I've spent my week getting ready for Thanksgiving. I've baked and cleaned and sorted.
And stayed up until 3AM on Monday painting the banister and entryway trim.
You know, the basics.
This has been a long week. A looooooong week. It started with the Primary Program on Sunday. It went really well, but it was just part of a full day. I could feel myself getting sick at the end of last week, though I told myself I couldn't succumb until Monday when the Primary Program was over. I've spent the week coughing and sneezing and trying to balance resting with still getting everyone fed and where they need to be on time.
Actually, I think it's been a long month. I've been staying up late with some kids and getting up early with other kids. I keep losing track of what day it is. I'm pretty sure sleep deprivation has something to do with it. Maybe I'll find a day during Thanksgiving break to sleep in.
Maybe.
Sophie, Cooper, Peter, and I saw the final dress rehearsal of Phoebe's show tonight. The show was even tighter than it had been the first night. From the moment Phoebe entered the theater from the audience she moved like she owned it, which felt exactly right for the Queen of Hearts.
Tonight we saw Phoebe perform in Alice in Wonderland as the Queen of Hearts. I know I've said this about others roles she's played, but it applies here too: SHE STOLE THE SHOW! And I'm not the only person that thought so. It was a student directed show and the director's dad had the same comment about Phoebe's performance. She was nuanced and multi-dimensional and kind of terrifying. Also, she was fantastic!
Fun fact: the kid who played Mr. Wormwood across from Phoebe's Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda in seventh grade played the King of Hearts across from her in this.
Cooper and Phoebe sang in a fundraising concert this weekend for the high school music department. It was fun to hear what they've been working on. I'm glad they're getting such a good music education in our school district.
The weekend was packed full. Saturday started with an early morning kid choir rehearsal, then a nativity practice, then several hours of yard work. We pulled weeds, gathered clippings, and Bryan chopped down a tree. Also, looking at these pictures reminds me how desperately we need to paint our shutters.
Yesterday for lunch Topher made some cheesy waffles, his own creation. He tore strips of mozzarella from a square slice of cheese and put the small pieces on a toasted freezer waffle. He was in process when he held up the cheese and cried out, "It's Pennsylvania! We live on the cheese!"
Our school district gives the kids Veterans Day off from school. I was exceptionally thankful for that this morning. The temperature got down into the 20s overnight and by 10:00 in the morning it still felt like 22 degrees outside. My goal for today: to not leave my house. I had to step out briefly to bring a package inside, but otherwise I stayed in. I'm glad that none of us had to stand waiting for a school bus in that cold.
Shoutout to Bryan for taking the middle three to youth activities tonight so I could make my goal of not going outside!
"Mom, what would happen if we didn't have seasons?"
This is the question Topher asked me during the fifteen-minute drive between Sophie's school (early morning chorus) and his bus stop. I told him that the seasons would exist, even if we didn't have names for them. And that the seasons are opposite from ours in the southern hemisphere. And then we talked about time as a human construct, something that people put in place to make sense of the world around them. He asked good questions and was engaged throughout.
You know, a standard in-the-car conversation.
Sophie: Mom! Can I have your phone to take a picture of the sunset? Quick! I need your phone!
Me (several hours later, discovering the pictures she actually took):
Cooper was given the opportunity to speak at our Stake Conference last Sunday. He was one of nine people that gave ninety second talks. In many ways, it's harder to write a short talk than a long one. You need to be very deliberate in the words you use and the examples you give. Rambling is not an option. What was his topic? He was asked to speak about the blessings that come from living a morally clean life. I think he did a great job with this tricky topic.
And for the record, he spoke for one minute and thirty-five seconds, five seconds over his time. That's okay, he stuck much more closely to his time limit than most of the other speakers.
