Mormon Monday: Loving Our Students

This last week, my husband and I had an interesting discussion about children.

For me, loving kids is as natural as breathing. They are a child, therefore I care about them, and want them to be happy.

During my student teaching, we were discussing a child who was struggling, and I said something like, "He's a good kid, he's just has a hard time sitting."

One of the other teachers, who's been in education forever, looked at me and said, "You think that every kid's a good kid."

As I thought about it, I realized that, Yes, I do think that every kid is a good kid. I think most adults are really good people too. It takes a lot for me to decide to avoid someone, and even then, I usually still like them, I just don't like being around them. Getting along with people can take some effort, but it is always doable.

A couple of weeks ago, I was released from my calling as the 2nd councilor in the primary. That was pretty difficult and I cried a bit. However, the last couple of weeks my husband and I have been substituting in primary (the children's classes at church), so I've still been able to be around the children.

After teaching, Grig and I were talking about having patience with different kinds of children while teaching. Grig is a great man, and we don't always see eye-to-eye, though we communicate really well. That makes our marriage interesting and I am often challenged to look at things in a different way. We have a lot in common, but like everyone else we had different backgrounds and we are different people.

I love it, it's great!

Grig has never been a teacher, and as we were talking I had the opportunity to teach him something that I learned in college while I was studying to be an elementary teacher.

Keep in mind that I went to Brigham Young University-Idaho for college. Some of the advice we received as perspective teachers is going to differ a bit from other people's college professors' advice.

One of the most important things that my teachers taught me was to pray for my students by name. I was promised that as I did this, I would grow to love my students and I would receive inspiration that would help me teach them on an individual basis in the way that would be best for each of them.

I have since come to learn that this is true. As I have worked in primary and I prayed for children that were struggling, I really grew to love each and every one of them.

Sometimes, I could still be frustrated by some children's antics, but I cared enough about them to seek Heavenly Father's counsel and try again.

When you work and come to love other people, it makes leaving them very difficult. I am super excited about our impending move, but I am also very sad to leave our friends, ward members, and neighbors that we have come to know and love.

We're not moving very far away, but I am not very good at keeping in contact with other people.

I will miss them, but they will stay in my prayers. I know that Heavenly Father will be watching out for each and every one of them.

If you're struggling with students or other children, pray for them by name, and I know you will come to love and care for them deeply. You may even learn what you can do to help them with whatever they may be struggling with.

I testify that this is true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Havelock Moved Out and Other Updates

Kevin, saying goodbye to his cousin.

This weekend was one of some pretty big changes. One of my sisters moved across the country while my brother-in-law Havelock, who has been living with us for some time, moved into his own apartment.

On her way through, my sister stopped to say goodbye to us. Kevin enjoyed playing with his cousin for a little while. It was nice to see her before she and her family left.

 I avoided showing you her face because she's not my kid, and I don't have permission (yet) to show her on our blog. These are cute pictures anyway though.

Before we moved into our current apartment, we felt inspired to ask Havelock if he wanted to come live with us. He had been wanting to come to the west coast for some time, but hadn't had the opportunity. He accepted, and so we decided to get a three bedroom apartment.

Living with Havelock has been a great experience. He and he nephew are really good friends, and we all learned a lot from each other. Sometimes it was challenging to have someone else live with us, but it was definitely worth it.

As he prepared to leave, I experienced my first taste of what it's like to send your kids off to college. It's a little scary, because after they leave, they're kind of on their own. You just kind of have to trust in them and the Lord that they're going to be okay. I'd always kind of assumed parents couldn't wait to get their kids out of the house once they turned 18, but now I understand that letting your kids leave is also an exercise on faith.

Here's a picture of us with Havelock and our snake.

I'm sure Havelock will be just fine. All of us have matured since he came to live with us, and I think he's really enjoying the college life, even though he's not going to college. He's just learning to be independent. He felt like it was time to move out, and so he got his own apartment up on campus. Luckily, campus allows non-students to live in their apartments.

Dakota (our dog) was in a lot of pain Sunday night. I woke up to hear her panting at a million miles an hour. Thinking she needed to go outside, I took her out, but after we came in, she continued to pant. She calmed down a little bit, but a couple of house later I woke up to hear her breathing very quickly again. Grig took her out, (I was busy with Kevin), and he said he thought she was in pain from her arthritis because she didn't really need to go and she was hobbling down the stairs.

She laid down on the floor in obvious distress. So, after I finished feeding Kevin, I got off the bed and laid next to her. I proceeded to give her a full-body massage. As I worked on her sore muscles, her breathing slowed and she fell asleep.

