For the last nine weeks I have been attending rehearsals for a choir. This choir, 340+ women strong, will sing on November 28 on Temple Square in Salt Lake in the Tabernacle. Our songs have a Christmas theme and there will be bells and a harp accompanying, as well as that famous Tabernacle Organ.
Mostly I just love it because I love that sense of being part of something bigger than myself. I've always been a Big Picture Gal, and being one 2nd Alto among 340 women and hearing all the pieces and parts working together is magic. Plus, I love choirs because a person who does not have a solo voice (me) can still have all the fun of singing and performing.
I signed up to be in this choir sometime last spring, and by the time rehearsals started in September we had barely moved to a new city 45 miles away. Since the rehearsals happen to be in our old neighborhood (at my old Stake Center, no less!), the commute got a lot longer all of a sudden. The thing is, I wouldn't miss any rehearsal for any reason other than a dire emergency. Every Sunday night I drive into town, belting along with the practice CD. After the two-hour rehearsal, I visit my parents for a few minutes and then drive home, happy and full of the spirit.
Some of you may be familiar with Merilee Webb, the director of the choir. She was actually featured briefly in an issue of the LDS News. If you've ever had a chance to meet her or sing under her direction, you'll know that rehearsals are two parts singing to one part laughing so hard snot is coming out your nose. Last night we also made leis to wear in the concert. They involve a couple skeins of Fun Fur yarn, a McDonald's straw -- has to be from McDonald's! -- a ribbon and some tape. If anyone is interested, tell me and I'll buy cameral batteries (ha ha) and show you how. They're fun crafts for the kids.(Merilee spent years in Hawaii teaching at BYU-Hawaii and starts each rehearsal with a Hawaiian chant and a big "ALOHA!")
Just thought I'd share that. If you want to come, get free tickets online at www.lds.org/events. I'd love to see you there.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Cows, mice and horses in the country air.
And so time and times have passed. Where did it go?
I still haven't taken pictures. At some things I procrastinate badly, usually when I'm taking care of the other things I'd LIKE to procrastinate on but can't. I haven't even bought new batteries for the camera. But it's silly just not writing, isn't it?
We have settled into our new home pretty nicely. Because we didn't bring all our stuff with us, there is a lot less of it around the house to create a mess. In fact, I still have a lot of boxes I haven't unpacked simply because I don't know where to put it and am reluctant to just put it somewhere. I would rather have a specific place, in a specific container, to create organization. This means, of course, that I'm constantly tapping my forehead trying to remember which box something is in and if it's here or if it's still at the old house.
Since we've been here, we have gone through quite a time with illness. I don't know if it's the place or just the season, but the kids keep coming down with stuff. It seems like every week someone has a new symptom, so I've been joking that we're getting the flu in bits and pieces. We've had a couple asthma scares and had to get steroids for the afflicted child, but that seems to have passed, thank goodness.
So, other than that and the mice that have moved into the back of the cupboards in the kitchen, we are loving this place.
The kids run around with a gazillion kids in the neighborhood. Elannah has three friends either across the street or around the corner a couple houses. The same goes for Sophia as well as Joseph. After school the house is filled with the tromping of neighbor children and all the cups are dirty by the end of the day.
I've made a few friends, myself, which has been nice. I've never been one to just hang out with a girlfriend for hours on end, but it's nice to know some people around me. A house a few doors down caught on fire the other day and all the neighbors were out watching the fire trucks and firemen running around hooking up hoses and taking care of business. It wasn't a serious fire, thank goodness. The owner of the house had actually managed to extinguish the fire in a back bedroom by spraying a hose through the window and was quite upset when the firemen showed up and bodily removed her so they could douse the entire room with water. She said they caused more damage with the water than the fire did. But all of us offered our help to clean up, and it felt good to be part of a neighborhood again.
With all the kids around here, trick-or-treating on Halloween was a blast. Little Gary is still talking about it. We'll walk outside and he'll see a lingering jack o'lantern on someone's doorstep and say, "Trick-or-treating fun, huh, Mama?"
Husband's commute has been fine. He uses the time to listen to the scriptures in the morning and books on tape in the evening.
