Show Choir season!

Show choir is full swing here in the midwest.  It is a crazy busy time.  I wanted to post a link for anyone who wants to see Adam's amazing show choir, "Millenium".  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbJbaKtFfsM

Adam Waukee Idol Winning Performance

Adam did an amazing job at Waukee Idol last night.  This is his first performance of the night.  He had a really bad cold, but still did amazing!  Congrats on winning your division Adam!

The Trek

Well, it seems the blog is falling by the wayside, but we had an amazing experience last week that I wanted to write about before all of the emotions of it wear off.  It is quite long so I don’t expect you to read it all.  It is mostly for us, anyway.

Greg is the Young Men’s President in our ward so he spends half of his summer with the youth.  This summer for Youth Conference the stake arranged a Pioneer Trek near Mt. Pisgah, one of the way stations for the pioneers as they traveled west.  Greg had always planned to go, but then they needed more chaperones and wanted a married couple from each ward.   I was pretty nervous about it because I knew it would be physically grueling, but I was willing to give it a try.   I did not want to be the weak link.  I wanted to be a strength for our group of youth, not a liability.  I started praying daily that I would be strong and be a help to them.  Greg and I also started walking together every night (except Sundays) after the kids were in bed.    I also did some things to help prepare me more spiritually.  I thought we might need that kind of strength, too.

Last Tuesday it began.  We had all the belongings we needed for three days, including bedding, shoved into our 3.5 gallon buckets.   I guess that was lesson number one.  We rely so much on unneccesary stuff.  We can ask ourselves what is really important?  I think it was difficult for just about everyone to fit everything in their bucket.  There were a lot of broken lids J

Our first day, Tuesday,  would be prove to be a grueling day.  We ended up hiking 13-14 miles that day.  We had a group of 11 youth, and Greg and I.  We had a handcart that we had to fit all of our stuff in that we had to pull.  They strongly encouraged all the adult leaders to really let the youth lead and to not pull the handcart.  That was really hard.  I think I have a rescue complex.  I always want to help and “save” others.  Our youth were amazing, though, and we got a great start.  Maybe too great a start.  For those who think Iowa is flat prairie, you have not walked where we walked.  There was hill after rolling hill, after rolling hill.  At about the 3^rd mile, everyone started asking how close we were to the end point and we started to walk significantly slower.  The heat was thick and we had all emptied our water bottles. There was one boy, in particular, who was really having problems.  He had asthma and was having a hard time breathing.  We finally had to stop for him.   He felt like he couldn’t go on so we had to call for someone to come pick him up.  He decided it was too tough and went home.  We also had a girl sprain her ankle and was limping along.  Some of our kids really rose to the need we were in.  One boy helped push the handcart almost the whole day.  He really carried us all that day.  Everyone helped, but he really carried us all.  Thankfully, we didn’t have any complainers, and we made it to our camping spot.  We were all ready to drop, but then we had to cook our dinner and set up camp.  We were all grateful to fall into bed that night.

