My Dear Dad

My dad passed away on January 29. We had the funeral on February 5.

It still doesn't seem real. Still.

Since getting home I keep feeling like I should be doing something. Something different. Something that matters.

What made it really strange was to see all his friends at the funeral and realize how young he really was...far too young to die.

He was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in the Spring. In November he was having trouble walking and after a bad fall ended up in the hospital. They found he had a huge mass on his spine. They couldn't operate because it was too intertwined with nerves and bone and such. It began to squeeze things and made it so he couldn't walk. They told him then that he had 2-6 weeks to live. We prayed that they were wrong and that a miracle would happen.

We were grateful he was able to come home at Christmas and spend Christmas at home. He ended up going back to the hospital on January 21 after realizing he had a particularly bad bladder infection. They thought he'd be there for a week. However, he didn't get to come home. Eight days later he passed away.

Oh how we'll miss him.....

We love you dad.

Google Reader

Google Reader?

Oh how I love thee. Let me count the ways!

1. You're always there. Whatever computer I happen to come across I can log on and see the latest updates on all the blogs that I follow

2. I didn't have to install anything to use Google Reader

3. When I get behind on blogs, you don't mind me using the blanket "mark as read" tool and poof! Nothing outstanding to read.

4. You're very organized. You allow me to create folders to put like-minded blogs together

5. You seem to always have more features that I look forward to learning

6. You always seem to have suggestions for blogs I'd enjoy. How do you always know??

7. Feed stats: I like to see who has really been busy and how many other people tend to check out the blogs I'm interested in. Must be the teacher in me....I like reading report cards!

Do you use Google Reader? It is an amazing tool that makes keeping up on many different blogs a breeze.

Book Club Death

I'm in mourning. It seems the book club I got to start at my kid's school as died an early death. The teacher who was doing it with me is on a sick leave right now and they haven't been able to get any other teachers to volunteer to do it. I really enjoyed doing it! I love discussing books with kids.

I've contemplated asking if we could do it as an evening book club with parents and children - but then again, maybe I have enough on my plate right now.

So sad! There are just so many great things about a book club......so long my dear book discussions! You will be sorely missed.

How the Book of Mormon is like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

We have really made an effort over the past year or so to read scriptures each day as a family. While I'm proud of the fact that we're trying to do it daily, I have to admit, it isn't always pretty. Sometimes it seems like there's more squabbling and distractions than anything else - but hopefully if we string enough of these days together our kids WILL get something out of reading the scriptures together.

Today I had to laugh. We were reading in Alma 15 where Zeezrom receives Alma's teachings and is healed:

3 And also Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom, with a burning fever, which was caused by
the great tribulations of his mind on account of his wickedness, for he supposed that Alma and Amulek were no more; and he supposed that they had been slain because of his iniquity. And this great sin, and his many other sins, did harrow up his mind until it did become exceedingly sore, having no deliverance; therefore he began to be scorched with a burning heat.

4 Now, when he heard that Alma and Amulek were in the land of Sidom, his heart began to take courage; and he sent a message immediately unto them, desiring them to come unto him.

5 And it came to pass that they went immediately, obeying the message which he had sent unto them; and they went in unto the house unto Zeezrom; and they found him upon his bed, sick, being very low with a burning fever; and his mind also was exceedingly sore because of his iniquities; and when he saw them he stretched forth his hand, and besought them that they would heal him.

6 And it came to pass that Alma said unto him, taking him by the hand: Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation?

7 And he answered and said: Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught.

8 And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed.

9 And he said: Yea, I believe according to thy words.

10 And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have mercy
on this man, and heal him according to his faith which is in Christ.

11 And when Alma had said these words, Zeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk; and this was done to the great astonishment of all the people; and the knowledge of this went forth throughout all the land of Sidom.

When we got to verse 11 Jill said: That is just like the Grandpa in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I couldn't imagine how she made the connection. But she was right! In Charlie and the Chocolaet Factory the Grandpa is in bed and can't get out because he's too old and frail. When Charlie gets the golden ticket so that they can go to Willie Wonka's chocolate factory suddenly he leaps out of bed and is healed! ....just like Zeezrom was when he became converted.

Sharing Time: Heavenly Father and Jesus Love Me

Today in Sharing Time we talked about how we know that God loves us. I drew a web on the board with different categories (home and family, school, church, nature, etc.) and we came up with ideas for each category. Then I assigned a category to each class and handed out hearts for the children to draw something on the heart that shows them that God loves them.

We labelled the pictures with their name and a title showing what the picture was about. My favorite one was a little CTR 5 boy. The conversation went like this:

CTR 5 boy: This is Jesus, and this is the robber.

(There were two stick men drawn on the heart.....one had red hands and feet, and the other was all scribbled on)

Primary Counsellor: The robber?

CTR 5 boy: Yes, you know, the guy on the cross beside Jesus (and he showed us the picture of Jesus on the cross with the two theives on either side. )

See, Jesus has blood on him (the blood was on his hands and feet). And the
robber is tied on the cross. (Ah ha! This was why there was scribbling on him! It was the rope that was tying him up on the cross!) I drew this because it's about that thing that Jesus did for us.

Primary Counsellor: mmmm.....What thing do you mean?

CTR 5 boy: You know....hmmm....what was it called. What was it called?? Oh ya! The Atonement!

It was such a beautiful thing! I was thrilled to see that he would decide to draw that - what could be more important?! It's the perfect example of God's love for us.

Gee I love these primary kids!

After the Junior primary was finished we sent them off to class and got the Senior Primary to do some more hearts, and help us cut out all the Junior Primary hearts. We stuck them on a big long piece of paper with a title that said: We know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Love us, and on the bottom it said: Coventry Primary. The Senior Primary kids and I snuck very quietly down to the Bishop's office and we put it on his door. We figured it would be a great reminder to everyone to went in to see the Bishop.

Unfortunately the sneakiness and reverence went right out the window when suddenly the Bishop opened his door and quickly came out to go into the Clerk's office. The kids were all so surprised the squealed and giggled and ran away down the hall. So much for reverence!!

Grandma's Famous Chocolate Cake Recipe Moves on Down to Another Generation

Today Jill decided she'd make a chocolate cake for our Sunday treat. She established the rules early on in the venture, with the main rule being that mom was NOT allowed into the kitchen. That was okay by me!

A real cook always gets her apron a little dirty!

The finished product

The cake received rave reviews from all of Jill's fans!

Blue Bear

This weekend was the Blue Bear Meet in Edmonton. It was Jill's second "B" meet...and she LOVED it! The meet was held at The Kinsmen Center, where the Commonwealth Games were held. They have an amazing aquatic facility. The pools where the meet was had 20 lanes set up!


We enjoyed being able to stay at the Oviatt's and visit with them. They even came and watched a few of Jill's races.

Good thing for DS' and Iphones....otherwise swim meets might be quite unbearable for little brothers and cousins! Peirce had a great time playing with Jeremy.

Jill had some great results. The best story was her 400 free. It was supposed to be in the morning, but they ran out of time and re-scheduled it for the evening. Warm ups were at 7:30 am. The finals started at 4 pm, and Jill's 400 free was after the finals, so she ended up swimming it at about 8:30 pm. At around 7:45 she came up to where we were sitting. She was at the point of tears because she was so tired. She didn't want to swim it...but we did the: winners swim even when they're tired. Losers quit. Winners keep going!! You can do it Jill!

Sure enough, she did do it - and she took time off! Somehow she seems to do that at every meet. It's quite rewarding to see your child do that!