The wind is fierce out here. When it blows, it sounds like a hurricane trying to tear the house down. I'll lie in bed at night listening to the howling and then hear the freight train passing by on the tracks across the field and think that at least it isn't sirens. When you hear a police siren out here, it's big news. Very unusual.
Because of the mouse problem, we retrieved one of the cats from my parents' house. He happens to be my favorite cat of all time, so it wasn't hard to want him out here. Plus, my dad said Myles (the cat) was getting depressed. He would walk through all the rooms we have vacated, looking for the kids to pet him. Since we brought Myles out here, though, he has not been the fierce hunter he was. I think our backyard is another cat's territory, so Myles will barely step off the back deck into the yard. When I do go out into the yard and leave the back door open, Myles often comes out to get me and bring me safely inside again, meowing earnestly at me until I close the door. Maybe there's something much worse than a territorial tom prowling around, but I haven't seen it yet. He's started venturing out a little more now, but he's still very, very skittish. He does, however, hear those little mousy feet scampering behind the oven and he very much wants to play with a mouse.
I actually caught a mouse myself, horribly enough. When I say "caught" I mean I accidentally picked up a mouse carcass that had drowned in a pot of water I was soaking. I guess that's a good mousetrap, but I don't necessarily want my cooking pots to be mousetraps. Ew. And also yuck. I will have to call an exterminator. There are two drawers that the mice have been getting into and I've cleared out all the cooking utensils from those drawers, of course, and I keep them closed all the time. I don't know how that mouse got on the countertop. They're sneaky little things. I don't want to use poison because I don't want rotting mouse carcasses where I can't get at them.
Since being here, we realize that although we tried our best to find a house within our budget, we are very house poor. This means we need more income. This means I have found a job I can do at home on a part-time basis. I am now a freelance writer for a company that develops websites for businesses. I get paid by the word and a few other things that I have to do with the clients, but it means I can work on a flexible schedule and still be Mom all day. I'm very happy about it. Our goal is to become debt free (see Dave Ramsey's books) as soon as possible, and have a good savings. And, of course, a full stocked food storage, which I think is better than cash (especially if the dollar becomes next to worthless) or gold. You can't eat gold. You can trade and bargain with salt, however.
That's enough rambling for even the most die-hard reader. I will definitely try to be more consistent in my reportings. We'll see how that goes, what with my job and all.
I still haven't taken pictures. At some things I procrastinate badly, usually when I'm taking care of the other things I'd LIKE to procrastinate on but can't. I haven't even bought new batteries for the camera. But it's silly just not writing, isn't it?
We have settled into our new home pretty nicely. Because we didn't bring all our stuff with us, there is a lot less of it around the house to create a mess. In fact, I still have a lot of boxes I haven't unpacked simply because I don't know where to put it and am reluctant to just put it somewhere. I would rather have a specific place, in a specific container, to create organization. This means, of course, that I'm constantly tapping my forehead trying to remember which box something is in and if it's here or if it's still at the old house.
Since we've been here, we have gone through quite a time with illness. I don't know if it's the place or just the season, but the kids keep coming down with stuff. It seems like every week someone has a new symptom, so I've been joking that we're getting the flu in bits and pieces. We've had a couple asthma scares and had to get steroids for the afflicted child, but that seems to have passed, thank goodness.
So, other than that and the mice that have moved into the back of the cupboards in the kitchen, we are loving this place.
The kids run around with a gazillion kids in the neighborhood. Elannah has three friends either across the street or around the corner a couple houses. The same goes for Sophia as well as Joseph. After school the house is filled with the tromping of neighbor children and all the cups are dirty by the end of the day.
I've made a few friends, myself, which has been nice. I've never been one to just hang out with a girlfriend for hours on end, but it's nice to know some people around me. A house a few doors down caught on fire the other day and all the neighbors were out watching the fire trucks and firemen running around hooking up hoses and taking care of business. It wasn't a serious fire, thank goodness. The owner of the house had actually managed to extinguish the fire in a back bedroom by spraying a hose through the window and was quite upset when the firemen showed up and bodily removed her so they could douse the entire room with water. She said they caused more damage with the water than the fire did. But all of us offered our help to clean up, and it felt good to be part of a neighborhood again.
