Cub Scouts- Bear Necessities/Call of the Wild

I created this worksheet to help us go through the things we need to cover for Bear Necessities (Bear) and Call of Wild (Wolf). We have a combined Wolf/Bear den right now. I wanted to make sure we touched on each of the things we were going to cover. I figured a worksheet will help me keep focuses.

Next week we are going "camping". Not actually camping but we are going to meet at a local picnic area. While there we are going to set up a ten, use the grills to roast marshmallows, and having a short campfire service. We are also going to tie knots, look for wildlife, and clean up using Leave No Trace. 

Letter to the lady who berated me at the park:

Dear Lady who berated at the park:
     As I said multiple times in the calmest toned voice I could muster as you yelled in my face, holding onto my daughter, "I appreciate your concern but there are circumstances here that you do not understand." In the moment, I would have been happy to explain them to you, but you were so angry and yelling so loud. It was an embarrassing scene you were making in front of probably 50 people from our small community. I was trying very hard not to lose my temper at you. I was trying so hard to refrain from yelling back at you. You had jumped to conclusions of  what you and your friend "think" happened and were not open to listening to the truth. I eventually did lose my temper, but I didn't lose it in the way that you told the police. Instead of yelling obscenities and calling you volgue names, as you told the policeman, I took my child back from you- can you blame me, you said you are a parent too (and that is why you said you were an authority of raising children), what would you have done if a angry women berating and yelling at you was hold your child away from you. I then took my children and went and got into my car and left. The only thing I said to you in anger was "fine then call the police", which to your credit you kept to your word and did. Considering you had 50 witnesses around you I don't know why you felt the need to lie to the police. It was probably because you had already built the story up in your head, after all you "knew" what had happened. You "knew" the "truth".
Now that the moment is past, would you like to know the truth? My children had got separated from me while I was getting my produce at the community produce day. They saw that mama was distracted and had full arms and although they were given permission to play on the playground a few feet from where we were as long as they stayed together, they took advantage of the craziness to get out of my site. I found my eldest son covered in mud when I was done through the line, and asked him where his sisters were. They were not together nor were they on the playground like they were suppose to be. He told me they were on the other side of the park playing in the mud. Again my arms were full of lots of heavy produce (remember that was they say we got 3 mellons each and 3 cantelope). I told him to get back to his sisters. I then took my youngest (who had stayed with me the whole time) and my produce to the car and buckled him in. Since I can't leave him in the car and dragging him around the park further would have been disastrous (I know my physical limits), I started the car up and started to move it to the other side of the park where my eldest had told me they had run off to, only to see my eldest running around scared in the mass of people. I stopped in the middle of the parking lot and run up to my son, I saw he was worried, I even thanked your friend who was with him, he being a smart kid had asked an adult for help when he realized he couldn't see me. That was when you started yelling at me with one of my daughters covered in mud. I would have expected some charity from you some relief that a mother was reunited with her child. I was a worried mother, who had been separated from my children and was grateful that they were fine. I was still worried because I was missing another child, instead of charity from you, I got yelling and hate from someone under the disguise of caring that I was being a neglectful mom. Every mom has a moment of bad judgement or helplessness as the actions of their children were out of their control. For your information I have never yelled obscenities at anyone in my entire life. Ask anyone who knows me. Ask my children. My children don't even know any obscenities, because I don't use them. The closest I have ever come is yelling da*n once when I dropped something super heavy on my foot. Most of the time, what is used as obscene words in my vocabulary is "oh heck" and on a super rare occasion "crap". None of which I did I even use in front of you. I could see how angry you were, how much of a scene you were making. I didn't want a scene, I didn't want you to be angry. I just wanted all my children back with me safe. Have you never had a lost child? Have you never felt that worry and panic of where did they go? In a community like ours, small, full of faith professing Christians, and patriotic military families- I expected that in a moment like that for those around me to pull together and help me find my children and rejoice with me when we were all rejoined safe. But you took what could have been a sweet community moment and turned it into bitterness and hate as you yelled at me about being a neglectful mom and leaving my children. You assumed that since you had my child in your custody for a short minute and you saw me get out of my car that I had left them at the park to fend for themselves. You told the police I had left them there for at least 20 minutes. You told the police that I yelled at you. You told the police I had showed an unChristian example in front of my children, and worst of all you made my children cry, cry because you were calling the police, and yelling that I shouldn't be a mother if I treat my children that way. You scared my children into thinking that the police where going to take their mother way from them. Was that your intent? I don't think so. I think in that short moment you had my children around you, you were worried for them. They were scared and you worried for them. Whatever your experiences are, this made you lash out at me- a scared and worried parent.
I have had many crazy people berate me in public. I am sure this won't be the last time. Most of the time about how I have no business having so many children (I only have 4 and believe me that isn't that many). why people unprompted feel the need to lecture people on their choice to have children is beyond. me.  It is now my turn to show you the Charity you did not show me. I am sure you are a good person. I believe that in the moment you honestly thought you were trying to do a good thing. Out of all the people who have treated me unkindly I am having the hardest time feeling that charity and forgiveness. I think it is because you made my children cry, and because this time I had to explain myself to a police officer- who by they way totally understood and dropped the whole thing on hearing what actually had happened. With all done and said, I am hurt. I am hurt that someone who does so much in the community to try to help others, would have treated one person who needed some love and compassion at that moment with so much anger so much hate, so little Charity. I admire the charity work you do for the community. I know you want to be a good Christian and serve those in need. Please Please Please remember that there are those in need who what they need is Charity- pure love and forgiveness. I am trying to forgive you. I am trying to have Charitable love for you. Please forgive me for my shortcomings, and the perceived shortcomings you have of me, and please have Charity for me.
Sincerely the Lady who got separated from her children at the product day on Friday at the park.

