Pack Meeting

So the guys went to pack meeting last night. I missed it because I was at work. However, there is some pretty exciting news that came from this pack meeting. One is about Joseph and the other about Joshua.

Joseph earned his Bobcat when he was new to scouting. He tends to not be dedicated to accomplishing things, so I was not surprised when he didn’t earn his Bear and Wolf. I know that sounds horrible, but we tried to get him to work on the tasks and he did about half of them, but he loses focus very easily. I can blame it on the ADHD, but I won’t. He chooses not to work on them. It seems like he needs to be tricked into accomplishing tasks he doesn’t want to do, so Sara Smith has been really good at tricking him into doing the items needed to pass off requirements. I am very excited that he earned his Webelos along with the Aquanaut, Fitness, Readyman, and Citizen Badges (pins.) He might even earn the Arrow of Light. Joseph, you are so awesome! Keep it up!

Joshua, the new kid in scouting, is always faithful and works to accomplish things, however he can be a perfectionist. I was working with him on his Bobcat requirements as soon as he turned 8. He got frustrated when he wasn’t saying the Cub Scout promise verbatim. Therefore, he did not want to work on it anymore. Since his best friend Aaron also just turned eight, his mom Sara (the same as above) said Josh could come over one day and she’d work on it with both of them. Afterwards, she told me we only needed to go over the child abuse requirements with him and he’d be done. Last night, Josh earned his Bobcat. Way to go, Joshua!

So there is my good news for the day. I am so happy for my two little Cubbies. I know Joseph was excited this morning about it because he came in to show me all his awards. He inspired me to write this blog today. I am sure Josh is excited too, but he gets up before I do and goes to bed before I get home, so I won’t actually be able to congratulate him until tomorrow.

#3

Happy 3rd Birthday Sam. You are such a blessing to our lives. We love you our little Luke Skywalker and Dr. Daniel Jackson.

Sam’s Big Boy Party

Sam is having his “Big Boy Party.” I started this tradition with Adam. Once my child is potty-trained we reward him with a big boy party. To avoid embarrassment, if the child is too old, a party is not given. Ever since Sam had his first birthday party he has been fascinated with parties. He loves the candles, the cake, and the ambiance. In fact, he thinks every birthday party he attends is his. He started potty-training right after he turned two. He really liked the potty and whenever we thought he was going to be serious, he’d refuse to use it. He likes to flush the toilet (and other things along with it) and play in the bathroom so he didn’t have a fear for us to be concerned with. We couldn’t figure out how to motivate him. After Adam had his 12th birthday party and Josh had his 8th, Sam was excited and talked about his birthday party all the time. We decided to let Sam know about the Big Boy Party. We gave him two months to earn it and except for occasional accidents, he’s done very well. He picked the venue, Chuck E Cheeses. He has never been there, but has always wanted to go. I am not sure if the desire comes from commercials or his brothers talking about how cool it is there. So we have a Big Boy Party planned for this Thursday. We invited his friends from nursery (those on Facebook at least,) family friends, and family members.

Checking Online

Last night I was working on the desktop PC but I had the laptop right next to me and I was toggling between the two. Sam came over to the laptop and started pressing the space bar. I asked him to stop so I could use the laptop again. His response was, "But I am checking online." Interesting. He is two and he knows there is something called online because we talk about it.

The Seventh Deadly Heresy

The Seven Deadly Heresies
by Elder Bruce R. McConkie
June 1, 1980
Posted at: http://www.lds-mormon.com/heresies.shtml

So I looked for this talk the other day after reading Chris’ blog about another heresy in the talk. His blog, as always, was so intriguing I read the whole address and was enlightened by this, the last heresy. I know we don’t have to be perfect to gain salvation, although sometimes it feels like we do.

“Heresy seven: There are those who believe we must be perfect to gain salvation. This is not really a great heresy, only a doctrinal misunderstanding that I mention here in order to help round out our discussion and to turn our attention from negative to positive things. If we keep two principles in mind we will thereby know that good and faithful members of the Church will be saved even though they are far from perfect in this life. These two principles are:

(1) That this life is the appointed time for men to prepare to meet God-this life is the day of our probation; and
(2) That the same spirit which possesses our bodies at the time we go out of this mortal life shall have power to possess our bodies in that eternal world.

