Vacation Day 4-- Niagra Falls-- The Candian side

Day four of our vacation was devoted to Niagra Falls. We got up and got going. It was a Saturday and we knew it would be busy. We crossed over into Canada first thing. It was much easier than the last time we went to Canada (ask me about it sometime) even though it required passports for Greg and I, as well as birth certificates for the kids. Once you find a place to park you have to walk and walk and walk. The Canadian side of the falls is just crazy. There are so many people there! People from all over the world. It is also a really commercial area. It is not a peaceful communion with nature by any means. Fortunately though, even with the all the distractions, the falls are still amazing! You can just feel and see the POWER. You can even HEAR the power. Awesome.

Niagra Falls wouldn't take you long if all you wanted to do is take a look at it and snap a picture, but we were there to do more than that. Our next stop was the Maid of the Mist. After paying and waiting in line for a long time you get on a boat with hundreds of other people. Everyone is decked out in their snazzy blue, plastic, rain ponchos. The boat takes you as close to the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls as it can. The closer you get it gets louder and wetter (although not too wet). You can also feel the boat fighting the falls for position. The falls just won't let you get too close. But you are still close enough to see how you would be tossed and churned in that water, how the falls are strong and powerful and majestic. If you take the time to think about it you are in AWE at this amazing creation. You can see the different characteristics in the Lord's creations, and this one just exudes power. In others you will find peace or beauty or serenity or uniqueness. In the Falls you feel power.

On the boat we were standing with an Italian couple. They were very kind and asked Greg about our family and commented on how wonderful it was that we had 5 children and said at their age (with their children grown and gone) you realize that is what life is all about. I appreciated their kindness so much because we often get negative comments about the size of our family, but we realize that is what life is all about. We will have lots of wonderful grandchildren to love and visit. Our golden years will be full of doing things that matter. (Sorry for this little tangent, but it was something that I was very grateful for).

Here I am with all the kids just after boarding the boat.

Very close to the falls. We are getting wet now.

Adam looking thrilled to be so close to such an amazing site!

After our trip on Maid of the Mist we headed up the street away from the falls to play a little Glow in the Dark Mini Golf. Now folks you would not believe this street we walked up. Talk about a tourist trap. Adam thought it was kid heaven, I thought it was more like a kid Las Vegas. Gaudy, and way over the top. Not this mom's favorite place. Fortunately the kids know how cheap we are so they knew we would only be doing this ONE activity on this street of their little dreams. Adam loves mini golf so this was for him. It is hard to get good pictures, but here are our attempts at them.

I will save the trip to the American side of the falls for another day. Ahh, I love vacation. I even love reliving vacation!

Vacation Day 3--Kirtland, OH

On Day 3 of our vacation we spent time visiting some places that were important in the history of our church. Our faith is something that is at the center of our lives and it is inspiring for us to remember the early saints who sacrificed so much for what they believed.

This is from the lds.org website: Come visit Historic Kirtland, a small settlement in northern Ohio, where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered shortly after the Church was founded. Between 1831 and 1838 Joseph Smith and early members of the Church established Church headquarters in Kirtland, built a temple, and laid a foundation of strength for the future.

The first place we visited was the Kirtland Temple. The temple is not owned by our Church anymore, but by the Community of Christ church, a church that broke off ours at the time of Joseph Smith's death. It has been 10 years since Greg and I (and Adam) have visited this area. Our experience this time was excellent compared to the past. We appreciated the respectful attitude that our guide had for our church and for the temple. It is much simpler than the temples we have now, but it is amazing to think they built it all themselves so long ago when the church was just beginning. I truly appreciate the sacrifices made to forward the Lord's work in that time. The dedication of that temple lasted a whopping 7 hours! I asked our guide if children were in attendance and he said yes. Unbelievable. It was interesting to be reminded of the details surrounding this building and its dedication.

One of the things that struck me the most while we were in Kirtland, and that I find unique about our church, is its emphasis on education. There in Kirtland on the top floor of the temple they held a school for anyone who needed some educating. They also started a school of the prophets where they learned Hebrew and other things. The need for educating ourselves is still something that we are taught by our leaders today. There is even a fund set up to help educate members in poorer countries where it is difficult to obtain an education. It is a privilege and responsibility to "Seek learning, even by study and also by faith" (D&C 88:118).

We also visited other restored buildings in Kirtland that are run by our Church. This was a rough time for Jacob so I spent a lot of time with him, but I was reminded how much the leaders of the church learned about the organization of the church and how many revelations that become a part of our scripture, The Doctrine and Covenants, that were received in this Kirtland era. We were also able to go out to the Isaac Morley farm. This was a very reverant place. There was a soft rain that was coming down while we were there, and really some of our reverence was felt because several large youth groups were there and they were so quiet and peaceful, it helped our children to act that way too. Over and over Joseph and Emma were helped and cared for, just as they did the same thing for others. How generous they all were! It seems it is sometimes harder for us in this day and age to feel safe and good about welcoming people into our home or tending to someone else's grieving or sick family. We do it, but it is not quite the experience it once was.

