I can’t say enough good things about the school system here. I am so grateful for the wonderful school district we have moved into. Aubrey is learning Microsoft word (in first grade)! When we got here she was way behind, she has worked so hard and is now at or above where they wanted her to be, what a relief. Tanner’s teacher is the most amazing person. I’m so impressed by her. She has Tanner on a fast track to having most of his math and English requirements done for college by the time he graduates from high school. They offer pre-algebra for 6th graders and he will be taking a pre-algebra camp class this summer that the school offers. Emma’s a little miffed because in Dayton 7th grade honors math was pre-algebra so this will put Tanner ahead of her, she’ll be fine 😉 Nothing like a little competition to drive you to new levels right?
Today I chaperoned Tanner’s class at Camp Mary Orton. They had a blast. Here are a few highlights of the trip.
Occasionally I get surprised how quickly life is moving. It seems like just last week that the H family was visiting and we were up at Kirtland and now May is coming to a close. Summer is just around the corner, and life is steadily moving in a forward direction.
Tanner had his first and last pinewood derby here in Ohio. With only one son, this was my last pinewood derby as well. He placed second. He has finished up his Webelo requirements, and I have upgraded him to a khaki shirt. I had to change the troop numbers and other badges, so I figured why do it twice.
There are about 20 boys and he seems to be fitting right in.
Mother’s Day has also come and gone. I got all sorts of fine poetry. My favorite line was when Tanner compared me to a loaf of fresh bread… that gave me something to ponder, am I soft and doughy? warm and comforting, hot and smelly? So many ways to take that. The kids gave me a new cookbook that I’ve been wanting, that’s a gift everyone benefits from right? I really enjoyed church, the men filled in for all callings and the women went to Sunday School and Relief Society.
Our R.S. president told us a story about a turkey that lives at her Mom’s house. She had a picture of this turkey and it was losing it’s feathers and was skinny and looked ill. She (the turkey) was sitting on a nest. This turkey had been sitting on her eggs, and it was obvious that they were not ever going to hatch, and no matter how hard they tried they couldn’t get her to leave her babies. She suffered from hunger and was about to die herself for the sake of her babies. So our R.S. president’s Mom got an idea and took some viable chicken eggs, and was able to coax the turkey off her nest long enough to put the chicken eggs in place of her eggs. The turkey hatched her chicken eggs and life was good. Now there are so many morals you could draw from this story but her point was that we are here to help one another. We are sisters, and just as her mother helped out this other mother (the turkey) we are woman and are here to aid one another. Then we went to the gym for a brunch and a professional photo of us together as sisters.
I think that Ohio has got to be the lawn mowing capital of the USA. Lawn covers everything here, and people are crazy about it. Danny is working so hard and we are on 1 acre of lawn, and he just doesn’t have the time to mow it. I want him here on Saturday with us, and not out pushing a mower, so I’ve taken this chore upon me. Every Friday is lawn mowing day here. It takes me almost 3 hours, and by the end of the 3 hours I’m resembling the Jolly Green Giant, minus the Jolly part. The first time I mowed it I didn’t realize that the mower was self propelled (duh- palm of hand to face). The next time I mowed it I looked down and wondered what that lever was for, pushed it down and off goes the mower. I’m on the look out for a used riding mower.
Worms ooze out of everything here and the girls love them.
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 38 Verse 32:
“Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto the commandment that ye should go to the Ohio;
and there I will give unto you my law;
and there you shall be endowed with power from on high;”
When I boarded the plane from SLC to take my little family to Ohio, I couldn’t help but think that my ancestors were rolling their eyes at me. They worked so hard to get to Utah, and I was being an ungrateful brat and undoing it all in a 4 hour flight. Oh what they must think? Now that I’m here and I see the great beauty, the awesome buildings, I think that they are probably happy that someone is getting to see what they accomplished and worked so hard for. They are probably happy that we can return to Ohio and live in peace. I’m sure the decision to follow the word of the prophet was not an easy one, they had themselves a beautiful life here. I wonder if I would have been able to leave it all?
Some close friends of ours recently visited from Nevada. It was so great to see them. We spent a wonderful day in Kirtland, although there just wasn’t quite enough time. Next time we will get a room, there was so much that we missed. Having the H family visit reminded us how much we miss our friends, but we also realized that the best thing about good friends is how you can just pick up where you left off. They will forever be our friends. Thank You H family for coming to see us.
Tanner and his good friend Dane
Aubrey and Alyssa
After spending 2 hours on a tour at the site of N.K. Whitney store and touring where Joseph Smith and Emma lived and a few “filter-missing” comments from Alyssa during the tour I didn’t think it was a good idea to take her and Hallie on the hour and a half temple tour. We had the most amazing time though. We walked to a nearby cemetery and found the grave of Emma and Joseph’s twins, and the home of theirs where the twins died. None of this is on any tour. We wandered the cemetery for a long time, and Alyssa was so focused. I think I read to her every name on every stone in the yard. We wandered the gardens at the temple, and touched the front doors.
Cemeteries have never been creepy to me, I find them very peaceful, and this one was no exception. I can’t imagine the incredible pain Emma and Joseph experienced in this place.
This is the front door of the Kirtland Temple. I suppose I had bitter feelings that the church doesn’t own this temple anymore. I know that if the Lord thought it was important that it be in our possession then it would be, so I guess I shouldn’t waste time worrying. What does bother me is that the temple doesn’t have its original finish that the saints worked hard to make and it has fake cracks painted on it so that it looks like an “old,” “historical” building. Danny assured me that the Spirit is strong inside and that Aubrey was in awe. I look forward to taking the tour next time we visit.
While we were so close we had to go up and see Lake Erie for a few minutes.
One of Alyssa’s finer moments:
While in the room of the School of the Prophets, we were given a few minutes of silence to feel the spirit in the room. It was hot and there were lots of us in there. After a few minutes the missionaries asked if anyone had any questions when Alyssa replied “Yes, when can we get out of this room?” Either this child was born ultra honest, or born missing that filter between brain and mouth.
