The General Conference Holiday

For Years, we have been treating the semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, like most people treat the super bowl. On the Monday before conference, we write a list of desired snacks and take a vote. In a family of 10, this actually does take about an hour.

On Friday, I go to the stores, and buy what snacks and treats I can buy. Then as conference begins, the kids set blankets up in front of the computer, get some snacks, a pen and some paper, and settle into listening to the Prophet and Apostles. It's a tradition that we slowly grew into over the years.

Sometimes, I have felt a little guilty with providing my kids with a ton of junk for General Conference. But my guilt is now eased. On Sunday, Adam had an argument with some kids in his primary class, and one boy in particular. They started talking about the upcoming general conference. Adam said that he could not wait, and how excited he was for general conference. Most of the kids, were surprised. 8 hours of talks isn't exactly kids friendly. One kid, argued that Adam was nuts!!! He said that he hated general conference because he didn't get to play his normal amount of computer games on Saturday. Adam stood firm. General conference, "is AWESOME!"

I would have to say that making General Conference a semiannual holiday is AWESOME!! Hurray for junk food and treats and a way of helping kids enjoy listening to the Prophet and the Apostles and feeling the spirit that enters our home as we munch on chips, drink orange juice, and slurp milkshakes!

Kittens the Third Time

Our cat had kittens for the third time in about a year. One seems runty again. So we are hoping to be able to help it get enough to eat. I'd have to say that we like doing the kitten thing. It is so fun to have the kittens and to see what colors and personalities we will get each time, and then to give them away when they are old enough. here's hoping that the littlest one survives.

Get the Ghost

When Joseph woke up this morning, he walked downstairs carrying a sword. He came over to me, gave me a hug and said, "I saw a ghost outside. I am going out to kill it with my sword." So I let Joseph and his sword outside.

Lots of Random Thoughts

Blog Thought
So I have had a lot to write about today. In a way, I think I have been saving blogging for Fridays because I have been so busy with everything else and tired with the pregnancy.  Hopefully, next week I will find time to spread it out.

Sugar Thought
I have noticed over the last week that every time I eat dessert, I start to feel ill. If I just eat a few bite, I get dizzy, and tired and it lasts for about a half an hour. If I eat, say a whole donut or piece of cake, I get dizzy and then feel nauseaus. Since type II diabetes runs in my family, I know that it is time to quit sugar, at least until the baby comes. Thankfully, my usually contrary about health food husband, has declared that we are not going to have much dessert around until the baby is born. He is doing this for my health and the health of the baby. So while, I hate to give up my love affair with cake, donuts, and ice cream, I am very grateful that my husband is going to support me in this.

Abortion Thought
My sister sent me and a bunch of family a Huffington Post article about other nations hating America because there are some pro-life laws being sent through some state legislatures. There was one ridiculous law about women carrying still born babies to term. I doubt it will pass. But the rest of the laws or potential laws sited were "personhood" and ultra-sound laws. I think my sister feels these laws are bad, and women should be allowed to make the choice to abort a baby. Honestly, I am not completely sure on her stance. I am sure on my stance. I think the bad law was to make abortion legal to begin with. Yes, I can see some exceptions, but it is not the exceptions that are most of the abortions. As far as ultra-sound laws go, I am all for them. 70% of women who have an ultra-sound after they have decided to have an abortion, change their minds. That means 7 out of every 10 babies that would have been killed are saved, and 7 out of every 10 women who would have made a decision that would have had ill effects on their mental health, do not have to face that. For personhood laws, I am ALL, ALL, ALL for them. Currently, being in my 9th pregnancy that has not ended in an early miscarriage, I can say very firmly, that my children are people with distinct personalities even while in the womb. Recently there has been talk about "after-birth abortion". The main argument in favor is a belief that a baby is only a "potential person". But, having had 8 newborns, I know without a doubt, that each baby has it's own personality, and they are all very unique and different. Making personhood laws is just making a law about what is real and true. What is a lie is that fetus are just a mass of cells, or just a parasite in a woman's body.

Joseph and Joshua Thought
Joseph is messy and wild. Joshua is neat and cautious-- he hates messy, slimy, or sticky things. When they eat, Joseph at 2.5 gets his food all over his face, in his eyes, ears, hair, shirt, and pants. The kid is a mess! I still make him eat in a high chair. Joshua at 14 months, is quite the opposite. Joshua gets his hands and face, and sometimes the tops of his shirts messy. I never have to wash off Joshua's eyes, ears, hair, or pants. I wonder if they will share a room well?