After seeing the Kirtland sites we drove the few hours to the Niagra Falls area.

Here are some pictures of the Finches at the Kirtland Temple.

Not exactly reverant faces and attitudes, huh?

Vacation, Day 2--Spontaneous Fun

You are going to be tired of my travel log by the time I get through our trip, but I am mostly writing for me and not for you!

We had a lazy morning in Chicago, knowing we wouldn't be going anywhere fast during morning rush hour (yeah, I can definitely knock Chicago off my list of cities I hope to live in). We did finally hit the road about 9:30 and traffic wasn't too bad. I think we only had to completely stop once. We then spent several hours on the road. We arrived in Kirtland, OH about dinner time (but it didn't feel like dinner time to us because of the time change). We didn't want to see any of the Church sites we had come to see, so Greg had the brilliant idea to go to the beach. We were close to the shores of Lake Erie. He asked the clerk at our hotel about it and she printed up directions for us. Being from the midwest our kids have only been to one beach when we visited my brother Todd while he was at Yale in Connecticut 6 years ago. I doubt they even remember it.

We thought we would take a leisurely stroll along the beach in our barefeet. The kids had different plans. First of all it was way too hot to walk along the beach in your barefeet unless you were in the water. At the water's edge, though, the beach was too rocky. This was no Florida beach. We all took our shoes off and stood in the waves. You can see what is coming. It wasn't long until first Ben and then the others were "accidentally" getting wetter and wetter and falling down in the water. Ah well, that is what vacation is for right?! The water was shallow enough the kids could go out a little ways and still touch comfortably. Jake stayed with us right by the shore, but he loved every minute of it. In fact I was surprised at how much they all loved it. They loved playing in the waves. They found an old log that they played on for a while. Greg and I didn't go all the way in ever in our clothes. We stood in the waves or sat on the shore. I even laid down for a bit. It was lovely listening to the consistent, constant sound of the waves and the happy sounds of families enjoying being together. It was very restful for me. I also played in the sand for a while. It was one of those happy accidents, going to the beach unplanned with no swimsuits. I think the kids enjoyed it more than the waterpark the day before. Sometimes spontaneity is more fun than the variety of fun that is planned.

Just getting their feet wet.

A Little Deeper

Just a Little Deeper

AHHH!! Now this is swimming at the beach.

Vacation--Day 1--Water Park

Some of my favorite memories from growing up are from vacations we took as a family. I guess we did a lot of vacations after my parents were divorced because we would spend some of the summer with my dad and some with my mom, going on vacation with each of them. We got to see a lot of different things, go a lot of places and make wonderful memories. Greg also has fond memories of his semiannual treks to Las Vegas to see his grandparents. Now as parents we really want our kids to have some experiences that they will remember fondly.

This year for vacation we headed east. We wound our way to Palmyra, NY and back. I always find I have more time to think and reflect on vacation. They really are relaxing and renewing.

The first day we got up early(ish), stopped at Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast and drove to the Chicago suburbs, where there is a fun waterpark that we went to, Rainbow Falls. We had packed the car the day before so we were able to get there with plenty of time to swim. It is so great that the kids are getting taller. All of the kids, except Jake, were able to go on all of the waterslides. Adam of course , with no hesitation, headed straight for the waterslides all by himself. The other kids eased into it by doing doing some regular swimming and the lazy river. Greg used his amazing persuasive powers to get the other kids to try something they had never tried (I think Lizzy was raring to go and put in her two cents on why Ben and Anna should give it a try). He got the kids started on the slides by going down with them on a double or triple tube, but after a while they were all doing it on their own. It is great for a parent to be able to see their child try something new and feel confident and successful. I was especially proud of Anna because she is so cautious and careful about trying new things.

I enjoyed spending a lot of one on one time with Jacob. He loved going down this little slide in the little kid area over and over and over. How can you not love the enthusiasm and joy that exudes from a 2 year old? I also got to help Liz with her front crawl for a while. It helped me remember how much I love to teach just about anything. It is wonderful to know you are helping and changing someone just by sharing what you know. I also loved going down some of the slides with Ben and Anna.

I think Greg enjoys being a kid again. He and Adam were the only ones to brave the funnel slide where you drop in at the top of this big funnel and go around and around and then drop through the bottom. It was fun for us to watch them. I have found that as I have aged and had children I am content to watch and enjoy the fun others are having. I don’t have as much need for the adrenaline rush you get from doing crazy rides or slides. I am happy letting the others get to do those things while I stay with Jake. It is hard to believe he is the only one that really needs me a lot anymore. ( I know they all need me, just in more independent ways.) It was a great first day. Unfortunately it all came to a quick end when someone at the pool threwup in the pool where the slides come out. No more slides. I am just glad it wasn’t one of my children! No pictures from the first day. Most swimming places don't let you take cameras in anymore. I hope you are all enjoying your vacations too.

