Kites & Kicking Back

Church today was really good and all the talks were about Easter.  It was a great reminder that even though this week will be full of lots of secular celebrations such as coloring Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies, and so on, that the most important thing is to focus on the Savior’s atonement and resurrection.  I saw THIS video about Easter on someone’s blog and really liked it and wanted to share it.

My class was kind of irreverent today and I had to get stern w/ them.  I was telling them a true story that had a lot of meaning to me and some of the girls were talking and being silly so I stopped in the middle of my story and had to tell them that I put a lot of time and effort into my lessons and would appreciate it if they could be respectful.  I heard one of the girls whisper under their breath, “scary”.  I gave her a look and continued on w/ the lesson.  I don’t know what I can do to keep my class more involved and excited about learning the Gospel.  They are 11 & 12 years old and I shouldn’t have to keep telling them to pay attention all of the time.  I worry that they’re not learning anything and want to make sure they leave my class having learned something new or having felt the Spirit and I just don’t think I’m achieving that.  Any suggestions?

After church, we came home and changed clothes and then went to Mom & Dad’s for lunch.  We had lasagna and garlic bread and salad.  Dad left after we ate to go back to church to listen to a kid that he taught in his seminary class give his farewell talk b/c he’s going on a mission.  Autumn wanted to go outside and it was a little windy, so we took our kite and set off on an adventure.  First, we headed over to the lot to check out the iris.  I am so sad b/c there were only 2 or 3 that had bloomed!  Last year there were a whole bunch.

Then we climbed over a fence to walk across the street to the big open field so Autumn could fly her kite.  That was quite the adventure b/c there were ants crawling on the fence and even though I’m tall and have long legs, I was barely able to climb over the fence w/ out having to stand on a bucket or something.  So Autumn kept asking me as we walked over to the field if I had ants in my crotch!

I’m glad I got this picture of the kite in the air, b/c this was pretty much the only time it was in the air.  Our $1 kite finally gave out and kept circling in the wind and then falling to the ground.  We could not keep it up in the air for more than 10 seconds before it would crash into the ground.

We kept trying to make it work, but it wouldn’t and she’d run off into the grass to retrieve the kite.  We kept telling Elmo he was naughty and was going to get a spanking if he didn’t cooperate and stay up in the air for us.  She thought that was hilarious.  I told Autumn we’d have to take it home and throw it away b/c it was broken.

After finally giving up on the kite after 20 minutes, we walked over to the barn and Autumn stopped to pick some flowers to take home to Mimi.

I know this picture is a little too bright, but I loved it and had to post it anyways.  On the left hand side of the picture you can see some vines w/ white and yellow on them.  I don’t know if they were honeysuckle or what, but they were so fragrant!

We got home and just spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching some TV.  As you can see, Autumn was really kicking back and letting Papa rub her legs and feet while she ate peanut M&M’s out of a bowl.

We just had a hodge podge type of dinner w/ Rice-A-Roni, beet greens from the garden and baked beans.  After we ate, Dad put in a seminary video and we watched a short video called “Only A Stonecutter.”  Here are some clips from it.  It was SO TOUCHING!  The music alone just touches my soul.  Then we watched Treasure in Heaven: The John Tanner Story.  It was just as touching and it made me marvel and wonder that someone could be so generous and not hold a grudge even though he gave his whole entire fortune to the Church.  We were about to start watching Legacy (don’t even get me started on that one b/c the guy Eliza marries is a HOTTIE and I cry every time I watch that movie) and Curt came over.  He said he had something in his finger that has been hurting and bothering him for 3 months.

Dad went and got a needle and dug around a little bit and then started pushing on Curt’s finger.  I knew it was hurting him pretty bad b/c he was squirming around in his chair and trying his hardest not to let out a yell.  Dad pushed some more and a little sliver of glass came out.  Curt was so glad Dad was able to get that out and said Mary had dug around in his finger and tried to get that glass out too but I guess it just wasn’t ready yet and needed to fester a little bit more and that’s why Dad was able to get it out.

We sat and talked for a while and then I had to get Autumn home and into bed.  After I put her to bed, I was in the mood to bake so I made some chocolate chip cookies and watched Army Wives.  What a great way to end a great week.