5 minutes away

The trailhead for this backpacking trip for the Scouts is five minutes from our house. I drive the truck full of boys, objects swinging from carabiners on their backpacks in the truck bed. Mark takes his first steps with the young men, a few months early. So thankful his dad is the Scoutmaster, I know Mark will be warm enough at night.

 

Earth from elements

12th and 9th in high school
6th in middle school
Day 17 without a washing machine at home
Charlene took us out to lunch

 

Today’s morning prayer included:

  • gratitude for yesterday’s trip to the laundromat with Paige
  • a plea for help for my boys at school
  • gratitude for a lunch with two of the Charlenes in my life
  • gratitude for my parents who came over last night for dinner and to help Daniel with some Scout stuff
  • gratitude for a beautiful house
  • a plea for forgiveness
  • frustration about some things
  • the names of many ward members
  • a realization that I have so much help this year for school, including busing, a piano teacher who comes to our house, and an army of teachers to replace my efforts
  • a plea to know who I can help today and for the emotional strength to do it

I said amen, thinking, “Did I kind of fall asleep during part of that prayer?” Realizing that I had, the thought came that if God could make the earth out of elements, he can work with a servant who is a bit dozy. Then the thought came that I needed to find my cell phone because someone needed me. I figured it would be one of my boys who had just left for school. Almost immediately after finding my phone, it lit up. Someone was calling to ask me to help. I wouldn’t have heard it because it was on silent mode. Sometimes, especially lately, I need intervention like this to know what to do because my perception feels foggy. I couldn’t have thought to call this neighbor, so she had to call me. I’m glad she felt that she could. I am grateful the thought came to find my phone.

Keep praying, all. It works.

Middle School

Mark had an exciting day yesterday.

He got his middle school schedule. His trumpet arrived. He walked the halls of the middle school with his friend Adam. I helped them find their classrooms and lockers, pointing out landmarks and reminding them which floor they were on, then I stepped back and allowed them to figure things out on their own. By the end, I was no longer walking with them. They grew confident in that hour.

Overheard as I walked the halls with them:

“It’s a relief to know I couldn’t actually fit in this locker if someone tried to stuff me in.”

“This is actually not as intense as I thought it would be,” as they looked at a display in a classroom.

Mark played his first notes on the trumpet. “That sounded beautiful,” said Adam. “Yep, it did,” replied Mark. “No regrets.”

Robotic Ribbon Cutter

Daniel’s robotics team is at the Utah State Capitol building today for a ribbon cutting ceremony for a traveling STEM program bus. Their robot is cutting the ribbon. The mechanism is his design. I won’t be able to attend the event, but I am enjoying the little videos he shared with me.

 

Pioneer Day 2017

 Pioneer Day in Utah is a lot more fun than Pioneer Day in other states we have lived. Mark was excited all day for the fireworks. His excitement translated into some entertaining conversation topics and extra energy to push the cart around Costco. I felt especially bothered by Costco yesterday. I could not get out of there fast enough. Does this ever happen to you? Daniel worked on the Cooking Merit Badge until he almost passed out from standing so long and maybe locking his knees. I think it may have had to do with handling raw meat, too. Note to self: cooking is a bigger service than you know. Mark made dinner, a nice ham quiche, while Daniel and I worked on dinners to freeze for an upcoming Yellowstone trip. In the evening, Paige and I drove the boys and Richard around the neighborhood in the truck, collecting the Scout flags that were displayed for the holiday. Later, we shared our sparklers with our little neighbors. “Can I have another sparkler, please?” little Andy kept asking. Thankfully, we had about a zillion of them to give. We have some serious fireworks enthusiasts on the street next to ours which we benefit from, so we have never bought aerial fireworks. This year, the favorite Ross-level firework was the “Cracker Barrel,” a tiny firework that just kept going.

Today I am working on my family reunion assignments, Church stuff, and the mudroom. But first, I sit in the trailer with the heater on as it dries out the rain that came through a zipper. This is why you are getting a post about minutiae.

What a Week

Photo by Heather
Photo by Jaussis

There were uncomplicated, lovely times last week: a Relief Society garden party in Charlene’s gorgeous backyard, my nieces’ puppet booth, and a good date night. There was an unplanned trip to a joke shop and a small town drive-in with Timothy and Mark, where they said the food was the best they had ever had. Daniel went on a backpacking trip with a friend, which felt like a milestone because he has never done something like this without adults. He came home covered in bug bites (not mosquito), but had a great view of the valley.

It was a week of work for body, mind, and heart. There was the satisfaction of finishing a quilt top and removing bags of unneeded things from the house and cleaning up a flower bed in the backyard. I prepared several messages for my Church calling, only to realize that the simplest one was best. I felt deep concern for some friends, and molded it into prayer. In return, I feel heard, and more like the person I should be: more connected with God and my neighbors.

This upcoming week peers around the corner, and I see glimpses of what can be, and I smile.

Allow him

I think I can say that I am an expert on our son Mark, and this week he was different. He is used to being home alone without friends, so when he started to show frustration that he couldn’t get in touch with one of his friends, I was a little baffled. Over a few days, he kept asking me to contact his friend’s mother after his efforts to make noise and peer through the fence didn’t work to get his friend’s attention.

On Wednesday, the day before his Scout camp, Mark was especially lonely for this friend, but we couldn’t reach him. I took him out into the garden with me and we worked together. I looked at Lego sets with him online. I told him to clean his room (my answer for boredom). Eventually, the back gate opened and they were together at last.

That day they talked a lot about Scout camp and Mark talked his friend into going. “I had him at guns, Mom.” (There are rifles at Scout camp.)

I didn’t want to destroy his hopes, but I knew there were some hurdles to getting this boy to Scout camp the next morning. I tried to explain to Mark that it was up to the boy’s parents to get him ready, and there was a lot to do. I told him there might be trouble getting all the forms filled out, and the camp might not let him go at the last minute. This time, it was Mark’s turn to be baffled at me. He was sure his friend was going to Scout camp.

Mark was right, and the love he showed his friend was the key to getting him there. This sweet friend is a Church member, but doesn’t feel comfortable among the kids at church. Mark misses his friend on Sundays.

I realized that Mark’s discomfort all week was probably the Spirit prompting him to act. My attempts to divert his attention and dampen his enthusiasm didn’t make his job any easier. As I read a text of gratitude from the boy’s mother, what had begun for me as cautious encouragement for Mark turned to open admiration for his courage. Next time, I hope I will do more to allow him to follow the promptings he feels from the Holy Ghost.

It seems strange now, but I had spent some time this week worrying about sending Mark to camp. As he stepped out of the car when I dropped him off, I saw Mark’s confidence and maturity as he went straight to his friend to welcome him. There is strength and perception and power in our eleven-year-old. Trust me, I know because I’m a Mark expert.