With all the kids around here, trick-or-treating on Halloween was a blast. Little Gary is still talking about it. We'll walk outside and he'll see a lingering jack o'lantern on someone's doorstep and say, "Trick-or-treating fun, huh, Mama?"
Husband's commute has been fine. He uses the time to listen to the scriptures in the morning and books on tape in the evening.
The wind is fierce out here. When it blows, it sounds like a hurricane trying to tear the house down. I'll lie in bed at night listening to the howling and then hear the freight train passing by on the tracks across the field and think that at least it isn't sirens. When you hear a police siren out here, it's big news. Very unusual.
Because of the mouse problem, we retrieved one of the cats from my parents' house. He happens to be my favorite cat of all time, so it wasn't hard to want him out here. Plus, my dad said Myles (the cat) was getting depressed. He would walk through all the rooms we have vacated, looking for the kids to pet him. Since we brought Myles out here, though, he has not been the fierce hunter he was. I think our backyard is another cat's territory, so Myles will barely step off the back deck into the yard. When I do go out into the yard and leave the back door open, Myles often comes out to get me and bring me safely inside again, meowing earnestly at me until I close the door. Maybe there's something much worse than a territorial tom prowling around, but I haven't seen it yet. He's started venturing out a little more now, but he's still very, very skittish. He does, however, hear those little mousy feet scampering behind the oven and he very much wants to play with a mouse.
I actually caught a mouse myself, horribly enough. When I say "caught" I mean I accidentally picked up a mouse carcass that had drowned in a pot of water I was soaking. I guess that's a good mousetrap, but I don't necessarily want my cooking pots to be mousetraps. Ew. And also yuck. I will have to call an exterminator. There are two drawers that the mice have been getting into and I've cleared out all the cooking utensils from those drawers, of course, and I keep them closed all the time. I don't know how that mouse got on the countertop. They're sneaky little things. I don't want to use poison because I don't want rotting mouse carcasses where I can't get at them.
Since being here, we realize that although we tried our best to find a house within our budget, we are very house poor. This means we need more income. This means I have found a job I can do at home on a part-time basis. I am now a freelance writer for a company that develops websites for businesses. I get paid by the word and a few other things that I have to do with the clients, but it means I can work on a flexible schedule and still be Mom all day. I'm very happy about it. Our goal is to become debt free (see Dave Ramsey's books) as soon as possible, and have a good savings. And, of course, a full stocked food storage, which I think is better than cash (especially if the dollar becomes next to worthless) or gold. You can't eat gold. You can trade and bargain with salt, however.
That's enough rambling for even the most die-hard reader. I will definitely try to be more consistent in my reportings. We'll see how that goes, what with my job and all.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Seat 16 But Break Your Back
Hello, friends! I'm baaaack!
Now that you've breathed that sigh of relief (ha ha), get a mug of your hot beverage of choice and sit back to read the fascinating adventures I've been through in the last little while.
We've set up the house now with electricity, water, sewage, garbage pick-up, gas, etc., etc. of course, and should even be getting our mail delivered to our mailbox that I had to repeatedly assure the nice post office lady IS INDEED still out front of the house (I even put our name in sticky letters over the previous owner's name. I got quite a thrill out of that.).
Little Gary has found and locked himself into the two bedrooms that had key-lock entries, prompting two seperate calls to the same locksmith because the previous owners (from now on to be referred to as "the PO"), when consulted, admitted that the keys had been lost years ago. Sure, I tried to credit card the locks as well as explain to a two-year-old how to turn the little button in the doorknob that would release him from his prison -- and before you ask, the hinges were on the side of the door containing said two-year-old -- but only a locksmith could get him out in the end. We (me and the locksmith) are now best friends. He was a little disappointed that we fixed all the key-lock doorknobs after that and he won't be making more money off that particular problem, but he was a lovely, grandfatherly type with gray hair and a gray beard who told me funny stories about his own children.
