When a high councilman comes to speak in the Overton 2nd ward, you can bet that about 50% of the time they start their talk with something like this,"Oh I feel like I am home....I grew up in this ward....." Every time they say that I think to myself, "No, I grew up in this ward." Although we moved here over 7 years ago when I was 27, I still feel like I grew up in this ward. Ashton 2nd ward was an IDEAL starting place, but for some of us, on the slower side of life, we need a few more years than the normal.
When we moved here, Ally was the only child in our family and COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE during sacrament meeting as she made funny faces to the people behind us with her two little pigtails that looked like bug antennae. We have finally graduated to a long bench, and we are still uncontrollable, there are just 4 more. :)
However, there has never been a negative thing said. Just A LOT OF HELP offered and several Linda Lyons and Pat Leavitts that tell me I will survive (every word they say I take as pure gold). When we moved, I remember being so nervous....we needed to get to the temple each month, but how could I find anyone to babysit? The second Sunday we were here, Noelle Rust offered to babysit if we needed to go to the temple, and since then, their whole family has practically raised my children. And the one day that they were babysitting and Sam got locked in the house, with everyone on the outside. As he crawled around crying, Donna Noto rushed to the rescue with a Locksmith and a check to pay the bill. She would never let me pay her back. She said, "I am your neighbor, I was called in a time of need. It is my job." And the Leavitts and Whitings don't even mind when my children show up in their house at, let's say, 6 in the morning. Eat their fries, let their dog go, pick their tomatoes....
And as a mother with my 4th child just 1 month old, days away from Halloween, completely unprepared, and on the brink of insanity, Ruby shows up with 4 Halloween costumes. How did she know?
This week we received a fun thing in the mail. It was a a FALL PASS to all of the sports at Moapa Valley High School. I am assuming that it came from someone in my ward, and if not, I am sorry. But they would know that we LOVE to watch high school sports, they would know that things were tight right now. So I say thank you! We are grateful to be surrounded by exceptional people. Every time my dad came to our ward he would come home and say, "There are a lot of Good, down-to-earth people in your ward." I agree, but I would add kind and caring to this list. Thank you for raising such an out-spoken, loud me, maybe if we live here forever, I just might get it right!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
You can't ignore one end without hurting the other!
I have been vacationing at the same spot, every summer (well, almost every summer) since I was 4 years old. Bear Lake, Ideal Beach to be exact! And today I am here to declare that it is a MAGICAL place. Once you get there, everything you need for a full week of entertainment is all within walking distance. The beach, the water, fields of deep green grass, swimming pools. The magic starts with the facilities, and then perhaps moves to the FOOD!
When I was a kid I remember being able to choose a box of SUGAR cereal (which was a huge treat in our house) and bags of green grapes lying around. My kids will probably remember bags of Hershey's bars and chips (Costco has really enhanced the entire food journey)! The food is magical (but sometimes hampers the magic after the pounds begin to add up), but I think (this is brave of me) that it might still be magical if we ate mac and cheese all week long.
As a kid I remember sitting on a picnic table late at night with my dad and sisters after a lightning storm had hit a tree by the condos. I remember packing the car with mom. I remember being so excited the night before we were to leave that Erin, Susan, and I stayed up chatting while mom and dad yelled, "You had better get some sleep...." I remember.....PEOPLE......just having one week to do NOTHING but be with each other.
This year, the kids were flitting about, while the sisters were in deep conversation in one of the condos. The question had to come up at some point. How long will we keep trying to do this vacation? It is getting harder and harder to find one day, let alone a week, where everyone can make it! At this point, the conversation took a more serious turn.
JoDee declared, "I don't know, but we need each other, the world is a yucky place." We all completely agreed and came to this consensus. We have to have a good enough relationship with our nieces and nephews that at any time we can say, "You are acting like an idiot, knock it off!" A person can only take those words right if they know the kind of love that backs them up. And sometimes, it takes a lot of LOVE to say those words.
I have thought a lot about a statement made by President Hinkley, "Don't be the week link in the chain." These are my thoughts. I am just one link, there were links before me, and there are links after me. I cannot ignore one side of the chain without hurting the other. I think I am discovering that we are all in this together, the living, the dead, the young, the old.
Someone once told me that at some point I needed to cut the apron strings and concentrate on my own family. Well, I agree. I need to concentrate on my own family, the links before and the links after. When I sit in sacrament meeting with my small children filling up an entire bench and sing "Families Can Be Together Forever," my heart melts. Ironically enough, 30 years ago, my mother was probably singing the song, having the same feelings. 30 years from now there will be 5 little Bolton families filling up 5 little benches, singing, and hoping as well!
