BTW- Apparently, when Avery turns 8 Tom wants the whole family to hike it. That's fine. He just has to know that if I'm doing his kind of workout, he's doing a half marathon with me.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Speaking of Traditions. . .
We have a family tradition that the boys love. When a kid turns 8, Tom takes them up to hike Mount Timpanogos. It's a pretty big deal. I've never done it because, while I do love a good hike, I also like for that hike to end after a reasonable period of time. I think it's something like 13 miles round trip (a very steep 13 miles). Jake rocked the hike and had a great time. Tom, being 43, even did well. He iced his knee when he got home, but was great other than that. Here are some pictures.
BTW- Apparently, when Avery turns 8 Tom wants the whole family to hike it. That's fine. He just has to know that if I'm doing his kind of workout, he's doing a half marathon with me.
BTW- Apparently, when Avery turns 8 Tom wants the whole family to hike it. That's fine. He just has to know that if I'm doing his kind of workout, he's doing a half marathon with me.
Traditions! (Not to be said but rather sung- from the musical)
I'm going to stray from my usual "I have cute kids so you need to see me document every bit of their lives" kind of post for a second and move onto something that has been on my mind A LOT over the last few years. As you read this, I don't want any response that is disrespectful to my beliefs or church. You can disagree with my opinion, but my beliefs are special to me. I will promptly erase your post.
I'm sure most of you know (is there anyone who actually still reads this?) that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints- the Mormons. My parents were both converts to the church. They raised me in it as smoothly as two parents who were new to things could. I am actually very grateful for the way I was raised in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My parents had no family traditions regarding the church so they just taught me the doctrine. I grew up always believing, but in high school I questioned some stuff. My mom encouraged me to study and pray- which I've done throughout my life. And guess what- I really and truly believe it in my heart. With anything regarding any religion, there will always be questions. But there will always be confirmations by the Holy Ghost to help me through.
Here is what I believe - just a basic belief. There are other parts of things that I won't bore you with. But the truth is this- Jesus Christ is God's physical son. He came down to teach us how to come back to Him. He atoned for our sins (I gave him plenty of pain), died on the cross at Calvary and was resurrected 3 days later. It is only through Him that I can be reunited with my Heavenly Father and Savior/brother, Jesus Christ. It is only through Him that I can be sealed to the most important people in the world to me. He set up His church on this earth during His mortal ministry. That church was true. Over the years pieces were taken away or corrupted because of human frailty and human nature. It needed to be restored to the earth so God, through many revelations, charged Joseph Smith with restoring the whole and true Church of Jesus Christ. The Bible is a very true testament of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is a record of another group of people who worshipped the Savior and their experiences. And here I am today, a member of the most fantastic church on earth. I love it. I believe it all. A lot of people believe it all- and a lot of people do not. I respect that, just as I hope you respect that I do.
Here's where I am different from some LDS people. I get sick of the traditions. Some traditions are fabulous. I just had the most fun night with my LDS neighbors celebrating the anniversary of the arrival of the pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley. Those friends are such amazing supports to me. Other traditions are still foreign to me. They consist of people making rules on top of rules and then passing them down throughout generations. Those grandparent rules turn into family rules, which turn into neighborhood rules, which turn into ward rules, which turn into Church rules- even though the Church never made the rules. "Don't drink Dr. Pepper. Don't grow facial hair. Don't let your daughters wear tank tops. Don't change out of your church clothes on Sundays. Wear a shirt under your shirt because even though garments cover so much, we have to cover more. " And the list goes on. It gets ridiculous. Moms worry about how many inches above the knee is too short or whether or not capped sleeves are considered "sleeveless" shirts- even for little innocent girls. We are warned (very rightfully) that it's important to regard our bodies as temples and respect them as so, so modesty is very important. But then somebody makes a rule- and we all know what happens with those rules.
I recently had a conversation with one of my heroes. She is one of the most Christlike people I've ever met. I was telling her that I met somebody once who would never go to church without panty hose. She told me that in her family they were taught the same thing. I wanted to be respectful so I didn't challenge her family rules. She'd never imposed them on me so I didn't want to impose how ridiculous the idea was to me on her. It would be rude to do so. But the fact that Grandma wore stockings to church every Sunday meant that she had to do so, too. I wasn't going to let her grandmother's rules dictate my rules. Let me admit something to you- I haven't owned a pair of panty hose in AT LEAST half a decade. I do have tights for the winter- but panty hose? Ugh. And when sweet girls wear them with sandals, I wonder if they know that it looks ridiculous. But tradition sometimes becomes doctrine.