Please everyone, you may think you "know the truth" of what happened or what is going on in someone else's life, but you don't, most of us will never know or understand the truth when it comes to another person. As a society we need to have more Charity, more love, more forgiveness, more understanding. This one word, if implemented would solve so many of our Country's and World's problems. Charity is the answer.



Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. -Moroni 7:46-7

Teacher Gifts

I wanted to do something that was simple but also affordable.

I started on pinterest. Here are some I was considering

Then I started thinking about how they were all food. I started thinking about how teachers probably appreciate things that aren't going to go to their hips. But at the same time last year I did mason jars and we included Peach Herbal Tea with a note to enjoy their summers.

But if teachers not multiple of these, it is a lot of keep around- clutter.

So I started looking for things that aren't food, but once they are used there is no reason to feel the need to keep it.

then I found this one

I asked a teacher friend of mine which would you rather get, a Sharpie or a candy bar. She very quickly said "Sharpie" then asked her friend she was with (we were talking on the phone) and her friend said "Sharpie" without missing a beat. 

I bought a pack of Sharpies at Costco. It came with 25 Sharpies. It was $14. Maybe not the best deal but I needed them by tomorrow and it was a set of super fun colors.

I made these tags for the Sharpies

(full size image, ready to print, please "save as" and print)

I'm giving the teachers 3 Sharpies each, the aids 2. I tied a ribbon around them.

Current feelings on the Presidential Primaries

Haven't posted her much lately. I am involved in so many pursuits right now that personal life blogging of this sort is not what I spend my time on.
If you want to catch up on our family life check out my instagram.

I feel weighted down by this year's election. There are so many things going through my mind. For the first time in my life I am looking at the prospect that come November I will be voting for a Democrat in a presidential election, and not because I like the candidate, but because I would feel that the Republican candidate has no business being the President of the United States.

I am a supporter of people voting. Even when they choose not to vote the way I want them to. However, I am becoming increasingly anxious about how a certain candidate could be gaining any traction in the first place, let alone in the state where I live. Yes, who are these people who are voting for this person? I personally only know one person, that is openly stating that they are supporting this candidate. They don't even live in my state. I am baffled. Completely flabbergasted. Now to be fair I'm not impressed with any of the other candidates for president. At this point I could careless which of them wins the primary as long as it isn't this particular candidate. How is this possible? I know I live in a State and I embrace this about my state, that we aren't going to let anyone tell us how it is suppose to be, but I also figured I lived in a state of responsible people who when they saw that an unreasonable person was going to get elected they would join together and tell the unreasonable person to shove off.

This started my mind thinking, on what is my primary criteria when I am considering a candidate, for any electable office? How do I decide who I am voting for?   So much of my decision making is internal done, so quickly, that pin pointing sometimes why for another person is hard. But I have it.