When I was a kid I remember being able to choose a box of SUGAR cereal (which was a huge treat in our house) and bags of green grapes lying around. My kids will probably remember bags of Hershey's bars and chips (Costco has really enhanced the entire food journey)! The food is magical (but sometimes hampers the magic after the pounds begin to add up), but I think (this is brave of me) that it might still be magical if we ate mac and cheese all week long.
As a kid I remember sitting on a picnic table late at night with my dad and sisters after a lightning storm had hit a tree by the condos. I remember packing the car with mom. I remember being so excited the night before we were to leave that Erin, Susan, and I stayed up chatting while mom and dad yelled, "You had better get some sleep...." I remember.....PEOPLE......just having one week to do NOTHING but be with each other.
This year, the kids were flitting about, while the sisters were in deep conversation in one of the condos. The question had to come up at some point. How long will we keep trying to do this vacation? It is getting harder and harder to find one day, let alone a week, where everyone can make it! At this point, the conversation took a more serious turn.
JoDee declared, "I don't know, but we need each other, the world is a yucky place." We all completely agreed and came to this consensus. We have to have a good enough relationship with our nieces and nephews that at any time we can say, "You are acting like an idiot, knock it off!" A person can only take those words right if they know the kind of love that backs them up. And sometimes, it takes a lot of LOVE to say those words.
I have thought a lot about a statement made by President Hinkley, "Don't be the week link in the chain." These are my thoughts. I am just one link, there were links before me, and there are links after me. I cannot ignore one side of the chain without hurting the other. I think I am discovering that we are all in this together, the living, the dead, the young, the old.
Someone once told me that at some point I needed to cut the apron strings and concentrate on my own family. Well, I agree. I need to concentrate on my own family, the links before and the links after. When I sit in sacrament meeting with my small children filling up an entire bench and sing "Families Can Be Together Forever," my heart melts. Ironically enough, 30 years ago, my mother was probably singing the song, having the same feelings. 30 years from now there will be 5 little Bolton families filling up 5 little benches, singing, and hoping as well!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
The Law of the Tax Return
It is called the Law of the Tax Return People! It should have been included in the Bible Dictionary right between "Law of Moses" and "Lawyer," however it is not. Someday I will make a new Bible Dictionary, entitled "Joe's Meanings and Metaphors." It will have much personal significance, and there will probably be a select group of people on the earth that understand EVERYTHING in it, and the rest of the world will be left to wonder......
Because I am now at this very moment experiencing the Law of the Tax Return, I thought it would be useful for my children if I got it down on paper (web page) so that they would know what it is when it happens to them.
Right after Jared and I moved to Overton, we had lofty plans. I believe at the time it included a beautiful landscaped yard. So we planned and the best plan that we could come up with was to use our tax return to complete the yard. Several days before the tax return landed in our bank account, our white van broke down, and needed significant repairs. Shockingly enough, the repairs would cost around the same amount as our tax return, leaving NOTHING for the yard fund.
In despair I called my dad. "Dad, I am so frustrated! Our van broke down and now we have to use the money from our tax return to pay for the repairs....We were going to use it to finish our yard!"
"Kathern, that is how it happens. The Lord always provides you with JUST ENOUGH!"
"But dad! Doesn't the Lord want me to have a nice yard?"
"Kathern, the Lord wants you to have enough! Are you grateful that you have enough to pay off the van?"
"Yes."
"Well then, I guess we could look at it that way, it often happens this way, it is called 'The Law of the Tax Return."
The yard eventually (and when I say eventually I mean 2 years) was completed with a lot of hard work, sweat, and more sweat!
It goes like this. You find some extra money that you really were not planning on. As soon as the dollar amount adds up, you get these crazy dreams in your head about new carpet, a couch that doesn't sag in the middle, or dare I say...Disneyland. And then all of a sudden, the unexpected money is swallowed up in a big black hole of car repairs, new water heaters, or dare I say,$996 in dental bills.
Perhaps the Lord knew about the big black hole sooner than I did. Perhaps it is really a very large blessing in disguise!
Because I am now at this very moment experiencing the Law of the Tax Return, I thought it would be useful for my children if I got it down on paper (web page) so that they would know what it is when it happens to them.
Right after Jared and I moved to Overton, we had lofty plans. I believe at the time it included a beautiful landscaped yard. So we planned and the best plan that we could come up with was to use our tax return to complete the yard. Several days before the tax return landed in our bank account, our white van broke down, and needed significant repairs. Shockingly enough, the repairs would cost around the same amount as our tax return, leaving NOTHING for the yard fund.