One toilet has been blocked up and I bought the inaugural plunger to fix the problem (it got fixed); my friend, Shanna, lent us a microwave until I can buy the under-cabinet microwave I want (THANK YOU, SHANNA!); and we had an interesting design and decorating issue with a table we bought from the school district auction. It's one of those school lunch tables that fold up in the middle. This one has 16 blue stools for seats, which we thought would be great because not only will it seat our family and extended family, but we could fold it up and store it against the wall when not in use. Let me just share a picture of it with you.
Also, let me assure you that it weighed upward of a gazillion tons (I know because Husband and I had to unfold it, tip it on its side, and LIFT it to get it into the house), and while I may be a strong and sturdy woman, I simply could not open and close that behemoth by myself. Plus, as you'll notice, it pretty much takes over the whole main floor and changes the dynamic of the serene and comfortable decorating style I hope to implement. It was a great idea, though. It's a great idea we have up for sale at the moment. (Another quick thank-you to Shanna for the use of her truck to pick it up from the warehouse.)If we had a patio instead of a deck, we'd use it outside for family functions.
On a side note, some guy is trying to scam me out of the table. Even I, a trusting girl, can see that.
Stupid idiot.
Him, I mean.
Not me.
This neighborhood is full of children. They run about like little ants as soon as school is out, all over the place. My kids, coming from a neighborhood much more elderly and sedate, are not yet used to the idea that they can run around outside and play all evening (after homework, of course). It will take them a while to adjust. Little Gary is loving the fully fenced and grassy back-yard, meanwhile. That kid would live outside like a cute infant wild animal if I let him.
Many of the neighbors have stopped by to welcome us. Our next-door neighbor brought us a big bag of her home-grown tomatoes that were perfect and sweet and amazing and which were completely and utterly eaten. I'm trying to compose a thank-you note that doesn't sound like a desperate plea for more.
I'll have pictures next time. I have to remember to buy batteries yet again for our camera, but then I will give you a photo tour of the entire house. Just keep in mind that I haven't painted yet. We also have many fewer possessions than previously (woo-hoo!). Things are a little sparse at the moment, which is a very good thing.
Now that you've breathed that sigh of relief (ha ha), get a mug of your hot beverage of choice and sit back to read the fascinating adventures I've been through in the last little while.
We've set up the house now with electricity, water, sewage, garbage pick-up, gas, etc., etc. of course, and should even be getting our mail delivered to our mailbox that I had to repeatedly assure the nice post office lady IS INDEED still out front of the house (I even put our name in sticky letters over the previous owner's name. I got quite a thrill out of that.).
Little Gary has found and locked himself into the two bedrooms that had key-lock entries, prompting two seperate calls to the same locksmith because the previous owners (from now on to be referred to as "the PO"), when consulted, admitted that the keys had been lost years ago. Sure, I tried to credit card the locks as well as explain to a two-year-old how to turn the little button in the doorknob that would release him from his prison -- and before you ask, the hinges were on the side of the door containing said two-year-old -- but only a locksmith could get him out in the end. We (me and the locksmith) are now best friends. He was a little disappointed that we fixed all the key-lock doorknobs after that and he won't be making more money off that particular problem, but he was a lovely, grandfatherly type with gray hair and a gray beard who told me funny stories about his own children.
One toilet has been blocked up and I bought the inaugural plunger to fix the problem (it got fixed); my friend, Shanna, lent us a microwave until I can buy the under-cabinet microwave I want (THANK YOU, SHANNA!); and we had an interesting design and decorating issue with a table we bought from the school district auction. It's one of those school lunch tables that fold up in the middle. This one has 16 blue stools for seats, which we thought would be great because not only will it seat our family and extended family, but we could fold it up and store it against the wall when not in use. Let me just share a picture of it with you.
Also, let me assure you that it weighed upward of a gazillion tons (I know because Husband and I had to unfold it, tip it on its side, and LIFT it to get it into the house), and while I may be a strong and sturdy woman, I simply could not open and close that behemoth by myself. Plus, as you'll notice, it pretty much takes over the whole main floor and changes the dynamic of the serene and comfortable decorating style I hope to implement. It was a great idea, though. It's a great idea we have up for sale at the moment. (Another quick thank-you to Shanna for the use of her truck to pick it up from the warehouse.)If we had a patio instead of a deck, we'd use it outside for family functions.