What we are doing as members of the Church is charting a course leading to eternal life. There was only one perfect being, the Lord Jesus. If men had to be perfect and live all of the law -strictly, wholly, and completely, there would be only one saved person in eternity. The prophet taught that there are many things to be done, even beyond the grave, in working out our salvation.

And so what we do in this life is chart a course leading to eternal life. That course begins here and now and continues in the realms ahead. We must determine in our hearts and in our souls, with all the power and ability we have, that from this time forward we will press on in righteousness; by so doing we can go where God and Christ are. If we make that firm determination, and are in the course of our duty when this life is over, we will continue in that course in eternity. That same spirit that possesses our bodies at the time we depart from this mortal life will have power to possess our bodies in the eternal world. If we go out of this life loving the Lord, desiring righteousness, and seeking to acquire the attributes of godliness, we will have that same spirit in the eternal world, and we will then continue to advance and progress until an ultimate, destined day when we will possess, receive, and inherit all things.”

I know people work very hard at being near perfect. Sometimes they are called perfectionists. My son, Joshua, is a perfectionist sometimes. It drives me crazy. For example, when he turned 8 he got the privilege of joining Cub Scouts. He was very excited to get started so we went to work on the requirements for his Bobcat. Once he got to the promise he freaked out because he kept messing up. He wanted to be perfect or he wouldn’t do it all. It’s very frustrating that he has the all or nothing attitude. While I am like that sometimes, I try to instill in the boys that it’s okay to break things down and do it slowly if necessary. That eventually they’ll get it perfectly but for now it’s okay if they need to practice. It was so bad, that he wouldn’t work on his requirements with me anymore. I didn’t expect perfection, he did. So he went over to his friend, who also just turned 8, Aaron’s house and worked on it with his mom. And by the end of an hour, they had all the requirements (except one) done. Maybe I do demand perfection.

In reference to the last paragraph of the above quote, I felt the acknowledgement of the Holy Ghost that Elder McConkie’s words are true. We must decide today how we are going to live our lives. We need to decide in our hearts and souls to press on in righteousness. We need to hold tight to the iron rod as we trudge through the mists of darkness, ignoring the laughs and mockery from those in the great and spacious building. If we must reach out to save another from the river of sin we can’t do it alone, and we must create a human chain of friends and supporters to help us avoid being caught in its tumultuous flow. We must follow Lot’s example, forsaking all and not looking back. Our spirit bodies are very powerful and knowledgeable. We must allow our better half to set the example of love and righteousness. We must continue to ponder the words of the apostles and prophets and local leaders. We must stand for truth and righteousness and show our desire to follow Him.

Thank you, Chris for inspiring me to read this address and learn more. I am grateful for friends who inspire and encourage me. I can’t know everything and love when others share their knowledge. “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” - Henry Ford.

How my children got their names

I read a friend's blog and she posted where her children's name came from so I thought I'd do the same. If you have ever had me explain anything to you, then you understand I go into details that many feel are not necessary to the story, however they are a part of the story so I share all the details.

When I was little, not older than 12-14, I wanted to name all my children so that their initials were ACE. The boys’ names were Aaron, Adam, Andrew and Anthony, with Charles and Christopher as middle names. The girls’ names were Abigail, Alison (any spelling,) Alysabeth (variation of Elizabeth that my mom came up with when I was 10,) and Amanda, with the middle names of Crystal and Catherine. I was hoping to marry someone with the last name beginning with ‘E.’ Anthony Edwards would have been perfect (this was well before E.R.) so that I could have the last initial I wanted. But then I realized there are few people with last names that begin with an E (or that I’d come across.)

Then I started researching names and their meanings and I decided that I wanted to give my children names that had nice meanings. For example, Mary means bitter. While Mary is a nice name, I did not want my child to feel like I was bitter about having her. During this process I found all the names that meant “Gift of God.” Children are gifts from God so I wanted to have all my children have a name (first of middle) that meant that. Some examples are Jesse, Matthew, Nathanael/Nathan, and Natalie (from Nathanael.) So then I was on a quest to give all my children a gift of/from god name. So I made a list of all the names and tried to put names together that sounded good together. I think I still have the list somewhere. Now we will fast forward to my children and I’ll give you the rest of the story.