In despair I called my dad. "Dad, I am so frustrated! Our van broke down and now we have to use the money from our tax return to pay for the repairs....We were going to use it to finish our yard!"
"Kathern, that is how it happens. The Lord always provides you with JUST ENOUGH!"
"But dad! Doesn't the Lord want me to have a nice yard?"
"Kathern, the Lord wants you to have enough! Are you grateful that you have enough to pay off the van?"
"Yes."
"Well then, I guess we could look at it that way, it often happens this way, it is called 'The Law of the Tax Return."
The yard eventually (and when I say eventually I mean 2 years) was completed with a lot of hard work, sweat, and more sweat!
It goes like this. You find some extra money that you really were not planning on. As soon as the dollar amount adds up, you get these crazy dreams in your head about new carpet, a couch that doesn't sag in the middle, or dare I say...Disneyland. And then all of a sudden, the unexpected money is swallowed up in a big black hole of car repairs, new water heaters, or dare I say,$996 in dental bills.
Perhaps the Lord knew about the big black hole sooner than I did. Perhaps it is really a very large blessing in disguise!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
You Are Only as Happy as your Saddest Child
One time I was teaching a lesson and I quoted my mom (which I often do). "My mom always tells me that you are only as happy as your saddest child.'" I was expecting nods of agreement, I mean, everything that my mom says should be taken as pure gold. However, I got chuckles and "well, if that were true......" I was puzzled and began to question.....but not for long.
Recently I had to prepare a 5th Sunday lesson on the importance of going to the temple. The outline came quickly to my mind. We would explore two questions. #1 - Why is it so vital to go to the temple for the 1st time? #2 - Why is it so vital to return to the temple regularly?
In an attitude of preparing our minds to delve into the first question I asked the class to tell me if there was ever a time that their parents, or leaders, said something to them that made them realize the importance of getting to the temple. As I asked that question, a scene immediately flashed through my mind. We were sitting around the dinner table (to this day, I have no idea how we all fit around that table) and passing the food when my dad made the following announcement, "If you think think for one moment that if you get married outside of the temple and have a reception, that I will walk around shaking people's hands and smiling, YOU ARE DEAD WRONG. I will not pretend! That will be one of the saddest days of my life." Well, we knew he was serious, and the thought of having an ornery JOE at any reception might have been enough to sink the the thought deep into our minds. Do I think my dad was over reacting? No! Let me tell you why.
When Abram's name was changed to Abraham, he was promised that he would be the "father of many nations." He had ONE son (not a very good start to a lofty promise). Issac then married a lovely lady (one of my personal favorites) named Rebekah. They had 2 children Esau and Jacob (still not a very promising start). Esau marries out of the covenant, which was a "grief of mind unto Issac and Rebekah," and we are left with one child -- Jacob! As Rebekah sees all of her hard work quickly dwindling into nothing as her children take wives that cannot carry on eternal ties, she cries out in despair, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth.....WHAT GOOD SHALL MY LIFE DO ME?"
I asked the class if they thought that Rebekah was being just a bit over dramatic. The obvious answer was no. Rebekah had tied up EVERYTHING she had into being a mother, and if those ties ended with a poor choice from her son, WHAT GOOD SHALL HER LIFE DO HER?
Does God not feel the exact same way? When he was promising (in D&C 2) that the sealing power would be returned to the earth He then says, "If it were not so, the whole earth, (everything He had planned for, created, and nurtured) would be UTTERLY WASTED at his coming."
For years now, those words flash through my mind, "What good shall my life do me!" Every time I feel like being lazy (which is surprisingly A LOT as of late) or when I feel like diminishing the importance of something that happens (which is really easy when it involves any embarrassment of any kind on my part), a larger voice always trumps....WHAT GOOD SHALL MY LIFE DO ME creeps into my thoughts, tells me to get off of the couch, to get on my knees, and do whatever it takes! Because in the end, I am only as happy as my saddest child.
Recently I had to prepare a 5th Sunday lesson on the importance of going to the temple. The outline came quickly to my mind. We would explore two questions. #1 - Why is it so vital to go to the temple for the 1st time? #2 - Why is it so vital to return to the temple regularly?
In an attitude of preparing our minds to delve into the first question I asked the class to tell me if there was ever a time that their parents, or leaders, said something to them that made them realize the importance of getting to the temple. As I asked that question, a scene immediately flashed through my mind. We were sitting around the dinner table (to this day, I have no idea how we all fit around that table) and passing the food when my dad made the following announcement, "If you think think for one moment that if you get married outside of the temple and have a reception, that I will walk around shaking people's hands and smiling, YOU ARE DEAD WRONG. I will not pretend! That will be one of the saddest days of my life." Well, we knew he was serious, and the thought of having an ornery JOE at any reception might have been enough to sink the the thought deep into our minds. Do I think my dad was over reacting? No! Let me tell you why.