Wild, wacky, Waukee

Well we have been here in Waukee almost two months now. I have thought a lot about posting, but haven't really wanted to. I thought if someone else did the thinking for me it would be a lot easier, so I am enlisting the kids help. Here are some of their thoughts on the move and living in Waukee, IA.

Anna: I like living by a park because then we can go there anytime (mother's note: we lived across from a park where we used to live, but the road between us and the park served as some mental barrier between us. it's nice the house backs right up to one here, one foot in the yard, one foot in the park). I miss the wildlife we used to see in our old backyard. We used to see wild turkeys and deer on the way to school everyday, and black squirrels everywhere( Mother's note: yes, black. I had never seen them before living in Iowa either). I miss the Mississippi river. It was a good view. I have made a lot of friends here, and one good friend, Jessica. The school is way different than our old school and the teachers are usually strict, except for the boy teachers. Our house is really big and I like that Lizzy and I have our own bathroom.

Lizzy: I like how me and Anna have such a great view out our window. I like that we get to walk to school because we live so close. I also like how there is a trail behind our house and a park. I like how our house has a little space under the basement stairs with carpet because me and Ben like to have clubs there. We had a dance club today. I miss the Mississippi River because I miss seeing that alot because it was so beautiful. I miss the wildlife and our friends. I don't like how noisy it can be because we have baseball fields behind our house. It seems like the school is like one year behind because they teach you about penguins in second grade instead of first. I like how most of the teachers are nice at school, except for Anna's. She has the meanest teacher in the school. I really like church because there are bigger classes and there are more kids with birthdays close to mine. I really like gymnastics here too because they have something called Parent's Week where we get to do a routine for our parents.

Ben: I don't really like soccer that much here because they don't do that many games (Mother's note: For young kids here they mostly run skills clinics. It isn't until about 4th grade that they have tryouts for all of these different soccer academies. Different than what we are used to). I like that the baseball games are so close behind our house. I hope we get to go watch some with Papa. I miss the Garners and the Jensens and all our other friends. I miss the McGraths too. I miss my old preschool too. This preschool is good though. I miss the old basement at our other house. I miss our old church because I miss my class.

Adam: I like it here in Waukee. Although I miss our old neighborhood, (the McGraths mostly), here is really good too. There are multiple kids that go to my school that live right across the park behind our house. I really like the school here, even better than pleasant view. In church, there are boys in my class that are actually turning 11 this year, and I have made friends with kids in 11yr. old scouts. We went on our first campout last Friday, and it was really fun. I miss Bettendorf, but Waukee is even better!!!

Sincerely, adam the beast (Mother's note: Adam the beast typed this all by himself. He is also the one who was most opposed to us moving.)

Made it

We finally found a little window to escape yesterday. The flight was about 3 hours longer than normal because we had to fly way up and around the problem areas, but I did finally reach home around midnight last night. Tired today, but happy to be home!

Stuck - day 2

Groundhog day. I feel like I've lived this before. Same as yesterday, checkin, do security thing, get ready to board plane, minutes before ... delayed. I fully expect after our 2 hour delay that they will cancel the flight again. At least today we're in a real gate not stuck on that hallway!

Stuck!

Remind me to not fly American Airlines to Frankfurt again. I've been in Germany this week for work and flying home today. I should be on an airplane right now, not writing a blog. Unfortunately, I'm writing a blog post.

Everything was normal this morning as I arrived at the airport ... got checked in and went to find my gate. The gate was in the most inconvenient spot - just past the passport control (can't go backwards) just before the main terminal security checkpoint (can't go forwards - our gate had separate security check). Since we were in this odd gate assignment not in the main terminal, everyone on my flight was trapped in this little hallway. There were a few chairs, but not nearly enough for everyone. Luckily there was a small bathroom and a hot dog stand.

That's when we heard the flight was delayed by a few hours. The volcano was causing flights into Europe to have to take a longer route and causing late arrivals. Other than being trapped in that little hallway for a few extra hours, I figured things could be worse. An hour or so later, things got worse. An AA worker came into the little hallway and said, "Is anyone here waiting for the Chicago flight?" Of course! We all were! "I'm sorry, but your flight has been cancelled." She then went on to explain that they were closing the airport due to the ash cloud. People, of course, were not very happy.

After another two hours waiting in the line to get rescheduled for tomorrow, I made my way to a hotel for the night. After getting settled in, I started reading more about what was going on. That's when I discovered the airport was never closed, the AA flight was the only one that was cancelled. I have no idea why ... the plane was there and all other flights were finding their way, just not mine. Ughhh...