Teenager Thought
Now having been the parent of a teenager for one year, I'd have to say that at this point I like it. I like having the conversations that you can't have with little kids but that teenagers are willing to have all of the time. I like that the teenagers are so very independent. I like that I can embarrass teenagers very easily-- fun, fun, fun. And I don't mind that they like to stay up really late. I guess we will see how I feel in a few more years. So far, all is well and happy.

Kate Thought
Kate is one of my big conversationalists. She loves to talk, and always has a lot to say. Today Kate said, "Watching movies and reading books all alone is no fun. When you read a book with someone it is so much better, because then you have someone to talk about it."--- So very Kate. I hope she marries a guy who likes to gab about EVERYTHING!

Ruth Turns 14

My Ruth turned 14, yesterday. Isn't she pretty? She is amazing in so many other ways too. She is talented at whatever she sets her hand to. She is intelligent, kind, and fun. I am lucky to have Ruth for a daughter.

The kids all went into together and got her a GIANT teddy bear. I think the thing needs its own room, it is so big. Ruth also got some books she likes and so crafting stuff she wanted. 

Living Planet Aquarium

We went on a field trip to the Living Planet Aquarium. It was actually a Connections Academy (Ruth's online school) official field trip. So Ruth got in for free and the rest of us were $6 instead of $9. So it seemed like the right time to go. The Living Planet Aquarium is kind of a funny place. It seems to be an old grocery tore turned aquarium. 

The kids loved it-- especially Anya. She squealed and loved seeing all of the fish and other animals. The older kids loved that they could pet the manna-rays.

After we had been through the aquarium one time, John joined us for a second time through. I think the kids enjoyed showing their dad all that they had seen, and I enjoyed being able to carry Joshua through and talk to him about some of the animals.

Trampoline

Around a year ago, Anya said to me, "Mom, I am trying to get a trampoline and it is just not happening. Will you help me get a trampoline?" My heart was touched, and I decided then and there that we needed to spend the money and get a trampoline for our kids. I wanted to get one for Christmas, but we just didn't have the money then. I knew we had to wait until we got our tax return. We have finally done it! We bought our kids a trampoline! I am pleased to have helped Anya get her trampoline.

After a couple of days, I am sure that it is money well spent. We bought the largest trampoline and in our tiny yard, it looks GIANT!!! John insisted, though. He thought with the number of our kids, they would be safer on something bigger. The one safety problem that I see is actually the safety net. The kids "feel" safe, and barrel themselves or throw each other into the nets. They are not at all cautious about the edges or falling like they are on Grandma's open tramp. So, in this case, I am not sure a safety net really makes them safer. But our house insurance would cancel on us if we didn't have the net. And, we have to have neighbors and cousins sign a waiver if we are to allow anyone besides our own family on the trampoline.

I like what Laura Bunker, President of United Families Utah had t o say about the sex-ed bill, that Governor Herbert vetoed.  So I wanted to post it here.


United Families Utah expresses great disappointment in Governor Herbert's decision to veto HB 363, Health Education Amendments.  We are concerned about the inappropriate content that many Utah elementary students were exposed to last year, as well as other content that may enter elementary and secondary classrooms in the future. Even though the current law is "abstinence-based," parents can no longer assume that everything their child is taught in school aligns with their values. 

As the Deseret News reported, HB 363 "was designed to remove Planned Parenthood from schools," specifically the Planned Parenthood maturation program entitled "Growing Up Comes First" which was used in several school districts last year.  Even though the USOE removed their endorsement of this maturation program in April, 2011, as Senator Margaret Dayton (the Senate sponsor of HB 363) explained, "HB 363 would prevent similar endorsements or collaboration between educators and Planned Parenthood from occurring in the future."  We believe HB 363 would have detached Planned Parenthood from elementary maturation programs, and would have ensured that high school students are taught the truth about what will protect them.

After receiving thousands of letters and emails in opposition to HB 363, Governor Herbert vetoed the bill last Friday night.  In his statement he said, "HB 363 simply goes too far by constricting parental options" and "deprives parents of their choice."  We assume that "choice" refers to some parents who want the schools to provide instruction on contraception.  Yet ironically, that very "choice" allows the state to take over a critical parental responsibility.