When Abram's name was changed to Abraham, he was promised that he would be the "father of many nations." He had ONE son (not a very good start to a lofty promise). Issac then married a lovely lady (one of my personal favorites) named Rebekah. They had 2 children Esau and Jacob (still not a very promising start). Esau marries out of the covenant, which was a "grief of mind unto Issac and Rebekah," and we are left with one child -- Jacob! As Rebekah sees all of her hard work quickly dwindling into nothing as her children take wives that cannot carry on eternal ties, she cries out in despair, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth.....WHAT GOOD SHALL MY LIFE DO ME?"
I asked the class if they thought that Rebekah was being just a bit over dramatic. The obvious answer was no. Rebekah had tied up EVERYTHING she had into being a mother, and if those ties ended with a poor choice from her son, WHAT GOOD SHALL HER LIFE DO HER?
Does God not feel the exact same way? When he was promising (in D&C 2) that the sealing power would be returned to the earth He then says, "If it were not so, the whole earth, (everything He had planned for, created, and nurtured) would be UTTERLY WASTED at his coming."
For years now, those words flash through my mind, "What good shall my life do me!" Every time I feel like being lazy (which is surprisingly A LOT as of late) or when I feel like diminishing the importance of something that happens (which is really easy when it involves any embarrassment of any kind on my part), a larger voice always trumps....WHAT GOOD SHALL MY LIFE DO ME creeps into my thoughts, tells me to get off of the couch, to get on my knees, and do whatever it takes! Because in the end, I am only as happy as my saddest child.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
From SPARE TIRE to STEERING WHEEL
In June, Jared and I had a "Couple's Conference" to go to in Las Vegas for 3 days. So my mom, sister Kristine, and two nieces (Heather and Erin) came to tend the kids so that we could leave and not WORRY for a single minute the entire 3 days. They are so good to us! The night that they arrived, we ate and played with the kids. As I tried to finally get them into bed that night, Joe escaped and was running towards the neighbor's house. Erin and I went after him. As we were walking Erin said to me, "Is this your life Aunt Kathy." YES :) "Well........I guess Heavenly Father thinks you can handle it." I wasn't sure if that was meant as a compliment or not, but I laughed for days!
While at the Conference, we listened to a short talk given about the Atonement. The Sister giving the talk said that she used to use the Atonement as a SPARE TIRE....Taking it out when it was needed, using it until she was "fixed" and then putting it back under the car for the next time. She decided that this was not the intent of the Atonement...Then she asked us, "What part of the car should represent the Atonement?" After several guesses, the STEERING WHEEL appeared to be the right answer. It is the only part that you HAVE to have some part of your body touching during your drive, guiding you to where ever you are going. I thought about that for quite some time......Perhaps the intent of the Savior was not only to "fix" our problems, but to LEAVE US BETTER, in the process, guide (or steer) us to a BETTER me. If that is how you would like to think of it.
The entire scenario came together for me when we got home from our mini vacation. Mom and Kristine had to leave the minute that we got home in order to take care of things at home. As we walked through the door they said their quick goodbyes, and as they got into the car Kristine said, "Your house is thorough cleaned, dinner is in the fridge and there is warm zucchini bread on the counter." They didn't just come to take care of things, they came AND LEFT THINGS BETTER. Why? Because they love me of course, they love Jared and my kids. Why does the Savior want to leave us better, help us be better? Because He loves me of course, He loves Jared, my kids, and you :) Often, (or all the time) He wants more for us, then we want for ourselves.
While at the Conference, we listened to a short talk given about the Atonement. The Sister giving the talk said that she used to use the Atonement as a SPARE TIRE....Taking it out when it was needed, using it until she was "fixed" and then putting it back under the car for the next time. She decided that this was not the intent of the Atonement...Then she asked us, "What part of the car should represent the Atonement?" After several guesses, the STEERING WHEEL appeared to be the right answer. It is the only part that you HAVE to have some part of your body touching during your drive, guiding you to where ever you are going. I thought about that for quite some time......Perhaps the intent of the Savior was not only to "fix" our problems, but to LEAVE US BETTER, in the process, guide (or steer) us to a BETTER me. If that is how you would like to think of it.
