husband is the ONLY one of those few men who takes the trash out in a tie!  Relax; it’s on Sunday.

I know there are many houses to choose from right now; too many.  The news this morning reminded everyone that there is just a day and a half left to take advantage of the tax credit.  It gave hopeful information for the national picture… but stated that the incentive has done nothing for this regional market at all.  This place is kind of a depressed area right now and the bank has taken the loss on many houses only to turn them over at a very low price.  I cannot afford that because I’ve payed the mortgage I promised to pay.  All I’m asking for is enough to pay off the house and the realtor.  I’m starting over with saving for a down payment so never fear that I’m making any money off of you.  I know you wouldn’t appreciate that.

But if the above are things that you cannot see past then I will remain thankful that I am not the person who put up the sign yesterday on the main road that states “DESPERATE:  Please buy my house”!  I don’t actually NEED to move that badly.  I am also grateful that I am not the family that moved out of the house overnight in secret, fleeing the officials… or the people that came home to find all of their stuff tossed in a jumble on the front lawn with strangers sifting through it after the locks had been changed.  No!  I will own this house in 11 more years if you do not purchase it from me.  Is my life a little crazy living here?  Not that you care but I will say that I’m never lonely and the size of the house enforces more of a close knit family simply because of our proximity to each other.  And frankly life would probably be a little nuts no matter where I live.  I do have 5 children!  I chose these 5 children!

And this is home to me, no matter what, because the people I love are here.  In that respect it doesn’t really matter where I live.  I have other “homes” as well.  Wherever my people are, that is my home.  I have many happy memories here created over a large chunk of life.  14 years is longer than I’ve ever lived anywhere, by quite a bit.  I celebrated my second wedding anniversary here, I’ve brought 5 babies home… to this home and my beloved pets are buried out in the yard.  So, although there is a house that we really like so much with 6 bedrooms, a large front porch, a large fenced backyard, a pantry with desk, stained glass and a slate roof, I’m OK with staying, if that is what God intends for me to do and he will help me to find a way to successfully continue to raise my family here as I know he has already been doing.   I’m sure my great grandparents didn’t imagine having to raise children through the Great Depression and would have liked better for their children, but not everything is in our control.  I do what I can.  Wherever my heart is, that is my home, and I will make anything work.   I’ve been prepared for difficult times all my life and my skills, not understood or worth much to some,  come in handy, just as my mother told me they would, many years ago now as she foresaw just a little of what my life would hold.  I’ve held onto those words as I know she looked ahead at my future better than I could have and I learned my priorities in life… from her.  Thank you, Mom.

Best of luck to you, the homebuyer, as you continue searching for your future home.  If you show up here in the next 2 1/2 months it will be a surprise to me to finally meet you but I hope you find happiness wherever it may lie.

Sincerely,

Long-time Homeowner

Farmyard Fun!

In the month of April we learn about farms and have lots of fun around a barnyard theme.  Here are some of our morning activities at home throughout the past 4 weeks.

 

Nathan enjoyed board books about the farm including this large one with photographs of farm animals.  He likes to hear what they sound like when we read.

 

 

 

 

Kaitlyn enjoys this vertical puzzle to get the chicken eggs down all of the different levels of the barn. 

 

Here Kaitlyn unlocks the doors to the animal hospital with her set of color coordinated keys which she must match up in order to successfully unlock the compartments.  There are different animals hiding inside of the kennels waiting for a checkup.

Dr. Kaitlyn checks them with her veterinarian set while Nathan feeds the animals… and himself.

Nathan decides to see what it’s like being a veterinarian.  He is very interested in the stethoscope.

Kaitlyn puts together a pony puzzle with a little help the first time but all by herself several times after that.  She is proud of her accomplishment.

“Uno Moo” is very fun for young children as well as the older children playing along with them.  It is just like the card game only you match types of animals or colors of various farmyard animals and knock the previous animal in play into the barn.  Your animals in hand hide behind the bale of hay that each person has and when you only have one animal left, you yell “Uno Moo”!  Very easy… Very fun!