Article of Faith 13 is the answer...
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

I look for these qualities in the person I vote for. That and them being a God fearing person who when they come to a choice is going to call upon the name of the Almighty to guide them in making what is will be the BEST choice for our Nation. That is first. 

Second, after they have these qualities, I start looking at what political stances they have. I know there will be those who disagree with my process, but I have always felt that no matter of their politics, if they possess the majority of these qualities then they will lead with humility.

For years, I have read in the Book of Mormon in the book of Helaman, how the Nephites had just gone through a huge war and civil war, and had been humbled and granted peace, then in a few short years allow corrupt and murderous leaders to be their rulers (their judges). These people had become complacent/comfortable in the gospel and their worship. They were also shocked when Nephi revealed the corruption in their government, even that their Chief Judge had just been murdered. Many would not believe Nephi, even it was proved true that the Chief Judge was murdered. This was in the same lifetime of the people who had cleaned up the government before and had rid it of all corruption prior. How did they get to this point? I see similarities to now. Maybe they had seen that corruption and decided that a new set of people needed to be the politicians because the old set had allowed corruption to sneak in among their ranks, only to find that those they brought in promising to be the agents of change were more corrupt than those they voted out. Maybe the new candidates promised to fix all that they saw were wrong with the current government, again only to find out that these new elected officials were even more evil. Maybe they wanted to teach the establishment a lesson, only later realizing they had let in the worst corruption of all, that was about to bring about the complete destruction of their civilization. Maybe these new officials had come in under the guise of being part of the establishment. Or maybe saying they do or do not belong in the same group with those other guys. I feel so many similarities between our Nation and what may have been the pivotal moments that let do the Nephite government being controlled by a gang of sophisticated robbers.

I see nothing honest in someone who shrouds their words in hate and speaks to of himself in loftiness with no humility. I see no trueness to his character his word has never been his bond. His life has never been one that is chaste in word or in action. There is nothing benevolent or kind about this man.  I see nothing virtuous or moral in how he has lived his life, and I have not heard one mention of any good he has done to any man or woman. He openly detests God in his words and actions. Takes the name of the Lord in vain often. It can not be said of him that he follows the admonition of Paul. I can not believe a him at all, I can not find hope in him, I pray that I will only have to endured him until the end of the election, and  hope to be able to endure this as long as I must. For he is not virtuous, he is not lovely or loving of anyone but himself, and there is nothing of good to report or praise him about, I pray that our society wakes up and no longer seeks after this person.

You want to see someone different but someone with no morals no God is not the answer.

I beg all my God fearing friends, no matter what religion you associate yourself with that you evaluate the character of who we elect. For my heart aches and yearns for the atonement of Christ's grace to bring my soul peace. I can not control the votes of others, but I fear that we are no longer concerned about being a God loving and fearing nation and that has scary consequences. I pray for our Nation.

Little Pioneer Children CSB Ou216

Next weekend our stake is having their pioneer day event. Our ward was assigned to preform Children's Songbook hymn 216, "Little Pioneer Children"
I had heard it before but never sung it. I teach a CTR 6 class so I am no longer the chorister. But as the chorister tried to teach it today (for preforming it Saturday). The thought came that this would be tons easier if she has a flip-chart so all the kids even those not here today could just slip right into the song. Then the next thought was, I could make her some pages.
After Singing time I stopped our chorister in the hall to ask if she wanted flip chart pages made for her to use. Now she almost never uses visuals to teach her songs to Junior primary. (I have no idea what she does for senior). Now that isn't my style, but each person who is called is given inspiration and the allowance to do their calling to the best of their ability. So I didn't know how she'd respond. But she seemed relieved by the offer. I also said that any time she would like a flip-chart made all she need to do is facebook message me or call me and I'd be happy to make something up for her.
Thought I would share this with all ya'll.
Right click on the images to download each page
OR click here to go to a download link

Hope this helps someone. Happy Pioneer Day.

Our Money Makeover

Part of me is really uncomfortable talking about this but it needs happen. My husband and I recently came to some realization about our goals and how the way we were living our life was going to keep us from ever actually realizing them. As members of the LDS church many of us have this and we hide it like it is going to make us outcast lepers if the truth is learned. And at General or Stake Conference when we are counseled to "GET OUT OF DEBT" we sit there like they are talking to someone else. I actually believe that many of us think they way I was at those moments "we're good, we're working on it" but saying we're working on it isn't going to fix it unless we are actively making changes in our lives.