The Blessings
Living a morally clean life means following the law of chastity, in addition to the other covenants I have made. In a world that seems obsessed with wickedness and behavior directly contrary to this law, I can choose to stay strong and receive the blessings that come from that. Being morally clean also means being true in every thought and deed. This is stated clearly in the 13th Article of Faith, which says, in part: “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men;”
In a 2013 devotional address to BYU-Idaho, Elder Tad R. Callister said,
“The blessings of living a clean and moral life are overwhelming. Such a life will bring self-confidence and self-esteem. It will result in a clear conscience. It will make us eligible for a spouse of like purity and will make the expression of the procreative power in the marriage relationship sweeter and more rewarding because we have reserved it for the time the Lord Himself has endorsed.”
As a high schooler, it’s no surprise that I am often surrounded by worldly influences that do not align with my standards. It can be difficult to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in an environment like this, but staying morally clean makes it so I can feel his presence and hear his promptings. This spiritual clarity allows me to live a happier life knowing that I am making the correct choices. I am also able to think more clearly, and feel a deep sense of joy in spiritual circumstances, such as when I attend the temple or participate in youth activities such as FSY. I have a testimony that when we use our agency to avoid anything unclean, and live an honest and chaste life, then eternal blessings will flow into our lives, and we will be filled with peace, courage, a happier home, and a willingness to further serve the Lord. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Our school district gives election day off from school. That means we all slept in this morning. After two late nights in a row, I was very thankful for the additional rest. I got up, took a warm shower, and came downstairs to make breakfast. I was just about to start pouring pancake batter onto the griddle when I had a sudden realization: I didn't post on the blog yesterday.
ACK.
I scurried upstairs, grabbed my computer, and began typing this.
Why did I miss a day after not missing any in nearly thirteen years? Great question. I kept thinking about posting yesterday, but there were more pressing matters on my brain. Mainly, Cooper's BYU application was due at midnight. He and I had been up late on Sunday night editing three of his five essays. Additionally, on Saturday he discovered a problem. His physics teacher had been sent, and subsequently filled out, the wrong recommendation form. That meant that his Freshman year seminary teacher, who was waiting to fill out the "Other" recommendation, couldn't. He also realized the third recommendation still hadn't been filled out, though he was told it would be last week. Cooper sent his physics teacher an email and explained the situation. The teacher graciously filled out the correct form, which solved part of the problem.
Then Cooper had to call the admissions office at BYU to ask them to clear the needed form.
On Monday.
While he was at school.
After getting permission from his teacher, he called BYU. He was number 93 in the waiting list. He opted to enter his phone number to be called back instead of staying on hold.
And then he missed the call.
He got back in line, this time he was number 151. He again chose the call back option. Bryan decided to jump in as a backup option and was number 153. After two and half hours on hold (and handing the phone off to me since he had to go run a meeting for work), Bryan's phone won the race. I chatted with a sweet BYU student and explained the situation. She said she would send the issue to the application team so they could clear the form. She also said they were moving quickly, but it might take up to two business days.
Which meant Cooper might miss the deadline.
I got off the phone and reported to Bryan, Cooper (via text), and Peter. Peter's immediate response was, "Well, all we can do now is pray." And he was right. I said a prayer and felt a quick burst of peace. I sent a few messages asking for additional prayers.
In less than an hour Cooper got the message that the form had been reset and was open again.
Cooper and I were driving home from the high school when he found out. The joy and relief we both felt was tangible. Within minutes of that message he learned that one of the two outstanding recommendations had been submitted.
All that was left was the Other recommendation and his last two short essays. He knocked the first one out in ten minutes. It was the best he had written so far and needed minimal editing. He spent a few hours at the Cross Country Senior dinner, then came back and wrote his final essay. This was his hardest essay. He wrote three totally different versions. Bryan and I both joined him in the editing process.
He finished his essay, the final recommendation came through, and Bryan paid the application fee. At 11:29 pm, Cooper hit submit on the application.
I fell into bed just after midnight, the blog totally absent from my brain.
While I'm sad that I missed posting (as Sophie said, "Welp, looks like you need to restart your streak), I am so thankful for the prayers and tender mercies that took place yesterday. Whatever the outcome of his application, we felt Heavenly Father's love during the application process.
