A lot seems to have happened since the last letter. It was a very cool experience to baptize and confirm Isaac—a wonderful day for all of us. Thanks to all who came or called or sent cards. He did a good amount of growing up that day and we’ve had some great discussions since that time. On a few evenings after putting him in bed I’ve been able to share with him some of my own experiences with the Holy Ghost. Those are times that a dad treasures. On the Sunday after his baptism he leaned over to me at the beginning of Sacrament meeting and asked, “How do you repent?” We had previously discussed how taking the sacrament each week allows us to repent and renew covenants and stay as clean as when we were baptized. I told him that you pray to Heavenly Father and ask him to forgive you for anything you may have done wrong. I didn’t think much of it at the moment, but realized that he wanted to repent before he took the sacrament so he could “stay perfect” as long as possible. I think the sacrament is a powerful tool in our lives that is too often overlooked or not taught well enough and soon enough to children. The sooner they understand the power of prompt repentance and feel the confidence that comes from weekly worthiness, the better their lives will be and the more they will personally appreciate the Savior and his atonement. What a wonderful feeling it is to have joy and rejoicing in your posterity even in small degrees.
Becky and I decided that it would be a neat experience for Isaac to fly (maybe drive) down to Tehachapi with Mom and Dad for Stuart’s report. He was so excited when we told him that he could hardly contain himself. We’re so grateful he’s had someone like that to look up to as a righteous role model.
The kids were out of school for a few days for spring break. They spent the majority of their time outside on their rollerblades. They got to have a sleepover at our house with friends on the first night, and Friday night got to sleep out in their friend’s backyard in a tent. We went to see “Curious George” as a family and the kids loved it, even the little ones. I was quite busy with work and so we didn’t get to do as much as I would have liked, but it was an early taste of what summer will be like with kids in and out of the house with friends all day long just doing whatever they felt like and having a blast. Becky and I realized we’re going to have to set some rules when it comes to snacking, or our fridge and cupboards are going to be constantly bare.
Auriana, Natalie, and Isaac will be taking a Bluegrass/Folk Music workshop the first two weeks of June. We’re excited for them to have opportunities to play with other kids. They will also be attending a show choir camp the week after the family reunion, put on by our neighbor who is the high school choir teacher. I did all their flyers and their website as a ‘trade’ for the kids being able to go to this camp. Natalie and Auriana will be taking a combined fiddle/mandolin class throughout the summer so they can get better at playing together. Now if I can just get my act together and learn how to play the guitar better, we could become a fairly respectable family band. I wonder what Enoch, Miriam and Ellie will end up playing?
Enoch has been surprising us with his improved behavior in Primary and the Storytime he attends at the Library. Becky comes home and reports that he actually sat still the whole time and listened and participated. As she tells me about his good behavior she kind of has this look of disbelief on her face because we both have wondered if he would learn to sit still before starting kindergarten. There is hope! He gave his first talk in Primary today, about Adam and Eve. In preparation, Becky asked what his favorite scripture story was. He said, “Adam and Eve, because they picked the fruit and ate it all up. And Jesus told them not to, but they did. And they had to leave the Garden of Egypt.”
Miriam is done sucking her thumb, thanks to THUM. Her thumb was looking all red and cracked and even somewhat deformed—nothing permanent, but nevertheless we thought her speaking progress was being hindered by thumb sucking. Becky’s friend told us about this stuff called “Thum” that is really yucky tasting and stays on like fingernail polish-- it worked great and only took 2 or 3 tastes! Now we look forward to potty training! Growing up is so much fun.
Ellie is sitting up pretty well on her own now. It’s fun to see her balance herself. It’s still a challenge for us to keep Enoch from smothering her with his love. I joked with Becky the other day that Ellie had developed an “Enoch reflex” because when I bent down to kiss her she jerked her hands up to protect herself. The younger ones definitely develop a toughness sooner than the first children.
Becky’s perspective on life inspires me. Though she would never admit it, she’s definitely the wiser one. Of course all of you already knew that. I’m just continually impressed with the way she thinks ahead and how that thinking affects her attitude right now. For instance, when I would say, “Won’t it be nice when the kids are older and we don’t have to deal with this any more,” she says, “we have to remember to enjoy this time, because it will never be like this again.” I’m also impressed with the way she handles the difficult parts of her calling in the Primary. She’s so good at listening to people voice their complaints without getting offended or judging. With one lady in particular who seems to say certain things just to try and get a rise out of people, Becky stays calm and humble and invariably ends up winning that person’s increased respect by the way she treats them. For some reason I like her more and more each day.
My Easter concert was a fun time. It was nice to see the community response for such an event. Our Spring concert is on May 20th and then we take a break for the summer, though I’ll still be doing other Arts Council stuff. I love being involved in things like that, but with the increased workload I’ve had lately I’m feeling quite overwhelmed. I’ve arranged with a couple other designers to be able to sub-contract out to them some of the projects I have going. It was actually a very liberating feeling to know that I can do that now and not have to turn down jobs and make more time for my family and my sanity. Hopefully I’m smart enough to manage everything right and go through a controlled growth with my company that is beneficial in the long run.