So here I am ... wish me luck tomorrow. Forecast's show the cloud moving more inland, so it may be an interesting (and very long) week coming up. Happy Mother's Day Tammy!

Lock Down

Well, we are starting to wonder where we have moved to (not really, it is a great area). Today the kids, who have been walking to school, came home and were all talking at once saying something really weird had happened at school today. It is strange for all of them want to talk to me right after school. When I got them to speak one at a time, this is what I got,

Adam--"Mom, today we had a lock down."

Me--"You mean you had a lock down drill."

A---"NO, some guy came into the school with a beebee gun and a baseball bat. It was a real lock down!"

Me--"Are you sure? How do you know?"

Adam--"After it was all over they came and told us all what had happened. It was the same guy who broke into the school last week (yes that is true too. keep in mind this school and all its surrounding neighborhoods are nice. this sort of thing just doesn't happen here)."

Me--"You're kidding!"

Liz--"NO, the police came and everything."

Me--"Were you guys scared?"

Adam--"NO, I just thought it was a drill, but then the police showed up."

Liz--"Yes. I thought it was real."

Anna--"At first I was, but then we thought it was a drill."

Me--What did you guys have to do?

Adam--"We had to all lay on the floor in the corner and they locked the door. We weren't supposed to talk, but some people were whispering. We had a sub today. After lunch our teacher told us the real story. The police came and took him away."

Anna--"We had to all huddle in the corner. We heard the guy yelling at the principal when we were walking down the hall."

Liz--"We all huddled in the corner behind the cabinet. Mrs. Wiese read to us."

Me--"Wow guys that freaks me out. I am not sure I want you to walk to school anymore."

Adam--"Well they got him and took him away. "

Anyway, that isn't the full conversation, but the gist of it. It does strike fear in this mother's heart. This really is a great community with great schools. I can't believe they actually had to use what they learned in their drills. Kudos to our principal for engaging the man as soon as he walked into the building through the front door. Turns out it really was a beebee gun and it wasn't loaded, but how could she know that.

Breaking the silence

A year! Has it really been a year since we have posted?!! What a year it has been. The biggest change in our lives has come from a change in location. After nearly 12 years in Bettendorf we have moved on to the big city, sort of. We are now living in a suburb of Des Moines. John Deere has an office here that focuses mostly on technology, so it is a great place for Greg. I don't think either of us anticipated what a big change it would mean for all of us. Greg was hired in October (I think) and started going back and forth between Bettendorf and Des Moines for months. He would spend usually 3-5 days a week in Des Moines and the other days at home. Weekends he was busy bishoping and trying to get our home ready to sell. We decided to wait until January to put the house on the market so we had some months to get everything ready. After significant blessings and very little sleep we sold the house in just 3 and a half weeks. We closed on both houses during spring break and are now here in our new home. That's where we are at in a nutshell.

Really things are going pretty well. The kids have transitioned beautifully. I think they were just glad to have a home they could actually live in again (as opposed to trying to keep our old home immaculate for showings) and be back to a routine, and of course they brought along their best friends, their brothers and sisters. I have even found a great preschool for Ben so he is not so bored. He also had his first soccer practice this week. I am working on finding piano teachers still and other activities. Getting the house together has kept me busy, but it is hard not REALLY knowing anybody yet. I miss my dear friend Leah terribly and even though we talk on the phone I wish I could just go and hang out at her house where I (and my children) felt so comfortable. I expect it will be a very long time (if ever) that I have another friend like that. It seems harder to make friends too because I don't just have little kids anymore. I also have come to desire meaningful, deeper relationships, not just casual ones. Those take a lot of time and energy to build. I am sure they will come, but they will take time.

Greg has been busy with work and figuring out his place here. He is also loving and hating not being the bishop of our ward anymore. I think he is much more relaxed than he has been in years, but he also doesn't know what to do with himself sometimes. He wants to be doing something, helping someone, planning something. I think he has also missed some of the inspiration and blessings that come when you are the bishop. He just feels different. We have loved having him home more and have enjoyed sitting with him in church with him for the first time in 9 years!! Adam was just 2 years old, and Anna was a brand new baby when he was first called into the bishopric as a counselor (it was later that he was called to be the bishop). His Sundays are a whole lot different now. Really a lot of his life is different now.

Well, this post is a start. I feel rusty at blogging. I am not sure how long it will take me to get back into the swing of things, but I definitely feel like my life has slowed down a lot. Is anyone still out there who even checks our blog anymore. Encourage me!!

Because I know anybody who looks at our blog really just wants to see the kids, here are some pictures from the not too distant past:

I was trying a new method I had read about to curl the girls' hair. Here they are the night before the big reveal. It didn't go so well and we ended up with tears instead of smiles. Jake always has to try to get in on things.