What is wrong with teaching contraception in the classroom?
1.     It gives a conflicting double message.  An abstinence message is about how not to have sex. Contraception instruction is about how to have sex. The House sponsor of HB 363, Representative Bill Wright argued, "Teaching contraceptives to youth can cause great damage. We teach children to gratify themselves instead of disciplining [them]selves."
2.    Contraception is not the solution for teen pregnancy.  In January 2012 the CDC reported that 45.2% of teens who gave birth conceived while they were using either a "highly effective contraceptive method" such as birth control pills, or the "moderately effective method of condoms." 
3.    Contraception instruction opens the door to other sexual topics.  As Senator Dayton explained, "We have a clinical discussion but anytime you get into talking about contraceptives or alternative lifestyles or other things, then you're going into a counseling session."  My own experience with "comprehensive sex-ed" in California confirmed this.  When contraception was discussed, students began laughing and making crude remarks. Contraception turned the classroom into a locker room.

What is right with teaching abstinence-only in the classroom? 
1.    This may be the only place some students ever hear about abstinence and self control. Senator Dayton observed, "Teaching abstinence is a matter of public health. Kids are inundated with information about sex from many venues. To counter that, there must be at least one reliable source for teaching the benefits of abstinence." 
2.    A landmark study from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010 followed 662 high-risk students from low-income urban schools, and found that "single-focused, abstinence-only programs reduced sexual initiation over two years."  
3.    Our friends at the Sutherland Institute recently reported that "areas where Utah's public school districts teach abstinence-only sex education have unwed teen pregnancy and chlamydia rates lower than areas allowing instruction in contraception."
4.    Abstinence-only curriculum actually increases parental choice.  It allows parents the freedom to individually tailor what additional information--and from whom that information comes--depending on the needs and the desired outcomes of the parents for their children, not the needs and desired outcomes inherent in contraception education. 

We encourage Utah parents to be vigilant about what is being taught to their children in their schools. Don't be afraid to discuss your concerns with your child's teacher and principal.  And perhaps it's time to think twice before signing that maturation or sex-ed "opt-in" permission slip.
Faithfully yours,
Laura Bunker
United Families Utah director
http://unitedfamiliesut.org/

Governor Vetoed Sex-ed BIll

I am so mad!!!! The Governor-- Governor Hebert-- vetoed hb363 that would have allowed school districts to opt out of  teaching sex-ed and maturation classes. So, that leaves Utah just vulnerable as other states to the The new National Sexuality Education Standards, and Planned Parenthood Sex-ed Programs, (Planned Parenthood programs are already being taught in some school districts along the Wasatch Front).

Why are we now just as vulnerable? Because this law would have had to be taken to court, and would have given Utah more time without this crap. But now, it can slide silently into the schools sex-ed program and there isn't much the school board can do about it. Planned Parenthood is already proving this.

If you want to bother seeing what I said to the house committee that passed the bill, see this article.

Daddy Daughter Dance

In my nearly 15 years of marriage, I have never seen John dance. He doesn't particularly like rock music, and I believe he always felt embarrassed at youth dances when he was a youth. But a father will do anything for a daughter, and when you have FOUR beautiful daughters, well... they all had a wonderful time.

Getting Ready. They got to pick out new dresses.

Kate was mad that I "curled" her hair. She even cried! You've got to love those 12 year old emotions.

Everyone ready!

Well, not ready to look at the camera. You can tell which girls are most excited.

Going in

Getting crowned

Telling Dad how to dance

Dancing!

More Dancing

Found a reason to smile despite the curls.

A Princess

I'm pretty sure she was pointing to something, but this picture is just classic!!

UltraSound

I had Arwen's main 20 week ultrasound today. John came. This is the first one he has come to one since I last dragged him to Johnny's. It was so nice to have him along and we both left wondering why we did not bring him to all of the others.

On the first glance everything looks perfect. As long as I do not get a phone call in the next 48hours, we can assume that everything is developing well with little Arwen.

We are so lucky to have ultrasounds. I love seeing my little baby moving around inside of me. I am also amazed at how developed babies are so young. At 19weeks and 5days, she has all of her major organs, all of her body parts, and for the most part they are all functioning. Life is truly an amazing thing.

I look forward to meeting little Arwen in another 20 weeks. As long as everything is going well, I won't get to see her again until I can hold her in my arms.

A Big Family Phenomena

I am learning that there are funny things that happen in my life just because I have a big family. One of those funny things is loose teeth. Up until last night, I have had three kids with loose teeth. Rachel lost her first tooth just after I brushed her teeth last night. Now she is out of the running for loose teeth, but very pleased with her dollar. Kate has three loose teeth and has lost three recently. Adam's two front teeth are both a bit wiggly. I suspect we will see more teeth coming out in the near future.