On a side note, some guy is trying to scam me out of the table. Even I, a trusting girl, can see that.
Stupid idiot.
Him, I mean.
Not me.
This neighborhood is full of children. They run about like little ants as soon as school is out, all over the place. My kids, coming from a neighborhood much more elderly and sedate, are not yet used to the idea that they can run around outside and play all evening (after homework, of course). It will take them a while to adjust. Little Gary is loving the fully fenced and grassy back-yard, meanwhile. That kid would live outside like a cute infant wild animal if I let him.
Many of the neighbors have stopped by to welcome us. Our next-door neighbor brought us a big bag of her home-grown tomatoes that were perfect and sweet and amazing and which were completely and utterly eaten. I'm trying to compose a thank-you note that doesn't sound like a desperate plea for more.
I'll have pictures next time. I have to remember to buy batteries yet again for our camera, but then I will give you a photo tour of the entire house. Just keep in mind that I haven't painted yet. We also have many fewer possessions than previously (woo-hoo!). Things are a little sparse at the moment, which is a very good thing.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Thoughts on Moving
For an awful moment there it looked like the appraisal of the house would cause us to have to renegotiate the whole thing. The appraisal was coming in too low. Somehow it got fixed. We're still booked to close on the 27th.
That meant today was probably the last time we attended our ward before moving. Next week is the dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and our stake has suspended regular church meetings in order to allow people to attend the dedication. It wasn't something I'd realized before Husband got up to announce it in Sacrament Meeting, that this was kind of "it." My friend, Andrea, has been praying fervently and steadfastly that somehow we would not move. She's very upset with me at the moment. With all the other good-byes and well-wishes I got today, I nearly cried and wanted to back out of the whole thing.
Nearly.
There's still that thrill of new beginnings, of a change and a new challenge. Admittedly, I'm not fourteen, like Sian, and don't have to start attending a new high school and make new friends. The kids are having definite second thoughts these days, now that it's all coming to the point of no return. But I can't help but be quite excited, despite my sadness to leave behind family and friends. We're only 40 minutes away. It's not like we're moving to a new state or even a new country.
That meant today was probably the last time we attended our ward before moving. Next week is the dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and our stake has suspended regular church meetings in order to allow people to attend the dedication. It wasn't something I'd realized before Husband got up to announce it in Sacrament Meeting, that this was kind of "it." My friend, Andrea, has been praying fervently and steadfastly that somehow we would not move. She's very upset with me at the moment. With all the other good-byes and well-wishes I got today, I nearly cried and wanted to back out of the whole thing.
Nearly.
There's still that thrill of new beginnings, of a change and a new challenge. Admittedly, I'm not fourteen, like Sian, and don't have to start attending a new high school and make new friends. The kids are having definite second thoughts these days, now that it's all coming to the point of no return. But I can't help but be quite excited, despite my sadness to leave behind family and friends. We're only 40 minutes away. It's not like we're moving to a new state or even a new country.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Conspiracy (?)
Joseph's head is healing just fine, but will leave a little scar. Gabrielle's mystery picture remains a mystery. The house buying continues. The sellers are building a new house and may need to rent the house from us for a little while as their new house is being finished, so now I'm in a quandry about whether or not to enroll the kids in the new school district and then drive them up and back (70 mile round trip every day) until we officially move. I need more information in order to make that decision.
My brother sent me this via email.
Hubby and I watched it last night. It's long (nearly two hours) but very interesting. I suggest you get some popcorn and settle in. Yes, it's a political piece. And yes, I happen to agree with the premise. I don't even think I'm necessarily a right-wing wacko involved in some sort of collaborative Republican underground movement.
Okay, I actually KNOW I'm not Republican -- or Democrat. I'm not registered with either, although I am fiscally and socially conservative. I am an at-home mom with six kids and some college education. I don't own a gun (yet) and I haven't even considered running for any office. I don't have a membership in any political organization, I allow my kids to go to public school -- although I have tried home-schooling twice -- and I've never lived on an encampment in northern Idaho with other people who think the government's out to get them.