Wednesday we awoke to Thunderstorms and had to break camp in the rain.  We got out of camp later than we thought and the temperatures went above  90 degrees that day.  Wednesday also brought surprises.  The boys were to stay at camp and do a service project while the girls pulled the handcart themselves.  This was an overwhelming thought.  The boys would then have to walk or run to catch up with us.  This was a very emotional day.  Everyone was so tired from the day before.  Many of the girls were nursing sunburns and blisters.  One sweet girl had a huge blister on her heel that had popped.  It took me two good sized band-aids to cover it.  She could barely get her shoes on it hurt so much.  With the help of some of the other leaders we found some things that helped her and she limped along.  We had relied so much on the strong boys in our group the day before.  I was scared too.  I felt like I would really have to be strong this day.  I missed Greg’s quiet strength right from the start, but the girls and I did it!  They were awesome and amazing!  I pulled a lot that day, but was so thankful to be helping.  On the way, the girl who sprained her ankle, asked if she could have a blessing.  We were able to find some male leaders who were able to help.  It was a beautiful thing being in that setting and listening to this blessing being given.  In the blessing they told this girl angels were with us, and I could really feel that throughout the day.  We were doing this trek to help us feel gratitude for the pioneers who traveled this way so long ago.  They appreciated our recognition of their sacrifice and I could feel them helping us along.  It was beautiful.  Shortly after the blessing this girl with the sprained ankle was able to ride a horse for a while to help her ankle (she would walk with us again after lunch).  The remaining girls and I were able to pull about 5 miles until the boys, and Greg, caught up with us.  One of the best moments for me was seeing them come into view.  We were further ahead than a lot of groups so our boys had a lot of ground to make up.  Our boys were some of the first we saw and Greg was the first male leader to catch up to us.  I was so proud and happy to see them, especially Greg.  They really had to push themselves to catch up, but they knew we would need them so they pushed themselves.  I don’t always realize how much I rely on Greg.  He is such a source of steadiness and strength in my life.  I am so grateful for him!

We all ate lunch together and began our last leg of the journey.  Another surprise was in store.  We were stopped with only about a mile to go.  We could see Mt. Pisgah up on the hill.  We were told to pull our handcart off the side of the road.  We would be having a river crossing!  We couldn’t bring the handcart across because they had rented them and didn’t want anything to happen to them so we just had to bring ourselves across.  I actually thought this surprise was a great blessing.   Everyone was dragging by this point.  It was fun and refreshing to be in the water.  Nevermind that we got all muddy and would be wet the rest of the way.  The current was pretty strong so you had to be careful with your balance and push a little to get across.  Most of the boys dunked themselves and floated a little way and then would get their feet under them again.  I was carrying my shoes and another girls shoes so I didn’t go all the way under, but the water still came up to my chest.  Some of the shorter girls were really in deep.  Once we got to the other side we had to climb up a steep, muddy bank and walk through a bunch of weeds (hopefully avoiding the poison ivy and ticks) to get back to our handcart.  We were all wet, but we had a smile on our face and we knew we were going to make it now!  Our group was the first to cross the river so we knew we would be first to camp.  We were so excited to be nearing the end and to have stuck it out!  As we rolled into beautiful Mt. Pisgah we sang “Come, come, ye Saints”.  No one was there waiting and cheering us on, but we felt joy!  It was overwhelming.  We did it!  We made it.  We did something really hard and we helped each other do it.  We all just sat down on the grass and rested.  Then we got to cheer as others came into camp.  As the kids began to get up and move around a bit, Greg and I had some time to be together and talk.  I am so grateful I got to share this experience with him.  It is an amazing thing to see your spouse do something really hard.  It is almost like you remember why you love them so much and your heart is so full of love.  I felt  so proud of him.  He was so strong!  He was so great with the youth.  He is so much more patient with youth than many others.  He is able to step back and let them lead even if it means they make mistakes.  He is there for help and support, but really tries to help them learn leadership.  He is kind and capable.  He is fun and adventurous.  I only get glimpses of him in this role, it was amazing to see the full picture.  I am blessed to be on this life journey with him.

We were also so proud of our group of youth.  They were amazing!  They helped each other and waited for each other.  They pushed through pain and discomfort and kept moving forward.  They are capable and strong.  We loved sharing the journey with them as well.  It gives me great hope for the future to be around such capable, strong youth.

Our love for and appreciation for the pioneers was increased.  This journey was difficult for us and it was only two days.  We had great shoes, sunscreen and an endless supply of water and Gatorade.  If someone was sick or in pain they could be picked up in a car and rest for a while.  There were a lot of people who didn’t make it the whole way, even some of the adult leaders.  Our pioneers pushed forward day after day, through sickness and even the loss of loved ones.  Their strength really paved the way for the strength of the church today.  They were willing to give up so much for their faith.  It was a great blessing to remember them.