With Iowa's football season this past year, Adam has now become an Iowa fan. Don't worry he is still a die hard BYU cougar fan above all other teams. He has been worried he wouldn't fit in here because we are so close to Iowa State now. His worries were needless, there are plenty of hawkeye fans in the central part of the state too!
I don't know why I like this picture so much, but I do. This is the kids gathered around the laptop to watch something on Netflix online. Since Anna is in control she much have earned this reward. I just love how they all find a spot and sit together.
Yes, we did get our 5 year old and ipod for Christmas. Don't worry I got it used off ebay for a good price. This kid LOVES music. And he can sing! He is always telling me that is his talent. He also just started piano (with me) and is doing very well. Now if I can get him some rhythm he will be all set!

Enjoy! Encourage. Encourage. Encourage.

March Madness

For the last several years we have a competition in our family around the NCAA tournament. We each fill out a bracket before the tournament begins and then we track points to see who guessed the most correctly. Adam, who follows basketball closely usually comes out on top Lizzy picked the champion and won a couple of years ago.

This year it's all Anna and Ben - they have phenomenal picks. They have the best picks of anyone I know and I think would win nearly any pool out there. Both picked three of the final four and both have Michigan State versus North Carolina in the final. There was no coaching involved, they made their picks all on their own. They are way, way ahead of everyone else in the family (especially ahead of their parents). And no, they're not basketball gurus ... Anna's methodology? She pretty much picked the ones who's names sounded cool.

Ben, who admires Anna greatly, pretty much copied Anna's picks all the way through with few exceptions - all the way except the final. Anna picked Michigan State. Ben picked North Carolina. It all comes down to Monday night ... the great matchup ... Anna versus Ben for the championship.

Savior of the World - Videos

These videos were taken during one of the rehearsals, so the show wasn't quite production quality, but it's similar to what you would have seen in the actual performances. You'll hear some directions from the director in the background and some of the lighting and sound wasn't exactly right, but it will give you a good feel for Tammy and Adam's parts.

The first video is Adam on Shepherd's hill talking with other shepherds about the prophecies concerning the coming of the Savior.

Here's Adam and the shepherds when the angels first appear to them. Adam, in his blog entry, talked about the fun faces he got to make. Pay attention to his "amazed" face in this video, particularly toward the end of the song. He does a great job with it! :-)

Tammy played the part of Mary's mother. She appeared in several scenes related to Mary's betrothal and marriage. In this scene she sings a solo to Mary called "Do His Will".

Savior of the World - Greg

Tammy asked me to write some of my thoughts about our ward's experience with the Savior of the World play. What a fantastic experience!! It turned out to be one of the most wonderful things I've ever been involved in. Our whole family had a chance to be intimately involved with it throughout the planning and preparation for it. It was just a great thing for us!

It really was a couple of years in the making - something our ward leadership council had discussed for some time, but finally decided to tackle last year.

We had a few goals in mind - to help the ward grow on unity, to strengthen families, and to share the gospel. I think we were successful in the first goal - I saw friendships develop and grow throughout the year among those who were participating. Even now several months later I think we are feeling the benefit of a stronger, more unified ward. Nearly every family was involved in some way with most families being very heavily involved. The youth and children that participated each grew to love the experience and were among the most sad when it was all over.

The second goal was to strengthen families. Most people participating were able to do so with at least one other family member. It was fun to see Adam and Tammy growing together in this way and I think the same effect was seen between all the family members that participated together. On the other hand, it was kind of hard on the family members left at home and the small chldren. There was a lot of time required for families to be apart in that way. I wish we could have found a way to improve that - I think that was the most difficult thing in the whole experience.

Our third goal was to share the gospel. The play is really about each actor testifying of Christ through the portrayal of scenes from his life. The story and the music are so, so powerful - amazingly so really. Each night of the performance we had good crowds, many of whom were friends of other faiths and backgrounds. We were able to share some of what we believe about Christ and to help change some views and misconceptions about our faith. One big regret we had was that we didn't plan to present the show more than 3 nights. We were pleased with the turnout but only wished more had an opportunity to share in the experience.

The end result of the production was very very positive. We have a unique ward with a huge number of extremely talented people. They all came together to do something marvelous. Now, even 3 months later hardly a week goes by that someone doesn't say something about the show or ask me when we're going to do it again. It had such a positive influence on everyone involved.

I only wish that we could continue to have those same kinds of experiences in our day-to-day lives. I guess we can to some degree, but to feel things and to experience things to the degree of this experience is something unique and something I think our family will always remember and cherish. We are so happy to have been able to participate.