Michael Adam: Adam was one of my original names and I have always admired Adam (of Adam and Eve.) Before I was married, a friend was taking a psychology class and needed to provide names that he would name his children. Then in a group setting they would pick the name and share with the class. The name he and I came up with was Michael Adam, but his classmates picked Michael. I had been taught that Michael (the archangel) came to Earth and was known on Earth as Adam. Therefore, I named my son Michael Adam and we call him Adam. If he had been a girl, Alysabeth Crystal. Michael Adam = Who is like God, First Man = First man who is like God.

Joseph Nathanael: As you learned previously Nathanael means Gift of God from my gift from God phase. I have always loved the name Joseph, not Joe or Joey, just Joseph. I love Joseph (of Egypt.) I have a friend, Joseph Langkilde, who encouraged everyone to call him Joseph. So he was an example that it is possible to name someone Joseph with the name being immediately shortened. My husband, Joseph, prefers to be called Joseph. I only call him Joe to differentiate between the two of them. I suppose when the kids have moved out I can call him by his true name. There was this black and white movie that was on television when I was about 16 and this preacher kept calling the character, named Jonathan, Jo Nathan. I thought it would be funny (I have a strange sense of humor) if I named a son Joseph Nathanael (Joe Nathan) and called him Jonathan instead. It was a reverse of the movie and became an inside joke between my mother and me. I would have called him Jonathan except he had an uncle by that name and it wouldn't have worked out. We also thought about calling him Nathan or Nate, but 2 others in our ward had boys around the same time he was born and named them Nathan, so we opted for my favorite name, Joseph. If he had been a girl, Alysabeth Crystal or Natalie. Joseph Nathanael = he shall add, gift of God = He shall add gifts of God (more children or lots of grandchildren.)

Joshua Caleb Alexander: Since my boys' names were prophet names I decided to keep the tradition. I was really hoping for Jacob Spencer, however my ex did not like that name. So I made a list of acceptable names and gave it to him. He didn't live with me at the time (he left as soon as I found out I was pregnant,) so I literally gave him a list. My mom wanted Alexander (as a first name,) because she wanted to call him her little Alex. I wanted Caleb Alexander. But my ex knew a kid named Caleb who would bang his head against the wall, so because of name association that became a no. My ex did not like Alexander as a name either for some reason, but was willing to have as a middle name to please my mom. So he had decided on a name and called me and told me that I had to promise that whatever name he chose would be the name otherwise he wouldn't tell me. So Joshua Alexander was born. I was okay with Joshua because he and Caleb were buddies and were the only 2 tribe leaders that came back and reported. Years later, I told Joseph (Joe) the story and he started calling Josh, Caleb. Joshua was about 2 and would act like Caleb was an alter ego. When Joseph (Joe) adopted the boys in 2005, Josh was given the option to add or change his name. We decided to name him Joshua Caleb Alexander, with 2 middle names. We only let him do it because the other 2 were picking strange names and he really was the only one who's name I was unhappy with. Not that I don't love the name Joshua and have become accustomed to it, it wasn't my choice. So I suppose we did it to spite the ex. My ex has since had 2 children named Alex and Natalie. No name was chosen for a girl other then the ones I previously listed as possibilities. Joshua Caleb Alexander = God is Salvation, Dog, Defender of man = God saves and defends men and dogs. (Maybe adding Caleb wasn't so smart??)

Samuel Allen: Joseph (Joe) really wanted to name a son Allen his dad's name. That happens to be my (biological)dad's middle name. I really didn't care for it as a first name, but was willing to consider it for a middle name. It is also Joseph's middle name. Doing genealogy I find that Joseph descended from a Samuel Allen (Allen being the last name) and it was his descendant Elizabeth Allen who married 2 Allreds (Joseph Gilbert Anderson Allred & George Riley.) Her first husband died so she married his brother whose wife had also died around the same time. She had children with both and helped raise his children. So that's where the Allens and the Allreds merge (twice.) So I told Joseph we can name him Samuel Allen in honor of his great-grandfather (about 8 greats.) We were really hoping Sam would be a girl because we worked so hard to chose Emily Elise for him, and then had to scramble for the last 6 months trying to come up with a name for Sammy. Samuel Allen = God hears, handsome = God hears only from handsome people?? (It's a bit ironic (God hears) because we fasted and prayed for a sister. So in His wisdom he sent us a boy. I think He has a strange sense of humor too.)