An experience like this really puts your life in perspective.  All of the things you normally think of as so important drop to the wayside and your focus becomes  keen and clear.  Our lives are filled with so much that doesn’t matter and it seems that is the challenge of our day, to rise above the busyness and clutter of life and focus on the two most important things, our faith and our family.  It was almost painful and depressing to return home to the same old life, when I felt so different.  It is a challenge to be aware of and one I am not sure how to overcome just yet.

Greg and I were also reminded of how much we both love to be outside.  It cleanses the soul and brings you closer to the Lord.  We live in this amazing world and the Lord created it for us.  He could have set up any environment for us to learn and grow and he made this one.  Its beauty can take your breath away.  So many times we would rise to the top of the hill and I would look out  and just feel loved.  The view was clear and spectacular.  I even thought it was a great metaphor for life.  On the downward slope of pulling a hand cart you feel like you have to almost run so you aren’t run over by it.  It helps to have people pulling on the back to slow you down, but you still clip along.  Then the uphill  you have to focus on each step in front of you or you get discouraged and overwhelmed at how much hill there is to climb.  Then when you get to the top you get this amazing view that takes your breath away and you realize that the climb was worth it and then it starts all over again.  I think of life like that.  We are always running or pushing, but sometimes we get these amazing views that make all of the running and pushing worth it.

This was an amazing experience for Greg and I.  Adam’s experience was a little different and I will have to write about that another day.  If your ward is ever looking for volunteers to go on a pioneer trek with the youth, sign up and start walking.  The Lord really answered my prayers and I had an amazing experience.

We have hardly any pictures.  We were way too focused.  Greg did capture this picture of Adam coming into camp the first day.  Obviously we didn't have to dress like pioneers.  Adam pulled his handcart almost the whole first day.  He even pulled it part of the day by himself.  His group really struggled.  We were so proud of him for pushing through!

Here is a picture of my bucket.  This is what we had to fit everything into.   

The last of Christmas Break

I love Christmas break because John Deere shuts down the week between Christmas and New Year's so Greg is able to be with us the whole time!  This break we spent several days looking for a Grand Piano!  We knew we couldn't buy a brand new one.  (They cost a lot!)  We looked at several music stores, but ended up finding it on Craig's List.  It is an older Baldwin Parlor Grand.  For you piano people out there it is 6 ft. 3 in. It is big for a home and has a lot of sound!  It fills our home.  This piano used to be in the ballroom of a hotel in Marshalltown, IA.  I liked that it had some history.   It is fabulous having this one in our office/music room and having our little Clavinova in the living room.  Now two people can practice at once!  I have played a lot more since we got it.  I don't know if music will be a career for any of our children, but I love how it fills our home on a daily basis.


At the very end of the break we got to go to our beloved Bettendorf for the baptism of Holly Jensen.  The Jensen family are our dear friends.  Ben and Holly were fast friends when we lived there and we still see them fairly often. It was so great to be there for Holly and to spend time with the Jensens.

Here we all are, including some of Leah's family that was there for the baptism.


It is also fun to see other friends when we travel to Bettendorf.  Here Lizzy is with her friend Anne Marie.  I am so grateful they have continued their friendship even after our move.  Their friend Grace is there too.


After the baptism we headed back to the Jensen's house.  The kids put on some fabulous plays for us.  We can always count on them being wacky, zany and a little kooky!




Here we are watching the show.  My best buddy Julia is with me.  I love that she still loves me even though she doesn't see me much.


We also played a rousing game of Pit/spoons.  Only a little blood was spilt (thanks a lot Adam!).  It was really a fun day.  We are blessed to have good people in our lives.


What a fabulous way to end our Christmas break!