Savior of the World- Adam

So, Mom wanted me to post about Savior of the World. Yeah, it was fun and I got to play with other boys my age that were also in the play. Sometimes rehearsals were long and tiring, but in the end it turned out to be a good experience, and, I confess, we did go out to Dairy Queen a couple of times. I also felt the spirit. It was so strong, especially when everyone was being serious about the play. At first it was really boring when we had to sit still for over an hour, but I got to where I was actually enjoying rehearsals! Isn't that AMAZING? I also learned more about the Savior and his life. I think it would've been hard to live back then, when there was not all the things we have today, like electricity and heaters. It was also fun to act. I got to climb a 6 ft. high wall, and that was pretty fun. Also, I got to make a lot of fun faces, like when I had to act amazed at the angel. Well, I can't think of anything else to write so I guess this is the end of my post. (This is Adam writing this post, not Tammy or Greg.)

"Savior of the World"--Tammy

Well, as I mentioned before much of last year our family was very involved in a musical production put on by our ward/congregation at church. The production is titled: "Savior of the World: His birth and resurrection." It was originally produced and run by the church (our church, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) at the Conference Center theater in Salt Lake City. A few years ago the church released the script and music so that it could be put on throughout the world. Usually it is produced by a stake (a group of congregations), or even my multiple stakes, but Greg, as the bishop of our ward, felt like it should be something our ward should do. It was something he gave a lot of thought and prayer to. He and I were familiar with the music of the production and loved to listen to it, especially at Christmas and Easter. He felt the church had given a lot of flexibility in the releasing of the materials, and that our little ward could do it. I don't think he imagined what an undertaking it would be. I hope that I get both Greg and Adam to blog about their experiences.

I was asked to serve on the committee that was to make all of this happen. I was particularly supposed to focus on publicity. I also ended up coordinating babysitting and doing all the emails and communication with the cast as well. I was also cast in the role of Mary's mother. Adam was cast as a shepherd boy, Nathan. From the time Greg was first thinking about having our ward do this to the time the production was put on was nearly 2 years. I wasn't really involved, except with talking things over with Greg, until 6 or 7 months before the show.

Well that is a little background. Now some of my impressions and feelings about it all. I must warn you that this has the potential to be a very long post.

There were some difficult things about it all. It was very exhausting, both emotionally and physically. Greg had such a vested interest in it, as did I. We knew about most every bump and hiccup, which can be difficult sometimes. If Adam and I could have just gone to rehearsal and done our parts I think it wouldn't have been so exhausting. It was just all the drama and changes and discouragement behind the scenes that made it difficult sometimes. It was eye opening to me to realize how much of this my husband has to deal with ALL THE TIME as the leader of our ward. He knows so much that most of us are oblivious to (thank heavens!). I was surprised, as well, how difficult it was to be the Bishop's wife and on the committee. It was really hard for me to find my place, and feel like I belonged. I don't usually feel this way, so it was something I had to really figure out. Usually I just forget I'm the Bishop's wife! He's just Greg to me, but not to everyone else.

I chose to mention the difficult first because I don't want to remember those things so much. There was so much more good than bad that came to me because of participation in this wonderful show. Perhaps one of the greatest gifts is the building of the relationship with Adam. I have sometimes worried about the strength of that relationship in the past. I feel like doing this with him has changed all of that. It was like he discovered that he actually liked something that I liked! We had something in common after all! I was so THRILLED to see him enjoy this so much. He was awesome on stage. He learned parts for the first time for many of the songs. I loved that it was just he and I going to rehearsals together. It seems so rare to have that chance for one on one with him, and he just eats it up. We even had 1 or 2 secret trips to Dairy Queen after rehearsals, which really made him feel special. He learned that music is powerful and can make you feel things. He learned more about the Savior and the events surrounding his birth and resurrection. It has really softened and sweetened our relationship. It has been awesome. It has been tender to see the growth he has experienced as well. These would have made the show worth it for me by it self, but there's more!

I think it also strengthened my relationship with Greg. I felt him in the supporting role, where I usually am. It was a wonderful feeling. He wanted me to be a part of this. He wanted to watch the kids so I could rehearse. He put things on hold in his busy schedule so I could do this. He ran lines with me. He listened to me sing. He listened to my concerns and fears. Although he has never said this, I feel like at least part of the reason he chose for our ward to do this, was for me. Just for me. I can't thank him enough.

On a bigger scale I think it had a similar affect on our ward, softening and sweetening our relationships with each other. So many people were involved with each other, working together for this big common goal, this tangible, feel good goal. We were learning about the Savior together, we were singing about the Savior together, we were thinking about the Savior together. It made us view each other differently. It made me realize there are Peters and Marys among us. It made me see them as servants of the Lord. It was wonderful to come and feel the spirit at the rehearsals, to see people I know and love and realize that we all wanted the same thing, to testify of him, to have people see in us some of the good that is in Jesus Christ, to share his love with others. It was awesome. It really did bind many of us together.