Nathan likes this activity table a great deal, probably because it makes lots of noise as he manipulates the different items.  Sometimes he dances a pretty cute dance to the rhythm.

We make up silly stories with the farm similar to some books we’ve read where the animals try to trick the farmer into giving them pizza to eat for dinner or they pretend to be different animals they’re not.  In our stories, the farmer may fall for giving pizza and bubble baths but he KNOWS which animal is which and cannot be fooled.  Kaitlyn enjoys a few minutes playing with the Little People Farm in peace before her little brother comes busting in.  I can relate. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nathan carries the farmyard fence and the cow away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kaitlyn gets out the piggy bank and sorts the coins by size…

She counts them as she puts them in the bank.  She has no trouble counting to 10 since she can almost count to 30 by herself without difficulty.

And she sorts them by color too.

Nathan gets a turn with the farmer and his tractor.  Again, we enjoy the animal sounds.

So many nice spring days!  We take the farm outside and play corn hole, tossing some homemade horse bean bags into a hand painted barn for points.  Both of these are left over from a birthday party several years back.  Only two horse bean bags remain since the kids at the birthday party liked them so much that I sent some of them home with the kids who wanted them. 

                                                They’re kind of goofy looking.

Kaitlyn also nests a set of farm animals; chicken, pig, lamb and cow.  She is good at fitting them together, judging size and snapping them shut.

 

 

She is also interested in nesting and stacking a set of farmyard blocks.  She has no trouble recognizing the written numeral as she nests so does not need to count the dots on the other side of the block like she did when she was younger.

Nathan isn’t quite putting puzzles together yet… he enjoys grabbing the pieces by the little red knob and taking them out.  Usually he tosses them around and crawls through them so that there are puzzle pieces from one end of the room to the other by the time we are finished and sing the clean up song.  Don’t forget to look under the couch or in the lego bin where he also likes to deposit them.  It’s like a treasure hunt every clean up time.

 

 

 

Nathan holds some of the puzzle pieces in his fist here.

 

 

 

Kaitlyn does her work on the piano bench so that Nathan can still have freedom but can’t reach some of Kaitlyn’s materials.  Here she uses rubber stamps to create a “Rebus” story as she recites a tale for me to write and she stamps on pictures throughout, in place of the words she wants.  Silly…fun…creative…imaginative. 

 

 

One rainy morning we played “Catch Me If You Can” with this purple rabbit.  We tossed him back and forth and caught him lots of different ways.

 

 

 

 

Catching him this way probably made us laugh the hardest!

 

 

 

 

 

Kaitlyn occasionally relaxes with a good book in Nathan’s swing which she has not yet reached the weight limit for so it doesn’t bother me.

 

 

 

 

We sing all kinds of farmyard songs with actions, movement and/or flannel board.  Here Kaitlyn sings “Bingo”.  This is a favorite sung at the library during story time.  Nathan loves the clapping part.

 

 

 

 

Nathan’s very most favorite song at the library or for Family Night or anytime really is “If You’re Happy and You Know It”

He claps his hands and stomps his feet for that one.  Mr. Sam gets a real kick out of him doing that at the library with the “big” kids.

 

 

 

Nathan enjoys this tactile sensory activity cube.  Each shape makes a different sound and has a different feel to it for both fingers as well as little mouths.  The items also go in and out different ways in various sides of the cube.  This was a great find years ago.  I had wanted to buy this toy but at the time, this Discovery Toy was somewhere close to $20 brand new and out of my budget but I got it for $3 gently used about a month later and knew I had found a bargain.  The lady checking me out tried to charge me quite a bit more for it but I put up a fight because I’d been quoted a $3 price tag already by her employee.  I stood my ground; she was mad but I was thrilled.  Another great thing about this toy is… when it needs a bath… into the washer it goes!

