Cub Scouts

We have the most fun Cub Scout Pack and I'm so happy that Ezra is in it now--he's really loving it!

Tonight was the annual cake bake and auction. The boys and their dads or other helpers--it can be anyone, but "no girls"--design and decorate a cake according to the theme. This year's theme was "Games". The creations are really fun and it's amazing what these guys come up with when you consider that everything on the cake must be edible. There was a peanut butter hand (edible play-dough) slam dunking a basketball through the hoop, a tennis racket with a perfectly round tennis ball on it, the winning goal of a U of Texas/SCU football game, Lake Placid, The Lord of the Rings, the computer game Warcraft: The Frozen Throne, and even a game of checkers.

A funny thing that happened was when it came time to auction off the Grand Prize Winner, the cubmaster asked Ezra to describe his cake, what was on it, what flavor, etc. There was an offer of $25 before he even began the description! Ezra jumped up to the front and as he told about the cake his finger touched the frosting, so he took a quick lick. The room just fell apart--he kept right on talking! We were laughing so hard and the lady who had bid the $25 said, "Well, maybe I'll go with $15!" After that the bidding war began, but Casey won out and bought the cake.

Aren't parents the best? Who else would take off half a day of work, help a kid bake a cake, go to the store and spend a small fortune buying every candy and cookie they think might be a good decoration and happily pay $35 for the privilege of taking the self-same cake back home at the end of the night? It was a blast!

Announcing the Saipan Branch Cub Scout Pack 913 Annual Father/Son Cake Bake Competition and Auction Grand Prize Winner for 2006--
EZRA!!!!!

Family Unity

I am amazed at the difference in perspective my children have than I do. Sometimes, when I have had a day in my drill-sergeant or boxing-ring referee modes, or when my day has consisted basically of dowsing a series of brush fires or contained a dreaded "War of the Words," I wonder what the kids will remember when they leave. Now that I actually have adult children I'm beginning to get some of that feedback, and today it was good.

Alexa gave a talk at church today on "Family Unity." She began by saying that many of those in the congregation who had been in our home had most likely experienced a lot of yelling, laughing, and general craziness, but not a lot of what they would think of as "unity." In our house you won't see little girls in matching pink dresses that mother made or the boys tuning their violins. I thought to myself, "Oh well, it's true. She can't very well make things up in order to make our family fit the subject." Then she said, "Well, you just haven't been there at the right time."

She went on to relate that if you were in our house very early in the morning you would see Dad getting the family together for scripture reading as he has for years, and if you were there around 8:00 each night you would hear our family singing a hymn in preparation for family prayer.

She read a quote by one of the Apostles on the importance of making our homes a refuge against the storms of life and expressed her gratefulness that she has been able to come home to her refuge when the storms of life became too much for her. She said that no matter what happened the rest of the time, she knew first and last--from morning to night--we were together.

I was moved and somewhat amazed. I am not blind to problems that we have had as a family over the years, but her talk gave me hope that my children will "separate the wheat from the chaff and, with breath of kindness, blow the chaff away."

The gubernatorial inauguration, January 2006. The Honorable Benigno Fitial.

The new lieutenant governor, Timothy Villagomez, and his wife Margaret...she spent part of her growing-up years in Maine!

Part of the inaugural ceremony. It began with the sound of a conch shell being blown--a traditional call to a "gathering of peace."

My handsome husband!

After the Ball...I antiqued the color because I didn't like my lipstick...oh the frailties and vanities and foolishness of [wo]men!

Kaitlyn sharing her hair with Dad. Bald really is beautiful when compared with some other options!

The D-R's

Here are my "Dream" Resolutions:

• that by this time next year I will NOT be bookkeeping for Conner Inc.
• to get rid of (or keep--actually I don't care) our 1994 Previa and buy a 2006-07 Lexus. I would probably settle for less than a Lexus, but I'd like to think I wouldn't.
• to attend Mom's Weekend at BYU-I.
• to fly all of my off-island kids home for the holidays.
• to have Estella or someone equally as wonderful working for us again on a regular basis.

The "R" Word

Yes, yes, it's time again for the dreaded Resolution. Maybe if I put them here I will remember them more often.

Educational - I resolve to

• Read at least one of C.S. Lewis's other works.

Spiritual - I resolve to increase in humility by

• Making a written record of characteristics of humility identified by personal prayer, meditation, and observation.
• Focusing on examples of humility in daily scripture study.

Physical - I resolve to maintain a healthy weight by

• Engaging in regular exercise.
• Eating healthy in quality and quantity.
• Drinking at least 64 oz. of water a day.
• Getting to bed by 10 p.m. on a regular basis. (I have a much easier time with the first two if I get enough rest.)

Blog - I resolve to continue to make a blog entry at least once a month.

Well, that's it. I don't want to overtax myself.