She was able to sleep the rest of the night, but the next day, she was still very still and sore.

So...last night I gave her a bath. She's funny, because she doesn't like to get into the bathtub, but once she's in there, she'll relax and lay down in the water. I massaged soap into her fur and gave her another massage as she relaxed in the water.  When we finished, I dried her off and she was a completely different dog! She went running around the house and for the rest of the evening, she was relaxed. She didn't even pant. It was bizarre because she pants all the time, but she was so quiet that I had to keep looking around to find where she was.

I'm glad that helped her so much. We might need to look into getting her some pain meds. Poor girl. At almost 14 years old, she's starting to fall apart. I guess that's what happens when animals and people age. Grig and I are trying to decide if we should get another dog before she leaves us, or after. It's a hard decision to make, and hard to think about her dying at all.

We'll at least wait to think about it until after our trip back east this summer. We're going to be driving across the entire country to visit family. I'm pretty excited. I love road trips, though we're not sure if Kevin is going to. It's going to be at least 32 hours on the road.

Well, that's about it for now. It's been a crazy few days, and this week is looking to be equally crazy, but good!

Mormon Monday: By Small and Simple Things

Happy Easter!

We had a great day yesterday. We ate Easter candy, had a great service at church, and went to my grandparents for dinner afterward. 

Like many of you, I was trying to direct my thoughts toward the Savior yesterday. Before church, we listened to the following talk. It is one of my favorite about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is the shorter 4 minute version, but the longer version is also on youtube under "None Were with Him". This really changed the way I think about the Savior's atonement.

It is kind of amazing how such simple things lead to such incredible moments. In the Book of Mormon, there is the story about a prophet named Lehi who was leading his family through the wilderness and looking for guidance. One morning, he woke up and found a strange object, shaped like a ball outside of his tent door. If he and his family followed the counsel and commandments of God, this compass pointed the way they should go through the wilderness. However, if they sinned, it would no longer point the way.They called this compass a Liahona.

Last night, I was reading my scriptures, and I read the following versus (Alma 37:38-46):

 38 And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or director—or our fathers called it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it. 39 And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness. 40 And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day. 41 Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey; 42 Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions. 43 And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual. 44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. 45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise. 46 O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.

I was contemplating this last night. Our Savior's death might seem like a small thing to people who don't understand it. I mean, people die every day. However (Alma 37:6-7):

 6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. 7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth  confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

The Lord's death may seem a small thing, but by dying and then being resurrecting, our Savior opened the way for the rest of us to follow in His footsteps and to gain eternal life! He died so that we could live.

There are so many things in my life that seem like small things. Just this last week, my husband and I were praying about whether we should move to a different apartment complex. Grig was playing outside with Kevin, when suddenly he saw a neighbor and good friend of ours, and he was impressed by the Spirit that we needed to stay in the apartment because she still needed us. I had been feeling similar impressions that we weren't supposed to move at this time. This seems like a momentous decision for us, but the answer came in small and simple ways.  

The Lord uses small and simple things to testify of the truthfulness of the gospel and to lead people to the Savior. Sometimes it is a simple conversation with a friend where a word sticks out to us, or something wonderful that we read. Sometimes it is searching through the scriptures. The Lord will not leave us alone. It is simply up to us to listen to the small, still voice of the Spirit that will help us know where we are supposed to go, and what we are supposed to do in order to find peace and happiness on this earth.

I know that Jesus Christ did live.

I know that he suffered for our sins, died on the cross, and was resurrected on the third day.

I know that as we turn to him for comfort and guidance, that we will find guidance and peace on this earth.

The Lord has a plan for each of us. If we listen to that still, small voice and do those small and simple things, we will be amazed at where the Lord can take us and the incredible things that each of us can accomplish! We are each small and sometimes I feel insignificant, but with the Lord's help, I know I can do amazing things. This is true for everyone.

By small and simple things are great things brought to pass. I know that is true, and I have seen it in my life many times. Don't look for great miracles. Keep an eye open for the small details and you will truly know that Christ is present in all facets of your life.

Finally, here is the Easter message that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) put out for this Easter season. It's quite powerful.

Enjoy:

Of Mice and Moving

Yesterday was a cray day.  It started out normal enough.  I spent the morning blogging, working on stories, working on the next Dragon and the Wolf video (which will be coming out on the 15th), playing with Kevin, cooking, and cleaning.