Tom recently grew his first goatee. He looked pretty fantastic. I didn't love the prickly kisses, so I didn't urge him to keep it. I was torn between the fact that I loved the way it looks and the fact that I didn't like the way it felt. He's always said that he was going to shave it before he talked in church for an assignment a couple weeks later. For two Sundays we went to church with it. We had some surprised people, but mostly people who smiled and liked it. I looked around a saw many other men I hadn't noticed before with similar facial hair. They kept their beards clean and sharp looking. He was apprehensive. I looked up whether there was anything other than tradition that dictated his facial hair. BYU students, missionaries and temple workers can't have it- but they can have mustaches (and let's be honest, only a few men can pull of a mustache). And that came from standards set in 1971 when the hippie movement was popular. Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained that the reason men shouldn't have facial hair AT BYU was because it gave off a hippie look. He then went on to say that social views on beards would eventually change, but for then, that was the school's rule. Not the Church's rule- the school's. There were no more obvious directives from the podium that told men not to wear beards. And look- things change. Just a couple weeks ago the church changed its' missionary physical guidelines to include light suits (something Tom never imagined) and bright ties- a no-no before.
I'm sure we aren't the only ones who have traditions. I mean, the Orthodox Jews had a whole musical, "Fiddler on the Roof" written around them. There was a movement in our church to let women wear pants - which made women who already wore nice pants laugh- since they were doing it. I didn't participate in it because it turned into a priesthood thing rather than a tradition thing, and I don't believe people should ever protest in the sanctuary of where people worship. And as long as people are dressed nicely in their "Sunday best" to worship the Savior (I know, tradition- but not just Mormon tradition, but Christian tradition that rightfully spans generations), I really don't care what they wear. (And even if they aren't in their "Sunday best", I actually don't care either. Just be there.)
So here is my formal protest. We Mormons need to all watch Fiddler on the Roof. Then we need to look at the rules we impose on ourselves and everyone else and recognize whether it's tradition or doctrinal direction given from somebody with authority to give it. If we still believe it's important for our families, then fantastic. Teach our families. But teach our families that it is not a Church rule, rather than a family rule.
Going back, though- the Church is pretty great. I love the teachings that beg us to follow our Savior and do our very best to BE our very best. I love that even though some people will not agree with this post, they will still be there to help if I need them. I love that there is a brotherhood and a sisterhood that binds us together and helps sustain us through the good the bad and everything in between. I love that I can go to church at any given Sunday in any given ward or branch and know that the volunteer teachers have prayed and worked to invite the Holy Spirit into the meetings so that I can be spiritually edified. I love that people give everything they have to help people they don't even know because they understand that the joy given through the Gospel is greater than any other joy. While we may follow too many traditions (and I know I'm not perfect either) we are just trying our best to be good, Godly people. We are all learning. Who knows, in a decade I may completely disagree with this post. We are just doing the best we can with what we've been given. But we've been given the best gift we could possibly have- the knowledge of the Lord's plan for us.
I'm sure most of you know (is there anyone who actually still reads this?) that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints- the Mormons. My parents were both converts to the church. They raised me in it as smoothly as two parents who were new to things could. I am actually very grateful for the way I was raised in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My parents had no family traditions regarding the church so they just taught me the doctrine. I grew up always believing, but in high school I questioned some stuff. My mom encouraged me to study and pray- which I've done throughout my life. And guess what- I really and truly believe it in my heart. With anything regarding any religion, there will always be questions. But there will always be confirmations by the Holy Ghost to help me through.
Here is what I believe - just a basic belief. There are other parts of things that I won't bore you with. But the truth is this- Jesus Christ is God's physical son. He came down to teach us how to come back to Him. He atoned for our sins (I gave him plenty of pain), died on the cross at Calvary and was resurrected 3 days later. It is only through Him that I can be reunited with my Heavenly Father and Savior/brother, Jesus Christ. It is only through Him that I can be sealed to the most important people in the world to me. He set up His church on this earth during His mortal ministry. That church was true. Over the years pieces were taken away or corrupted because of human frailty and human nature. It needed to be restored to the earth so God, through many revelations, charged Joseph Smith with restoring the whole and true Church of Jesus Christ. The Bible is a very true testament of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is a record of another group of people who worshipped the Savior and their experiences. And here I am today, a member of the most fantastic church on earth. I love it. I believe it all. A lot of people believe it all- and a lot of people do not. I respect that, just as I hope you respect that I do.