 

Singing time with the flannel board is better than TV for Nathan.  We have just finished singing “Old MacDonald” and now he is pulling the animals off of the board.  He’s got a tall reach these days.  We usually scatter the animals around and collect them one at a time as we sing.  Nathan’s favorite to find and hold is the farmer.  We have several duck songs, frog songs, and piggy songs we sing as well.  Do you know the song about the turtle with a bubble in his throat?  It’s got a great big fun surprise ending that every young child I’ve ever met just loves.  Nathan is no exception.

We’ve had lots of farm fun around the house and around town this month.

Pizza! Pizza!

Pizza Night is a Friday night ritual in our household that is practically religious at this point.  It began more than 10 years ago as a cheap date night at home for the whole family.  It was a way to unwind after the work week for us but it was fun for the whole family too.  And it didn’t break the bank paying for a babysitter.  After all, by 3 1/2 years ago it was costing us between $40 and $50 or more just for the babysitter on a Friday night and we hadn’t even done anything yet!  The whole family looks forward to this night all week.  We take turns picking a movie (usually Disney) and we have a picnic around the living room (another novelty).  Plus a special gallon of chocolate milk is usually purchased to go along with this FUN meal. 

I have the “best pizza sauce in the world” so my children tell me.  After more than 1,000 pizzas over the years, a good percentage of them have been home made.  And necessity is the mother of invention. 

Last summer Rick and I chose to pay our exterminator with our grocery money to reduce the amount of debt we were going to go into and this expense ended up going on for months.  So we relied almost entirely on foods that we already had in our pantry once our second round of meals being brought over by some very wonderful and understanding friends came to an end when our kitchen was put back together and we were on our feet with a brand new baby who was only a couple weeks old, baby #5 at that!  Previous to now I had been purchasing pizza sauce by the gallon since that is the cheapest way to buy it.  I simply froze the sauce in mason jars in increments that I used weekly and took the jars out to thaw two days in advance.  But eventually we ran out of pizza sauce… what to do???  Well, over the years I have discovered that I can pretty much make anything I want to out of almost nothing.  I can feed the entire family with two pieces of chicken for 2 meals and still have a little left!  And it’s delicious!  No one is hungry.  For years we lived out of our pantry each summer as we only received paychecks 9 months out of the year.  (12 months a year is much nicer).  So I just look at this as another challenge.  This challenge stuck and we now do it out of choice.

To start, I use a basic pizza crust which is just a little yeast in warm water combined with salt, flour and a bit of oil.  Once that is rolled out in corn meal (or flour if you don’t have any) I brush the crust with a thin layer of olive oil.  I open an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce per number of pizzas I am making (can be purchased for a couple of dimes a piece) and mix in a teaspoon of minced garlic in each.  Then I pour it out onto the crust and spread it over the oil.  I pepper the whole thing, sprinkle a little parmesan over that followed by oregano or Italian seasoning.  Then you dress your pizza as you wish.  It won’t need as much mozzarella since it already has parmesan.  Toss on the traditional pepperoni and cheese or a slice of leftover ham from lunches during the week or even a piece of frozen cooked bacon left from making beans or quiche.  Leftover fresh vegies from lunchtime cuts such as fresh peppers or mushrooms can go on or frozen pre-sliced onion lessen the pizza prep time.  These pizzas are also less salty, which I like, because you control the ingredients completely.  This sauce is delicious, simple and inexpensive!  Give it a try.  My children are happier with this pizza than any other kind.

Why are circular pizzas better tasting than rectangle ones???  It’s kind of like bathroom water tastes better than kitchen water!  Why IS that? 

I think the secret is in the pan…because secretly I agree with the kids.  I FINALLY purchased a second pizza pan, probably just in time to need a third one which no doubt is on the horizon.

Can’t wait for pizza night again!