However, about 3 p.m. (I have to put the p.m., because this week I've been up helping Grig get to work at 3 a.m.), I got a text from our neighbor.  As a side note, this neighbor is the one whose daughter (Angela) we've been babysitting.  They were moving out and they needed help.  The mother is pregnant, and the grandmother who lives with her had knee surgery a few months ago.

Grig's brother, who is living with us, was the only help I had.  I put on my baby backpack, stuck Kevin in, and he and I went to work.  We started moving out all of their stuff.  Here's a neat thing that happened though.  A couple weeks ago, we pulled all of the boxes from our house that we'd used to move in.  We broke them apart, and put them in our trunk.  We kept meaning to take them to the recycling center, but it never happened.  Turns out, that was a blessing.  Our neighbors really needed those boxes.

However, Grig was at work until 3:30, so I told them that they would have to wait until Grig brought the car back home.  She said that was fine, and so my brother-in-law and I took out what we could until Grig came home.

Except he never came!  It was 4:00, and he still hadn't shown up.  Kevin was getting tired, thirsty, and sweaty from being in the backpack.  I was thirsty as well, so we went up to get a drink.  Do you know how hard it is to help a baby drink from a sippy cup when they're on your back?  We did a rather complicated dance for a while, and then I slipped off one of the shoulder straps, and we succeeded.  Luckily, once I get the cup to him, he can hold it alright.  At 4:10, I checked my phone.  Grig had texted to tell me he wouldn't be home until 4:30.  We kept working.  Finally, at 4:45, he came home.  My brother-in-law had needed to eat something and Grig had just come home from a twelve hour workday, so I told him to go shower, and I left Kevin with my brother-in-law while I went to get the boxes.

The boxes were stacked in such a way that it was easiest to carry them if you had two people because then you could grab the biggest one together and all the other boxes sat on top.  That's how Grig and I carried it out.  However, I didn't remember that until I got the car pulled up to the side of the apartment.  So, it ended up taking me three trips to get all the boxes up.  There wasn't much more we could do at that point, but I told them to let us know when they needed us to help haul boxes down again.

About a half an hour later, after Grig and his brother had left to run a couple errands quick, Angela's mother knocked on my door.

"Look what we found in my ex-boyfriend's shoe," she said.  She pointed down to the ground and there on our stairway were four baby mice.  She explained that her ex had some to get his stuff, and as he loaded his shoes, he'd seen something in the bag.  He'd opened it and a mouse had run down the stairs to the outside world.  Then he pounded out his shoes and out came the baby mice.

They were so cute!  Their eyes weren't even open, and they were shaking.  They were at that adorable stage where, when they try to move, they just kind of wobble.  Their skin was a light gray color and they were so tiny.

Here's the dilemma.  The mother mouse had run away.  I couldn't hand feed baby mice.  We didn't have the tools or money to provide for them.  If we didn't do something, they would just starve to death.  Or...we have a pet snake.

I was quite a bit torn about this.  They were really cute, and I really love animals.  I've killed very few in my life (one mink actually, and that is an interesting story that I will tell another time.)  However, these mice were going to die anyway.  I felt like at least if they fed our snake there would be a purpose to their death.  So, I scooped them into a tupperware that we use to thaw out the mice that we feed Oryx (our snake) and I left them in there until Grig got home.  I really hated to kill them.  I called my dad whose advice I trust and told him the situation.  He recommended that we freeze the mice so they wouldn't spread diseases, just in case.  He also said that freezing was a pretty humane way to kill them.

From what I've heard, it's really cold for a while, but then you feel warm and you just go to sleep.  So, when Grig got home, we talked it over and stuck the mice in the freezer.  Grig thinks we might need to boil them after to freeze them, just in case.  We'll see.  We both felt pretty bad about it, but it was comforting to know that their deaths would at least have some purpose.

Okay, so maybe we're weird for worrying about killing a couple of baby mice.  Or maybe we're cruel for killing them.  Regardless of your opinion, we were trying to make the right decision.  Maybe it would have been more humane to just smash them and put them out of their misery, but I couldn't do that.  I feel like we made the right choice.  The only question I had at the end was this:

Where's a cat when you need one?  

Anyway, when Grig and his brother got home they finished helping them move while I got the kids out of the way for a while.

So, it was a good day.  Crazy, but good. It's always nice to help out a neighbor, and we really appreciated the opportunity to help them.  We've been trying to be good neighbors and we're sad that they're moving, but she's pretty excited about it so we're happy for her.

And that is the story Of Mice and Moving.