Here's where I am different from some LDS people. I get sick of the traditions. Some traditions are fabulous. I just had the most fun night with my LDS neighbors celebrating the anniversary of the arrival of the pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley. Those friends are such amazing supports to me. Other traditions are still foreign to me. They consist of people making rules on top of rules and then passing them down throughout generations. Those grandparent rules turn into family rules, which turn into neighborhood rules, which turn into ward rules, which turn into Church rules- even though the Church never made the rules. "Don't drink Dr. Pepper. Don't grow facial hair. Don't let your daughters wear tank tops. Don't change out of your church clothes on Sundays. Wear a shirt under your shirt because even though garments cover so much, we have to cover more. " And the list goes on. It gets ridiculous. Moms worry about how many inches above the knee is too short or whether or not capped sleeves are considered "sleeveless" shirts- even for little innocent girls. We are warned (very rightfully) that it's important to regard our bodies as temples and respect them as so, so modesty is very important. But then somebody makes a rule- and we all know what happens with those rules.
I recently had a conversation with one of my heroes. She is one of the most Christlike people I've ever met. I was telling her that I met somebody once who would never go to church without panty hose. She told me that in her family they were taught the same thing. I wanted to be respectful so I didn't challenge her family rules. She'd never imposed them on me so I didn't want to impose how ridiculous the idea was to me on her. It would be rude to do so. But the fact that Grandma wore stockings to church every Sunday meant that she had to do so, too. I wasn't going to let her grandmother's rules dictate my rules. Let me admit something to you- I haven't owned a pair of panty hose in AT LEAST half a decade. I do have tights for the winter- but panty hose? Ugh. And when sweet girls wear them with sandals, I wonder if they know that it looks ridiculous. But tradition sometimes becomes doctrine.
Tom recently grew his first goatee. He looked pretty fantastic. I didn't love the prickly kisses, so I didn't urge him to keep it. I was torn between the fact that I loved the way it looks and the fact that I didn't like the way it felt. He's always said that he was going to shave it before he talked in church for an assignment a couple weeks later. For two Sundays we went to church with it. We had some surprised people, but mostly people who smiled and liked it. I looked around a saw many other men I hadn't noticed before with similar facial hair. They kept their beards clean and sharp looking. He was apprehensive. I looked up whether there was anything other than tradition that dictated his facial hair. BYU students, missionaries and temple workers can't have it- but they can have mustaches (and let's be honest, only a few men can pull of a mustache). And that came from standards set in 1971 when the hippie movement was popular. Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained that the reason men shouldn't have facial hair AT BYU was because it gave off a hippie look. He then went on to say that social views on beards would eventually change, but for then, that was the school's rule. Not the Church's rule- the school's. There were no more obvious directives from the podium that told men not to wear beards. And look- things change. Just a couple weeks ago the church changed its' missionary physical guidelines to include light suits (something Tom never imagined) and bright ties- a no-no before.
I'm sure we aren't the only ones who have traditions. I mean, the Orthodox Jews had a whole musical, "Fiddler on the Roof" written around them. There was a movement in our church to let women wear pants - which made women who already wore nice pants laugh- since they were doing it. I didn't participate in it because it turned into a priesthood thing rather than a tradition thing, and I don't believe people should ever protest in the sanctuary of where people worship. And as long as people are dressed nicely in their "Sunday best" to worship the Savior (I know, tradition- but not just Mormon tradition, but Christian tradition that rightfully spans generations), I really don't care what they wear. (And even if they aren't in their "Sunday best", I actually don't care either. Just be there.)
So here is my formal protest. We Mormons need to all watch Fiddler on the Roof. Then we need to look at the rules we impose on ourselves and everyone else and recognize whether it's tradition or doctrinal direction given from somebody with authority to give it. If we still believe it's important for our families, then fantastic. Teach our families. But teach our families that it is not a Church rule, rather than a family rule.
Going back, though- the Church is pretty great. I love the teachings that beg us to follow our Savior and do our very best to BE our very best. I love that even though some people will not agree with this post, they will still be there to help if I need them. I love that there is a brotherhood and a sisterhood that binds us together and helps sustain us through the good the bad and everything in between. I love that I can go to church at any given Sunday in any given ward or branch and know that the volunteer teachers have prayed and worked to invite the Holy Spirit into the meetings so that I can be spiritually edified. I love that people give everything they have to help people they don't even know because they understand that the joy given through the Gospel is greater than any other joy. While we may follow too many traditions (and I know I'm not perfect either) we are just trying our best to be good, Godly people. We are all learning. Who knows, in a decade I may completely disagree with this post. We are just doing the best we can with what we've been given. But we've been given the best gift we could possibly have- the knowledge of the Lord's plan for us.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
A Hundred Degrees? Whatevs
This is seriously a blistering hot summer. Maybe they are all this hot, but this is kind of extreme. Poor Susie and her family left south Texas where it is cooler (seriously?) to come to record heat. But, whatever. We're comfy cool in the house and the kids are happy in the water. Unlike San Antonio, we don't have any mandated water restrictions right now. So, if we want a little water fun every once in a while, so be it. And so it was.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Cousins Make for Fast Friends
Susie and her kids are in town right now. I have absolutely no pictures of Cameron since he disappears with the older boys most of the day. But here are some pics of the rest of the cousins that make me smile. Avery and Lauren are particularly cute together.