This experience also had a great impact on me, personally. I think by nature I am a pretty spiritual person. I am sensitive and feel things deeply. I have always known Jesus Christ is the son of God, and that he loves me, and that he atoned for my sins. I have felt it, at times the feeling even overwhelming me with love and gratitude. I never imagined how much more REAL it all could seem to me. I don't know a better word than REAL. Much of the script is taken directly from the scriptures. Participating in and watching these scenes just made me love these people from the scriptures and feel how real they are. Zacharias, Elisabeth, Mary, Joseph, Peter, Mary Magdalene, and others. It was almost surreal, feeling as though I had been transported back in time and was really a part of these important events, or as if a hologram was popped right out of my scriptures depicting actual events. As I said, I have believed and known these things my whole life, but my understanding, my reality of it all increased so much. How grateful I am for the Savior, and for those who loved and cared for him on earth.

As Mary's mother I had a solo to sing. It was short and simple, but sweet. Doing this has given me so much more confidence. I love to sing, but I don't love to sing by myself in front of a lot of people. It is like this has reawakened a part of me that I forgot was there, a part of me that I love! It made me remember how much I love music, how much music soothes the soul and lifts and teaches. After months of rehearsals I got to feeling pretty comfortable, and it certainly has gotten me singing more at home again. It is funny how things work. Since the play, I sang a solo in sacrament meeting and I am going to sing at a Relief Society (the woman's organization at church) enrichment this month. I also was just called to be the Primary chorister. I feel like "Savior of the World" has made me sing again!

Participating in our wards production of "Savior of the World" was awesome. It strengthened me, and many of the relationships I have, including my relationship with the Savior. I hope that the things I have learned have made me better, kinder, more loving, more grateful, more like the Savior.

Here are a few pictures of Adam and I. When Greg gets back from India I will have him help me with some video we have. I will also look for pictures from others (remember I busted our camera in November. we didn't get a new one until the week of the play).

November

November is pretty much a blur nowadays, but there are a few things that stood out. Adam and I continued to participate in rehearsals for our ward's (congregation's) production of "Savior of the World" at church (I will write more on that later). The time we spent increased significantly that month.

We also had my brother Todd, his wife Deanna, and their lovely children come for Thanksgiving. Our friends the Robisons also came with their 3 children. Even though my brother lives just an hour away, it seems we don't see as much of each other as I had thought we might when they first moved here. It was wonderful to see them and spend time with them. It is always good to be with friends and family during the holidays.

At school the kids always spend time focusing on the origins of Thanksgiving. It's pretty fun because one of my ancestors is William Bradford. The kindergartners do an especially elaborate unit on Thanksgiving culminating in their very own Thanksgiving feast. They make both a pilgrim costume and an Indian costume and then get to wear the costume of their choice on feast day. A day before the feast, mothers (and probably some fathers) come to help the children make things that will be a part of the feast, such as cornbread, pumpkin pie, etc. It is really a fun thing for all the kids. All the parents are invited for feast day. I was able to snap a quick picture of Lizzy with her class (she is kneeling in the middle) right before I dropped my camera and it broke! (Never to be used again). It's tough taking pictures while you are juggling a one year old. Anyway, here is my one lonely picture for the whole month of November, Lizzy at her kindergarten, Thanksgiving feast.

Piano lesson visits to the Park

Every week Adam has a piano lesson for 1/2 an hour. Because the other kids are still so young they all have to come along. It is too short to come home and then go back, so we have to spend the time in the car or go someplace VERY close. Fortunately for us his piano teacher lives in a good spot. The Mississipi River is very close. We visit the ducks and geese there sometimes. There is a duck pond close by as well. Ducks there too. In the winter we have even watched people ice skate on the pond. Our favorite place to go, weather allowing, is the park that is just a block from her home. It has made piano lessons bearable for everyone. The kids are so good about playing for a short time and hopping back in the car when I ask them too. I guess they know a short time is better than no time. We don't go to the park much in the winter (much too cold), but I do have some pictures from this past fall during one of our piano lesson visits to the park. Enjoy!

Jacob
Lizzy

Ben

Jacob

Anna must have been moving too fast for me to catch a picture of her. Adam, of course, was at piano. I sure love the great community we live in. Our kids sure love the parks!

Halloween Pictures

Yes, I am lame enough to post our Halloween pictures in March. I don't know if I will ever catch up, but I just can't seem to blog about what is going on today, if I don't catch up with what we have done in the past, so all of you can have a good laugh at my expense. Here are our Halloween pictures as promised. Halloween is awesome with the kids. They all enjoy it so much. Adam maybe isn't quite as enthusiastic as he used to be, but still digs getting all the candy. We were pretty simple this year, and you know what, the kids were still happy. Jacob was sleeping when it was time to go trick or treating so he never even got to wear his costume. Greg stayed home with him and passed out candy. I took the kids out with our friends the Robisons. We went trick or treating then came home and ate Papa Murphy's and pigged out on candy.