Emily Elise: the daughter we hope to have some day. I say she's our next one, but Joseph's not ready for a fifth. I know why we chose Elise. Joseph's favorite car is the Lotus Elise. Elise (derived from Elizabeth) is actually a girl's name so we are honoring his car with her name. I like Emma and Joseph's not happy with the name. Imagine having a Joseph and Emma in the same household. So he allowed me the satisfaction of Emily which is similar. Can't wait until he says we can plan for her. I've given up on Alysabeth because I don't her to deal with having her name spelled so differently people can't get it, but my mom will always like it. Emily Elise = rival (I've seen industrious too,) my God is abundance = God will send me many rivals or if she is industrious she will have abundance. (silly isn't it.)

So while Emily hasn't joined our family, I decided to add it since we still plan on having Emily. We talk about her as if she exists and is real. She's just not here yet. I am happy with my 4 boys, whose names are still prophetic names. They seem to be happy with their names. Adam goes by Michael at school because he doesn't want to deal with teachers having to adjust to his middle name. So we have to use both names when we speak with teachers. Joseph is happy with his name. Joshua prefers to be called Josh. Samuel prefers to be called Sammy, Sam or Samuel. When he says his name now it's Samuel Awen Awred (can't pronounce his l's yet.) So now we wait until Joseph (Joe) decides he can handle five. If he does you'll be the first to know.

Adam's Musical Talents

In fourth grade Adam decide he wanted to be in orchestra. That year he learned to play the violin. When we went to the music store to rent his violin the owner talked with him about how very intelligent people play the violin. Albert Einstein played the violin. He told Adam to not give it up and he will learn to appreciate its beauty. We listened as he practiced every day. The best way to describe the sweet music he played is that it is like listening to a cat fight.

The next year the school provided the violin so we didn't have to pay for the rental anymore. That was nice. Again he practiced and we attend his concerts and it didn't sound as much like a cat fight, but I was still waiting for it to sound like heaven. Both years Adam even braved playing at the church talent shows.

So sixth grade comes around and we moved to another school. This year they tell him there are too many violin players and ask if he'll play the cello instead. He has been playing for 2 years and he can't play anymore because too many children already play. I am not sure if they were return students or new to the instrument. He decides to play the cello and the school provides it free of charge. This year he also wants to be in band. He decides he wants to be like Brad Anderson and play the saxophone. Brad Anderson for those who don't know him is a young man (couple years older than Adam)from our old ward who could play the piano, organ, sax, well you name it he could play it (except for the violin, which he could probably play now.) Adam really admired Brad so he picked the sax. They already had 2 alto sax players so he settles for tenor. Now he has to trudge 2 very large instruments home on the bus. Luckily he didn't have band and orchestra on the same day, so he only had to carry one at a time. These are deep low sounding instruments so the sound of his practicing wasn't so horrific. At the end of the year, the school sends home a flyer asking parent's if they'd prefer band or orchestra (only) the next year as they are dropping the program and it will be an after school program.

For seventh grade we are able to use a variance to get him into another school. They only offer band and it is during school time as an elective-type class. Adam must give up his cello, but can continue to play the tenor sax. He didn't sign up in the beginning of the year so he only plays second semester.

It's now eighth grade and Adam has signed up for band. The alto sax wasn't available so he sticks with tenor. He practices every day and is excited to play. His band teacher is the marching band leader at Ironwood so the students get to join the marching band on September 18th at the IHS football game. They aren't going on the field, but get to learn songs and play during the game. This will be an exciting opportunity for him and will teach him what opportunities are available for him in high school if he has a passion to continue playing the saxophone. Or maybe he'll go to back to violin or cello. Who knows?