In other words, I'm pretty normal. Average, even. But I read. I read and I read. I think any person with average intelligence and a desire to do some research will come to the conclusion that people in power wish to stay in power. People with money wish to keep the money and the power it brings; and not only do they want to keep the money and power, they want to expand. Some other people, who may or may not also have money and power, think they are smarter than everyone else and should tell the rest of us what to do. When these two groups get together, one group uses the other to further its dreams for ultimate rule. That's not too far-fetched, is it? It's only happened over and over throughout history. A little reading will show you that.
So when I can believe in a massive global conspiracy to rule the economy of the world and exploit the general population as animal resources -- along with the other natural resources, I think I have sufficient basis to do so. Most people poo-poo this particular conspiracy theory. The argument is that if such a conspiracy existed, it would be too massive to keep a secret; therefore, since they haven't heard anything about it, it's a product of the paranoid mind.
Newsflash: the people who want to rule the world have been very open about it for decades. They've written books and papers, left memos behind, funded very nasty people like Stalin, Lenin and Hitler, bragged about it. It's all there. You just have to dig a little. Also, you just have to have an objective view of all politics and politicians. If you go in with the opinion that career politicians sooner or later become corrupted (sooner, usually), you won't be often disappointed. Also, if you assume that most of the power players in Washington are bought and paid for by the shadow government, the group that wants to rule the world economy, you also won't be often disappointed.
Cynical? I don't know. But read the Book of Mormon, for instance. Firstly, it's a book that gives hope because it's another testament that Jesus Christ truly is in charge and is the actual and literal Son of God. Secondly, it's a warning. Why did Mormon include pages and pages of politics? Because, as he states openly, what happened to the Nephites is exactly what happens to any nation that forgets God. Also, it's a warning specifically to us, who live on this continent. Read Ether 8, where the clever, beautiful and very nasty daughter of Jared (not, of course, the original Jared, who was good, kind, and wise) re-introduces the awful secret combination that has been around since Cain killed Abel. That secret combination eventually brought down the Jaredite nation. One single person of that mighty empire survived the unspeakable slaughter of millions, and then he died an ignoble death amongst the new group of people who arrived on the South American continent.
The Gadianton robbers resurrected that same secret combination amongst the Nephites and infiltrated every level of government and society. In the end, that's what brought down the mighty Nephite nation.
That secret combination is what Mormon was warning us about. He tells us that we have to be always vigilant about finding and rooting it out, and that this secret combination isn't going away. It's Satan's plan. It's Satan's counterfeit of God's plan. It's been around since Adam and Eve. It's not going away. Yet.
Anyway, enough said. I do tend to rant. Sorry.
Just think about it. That's all I'm asking.
My brother sent me this via email.
Hubby and I watched it last night. It's long (nearly two hours) but very interesting. I suggest you get some popcorn and settle in. Yes, it's a political piece. And yes, I happen to agree with the premise. I don't even think I'm necessarily a right-wing wacko involved in some sort of collaborative Republican underground movement.
Okay, I actually KNOW I'm not Republican -- or Democrat. I'm not registered with either, although I am fiscally and socially conservative. I am an at-home mom with six kids and some college education. I don't own a gun (yet) and I haven't even considered running for any office. I don't have a membership in any political organization, I allow my kids to go to public school -- although I have tried home-schooling twice -- and I've never lived on an encampment in northern Idaho with other people who think the government's out to get them.
In other words, I'm pretty normal. Average, even. But I read. I read and I read. I think any person with average intelligence and a desire to do some research will come to the conclusion that people in power wish to stay in power. People with money wish to keep the money and the power it brings; and not only do they want to keep the money and power, they want to expand. Some other people, who may or may not also have money and power, think they are smarter than everyone else and should tell the rest of us what to do. When these two groups get together, one group uses the other to further its dreams for ultimate rule. That's not too far-fetched, is it? It's only happened over and over throughout history. A little reading will show you that.
So when I can believe in a massive global conspiracy to rule the economy of the world and exploit the general population as animal resources -- along with the other natural resources, I think I have sufficient basis to do so. Most people poo-poo this particular conspiracy theory. The argument is that if such a conspiracy existed, it would be too massive to keep a secret; therefore, since they haven't heard anything about it, it's a product of the paranoid mind.
