Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

It's one of my favorite children's books.  Have you read it?  In it a young donkey finds a magic pebble that grants wishes.  To have the wishes granted he has to be holding the pebble.  Accidentally, when he stumbles upon a lion he wishes he would turn into a rock so that the lion doesn't eat him.  Unfortunately, as a rock, he can no longer hold the pebble to make wishes.  When he doesn't return in the evening his parents send out a search party.  The search party returns home unsuccessful in their efforts.  Soon winter and spring pass and Sylvester's parents give up hope thinking that their son is gone forever.  To cheer themselves up they decide to go for a picnic.  It just so happens that the place they choose to set up for their picnic is Sylvester.  While they are picnicking they find the rock and place it on Sylvester.  Wishing that he was able to be with his parents in his normal form without knowing that he is touching the rock, Sylvester finds himself returned to his normal form as a donkey.  Both parties are overjoyed at the reunion and decided to keep the pebble in a safe place.

Why am I sharing this story?

Just the other day I was in the car with Jake.
     Jake says to me, "Mom, there's a book fair tomorrow at my school and I want to buy some books."
    I say back to Jake, "You know I don't buy books for the book fair."  I have my reasons.  I'm not just a mean mom.
   He says back to me, "Oh.  You don't have to pay for it Mom.  I have plenty of money."
   To which I reply, "Oh.  Where did you get that money from Jake?"

    His eyes got big and round and in an excited voice but in all seriousness answered, "Oh!  I was out walking the other day and I found my old wishing rock.  I threw it outside the other day on accident but I found it this morning.  So I made a wish that I could have one thousand dollars and Mom, I've been finding LOTS of money lately."

Just how much money you ask?  One hundred and twenty nine cents.  And all that from a wishing rock. 

Air Harley, Harley's recliner, spiders and a picture I just had to take

I've always wanted one of my children to love basketball...and they kind of do.  We go out and shoot hoops here and there together and really, for wrestlers, they're not too horrible.  We were out shooting today in fact and had quite the surprise.  It's not only me that likes basketball, but it's our dog Harley too.

He can play defense,

rebound, 

and even dribble a little.

Now, if I could just teach him how to shoot...I think he'd be pretty famous, don't you?

Speaking of Harley, Harley is named after Brad's grandfather who is deceased.  Recently, Brad's parents brought up a chair that used to be his grandfather's.  One day while we were cleaning we put the recliner outside.  Within minutes, we found this:

like he's owned it all along.  We hope Grandpa Belt (Harley) is happy with Harley's new favorite spot to be.

Just in time for Halloween the tarantulas have decided to come back out.  We found this in our garage just the other day.

The kids are more accustomed to seeing them now and are willing to take close-up shots right next to one.

Harley's not so sure of them though.

Brad put it in a bucket to save for the kids.  When they went to play with the spider in the evening, it had escaped.  We're hoping it didn't escape into the house.

And finally, a picture I just had to take.

Really, how often do you get to see them like that, right Moms?  It just warms my heart to look at it.

Mean

When I was in high school I had a crush on this boy named Jeremy who had just moved into our ward, well actually in the other ward that was in the same town as us.  When I say crush, I mean, CRUSH.  I couldn't even speak to him I thought he was so cute.  My best friend Becky went to church with him.  One day while their ward was in session and my ward was not, my best friend had her older brother call me and pretend it was Jeremy.  I was so nervous but excited that he would talk to me.  At the end of the conversation my friend's brother, also another of my good friends, told me it was him and they made fun of me for about a year over the whole thing.  I never thought it was funny...just mean.  And although I eventually got over it and consider them good friends, that one act still kind of hurts thinking about it.  Why would anyone ever do that?

When we first moved here, Jordan got a real hard time from kids at school.  I mean he was teased and called gay and stupid.  He was hit with a ball in the face in the hallway.  Guys would shove him into his locker.  Girls would tell him to leave that he wasn't welcome in their conversation.  Many were the nights he would come home crying.  What does a mom do?  Brad said if he was slapped randomly or hit randomly he should hit the kid back.  When Jordan actually did start standing up for himself so that he wouldn't be bullied I was actually called into the school to have a sit down talk about how quick to anger he was.  I had to really keep myself in check when I told the teachers the real reason behind his behavior.  The worst part of it all?  Some of these kids were kids from church.

I once had one of my friends ask me how Jordan became so kind.  She proceeded to tell me a story of when she was watching him at a party.  She saw him go out of his way to be kind  and include a girl that wasn't really very much a part of the group.  She said that every time she sees Jordan interact with people it is in a kind manner.  I told her that it was directly correlated to the way Jordan had been treated by others in the past.

He got over the experience of his first year here.  No one gave him a hard time after that seventh grade year here but he never really has made any close friends either.  He's kind of been a loner.  This year we were so excited to be going to high school because the two junior highs here come together.  There are a bunch of mormon kids all in Jordan's grade, about 10 in all, that's a lot for here.  They really, for the most part, are great kids.  Like I said we were so excited to have them all together finally, both he and I. I thought they'd really have each other's backs and take care of each other.  I think Jordan felt like he finally wouldn't have to be so alone at school.  The first few weeks it went great.  Then everything started taking a turn for the worse.  I think it all started with one of the girls saying how "touchy" Jordan was.  Another girl told the others, "Don't you think he says homie too much?"  And then, when a different girl found out who he thought was cute she told him how "creeped out" that other girl was.  When the "secret" slipped out another girl quit talking to him.  And tonight, a girl I really like and admire had the gall to say in front of Kenzie that her brother was a "stalker" and the other day when he had saved a table for them all to sit at how funny it was that they ditched him which made Kenzie REALLY upset...so upset she was crying.  She said, "How can I get them to understand that he's just being nice?  How can they be so mean when all he wants is their friendship?"