Little Sandy

Sandy went back to the SPCA to spend a day in their Spay clinic.  Innocently she walked right into the carrier early yesterday morning.  I felt a little sad, I must admit.

  

Tristan, after asking several questions, wondered why we wouldn’t want Sandy to have babies.  Sandy is his little buddy and he pleaded her case saying that she is beautiful and after all, kittens are fun!  I reminded him, as well as myself, of the grim statistics. 

I picked up Sandy at dinner time yesterday after my other two pick ups at Fairview and SCPA for the kids.  Sandy was still under the effects of sedation and was rather groggy as well as grouchy.  The tiny little          un-windowed clinic smelled of something un-namable… mingled with the heavy scent of bleach and I could hear dogs from somewhere behind a fence barking… and hoping, as soon as I shut the car door.  What a place!  I would take more animals home if I could. 

 

Today, Sandy is taking it easy and napping on my bed after a good breakfast which included her favorite: Whiska’s Cat Milk.  She is sooooo happy to be home again.  We love her.

Little Critter

Relieved yet serious, Kaitlyn exclaims “Look Mom!  Now he’s safe!”

“Isn’t he cute, Mom?”

In the end, my little backyard bug lover agreed that Mr. Caterpillar would be happier with his freedom, so he was let go after some “playtime”, and back to the garden he went.

Spring 2010 Recognition Night

Twice a year for 6 years I have been putting on a Recognition Night for the girls in Activity Days that I work with at church, ages 8 through 11.  On average I have 30 people show up for these special evenings.  It takes me 2 hours to set up in the morning and about an hour to tear down and clean up at night.  It might take less time to set up without the help of two small children, but they do help getting tables out of storage, moving pianos, putting white lights on the tree, setting up chairs, making sure ice cubes are made, putting out plate ware, cups, silverware, etc. and it shows them that service is important.  Nathan thought it would be helpful to pull table cloths off the tables repeatedly instead of playing the piano.  I did a lot of my work during the second hour one handed.  In the months prior to Recognition Night I have spent anywhere from 40 to 80 hours of time planning, preparing and creating materials for it.  As soon as one night is done I begin planning the next. 

 

“Walk Tall… You’re a Daughter of God” was my theme for the Program this spring. 

 

 

 

 

  “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” was incorporated into the theme of the evening.  It is like a map giving guidance and direction toward a happy life.

One thing I like about the Proclamation is that it is not just for one kind of family or another.  It is for EVERYONE.  It is for all of God’s children, no matter what your circumstances are.  And yes!  It’s even for kids!

 

Each girl is going home with a framed portrait of her family with a copy of “The Family Proclamation” overlaying it in vellum.  They turned out beautifully.  The girls each decorated the matting for these in early March.

 

The girls are recognized for their accomplishments on this evening and earn charms as they complete goals in this four year program; their final Primary years as they prepare to become Young Women.  This is how I chose to package their charms to tie with the theme this time.  The labels on the boxes match the Programs  I made as well as invitations which were sent out in the mail last week. 

 

Each girl I work with gets this personalized tote bag which I make for them.  Each flower represents one of the areas we work on: Learning and Living the Gospel, Developing Talents and Serving Others.  There are 8 petals on each flower; one for each of the 8 goals in each area they must complete while in this program.  They get to put a rhinestone on when they complete a goal.  There are 5 hearts for each of the 5 goals as they prepare for Young Women which they also get to decorate with a rhinestone once completed.  These bags are stuffed with fun things and are meant to keep their “Faith in God” booklet in so they can bring it with them on Tuesday Nights and they will not get lost so easily!

 

Scrap books of our activities featuring photos as well as journaling are on display so parents can browse through them.  These are NOT professional in workmanship.  The girls do most of the work themselves as I struggle to keep them organized.  I usually end up “catching up” with these books myself.  The girls personalities shine through on the inside.

