Just so ya know

I'm still alive and plugging away at school. I have so much I would love to blog about...just don't have the time!

Fall Break

Ahhhh, the cooler weather, the changing leaves, the crisp smelling air. My kids are out of school for the week...fall break. Which normally I love, but I don't get a fall break. So basically it means lining up sitters for my class times/days and trying to study with all 4 hooligans running around. blech. Hopefully we will get a chance to do something kinda fun while they are off this week...I feel bad for wishing they didn't get a fall break, but its true this go-round.

Sunday singing.

So I tried something a little different in primary today for singing time. It was one of those true inspiration things, I woke up around 3am realizing that I had homework that I forgot to do...and its due tonight at midnight YIKES! And before I fell back asleep the inspiration struck...I should let the KIDS draw the visuals for this new song we are learning! So folks, thats just what I did. Its a song that only a few of the kids were slightly familiar with(namely my 4)so we just went with it, and those kids were so darn proud of their drawings and that they got to help. They picked up the words faster than I would have thought possible if I hadn't been there to see it with my own eyes.
I must also mention that I gave myself an attitude adjustment about being the primary chorister...I'm sure that was a big contributing factor to how well today went. You see, I love this calling.BUT, and its a BIG BUT, I do not like my accompanist. At all. We've butted heads over many many things. It doesn't help that she used to be my supervisor at a particular job that I had. We don't see things as like minds. We've talked so many times about how music should be in primary, and I'll tell ya honestly, her prelude playing has made a big difference in the reverence level of opening exercises...and not in a good way. I've had our music chairman go and talk to her, the primary presidency(separate and together) have gone and talked to her about it....it makes no difference. So basically I decided that I just need to be more tolerant, after all, she has talent that I can only wish to have. I don't play the piano well at all, and only the most basic songs come easily to me(think book of mormon stories). So I let it go.
I'm really going to be sad someday when I am asked to give up this calling. Although it will be a relief at the same time b/c it demands soooo much energy on Sundays. Its hard to be enthusiastic and sing for 2 hours. I'm still so proud of my primary children for learning the first part of this new song! YAY!

*Gulp*

My first clinical is tomorrow....remind me to BREATHE

The experience I almost didn't have

I do not currently have cable. My computer has been acting up big time, so I've been reduced to using the dinosaur laptop(s-l-o-w) and here it is conference weekend. Its been years in the making and its still not 100% all the time but we've finally gotten to the point where the kids all know that we stay in the designated room for the whole time, they can have quiet activities but if they get too loud there will be consequences. And here I was without a way to watch conference...not good. I figured we would go up to the church and watch it there, at least for the morning session and then we would just listen to the afternoon session. So I had the kids all pysched to go to the church and watch it, gave them all a brand new notebook and pencil and packed a small quiet snack for each of them(I really played this whole going to the church to watch it thing up so that they wouldn't whine too much). We got there about 5 mins til 9 and the building was unlocked, not another car in sight and not a soul in the building...and no tv set up for conference :( :( :( :( >:( the kids were bummed, and I was upset. So we came back home and I tried to get the laptop to pull up the audio feed...and it wouldn't work! UGH! I decided to see if MY broken computer would at least pull up the audio. And it finally did! And what an amazing session. I have never been so affected by a session of conference as I was today. It was profound for me. Every single question that I had brought with me to conference was answered right in that one session. The biggies that I've been dealing with for some time now, the ones that have really weighed me down? They were answered and I have the strength and conviction to press forward with steadfast faith in Christ. I see now just exactly where my thoughts and feelings came from that were holding me back and weighing me back. And to reference the afternoon session. I will not look down at the floor/ground when I get discouraged. I will look up, step up, and cheer up. For strength comes from above, not below.
So you see I almost didn't get to have this experience today, and I will forever be grateful that I did, that I was blessed enough to feel what I felt and to know that its true.