Here is Miss Lizzy masquerading as Little Red Riding Hood. She even has red shoes to match.



Ben changed costumes at the last minute, seriously, the very last minute. I was pretty proud of myself for pulling this together so quickly. I just had to sacrifice one white shirt. His face is so funny. He is saying "ARrrrr!!" just like any good pirate would.

We have struggled to find costumes for Adam the last few years. He was a vampire last year too...I think. It won't be too long until he would rather stay home and hand out the candy. sigh.

Here is the cutest witch you have ever seen. She insisted on all the accessories: cat, broom, hat, even makeup and black hair. She refused, however, to let us put a fake mole on her. Anna is the nicest witch around, though.

Well, I am sure you have all heard of Christmas in July. Now you have heard of Halloween in March!! Happy Haunting.

To my good husband

I just wanted to write a quick post in appreciation for my good husband. Lately, I have been so grateful for him. He is good and kind and smart and fun. He is helpful with kids. He cooks. He takes good care of our family. He is good at helping get me out of my responsible mode and loosen up a bit. We celebrated our 11th anniversary in December. You know how you swoon when you are dating and engaged. Emotions are so strong. It is a wonderful time to look back on, but I never could have imagined how love grows. I can't believe the growth that has come to us individually and as a couple over the years. I have learned so much from him.... about forgiving, about saying I'm sorry, about overlooking others faults, about teaching our children. I look forward to growing old with him. He is such a strength to me. My heart is full, and it is even fuller when I think of our beautiful children. Our life, our marriage for that matter, has not been without struggles and crises, but we have weathered the storms together. I love him for that as well. I feel so grateful to have Greg at my side as my partner. I am not sure why I wanted to share this, but just thought I should. I love you Greg!

Pumpkin Carving--The final product

After hunching over a pumpkin for an hour or more, squinting and trying not to cut yourself, or your child, this is what you get!  As far as I can remember, no one drew any blood.

Greg and Anna's Masterpiece

Lizzy was tickled with her jack-o-lantern.  It had little insertable eyes for the eye sockets.  She loved that it was cute and happy.

Here is Adam's pumpkin.  

Last, but not least is Ben's.  He really wanted to do something scary.  He was very pleased.

I know I have been a little picture happy, but hey, this is for posterity.  Doesn't it make you want to carve a pumpkin? 

Carving Pumpkins--the Carving stage

Here are the official carving pictures of the official Finch Family Annual Pumpkin Carving Family Home Evening (try saying that 3 times fast! HA!)  

Anna and Greg patiently working

OK, so maybe it looks like Ben did a little bit of stabbing.  Cherrie was so patient with him and just let him saw and saw until he would ask for a little help.  Then she would saw for a quick minute and he would be back at it again.  This was hard work for a 4 year old folks.

Sweet Lizzy posing for the camera.  She also did the lion's share of the carving.

The only picture I got of Adam carving, he had his eyes closed, so Ben got to cheese for me again.  So cute!

October Fun-- Carving Pumpkins--the scooping

One of our favorite traditions for the Halloween season is carving pumpkins.  The new carving kits these days make it so much more fun for us and the kids.  It is way better than just stabbing a poor pumpkin with a steak knife.  This year all the kids, with the exception of Jacob, of course, carved their very own pumpkin!  It worked out perfectly because Greg's mom, Cherrie, and her husband Jim were still here for Family Home Evening (to learn more about Family Home Evening, click here http://www.lds.org/hf/fhe/welcome/0,16785,4210-1,00.html) when we carved them.  Greg worked with Anna, Jim worked with Lizzy, Cherrie was ever patient with Ben, and I helped Adam, after I got Jacob down for the night.  The kids were so proud of themselves.  They scooped, they carved, they triumphed.  It was tons of fun.  Personally, I think this is way more fun than letting them paint their own pumpkin, like we have done in years past.  Here are some scooping pictures.

I think Adam likes getting crazy with the pumpkin goup almost more than any other part.

Ben gingerly scooping out the pumpkin.  Doesn't he have a great cheesy smile?!

Anna, not enjoying the pumpkin guts. Greg's just messing around.

Lizzy and Jim working together.

Once again, I must reveal my true identity.  It is I, the wife and mother.  Give no heed to what blogger says about the matter.

Even more pumpkin patch

Anna, Ben, Lawson and Lizzy.

Hairy Grandpa and his posse.  Thanks for carrying the baby dad! (Greg carried him through the corn maze, the baby, not my dad).

MMmmmm! Spaghetti.  We added three more children for dinner because I watched my friend, Leah's, kids.  For a while we had the two neighbor boys too.  At one time there were 12 children, age 9 and under in our house!

Thus endeth the pumpkin patch pictures!