I still am shocked that Rachel is old enough to loose teeth. I still think of her as one of my toddlers.

HomeSchool and FHE

For Home school, I have had Johnny and Kate working on a research project of their choice for English. It was mainly trying to get them to do their own research while getting some writing practice in. They had just over two weeks to complete the project. It had to have a written report, a tri-fold board display, and an oral presentation. Kate chose to do her project on donuts, and Johnny chose nuclear missiles.

For Family Home evening last night, Johnny and Kate gave their oral presentations. It was so fun, and so very informative.

Johnny did a great job of teaching us about nuclear fission and nuclear fusion and what it all meant, and Einstein's E=mc^2. He also talked about the history, the cost, and the illnesses associated with radiation. I must confess, I was rather interested and impressed. I think we all learned a lot form Johnny's presentation.

Kate taught us the history of donuts: how the name came around and how the basic shape was formed etc. Kate ended of course with yummy donuts for everyone. (I think that may have been why she picked donuts in the first place.) Kate as always did a good job presenting.

This went so well, I think we will do more project presentations for Family Home Evening. Maybe the next assignment will be something on church history.

Homeschool Update

I feel a bit like I have been neglecting the blog. This is in part due to the fact that I have been neglecting the camera. I like to update with photos. But I think today, I will just update with words.

Life is going along in the ordinary way, which is good. Things out of the ordinary usually means the car broke down again. The car is still running-- few.

This is how homeschool is going for each child:

Ruth likes homeschool now because she has made a lot of good friends. She has spent a lot of time with her friends preparing for mock trial, and now that that is over, she will be spending an even larger amount of her time with her friends getting ready for the Shakespeare Play. As far as school work goes, the online charter school Ruth is on is a lot harder then when she took all honors courses in the public school last year. But she is still getting all A's. Ruth hates geometry and finds it rather challenging, so she quit doing it for a month while she nearly finished up the entire school year in most of her other classes. Ruth is now doing just geometry. I don't think she likes that very well. But, she has a month of work to catch on. So that is where she is by choice. Ruth has chosen to continue home schooling at this point probably until graduation.

Kate loves homeschool. I think she did after just the first week. Kate really enjoyed the Mock Trial competition. She was particularly good at spontaneous arguments in the position of lawyer. Now Kate is thinking about law as a career rather than a doctor. Kate is easy to teach, because she generally likes what she has to do, gets to work, and gets it done early. I like teaching Kate.

Johnny prefers homeschool too and is actually back to his fun self socially. At the end of last year he had been picking up some odd behaviors and was beginning to have trouble with friends. That is not the case anymore. He just needed more academically. I am often at war with Johnny to make him sit and study for more than 2 minutes in a row. But this is a war, I intend to win. I think his inability to study is the result of three years of being completely bored in public school. I give him a lot of difficult and advanced work. When he gets even a little bit stuck, he quits and goes and does something else. I am tough teacher though. I know what he can do and I insist that he learns to do hard things. Johnny doesn't particularly like to write, so I am making him do a lot of it. Of course, he is excelling in math and science. In math he is in the beginning of algebra one. I think once we finish chapter two, he will really start enjoying algebra-- problem solving is next and that is what Johnny is good at. Johnny is also doing well at learning some Japanese. He likes that, so he tries to do some extra stuff with it.

Adam is doing great. He will be completely finished with his first grade curriculum in 4 weeks. So I guess we will move on to the second grade for the last two months of the school year. Adam gets up early, gets to work on his own and finishes up before lunch. He is really easy to teach right now and is picking up his lessons well. However, I am planning on sending Adam to school next year. I think he needs more time with other boys his age, and Ruth , Kate, and Johnny all got a good sense of the consequences of good and bad behavior with their time in the public school. I want the little kids to get a sense of that too.

Rachel is struggling to learn to read. That is not unusual for my kids. Johnny is the only one of 5 kids so far that did not have to work hard to learn to read. But it is hard. I really don't like teaching my kids how to read. Yet, I have taught them all because school alone just doesn't do it for my kids. They need me reading with them for at least a half hour a day, and they need phonics lessons. It is nice to see the progress though. Rachel has an easy time memorizing words, but she struggles sounding out words. She has several books memorized. I have her point to the words as she reads them to help her remember the words for the next book. So far that is working better than all of the phonics and time spent sounding out words. It also seems to help to make her read a small amount in  unfamiliar books. I am also sending Rachel to school next year for the same two reasons I am sending Adam. I am also sending Rachel to school because she is very stubborn. I think it will do her some good to have to do what her teacher says everyday even though she certainly will not. But Rachel is shy. If she finds that she doesn't like school, or if I find that she is withdrawing from other friends and family, I will bring her back home.