We are in Debt!*

There it has been said. The second half of that is we now have an actually plan and resolve to put that plan into action. For anyone in the same boat we are- there is a plan and a path and you can join us on that journey.

Read more at my new blog: Arizona Girl Goes Thrifty

The short story for anyone who doesn't want to move their reading over to the long version on my new blog is- we decided it was time to make changes, we read Dave Ramsey's book "Total Money Makeover" in order to learn how and find that hope,  We are now working on our baby steps. It is going to take some time.

*I feel it is important that we are not so in debt that we have ever or would ever consider bankruptcy. We were just making bad assumptions about how to spend our money and bad choices that would keeping our goals forever just out of reach.

Just another week

Summer is out and it has been hot. We've been sitting around the 103 F around here. Normally we are 10-15 degrees F cooler than the Phoenix Valley (where I grew up), and this week was no exception, they were sitting around 115 F all week. So it is hot.

Tuesday was interesting. We had the LDS (because if any of you didn't know yet- yes we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints aka the Mormons) Sister Missionaries over for dinner. They were sweet but not the annoying sweet that made me dislike sister missionaries growing up and made me never want to be one (funny story I was a sister missionary, but I was a cool sister missionary who even to this day had a reputation that I was an elder hater, not because I actually hated the elders but because I wouldn't put up with anything from them-grow up). One was from eastern Washington and the other from north of Chicago. So after dinner, they leave to go to an appointment with a family they are teaching, and we put our children to bed- followed by I go grocery shopping (adventure in and of itself- we recently started a new budget). When I get home from the grocery store they are 4-5 vehicles parked on our street down by where the sister missionaries live (yes they live in a house owned by some members down the street from us). One, at least, was obviously shaped like a police car but no lights were on, I decided to turn into my drive way and not get in the way by going over and trying to snoop to find out what was going on. Later I learned from their neighbor, that it were police cars. There had been a scary dude hanging around the sisters' house looking into the windows, when confronted he kept trying to find out who lived at that house, and was seen back later that night. So the police were asked to drive by occasionally and then made a big deal of it when there was another reported siting of the creeper. Crazy. A story of this type would make more sense if we lived in some big city with lots of crime and people, but we don't. We live in the middle of almost no where. If those sisters' parents here about this please know they have neighbors who are looking out for them and have their back. We live in a very safe place.
On Wed. our power was out for about an hour. I feels like a funny story when you piece all the stories together. The power was out for a large part of the unincorporated county land we live in, and for a smaller area up in town. The story is that a semi was in an accident and when it rolled it caught a power line going over the street. They were able to get the power up in town on quickly but there were sections of county land that were without power for 2 1/2 hours. In addition there were a bunch of people who lost their Cox internet for a few hours. We didn't exactly loose internet (while the power was off there was no way to tell) but it did wig out a few times, were it would disconnect everything and be off for a few seconds. So that was all fun. I was fingertips away from saying we were going to have ice cream for dinner. darn it went back up before I could make that call.

Thursday I hit my mouth with a glass baking dish. I don't even remember why... but it hurt and later I realized I chipped my tooth. Not really noticeable or anything but it annoys me. I am going to call my dentist and see what he charges just to file it smooth.

So we just finished week 4 of summer. One more week down and we'll be half way to summer break being over and school starting. How are we surviving? With the free summer movies at the local theater, spending lots of time at the park (even in this heat), and eating lots of otter-pops. It is rough. I am just being up front here. My kids are crazy and get destructive when they don't have playmates. WE NEED PLAY DATES! It frusterates me to no end that all my kids want to do is watch TV (we don't even have any TV for DVDs).
So that is life. Father's day was nice. I made lasagna for my husband at his request. Hope ya'll had a great Father's Day too.

Happy New Year

This is how we spent our new years eve.

I got new glasses for the new year.

I always feel guilty spending so much money on glasses but a friend once pointed out that "how much would you spend on a really nice full outfit from head to toe" When you think about it shoes+ shirt+ skirt/pants+ accessories = $100+ "So why not invest the same love into your eyes on something you wear everyday?" so wise. So now I remind myself of that and pay up for my favorite pair.

Who wears them best

 Law turned 9 months in January

The twins are now in Sunbeams 

Normal life for us is what others would call chaos

Happy New Year

Its Confday!