 

Each family was to bring a fruity spring time desert.  I made a berry trifle from a recipe my Mom gave me which I took liberties with.  Stacey says recipes are just a suggestion and I agree wholeheartedly.  I start with a home made pound cake… I like the one in my Fannie Farmer cookbook.  Easy and great!  Then I make a home made custard which refrigerates well for several days even.  I made a sauce using frozen raspberries and homemade strawberry preserves.  Delicious cut strawberries came from Sam’s Club and heavy whipping cream with a quarter cup of sugar finished the trifle bowl creating four layers of five items with some blackberries and whole strawberries gracing the top.  I arrived early to assemble this dessert.  The tablecloth on the desert table was embroidered by my Grandma Erickson and given to me… I think when I got married. 

 

Our Primary President was our first guest speaker.

 

 

 

 

 

I took the opportunity to be the second speaker, speaking on what the Family Proclamation is.  I had lots of visuals and attention getters.   I love The Proclamation.  My role in this calling has changed from doing this job entirely myself to overseeing 5 other leaders who now get to do most of the teaching/activities each week (our ward meets every week instead of the required twice a month) while I organize and schedule the quarterly and annual calendars, achievement records, missionary and activation efforts, co ordinate group activities, field trips and bi-annual Recognition Nights.  It is more behind the scenes stuff.  I am glad to have more help now since my family responsibilities have increased quite a bit over the past 6 years and the number of girls on my list is more than quadrupled but I do miss running the activities and teaching.  My weekly service now is more an observer and overseer filling in when and where needed and helping out or being a runner.  Is being in a calling for 6 years unusual?  I think so, but they haven’t wanted to let me go.  They told me they wanted to let some other leaders observe a few Recognition Nights I put on before they would think about releasing me.  I’ve been trying to train these five sisters to take over the job I had been doing with one other person as my co-leader.  That’s been a little hard at times, especially when I have to talk to them about making sure they’re there on time or making sure they realize they are the adult (not friend) in issues of safety and discipline.  Anyway, perhaps this was my last Recognition Night… or perhaps I have a new lease on the calling with a changed role as of the latter half of last year.

I asked the Bishop (far left) to be our final guest to speak to the girls about finding confidence and happiness in being a righteous daughter of God in today’s world using the Family Proclamation as a map and guide.

Five girls finished our evening singing “Walk Tall… You’re a Daughter of God”, a song I first came across as a teenager and the focus of our evening.

 

Yes!  A huge crystal pitcher received as a wedding gift, held a large spray of lilacs from my yard.  It filled the whole room with its lovely scent.

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” was written in 1995 by the First Presidency.  At the time I wondered why they needed to write a document which stated some really obvious things and who was arguing?  Perhaps I was naive or perhaps the world changed but just a few years after that I remember leaving my house one morning as a registered voter to go and actually vote on the definition of marriage.  At that moment I realized that this had been on the horizon back in 1995 and felt grateful that someone had seen it coming.  I was also a young mother at this point and felt pulled in different directions between career and motherhood.  I am grateful to have this document to look to in times of confusion.  Following its council from our Heavenly Father and holding to it leads me toward finding not just happiness but joy… true joy.  Today I truly appreciate its value as something to hold on to in a difficult and confusing world.  I know who I am, why I’m here and what I need to do to find happiness and how to guide my children toward the same.  It gives me strength.

I wish I had more pictures of Lindsay but it’s hard to do that and run everything while swapping the baby back and forth with Rick as he played the piano for this and keep Tristan & Kaitlyn in line at the same time.  We’ve always had great accompaniment whenever we need it and I appreciate his willingness to help out so willingly whenever needed.  Lindsay has just over a year left in this program and will complete it without a hitch on her current track.  Haley completed this program last year.  I feel fortunate to have worked with my own daughters for much of the time I have served as AD Leader.

The night went well.  Everyone always loves these evenings and I am always grateful when they’re over.  I have 6 months until we put on the talent show I will organize… unless of course I am released (or moved) by then.  I’m more likely to be released, I think.