I am finding it interesting:

How every kid has their own way of learning to read. Ruth was more like Rachel. Kate and Adam had to sound out every word. Johnny, I don't really know, because he moved from having a hard time reading The Cat in the Hat, to reading The Magic Tree House in about a month.

How much better a indivualized education is rather than the public school one size fits all . I have spoken with several public school teachers recently and have been surprised that they agree with me about the one-sized fits all failure in the American public schools.

I am learning that :

I will need to contact universities to find out what I need to do and what records I will keep for high school for my children. I will have to spend a lot of time on that soon as Ruth will start 9th grade in the fall. Kate and Johnny will start 9th grade the year after.

I will need to find out what I will need to do for Johnny to start college at about 16 years old. I have no intention of sending him away from home until after his mission, so we are planning on sending him to a local University.

All in all:

I am glad that I was prompted to homeschool my children. On the whole, it has been a positive experience the and the right thing for my children. We have met a lot of great people and a lot of great kids. I like that my kids have more time to work on their particular talents and can go ahead or stay behind depending on how well they are doing. Johnny was in third grade public school this year except for history is working completely on a 7th grade level. Kate is on level. Ruth is working at a 9th grade level while still in the eighth grade online program. Adam has been working just about 2 months ahead of public school first grade. So he is basically on level. Rachel is probably right on level for kindergarten.

A Lovely Day

We had a lovely warm springy day today. So of course, I sent all of the kids outside. I even took a few to the park while Rachel had her dance class. And of course to celebrate the good weather, we all had to get an icecream cone!

My Answer to a Big Question

I was asked the question: What if after you have this baby, and you get pregnant again, you have another girl? This of course is in response to my post about how I know there is one more boy that is supposed to come to our family.

Here is my answer to this difficult question:

First, John and I have been told, through personal revelation that there is one more boy that is supposed to join our family at some point. Both John and I believe this to be true and from God. I first received this answer after I quit praying and asking to be done having children. I think that this answer really was an answer to my question, "Can I be done?" I think the answer that there is one more boy, is letting me know that when there is one more boy, our family will be complete.

So what if I get pregnant again after this baby and it is another girl? Then I know that my family is not yet complete, and I am not done having children.

Second, I do not think another pregnancy resulting in a girl means that I received incorrect revelation. It is true that it can be hard to separate revelation from emotions. But, I have found through experience that the more I act on the impressions I receive, the more sure I am about an impression the next time. I know that if I go through my life doubting personal revelation, then I will no longer have the privilege of receiving it. By not doubting, but by exercising faith, I have become more sure about what is from God and what is not from God. I love President Monson's story on this topic about who he should call on to speak during a Temple dedication. You can read the talk here.

Heavenly Father expects us to have faith in Him, in His Son, in the revelations given to us in scriptures, in the revelations given to us through the current day prophets and apostles, in the revelation given to us through our Bishops and local priesthood leaders, and faith in the revelations He gives to us about our personal lives and families.

Elder Russel M. Nelson said, "For each of you to receive revelation unique to your own needs and responsibilities, certain guidelines prevail. The Lord asks you to develop “faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God.” Then with your firm “faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, [and] diligence,” you may ask, and you will receive; you may knock, and it will be opened unto you."

In one of my favorite talks, Elder Richard G. Scott, in Octpber 2009 said, "Father in Heaven knew that you would face challenges and be required to make some decisions that would be beyond your own ability to decide correctly. In His plan of happiness, He included a provision for you to receive help with such challenges and decisions during your mortal life. That assistance will come to you through the Holy Ghost as spiritual guidance. It is a power, beyond your own capability, that a loving Heavenly Father wants you to use consistently for your peace and happiness." and in the same talk Elder Scott said, "What may appear initially to be a daunting task will be much easier to manage over time as you consistently strive to recognize and follow feelings prompted by the Spirit. Your confidence in the direction you receive from the Holy Ghost will also become stronger. I witness that as you gain experience and success in being guided by the Spirit, your confidence in the impressions you feel can become more certain than your dependence on what you see or hear."

I know that a loving Heavenly Father is there and willing to tell each us about our own families. We are instructed that how many children and how far apart a couple has their children is between the couple and God. I am very grateful that we are not left to ourselves with these difficult decisions, but that we are offered revelation and assistance from a loving Heavenly Father.