Oh look, Tom just sent a picture of the boys after Ben's game. Cameron does exist!
Oh look, Tom just sent a picture of the boys after Ben's game. Cameron does exist!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Chore Day
Experience has told me that this happy attitude towards chores won't last. Case in point, look at her brothers.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Is 8:30 Too Early to Go To Sleep on a Friday Night?
It has been the biggest week for our little family. Is anyone else laughing at the fact that I used "little" to describe us? Seriously, our minivan is like a clown car. I open the back door and kids just keep coming and coming. But, I digress. Back to the big week.
Monday- Garrett's birthday. "But it's July 12th," you say. Wow, good memory. I'm going to be at Girls Camp next week and will miss Ben and Garrett's big days. So, we went for the early birthdays. We started with Garrett's 13th celebration on Monday. (My second teenager. Seriously.) He had a great day. I took a couple of his friends and him to Trafalga. Then we had a rockin' family birthday party. I'm trying to remember if we went to the pool, too. That's too far back to remember. So, here are the pictures. I'm glad I documented his big day because I'm too tired to remember much about it. :)
Thursday was the 4th of July- Independence Day. Big day there, obviously. Tom took the 3 littles to hike the Y early in the morning. They had lots of fun. Avery said it was "so hard" but she did it. She even carried her own water bottle up the whole time. When they finished they went into Provo to watch the parade. They had a great time.
While they were hiking and parade watching, the older boys and I watched the new Superman movie. I'd seen it with Tom, but I enjoyed it more the second time. Maybe because Henry Cavill is almost as easy on the eyes as Tom. Still too much destruction for my taste- but a good flick.
We all met up in time to go to Sam and Alyson's for a great barbecue. Alyson knows how to throw a party. It was lots of fun. We then left their house to catch some fireworks. Another 11:00 night for the kiddos. Even our insomniac Avery was falling asleep in the car.
Monday- Garrett's birthday. "But it's July 12th," you say. Wow, good memory. I'm going to be at Girls Camp next week and will miss Ben and Garrett's big days. So, we went for the early birthdays. We started with Garrett's 13th celebration on Monday. (My second teenager. Seriously.) He had a great day. I took a couple of his friends and him to Trafalga. Then we had a rockin' family birthday party. I'm trying to remember if we went to the pool, too. That's too far back to remember. So, here are the pictures. I'm glad I documented his big day because I'm too tired to remember much about it. :)
Tuesday was definitely a pool day. We are loving being members of the community pool this year.
Wednesday was the Orem Owlz (yes, with a Z) game. We stayed up way too late watching the win and then watching the fireworks.
Thursday was the 4th of July- Independence Day. Big day there, obviously. Tom took the 3 littles to hike the Y early in the morning. They had lots of fun. Avery said it was "so hard" but she did it. She even carried her own water bottle up the whole time. When they finished they went into Provo to watch the parade. They had a great time.
While they were hiking and parade watching, the older boys and I watched the new Superman movie. I'd seen it with Tom, but I enjoyed it more the second time. Maybe because Henry Cavill is almost as easy on the eyes as Tom. Still too much destruction for my taste- but a good flick.
We all met up in time to go to Sam and Alyson's for a great barbecue. Alyson knows how to throw a party. It was lots of fun. We then left their house to catch some fireworks. Another 11:00 night for the kiddos. Even our insomniac Avery was falling asleep in the car.
Friday- Today. We started with a scrimmage for Scotty that took the whole morning. We then ran home so I could get Ben to go celebrate his birthday, just the two of us. We gorged ourselves at Tucanos and then went up Provo Canyon for our zip line adventure. It was behind schedule so we hung out for about an hour until it was our group's turn. That was a cool adventure. He was adventurous and went upside down. I never did that, but was content letting go of my harness and flying through the canyon. It was a great way to spend his birthday. We came home for cake and presents.
On a side note- that kid is 15 and is still fun to hang out with. Loved every second alone with him today.
Which brings us to now. It's now 9:05 and I think I'm ready for bed. Big weeks take it out of me. Good thing I have a nice, relaxing week at Girls Camp ahead of me. Oh, wait. . . Anyway, I really am going to try to sleep early tonight. I've got a 5 mile run tomorrow. Oh, yeah- I've run a few days this week, too. I've kept up on my training really well this summer. Yay, me! Jake even joined me a couple days ago and enjoyed a good behind whoopin' from his mom who wouldn't let him quit. :) So, yes- off to bed for me. I'll let the lightning and thunder lull me to sleep tonight.
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