Newsflash: the people who want to rule the world have been very open about it for decades. They've written books and papers, left memos behind, funded very nasty people like Stalin, Lenin and Hitler, bragged about it. It's all there. You just have to dig a little. Also, you just have to have an objective view of all politics and politicians. If you go in with the opinion that career politicians sooner or later become corrupted (sooner, usually), you won't be often disappointed. Also, if you assume that most of the power players in Washington are bought and paid for by the shadow government, the group that wants to rule the world economy, you also won't be often disappointed.
Cynical? I don't know. But read the Book of Mormon, for instance. Firstly, it's a book that gives hope because it's another testament that Jesus Christ truly is in charge and is the actual and literal Son of God. Secondly, it's a warning. Why did Mormon include pages and pages of politics? Because, as he states openly, what happened to the Nephites is exactly what happens to any nation that forgets God. Also, it's a warning specifically to us, who live on this continent. Read Ether 8, where the clever, beautiful and very nasty daughter of Jared (not, of course, the original Jared, who was good, kind, and wise) re-introduces the awful secret combination that has been around since Cain killed Abel. That secret combination eventually brought down the Jaredite nation. One single person of that mighty empire survived the unspeakable slaughter of millions, and then he died an ignoble death amongst the new group of people who arrived on the South American continent.
The Gadianton robbers resurrected that same secret combination amongst the Nephites and infiltrated every level of government and society. In the end, that's what brought down the mighty Nephite nation.
That secret combination is what Mormon was warning us about. He tells us that we have to be always vigilant about finding and rooting it out, and that this secret combination isn't going away. It's Satan's plan. It's Satan's counterfeit of God's plan. It's been around since Adam and Eve. It's not going away. Yet.
Anyway, enough said. I do tend to rant. Sorry.
Just think about it. That's all I'm asking.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
House Hunting
Hello, friends. It's been a while. I've been busy. How? I'll tell you.
We've been house-hunting.
When we had prayed about it before, we always got the answer "No, stay where you are." Then suddenly, one day, it was, "Okay. Time to move. Now." We weren't bothering the Lord about it, honestly. The answer just changed one day. But, as anyone who can read the news knows, it is an excellent time to buy a house -- especially if you're not also trying to sell one.
Our house-hunting began with the help of our neighbor, former bishop and real estate agent, Carlos. Husband would look up houses on the MLS listings, send the MLS numbers to Carlos, and then we'd see five or six houses in a day. It was exhausting, and none of the houses presented everything we wanted. Most of them in our price range were quite worn out and needed some serious TLC before being acceptable.
Then we got the bright idea of looking outside our city. We concentrated on a group of three smaller cities -- towns, really -- about 25 to 35 miles north and west of where we live now. A whole new vista of possibilites opened up for us immediately. Homes that were new or nearly new -- or, if we wanted, not even built yet -- were well within what we could afford. We have now selected a lovely home that was built in 2000 and has five bedrooms and a huge backyard with plenty of space for a garden, and we are under contract. Husband's commute will be longer, of course, and the kids will be an entirely new school district, but it's a great area and the house is big enough, in great condition, and beautiful. We don't have anything to do to make the house perfectly acceptable. The owners, who were living in the house, had it so immaculately put together and staged that it was very easy to walk through the house and imagine ourselves living in it. It even has fruit trees! And a hot tub!
Note to self for the future, if we ever sell the house: Keep the house immaculately tidy for showings or move out before selling. We saw so many houses being sold privately that were so messy that it was hard to envision living in the house. Also, don't lock key doors, such as the master bedroom and storage rooms. That makes prospective buyers (people like us) very suspicious.
The front of the house. It has a very nice front yard, which is perfect for someone like me. I can weed and mow, but having to come up with landscaping ideas is beyond me.
View into the kitchen from the living room. There isn't much room for dining, so with eight of us eating dinner, we're going to have to get creative with seating.
Part of the backyard. At the end of the long yard (which is fully fenced, yay!), is a dirt area that will be a garden. It even has a gate in the fence so we can dump lumber and dirt for the square-foot-gardening frames right into the yard from the street and not have to carry it through from the front yard.