The entire scenario came together for me when we got home from our mini vacation. Mom and Kristine had to leave the minute that we got home in order to take care of things at home. As we walked through the door they said their quick goodbyes, and as they got into the car Kristine said, "Your house is thorough cleaned, dinner is in the fridge and there is warm zucchini bread on the counter." They didn't just come to take care of things, they came AND LEFT THINGS BETTER. Why? Because they love me of course, they love Jared and my kids. Why does the Savior want to leave us better, help us be better? Because He loves me of course, He loves Jared, my kids, and you :) Often, (or all the time) He wants more for us, then we want for ourselves.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Just When You Think Your Child is Perfect!
Why Sam?
"Mom, it takes 2 years to get to the moon and back (I have no idea if that is true)! Do you have any idea how many Sundays are in 2 years? I couldn't miss church.....I can't be an astronaut."
This entire conversation came from TOTALLY out of the blue, but I was a pretty proud mom at that moment.
The proud feeling lasted right up until the moment I tucked him in bed. I was ready to tell him that it was so good that he didn't want to miss church when he said, "Mom, don't you think Daniel could sleep in the LAUNDRY ROOM, he bugs me!"
Just when I thought my child was perfect......
We are HOME!
Hello Blog, my old friend! It has been way too long and my thought process has been cut short for three months as I have had little time to write the things that are happening with us. I am sure that the next few weeks will be a whirlwind of posts from 2011 summer memories and epiphanies (it may take a while to collect my thoughts as they are scratched out on index cards and notebooks scattered through out my entire house).
This weekend our stake had a rare privilege of listening to a Living Apostle of Jesus Christ, and his wife. It was Elder Quentin L. Cook and his wife Mary. It would be hard for me to recap any of it. The words spoken left an important mark, however, the things that I FELT left deep impressions upon my mind. I know that there are living Prophets today.
President Messer had plead with the members of our stake to prepare our hearts for the message that Elder Cook would bring. He asked us to go to the Temple this week, and pray to have soft hearts. I am grateful for taking him up on the challenge. As the meeting began last night, I said a silent prayer that it would be gentle correction and guidance for me personally. During the opening hymn, I looked at Elder Cook. He was not singing. He was studying the people in the congregation. I am not going to pretend to have ANY IDEA what he was thinking at that particular moment. However, I may never forget what I was thinking at that moment. I knew for certain that the words he would speak were not his own, they would be inspired from a loving Heavenly Father, who knows His children and sees to their needs.
To end an already FABULOUS evening, one of my FAVORITE things happened on the way out of the church building. My friend told me that President May from the Las Vegas Temple Presidency, who had just spoken to us, was raised in St. Anthony, ID. Of course I had to meet him. As I shook his hand it dawned on me that I already knew him. He was MR. May's brother (my long time English teacher!). As I told him that I was raised in Ashton, it dawned on him that he already knew me too! (This is where my FAVORITE part comes in). He looked at me and said, "You are Joe Foster's daughter!" At which point my heart lept, and I said, "YES!"
This morning I called my mom and recapped the entire story. To which she said, "It is a good thing that we aren't ashamed of where we come from." How True! How True!
This weekend our stake had a rare privilege of listening to a Living Apostle of Jesus Christ, and his wife. It was Elder Quentin L. Cook and his wife Mary. It would be hard for me to recap any of it. The words spoken left an important mark, however, the things that I FELT left deep impressions upon my mind. I know that there are living Prophets today.
President Messer had plead with the members of our stake to prepare our hearts for the message that Elder Cook would bring. He asked us to go to the Temple this week, and pray to have soft hearts. I am grateful for taking him up on the challenge. As the meeting began last night, I said a silent prayer that it would be gentle correction and guidance for me personally. During the opening hymn, I looked at Elder Cook. He was not singing. He was studying the people in the congregation. I am not going to pretend to have ANY IDEA what he was thinking at that particular moment. However, I may never forget what I was thinking at that moment. I knew for certain that the words he would speak were not his own, they would be inspired from a loving Heavenly Father, who knows His children and sees to their needs.
To end an already FABULOUS evening, one of my FAVORITE things happened on the way out of the church building. My friend told me that President May from the Las Vegas Temple Presidency, who had just spoken to us, was raised in St. Anthony, ID. Of course I had to meet him. As I shook his hand it dawned on me that I already knew him. He was MR. May's brother (my long time English teacher!). As I told him that I was raised in Ashton, it dawned on him that he already knew me too! (This is where my FAVORITE part comes in). He looked at me and said, "You are Joe Foster's daughter!" At which point my heart lept, and I said, "YES!"
This morning I called my mom and recapped the entire story. To which she said, "It is a good thing that we aren't ashamed of where we come from." How True! How True!
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