Christmas 2012

Finally, some Christmas pictures!  We had a great Christmas!  It was so fun to be together.  I think everyone was happy with their gifts, too!  Adam was thrilled to finally get a phone.  Anna got an Ipod touch.  Lizzy got a day out with mom.  Jacob and Ben got a Beyblade stadium and Beyblades.  Mostly it was just great to have a week together with no schedule!  We also love the joy we feel as we think of the Savior and his birth.  It really is a special time of year.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November and December

Here are pictures from November and December.  Things we didn't get pictures of, include a wonderful Thanksgiving with our friends the Zielkes.  They were great hosts and we really loved hanging out and playing games all day.
 Piano recitals are fun too.  We had a great Christmas piano recital. If you ever want your own personal recital it can be arranged :)  I am so proud of all my kids.  Instead of me teaching Jacob, I am having Adam do it.  I am paying him and he is doing a fabulous job, so now all 5 play the piano to some degree or other.  I love that our home is filled with music!

Adam and I also participated in the stake choir for Christmas.  Our director was phenomenal and it was so fun to sing Christmas music for so many weeks
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Our ward boundaries were changed at the end of November.  With the changes I received a new calling.  I am loving serving in the Primary Presidency.  The kids are so fun and are little sponges that soak up knowledge.  I love knowing what my kids are learning too.  Greg is still the Youngs Men President, which he really enjoys, too.  Overall I think the split has been a great blessing.

 I also had a little surgery in December.  I have had this persistent pain in my lower abdomen for years.  I have had cat scans, ultrasounds and many blood tests. They even had me try Physical Therapy.   Finally they sent me to a surgeon.  I had a lipoma, or fatty tumor.  I had it removed and now I am pain free! You really don't want to see a picture of that anyways!  On to the pictures!

  Our handsome Ben.


Our spunky, fun-loving Lizzy.  I love this girl's freckles.  She loves side pony tails right now.

Our Anna who is growing up way too fast.  She will be in Young Women's in just another 2 weeks.

Lizzy on the front row, third from the right at her very fun school concert.  Anna had a band concert the same time so we had to divide and conquer that night.

The day after Thanksgiving the girls and I went to see "Beauty and the Beast" downtown.  It was so fun to see it through a child's eyes.  I love those girls.  Here we are ready to go. 

At the theater.  What do you think?  Do they look like me?

The girls at the theater.

Adam has been the busiest of us all.  He has been busy with robotics, basketball and show choir, along with piano.  Here he is in his show choir outfit.  So fun to watch him develop his talents.  Sometimes I can't believe how awesome my kids are!  They seem so much more talented than I have ever felt!   They are amazing!

Lizzy, who now has a dislike of doctors had another wonderful experience to cement that in her brain.  She got her ears pierced for her birthday and did a great job cleaning them for the required 2 months.  Then she changed earrings.  She didn't like to change them a lot though because it seemed hard to get the new pair in. She started complaining about one of her ears and had this big bump on the back so I told her to take the earrings out and see if it felt better.  When we took them out we never saw a back.  I thought we had dropped it.  Nope.   2 months later and it still was there.  I got to looking at it closely and thought I saw metal.  I brought her in and sure enough the back of her earring was in there.  The skin on the back of her ear had grown over it. They had to cut it open and remove it.  Crazy, right?

Greg loves to take pictures of me at my best.  Whenever I cut onions it is a nightmare.  I cry and cry and it stings and my nose runs.  I had to chop about 5 of them one day so I donned the goggles to make it through.    Dorky?  Maybe.  But it really works!

We were very fortunate to have the chance to attend the BYU vs ISU basketball game.  We got awesome seats (NOT!) and our team did amazing (NOT!), but it was still really fun.  We saw some friends from Bettendorf who came up and sat with us.  It was great fun to talk with them and it's always fun to be at a BYU event.  

 

 

We all got to experience our first robotics competition too.  I didn't expect to have so much fun.  It is a really fun atmosphere with music and big screens and a fun, but nerdy emcee.  Adam's team was one of the youngest teams there.  Most of the other teams were from High School.  They really did well for their first event.  I was surprised how much Adam enjoyed it.  He is the one on the left behind the yellow flag.