In other news, Little Gary dropped a large pot on his prone and unsuspecting older brother. The rim of the pot hit Joseph on the forehead and gashed it open a little. He doesn't need stitches, but we had to put a butterfly bandage on it and there was lots of crying.
As Husband was searching the internet for trampolines and doing some research, he went to a website for Aeroball tramps. Lo and behold, there was a picture of our own Gabrielle in the advertisement. I kid you not! She's on the right, the second to last picture from the bottom. We had no idea her picture had been taken and used in someone's advertisement. Isn't that illegal or something? Apparently, it happened while she was with a friend and his mother playing Aeroball at some sports center or other. That was about two years ago. At least her name, age, address and phone number are completely lacking. I don't know how her picture got on an ad for an Arizona company.
Little Gary's new favorite song is "I Can Sing a Rainbow." Argh. Sian loved that song when she was that age, as well. She used to scream in the car until we sang it over and over and over. And over. She can now sing it in sign language and she's not so fanatical about it at fourteen.
We've been house-hunting.
When we had prayed about it before, we always got the answer "No, stay where you are." Then suddenly, one day, it was, "Okay. Time to move. Now." We weren't bothering the Lord about it, honestly. The answer just changed one day. But, as anyone who can read the news knows, it is an excellent time to buy a house -- especially if you're not also trying to sell one.
Our house-hunting began with the help of our neighbor, former bishop and real estate agent, Carlos. Husband would look up houses on the MLS listings, send the MLS numbers to Carlos, and then we'd see five or six houses in a day. It was exhausting, and none of the houses presented everything we wanted. Most of them in our price range were quite worn out and needed some serious TLC before being acceptable.
Then we got the bright idea of looking outside our city. We concentrated on a group of three smaller cities -- towns, really -- about 25 to 35 miles north and west of where we live now. A whole new vista of possibilites opened up for us immediately. Homes that were new or nearly new -- or, if we wanted, not even built yet -- were well within what we could afford. We have now selected a lovely home that was built in 2000 and has five bedrooms and a huge backyard with plenty of space for a garden, and we are under contract. Husband's commute will be longer, of course, and the kids will be an entirely new school district, but it's a great area and the house is big enough, in great condition, and beautiful. We don't have anything to do to make the house perfectly acceptable. The owners, who were living in the house, had it so immaculately put together and staged that it was very easy to walk through the house and imagine ourselves living in it. It even has fruit trees! And a hot tub!
Note to self for the future, if we ever sell the house: Keep the house immaculately tidy for showings or move out before selling. We saw so many houses being sold privately that were so messy that it was hard to envision living in the house. Also, don't lock key doors, such as the master bedroom and storage rooms. That makes prospective buyers (people like us) very suspicious.
The front of the house. It has a very nice front yard, which is perfect for someone like me. I can weed and mow, but having to come up with landscaping ideas is beyond me.
View into the kitchen from the living room. There isn't much room for dining, so with eight of us eating dinner, we're going to have to get creative with seating.
Part of the backyard. At the end of the long yard (which is fully fenced, yay!), is a dirt area that will be a garden. It even has a gate in the fence so we can dump lumber and dirt for the square-foot-gardening frames right into the yard from the street and not have to carry it through from the front yard.
In other news, Little Gary dropped a large pot on his prone and unsuspecting older brother. The rim of the pot hit Joseph on the forehead and gashed it open a little. He doesn't need stitches, but we had to put a butterfly bandage on it and there was lots of crying.
As Husband was searching the internet for trampolines and doing some research, he went to a website for Aeroball tramps. Lo and behold, there was a picture of our own Gabrielle in the advertisement. I kid you not! She's on the right, the second to last picture from the bottom. We had no idea her picture had been taken and used in someone's advertisement. Isn't that illegal or something? Apparently, it happened while she was with a friend and his mother playing Aeroball at some sports center or other. That was about two years ago. At least her name, age, address and phone number are completely lacking. I don't know how her picture got on an ad for an Arizona company.
Little Gary's new favorite song is "I Can Sing a Rainbow." Argh. Sian loved that song when she was that age, as well. She used to scream in the car until we sang it over and over and over. And over. She can now sing it in sign language and she's not so fanatical about it at fourteen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)