Actually a good lesson for Kenzie as there is a new girl that she isn't directly mean to in our ward but by simply ignoring her doesn't make the girl feel accepted either.  I have noticed her behavior toward that girl and have told her time and again how that isn't the way should she behave.  It isn't what we're taught in the church. It isn't what Christ would have us be.

I know my kids aren't the only ones that have experienced bullying (I hate to use that word I do think it is overused in our society) or participated in similar behaviors.

This article and the comments associated with it are truly a tragedy.

This video from mormon messages always makes me cry.

I've shown it to my girls in young womens twice.  I tell them sometimes it only takes one to say, "Stop.  That person's not so bad." and then everyone else's view changes.  Sometimes it only takes one to start it all.

My Dad has said that the best person he ever knew was his own father.  His father was the best person he ever knew because he was so kind to everyone, especially to him.  When I think of the person I want to be I remember what my Dad has said and I try to be like my grandfather.  I never want to make a person feel hurt inside because of some unthoughtful thing I've said.  I know I have.  I remember one girl I used to make fun of and if there's any one thing I would go back and change it would be my own treatment of that girl.

The point I want to make through this all is really said more elequently by President Uchtdorf and I will end this post with his words:

"Brothers and sisters, there is enough heartache and sorrow in this life without our adding to it through our own stubbornness, bitterness, and resentment."

"In a world of accusations and unfriendliness, it is easy to gather and cast stones. But before we do so, let us remember the words of the One who is our Master and model: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.”

Brothers and sisters, let us put down our stones.

Let us be kind.

Let us forgive.

Let us talk peacefully with each other.

Let the love of God fill our hearts.

“Let us do good unto all men.”^"

Divergent, fall colors, jury duty and short hair

I just finished reading the divergent series.  The books were okay...an easy read.  Two quotes that I liked from the last book.

"I used to think that when people fell in love, they just landed where they landed, and they had no choice in the matter afterward.  And maybe that's true of beginnings, but it's not true of this, now.  I fell in love with him.  But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me.  I stay with him every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other.  I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me."

I like that one because I truly believe that staying married is a choice.  It's not something that just comes easy but it's something that you have to choose even when the difficult times come.  So many times when I am teaching the young women in church they have this fairytale view of being married.  And that is good to a certain extent...but to stay with someone after you've fallen in love with them is something that isn't easy.  Your spouse will enrich you just as much as they will challenge you.  They will hurt you and you will hurt them and you have to choose to make it work by applying the atonement and extending forgiveness.  It's so easy to just let that relationship slip and "fall out of love" like so many do today.  That's easy and takes no effort.  Successful marriages take a lot of work.

The other quote I liked was the following:

"Since I was young, I have always known this:  Life damages us, every one.  We can't escape that damage.  But now, I am also learning this:  We can be mended.  We mend each other."

Kind of reminds me of my favorite scriptures in Mosiah that says, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."  I really feel that life does test us and that Heavenly Father expects us to help with the mending that needs to be done here.

During the 2nd session of the conference today we decided to go for a drive to see the beautiful fall colors.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  I love the crisp evenings and mornings.  I love the warm days.  But my favorite is the turning of the leaves

 The pictures don't quite do the colors justice.

Just so you know we really were there:

 

So Brad was called to jury duty this last week.  We thought it would be fairly quick.  He'd check in.  They'd ask him whatever questions they need to ask.  Brad would inform him he had an emergency patient coming in that morning (which he did) and the judge would release him.  Not as easy as we thought.  Brad said he felt like he was under citizens arrest as soon as he walked in.  After waiting two hours, Brad was finally able to let the judge know that he had a patient in the chair with a dental emergency and finally he was released.  He said that he didn't feel that the judge would have cared if we had to shut down the office for 1-4 days so it is good we did have a patient in the chair.  I don't really have any issues with jury duty.  I do think it is important to serve if at all possible.  That being said, when it will cause extreme financial or circumstantial difficulty I think there should be a way to notify before the day of the jury summons or before you're trapped in a room for four hours.  I don't know.  Maybe I'm just being whiny. 

Work was busy, the kids were busier.  Riley, Ben and Kenzie are loving the swim team and Jordan has started his pre-season wrestling.

I finally got my decorations up in my house.  Next up, painting.  Any suggestions for living room colors?  I have mustard yellow now and I hate it. 

Kenzie wants to cut her hair.  I keep telling her no that she doesn't really want to.  I tell her when you have long hair you can pretend it's short by wearing it up or in a pony tail or in a bun.  I tell her that when you have short hair you have to do your hair every day.  You can't just put it in a pony tail and go.  You can't even just comb it and go.  You have to blow dry, style, curl, spray...such a hassle.   I tell her all boys like longer hair better.  Her brothers tell her the same thing.  For now, I'm winning.  But there may come the day when I'll have to let her cut that hair of hers :(

My favorite talk of conference this weekend was Elder Eyring's talk.  I was touched by the tenderness he must feel for his mother and hoped that I could be as good of a mother to my own kids.  I hope my words are ones that they will feel come from God.  I hope I can have that kind of spirit.