Anna has really enjoyed the move to Middle School this year.  This is a science project and presentation she worked hard on.  They had to design a green home.  She did great with her presentation and really enjoyed it all.  They designed their home out of shipping crates with a roof garden on top.  Pretty awesome.

 

After years of collecting BYU stuff Adam paid Lizzy to put it all up on his wall.  Why couldn't/didn't he do it?  I have no idea.  Here is Lizzy's creation for Adam.  If this staring at this everyday doesn't direct a kid to the right college I don't know what will.  Go Cougars!

Greg and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in December.  We got to go see the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concert.  It was awesome.  I decided I want to learn to play the recorder before I die (not the cheap plastic kind that your 4th grader uses to annoy you, a real wooden recorder so you can play duets with your kids on the piano).  Greg if you are reading this, that is what I want for my next big gift.  Yes, I am serious!  Anyway,  I am so thankful to have Greg in my life.  Sometimes it is hard to even remember life without him.  I look forward to many more years with him.  I hope someday soon we will be able to get away just the two of us to celebrate.  Any recommendations for places to go?

 

Coming soon:  a video post with many of the things that have been happening and a Christmas post. 

Fall catch up

I thought I would do one giant post all about fall to catch up on things.  Fall is such a great time of year.  It is probably the most pleasant of all the seasons in Iowa.  It is a great time to be outside and spend time with the family.

We got to work in the yard one day in beautiful weather.  The kids know how to make work fun.

 

 

 

 

 

The girls have been dressing up and taking pictures of each other lately.  Anna took this one of Lizzy.
 

I got to cash in on a birthday present and Greg and I went to see "Ballet Folklorico" at Iowa State.  We had great seats.  It was fun to do something different.
 

 

Here is Ben and Lizzy enjoying the rain together.  I love that our kids are friends with each other.
 

What would fall be without a trip to a corn maze in the freezing cold?  We love corn mazes and we found a good one this year.  Come visit us in the fall and we will take you with us.
 

 

Greg got to travel to a new place for work.  He went to Sau Paulo, Brazil.  His passport is looking pretty full and varied these days.  He loved Brazil's people and their food.  Here are a few pics from his trip.  Think BIG city.

 

 

 

While he was away our wonderful youth from church held a carnival for the primary kids.  I took this picture for Greg because he and the Young Men he works with at church made it.  His name is Goliath and the kids had to try to knock him down.

This year we carved pumpkins without Greg, too.  I can't believe how well the kids can do these days.  I had to help Jacob a lot, but the others I helped very little.  Here is their handy work.

Lizzy's pumpkin

 

 

Adam's pumpkin
 

Ben's Pumpkin

Jacob's pumpkin

Anna's pumpkin

Halloween was fun this year.  Lizzy was a bag of Jelly Beans.  Isn't she cute?

The back of Lizzy's Jelly Bean bag.

Anna,  I see marvelous things in your future.

Ben the Ninja.

One of Anna's friends came trick or treating with us.  Jacob didn't want to participate in pictures but he was a knight.

The Jelly Beans just looked too good.  They had to be eaten.

Last year Adam didn't go trick or treating and regretted it.  This year he decided to go.  Yes, I let my eighth grader go trick or treating.  Adam said, "Mom, I think I am short enough I can get away with it."  He went with some friends and they got a haul!

I am not sure why this is sideways, but here is Adam and friends checking out their loot.  Adam weighed his candy and had over 7 pounds.  One of the other boys had over 10 pounds.  That is what a 13 year old calls a successful night!

 Anna had to blend two animals to make a new animal for science class.  Here is her drawing of her Toukey.

Lizzy having fun on her date with Greg

I loved this picture from the library.  This fall the kids have all enjoyed reading Brandon Mull's latest book, "The Arcade Catastrophe".  You should check it out, especially if you love "The Candy Shop War".

I am sure I have more pictures I haven't found yet, but hopefully you got a glimpse into our fall.  Now it is Christmas time!  Yeah!